AUTHOR POV

Later that afternoon, Hiccup was sitting in his hut with his father, trying to convince him to accept his plan. Hiccup tried his best to elaborate on his plan while Stoick tried his best to sit down and listen to his son. However, father and son as usual don't meet eye to eye.

"What did you say?" Stoick asked.

"I said we have to release Heather," Hiccup said, causing Stoick to stand up in impatience. "Dad, it's the only way my plan will work."

"Ah, ya don' need any plans," Stoick said. "Just let Alvin come and we'll batter their fleet. We've done it before and we can do it again."

"No, it won't be like last time," Hiccup also stood up, both quickly losing their patience. "I've seen their fleet and I know Berk's defenses. We can't win this battle." 

"She's too dangerous, Hiccup. Heather has fooled us from the beginning. Odin knows what kind of damage she could do if we let her go," Stoick said.

"So we're not releasing her?" 

"No Berk prisoners leave unless I say so," Stoick declared before leaving the house.

"Great," Hiccup sighed to himself. 

The front door opened again and in walked Astrid and the gang, eagerly waiting for the news. 

"What did he say, Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"He said no," Hiccup said. 

"So we're going with plan B?" Ruffnut asked.

"Yup, plan B it is," Hiccup said.

"Oh, it all makes sense now!" Tuffnut said. "Plan A was 'plan Ask Stoick to release Heather' and plan B is 'plan Break Heather out of prison'!"

"The problem is, I don't have any idea how to break her out and we're short on time," Hiccup admitted. "Anyone got any ideas?" The gang looked around and one by one they shrugged their shoulders.

"Ugh, fine," Astrid said. "I'll break her out, but you owe me big, Hiccup."

"Duly noted. How will you do it?"

"Don't worry, I have my ways. You'll take the blame if anyone gets hurt right?" Astrid asked.

"Of course," he said "We'll wait for you outside the prison."

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After hearing about the impending invasion, Stoick ordered guards to be placed all over the village, including the prison. That made the Astrid's task all the more difficult. 

Astrid walked up to the desk of the prison warden near the entrance. The mess on his desk was comprised of stacks of papers and half-eaten food. She noticed the safely guarded rack of keys behind him.

"Hello, I'm here to see Heather," she said.

"I'm sorry, lass. No one can visit any prisoners right now. Chief's orders," he said.

"Okay..." Astrid walked to his side behind the desk. The warden didn't suspect anything, as Astrid was fairly honorable among the teenagers. "I'm so sorry, sir," she said before whacking his head with a rock, knocking him out. Astrid quickly grabbed his keys and ran to Heather's cell.

As she got closer, she saw two guards posted in front of the cell who were already alerted to all the noise. She leaped and kicked one guard in the stomach, taking him by surprise. The other guard lunged his spear, but she stepped to the side and pushed him into a clinch on the bars. She thrust her knee into him and made him an instant soprano. The man in agony fell to the side while Astrid took out her keys and started trying each one on the lock.

"Astrid, are you crazy?!" Heather asked.

"Probably," she said and finally opened the lock. Astrid ran up to Heather and released her shackles, letting her arms fall down to their sides. Heather massaged her sore wrists and almost numb arms. 

"Come on, you can do that later. More guards are gonna get here," Astrid urged.

The two ran out of the cell and down the hallways, avoiding the sounds of guards coming their direction. As they exited the prison, they were met by the gang and their dragons, ready to take off. 

Astrid jumped on Stormfly and they flew off toward the forest, with Heather sharing the Night Fury. "So, you're really going through with this plan?" Heather asked as she gripped Hiccup's sides.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I've fully forgiven you," he said with the wind whistling through their hair. "Right now, I need you to help stop the invasion and you need me to save your parents. Other than that, we still consider you our enemy. If you try anything funny, I can always let Astrid bruise her knuckles on you."

Heather was genuinely surprised at his tone. She'd never seen this side of Hiccup, but she suspected it was inside of him somewhere, buried under his meek and compassionate nature. 

"Deal," she said. "But can you at least try to be friendly? It's not like I wanted all of this to happen. I won't be able to focus when I know you're this mad at me. "

"Okay," Hiccup sighed. "I can do that."

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"Hiccup, you know I like it when you make crazy plans, but this is really crazy," Astrid said.

It was already evening, and Hiccup and Astrid were in the forest just a short distance from the beach. Although she'd heard the plan several times now, Astrid was still skeptical of Hiccup's idea. It was the night Heather was supposed to deliver Hiccup, and Astrid was tying a thick rope around Hiccup's body. 

"It's the only way, Astrid," Hiccup said. "If it works, we'll never have to deal with the Outcasts again."

"Yeah, and if it fails, we'll have to defend Berk without you or Toothless. I'll also have to explain to your father why you're missing and how Heather escaped from prison." 

"Yeah, I see why you may be worried," Hiccup said. "But hey, we have Heather on our side and we know how good she is at this kind of stuff."

