Hello again dearies! Wow, I have been busy posting! I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Divergent trilogy or any of the characters
"The first thing you will learn today is how to shoot a gun. The second thing is how to win a fight." I walk quickly, avoiding eye contact with Tris as I hand her a gun. "Thankfully, if you are here, you already know how to get on and off a moving train, so I don't need to teach you that." Tris looks tired, and I wish she could get the day off, but Max and Eric would kill me if I showed favoritism. I sigh as I begin to explain the rest.
"Initiation is divided into three stages. We will measure your progress and rank you according to your performance in each stage. The stages are not weighed equally in determining your final rank, so it is possible, though difficult, to drastically improve your rank over time. We believe that preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear." Tris stare at her gun like it's a foreign object, like she could hurt someone. "Therefore each stage of initiation is intended to prepare you in a different way. The first stage is primarily physical; the second, primarily emotional; the third, primarily mental." All of the tired, confused initiates stare back at me in wonder.
"But what…" The blonde-ish boy, who I believe is named Peter, yawns, cutting himself off. "What does firing a gun have to do with bravery?" I sigh, and press the barrel of my gun to the boy's forehead, clicking it off of safety. He freezes mid-yawn.
"Wake. Up." I snap. "You are holding a loaded gun, you idiot. Act like it." I lower my gun. Peter's eyes harden, and I'm about to ask him where he got the nerve, but I realise he's Candor. Trained to speak his mind. His cheeks go red. "And to answer your question," I continue, "you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you defend yourself." I reach the end of the row of initiates, and I pause. "This is also information you may need later in stage one. So, watch me."
I turn to face the wall with a dull look on my face. I've done this a million times, almost every day. I could hit the bull's-eye blindfolded, but they don't know that, so I take the shot again. The plywood square has three circles on it, and I pull back on the trigger, the familiar bang of the gun is music to my ears. Tris cranes her neck to see what's happened, and I see the look of awe on her face when she sees the accuracy of my shot. I have the urge to shoot again, just to impress them, but I resist. Everyone turns towards his or her own targets. I begin walking in a line behind the initiates. Only a few, not including Tris, have actually hit the target. Even though he isn't one of these kids, some Erudite boy, who I believe is named Will, turns to Tris and starts giving her a hard time.
"Statistically speaking, you should have hit the target at least once by now, even by accident." I begin walking towards Will, but Tris handles herself well, so I stop.
"Is that so," she doesn't phrase it like a question.
"Yeah. I think you're actually defying nature." I want to punch the kid right here and now for being rude, but I don't. Tris lifts her gun and this time, she hits the target. She turns back to Will, raising her eyebrow defiantly. He smiles cockily at her. "So you see, I'm right. The stats don't lie." Tris flashes him an unexpected smile. I watch proudly as Tris, after a few rounds, hits the center of the target. She lowers her gun cautiously. Then she smiles to herself, and I hold back a smile of my own.
After a few hours, we break for lunch. I sit at the end of the table, listening to Christina and Al talk about math. I see Will sit down, but I really don't notice. I'm rather mesmerized by Edward and Myra, the two Erudite transfers, and I'm almost shocked that they are already dating. I suppose that's my Abnegation background, it still throws me to see such young people together, kissing openly for everyone to see, not even the slightest considerate that people are eating.
"Do they have to be so public?" I whip my head around, it was like whoever spoke had read my mind. I realise it was Tris, and I put my head back down.
"She just kissed him. It's not like they're stripping naked." I laugh silently at his comment.
"A kiss is not something you do in public." I open my mouth to tell Tris that she isn't Abnegation anymore, but Christina beats me to it.
"Your Abnegation is showing. The rest of us are all right with a little affection in public." Tris shrugs.
"Oh. Well… I guess I'll have to get over it, then." I begin to tune out of the conversation. All I hear is their laughter as Christina throws a roll at Will.
I lead the initiates into the fighting room. Everyone lines up behind the chalkboard. I stand in the middle of the room, so that everyone can see me. "As I said this morning, next you will learn how to fight. The purpose of this is to prepare you to act; to prepare your body to respond to threats and challenges—which you will need, if you intend to survive life as a Dauntless." I see a few of the initiates squirm uncomfortably. "We will go over technique today, and tomorrow you will start to fight each other. So I recommend that you pay attention. Those who don't learn fast will get hurt." I begin to name different punches, and I demonstrate. I watch each initiate to see how fast they catch on, and I'm not surprised when I see Tris being one of the fastest to get the hang of this. She must be Divergent, I think to myself. I shake my head inwardly. I doubt it.
"You don't have much muscle," I point out to Tris, "which means you are better off using your knees and elbows. You can put much more power behind them." Suddenly, and without thinking, I press my hand to her stomach. I feel a tingle burst through my arm, like a spark that suddenly burst into a flame. I'm unsure why I did this in the first place, so I make something up.
"Never forget to keep tension here." I feel my voice go much quieter than I had intended. I can still feel the tingle long after I've walked away. I freeze, my back to Tris, and I shiver. I have to stop and process what's just happened. I feel Tris behind me, frozen, and as soon as I move, so does she. I dismiss everyone for dinner.
"I'm surprised he didn't break you in half. He scares the hell out of me. It's that quiet voice he uses." I smile to myself. At least I scare Christina. My smile wipes immediately off my face at Tris's words.
"Yeah. He's…" She trails off. I stare in awe, waiting for her to say something. I see in her eye that I don't scare her, and while I should be rather annoyed, I admire her defiance. I don't know many initiates, especially from Abnegation, who aren't scared of me. The disappointment sets in when she finishes her sentence. "…definitely intimidating." My face falls, and I walk away from them, hearing a soft talk of tattoos, and I know I'm no longer the topic of their conversation.
I walk down to the shops, I'm unsure why, and then I realise it. Tris and Christina are here. I begin to walk out, but then something catches my eye. Tris is wearing a knee-length black dress, and she looks absolutely stunning. It clings to her skin, but not too tight that it's unflattering. She pulls her hair out of it's braid and my jaw drops. I stand there, staring, for a good five minutes. She is absolutely gorgeous. I hear someone yell my name off in the distance. I walk towards the door, and before I leave, I turn my face back and look at her one more time. I hear her say to Christina, "You aren't going to make me pretty, you know." Of course she isn't. You are already beautiful. I shake my head at my own thought and I walk out of the door.
