Hi guys! My first ever Divergent fanfiction! Eep! I honestly want your opinions; Do you like it? Do you hate it? Constructive criticism is always welcome! I'll probably wait for a couple of reviews before I post the next chapter, just so that I know it's worth pursuing. Love you all! Disclaimer: All plots, characters, etc. belong to the AMAZING Veronica Roth!

Divergent: Four's POV

"Beep! Beep! Beep!" I groan and hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. It says 8:00; the initiates will be here in an hour. I force myself to get up and go in the shower.

The water is burning my skin, but I let it; I need a distraction. I glance at the Dauntless flames tattooed on my rib cage; two years ago today I left Abnegation. It was an end to my Abnegation life and a beginning to a new Dauntless one. Lately though, all I've been able to see life as is days; always seeming to end and start again tomorrow, trapped in an endless cycle. I've been in here for too long, so I try to clear my head and get ready.

I throw on a black t-shirt and jeans, while scarfing down a muffin. It's

only 8:45, but I start to head toward the net.

I can't help but frown at the thought that I'll be training the initiates with Eric. Just the thought of him brings a sour taste to my mouth. I remember our own initiation; I knocked his teeth out. He doesn't seem to remember though; I was ranked first but everything about him- even the way he walks- screams entitlement and being above everyone else. Above me.

"Hey Four! You excited for the big day?" Zeke asks. "I guess." I say trying

to act enthusiastic. "Maybe you'll finally meet a girl." Zeke says wiggling his

eyebrows. I laugh; the last time I went on a date was about a year ago:

Zeke asked me to go on a double date with him and this girl Emily that he

met. Emily brought her friend Anna along to dinner. About halfway through, I

said something that she didn't like and she slapped me then left. My dating

experience was very short-lived.

"I doubt it, but I'll see you later! I'm going to be late." I call over my shoulder.

"See ya!" He yells back, and I can hear the grin on his face. Shit. My watch says 8:55. I start to run.

By the time I reach the net, Lauren and Eric are already there. Lauren

gives me a smile, but Eric grimaces, as if I am physically painful to see.

"They're here." Lauren says quietly trying to break the palpable tension between

Eric and me.

I listen to Max's speech for the first minute or so, but then my thoughts

start to drift. Lauren nudges me, seeing that I had spaced out. Eric's eyes are drawn to the movement, and he gives me a glare full of hatred. I am dumbfounded by his reaction, but before I can even saying anything my eyes fall on the gray

blur falling from above.

She lands on the net and laughs. The girl grabs my hand to pull herself up and sprawls forward. She would have landed face first on the ground, but I instinctively throw my arm out and catch her.

"Thank you," she says. I find myself lost in her pale blue eyes, they almost look grey. I feel my heartbeat accelerate. Strange.

"Can't believe it," Lauren says her mouth hanging open slightly.

"A Stiff, the first to jump? Unheard of." She looks to Eric for confirmation on her statement, he nods his eyes never leaving the girl.

"There's a reason why she left them, Lauren," I say. And I believe it; she

may be a Stiff but I know from personal experience that faction labels don't

define you. Besides, it isn't the color of her clothes or the length of her hair

that allows me to believe she is Dauntless. It's her eyes, they are curious but

also have secrets themselves. They have a spark in them, like an internal fire

radiating bravery and inner strength.

"What's your name?" I suddenly remember that I have a job; to train these

initiates.

"Um..." She doesn't answer just yet, but I let her ponder over the question. I know all too we'll the refreshing effect of getting a second chance to make something of yourself is and then having your name tie you to the life

you've left behind.

"Think about it," I say suppressing a smile. It's nice to see the Dauntless

world providing a new life for someone, it makes me feel like I am part of something bigger than myself.

"You don't get to pick again." I had the rare and precious opportunity of starting over.

"Tris," she says with confidence. Her eyes are now gleaming with determination.

"Tris," Lauren repeats. I can hear the respect in her voice, it makes me

feel good. I don't know why, so I decide to ignore it.

"Make the announcement, Four." Lauren tells me. I break out of my daze. I've been getting really distracted lately.

"First jumper- Tris!" I hear the Dauntless cheering for her, and I can't help but grin. The clapping resonates in my chest, or is that the bizarre electricity I am feeling. Maybe I need to go to the infirmary; maybe I'm sick. "Maybe you'll finally meet a girl."

I set my hand on the small of her back, "Welcome to Dauntless.".

After another couple of minutes, all the initiates stand in front of Lauren

and I. About halfway through the jumping process, Eric left claiming he had

'something more important to do'.

"This is where we divide," Lauren says. "The Dauntless-born initiates are with me. I assume you don't need a tour of the place."

She leads them away, leaving me with 9 transfers. I only picked up a few names; Tris- the Abnegation-, an Erudite- Myra-, and two boys- I think their names are Peter and Drew, who are from Candor.

"Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next few weeks, I

am your instructor," I tell them.

"My name is Four." I am able to easily see the difference between Zeke or Shauna and the initiates. They seem intimidated by me; as if I'll tear them to pieces at a moment's notice.

"Four? Like the number?" a Candor asks.

"Yes," I say grinding my teeth. There's one every year. "Is there a problem?" I don't bask in the authority that I have over them. I just accept it for what it is; authority.

"No." she replies.

"Good. We're about to go into the Pit, which you will someday learn to love.

It-" I am yet again interrupted by the same girl, "The Pit? Clever name." I stride over to her, more irritated with each step.

"What's your name?" I try to sound harsh, and my efforts are rewarded by her cowering in front of me. I don't like being this way, but they need to learn to forget the old customs of their previous factions. I was happy to forget, but I am a rarity.

