Heyo, sorry for the long wait, been working a lot more lately and it's been pretty tiring. I've been trying to motivate myself to write more when I get home rather than just collapsing on the couch like a lazy-butt. The trailer for the third movie definitely got me excited and writing, did everyone love the trailer as much as I did?


Chapter 15: Thankless

Hiccup drummed his fingers on his desk, eyes darting back and forth across the computer screen in front of him as he slowly scrolled through pages and pages of information and plans. The design was great, innovative for certain, but it wasn't finished and it didn't have half the things he needed it to have. There was no camera, no microphone, and the wireless receiver was only for controls, adding all of that would take space, not to mention the additional battery power it would require with all that added on. Hiccup groaned, brushing a hand over his face as he leaned back in his chair. He had begun to regret suggesting it, he hadn't thought it through at the time, it was his quick solution to keep Astrid from trying to sneak back into the outcasts hideout, without it he wasn't sure what to do.

"Having trouble with something?" Hiccup turned around to find Gobber standing over him, a mug of hot coffee in his hand as he leaned over to look at the screen. "Ooh, that's the fly-bot they've been working on across the hall, you're getting into microrobotics Hiccup?"

"Sort of, I've been looking into it since I need something like this for my…" He cleared his throat. "My side project,"

Gobber's eyes widened slightly and he nodded his head slowly. "Right, right, and uh, what exactly are you looking for the fly-bot to do?" He asked.

"I need something like this but with a camera, preferably a microphone as well, but I need a camera, and it can't just record with the camera, it has to have a video receiver, long distance,"

Hiccup could see Gobber's face tighten as he spoke. "That's a tall order, even for something twice the size,"

He sighed. "I know,"

"I mean that's what they're working towards, if they manage a breakthrough it could be done in maybe five or six months,"

Hiccup groaned. "I don't have five or six months,"

"Make it larger then,"

"The tech they're using that allows it to climb up walls won't work if it's too heavy, I've already done the math, if I try to add even the bare minimum of what I need it won't climb,"

"If you add a larger propeller it should still fly properly,"

"I can't fly it,"

"Why not?"

"It'll make too much noise, even with their current design it's too loud, if I add a larger propeller it'll be even noisier," Hiccup explained.

Gobber narrowed his eyes. "What exactly are you trying to use this robot for Hiccup?"

Hiccup looked over at the expression on his face and quickly shook his head. "Not that!"

"Not what?"

"Whatever it is you're thinking,"

"How do you know what I'm thinking is what you're doing?"

He crossed his arms. "So you're thinking I'm sending it into a criminal hideout to retrieve information about stolen alien lifeforms?"

"Well not exactly that,"

Hiccup looked back at the screen and rubbed the back of his neck. "It needs to be small and quiet, otherwise it'll be discovered,"

Gobber stroked his beard in thought. "You might just be out of luck, I'm not aware of any robot that's able to achieve flight without some sort of noise, you'd probably have better luck training a hummingbird to carry a camera around for you," He said with a laugh.

Train a hummingbird? His brows furrowed at that thought, and suddenly the idea hit him, he didn't need to train a hummingbird, he had Toothless. Toothless could shrink, and climb, and fly, and do it all silently, all he needed to do what attach a camera to his back. Hiccup abruptly stood up, his chair clattering behind him as he did. "That's it!"

"What's it?"

He whipped himself around and gave Gobber a huge bear-hug, or as close to a bear-hug he could give, given their difference in size, and rushed off out of the lab in a frenzy.

"Uh, I was joking about the hummingbird!" Gobber called out as he ran.

Hiccup yanked his phone out of his pocket with one hand and unlocked his car with the other, hopping inside as he dialed Fishlegs' office number. He steered the car around and out of the parking lot one-handed as he pressed the phone to his ear, the dial tone ringing as he went. A automated voice came on, asking for a extension number, Hiccup cursed and dialed it in awkwardly, doing his best to keep his eyes on the road.

"Fishlegs Ingerman," The person answered in a flat, disinterested tone.

"Fishlegs it's me, I'm driving over now can you come out for a bit?"

There was some shuffling sounds and Fishlegs' tone became much more agitated. "Hiccup? I'm at work right now, we can't be doing this right now,"

"Just tell them you need to use the bathroom or something,"

"You do realize I'm still on probation right? I just started this job and I'd really like to keep it,"

"Fifteen minutes, tops,"

There was a groan. "Fine, don't say I never did anything for you," He said before abruptly hanging up the phone.

