trans_9 | Burgled [closed to BZ]

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Burgled [closed to BZ]

The thing that alarmed him was the shuffling of papers. There wasn't exactly a breeze in his forge. The fires had been doused and everything had been left to cool, the fans were off, the huge windows were closed...

That meant someone was inside. He never used the lock because he didn't think he'd need one. Most people didn't even know how to use the forge and why steal from a blacksmith willing to make things for free?

Maybe he should have called for help first, but if he did, he'd feel really stupid if it was just someone popping in to ask for a job or to look around.

So he opened the door wide and stood at the doorway, looking in. Then he frowned.

"What in Odin's name do you think you're doing?"

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Well, crap.

Big Zero had hoped that she her only "friend" wouldn't catch her here. She was usually good at the stealth thing, but she had also grown used to Egghead watching her back.

So, when she was caught red handed stealing Hiccup's designs, there was only one proper reaction.

"Was gonna copy these. Hope you don't mind. I was thinking of giving them a look over, see if I could make any adjustments. I'm fast at copying so I didn't think you'd mind." She grinned.

Yeah, that probably wasn't the proper reaction.

"No."

Yeah, that wasn't the right reaction, BZ.

"First of all, you didn't ask permission. Second of all...no. You seem nice but I barely know you. I'm not going to trust someone I barely know with plans for the Mangler. And now I'm going to start locking the door."

It hadn't even occurred to him that someone might want to steal those.

"Aw, come on." She set down the papers and walked over to him. "Hey, I get this looks bad. I'm sorry, I should have asked. But I figured you'd be cool with it."

"I'm not really cool with people looking over my weapons designs. There's some weirdos on board--not that I think you're one, but I'd still rather get to know you better before letting you have these." He moved past her to go over and grab them. "I should've kept them somewhere safer."

Mostly, he was mad at himself for not being careful, considering the events in the past with the bombs he'd heard about and all. He wasn't trying to be rude to her or imply anything.

"If you're not cool with it then why'd you make them in the first place?" She kept close, looking perhaps a bit too longingly at the schematics. So close, yet so far and it looked more and more like she wouldn't be getting her hands on them. Today.

"Because I could decide who gets to see them and what they're used for. I designed these so I could make most of them myself, and only maybe need help from people I trust."

"And you can't trust me?"

"I met you all of one time. That you were poking around without permission is a little unnerving."

He added, "Don't get me wrong. I might eventually, but I'd need to get to know you a little better."

"Come on," She put her arm around his shoulder. "What am I gonna do? We're all working together against the Ohm, aren't we?"

"And now you're being pushy."

He shoved her arm off.

"Like I said, you seem okay enough, but the pushy thing is freaking me out. Why do you want my plans so badly? There's plenty of other projects you could help with."

Have a suspicious glare, BZ.

"And why are you so God damn suspicious?" Big Zero snapped. "I'm trying to help out."

"Why are you acting so suspicious?"

"I'm no acting suspicious!" She was being suspicious. "God, why do you have to be such an asswipe?"

"You really know how to endear yourself to someone and seem like a trustworthy person, huh," he said flatly. "Look, it's not personal, but if you keep taking it personally, it's going to get personal."

"Well how the fuck am I supposed to take it? God!" She exclaimed, first backing away and then coming back to get into Hiccup's face. "I should have known better than to expect a cripple to be cool about it. You're a loser just like all the other limbless freaks."

There was a moment where he could only stare. That's it. Just stare. Never had someone insulted him over his leg. Back home, it'd been a mark of valor. On the ship, no one else had seemed to mind it, and when he'd gotten the automail, it'd been like getting a normal leg back, in terms of mobility.

It wasn't that he felt bad about it, more that he was amazed someone had the sheer steel balls to say something that hateful.

"God, you're such a fucktard aren't you?" Big Zero said, taking pains to disguise the fact that she was looking over the place one final time. She was good at that. "You can't even say anything."

"Well, I'm sorry," Hiccup answered wryly. "I know other people who also have crippled limbs, but I'm not used to dealing with someone whose brain is crippled. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to treat someone like with you sympathy or firm sarcasm."

"That seriously the best you can come up with?" Just keep him talking a bit longer. She'd almost gotten a good look at everywhere. It was hard to space it out properly and do it fast at the same time. "I'd like to see you reverse engineer a robot. My brain's working just fine, one legged wonder."

"If you were actually smart, you'd understand how bad an idea it is to estrange yourself from everyone around you by being incredibly obnoxious."

There was a knowing look shot her way.

"Did you think I didn't see how you've acted on the comms? I figured someone either acts that way because they're scared and messed up and maybe could use a friend who's very, very patient, or they act that way because they're truly hateful--and stupid enough to let everyone around them know how hateful they are."

Hiccup pulled down the last of his plans before she could see them and tucked them away, and the way he did it made it abundantly clear that he could tell what she was looking at.

"Now I know which it is. You had a chance to have at least one person on this ship not hate your guts and watch your back, and you just messed it up. And all you get to walk away with is half-remembered weapons plans that are so rough draft they probably won't even work."

The funny thing is unlike so many others who went after her for calling them names, for being...her, he was incredibly calm. It was just a leg. She was just a stranger.

"Is it worth it? Is saying stuff like that worth being alone?"

Was there a small part of her that flinched at Hiccup's reaction?

...

...Eh, not really.

Big Zero shrugged. "Can't make friends with useless shits like you. You can't handle the truth, that's your problem." She said, heading for the door.

She'd seen enough here.

Useless?

No. No, not anymore.

"Somehow I have a feeling your definition of truth is a little suspect."

Don't let the door hit you on the butt on the way out.

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Burgled [closed to BZ]

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