Execution Day

Captain Thuggory had had worse days, but not many. Observing the destruction of Dragon Island had subdued his crew and they had just dodged two more of the huge ships as they had sped away from the barrage that had pounded the village and the moored pirate vessels. They had barely cleared the seastack maze-now seriously the worse for wear after Drago's huge dreadnoughts had ploughed through it- when the storm had hit, rending the rust red sails that gave the three-masted Nightmare her infamous ferocious look. The dispirited crew had been forced to fight and scramble as the vessel was tossed and battered by the huge waves. They lost half a mast, one cannon and one of the horns from the dragon's head prow.

And now they were in the mouth of Berkisport harbour, limping and desperate. Thuggory knew this was not the safest place since Berk possessed the largest navy in the Archipelago but it seemed the only option. In his calculations, the pirate knew that this was where Fury had been captured after the man had been attacking Berk consistently over the last nine months. But there was another, crazier rumour: that the man had escaped from his sentence to the fury of the Berserker Governor. If that was true...and it would be amazing since no one had ever escaped from Berserker galleys...then Thuggory knew that Fury would return to wreak his vengeance on the island. The disturbing fact that the Night Fury was moored suggested that plan hadn't been entirely successful...but Berk was the only place with a fierce enough navy to deter Drago and that made the risks worth it to Thuggory.

So as they furled the remnants of their sails, Thuggory's eyes widened in shock and dismay: there were three Outcast vessels in the harbour, including one bearing the flag of Alvin the Treacherous. Pirates and Outcasts generally didn't get along-Thuggory himself had a handful of tricky run-ins with them-and the Captain glanced at his crew and suddenly wondered if he had made a horrible mistake.

And then the Berk Naval vessel approached...

oOo

Hiccup face-palmed at the news and turned back to the two older men staring at him. "The Nightmare? What would Thuggory be doing here?" he muttered.

"Damned pirate! Isn't having one here enough?" Stock growled, earning himself a glare from everyone else.

"Thuggory isn't a fool," Hiccup growled at him, his tone exasperated. "But your idiot Navy will try to sink him-when I need every ship out there to oppose Drago's armada! Especially someone like Captain Thuggory, who's a daring tactician and fearless opponent!" Turning to the door, he shook his head and strode away, then paused as he heard silence behind him. "All of you-if we don't stop this, we can kiss Berk goodbye!" he snapped and vanished out. Gobber clouted his friend across the shoulder as he limped after the lean pirate.

"Yer agreed a truce, Stoick!" he reminded the Governor. "Now time ter prove yer a man of yer word!" Stoick scowled and stomped after him as they headed rapidly down the hill towards the harbour. Hiccup was pacing fast, his gait still stiff and Stoick had to accelerate to keep up until the young pirate suddenly stopped at the crest of a rise, his eyes sweeping over the harbour. Not paying close enough attention, the rest of the group crashed into him and he ended up on his face. There was a sudden silence as he achingly pushed himself to his hands and knees.

"What the Hel is wrong with you?" he growled, his voice rough with the pain from his jarred wounds. His fists clenched and he slowly got to his feet before turning to his father. "Stoick- I need you to get one of those Navy ships to intercept the Nightmare before some idiot attacks Thuggory!" Green eyes stared up challengingly at the huge shape of the Governor and Stoick glared back, then gave a curt nod, turning and striding down the hill, calling Gobber. Snotlout grabbed Hiccup's arm as the pirate almost shook with anger.

"Hicc-just calm down for a second," he said hastily. "He'll do it. He agreed..."

"...and a man must be his word!" Hiccup snapped back. "I know! But I don't need to remind you he also swore to see me hang! I have tried to put together some sort of plan to stop Magne and I can't see why Thuggory would be here..." He paused and his face paled. "Unless Drago is already in Archipelago waters!" Watching silently from the back of the group, Elias stared at the pirate and read fear on his face-a different species of fear from the one that had gripped the badly abused man who shared his oar. No, to Elias's eye, this was a man who knew his deadliest foe was coming and everything he cared for was at stake. Then Hiccup turned and began to jog down the hill, his friends at his heels. Stoick was already talking to the captain of a Naval ship and they pulled away instantly as they saw another vessel move to intercept the pirate ship.

