#botfighting

The five of them ignored the fact they were pushed together, shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip with little breathing room. The backseat was made for only three, yet five were being forced into it. Was it illegal? Completely. But they were heading to an even more illegal botfight so no one was complaining. Ok, maybe someone was complaining but that was to be expected seeing as this was the furthest thing from the usual luxury Anna and Elsa were used to.

"Oh my god, someone turn the air conditioner on-"

"Elsa, do not make me kick you out of this car, it's hotter outside than it is in here, I swear!"

Elsa stopped whining.

The road trip didn't take much longer, the shape of a large dome of some kind showed up and grew in view. Hiros eyes widened as he looked out the window, scrambled under Merida and Tadashi, face pressed to the glass and fogging it with each breath. Now THAT was a fighting arena.

Parking the car, everyone crawled out, desperate for air, to stretch their legs and move from the cramped back, yet Hiro dashed to the outside of the dome like shed, looking it over eagerly. He knocked on the outside of the dome, the sound solid despite how flimsy it seemed and like the siding on it would blow away from the smallest of breezes. Flynn stepped up, grinning as he grasped Hiro by the shoulder, gesturing everyone to follow them as he lead around the structure until they reached a symbol crudely painted on the building of a dragon. Gripping a nearly perfectly hidden handle, he grandly swung the door open, revealing the interior and the dozens of matches going on with hundreds of people watching if not more. A few people turned and whispered, pointing to Elsa and commenting how the 'Snow Queen' was even here. Hiros jaw dropped as he looked around. Even Tadashi himself was in awe as he looked about. This place was amazi-

"DUCK AND COVER!"

A voice shouted, giving but a second of a heads up for everyone to move before a piece of metal shot out at the wall. Following after it was a blonde bombshell with thick hair pulled back in a braid, half her bangs pulled back in a band around her forehead. She picked up the metal, glancing to Punzie and Flynn and giving the signature 'whats up' look and nod.

"Hey, been a while since you two were here, thought you officially ditched." She teased before looking at the rest, to the small robot of Megabot in Hiros hand and cocking an eyebrow.

"Here for a match, kid?" "I'm no kid, and I'm here to challenge the Dragon Master!"

The girl smirked, raising an eyebrow, purposely leaning down to his height despite it being Hiro shorter by a few inches, it was enough to give her the upper-hand.

"Are you even tall enough to ride a roller-coaster?"

"Astrid stop taunting him, you know exactly who he wants to go against." Flynn commented and Astrid simple gave a soft chuckle before nodding. She gestured for them to come inside fully and make themselves comfortable. "I'll go tell him he’s got a pipsqueak of a challenger, you guys just cool it and hang out for a bit. Why don't you introduce them to the gang in the shed? Think I saw Jack hanging around there before."

Flynn took the cue in leading them through the throngs and crowds of people that watched the botfights going on in section C to a separate, built on area away from the main ring. He opened the door, showing the large room was filled with couches, beanbags, mini fridges around a set up of video game systems and a large screen television. On the other side of the room were multiple monitors set up as security, keeping track of everything and making sure that peace was kept. Each of the four sections of the dome arena were on their own security monitor. Each sector had hand drawn rings for small battles and practice, but with the scuff marks along the edges of the walls, it showed how the arena could change into one large ring for major battling that an entire sector couldn't hold.

At the other side of the room were a boy and girl, a controller in each hand to a video, loud in their taunting, jesting and sibling insults.

"Jack, Emma, come meet some people already!" Flynn called out, reaching to turn the television off for their attention. The girl murmured about how she was losing her chance at whooping her brothers’ butt when she turned around.

For one moment, Hiro understood those stupid sappy love songs. She was an angel with how her long brown hair seemed to frame her face, her teeth ever so slightly crooked and bit into her lower lip as she smiled at them in greeting. In Hiros mind, he could already imagine their midget selves at the altar, Tadashi sobbing about how young his brother was and how babies shouldn't be having babies.

"Guys, this is Emma and her brother Jack, Jack is one of the better bot fighters here though he never really aims to win he fights… mainly to . . . well, be a dick to everyone else." Flynn explained as Jack looked over the group. The same cinnamon brown hair as Emma was streaked in wisps of snowy white, his hair shaggy and lazily in his face, only to be cut out by startling blue eyes. Hiro thought Emmas brown eyes were much better but hey, crushes did that to people.

