The Contract

7: Family Ties

Seven: Family Ties

The twins stared after the vanished SUV then dashed up and through the door to the dilapidated hotel. It was a better standard than Toothless's accommodation but it was in completely the wrong district and now seemed to be in the firing line. Especially as the squeal of tires echoed through the lobby and the chatter of a machine gun echoed through the hotel once more. Ruff grabbed Tuff and hauled him to the floor as the bullets drilled straight through the crumbling wall, letting the weak sunlight eerily penetrate the damp gloom.

"Hey!" Tuff grumbled. "I knew I should have brought the stormtrooper helmet..." Ruff glared at him as she crawled to the Register and peered at the occupants of the rooms.

"I wish you'd brought the rocket launcher," she replied, hauling him to the back of the building and up the stairs to the next floor. "Room 53...47...49...51...here it is..." Then she knocked on the door. "ROOM SERVICE!" Both twins pressed against the doorframe as they heard steps approach and a gentle voice say:

"But I didn't order anything..."

They burst into action, erupted through the door and propelled the husky blonde guy within back all the way to the bed and pinned him down.

"There is no Room Service in this dump," Tuff pointed out.

"And we're here to get you out of here," Ruff added, motioning her brother to close the door. "We're friends of Fury. You're in danger here." A fresh round of gunfire impacted the wall and the building shuddered. "Anything you need to bring?" The husky agent nodded, staring up into her grey-blue eyes and blushing. She was lying across him and he was almost not daring to breathe.

"Um...my computers?" he murmured. "And the others' things? They may not be happy if I leave all their clothes behind..." Ruff stared at him then rolled her eyes and clambered off him, gesturing to the computers.

"You pack them, chubby, and we'll grab the bags," she sighed as the large agent sat up, his face folding into an indignant frown.

"Actually, I'm HUSKY," he told her. "Not...anything else!" She grinned at him as she grabbed clothes and tossed them into the bags. Glaring at her, Fishlegs hastily packed up his computers as the twins listened to the thud of bullets and fidgeted in an agony of urgency. As soon as he had finished, they hauled him down the fire exit and hid behind the bins.

"Where did you park the van, sis?" Tuff asked, peeking out again and she sighed.

"Back at the yard, idiot!" she sighed. "Look-we can flag down a cab..." Fishlegs stared at them.

"Why should I go with you?" he asked as the twins sighed.

"Because Fury needs your help," Tuff told him simply. "This is a job for you-but for him, it's intensely personal. Dagur owes him his life several times over. He took everything from Fury and he's sworn his life to make sure Dagur pays."

"And we're here to make sure he doesn't give his life to do just that," Ruff added. "Also, where we're taking you has kick-ass wifi as well as kick-ass cockroaches." Fishlegs went green.

"Look-we have a geek as well-Fury's best friend," Tuff chipped in. "He says you're real good-so we oughtta help you help him." There was a pause as Fishlegs's blue-green eyes narrowed and he nodded shortly. The hotel was a mess and clearly unsafe...and he was aware that these people may give him a few clues more about Fury-or Hiccup's-mysterious and highly sanitised past.

"I'll need to call the others so they can meet us there," he said and the twins nodded, Ruff walking alongside the heftier man.

"So what do they call you, handsome?" she asked him and he blushed, despite himself.