"I just don't trust her, Hiccup. What if she doesn't help us?"

"She has to. She knows Alvin could easily betray her and kill her parents even if she completes her mission. Heather needs us as much as we need her right now."

"Well, if you so much as get a scratch on yourself, I'll make her pay for it." Astrid tied the final knot on the rope.

"I'll make sure to take care of myself then."

Astrid stepped back to look at her work. "There, you're all done," Astrid said, attempting to put on an encouraging smile. On the opposite end, Hiccup wore a solemn expression on his face that he always had when he was worried.

"Astrid, when it all starts going crazy over there... can I count on you to get her parents?" he asked. Heather was not on Astrid's favorite person list at the moment, but Heather's parents were another matter.

"What am I, some kind of professional prison breaker?"

"Well, you did just break someone out of Berk prison in less than five minutes, so yeah, you kinda are." He grinned.

Astrid was a little surprised at his request, but she gave a similar response to most of Hiccup's requests of her. "Alright. For this kind of job... I'm your girl," Astrid smiled. 

"Thanks. I should probably get going," Hiccup said, turning around.

"Hiccup."

"Hmm?"

As he faced back, Astrid pulled him in and kissed him on the cheek, causing his face to flare up in a sea of pink. "Be careful," Astrid said, showing some rare worry in her eyes.

"I'll see you in a couple hours." Hiccup flashed a smile. 

Hiccup walked to the beach and joined Heather, who was standing under the moonlight. They listened to the crashing waves, waiting for the Outcast party to arrive. She turned her head to see Hiccup's upper body tied up in ropes with a gag hanging around his neck.  

"Are you ready?" Heather asked. "This isn't like last time, Hiccup. You won't have Toothless or anyone to protect you. You'll be in chains; Alvin could do anything to you."

"What do you care?" Hiccup replied coldly.

Heather frowned, her eyes dipping to the ground. "I still care about you, Hiccup. I don't want you or anyone to get hurt," she said softly. "And I thought you said you'll try to be friendly."

"Okay, fine," he sighed. "Are you sure you know where the catapults are?"

"Yes, of course," Heather said, crossing her arms. "I just hope this works."

"It will. Trust me," Hiccup reassured.

"Oh, I trust you; and I trust Astrid. But not the other guys. I mean, having to repeat the plan five times is a pretty bad sign, don't you think?"

"Don't worry, they're different in these types of situations. They're pretty reliable, believe it or not," Hiccup said.

"Okay, they'll be here any minute. Any last words before I gag you?" Heather asked.

"Uh, good luck?" Hiccup shrugged.

"Good choice of words," Heather chuckled as she lifted the gag to Hiccup's mouth. Hiccup then laid down on the beach and pretended to struggle.

The Outcast boat finally appeared on the horizon and got closer and closer until they reached the beach. Savage and other men approached Heather once more.

"Is this him?" Savage asked. "He's skinny as a twig."

"Whatever. Let's finish this. I'm sick of this island," Heather scoffed.

"Come here, boy," Savage said as he grabbed the wriggling Hiccup. They carried Hiccup onto the boat and sailed into the horizon as Astrid and her friends watched from the forest.

"Man, I can't wait see some action already!" Snotlout said.

"Okay gang, it's up to us now to get them out of there. We just have to wait," Astrid said.

"You can count on us, Astrid," Ruffnut said.

"Yeah... wait, what's the plan again?" Tuffnut asked.

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The boat arrived on Outcast Island after a short trip over the sea. The men carried Hiccup through the pathways and hallways of the island. They put a bag over Hiccup's head, but he had seen Outcast Island enough times to know the kind of wasteland it is.

Jagged rocks, stinking fire pits, and vile barbarian symbols--that was what Hiccup would see for the rest of his life if the plan went wrong.

They carried him deep into the Outcast base through diverse mountain tunnels. Suddenly, they dropped his body on the floor and took off his blinds and gags.

Hiccup looked up to see the leader of his enemy, Alvin the Treacherous. 

"Well, well, the son of Stoick the Vast, brought to me in shackles and chains. Didn't I tell you I would get you, boy?" Alvin said.

"I can't believe you would use Heather like that," Hiccup said.

Alvin chuckled, "You and that Night Fury of yours could destroy 100 of my men, but I knew you'd fall to a pretty face."

"Alvin, what about our deal?" Heather asked.

"Alright, I admit you've done your part, but before I release your parents, I need to see if the boy can really train dragons. If he can't, then I'll kill all four of you," Alvin stated.

Heather remained calm at the threat, knowing that everything was going according to plan. "Fair enough," Heather agreed.

Hiccup was then dragged off and thrown into his fetid Outcast cell. 

"You better get comfy, boy. You're never getting off this island," an Outcast member laughed.

Hiccup remained silent as they locked his door and walked away; but he did react when five bloated rats crept into his cell and continued eating the corpse of the cell's previous resident.

