What. A. Chapter. This chapter was huge guys, like, it was so big and full of awesomeness that we decided to cut it in half. We will be posting "Part 2" shortly because it's almost done. Hooray for proactivity! I told you I'd be working my butt off to get us moving, and Katie has been the bestest most patient-est co-writer/director whatever we call each other, ever! Ramblings aside, we are very very excited for you guys to read this next chapter! There is so much going on: questions will be answered, plots revealed, more questions will arise! Epic, fluff, deception, the whole sha-bang.

LET THE GROWING PAINS BEGIN!

-EmmerzK

Chapter Nine: Joining Ranks

"And that's why I don't eat meat unless I sniff it first!"

Cliff finished his sentence with a proud grin and turned expectantly to his coworker. Erick was just putting his face in his hands and begging the gods for a quick death. The boy never shut up and never left him alone.

"Helloooooo, Berk to Erick!" Erick looked up and jumped when he took in the sight of Cliff's face less than an inch from his own. "You okay, man?"

"Look," Erick sighed, "can we just work in silence?"

"What's the fun in that?" Cliff scoffed at his idea. "I mean if you really need silence, we can stop talking but then it'll get boring and monotonous and the whole day will drag and then in fifty years when we're telling our grandchildren about our youth, we'll talk about the long stretches of silence and how we wish we could go back and fill them with the sounds of birds singing and the laughter of children and all the amusing anecdotes that never got told-"

"Cliff, I swear to Thor if you do not shut up right now-"

"Okay, okay!" Cliff held up his hands in a surrendering position.

Blissful silence permeated the room and Erick breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a week and a half since Cliff had started working at the shop. His work was quite good and he enjoyed beading, which meant that Erick could now avoid that aspect of the job entirely. But the Smedley boy had an exceptionally annoying habit of chatting constantly. Even break times weren't very restful because Cliff had apparently decided that, as peers, they needed to spend every moment together. Horst was no help at all; he seemed to enjoy the boy's enthusiasm and humor.

"Well boys, that's about it for the day." Horst announced, walking into their workshop with a smile. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Great." Erick grabbed his satchel and was about to hightail it out of there when Horst stepped in front of him.

"You go on ahead, Cliff." Horst told the other apprentice. "I want to talk to Erick for a minute."

"Sure thing. See you Monday!" Cliff chirped before rushing out of the door, presumably to the Great Hall for some dinner.

"How are you doing?" Horst asked once Cliff was out of earshot.

"No different than yesterday." Erick sighed deeply. "Look, she hasn't forced me to stop coming in again, okay? Your orders will come out on time, as promised."

"My orders aren't why I ask." Horst sat down on Cliff's vacated chair. "And they're not why your mother and I argued."

"I know." Erick reluctantly sat back down in his own chair. "Well don't worry about it. Mom knows better than to forbid me from working again. You certainly set her straight."

This was true; the day after Cliff had started, Horst had stormed up to the Larson home and bellowed at Lara until she finally agreed to let Erick come into work. Erick had been half asleep at the time but he had heard Horst shout something about him needing to be out of the house and asking his mother how he was supposed to heal when he was locked up at home. Lara had some choice words in response to that but it was the threat of barging into her home and dragging Erick out despite her protests that won out. The youngest Larson truly was grateful for his mentor's actions that day but with Cliff chatting his ear off day in and day out, there wasn't much relaxation in his life.

Horst was quiet for a few seconds after Erick's previous statement. His eyes flitted to the bandages on the boy's wrists. Erick had claimed he'd burned his wrists in a cooking accident but the older man suspected he was lying, particularly since he hadn't met the man's eyes as he'd said it. There was something suspicious about the whole thing but if Erick was unwilling to discuss it, there wasn't much Horst could do about it.

"Well listen, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Horst said with a small smile. "My door's always open."

"Thank you." said Erick, sounding legitimately thankful.

"Well if there's nothing else you need, you can go." Horst stood up and stretched. "My wife already complains about the amount of overtime I spend here so I shouldn't keep her waiting. Come by if you need something."

"Thanks but I doubt it." Erick nodded once before grabbing his satchel and jogging out into the cooling evening air outside.

Charger made a sound of delight and headbutted him the moment he had gotten five steps away from the shop. Erick massaged his ribs, scowling at his dragon.

"What, did I forget to feed you?" he griped, feeling distinctly grouchy.

Charger made an odd grumbling sound in his throat. The Nadder had been feeling neglected and it was about time his human knew and reacted accordingly. He leaped forward and pinned the boy to the ground, licking his face with enthusiasm.

"Charger, stop!" Erick bellowed in irritation. "What is wrong with you, you crazy dragon?"

