AN: Trigger warning: Please note that the 2nd half of this chapter will contain violence.

Chapter 14

"Hiccup pacing like a maniac isn't gonna help," Ruffnut said as she walked into his study.

"Yeah man, you're gonna wear a hole in the floor." Tuffnut chimed in.

"How can I sleep when Astrid is in the hands of some lunatic?!" Hiccup uttered.

"Your girl ain't no damsel in distress though," Ruffnut countered. "Now that I saw her face again I remember her from that one night in the drunk tank a couple of years ago. I heard she traumatized some wannabe gangster teens with her umbrella. I was very impressed,"

"And you know it takes a lot to impress my sis over here," Tuffnut stated.

"Your ladyfriend got a good head on her shoulder," Ruffnut muttered. "I'd be more scared for the other guy,"

"I know, Astrid is one in a million," Hiccup confessed. "I'm also worried if this is some scheme of Grimmel,"

"Viggo and Ryker are following that lead and Snotlout is greasing some wheels to get the CCTV footage from the area," Tuffnut stated. "But seriously man. It's 2 AM and you need your sleep. You ain't any good to us or Astrid being sleep deprived tomorrow.... Well today,"

Hiccup sighed before flopping down on the leatherback couch. He then proceeded to pour about three fingers of whiskey from the crystal tumbler on the mahogany coffee table. "Or drink yourself into oblivion," Ruffnut added as she watched her boss take a large swig.

When Hiccup woke up his mouth felt as dry as the Sahara, his eyes were heavy and his neck hurt from sleeping at a wrong angle. He was also sporting a massive headache. A tumbler of melted ice had been haphazardly placed on the table and he realized that he had fallen asleep on the couch in his office. With a groan, he stood up while remembering the night before. He had foolishly drank himself into a stupor due to worry. The twins had left shortly after their talk, shooting disapproving gazes at him. Now that was a new one, the twins actually disapproving of something. He knew just how crazy they could be. The sun streaming into his office caused Hiccup to squint before checking the time on the clock sitting on one of his bookcases. It was only 7:28 AM.

He made his way downstairs to the kitchen, intending to find either some coffee or an aspirin or both. He, however, stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Heather sitting at the kitchen island nursing her own cup, steam wafting from it.

"I hope you don't mind. I borrowed some tea," She uttered upon seeing Hiccup.

"You can help yourself to anything in the house," Hiccup stated before making a beeline for the coffee machine.

"I don't have to ask if you had a rough night," she noted. Hiccup turned and then he noticed the bags under her eyes. It looked like Heather couldn't sleep either.

"How's Damian?" He asked.

"Sad... scared... confused," Heather replied. "He doesn't understand what exactly happened, just that someone hurt his mom,"

"We'll get Astrid back," Hiccup was solemn. "We have to,"

"I want to shoot the bastard that took her in the groin," Heather growled lowly and Hiccup couldn't blame her. She gave Hiccup a look and some silent understanding passed between them.

It was only hours later when Hiccup received some news from his men. He had Fishlegs clear his schedule and he was playing with Damian, trying to keep both his and the kid's mind off of the matter. Heather had said that she would hit the streets as well. She knew some people that might be more receptive if a woman came knocking.

"Cuz! We got something!" Snotlout barged in along with Viggo and Ryker following close behind. Damian startled for a bit at the sudden entrance into the living room but quieted down when Hiccup laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. He looked at Damian and then back at the trio, debating whether to let the kid hear this. Ultimately he decided that it wasn't anything graphic and the child was still young so they might not even know what was being talked about. Astrid's return was more important now.

"Go on," Hiccup told the trio as he ruffled the child's hair and scooted some building blocks his way before standing up.

Mindful of the child's presence Viggo whispered that it didn't seem that Grimmel had anything to do with the kidnapping. "Word on the street is that Grimmel is hyperfocussed on something else. The rumors of you dating anybody haven't spread yet. This kidnapping doesn't seem related to our business,"

"I managed to get some CCTV footage from the supermarket across the street," Snotlout added. "The tape never showed anyone matching Astrid's description leave through the front door that night."

"Then what about side or back entrances?" Hiccup questioned.