"Do you think Captain Thuggory will surrender gracefully?" Sven panted after the pirate. Hiccup slowed and stopped, breathing hard.

"Hel, no," he grimaced, casting his bright emerald gaze around. "Has anyone got something brightly coloured-and reflective?" There was an awkward moment before Sven fished a large solid gold and very shiny pendant out from under his tunic, the metal warm and slightly clammy as he handed it over. Ruff offered a gaudy scarlet scarf she had liberated from the woman she had mugged for her dress and was currently wearing round her waist and the captain scowled. "Wave the damned thing!" he frowned, then lifted the shiny pendant and angled it to catch the sun.

"What doing?" Elias asked in a puzzled voice. His brow furrowed with concentration, Hiccup gave a small smile.

"She is to attract attention and the pendant is to give Thuggory a message," he murmured. Elias's brow furrowed and he took a pace forward.

"How message?"

"Watch!" he smirked and deftly changed the angle of the plate-like pendant, flashing swift patterns at the Nightmare. "C'mon, Thuggory. Look up..." he muttered.

"What say?"

"Fury to Thuggory. Go with them." He repeated the semaphore three times them lowered the pendant and handed it back to Sven, absently wiping his hand on his leggings. The rest of the crew stared at him and he sighed. "Captains' code," he admitted and Sven glared at him in betrayal. "Look, I picked it up when I first took over the Night Fury. Fish knows it as well as First Mate. Sorry...but it's something all Captains are taught when they first report to the Pirate Council." Ruff gave him an exasperated look.

"And we thought we could trust you!" she said and walked off in a huff. Open-mouthed in shock, he watched Sven walk away as well and he turned to his cousin, a pleading look in his eyes...but Snotlout patted him on the shoulder.

"Do they tell you every secret they know?" he asked quietly. He shook his head but he was staring at the ground and suddenly, his shoulders were slumped. He had forgotten that the crew were still very touchy about his obsessive behaviour and their trust was still a little fragile...especially in light of the betrayals of some of their own.

"I can't do this without them," he murmured wearily.

"They surrender," Elias noted, his eyes locked not he harbour. "Understand orders." The pirate gave a wan smile..

"At least one person got the message," he sighed.

oOo

It had been with no small trepidation and a small prayer to Odin and Loki (well, a man had to hedge his bets, savvy?) that Thuggory had ordered his crew to surrender the Nightmare to the Berk Naval ship that pulled alongside and he had handed his sword over to a smirking officer. As the marines had swarmed onto his ship, he was on the brink of regret when a second ship pulled up, under the command of a huge man with an enormous flaming beard and a scowl that would freeze lava.

"I'll take it from here, Captain," red beard said. Frowning, the Captain saluted reluctantly and stepped back.

"As yah wish, Governor," he said through gritted teeth. Brows dipping, Thuggory inspected the bearded man with much more respect: this was Stoick 'the Vast' Haddock, the most famous and respected Governor in the entire Archipelago. But the pirate gave an amiable smile and boarded the Governor's ship as ordered, feeling the weight of his stare pressing on the back of his head.

"If it were up to me, outlaw, I would cheerfully hang from the yardarm this hour!" Stoick growled, "but I have someone who wants to talk with you!" And without another word, he turned away, leaving his crew to watch the prisoners and turn the ship to the nearest mooring. Once they had docked, the pirate was led from the boat by the Governor and he headed them back to the Haddock townhouse, a largely-neglected building on the rise above the harbour that the pirates had swiftly and efficiently taken over as a base of operations. While in town, Stoick had always used the Governor's mansion, though his long-dead wife had preferred the town house. Because of her, he had not let it go, merely consigning it to neglect as he had his son. Now the same son had revitalised the house and moved his crew in.

