Finn couldn't fully express his relief when the day was chillier than expected. He liked summer well enough and all its benefits, but the inescapable hot days in the forge and raging sunburns that caused more freckles were practically the bane of his existence. He hated the summer heat, especially on work days.

Fall, though. Crisp morning air combined with the sweet smell of dew on the grass every morning; blustery afternoons to quench the heat of the forge; helping his mom bake homemade apple tarts, pumpkin rolls, cider and hot chocolate; the pretty changes in foliage across Berk's rolling hills. These and many more were the reasons Finn loved fall. It was his favorite season, hands down.

But perhaps the most applicable and convenient of his favorite fall fetishes was the fact that the days grew shorter and night came sooner. The last few days, evening had stretched longer due to the season change. This gave Finn a newfound excitement for his next big hit. Their cover of darkness was even greater, opening wide their window of opportunity. Nights would grow chilly, pulling guards indoors before they froze. Surely his father wouldn't make his night watches suffer. He was a softie, after all; he'd never ask too much of his people if he could help it.

Fearless Finn clanged on the sword a few more times before dropping it into a bucket of water. He watched the water churn to a boil as the steam shot up around his arm. Luckily he had gloves on. The first time he'd burned his arm, it hadn't been a pleasant experience.

Gobber whistled across the forge, ambling to and fro as he put tools away. The teenager noticed the skylight waning already and quickened his pace. He wanted to eat a quick dinner and go home as soon as he could. He wanted to give off the impression that he wouldn't be out and about late tonight. His father's curfew aside, he wanted to give off as little suspicion as possible. Tonight was going to be insane, but if they could pull it off?

Finn bit back a smirk. Who knew just how crazy his father would feel if they could get passed him just one more time before calling it quits? Assuming he could, in fact, call it quits. Maybe he'd have the gang take a break and pick things up again in the spring. Oh man, how his father would hate their guts.

"All right laddie," Gobber interrupted his musings. "Pack up and get outta here."

"Okay." Finn tossed his gloves into his tool box and began stashing away various hammers, pliers, and other items. He walked over to the wash basin to clean his hands. Gobber unexpectedly broke the silence.

"So, how're things at home then?"

Finn quirked an eyebrow suspiciously. Gobber knew exactly what his home life was like. He shrugged indifferently as he rinsed the bubbles off his hands. "Blah."

"How's Erick?" Gobber asked, leaning on his hook. "Yeh like having another boy under the same-"

"Nope." Finn interjected, toweling his hand. "It's not permanent."

"Could be, if his mom doesn't get 'er act together."

"It's not permanent." Finn narrowed his eyes at his mentor. "Erick's just... a pansy."

Gobber frowned. "What makes yeh say that?"

"He needs to learn to let go of the past. Nothing you can do about it."

"Are yeh sure you're the one to judge him on that?" Gobber asked carefully.

Finn scowled at the elderly man, then gave him a shrug. "Why are we even talking about this?"

"Because I think it's important." Gobber stated carefully. "Yeh know, you and Erick have a lot in common. If you gave him a chance, I'm sure you'd-"

"What? Develop a friendship? Become best buddies and share all of our pains and struggles together, maybe weave flowers into our hair?" Finn asked in a sarcastic tone. "Not likely. I'll let him duke out his issues with my dad. Seems more fitting."

Finn glared out the door, catching Thornado's eye as he lay by a nearby water trough. He hated it when his bitterness showed through, but he couldn't help it sometimes. Gobber was the best person to talk to about things, given how much time he spent with the old man. But Gobber wasn't the same kind of advice giver he craved. He was... Gobber.

"You know what I think?" Gobber hobbled over until he was standing across from the teenager. "I think you're jealous of Erick."

Finn made a face. "Am not."

"You are." Gobber nodded. "Your father's showing him love and devotion because he needs it. Deep down you're wondering why you don't have that."

Finn felt the heat rise to his cheeks. "That's not true."

"Finn, listen to me," Gobber said in a firm voice he rarely used. Finn couldn't help but look at him as he spoke: "Your father would do anything and everything to protect you. He loves you. He'd bend over backwards to see to it that you were happy. And he's tried everything."

"Pft."

"He can't raise the dead, Finn."

Finn stiffened. "Don't-"

"I won't." Gobber raised a hand. "But it makes a point, doesn't it? The only thing stopping him from giving you love is yourself. Give him a chance and you'll find him waiting there with open arms."

"He had plenty of chances." Finn muttered. "Screw up so many times, people quit giving chances. Sorry if that's too much for him to handle, but that's life."

Gobber shook his head sadly. "Your father is the strongest man I know, Finn. I hope one day you'll come to that realization."

Finn gave a derisive laugh. "Strength."

Now it was Gobber's turn to narrow his eyes. "Yes. And you'd do well to not insult him when I'm around. I respect him and trust him with my life, as you should."

"Oh, stuff it Gobber." Finn growled. "You teach me forge work and how to fight. You're not the person to tell me where I'm screwing up with my dad."

"I never said that and I'm the perfect person." Gobber scowled. "But if you're not happy with your situation, then stop being so sullen and angry all the time. Let it go."

"I can't let it go, it's who I am."

"Then you're choosing to live like this."

"Yes! I am!" Finn shouted. He swallowed hard and tried to slow his heart rate. "I make my own decisions. I don't need my parents, especially my dad. He can have fun with Erick to the end of his days because I don't care."

"You do." Gobber shook his head. "If you didn't, you wouldn't feel so strongly about it."

Finn rolled his eyes, pushing off the table. "I'm leaving."

"Finn."

The edge in Gobber's voice was the only thing that made him stop and turn. Gobber's expression was tight. "Don't push it. You'd do well to listen to wise council."

"I'm not afraid of him."

Gobber smirked. "You should be."