Charger growled at him but continued to pant in Erick's face. His breath, like all dragons' breath, smelled like raw fish and it was beginning to make Erick physically ill. He wasn't altogether sure why his dragon was annoying him this much- he'd picked the crazy charging dragon in the first place. He knew Charger would be difficult to train and that he'd have more energy than he could contain. So why was he starting to dislike his own dragon?

"Get off!" Erick bellowed at Charger, forcing himself up as best he could.

Charger slid off his human, his large yellow eyes wide with disappointment and, quite possibly, deep sadness at the dramatic shift in his human's affections. Giving Erick one more doleful gaze, he flew away, presumably to find Signa.

Erick watched his dragon disappear into the horizon and was struck with the odd desire to call him and apologize. The desire vanished almost as quickly as it came up. Charger was about as annoying as Cliff and the last thing the youngest Larson needed was the presence of more annoyance. Shrugging off his guilt, he walked back home with his hands in his pockets, hoping that his mother wouldn't be there.

Adrianna traipsed down the stairs comparatively early the next morning, tying her long hair behind her head as she went. Hiccup was already seated at the table, watching her as if he'd been waiting for her to show up for a while. The girl smiled weakly at him as she sat down in front of a generous serving of eggs.

"Morning." she said automatically.

"Yes it is." Hiccup put down his fork and leaned in. "And I've got the day planned out. Well half of it, I have to do a bit of setting up."

"Oh. Right." Adrianna's smile became genuine. "Our date."

"Yep!" Hiccup chirped. "So meet me at the Academy at three. I should be done by then."

"Okay." Adrianna nodded, biting her lip. "You'll definitely come, right? I mean I know you have chief stuff going on..."

"Hey," Hiccup reached out and put his hand on top of his daughter's in what he hoped was a reassuring way, "I'll be there. Wouldn't miss it."

The Haddock girl opened her mouth to respond when a loud slamming noise emanated from the doorway.

"HICCUP!" shouted a shrill, distinctly feminine voice. "HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK THE THIRD, CHIEF OF THE HOOLIGANS AND THE BESTEST MALE CHIEF IN THE ARCHIPELAGO!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and walked to the doorway, not bothering to rush. Camicazi nearly tumbled into him when her fist met midair.

"Good, you're here!" she shouted.

"Don't you have a tribe to run?" Hiccup narrowed his eyes at the Bug Burglar chief in distinct annoyance that clearly went over her head.

"My mom's got everything under control!" Camicazi waved her hand as if physically pushing aside his comment. "And I've solved all your problems!"

"Really?" Hiccup deadpanned, raising an eyebrow. "I appreciate it."

"Well not all of them, your village is still in shambles and there's this hyper Nadder annoying everyone but aside from that, your worries have ceased! I've found the cause of your disturbances!" she proclaimed, opening her arms wide as if expecting him to hug her.

"Is that so?"

"No need to doubt me, Mister Smartypants, come see for yourself!" Camicazi grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the village.

"Academy at three, don't forget!" Hiccup managed to call to his daughter before the woman slammed the front door.

Camicazi nearly dragged Hiccup down the slope between his house and the village, her vice-like grip never easing for a moment. Hiccup nearly tripped several times on the way down but he knew that to argue would be pointless. His fellow chief had the stubbornness of Toothless on a rough day.

"Why are we headed toward your place, your temporary place at that?" Hiccup asked impatiently when Camicazi finally stopped him in front of the house in which she was staying.

Camicazi threw open the door. "Ta-da!"

Hiccup peered into the main room, at a complete loss for words. A single green Terrible Terror sat in the middle, looking deceptively innocent. The act might have been effective if it weren't for the trashed room and slip of parchment dangling from his mouth.

"So... you're saying a single Terrible Terror broke into all those businesses and trashed them for no reason?" Hiccup crossed his arms.

"You catch on fast!" Camicazi punched his shoulder before skipping in through the door and picking up the creature, who cooed almost affectionately at the human's touch. "You can lock him up until he confesses but I think with a little training, he'll have learned the error of his ways. I've named him Spiker."

"He doesn't have any spikes." Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

"You know that and I know that but he doesn't know that!" Camicazi hugged the Terror to her chest possessively.

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Aww, don't listen to him, Spiker!" Camicazi petted the dragon's head affectionately. "He doesn't mean it, he's just grouchy because I solved the big mystery before he did."

"You're seriously telling me that this Terror waited until all of the business owners were away from their stores, trashed the places without setting fire to anything, and covered his tracks by leaving behind no claw marks anywhere?" Hiccup asked through a drawn out sigh.

"He's so smart!" Camicazi nodded vigorously. "Just like what he did here!"

