Chapter 52: Shell Shocked Part 1
While at night time, the Haddock twins are flying on top of Midnight and Toothless in the night sky heading straight towards Viggo's base. However, they are not alone as they had the Dragon Riders, the A Team, their father, Gobber, Dagur and Heather.
"Everyone ready?" Hiccup asked, looking at the Dragon Riders.
Astrid nodded.
"We're ready and waiting, guys." Raeda called out.
"Ready as we'll ever be." Henry added.
"A-Team?" Hicca asked next as she was looking up at their father and the others.
"Aye!" Stoick nodded.
"A Team!" said Gustav excitedly.
"Oh, yes!" Spitelout yelled.
"Berserkers?" Hiccup asked, looking at Heather and Dagur.
Dagur laughed.
"You know it." Heather said.
The Haddock twins then looked at Toothless. "What do you think, guys?" Hicca asked their Night Furies.
Midnight and Toothless roared with enthusiasm. 'Like you need to ask.' Toothless warbled.
"We were hoping you both would say that." Hiccup said with a smile.
"Dragon Riders, let's ride!" Hicca announced.
They then flew down towards the island as they began making their attack run. The plan was simple: get in and get out without arising too much attention.
(Linebreak)
The Hunters were keeping a lookout on board their ships and one of them reached the edge unaware that Gustav and Fanghook were looking up at him. Then before he realized, Gustav grabbed the hem of his tunicand pulled him overboard.
"Oh, Gustav!" Gustav cheered quietly.
The other Hunter on the ship noticed that he was gone and went to investigate, but Spitelout flew out of nowhere and his Deadly Nadder grabbed him and jumped him into the ocean.
"Spitelout, Spitelout, oi, oi, oi!" Spitelout whispered quietly.
(Linebreak)
Dagur was actually on the island setting a net-trap.
"I guess the trapper's trap can trap the trapper." Dagur said to himself. He then turned around to find a Hunter directly behind him with his sword raised and looked at him quite calmly. "Hello? Have you met my sister? The Berserker?" He asked.
"Hi." Heather waved as Windshear warped her tail around him and pulled him into the air.
"I promise you, she lives up to the name." Dagur called.
Heather then dumped him into the ocean. "See ya," Heather said, flying back.
(Linebreak)
The Hunters were now aware of their presence, but it was far too late as Snotlout and Hookfang landed in front of them.
"Hello!" Snotlout waved and Hookfang ignited.
The Hunters immediately ran away screaming, but Fishlegs appeared in front of them on top of Meatlug.
"And now, it's time to introduce the band. I'm Fishlegs. And on tail bludgeon, we Meatlug." Fishlegs said.
Meatlug then began spinning around and smacked her tail right into the Hunters knocking him out cold.
More Hunters showed up but were then pinned to the wall by some Nadder Spines.
Raeda and Sparkfire then landed with the Henderson girl smirking, "My latest Masterpiece: Hunter on A wall." She declared.
(Linebreak)
The Thorston twins were flying through the caves unleashing gas upon quitting hunters that were patrolling the area.
"One for the gold, two for the show…" Tuffnut said.
"Three to get Barf and Belch ready, and four to blow!" Ruffnut yelled.
Belch then ignited the gas explosions down the tunnels and scattered the Hunters across the island.
(Linebreak)
Ryker drew his blade to see what was going on and then saw Stoick landing in front of them on top of Skullcrusher.
"Ryker! Nice to see you again." Stoick said, narrowing his eyes.
Ryker chuckled menacingly, but the next second he was flattened by Grump, with Gobber as his Rider.
"Even if it's just a moment." Gobber said.
The Haddock Twins and the Night Mates landed on the ground.
"All yours, kids." Stoick said.
The Haddock twins dismounted their dragons and the four of them then approached Viggo's tent which was being guarded by Astrid and Henry Once they entered, they found that they had caught Viggo completely by surprise and he went for his weapons, but Toothless fired a plasma blast destroying them.
Hiccup then quickly grabbed the Dragon Eye which was on his desk before Viggo had a chance to grab it himself as Hicca pointed her spear at him.
"We'll take that." Hiccup said.
"Game over, Viggo." Hicca finished smugly.
(Linebreak)
"Really? 'I'll take that?'" Tuffnut asked.
As it turned out, the entire event had been nothing more than just Hiccup and Hicca were explaining their plan to reclaim the Dragon Eye and defeating the Hunters to the others.
"Seriously, that's the best you can come up with, Hiccup? At least your sister finished with a better line." Tuffnut continued as he's shaking his head in disappointment. "This is your big moment, H. Books will be written about it. Children will act it out. Some adults will act out, but it won't be as cute as the children. You need a killer catchphrase. One line that will withstand the test of time. As the sand and ocean pass, your words will remain. I mean you and your sister just defeated one of the toughest, most ruthless villains in the world."
"Who let's face it, everyone thought they were way smarter than you two." Ruffnut added.
"Really? Everyone?" Hiccup asked.
"Are you serious?" Hicca asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, you know, there's no hard data, but if you had to guess…" Tuffnut said.
"Okay, I'll work on something cool to say to him when I take him down." Hiccup said. "Happy?"
"Uh, uh, uh," Tuffnut said, wiggling his finger and getting to his feet. "Au contraire, mon frère. We will work on something better for you to say to him when we take him down. Trust us, we've gotcha." He then turned to Ruffnut and the two of them walked away. "It should be something with a growl, and, I mean, like…" He said as he growled.
Henry sighs as he facepalms himself. "Those muttonheads really need to learn to take no for an answer." He grumbled, before turning to everyone in the room, "Anyway, do we all understand the plan now?" He asked the crowd.
"Oh, we understand it well, Henry." Gobber said as the others muttered in agreement.
"Good. We invade my father's island first thing at night." Henry said.
"Dragon Riders, be ready for tonight!" Hicca announced as the others got up to get ready to start their attack.
(Linebreak)
Once everything was finally sorted out everyone went their separate ways. Stoick was smiling down at his kids at the steps of the Great Hall and patting them on the shoulders
"Now, that's what I call a plan." Stoick said and walked off.
Hiccup and Hicca waved at him and then suddenly Hiccup was grabbed and pulled behind the steps. "Hiccup wha-" Hicca tried to say before she was pulled away herself.