"That's... disgusting," Hiccup said, stopping himself from throwing up. 

"Hello? Who's there?" a voice asked.

Hiccup pressed his face against the cell door to get a better view. The voice came from across the tunnel in the opposite cell.

 "Hello? Are you Heather's parents?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes! Have you seen Heather? How is she?" they asked as they both moved closer.

"She's fine. Don't worry, we're going to get you out very soon," Hiccup said.

"We know. Our Heather is a smart girl, and we know she'd find a way to get us out. I just hope that she doesn't put herself in danger," Heather's mom said.

"I hope you know what you're doing, young man," her dad said.  

"Just sit tight," Hiccup said. "It'll all be over tomorrow."

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The next morning came and Hiccup was grabbed from his cell. He was again carried through the intricate tunnels of the mountain before coming out to an opening. They untied his bounds and pushed him into a makeshift dragon arena. Then, the opposite gate opened and a flaming Monstrous Nightmare rushed out, generating a roar of applause from the Outcast audience. 

"Right. Monstrous Nightmare. Shouldn't be too hard,"  Hiccup thought to himself. He cautiously approached the beast with an extended hand. The Nightmare's flames slowly died out as Hiccup made contact and began petting the dragon. 

"A real dragon tamer!" an Outcast gasped. 

Hiccup tensed his face before slapping the dragon's face, causing the Nightmare to roar and get into attack position. The cheers resounded as Hiccup ran away from the dragon's rage. Apparently, no matter if Hiccup trained the dragon or was killed by it, the Outcasts would enjoy the show.

"I just need to waste as much time as possible," Hiccup thought to himself while dodging fire blasts. "Heather, hurry please."

More and more Outcast members showed up to watch the event, giving Heather the opportunity to slip away unnoticed. 

Heather made her way to the outer defenses where the catapults were located. She could still hear the Monstrous Nightmare roaring and the Outcasts cheering at the arena. Peeking over a trench, she surveyed the defenses.

"So many catapults; but at least there's not a lot of guards," she thought.

After a few minutes of waiting, she made her move, sneaking up behind several guards and silently slitting their throats with her knife. She was careful to not let anyone see her or the dead bodies.

There were only two guards left but they were too far apart to fight together, but still close enough to see each other.

"Whew, okay, no mistakes. No mistakes," Heather chanted in her mind.

Heather jumped one of them and snapped his neck. Instead of coming to help, the other guard ran to report. Heather picked up her knife and threw it, sticking right into the guard's back.

The area was now clear and Heather started disabling the numerous catapults.

Meanwhile, Hiccup was engaged at the arena, trying to stay alive. He had to buy as much time as possible by alternately provoking and taming the Monstrous Nightmare. Alvin and the Outcasts were very much enjoying the sight of Hiccup running for his life around the arena, when they suddenly saw green smoke appearing in the sky.

"What's that?" Alvin wondered, standing up to get a better view.

"Incoming dragon riders! Man the defenses!" an Outcast member shouted.

The Outcast company scrambled out of the bleachers, going to their battle stations. When they arrived, however, they had some problems getting the catapults to work.

"Someone's destroyed the catapults! Watch out!" 

The defenseless Outcasts were no match for the firepower of the Berk dragons. Astrid and the gang charged from the sky, their dragons fully loaded with fire blasts. In case of situations like this, Hiccup had privately taught Astrid how to ride Toothless, and she did just that, blasting away her enemies with the Night Fury.

"Ruff, Tuff, go get Hiccup! Snot, Legs, keep the Outcasts busy!" Astrid ordered.

Barf and Belch flew over to the arena and blasted away the remaining Outcasts there. Snotlout and Hookfang rained down fire from above, sending Outcast members running in every direction. Arrows were still being shot in the air, but they had little effect on a blazing Monstrous Nightmare.

Astrid landed and let Toothless fight on the ground while she went into the tunnels. She passed many corridors until she found the prison, which was surprisingly still heavily guarded despite the raging battle outside.

Astrid charged in with her axe and engaged the prison guards. After quickly disabling them and grabbing the keys, she walked up to a cell holding two people.

"Are you Heather's parents?" Astrid panted heavily.

"Yes, who are you?"

"I'm Heather's... friend. We're here to get you out," Astrid rushed to talk. 

"Oh, thank Odin! Where's our daughter?" 

"She's around here somewhere. Hurry, let's go," Astrid said as she unlocked the cell door.

They rushed out of the prison into the tunnel, only to be met by Savage and his company, the biggest and most skilled Outcast warriors.

"Going somewhere?" Savage grinned deviously.

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A/N: Yup, so things are about to get really bloody on Outcast Island. Don't worry, there won't be violence too often in this book. I was trying to think of a plan that Hiccup might make, and this was the best I could do.

Vote and comment! Let me know if you enjoyed it!

[Next Chapter: Astrid and Heather form an unexpected bond]