Hello, thank you deciding to read Chapter 1 of my Divergent fanfiction.
This will be an eventual Eric/OC, however there will be various pairings and slow burn Tris/OC and Tris/Four.
This will also go on quite a tangent and AU, with new stages of training at Dauntless and different events will happen after Erudite openly attack Abnegation.
I also have a completely different ending in mind, so the uncertainty of whether those that died will live or not may entice you guys.
Please review and tell me what you think.
I hope you enjoy this, thank you for reading!
Love,
Renzin xo
Chapter 1
"Being different is a revolving door in your life where secure people enter and insecure exit."
― Shannon L. Alder
"I want freedom for the full expression of my personality."
― Mahatma Gandhi, The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas
Erudite was a stimulating place to grow up in, despite the fact that my attendance was 82% lower than the other children. And in the fraction of education and knowledge, that was almost as scandalous as fucking in public, or licking people like a cat.
It's awfully cliché and most likely expected for me to say this, but I knew that I would do much better in a different fraction. I still held an interest in books and an unsuitable curiosity that was always somehow my downfall, but I was more prone to like science because of the chemicals that were pretty and went bang, rather than the properties of their insolubility.
Similar to the initiations new fraction members went through at 16, Erudite dependants were thrown at tests left right and centre. If you didn't pass, your 'rank' would drop, and you'd keep moving down the class to the younger age groups until it was confirmed that a foetus had a greater intelligence than you.
Guilt exists in me.
I truly understand that I soil our family reputation, especially with three older siblings who'd excelled at school. I get it that having a daughter who gets confused about basic coding but jumps around the city like some weirdly overgrown goblin isn't ideal.
But heyo, that's me. Sorry, Mum, Dad and co.
Apparently, I could do it if I try, but do you know the feeling when you have to put effort into something you don't want to?
It's like trekking through mud.
NO, worse even, like being in peanut butter that's far too insulating so you sweat like a pig, and it's so viscous your ribs can't expand enough to breath.
Yeah. Not pleasant.
I suppose I'm a subjective Erudite. Steel making? Sure, that sounds really interesting. Engineering, I can get into. Gene coding, fraction history, sociology?
Stay away, foul Satan.
A shame really, that most of the jobs here involves the subjects I skive.
I think my selective learning just means I'm lazy, however.
Yeah, that's probably it.
Mind you, I do like being around nerds. I like having someone to talk about books, especially the old ones illustrated in 'manga'. Its quite popular here, especially the type that borders on pornography.
Not that I've ever read them.
Hn.
Nerds are also very resourceful, as you imagine. Ask a couple of them the time, and you will get it.
Unless they hate you, of course.
So, where does the illusive Vallie gowhen she sneaks out of the fraction compound, hmmm?
Well, it's sort of that Dauntless boy's fault. He's most likely an adult now, since I remember him being at least 3 years older and far taller than my dear 7 year old self. There wasn't much to him, except for the fact that my bedroom window was high up and had a good view of a lower rooftop near the Hub where this boy would play.
There were several others, all climbing around the base of the water tower there, but one day, the boy climbed all the way to the top and decided to jump onto the top of the moving train as it passed.
I remember screaming loudly and since my window was open, they all turned to look up in my direction. I remember ducking right under the windowsill and crawling out of my room like a slug pretending to be a soldier undercover, and my horror at witnessing what I thought had been a reckless death.
It was until the next day, when at their usual time the Dauntless playmates returned, that I saw this boy had been successful on boarding the train, and was perfectly fine.
There's another thing that seems to be an Erudite trait, despite every thing; I'm terribly competitive.
As in, if you beat me in something and worse, gloated about it to me, I would remember that moment and train and work for years if need be, until the day I could laugh in your face manically while you wonder who is the vaguely familiar crazy girl in front of you, and why does it matter that she beat you at a crossword?
Yeah.
I suppose competitiveness is alive also in the other fractions, but I'm going to say it's because of my Eruditeness that I am, even if it's just to make me feel better.
Believe me, there was a point to telling the story of that nameless boy who jumped onto a moving train from the top of a water tower.
Well, I suppose I got curious.
How awfully Erudite of me, I know.
So I excused myself of needing to turn up to our computer science class, acquired a pair of my older sister's more flexible blue yoga trousers and a thick warm jacket (for on that fate full day it was early January), and hurried out into the throng of the city streets. I was terrified that even a fractionless would see that I was a dependant alone and would inform my superiors, but I escaped easily to an abandoned building and entered.
In my luck, there weren't any fractionless in sight, though they were probably close by, and there were many crumbling and solitary bricked walls to play on, like a derelict maze.
To my joy, they were perfect to climb on, and in solitude I realised that I was terrified of climbing higher than 2 metres and to get over that.
Every lesson I hated, I would sneak out each time more skilfully than the last (admittedly many times I was caught) and in my free time I would practice getting higher and higher, until I could reach the thick wires in the ceilings.
They were thicker than my wrist, but no power was ever directed through this building anymore, so I start practicing to swing on them. Shortly after this discovery, I read an addition of Tarzan of the Apes, which fed my obsession.
I became an adrenaline junkie, and soon ventured into new buildings that were harder to climb.
Eventually, I could climb the outside of a two story building with ease, with only a small panic attack. Soon the buildings became higher and higher yet again, until I finally ended up on the rooftop with the water tower.
I remember being terrified, because for me this was a monumental event, like passing the finishing line, if Erudite had ever decided to have a race.
There was also the fact that I had never practiced in view of my fraction's compound, and so would only climb the side of the water tower that faced away from it.
I felt daring, breaking rules so close to where my peers submissively worked indoors, and I won't lie and not admit that I looked down on them for being so sheltered.
I never had the opportunity to try and jump on the top of a moving train, but I did make it to the top just like that Dauntless boy.
I hadn't seen his friends for a while, so they must have had their initiations by now, and that boy was probably far more skilled since the last time I saw him, but my god, standing there so high, with the freezing wind tearing at my skin and lungs, forcing my face into a wide grin as I stood with my fists on my waist like a vigilante.
