Under normal circumstances, a daddy daughter date wouldn't take place after dark. But the Jorgensons weren't exactly normal. After dinner, Snotlout had asked his only daughter if she'd go on an evening flight with him as he scouted the island perimeter. Inga was ecstatic. What other kid her age was allowed to do a perimeter scout with their father?

Of course, Inga had to be careful. Though her seizures were far and few between, they still weren't sure what the trigger was. It seemed to be sporadic and out of the blue at times. Especially when flying, her parents preferred her to be in good company who'd keep an eye on her. It bugged her a bit that she couldn't just go out and do something without someone always watching her. But after the first few incidents, she'd come to accept it. She didn't want to be alone or flying a thousand feet in the air with no one to catch her if something happened.

Inga enjoyed the chilly nighttime air as they flew, Hookfang and Mystie nipping at each other and Snotlout warning them to be careful.

"Relax, dad," Inga grinned, deeply inhaling. "They're fine! Don't be such a worry wart!"

Snotlout puffed out his chest. "Worry wart? I am not!"

"You so are! By the way, you look like you haven't shaved in days."

"Oh! Wouldn't you know that's because I haven't shaved in days?" Snotlout snarked, scratching his scruffy face. Things had been so hectic the last few days, he and the other council members were pulling out all the stops to help Hiccup. He was beginning to look more worse for wear as the days dragged on, and the village couldn't afford him to crash. Unfortunately that meant the daily shave routine was put on hold.

"Mom likes it."

Snotlout smirked. "Does she now?"

"Yup," Inga nodded. "She said it was hot, as a matter of fact."

"Hm, I'll have to ask."

"If by ask you mean do something weird or awkward, you can leave me out of it."

"Erm... gladly." Snotlout swallowed, wondering just what she meant by such a statement. She was only eleven...

Finally the Jorgensons rounded the final bend, passing the large braziers standing tall in the ocean, their fires roaring in the navy darkness. Berk looked peaceful with the random torches lit around the island. Now and then Snotlout could see a guard walk down a path, carrying a torch.

As if on cue, Inga piped up, "Lotsa guards out tonight."

"Yup."

"Are they going to catch the gang?"

Snotlout pondered her words as he guided both dragons toward the square, holding up a hand in greeting to another passing guard. Hookfang and Mystie landed, stretching their wings. The Jorgenson patriarch assisted his daughter to the ground and finally replied, "Yes. That's the plan."

"Hmph." Inga crossed her arms as they began the walk home. The streets were narrower around their house so it was better to walk. Wouldn't do to crash a Monstrous Nightmare and Changewing into the neighbors' houses so late at night! "Who's in it?"

Her father glanced at her in concern. "Don't worry about it, Inga. It'll be over soon anyway."

"Well yeah, but I'll eventually know who was in it anyway, wont I? Once you catch them." Inga prompted. "So who's in it?"

"Inga..." Snotlout rubbed his face. "We don't know yet."

The girl frowned, her short dark hair falling in her face for a moment before she shoved it back. "You don't? But-"

Snotlout suddenly stuck a hand out to stop her, his eyes focused on a wall nearby. A man was silently sitting in the shadows between two barrels. If it weren't for the slight gleam of moonlight hitting his prosthetic, Snotlout would've challenged the man. Instead, he sighed and let his arm drop. "Hiccup?"

The chief waved a hand in greeting. "Hey. You two are out late."

"I let her come on patrol with me. Everything looks good." Snotlout stepped closer. "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh ya know," Hiccup glanced around the empty street. "Just keeping an eye out."

Snotlout shook his head. "You look exhausted. Go home, Hiccup. And where's Toothless?"

"Roof." Hiccup looked up. Sure enough, the Night Fury's black scales glittered in the soft moonlight and green eyes peered down at them from the edge. "And I can't go home."

"Yes, you really sh-"

Inga poked his arm. "Come on, dad, the man's got a gang to catch-"

"Sh!" Snotlout reprimanded hoarsely. "Inga-"

"Oh Mrs. Haddock totally kicked him out," Inga stated matter-of-factly.

"She did?" Snotlout asked.

"She did?" Hiccup echoed.

"Yes! I spoke with her." Inga nodded. "She said she forbade you to return home until, how did she put it... you'd 'put those fiends behind bars to suffer for their impudence.' Or something."

Hiccup blinked. "I... was not aware of such a statement."

Inga wagged her finger. "Yes, you're not allowed to go home until you catch them."

"Ha... I haven't been able to go home much anyway." Hiccup snickered.

"Which is technically no laughing matter."

"Oh pish posh Snotlout."

"Yeah, pish posh Snotlout."

Hiccup laughed out loud at the shared look between Jorgensons. "I could watch you two banter all day. It's seriously one of the most entertaining things."

"Oh shut up, Haddock, or I will bust you up."

Inga gasped. "You can't bust up the chief! What would mom say?"

Hiccup snorted. "What would mom say..."

"Hey, don't mock my daughter!"

"Mock- I'm not mocking anyone!"

"You're laughing!"

"You're laughing too!"

"I am not!"

"Inside..."

"I don't laugh and I don't cry!"

"Yes, Snotlout, I remember all the dust that has fallen into your eyes over the decades. So much dust. It's a wonder nobody's invented a dust collector by now!"