He knows, Finn thought. He kept his face neutral as he turned and marched to Thornado, climbed into the saddle and took off. He didn't look back. He wasn't sure what Gobber's motive was behind the entire conversation. Maybe he was fishing for information for Hiccup or maybe he was legitimately trying to help. One thing was for sure: that last line was a warning.

Did Gobber know he was the gang leader? Did he suspect? Did he know something Finn didn't? There'd be no reason for Gobber to keep any kind of information from Hiccup, assuming he knew. His dad was keeping tabs on everyone at all times, pretty much. That's why he stayed out in the open where he'd always be seen. No reason to be suspect if you're always accounted for.

Gobber was right though. His father was smart, smarter than most people gave him credit for. That's why people feared him. People out there always took advantage of him: his stature, his affection for dragons and the like. But his dad had learned to use these things to his advantage over the years. When people think you're weak, small and frail, keep up the ruse and then strike when they're not expecting it. Most of the time, his strikes were in word as opposed to action. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third was not a violent man. He was a pacifist; words before weapons, brains before brawn.

But his son, Fearless Finn Haddock, was entirely the opposite. He wasn't afraid to use his fists if necessary. It all came down to the last man standing. You had to be stronger than your opponent. A battle of wits could only get you so far, and that could cause quite the headache besides. Take out your opponent and the only thing he'll be thinking about is the immense pain he's in.

As Finn marched into the Great Hall, his dragon in tow, he began to realize the immense layout of the game he was playing. Both Haddocks at opposite ends of the table, moving piece by piece, play by play; both stubborn and unwavering in their moves, their ideas, their philosophies.

But only one could come out on top.

Xxx

Yet again, it had been a long day.

Hiccup stretched for the umpteenth time as he walked out of the Great Hall. From meetings to guard duty to a very irate arguing married couple, this wasn't one of his best days. Even as he headed home, he knew he would be right back where he started at five the next morning. He couldn't wait to catch this stupid gang in action, if only to regain some of his sanity. On nice summer nights like this, flying was preferable but it looked like Toothless had wandered off somewhere and his human simply didn't feel like calling for him. His instincts told him that he needed to walk home today.

Horst walked by a moment later, waving cheerfully as he went. Hiccup smiled and waved back but something niggled at the back of his mind. He saw Cliff practically skipping home (that boy was always cheerful, it seemed) but a quick scan of Hiccup's surroundings didn't reveal Erick.

Fatherly instinct he'd picked up when Adrianna was still struggling with flashbacks told him that if Erick wasn't where he usually was at a certain time, he needed someone to check up on him. The boy still didn't have any friends and Hiccup could have sworn he'd seen Charger wandering through the village a few minutes before.

The Hooligan chief sauntered over to the woods behind the leather shop. The cleared path had broken twigs and evidence of boot prints. Hiccup followed them until he came to a small clearing. There was a sudden shuffling sound and Erick came into view a second later, fumbling with a bandage on his right wrist.

"Hey!" Erick's voice squeaked the way it had while it was changing. He cleared his throat. "Hey, Hiccup. Sorry, were we going to meet up?"

"No." said Hiccup serenely, scanning his surroundings with his eyes. "Just thought I'd check up on you."

"Oh." Erick gave him a very false smile. "I'm fine."

Realization dawned on Hiccup's face when he took in the awkward wrappings on his friend's arm and a small dagger that the boy had seemingly dropped seconds before. His heart sank.

"You've been cutting again."

"No." Erick said, his eyes not quite meeting Hiccup's gaze. "I've been..."

"Don't lie, Erick." Hiccup strode forward and grasped the boy's wrapped wrist.

Erick hissed in pain but didn't struggle much when Hiccup unwrapped the bandage to find a fresh cut beneath it. It wasn't a deep cut, not like the ones Erick had been inflicting when Hiccup had first discovered the habit, but it was a cut all the same.

"It's just one." Erick mumbled. "And... well, I just thought-"

"That maybe one wouldn't be so bad?" Hiccup sighed, his heart feeling heavier as he stared at the blood oozing from the slit on the boy's wrist. Erick nodded slowly. "Listen to me, Erick: it may not seem like much but keeping this habit up, even a little at a time, is harmful. Your skin is too precious to be marred by self inflicted injuries when you know you're better than that."

"My skin isn't precious." Erick said, finally wrenching his bleeding arm from Hiccup's grasp. "It's just skin."

Hiccup paused before speaking, choosing his words carefully. "You were doing okay before. What changed?"

"I've been... I just... I've been thinking about something and I..." Erick choked out, his expression darkening.

"It's okay." Hiccup held out his hands in a placating manner. "You don't have to tell me everything."

"I did something, Hiccup." Erick exhaled shakily. "I can't get it out of my head. And when I try to tell you..."

"I won't get angry, Erick." Hiccup said in a fatherly tone. "You can tell me."

"You will get angry." Erick insisted, his eyes flitting to the dagger on the ground. "Believe me, I deserve this."

Hiccup picked up the dagger, gripping it in his hand as if he thought it would blow away in the breeze. "This isn't the answer."

"It's what I deserve." Erick reached for the dagger but Hiccup held it out of his reach.

"I can't let you do this." he said firmly.

Erick gritted his teeth. "Fine. I'll find something else. Plenty of weapons here on Berk."

Hiccup stared at the dagger in his hand and an idea suddenly entered his mind. He wiped it on his trousers to clean off the blood before offering it to Erick again.

"You know what, you're right. That's not the sort of thing you can just stop. So..." Hiccup rolled up his sleeve and held out his exposed arm. "Cut me instead."

"What?" Erick blinked, clearly taken aback. "No, I could never-"

"But how is it different?"

"You're the chief!"

"That hasn't stopped anyone else." Hiccup said, gesturing to his scarred neck. "My skin can handle it."