I felt euphoric.
I felt complete.
When I was almost 10, the conscious thought came that Dauntless was the place for me. It came when a new group of Dauntless playmates, all my age appeared on that roof top, and I watched from my window as they were too terrified to go all the way to the top like I had. My ego had never been flattering, and was far too happy to see that I was braver than them.
And then the thought occurred to me, did this mean I was good enough for Dauntless?
The obsession grew.
Honestly, I only cared about that particular fraction because they were the only one that welcomed people acting like monkeys in the day job. My fears of heights wasn't overcome to become more brave. I pushed myself because each time I stopped, my competitive side would throw the image of that Dauntless boy high above me, watching as he beat me.
And I couldn't have that, could I?
Another unfair thing about Erudite was the access we had to all the other fractions, compared to what they had on us. It didn't morally bother me in the slightest. I would've made a terrible Candor or Abnegation.
It was actually rather helpful to train myself for Dauntless.
I knew that theirs and Erudite's initiations were the hardest, though on different sides of the spectrum. I had smart covered; despite the fact that I never turned up, my parents always managed to catch me for monthly tests, force me to go in and after a previous night of reading through forgotten text books, I would always pass just above the line that would cause you to lose a rank. Both my teachers and parents were infuriated, especially since they never knew where I snuck off to.
I personally thought it was painfully obvious, but I never told them that.
The Dauntless were our protectors of the city, they couldn't just perform great acrobatics, they could fight as well.
So entered the next stage of growth.
Oddly enough, the library was brilliant for finding texts on martial arts. The data files included old fights that were broad casted in older civilisations for entertainment. A particular favourite was a full hour recording of a WWE fight won by Andy Hug. He was incredible to watch, and his kicks were truly jaw breaking.
Even if I fell over a hundred times, I practiced all the moes I saw until I was black and blue.
Another amusingly easy thing to get a hold of were fighting games for consoles.
Many a nerd in Erudite had reprogramed ancient software of games and rebuild better simulations. There was one about a creed of assassins that I adored, because of the rich history as well.
However, I highly doubt that any of my peers were practicing the moves and fighting styles in the game, but again, I point out that I'm strange.
Weirdo and all.
At first, it was hit and miss. I couldn't train with anyone, or ask to be given feedback, so I was most likely a mess at first. But I was meticulous on the smallest of things, and soon I could feel muscle memory awakening, my movements becoming instinctual.
You may not expect it, but Eurdite did have a gym, and a fitness program in school for 13-16 year olds (only an hour a week, however).
Jeanine Matthews preached that as long as it didn't inhibit your work (ie skip school), an intellectual had to look after themselves. After all, if you stayed alive longer, the more work you could fit in.
Even so, only a few made the effort to stay in shape, and they were the ones with lower level jobs that often included transporting goods to facilities and what not.
It may have been odd to see a pre pubescent child working out with spotty teenagers just after initiation and pasty adults, but then again everyone avoided me as if weirdness was contagious anyway.
It was fun to think how much I bruised their egos when I could do chin ups fluently next to those who struggled with 5kg weights.
A rather funny PT meeting involved my teachers informing my parents about this, and requesting that I take a few tests to see if I was suffering from depression.
I'm not, for your information, but it did confirm that I showed signs of narcissistic personality disorder.
By now, my parents had given up. I think their reaction to me was to just roll their eyes, and it was more of a countdown to choosing day to see if they'd have to put up with me anymore.
The day we started gym at 14 was a very fond memory. Even though Erudites always competed in classes, the collective dislike of sport seemed to have dissolved that among my peers, so that they banded together in a community sort of way, running in groups and trying to avoid work in every possible way.
As you can imagine, their dislike and distaste of me strongly increased when I went all out in that class.
Not to brag- oh what the heck, I'm going to so shut up.
I was proud of my physical body. While my breasts were very irritating to dress and run with, my body was had more muscle mass than even any of the boys in my class, and I was never very out of breath after class. Our standard clothes always hid this, but I grimaced and decided that I might as well not be too obvious that I had been mimicking assassins and martial artists every day.
The faces of my peers as I lapped them, out threw, outscored them and so on was beautiful, probably one of the best moments of my childhood.
I'm not a very virtuous person, as you can see.
I suppose it's not very surprising that I was the one to draw the rest of the nerds to bully me.
Their attacks were always cleverly verbal, and honestly, it wasn't nice to hear. Then again neither were my responses; I once punched a girl so hard her nose cracked like a cream cracker after she insulted my marks, which were as always only just good enough.
I remember she squealed like, well a girl I suppose, and there was lots of blood. Also a lot of fainting and crying from my delicate classmates, and I was actually suspended for a month on school.
I couldn't sneak off in that time, for I was stuck in isolation, which was held in a redecorated storage cupboard with a teacher as supervisor. In school hours, I would be locked in with my work.
Ironically, my grades were second in the class by the end of that month. Of course, training picked up again with my freedom, and my parents had to stoically deal with the taste of what a good daughter I could have been.
My siblings in all of this were two girls and two boys, all older but for my little brother. Lin was the oldest and was first in her Erudite initiation, which landed her a job working alongside my mother and Jeanine Matthews. She was sweet and of course very intelligent, with butterscotch hair and eyes, and had a fiancé to boot.
Jackson was a male version of Lin and my mother, but was taller than both by a long mile. He was very possessive of food and had tantrums if you entered his old bedroom despite the fact that he had his own apartment, and worked in engineering.
The two of them I genuinely liked and cared for.
Even though they obviously thought I was an idiot for not wanting to excel academically, Lin would always tell me to do the best I could do, and would ease my ego enough to apologise to my fretful parents if need be.
Jackson let me play with his games, and before choosing day actually sparred with me. It was for fun, I held myself back 70% and it was us acting like idiots in his apartment, but the only practice I had with a partner at least. Lin and Jackson cared for their little sister, I knew, but were often not there and aloof in my life as I grew older.
