The Angel Had An Axe- When Hiccup is kidnapped by Viggo, wounded, and nearly killed, a certain blonde comes to his rescue. And she'll get him out of there… no matter what the consequences. Because what blonde doesn't have an axe to help her out? Requested by Funtasticme

Viggo towered over Hiccup, his dark shadow stretching even to the furthest corners of the damp and moldy cell. His voice was deep, yet eerily calm as he spoke to the captured heir.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Hiccup only glared back, lowering his brow in disgust.

Viggo smirked. "You know, it is extremely rude not to address your host. Especially after you've been so well cared off."

Silence.

"Have you enjoyed your stay so far, Hiccup? Do you need anything else? A blanket, perhaps? Food? Some water?" Not even bothering to pause, Viggo, laughing, went on. "It was such a delight when I got the news of your arrival. What was it again? Oh, yes… you gave yourself up so your friends could live." He raised his brow, suddenly darkening. "How foolish."

Hiccup finally decided to speak, unable to keep quiet any longer. "I wouldn't call it being foolish," he snapped back. "I'd call it being honorable. Of course, you wouldn't know that."

Viggo's eyes flashed, and he slapped Hiccup across the cheek. "How dare you speak to me with such disrespect, boy," he hissed. "I could've killed you the minute I heard you arrived, but no. I wanted to see what you had to say. But it looks like that same arrogance hasn't left you just yet."

Hiccup clenched his jaw.

"Of course, I won't kill you just yet, either," Viggo mused. "You are a formidable opponent, my dear Hiccup. It'd be a complete waste to kill you." He paused as if waiting for Hiccup to say something. When he didn't, Viggo shook his head, almost in a disappointed way. "What are you staring at?"

Hiccup considered this a moment. "Not much."

His words angered Viggo. The Grimborn struck out with his hand and slapped Hiccup even harder than before across the face, before repeating the process several times. "Don't be a fool, boy."

"I'm not. You're a big enough fool for the both of us."

"Watch how you talk to me. That tone of voice will earn you a beating with the whip."

That finally struck a nerve inside of Hiccup, widening his eyes. He'd witnessed how a whip felt a few times before and was not eager to repeat the process. The sudden fear that momentarily flashed in his eyes was not missed by his persecutor.

"My, my," laughed Viggo, cupping Hiccup's chin with his fingers. "What's this? Are you scared of me now, Hiccup? Do the thoughts of a whip ripping the flesh from your back make you fear me?" He chuckled. "At last, I found something that frightens you." He straightened to his full height and marched over to the iron door.

"Ryker," he called. "Bring me a whip." Then he turned back to Hiccup.

A minute later, Ryker, grinning wickedly, brought in the selected weapon and handed it over to Viggo before backing out of the room. His eerie silence made it all the worse for Hiccup's state of mind. Viggo uncoiled the whip and snapped it a couple of times through the air, never taking his eyes off Hiccup's face.

"What's wrong?" he mused as he snapped the tip end of the whip close to Hiccup's head.

Hiccup managed to turn his head just enough so that the lash missed his cheek. He glared up at Viggo, not trying to hide the loathing that he felt for the man. The whip snapped through the air again, and this time the frayed tip struck Hiccup on his left shoulder, ripping the thin material of his shirt. He winced but didn't react otherwise.

"Does it hurt?" Viggo taunted, popping the whip and catching Hiccup on the opposite shoulder. Hiccup bit down on his lip to keep from crying out and fueling his man's pleasure that he was obviously getting from torturing his prisoner.

"I can make it worse, Hiccup. I could force you to stand, and in a few minutes, have your flesh hanging by threads from your body." Viggo whirled the whip around and snapped it at Hiccup's chest this time.

Hiccup couldn't help but grunt as he pushed his body backward, but there was no escape. Viggo snapped the weapon again, this time it slicing across his cheek. He was suddenly dragged upwards into a standing position, arms locked behind him and his head in a collar that choked him.

The whip buzzed by his head. Viggo laughed. Hiccup heard the crack of the whip and felt the first sting across his back as the tip met his flesh.

He groaned softly and flinched, arching his back. It stung but didn't hurt. This was a game. Viggo was testing him.

The second sting of the whip caught him in the small of the back and burned worse than the first. He grimaced. When the third crack of the whip alerted him, he was prepared- or so he thought. The whip had left its mark across his back in the form of a wide, bright red welt that seeped droplets of blood. Hiccup, moaning, slumped down as far as his iron neck collar would allow.

