How You Doing Insane Gang!
Back to RTTE timeline, this is during season 2 when the gang minus Hiccup and Snotlout got captured by Ryker, Dagur, and Heather.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
"Guards! Guards! Let me out! I can't take it anymore! It's been days since we've been locked in here!" Tuffnut wailed, clutching the bars of their prison.
Ruffnut turned him around and slapped his face. "Pull yourself together bro!"
"Will you two please be quiet? I can't hear myself think." Astrid groaned.
"Besides we've been in here for two hours." Fishlegs pointed out.
Tuffnut sat down where he stood and crossed his arms. "Might as well be in here forever if we have to rely on Snotlout to rescue us."
"You're forgetting about Hiccup," Ruffnut commented.
"Ah right, sis, with H we have a chance."
Astrid leaned against the bars, watching the guards walk back and forth like clockwork. "I've memorized the guard changes, if only we had a distraction to get those keys."
Dagur and Heather chose to greet the riders.
"Just for that Astrid, we'll make sure to change the shifts randomly." Dagur laughed.
"What do you two want?" She scowled.
"Ryker wants to have a little chat with one of you. Any volunteers?" Dagur sneered.
Heather elbowed Dagur and tilted her head to Astrid. "I say Astrid goes first, after all, she is Hiccup's second command."
Dagur shook his fists in excitement. "Ooh hoo! Right you are sis! We're going to have a fun time together!"
He unlocked the cage door and Heather grabbed her and pushed her in front.
"I should have lopped your head off with my ax as soon as I saw you," Astrid growled.
Heather scoffed, "I'd like to see you try."
"Well, this isn't good," Tuffnut stated, locking eyes with the rest of the gang.
An uneasy feeling settled among them. What are they going to do to Astrid?
Fishlegs settled on the ground and removed his helmet. "Hiccup is going to be so mad."
Astrid tried to best to memorize the windy route the Berserkers led her through. She could only assume that she was being taken to Ryker's quarters.
He was waiting for them with his feet crossed over each other haphazardly over his desk. For once he was smirking.
"Why did you bring me this one Dagur?"
Heather forcefully pushed Astrid down to the seat and used a rope to wrap her hands behind the chair.
"Let's start with introductions shall we?" Dagur laughed.
"Ryker this is Astrid, Astrid, Ryker."
He stood up and began circling like a predator circling prey. "I could care less about the bitch's name. I asked why her."
"She is Hiccup Haddock's second in command," Heather answered straight to the point.
She willed herself not to roll her eyes at their testosterone-filled stare down.
Ryker moved to sit atop his desk and waved her off. "Why didn't you just bring me this Hiccup Haddock instead?"
"He and uh...another rider were the only ones who managed to escape." Dagur had at least had the decency to look embarrassed.
A rumbling from his throat showed he wasn't pleased. "I guess she will have to do then, carry on."
Dagur acted like a little kid getting a yak butter parfait. "Hehe, this is going to be fun sis! Finally a family interrogation."
He abruptly tipped Astrid's chair back on its hind legs. "It's been a while since we had a chat Astrid, how is my brother doing?"
Astrid rolled her eyes and continued to glare daggers at Ryker. The man himself looked amused, to say the least, not the look Astrid was going for.
"Aye, she's interesting." Ryker chuckled. In an instant, he was back to being stone cold. "Make her talk."
"Come on Astrid, we're practically family anyway with you and Hiccup doing this little flirty dance around each other."
"You don't scare me Dagur, in fact, you've gotten pretty boring since our youth."
Dagur growled and let the chair thump back on all fours. Heather leaned against the wall to Astrid's right.
"Just tell us where you hid the Dragon Eye, we know it's at your little base camp."
Astrid tried not to let her surprised expression through. Heather knew where Dragon's Edge is but she decided to play dumb.
"As if I had anything to say to you—you traitorous bitch."
She watched Heather's reaction closely. The bottom of her lip curved upward slightly and disappeared just as quickly. Astrid's eyes narrowed. Could she be—
Ryker sighed and rose to his feet, drawing Astrid's attention. He nonchalantly tugged a knife from his belt. "Out of the way Dagur, I'll show you how to do a real interrogation."