The irritating stick insect that was my last sister was Isla. She was short and stick thin unlike the rest of my family, with more strawberry blond hair and the same scotch eyes, and was in my eyes a far greater brat than I was.
Really, we had similar traits; strong, stubborn personalities, bad tempers and hated cooked fruit with a passion (who even enjoys fruitcake?).
On the other hand, she was a bitch. I've informed her of this many times, yet she still won't believe that I'm only trying to help her, and calls me various forms of freak, whore and weirdo in return.
Those I admit are valid but for whore. Honestly, do you really think I'd find a cute Erudite boy on a roof top or swinging on old street signs anytime soon?
Intimacy was really quite foreign and supressed for me.
I suppose that would explain the explosion of sexual tension in later life.
Aren't you excited to hear about that?
Really, Isla was quite irritating and my face always forms a scowl on instinct when I think of her.
When she was 5, Isla was ill with something or other that unfortunately didn't kill her, so she entered education a year later with me.
Yes, she was in my class. Yes, it was hell.
Which meant that after Jackson left, we were stuck together for two years until choosing day.
Joy.
On the plus side, in that month of isolation where I reached second, Isla was fifth. Boom.
Finally there was Odysseus. Quite the name, right? Apparently he was named after my father's brother, but most people called him Odie. He was…a sociopath basically.
And probably autistic.
Weird like me, but the sort who would grow up to dissect people when they were conscious and plot your downfall out of boredom.
Like me, he was a loner with this freaky stare that warded people away. While he was mad scientist clever, I wouldn't be surprised if he aspired to Dauntless like I did.
He ignored our other siblings but for forced politeness, and only ever seemed interested in engaging in conversation with me. It was nice to have some one interested in the same things, but even I couldn't deny the feeling of walking on nails around Odie.
He was entirely nocturnal as well. It wasn't uncommon to for him to greet me when I snuck out late at night, and sometimes I would come back to find him waiting in my room. He'd stay and talk to me, and that was probably the most social interaction I had with someone close to my age.
Odie was a year younger and a carbon copy of me in features.
He was a little shorter than me, though that was still tall for his age and had thick curly brown hair with strange strands of my mothers colour as well. His eyes were actually quite beautiful, blue but for a rim of gold around the edges and his lips were voluptuous. To be quite honest, being named after a Greek demigod suited him.
But I've given you the impression that I was the only Erudite who wasn't truly Erudite this entire time. In fact, several stood out, mostly the loud Candor types or flowery Amity to bes. In my class at least, there were no Abnegation followers, though if there were, they would've kept quiet anyway, and no Dauntless aspirers.
In my class at least.
Up until the age of 16, Erudite grouped a year of kids into several classes of 6-10 usually, around 20-30 pupils in each class. While it wasn't unusual to social outside your class, being with a particular group of people since you were 5 kind of makes you closer.
Apparently.
So I've heard.
Being absent, I sort of missed out on that, even if Isla was constantly hosting or being invited to study sessions.
It was only when I turn 16, several months before our aptitude tests, a fellow Erudite who I vaguely knew was in my year but a different class came to my attention.
He was blond and oddly tanned for an Erudite born, and also more muscular than the rest. I had been looking through another weapons book, this one on Japanese styles, when I caught his gaze. It was rather shocked, seeing as what I was reading was clear to see, and with embarrassment I turned away and walked further in between the shelves.
Moments later, there were footsteps and cough. I turned with wariness, confused at what this boy wanted. To my shock, he offered his hand with a hesitant smile. " My name's Edward. Hi."
I took it, tense and ready for whatever joke he was going to pull, but none came. "Valentina, class FG."
"Right, I'm TD."
"Hm." I answered, waiting for him to tell me what he wanted.
He was shy, scratching his ear around the glasses. "I noticed the book you were reading, not many other people go into that section as well."
My defensiveness came up, and with a scowl I said, "Yes, so what business is that-" my eyes popped. "Wait, did you just say 'as well'?"
And that was how I met a fellow Dauntless follower. He too had started reading and training to transfer a year ago, and was working with his girl friend to do the same. We were briefly introduced, and while I rarely saw them due to my disappearing, it occurred to me that it wouldn't be so bad to have friends in initiation as well.
As long as they weren't too good of course.
By the time the aptitude test came along, I was a strong fighter. Perhaps it was stupid, but by the end I had wandered into areas with more fractionless, and had let the rowdy ones chase me until we were alone and scrapped with them.
I knew there was a reason that they were fractionless, but it was a trill to actually beat a real opponent that beat back.
My fighting style was almost comedic and looked like an improved dance, my attacks more like muai thai and my defence movements I idolised on an old cartoon about a superhuman who could 'air bend'. I practiced with pipes like a staff and could happily sit on the balls of my feet, crouched over on thin ledges without fear. It was like being a bird, surveying the city like a vigilante.
Except I didn't save people.
And I looked for fights, not stopping them.
I did save a little fractionless girl, but I only threw a brick so her pursuer would chase me, and I have no idea what happened to her.
After keeping it a secret for so long, I was ready to choose Dauntless and be open about my abilities (though I still strived to be the best).
On the day of the aptitude test, I woke up around 2 and opened my window and climbed. Years ago, I would've been terrified of the drop, but the child I had been had grown.
I had for years gotten used to wearing loose trousers and leggings with long tops and thick jackets with boots or sneakers. Jackson, who I always suspected knew what I was up to like Odie, had always told me about his work, mainly involved in testing and creating mission equipment for Dauntless. As a present one year, he had given me something I truly treasured; climbing gloves.
They were black and were so tight they peeled off with a 'slick' noise as plastic left skin. The knuckles were reinforced, as were the outside planes of the hand with carbon fibre, and the inside of the hand was covered in bumps and contours for a stronger grip. While my hands were already calloused from years of climbing, I wore them with pride and fondness for Jackson.
