He would be lying if he said he wasn't scared because Alvin had such a tight grip on his arm that he thought would completely cut off the circulation and was sure to leave bruises. And his step-father was mad beyond words which mean Hiccup's reasonable afternoon was about to go to Hel as soon as they got home.

Alvin had been in the Mall and had probably been looking out for Hiccup...but had overheard the security guards racing towards a fight in the car park and had followed, suspecting it may have been some of his pupils. He hadn't expected to see the core of his Football team engaged in a brawl with each other with much of the senior Cheerleading Team also egging them on. In fact, the only faces he was missing were Hiccup-and Astrid. Hiccup he would have expected as his troublemaking friends were there and Astrid's closest friends were also among those detained. So it had been a welcome bonus when he had spotted a teen hiding behind the car-and what a surprise...it had been the missing boy. Oh, Alvin had enjoying running him down and tackling the skinny teen to the concrete, knocking the air out of him and helping himself to a vicious slap before he hauled the boy up and dragged him back to the others.

The remaining teens had been sullen when the Principal had faced them and lectured them on the seriousness of their actions. The girls had started to look upset and even Snotlout had paled as he realised this could have compromised his chances of a Scholarship. Alvin had watched with some satisfaction they were taken back to the security office for their parents to be called, mentally noting they were all having detention when they got back to school...or maybe suspension. He didn't care what action their parents took because he already had his own actions planned.

"I'll take this one 'ome-'e lives close ter me and I know 'is mother," he volunteered gruffly, feeling Hiccup stiffen and try to pull away. "He'll get home safely!" The Mall security were more than happy that he was taking care of one of the teens, leaving them with only ten to deal with...and he was a pillar of the community, after all. So he frog-marched Hiccup out of the Mall, more or less throwing the boy into the passenger seat then paused before walking round to the driver's side. As Hiccup immediately reached for the door the second the moved away, he turned to glare at the boy.

"Do yer want them ter know you're me son?" he said softly. Hiccup stared up at him and froze.

"What?" he asked shortly.

"Do yer want someone ter mention to yer friends that yer live with me, boy?" Alvin leered. Hiccup stiffened. While Alvin really didn't want to admit his stepson was the notorious troublemaker, it would be infinitely more damaging to the boy to reveal the connection. He would go from cool bad boy to pariah in an instant.

"You're not my father," Hiccup said tightly, staring up at the man.

"Yer open that door and get out-and come Monday, everyone knows," he threatened. Pausing, Hiccup lifted his hand and placed it back on his lap as Alvin walked calmly round and squeezed his large bulk into the driver's seat. He closed the central locking and started the engine, then moved away. Hiccup sat sullenly in the passenger side, not meeting Alvin's eyes as the big man drove carefully.

"Yer 'aven't finished yer chores," Alvin said grimly. Hiccup stared out the windshield and sighed.

"Nah-decided I wanted the day off," he lied. Alvin's knuckles whitened appreciably on the wheel.

"You live fer free in me 'ome-I don't think it's unreasonable ter expect yer ter pull yer weight, 'Iccup," Alvin growled. "And now yer caught brawlin'..."

"Actually, I was hiding because my friends were brawling and I didn't want to get caught..." he mumbled. Alvin gave a gruff laugh.

"So the bruisin' on yer face were from what?" he growled. Hiccup shook his head.

"Whose idea was it, boy? Yer tell me and I'll not ground yer," Alvin said seductively. Staring at the street lights flashing by, Hiccup remained quiet. He wouldn't betray his friends. "Yer know yer Mother ain't gonna be pleased that yer've been fighting!"

"Yeah, guessed that," he sighed.

"And you shame me as well," Alvin growled.

"Look for someone who cares!" Hiccup shot back. Alvin grabbed his arm, bruisingly hard and he yelped.

"Yer gonna regret that," Alvin snarled as they pulled up into the drive. Hiccup reached for the door but Alvin was out quicker, grabbing his skinny arm as he scrambled out and hauling him into the house. The lights warmed the place as the door slammed and was locked behind him and he was shoved into the kitchen. His mother looked up from the table, quietly reading, the dinner already in the oven and salad ready.