"The back entrance leads into a communal courtyard for the building," Snotlout explained. "And the only bald-headed guy seen leaving the building turned out to be the landlord. His vehicle came back a couple of hours later transporting building materials. I confirmed with the tenants that they had reported several problems with the building so I guess he must have gotten the material to work on those,"

"Any other vehicles leaving the building?" Hiccup questioned.

"A few but none of the people matched the kid's description. Most were women, four men in suits, and a teen working at the Hippy cafe across the block. The vehicles are parked along the street. The building doesn't have its own parking,"

Hiccup frowned for a moment as he processed the information. "Is there any other way out of the building?" he then asked.

"Fire escape," Snotlout stated.

"That's not practical," Viggo muttered. "The boss's dame would have been making a fuss and it's a pain to carry a body down a fire escape, squirming or not. I would know."

"Then that means Astrid is still in the building," Hiccup realized.

"But our buddies at the Force canvassed the building this morning," Snotlout reminded. "They found nothing and none of the tenants were eager to talk either,"

Hiccup's phone rang as the trio kept bickering about the situation. He was already frustrated that it was nearing 24 hours and no progress. The caller ID flashed Fish's number and Hiccup answered it with a "What have you got Fish?"

"Fishlegs is currently indisposed right now. He's helping some older ladies change some lightbulbs," Heather's voice came through the receiver. Hiccup's brow lifted due to his curiosity. He'd known Heather had gone out to look for clues and apparently she had somehow roped Fishlegs into going with her.

"I'm at the building diagonally across from the apartment complex," Heather explained. "You wouldn't believe what I just found out."

Meanwhile, someplace else, a harsh slap rang through the room. Astrid fell down onto the hard concrete floor due to the force of it. She was already sporting a black eye that was turning blue and a split lip.

"I TOLD YOU YOU NEEDED TO SMILE MORE WHEN YOU GIVE ME MY FOOD!" Her captor shouted, spit flying in her direction as she lay on the cold hard floor that served as a quasi-kitchen and dining room. She looked at herself in the glass of the small oven and could hardly recognize herself. Gone were the clothes that she had been wearing. Ripped and cut off with much protest from her. Her captor had then ordered her to wear a dress that looked like something from a '70s or '60s commercial, yanked her hair into a bun, using way too much hairspray, and put pearls around her neck. She had been ordered to put on makeup next and wear ridiculously high heels before her ankles were chained together. She failed to comply fast enough which resulted in that black eye.

Astrid looked over her shoulder at the vile man and shot him a disgusting glare which resulted in a sharp kick to her stomach. She hissed in pain as she was subsequently dragged up roughly. The tray with the plate of steak on it was forcefully shoved into her hands once more.

"You're going to do it again and properly this time," Her captor spat. Astrid gritted her teeth and shakingly walked with the tray to the table. The heels and the chains around her ankles were seriously limiting her mobility.

"Here's your steak honey," Astrid said upon reaching the table and placing the tray down. "Do you want Mommy to cut it up for you?" She forced a smile but the words tasted like poison as they came out. She honestly did not want to get hit again but it seemed like there was nothing that would please the man.

"See, you can do it," Her captor uttered looking somewhat pleased by Astrid's compliance. "We'll make a good mother out of you yet." He continued. "Can't have that boy of yours realize what an uncultured whore of a mother you are,"

"LEAVE DAMIAN OUT OF THIS!" Astrid shouted and lunged for the man, catching him somewhat off guard. Her nails were digging into his ears as she grabbed them, intent on ripping them off of his body when a meaty hand closed around her throat, squeezed, and then proceeded to slam her head on the table, scattering the table's contents on the floor as the wood cracked. Astrid flopped down onto the floor as her head hurt from the force and let out a yelp as a hand forcefully grabbed her hair bun.

Astrid's hands scrambled as she was being lifted and dragged by her hair. Her fingers made contact with the porcelain shards and she grabbed one as fast as she could, struggling and slashing her captor's ankles and lower thighs with it. She'd got three good slashes in, embedding the large plate shard into some tendon on the third try. Her kidnapper hissed and threw her away from him as he bent down to get the object out. Blood spattered on the carpet and Astrid as the now furious psycho proceeded to connect his fist with her face three to four times.

"Why do you women always disappoint me?!" She could hear the man yelling as he punched her before it all went black.