The roof was high and the air felt like knives as it always does at heights. The view of the city was calming as the sun broke the dusky blues of the dead night away. I was certain of what my result would be, but even if expectations weren't met, I knew where I'd choose.
I suppose you could say I was a strong believer in my own destiny.
I wondered what Isla would get; she was clever like the others, but with a mouth like hers, Candor would also suit her. Abnegation and Amity would fall into ruin if she went there, and if she followed me to Dauntless I would tear her eyes out using her own nails as scalpels.
Morning birds flitted through the air, chirping as I 'laaa'd them back.
No one had ever heard me sing, but it sounded nice to my own ears, and as I'm sure you've guessed my opinion is very important to me.
The Wall caught my eye. There was slight movement, for the Amity were early rises as farmers. I frowned.
I was scared to ever try and get over the wall because of all the security there, and I hated that feeling. I wasn't someone who stayed put, just because they enclosed me in.
The concrete blocks were like a challenge, mocking me. From here, I could see over the Wall and the Amity farms, but the only other things visible were a stretch of grey beyond the uprooted dry planes of dirt.
War was said to have ravaged the world, so the Wall was built to protect us, and fractions created to better society. Humans were creatures that were never happy, so war I could understand to be true, but the segregation the Wall provided was suspicious. Surely, someone had gone out there.
The question was to what.
I think I've always known that one day, I would get out.
I was certain nothing would stop me.
Climbing down still makes me very nervous, but it was still very fun. While you could sneak looks down, especially since the height never bothered me anymore, it was better to memorise how you gripped each surface and your journey up to have a safe passage down again.
When my feet were in range of my window, I hung from my arms as I pried it further open with the toe of my shoes and eased myself in again, only slumping into a crouch once my waist was safely inside.
My room was brighter in the morning sun, my shadow looking ominous against the titanium white walls as they began to glow in the growing light.
My shower was scalding and turned my skin raw as it adjusted from outside's temperatures. It was still early, so I massaged my hair lovingly as the shampoo bubbled and writhed. It was a sharp mint smell, so very Erudite and I savoured it.
I heard footsteps outside, most likely Odie.
The mint stung my nose and my toothpaste made me gag as I lost concentration and swallowed it.
I left the bathroom to shuffle back to my room in several towels around my body and hair, a mist of steam following me. The front of my wardrobe was a mirror, so as I moved about naked, I would catch glimpses of myself.
My body never bothered me, I was proud of it. I would take pride when Isla would make snide comments on my tough and harshly muscular physique, even if my breasts and hips were noticeable with a small waist. Lin and Isla had gaps between their legs which were noitcable in their blue slacks, but my thighs were thick and powerful, which is how I thought they should be.
But there was always the curl of dread that I wasn't attractive to others. Being around Myra and Edward was nice, but their relationship made me uneasy.
Intimacy made me flush darkly, and I hated not being comfortable and well versed in something.
Another mild fact about myself; I always dress while doing other things. First my socks were on, then the cream for my face and I would make my bed.
Undergarments would follow, as well and replacing the lining of my waste paper basket. By the time I had clothed myself in jeans, dark blue boots and a white v neck t shirt, the towel around my head was damp and sagging. I let free my hair and got to work.
As well as acting differently to my family, I look very different to my siblings as well (apart from Odie). My mother gave them their hair and their eyes, my father their sharp nose and pointed ears.
While in features I had the same ears and was tall at 5'8", my lips were big and pouty and despite all my training I hadn't lost my baby face.
My brow in a black and white photo would look just like my mother's, with almond eyes and even proportions, but I was the only one in my family that I knew of with blue eyes but for Odie.
Between my parent's hair, I don't really know what happened genetically to be honest.
Well, dad's hairs always been thick yet completely white since forever, so that will always withhold answers.
I suppose the colour must be him though; my hair is dark brown and viciously curly, waving around with every movement. I'm pretty certain they didn't actually adopt Odie and I however, since around our crown there are streaks of butter scotch gold which are quite unusual.
I like how I look.
It's strange and a far cry from Erudite's blonde and be speckled folk, but there's not much I can do about that.
There wouldn't be anything I would want to do about it anyway.
However, when my hair is wet, even with a hair dryer it takes a chaotic amount of time to dry. Over half an hour is gone before I concede and start to comb it, the curls bouncing back up as they escape the comb.
I tie up my hair in a French plait, the end forming a ringlet around the band at my ass and put on some pink gloss, vainly staring back at my own image.
There's life in the home now, as I hear the shower being turned off. It's still only 6 o clock, so I wonder off to Jackson's old room, pick the lock as I curse his paranoia and start playing one of his games.
I sauntered downstairs at the sound of plates and the smell of food. Isla, Mum and Dad occupy the kitchen, my father and mother sitting and eating while my sister licks at a cream bagel. Odie is absent, but he has a habit of disappearing like I do so it isn't out of the ordinary.
Dad looked up and smiled quietly in greeting first, returning to his newspaper.
"Good morning, darling." Mum said. "Are you excited?"
"Very." I answered with a grin that contrasts from my parent's shy nature. "Did you buy more?"
"They're by the kettle. Wash them first and eat at the table with us today." I nodded and made my way over to my prize – apples.
Let me tell you something. Apples are delicious.
Exquisite.
Paradise condensed into a ball of sucrose and fibre. They are the beauty in the world and truly make my day, so of course one must be eaten every few hours.
Anyway, I digress.
After taking my seat between my father and Isla, I engulfed my apple with relish and got to work on my marmite toast. Isla watched with disgust. "What are you, an animal?"
I grunted in reply, to which she snorted. I answered with a light tap to the shin, she squealed and threw a segment of her orange, to which I caught in my mouth and swallowed with triumph.
"Ugh." Isla concluded while my parents sigh.
At 10 o clock, the first people entered the testing cubicles. I waited in the large hall of seats, reclining on a chair and playing with a strand of hair when I heard an 'excuse me'. With bored eyes, I turned to the source and froze.
