Surprisingly, the Batter pauses, arm raised in the air and ready to strike with the weapon almost stolen from him. He'd never stopped before, certainly not for another tribute, someone he owed nothing and only stood in the way of his inevitable victory.
But he does, only for the briefest of moments.
The fact that it's a child doesn't surprise or bother him. The Capitol chooses to send whoever they wish as tributes, whether they be child or adult, and if they weren't ready for it then it was their own problem. They could train like anyone else, learn how to defend themselves like anyone else, and they could die like anyone else. It mattered little.
He only pauses because for the briefest, quickest of split seconds, he sees little Hugo before him. Large eyes, full of fear.
Even the name almost spills past his lips before reality comes back to him. He's in the arena, surrounded by warring tributes fighting to survive and escape the chaos that is the Cornucopia. And the boy before him is a stranger, an unfamiliar face, and an obstacle with only a rock to defend himself. A poor fit for the arenas, if he's to be brutally honest, but it's of no concern to him.
The Batter strikes quick, flipping the knife in his hand so the blade points outward. He'll give the boy a chance - at most, the rock will bruise him. But if he doesn't act quick, that knife will get stuck in his throat.
no subject
But he does, only for the briefest of moments.
The fact that it's a child doesn't surprise or bother him. The Capitol chooses to send whoever they wish as tributes, whether they be child or adult, and if they weren't ready for it then it was their own problem. They could train like anyone else, learn how to defend themselves like anyone else, and they could die like anyone else. It mattered little.
He only pauses because for the briefest, quickest of split seconds, he sees little Hugo before him. Large eyes, full of fear.
Even the name almost spills past his lips before reality comes back to him. He's in the arena, surrounded by warring tributes fighting to survive and escape the chaos that is the Cornucopia. And the boy before him is a stranger, an unfamiliar face, and an obstacle with only a rock to defend himself. A poor fit for the arenas, if he's to be brutally honest, but it's of no concern to him.
The Batter strikes quick, flipping the knife in his hand so the blade points outward. He'll give the boy a chance - at most, the rock will bruise him. But if he doesn't act quick, that knife will get stuck in his throat.