Quickly pushing his mind out of the mushy pits, Hiro gave a snort, shoving his hands into his cargo pants pockets, leaning back in what he hoped was a 'cool but don’t care' way.

"Isn't she a bit young to be in a place like this?"

"Look who’s talking. Aren't YOU?" Emma snapped back and crossed her arms over her pink dress, eyes narrowing dangerously. Hiro opened his mouth to comment but quickly shut it because he obviously wasn't much older then her and he couldn't make much of an excuse for him being allowed but her not. Her older brother snickered, ruffling her hair before looking to the group before them. "Welcome to the Dragons Den, I'm totally second in command here, but I guess you're here for Hiccup huh? He's in his work shop working on the Night Fury." He commented, gesturing in a direction that assumingly was where the work shop was at.

Hiro wasn't here to talk and have pleasant conversations over tea or something of the sort, he was here for a battle and to make sure he had the title of being the best bot fighter. "So get him out here, I want to see if this guy is as good as everyone says he is."

Jack cocked an eyebrow, glancing to the rest of the group, blue eyes landing on Tadashi. "His temper always as short as his height?" He questioned innocently. Tadashi snickered and grinned. Hiro was not so entertained and he glared and sneered at Jack when the door to the side room opened, in entered a rather tall guy with oil stains along his clothing and smeared on his nose slightly. He held a wrench in his hand, the other shoved in a pocket.

"So who is it that wants to challenge me exactly?"

A voice called out. The owner of the voice was a guy that Hiro only assumed was about the age of his brother with intense green eyes and freckles dotting along his face. He cocked an eyebrow at Hiro and his friends, questioning who they were.  Hiro stepped up, pretending slightly to fumble with Megabot and he looked to the far taller male he assumed to being the Dragon Master.

"That would be me. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third.” Hiccup’s eyes fell to Hiro who took a tentative step towards him. “You see, I-I heard you're the best and I know that I won't compa-" "Drop the act already, if you know of this place and Eugene of all people brought you here, then you're no armature." Hiccup crossed his arms and smirked easily. Hiro scowled, dropping his act but didn't comment, not denying nor confirming and Jack smirked, picking up a dirty rag from the back of a chair and flinging it at Hiccups face, making him flinch out of his 'power' stance. Jack chuckled and moved to take the rag where it fell on the floor, his smirk softening into a smile at his close friend.

"Wash your dirty face and give the kid some slack, Hiccup, he wants a match and it would be entertaining. Besides, that Night Fury could use some exercise right?" he encouraged, Hiccup glanced at Jack from the corner of his eyes, blue meeting green and he nodded after a small, dramatic sigh.

"If Jack is vouching for you, then fine, I accept your challenge. Arena A, five minutes."

"Hey, what happened to my cool codename?!"

"It's been revoked, snowflake, deal.” Hiccup finished wiping the oil from his face after taking the rag back from Jack, tossing it at Jacks face after who laughed. Jack smirked, licking his thumb and roughly wiping a missed spot of grease from Hiccups cheek, ignoring the way Hiccup groaned in a mix of horror and pain from the rough-handling to his face. He quickly pushed him off and turned to Hiro and eyed his bot. “Five minutes kid, get ready because I won't hold back just because you're Emmas size."

Hiro nodded and watched as the ‘Dragon Master’ smirked before turning to head back to his workshop to get his robot.

Astrid had already cleared sector for the battle by the time they all made it out from the side room, none of the botfighters daring to argue against the woman. Jack gestured them to all follow him through to the right one. He led them to the center circle where people could watch all four arenas from the open doors and took a right, the floor of this section having a large A painted on it in bright bumblebee yellow. Merida moved from the group to go place a bet herself, wanting to try and win some money as she had seen how Hiro fought.

"You sure about this, kid?" Jack asked and Hiro frowned.

"I do HAVE a name thanks. It's Hiro, and I'm more than sure." He murmured, setting Megabot down and taking a seat his end of the battle ring.

"If you think so hero-kid." Jack teased before he gave a thumbs up and walked to the sidelines, ducking down and quickly picking up Emma, tossing her onto his shoulders with a smile, her fingers gripping brown and white streaked hair for stability. She watched Hiro as he got ready, focusing on his small robot and she smiled.

"YOU CAN DO IT, HIRO! KICK HIS BUTT!" She shouted loudly, easily getting his attention and causing the poor teens cheeks to pinken slightly, ignoring how Tadashi grinned and made a kissy face at him while standing next to Jack on the sidelines.