(With Hiccup)
Hiccup turned and saw that it had been Astrid who pulled him away.
"You and Hicca did it!" Astrid said. hugging him. "I'm really proud of you."
"A lot of those ideas were yours." Hiccup reminded her. "I… me and Hicca couldn't have done it without you."
"We made quite the team, huh?" Astrid smiled as they leaned against the steps.
"I certainly think so." Hiccups said in agreement.
They then watched as the dragons began playing with one another, but Hiccup was focused on something quite differently which Astrid took notice of.
"I know that look. What's wrong?" Astrid asked.
"Nothing is wrong. It's just… Well, yeah, Tuff's right, this is huge. Viggo, Berk, the Edge." Hiccup explained "And my dad, putting his trust in me and Hicca. If the mission fails, we could lose the Dragon Eye forever. That could mean the end of the dragons. And they could be hunted to extinction. And I—"
Astrid then placed a finger over his lips. "But, they won't be. Because this mission will not fail." She told him.
"Then there's this Project Shellfire thing. I mean, what?" Hiccup said worriedly.
Astrid then placed her hands on his shoulders and looked at him firmly in the eyes. "Hiccup, stop! You and your sister have spent months planning this. It's gonna work." She told him.
Hiccup smiled and the two of them brought their heads closer to one another.
"Oh, my Thor!" A voice said above them. They looked up and saw Fishlegs staring at them and quickly separated. "What are you two… Wait, I know. It's so obvious!" He realized.
"It is?" They said in unison awkwardly.
"Of course!" Fishlegs said. "You're discussing where to hide the Dragon Eye once we get it back." The two of them just smiled awkwardly. "Meatlug, and I are way ahead of you, aren't we, girl?"
'We are masters of hiding.' Meatlug growled happily as Fishlegs stroked her.
"We've got hiding places inside hiding places." Fishlegs said with a smirk.
Hiccup and Astrid merely nodded.
"Well, I'm gonna give Meatlug some Andesite. Helps her leave when she's this excited. Carry on, you two." Fishlegs said to them.
They then watched as Fishlegs flew away and sighed with relief.
"That was close." Astrid sighed in relief.
"Yeah," Hiccup agreed. He then frowned at her. "Wait, why do we care if they know about us?" He asked.
"I mean, we don't, I guess. It's all also new. I just want to share it with you right now, you know?" Astrid smiled. Hiccup looked at her with an unsure expression. "Look, we'll tell everyone, I just want the time to be right." She assured him.
"Yeah, I get it. This-this isn't the time." Hiccup agreed. "We can't take a chance on anyone doing anything differently. Including us."
Hiccup then outstretched his hand, but Astrid merely pulled him towards her and kissed him on the lips. She then pulled away and made her way over to Stormfly and mounted.
"Did you think I'd leave with just the handshake?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow as she took off and Hiccup watched his girlfriend disappear into the distance.
Toothless approached him and growled at him. 'That's one direct Viking.' He warbled.
"Yeah, I know. She's something else, huh, bud?" Hiccup said as he mounted him and then took off.
(Around the time Hiccup was dragged, with Hicca)
Hicca was dragged to the left side of the Great Hall as she turned to Henry. "You really know how to grab attention." Hicca commented.
"We need to talk." Henry said as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"S-sure." Hicca said as she blushed. "What's up?"
"Hicca, there's something I should've told you a long time ago, about why I left the Hunters." Henry said as crossed his arms.
"Really? You never told us why you left the Hunters." Hicca said in surprise.
"Yeah. Well, I need to tell you since out of everyone, your the only one I trust to tell this." Henry explained.
Hicca then placed a hand on his cheek, "I'm listening." She said to him with a small smile.
Henry took a breath as he spoke with a low tone. "Before the Dragon Hunters became what they are today, my mother, Elise Grimborn, led our tribe alongside my father merely to defend ourselves from dragons. She was the knowledge keeper of our tribe, she knew practically everything about dragons, their abilities, their classes, behaviors, diets, territories, strengths and weaknesses, you name it. So as you can guess she had a pretty high place in the tribe." Henry explained.
"Sounds like she would've fit right in for Berk." Hicca said with a smile.
"Heh. Yeah, she would." Henry said as he looked down, giving a down expression as Hicca noticed this.
"Did something happen?" Hicca asked in a little worried tone.
Henry stood quiet for a moment as he spoke. "Just about sometime before I met the Defenders, my mother found out what Viggo was planning after my great grandfather, let's say kicked the bucket, my dad started having the Dragon Hunters become more offensive against the dragons, and he was slowly becoming not himself, even more after when he and great grandfather was playing Maces and Talons. And when he started capturing, killing or selling the dragons, let's just say that my mother doesn't like his methods." He said grimly.
Hicca looked curious about this. "What happened?" She asked.
"When my mother tried to talk my dad out of the Hunter business, since she knows that the dragons don't deserve that kind of fate. But when she tried to speak up, you wanna know what my dad did?" Henry asked.
"I'm afraid to ask, but what did Viggo do to your mother?" Hicca asked in worried.
Henry looked down a bit before he took a deep breath as tears began to form in his eyes. "He…he…" He started as he was having trouble saying it as his fist trembled.
Hicca quickly understood as she covered her mouth in horror, "Oh Henry," she said as she pulled him into a hug, "I'm so sorry." She whispered.
Henry hugged Hicca back as he calmed down a bit before they broke apart. "Thanks, Hicca. I needed that." He said as Hicca smiled before he frowned again. "And so, after what happened to mom, I realized that my father, my true father, was gone and my Uncle joined him. I realized that I had no family left and when I saw Wildstar and the others in cages, I did what I had to do, I ran and never looked back."
A small smile came to him, "The only thing that snapped me out of it, was when Mala and the Defenders took me in." Henry remembered as he continued. "It was when they showed me that family is more by blood, it can be by the heart and the bonds we make to others, whether they be people or dragons." He said as Midnight came up to them crooned as Hicca placed an arm over her head.
"That is so true." Hicca said with a smile.
"And when I heard that you and the other Riders are battling my family operation, I thought that my past was coming back to haunt me, which is why I left in the first place." Henry said while giving a guilt expression before he smiled. "But after seeing how you and the others were willing to give up your lives for dragons and people you didn't even know, I knew I couldn't just sit by and let you have all the glory." He said with a smirk.