The collar felt as if it were choking him. His hands, still chained behind his back, burned from where the lash had also struck. Once more the whip cut into his skin. Hiccup gasped, and then crumpled to the ground, heaving for air. His body slumped downward and was only held off the floor by his collar.

Viggo didn't stop even then. He popped the whip through the air, striking Hiccup on his shoulders and watched as the young man's body quivered and jerked in response. He raised the whip for the fifth time, about to strike once more when-

"Drop the whip, Viggo!"

Surprised, Viggo almost did just that. He swerved around and saw a figure in the doorway. Obviously female, blonde hair in a braid, spiked shoulder blades… and an axe raised high above her head.

It was none other than Astrid Hofferson.

And a very angry Astrid Hofferson at that.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" she yelled. "Or I'll kill you! I'll kill you, and I'll enjoy every minute of it!"

Viggo laughed slightly, letting the whip drop to the floor. "Why hello, Astrid. May I ask, what makes you think that you can kill me?"

Astrid clenched her jaw. "Because when my friends are in trouble, I help them." She shook her head. "Now let him go! I took out Ryker, so I can obviously take out you." She glared at him steadily. "Now move already!"

"I am much more interested in how you got in here," Viggo said, inspecting his fingertips. "Currently, we're in the middle of the sea on a ship barely recognizable to be one of Dragon Hunters. Did you break your oath to stay behind until Hiccup had arrived at my base? Did you, perhaps, trail us?"

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "So what if I did? Now let him go. You're overpowered, Viggo."

"No. I don't think I will." Viggo crossed his arms. "You see, Astrid, when one makes a deal with another… they're not supposed to break it. I said I'd kill Hiccup if you followed us." His hand slowly snaked down to his waist where a sheathed knife rested. "And indeed I will."

Astrid was already barreling towards him before he finished, axe raised high and yelling loudly as she approached. Viggo calmly sidestepped the angry blonde as she grew nearer, much to her fury.

"Stay still where I can kill you!" she exploded.

Viggo only stood aside with a slight smirk on his features. "I'm afraid not, Astrid. Hiccup and I have plans, and it was very rude for you to interrupt them."

"I…don't…care!"

She lunged again, axe swinging high. Viggo dodged the blow again, fingering his knife. "Oh, you'll have to do much better than that, Astrid. Much better."

This isn't working, Astrid thought to herself as Viggo step-sided her weapon's path again. He senses every hit coming… I can't keep using this tactic- I have to try a new one. Her eyes flashed dangerously. I need to be more like Hiccup. Do something unexpected. Something that Viggo won't be able to retaliate against. Something… unordinary.

Taking a deep breath in, she managed to take the sharpest edge of her anger off, glaring at Viggo but not making a move to attack him.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Give up?"

"Not exactly," she scowled. "I'll… make a truce with you."

Viggo tutted disapprovingly. "I don't want a truce, Astrid. I want Hiccup to surrender to me. I want him to admit that once and for all, I have won this war. Not him."

"I'll try and convince him," Astrid offered, though her thoughts screamed at her to say otherwise. "Just don't hurt Hiccup." She put on her best desperate look. "Please? I'll convince him, somehow. I know I can. Just please don't hurt him!"

Viggo seemed to ponder over this for a moment, which was all the time Astrid needed to swing the hilt of her axe at Viggo's head and then crash downwards. Viggo, unprepared for the blow, crumpled to the ground, not fully unconscious but too out of it to get back up.

Using that moment, Astrid rushed to Hiccup's cell, where the barred door was swinging wide open.

And laying inside…. bloodied, beaten, bruised… was the boy she had sworn to protect… sworn to bring back home… sworn to save...

Hiccup.

The color drained from Astrid's face. "Hiccup!" she gasped, stumbling to his side. He was slumped over against the wall, face deathly pale and lips blue from lack of oxygen. His chest barely rose and fell as he struggled to take in another breath. If Hiccup had been badly beaten before, it was nothing to the condition he was in now. His face was almost unrecognizable. His back was cut up and bleeding, from what she could see, his cheek was swelling from obvious hits, and bruises decorated his face. The raw skin on his wrists gave mute testament to his struggle to free himself from his chains.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked in barely a whisper, slipping off his neck collar and then moving onto his bound hands. "Hiccup, can you hear me?"

A low moan escaped Hiccup's lips, and his head slightly turned.

"Yes, that's it, Hiccup… open your eyes, we don't have much time…"

"A-Astrid?"