The liveried men of House Haddock were arming and drilling in the enclosed yard, eyes suspiciously watching the aliens taken through the heavy gate to the main building. Thuggory and Stig, his first mate, were escorted in by Stoick and his one-legged, one-handed friend and taken swiftly to the Governor's office. Then the door slammed and they stood aside, allowing the handsome, dark-haired pirate to glimpse the man they had come to see.

There was a lean shape lounging in the Governor's huge leather chair, his tousled auburn head bowed towards the smaller shape writhing on his lap, giggling and begging for mercy. And then Thuggory's eyes popped wider than he could imagine in shock, because he realised he was watching the feared and famed Captain Fury tickling the small boy he had rescued from Dragon Island. The kid was very thin and bruised, his left arm in a splint, his wild black hair sticking out in all directions and green eyes brilliant with laughter. Fury was much younger than Thuggory imagined, maybe only twenty, also very battered and bruised, but his red tunic and armour were familiar as were the focussed emerald eyes. Finally, he relented and the boy threw himself against the man, hugging him closely.

"I love you, Dad," he gasped, exhausted from laughing.

"I love you too, bud," Fury said and Thuggory recognised the light, slightly nasal voice, not muffled now by the black scarf that hung loosely around the man's neck. Then he raised his sharp gaze to the captive Captain and gestured for Gobber to unfasten him. "Captain Thuggory. I apologise for the deception but you really would have ended in jail had we not intercepted you. And while breaking out of that jail isn't really much of a challenge, it wastes valuable time."

"Fury," Thuggory demanded as the ropes were cut, "what the Hel is going on here?"

"Maybe I should ask you why you are here first?" Hiccup shot back, feeling the boy fidget against him. There was a pause.

"Dragon Island has fallen!" Thuggory revealed. Hiccup sat bolt-upright, his grip unconsciously tightening around his son and he flashed a glance at Fishlegs.

"Get the crew," he said grimly. Looking back at Thuggory as his first mate scuttled from the room, he quietly sought confirmation of what he feared. "Drago?" The other Captain nodded and Hiccup slowly rose, Arild still clinging tight to him. The boy raised his eyes and then winced in recognition.

"You knew Gunnar," he said in a small voice. Thuggory blinked and nodded, then turned his glare on the pirate.

"You threatened to kill him," he growled. With a wince, Hiccup quietly put the boy down in the chair.

"He kidnapped and sold the boy as a slave," he growled. "A Captain protects his own. Wanna make something of it?"

"No-but he might," Thuggory advised him shortly as Stoick blinked in shock at his son's words. Hiccup face-palmed, grimacing.

"And the hits keep coming!" he sighed. "Look, Thuggory. You can stay here and ally yourself and your crew with me in facing Drago-or you can go as of NOW. Ship as is. No provisions and no repairs. Savvy?"

"Or you can go to the jail and hang for piracy!" Stock growled, folding his huge arms. The handsome pirate turned to him and his eyes narrowed.

"You can try," he scowled. Suddenly still, Hiccup stared at him for a long moment and then he gave a wide grin.

"Or the Governor can hang us both," he announced with a smirk. Thuggory, Stig, Stoick, Gobber and the returning Fishlegs gaped, jaws hanging slack and all coherent thought gone.

"Dad...no..." Arild said, his eyes huge and wide with anxiety. Hiccup turned to him and cupped the bruised little face in his hands.

"It's okay, bud," he soothed calmly, his emerald eyes twinkling with confidence. "I have no intention of dying." Briefly forgetting he had disowned and cast out his son, Stoick took a pace forward, his face intrigued.

"Hiccup?" he asked. "Just what have you got planned, son?" Thuggory and Fishlegs' heads snapped round in unison and both stared at the pirate.