I'm not sure why I was so fascinated by her.
Perhaps it was because she was so unlike me, and I liked that. She was waif like, and incessantly kind. Her appearance was full of soft petal colours, while mine was dark but for my pale skin and eyes.
I don't think I really viewed other people's emotions to ever be as painful as my own were to myself until she mellowed me out. Her voice was calming, and I suppose I brought out her hidden temper.
She was hunched over in some sort of hideous version of a tent dress in Abnegation grey, and similarly dressed boy behind her.
Her face was on show due to her hair being pulled back into a low bun, which was the strangest colour I had ever seen. A mix between ginger, strawberry blond and honey, with freckles and brown eyes to match, warm green mixed within them. She stood there tensely, a boy with a similar face and eyes but with brown hair also waiting.
"Sorry?" I questioned, still star struck.
"Could we get through?" She mumbled.
"We're sorry for the inconvenience." The boy added as they shuffled by my seat, my extended legs no longer blocking their path.
The girl took the seat next to me, the boy on her other side.
"S'no problem." I answered.
Jesus, I couldn't stop staring. It was no doubt she was pretty, but not excessively so, and yet I was extremely alert around her, committing every detail to memory.
"My name is Caleb Prior, this is my sister Beatrice." The boy gave a polite smile and offered his hand. I shook it, wondering why I honestly didn't care about him while his sister was too interesting. "Valentina Murdoc. Nice to meet you two." A thought occurred to me in a frown. "I'm surprised that you Abnegation kids chose to talk to an Erudite."
They both grimaced slightly, obviously thinking about the dispute between our two fractions. Beatrice answered and I gave her my full attention. "My brother mentioned that it wasn't nice to leave you alone."
For one of the only times that I can remember, I was upset that I had been seen acting like a loner. It was embarrassing to say the least to have it brought up like that. With bitterness I said, "How nice of you. Truly selfless."
Caleb wide eyes were panicked. "We didn't mean it like that! I apolo-"
I shook my head. "Save it, that was rude on me. I just can't stand waiting." Beatrice gave me an understanding smile that made my face heat up. What one earth was going on?
"Do you have any idea what you'll get?"
I shrugged, trying to act cool and closed off. "I have a fair idea, I'll probably transfer."
"Why?!" Caleb said with confusion. "Do you not agree with Eurdite?"
"Meh." I said with amusement. Funny, did this kid hope to join my soon to be old fraction so badly?
My answer seemed to frustrate him. Beatrice noticed as well, so she hastily added. "I'm not sure about mine, it'll be hard to decide tomorrow."
"I suppose the best thing is to chose where you'll thrive at. Unless you go fractionless, it'll be where you are for the rest of you life."
With a smile, she said "And that could be a long time." My own smile widens as our eyes lock and I examine hers, completely ignoring her sibling.
At that moment, another batch of names are called, and so I stood up once my own name was heard. The Priors also followed me as 7 others are rounded up and we were escorted to the cubicles.
Before I entered my own cubicle, I caught her eye again, and winked before hurrying inside.
The urge to kill myself is pushed down as I nodded to the Dauntless tester. My eyes widened as I took in his red Mohawk and expanse of constellations that were tattooed over all the skin I can see but for his head. Swirls of nebulas in startling colours were there as well. Several piercings hung from his ears, and a bar was wedged into the septum of his nose. He smirked. "Still there, kiddo?" another bar glinted in his tongue.
"Do you make a lot of noise when you move?" I blurted out. Surely all that jewellery was loud?
He seemed momentarily surprised, before laughing loudly. "Only when the bass needs work. I'm Frank, your tester. Sit down there, and chug this down."
I didn't have a clue what bass he was talking about, so I smiled and did as he commanded. I'm pretty sure all the Erudite's would've recognised the serum, even I did. It was bitter and after I handed him back the vial, I said, "Vallie" as reality faded away.
My reflection stared back at me, exactly as it was this morning. I raised an eyebrow at myself, marvelling at how real the serum made it feel, when another me appeared, and another, and another. They seemed to be endless, and since there seemed nothing else to do, I raced after them, as the reflections behind me chased myself.
A low dum sounded as a familiar voice said, "Choose." I stopped before I could crash into the two stone bowls, one containing a bloody slab of meat, the other a machete of sorts. The latter was expertly smooth and drew me to it. I took it without thinking, grasping the weapon with reverence; Jackson really had rubbed off.
Then there was a guttural snarl and snapping of teeth. I whipped around to see an Alsatian looking ready to pounce, spit flying out from its bared teeth. I wanted to stand tall and growl right back, but while Erudite's rarely had pets, I had been told once that with dogs it was best to appear as non threatening as possible.
Fighting the urge to glare at the Alsatian, I dropped eye contact and hunched, staying very still. The dog continued for a moment, and then calmed enough so that it trotted over with light curiousity. I gave it a grin as it nuzzled in the scent of my hand.
It's fur was soft and I found myself fascinated. Cats or fish were the only pets Erudites had, since they could be left alone and didn't take up too much study time. This was the first time I had been close to a dog, though I knew they were common in Amity with all the open space, and Dauntless trained them as well.
Something caught its eye and drew it away as its angry side resurfaced. I turned to see a little girl whimpering and backing away. I was irritated she had ruined the moment, but was quick to decide that she didn't deserve to be mauled.
"Don't move!" I warned her, knowing that the dog would only chase her. However she shook even harder and broke away.
"Oh for Pete's sake!" I launched myself forward, catching up with the furious dog and threw my weight on top of it. The room around me disappeared along with the dog as I found myself on dark streets near the train tracks.
A haggered, almost deranged looking man thrust a poster of a man that looked familiar to me in my face. "Do you know this man? Tell me, have you seen him!"
"Yes. I passed him on the way here." I lied smoothly, trying to hide my amusement. It was like a game really.
The man's eyes widened, then narrowed at the news. He looked down the street, then growled "You better have not lied to me!" before sprinting away.