Astrid tried her best not to flinch when Ryker ghosted the knife over her cheek. "I've been hunting in these here waters for seasons now and I don't take to kindly to those interrupting."
His acrid breath made her nose scrunch and her stomach churn. She took the opportunity to spit in his face. He wasted no time in backhanding her. The force almost sent her tipping over her chair.
Heather's eye twitched at the contact.
Ryker lowered himself to be eye level with Astrid. "Now you listen and listen good, you tell me the location of the dragon eye and I won't kill your friends where they stand."
Heather tensed and interjected. "Viggo wants them alive Ryker."
His head turned to glare at Heather. "They didn't know that!"
He took a menacing step forward only to be stopped by Dagur who's smile curled into a snarl. "You touch her and I'll kill you where you stand."
"I don't know where the Dragon Eye is, Hiccup is the only one who knows." Astrid interrupted.
Ryker turned his intention back to their captive. "Then where is your base? Dagur and Heather say you have one."
The knife slide down her neck towards her ribs giving one extra pressure to break the skin. Astrid stayed silent, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her in pain.
Ryker would repeat the same questions over and over again. Dagur had already retired to his chambers as he saw enough. Heather stayed throughout the night watching Ryker. His teasing lasted all night, not giving Astrid a chance to sleep.
The lack of sleep was getting to her. She closed her eyes for a second, her head falling subconsciously. Sharp pain from her head woke her up again. Ryker yanked hard on her braid, her roots stinging.
"I didn't give you permission to sleep, did I? It's been a full day and Haddock isn't coming for you now." He whispered in her ear causing goosebumps to sprout on her arms.
He let go of her hair to face her again. "You know, I think Viggo only has interest in your leader, but the rest of ye are expendable."
"Fine, I'll talk."
Ryker chuckled, "I knew you'd break eventually, now go on, where is your base?"
Astrid motioned with her head to the map on the wall. "Give me your map."
Ryker took it off the wall to hold it in front of her. She surveyed the landmarks and areas. "There, due north."
He nodded along and circled the location she pointed out. "Good...in case you're lying to me here's a reminder of what's to come."
The glint of the blade caught her eye but she wasn't fast enough to stop him from burying it in her left thigh. At this she yelled in pain, clenching her teeth together to stop herself from whimpering.
Ryker leaned in close to her face. "Maybe you are useful alive, I can't take a corpse to my bedchambers can I?"
"I can't wait to kill you." Astrid hissed.
He smirked and grabbed her neck. "Nevermind that maybe I'll just take you here right now, no other whore that I paid for was this feisty."
"Ryker! Viggo wants all of the riders fine and unused for himself." Heather bluffed.
"Maybe I want this one for myself!"
"Then I'll tell Viggo why it takes his brother so long to drop off cargo when he spends have the voyage stopping at brothels."
They stared each other down to see who would back off first. It only ended when Dagur burst through the doors.
"Hiccup is back! Let's bring him down!"
Ryker scowled and followed Dagur out to the deck.
As soon as the door closed Heather dropped her facade. "Holy Freya Astrid..."
She sighed, sagging in the chair. "You almost had me there, what are you doing with these hunters?"
Their conversation was halted when a plasma blast heaved the ship.
Heather crouched to untie her and look at her wound. "This is a way bigger operation, Ryker isn't there leader his brother Viggo is."
"So you decided to go undercover?"
"This is worse than Alvin and Dagur, Astrid they could hunt down every dragon in the Archipelago if they wanted too, we need all the advantages we can get."
Heather carefully extracted the knife and continued to apply pressure. "You need stitches but I can't do that here without arousing suspicion the best we can do is wrap it up."
"Just do your best."
On the other side of the ship, Ruffnut was able to procure a key from one of the guards when the first blasts rocked the boat.
"Hiccup and Snotlout must be here!" Fishlegs exclaimed.
"We got to get Astrid first," Ruffnut said while unlocking their prison.
"Where do you think they take her?" Tuff asked lifting up the gate.
Fishlegs glanced both ways in the empty hallway. "This place is crawling with hunters, we should find our dragons and then rescue Astrid. The question is which way to go?"