"So is this Hiccup guy good?"

"Lets just say that he’s on his own level." Jack spoke confidently murmured. "Hope so, he will need to be if he wants to stand a chance against my brother." Tadashi responded, giving a proud puff of his chest.

The crowd around them went silent when Hiccup appeared, taking his spot across the arena and carefully setting what looked to be an metal, black egg. He flicked a switch on his controller and the robot unfurled, showing that the sleek, black metal was on every itch, the 'eyelids' opened, bright, nearly neon green shining through and the dragon awoke.

As soon as the dragon started to glow the crowd started to cheer in excitement. Hiro raised his eyebrows as he heard Emma and Jack start yelling for him.

“GO HIRO!”

“HIRO YEAH!”

“SHOW HIM HOW AN ACTUAL, REAL BOT FIGHTER DOES!”

Hiccup shot a look at Jack that screamed 'you will regret that, I swear to Odin' in the audience who poked his tongue out and winked.

"Ready?" "Only if you are ready to lose." Hiro commented, expanding his controller, Megabots face switched.

"Keep dreaming." Hiccup smirked.

Megabot moved first, spinning it's arms like a top, knocking the dragon robot; Night Fury, back a bit and shaking the hit off, panels along it's back slid away for two thrusters, the bottom of its feet curling up the 'toes' into wheels. Flames shot from the thrusters and suddenly Megabot wasn't the one with the speed advantage on it's opponent. The sharp edges of the green scales along Night Fury's tail slashed out and tore one arm at a time from Megabot until the petite robot was lying limbless in the center of the field. Hiccup frowned, a mix of concerned and offended at how easy that had been and shot a quick, questioning glance to Flynn in the audience. Was this seriously some kind of bad joke? Flynn was standing next to Jack and Emma, the two appeared equally as confused as each other, both of them seemed to be waiting for Astrid to announce the end of the match. Besides them, both Tadashi and Flynn looked comfortable and amused with Flynn checking the dirt until his nails without a care in the world. Punzie giggled with Elsa and Merida who smirked, knowing all to well the battle style of Hiro already.

This was gonna be good.

Hiccup looked to Hiro, watching as the kids lips quirked up into a smile. Hiro’s fingers snapped to life and he started hitting a combination of buttons in quick succession. The face on Megabot spun, turning red into one of malice, each limb moving on its own towards Night Fury in a raging attack. Night Fury dodged the first few blows, a few hitting hard at his turrets, creating the first few dents and signs of damage. That is when Hiccup admitted that this would be one hell of a long battle.

It was twenty minutes into the fight when Jack and the group started to wonder if Hiro would actually win. The teasing chants and encouragement for Hiro died down, the banter gone more serious as Jack, Emma, Astrid and the rest of the dragon den crew shouted out to encourage Hiccup, watching as the dragon robot was knocked around roughly, a few of the sharp edged scales and a few claws even ripped out, scattered across the floor. Megabot was missing one 'ear' and an arm was damaged, but that wasn't slowing it down as it kept going.

“Shit.” Hiccup cursed, not seeing as Jack reached up to Emma who sat on his shoulders and covered her ears from hearing the foul language. He would need to turn this battle around now and before Night Fury took many more hits. He flicked a small joystick, the turrets turning a one-eighty and shooting flamethrowers at Megabot in time, the damage to one arm with the heat destroying the arm and it fell to the ground uselessly, a foot being damaged from it as well but still functioning for the most part. Hiccup was pushing it now, refusing to lose.

The battle wouldn't end for another twenty-five minutes. By this point, Astrid was 300% sure they had just made some kind of bot fighting record. Finally, Megabot was taken down by a strong blast of heat from the last of the Night Furys flame reserves and a strong claw through the red face of Megabot. The crowd around them erupted into applause and cheers, Hiccup giving a look of relief and pushing his hair from his face, sweat that had dotted his forehead wiped away. Hiro moved to the remains of Megabot and gasped, picking the pieces up in disbelief. Someone had actually beaten him, beaten Megabot, the ultimate robot fighter. He looked to Hiccup, awe flickering with a need for a rematch and he moved to Hiccup who was grinning with Jack, ignoring Tadashi for the moment as he stepped in front of Hiccup.

"I want a rematch! You fix your robot and I fix mine, improvements on both, but I want a rematch and this time, I'll win for sure." Hiro challenged, dark eyes flickering with determination.

