The new inmate proudly walked through the prison yard. He bumped some people out of the way, puffing up when they glared at him. It did not work to intimidate them, but it did make them laugh. Tuffnut kept walking, catching the attention of someone who was weightlifting.

"Hey, Fish."

Tuffnut turned to the inmate with a confused look on his face. "I'm Tuff, but I've got a friend whose name is Fishlegs and one with the last name Haddock."

"I'm talking to you, Fish," the man said, frowning as he stood.

He began walking over to Tuffnut who tried to stand up taller.

"Fresh meat," Dagur called out, grinning as he approached.

When he did, the other inmate backed off and started returning to his weights. Tuffnut looked at him with a confused expression.

"I'm trying to show how tough I am," he said, voice mostly low.

Without saying anything else, the redhead began dragging him off by the collar of his shirt.

"If you want to talk–"

The blond was cut short by being slammed against a wall.

"I feel like you're upset," Tuffnut said, uncertain.

Dagur scowled at him. "How'd you even get here? Doubt you killed anyone or did drugs."

"That seemed a little too extreme…after a lot of talking. So, Ruff helped me set an explosion. It was great! You should've seen it. If we ever get out, I'll do another one for you."

"No," the older convict snapped, calming down after a sigh. "How long is your sentence?"

Tuff shrugged. "I don't remember. I know the judge didn't say life, so that's good."

He smiled brightly, causing Dagur to facepalm.

"Please don't make me the sane one between us."

The new inmate seemed hopeful. "Doesn't it feel a little nice to have a friend in here, though?"

"Friends don't exist in these walls. Remember that."

"Sounds lonely."

"It is. Only enemies and allies exist. Don't rely on allies because they'll turn on you the first chance they get. Everyone's just trying to not get killed."

Tuffnut's expression became downcast. "I've always been with my sister. It'll be weird with her not being here too. I just wish her disguise would've worked better. Then, she could have come with me."

"It's better that she didn't. It would have been even better if you weren't here either, but we can't reverse that now."

Dagur rubbed the bridge of his nose. Glancing up, he saw the sad look on the blond's face.

"Look, I'll do my best to keep the others from hurting you. I can't be everywhere, so try to stay out of too much trouble. For you, if you're weird but not aggressive, that could work. Try to seem odd enough to keep them from bothering you. If you try to fight, you might get yourself killed by someone Ryker's size or bigger."

"How'd you stay out of trouble here for so long?"

Dagur smirked and gestured to his face. "I didn't, which is why I can tell you from experience that it's better to lay low and be safe because people don't know what you're capable of." He glanced around. "I'm actually still learning my way around not being in solitary, but I'm good at scaring people. I earned their fear by doing something you shouldn't do if you want to get out early on good behavior."

A realization dawned on Tuffnut. "What do I do with my cellmate? I'm used to sharing a room with my sister."

"Still? That's weird," Dagur commented.

He paused to consider something. That was an issue. No matter how many prisoners he kept from attacking Tuffnut during his time at the cafeteria or yard, he would be powerless to help him with anything in the cell. He had no way of knowing who it would be, so he could not even directly threaten the man and it would have been suspicious if he did. Dagur's face lit up and he crossed his arms with a frown.

"Tell me a story, freshie," he said, increasing his volume slightly. "One with destruction."

Tuffnut looked shocked, but he happily obliged the request. "Once, my sister and I wanted to see what would happen if we blew up twelve truck tires. Half were covered in oil and the other half had gunpowder." He lifted both arms. "It got about this big and was so loud that everyone in the library we were right next to came running out!"

Dagur paused, then laughed as he imagined the scene. "Not bad. You're interesting, Tuffnut. I like that." He turned to glare at the guy by the weights. "Anyone who messes up my entertainment gets messed up too."

The inmates heard the threat in his voice and made a mental note. Dagur went back over to where he had been standing and started making notes too–his were of more users and dealers. While he did, he kept an eye on the blond. Tuffnut looked completely out of place, but he also was behaving strangely enough that it was possible no one would try anything. He was looking like he was attempting to be stealthy and avoid the gaze of the guards, but if anything, his actions drew more attention. Dagur was not sure if he wanted to laugh or shake his head.

"That works, I guess," he thought, noticing how several of the other convicts were warily regarding the newcomer.

He began work collecting money and when he was done for the day, met up with Ryker. They split it according to their agreement. As the money passed between their hands, Ryker began sneering.

"What's wrong now, Rykie?" Dagur asked, exasperated. "Do you ever smile? There's no reason to even be angry. This is all the money."

"I believe you. I'm wondering about that scrawny, blond guy who showed up and made a scene."

"Yeah, he seems funny. I might keep him around."

The older man sighed. "I suppose buffoons stick together."

Dagur glared at him. "Well, you're no fun. Nobody here is. At least he values destruction."

"You're both insane."

"I can live with that," the redhead said, laughing. "It's better than being broody all the time like you, but whatever makes you unhappy."