Snotlout shook a finger at him. "What- how would you even collect dust?"

Inga watched them banter like watching a ball being thrown back and forth.

"I don't know but you should invent something, 'Lout. Maybe you'll be finally recognized for contributing to the greater good!"

Inga snorted. "Ouch."

Snotlout whirled on her. "Whose side are you on?"

"Whichever makes me laugh the most."

Hiccup raised a hand. "I believe I've made her laugh the most so far."

"Eh no? I'm her father; I've spent loads more time with her since she came from the womb!"

"That's awkward..."

"I do believe I've made her laugh loads more than you!"

"Fine fine, whatever." Hiccup shook his head, snickering at Inga's disgusted expression.

"Was this kind of behavior the extent of your relationship growing up?" Inga asked. "Or is this because both of you are getting old and senile?"

"Inga!"

Hiccup snorted. "Hey, I agree with her. You're definitely getting old and senile."

"I honestly couldn't tell you which time was worse," Snotlout crossed his arms.

"It was worse when we were younger," Hiccup shook his head. "Trust me."

"Every good friendship has a rocky beginning."

"Not every relationship!" Hiccup wrinkled his brow.

"Pretty much all of yours did."

Hiccup huffed. "Well aren't you a ray of sunshine."

"Hey, I just call 'em as I see 'em." Snotlout waved his hand, glancing back at Hookfang and Mystie behind them, digging into nearby fish barrels. "Apparently it's snack time?"

"Apparently."

Inga shook her head, baffled. "Both of you are loonies."

"Thank you, Miss Jorgenson." Hiccup smiled. "The best of us are, wouldn't you agree?"

Snotlout pulled his daughter back. "Keep your loony self and your loony weirdness away from her."

Inga gave him an incredulous look. "Oh please, loonies are harmless-"

Without warning, a large BOOM echoed across the village. Snotlout jerked Inga toward the wall as Hiccup jumped to his feet. Toothless and the other dragons jumped to their feet, hissing and spreading their wings in warning. A few shouts sounded from near the square.

"Here we go!" Hiccup took off. "Snotlout, come on! This is it!"

Snotlout grabbed Inga by the arms and nearly dragged her to Mystie, who pawed the ground anxiously after the explosion. "Inga, I need you to go home. Right now."

"But-"

"No buts! Go!" Snotlout jumped into Hookfang's saddle and the duo took off after Hiccup and Toothless down the street.

Inga climbed into her saddle and watched her father disappear down the dark corridor. She heard Toothless's sonic whistle as the chief flew to the scene as quickly as possible. She wanted to follow... every instinct in her body told her to go. But she really didn't want to get in trouble. With a heavy sigh, Inga turned Mystie the other direction and took off down the street, passing guards as they charged past.

Halfway to their house, Inga happened to glance down a side street across from the jail. And what she saw made her blood run cold. "Mystie! Invisible!" The Changewing instantly turned them invisible, confused but ready for action. Inga guided her dragon to climb onto the nearest roof and she watched in fascination at the scene playing out before her.

The guards in front of the jail seemed to be knocked out flat and two dragons stood on the jail rooftop while teenagers, all masked and clothed in black, furiously worked on the front door. Suddenly, it all became clear. Her father and the chief, and all the guards, were heading the opposite direction toward whatever explosion had taken place. It was a diversion!

"Jail break..." Inga whispered. "No way."

The girl thought quickly. She and Mystie could try to take them, scare the gang away or try to unmask one of them... No, she couldn't do that. Too much crazy flying and it wasn't her place. If she got to the chief and her dad fast enough, they might be able to catch them before they could leave!

Turning Mystie in the other direction, Inga pushed her to fly as hard and as fast as possible. The dragon followed her instincts, searching for the noise coming from the other side of the island. Finally, just beyond the town square, Inga saw torches lighting up an alleyway. She saw Hiccup and many others, including her father, searching the area with their dragons, weapons drawn. The building, which seemed to be the head seamstress's workplace, had a massive crater in the front. Windows were blown out, wood smoked as if it'd been lit but quickly doused. She knew the interior was probably close to destroyed. But she also knew they were running out of time.

Mystie swooped down and landed in the midst of the group. Snotlout spotted her almost instantly. "Inga!" He stomped over, irritation written all over his face. "I told you-"

"It's the jail!" Inga cried out. Snotlout's face went slack and turned to Hiccup, who faced her in confusion. "Chief, this is a diversion! It's a jail break!"

Hiccup's face flushed and he growled angrily. "That's. It. Toothless!" The chief leaped into the saddle, Toothless already crouched. Instantly they took off at a vertical angle and disappeared in the darkness. Guards took off running toward the other side of the island, yelling for their dragons. Inga watched them disappear, hoping that this whole ordeal would finally be over.

Xxx

Erick had never been one to act irrationally or prematurely. He liked to think his plans through and have back up plans. In order to successfully pull off his plan without being seen by the guards at the front door of the jail, he did the only logical thing he could think of that wouldn't actually harm anyone for an extended period of time.

All it took was a borrowed vial of premature Hideous Zippleback gas, which was more potent than a full-grown Zippleback's. A quick spray from a canister Hiccup had invented years ago (another "borrowed" piece of equipment), and the two heavily armed guards slumped against the wall.