Hiccup's emerald green eyes fluttered open, coated in a pained haze. He blinked slowly as if confused. "Where…" He coughed. "How…"

"Don't try to speak, let's get you up, okay?" Astrid gently slung an arm around Hiccup's shoulder, quickly pulling him into a standing position. He stumbled forward, but she grasped his shoulder and kept him from falling. "No, Hiccup. You can't walk on your own. Here, let me help."

Aiding Hiccup by allowing him to lean against her, the two hobbled out of the room, hearts pounding with fear. As they reached the doorway, a faint voice said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Astrid froze, a shiver running up her spine.

That was Viggo's voice.

He was awake.

Hiccup had already looked behind himself, too dazed to fully comprehend what was going on. But his eyes widened at the sight of Viggo rising from the floor, a knife clutched in his hand as his eyes flickered in the low light.

"Astrid," he gasped, stumbling on his feet. "Viggo…"

"I know, Hiccup." Slowly, Astrid turned around, expression dark. "You're not taking Hiccup, Viggo. Not again." Her hand grasped the ax's hilt that hung from her side. "I won't let you."

A sneer crossed Viggo's lips. "You'll never stop me, no matter how many Dragon Riders you attain. I can assure you on that." Without warning, he threw the dagger at Hiccup and Astrid, the weapon sailing through the air at high speeds.

Hiccup sucked in a breath. "Astrid, look out!"

Suddenly, he pushed Astrid to the side, causing the blonde to stumble into the wall. And although the approaching knife didn't impale itself anywhere, it did graze Hiccup's arm before it skittered across the floor.

Astrid looked up at Hiccup in shock a moment after. "You saved my life!" Her eyes widened. "Are you all right?"

Hiccup panted, clutching his bleeding arm. "Yeah, but not for long." He nodded towards Viggo, who was approaching them dangerously. "We have… to get out of here…"

"I don't think so, Hiccup," Viggo growled. He reached for his second knife.

Not sparing another moment, Astrid grabbed Hiccup by his uninjured arm and pulled him through the doorway, and up the creaking stairs of the ship. The deck was mostly deserted, she saw as she peeked her head out. Stormfly was still thankfully hiding behind the cargo where she had left her, unnoticed. Only a few Dragon Hunters stood in the way of their escape.

"Hiccup, let's go!" She dragged Hiccup up from below deck, and the young man coughed weakly as he struggled to stand. Astrid's eyes flickered in concern. Hiccup, if anything, looked even worse. The strain he had been forced into these past few minutes must have caught up with him. "Are you okay?" she asked, helping him up.

Hiccup's face was pale and sweaty, but he still managed a nod. "I'll be… all right."

"You bet you will. If it's the last thing I do, you'll be all right..."

She aided Hiccup quietly over to Stormfly, the Nadder squawking in alarm at the sight of Hiccup.

"Shhh, girl," Astrid soothed, shaking her head. "We have to be quiet."

"Yeah, yeah, quiet," Hiccup muttered, stumbling towards the dragon. "Then we can attack the Hunters."

Astrid turned to Hiccup in surprise. "Hiccup, we're not going to attack them! You can hardly stand upright yourself, and we only have one dragon. How could we possibly wreck their ship?"

Hiccup's expression slowly transformed over to one of realization. "Right… hmmm…" He coughed again, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow. "Let's… let's destroy their supplies. Yeah. It's something!"

Astrid pursed her lips. "But Hiccup, you're injured."

"Nah… I'm okay…" Hiccup cleared his throat and shook his head. "Let's just do it, and then we can go back home… it'll be better if we just don't think about doing it first."

"Of course," Astrid said sarcastically. "Because the last thing you need right now is a rational thought."

"Right."

She sighed. "Okay... you win." She held up a warning finger. "But it's going to have to be quick, all right?"

"Whatever you say, milady." Hiccup was honestly in too much pain to care by now. "So… let's blast some things." He chuckled as he was helped onto Stormfly's back, shaking his head. "Blasting… Toothless is really good at that..."

"I'm sure he is," Astrid agreed, climbing on behind him. Hiccup was clearly too out of it to think straight by now. "Are you ready?"

"What? Oh, yeah, sure." Hiccup nodded. "These…. Dragon Haters-"

"Hunters," Astrid corrected.

"Yeah, yeah, Hunters… they need to learn a lesson."

Astrid nudged Stormfly's side gently. "Up, girl!"

The Nadder squawked, and then took off the deck of the ship, flying a few dozen feet up through the air before hovering over the Hunters. Men shouted in alarm.

