The Contract

9: Broken

Nine: Broken

Toothless received the call half an hour after Hiccup left-but he didn't need to tell the others what it was because the look on his face told the tale. Fishlegs gasped and the twins shared a look and removed their hats-or in Tuff's case, his stormtrooper helmet.

"He's gone-and Fury won't have made it in time," he said grimly. Astrid looked up.

"He?"

"Fury's father-his only living relative," Ruff said softly. "Everyone else was taken and they almost killed his father. He was in an irreversible coma for two years....but he's known this day was coming. We all have."

Looking round the three friends, Astrid got the first inkling of what kind of man Hiccup Haddock had been before whatever disaster befell him. They were loyal and genuinely cared about a man who had been ruthless, deceptive, sarcastic and lethal...but there had been flashes that hinted at wounds that were well-concealed but incredibly deep.

"Dagur did this, didn't he?" she said thoughtfully. Tuff nodded, ignoring Toothless's slight shake of the head.

"Yeah, he wanted to erase every last trace of the Haddock family because Fury killed..."

"And that's more than enough," Toothless cut in, glaring at the male twin. Fury had given them the talk not to disclose anything about himself to the agents...though he had already broken that rule with Fishlegs. But anything directly related to Fury's mission was taboo. "Give the man some privacy, will you?" Snotlout cracked open an eye.

"Why?" he growled. "He's a stone-cold killer..."

"He's a human being," Astrid told him sharply. "And he is doing what we couldn't do..."

"What?" Snotlout demanded, scowling and sitting up. "What has he actually done so far? All we've done is half-assedly attack Dagur's organisation and set me up as a crime Lord. He's destroyed half of Berserk and killed several men in cold blood in the street. And now he's working for Dagur to remove the competition-and we're helping him! So what has he actually done for us?"

"He's getting Dagur's trust so he can get close," Astrid told him sharply.

"And the job is still in progress," Fishlegs reminded him as he looked up from his screens. "You cannot judge results until the end. And we have a location for you." Astrid glared at Snotlout and then rose to her feet, checking the pistol concealed in her ankle holster.

"Where?" she asked.

"Word has it he is shacked up in Loki's Casino," he reported. "Surveillance cameras confirms they seem to have take most of it over." The female agent glanced at him and then across the room.

"Anyone fancy doing something useful?" she asked briskly. Tuff shook his head.

"I'm too depressed," he sighed and collapsed back onto the couch. "Sympathetic mourning..." Shaking her head, Astrid grabbed her jacket and headed to the door.

"It's dark and no one will pay us much mind," she said. "But I'll go...since Snotlout is on his beauty sleep and no one else is bothered." So with a scornful look, she stormed to the door and slammed out.

Toothless glared round the room, seeing Snotlout lie back, snoring, the twins looking depressed and Fishlegs appearing self-conscious but making no move to follow. Everyone seemed happy to allow the woman to head out on her own without back-up.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked, rising and grabbing his coat. "You know this is crucial: no Madguts, no Dagur. And right now-all Fury has left is finishing Dagur. So indulge yourselves. But remember-Fury wouldn't let her go alone. So-you wait here for Fury. I'll go make sure she doesn't get herself killed..."