Hicca chuckled a bit from that. "Well, we are a pretty determined group. We do anything so that the dragons are freed and gaining trust while making new allies along the way. We are full of surprises after all." She said with a smirk.
"Yeah, so why don't we deliver one last surprise to my father and defeat the Hunters once and for all." Henry suggested holding up his hand and Hicca moved to grab it, "And once we have the Dragon Eye, we destroy it once and for all." He added.
Hicca then stopped as she looked at him in shock, "What?" She asked.
"We need to destroy the Dragon Eye so that its knowledge of dragons will never fall into the wrong hands again." Henry pointed out. "It's too dangerous to keep it around. You saw what happened when people like my father used it for their own interest." He pointed out.
"Yeah, but after we defeat the Hunters it won't matter if we-" Hicca tried to say but Henry cut her off.
"Hicca, it's not just the Dragon Hunters, there will always be people who want to exploit the dragons for their own benefit." He told him, knowing his father was just one of people who cared nothing for dragons, "Or did you forget about Krogan?" He reminded her.
Hicca stopped and thought for a moment to what Henry said, it is true that the Hunters are not the only ones who want to exploit the dragons to their own interests, Krogan is also another example as she saw how skilled and ruthless he is around people when he fought off the Hunters during the whole bounty thing.
Hicca sighs as she lowered her head. "You're right, Henry. There are other people like the Hunters out there. So we must destroy the Dragon Eye to protect the dragons." She said, seeing Henry is right as she gave him a nod. "I just hope my brother and the others understand once we get it back." She said in an uncertain tone.
Henry placed a comforting hand on Hicca's chin as he smiled at her, "Trust me, they will." He promised as the two leaned in close.
"Hey guys!" The two jumped and turned around to see Raeda, "Everyone's getting ready to head to Viggo's Island, you ready to put the hurt on some Hunters?" She asked eagerly.
Hicca and Henry gave embarrassing chuckles as Hicca spoke first. "Uh-uh… yeah. We are." She said quickly while blushing a bit. "We were just… uh?" She said as she tried to think of an excuse.
"A backup plan in case my dad tries to outsmart us again." Henry quickly said with a sheepish smile.
"Y-yeah! A backup plan." Hicca told her.
"Well think of it quickly, because my Sparkfire has a whole tail full of spines ready to knock Viggo down a peg!" Raeda said before rushing off to find her dragon.
Both Hicca and Henry sigh in relief as they turn to each other. "That was close." Henry said in relief.
"Yeah. Too close." Hicca commented as she and Henry looked at each other. "We need to find the right time to tell the others about us." She said with a small smile.
"When it's the right time, things right now are too crazy." Henry told her, "But still, on the battlefield we can't let our feelings jeopardize our mission." He said.
"Yeah, yeah. We need to stay focused on the mission, feelings come after." Hicca said as she looked down a bit. "So, I'll see you at the mission?" She asked with a smile as she raised her hand.
Henry just smirked, pushed her hand down, grabbed her waist and gave her a kiss. He broke away as he turned to leave, "You really thought I'd let you leave without a little present?" He asked before heading off to get his dragons ready.
Hicca watched Henry go with a smile while also surprised by that sudden move he gave her.
Midnight came to her as she growled. 'That boy is full of surprises.' She warbled.
"I know, girl. He just never stops to amaze." Hicca said as she mounted up and flew off.
Though neither of them realized that Toothless and Hiccup took off at the same time as the two Night Furies head butted each other in the sky.
"Hicca/Hiccup?" The Haddock twins both asked in unison in surprise as their dragons shook their heads.
"What were you doing?" They asked again. "What am I doing? What are you doing?" They asked at the same time.
Before they could continue, their dragons roared at them to break the tie. Hiccup and Hicca stopped as they looked at each other uncertainly.
"Let's just call this a coincidence." Hicca suggested.
"Agreed." Hiccup said in agreement. "Let's go prepare our attack." He said as his sister nodded as they flew off together.
(Linebreak)
Later that very same night, everyone was making their way towards Viggo's base and the Thorston twins approached Hiccup.
"Okay, we've given that a lot of thought and here's what we have so far," said Ruffnut.
They then twisted their dragon's necks so Tuffnut was facing him. "'Is that ax in your face, or are you just happy to see me?'" He quoted But Hiccup just stared at him. "No? Okay, not a problem."
Ruffnut then switched positions. "'Viggo, this is gonna hurt me a lot more is gonna hurt me!'" She said next.
Hiccup was now starting to get annoyed as was Toothless.
After a brief silence Tuffnut then switched positions yet again. "'Good night, and good luck!'" He then frowned. "Wait, wait. No, no, no."
"Given a rest, will you?" Snotlout asked.
"Let's just get this over with it!" Raeda added.
"We didn't say you both were involved in this, Snotlout and Rae." Tuffnut said.
"Although those lines weren't half bad." Ruffnut said. "'Give it a rest, will ya, Viggo? Let's just get this over with it!'"
"Oh, for the love of…" Hiccup moaned. He then cleaned his throat. "Riders, ready? Just like we practiced!"
"Dragon Riders, let's ride!" Hicca called out.
They all then went their separate ways to follow the plan, but something funny happened.
"A Gu-stav?" Gustav said as he emerged from the water only to discover that every single ship had been destroyed.
Spitelout then arrived and was just as surprised, "Oi?" He said in confusion.
Dagur and Heather discover that the catapults and traps had also already been destroyed. "What's going on?" Heather frowned.
The Riders had completely combed the whole island and there was no sign of any Hunters. The Thorston twins had just exited from the tunnels, who were also completely empty handed.
"Ugh! What a rip off." Snotlout moaned.
"Where is everyone?" Raeda asked, rubbing her head.
"Oh, looks like someone beat us to it." Fishlegs said.
"The question is, who?" said Stoick.
The Haddock twins soon landed and then made their way towards Viggo's tent to find the place was completely ransacked and there was no trace of Viggo or the Dragon Eye.
"I'll help the others search the island." Stoick said as he took off.
The Haddock twins entered the tent and looked at the desk where a Maces and Talons game board laid on it.