"There are scorch marks everywhere and scratches on the wall. Plus it smells like he used this room as an outhouse." Hiccup shook his head. "Spiker could definitely use some training and this room could use a good cleaning but I don't think he's the mastermind behind the vandalism."

"You're no fun." Camicazi pouted.

"Right. Sure. I'm going now. Big day ahead and I've got a lot of set up to do, plus I've got to act as chief of this whole tribe. In fact, if I don't leave now, I'll be late to the Naming Ceremony I'm supposed to be performing." Hiccup rattled off. "But thanks for your contribution. It was an... interesting theory." he added at the disappointed expression on his fellow chief's face.

Nothing could be more freeing than a Saturday. Now if Saturday could actually make a person feel happy again, Erick was sure the day would be even more special. But he wouldn't complain. Though he still felt like garbage and hated himself more and more every day, he couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief in taking a peaceful, mid-afternoon walk along Berk's coast.

Waves crashed across the crags below. He blinked the salty sea spray out of his eyes and kept walking, focusing on his footsteps. Wouldn't do to slip and plummet to almost certain death. It would be quick though—maybe a better option than his current issues.

There was still a small part inside that was keeping him attached to the world. Though the number of slits on his forearms seemed to be increasing, anytime he felt the greedy desire to just end it… end his life… he wasn't sure what, if it was his father's ghostly spirit calling out to him, staying the blade from doing the worst. He wasn't sure if it was guilt or fear.

Whatever it was, no matter how miserable he felt, he couldn't do it. Just seeing the blood and feeling the physical pain seemed to dull the emotional agony. Somehow it helped him focus. Maybe because he was quite literally draining away his life source, so his body was actually going into protective mode? Maybe he was saving himself without even realizing it?

Erick puffed his shaggy bangs out of his eyes with a short eye roll. How hypocritical could a guy get?

The teenager scowled at the wrist guard on his right arm. The cuts were itching again. He flexed his fingers in annoyance, willing the uncomfortable sensation to go away. He even tried rubbing the guard against his belt in a furious up and down motion, yet the guard was, well, guarding the cuts so well, nothing could make them stop itching. He'd have to take the guard off and risk bleeding. If he wasn't already bleeding.

Erick huffed in muttered frustration. "Probably ruining perfectly good leather."

There were two reasons to wear the wrist guards: one, to throw suspicion. More than a few times he noticed Horst taking a few concerned glances at his bandaged forearm, as had Cliff. His family of course didn't care or was too scattered to notice. He bumped into Hiccup a few days ago and he'd even asked what had happened. He almost felt bad lying that it was a cooking accident, but what was he going to do? Tell the truth? Yeah, right.

Second reason to wear the guards: he'd had this brilliant idea the night before to go shooting. He hadn't taken his bow out in a while, for obvious reasons, and it wouldn't be a half bad idea to get some exercise in the wilderness, away from anybody and everybody. The wrist guards would be a good disguise and he could buy some new cloths on his way home.

He was paying for that dash of brilliance with a torturous itching sensation so horrid that it made him want to scream. It was worse than the Berkian Mosquito Pox, and that was saying something.

Itchiness aside, Erick could feel the calluses forming on his fingers from shooting. He'd decided to leave home early before being nagged by Mother Goose, so he'd left at the crack of dawn. The glowing sunrise had given him enough light to see in the dreary woods. By nine in the morning, he'd shot three small pheasants and a rabbit. He'd spent the rest of the morning plucking, roasting, and eating his catch (and feeding a jumpy Charger who randomly showed up for about an hour). His dragon had eaten most of the catch since he wasn't very hungry. Charger seemed to get bored once he realized his rider was, once again, not in the mood for a ride.

Physically he felt okay. It was nice to get some fresh air and burn off some pent up energy. But with the afternoon winding down into evening, he knew he had to get back to the village. The sun would set soon and if he did have anything worth staying alive for, he should at least retreat to the safety of the village.

The trek back past the cliffs and through the forest didn't take long. Soon he could hear Gobber's whistling from nearby and the clanging on the anvil. Probably Finn—he was always banging on something. Chatter from villagers filled the air as he passed the fishery, but the sound of sloshing water caught him off guard. Erick turned to the ocean and blinked.

There he was. The bane of his existence, the thorn in his side, the chatterbox that could talk a hyper girl's ears off and keep going long after Ragnarok destroyed mankind as they knew it. Cliff.

The curly-haired teen sat in a little skiff, which bobbed to and fro on the rather calm waves. His oars twisted in different directions as he chattered endlessly, apparently coaching himself on which way to turn one oar and twist the other one that way- no no, that's not quite right, hang on we got this, NOBODY PANIC-

Erick shook his head in utter disbelief and sighed heavily. The kid was hopeless. He turned back to the village to continue on his merry way when suddenly-

"ERICK!"

