"Really? 'I'll take that'?" Tuffnut raised a brow at Hiccup's plan. "Seriously, that's the best you can come up with?"
"This is your moment, H. Books will be written about it. Children will act it out. Some adults will act it out, but it won't be as cute as the children. You need a killer catchphrase! One line that will withstand the test of time. As the sand and the oceans pass, your words will remain. -"
Wow, Tuffnut could really talk... a lot.
"-I mean, you've just defeated one of the toughest, most ruthless villains in the world!"
"Who, let's face it, everyone thought was smarter than you." Ruffnut shrugged.
Hiccup raised a brow, before speaking in a sarcastic tone. "Really? Everyone?"
"Well, you know, there's no hard data, but if you had to guess..."
Hiccup sighed. "Okay, I tell you what, I'll work on something cool to say to him when I take him down. Happy?"
Even if the twins weren't satisfied with Hiccup's conclusion, the others sure were. Stoick had never been more proud, and Sigrid had to admit, Hiccup had put a lot of thought into this one.
It also seems that leading up to the big moment, Hiccup and Astrid were getting closer and closer. Sigrid found it highly suspicious.
They were definitely together.
---
"Wait, so they weren't already dating?" Dagur questioned his girlfriend after she finished her gossip, to which Sigrid shook her head. "Wow, figures."
Sigrid shrugged.
"I mean, it's not like it matters. I just wish Hiccup wasn't so hypocritical about it." She rolled her eyes. "He was all up in my business about us, but now that he and Astrid are definitely together, he's trying to hide it from me."
"I mean, I don't blame him for that. I wasn't exactly a good option at first." Dagur defended her brother, to which Sigrid gasped. "Oh come on, baby, it's true. I was quite literally your enemy not long before, so honestly, I don't blame him. I would've done the same if it were Heather... or worse."
"I don't care." Sigrid pouted, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're cute."
Dagur laughed at her quick change of subject, because she knew he was right. But that didn't stop him from kissing the underside of her jaw.
"No, you're cute."
"No, you." Sigrid shot back with even more kisses.
Dagur paused, pretending to think about it with a comical face. "Hmmm. No, you."
"Are you two coming or what?" Heather impatiently called from the distance, with a raised brow.
Oh yeah, they had a mission to do. And it seemed like the others were waiting on them to finish hogging each other, oops. Oh well, they'd just have to deal with it, Sigrid's never had a boyfriend before, so they should let her enjoy it.
For Dagur, it was just a little awkward that Stoick was like... right there, and he was sure he felt the Chief's glare at the back of his head. But he wasn't really sure, so he tried not to worry about it.
He'd have to talk to him one day, about dating his daughter. Dagur had something very important to ask him, but he promised himself he'd wait for it. He didn't want to put any pressure on Sigrid.
He sure hoped Stoick would be okay with it...
---
Just as Hiccup had planned, everyone soared off towards their destination. But when they got to Viggo's base, it was empty. Torn apart as if it was attacked mere moments ago. How strange...
"What's going on?" Heather questioned as she flew past Dagur and Sigrid, who were studying the destroyed catapults that they were supposed to take down with a glare.
Snotlout growled. "Ugh! What a rip off."
He was really excited about the plan.
"Oh," Fishlegs pouted, "looks like someone beat us to it."
"The question is, who?" Stoick's deep voice boomed his place on Skullcrusher's back.
Her father raised a good point. If they hadn't attacked the base - which they hadn't - then who did?
Hiccup and Astrid decided to search Viggo's tent, just as they had originally planned, as Stoick and the others searched the island, hoping for answers. But they wouldn't find them, as Hiccup discovered something bigger, there in the tent; Viggo, injured and trapped in a deep hole in the ground.
Sigrid - wisely - decided to keep outside of the tent, behind the other riders, but still watching through the flowing rags with a glare. If she went in there, she couldn't promise that Viggo would make it out alive, not after everything. She hadn't forgotten about the time he'd made sure she got the Scourge of Odin, all for business.
Her father, on the other hand, was no man to just 'stand by'.
"You come after my children. You come after my home." Stoick scowled as he marched into the tent, grabbing Viggo by the throat and hoisting him into the air. "Now you get to deal with me!"
Sigrid would be lying if she said she felt bad, and so did the Berserkers at her side. Yeah, they really wanted him dead.
