Hello! So, I wanted to inform everyone that this will be an Eric/OC story eventually. Also, I would like to thank 13Nyx13 for reviewing; seriously, I love reviews. I hope you enjoy the chapter and please comment.
Disclaimer: I only own Liss.
I wake up the next morning feeling oddly energetic, despite the fact that I had been up half the night listening to another initiate, Al from Candor, sob all night. I'm one of the first up, so I quickly shower and change into the plain black clothes that they had supplied us with. I end up exiting the room at the same time as a boy with shaggy blonde hair that transferred from Erudite.
"Morning," he says after a moment.
We're walking side by side now through the straight hallway.
"Morning," I repeated as we come to a split in the hallway and we both come to a halt.
"You, uh, wouldn't happen to remember how to get out of here?" he questions.
"Uh, no."
We stay silent for a moment before he suggests that we go left.
"So, what's your name?"
"Liss, you?"
"Will."
"Well, Will I'm glad you're an early riser too, because it would suck to get lost in these hallways by myself."
"Agreed. Anyways, what do you think we're going to do in training?"
Soon we're off the topic of initiation and Will is spewing out wild tales from his favorite books, I add in my own snarky comment or opinion of each. Eventually, after seven wrong turns, we make it to the training room.
We're the first transfers to arrive, but Four is in the corner loading guns.
"Do you want any help?"
At the sound of my voice he looks up, when he spots Will next to me he hesitates in answering before saying,
"You're gonna have to learn anyway, so fine."
He beckons us over and hands both of us a gun. It feels heavy and strange in my hand. However, it also fills me with a sense of power. Tobias shows us how to dismantle the gun, then demonstrates how to put the ammunition in correctly and reminds us to put the safety on.
Shortly after we finish the other initiates start pouring in, we're told to get in a line and then Four starts passing out the guns we had just loaded.
"The first thing you will learn to do today is how to shoot a gun. The second thing is how to win a fight. 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. 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 weighted 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. 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."
"But what . . ." a Candor, who I learn is named Peter yawns, "What does firing a gun have to do with . . . bravery?"
I raise my eyebrows in disbelief at his actions, apparently Four feels the same way because in the next second he flips his gun over in his hand and presses it into Peter's temple. I watch blankly, as he clicks a bullet into place. Peter freezes as Four says,
"Wake. Up. You are holding a loaded gun, you idiot. Act like it."
Lowering his gun, Four walks to the end of the row turns around and continues,
"And to answer your question . . . you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you're prepared to defend yourself. This is also information you may need later in stage one. So, watch me."
He turns toward the target and holds the gun steady out in front of him with both hands before firing. The bullet lands in the center and the noise it made upon being launched echoes in my ears. Immediately after, initiates begin firing at the targets. I turn towards mine and line up my gun; it feels lumpy and unnatural in my hands. I plant my feet and then fire.
The recoil sends me stumbling backwards and I look and see that I missed the target. I straighten myself up and replant my feet, I grip the gun tightly in both hands and try to align it with the target. I take a deep breath and place my finger over the trigger, when I exhale I push down on it.
I don't move an inch this time and when I inspect the target I see the bullet is on the third innermost circle. It takes me three more times before I hit the center and ten more to be able to hit it every time.
When we break for lunch my arms feel numb from firing the gun so many times. I walk with Will to the cafeteria and after picking out what food we want, we join Tris, Christina, and Al's table. Christina takes a shot at Will asking why he doesn't sit with his Erudite buddies and he shrugs it off. Tris breaks the conversation by exclaiming,
"Do they have to be so public?"
"She just kissed him. It's not like they're stripping naked," Al reasons.
"A kiss is not something you do in public," Tris retorts. "What?"
"Your Abnegation is showing," Christina teases, "The rest of us are all right with a little affection in public. Well, I'm not sure if Liss is . . ."
"I don't mind, it's not that big of a deal," I answer
"Oh. Well . . . I guess I'll have to get over it, then," Tris states.
"Or you can stay frigid. You know. If you want," Will declares, and I kick him softly under the table.
"Don't be so mean to her. Frigidity is in her nature. Sort of like being a know-it-all is in yours," Christina quips.
"I am not frigid!" Tris exclaims.
"Don't worry about it. It's endearing. Look you're all red," Will points out.
Everyone laughs, including Tris and soon lunch is over.