Erick halted mid-step and groaned aloud. "I hate-"

"BUDDY!"

"-my life."

Cliff hooted from his little ship, affectionately named The Hopeful Puffin. "My friend! Have you come to my ultimate rescue?"

"More like your ultimate demise." Erick muttered as he turned on his heel toward open water. He pointed toward the village with a thumb. "Actually I was-"

"Gonna catch some dinner?"

"Uh-"

"Great! I'll join you as soon as I get back to land and we can go impress the ladies with our-"

"Okay," Erick interrupted. He was learning quickly that if one wanted to be heard with Cliff around, it was best to interrupt. "But I was actually just heading home. Got a lot of prep to do for… ya know, stuff. Tomorrow's stuff."

Cliff blinked from the Puffin. "Stuff? Cool, I like stuff! Does stuff involve cute girls?"

"No-"

"Is stuff the code word for girls?"

"No!" Erick slapped a hand to his forehead. "Look, I have to go-"

"Awww but you wouldn't leave a handsome guy like me stranded would you?" Erick swore he could see the huge poochy lip on Cliff's face, even from that distance.

Erick scowled. "No."

"I knew you were a good friend!"

"What?"

"I said you wouldn't leave me stranded, and you said no! So you were agreeing!" Cliff grinned with outstretched arms.

Erick growled indignantly. "No! I did not- ARGGHHHH YOU'RE SO FRUSTRATING!" With a sharp turn, Erick stomped toward the village.

"Buddy? Buddy ole' pal?"

Erick kept walking. He was not going to help. No. The little punk got him in that mess, he could get himself-

"Pretty please?"

Erick gradually came to a stop. The silence was deafening. He stared across the neighborhood and happy villagers and dragons, loving every minute of their peaceful lives. And what did he get? Dumb curly tops that couldn't steer a skiff that looked to be made by a 3-year-old.

Erick worked his jaw before turning toward the fishery. He grumbled under his breath as Cliff cheered in celebration. He hung his bow and quiver on a pole, untied the smallest (normal) skiff he could find and rowed toward Cliff's stranded plywood. He vaguely wondered just what he had done to the gods that they so despised him and enjoyed his suffering. He could feel each pump of the oars strain the healing cuts underneath the arm guards, but didn't show pain.

His boat bumped into The Hopeful Puffin a moment later and Cliff hopped over, talking cheerfully as always. Erick seriously considered dumping him into the ocean as he tied The Puffin to his boat.

"-never had a friend like you!"

"I am not your friend."

"Aww sure you are-"

"Oh go get eaten by a shark."

Cliff tsked his tongue. "Kind words."

"I didn't mean them."

The curly-haired boy laughed. "What exactly is your problem with me?"

Erick stopped rowing, his face going slack and eyes wide. "What is my problem? What is my PROBLEM? I'll tell you what my problem is! My life sucks, I've got no family that really cares about me because the ones who did are dead, I basically screwed up the only good friendship I had because I blamed her for something that I shouldn't have and now I can't do anything to get her back, my sister doesn't trust me to babysit my niece and nephew anymore, my boss doesn't trust me to get work done anymore, I'm stressed beyond BELIEF and have absolutely NO CLUE how to get a grip on myself, and to make matters worse, Horst goes behind my back and hires YOU of all people! Maybe the one kid on the island who couldn't annoy me any less with your constant talking and painfully horrible jokes and the same sudden, weird stories that make no sense! And you're seriously asking what my PROBLEM is?"

Cliff sat in complete silence as Erick slumped back in his seat, rubbing his face and sighing heavily. For nearly a minute, only the sound of waves lapping against the boats could be heard.

"Do I really annoy you that much?"

Erick huffed as he stared at the sky. "I know. I'm a jerk. I'm not the same kid I used to be."

Cliff shrugged. "Well… nobody's expecting you to be."

Erick sent him a dark glare. "Everyone's expecting me to act in a way I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean-" Erick cut himself off. He sat up with a huff and began rowing again. "Whatever. Won't change anything."

Cliff edged forward in his seat with a warm smile. "Come on, I'm a good listener."

Erick laughed out loud. "You, a good listener? Right."

"Nah really, I don't usually shut up but I've got some good ears. Comes from my shyer days."

"Shy and a good listener? I'm not buying it." Erick rolled his eyes.

"Well, if you ever want to talk about stuff- and not like girls kind of stuff though we could talk about girls if you want to-"

"Ugh Cliff, I don't want to talk to you about anything. I want to get to land so I can get on with my life, if possible. Don't you have other friends to talk to?"

Cliff puckered his lips. "No."

Erick stopped mid-stroke. "No…?"