Erick huffed, suddenly angry. "I couldn't be so selfish to cut you to save myself from pain that I know I can handle."

"So you'd selfishly cut yourself? Why is that different?" Hiccup's voice shook with the effort to keep the emotion down.

"I deserve to be punished, you don't!"

Hiccup sighed. "Fine, I'll do it myself." He unsheathed the dagger from his own belt and pushed into his arm.

Before the knife could draw blood, Erick lunged forward and grabbed his hand. "NO STOP!" Erick struggled to pull the knife away from Hiccup's arm. "Stop it!"

"Erick, it's okay, I don't care-"

"Well I do! Hiccup seriously, stop it, this isn't right, you can't be doing this-"

"But what if it's what I want?" Hiccup cried. "What if this is the only way to make you see?"

"I can't let you do this!" Erick wailed.

"Why? Erick, I want to!"

"Because I care about you too much to let you hurt yours-" Erick froze. He stopped struggling against Hiccup's hand, the dagger still pressed to Hiccup's skin. Understanding flooded him. He realized what was happening and he felt his emotions take over before he could stop them. He sniffed and pulled Hiccup's hand away. "Please... please don't."

Hiccup held Erick's shoulder and bent down to make eye contact. Erick realized his eyes weren't the only ones filling. Hiccup's green eyes were red and nearly running over. "Please don't," he whispered.

Erick choked back a sob and closed his eyes. He felt the tears streak down his cheeks but he nodded. He heard the dagger drop to the ground as Hiccup wrapped him tight in his arms. He realized this was what he needed all along. He needed someone to love him, he needed someone to be there for him.

Once again, he was too stupid and insecure to see that everything he needed was right in front of him.

"I'm so sorry," Erick sobbed.

Hiccup sniffed. "Me too. I could've done better."

Erick shook his head. "You can't be everywhere at once. You have other things to do, not just focus on me. I did this to myself. There's nobody to blame but me."

Hiccup slowly stood up straight and firmly held Erick's shoulders. He exhaled slowly and smiled. "No more?"

Erick smiled a little and nodded. "No more."

"Good." Hiccup ruffled Erick's hair. "About time we got home, eh? Astrid said she'd make dinner tonight and that's always good."

Erick suddenly went tense and he shook his head. "Uh... no."

Hiccup faced Erick again, his face etched with concern. "Erick, if you did something," he looked the boy directly in the eyes, "you have to tell me. It's the right thing to do."

Erick bit his lip and sighed deeply. "No. I can't. And I can't stay with you anymore. You've been so kind and I'm... I've..." he looked Hiccup in the eye. "I can't accept your hospitality. And you wouldn't want me to if you knew."

Hiccup reached out and, again, placed his hands on Erick's shoulders. "Erick... you know you can tell me anything."

"Not this." Erick whispered.

"I think you can." Hiccup steered Erick over to a log and seated him on it. "You know, nothing you say right now is going to change anything. You are still cared for."

"Okay. I'm... I guess I trust you."

"Good man." Hiccup said with a smile.

Erick squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "I'm in the gang."

Relief flooded Hiccup as he heard the words he had been waiting to hear for weeks. He let out a deep sigh.

Erick looked up, his teal eyes wide. "I'm sorry. I know you're angry at me, but-"

"Angry is a strong word." Hiccup interrupted. "Erick, I'm relieved that you told me.

"Wait... you're not mad?" Erick shook his head in apparent confusion. "But you were furious a few weeks ago! You were telling us you'd... I don't even remember all of it but you were going on about that tail and how all of us are springs..."

Hiccup smiled. "That's not exactly how that went but I'm not angry, Erick." he patted the shoulder of teenager he loved as a son. "The truth is, I already knew. I've known for a while."

Erick's mouth dropped open. "What?" he choked out. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wanted you to tell me yourself." Hiccup told him patiently. "I knew that you would eventually if you knew we love and care for you."

"But I'm the one who planned the jailbreak! I almost got Ava Thorston killed!"

"And that was extremely dangerous, Erick." Hiccup's smile faded. "You are very fortunate that she and her parents are okay, otherwise there would be a much harsher punishment. I can tell you now, you've got a lot of construction to do on Tuff and Svala's house."

"Yeah, of course." Erick nodded resolutely. "Anything I can do to help. I'll build the place myself if I have to."

"That won't be necessary." Hiccup shook his head. "But it's more than just helping Tuff and Svala build their house, Erick. Why did you join it? I know you have more sense than that."

Erick stared at his knees, unable to look Hiccup in the eye anymore. "I don't know... I was angry at myself and sick of sitting around at home... waiting for my mom to find me. So when the offer came... I don't know, I just jumped at it. I got back at her by having her workplace attacked."

"The bomb." Hiccup commented. "That makes a bit more sense now."

"It wasn't just a diversion. It was to get even with her." Erick stated. "But after catching that house on fire, I hated myself even more." he continued to stare at his knees as silence permeated the conversation. Finally he spoke up again. "You're disappointed."

"Yes. A little." Hiccup waited for Erick to look back at him before continuing. "But I'm also proud of you for telling me. You're doing the right thing and now I can help you get away from that. And I know that you're strong enough to do just one more thing for me as well."

"Anything! I'm really sorry, I know I shouldn't have gotten involved and I feel horrible about it!" Erick said all in one breath, gasping when he finished speaking.

"I know you are. And I forgive you." Hiccup told him patiently. "But I'm going to need information."

Erick's face fell and his shoulders stiffened. "I... you have to promise me something first."

"What?"

Erick looked up at Hiccup with a fearful expression. He swallowed before talking. "I was threatened. I told the leader I wanted out and... and he said if I told anyone, he'd hurt Anna."

Hiccup's heart clenched and he felt a surge of anger. The nervous expression on Erick's face made him wonder if the scary chief who had conducted the village meeting had come back for a brief second.

