Riders of B E R K

Part 61: The Arms of Hela

A/N: Yup I'm still alive and I haven't given up on this story. Thank you all for your patience. I have some more story plotted for the Riders so here we go...

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Sixty-One: The Arms of Hela

Hookfang and Fanghook were hanging around with Barf'n'Belch on the main level just outside Gobber's office when the Riders trundled after Meatlug. Snotlout gaped at his dragon.

"Hookie!" he exclaimed and raced forward to embrace the Monstrous Nightmare-but the dragon head-butted him though he gave a purr. "Stupid dragon," the sergeant muttered affectionately. Tuff greeted the Zippleback and Eret calmed the younger purple Monstrous Nightmare, who was looking for Gustav, but all three dragons were agitating to get into the Main Garage. Fishlegs frowned and stared at them. Meatlug was also bumping worriedly against the heavily armoured doors, rumbling unhappily.

"Get...Gobber..." Hiccup's voice rasped from their coms and Snotlout instantly stared at the others.

"Cuz? You okay?" he asked in a concerned voice. There was a pause.

"Doors...should be open now..." Hiccup rasped, his voice hoarse. Eret sprinted to the door-to find Gobber singing 'I'm a Viking Through and Through." He waved at the Corporal.

"Good tae see ye, laddie!" he grinned, waving his hip flask.

"Very merry but less coherent even than usual," was his verdict.

"Gobber's pretty drunk!" Snotlout explained over his com and there was a pause. "Not sure where everyone else is. We've got our dragons...well, some of them...and..."

"You need to seal the garage," Hiccup said hoarsely. "The Grimborns have forced their way in-and with the security protocols all overridden, leaving us open- the whole place is in chaos. You have to stop them entering the main base-by any means."

"But how?" Snotlout protested. "We've got no weapons and just three dragons..." There was a pause.

"Kind of thought complete destruction and disaster was your speciality," Hiccup rasped over the com. "Come on, Snot. You're a soldier-and the leader of the Riders. Can you manage that, just this once?" There was a pause and Snotlout's face lifted with a small smile.

"Tuff, Eret, Fish...you wanna help me blow shit up?" he asked and the male twin gave the broadest grin.

"Dude-you have no idea how happy I am to hear that," he sighed. "Hold on here-the armoury is just round the corner." Eret cast the sergeant a jaundiced look.

"And you may just have given him license to reduce BERK to rubble," he warned but Snotlout was unrepentant.

"Look-it's survived everything we, Dagur, Savage, Dog, Vorg and Alvin have done to it so far-I'm sure we won't destroy it by allowing Tuff free rein..." he said confidently. There was a pause as Gobber limped up.

"I'll hold ye ter that!" he said with a belch and promptly fell over.

oOo

"Well this was a brilliant move!" Ruff's accusing tone was loud in the small office as the three Riders struggled against their bonds. Plastic ties had been effectively employed to tie their ankles together and their hands behind their backs as they sat on the floor in a line by the tied up and gagged shape of Colonel Mildew, who was glaring and probably cursing through his gag.

"It was a perfectly good plan until you decided to follow me and the duct gave way," Cami retorted. "Thor, my Mother and clan would be completely ashamed I couldn't even get through a bunch of ducts..."