Erick and Helga jumped down from the rooftop and she quickly began picking the lock. His heart pounded in his chest frantically, willing her to work faster. Just as quick as the thought entered his mind, the lock snapped open. He didn't have much time to think on her amazing lock-picking skills, for she quickly yanked him inside and ran to the back of the jail.

Erick grabbed the keys hanging up by the doorway and fumbled as he ran to Frey's cell. The keys jangled noisily as he forced the first one into the lock, while Frey watched on in bored amusement. "You could be a little louder."

"Shut up." Erick hissed. "I could leave your sorry butt in here."

Frey rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the ceiling like he knew this was a bad idea. It probably was. Lucky for him, the second key unlocked the cell. Erick flung the door open and threw the key ring at Helga across the room. The key ring landed at her feet with a loud crash, which made him cringe as he unfastened Frey's bonds.

"Hey, the keys!" Erick whispered hoarsely.

Just then, Cale's door snapped open. Helga held up two thick metal pins. Erick swore he could see her triumphant smirk from underneath her mask. Soon Cale and Frey followed them out the doorway.

A small boy dropped to the ground beside them. Young Gunnar pointed at the village emphatically. "They're coming!"

Torch lights filtered through the streets as shouts became tangible. Helga and Gunnar jumped onto her dragon quickly.

"Charger!" Erick whispered hoarsely.

The Deadly Nadder jumped to the ground and he quickly mounted, his right leg flaring painfully from the arrow wound.

Frey looked up at him in annoyance. "What about us idiot?"

"Climb up!" Erick pulled Frey into the saddle behind him. "Cale, I don't think Charger can carry three."

"You freaking kidding me?" Cale growled. "All this and you're going to make me run? No no no, you're taking me!"

Charger growled in protest when the third teenager jumped up. Erick patted his neck. "Sorry buddy... Come on, let's go!" It took a lot of effort, but eventually Charger took off. Erick tried not to be impatient and force him to go faster.

Helga and Gunnar took off behind them, both dragons retreating toward the edge of the village. Erick hoped the rest of the gang had escaped quickly from the diversion. Everyone was supposed to head home as quickly and quietly as possible once their package had been...delivered. Once he dropped off Cale and Frey at Mildew's, he hoped he'd be able to get home!

Erick breathed a sigh of relief, his heart still pounding, but he was happy it was over. He wouldn't relax until he was safe in his bed, but- wait. What was that whistling sound? Coming from above...

"Oh gods-" Frey gasped from behind.

"SCATTER!" Erick shouted, yanking Charger to the left as hard as he could.

The Night Fury's sonic whistle echoed across the village as the duo divebombed the gang, spewing three plasma blasts toward the ground below. Erick's eyes dilated and Charger bucked in fear, squawking in terror at the sudden attack from the more dominant dragon. Hiccup and Toothless rolled out of their dive and whistled past, looping around at top speeds.

Erick guided Charger as fast as he could, but the extra weight seemed to be too much. Cale slid off the Nadder's side, clawing at anything he could hold onto. Unfortunately, the closest thing was the bridle.

The trio and dragon plummeted toward a row of buildings. Charger spewed fire, unable to control his flight pattern. "LET GO LET GO LET GO!" Erick yelled as Frey tried to yank Cale back onto the dragon's back. Just in time, Cale released the bridle and Charger pulled out of the dive. They barely skimmed the rooftop as they zoomed over, the chief and Night Fury on their tail.

Erick gasped in shock, glancing behind them. The rooftop was on fire! "Crap, crap, crap!" He muttered, dodging Hiccup and Toothless in the air and flying toward the forest as fast as possible.

But then, just as it seemed they were done for, Toothless yelped and plummeted toward the ground. Erick noticed with horror that his prosthetic tail had also caught fire. Hiccup growled angrily and forced his Night Fury to turn around, diving toward the burning house.

Guilt clawed at Erick's heart instantly. This wasn't supposed to happen. The plan hadn't gone off without a hitch like he'd hoped—not only had his actions put a family in danger, but also the chief and his dragon. What if they'd crashed and gotten killed? Every kind of excuse and justification he'd been telling himself throughout the entire day went out the window. He was a criminal. He'd broken into the jail and helped two suspects escape. Now, even if it was an accident, because of his actions, a home was burning. People lived in that house. Someone could be seriously hurt... or die.

Just like Aud.

Trembling, Erick bent over his saddle, clutching his stomach. He felt like he was going to be sick.

"Relax," Cale muttered from two seats behind him. "That fire was an accident, but it helped us get away. The chief wouldn't put us over innocent lives. You did good."

Innocent lives. Erick shook his head and yanked off the mask, throwing it into the abyss of darkness with a growl of anger. "No. I didn't."

The Larson boy pulled on his hair, feeling complete remorse and disgust for himself. Never before had he ever hated himself so much. This whole plan was his brainchild. Every strategy. In one full day, he'd joined a gang, stolen multiple items, knocked out guards, broken into the jail, helped would-be criminals escape, put his chief and leading dragon in serious danger, AND set fire to a home full of innocents. The fact that the last one was an accident didn't matter.

He shouldn't have been there. He should never have gotten involved with the gang. And now he was going to pay the price for it. Dearly.