"Again with this trick!?" Hicca yelled, finding this familiar when they found the Maces and Talons board on Viggo's ship when they first fought him.
"Oh, Thor!" Hiccup yelled as he kicked the table in a rage. "What is it gonna take to catch this guy?"
"He just keeps playing the vanishing game every time we come up with a plan!" Hicca yelled as she kicked a chair across the tent.
Then one of the pieces from the game board landed on the rug and the Haddock twins heard a hollowed sound. Looking at Toothless and Midnight, they bent down and signaled their dragons to sniff the floor and immediately they growled.
Hiccup pulled the rug away to reveal a wooden door and opened it up to reveal a hole. There, to their utter bewilderment, was Viggo battered and bruised and cradling himself within the hole.
Toothless and Midnight were immediately about to fire plasma blasts, but Hiccup and Hicca stopped them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold your fire!" Hiccup called out.
"Don't fire, yet." Hicca added.
"I never imagined that these words would come out of this mouth, but, my dear Hiccup and Hicca, I am overjoyed to see you both." Viggo said, while the Haddock twins looked down at him in surprise.
(Linebreak)
A few moments later they pulled him out of the hole and sat down on a stool. The other Riders were now with Hiccup and Hicca, all of them looking at Viggo.
"What happened here? Viggo, where is the Dragon eye?" Hiccup demanded.
"And where is Ryker and the rest of the Hunters?" Hicca asked next.
Stoick then entered the tent and glared at Viggo. "You come after my children. You come after my home." He growled and lifted Viggo up while clenching his throat. "Now you get to deal with me!" He declared.
"Dad, wait! Revenge is not a plan." Hicca reminded him. "Remember?"
"That was for you, dear. For me, it goes down like a treat." Stoick said, tightening his grip and pulling back his fist.
"Let Viggo speak," Hiccup pleaded.
"Let him talk and then give him a beating." Hicca said.
He stood there for a moment and reluctantly, Stoick released Viggo. Viggo gasped for air as he massaged his throat, clearly he had never been on the receiving end of such treatment. Hiccup then approached him clearly wanting answers.
Henry then walked up to his father as he gave him a firm look. "Tell us what you know, father, but any tricks, and I'll run you through." He warned, "Now, what happened?"
"Your uncle happened." Viggo said simply.
"What do you mean by that? Did Uncle Ryker give you a sibling yakhouse?" Henry asked sarcastically.
"Ryker's lost all sense of reason," Viggo explained. "He's on his own and unfortunately managed this way the soft mind of the Dragon Hunters. My brother has turned them on their leader."
"Looks like your big brother finally snapped." Hicca mocked.
"And that, right there, is why I'd rather have a sister any day of the week." Tuffnut said. Ruffnut nodded and raised her hand believing that her brother was a high five. "Not you, obviously, but, a different sis." He added.
"Ryker's plan, as simple-minded as it is, is to wipe out the Dragon Riders and all of your allies." Viggo continued.
"Yeah, h-how is that different from every other bad guy we've ever dealt with?" Hiccup asked.
"This is no different from the others we fought before." Hicca added.
"And defeated!" Fishlegs added and folded his arms. "Yeah." He added smugly.
"The difference, my dear Haddocs, is Project Shellfire," Viggo said and looked at the Thorston twins. "You two remember that, don't you?" He asked them.
Ruffnut then marched up and looked straight at him. "Just remember, if Viggo, you go!" She said moved away from him.
Tuffnut then leaned towards him. "That's right. It's your day to burn, and we're the torches with a fire that burns!"
Viggo looked at Henry with a puzzled look. "I'm sorry Henry, did I miss something?" He asked.
"Not really. This is just how they are everyday, dad." Henry assured while feeling annoyed at the Thorston twins. "Just go with it.
The Thorston twins started to back away and Tuffnut made his noises as he gave Viggo "I'm watching you" gesture.
"Guys, guys, maybe not now." Hiccup said, looking at them.
"We have other problems to deal with." Hicca added as she and her brother then looked at Viggo. "Tell me what Project Shellfire is. We know it's some sort of weapon. Is it a boat? A dragon?"
"In due time, I will divulge all." Viggo assured nonchalantly. "Project Shellfire, the location of the Dragon Eye. But only if you help me stop my brother and send me on my way."
"Yak dung!" Snotlout coughed. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I had something in my lying throat!" He said, glaring at Viggo.
"Snotlout is right, guys." Fishlegs agreed. "We shouldn't trust Viggo as far as we can throw him."
"And some of it can be thrown at him very far." Raeda growled.
"Agreed. Trusting me is, shall we say, a stretch." Viggo conceded with a smile. "Therefore, as a show of good faith, I will tell you where and when my brother will strike next. Give you time to save some of your allies, which he symptomatically intends to destroy." The Haddock twins and their father looked at one another and then turned their attention back onto Viggo. "The next attack is on the Defenders of the Wing. Followed by the Outcast, Berserkers and Berk itself, in no particular order. While Ryker is no tactical genius, he still manages to hold some things close to the vest."
Hiccup and Hicca looked at everyone and gestured for them to go outside. "Give us a moment." Hicca told Viggo as she and her brother walked outside.
"Time is of the essence, children." Viggo called. "It is the ability to make expeditious decisions that saves lives." Hiccup closed the tent behind him and looked at everyone.
"There is no way we're believing one word this guy says." Astrid said.
"We can't just ignore it." Hiccup said. "Astrid, there are too many lives at stake."
"Viggo may be trying to trick us, but we aren't gonna ignore it either when our friends are in danger." Hicca added.
"Agreed." Stoick said as he placed a hand on his kids' shoulder. "Gobber and I will take the auxiliary riders back to Berk. Just in case."
"Heather, Dagur, go make sure Berserker and Outcast Islands' are ready," said Hiccup looking at both Berserkers.
The two of them nodded and went to their dragons.
Hicca then looked at the Riders. "We're gonna check on the Defenders of the Wing to make sure they aren't hit yet and warn them about what's coming." She spoke next.
"And what about Viggo?" Astrid asked.
"We can't leave my father uncheck if he plans to stab us in the back." Henry pointed out.
"I guess he's comin' with us." Hiccup said. "There is no other way, guys."
