Against his better judgement and every sense of self-preservation, he arrived at School on time on Monday, keeping his head down and searching for his friends...but there was no sign of them. He walked quietly to his locker, seeing curious glances as he stalked by, dumping his bags in the locker and heading towards his first class. He glimpsed Astrid, primly grabbing her books and heading out and noted the absence of her friends as well. A nasty suspicion was bubbling in his stomach and his fears were met when he arrived in History Class to find Snotlout, Fishlegs, Dagur and Cami all missing. Astrid was sitting at the front and glared at him as he slouched in and took his usual place at the back before the teacher, Mr Grimborn, swept his dark gaze across the class.

"You may have noticed the additional spare seats we have in class today," he announced calmly, his calculating voice clear. "This is because a number of our Football players as well as Cheer Leaders stupidly decided to get involved in a brawl over the weekend. They will not be rejoining us until Thursday." There were gasps and all eyes swung to Astrid-the Class President-and to Hiccup who was usually at the centre of any trouble. "Accordingly, I will need to readjust assignments. Since Mr Oswaldson and Miss Boglaufur are otherwise engaged, I will expect Mr Haddock and Miss Hofferson to work together until their respective partners return. Is that clear, Mr Haddock?"

"Sorry, Mr Grimborn? I was just admiring your exceptional delivery-seriously, very smooth- and terrible judgement in making me work with Miss Perfect," the auburn hair boy replied lazily. He felt Astrid's eyes land on him and her azure gaze harden. He cringed inwardly: it would have been sorta nice to work with her without her hating his guts but that wasn't happening.

"If only you had one tenth her qualities," Mr Grimborn sighed and his face hardened.

"Got 'em all," Hiccup shot back. "Just choose not to waste 'em in your class! I mean-what use will Viking History be in five years time when I'm working my ass off in the real world?"

Mr Grimborn gave him the kind of look usually only produced by Alvin and he felt himself shiver inwardly.

"Probably not much when you're sweeping floors or emptying the trash. Nevertheless, you will be working with her. Though I guess she would hardly want to risk her average with a screw up like you..." He stared at the rebellious boy and then back to Astrid. "My apologies, Miss Hofferson, but I am afraid you can blame your friend for her stupidity in leaving you at the mercy of Mr Haddock and his supposed wit!" Astrid's eyes widened and she managed a small nod, her heart sinking. "Please, feel free to relocate to facilitate your classwork. Today, you will be discussing the relevance and similarities of the Viking response to lawbreaking compared to our own judicial system."

Finishing noting the task on her pad, Astrid rose and walked back to join Hiccup at the back of the class, an exasperated expression on her face. She sat down by him and cast him an unfriendly look.

"You can be sure I blame Cami for being so stupid-and that idiot Snotlout for getting baited by Dagur," she complained. "Ugh! I can't believe I got landed with you!"

"Mutual," Hiccup grouched. "Dag and I work well."

"As in not at all," she shot at him. Surprisingly, he gave a grin, his bright green eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Sometimes-since he does like the more violent bits of Viking History," he conceded. "No doubt you will stress in case your perfect A average is at risk!"

She cast him an unfriendly look and snapped her textbook open pointedly, searching for the correct page. Hiccup remained hunched, his hood pulled up over his auburn hair and arms folded on the desk. "Can't you at least pretend to do something?" she asked him and he looked at her with an unreadable expression.

"Nope. I'm failing this class," he said quietly. She grabbed his arm, her eyes flaring.

"You are not bringing me down with you, Hiccup!" she snapped. He winced slightly as she carelessly compressed one of his bruises.

"And why are you here today?" he hissed to her. "You should be with your friends, sitting at home."

"So should you!" she hissed back...but he blinked.

"Yeah...really not sure why I'm not suspended," he muttered. "At least they never caught you. Anyway...knock ourself out, Astrid. I'm sure you'll do fine with this assignment..." And he flipped the hood over his head, buried his head in his folded arms and refused to respond to any further questions. Exasperated, she turned to the textbook, speed-reading the principles of Viking and Modern law and noting down the similarities and differences, completing the task as the bell rang. Without looking at the boy, she rose, handed the paper in-with her name alone on it-and stalked out. Hiccup looked up as Mr Grimborn walked to him and grabbed his shoulder roughly.

