Author's notes: to those of you worried Toothless isn't going to show up, don't. He will be in this fic, just remember that fics take a little time so please be patient. This isn't a perfect fic or anything, I have no delusions about that. It's actually my first httyd fic, but the idea wouldn't get out of my head and I knew the only way to read it was to write it myself. Now, some people seem to have a bit of a problem reading things thoroughly, which is why I haven't answered some reviews with questions, because if you did read you'd realize the answer was asked already.

Also note, this is an AU, of course people aren't going to have the same reactions to things as they do in canon. I didn't explore the way the actual movie would change because this is supposed to be from the Alvin and the Outcasts episode and onwards. Outcast!Hiccup has a vastly different personality compared to canon!Hiccup because of the way he was raised (trained instead of pushed to the side, taught warfare and tactics instead of relying on his own natural cleverness - which he still does, it's just refined to a more nasty type of thinking - Alvin building up his hate towards Stoick, etc.). I could go on for hours, but I won't. Maybe I'll write something up and post it to my tumblr.

This is still in production and has a long way to go, so I suggest if you don't like the idea, leave well enough alone. I'm not going to blubber and pull it just because I got a little hate review that I can just delete. I'm 27 and writing this for fun during downtime at work. Thanks to everyone for reading and leaving such encouraging reviews :) I'm glad I could get you all interested in my little AU.

Hiccup hacked and hacked at a tree with his axe, turning around and throwing it before pulling it out and rinse and repeat, anger never leaving him. The dragon conqueror had humiliated him in front of his tribe, had gotten away when he'd been commanded to bring her back. He pulled his axe back, swinging it down in front of him and into the dead wood hard enough to split it in half. His shoulders shook with rage as he glared at his weapon before turning and throwing it to the ground, watching it land at his father's feet. He straightened himself, even though his upper lip curled into a sneer. "Father."

Alvin had been watching his adopted son for a while, watched the way he had been perfecting his throw and aim until it couldn't be perfected anymore. Hiccup was seething with rage, not unlike a child throwing a tantrum and he simply raised his eyebrow at the sneer. Instead, he ground out "Pick up yer axe."

The younger viking scowled before he did as ordered, barely able to pick it up in time before his father brought his own down. Hiccup rolled out from underneath the blade, lifting his axe to block Alvin's attack. His eyes held no questioning disbelief - this was normal - instead, they narrowed dangerously as he struck back. Back and forth they went, parrying and blocking and Grimbeard Grappling until finally, Alvin had Hiccup pinned and weaponless, but not to say that both of them weren't panting. Hiccup stared up at his father challengingly, an act that would have had a lesser clansman killed.

Alvin cuffed him over the head with the back of his hand before he removed his axe, grabbing Hiccup by the front of his shirt. "You had one job, boy!" he barked, spittle flying everywhere, and Hiccup brought a hand up to wipe his sleeve over his face. "One job, and you let a female get the better of you! She wasn't even a Odin damned Bog Burglar!"

"I won't make any excuses for my failure, father," he spat back out, seething from his very core. He knew that excuses would only make Alvin angrier, knew from experience. "She had this way with the beast. I can't explain it. She rode the dragon, father. Can you imagine what we could do with an army of dragons at our disposal?" Hiccup took notice of the look on Alvin's face, nodding to himself. He'd let someone else suck up. Such a thing was beneath him. Instead, he lifted his smaller hands and used them to uncurl his father's fist from his shirt, moving back. "We could rule the skies."

"We need to know how they control them to start with," Alvin said, flexing his fingers as he retracted his hand.

"I've already thought about that." Hiccup walked over to his axe, picking it up from where it had fallen during their fight. He examined the blade before sheathing it into the strap behind his back. He turned his head to look at Alvin, eyes gleaming in the dark. "Let me infiltrate Berk." At the look of distaste, he continued. "Think about it. I was born in Berk. I can feign that you made me work for you. Stoick will be too busy being beside himself to realize that he's being played."

"And then you learn how to train dragons."

"Exactly."

The older viking tilted his head, grinning down at his son before he laughed, lowering his hand to ruffle Hiccup's hair violently even as the boy gave an indignant 'hey!', despite his own vicious grin. "You're every bit as treacherous as your old man, Hiccup."

Stoick sat down with a heavy thump into his chair as Astrid left the great hall with her dragon and her friends, placing a hand to his head. His son was alive. After all these years, his son was alive. An Outcast, but alive. He didn't know if he was relieved or horrified. Gods, his boy was an Outcast. By Astrid's description, it sounded like he was well enough, even with that hanging over his head.