Hiccup looked to Hiro and grinned, turning to face the kid fully and hold his hand out.

"You got it, any time and any place." He answered, Hiro took the hand and squeezed, shaking it with a grin.

It finally seemed that Hiro found someone worthy of being his rival.

"Still can't believe you almost got your butt handed to you by a kid, Hic."

With a shake of his head, Tadashi locked the scooter and helmets in a tight spot, just hoping his ‘Only Love’ as Hiro called it, would be alright. “Let's not dilly dally, you got a bot fight to win right? Hurry up already.” He encouraged, putting a smile on his face. Beaming brightly Hiro began moving, quickly leading Tadashi to the back entrance of the building. It was louder back here and as soon as they entered they knew they were in the right place. He grabbed Tadashi’s arm and pulled him along, weaving his way with practiced ease through the crowds. Eventually he stopped and gave the hand sign for Tadashi to stand back. Tadashi complied and crossed his arms in amusement as Hiro winked and straightened his posture.

Now for the play.

It didn't take long at all for Hiro to remove the cocky, confident expression from his face and instead Hiro looked around with wide, shy eyes and he pulled Megabot up to his chest, holding onto his robot like a small child would to their favorite toy. He moved to make himself look as small and as innocent as possible. “Is it too late to join the competition . . .?” He tried to call out, getting chuckles from the hard core fighters surrounding them. Anna ignored those laughing and smiled brightly, holding the plate out, the hand not holding the collections plate going to her hip, cocking it out and almost going into a strut position. “If you got the money, you can join.”

Hiro pulled crumpled up money from his hoodie and put it on the plate before Anna gestured him to get into position. “You're first then, last in always is.” She instructed. He took his seat, watching as the ginger haired girl with low pigtails and pink overalls stood in the center of the crudely painted circle for the bot fight.

“Round oneee! New comer . . . uh . . .” She  paused, nose scrunched up and trying to remember if she had even gotten the kids name, remembering she hadn’t. “Hiro. Hiro Hamada.”

“Thanks.” She stood tall and began to address the crowd again. “Hiro Hamada against our bubbly princess Punzie!”

A girl the height of Hiro moved onto the other cushion, smoothing out the pink pleats of her dress and her dark tights before smiling. She set her lizard styled robot before her, taking her controller and flicking activation switch in the center.

“Ready to lose?” She questioned, grinning, brown with blonde streaked hair falling into green eyes. Hiro couldn't help but flicker a grin on his lips that almost showed how confident he was.

“Not a chance.”

-

The first three matches were easy, beyond so to the point that Hiro wondered if he had accidentally wondered into a beginners bot fighting ring, which made him feel guilty as he won without even having to do much work or show the real side of his robot. The first girl was understanding and shrugged, laughing it off and commenting how she didn't usually win with her robot, she was still learning how to build 'Pascal' up into something great. The second was a redhead named Ariel who had what looked like a seashell and seastar in her hair, pushing it back from one side and over the other shoulder. She was easy to beat and she pouted with thick lips after at the fact of losing but didn't whine as expected.

Now Tiana, she was a bit of a challenge, but not for the reason that would be expected. He had gotten distracted for a moment, giving her the edge when she had commented how she only played and fought with her bot when she and her husband weren't working at her restaurant 'Tiana’s Place' and in a flash, Hiro remembered that this was the woman his aunt went up against every year for the annual award for ‘Best Café’. Oh, he just had to win, for the honor and dignity of his aunt.

And with pride he did.

When it came to his fourth opponent who had won all her other matches, brutally destroying a lot of the other bots. Hiro had witnessed a few of her wins from the corner of his eye, including a guy named Eugene 'Flynn Rider. With that Hiro decided he was ready to make things interesting and finally clicked and expanded his control panel causing the face of his robot to switch from smiley-yellow to angry-red, Megabots true fighting side. Now he was showing just a fraction of what it could do. The battled felt longer then it was, ending when Hiros bot ripped the arms off the bear styled robot of Meridas and the girl tossed her controller down, swinging her fists in a moment of huffy rage before calming, pushing wild hair back and giving him a gruffy 'congratulations' in her thick accent.

Finally, it all came down to the leader of the ring. Hiro leaned back, his hand holding him up and he gave a confident look, finally showing just how little he was trying the entire time. He watched the 'queen' step up and take a seat, Anna giving her a big thumbs up and a grin, showing obvious favoritism but that was fine because Hiro had Tadashi who, more than once, had been caught blurting out 'Get them Hiro! Come on bro!' before realizing what a loser dork dweeb he was for it and covering his mouth in embarrassment.