"No. I don't." Cliff shrugged. "See, like I said before, I was really shy when I was young so all the other kids made friends. By the time I was flowering into my bubbly persona, nobody was really willing to let me join in their little bubbles. It's okay, really," he shrugged. "Who needs prissy people anyway?"

Erick frowned. Suddenly he was unsettled by the idea of Cliff being alone with nobody to talk to. "But… I see you with kids your age."

"Oh sure, I sit with them but, ya know. Cool kids. You've got to earn your right to talk. And why do you say it like 'kids my age,' you're only a year and a half older than me." Cliff smirked.

Erick avoided eye contact and kept rowing. The trip back was taking a lot longer than the ride out there. "I feel a lot older."

There was the look. Pity crossed Cliff's face and suddenly Erick wanted to dump him back into the ocean.

Cliff either didn't notice or realized his mistake, because the expression was fleeting. "Sooooo do you want me to take an oar? I'm not great at rowing but with the current-"

"Current?" Erick yelped, whipping around to see the Berk… right there. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "What. Current. We're not going anywhere!"

"Hey, there's a small current or we'd be getting there faster."

Erick wanted to drown himself. "Ocean currents aren't slow, they suck you out pretty fast. Isn't your dad the head of the fishery?"

Cliff blushed. "Why do you think I was looking for a job? Fishery isn't exactly… my calling…"

Erick glanced at The Hopeful Puffin. "I'll say."

"Oh! I haven't told you yet about how I built my ship!"

"Ship?"

"Yeah, The Hopeful Puffin! You were just looking at it, I'll regale you with stories of our great adventures together-"

"Oh shut up and take an oar."

Through much agony, frustration and torture on Erick's side, and laughter and "epic storytelling skills" on Cliff's, the boys eventually reached the docks. It turned out that Cliff didn't improve their speed at all. He was so clueless when rowing a boat that Erick had to bite his tongue to keep from cursing or throwing a tantrum. The cuts on his arm burned and itched like crazy, he was sweaty and hot, and he was sure to get a verbal beating when he got home. Peaceful Saturday over.

He literally dumped Cliff onto the dock, snatched his bow and quiver off the pole, and walked away as quickly as he could. He gave a sarcastic wave over his shoulder at Cliff's shouted goodbye and "see you Monday, bruh!"

Erick made it halfway home, grumbling all the while, when a hand grabbed his sleeve and tugged him into a dark alley. He gasped in surprise and readied a fist to punch when he saw Cale standing there with a wide smirk on his face.

"Gonna hit me, Larson?"

Erick huffed and dropped his hand. "What do you want, Cale?"

Cale's smirk didn't waver. "A little birdie told me that you're struggling."

Erick gave the dark-haired boy an incredulous, confused look. "Umm… o-kay? So what do you care?"

"I personally don't." Cale shrugged. "I'm actually here to deliver a message."

Erick shoved passed and kept walking. "Don't know, don't care."

"Only the strong can survive."

Erick frowned and faced Cale again, who still stood there with that daring smirk. "What?"

"You have a lot of problems, like many of us." Cale bobbed his head to the side once. "Most of us are told to cope with our problems, deal with it ourselves, get over it. Whatever the case or situation, we find ourselves falling for the same trap."

Erick didn't know what the guy was talking about, but his curiosity was piqued. "What trap?"

"That weakness equals failure." Cale's eyes seemed to glint. "If you want to be weak and frail forever, both in mind and body, by all means, keep walking. But if you want to learn how to survive, how to be strong, then follow me."

Red flags were going up in Erick's mind left and right. He'd never liked Cale. The guy was a creep and a jerk, he was always picking on people younger than him or making out with his girlfriend Morgan in highly public places. He just gave Erick the willies.

But he could curse his curiosity. He couldn't be given all that information and simply not wonder what was meant. Most of what he said was directly applicable to him. Cale spoke in plural form, like it was a group setting. What did it mean?

"You comin'?" Cale interrupted his thoughts.

Erick tightened his hold on his quiver strap across his shoulder. He vaguely wondered if Cale's jerky friends Frey and Evan were waiting in the dark to mug him. Ah whatever; he was already battered by self abuse and didn't have anything valuable. Surely there were better people to hit than him.

"Okay," Erick finally replied. "Where are we going?"

Cale smiled. "Stay low and quiet."

Erick quickly followed the other teenager down the alley. As they walked, he noticed that Cale kept to the shadows and almost never approached the sunlight. He wondered if getting answers was really worth the trouble. He also wondered if they weren't being more conspicuous by hiding in the shadows. Wouldn't it be better to just walk casually to your destination, as opposed to very obviously hiding something? It didn't seem like a smart plan, but Erick chose not to comment.