Xxx

Toothless slid onto the ground with a screech, angrily shooting a plasma blast into the ground in front of him as his rider jumped off. Hiccup raced toward the burning house, relieved to see villagers and guards already on the job. Buckets of water were thrown from the ground and dumped from the air as councilmen swooped overhead on their dragons. The flames seemed to be snuffing out, but Hiccup feared for his friends inside.

"Where's Tuffnut!" Hiccup shouted as he ran up.

"He's already inside!"

"Nobody's come out yet!"

"Well don't just stand there," Hiccup cried, turning to the flaming structure. "Let's-"

"Wait!" Snotlout grabbed his arm and pointed to the back.

Tuffnut and Svala ran around the corner, both doubled over as they coughed. Their blackened clothes smoked and their skin covered in soot. Tuffnut held a small bundle in his arms as he ran toward the group, keeping a firm hand on his wife's elbow. Hiccup ran up to them and nearly strangled them with a hug.

"Thank the gods." Hiccup sighed, pulling back. "Are you guys okay? Is Ava?"

As if on cue, Ava stirred and squeaked with discomfort. Hiccup internally sighed in relief; she seemed to be okay. Tuffnut held his baby close to his cheek, snuggling her as if someone would try to take her away. His eyes were dark with anger, but brimmed with tears. "They almost took our baby from us. She's the most precious thing we have..." Svala hugged him tightly, tears pouring down her face.

Hiccup's vision swam as rage took over his system. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a conniption so fierce. He yanked on his hair, breathing heavily as he tried to reign in his emotions. He'd find them. He'd track down every single teenager on the island, scour through them one by one to find every last gang member if it killed him.

Then, from the corner of his eye, a familiar Deadly Nadder landed and two people dropped to the ground. Astrid ran over, immediately hugging Svala. "Is everyone okay?"

Svala sniffed and nodded. "I-I think so."

"Better have Mara check you three anyway." Astrid nodded firmly. She finally seemed to notice her husband glaring in the direction she'd come. "Hicc-"

"Why is Finn here?" Hiccup interrupted, his body trembling with rage.

Astrid glanced over her shoulder as Finn timidly walked over, staring at the smoking building. She swallowed nervously, but tried to placate him. "Hiccup, I-"

"Why."

"He saw the smoke from the house." Astrid remarked flatly. "I allowed him to come."

Hiccup shook his head. "I made myself very clear-"

"Dad!"

Hiccup's ears buzzed, hoping with every fiber of his being that he hadn't heard his daughter's voice.

Adrianna jogged forward, Brandyn on her heels as he tried to grab her elbow. "What happened?"

"What are you doing out!" Hiccup demanded.

His daughter skidded to a halt a few feet from him, eyes wide. Too late, she seemed to take note of his body language and steam coming from his ears. "U-um..." Adrianna swallowed hard. "W-we heard an explosion and saw the smoke-"

Hiccup's pursed his lips. "That doesn't answer my question. What. Are you doing. Out."

"Nothing!" Brandyn interrupted. "We were on our way back to the house, honest!"

The chief clenched his teeth, glaring at the two. He snapped his gaze onto Finn, who stepped backwards. "Do not leave the house after dark again. Brandyn, take Adrianna and Finn home."

"Okay."

Finn scowled. "What? I don't need him-"

"Did I ASK your opinion, Finn?" Hiccup shouted. Finn flinched and then straightened with a dark look. The gathered crowd quieted a bit in the crowded street.

"Hiccup." Astrid warned.

Hiccup exhaled shakily, fighting for control. Looking between the three teenagers, he growled, "You will go home. You will go quickly and directly. You will not stop or leave the house again tonight. Do I make myself clear?"

Adrianna nodded vehemently while Brandyn grabbed her arm and instantly began walking. Finn glared at him through narrowed eyes before following them. Hiccup rested his hands on his hips, slowly exhaling through his nose.

Astrid stood in front of him with crossed arms. "I know you're upset-"

"Upset?" Hiccup snapped. "That's underestimating it a little bit, don't you think?"

"Stop interrupting me!" Astrid growled. "You haven't exactly given any orders to the kids themselves on when they should be home, so yelling at them like they knew already wasn't right."

"I made it very clear to the council to inform parents that their kids should be home at dark. My children especially should have enough sense to know what that means."

"And they made a simple mistake out of genuine worry or curiosity, or got my permission to leave!" Astrid cried. "I can vouch for Finn, he was home with me the entire time!"

"That doesn't mean anything!" Hiccup hissed. "I have at least six or seven teenagers who were outside during the attack tonight, four of which were them!"

"So they weren't directly involved in the attack. You can scratch them off the list."

Hiccup scoffed derisively. "Don't be naïve."

"Stop being mean." Astrid said in a calmer tone. "I'm not the enemy here."

The chief pursed his lips, his body shaking in time with his tapping foot. "They almost got Svala and Ava killed."

"I know."

"This can't continue.

"And it won't." Astrid nodded. "We're going to end this. We'll schedule a meeting; we'll make ourselves abundantly clear to everyone in the village. If they want to play dirty, we'll play dirty."

Hiccup nodded, rubbing his face and sighing heavily. "All right."

"I believe Snotlout took the Thorstons to Mara's." Astrid prompted, taking his arm. "Let's see if everyone's okay."