Hiccup continued, finally pulling up towards the large grey building, a large sign outfront had the words "Buffalord Pharmaceuticals" on it in large black letters. As he pulled around to the parking lot at the back of the building, he saw Fishlegs standing by the back entrance, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Hiccup parked by the door and stepped out of the car, getting out and walking towards Fishlegs.

"I take it you were able to figure something out with the tiny robot that Astrid wanted?" Fishlegs asked.

Hiccup shook his head. "Not exactly, I came up against some roadblocks, but I think I may have another solution,"

Fishlegs eyed his friend. "And…?

"And I need your help with it,"

He pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes. "Somehow I can already tell that I'm not going to like this,"

"I want to send Toothless in instead,"

"Wha-" Fishlegs unfolded his arms and jerked his head back in disbelief. "Hiccup I thought your whole plan was to keep the dragons out of danger, not put them in it. Why were you so against Astrid going in if you're okay sending Toothless?"

"Wait, just think about it for a second okay?" He said holding a hand up. "Toothless can be the size of a mouse, he's completely black, completely silent, he can climb fast, run fast, and fly fast, there's no way they'll be able to catch him. All we have to do is strap a micro camera to his back,"

Fishlegs shook his head. "He's not a person Hiccup, at best he's an animal, how are you going to control him in there? Are you going to put a tiny microphone in his ear?"

"He's smart, he can do this,"

"Even if that were true, he can't fly while he's small he's in a weakened state, and you want his to run around with a camera on his back? It's not going to work,"

Hiccup nodded. "Right, that's what I need you for," He pulled out a bottle with the enlargium pills inside. "We need a diluted version of the molecule that will give him strength without changing his size," Toothless climbed out from inside Hiccup's jacket and onto his arm, to see what the noise was about.

"That's-" He sighed. "That's not possible, from what I saw there's no way to give him more strength without changing his size, the dragons store it,"

"You can't take another look? You have access to a whole pharmaceutical lab, there's got to be something that you can figure out," Hiccup insisted, as Toothless crept further down his arm and towards his hand.

"I'm telling you, it's not possible, they collect it in their bodies and when they want to change size they use it like a switch, it's not about how much or how we give it to them," Fishlegs explained.

"There's just got to be- Toothless no!" Toothless popped the lid off of the bottle and grabbed a pill with his mouth and they both watched in horror as he swallowed it in one big gulp. Hiccup grabbed the lid and quickly popped it back on.

"Why did he do that? We're in a public place!" He cried out, grabbing his own hair.

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't know, he's never done this before," He glanced around the parking lot, there was noone to be seen, "There's nobody here, maybe we can hide him somewhere,"

Fishlegs looked around frantically. "Where? There's nowhere to hide him!"

"Wait…wait, look at him!"

"What?"

"Look at him," They both looked down at Toothless, who was still just sitting there on Hiccup's arm. "He hasn't started growing yet, shouldn't he be growing by now?"

"How am I supposed to know? You've seen it happen more than I have!"

Hiccup stared at Toothless who stared back up at him, then giving him a gummy smile. "He's controlling it…"

"He's what? How?" Fishlegs asked looking back and forth between Hiccup and Toothless.

"I don't know...he's just...doing it, I guess he could all along…" He said staring at Toothless in awe. "This is perfect, now all I have to do is tell Astrid and we can go ahead with the plan!" He quickly turned to go back to his car.

Fishlegs grabbed his arm and pulled his back. "Wait, wait, you can't tell her as Hiccup remember? You have to tell her as The Night Fury,"

"I can't, I already told her to do the robot thing as The Night Fury, I can't just suddenly change my mind...maybe we can suggest it together, we knew about the dragons being able to shrink, it wouldn't be strange for us to bring that up," Hiccup said. "Then she would tell me as The Night Fury and I could confirm the idea,"

He furrowed his brows in thought. "So, let me get this straight, you as Hiccup are going to tell Astrid to talk to you as The Night Fury to confirm a theory you as Hiccup made so that she can tell you as Hiccup to make a tiny wireless camera to give to you as The Night Fury for Toothless, so we can all work to infiltrate the outcasts hideout?"

Hiccup nodded while wobbling his head side to side. "Yeah, that sounds about right,"

"Well if Toothless is the one going in then The Night Fury will have to be there,"

"Yeah,"

"Don't you see the problem here?" Hiccup just stared at Fishlegs blankly. "She's going to expect you as Hiccup and you as The Night Fury to be there, you're the robotics guy and you're the guy with the dragon, only as two different identities," He explained moving his arms back and forth for emphasis.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Hmmmm, yeah...that might be and issue…"

"One of you is going to have to bail,"

"What? Ugh, this is not going to go over well with her," Hiccup said rubbing this bridge of his nose. "I can already hear her scolding me...well obviously The Night Fury has to be there, so it's got to be me as Hiccup who bails. I'll just have to brief you on the controls beforehand, you think you can do it on your own?"