"Alvin? What's going on?" she asked, her green eyes worried.

"Your ungrateful bastard of a son has been caught brawling outside the Mall with a gang," he reported.

"That's a lie!" Hiccup replied hotly. "Mom...I wasn't..."

The slap Alvin dealt him propelled him back half a dozen steps and slammed him back against the cupboard. He slid down to his knees and looked up in shock as his mother gasped at the scene.

"DON'T YOU DARE CONTRADICT ME, BOY!" Alvin roared. "I SAW YOU THERE!"

"I have a right to spend time with my friends-even if they decide to do something stupid," Hiccup replied, scrambling to his feet. Alvin grabbed his patched green sweater, shaking him.

"WHOSE IDEA WAS IT, BOY?" he shouted. Hiccup took a deep breath.

"I really have no idea," he lied, having a very good idea. Alvin knocked him down again, the blow throwing him against the kitchen table. He hit hard, curling up to protect his head as Alvin loomed over him. He flinched at another blow that glanced off his head then felt himself hauled up by the hair.

"WHOSE IDEA?" Alvin roared, grabbing his face and digging his thick fingers painfully into the boy's bruised cheeks..

"GO TO HEL!" Hiccup grunted, struggling to get away.

"Alvin, please..." Valka cried, trying to move forward but Hiccup urgently opened his eyes and waved his hand.

"No, Mom-stay back!" he shouted, then groaned as Alvin punched him in the middle. His legs folded as he saw his Mom pause and Alvin turn to shout at her. Forcing his legs straight, he staggered up and shoved the huge man in the back, pulling back his fist and almost cringing as he punched him in the face. "Stay away from her!" he snarled, leaping between the huge shape of Alvin and Valka's frail outline.

"Hiccup!" his mother called in shock as Alvin backhanded him. He went down again and he glanced up, dazed, his cheek white-hot with pain. But he scrambled up again, facing Alvin with clenched fists. Alvin was already unbuckling his belt and his face was looking especially menacing.

"Yer know, boy-I think yer'd be a lot better if yer father 'ad disciplined yer properly when yer were little, instead of leavin' it ter me ter do now!" he growled.

"Don't...speak about my father!" Hiccup growled. "He was a hundred times the man you are. he never raised his hand to a woman...or a child..."

"And that's why yer the waste of space yer are!" Alvin shouted, pulling his belt free and grabbing at the boy's hair. Hiccup batted his hand away-and found his wrist snagged. Kicking and cursing, he managed to kick Alvin painfully in the knee. He kicked again as Alvin threw him forward against the table once more. He spun to face Alvin-as a ferocious slap impacted his cheek. His vision blurred and he sagged-before Alin pinned him. Staring up at his mother, he struggled as the Principal leaned over him and the first blows fell. He screwed his eyes closed, his teeth gritted against any cry. Even through his sweater, the blows from the belt on his body were very painful and when Alvin paused, grunting and sweating, he remained still, breathing hard. Finally, Alvin stood back, throwing him across the kitchen floor, then kicking him and making him curl up more. But what hurt him most was the sound of his mother crying.

"Oh, Hiccup," she whispered, her pale face streaked with tears. She coughed again and struggled to muffle it, knowing her husband was impatient with her illness. "How could you? Fighting, even punching your father, being so ungrateful...?" Biting his lip against a groan, he looked up, his green eyes pleading for understanding-but Alvin had already moved to her, wrapping his arms around her and stroking her head.

"It's alright, love-this stress isn't good for you," he mumbled loudly enough for Hiccup to hear and the boy cringed as he painfully levered himself to his feet. "To yer room, boy! I don't want ter see yer again until Monday!"

Lightheaded and aching all over, he stumbled up the stairs, trudging to his room. He slammed the door and slumped onto the bed, fumbling for his phone and seeing a crack on the cover...but the screen lit immediately when he thumbed it on and he sighed. Wincing, he kicked his trainers off and curled on the bed. Another evening without food, another evening where he had been beaten, another evening where his mother had sided with Alvin against her only child...he screwed his eyes closed as he heard the bolt slam home and lock him in. No matter what he did, he could never win. Perhaps it was finally time to stop trying...