"A way to get Magne out of his house and in public...perhaps a perfect opportunity for him to challenge you...and for us to ambush him!" Hiccup explained, resting a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Laddie...this isnae a joke!" Gobber protested and Hiccup managed a small smile at his concern.

"No, Gobber, it isn't," he said heavily. "But I have been sentenced by the Governor to hang...and if he reneges, then Magne will have no opposition to his taking over. And now he's captured the famous Captain Thuggory as well...well, I can't see Magne hiding in his townhouse and not coming out to remind everyone who recaptured me and who gave me the 'lenient' sentence."

"Even though he demanded I choose that sentence," Stock growled. Taking a small step closer, Thuggory stared carefully at the other pirate.

"What lenient sentence?" he hissed.

"To die in slavery in a Berserk galley," Hiccup replied tonelessly. The other man back-pedalled.

"Lenient?" he choked.

"Tough crowd," Hiccup shot back.

"Is he really your father?"

There was a small pause. "Yeah, sorta..." 'Captain Fury' admitted.

"And 'Hiccup'..."

"Is my real name...yeah...lucky me..."

"Loki's balls," Thuggory whistled through his teeth and craned his neck to stare again at the scowling Governor. "And you trust him?"

"If he gives his word, he always keeps it," Hiccup reassured him heavily. "A man is his word. Stoick may be a heartless bastard and the worst father since the dawn of history but he would die before he broke it..." The other pirate eyed him thoughtfully, flicking a warning glance at his first mate, who was eyeing the door.

"As would I," Thuggory growled then offered his hand to the other pirate, his face suddenly grave. "I accept your deal." Hiccup spat in his palm and accepted the gesture.

"Thank Thor," he sighed, turning to the blacksmith. "Gobber-will you look after my son? He told me that you wanted to rescue him...unlike some people...and I trust you to protect him." The big blacksmith gave a broad grin, his stone prosthetic tooth gleaming dully in his mouth.

"O' course, laddie!" he replied. "I'll watch yer nipper as if he was me own!"

"And you bud...I want you to stay-and I mean stay-with this meat headed lunatic," Hiccup said gravely to the boy, seeing Arild's green eyes widen with worry. "I know, I know-you hate that I'm doing something this risky...but this time, it's for you. If Magne wins, he will help Drago win. And if Drago wins...we all lose. Nowhere will be safe for you."

"I understand, Dad," the boy sighed. "Just-just b-be careful!"

"I promise, bud," Hiccup sighed, gently kissing the top of his head. Then he straightened up and turned to the Governor, offering his wrists. "Okay, Dad-you get your wish. You get to hang me!"

oOo

The whole town of Berkisport turned out for the hanging as the bell tolled in the town plaza and the two shapes were led up to the gallows. The excited citizens surged forward, grabbing their places urgently to get the best views of the double execution, chatting eagerly and betting how long it would take for the men to die. Predictably, Johann arrived, trying to sell yak sandwiches and mutton dogs to anyone who couldn't scoot away quick enough and a handful of beggars tried their luck dipping pockets and snatching unguarded purses and snacks.

At the top of the plaza, Stoick stood by the stone Governor's seat-actually the ancient Chief's seat from old Berk-overseeing the process and seeing the shackled crews brought close by the gallows under the guard of House Haddock men-at-arms. The Hofferson soldiers marched up and stood alongside the gallows, led by the elegant shape of Lady Astrid, her satin blue gown shimmering in the weak sun. She stationed herself alongside but a few steps away from the Governor, signalling that though she supported the Governor, she was still not a close ally. Gobber stood between them, his form tense and hand curled tightly around Arild's shoulder. The boy was trembling and casting frightened and hopeful glances at Astrid but she blanked him. She wasn't supposed to know Fury's son, though it tore her heart not to comfort the distressed lad.

