I wake up early the next morning and go to the fighting room and write to fight opponents on the chalk board. When I was done I was happy to see Tris didn't have a partner. I then waited for the initiates. Slowly, but gradually they came in and the last group to walk in was Tris, Will, Al, and Christina.
"Since there is an odd number of you, one of you won't be fighting today," I say to the group. I look at Tris to see her reaction to her not fighting, she looks relieved. I see Christina jab Tris with her elbow making her wince. I can't hear them, but I'm sure it is something about the fighting pairs, Christina is with Molly.
Tris looks confused for a moment then reads the name next to Christina's and a look of realization come to her pretty face. I mean face, not pretty. God, I have a problem, and who am I kidding she is stunning.
I finally look away before Eric gets suspicious and tell Al and Will to get in the arena. In the arena Al and Will circle for a few moments and then Al punches Will in the jaw, hard. I see Tris wince and Eric smirk, as Will stumbles. The next punch Al throws is blocked, but it looked like it hurt.
I sneak a glance over to Tris, damn I have to stop that, and see Christina pretend smile and wave to Peter, Molly, and Drew. Tris however looks down and blushes, obviously embarrassed. Christina says something to her and Tris laughs and focuses on the arena.
At that I bring my own attention back to the fight. Al and Will are just standing there, finally they look over to me, as if I am going to tell them to stop. I don't, I just stand there with my arms folded. In my peripheral vision I see Eric check his watch.
After a few moments of then circling Eric speaks up, "Do you think this is a leisure activity? Should we break for nap-time? Fight each other!" Then Al speaks up.
"But..." he straightens and puts his hands down, "Is it scored or something, when does the fight end?"
"It ends when one of you is unable to continues," Eric replies.
Then I speak up, "According to Dauntless rules," I say, "one of you could also concede." ,but at my words Eric narrows his eyes.
"According to the old rules," he says, "In the new rules, no one concedes."
"A brave man acknowledges the strength of others," I reply to him.
"A brave man never surrenders."
I hold Erics stare, even though I know it is pointless, he has the authority, not me. I can feel eyes on us. Finally we return to the fight where Al has beads of sweat on his face.
"This is ridiculous," Al says shaking his head, "What's the point of beating him up? We're in the same faction!"
"Oh, you think it's going to be that easy?" Will asks grinning. "Go on try to hit me, slowpoke."
He puts his hands up, with a determined look in his eyes. He thinks he can win? Possibly he can, but most likely Al will knock him out cold in a single blow. In order to do that though. Al would actually have to hit Will and right now Will was doing a good job dodge the punches.
Al finally charges at Will, holding him in place and punches him in the jaw, and the life leaves his eyes. Al's eyes widen and he bends down next to Will, he taps him a few times on the cheek and after a few seconds of suspenseful silence Will's eyes open, but he is clearly dazed.
"Get him up," Eric says, staring at Will's body, with a cruel curl to his lips.
I turn to the board and circle Al's name and Eric announces the next fight, "Next up- Molly and Christina!" he shouts. Across the room Christina cracks her knuckles and I walk over to support will to the infirmary. I feel bad leaving them with Eric, but Will needs some medical attention.
I walk into the infirmary and see a nurse sitting at the front desk, she looks up from her computer screen and simply asks, "Train?"
"Yeah,"
"Alright, just put him in that room over there, we'll take care of him," she says and that when I realize that Will went unconscious again. I drag him to the room and flop him down on a bed. Then I make my way back to the training room only to find that no one is there. Odd.
I start to walk around trying to find them, where ever they are it can't be good with Eric. Then near the chasm and I see Tris and Al hauling a body over the side of the chasm. Oh no.
They then walk back to the training room. I stop Eric as they enter.
"What happened?"
"I was testing her bravery," he replies.
"By hanging her over the chasm?"
"Yes, she refused to fight, so she needed to prove she was still brave" at that he pushed passed me into the training room to watch the remaining fights.
The next morning I go to the training room and start to write the names of the opponents and then stop when I get to Tris'. She's with Peter.
She won't win, she's strong, but not that strong. I shake it off and tell myself it doesn't matter, she's just an initiate. I write it down and then the initiate start coming in. I see Al and Tris walking together. She looks up to the board and stops mid step when she sees her opponent.
"Oh no," a bruised faced, limping Christina says, "Are they serious? They're really going to make you fight him?"
"Maybe you can just take a few hits and pretend to go unconscious" Al suggests, "No one would blame you." I wait and see Tris' reaction.
"Yeah, maybe." She says, but her cheeks get hot with anger or maybe embarrassment. Then I look away. She is the last fight. After all the fights it is finally her turn, she is nervous. They are talking, but I'm zoned out, that is until she tries to kick his side and he grabs her foot and she falls, but gets up quickly. Then He punches her n the jaw, then kicks her in the stomach.
He then punches her nose and kicks her in the ribs. After a few more hits I can't take it anymore and I go through the doors and sit down against the wall in the hallway. I put my head in my hands and sit there and finally I walk back in and I see an unconscious Tris. I walk up to her limp form and walk to the infirmary. The nurse looks up and her eyes go wide.
"Oh, my!" she says and helps my place Tris on a bed. I feel like I should go, but I stay, I don't want to leave her. He friends finally come and I go. Alright I'll admit it, I like her, kind of, but there is no way she'll ever like a wreck like me, especially when I left in the middle of her fight, she'll take it the wrong way I know she will.