When he saw no one around the corner, he roared and chased back, while with a grin I sat myself crossed legged in the way of the approaching train. The scene slammed back to reality as the train made contact.
And then I was sitting next to Frank again, blinking away my dizziness and the bright light. "Welcome back, kiddo. How you feeling?"
"A little dizzy, but alright." I said as I warily sat up.
"Yeah, give it a minute. Sometimes it can be a little wacky for some people."
My lips curled up when I heard how he spoke. "What were my results?"
"One second." I watched him as several more messages popped up on his dashboard, before there was a ping and several stat graphs appearing. "Awesome, a Dauntless I see."
My eyes widened with excitement. "Really? Brilliant!"
Frank snorted at my reaction. "Did you expect that result?"
"I guess so. Any advice for initiation?"
He paused and though for a second as I stood up and readjusted my clothes. "It's tough, I'll give you that. Avoid getting into trouble and don't let the fraction change get to you I guess. Oh, and if your instructor tells you to jump,"
"-You jump with a cheer." I finished.
Frank grinned, his gums showing. "You got it, kiddo. If you make it, come find me and say hi."
"Thanks, I'll remember to."
My sleep that night was hard to grasp, thoughts of the next day, leaving home and Beatrice Prior whirling around my head.
Isla had achieved Erudite in her test, and no one was surprised at my result. In the morning, my parents talked to me alone. "You're planning to transfer to the hooligan fraction?" Dad started.
"Yes. I have been for a while." I sighed after a pause.
Mum and Dad gazed down sadly, before my mother kissed my forehead. "You were always so full of energy, so wild. We hope you'll be happy there."
"We love you, Val. No matter you different or troublesome, you're our little girl, and a different fraction will never change that."
My eyes watered, and blushed when they smiled in response. A sort of circular hug formed between the three of us. "I'll make you proud. I won't be in a lab or studying, but I'll do it." I mumbled.
"We don't doubt it, darling."
Marcus Eaton of Abnegation delivered a speech at this year's choosing ceremony.
It was boring and I spent my entire time staring at the bowl of smoking coals, trying to fight back a smile. Lin and Jackson were here with the rest of us. Isla sat between our mother and I, playing with the lining of her blue blazer while Odie was picking at the sleeve of my shirt out of boredom.
Yes, it was normal behaviour, and we still got odd looks in our fraction.
But honestly, my brother could be scary, so I never complained.
I myself was prepared with my usual sneakers, long, over sized blue t shirt and leggings. A chained necklace fell hidden in between my breasts, and I started to graze the links with my teeth with frustration at the irritating man who spoke.
It had small gold heart garnet was embedded in another small yellow gold heart that had a thick width hung wedged in the space of a simple gold ring. I didn't know the relevance of it, but my mother had given to me without answering my questions, so I was ready to protect it fiercely.
"Isla Murdoc."
She seemed surprised when I squeezed her hand with a smile, but returned it and made her way to the fraction bowls. Amusingly enough, Isla hated blood and her pain tolerance was appalling.
With a grimace she sliced her palm and squeezed it over the Candor bowl, before hastily pulling it back to Erudite and letting her blood fall into there. I nodded to myself, glad that my sister would be happy with family.
"Erudite!"
"Valentina Murdoc."
I gave swift kisses to the cheeks of my parents, hugged my other siblings quickly and swept down the steps, letting my grin show as my to be ex fraction erupted into distasteful muttering.
Perhaps that sarcastic bow was a little too much at the bottom of the stairs, but a few from the other fractions chuckled.
Oh well.
The attention wasn't the humble pie to my ego, as the other fractions were suddenly curious watching me. I paused to stare at Marcus Eaton, finding no interest there I took the knife and sliced along my palm. I wanted to remember this moment. Relief swelled through me as a large river of blood trickled over the black coals, and what the Erudite considered uncouth cheering rang out from the Dauntless.
"Dauntless!"
My family were watching me as I took a seat with the hyped up people in black. Lin and Isla had comically gaping faces, though Jackson seemed to have guessed this like my parents, he gave me a thumbs up, to which I nodded to. Odie gave me an almost reverential gaze, and I wondered if he would follow me next year.
The ceremony continued.
I watched Caleb chose Erudite, much to the political out roar, and Beatrice take longer to chose. I was shocked, but deliriously happy when she took a seat next to me. "Dauntless, huh? Didn't see that one." I joked.
"Me neither." She said nervously. A smile was there though.
"We'll do this. I'll prevail, and I won't let you fail." I said boldly. I didn't know why I felt so strongly about this, and it seemed neither did she.
"Really?" Beatrice asked with wide eyes. I just smiled and carried on watching the ceremony.
The Dauntless moved fast after it had ended, with loud yelling and whooping all the way, they raced down the stairs and out through the hub. I laughed and cheered along with them, Beatrice also caught up in the mood.
Soon we reached the supports of the tracks, where the Dauntless launched themselves onto the bars like monkeys and climbed. I followed enthusiastically, but checked at the top for Beatrice. Thankfully, she had got the message and I pulled her up when she came up as well.
"Didn't expect that!" she huffed.
"Get ready to jump!" someone shouted at the train stormed towards us.
"What?!"
"it's not slowing down!"
"You're not serious?!"
"Awesome!" I laughed. "Common Beatrice, run!"
"What?!"
I shot off, building as much speed as I could on the narrow platform before throwing myself into a roll onto the train. I stood up quickly to see Beatrice still run. "Jump now! Before it runs out!"
She was terrified, but nodded and jumped onto grab the last rung of the train. I moved through the passengers to the back of the carriage just as she was pulled on. Her hair was wind swept and her cheeks rosy. I knew I probably looked the same, as my braid felt looser.
"Feeling good?"
"Yeah!"
She slunk onto the floor while I stood. Another Candor girl was out of breath next to her. "You made it? I'm Christina."
"Beatrice." She gasped.
"Vallie." I said with a smile. Christina nodded back with twinkling teeth.