"He's alive, Gobber." He was only vaguely aware of his friend's presence, all other noise aside from the crackling of the hearth gone. He steepled his hands and let out a small laugh. "My boy's alive."

"Aye, he's alive." The blonde took a swig from his mughand, relaxing back against their table as he crossed his peg leg over his normal one. "But he's an Outcast. So where does that leave us?"

Stoick's shoulders sagged, pushing himself up from his seat. He started pacing around the area, arms tucked around behind his back. Where did that leave him? Stoick may have been a viking, but he wasn't sure if he could kill his son again. After losing his wife, things had been hard. He felt his age more and more each day, to the point that Gobber had had to step in as his second. "Gods, Gobber, what do I do?" He looked up at the ceiling of the great hall, towards Asgard. "Val, give me a sign. What do I do with our boy?"

The boy that he should have raised. The boy that he had been so proud to see brought into the world but because of customs had to toss to the sea. The Gods had made their choice. Hiccup was an Outcast and that was that. There was no questioning it.

Stoick could only hope he wouldn't be faced with him anytime soon.

Astrid gave a sigh as she sat down on the ramp leading down to the pier, Stormfly seated next to her and nuzzling the side of her head. Things didn't add up. She understood their tradition, understood that the Gods had made their choice. He had ended up their enemy, for better or for worse. But she couldn't stop seeing the look in his eyes, the hate when she had said Stoick's name. It didn't look right, didn't feel right.

"Why am I thinking so hard about this, Stormfly?" she asked with a sigh, reaching out to run her fingers under her dragon's jaw, nails scratching at the sweet spot. Stormfly trilled in concern, nuzzling her again as she clicked what sounded like a question. Astrid gave her a small smile. "I'll be okay, girl."

"Hey, Astrid!" She looked down the ramp when she heard the voice, spotting Ruffnut climbing the length with a grin on her face before she noticed the look on her fellow viking's face. She sighed when she got up to the top, looking out over the horizon. "Now I know you didn't come out here for the view." Dark, angry clouds dotted the line, sure indications of Thor's wrath. She felt Ruffnut nudge her with her booted foot, one hand on her hip. "'Sup, girl?"

"Hm? Oh, hey, Ruffnut."

Ruffnut raised an eyebrow before she swung herself into a seated position next to her, reaching around Astrid to give Stormfly a pat. "I haven't seen you this thoughtful since we used to...well, you know. C'mon, what's on your mind?"

"I can't stop thinking about what happened." Astrid turned her head to look at Ruffnut before glancing back out to the island. "What kind of father would place the laws over his own son?"

"Dude, what?"

"Hiccup the Horrendous is Chief Stoick's kid, right? What kind of father does that? What must have been going through his mind back then, what must have been going through it when I told him that he was alive?"

"You ask some reaaaaaally heavy questions, girl." Ruffnut leaned back on her hands, watching down on the beach where her brother and Snotlout were horsing around while Fishlegs freaked out and tried to act as mediator. "It's not really any of our business. We don't ask how the Elder communes with the Gods, right?"

"It's not really the same thing, Ruff."

"It kinda is. If Hic shows up here, it'll be up to the chief to deal with him. That's how it goes. Snotlout might be next in line to become chief, but it's still gonna be Stoick's duty to take care of things."

"Hey, you guys!" Astrid closed her mouth from where she was about to reply when she heard Tuffnut's voice calling up from below. She looked down to see the other twin gesturing down the beach, where Snotlout and Fishlegs were running off to. "You better come see this!"

Astrid frowned before she climbed to her feet, starting to take off down the ramp, hearing Ruffnut yell out "Hey, wait up!" What on earth could the boys have found? Things didn't usually wash up on Berk, so it couldn't be anything like that. It was probably something stupid. Stormfly was already down there by the time she jumped off the final tier, feet landing in the soft sand still wet from last night's storm. It only took her a small jog to catch up to the other boys, spotting something laying haphazardly on the beach.

No, not something. Someone.

"What is it?"

"Don't know. Fishlegs spotted it when we were horsing around," Snotlout said with a small snort, though Astrid could tell he was equally curious, with the way his eyes shone with excitement. It wasn't very often that someone just showed up on their beach.

All of a sudden, Stormfly gave a squawk, her wings flapping as she came to a halt and her beak snagged the back of Astrid's shirt. She gave an annoyed 'hey!' when she was picked up from the ground like she was a hatchling, before she turned her head to look at where her friends were heading, recognizing the familiar shape.

Of course it was familiar - she'd spent a whole night and most of the morning on his ship.

Hiccup.