Behind the mask

Cornered

His brain congealed into a mess of shock and horror as he listened to Dagur's words. Dagur wanted to go back to the Forge, break in, kill Toothless and burn the place to the ground. And Dagur didn't know he was the guy who'd fought off his brother and the Berserkers...

...he was literally a dead man if Dagur found out...

...but he couldn't let the Forge be burnt down. No matter how angry he was at Gobber...because Gobber had always been there for him when no one else had been. Gobber had taken over the father role when his Dad had gone...and Hiccup loved Gobber as a second father. Burning down the Forge would ruin Gobber, break him...

...and he had to make sure Toothless was safe. Toothless trusted him, waited for him, protected him...and he couldn't let them hurt him. Honestly, Hiccup wasn't sure he would do if the dog was hurt...

"Earth to Hiccup!" Dagur growled and the auburn-haired boy blinked.

"What?" he asked shortly.

"You in?" Dagur insisted. Hiccup frowned.

"Sorry...you want to go back to a place that your brother and his friends were driven away from last night to rob them, kill their dog and burn the place down?" he repeated. "Where do I start? Won't they have ramped up security and maybe be watching? Alarms, cameras, reinforced doors...?"

"You scared?" Savage scoffed.

"Well, not keen to ending up talking to the cops when this all crashes and burns..." Hiccup retorted.

"But that's the idea!" Thuggory chuckled. "Especially the burning part! And we know you're handy with locks and other bits of tinkering. You can get us in, can't you?"

"And I mean why kill the dog?" Hiccup asked. My dog.

"It bit my brother!" Dagur snarled.

"Hey, you break into a place with a dog..." Hiccup said sarcastically...and Dagur grabbed the front of his grimy hoodie, almost hauling him off his feet.

"Are you going soft on me?"he menaced. "Worried about some freakin' dog?"

"I...like dogs..." Hiccup admitted with a grimace. Better than you. Far better.

"Have you forgotten what we talked about yesterday?" Dagur breathed, leaning close.

"Um...no..."

"You're with us or against us," Dagur reminded him brutally. "So what is it?"

"W-with you..." Hiccup admitted, ashamed. But there was no one else remotely on his side. Dagur shoved him back an few steps.

"So tonight...meet in the park at eight..." Dagur said. "We'll join up with Ozzie and his gang and then go to finish off the garage..."

"Garage?" Hiccup muttered, still readjusting his hoodie. "C'mon, Dag-there won't be anything there..."

"Haven't we just covered this?" Dagur asked him pointedly. Hiccup sighed.

"At least wait a few days..." he suggested but Dagur slammed him back against the wall, fists full of his hoodie and pressing the skinny shape into the wall. The larger boy leaned very close.

"If I hear one more sound, I'm gonna forget you're my friend and kick the crap outta you. Are we clear?"

Hiccup stared wide-eyed at him, scarcely daring to breath.

"Understand?" Dagur shouted in his face. "Answer the freakin' question!"

"Um...you said you didn't want to hear another sound," Hiccup murmured, seeing Dagur turn bright red in anger. Dagur's face lurched closer. "Yeah...understood," he added quickly and Dagur pushed away, turning along the hall as the bell sounded.