"Hold on a second." Hiccup walked directly to Toothless sitting in a huff nearby. "All right buddy, let's see the damage."

Toothless grumbled in annoyance, lifting his tail. Hiccup groaned. The entire prosthetic, rigging to fin, had been burned to nothing. Luckily he had many extra tails stashed away, but it was a perfectly good fin destroyed. Of course, other things had been at stake tonight besides a stupid prosthetic. Machines could be fixed and replaced. People couldn't.

"We'll get 'em next time, bud." Toothless growled in agreement. "Why don't you head home, Toothless? I'll take all this off when I get there." The Night Fury grumbled in assent before trotting off toward the bridge leading to the Haddock house.

The chief and Haddock matriarch arrived at Mara's shortly after, just in time to hear the healer's results. "-seems both of you are fine. I'll have some tea for you to drink that should be anti-inflammatory."

"Thank you." Svala rasped, clearing her throat in vain. Tuffnut sat in a chair with his elbows on his knees, watching his daughter roll around on a blanket, gnawing on her fist. She presently leaned onto one elbow too far and flipped onto her back, gazing steadily at the ceiling as if wondering where it had come from.

Mara greeted the Haddocks and smiled when Hiccup got onto the floor beside Ava, brushing his finger against her soft cheek. "Hey there, cutie."

Ava smiled at him, waving her wet fist in his face. The chief grinned, allowing her to grab his finger and put it in her mouth. Hiccup glanced up at her parents, whose faces were smiling but eyes dark with worry. "Is everything okay?" he asked in concern as Astrid sat beside him.

The Thorstons looked up at Mara, who sighed. "I have a mild concern. I'd asked Svala if she'd heard Ava cry during the fire, to which she said no. There's nothing seriously wrong with that, some babies are hard sleepers."

"And she is a hard sleeper." Svala nodded.

"But?" Astrid prompted.

"But..." Mara paused. "Watch this." From where she stood a two feet away, Mara said in a normal voice, "Ava? Ava, look over here!" Ava took no notice, but continued chewing on Hiccup's finger, studying his wedding ring with wide eyes. "Now, Hiccup, talk to her."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Ava?" Instantly, the baby's eyes met his and she grinned. "Hey there! Watcha doin? Does that taste good?" Ava giggled, reaching up to grab his nose. "Did you get my nose? Did you get it?" Ava squealed loudly, slapping his face with a wet hand.

"Gods, the cute is killing me." Svala snickered.

Hiccup wiped his cheek off on his shoulder with a grin. "Nothing better than baby therapy after a stressful night. Anyway..." His face turned serious. "So what's your concern, Mara?"

Mara nodded. "She could hear you perfectly; she even responded to you. But me? Notice she still hasn't reacted to my voice unless I raise it a little, and there," Mara smiled and waved at Ava when she turned to look. "See, there she is!" Ava smiled up at her, leaning against her elbow on one side. Astrid smiled and gave her a gentle push so she laid on her stomach. Mara sighed. "I'm just a little concerned that maybe, just maybe she has a slight hearing problem."

Hiccup tapped the baby's nose. "But she's not deaf."

"No. I think that's why she gets so excited when people talk to her because she can actually hear them up close."

Astrid gave the parents a sad look. "Are you guys okay?"

Tuffnut looked at her through tired eyes. "I'm not worried about this at all. She's still perfect, she's still our baby. We'll jump every loophole necessary to take care of her. But I won't tolerate the gang a second further. I'm all for destruction and crazy stunts, but this..." he shook his head. "They crossed a line that shouldn't have been approached."

Hiccup nodded. "I agree. I'm going to find them, Tuff."

"Oh I know."

The Chief smiled when Ava laid her head on the blanket, rubbing her eyes. "Looks like the late night adventures are over, huh?"

"Yep." Svala leaned down and scooped her baby into her arms.

"Do you guys need a place to stay tonight?" Astrid asked.

Mara waved her arm. "No need. I've got plenty of room right here and a few cribs. I doubt you two still have one of those lying around."

Hiccup snorted as he stood. "You never know what's in the attic."

The door presently opened and Snotlout poked his head in. "Hey, everybody in one piece?"

"More or less," Hiccup waved him in. "Did you find anything?"

"No." Snotlout huffed. "Some homemade bomb at the seamstress's place, preemie Zippleback gas knocked out the guards at the jail, locks picked, Cale and Frey busted out of jail. We have some people picking stuff out of your house, guys, but I'm not sure what's exactly salvageable."

Tuffnut shrugged. "It's just a house. We have what's important right here."

"I couldn't agree more." Hiccup nodded. "'Lout, tell the council to start spreading the word: we're having a village meeting first thing in the morning. Everyone will be present, especially the children."

"All ages?"

"All ages. Eight o'clock, I want the horns going off to meet at the Great Hall." Hiccup crossed his arms. "If it's a fight they want, they'll get it. I guarantee it."

Xxx

Ordinarily, a building crammed with Vikings would be noisy and raucous. The next morning, it was eerily quiet as they all filed into the Great Hall, many looking nervous. Council members ushered the people into benches, instructing children and teenagers to sit with their families. Without preamble, the Great Hall doors scraped open and the chieftain and his Night Fury strode in. Within seconds, the Hall quieted completely.