"Is it just me, orrr are they trying to kill us?" she drawled.
"Something like that." I agreed as we fell into chuckles.
I watched the city zip by, the sun bright with hope. After 20 minutes, an older Dauntless moved towards the doors and warned them, "Get ready."
Beatrice moved to the door and after a moment turned back with panic. "They're jumping!"
"What?!" Christina said with disbelief.
An adrenaline hyped smile appeared on my face. "Brilliant. Me first!" three steps back and I dashed forward, using my arms to propel me forward.
I stumbled but stayed upright on my landing, that was thankfully far from the edge and waved back at the door to signal them to jump.
Worry bubbled in me, they would try, right?
Sure, I spent my time dangling off roofs, but I wasn't that bad!
I almost shouted 'no!' until they both flew out at the last second, rolling upright and laughing. I jogged over with a wide smile to cover my mixed emotions. "Took your time, you two!" They both seemed to be in shock, which was quite amusing.
"Sorry, nose, some of us don't jump out of moving trains everyday!" Christina retorted.
"Oh yes, our pudgy professors do so to get to work all the time." I chirped as she punched my shoulder. I helped Beatrice up, subtly checking for damage and pulled her along to the growing crowd.
Several older Dauntless members leaned against the rim of the wall, behind them an open space and large drop into darkness. A tall man built up to the extreme with muscle stood on the wall, arms crossed and cunning glare in place. It swept over our crowd of initiates. Thick tattoos like a barcode graced the sides of his neck, two bolt like piercings above his brow and block stretchers in his ears. I couldn't help but think that he looked a lot tougher than those boys who had played on the water tower.
"Alright, listen up. I'm Eric. I'm one of your leaders. If you want to enter Dauntless, this is the way in. And if you don't have the guts to jump," He smirked coldly at us, "then you don't belong in Dauntless."
"Is there water at the bottom, or something?" A boy from my old fraction asked nervously. I rolled my eyes and said, "Oh please." Louder that I intended, a couple of people giggling.
Huh, I never thought of Dauntless as gigglers.
Eric paused to lock his gaze me, then on the boy before daring, "I guess you'll find out. Or not." He shrugged.
I heard the Christina mutter, "We just jumped, they want us to jump again?"
"Well someone's gotta go first. Who's it gonna be?" Eric snapped.
I bite my lip before opening them, but it's Beatrice's voice that yelped "Me." The crowd moved out of her way. I was surprised, a little annoyed that I wasn't quick enough but I said nothing.
Beatrice walked over to the edge and looked back at Eric who crossed his arms boredly. Something seemed to ghost over her mind because then the jacket left her. A boy from Candor's irritating drawl called, "Yes Stiff, take it off, put it on." I shot him a glare that he unfortunately didn't receive.
Beatrice dropped her jacket and climbed onto her knees on the wall, then shakily stood up. She looked down the hole tensely, hesitating until Eric prompts "Today initiate."
She bends her knees and is gone. There's a quiet but amplified yelp and then a call of "First jumper; Tris!"
Thankfully, it seems she made it. Noticing that others were shifting about with more confidence, I manuvered my way forward. Eric stared for a moment before giving a jerked nod. I hopped onto the ledge lightly and looked down only to know where to aim, before leaping wildly off, my only regret that I didn't dive off.
It was still awesome!
It was surreal to fall for so long without grabbing onto a ledge, but the heart in the mouth sensation was brilliant. In seconds it was over and I bounced to the side of the net, an attractively tanned man helping me down. "You good?"
"Yeah," I said breathlessly, "I'm good."
"What's your name?" he said, watching me sort myself out where I stood.
"Valentina, Vallie,Val, whatever variation."
He raised a brow. "Right. Second jumper, Valentina!" he shouted. "Welcome to Dauntless."
I nodded and made my way over to the newly dubbed 'Tris'. She grinned with much more life in her now. "That was…"
"Quite." I agreed. "New name huh?"
She nodded. "Beatrice is an Abnegation name, it felt right to leave it."
"Tris suits you. It's like you're awake now." She blushed in embarrassment, which made me grin cheekily.
Soon everyone had jumped.
Naturally, the initiates already in black had clumped together; some sending assessing and critical looks in our direction. I spotted Edward and Myra, and they migrated to the other side of me while Beatrice and Christina were to my left.
The man we had met at the net stood before us with a woman with dark hair, one ear heavy with piercings and another hoop at her brow and lip.
Four said, "Dauntless born, you go with Lauren, transfers stay with me."
"This way!" the newly dubbed Lauren said, leading the sea of black away.
"Most of the time I work in intelligence, but during your training I'll be your instructor. My name's Four."
Christina's Candor popped up again. "Four like the number?"
"Exactly like the number."
She snorted, "What happened? One, two and three were taken?" There were a few sniggers, while I rolled my eyes.
I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.
Four straightened and walked slowly in front of Christina, staring blankly down at her. "Well, Christina, the first lesson you learn from me, if you wanna survive here, is keep your mouth shut. Do you understand me?"
"Yes sir." She muttered.
"Good." Four turned and walked away. "Follow me."
He lead us through thick concrete tunnels and stairs with no railings, the walkways above allow peaks of the ceiling and lower floors to shine through. Dauntless members passed us in the corridors, some hollering, the others ignoring or watching curiously as they remembered their own initiations.
Soon the maze opened up into a gigantic open space, like a hive with many people running about, laughing and so on. With glee, I noticed one wall was a climbing wall. Another open corridor was wide enough to see open shops and a club of sorts, with people leaning against walls and hanging out.
The entire area had curves and drops in the concrete, almost like a skateboard park.
"This is the Pit, the center of life here in Dauntless." Four informed us.
"This is incredible." Edward mumbled to Myra who nodded with wide eyes.
We were led further into the maze, down quieter corridors until Four showed us a dorm like room with rows of grey beds and small cupboards in military condition. Folded black masses of clothes and a pair of matching boots were neatly placed on top. "You're gonna be sleeping here for the initiation process."