"Mala will be able to take him in a cell once we get there. At least he won't do any harm behind bars." Hicca added firmly.
Astrid and Henry didn't like it, but they knew that they were right and nodded.
Hiccup and Hicca then made his way back into the tent and saw Viggo smiling at them as if he had predicted this scenario.
(Linebreak)
They soon reached the Defenders island, and almost instantly they took Viggo into custody. Throk dragged Viggo towards the prison cells and Mala looked at the Haddock twins with a concerned look.
"Hiccup and Hicca Haddock, I am going to assume that there is a sane reason that you'd even think of bringing this man into our home." Mala said, folding her arms.
"Mala, We don't trust him either as much as we trust a speed stinger to not to sting us." Hicca said honestly.
"But what he says is true, you could be in grave danger." Hiccup added.
"It isn't only the Defenders of the Wing I am concerned with." Mala said. "There is something else we must protect at all costs."
(Linebreak)
Mala soon took the Riders to the lava pool and there they saw the Eruptodon and opposite it was a baby Eruptodon.
Fishlegs was immediately excited. "Oh! It's hatched? It's hatched!" He cried excitedly.
"The new Protector has finally hatched from his egg." Henry said with a smile at seeing the heir of the Great Protector.
The baby Eruptodon was busy eating the lava pool with a hungry look on its face.
"A few weeks past." Mala smiled. "He must be protected and must keep his hunger satiated. He's too young and frail to survive anything else."
"So he needs to be around lava to eat and be protected from any danger." Henry said in understanding as suddenly there was a large explosion directly behind them and they turned to see large, blue rocks raining down upon them.
"Oh, you mean from something like that?!" Snotlout yelled, pointing to smoke.
It wasn't just the lava pool that was under attack for the entire village in which the Defenders were running away screaming.
"The wrath of the gods is upon us!" Throk yelled to the others.
Toothless and Midnight quickly fired plasma blasts at each one of the rocks destroying it and fired yet again, but there were just too many of them.
"There's only one thing that could be doing this." Hicca told her brother, already knowing what was firing at them.
"Guys, we need to get the baby Eruptodon out of here." Fishlegs said, who was cradling the baby Eruptodon.
"Yes, please," Mala pleaded.
"Henry, go." Hiccup ordered.
Henry then picked up the baby Eruptodon and mounted Wildstar.
The Great Protector gave him a concerned look as they hovered in front of her. 'Please, protect him.' She roared, pleadingly.
"Don't worry, great one. We'll protect him as if he was one of our own, we promise." Henry promised the old Eruptodon as they then flew far away from the village and to the far side of the island.
"Believe me now, Haddocks?" said Viggo's voice from within the underground cell he was trapped in.
"Not even remotely." Hiccup told him.
"Just because it is happening doesn't mean that we trusted you now." Hicca retorted as Shee then looked at Mala and Throk. "Mala, Throk, you and your people keep Viggo locked down. We're gonna fly into the attack and find the source."
Once they mounted their dragons they took off heading towards the direction of falling boulders. Of course flying into them was proving to be quite hazardous.
"I mean, not that we're ones to complain about a totally awesome situation, but, hey, guys, why are we doing this?" Tuffnut asked, trying to avoid his head being taken up by the boulders flying above them.
"We have to find the source of these fire blasts and stop it." Hicca pointed out.
"The only way is flying towards it." Hiccup added. He then quickly ducked just in time to avoid being hit by a flying boulder.
"Hiccup, that was way too close!" said Astrid frantically. "Maybe you should go back, guard Viggo."
Hiccup then flew towards her. "Astrid, we talk about this." He reminded her, "It's gotta be business as usual. We can't risk anyone thinking—"
"Thinking what?" Snotlout frowned overhearing part of their conversation.
"Nothing!" They both said in unison quickly.
"Whoa! Take it easy, Hicstrid." Snotlout said
"Stay focused and keep moving forward! No matter what!" Hiccup ordered.
They then flew past the clouds and saw several Hunters ships close to the sea stack.
"There. Down there." Hicca called out.
They then flew down towards the ship and were spotted instantly by the Hunters aboard it. They then started to engage them in battle and easily took them down with some precise dragon fire.
Then they saw the boulders flying from behind the sea stack.
"Behind the sea stack!" Astrid yelled.
"Cover us!" Hiccup ordered as he and Astrid approached the sea stack.
They circled around it and nearly collided with one another. They looked down and saw no trace of anything that could have caused the attack leaving them completely bewildered.
(Linebreak)
When they returned to the island, they discovered that Viggo managed to escape during the confusion.
"He escaped?" Astrid starred in disbelief.
"The explosions allowed him to slip away." Throk explained regretfully. "I… I failed you."
"You sure did, Throkman. I would be looking for a new gig if I were you. Or a new head!" Snotlout said, folding his arms and laughing before Raeda came to him and smacked him across the head. "Ow!" He called out.
"Shut i, Snotlout!" Raeda yelled as she gave a glare to Snotlout, who gave a nervous chuckle.
"I can't believe we fell for it." Hiccup said, mentally kicking himself.
"We should've known better than to not keep an eye on that freak. What were we thinking?" Hicca asked while looking down in guilt.
"Now, there's a good question." Snotlout snarked. "I personally wouldn't have done—"
"Snotlout, don't." Astrid glared warningly.
"Don't you even start." Henry glared as well.
"No, no, no. It's alright." Hiccup said to them. "Um, we can't focus on Viggo right now anyway. We need to get back to the Edge."
Hicca then approached Mala and Throk. "We don't know when the next attack will happen. Of course, you and your tribe are welcome to come with us if you want." She said to them.
"No. We must defend our home." Mala said firmly. "But I do have a favor to ask. I fear that the baby Eruptodon will not be safe here." She then turned to the baby Eruptodon, who was playing with Meatlug and Wildstar. Meatlug then spewed some lava out of which the baby happily ate.
"Don't worry, Mala. Me, Fishlegs, Meatlug and I were made for this," Henry assured.
"Henry's right. We're gonna keep this little guy say no matter what!" Fishlegs said in agreement.
Mala smiled at them and nodded gratefully.
"Send a Terror Mail if you need us." Hiccup said.
"We'll find out where the next attack is gonna happen." Hicca told her, "And hopefully, find Ryker and stop him."