Step-thunk! Step-thunk!Step-thunk!

The sounds of Hiccup's footsteps echoed through the silent Hall. Berk's leader stared forward as he walked to the center table. Finally, he slammed the broken prosthetic onto the table, causing a great crash of metal and gears and wires to echo throughout the spacious room. Villagers jumped in their seats, a few jerking away from him as if burned.

Hiccup turned in a circle, hands on his hips. Green eyes glancing across the crowd, he began to slowly walk through the aisles. Few could withstand eye contact with the chief. Many trembled. Inga shrunk away from him as he walked past. Gone was the fun, easy-going man she'd joked with last night with her father. This man... he was completely and irrevocably dangerous. The chieftain finally stopped toward the front, the final sound of his prosthetic scraping to a halt and echoing in the silence. Hiccup stiffly crossed his arms and looked around.

A tremor passed through the crowd when he finally spoke. "If you are between the ages of ten and eighteen, stand up." His voice was soft but commanding. Immediately, adolescents around the room began to a stand, Inga included, but a few looked at their parents or remained seated in confusion. "Everyone." Hiccup reinforced in a firmer voice. Instantly, the remaining teenagers stood.

The teenagers tensed as their chief began to steadily move through the aisles again, pausing now and then to look a young man or woman in the eye. Cliff visibly shook and leaned toward his parents when Hiccup stopped to stare at him. Inga could almost see the blood drain from the boy's face. Hiccup moved on and Cliff relaxed, his mother resting her hand on his arm. Inga's eyes widened in surprise when Hiccup stopped in front of his own two children. Adrianna's green eyes widened when he looked at her, her knuckles white in Brandyn's grip. Brandyn swallowed thickly and held the chief's gaze. And when Hiccup looked at Finn, the teen's shoulders tensed. Hiccup gradually moved on, the trio nearly sighing in relief.

The chief stopped at the center table, Toothless sniffing his arm. The dragon went ignored, which was surprising. Finally, Hiccup spoke: "In my entire lifetime of living on this island, I don't think I've ever met a bunch of inappropriate, irresponsible, completely ridiculous group of teenagers other than the one standing before me today. I'm going to be honest right now." Hiccup stepped forward. "For those of you in the gang, you'd save yourself loads... and I do mean loads of trouble for yourself, if you come clean right now."

Hiccup waited. He seemed to stare every adolescent down, many dropping their eyes or stepping closer to their parents. Inga grabbed Heather's hand, who squeezed it reassuringly.

Hiccup smirked and broke the silence. "Oh how the proud will fall." he said in a low voice that nonetheless echoed through the silent Hall. ""I want to take this moment to assure all of you in this hall, both those in the gang and those who are not, that we will round up every last one of you." Hiccup began walking through the aisles again, making eye contact with every teen he came across. "Doubt me? Dare to oppose me further?" Hiccup asked, his voice rising steadily. "That's good, because I've got plans for you, so everyone listen up! Nobody in this age group goes out after dark. Nobody! For those of you working, you get home after dinner and that's it, lights out. Your curfew is 9 o'clock. If I find anybody outside after that, you're being brought to my doorstep and I'll personally put you in a cell for questioning." Hiccup waved a hand. "Oh and for the few smart-alecs out there, if you need a midnight outhouse trip, you'd be very wise to inform your parents or hold it all night because I won't tolerate this another night. Oh, is that unfair?" Hiccup asked loudly. "Shouldn't it be up to my parents to decide what I can and can't do? Or, I'm 16, I can do what I want? Clearly some of your parents aren't doing a good enough job keeping track of their children, but you know what I think? I don't think it's your parents' fault. You want to play a game like this with adults, you want respect and adults to treat you like you know everything, then let's play the game, boys and girls. You want to be adults, I'll TREAT you like them!" Hiccup's voice rang out, teenagers whimpering. Many younger girls were crying. Hiccup exhaled heavily, his voice shaky with suppressed rage. "Obviously not every teenager here is guilty. You know who you are. And obviously I've allowed for a wider age bracket to give some of you younger Hooligans a taste of what will happen if you act this way in a couple of years. To those who are in the gang, I make you this promise: you almost killed a defenseless, innocent child yesterday. I. Will. Find. You."

Many other adults added their affirmations.

"That's right."

"Good."

Hiccup sauntered back to the front, where the burnt tail fin lay on the table. He held it up so that everyone could see it. "Suppose the tail fin represents the village. Strong, durable, reliable. Weathered many storms. But, for a village to work properly," Hiccup flipped the prosthetic over as he was talking and began to yank out its parts, tossing them on the floor. The kids and teens gasped in shock. "You need to have reliable parts!" the chief continued to walk around, still pulling the tail fin apart. Wires, gears, and springs fell around his feet and rolled under tables. "You can't have a strong and reliable machine if you tear. Apart. The structure." He paused, allowing his words to sink in, before continuing. "Let's play a game! Do you guys like games? You're kids, sure you do!" Hiccup rifled through the pieces before pulling out one of them and holding it up. "What is this? Any engineers out there?" Silence rang through the hall. "Come on, what is this? You don't really have to be an engineer to know what this is-"

"A spring." A teenage boy answered nearby.

"Thank you. How about this?" he held up another piece.

"A gear." said Mila Ingerman tentatively.