There were cheers as the prisoners were escorted in, the two shapes heavily shackled and shoved along roughly. Thuggory had been surprised when Fury had been properly shackled and hit across the face by the lead guard. What had surprised him more was that the younger man had remained bowed for a lot longer than he had expected before slowly raising his bruised face and resuming his determined expression. It was first inkling Thuggory had that the younger man had endured some very rough times and he leaned closer.

"You okay, Fury?" he asked in a low voice. The emerald eyes flicked up and the auburn-haired pirate forced himself to smile.

"It won't work if Magne doesn't come," he murmured and the other man nodded. Fury had briefly explained the nature of their history and Thuggory finally understood the nature of the man's vendetta.

"If he looks like that man of yours, Snotlout-then you won't be disappointed," he noted with a smirk and jerked his head in the direction of the hill to the upper town...and the familiar sneering stocky shape of Magne Jorgensen, flanked by a score of armed guards. The man's expression was thunderous as he stood by his Uncle, clearly wondering how the man had escaped from the jail. But then his face fell into a scowl as he spied Astrid and he sidled closer.

"Where's your husband, Lady Astrid?" he asked. She gave a small sigh, her fists clenching.

"Indisposed-along with my father," she replied smoothly. "I am here to represent him." Magne took her arm in a calculatedly over-familiar gesture.

"Then I shall accompany you, Milady," he sneered. "Especially since I am sure you will be pleased to see that irritating outlaw finally meet his end!" She stared at the gallows as the heroic shape of Thuggory and the lean and lanky outline of Hiccup were forced onto the platform. Magne's face twisted into a sadistic sneer. "And finally, I will see you die, Hiccup," he sneered.

The executioner checked both nooses and then calmly tightened one around Thuggory's neck. "Careful," the man said calmly. "You'll crumple my shirt!"

"It'd be a shame to ruin such a fine piece of cloth," the scabby executioner said, focussing his squint on the silky cloth and he rubbed the collar between his grubby fingers. "Hmm...I'll have that once you're dead. Too good an item to leave on a corpse." Then he turned and shoved Hiccup sideways, roughly tightening the noose around his neck. The prisoner waved a hand.

"Um...don't we get any last words?" Hiccup asked. The executioner swatted him on the back of the head but Stoick raised a hand.

"If you wish," he growled and the people quietened. Thuggory glanced at Hiccup and went first.

"I regret nothing, I apologise of nothing. I am a pirate and proud. And I say to you-beware! DRAGO IS COMING!"

Then Hiccup raised his brilliant emerald gaze to the people of his original home and tribe.

"My name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, disowned son of the Governor, cast out for the crime of loving the wrong girl," Hiccup announced. "I was betrayed to my father by Magne Jorgensen, my cousin, who deliberately ruined my life, demanded I was sent to the galleys and now steals his brother's place as Heir of Berk. An incompetent businessman, a faithless brother and a traitor to Berk. Now he plots to depose the Governor who protects you and who has sentenced me to die and captured this other pirate Captain, Thuggory, as well! My only regret is for my son!" he finished, staring at Arild.

"No..." the boy whimpered and Magne glared: the boy should be locked up in his cellars. Hackles rising, he realised something wasn't right and he abruptly jerked forward.

"What are you waiting for? KILL THEM!" he shouted and the executioner reached forward to grab the trap handles.

"Magne-you are not the Governor!" Stoick shouted. "Men-arrest this man! He works against the Governor and threatens all Berk! He imprisoned me in the jail with the aim of stealing the office of Governor! To me!" His men began to run forward as Magne's troops lurched forward. The House Hofferson men started forward as well as the traitor dug a knife hard against Astrid's neck.

"Hold back-if you don't want to see your scion carved open!" he threatened. "Fight against the Governor's men...or..." And he held Astrid tighter. Hiccup snapped his head round to stare at her and he jerked forward in horror.

"ASTRID!" he shouted.

And then the trap door opened beneath his feet and the rope tightened around his neck...