They then mounted their dragons and took off and headed straight back to the Edge.
(Linebreak)
Once at the Edge, Hiccup and Astrid were in his hut going over a battle plan while their dragons played outside.
"The problem is, we've been thinking like Viggo." Hiccup frowned. "We have to start thinking like Ryker."
"Good luck with that." Astrid said. She then sighed and looked at him apologetically. "Look, I'm sorry for—"
Hiccup knew what she was about to say. "Me too. It won't happen again. Look, we have to put our personal feelings aside and accept the risks. We can only protect each other to a point. Like we've been doing for years."
"No, I know. You're right," Astrid nodded. "I lost my head. It won't happen again."
"It is nice to know you care though." Hiccup smiled.
Astrid blushed slightly. "If you don't know that by now, then…"
The two of them looked at one another and drew closer to one another, but before they kissed the Thorston twins barged in and they quickly pulled apart from one another.
"Looks like she's got the maces, and I've got the talons," said Tuffnut gesturing to his sister and himself. "So, Viggo, it's game over. And we haven't even—"
"Tuffnut!" Hiccup and Astrid yelled together furiously.
"Yeah, you're right," said Tuffnut. He signed. "I could have the mace, you know, not her. Everyone knows I'm a mace man." He then laughed softly. "Guilty as charged, mace man at heart. Good lookin' out, H."
The Thorston twins then left, leaving a very annoyed Hiccup and Astrid behind.
"Okay, uh, that's awful," said Hiccup. They then turn towards the map. "Let's assume that Viggo is telling the truth. If you're Ryker, which ally do you hit next?"
The two of them then placed a finger on a small island.
"Outcast Island," They said in unison.
(Linebreak)
While Hiccup and Astrid are coming up with a plan to find Ryker, Henry and Hicca meet up at her hut as Hicca feels worried while sitting on her bed.
"How's the baby Eruptodon?" Hicca asked Henry.
"He's safe. Fishlegs and Meatlug are feeding him all the lava he needs." Henry answered as he sat next to Hicca. "Are you okay, Hicca?" He asked in concern.
Hicca sighed as she looked at him, "Henry, if we weren't careful, one of the blasts could've..." She trailed, not wanting to think what could've happened next.
Henry then placed his hand over Hicca's to comfort her as he spoke. "Hey. But it didn't. We all manage to survive the attack and manage to protect the baby Eruptodon." He assured while giving Hicca a small smile.
Hicca just took a breath, "I'm sorry Henry. This was all meant to be one, simple, well-planned assault on the hunters but now, Ryker leading a coup, the Shellfire and now this whole thing with us. It's all just so much." She sighed, rubbing her temple.
"Hey." Henry said as he turned Hicca's face towards him as he held her cheeks. "We never would've predicted that my uncle would turn against my father. I'm just surprised that he finally snapped after all the times my father treated him as the little brother." He said with a small chuckle as Hicca chuckled back. "But seriously, we overcame impossible odds before, and we will find a way to stop my uncle and find my father so we can put an end to this." He said confidently.
Hicca gave a small smile at Henry. "You're right, Henry. We overcame impossible odds before, and we can do it again and stop this madness." She said with her smile becoming wider. "You always know the right words to say when I'm down." She said as she placed her hand over Henry's, who was still touching her cheeks.
They were about to lean in for a kiss when the door was heard opening, which made the two break apart quickly as they looked at the bottom floor and saw Raeda coming in.
"There you two are."." Raeda called out.
"Raeda, what's going on?" Hicca asked.
"Hiccup and Astrid found the next target Ryker is gonna strike next. And it's Outcast Island that will be next." Raeda informed.
"Yikes! Those guys are gonna be in for a fight." Henry said.
"Yep. Hiccup sent me to warn you guys. So we better get going before Ryker strikes." Raeda said.
"Thanks, we'll get to our dragons in the stables." Hicca said as Raeda nodded and walked out of the hut as Hicca and Henry looked at each other with an embarrassed smile. "Talk about timing. Right?" She joked with a chuckle.
"Y-Yeah. Timing." Henry chuckled as he got down. "So let's go get our dragons." He said with a small smile.
"Sure. Let's saddle up." Hicca said with a smile as the two walked out of the hut and went to get their dragons.
(Linebreak)
Later that night, The Riders were at the Straits of Baldur.
"Not that I don't love hanging out with you guys, but how does hovering over an empty ocean do us any good?" Snotlout asked.
"They can't reach the archipelago without passing through the Straits of Baldur." Astrid said.
"So we need to wait for them to come to the Straits when they come." Hicca added.
"And when they do, they'll come through us." Hiccup said, looking through his spyglass.
"Hey, Ruff." Tuffnut said, looking at her. "Hey, question for you. Which of these two do you like best?"
"'My name is Hiccup Haddock. Submit or be fileted where you stand and fed by my favorite yak.'" Ruffnut quip. "Or…"
"—'Oh, you want a battle, Viggo? Well, how about I give you a war instead? It's bigger and there's more fighting!'" Tuffnut declared.
"Hiccup doesn't even have a favorite yak." Astrid pointed out.
"What about Yakkity?" Ruffnut asked.
"That's my yak, pal. Yakkity Jorgenson." Snotlout said, shaking his head.
"A-and, by the way, we don't want a war, guys." Hiccup added.
"That's the last thing we want." Hicca pointed out.
Hiccup then saw something through his spyglass, "Hunter ship, due South!" He yelled.
Snotlout narrowed his eyes. "Is that a white flag?" He asked, confused.
Hiccup looked at the deck of the ship. "Uh, yeah. It is." He said, equally confused. "But that's not the weirdest part." He was right, because the one waving the white flag was none other than Ryker.
"Uncle?" Henry asked in surprise. "What's he doing out in the open, exposed?" He asked in suspicion.
"Let's go ask him." Hicca suggested with a look at Ryker as the Riders then flew towards him.
(Linebreak)
Soon they approached the Hunter ship to question Ryker about his weird behavior. He pretty much gave the same explanation that Viggo gave them.
"Funny. That's the exact same story Viggo told us, but he said you're the one who flipped." Hiccup said.
"At least he had the bruises as evidence that you gave him quite a piece of your mind." Hicca added with a look.