The boys neared the edge of the village when a familiar high pitch ringing sounded from the air. Cale grabbed Erick by the shirt and pulled him into the house wall as Hiccup and Toothless whistled overhead. Erick watched them disappear and looked to Cale in confusion, but he was already on the move, ducking behind a nearby wagon.

"What was that about?" Erick asked.

Cale rolled his eyes. "I told you to stay low and quiet. Obviously that bit of instruction means we wouldn't want to be followed or seen, especially by the chief."

"Why?"

Cale didn't answer. Instead he peeked out from behind the wagon. After a few silent breaths, he waved Erick forward and jogged toward the forest line. Erick kept up with him, wondering what exactly the 18-year-old would want to show him out in the forest. The farther they traveled, the more concern took over his curiosity. They ran past thick oaks and boulders, crossed a wide stream, and even passed the famous cove where Hiccup had first met and trained Toothless all those years ago.

It was fairly warm outside in the midday heat when the boys emerged from the forest and faced an old field. Crumbling rows in the dirt proved to be from an old farm maybe a few decades ago. Clearly the land hadn't been tilled in years. The dirt crunched beneath their boots as Cale led the way toward an old shack at the forefront of the deceased garden.

"What is this place?" Erick finally asked.

Cale smirked when they finally reached the door and rapped his knuckles against the old wood in a series of knocks, like a combination. The door swung open promptly and he turned to Erick. "The beginning of your new life."

Erick wanted to say he was being overly dramatic about this whole thing, but held his tongue. Instead, he gazed into the dim room and stepped inside. Cale followed him in and the door promptly shut behind him. What Erick saw made him pause in confusion.

Teenagers. A dozen scattered throughout the single yet spacious room—sitting on chairs around a table, on a nearby bench and counter top, or standing by the ancient, unlit fireplace. There were various ages present, the youngest maybe thirteen and the oldest eighteen, like Cale. Erick recognized their faces and knew their names, but he was confused.

Sure enough, as he'd suspected, Cale's two jerk buddies Frey and Evan were present. Both were strong and loyal to Cale, but weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer. Standing beside them in all her glorious majesty (and choking perfume that permeated the air) was Morgan. Dana, the mean girl who'd always picked on Adrianna over the years, stood next to her with a tenacious smirk that always made him nervous. There was also Thorein, a boy of fifteen, and a couple of girls named Jackie and Kaelan were also present, though he wasn't as familiar with them.

What surprised him most were the last three: Helga and Gunnar Ingerman sat at the table, the latter tapping his fingers on the table top nervously. He glanced at his sister, who sat there with a wild grin only her mother could replicate, with a hand wrapped around her boyfriend's shoulders.

"So Larson," Finn broke the silence with a nasty smirk. "what do you think of my little posse?"

Erick glanced around the room once or twice skeptically. He shifted a little when he glanced at Gunnar, who avoided eye contact like he wanted to be anywhere but here. "Your… posse?"

Finn nodded. "Yep. So, what do you think?"

Erick resisted the urge to smile. "You want my honest opinion?"

"Honesty is appreciated."

"Mkay." Erick looked around the room once again, his mind filling with questions. One at a time though. "First, I think I deserve some answers after being dragged across half of Berk."

Finn gestured with a hand for him to go on. "Fire away."

"It's not really a question, but mostly an affirmation." Erick dropped down the few steps in front of the doorway and approached the table. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Finn. "This is the group that the chief, your dad, has been trying to catch."

"Trying and failing." Finn smirked. "I'd say we're pretty successful, wouldn't you?"

"Oh yeah," Erick agreed. "How long do you expect this to last?"

Frey stepped forward. "You think we can't do it? We've survived most of the summer-"

"Relax, Frey." Finn interrupted pointedly. "We don't want to jump the bow on our aggression, do we?"

Erick was surprised at how the Frey, an 18-year-old boy, was so easily silenced by a boy three years his junior. "Obviously you're the leader of this… what, gang? Is that what you're calling yourselves?"

Finn leaned into the table with a shrug. "Call it what you will. Posse sounds cool, gang has a negative connotation to it but has a dangerous lilt that kind of rolls off the tongue, inspires fear into the people. I like it." A few of the kids snickered. Finn focused back on Erick. "But yes. I am the leader."

Erick frowned, glancing at the wall above the fireplace where three old shields hung with frightening portraits of Viking women. He wasn't sure why the teens wouldn't remove them from the premises. "And let me guess… I'm here because you want me to join in on your ragtag team of followers because… why exactly?"

Jackie snorted from her seat, her long auburn braid falling over her shoulder. "He's quick."

"Why do you think I wanted him?" Finn snipped.

