Hiccup walks through the pathways in the underground base, feeling more conflicted than he can ever remember. But that isn't saying much, considering that his past memories are still extremely foggy. But after the talk that he had with Dagur, Hiccup's mind feels more clear that it has felt in years.

When he gets to the impasse, his steps falter for a minute. He feels as if something is pulling him to go down the second passage. He was given strict orders to never step foot in that passage or his punishments would become more intense. His punishment for failing his mission is already going to be brutal. He isn't positive that if he disobeys his orders that the chief will have any remaining patience for him.

Before he continues on his path, an echo bounces off the passage walls. Hiccup recognizes it as a dragon's roar. But he isn't sure what dragon it would be. However, something about is familiar, and Hiccup can't place why it is. He thinks back to what Dagur had told him. He had mentioned the name Toothless but he had never stated who or what this "Toothless" is.

Hiccup doesn't move for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should ignore direct orders. He glances down the light passageway that leads him to the chief and his commander. How much time does he have left before they start wondering where he is and why he hasn't shown up yet?

He turns back to the dark path, mind made up. He slowly starts walking down the path, hesitant, but he slowly grows more confident and walks a little more quickly down the passage. Hiccup takes out one of his hidden knives when he sees the end of the passage, expecting some of the chief's men but finding none.

Instead, what he finds is a cage. A very large cage. The dark doesn't help Hiccup determine what lies in the cage, but he still walks closer, hoping to catch a glimpse as to what is behind the metal bars. Hiccup was careful to not make a sound as he came down the passage, but that doesn't seem to matter anymore when big and bright green eyes appear right in front of the bars. A low growl comes from the dragon; a warning. But something about those eyes calms Hiccup's raising nerves. And that feeling of calm somehow trails back to that dragon.

They stare at one another, unflinching. Hiccup knows this dragon. Something about the dragon makes Hiccup feel more calm, more at peace and less tortured by past events.

The dragon seems to finally realize who stands before him as his eyes widen. However, he seems to realize that it is only one-sided and the human can't place why this dragon is familiar.

Time has, unfortunately, ran out for Hiccup when he hears footsteps coming down the passage. Hiccup swears under his breath and hurries to get out of sight as the light from a torch grows brighter. He goes to the nearest wall and hides behind one of the tables that are placed nearby. The men that are making their way down the hallway finally emerge in the entrance of the room.

"Are you sure you saw someone walking down this passage?" The man holding the torch asks the other man. The man glares at the accusing look the other man.

"Yes, I'm sure, Krogan. What reason would I have to lie about this? You know that nobody, but those who were assigned here, is to step foot in this room."

Krogan narrows his eyes at him. He turns back to the entrance and starts walking out of the room. "I don't have time for this. We just got new captors this morning and I need to help get everything ready." He stops and turns to stare at the other man, a menacing glare thrown at him, "I can't have your failure ruining our plans." And with that, he walks out of the room.

The man groans and rubs his head. After a moment, he follows after Krogane, leaving Hiccup hidden in the shadows.

He waits a moment, making sure that they won't come back, and crawls out of his hiding spot. He glances back at the cage and catches the dragon staring at him yet again.

Knowing not to waste any more time, Hiccup looks away from the dragon and follows the way that Krogan and the guard came and left from.

Hiccup ignores the pull and makes his way down the lit passage.

-----00-----

Electricity courses through his body.

It's agonizing.

"Where did Hiccup go wrong?"

"He showed up"

"He didn't get eaten"

"He's never where he should be"

Never in the right place.

Never fits in.

"Figure out which side you're on"

What side am I on?

I can't remember.

"All those years of the of worst Viking Berk has ever seen!"

"Odin, it was rough. I almost gave up on you!"

Disappointment.

"You've done it, Hiccup! You get to kill the dragon!"

Unworthy.

"That's for the lies"

"And that's for everything else"

I deserve this.

"I can finally show my face in public again!"

Embarrassment.

"Stop the fight"

Don't you trust me?

"I SAID STOP THE FIGHT!"

Why don't you trust me?

"So everything was a trick? A lie?"

I'm sorry.

"You've thrown your lot in with them"

"Your not a Viking"

"You're not my son"

I know.

I'm sorry.

"It's a mess"

Wait.

"You must feel horrible"

"You've lost everything"

"Your father"

"Your tribe"

"Your best friend"

I know this person.