"Hey, it's a dragon!" one yelled. "Let's get it!"

"Not today," Astrid muttered. "Blast 'em, girl!"

Stormfly didn't have to be told twice. Already jitterish from the Hunters' shouts, swooping down, she blasted several barrels of supplies. It didn't take long before the entire deck was in chaos… and then Viggo and Ryker appeared from below deck, both shooting glares out at the two riders before marching across the ship.

"Get them, you fools!" Viggo yelled, rubbing the back of his head. "Don't let them get away!"

"Time to go now," breathed Astrid, pulling Stormfly away. "C'mon, girl, let's get out of here."

And leaving the Dragon Root arrows and bola cannons behind, they did just that.

"Here, Hiccup, let's get you down from there. I want to check your injuries before we go any further…"

"What? No, I'm fine… totally fine..."

"Hiccup, you get down from there." Astrid offered her hand to Hiccup, ready to pull him onto the seastack they had landed on if she had to. Her tone was not one to be reckoned with. "You're obviously not feeling well, are you?"

Hiccup shrugged, shakily slipping down from Stormfly's back with Astrid's assistance. His legs buckled, and he would have fallen to the ground if it wasn't for Astrid's quick reflexes. "Easy, easy," she chided, gently helping Hiccup down.

"I'm fine," Hiccup insisted.

"No one who's been whipped that day is 'fine.'" She folded her arms, inspecting the injured young man before her. It was with great relief that his wounded arm looked much better than before, but as for his back…

"I'm going to have to take a look at where you were...whipped." She bit her lip distastefully at the word. "And check to see if your wounds are any worse than before."

Hiccup sighed but nodded. "Fine. Just… make it quick. I want to get back to the Edge as soon as possible."

"And that depends on how well you are, Hiccup. Stay still!"

Astrid moved behind Hiccup, looking over the bleeding lacerations on his back. She winced at the ugly sight of them before her eyes narrowed. How had Viggo done this? How could he be so cruel as to torturing Hiccup?

"Astrid? Hmm… you done yet?"

"Hiccup, I've only just started!" A few minutes later, she bit her lip after a careful examination. "The marks don't look too bad, Hiccup. How do they feel?"

"Sore…" Hiccup shifted his position uncomfortably. "But it was all a game, Astrid. A test." He looked over his shoulder, meeting her eyes. "He didn't want to really hurt me. Maybe leave a scar or two, but he was trying to test my endurance, my strength…" He closed his eyes. "Thank the gods you got there when you did."

Astrid smiled as Hiccup opened his eyes back up again. "Hey, that's what friends are for." She smiled shyly. "And, um… girlfriends."

Hiccup returned her smile with one of his own. "Thank you, milady. For everything."

"I'm just glad you're all right now." Astrid shook her head, scooting closer to him. "You are feeling all right, aren't you? I'm not a healer, but…"

Hiccup nodded, cutting her off. "I feel much better. But… let's just stay here for a little while." He paused. "Y'know, to rest up, give my injuries a little more time to heal. Before we head back to the Edge, at least."

"The Edge?" Astrid scoffed. "Hiccup, your father demanded that I bring you straight back to Berk once I rescued you. He's worried sick. You were kidnapped, remember? By Viggo. The cruelest man in the archipelago." She playfully punched him in the arm. "Plus, Gothi'll need to take a look at those battle wounds of yours. I know they don't seem bad right now, but looks can be deceiving."

"They're not serious at all…"

"I'm not taking any more chances with you, dragon boy. I'm not sure either of us could handle it."

Hiccup chuckled lightly. "Though I disagree with you, I have to admit… that's probably a good call."

"You got that right."

And as Astrid leaned into Hiccup's side, both staring off into the soft pastel sunset, Hiccup knew that without her... he would have died at Viggo's hands today. She had truly been his savior. His protector. His rescuer.

Because what savior of his didn't have an axe?

He smiled. Certainly not Astrid.

...but that was a conversation for another day.

Hehe, well, I hope you enjoyed this one-shot! So sorry it took me awhile to get up, or if some parts are a little iffy- school's been a real monster these past few weeks. I'm running on borrowed time as it is. :)

Anyways, it would be awesome if anyone of you could review. :D I love hearing what you guys think, and support is always welcome! Whelp, I best be off now. And don't be afraid to leave requests for me, guys- I love writing Hiccup!whump, and all of your requests are always so much fun to write!

Happy reading!

-thepurplewriter333