Author Note: Sorry for the long hiatus. And thank you so much to those you favorited, alerted, and/or reviewed this story!

I didn't see Tris the next 2 days, but I knew I'd see her tonight after her fence trip for Capture the flag. Four said she was trudged through her fight with Myra. Yet, I watched the tapes. She barreled through the pain that she still had to be feeling from Peter and came out victorious. Her bruises from Peter may have changed color, but fights hurt worse a day or two later than when it actually happened.

"Eric, meet me in my office after dinner." Max told me.

"Enlightening." I said as I left his office. For some reason, my mind kept going to Tris, to my father, and then right back to Tris.

My father, a brilliant genetist at Erudite, was the reason left and probably one reason Janine chose me as Erudite ambassador for Dauntless. I stomped a little more forcefully than necessary as I made my way to the training room to meet Four and the others.

'Stiff, I sure hope the serum really did make you sick.' I thought with hope.

I moved on autopilot with the other Dauntless for the annual Capture the Flag with the initiates.

Tris froze like an icicle on a roof when I roared.

"Did you go deaf stiff?" I demanded and she unfroze. Once I saw her start to undress I turned my attention to the other transfers. "You have five minutes to get dressed and meet us by the tracks. We're going on another field trip."

Once I see Tris at the racks with the rest of us I continued, "Everyone grab a gun."

Initiates were still grabbing guns and I think one may have forgotten ammo when the train made its way around the bend. As it was picking up speed I saw Tris grab Four's outstretched arm before I made my own way onto the train.

Four began his drawn out spiel. Once a transfer smartass threw in a few comments I made my presence known again. "Four and I will be your team captains. Let's divide up the transfers first, shall we?" I asked raising an eyebrow at the end.

"You go first," Four stated.

To anybody else, this would be a nice gesture, but to Four it's a statement that he doesn't need the best to beat me. 'Well, fuck him.' I thought smirking. I took the transfer that would piss him off the most.

"The stiff." I said clearly and nonchalantly. But Four wasn't fooled. I did have ulterior motives. They just were not the one's he suspected, which was to fuck with him and let him know that I knew he wanted to spar in between the sheets with the she-stiff.

I didn't stop eye contact with Four. Neither did he. "Peter." He claimed.

"Edward." I countered.

"Christina." Four threw out.

"Will."

"Al."

"Drew." I sighed knowing that we were nearing the bottom of the barrel.

"Myra."

"Odd one out – I get Molly." I snorted.

"Uriah."

'Ouch. That one hurt.' I thought. "Marlene."

"Lynn." Four continues.

We scaled down the rest until one of the drop points arrived and I stand. "Your team can get off second." I smirked.

"Don't do me no favors. You know I don't need them to win." He countered.

"No, I know you'll lose no matter when you get off. Take your scrawny team and get off first." I said.

I glance at Tris as she watched most of her friends jump off. She subtly steels herself and stands up. I notice the rest are staring at her trying to figure out why I picked her first.

"Alright. We'll be getting off in a few moments. Take this time and try to think of a strategy that involves that pier over there." I said as I indicated the pier through the open door. Not much can be seen, but some of these initiates seem like they need to turn their brains back on.

Tris stared blankly out of the open door. I scooted over closer. "Credit for your thought?" I ask quietly as the other initiates are already trying to fake out one another with past games.

"There." She points out an old clock tower.

"What about it?" I ask.

"There has to be a service access point to put the flag on an arm." She informed me.

"And ambush them on the inside?" I asked curious now.

"No. Put a couple in and have them barricade the door. That'll force them to try to reach it from the outside. It's not much, but it will stall them while we are finding their flag." She smiled.

"And how will we find their flag?" I asked with a brow raised.

"When we go out to hang our flag we can scout. Good vantage point." She shrugs.

I stare at her shocked. "Are you sure you weren't Erudite-born?" I asked her impressed.

"Is that a compliment?" Tris asked with her eyes slightly squinting.

"Take it as you want. Fine. We'll do it your way, but they don't know it's your plan." I sneered.

She looked taken aback for a moment. As I went to pass her I whispered, "That's not a Dauntless plan, and that's not an abnegation idea either." I pause for a second. Her back stiffened and I heard her breath catch. "At least I'm Erudite-born." I said before I moved away.

As we were jumping off the train I damned my earlier intuition about Tris being Divergent. I refused to hand her over to Janine. 'Mine!' I thought. 'Stage 2 is almost here. Must think this through. Strategize. Plan. Execute. Strategize. Plan. Execute.'

I ordered everyone around according to Tris' plan. I left the heavy hitters behind once we saw their flag on top of the carousel. Tris' plan was working flawlessly so far. I led them the long way around the marsh urging them to keep up. I didn't trust them for us to have time to get the flag and bring it back in time.

We lost the three in the front while we were overtaking their shitty guard. That big lug was useless. I beckoned Tris over and lifted her up onto the canopy top to walk the metal beam and get the flag off the post in the middle. Once back, the two of us ran back with the flag the quickest way possible while the hit initiates followed at a more leisurely pace.

Tris didn't say anything when we were in sight. She just smiled and waved the flag as high as possible over her head.

She called it. They had 2 guys scaling the wall. They were nearly there too. Luckily, the idiots were tied off, to what though, I had no idea.

Once the screaming was heard the rest of our teammates unbarricaded the door and ran over to join us and our 3 fallen soldiers that had finally made it into sight.