"Dad, wait! Revenge is not a plan, remember." Hiccup pleaded
Stoick huffed. "That was for you. For me, it goes down a treat."
"Let Viggo speak."
Sigrid felt immense disappointment as her father listened to Hiccup, releasing his grip on the grunting man's throat.
Viggo gasped as his airways were cleared, rubbing his burning throat before speaking.
"Ryker's lost all sense of reason. He's on his own and unfortunately managed to sway the soft minds of the Dragon Hunters." He spoke. "My brother has turned them on their leader."
"And that, right there, is why I'd rather have a sister any day of the week." Tuffnut spoke, before raising his hand to Ruffnut. "Not you, obviously, but a different sis."
"Ryker's plan, as simple-minded as it is, is to wipe out the Dragon Riders and all of your allies."
Sigrid raised her brow, before whispering to Dagur "I'm not believing any of this."
The Berserker agreed, before whispering back to ask if - granted the opportunity - she'd want to kill the Hunter together, as a couple's celebration. It was an offer that Sigrid gladly accepted.
"Yeah, how is that different from every other bad guy we've dealt with?" Hiccup questioned.
"And defeated! Yeah." Fishlegs cheered.
Viggo frowned.
"The difference, my dear Hiccup, is project Shell Fire." He looked towards the twins. "You two remember that, don't you?"
The second the twins startled rambling, Sigrid already wasn't listening anymore. Instead opting to press her face into Dagur's neck, trying to calm her pounding headache. The Berserker wrapped an arm around his beloved's waist, holding her close to him. He was trying really hard to hold in his anger, and Sigrid could tell.
"The next attack is on the Defenders of the Wing. This will be followed by the Outcasts, Berserkers, and Berk itself, in no particular order." Viggo confessed. "While Ryker is no tactical genius, he still manages to hold some things close to the vest."
With this knowledge, they'd have to act fast. They had to spread out, or else there would be no way for them to defend their own people and their allies, and everything would be destroyed.
"There is no way we're believing one word this guy says." Astrid pointed towards the tent with a frown.
Hiccup spoke.
"Well we can't just ignore it." He worried with hurried breath. "Astrid, there are too many lives at stake."
"Agreed." Stoick put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Gobber and I will take the auxiliary riders back to Berk. Just in case."
"Heather, Dagur, go make sure Berserker Island's ready." Hiccup requested, to which the Berserkers nodded
Sigrid waited with baited breath. She really wanted to go with Dagur and Heather - not that she wasn't still worried for her own tribe. She just wanted to make sure they were safe. Hiccup seemed to notice how her eye twitched in distress, and it's not like he was going to say anything else than:
"Sigrid, do what you think is best."
That was surprising, usually Hiccup wanted to point everyone in a specific direction. But the boy felt like he didn't have to do that with his sister - just like he didn't have to with their father - so if Sigrid believed she was needed on Berserker Island, then she was allowed to go there.
She did exactly that.
It felt weird to say that this was Sigrid's first time on Berserker Island. Dagur was a little upset that it wasn't on better terms, or that he hadn't even thought about inviting her over before. They'd just been so busy, he and Heather, with building up their tribe that it had completely drifted from his mind. He promised to make it right.
"I'm so sorry, darling." He apologized whilst they were preparing for the defense of a lifetime. "Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy that you're here, but I wish I could've given you a better view of this place. After everything."
Sigrid knew what he meant. The betrothal. Yeah, that hadn't exactly given her a very hopeful view of Berserker Island, when she was a young girl. But now that she was here, it definitely was a lot more... normal than she was expecting. She blamed this entirely on Dagur, and his crazy teenage self.
"It's okay." Sigrid assured. "I know it's not in the best circumstances, but I really do like it here."
It was true, ever since she arrived the people of the Berserker tribe had been nothing but kind to her. Honestly, she was a little taken aback by how many Vikings knew who she was, but she supposed that wasn't that strange. She had been engaged to their - now - Chief for like... almost eight years? Until that, you know... didn't happen.
She was just kind of glad they didn't hold a grudge against her, to be honest. She was sort of one of the reasons of why they didn't have a leader for three years.
"I'm glad to hear that." Dagur smiled, leaning in for a kiss.
