The Hunger Games: Fight To Survive (HTTYD/Animation Crossover AU)

Prove Myself Worthy

The third day came without such fanfare, as I prioritised myself on improving the acquired skills over the past two days. All the while, I ranked my brain at what to do for tomorrow, as it marked the private sessions with the Gamemakers. The night before, Astrid and I discussed with our mentors about it, and while Astrid had obviously decided on her chosen skill, I was still lost. Admittedly, I was too focused on practicing as much skills as I could that I didn't consider the one I had to impress the Gamemakers with.

"Well, you better come up with something, kid." Eret sighed after our conversation. "It would look quite unprofessional if you went in, looking like an idiot to them. Not that you care, but remember, do everything you can..."

"To make the Capitol like you." I repeated. That night was, unsurprisingly, another sleepless night. I felt frustrated, with a hint of panic washing over me. What was surprising was that it didn't seem to affect my concentration in training, as I worked on perfecting the different kinds of knots. Maybe the adrenaline for tomorrow kept me up, which only meant I would be out like a light once the results were out.

There was a part of me that was telling me I was freaking out for no reason. That I could do any skill and that would suffice. But I was never one to listening to that side. Eret even said the more impressive my skills are, the higher the score, and in extension, the bigger the chance a sponsor would take an interest in me. With all the amount of talk about sponsors over the past few days, it was practically engrained in my mindset.

"Hey, Hiccup." Just as I finished tying a knot that was suited for a snare, I turned around to see Astrid approached me. "Have you decided on your skill yet?"

"Nope. I just have so many skills that I'm so good at, it's too hard to pick." I remarked suddenly.

Astrid raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms. "You really like being sarcastic, don't you?" The look of subtle annoyance craved right through me. I could tell in her mind, she was only trying to look out for me, knowing my struggle and I just blew her off. To be fair, I didn't realise I was being sarcastic. It just slipped out of my mouth, fully displaying its residence in me.

"S-Sorry, I-I didn't mean to..." I rubbed the back of my neck and turned away slightly, sighing as I did. "I do that a lot. It... helps me calm down in a way."

Astrid sighed. "It's fine. Just don't get too worked up on it." I didn't hear any malicious in her voice, which softened the blow in me.

Regardless, I lightly scoff at her statement. "Easier said than done when it comes to me." I look up again, thinking she left due to the sudden silence surrounding us. Instead, she still stood in front of me, looking up.

"Have you tried the rope course yet?" I looked in her direction to find a large rope net that stretched across the ceiling. A group of tributes were occupying the station, with some already losing their grip and falling. Luckily, the distance between the ceiling and the floor was not life-threatening.

"Yeah, I don't have the upper body strength for that." I pointed at my skinny torso for emphasis.

Astrid just shrugged her shoulders. "That's not stopping her." I looked up again where I caught a glimpse of a young girl, with dark brown hair and a small bun on the right. Jinora Kuki was not as skinny as me, but she wasn't physically strong either. However, she was practically leaping across the rope course with ease.

"You shouldn't limit yourself just because you're not strong to the normal eye." Astrid spoke. "If I did, I wouldn't be so skilled with an axe, as you like to say. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who's the strongest in The Hunger Games." She lightly smiled, giving my arm a light punch. "You'll figure something out. Seems like you always do." She then headed towards the fishhook station, leaving me to mallow in my thoughts once more.