Truly, I think Robert would terrify the other tributes in a Hunger Games AU. We know that man is feral, has the street smarts to survive some shenanigans, and is completely unafraid to throw hands. But add in everyone keeping their powers? He instantly becomes even more terrifying when he survives the opening bloodbath, and keeps surviving despite being at an obvious disadvantage. And then he has the guy who controls fire on his side! As if he needed that scary dog privilege!
I've seen a couple videos about people guessing Katniss had the other tributes scared of her because she got an 11 and none of them saw her use any specific skills. Robert is also like that. No one knows his deal. And then he bites someone's fingers off! He and Katniss are exceedingly similar, it seems. Robert just doesn't specialise in archery, he specialises in being a feral raccoon man that no one can predict. I'm imagining he and Chad cross paths in the arena, and the first thing Chad sees is Robert with blood all around his mouth. Definitely has to contemplate if possibly getting his throat ripped out is worth trying to torch this maniac. And then he wins! Game Makers are tearing out their hair as they try to make sense of it, Shroud is trying to plot, truly a terrible day for the Capitol when Robert Robertson III wins the Games and brings a second tribute out of the arena with him.
Also, the hijacking is gonna be extra painful now! Because they'd probably have to keep Chad on power inhibitors so he doesn't burn down the entire district. Which probably isn't good for preventing him from freaking out, which is gonna create a painful little cycle that the others can do nothing but watch while trying to help him.
And I can't help but wonder what the equivalent of "If it weren't for the baby" would be here. I mean, Robert could be trans, so still a chance for a baby to be faked, but would the Capitol believe it? Would it even be information they would have access to? I laugh because we have either the canon outrage of sending an unborn baby and its carrier into the Games(stellar priorities, people /s), or Flambert has to come up with something completely different on the fly to try and cancel the Games.
The simultaneous angst and comedy potential is delightful.
Robert's feral raccoonness definitely carries him through. Everyone's scared to mess with him, because his fighting style is so unexpected. He's definitely skilled in combat, but he also uses a lot of dirty tricks and will do whatever it takes to win/escape.
Chad's hijacking by the Capitol is definitely not pretty. He has to wear a power inhibiting collar and his hands are shackled. He tries to fight it at first, and it takes a while for the tracker jacker venom to really kick in and alter his memories. Once he's fully brainwashed, he becomes an incredible asset for the Capitol, and Robert is devastated.
I don't know what would be the equivalent of the baby. I feel like the baby is a pretty big deal, and nothing else really compares to it, so maybe they'll pull the same trick.
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