"Oh, yeah. I gave my little brother a piece of my mind. But then where is he?" Ryker asked, raising an eyebrow.
Henry just looked at him in distrust, "Do you really expect me to help you when I hate you as much as I hate dad?" He asked.
Ryker smiled. "Well nephew, let me ask you this, between Viggo and myself, who has more than interest in you, and your friends?"
Henry's answer was silence answering "Exactly," Ryker said with a smile. "It's daddy Viggo who's lost his mind. It's daddy Viggo who came up and built the Shellfire. It's daddy Viggo who wants a war. But it's Uncle Ryker who has the Dragon Eye." He boasted.
"Really, great. Then where is it?" Hicca asked in suspicion.
"Oh, don't worry. It's safely hidden." Ryker assured. "Think about it, if Viggo had the Shellfire and the Dragon Eye, what would he do? He'd set you all up. Which is exactly what my beloved brother is doing." he told them.
"Oh, that's great!" Snotlout moaned. "Another lunatic Dragon Hunter that we can't trust." He said sarcastically.
Then suddenly they heard very familiar sounds in the distance.
"The Shellfire." Hiccup said and approached the edge of the ship.
In the distance they could see a massive display of firepower attacking something in the distance.
"It's attacking an island, and it's not the Outcasts." Hicca pointed out since that's not the direction where Outcast Island is.
"Then where is it attacking?" Astrid asked. Hiccup pulled out the map to search and soon found the answer and Astrid gasped in horror. "We have to help them, guys!"
"Help who?" Snotlout asked.
"Dagur and Heather!" Astrid answered as he mounted Stormfly.
"Berserker Island! Now!" Hiccup ordered as mounted on Toothless.
Ryker walked up to Hiccup and Hicca. "You see, Haddocks? That attack proves what I've been saying." He said. "Bring me Viggo and I will give you both what you want. Otherwise, I disappear for good along with the Dragon Eye."
Hiccup and Hicca had no time for negotiations and rushed towards Berserker Island as quickly as they could.
(Linebreak)
When they got there Heather and Dagur were already approaching them looking quite frantic.
"Brother! Sister!" Dagur yelled in relief.
"Guys! It came at us out of nowhere!" Heather yelled as they quickly moved to avoid a boulder almost striking them and the other Riders made fancy maneuvers to avoid being hit as well.
"Guys, staying together won't help. We need to split up," Astrid told them.
"You're right." Hiccup nodded. "You're with me." He then looked at Hicca and the others. "Go with Heather and Dagur. Save you what can, then meet us back at the Edge."
"Got it bro." Hicca nodded to her brother.
"And where are you two going?" Snotlout asked.
"To find out whatever this Shellfire is, and stop it, once and for all." Hiccup said.
Then Hiccup and Astrid headed straight towards the direction of the boulder fire. While the others went straight towards Berserker Island.
"You guys felt that, right?" Snotlout asked, looking at the Thorston twins.
"Definitely," They said in unison.
Snotlout rolled his eyes. "You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"
"Not a clue," said Ruffnut.
"And, strangely, we're not that broken up about it," said Tuffnut.
"Hiccup, Astrid. Something is up with them," said Snotlout.
"Oh, that!" they said in unison.
"Yeah, well, I know what it is, though. It is obvious. I'm sorry you had heard it from me, but Hiccup is dying." Tuffnut said sadly. Snotlout and Hookfang stared at him. "Yep. I mean, he didn't tell me or anything, but I can tell. He's on death's door, he's a-knockin', and death's home, but he's changing and it's gonna be a bit before he can come to the door, so Hiccup's preparing to say his goodbyes, especially to his twin sister Hicca. That's the only reason he's rejecting our catch phrases. Is just too painful to think about them being used when he's not here. Especially because he knows that he'd never be as good at saying them as me."
"That's ridiculous!" Ruffnut yelled, punching him. "It's Astrid who's dying. And she's trying to spend as much time as he can with Hiccup so she can break it to him slowly. Duh!"
"You two muttonheads have no idea how to read people." Snotlout said, rolling his eyes. "They're not dying. They're spending all this time together because Hiccup clearly has a gambling problem and Hicca must've told Astrid to try to help him conceal it."
The Thorston twins looked at one another and then back to Snotlout.
"By Thor! You've got it!" Tuffnut said, before he could explain more, a flying boulder headed straight towards them and he barely had enough time to dodge it.
"Can you guys quit the chatter and help the Berserkers!" Hicca yelled out to them. "We gotta help Heather and Dagur's people before any one of them is injured!" She added.
They then quickly flew down towards the island in order to help the Berserkers evacuate.
(Linebreak)
Hiccup and Astrid were flying as fast they could towards the direction of the fire.
"Faster, bud! We need to close the distance before it can disappear!" Hiccup yelled.
It wasn't easy to maneuver past the flying boulders, but eventually they got past them.
"There!" Astrid pointed.
Down below them they saw a strange looking ship with no deck or sails and completely made of dragon-proof metal.
"I see it! Looks like a ship!" Hiccup called out.
They then flew down towards it, but then strangely it sank beneath the waves and then a second later a large dragon emerged from the water. It had to be one hundred and sixty feet long with two long horns on its head, relatively long wings, and a hard shell on its back for protection. Beneath it and had four legs and uniquely shaped wings used mainly for swimming. Hiccup then noticed that the ship they saw the ball was actually chained to the creature's back. It then opened its mouth and fired several cannonball-sized plasma charges.
"What is that?" Hiccup starred as the dragon fired more shots. "This Shellfire isn't a ship or a dragon. It's both! He's weaponised a dragon, Astrid!"
"Dragon Riders! Move!" A Hunter on the deck of the ship yelled.
They then jumped into the nearest and closed it behind them. A few seconds later, the Shellfire turned around and sank beneath the waves.
"And that's why it's so hard to find and defend against." Astrid said.
"I'm going after it." Hiccup said.
Hiccup then dived down into the sea and attempted to follow the Shellfire, but the dragon was far too fast underwater and soon disappeared from sight. With no other option, Hiccup and Toothless flew back up to the surface and joined Astrid.
"Too fast and too deep." Hiccup told her.
"It can't stay down for long, there are Hunters under those hatches." Astrid pointed out.