Fishlegs nodded. "I think so,"

"Alright, great, so I'll just go and- wait what was the first one again?"

"You talk to Astrid as Hiccup,"

He snapped his fingers. "Right, right, okay I'll see you later Fish," He then turned around and walked back to his car.


"This is...he's amazing, I had no idea he could control it like this," Astrid said, watching as Toothless, still in is small form, flew around her head in circles. She moved a hand up and he landed on her extended index finger, climbing up her arm and onto her shoulder where he snuggled up against her face, she giggled and tensed her shoulders in response.

Hiccup smiled, though she couldn't see it through his helmet. "Yeah, neith-" He coughed and cleared his throat. "He is isn't he? What you told me about...what was his name again?"

"Hiccup," She replied, looking up at him.

"Yes, right, well what you told me of Hiccup's plan, it seems like sending Toothless in would be the best plan, he'd be able to get in and out unnoticed no problem,"

Astrid raised a hand up towards him. "It's a good plan but we don't have to do it if you don't think it'll work, you know Toothless better than anyone else, I can always go in instead so-"

"No, no, he can handle it, really," He said shaking his head. Toothless jumped and flew off of Astrid's shoulder and back onto his. "And besides, you going in on your own again, I just don't think that would be a good idea, they'll be on edge after you managed to break in the first time. It's not safe,"

She nodded. "Alright, looks like we have a plan, well, most of a plan," She said. "Do you have a way to guide Toothless while you're not there, I know he's intelligent but, he's not psychic, or is that another power he has?"

Hiccup laughed. "No, he's not psychic, not as far as he's told me, is there anything you want to tell me bud?" He asked, cupping his ear and leaning towards the dragon. "No? Okay, no," Astrid shook her head as she smiled, stifling a laugh. "Well I'm glad someone likes my jokes,"

She cocked an eyebrow. "Do you even talk to anyone other than me?"

"Ooh, I see, you just assume you're special and that I only talk to you," He said sarcastically, putting both his hands in the air.

Astrid crossed her arms. "Well?"

Hiccup shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, pretty much," At least as The Night Fury anyway. "But I do actually have a way to possibly direct him when we're apart,"

"A tiny earpiece?" She joked.

"A laser pointer,"

Astrid furrowed her brows. "A laser pointer?"

"I've been getting him used to following a laser pointer around, I think if Hiccup can figure out a way to attach a moving laser pointer that can be controlled by remote, we can use that to guide Toothless," He explained. "Do you think he can do that?" I can, I've already drawn out the blueprints Hiccup thought to himself.

"Probably, I'll have to talk to him again, and thank him for the idea,"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, say thanks from me too,"

"Well you can thank him when we implement the plan, you two will finally be able to meet then," Astrid said. "And you'll have another person to tell jokes to, he's got a similar sense of humor, I think you'll like each other,"

"Haha, yeah...yeah I think so too…" Hiccup said awkwardly.

"There's also Fishlegs and Heather, it's a great team, I know we can do this. When do you think Toothless will be ready to strike?"

"Pretty soon, maybe next-" A loud bang interrupted him, it echoed from the street below and they both rushed to the edge of the roof to see what the noise was about. From the Terror Mail building they could see straight down at the street where three blocks away a masked figure had thrown a molotov cocktail into one of the shops window's, setting a fire inside. "I have to help," Hiccup said quickly, turning to look at Toothless as he hopped off of his shoulder and began growing rapidly. With fast and skillful hands he attached Toothless' saddle and climbed on. Astrid immediately grabbed on and pulled herself up behind him. "Astrid you-"

"Don't think that because you saved me twice before means that I'm just a damsel,"

"I would never-"

"I appreciate your concern for me, but if we're going to work together, if we're going to be partners, you have to trust that I can take care of myself, now stop wasting time and get down there,"

Hiccup didn't say another word, he knew better than to argue with her when she had made up her mind about something. Astrid was no ordinary girl, she never had been, and as much as he wished she wouldn't be so daring all the time, it was this part of her that he liked the most.

Toothless leapt into the air and dove down towards the street below, Astrid clinging to Hiccup's back tightly as they rushed downwards. With a graceful swoop they landed only a few metres from the shop and the figure, who upon seeing them turned and dashed off in the opposite direction. There were screams as people ran away from the scene, and even more screams emanating from inside the burning shop, the flames spreading quickly.

