Behind the mask

On your side

Hiccup was staring aimlessly at the board in English. Mr Larson was obsessed with war poetry and try as he might, he couldn't concentrate on the sad words when his own heart was still broken from the loss of his Mom. It had been a few weeks now and he was back at School, struggling to concentrate and retrieve the catastrophic grades he had gotten just after she died...but he was trying...intermittently. At the moment, he was so distracted, that he didn't even notice Martin Hofferson enter the classroom and share a few words with the teacher.

"Hiccup?"

He blinked at his name and looked up- to see the man by his desk. He gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I was miles away," he mumbled. "And not in First World War France either..."

"You need to come with me now," Martin said urgently. His heart suddenly pounding with anxiety from the last time he had needed to leave school in a hurry, the boy nodded and stood, grabbing his things.

"Is Astrid okay?" he demanded the moment they hit the hall. Martin stared at him...then gently grasped his shoulder, touched at his concern.

"She's fine-in fact, we're collecting her now. Go fetch your bag and I'll meet you at the front door."

"Wow-I really didn't take you for mysterious and confusing, Mr H," he commented as he headed for his locker. But he was quick about it and was waiting when the two Hoffersons arrived at the front door of the school. Hiccup wasn't really relieved to see Astrid looking as confused as he felt but both teens obediently jumped into the car as Martin sped into town.  They pulled up outside the Courthouse.

"Why're we here, Dad?" Astrid asked worriedly as they scooted from the car and followed him as they raced up the steps. A tall, imposing woman with short burnished gold hair and cool eyes was waiting for them.

"This is Mala Tydon. She's a lawyer and she's working for us...or more precisely for Hiccup," Martin said. The boy gaped.

"M-me?" he asked. "Thor, what's gone wrong now? Why do I need a lawyer?"

"I will answer all your questions in good time," Mala answered, her voice clipped and cold. "But right now, we need to hurry. Court Three..." And then she turned and stalked down the corridor, her dark suited shape impressive as she reached the court and walked in, the others trailing behind. Hiccup followed her...and saw with shock that the huge, bearded shape of Alvin was speaking to a judge. Mala raised a hand to the judge.

"Your Honour, Mala Tydon, representing Hiccup Haddock!" she announced. "I must insist that these proceedings stop immediately as you are being lied to in a craven attempt at fraud and theft of this boy's inheritance!"

The judge, a solid dark-haired women in a black robe looked over her glasses at the blonde woman and frowned.

"Mr Treacher is attempting to finalise the legal declaration of death of Stoick Haddock on behalf of his wife, Mr Haddock's widow to enable her to finally claim his estate."

"Mr Treacher has no claim and no right to make such an application," Mala said coldly.

"He is empowered to act on behalf of his wife," the Judge reminded her. Mala shook her head.

"Regrettably, your Honour, Mrs Valka Haddock no longer has a valid claim on two counts. The more debatable first is that she has had their marriage annulled and remarried prior to declaration of death but the second is that she passed away almost a month ago."

There was a pause that had every eye falling on Mala...and then the Judge glared at Alvin.

"Is this true?" she demanded.  Alvin nodded, bowing his head and feigning a miserable expression.