"Christina," she whispers sounding scared. Though I don't like to scare them, at least I've found a way to get through to them.

"Well, Christina, if I wanted to put up with Candor smart-mouths, I would have joined their faction," I say quietly. I feel the anger bubbling in my chest, but not toward Christina. He taught me how to intimidate people; to make them cower. I don't even need a belt.

"The first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got that?" I say. It appears to be a threat, but on the inside there is no spite; only the reminder of being Dauntless. Not Candor.

I let the moment pass, walking back to the front of the group. We stop at the entrance to the Pit, and as I push the doors open I can hear the gasps.

"Oh, I get it." Christina says. I smile, watching the initiate take it in. It must look insane, but it's a good insane; fun.

"If you follow me, I'll show you the chasm." I say. I try to take deep breaths, it was such a long time ago. I have to stop thinking about it.

This is where I found Amar's body, "The chasm reminds us there is a fine

line between bravery and idiocy." I shout over the rushing water. Amar wasn't an

idiot; far from it. The officials killed him for being Divergent.

I have to remember that these initiates don't know that; most of the

casualties that take place here are not from free will. Some are though, "A

daredevil jump off this ledge will end your life. It has happened before and it

will happen again. You've been warned."

I take them to the dining hall for dinner, and wind up sitting next to Christina and Tris. Christina has proven to be very impulsive, but I don't mind Tris. Not at all.

Tris is thoroughly examining a hamburger, and it takes all I have not to laugh.

I nudge her arm, "It's beef." I push the ketchup toward her, "Put this on it."

"You've never had a hamburger?" Christina asks incredulously. Her questions

are becoming more and more annoying.

"No, is that what it's called?" Tris asks. "Stiffs eat plain food." I say looking at Christina.

"Why?" she replies with yet another question.

I mentally go through a couple of snide remarks I could make just to make her be quiet, but Tris beats me to it. "Extravagance is considered self-indulgent and unnecessary." Tris says quietly. Not softly, but quietly yet with power. I almost smile; the power isn't a demanding or craving one, it's a selfless one. I didn't know power could be used in such a way. I wonder what other things I'll learn from this pack of initiates.

"No wonder you left." Christina says bluntly. No, I definitely don't like

this girl.

"Yeah," Tris says, "It was just because of the food." I try to fight it off, but I can feel the smile on my face.

I am just about to laugh, but it dies as soon as it's born; Eric is heading

toward our table.

"Who's that?" Christina hisses. I grind my teeth, in response to another one of Christina's questions or Eric's presence I don't know. Maybe both.

"His name is Eric." I spew his name at them like fire from a dragon's

mouth. "He's a Dauntless leader."

"Seriously? But he's so young." Christina says.

"Age doesn't matter here." I say flatly. I give her a glare, hoping to silence any further questions if I should live to be so lucky.

He Eric sits down next to me with a thud and Tris visibly winces. I taste bile.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce me?" Eric smirks. I grind my teeth some more before answering him, "This is Tris and Christina." I say motioning toward them.

"Ooh, a Stiff," he says. I see Tris shudder under his gaze. This just makes him smile wider, and suddenly I have the urge to rip his eyes from their sockets. Why? I push the question from my mind.

"We'll see how long you last." he says with a dismissive wave of his hand.

I know Eric though; despite his body language he is anything but disinterested,

his eyes rake over her body. I am furious, anger courses through my veins. I try

to distract myself. There isn't much to rake over anyway. She is tiny, but that certainly doesn't mean she is done for the count. As I thought before, her eyes hold the weight; the secrets, the stories, the fire. Eric couldn't appreciate something like that, my assumption is proved correct when he finally appears to have genuinely gotten bored with her. But a thought has me

holding onto to the moment. Could I appreciate it?

"What have you been doing lately, Four?" The question seems innocent enough- a simple, conversational question- but Eric spits my name at me.

I keep my voice stoic and level, "Nothing, really,". He bites one of the

piercings in his lip, clearly displeased with how vague I'm being.

"Max tells me he keeps trying to meet with you, and you don't show up." I

tense up; not this again. "He requested that I find out what's going on with

you." I hesitate to tell him about Max's offer.

"Tell I'm satisfied with the position I currently hold." I say waiting for

Eric to explode.

"So he wants to give a job." Here we go, I muster my courage. "So it would

seem."

"And you aren't interested." this seems to piss Eric off more than anything

else; that I could have his position in a second if I wanted but I don't.

"I haven't been interested for two years." I say only fueling his rage even

more.

"Well, let's hope he gets the point then." he says standing up. He claps my

shoulder pretty hard and leaves.

I watch Tris begin to relax again, "Are you two... friends?" she seems horrified at the thought. I don't blame her; on the exterior he seems intimidating, but he is really only a coward with an impressive job.

"We were in the same initiate class, he transferred from Erudite." That's

all the information I'm willing to supply on the subject, but I can practically

see the wheels turning in her brain.

"Were you a transfer too?" she asks her eyes filled with curiosity.

"I thought I would only have trouble with the Candor asking too many

questions. Now I've got Stiffs too?" it comes out like I'm pissed, but I'm just

exasperated. I truly meant what I said though, so why do I feel a stab of pain in my chest?

"It must be because you're so approachable," she says staring me down, "You know. Like a bed of nails." Now it's my turn to be curious. Who is this girl?

I collect my thoughts before acknowledging her statement, "Careful, Tris."

That's when I hear Zeke call my name, and I leave her not waiting for an

answer, not daring to turn back around.