"I want to remember what you say right now"

You heard me.

"First to ride one though"

You believed in me.

"That's more like it"

"Astrid."

-----00-----

When Astrid wakes up, she is in an unfamiliar place. Her head throbs as she pushes herself up from the cold stone ground. Looking around in the dark room, she takes notice of the metal bars on the wall, trapping her inside, what is rightful to be assumed, a cell. She spots movement to her right and goes to grab her ax that should be strapped to her back, but when she lifts her arms, she realizes that her wrists are cuffed together. Even if she weren't cuffed, her ax isn't strapped to her back. She bristles at the thought that someone has taken her ax.

Astrid gets into a defensive position, preparing for an attack. Instead, she hears a groan from the person locked in the cell with her. She narrows her eyes, moving closer to the person on the ground. Her eyes widen when she realizes who the person is.

"Snotlout?"

Snotlout groans yet again and turns towards Astrid. He smiles at her weakly and pushes himself into a sitting position. "The one and only." He looks around the cell. "Where are we?"

Astrid sits down as well. "I'm not sure. I just woke up but I can't remember how we got here." She startles when she remembers who they were with. "Where are the others?" She exclaims, frantically looking around the dim cell, using the little light the torch on a far wall, outside the cell, provides.

Her shoulders sag when she spots Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Fishlegs all slumped on the wall facing the cell door. "Oh thank Thor." Astrid breaths out in relief. She was afraid that whoever had kidnapped them had also separated them as well. At least now she knows that they are all more or less okay and they are all together.

Fishlegs is the next one to awaken, immediately panicking when he realizes that they have been kidnapped and that their dragons aren't in the cell with them.

Astrid sighs, "I doubt they hurt the dragons. They obviously want us for something. It wouldn't be wise to hurt them." Fishlegs seems to calm down marginally when he hears this. "But don't worry, we will get out and we will get our dragons back."

Tuffnut tries to lighten the mood a little bit when he mentions how this is the third time that they have been kidnapped in the last few years. And Astrid must've been on dragon nip or something because she does not remember the first two times

Astrid gives Tuffnut a strange look. "We have never been kidnapped before. Stoick never let us off the island by ourselves for anything remotely dangerous after everything that has happened."

Ruffnut looks at him confused. "Don't you remember those other times when Dagur kidnapped us?" She looks at her brother for support and he nods in agreement.

Snotlout scoffs. "We weren't kidnapped. We went along with Stoick to a chief meeting. You idiots were causing mayhem, as usual, and Dagur put you in cells for the remainder of the time that we were there." Snotlout says. "Stoick was not happy with you guys." He winces at the memory.

The twins look at each other for a moment, before they start cackling at their antics. Astrid rolls her eyes and stands up. She walks to the metal bars, and she pushes on the cell door, even though she knows that they would never leave their kidnapped victims in an unlocked cell.

However, if their kidnappers were too incompetent to lock the cell, it would be best to check anyway. Knowing that all they can do is wait, Astrid sits back down on the ground, back leaning against the wall.

Astrid isn't sure how long they have been waiting in the cell. Tuffnut and Ruffnut convinced themselves that there was a secret door hidden somewhere in the cell. They spent a good hour or so trying to prove their theory was correct. But when they couldn't find the "secret door", they had sat back down.

Nobody had come to check up on them since they've woken up so they haven't been able to make a break for it yet. None of them have their weapons, thus preventing them from planning any further escape.

But when two figures, one burly man with a small scar on the light side of his face; a bald head; and a black mustache and beard, the other man slightly shorter than the other; with short black hair and a beard, enter the room holding a torch, all five of them stand to face their supposed kidnappers.

The men stop just in front of the cell doors, the shorter man has a smug look on his face as he observes the five of them.

"I see you all have woken up. I would like to welcome you all here but I feel like the circumstances aren't the best." The black haired man says.

"Tell us why you kidnapped us," Astrid demands. She isn't one to deal with the arrogant attitude that this man has. Years of spending every day in the presence of Snotlout proved this.

"Now now, let's not get ahead of ourselves," he says, raising his hands placating. "I do, however, feel introductions are in order."

He gestures to the bald man behind him. "This is my commander and my brother, Ryker." He then gestures to himself. "I am the chief of the base, but you can call me Viggo."