Astrid jumped off of Toothless and looked back at them. "You get as many out as you can, I'll cash after him!"

"Wait- you-!" Hiccup called out.

"Your body is fully covered, and Toothless is fireproof, we don't have time to argue about it!" She yelled before turning to run after him at an impressive speed. She was right, they didn't have time to argue, he was better off in the fire, and she was faster than he was.

Hiccup jumped down and he and Toothless rushed into the fire frantically searching for the source of the screams. They followed the sounds until they reached a beam blocking a back door. "Toothless, blast it!" Hiccup yelled over the sounds of the roaring flames, his lungs were beginning to burn from the smoke. Toothless sent out a blast that smashed through both the beam and the door, leaving a charred hole in its place. The people screamed as the door blasted away, there were four of them, all crowded together in the back kitchen area. "Let's go!" He called to them, gesturing for them to follow him, they hesitated for a moment, staring at the huge creature before them, but ran out anyway, covering their faces with the collars of their shirts. As they all ran, coughing and wheezing, Toothless shielded them from the flames with his wings until they were finally able to make it back out to the street.

Hiccup looked around at the now empty streets, he didn't see Astrid anywhere and began to worry if she had been able to subdue the culprit. He could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance and wondered if they were heading towards the fire, he motioned for Toothless, climbing onto his back and flying down the road where she had run after him. It didn't take long for him to find her, she had caught up to him just a block down in an alleyway. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw her holding him onto the ground, her knee on his back as she held his right arm twisted behind him. Hiccup dismounted and approached her, she looked up at him as he did and smiled.

"You're alive," She said with a smirk.

Hiccup looked down at himself and patted his body all over in a joking manner. "I am? Looks like it, I guess you'll be stuck with me a little longer,"

"Still worried about me?"

He shrugged. "I mean, I'm always worried about you,"

The thug groaned, eyes turning away from them. "Ugh, get a room…" He muttered.

Astrid twisted his arm back more and he let out a cry of pain, cursing under his breath. "Shut up, that was really sweet," She said to him.

Hiccup just blushed and turned away, he couldn't believe he just said that, he couldn't believe that she actually liked it. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uhmm, I heard sirens back there, the police should be here soon to take him into custody,"

"You should go," She said looking over at him.

"And just leave you here with him?"

Astrid smirked. "Don't worry, he's not going anywhere, and besides, I don't think the police will be thrilled to see you here. I'll talk to the others, you know where to find me,"

Hiccup watched her hesitantly for a moment, then nodded, climbed back onto Toothless, and flew off into the sky, slowly fading into the darkness. Astrid watched his silhouette until it disappeared, she looked back down to the ground, her cheeks twinged with pink. The police cars and firetruck arrived soon after, taking the culprit into the custody and caring for the people who had escaped from the fire.

Astrid leaned against a wall with a blanket slung over her shoulders as police swarmed the area, checking for any other explosives and questioning bystanders. Snotlout approached her, his thumbs in his police belt. "Witnesses said you were with him,"

"Did they,"

"Do you know who he is?"

She looked up and glared at him. "If I did I wouldn't tell you,"

"You realize that what you're doing could be considered obstruction of justice right?" Snotlout replied frowning.

Astrid crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "Then charge me,"

"Astrid,"

"He's saving people, everyone in that shop would've died had he not been here, what exactly about that is a problem with you? Or can you just not stand it when someone else shows you up?"

"This isn't a personal issue,"

"Then what is it?"

"He's breaking the law, and I'm a police detective, what do you want me to do, just ignore him?"
"Yes, ignore him, your father is the police chief Snotlout, talk to him and convince him that trying to hunt down The Night Fury isn't good for anyone," Astrid said, her voice slowly getting louder and more heated. "Or is that too much for your pride to handle?"

"You don't know him like I know him!" Snotlout yelled back. "Do you have any idea the pressure he's put on me? If I try and bring this to him now there's no way he'll accept it, he knows it's going to make the BPD look like a joke, and we're already being heavily criticized as it is,"

"Are you serious?" She asked moving closer to him. "You're concerned about the police station's reputation right now? This city is flooded with crime like it's never been and you'd rather hunt down the one person actually doing something to stop it!"

"It's not what I want, it's my-"

"Yeah, your dad," Astrid said bitterly, pulling the blanket off of herself and throwing it at him. "Keep telling yourself that, Snotlout,"


Thanks so much for reading, I hope you liked it and if you want leave any comments, questions, concerns, or cries of anguish in the reviews and I'll see you next time! (Hopefully soon) Bye!