His brain congealed into a mess of shock and horror as he listened to Dagur's words. Dagur wanted to go back to the Forge, break in, kill Toothless and burn the place to the ground. And Dagur didn't know he was the guy who'd fought off his brother and the Berserkers...

...he was literally a dead man if Dagur found out...

...but he couldn't let the Forge be burnt down. No matter how angry he was at Gobber...because Gobber had always been there for him when no one else had been. Gobber had taken over the father role when his Dad had gone...and Hiccup loved Gobber as a second father. Burning down the Forge would ruin Gobber, break him...

...and he had to make sure Toothless was safe. Toothless trusted him, waited for him, protected him...and he couldn't let them hurt him. Honestly, Hiccup wasn't sure he would do if the dog was hurt...

"Earth to Hiccup!" Dagur growled and the auburn-haired boy blinked.

"What?" he asked shortly.

"You in?" Dagur insisted. Hiccup frowned.

"Sorry...you want to go back to a place that your brother and his friends were driven away from last night to rob them, kill their dog and burn the place down?" he repeated. "Where do I start? Won't they have ramped up security and maybe be watching? Alarms, cameras, reinforced doors...?"

"You scared?" Savage scoffed.

"Well, not keen to ending up talking to the cops when this all crashes and burns..." Hiccup retorted.

"But that's the idea!" Thuggory chuckled. "Especially the burning part! And we know you're handy with locks and other bits of tinkering. You can get us in, can't you?"

"And I mean why kill the dog?" Hiccup asked. My dog.

"It bit my brother!" Dagur snarled.

"Hey, you break into a place with a dog..." Hiccup said sarcastically...and Dagur grabbed the front of his grimy hoodie, almost hauling him off his feet.

"Are you going soft on me?"he menaced. "Worried about some freakin' dog?"

"I...like dogs..." Hiccup admitted with a grimace. Better than you. Far better.

"Have you forgotten what we talked about yesterday?" Dagur breathed, leaning close.

"Um...no..."

"You're with us or against us," Dagur reminded him brutally. "So what is it?"

"W-with you..." Hiccup admitted, ashamed. But there was no one else remotely on his side. Dagur shoved him back an few steps.

"So tonight...meet in the park at eight..." Dagur said. "We'll join up with Ozzie and his gang and then go to finish off the garage..."

"Garage?" Hiccup muttered, still readjusting his hoodie. "C'mon, Dag-there won't be anything there..."

"Haven't we just covered this?" Dagur asked him pointedly. Hiccup sighed.

"At least wait a few days..." he suggested but Dagur slammed him back against the wall, fists full of his hoodie and pressing the skinny shape into the wall. The larger boy leaned very close.

"If I hear one more sound, I'm gonna forget you're my friend and kick the crap outta you. Are we clear?"

Hiccup stared wide-eyed at him, scarcely daring to breath.

"Understand?" Dagur shouted in his face. "Answer the freakin' question!"

"Um...you said you didn't want to hear another sound," Hiccup murmured, seeing Dagur turn bright red in anger. Dagur's face lurched closer. "Yeah...understood," he added quickly and Dagur pushed away, turning along the hall as the bell sounded.

"Don't be late, Hic-cup," Dagur sneered. "Because I will find you if you let me down!"

Hiccup watched as the crew walked away and he tried to calm his breathing. He was trembling which made him feel worse: he was tough. He could handle this.

But he couldn't let them kill his dog or destroy his friend's garage. He ducked back into the bathroom and fished out his phone. Without hesitating-because he knew if he thought about this, he would stop himself-he phoned Gobber. After two rings, the mechanic picked up.

"What is it, laddie?" the voice came. Gobber still sounded sore and Hiccup took a breath.

"Gobber...I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I-I just don't have anything right now...but you gotta listen. This guys who broke in...they're coming back tonight..."

"Laddie? What are ye saying?" Hiccup cringed inwardly.

"Gobber-I know them," he said ashamedly. "They-they're my friends. They are going to break in and then burn the place down. Just...do something. Call the cops. Get out everything important. Please..."

"Hiccup...what are ye saying?" Gobber repeated directly.

"I'll be with them!" Hiccup hissed. "They want to kill Toothless as well! And I can't get out of this! We're meeting in the park at eight and then we're heading over..."

"I never thought this of ye, laddie," Gobber said in a hard voice.

"It's not my idea!" Hiccup protested.

"But yer goin' along wi'it!" Gobber accused him.

"Not like I have a choice," Hiccup shot back, his temper flaring. "No friends, no food, no home. At least you have a roof over your head and a full belly. I have been thrown out of my home, Gobber! Al may let me back at the end of the week...but I doubt it! But I'm warning you about what they plan because you...well, you're like a second Dad...but if you think I would do this to you..." He hung up, blinking hard and shoving his phone deep in his pocket. His eyes were burning with anger and misery and he turned to the hall. It was Art, he was late and honestly, he no longer cared.

He walked in late without a word of apology, head down and face locked in a scowl. Miss Sylvester watched him silently and then walked to his side.

"Anything you wish to say, Mister Haddock?" she prompted him pointedly. He glanced up and she was shocked, seeing the bruises on his skin and the hurt in his eyes. Something had happened to him, something catastrophic. He sighed.

"Sorry," he mumbled and she nodded, leaning close.

"Are you alright?" she asked him softly. He stared at his lap, hands twisting together.

"I'll be fine," he said, not answering and giving the answer all at once. She patted him gently on the shoulder.

"I'm sure you will," she said, explaining the lesson. Slowly, he fished a pencil, twirled it in his left hand before starting to sketch...but after a few minutes, he stopped and stared at the page, before tearing it in half. He made to get up but a gentle hand caught his and he stiffened. Astrid stared up at him, seeing him shocked.

"It's okay," she said gently, beckoning him to sit down and scooting her chair closer. "Hiccup, if you don't feel like working, just look like you're helping me...you don't have to but then Miss Sylvester will think you're doing your tutoring thing..." He stared at her, shocked and finally nodded silently, angling his chair to look at her work and watch her drawing. It was what he had planned for the lesson before everything else had happened. He watched her silently for about ten minutes as his mind slowly cleared and then he leaned forward.

"Your perspective is all wrong," he murmured softly, grabbing his pad and swiftly drawing the area she had gotten wrong to demonstrate. He swiftly explained the principle again and she frowned, then nodded, finally understanding.

"I'm sorry," she said and she didn't mean about her poor drawing skills. His green gaze flicked up to meet hers and he shrugged.

"I...um...probably should apologise..." he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I-I was just...angry..." She nodded.

"I guessed," she smiled gently, erasing a line and redrawing it again with a frown, chewing her bottom lip as she concentrated. It was a surprisingly cute expression and Hiccup pulled himself up. Where had that come from?

"And I um owe you a lesson..." he added. She paused and looked up at him.

"Anytime this week," she smiled. "You've got my number?" He nodded. "You know you can call me if you need anything?" His eyebrows shot up.

"Astrid...you really don't know what you're saying," he sighed. She gave a small smile.

"Call me if you need anything..." she repeated as the bell rang. He stood up...then nodded.

"Thanks," he said softly and headed out, but the smile fell from his face as he hit the hall. He was heading for detention...but after that, he was on his own. He had to work out some way to get Toothless away and stop Dagur destroying the Forge. And time was running out