Elsa tilted her head, giving a huff as she looked over the one who had made it this far. A child? Really? Ugh, what was bot fighting coming to? She looked to the money put in and the bets added from everyone. That was a good-looking pile of cash. Every person who had lost previously that night had to add their money to the winners stash and bets were added on top of that, so now it was one large, almost insane stack of both messily and professionally rolled wads.

“If you really think you got a chance of winning, I highly suggest you let it go, kid.”

“Not a chance.”

Blue eyes narrowed slightly and Elsa controlled her bot with skill and ease, moving it into the ring, the jewel in the center shimmered brightly, the arms flexing and moving into a combat pose. She had been observing his last match against Merida and she had a basic idea of what she was up against. She didn't know what kind of weakness his bot would have, but she hoped that the fact hers had a high tech cooling system that kept her robot at new frigid temps would go in her favor as most robots worked off heat and when they got to cold, would lock up. All she had to do was keep the match going long enough so Hiros bot would lock or glitch.

Honestly it had been foolish, she thought in hindsight, to believe that she would have the upper hand because of that reason alone. She barely lasted longer than Merida had and she, along with most of the crowd gave the newcomer a stunned look as he collected his winnings From Anna. Finally, Elsa stood as Hiro started shoving his handfuls of cash into a backpack he had brought.

“Exactly who ARE you?” She demanded in a sneer, ignoring the small tug of her sister Anna to her elbow to not try and start any fights. “I mean, how DARE you come here and hustle my ring, I am the top of the LINE and yet you-”

“I didn’t hustle you.” Hiro said in a 'as a matter of fact' tone as he zipped up his bag and tossed it over his shoulder, gripping the bag by one strap. “I mean, I came to hustle you, but you were all… just… Really bad.”

There were gasps and whispers throughout the crowd and Elsa took a few angry stomping steps forward with grit teeth, about to lecture this little insinuate brat in order to protect her pride and honor only to be cut off before she could even begin.

Flynn stepped in, holding his hands up in surrender signaling the woman to calm her jets and not to work her braid into knots. He carefully took Hiro by the shoulders, leading him to where Tadashi was already standing, the rest of the warehouse starting to clear out already. No one wanted to risk cops coming and getting them now that the fun was over.

“Hey Hiro! So I was watching you out there and you have some real skill kid! But listen, if you wanted a challenge this really wasn’t the most ideal place to come,” Flynn ignored Hiros sarcastic ‘no kidding’ along with Elsa growling at him in annoyance and pushed on “Tell me, have you heard of a place called the Dragon Den? It’s just out of town.”

Hiro’s dead silence was enough to tell Flynn that,  He had not heard of the Dragon den, so he continued.  “I mean, Elsa is good, there is no denying that and Punzie has been bot fighting here since forever, but this other place . . . I've been there a few times, and it's on a whole other level.”

“This was supposed to be the top place in San Fransokyo and you’re telling me there is somewhere better?” Hiro challenged and crossed his arms with a snort.

“It’s in an area specifically built for botfighting. And if you can take out Elsa in a matter of minutes, then maybe.. Just maybe you can stand a chance against the fighters there.” Hiro opened his mouth to make some cocky remark about how he could probably beat them in his sleep and it’s probably not worth the effort when Tadashi steps in.

“They have a guy called the Dragon Master. He sounds like he might even be better than you knucklehead. Well, that’s what Flynn and his wife have been telling me.”

“Not possible.” Hiro snapped back, his hard look softened though when remembering this was his older brother who was just teasing him and he elbowed Tadashi, giving a grin. “But let's go.”

Merida looked to Anna and Elsa before chiming in, having been listening to the conversation, not caring how obvious they had been to eavesdropping. “Hold on, we're coming with you.” Merida was joined by Anna who jumped up and down excitedly, chirping in with an offer to make them more willing to let them join in.

“We'll even  pay for gas and snacks for the drive for taking us with.”

“Besides, I want to see this kid get his butt whooped something fierce.” Elsa commented, crossing her arms.

Hiro and Tadashi shared a look before looking at Flynn who shrugged and started to do a quick headcount. They could take his car and make a road trip of this. Plus free tank of gas and snacks? There’s no way to say no to that.