Dagur shrugged, lackadaisical, and left to go back to enjoy his solitude. As he did, he slyly continued keeping an eye on Tuffnut. When the next day came, Farid was still thinking of the warning he had gotten about the Thorston brother. Before he started his sessions that morning, he went to Stoick's office. After being let in, he saw a knowing look on the warden's face.

"Let me guess, you want to speak with Tuffnut?"

"You would be correct."

Stoick brought a hand to his head. "I don't know what got into him. Admittedly, the twins have always been one officer arriving on the scene away from being arrested, but I still never really thought I'd see either of them go behind bars."

"Hopefully, I'll be able to find out what happened and let him know that he's been taking too many risks."

"Please do. He and his sister aren't bad people even if they're eccentric. Neither belong in a place like this."

"I agree, Warden," Farid said, letting out a soft sigh. "I absolutely agree."

He said goodbye to the warden before going to the therapy room. After a short time, Tuffnut was brought in by a frowning Gobber.

"He's all yours, Doctor," the man said, shaking his head.

"Hey, Doc!" he greeted.

"Hello, Tuffnut," Farid said, in a more serious tone. "I didn't expect to see you here after the last time we met. What happened?"

"Well, since I know you're not in on it, I can tell you. Ruff and I decided the only way to crack this case is from the inside. So here I am."

"Have you considered how long you could be here?"

The blond hesitated. "Should I have?"

"Most inmates think about the day they're supposed to be free."

"Dagur doesn't."

"He's received a life sentence."

"Oh, yeah."

Farid took a moment, writing down something. "This is a dangerous place for most of the inmates. Have you considered ways to remain safe?"

"Dagur said he'd help."

"And I'm sure he will, but he can't be everywhere you are. There are people after him as well, so if he is thinking of protecting both of you, that could make things more difficult."

Tuffnut's excited expression faded. "I didn't think about that either. How much danger do you think he's in? He said he's gotten hurt here and I remember the time with the 'escape.' Do you think it's a lot worse than that?"

"I can't truly answer that. I only know that I see him and we talk. I can talk with the other inmates and hear how they're doing, but I don't know the inner workings of this prison."

"Which is why it's a good thing that I'm here! I can help. Dagur said it's lonely. I know it's going to be weird without Ruff, so he and I can look out for each other."

Farid smiled slightly. "I like the sound of that but would recommend that you remember where you are. Friendships will be perceived differently here than in the rest of Berk. It's not like how it is with Hiccup or the others. It might be deemed a weakness to be overly nice. Your friendship would have to appear like an alliance. It's a symbiotic relationship."

Tuffnut looked confused by the word. "Uh, is that like platonic?"

"It's when both groups benefit. In the eyes of the other inmates, Dagur protects you in return for what?"

The client shrugged, then his eyes lit up. "He said I was entertaining!"

"He did?"

"Yeah, he told me to tell him a story and that he liked it."

"Seems like he already thought about that," Farid mused, smirking. To Tuffnut, he said, "Stay focused on your goal. That determination will help you when you need it most."

"Roger that," the inmate said, saluting.

The two did not talk for much longer, and Farid had his discussions with the other clients. As he neared the end of his day, Hiccup neared the time he would have his meeting. It had been difficult to get this time scheduled, but he was glad that it finally happened. He started leaving the building for his training area and heading to the car.

"I'll be back later, Bud," he said, petting the jaguar's head. "Wish me luck."

The wild cat gave a small roar of support as the trainer exited. He drove to the Berk police department and entered the establishment. When he did, he was instructed to wait in the main area. A tall man with a ponytail approached him. He had a serious look on his face, but he did not look harsh.

"I am Lieutenant Throk. I heard that you wished to speak with the captain?"

"Yes," Hiccup said, standing. "I'm Hiccup Haddock. The captain and I are supposed to have a conversation today about something regarding the prison."

"Then, follow me."

Throk led the way to the back until they reached an office. Once there, he opened the door.

"Hiccup Haddock is here, Captain Mala," he informed her.

Hiccup was left in the office with a tall woman with short, blonde hair. She took his hand and had a stern look on her face.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Hiccup Haddock.

"A pleasure meeting you too. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me," the young man said. "I know you're busy."

"When you mentioned having information about the prison, I knew that time had to be set aside for this." She gestured to the seats and they sat. "What do you know?"

"It seems like there might be a way to get drugs into the prison. Some friends of mine discovered how easy it is to potentially sneak in items. I have also heard claims about prisoners using drugs. I don't know who all is involved, but I think that Alvin Outkaast might be."

Mala quietly considered his words. "How did you first learn of this?"

Hiccup wondered how he should respond. "There's a psychologist working there now and he's been talking with the inmates."

"It is good that he is then." The captain stood from her desk. "I will assign intelligence to handle this case. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I often focus on the criminals who are still free. I will make sure that I do not mistake their incarceration for an end to their criminal activity."

Hiccup stood as well and thanked the captain again for her time. He headed back to his place of work to get Toothless. While he drove, he thought of the officers' new mission, of Farid's attempts to help the clients, and of Tuffnut's new living arrangements.

"I guess all we can do now is wait."