"He threatened Addie?" he muttered.

"I told him not to touch her and he hasn't, not yet. But he's dangerous. A bunch of people want to leave and he's forced them to stay." Erick told him.

"He's not going to touch Addie. Or any innocent he's threatened." Hiccup said through gritted teeth, rage building in his chest. "I won't let him."

"You're sure?" Erick bit his lip. "If something happens to her or someone else-"

"I have methods, Erick." Hiccup said, perhaps a bit more sharply than he'd intended. "So who is it? Who's the leader?"

Erick shook his head. "You're not going to like it."

"You have to tell me." Hiccup insisted, leaning forward slightly in his eagerness. "I can't protect my daughter or anyone he's threatened if I don't know who he is." Erick swallowed and bit his lip. "This could save the village, Erick. I need a name. Please."

Erick averted his eyes, his heart audibly pounding. He moistened his lips before answering. "It's Finn." he looked up at Hiccup, his eyes full of fear. "Finn's the leader of the gang."

Xxx

"This is crazy."

Finn ignored the complaint, trudging through the woods with a small crowd behind him. He scratched the edge of his mouth through the mask, wishing he could take it off. But he didn't dare.

"Dude, we shouldn't do this, this is stupid."

"Shut up!" Finn hissed over his shoulder at the two teenagers walking behind him. Both visibly gulped. "Just because there's no moon and its colder out, doesn't mean there aren't any guards around."

The teen closest to him, Helga, shuddered underneath her mask. "Finn... really, we don't want to get-"

"We won't." Finn nearly growled, fighting to keep his voice low. "Shut up or the first thing I'm doing when we get in there is to find Gunnar-"

"Okay!" Helga amended. She swallowed hard. "I-I just-"

"You're being a coward. Shut up."

Finn faced forward again, waiting. They walked through the thick foliage until they reached the opening to the passage Finn had found. He wordlessly waved for the others to crowd around the rock as he moved it over, dimly illuminated by the light from Cale's lantern.

"Let's move."

Without waiting for them, the teenager slid into the passageway and ran toward the Hall. He heard soft footfalls behind him. Though Cale's lantern was the only source of light, he soon became aware of one of the teenagers catching up to him. He knew who it was even before they spoke; he would know that out of shape puffing anywhere.

"This is stupid." Erick panted through his mask.

"Gods, five minutes!" Finn nearly growled, pushing the door open a crack. "Five and we're out of here!"

"A lot can happen in f-"

"Larson, shut your face or I'll shut it for you." Erick gritted his teeth and looked away. "Better. Now get in there. Last one in, close the door." Finn glared at Erick as he shoved past into the Hall, and then stepped in behind him. Cale placed his lantern in the passage before sealing it and the entire gang fanned out behind their leader

The Great Hall looked massive in the darkness. The lack of moonlight outside formed a strange, inky darkness akin to the never-ending depths of the ocean. Seeing the usually comforting building so dark and empty made the teenagers shift in place uncomfortably.

As per usual, Finn took charge, grabbing a match and candle from his pocket. The others followed suit, each pulling out a small candle. It had been decided beforehand to use candles as their individual sources of light. Easy to snuff out but providing enough light for them to not trip and die on tables and chairs. Plus they'd be hard to detect through the closed doors.

"All right, let's get this over with. You three go over there," Finn pointed to Jackie, Cale and Frey. "The rest of you with me."

The teenagers spread throughout the Great Hall, their candles lighting up the darkness. Shadows danced across the broad beams, chairs and tables. The bar and food setup areas were a massive black hole on the right side. The farthest parts of the room couldn't be seen with their measly flames.

Every person had his or her instructions. If everyone bashed and trashed enough things in less than two minutes (without creating too much noise), they'd be out scot free. Whether everyone made it to their homes or not was another matter entirely, but Finn intended to take care of himself at that point. To a certain extent, it was every man for himself.

Tables flipped, barrels rolled and chairs scattered around as Cale and Frey went to town at the bar. A few glasses were tossed to the ground over their shoulders, shattering upon impact on the stone ground. Finn suppressed the urge to yell at them to be quieter.

Without prior notice, the Great Hall doors slammed shut with a horrendous bang. The teenagers jumped and whirled to the doors, barely visible in the darkness. Nothing could be seen in the area. Erick sidestepped to Finn as quietly as he could, "What was-"

"I thought we closed the door." Finn interrupted in a hoarse whisper.

"We did..." Erick swallowed thickly, heart in his throat. "Did someone sneak in?"

"Nobody's that fast. Not even..." Finn paused, glancing at Kaelan on his other side. "Hey, go check it out."

"Me?" She asked incredulously, a few blonde curls sticking out of the eye holes of her mask. "You're the one who wants-"

"Go." Finn ground out with gritted teeth.

Despite the mask, Kaelan gulped at his expression. "Fine." The 14-year-old girl slowly marched back toward the doors, the rest of the group watching warily. Halfway there, a loud creak erupted from the rafters above. The teenagers whirled, looking up, hearts pounding.

"Finn." Erick whispered. "We gotta get out of here."

The Haddock heir wanted to argue, but couldn't deny that his own heart was beating out of his chest. "Fine. Let's go." He brushed past Erick to meet Kaelan at the door, and froze.

A red, scaly face with green eyes hovered just above her head, grinning at her with sharp teeth.

"KAELAN!" Finn shouted, too late.

The Changewing roared, catching the girl off guard. She screamed in terror as it took her in its claws and flew to the rafters. Not a second after, a large fireball shot into the center fireplace, lighting up the Great Hall with a white hot BANG! The teenagers cried out in fear and pain, momentarily blinded.

