Chapter Four: Capture the Flag

The next morning I get up, suddenly aware of my aching muscles from my workout yesterday. I take a quick shower and head down to breakfast before most other people are awake. Once the fights are out of the way I might just make them practise shooting again. Lauren wants the Dauntless borns to use the main fighting room. Four is the only other person in the dining hall.

"Eric. I made the pairs for the fights today." He tells me.

"Too bad. I already did." I smirk. He narrows his eyes. "Go check the board if you want to know. I'm eating." I tell him. He finishes his muffin and jogs out of the room. I pick a chocolate muffin and sit down at my usual table. Once I'm done, I head to the training room and see Four looking slightly happier than he did earlier. Dead on time, the initiates start trickling in and I see a look of relief on Tris' face.

"Al and Will." I call. As has become his norm, Al takes a couple of shots and falls over. I want to punish him for his cowardice but he will get cut anyway. Then I call Peter and Molly forward. He beats her easily and then hauls her off to the infirmary. Edward beats Drew in minutes and Tris beats Myra easily too.

"Right, everyone to the shooting range." Four calls. He takes them over and I wait for the Dauntless born to arrive. They will provide much better action to watch.

"What is Eric doing here?" I hear a whisper behind me and see Uriah standing with the girl who shaved her head at the start of initiation.

"Watching your fights obviously." I snap. Before he can say anything else the rest of the initiates filter in. Lauren calls up the first pair. Uriah and a girl called Marlene. Uriah ends it quickly with one good punch to her jaw. The girl with the shaved head, Lynn, wins her fight with only a little difficulty. The fights are better than the transfer ones, but still not like when I went through initiation.

Once they are done I head to get myself some sleep before Capture the Flag tonight. I manage to get a few hours sleep before my alarm goes off and I get dressed. I meet Four and the Dauntless borns outside the dormitories and then we barge in noisily.

"Everybody up!" I roar. One of the transfers falls out of bed and I hear snickers behind me. Everybody starts getting dressed except Tris, who sits up and locks eyes with Four. I hold back my growl of annoyance. "Did you go deaf Stiff?" I snap. This gets her attention and she gets ready. Christina is giving me the stink eye but I really don't care.

"Dang they are slow." Someone behind me complains.

"You have five minutes to get dressed and meet us by the tracks. We're going on another field trip." I inform them and then we all leave. Some members are coming with us as usual. They all make it in time, some still blinking sleep out of their eyes.

"Everybody grab a gun." I command. "Time estimate?" I turn to Four.

"Any minute now. How long is it going to take you to memorise the train schedule?" He asks in annoyance. I already have but it's more fun annoying him.

"Why should I, when I have you to remind me of it?" I smirk at him. Just then the train approaches and I jump in. Looking back I see Four helping Tris in and scowl. Four then explains the game.

"Four and I will be your team captains. Let's divide up the transfers first shall we?" I say.

"You first." He says. I shrug.

"Edward." I call. He moves over and stands by my shoulder. Four glances over the initiates too quickly and without calculation.

"I want the Stiff." He says. Laughter bubbles throughout the train. Could the idiot get any more obvious?

"Got something to prove? Picking the weak ones so you have someone to blame when you lose?" I taunt. Four's jaw clenches slightly when I call Tris weak, but he just shrugs.

"Something like that." He replies casually. "Your turn."

"Peter." I call, I don't really want him on my team, but he is undeniably a good fighter.

"Christina." Four calls.

"Molly."

"Will."

"Al."

"Drew."

"Last one is Myra so she is with me." I sigh. "Dauntless borns next."

"Uriah." Calls Four. Damn. I wanted both top ranks.

"Lynn." We keep going until everyone has a team. "Your team can get off second." I smirk at him, once we are done.

"Don't do me any favours." He retorts with a small smile. "You know I don't need them to win."

"No. I know you will lose no matter what." I growl. "Take your scrawny team and get off first then." His team all stand up and I see Peter shove Tris who almost falls out of the cart. I scowl. Thankfully she regains her balance and manages to jump out unharmed. "What was that?" I ask him.

"Nothing." He replies looking innocent.

"You do not mess around with moving trains. You do not shove people out of moving trains." I glare at him.

"I didn't do anything." He smirks.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" I ask him quietly. He shakes his head. "Do you think i'm blind?" He shakes his head again. "Well then, I know what I saw and I saw you shove the Stiff. Do it again and you will be in trouble. Got it?" I ask him.

"Yes." He mutters insolently. "Why do you care?" I hear him murmur. 'I wish I knew', I think to myself.

"Because the paperwork would be a pain in the ass. And it would go down as murder. Do you want to be known as a murderer? Do you know what that would do to your rank?" I spit at him. His mouth forms an 'o' shape.

"Asshole." I hear someone whisper. I ignore them.

"Right, we jump off here. Find somewhere good to hide your flag and then come up with a strategy." I tell them.

"Come on, Navy Pier. There is a park there that will provide enough cover." Edward says immediately.

"Who put you in charge?" One of the Dauntless borns ask.

"Nobody is in charge, we're a team." Al offers. Peter and Molly look at him with derision.

"I agree. Besides, it's a good plan. If we hide it in the trees the only way they could see it is from a great height or being really close." Lynn puts in. Everyone seems to agree so we jog over to the park and one of the Dauntless members is put as a guard.

"Now what?" Mia, one of the other Dauntless members, asks.

"Now we go find their flag." Peter says. "Split up. Two parties head off in different directions."

"With no idea where their flag is?" Edward rolls his eyes. Just then we see the old Ferris Wheel moving, groaning loudly in the still evening.

"Over there!" Lynn shouts. Everyone starts charging.

"No! not everyone." Edward growls. "Right, me, Lynn, you and you," He says, pointing at two Dauntless members. "Should go get their flag. The rest stay here and guard."

"We don't need that many guards." Peter rolls his eyes. But Edward and his team are already on their way. It's only a few minutes later that a group of four from Four's team come up on one side of us. The guards all rush towards them and suddenly it's a whirlwind of paintballs. I shoot Will as he approaches trying to catch me off guard. I see Peter and Molly get shot out of the corner of my eye and can't help grinning slightly even if they are on my team. Then I notice three figures running at top speed towards the flag and realise everyone has left it undefended. I aim but I miss the lead figure, which I make out to be Christina. The shorter one behind her must be Tris. I run towards them, shooting but Uriah shoots the last guard and Christina snatches the flag before I get a hit. Frustrated, I slam my gun to the ground.

All her teammates surround Christina while Tris stands to the side. I see Four go up to her and whisper in her ear. That's it. I've had enough for one night. The journey back to Dauntless, all I can see if Four's smug smile. He doesn't gloat the way a true Dauntless would but it is enough for me to want to wipe it off his face with my fist. I will have to find another way to do so.