Pulling back, Sigrid smiled at the twinkle in her boyfriend's green eyes. "Let's give them hell, shall we?"
Dagur snorted. "As if you even have to ask."
With one final kiss, their preparations were final. Now, they had to wait, in worry that something would eventually go wrong. And true to Viggo's word, it did. Berserker Island was attacked, and they could do nothing to stop it.
Sigrid had never felt this helpless during a battle.
"Hiccup!" Sigrid yelled at the approaching Nightfury, mounting her own dragon as she and the others flew away from the island.
Heather was shaken. "It came at us out of nowhere!"
They had to quickly dodge once again. There was too much being fired at once for any of them to float still.
"Staying together won't help. We need to split up." Astrid spoke.
"You're right." Hiccup admitted. "You're with me.-" He pointed towards the other riders. "-You guys go with Sigrid. Listen to her, save who you can, and then meet us back at the Edge."
Sigrid raised her brow at the subtle compliment.
"And where are you going?" She questioned her brother.
"To find out whatever this Shell Fire is, and stop it once and for all."
Wow, very dramatic.
---
"Sigrid, you're with me right?" Snotlout questioned after Hiccstrid left.
The redhead immediately knew what he was talking about. "Oh, definitely."
Now it was confirmed for Snotlout: Hiccup and Astrid have a gambling addiction.
---
Dagur and Sigrid flew besides each other, Electrode going a bit slower to stay equal to Shattermaster's pace, as their riders looked at each other with worry. Holding their hands out, their palms touched before they entangled their fingers together, holding each others hands in a tight, worried, grip. Meanwhile, their dragons were trying very hard not to clash into each other.
"Together?" Sigrid spoke, almost breathless as her heart beat in her throat.
Dagur nodded, his brow furrowing as the tensions rose. "Together."
This attack was something the Berserkers had never seen before. And whilst the Riders managed to save most of the people on the island, their huts and buildings were still left destroyed. It reminded Sigrid of the dragon raids they used to have in Berk many years ago, but this left a bigger hole in their hearts, mostly from the Berserker siblings' reaction.
Dagur and Heather had never experienced something like this before, and it was laying heavy on them. But Sigrid would do anything to help turn those frowns upside down, even if it meant rebuilding the whole place with her own bare hands.
---
The return back to the Edge was sad, and it didn't help to lessen Sigrid's sour mood to discover that Viggo was still alive, out there somewhere.
She really hoped that Mala would've killed him.
"Tidal class for sure. If I had to guess, Titan Wing. Bigger than a Submaripper. Long range firing capabilities." Hiccup labeled everything that he'd seen from the giant mysterious dragon that was found under Ryker's ships.
Project Shell Fire.
"Tidal Class dragons don't attack humans. They just don't. It's not in their nature." Fishlegs frowned. "They're forcing it to do that."
"I know they are, Fishlegs."
"Subjugation." Tuffnut pointed a finger in recognition.
The riders blinked in surprise at Tuffnut's - unusual - correct statement.
"What?" The twin defended. "I listen and learn, people!-" He turned his head towards Sigrid. "-That's the word, right?"
"That's correct." The woman confirmed, still poker-faced, and tired.
Hiccup sighed. "Dagur, Heather, I'm sorry about Berserker Island. We all are."
"At least we managed to save most of our people." Heather sniffed, still holding her injured arm. "But to rebuild..."
Dagur was shaking in anger, as he stood next to his sister.
"I've been trying really hard to manage my anger, Hiccup." He grumbled, to which Sigrid started rubbing soothing circles on his arm. "But Viggo? He gots to go."
"Hey, that's my line!" Snotlout glared.
"Sorry, Snot-hat." Dagur spoke in complete and utter sarcasm, but it seemed that was only clear to Sigrid.
As he stood, it was clear to her that Dagur was, in one word, exhausted.
The bags under his eyes seemed to sag his face down, and he looked more frustrated than ever. Sigrid probably didn't look much better herself, as she felt like a heavy sack of potatoes ready to drop on the floor. She couldn't even imagine how she managed to deal with so much dung before Berk's turn-around. Had she really aged that much? Whatever it was, she wished she had teenage Sigrid's energy right now.
It was all becoming too much, even for Hiccup.
"I need to clear my head." The youngest Haddock grumbled in frustration.
This was going to be a long night.