"GO, GO, GO!" Finn yelled to them, charging toward the doors. The teenagers converged toward the doorway, but suddenly Thorein slammed into the floor belly first, then was yanked backwards and toward the rafters with a bloodcurdling scream. Finn watched in near slow motion as a rope caught Helga on the ankle as she ran, collapsed, and then shot into the darkness above.

Another white hot blast of fire hit the pit and the remaining teenagers hit the ground. Disoriented and scared, they clambered to their feet in time for another dragon to swoop down and snatch them off the ground. Gunnar and Jackie screamed as they were carried off. In less than a minute, only Finn and Erick remained.

A man dressed in all black jumped down from a nearby pillar and grabbed Erick's arm, wrenching him back and against the pillar. Finn nearly made it to the door when a sonic whistle sounded above, and he instinctively skidded to a halt and hit the deck. The blast slammed against the doors with finality, a ring of purple shooting throughout the Hall. Luckily the door was made to withstand even the strongest dragons' firepower, but still it flamed.

Finn looked around the destroyed Hall, slightly dazed. Under normal circumstances, such destruction would've made him proud. But in fact, it shocked him. He hadn't even done all this. Yet it made his stomach churn just what a little firepower could do. He heard a terrified squeal and looked up, shocked to see his friends dangling from ropes by their ankles or in the clutches of dragons.

The council glared down at him from the rafters. He briefly wondered if he'd been spared for a reason. If they didn't know who he was, they probably would soon enough. As he got to his knees, he froze, the sound of a familiar step-thunk breaking the silence. He swallowed and looked up at his father, who emerged from the darkness, standing atop the edge of the fire pit. Finn briefly wondered how he was able to withstand the heat still roiling over the edges.

Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third stood regally on the edge of the fire pit, his Night Fury crouched beside him on the ground with a snarl on his face. Finn had never been afraid of his father's dragon before. But he knew one false move and Toothless would pounce.

Hiccup stared at him with the most calculating scowl he'd ever seen. Finn wondered if he knew which little imp he was staring at. Then he looked up at the other teenagers dangling above. The silence, other than the crackling of fire and Toothless' low growls, was deafening.

"Un-be-lievable." Hiccup finally muttered, turning his eyes back on Finn. Without another word, he snapped his fingers and the council began lowering the teenagers. Many of them yelped or trembled, even after they were deposited on the ground beside Finn. The guards, councilmen and dragons formed a tight circle around them.

Hiccup dropped to the ground, right leg first. Slowly, he walked to the center of the circle and faced the teen at Finn's far right. He stared at the girl for a moment before reaching up and tearing her mask off. Jackie winced, staring at the ground. The chief stared at her in shame for another moment, then moved on to the next. Helga's hair tumbled to her shoulders and she tearfully stared at her chief before shamefully looking at the floor. The little boy standing beside her holding her hand whimpered when Hiccup stood in front of him.

The chief rested his hand on the boy's shoulder and carefully took off the mask. Gunnar let out a sob when his face was revealed, and then hid in Helga's arm. Finn faced forward, gritting his teeth, maybe a little bit anxiously.

Cale and Frey came next, to which Hiccup muttered, "No surprises there," and moved on. Kaelan visibly shook in place, clearly shaken. Her blonde curls stuck up in every direction when he removed the mask. She swallowed hard, steeling herself before looking up at the chief. "I'm sorry," she squeaked. "I-I didn't-"

"Sh." Hiccup told her in a gentle, yet firm voice.

Finn tensed when Erick grabbed his own mask, wrenched it off and threw it at his feet. The Haddock boy gave him a glare, which went ignored. Hiccup practically walked past Erick, which Finn would have thought more about if his father wasn't suddenly standing in front of him.

Steeling himself, Finn waited for his father to grab his mask. Did he already know? Would he be shocked? What would he say?

Hiccup broke the silence. "Why don't you swallow your pride and reveal yourself." It wasn't a request.

Finn heard the reprimanding disappointment in his father's voice and the fear fled his system. So what if he knew? Might as well make it count. With an air of defiance, Finn ripped the mask off his head and tossed it over his shoulder. "There. Happy?"

Silence took over the room as the Haddocks stared each other down. Finn called upon every single ounce of anger and contempt and stubbornness he had in his system to not crack under his father's steely gaze.

"I ought to smack the smug look right off your face." Hiccup whispered.

"Do it." Finn dared.

Hiccup tensed, giving Finn a flash of pride. From the corner of his eye, the teenager could see his mother standing with her arms crossed with a murderous expression. His father he could deal with. He'd have to think of something good to placate her.

"Gunnar." Hiccup broke the silence sharply. The teenagers jumped, especially the boy in question. "Go see your father." The chief's eyes never left his son's.

Gunnar stared at the chief for a moment in shock before finding his father, Fishlegs, in the circle. His scowl too, was murderous. The boy glanced at the chief once more before inching his way toward Fishlegs, who steered him into a chair with three fingers. The boy made no moves to fight. Helga swallowed nervously but remained in her place.

Finn wondered how long he could stare his father full in the face. Deep down, he could feel his resolve cracking. Those green eyes were unnerving after several minutes of glaring with hardly a blink. He could almost see the artery in his dad's neck pulsing with suppressed anger.

Finally, Finn caught a whiff of smoke and chanced a glance at the burning rubble. "For the record, you did more damage in here than we did."

Hiccup's face crumpled into a sneer and Finn nearly stepped away. "Don't patronize me."

"Hey if a guy can't be honest then-"

"Finn, shut up." Helga interrupted.

"You shut up."

"All of you shut up." Hiccup commanded, his voice echoing slightly. Stepping back from Finn, he took in all of them. He huffed in disbelief. "Look at all of you. This is our next generation, folks, the coming leaders of our village. I'm practically beaming with pride." He fixed his eyes on Finn.

Finn scowled. "Oh don't look at me like I'm the disappointment. You brought this on yourself."

