AN: haha i hate myself oh god this chapter is short. next is even shorter (is shot repeatedly)

alright so recently im not so into snk like with finals ive stopped caring about a lot of things

im going to be on a very long, perhaps permanent hiatus

if/when i decide to rewatch snk (and therefore become re-obsessed with it, lol) i will prob crank out a couple more chapters

anyway, ive decided to post all the stuff i have written

i hope you like it and i love you all! happy holidays you nerds :D

Chapter 10

As soon as he's done eating, Four seems to disperse into mist or something. No one claims to have seen him leave, but he's definitely gone, so Hange steps up to the plate and leads the cluster of transfers out into the tunnels again. We follow obediently down a complex series of dark pasageways lit only with torches that have been placed at the end of each hall.

I employ my old method of keeping a hand to the rough stone wall to keep me from stumbling over the random bump or dip in the floor and crashing into the Amity in front of me. Mikasa and Armin walk silently beside me. Unlike the one at the Choosing Ceremony, this silence is comfortable.

Eventually, we come across a wooden door. Hange comes to an abrupt stop in front of it, crossing her arms and spinning on her heel so fast she's practically nose to nose with the initiate who had been closest behind her. The rest of us gather ourselves closer to her so we can hear what she has to say.

"For those of you who weren't paying attention earlier," Hange says, cutting a playful look at Sasha and Connie. "I'm Hange Zoe. I'm one of the five Dauntless leaders. Since we take our initiation extremely seriously, I will personally be overseeing most of your training."

I groan inwardly. Even though I honestly like her, the idea of Hange watching my initiation process – whatever that might be for a faction as rough as the Dauntless – was a little unnerving, to say the least. There would be that much more pressure on all of us to perform well. Armin looks even more perturbed by this than me, which is somehow comforting.

"Down to business. Let's talk about your schedule now that you're running with the big kids," she says, face turning serious. It makes her look intimidating. I bet this is the face she puts on when she's working. "You are expected in the training room at eight o' clock sharp every day. Your training will take place there from eight to six – don't worry, you'll get your lunch break. After six is free time. You're allowed to do whatever you want, as long as you don't leave the compound without a Dauntless chaperone. We'll give you a break between each stage of initiation, too."

Free time? I'd never been allowed that at home. No Abnegation had. Suddenly having time to myself was an odd feeling, but also exciting. I wondered how I would spend it. There were so many possibilities.

"This room behind me," Hange begins, gesturing with one thumb to the door. "Is where you will be sleeping for the next couple weeks. There're a lot of you this year, so we had to move in a few extra beds. It's going to be pretty crowded until we get around to the rankings. I'll explain that in a bit."

She pauses to cross her arms again. "During this first stage of initiation, you and the Dauntless-born will be kept separate. You won't be training together or really interacting outside of free time until later. At the end of initiation, your ranks will be determined in comparison to the Dauntless-born. They've had their whole lives up until this point, so don't underestimate them. They've already got a leg up on you lot."

"Umm... Rankings?" Armin asks.

"Yeah, guess I'd better explain all that," Hange taps her chin thoughtfully. "We'll rank you based on the skill and potential you show throughout the initiation process, so you want to really do your best. Don't half-ass this. If you mess around, you'll end up with the shit work, because the first thing we use the rankings for is to determine the order in which you get to select your job. To be honest, there's only a few good ones."

I hear a few grumbles from behind me as well as a joke about 'Get a job, you damn hippie'. I'm not really sure what a hippie is, but a few of the others certainly laugh at it.

Hange's face remains deadly serious. "Don't start with that yet. The second reason we rank you is that Dauntless believes in selecting only the bravest and strongest, the best of the best. That's why only the top ten initiates are invited to become full members."

The laughter stops abruptly. I see two transfers from Candor – a girl with black hair in twin ponytails pushed over her shoulders and a boy with messy brown hair – sizing each other up. One of the Amity, a boy named Franz, falls to his knees and puts his head in his hands. A Candor girl named Hannah kneels down next to him and pats his back comfortingly.

I can see that they're scared, but for some reason I'm not. I feel something in my chest clench, and I swear to myself that I will be one of the ten to pass Dauntless initiation, even if I have to claw my way up from the bottom. You can't survive unless you fight, and I am more than willing to fight.

"Four initiates will be cut at the end of this stage. The rest will be cut after the final rankings are announced. If you're one of them, you will leave the compound and become factionless. There's no compromise, and there are no second chances. You've got one shot," Hange says, pushing open the door and stepping aside. "My advice to those of you who don't wanna get kicked out of here so fast your little heads spin, don't fuck this up. See you all in the morning."

Having said what she needed to say, Hange smiles at us, torchlight casting odd and frightening shadows over her features. Her teeth glint in a way that's almost predatory. She wishes us all a very good night, then turns and vanishes into the darkness.