"Excellent. I knew you all weren't without some intelligence." Hiccup smirked at the bewildered expressions on several teens' faces. "Now, with these pieces missing, do you think this tail fin will function properly?"

"Not if it's burnt." Dana quipped unabashedly.

Hiccup let out a fake chortle. "Very funny. We've got some good thinkers in this crowd. If it weren't for the rebellious outbreak, this could be our most intelligent, promising generation." Hiccup suddenly yanked off the connecting rod and waved it around for all to see, tossing the ruined prosthetic back on the table. "Now, I know you all know what this is. You're a clever group."

"Connecting rod." Adrianna mumbled, still audible in the silence.

"Another correct answer." Hiccup nodded to his daughter. "So, when you tear apart the structure, the thing holding the entire piece together," Hiccup suddenly snapped the connecting rod in half, making several people flinch. "Everything. Crumbles." Dead silence. Hiccup quietly turned in a circle and asked, "Anyone want to venture a guess as to who the connecting rod is? Or the other parts that make the village function?" More silence followed this question. "That would be me. And the council. Many of your parents and grandparents. Tell me, I'm curious: what exactly was the plan once you got past us? Do any of you know?" Hiccup tossed his head with a smirk. "Because when I find you, you'd better have a good answer. Try to touch my village again." Hiccup said firmly. "I dare you to try. Because next time, Toothless won't miss." The Night Fury snarled loudly, causing a few teenagers to back away with a gasp. Cliff's heel caught the bench and he toppled over, falling between his parents. Hiccup pointed toward the doorway with the broken connecting rod pieces in his hand. "Teenagers and anyone with small children, you may leave now. Parents of teens, stay a few more minutes please. Go on!" Teenagers nearly ran out of the room, skirting past him like he might grab them. "Oh, and teens?" The teenagers looked back at him from the doorway. Hiccup smirked. "I have eyes everywhere. No funny business while I'm cooped up in here with your parents."

Several teens nodded as they crowded the door, everyone wanting to get out as quickly as possible. As soon as the Great Hall doors shut behind them, Finn made a beeline to Erick.

"Hey, buddy." he said in a voice that was uncharacteristically friendly. "I gotta question for you. C'mon, it'll just be a second."

Erick tensed but followed Finn, the boy's strong arm steering him to the opening to the woods. He knew they wouldn't be seen or overheard here.

"Finn, I can't do this anymore." he whispered the moment they stopped moving.

"Anymore? You were in it for a day and you did fine." Finn lightly punched his shoulder. "I told you, the first hit is the hardest. You're over the hurdle. No backing out now."

"I almost killed a baby and your dad!" Erick hoarsely whispered back, looking around to make sure no one was approaching. "That's got to be a record."

Finn scoffed. "Come on Erick, they're both completely fine, I checked!"

"You can't be serious about this! You want to keep this up after... after that? I thought he was going to kill somebody!"

Finn rolled his eyes. "Words. All bark and no bite-"

"He wasn't dive-bombing you yesterday!" Erick shook his head. "I'm out, Finn. I think we should just come clean to Hiccup to avoid this whole-"

"You know, I really wasn't a hundred percent sure you would stick around." Finn said in a low voice, his face splitting into a malevolent smirk. "I thought it through. I made sure I was ready just in case this conversation ever happened. And I don't want to have to do this..." he sighed dramatically, "but you don't give me a choice."

"Look, I know I'm in trouble, but I really don't think you could find a way to rat me out without incriminating yourself."

"Oh, I know. That's why I don't plan to. Erick, you're staying in the gang, whether you like it or not, and you're not going to say a word to my father about it." Finn said menacingly.

"What makes you so sure?" Erick asked, his heart rate quickening.

"Because I know you still care about my sister." Finn said, his smirk widening. "And it would be a real shame if something happened to her."

Erick choked on air. "You wouldn't dare. Hiccup would skin you alive!"

Finn let out a derisive but quiet laugh. "Thing about my sister is that she's easy to mess with and easy to manipulate. My father would never know. And I don't think he'd be too forgiving if his little girl got hurt and you could have prevented it."

Erick shook his head and took a step back. "You're a monster, Finn. I honestly don't know what happened to you."

"Yeah, and look at you." Finn spat. "You look so terrible and depressed, it's a wonder you haven't killed yourself."

Erick's back hit a tree trunk. The words echoed in his mind until he felt like his head might explode. Gritting his teeth, he forced the words out. "She's your sister!"

"And Nikolas is your brother but I know you wouldn't raise a finger if I went after him."

Erick pursed his lips, hating himself for not having a retort. "I wouldn't want you to-"

"Yeah and I don't want to mess with my sister." Finn shrugged. "Point is, family loyalty can only get you so far and honestly, Anna is a gigantic pain. I have no qualms about doing as much as it takes to keep you in line."

Erick's arms trembled at his sides. He wanted to punch the other teen in the face so badly. "If you lay a hand on her, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Finn let out another laugh. "You never were violent. Save it. Wouldn't want those arms to start bleeding."

Erick looked away. "Get away from me."

"Gladly. But if you want my sister to stay safe, you'll keep doing exactly what I say." Finn narrowed his eyes at the boy before turning on his heel and marching in the other direction.

