"Hiccup, this really seems like a trap."

"Yeah, I figured."

Hiccup shifted uncomfortably on Stormfly's back. Grimmel's guards were surrounding him and Astrid, weapons sheathed but still ready to draw. Hiccup's hand brushed across his own sword-hilt as he dismounted.

"Ah, my young friend!" Grimmel pushed a few guards aside to step into the clearing between them. He spread his gaunt hands in welcome and grinned like a hungry wolf. "I see you did not come alone, as requested." He glanced at Stormfly. "And not with your Night Fury."

"He's not on the table," Hiccup snapped. "And if I'm coming to negotiate, I need my top advisor."

"We're a team," Astrid added firmly.

Grimmel rolled his eyes. "Ah yes, of course."

"Terms?" Hiccup prompted. "Let's not drag this out."

"Right, right." Grimmel grinned again. "I have very few desires in this world, my boy. You know what I want from you." He stalked closer and Hiccup felt Astrid reaching for her axe. "I want the last Night Fury."

"Never," Hiccup growled.

"If you give it to me, I will call my forces away from your village." Grimmel laughed. "That is, what is left of it."

Hiccup threw an arm out to hold Astrid back. "You're not getting Toothless," Hiccup said. "If you won't negotiate, then we have nothing else to say to each other." For emphasis, he drew and ignited his sword.

Grimmel shrugged. "Eh, as expected. Before you go, allow me to try and change your mind."

He moved like a snake, pulling something from behind his dragonskin cloak and seizing Hiccup by the armor. The thing was a crude collar with a purple vial protruding out of the side, and Hiccup shouted in pain as something jabbed into the side of his neck.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, raising her axe. "What did you do to him?!"

"I do not negotiate," Grimmel hissed. "If you will not give it to me willingly, I will have it by any means!"

Hiccup fell to his knees, hands scrabbling at the collar. It stung and burned; his blood felt like it was turning to acid. He tried to jerk free. It felt like venom, sickening him and spreading through his veins.

"What did you do?" Astrid repeated. "Hiccup, what's happening?!"

"You might as well leave," Grimmel sneered. "He's mine now, and if you fly very fast, you might survive!"

Hiccup felt his limbs weakening. What did Grimmel mean, Hiccup was his? This collar... it looked like the ones his enslaved dragons wore. The virulent purple liquid must be the venom!

The conclusion came too late: he hit the ground and landed on his side, eyes staring unseeingly at Grimmel's feet.

"Hiccup!" Astrid's voice was distant, wobbly. His vision was running like wet paint. Laughter from the guards echoed in his ears and filled his head.

"Get up, boy." The voice rang like a bell. He had no idea why or how, but his body responded. Seemingly of their own accord, his arms pushed him off the ground. He knelt, then stood, facing Grimmel. He felt like a puppet with half his strings cut.

Astrid screamed something behind him and he felt something tugging at his shoulder; she was trying to pull him away.

"Throw her off," Grimmel said.

Hiccup did as he was told and felt her hit the floor. Was that a pained yelp? Everything but Grimmel's voice was so much meaningless noise.

"Face her and tell her to leave you." Grimmel let out a cackle, clasping his hands in evil glee.

His body turned and he saw Astrid half-sprawled on the floor, her axe a few feet away. She looked shattered and jumped to her feet. He could hardly feel her hands on his face as she tried to look into his eyes.

"Go away," Hiccup said. His voice sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a well. "Go away, Astrid."

"You heard your chief," Grimmel crooned. "Leave us and tell Berk he is mine now! Bring me that Night Fury and I will consider giving him back."

Astrid searched Hiccup's face, looking for something, anything. Hiccup wished he could give her some sign, but his muscles wouldn't move.

"I'll be back for you," she whispered, and he saw tears in her eyes. "J-just hold on, okay?"

"Leave!" Grimmel roared. Stormfly screeched in alarm and readied her tail, but Grimmel stepped swiftly behind Hiccup. "Shoot at me, and you'll hit him. Now GO, and don't come back without that dragon!"

“Hiccup, it’s me! It’s me! It’s Jack! Don’t you see me?!” Jack pleaded desperately as he struggled to block one heavy blow after another.  Each was more forceful than the last as it clashed against the length of his chipped and gnarled staff. Each sharp swipe dug deeper into the wood. Jack could feel his legs becoming weak with every step he took backwards, threatening to give out under him and send him to the ground. Jack could only catch glimpses of the man in front of him as he moved to block another sword swing. He was quick. Alot quicker than Jack remembered him being only a week ago when they had spared in the arena. This was different though- This wasn’t a training match. One wrong step could mean Inferno would be driven through his stomach. He’d be dead in a seconds- 

A purple haze glowed from where a collar was wrapped tightly around Hiccup’s neck. Three vials of thick glowing purple venom stuck out of the black leather and fed their contents into Hiccup’s neck from underneath. The purple glow traveled up his freckled skin and to his eyes where it glowed just as bright. What were once the brilliant forest green eyes that Jack came to adore were now a sickeningly vibrant purple. They were unblinking with an unwavering and unsettling gaze. One that shook Jack to his core. 