"But we don't know which direction it's headed or where it's gonna come up." Hiccup said frustratingly. "Ah, we've gotta get back to the Edge to regroup."
(Linebreak)
Later that night, they returned to the Edge with Heather and Dagur. Hiccup then began explaining what he and Astrid had seen.
"Tidal Class for sure. If I had to guess, Titan Wing." Hiccup said. "Bigger than a Submaripper or Screaming Death. Long range firing capabilities."
"Sounds like a modified version of that chariot Ryker came up with." Hicca said, folding her arms.
"Titan Class dragons don't attack humans. They just don't." Fishlegs said as Meatlug fed the baby Eruptodon. "It's not in their nature. They're forcing it to do that."
"We know they are, Fishlegs." Hiccup said.
"They are forcing that Shellfire to shoot out its attacks somehow and disappear before we can even do anything." Hicca added.
"Subjugation." Tuffnut said. Everyone just stared at him open mouthed. "What? I listen and learn, people." He then looked to his sister. "That's the word, right?" Ruffnut facepalmed herself at her brother's stupidity. "No?"
The Haddock twins then looked at Dagur and Heather. Dagur was comforting Heather after what they witnessed on their island.
"Dagur, Heather, we're sorry about Berserker Island," Hiccup said apologetically. "We all are."
"We should've known that Ryker would go after you guys next." Hicca said in sympathy.
"It's all right, guys. At least we managed to save most of our people. But to rebuild…" Heather sighed depressively.
"I've been trying really hard to manage my anger, Guys." Dagur said. "But Viggo? He's gots to go."
"Hey, that's my line." Snotlout retorted.
"Sorry, Snot-hat," Dagur apologized.
Snotlout narrowed his eyes and folded his arms and saw that Hookfang was doing a dragon's equivalent of a laugh. 'Heh, Snothat.'
Raeda gave a chuckle as well. "Okay, that is a funny and creative name." She chuckled.
"What are you two looking at? No laughing," Snotlout snapped at them.
Astrid then looked at the Haddock twins. "So, what's our next move?"
"We're not sure what's are next move is, Astrid." Hicca said depressingly.
Hiccup then made his way over to Toothless. "The only thing we do know is we've got to find Viggo soon or Ryker and the Dragon Eye could be gone for good."
"Good luck with that," said Snotlout. "What do you think Viggo's gonna do? Walk in here and turn himself in?"
"Not helping, Snotlout," said Fishlegs.
"Now's not the time for jokes." Raeda retorted.
"Maybe Ryker will give us more time?" Astrid offered.
"I highly doubt that," said Hiccup.
"Ryker has never been the patient type." Hicca added, crossing her arms.
Henry groaned in annoyance as Hicca went to comfort him. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I need to clear my head."
"Go ahead, Henry. I know how impossible this is for you." Hicca assured. "Take your time. We'll be fine."
Henry smiled at her and mounted Wildstar and took off.
(Linebreak)
They soon landed on the edge of a cliff that overlooks the sea and Henry sat on the edge contemplating, with Wildstar by his side.
"Looks peaceful, doesn't it, girl?" Henry said, looking at Wildstar. He then shook his head. "I always wanted peace in my life, but with how crazy my family is…"
Heny sighed and noticed his troubled look, Wildstar nudged him affectionately and Henry rubbed her on the nose.
"Perhaps I can help, my boy?" A very familiar voice said behind him. They turned and saw Viggo approaching them and Wildstar growled at him. "I hope you didn't think I would leave you hanging in the wind. You know I'm nothing if not a man of my word to your friends, Henry."
"Dad." Henry growled as he got to his feet and glared at him as Wildstar growled at him furiously.
"Let me guess. Your Uncle told Hiccup and Hicca that I was the one who went rogue." Viggo said. He then chuckled slightly. "I figured as much. Probably offered you peace and the Dragon Eye, either of which he is either willing or able to give you."
"Oh, and you are father?" Henry asked, raising an eyebrow.
Viggo merely smiled and approached Henry. Wildstar got ready to fire at him. "As I said, my dear son, you help me stop your uncle and I'll give you and your friends what you desire."
Henry narrowed his eyes. "Which is exactly what he said. Almost to the word." He growled.
"But he conveniently couldn't produce it, could he?" Viggo smiled.
"But you can? After all the times you played a wildcard?" Henry questioned as Viggo's expression changed to no-emotion as he went silent.
Henry smirked and turned away, "Yeah, just what I…" He then stopped when he saw his father holding out a large cylinder with engravings. It was the Dragon Eye. "Thought."
"Now, when will Ryker be arriving?" Viggo asked smugly.
"Uh, in the morning." Henry answered, still slightly off guard.
Viggo then walked up to him and presented him with the Dragon Eye. "Rest assured. The Shellfire will be with him." Henry was about to grab it, but Viggo pulled it away. "Uh-un, whatever we're going to do, Henry, we must do it together with your friends' help. As father and son."
"Work with you?" Henry asked as his eyes showed burning hate, "After what you did to mom." He growled venomously.
Viggo gave a small chuckle. "Henry, son. Do you not remember what I once told you? There are two ways to be a fool, one is to believe what isn't true, the second is to refuse to believe what isn't." He said.
"But living beings are not your game pieces. I'm not crazy about Maces and Talons as you are." Henry pointed out. "But that still doesn't change the fact of what you did to her." He said.
Viggo raised a brow, "Is that what you believe?" He asked.
"I don't believe it, I know." Henry corrected. "I was there when you took her away from this world when she tried to talk you out of this crazy Hunter business, but you refused to listen and it cost her life." He growled.
"Perhaps, but you remember well that one of your mother's lessons was that for the greater good, the greatest risks must be taken," Viggo reminded him as he held out the Dragon Eye, "Now let's try this again, are we in this together or not?" He asked.
Henry was in two minds, he didn't trust his father by an inch, but there was no denying that at the present moment his uncle Ryker was the bigger threat and his friends need all the help they can get. He knew that he would regret it, but right now they were allies.
Henry glared at his father as the older man understood what he was saying. Satisfied, Viggo gave him the Dragon Eye and Henry had a feeling that the finals competition of their war was about to begin, and having a feeling that the others will not like this when they find out.