"Oh really?" Hiccup asked. "I've done many disappointing things in my life, but I didn't ask for this. Don't you dare try to pin this on anybody else because this is your doing, Finn. This started with you and it's ending with you. Right now."

Finn sniffed with indifference.

"Here's what's going to happen," Hiccup walked past the teenagers as he spoke. "Every single one of you is going to stand trial. One on one time with me and two council members of my choice. If we find you guilty, which we will, you'll carry out a sentence of whatever we decide. There will be no complaining. There will be no more interaction between you. And if I even sense a single thing going on behind my back, you'll be the first to spend some real time in the jail as a criminal. You asked for this, you forced my hand and don't expect me to be generous."

"You let Gunnar off the hook, so-" Cale began.

"Oh Gunnar's not off the hook," Hiccup shook his head. "Not by a long shot."

"Then why's he get to-"

A meaty fist grabbed Cale by the collar and yanked him down. Snotlout stood beside Hiccup with a wrathful expression. "Shut your mouth! I'm sick to death of you mouthing off to people! If you're such a man, shut up and take the lecture with a little respect!"

Cale's face turned puce but he kept silent. Apparently he didn't like his honor called into question.

"Especially with your recent fiasco at the winery," Hiccup cocked his head. "I'd hoped you'd have a little more sense than this. I guess I shouldn't have such high expectations."

The dark-haired teenager chortled. "I'm not one to back down so easily. Even if you'd have made us sit in the jail for a month, we wouldn't have given up."

"Evan did."

"Evan's an idiot," Cale scowled.

Hiccup laughed derisively. "Smarter than the rest of you, apparently."

"So I'm supposed to believe that it was his brains that kept him out jail then?"

Finn snorted. "Evan doesn't have two brain cells."

"What kept him out of jail," Hiccup sent Finn a glare. "is none of your business. You never should've left your cell."

"You have Larson to thank for that." Cale smirked at the blonde teen, who jumped on Finn's other side.

"No need to worry, Erick's already well taken care of." Hiccup gave the teen a fake smile.

Finn stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means the only thing you've got to worry about is yourself." Hiccup replied sternly.

The Haddock teen looked at Erick standing on his right, head down and eyes shifting nervously. Then he looked at his dad, staring him down with arms crossed. Something wasn't right here.

Erick had been living at the Haddock house for a couple of weeks now. He seemed to be gradually getting out of his rut of depression due to the Haddock parents' assistance, but in that time he'd asked Finn multiple times to leave the gang. Finn had had to threaten him almost every time.

Many of the teenagers seemed to have been nervous about tonight's hit at the Great Hall, but Erick especially had tried to make Finn leave. He acted just as shocked about their capture as the other teens... but the adults didn't seem to be scrutinizing him like the others. He'd forcefully identified himself to the council. He looked ashamed to be here, but didn't seem to be surprised at what was happening.

Then, it hit him. Despite all the threats, Erick had snitched. Finn felt his blood boil, his body shaking in rage. "You."

Erick had half a second to jerk away as Finn lunged at him, grabbing him by the shirt. Finn raised a fist to punch the Larson boy when a strong hand grabbed his arm and the world suddenly spun. The air was knocked out of him when he slammed into a pillar, his father pinning him with a fist on his collar.

"ENOUGH!" Hiccup roared.

Finn blinked, unable to hide the surprise. His father had never manhandled him before. He'd never yelled at him straight in the face. The experience was so new, so strange, he almost didn't register how quickly his dad had incapacitated him.

"I don't care what kind of story you're concocting in your head, Finn, but listen closely," Hiccup growled, face reddening by the second. "Erick did the right thing by coming to me, and he didn't come to me out of the blue and decide to lay it out on the table. I knew he was the gang weeks ago. I've been waiting for him to come to me, and the fact that he had the guts to do it shows how much more mature he is than you."

Finn felt heat rise to his face when he realized all his friends were standing there, watching the exchange. Not to mention the adults. Oh, gods.

"And that you had the gall to threaten my daughter on top of it," Finn pressed against the pillar when Hiccup tightened his grip. "Nobody threatens my daughter. You of all people should understand that."

Finn found his courage and pushed his dad away, only slightly surprised when Hiccup let up. "You and your precious daughter."

"She doesn't-" Hiccup stopped himself, remembering their audience. Shaking his head, he turned to the rest of the group. "No. We'll finish this later."

"Yeah, because you can't just say what you're thinking in front of all these people. Wouldn't want to taint the image or anything," Finn spat.

Hiccup stiffened. "No, it wouldn't be appropriate, I'll deal with you later."

"Later," Finn nearly growled. "Just like another problem on your list of things to solve-"

"YES, Finn, a problem!" Hiccup erupted, unable to hold it back. "You're not making sense! You want me to go away and not talk to you, just leave you to your own devices, you do ridiculous stuff like this," He gestured grandly to the Great Hall, "And then you have a problem when I'm upset and treat me like I'm the bad guy!"

Finn stepped up to his dad, nearly nose to nose if he wasn't a few inches shorter. "You always have been the bad guy! In case you haven't noticed, things have always been pawned off to 'later' long before you even were chief!"

"You are so cruel, Finn!" Hiccup reprimanded.

"And you're nothing but a FOOL!"

A few gasps emerged from the group as Finn watched hurt take over his father's face. Hiccup swallowed and stepped back. Finn ignored the surging guilt and decided to twist the blade. "It's true, isn't it? I've gotten past you so many times, it took you half a year to figure out it was me! You've lost your touch because you're just not as great as you thought you were! And you can't even argue with me!"

Hiccup clenched his jaw and finally looked away. The silence was deafening.

"Yes." Hiccup finally murmured. "I am a fool in many ways. I'm not the best parent in the world, and I don't claim to be. I was a fool to ever let you shove me away. I could've done better in many ways as a dad." Hiccup straightened again, resolve coming back into his voice as he addressed the group. "However, for the rest of you, I'm afraid I did everything I could to warn you of the consequences if you were caught. Council, take them to the jail. Individual cells for everyone. No talking, food or water."