Instead of returning to the room we began in, Four leads us to a new one. It's larger with wooden floors and a green chalkboard, faded black punching bags hang around the room and our names are on the board in alphabetical order. We form a line in the order of our names and all stand next to our punching bag thenTobias begins to speak,
"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. 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."
He demonstrates and talks about several different punches and kicks. I catch on quickly, learning the stance immediately and memorizing the moves easily. Four watches and critiques each initiate, when he reaches me he stops for a second before saying,
"Stay on the balls of your feet, you're smaller than the others, speed will give you a chance of winning. Whenever you punch, make sure to put the majority of your weight into it to get the best effect."
I nod and say, "Thanks."
After we're dismissed for the day Will races up to me.
"You caught on pretty quick back there, faster than most of the others."
I look down before responding, "I've seen a lot of fights, it's easier to catch on if you've seen the moves before."
He nods his head before asking, "So, what do you want to do?"
"Uh, I guess something that shows that we're Dauntless now, not just transfers."
He grins and Al pipes up behind us saying that he wants to get a tattoo.
"A tattoo of what?" Will inquires.
"I don't know. I just want to feel like I've actually left the old faction. Stop crying about it . . . I know you've heard me," Al says.
"Yeah, learn to quiet down, will you?" Christina banters. "I think you're right. We're half in, half out right now. If we want all the way in, we should look the part."
She looks at Tris and I.
"No, I will not cut my hair or dye it a strange color or pierce my face," Tris insists.
"What about your belly button?"
Tris shakes her head.
"Well, I'm not up for any piercings or tattoos since we're fighting tomorrow, but I am up for dying my hair," I reply.
Christina smiles and then says, "Okay, but first you two need new clothes."
She then proceeds to drag Tris and I through the pit to a clothing store.
"What is wrong with my clothes? I'm not wearing gray anymore," Tris complains.
"They're ugly and gigantic," Christina replies, "Liss has the same problem. Will you just let me help you? If you don't like what I put you in, you never have to wear it again, I promise."
I frown but allow her to pick out clothes for me. Not even ten minutes later I'm standing in a pair of tight black pants with a slightly looser top and knee high lace up boots. Tris stands next to me in a past the thigh length loose black dress. Christina forces eyeliner upon the both of us.
Next, we go to a hair salon and the lady at the counter quickly dyes the top half of my hair a bright red that Christina helped me pick out. When we finish, we head up to the tattoo parlor and watch Al get his tattoo.
"Whoa," Will exclaims when he sees me.
"That bad?" I question.
"No, it looks really good, surprisingly."
"Thanks, I guess."
Within a few minutes Al goes back to get his tattoo, while Will and Christina flip through the books and Tris disappears. I walk around the spacious parlor, until a curtain blocks my path. Moving it out of the way I continue on, instead of the walls being surrounded by designs for tattoos the scenery has changed. Different rings and studs for piercings cover the majority of the surfaces in the room and I move forward to inspect some for the nose.
I hear a small laugh behind me and a whispered "damn". I turn around and spot Eric.
"You're going to get a piercing? I didn't think Stiffs knew how to handle pain, " he raises his eyebrows at me.
I turn back towards the rings before replying, "I can handle pain better than you'd think, not that it's any of your business. And no, I'm not getting a piercing. We're fighting tomorrow; I don't need to give my opponent any extra ammunition."
"So, you think you're going to lose? Because if you thi-"
"No, I never said that. I'm going to win; I just meant that it'd be better to wait for a piercing or tattoo. You know, like a day when I know I'm not going to get punched in the face."
He nods and we both fall silent. However, after a moment he speaks again,
"So, you're Four's sister?"
I freeze for a second, my hand, that was holding up a piercing, falters. I try to act calm when I say,
"What makes you think that?"
"Every faction gets a list of transfers so we know who goes where. I had already suspected; you looked too similar."
"Okay, so . . . so what? What does it matter if we're related?"
"At the moment, it doesn't matter; except it means that I'll be training you for now on."
"What? Why? Does Four know about this?"
He looks annoyed yet he answers, "Family can't train family nor can they be in charge of their ranks, we don't want favoritism. And Max should be speaking with him now."
"But, we're fighting. How can I cheat in a fight?"
"Don't worry, about having to train under me; it'll only happen if you make it past stage one."
I nod in response.
"Liss! Liss?" I hear Christina calling.
"I, uh, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," I say to Eric.
He glances at me with a curious expression on his face before saying, "Yeah, see you tomorrow."