Erick slumped to the ground and buried his face in his hands. Finn's words echoed through his mind. Why didn't he kill himself? Why did he allow himself to live through this miserable existence, to make choices so stupid he put himself, the village, and his former best friend in danger? Erick's chest tightened until he felt it might tear open. His shoulders shook with the suppressed sobs. He wondered if there was a point anymore. Why was he still here? The snap of a branch pulled him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Charger slowly approaching. Instantly, the knot in his stomach loosened slightly as he reached out his arms and allowed his dragon to tentatively walk over and lean down. He patted Charger's snout affectionately, feeling a rush of appreciation for his dragon.

"You still believe in me." he whispered affectionately. Charger cooed and snuggled into Erick's arms. "Thanks, buddy."

When the green Nadder leaned in closer, Erick threw his arms around his dragons neck and cried. The dragon crooned sadly, shuffling to wrap his boy in his wing. Erick didn't know what to do about anything anymore. He didn't know of anyone who cared. But at least his dragon still loved him. At least it was a shoulder to cry on.

For now.

Xxx

Hiccup spent his day after the meeting assuring some of the youngest Hooligans that he didn't intend to put them all in jail just because they were within the age bracket. Later that night, Astrid became worried when he didn't return home and, after giving her children strict orders to stay put, met up with Gobber to look for him. As soon as they walked into the Great Hall, Gobber spoke up.

"Looks like we found him." Gobber said, pointing to the corner of the Hall.

Astrid looked over to find her husband sitting in the farthest corner from the front doors. He was seated in front of a chess board, his eyes locked onto the pieces as if he was having a deep conversation with them. His wife crept forward almost cautiously. She didn't want to break his concentration but she wasn't altogether sure what he was doing.

"Hey." she said when she had come close enough to be in earshot.

Hiccup looked up, his bloodshot green eyes meeting his wife's instantly. "Oh, hey. Sorry, I... what time is it?"

"Almost eleven." Astrid seated herself across from him.

"Gods, that late?" Hiccup looked over at the two or three remaining workers in the Hall. "You can go home now." he called to them. "I'll close this place up." As they thanked him and left, he turned back to the chessboard. "I'm just trying to figure this out."

"Figure what out?" Gobber asked, picking up a pawn and staring at it. "You can't play chess by yourself. Not if you want to have any fun."

"I'm not playing." Hiccup said darkly. "I want to end this." he picked up the opposing king and stared long and hard at it. "This," he said, pointing to Astrid with the piece, "this is what we're looking for."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "A king?"

"The king." Hiccup corrected. "The gang is clearly hiding someone, protecting someone. Something tells me that if we find him, or her I guess, we'll be able to topple this thing once and for all."

"You're sure Cale isn't the king?" Astrid asked. "He's got the attitude."

Hiccup shook his head. "He's the queen. Dangerous, aggressive, probably at the right hand of the leader, but not the leader himself." Hiccup placed a finger atop the queen piece. "We had him too. If we'd just been able to hold onto him..." he sighed and turned back to the king.

"And Evan?"

"A pawn." Hiccup replied. "He didn't know much, he was just around to do the dirty work no one else wanted to do. He was probably allowed in only because he works at the winery. Not much brains."

"So what was Frey?"

"A rook." Hiccup pointed to the rook positioned just next to Astrid's right elbow. "Not much strategy, just someone who can attack where the king and queen want him. He's got the brawn but not the brains. What we need," Hiccup continued with rising interest, "is a knight."

"A knight?" Astrid picked up one of the knights on the board. "Why do we need a knight?"

"Knights are strategists. Surprise attackers. Their moves are less predictable. I suppose we could benefit from a bishop too but they're a bit more straightforward in their planning."

"Are you sure you're not taking this analogy a bit too far?" Gobber piped up.

"If we want to catch them at their own game, we need to figure out what game that is." Hiccup said, his eyes not wavering from the board.

"Do you really think a group of teenagers is that organized?" Astrid added.

"Yes. Maybe not exactly like this chessboard but they've got a strategy similar enough to be comparable. They're all in this together to protect the king. We get the king and the whole gang unravels. Checkmate." Hiccup flicked the piece over with his finger.

"Well," Astrid looked over at the pieces closer to her husband, "what about our side?"

"I've got that all worked out." Hiccup smiled craftily. "You and I are the queen. We want to be just as stealthy, as powerful, as crafty as that piece. We're Cale's equals. Gobber, you and Snotlout are the bishops. We need you to be very careful and not let on too much. Fishlegs and Horst are our knights, they're our best strategists. Ruff and Tuff are our rooks, our raw muscle."

"And the king?"

The smile melted off Hiccup's face. "The king is the piece that must be protected at all costs." he stated slowly. "Therefore our king is our innocent villagers caught up in this ridiculous game."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Astrid inspected the queen piece now, silently pleased that she had such a big role in this operation.

"Well we'll have to call the chess club together as soon as possible, won't we?" Hiccup finally looked up at her, his eyes aglow with a sort of manic excitement. "We have a choice, Astrid, we can either lie down and let the other team play us like a bunch of disposable pawns or we can strategize and take out as many of them as we can. Throw them in jail, make them do community service, try to reason with them because the closer we get to the king, the closer we are to ending this game."

"And losing isn't an option." Astrid added gravely.