Blood spatters new and old dotted Hiccup’s face- Jack’s blood. Inferno had slashed him two- maybe three times now. Red littered the ground underfoot as he continued to back up, stumbling more and more before he was finally thrown back onto his back. His staff clattered to the side as he fell, bouncing a few feet away. 

Jack wheezed as he quickly sat up, pain and the warmth of his blood sending a shiver up his spine. Hiccup was stepping towards him like a wolf that had cornered its prey. Stalking towards him with Inferno in hand. The blood dripped steadily with Jack’s blood and shone in the dim purple hue coming from its master’s neck. His movements weren’t his- they were too slow- too balanced, too calculated. With each step Hiccup took towards him, Jack was reminded that this wasn’t his Hiccup. This wasn’t the man he loved. This wasn’t the chief of Berk. Nor was it Stoick the Vast’s only child. This was Grimmel the Grisly’s puppet. 

“Hiccup- Hiccup, please, can’t you hear me?!” Jack’s pleas once again were met with silence and that unnerving stare. Jack scrambled backwards as Hiccup continued to pursue him, twirling and twisting Inferno around his fingers with uncharacteristic ease. Jack’s back hit the wall of a hut too soon- and all too soon Hiccup was on him, standing over him- just staring down at him with those glowing eyes. “Snap out of it!! Hiccup! Please!! By the gods- listen to me!!” Jack begged him. “Don’t do this- please don’t do this- Hiccup, please-

Inferno glinted with that purple light as Hiccup raised his arm up to aim the final blow. Jack was going to die. Right now- He was going to break his promise to get Hiccup back- he wasn’t strong enough. He was going to die here and if they ever managed to free Hiccup from Grimmel then he wouldn’t be there. And everyone would know why. Hiccup would never forgive himself. He knew he wouldn’t. 

Inferno’s blade came down on him with a whistle through the air. Jack grabbed hold of the hilt with both hands, his arms trembling as the blade came mere millimeters from his chest. “H-hiccup… l-love- please…” Jack croaked, his face wet with fresh hot tears. His heart was hammering against his ribs as the point of the blade pressed slightly against his ripped tunic. His grip was failing him. His fingers were slipping over the bloody hilt. 

Jack glanced up at the man above him, into those purple eyes where he could see his reflection staring with horror back at him. Jack’s gaze then flicked down to the collar- With a quick surge forward, Jack let go of Inferno’s hilt and grabbed at the collar. A scream ripped from Jack’s throat as Inferno cut through him, embedding itself in his shoulder just under his collar bone. With a harsh yank the thin leather popped and ripped away and the vials of venom crashed to the ground and shattered into millions of little pieces. 

Hiccup’s body shook as the collar fell away and he stumbled back, releasing Inferno only for it to hold position in Jack’s chest. 

Jack watched him as his vision started to darken at the corners, his fingertips going cold as his warm blood pooled under him. He slumped to the side as he reached up and laid his fingers on Inferno’s blade, gripping it with what little strength he had. 

“Jack…?” Hiccup’s voice trembled from somewhere ahead of him. He couldn’t pinpoint where it came from. 

A shaky breath split the air. “JACK!!” Hiccup screamed, his voice making his ears start to ring. He heard some struggling and scuffling and suddenly there were two sets of hands on him. Valka and Astrid’s voices were above him- speaking quickly to one another. His eyes were getting heavy and he felt weightless- almost like he was riding on the wind again like had done so long ago. But back then he felt like he could soar as high as he wished… now- he only felt like he was falling. He was falling slowly down towards a dark sea. Jack’s eyes slowly fell closed.

“NO! Let me go!! I have to- Jack!! Jack! Please!!” Hiccup cried out, struggling against Snotlout and Fishlegs’ hold on him. He kicked and yanked at their grip, kicking where he could to maybe get them to loosen their grip. He watched as his mother and Astrid pulled Inferno from Jack’s chest and to his horror Jack didn’t even flinch. He was limp. His body was caked with red and his back soaked in blood. His skin was pale. Just as pale as when he’d met him when they were young- but this time it wasn’t just because of the cold. 

He’d killed him. By the gods he’d killed him. He murdered Jack. Jack was gone. Hiccup was aware he was screaming. But he couldn’t understand what he was saying. Whether it was just screams or pleas, he didn’t know. 

“Get him to Gothi- as fast as you can, Astrid. We’ll take care of Hiccup- Go” his mother’s voice said softly. The sound of Stormfly taking to the air came next. Hiccup’s body quaked and trembled, becoming heavy as his pleas dwindled down to rough sobs. He fell to his knees, his arms being held up by the two holding him. 

He could hear his mother speaking to him. Her hands were on his face but he couldn’t find his voice. After all the screams and shrieks, it seemed his voice had disappeared. 

She said Jack’s name and he clung to it as his eyes closed on their own. When was the last time he’d slept? He couldn’t remember- How long had he been like this? He wasn’t sure he wanted to know… 

“Is Jack…?” Fishlegs’ voice whispered above him as they started to move. To where Hiccup didn’t know. 

There was a silence before he heard Valka speak in a hushed tone. He strained to hear but he couldn’t catch it. The next thing he knew he was on a bed and darkness was taking him once again. Only this time it was only the sweet release of sleep that consumed him.