Kaelan began to cry at that. "H-how long do we have to stay?"

Hiccup finally turned away from his son to look at the girl. "Trials in the morning, bright and early. You're all dismissed. Except you." The chief pinned his son with a glare so hard, he barely dared to breathe.

Finn swallowed thickly as the council shackled the teenagers and led them out of the Hall. He scowled when Snotlout rested a hand on Erick's shoulder and escorted him out of the building without shackles. So the snitch was apparently getting off scot free?

The Great doors slammed to a close and Finn suppressed a flinch. He glanced around the room. His father, mother, Gobber and Toothless were the only three that remained. He avoided contact with all three adults until he heard sudden, rushed footsteps.

He looked up in time to see a flash of skin and a resounding slap echoed across the room. Finn stumbled back, his cheek flaring with pain. He stared at his mother in open shock. He thought he heard a gasp from Gobber, but he was more shocked at the tears nearly flowing out of her eyes.

"How could you DO this to us?" Astrid yelled. "After everything we've done for you, this is how you repay us? And you'd threaten your own SISTER-"

Finn backed away as she yelled at him. Then his dad came up behind her, taking her by the arm and pulling her toward him. Astrid tugged to free herself, looking like she wanted to slap him again.

"Astrid." Hiccup murmured. "Not like this."

The Haddock matriarch roughly rubbed her face, breathing hard. She finally turned and walked a few steps away, trying to regain some control. Finn again found himself standing in front of his dad again. Hurt, anger, betrayal: these and many more emotions clashed in his father's green eyes.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself that doesn't involve blame shifting or hating my guts?" Hiccup finally asked.

Finn pursed his lips. "Hmm... nope."

"Come on, Finn," Gobber hobbled forward. "Why? What would possess you to do this to the village?"

"There has to be some reason," Astrid crossed her arms, face splotchy.

Finn tried to ignore the knot of tension growing in his chest. He tried to make his voice come out strong, but he could feel his resolve crumbling. "I-I don't know... the first time wasn't really intentional, it just... sounded fun-"

"Fun?" Hiccup asked adamantly. "You have a dragon! You have weapons, you have the arena, the woods, the mountains, the ocean, and the sky! The possibilities of fun are literally at your fingertips, the things you could do and spend your time on! And instead you prey on people's livelihoods? You prey on people?"

Finn winced. "Ava was an accident."

"And to say you're lucky she wasn't hurt is a gross understatement." Hiccup growled in a way that made Finn's tingle. "Tell me, what would you have done if she'd been killed? Or Tuffnut, a man who you've known your entire life, or his wife, Svala?"

Finn looked away. "I don't-"

"You don't know doesn't cut it." Hiccup interrupted. "What would you have done? Would you have had the guts to go to Tuffnut and Svala's doorstep and tell them to their faces that you killed their baby, the one child that they've been blessed to have, the one they waited for for years? WHAT would you have done?"

"I don't know!" Finn cried.

"Exactly! You don't have a single clue just what might have happened!" Hiccup shouted. "You guys could have killed someone, and you of all people should understand what happens in freak accidents!"

Finn's blood went cold and he stared at his dad.

"It only takes a second for something to go wrong." Hiccup intoned in a quieter voice. "Am I right? Or am I wrong?"

Finn swallowed hard and nodded shortly. He couldn't hide the guilt for nearly killing baby Ava Thorston if he wanted to.

"Now, why the gang? What was the purpose?" Hiccup asked.

Finn frowned, shaking his head. "It was something to do, we were bored, and the rush of running from the guards got... exciting, I guess."

"Exciting." Gobber nodded. "Excitement, you two remember the excitement of dragon training I gave you all those years ago? Yeh, I could give you something really exciting to do if you wanted, Finn."

"Finn," Astrid stepped closer. "I understand the adrenaline rush. I would be up sun up to sun down practicing with my axe in the woods. Your father understands too, you should've seen the stupid stunts he and Toothless pulled back in the day! We get it! But this isn't the way!"

"That's not the only reason anyway," Hiccup broke in, eyes intent on Finn. "This was all to get back at me, wasn't it? Make my life more difficult?"

Finn squirmed in place. Finally he settled on walking toward some tables to relieve some of the antsiness. "No..."

"You don't sound very confident with that answer."

"No! That wasn't it!" Finn glared.

"And now you're lying."

Finn gritted his teeth and plopped into a chair, rubbing his face. "I don't even know, it was a long time ago!"

"Not that long ago." Astrid scowled. "Don't make excuses because we're not leaving until we get a straight answer."

"I think that's what it is," Hiccup crossed his arms, walking around the table at which Finn sat. The teenager tensed as his father circled him. "I think deep down you're angry at me for everything that I've ever done wrong against you, both intentional and not. And because I'm so busy, the only way that you can get back at me by, what you would say as the only way to get my attention, is to get through to me through my work." Hiccup stood in front of him, staring down at him with a hard frown. "Make my job more difficult, then I'm sure to catch on."

"If that's how you want to put it, fine."

"Do you just want attention?" Astrid asked.

Finn flushed. "No."

"I don't think that's the truth either," Hiccup said. "I think that's exactly what you want, deep down."

"I want you to leave me alone."

"Not gonna happen." Hiccup leaned against the table on his hands. "I've got you right where I want you, just like the little criminal you are. And you're not going anywhere until we get to the bottom of this. What do you want?"

Finn looked away, his heart lurching into his throat. "Nothing."

"Whether you want to admit it or not, Finn, you need us." Hiccup said. "You need me more than you realize."

"I don't need you." Finn hissed.

"Then why are you so desperate to get my attention?"

