Poly day four! Theme of the day is AU.
Rather than just write a Modern AU... I wrote this.
Hiccup/Cami/Astrid.
As Astrid and Cami are the same character (regardless of if you agree it's still true) I feel it lives up to AU with them existing together. But if you need a second AU aspect... there's zombies instead of dragons.
-HTTYD-
"Twenty five!"
"Twenty eight! Better work harder Cami!"
"You're on Hofferson."
Hiccup winced as the two women leapt forward, blonde hair soaked in blood as they raised weapons and dove in to zombie slaying. No matter how many they tore down, more always seemed to spring up. Well, lumber up. They weren't terribly fast. He had a weapon too, but Hiccup wasn't in competition with either Astrid or Cami as they counted their kills for the day. He lacked their fanatical murderlust.
"Ok, lets go raid this warehouse and kill our way home."
Astrid wiped ineffectively at her messy face while Cami kicked the door open, the three of them heading in and closing the door behind them. Hiccup helped barricade the door, then searched through the pitch black with his flashlight for a switch. Whether or not the wiring still worked was anyone's guess, but he pushed on the dusty button he found. A few dirty lights flickered into life, illuminating everything... sort of.
"Fill your bags kids."
Hiccup rolled his eyes, watching Cami pick through and complain nothing in there was deadly. Since they were on a supply run for food, Hiccup wasn't that surprised himself.
"Oh, first aid kit. Having that!"
Astrid didn't even empty it, just ripped it from the wall. Hiccup was genuinely glad these two were on his side. He didn't envy any zombie or even survivor that got in their way. They packed up any tinned foods and dried meats they found, along with a pile of water purification tablets. The trek for the outdoor store warehouse had been long, but the best type of haul for them. Short maybe a grenade launcher that could clear dozens of zombies at a time.
Cami kept asking for one for her birthday. Even before the whole zombie apocalypse.
"Hey, look who's back! Our fearless leader, alive and everything."
"Eat me Eret."
"You know, I would" Eret winked playfully, then returned to what he was doing "but I'm busy. And I think those two have that covered. There you go buddy."
He tied off the bandage on Justin's cut arm, nodding reassuringly to Hiccup to say it wasn't an infected injury that would turn the mild-mannered plant expert into a killer. He might not be an athlete, but Justin could identify poisonous mushrooms at twenty paces.
"Thanks."
"Justin, these are for you! Don't bleed in the water."
Astrid tossed him the water tablets, several others hovering for the chance to eat something that wasn't overcooked fish. The ones assigned to hunting had had a few bad days, but came back with a large haul. Some of it was dried and salted for rough times, but tinned vegetables and beef jerky were practically a feast.
"We didn't get everything, but we'll be going back soon. All able bodied, there's a bunch of outdoor gear we should grab."
Cami raised her hand - still holding a bloody dagger.
"We're in. Astrid's leading and I can't have that. You can always stay home Hofferson."
"In your dreams. I'm in."
Hiccup shook his head at them, making sure everyone had food before he ate himself. They boiled up some water to clean dried blood off everyone where possible, checked patrol shifts and planned the next wave of supply runs. Then he finally decided it was time for bed. As 'leader', Hiccup had his own room. Well, that was the reason everyone said aloud.
The unspoken reasons were Astrid and Cami.
"Plus sixty."
"Fifty nine. I killed that last one."
"As if!"
Watching them bicker playfully over kill counts that they kept track of by carving it into the wall each night, Hiccup pulled off his outdoor layers - with two small but incredibly feral radiators in amongst sleeping bags and camping blankets with him, Hiccup didn't need much clothing to stay warm.
He knew he was lucky; they were clinging to humanity and hoping to survive the zombies until whatever caused them ended. To have two people who he actually loved, who loved him in turn, and to be as safe and secure as anyone could be in this madness, Hiccup knew that was a massive good fortune. When he looked up from unlacing his boots, they were getting undressed too.
Well, they were undressing each other. Close enough.
-HTTYD-
I've never written a zombie AU before. I may never do so again. Polyship week has been a weird one for me. Oh well.
