Chapter 2: Eric

The first round of fights goes by quickly and I can't help but notice that there a few okay fighters in the transfer class, but since there's an odd number Tris gets to sit out of fighting for the day. She's not ready for a fight anyway and even thought I know Four is the one who have her the reprieve I try not to think about him favoring her.

The mat is covered in sweat and blood as the initiates punch and kick at each other, I can tell they're sore from the training and that this probably isn't helping but they try anyway knowing that if they fail they could be kicked out. When Four helps Will out of the training room to the infirmary it means that I'm in charge and the tension in the room is palpable, none of them like me and most of them fear me.

But then the annoying Candor girl Tris is friends with fights and tries to concede from the fight. When they started I let them know that conceding wasn't an option this year in training so I have to show them that I'm not kidding. Telling the group to follow me and I push Christina to the railing.

"Climb over it." Her eyes widen and I try not to show any emotion but she questions me. "Climb over the railing, if you can hang over the chasm for five minutes, I will forget your cowardice. If you can't, I will not allow you to continue initiation."

She climbs over and hangs there but I see the terror in her face and that she has something to say but keeps her mouth closed. I hear the beep of a watch timer being set and the initiates are silent for a minutes. Then Tris and the rest of their friends start calling out to Christina telling her to hang on and after the five minutes are up someone yells to me. But I check my watch to make sure and take my time, "Fine," I say finally. "You can come up, Christina."

When others go to help her up I stop them but I'm reminded that I never said that she had to climb back up on her own and take a step back allowing the large initiate to pull her up and for Tris to support her.

Leaving them there I walk to the roof top and try to clear my mind.

I am hated, I know I am. Normally, that wouldn't bother me but the idea of Tris hating me so ruthlessly makes me angry for some reason. I don't want her to hate me at least, she's not scared of the initiation process anyway.

By the time I realize I'm hungry it's time for dinner anyway and I work my way down to the cafeteria and grab some food before leaving quickly. Jeanine and Max have been meeting more and more frequently throughout initiation and some of the transfers have seen her come and go from headquarters but they don't know why, and are smart enough to not ask.

Tonight, she and Max are in his office discussing a few of the more intimate parts of their plan and no one else is allowed in with them but something feels off about the whole thing and I try not to think about it too much.

If anyone knew what I was doing everything would be different, I had to reinvent myself here at Dauntless and worked hard to prove myself and eventually get into a leadership position which made my superiors happy. Now I have to make a choice and no matter what I do, I end up on someone's shit list.

Initiation goes on, the transfers continue to beat each other up and shoot at targets but the day that I show up and the board says Tris against Peter I feel my stomach drop. Trying to hide my irritation that those names are next to each other I lean against the wall, Four stands next to me calling out the pairings and when he gets to Peter and Tris I stand away from the wall and start to tap my foot nervously.

She's gotten stronger and has learned how to fight better but is still weak, Peter will break her. When they stand on the mat he starts to taunt her and he gets what he wants when she kicks towards his side. Peter grabs her leg and Tris is on the ground, the thud of her body hitting the mat makes me feel sick but I can't say or do anything, instead I watch as she scrambles around and stands again.

"Stop playing with her, I don't have all day." I call out, I really wanted to tell him to stop beating up on her so much because she's practically helpless but I can't have anyone saying she's favored. It's only a minute later that she's on the ground again there is blood all over her face, Four storms off without another word and Tris starts to black out.

"Enough!" I say strolling to the mat and look down at her, Peter looks drunk on victory. "That's enough for the day. Good job." I mumble towards him as I pick up Tris' lifeless body and carry her to the infirmary myself. "Tomorrow you all will be going to the fence with Four, he's going to try and teach you about the jobs Dauntless do out there. Be at the train at eight fifteen."

When I get there I set her carefully on a bed and notice that her blood is on my shirt sleeve, I go to get a wet cloth to wipe her face but I notice her friends are in the doorway.

"Is she going to be okay?" Christina asks worrying too much about her friend to care about who she's talking to.

I don't say anything and instead leave the infirmary and head to my apartment to change out of the bloody shirt which I just throw on the floor. I've never been incredibly clean, in fact I live more in mess than not and while that might disgust some people living alone means that I don't have to worry about it and I don't get enough visitors to care.

The next morning, while the initiates are out at the fence Max and I have a meeting with the other Dauntless leaders going over the plan that Jeanine has come up with. I end up messing around with one of my lip rings the entire time Max is speaking and try to remember as much as I can. After an hour we leave the office and I go to my own writing as much of the plan down as I remember. When I'm done writing everything down I go out to the roof top, but I'm not alone.

"What are you doing up here?" It's the softest my voice has been since I got to Dauntless which shocks me.

Tris stares up at me and I see her body tense. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"You don't have to be sorry," She turns towards the door. "And you don't have to leave." Her eyes widen and then quickly narrow. "Are you alright? You took a beating yesterday."

She looks worried at my sudden concern but softens when she looks at my face. "I feel a little better thanks to those pain killers."

"Yeah, they try to knock you out so the bruises don't feel as bad the next day."

Looking at me leaning against the wall of the roof and stare out at the city. "You lost a fight in initiation?"

"Only one, I was undefeated until I went up against Four. He beat the hell out of me and I had to spend some time in the infirmary, the pain meds were awesome." I tried to keep my eyes on the city but could see her out of the corner of my eye. "So, what's on your mind?"

Getting ready to respond, I noticed Tris falter. "It's just something personal. I can't really talk about it."

"I can help you Tris, I might come off as some scary guy but if you needed anything I would be willing to help you."

Again, I see her thinking about whether or not to trust me. "How can I tell if you're being serious and you won't do something to get me kicked out of Dauntless?"

Get her kicked out of Dauntless? Is that what she thinks of me, that I would do something so horrible? "I would never do something like that."

"I'm sorry, I just can't trust you." With that she turns and heads back inside leaving me on the roof alone.

Leaving and heading down for lunch I realize again that people stare when I walk in as if they're trying to figure out what kind of mood I'm in and when I don't take a second look they continue with their conversations.

But I notice everything.

The way that Four stormed out during Tris and Peter's fight, the way that he looks at her, and the help he's been giving her hoping no one would notice. But I did and for some reason it bothers me.

Scanning the room I notice Tris sitting with her friends eating and smiling. I grab some food and leave back to my office and try not to think too much about the roof top.