"Honestly I think it's a waste," Cale scowled, looking Erick up and down like he was a potential enemy. Perhaps he was. "He's weaker than most of us here put together, so-"

"Cale," Finn interrupted calmly. "Make yourself useful and load us up. Supplies are getting low."

Erick watched as Cale's face turned a dark shade of red. Again, he was surprised at how well Finn could dominate these older kids as if he was the older boy. He vaguely wondered if these guys were scared of him. He wouldn't kid himself; Finn was a pretty impressive kid. He was stronger than most kids thanks to his genetics, his reflexes were akin to none in battle practices, his mind was sharp and he was good at his job. He was the son of the chief and future chief himself. He was popular, had a great girlfriend. Pretty much everything Erick wasn't. But Erick didn't find himself envying Finn very much. Actually, he found that somehow he could relate to the 15-year-old. Finn gave off the illusion of confidence and strength by his willpower and physical prowess. But Erick knew loneliness and grief when he saw it.

Without a word, Cale stomped out of the house and slammed the door behind him. Frey and Evan scuffled after him, muttering to each other as they went. When they finally left, Finn returned his attention to Erick.

"Sorry." Finn didn't sound very apologetic. "Cale's a jerk."

"I don't need people to tell me my problems, I know about them well enough." Erick griped, annoyance lacing his voice. "What even is this place?"

"Ever heard of Mildew?" Helga asked.

"Old guy when our parents were younger."

"This was his place." Finn scratched his cheek. "It's been empty for years and nobody ever comes out here. I figured a while back that it was a great place to hang out, but it serves as an even better hideout."

"So this is where all your drinking parties happen too, I take it."

Helga smirked. "Did you want an invite?"

"Ahh-"

"No worries," Finn interrupted. "You'll have free invites to things from now on."

"I'm not really interested in drinking. Thanks for the kind thought though." Erick replied sarcastically. With the toe of his boot, he pulled out a nearby chair and sat down across from Finn.

The boys watched each other in silence until Kaelan, a young, curly-haired blonde girl spoke up. "So you're an archer?"

Erick shrugged. "I can shoot. I'm not great but I'm not terrible."

"It's actually the best experience you have with a weapon." Finn commented.

Erick made a face. "What, do you watch me in my free time?"

"No, I'd get bored."

"Okay," Erick huffed and sat forward. "So you guys choose random locations on the island to vandalize… why? Just for a thrill? What's the point?"

Finn smirked. "Everyone has what I like to call a fatal flaw. My aim is to help others eliminate theirs as I've eliminated mine."

"By shirking authority?" Erick dared.

Thorein frowned from his seat. "Are we sure he's not going to turn us in? He doesn't sound as 'on board' as you said he would be."

Finn waved a hand in annoyance. "Relax, he's been here five minutes. This is one of his strong suits, but I do agree that we need to establish some trust. It could also be a fatal flaw."

Erick frowned. "What could?"

"You're honest. Brutally honest." Finn's gaze was penetrating. "You don't take anybody's crap and you're a loyal, hard worker when you put your mind to something. But sometimes it's hard to tell which side you're really on because you're so… flat out sarcastic in a way that only my father or sister could rival. You're loyal to your chosen few that you care about, but when tension gets high…" Finn shrugged. "You don't seem to do well under pressure. Fatal flaw."

Erick swallowed, trying not to take offense. "So why would you want me? You clearly don't trust me. I mean, you're right. What's to stop me from 'switching sides', as it were?"

Finn smiled knowingly. "Oh, you won't tattle. You're too curious and deep down, you know you're sick of being weak. You want to be stronger and better than this. I want to help."

Erick snickered, a little surprised to hear himself laugh it had been so long. "So you're a gang that vandalizes people's property with a psychological agenda to mentally strengthen your members? I still don't get what the point is-"

A few of the kids rolled their eyes and Finn groaned. "Gods, you are so like my sister. There doesn't have to be a point to everything you do."

"Something this huge, yes it does." Erick argued. "Trying to cover it up with a mental exercise just makes it sound weird."

Helga huffed. "We're making a statement."

"Enlighten me."

"You call it shirking authority," Finn replied with a greedy glint in his eye. "We call it going rogue, shaking a fist, intimidating. Yes, we've only hit random homes or work places, it's not like we're terrorizing people. But we're still getting a statement across to my father and the council and whoever else: we're here, we're always watching, we can do a whole lot of damage, and we're a whole lot harder to catch that you think."

Erick shrugged indifferently. "So why me? You've got quite the group here, I can see where you have the brains and guts," He nodded to the Ingermans. "And the muscle in Cale and the boys, and… I'm not really sure what the rest of you are for."

Dana sneered. "I'm here for the show. I'll do diversions when necessary but that's it."

