Disclaimer: I am not Veronica Roth. I did not write the Divergent Triology, or Four's short stories/Four: A Divergent Collection. I don't own them, just a copy of her wonderful works. This is not for profit…yatta yatta yatta. I do borrow her characters, a few quotes here or there to make it compliant with the beginning of the story, and to make my 'ship more believable. (Blanket disclosure for all chapters of this story.)

Chapter One:

Eric stood on the roof, bored and pissed at the same time. When he stated that the last round of initiates weren't up to par he didn't expect Max to put him in charge of this batch of initiates. But, that was just the tip of the iceberg of his crappy assignment.

"Just think, the closer you are to Four, the more you have a chance to show him the light." Max said as he grasped his shoulder in farewell.

'Four. Pft. He chose his lousy job.' He thought after they chose their jobs he'd be done being compared with Four, especially since they worked in such different fields. He finally thought that he would be free. Max just had to be "nice" and try to bring him into the circle. He knew what would happen if Four finally said yes. Max would have a new pet. Then Eric could kiss any advancement in the leader's circle goodbye. His vote would count for nothing if it went against what Four thought was best.

Before Eric could dwell any further, the initiates began jumping onto the rooftop. He could immediately see which were Dauntless-born and which ones were transfers, regardless of the clothes they wore. That was until one Dauntless-born didn't clear the jump.

'Huh. I thought it'd be a transfer that fell.' He thought callously as he began to chuckle at the transfers rolling in the gravel after their sloppy jumps.

"Transfer from Amity didn't jump." Roni said before she took a spot next to one of Max's aides.

"Two down." I said to Max as I take a spot next to him.

"Ooh. Scandalous! A stiff's flashing skin!" Eric hears from one of the initiates. He turns his head and sees a she-stiff in the crowd.

He shakes his head and says, "Should I say three down?" indicating the she-stiff to Max.

"I wouldn't count my bullseyes until all my rounds are fired." Max disagreed. "A stiff has to have balls of steels to make this switch." He then stepped upon the ledge and began his welcoming speech.

While Max tells them about the jump, and they ask their useless questions, Eric watches the she-stiff's reaction. She barely reacted compared to the rest. For some reason he feels determined to break her and show her who her better is. His thoughts then move subconsciously to Four, who was waiting at the bottom of the drop. That is, until the she-stiff moves towards the ledge first. She barely even hesitated before she threw herself over. As she fell, silently, Eric's anger increased. 'Who does she think she is?' Eric thinks, but a small part of him wants to disagree and nod his head in approval.

By the time dinner rolls around, Eric was just ready for a fight. All the emotions that Eric normally pushes down were surging to the surface. So, when somebody pushed him sideways as they passed, he didn't hesitate to raise his voice, "Watch where you are going," as he quickened his step to grab the offender's arm.

"Apologize. You have thirty seconds." Eric sneers.

The tattooed teenager, from the last initiate group, flapped his lips like a fish in sheer shock of who he was being addressed by.

"Time's up." Eric stated before his punch hit squarely on the right side of his jaw. The teen dropped, but his buddies were quick to step in.

Eric's blood rushed and his adrenaline soared. Every kick, punch, knee, and elbow satisfied all his built up tension and set him free like nothing else could. When he was the last one standing, he felt raw, invigorated, and in control. He stepped on and over them and continued his way to the cafeteria.

Yet, his breath left him temporarily as he saw Four talking to the she-stiff. Just watching them interact, and his telltale sign of struggling to keep his smile hidden, gave him an odd feeling, but one that seemed to follow Four around-jealously. Who did he think he was? But, she wasn't his girlfriend. Hell, he didn't even know her name. On that note, he made a bee-line towards their table and took the seat next to Four.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce me?" Eric asks bluntly indicating with his head towards the she-stiff.

"This is Tris and Christina." He replied going back to his food.

"Ooh, a stiff," he smirks at her. 'Tris.' He thinks. 'Tris.' The she-stiff eyes his piercings like she's scared. Yet, she eyed Four curiously. Anger bubbles to the surface. "We'll see how long you last."

Eric taps his fingers on the table in thought of how she won't look at him now. 'Real good.' He thought sarcastically.

After a moment Eric turns his attention to Four and sets about what Max requested-recruiting, but they can both tell it's a half-ass attempt. It did however, make it seem like he did have a real purpose from coming the opposite way he normally ate.

When he departed, Eric felt his spirits lift. He could tell he got under Four's skin, and that he took it out on his next remark to Tris. 'Now that's good.' He laughed as he walked back to his usual seat.

After dinner, Eric led the transfers to their bunk rooms. Without much coercion, the initiates follow him silently through the pit, up some steps, and a few cavern-like hallways. Once he arrives, he stops just outside the door. "For those of you who don't know, my name is Eric. I am one of the five leaders of Dauntless. We take the initiation process very seriously here, so I volunteered to oversee most of your training." He states. 'Yeah, mandatory volunteering,' he thought as he eyed each one of the initiates, saving Tris for last.

After stating the ground rules, he then explained the rankings. Eric was angry with the expressions of outrage and fear, so he turned his attention to Tris, who seemed to steel herself in resolved. Determined. Fearless. The second act of Dauntless he saw in her today, while none in the rest of the transfers.

His thoughts battled back and forth as he walked back to his apartment between wanting to strangle Tris, and wanting to respect and admire her.

'Tris.' Eric thought as he fell on top of his bed fully dressed and exhaling loudly. "It doesn't matter." He sighed sitting up and rubbing his eyes. His mind kept showing him her scared expression of him. Yet, when he looked at her, without her noticing, she looked like a warrior, until she opened her mouth. Her Abnegation shone through, but with a bit of spunk around the edges. But, it was from her conversation with Four that he now remembered. And her teasing smile was stuck like a record in his mind. A smile that wasn't meant for him. Stolen.

After going through the day one more time, Eric's resolve strengthened. The Euridite in him would strategize, because the Dauntless in him wouldn't back down or lose to Four; not his position, not with Max, and now, not with Tris.