"Girls or boys?" Someone asked.
"Both." Four answered boredly.
A few murmurs and joking passed through the group. "That works."
"If you like this you're gonna love the bathroom." He said sarcastically. We followed him towards an open area of tiled floor. An expanse of non cubicled toilets sat off to the side, the rest of the room occupied by sinks with misting mirrors and peeling baths that had several taps each. They seemed to give the impression of communal bathing.
While Erudite weren't as closed off as Abnegation, we were fond of our hygiene and privacy. I couldn't help but wonder how Odie would react to this. Probably go on a murderous rampage I'd imagine.
"Oh, okay…"
"Seriously?!"
"No other area? Are you kidding me?"
"You should feel right at home Candor. Everything is out in the open." Four retorted.
"Is this a joke?" the irritating Peter asked.
Four stared at him before walking out. "Get changed."
"Great. Shower anyone?" I snorted and moved away, choosing a bed next to one of the support pillars.
Tris followed and took the next, then Christina on her other side. I sorted through the clothes to find they were dark trousers with drawstrings, a black wife beater and underwear.
I pulled them on, trying not to think about how they knew how many bras to leave for the girls. It was a sports one that was too tight, but would be suitable to train in, so I suppressed the grumbling and shimmied into it under my white t shirt before changing into the black one.
"Nice legs, Stiff!" Peter jeered again. Anger seared through me.
"Better than your chicken ones, Candor." I sneered. Peter looked up with a scowl, which to my dismay morphed into some sort of charming smirk. I realized I hadn't finished tying up my trousers, and scowled to continue while turning my back.
"Thanks." Tris mumbled. I smiled and returned to lace my boots tightly.
We were told to burn our clothes, but Jackson's gloves were too precious to me, my old bra actually fit and the leggings I had worn here were practically black anyway, so I folded them under my mattress. My necklace hung out of view, my hair hiding the back of it.
We then were shown the cafeteria. It was loud and full of life, though soon I only had eyes for the food. When I had served all I could carry, Tris and Christina had already made their way to a table with Al and Will, leaving no space.
I faltered.
Myra and Edward seemed a little too cozy to be a third wheel with, and no way would I sit with Peter and his friends. I made my way hesitantly towards a table of Dauntless born initiates, got myself together and asked. "Any room here?"
The five of them paused and looked at me, before the girl next to the empty seat said "Sure thing, transfer." and shuffled over a little. I sat down on the edge, smiled in greeting and relaxed when the awkwardness quickly evaporated.
"So, where you from…"
"Vallie. Erudite transfer." I supplied as I started to assemble my burger. First the bread, lettuce, tomato, meat, sauce, onions, cheese, another meat pattie and top bread bun.
"Got quite a few of you guys this year huh?" A guy with shaggy blue hair pulled into a ponytail said. He offered a wide, handsome smile. "I'm Gabe."
The two boys next to him were Uriah and Emmett. The former was tall, dark and as the saying goes, handsome as well, with bronze eyes and white smile. Emmett had shaved his head, making him look a lot older. A Celtic geometric tattoo pattern covered his skull and made his way down his back and arms like the shell of a turtle. Both of them had charming smiles, making me wonder if that was a Dauntless trait.
Then there was Lynn next to me who had a sly sense of humor that I loved. Her head was shaved but for a small fluffy Mohawk. Finally there was Hax, who was extremely sarcastic, terribly tall and covered in piercings on his ears, snakebites and septum piercing like a bull as well. His hair was a black curtain, which was swept to one side to reveal the shaven side. He had hundreds of snakes tattooed around his body as well, as if they were licking his flesh.
"Jesus, nose, did they not feed you before?" He asked as I inhaled my burger.
"I'm pretty sure that thing is a black hole." Uriah quipped.
"Hey," I whipped a bit of sauce from my mouth with my tongue. "Food is the essence of life. Let me live, alright?"
Emmett snorted into her soda, while Gabe's lips quirked. "I'm impressed. You've got talent, Vallie."
"On what, stuffing her face?"
"Please, this is art."
Hax rolled his eyes, but took a vicious bite out of his sandwich, a challenge in his eyes.
How could I resist?
I picked up my burger and shoved the remainder in mouth. His eyes bulged for a second. "Myef blyt!" Lynn manually moved my jaw up and down before I could swallow.
"What was that again?"
"I said," I gulped some water down with a grin. "Beat that, Haxie my boy!"
Uriah laughed. "I like you! A nose who can have fun!"
"I do try."
Hax swallowed and glared at me. "You think you can beat me at a food eating contest?!"
I sniffed. "I think I just did."
Gabe laughed. "You haven't seen Hax in action yet."
Hax smirked evilly, making me falter inside a little. "Not now, we have training next. Come back at dinner and challenge me. Unless of course your…" He nonchalantly took a swig of his drink as the other guys hollered "Chickennnnnnn!"
"The fuck I am!" I growled and pointed a finger at Hax. "You're on, Hax!" He grinned darkly and shook my hand tightly.
Lynn quietened them down. "Guys, Max is here." At my confusion, she said, "Dauntless leader, one of five of them."
Max was a stocky, dark skinned man who held himself regally. His hair was grey and wrinkles were embedded into his face. "Initiates, stand."
I snapped up at the legs along with the others, noticing the entire cafeteria's eyes on us. On a far table, I recognized Frank, who caught my eyes and grinned back.
"You have chosen to join the warrior faction tasked with the defense of this city and all its inhabitants. We believe in ordinary acts of bravery and the courage that raises one person to stand up for another. Respect that. Do us proud."
Immediately the room was filled with thunderous cheers and banging, as the Dauntless grabbed onto us and carried us between the tables. I can't remember ever laughing and feeling so happy before that.
Lynn dipped a little at one point and grabbed onto Uriah and I with a squeal, making me laugh even harder and knock her back. I couldn't think of any reason to doubt my decision to transfer.
Well, maybe the bathroom needed work.