"Mr Treacher wants to see you-now!" he growled.

"Hooray-I thought he would," the boy sighed as he was manhandled to his feet and frog-marched to the Principal's office. Marsha nodded and gestured to the door, her usually friendly face very hostile. It seemed everyone was in a bad mood today.

"He's to go straight in," she said in a cold voice and the boy was shoved in through the door. Alvin sat at his desk and stared at Hiccup. he nodded to Mr Grimborn.

"Thank yer, Viggo-I'll take it from 'ere," he said gruffly and the man nodded, then let himself out. Hiccup stood staring at him as he rose slowly from his chair and walked around his desk, headed menacingly for the boy. Hiccup backed up a pace and raised a hand.

"Marsha will hear!" he said quickly, hating how panicked he sounded. He hadn't realised how anxious he had felt at facing the man...until this moment. And he hated himself for the weakness. Alvin grabbed his shoulder and hauled him to the chair, forcing the boy to sit. And then Alvin stared down at him.

"Yer mother were very upset when she found yer 'ad run away," he said.

"Is she okay?"

"She were very disappointed," Alvin smirked. "Attackin' me then runnin' away. What's she supposed ter think?" Hiccup looked up into his face.

"You tell me," he shot back sullenly.

Suddenly Alvin was leaning forward and the boy forced himself not to recoil, not to draw back from the man who had beaten him up.

"That yer a worthless troublemaker," he breathed menacingly. "That she would be better off without yer. That it would be better if yer left 'ome." Hiccup's green eyes widened in sudden fear: much as he hated living with Treacher, he endured it for the sake of his mother. To lose her when he knew how controlling and abusive Treacher was would be...unthinkable.

"She's my mother," Hiccup argued softly. "She would never..." Alvin suddenly grabbed his shoulder in a vice-like grip.

"She'll say what I tell 'er ter say," he snarled. "And I'll make 'er be the one ter throw yer out. Do yer want that?"

And he wanted so much to tell the man to go to Hel, that he didn't care what he did or said because he couldn't control Hiccup. That Alvin was nothing to him, just a callous interloper who had mesmerised his mother. That Hiccup would be fine and would show Alvin what he could really do. But the bald truth was that Hiccup worried about and loved Valka and he knew that having to throw her only son out would probably be her death knell. It would leave her at the mercy of Alvin...and the man didn't care for her at all.

"No," he murmured.

"What were that?" Alvin growled.

"I said no! Do you want it in a letter?" he snapped, seeing the flash of rage across the man's face.

"So you come 'ome this evenin', boy or yer never comin' 'ome. Clear?" Alvin snapped.

"Crystal," Hiccup said sullenly. Gods only know what Alvin would do to him when he went back voluntarily. Alvin tightened his grip and Hiccup gasped in pain, seeing the man lean closer.

"Whose idea was it to fight?"the Principal growled. "Everyone is suspended for three days..."

"Except me," Hiccup said tightly.

"Because I want ter keep me eye on yer 'ere rather than 'ave yer messin' around at 'ome doin' nothin!" Alvin growled. "But I want ter suspend the person who caused this fer longer. So who was it? Hughes? Owaldson? Stringer?"

"Oh, you'd love that," Hiccup snarked. "Sure it wasn't one of your precious Football players...say your star quarterback?" He grimaced as the grip on his shoulder tightened further and his arm grew numb.

"Are yer turnin' 'im in?" Alvin asked him and Hiccup gave a grim smile.

"Me? You are joking? My life would literally be not worth two cents if I did that!" he replied shortly.

"Whose idea was it to fight?" Alvin repeated. Hiccup stared up into the cruel eyes and realised if he named anyone, he was a pariah...and if he didn't name anyone, Alvin would pick on one of his friends and then say Hiccup had turned him in...and make him a pariah. He paused and realised his only option was to take one for the team.

"Mine," he said evenly. "You got me, Al. I decided to get half the Team suspended. Pretty successful idea as well. So you wanna suspend me now?"