"I'm not- wasn't trying to get your attention; it was just a bunch of over-the-top pranks!" Finn shouted.

"Pranksters always want attention," Gobber sat down nearby, getting cozy.

"I don't need his attention!"

"Whether you feel like it or not, Finn, you've got my attention. I've been paying attention this entire time, trying to figure out what the problem is-"

"There isn't a problem." Finn ground out.

"But I can't fix the problem if you don't let me in and tell me what the problem is!"

"I don't NEED you to fix any of my problems, you need to just go away and leave me alone!" Finn's voice cracked at the end. He pushed the palms of his hands into his eyes, blocking them out. Suddenly he felt very overwhelmed. Too much stress was being pushed onto him, which only brought back bad memories.

The sound of scraping chairs broke the silence and he knew his parents were sitting down across from him.

"Finn," Astrid said softly, grasping his wrist. "Look at us."

The teen pulled at his bangs with his fingertips, suddenly mortified at the realization that his eyes were getting wetter by the second. All his barriers were being broken by the second. He was losing control fast. He shook his head stubbornly and didn't move.

"We're not going anywhere, Finn." His dad's voice spoke softly. "We're not supposed to. We're your parents."

"We're not always going to agree. Our parents certainly didn't approve of everything we did, and we certainly didn't agree with everything they said. But our parents, well, my mom and his dad, they were still there for us, in the good and bad times. Especially the bad times."

Finn swallowed hard, forcing himself to breathe slow and normal. He didn't want them to know just how hard it was for him to not get emotional right now. He had to stay in control.'

"It doesn't matter anymore. Do with me what you want." he said through gritted teeth. "At least I'll be out of the way so you can spend more time with the son you want." he emphasized the last word with so much malice, Hiccup flinched slightly.

"Erick isn't... no. That's not important right now." Hiccup leaned forward. "This isn't about him. But if you even think about going after him-"

"I'll do what I like with traitors." Finn hissed.

Hiccup's face reddened. "Traitor? You want to talk tyranny? Okay, how about this: you've gone against everything your grandfather stood for, let's start there. You've spat in your mother's face for all her love and wise council and patience she gives you day in and day out. You disrespect my authority as if you would stand above me. You would mock and despise those who are smaller than you, younger than you, physically weaker than you while you uplift yourself as if you're so much better!" Finn felt his back muscles tighten against the chair the louder his father's voice got. "You act in the same evil that was dealt to Benen every day when he was a slave, and you treat his memory like the dirt on your shoes-"

Finn's gaze snapped to his father. "No!"

Hiccup continued without pause, "And you would act as if someone doing the right thing by getting the heck AWAY from you is doing you some disservice?! You want to talk about who's betraying who, let's talk about it!" Finn honestly wanted to back away; he'd never had his father's wrath directed at him before. Not like this. "Give me some reason that ANYBODY should feel sorry for you or give you clearance! Give me something that Benen would say, that he'd stand up and say you did something right! What have you done to do HIM proud?"

Finn fought to meet his father's gaze. He felt the conflicting emotions in his chest. Deep down in his heart of hearts, he knew his father was right. He knew he was in the wrong. That part of him wanted to start crying, ask for forgiveness. Let himself feel remorse for his actions because that's what Benen would want. Benen would never have wanted him to do all of this. Benen would want him to let go of his anger, ask for repentance for his mistakes, both intended and not.

But it was his other half that kept him from these things. He didn't let his gaze drop. He didn't let his eyes well up in tears. He reveled in the adrenaline coursing through his system. He didn't trust himself to speak for once; he let his eyes and body language do the talking.

Astrid stepped forward to break the tension. She rested a firm hand on Hiccup's shoulder pad, pulling back from Finn. Hiccup gradually stood beside her, though his glare didn't let up. Finn couldn't ignore his mother's firm voice when she spoke.

"Your father rescued Benen. We could've found the island he was taken from. We offered it too, we offered to take him across the lands to find his home, the last remnant of the family he once had. And what did he choose to do? He spent every last breath here, helping you. Teaching you, raising you. And you can't even look me in the eye because you know it's true." Finn hadn't realized he'd finally dropped his gaze. Now that it was down, he didn't want to look back up. "He could've gone anywhere, thanked us and left forever to do what he wanted in the new free life, but he stayed here because of you, Finn. Because he saw a strong, brave little boy that needed to realize that there's more to life than being strong. He saw that you needed that soft yet firm voice. He saw that you needed to see the other side of authority. One that's quiet and calm and worthy of respect. And you've done nothing short of tainting every memory of it."

Silence rang through the Hall. Only the soft squeak of Gobber's boot was heard as he shifted in place.

"What would you tell him to explain your actions?" Hiccup quietly asked. "If life had gone the way you wanted it to and you'd lost someone less important, and Benen was the one standing here, what answer would you give him? I'm honestly curious."

The words "less important" rang in Finn's ears and he almost shattered. But he hardened his resolve. He gritted his teeth and swallowed hard. "Do what you're going to do to me." He turned his fiery gaze back up at his father. "I've got nothing to say to you."

Astrid's gaze hardened and she turned to Hiccup. Finn watched as his father worked his jaw a moment before turning to Gobber. "Put him in the cell farthest away from the others. If he wants to act like a criminal, he'll get treated like one."

"Yes, sir."

Finn glared daggers at his father as his mentor pulled him to his feet. Only when the boy was pulled toward the doors did he break eye contact. Deep down, he felt remorse and guilt. He briefly wondered just how much pain he could inflict before someone snapped. He wondered who would snap first: him or his father? His stubborn side knew it to be his softhearted father. Deep down, his small, weak, rational side knew it to be himself.

Stubbornness reigned once more, and he plowed down the Great Hall stairs as fast as Gobber would allow, forcing himself to stand tall as if he knew he was doing something right.