The twins locked eyes and nodded once. "Left."
Hiccup cursed himself for taking as long as he did. He has no idea what Ryker has done to his friends while he was gone for more than a day and a half trying to come up with a plan.
"Snotlout! Concentrate fire on Ryker's ship! I'm going to get the gang!"
"On it! Bring them back in one piece will yeah?" Hookfang dove to fire at the sails rendering them immobile.
With Ryker and Dagur on the deck distracted by Hookfang, Toothless dropped down near the back of the ship. He dismounted to be able to hold his shield.
"Keep alert Bud, hunters are all over the place."
Hiccup made his way to the hatch of the ship. Running around, he gazed at all the cages trying to find his friends. Thunderous footsteps drew near and Hiccup readied his shield.
"Hiccup!"
Hiccup had kept his arms out in front of him to keep Fishlegs from barreling straight through him.
"Fishlegs! Ruff! Tuff! You guys okay?"
"Never better H, look who we found." Tuffnut pointed his thumb behind him.
Hiccup looked back to see the rest of the dragons. The squawking of Stormfly had the blood drain from his face.
"Where's Astrid?"
Ruffnut shook her head. "We don't know, we haven't seen her since last night when Heather and Dagur took her to Ryker."
He cursed under his breath. "You guys get out of here and help Snotlout sink the remaining ships, I'll go get Astrid."
They passed each other as Hiccup headed deeper into the ship. If Astrid was going to get interrogated the best logical place to keep her was in the captain's quarters. Hiccup was held captive enough times to know that's where most of the gloating and taking was done.
There he spotted the only closed door in the hall. He took the chance and busted down the door with his shield.
"Hiccup."
He laid eyes on Astrid sitting in a chair and Heather crouched in front of her with blood on her hands.
"Toothless watch her."
The loyal dragon tackled Heather away from Astrid, pinning her to the floor.
"Hiccup don't!"
He turned his head towards Astrid's plea. His shield swung around his back. Hiccup got on his knees in front of her.
"Astrid...are you okay?" He lightly traced her bruised cheek courtesy of Ryker.
"I'm alright."
"Toothless."
He charged up a plasma blast ready to fire at Heather.
"She saved me Hic." Her hands landed on his cheeks. "Hic, she saved me."
Toothless swallowed his blast letting the steam come out of his nose. Gently he allowed Heather to get up from underneath him and as an apology, he bumped his head against her hip.
"If it wasn't for Heather Ryker would have used me, he would have—would ha—"
Hiccup knew what she was about to say and silenced her by connecting their foreheads together.
Another blast rocked the ship even more and brought the two back to reality.
"We got to get out of here." Hiccup stood up.
"Hiccup you have to tie me up and leave me here."
He expression was bewildered. "What? No! Come with us."
Heather grabbed the remains of Astrid's rope and held it out to him. "It's better for me to stay undercover at least until I meet the dragon hunters real leader Viggo."
He sighed frustratingly. "Okay but I want reports back." He tried his best not to tie them to tight so she could be a little more comfortable.
"Okay let's get out of here Astrid."
She stood up to take a step only to stumble into his chest.
"What's wrong?"
"Ugh...Ryker stabbed me in the thigh, Heather did her best to patch me up but I can't really put any weight on it."
Toothless waddled his way over and laid down in front of Astrid so she wouldn't have to lift her leg as much. Using mostly her arms she was able to safely get on the saddle.
"Thanks, Toothless." Astrid gave him a pat on the side.
Hiccup smoothly mounted in front of her. "Hold on tight."
Toothless blasted apart the ceiling to escape.
Snotlout pointed towards the Night Fury. "They're out! Fallback!"
Once they were a safe distance up in the sky, Stormfly chirped in content at seeing her rider okay.
"Stormfly!"
Her dragon hovered below Toothless so Astrid could safely drop onto her saddle.
"There's my girl! I missed you."
Stormfly bobbed her head in agreement.
Hiccup tilted his head to where the others were. "Let's head back to the Edge to check out your injuries."
Astrid yawned. "And maybe a nap."
This one was way longer than I thought but I hope you guys enjoy it.
Stay Crazy.