Morgan inspected her nails. "I'm here for Cale."

"Of course you are," Erick sniffed.

"Everyone has a job and purpose. Everyone has the right to speak up and there really aren't many rules." Finn boasted.

"Until someone steps out of line, right Finn?" Erick asked casually. Finn's eyes locked onto his. Erick shrugged. "You know, sometimes people in authority get a little too headstrong and abuse their… opportunities. They don't like it when they're contradicted."

Erick waited for Finn to get angry, but instead he smiled cruelly. "This is why I like you. But on a serious note, I want you on my team because first, I need equipment for our next few hits, which you can easily get from the leather shop. Second, I want information. You and my dad seemed to be on good terms. I know you have impeccable hearing and can overhear conversations really well, even when you're completely zoned out. I've seen it. You'll be staring off into space while people are talking, someone will say your name and you'll be right there, having followed the conversation the whole time." Finn shook his head. "Your attention skills honestly do astound me. Third, you're smart and perceptive. Like I said, you don't take anybody's crap, you think through your thoughts and actions before doing them, and I admire the streak of rebelliousness that you have. I can work with that."

"For what?" Erick asked. "What do I get out of it? Define true strength, Finn, sell me."

"You know weakness and helplessness just as well as I do." Finn leaned forward. "There are few people that I can relate to in that matter. It's not fair, the things that happen to us and we're just told to take our time to grieve and heal, and someday life will go back to butterflies and roses and everything will just be okay. But it's not is it?"

Erick dropped his eyes to the table. He felt his resolve crumbling and all he could hear was Finn's words.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being reminded every day of my weakest moments. It's only by fighting hard and staying strong that I survive every day, and if I see others struggling in the same way, I say we take arms and fight the battle together."

"By vandalizing people's homes?" Erick asked a little skeptically.

Finn shook his head. "It's not about the homes or the work areas. It's a different kind of coping method. Some drink their lives away, some run away and hide, some cut and injure themselves. At least we stay proactive and kill the pain with pain, we train physically and we pull stupid stunts and make dumb choices, and while the adrenaline rush is pretty addicting, you'll find that it's pretty effective. Learn to be strong and brave, and kill weakness before it kills you. You've drowned in weakness long enough, don't you think?"

Erick remained silent for several minutes. At the core of his thoughts, he kept thinking over and over that the whole thing was silly. Finn tried to justify it with an adrenaline rush and the desire to kill weakness, but how would vandalizing people's homes and livelihood kill the pain? How could that kill the pain growing inside him every day?

At the same time, he realized, he was beyond tired of the emptiness inside. He was tired of feeling helpless and alone and scared that anything could happen at any time. He never did anything extra-curricular, if he wasn't working then he was at home hiding from his mother. Gustav and Magnus weren't checking on him; Hiccup was too busy being chief and trying to track these guys down. The more he thought about it, the more attractive it sounded. He did want to kill his weakness. He wanted a team that he could depend on. He wanted to be strong.

Locking eyes with Finn, Erick smirked. "Where do I start?"

This chapter was pretty big but, if you can believe it, the next chapter is pretty big too! We've gotten through half the important Saturday and there is much more to come. Part 2 (aka Chapter 10) will be even LONGER than this, which is why I suggested chopping it to keep you guys from having to read a 14,000 word chapter.

I guess in that case, I have no proofreading special thanks to award since they'd be for Chapter 10. That's a change.

So I went to Awesome Con with Miss Pookamonga (we got an autograph and picture with Jim Cummings, voice of Pooh and Tigger, which made my inner 5-year-old VERY happy) and learned something that will please all of you Big Hero 6 fans. My lips are sealed because I don't want my informant to get in trouble and I don't want the information to leak prematurely on my account but it made me deeply thankful for that whole fandom in the wake of my personal disappointment in HTTYD 2. That being said, I've gotten a bit of dragon enthusiasm back because I'm excited for Race to the Edge and I've been watching some earlier episodes of the show for fun.

As for whether or not Race to the Edge will be canon in this series, it all depends upon whether or not events contradict the canon (i.e. Heather ends up with someone other than Snotlout). I can assure you that really good concepts and ideas that we can work in will be worked in, like Hiccup's flight suit despite HTTYD 2 not being canon.

I recently had to block a member for persistently harassing several people close to me. Harassment is not okay. Harassment of family members when Em or I don't respond is especially not okay. We love to hear from you but if we tell you to stop a certain behavior in regards to us or our stories, we would like that honored. Thank you to everyone who has cooperated in the past and we are hopeful that this will be an isolated incident. I ask also that you treat said member with respect (if you know or suspect their identity) because I don't want anyone ganging up on them.

Don't forget to leave a review!

~KateMarie999