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I'm sorry its short. But the story's almost over, there's about three or four more chapters left :(
OOC
Disclaimer~ I do not own HTTYD
Chapter 7 - The Beat-Down
Astrid's feeding Stormfly when she hears a loud crash. She looks up just in times to see a body being thrown down the hill. She looks to see who threw them. It's Stoick. He's breathing heavily, anger present in his expression. His hands are balled into white-knuckled fists. He starts stomping towards the person he's thrown.
Astrid squints to see who it is, she takes a few steps towards them to get a better view. Stoick reaches the person before Astrid can see their face. He's picked them up by their collar. That's when Astrid finally recognizes their face. It's Hiccup. His face is beaten up, black and blue bruises and a split lip. His armor is dented and any other clothing on him is torn.
"Please," Hiccup practically begs. "Just let me explain." Stoick glares at the boy with pure hatred in his eyes. He raises Hiccup up in the air without a word and slams him to the ground, hard. Astrid can hear a loud crack from where she's standing, and she cringes at it.
Astrid moves as fast as she can, getting between Stoick and Hiccup before Stoick can get to him again. "What in the name of Thor are you doing?" She asks him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Astrid, move." She stands straight, "No." Stoick shoves Astrid out of the way and moves towards Hiccup.
Hiccup's trying to sit up, at least get up from the ground, but can't. His wrist is bent at an awkward angle. Stoick lifts him up by his hurt wrist, and Hiccup bites the inside of his cheek so hard he can taste blood to keep from screaming in pain. He decides not to beat Hiccup anymore, and he carries the poor boy to the small prison Berk has. He takes one more hateful look at Hiccup, and throws him into one of the cells, slamming the door and locking it. Astrid has followed him there.
"Why did you do that?!" Astrid cries out, furious at Stoick. "You have no reason to just beat your son up like that!" There's pure hatred in her eyes when she looks at Stoick.
"You don't know what he did." Stoick says quietly, not looking at Astrid.
"Then tell me! Tell me what he did that was so wrong that he deserved this!"
Stoick says nothing as she pushes Astrid out of the way and walks out of the small prison. Astrid gives a glare where Stoick was then looks to Hiccup.
He's scooted himself against the wall, probably afraid Stoick was going to hit him again. Stoick has never, never blown up like that or done anything like that to Hiccup. She walks to the front, and looks around, making sure no one else is there or watching. She grabs the keys from the front and goes to Hiccup's cell and unlocks it. She walks to Hiccup and crouches down to his level.
"Hey," she says softly, not wanting to frighten him. "Are you okay?"
"Me? Yeah, I'm fine." Hiccup responds.
She doesn't believe him. "Sure you are. I'm going to get some bandages and then I'll be right back. Okay?" He nods.
When she gets back she carefully starts with Hiccup's wrist. She feels a twig of guilt in her chest when she has to set it back in place and he nearly screams. She wraps it up as gently as she can, but it's not too gentle because they need to be tight. She then checks him over for any other bad injuries, but he seems to be fine, he's got mostly bruises and the cut on his lip.
"You wanna tell me why your father did this to you?" She says.
He doesn't say anything.
She decides not to push him, and stands. "Okay, but you're gonna have to tell someone sooner or later." She says, walking out of the cell and closing the door behind her, locking it. "I'll be back later to change that bandage."
She walks out, leaving Hiccup behind.
"Stoick! What were you thinking? You could've killed him!" Gobber exclaims. He had just heard that Stoick beat his son.
"That was the plan."
"Are you insane? That's your son!"
"That's not my son." Stoick glares at him.
"Then who is he?" Gobber asks.
"I don't know."
Astrid walks into Gothi's hut. "Gothi?" Astrid says. She sees Gothi taking care to an injured viking. Gothi looks up, hearing someone. "Could I get some more bandages?" She asks, and Gothi nods and points a bony finger to the cabinet where she keeps the bandages.
Astrid goes to it and opens it, grabbing some bandages. "Thank you Gothi!" Astrid says before leaving the tent.
On the way back to the small prison where Hiccup is, Astrid accidentally overhears two vikings talking.
"Did you hear? Stoick the Vast attacked his son!"
"He did?"
"Yeah! I heard he was planning to kill him too! Broke his arm!"
"Damn! Why would he do that?"
"I heard he thinks he's possessed!"
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"
Astrid doesn't listen to anymore, she sprints to her destination. She gets there, making sure no one else is around, and slips inside. She grabs the keys near the entrance and walks down to Hiccup's cell. She unlocks it and pushes the door open, stepping inside.
Hiccup's still where she left him, sitting up and against the wall, but he's fallen asleep. She smiles. She puts her hand on his shoulder and shakes him gently. This startles him. His eyes snap open and his good hand is around hers, twisting it before she can even blink. "Hiccup, ouch, it's me." Astrid says, trying to get out of his iron grip.
Once he realises who it is, he immediately lets go. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't realize.."
She cuts him off. "No, no. It's okay. I'd do that too if I went through what you have. I'm just here to change your bandage, remember?" He nods. "Okay, give me your wrist."
She carefully unwraps the bloodstained bandage, and sees what's underneath. It looks at least a little better than before. The bruise has faded a little, so it's purple and blue and yellow. Still not a pretty sight. "This might hurt a little." She warns him before wrapping the bandage tighter than before. Hiccup flinches, but doesn't make a sound. She tightens it a little more, making sure it won't unravel.
"How do you feel?" Astrid asks him, backing up a bit and sitting in front of him.
"Other than just getting beaten? Fine." He sighs. Astrid decides against asking him again why his father beat him up, correction, try to kill him. She'd just have to ask Stoick about that.
"You know he was trying to kill me right?"
"Yeah, yeah I know." She says. "You still won't tell me why, right?"
Hiccup looks away. "You'll find out soon enough."
Astrid goes straight to Stoick's house after the short conversation with Hiccup in the small prison. She doesn't bother knocking and just barges in. Gobber and Stoick are at the table discussing whatever the hell they even talk about anymore.
"Astrid! How many times have I told you to-"
She interrupts Stoick. "Were you really trying to kill your own son?!"
Stoick's expression darkens. "You don't know what he did. What he's done."
"Then tell me why!"
"Just leave Astrid."
"No! Not until you tell me why." She says, crossing her arms in front of her chest stubbornly.
"I said leave Astrid." Stoick says, standing from his place. Astrid just glares and doesn't move from her spot. "I'm not discussing this, Astrid." She raises an eyebrow, and still doesn't move. "Astrid-" Gobber cuts him off, putting a hand out to stop him. He gives him a look then stands and walks to Astrid.
"Astrid, come on, let's discuss this outside" He says, putting a hand on her back and gently pushing her out of the house, making sure the door is closed. He leads her away from the house, so Stoick cannot hear them.
"Astrid, I need your help." Gobber says when they stop, taking his hand off her back.
"What's wrong Gobber?" Astrid's brows scrunch together. Gobber never needs help, never.
"It's Stoick. He's trying to plan Hiccup's execution."
Astrid gasps. "Why?"
Gobber shakes his head. "I don't know. I've managed to convince him to at least put it off until the Echotri is dead."
"But we can't defeat it without Hiccup. He's the only one who knows how to kill this thing!" Astrid says. "I know Astrid, that's why I need to convince Stoick to let Hiccup help. But he's so damn stubborn." Gobber says, a bit frustrated.
Astrid's silent for a moment, she's thinking hard. Then she looks at Gobber.
"I think I have an idea."
Okay, bad chapter I know. Okay serious question.
Do you guys want a sequel?
Review?