Guest: Only time will tell. Eric is not the romantic, lovey-dovey type, so it would certainly be interesting to try and write a romance with him. I'm not going to reveal anything just yet, but rest assured the story isn't going to turn into a fluffy, sappy mess.
The 1st Fallen Angel: In due time, lovie. Eric isn't one to talk about his past. In fact, he tries to forget it as much as possible. It's going to take some pushing to get him to talk.
Dauntless Steel: I'm so glad you think so! I'm trying so hard to keep in character when writing these scenes. So much editing haha xD
Chapter #12: Intentions
They were all startled away early the next morning by the piercing sound of metal beating against metal, and some sat up sharply with swerving, confused, sleep-glazed eyes, while others lifted their hands to block their ears with protesting groans. Looking over his shoulder, Eric sent a sinister sneer over to where Domino stood on the stairs, metal pipe in hand that he had used to knock against the railing.
"Morning, sweethearts." With that, he left.
Yawns and muttered complaints hummed throughout the room as people began throwing their blankets back and sitting up on their cots to pull on their boots, their movements heavy with sleep. Sighing, Eric slowly pushed himself into a sitting position and swung his legs over the side of his cot. Elbows rested on his knees, he reached up to rub soothing circles on his temples in attempt to chase away the migraine that had begun to plague his senses the night before. His side ached, and he was exhausted from less than three hours of sleep. When the group was lead to a room with various targets, he felt relief flow through him at the easy task. He hit every target, both still and moving, effortlessly. It was a bit different from Dauntless, moving targets having been added in as well as civilians. If you shot one of the civilians, you lost points, but handling guns was his specialty, and he passed with one hundred percent.
Once he had finished the course, Jacob had stepped in after him. As expected, he didn't do nearly as good, and Eric watched his shoulders slouch in defeat. Rain was watching closely from the background, pacing back and forth with her usual vigilant stare as she observed each one of them with expert eyes. Once Jacob was finished, he dejectedly fell back into line beside Eric, and he glanced up at him as Clyde stepped forward to shoot.
"Where were you last night?" he asked.
"I don't see how that's your business," Eric replied curtly, not even bothering to look at him.
Jacob's eyes fell briefly before looking back to the targets as Clyde blew through the course with ease. "You know, I still don't know why Rain brought me here."
"That makes two of us," said Eric.
"If you throw a tip my way, I'll consider it payback."
Scoffing, he looked down at the Erudite finally. "Payback for what?"
Jacob kept his stare directed forward, expression morose.
"You want a tip?" Eric continued. "Learn to take a hint and leave me the hell alone."
"I'll remember that the next time you're dangling over the chasm."
Eric said nothing, choosing to ignore the younger man. He was too tired for this shit. Rain signaled for everyone to follow her once the last initiate had finished the course, and they all turned after her. As Jacob was walking, he turned back to face Eric momentarily, expression grim.
"Oh, and you're welcome for pushing that guy off the ledge, by the way."
Eric's eyes snapped to him, brief, dubious surprise flashing through his gaze, but before he had a chance to speak the Erudite was turning his back to him and walking after the others. His eyes narrowed with guarded curiosity in his wake.
It felt odd being back in the gym training with the others. He didn't belong here, but it beat the streets. He found himself torn as he looked around the room at the other initiates, who were lifting weights, doing circuit training, throwing knives, or fighting in the ring. They had grown very close-knit, and it never escaped his attention how they seemed determined to help each other succeed. Even the ones in danger of falling below the red line, such as Jacob, did their best to aid his fellow comrades. It didn't make a lick of sense to him. Then his mind was travelling back to Jacob's earlier words. Oh, and you're welcome for pushing that guy off the ledge, by the way.
Shaking his head, he was preparing to do another set of bench presses when he caught eye of Rain passing by. Pondering it a moment, he sat up and grabbed her attention.
"Hey."
She turned.
"You're the one who pushed that guy off the ledge, right?" he asked.
She blinked, when suddenly a gradual smile was pulling across her lips that was much too aware for his liking. Without so much as a word, she continued on her way, hands clasped casually behind her back. No words were needed. With a perplexed blink, Eric turned his head over to where Jacob was practicing his knife throwing, and his eyes narrowed with a calculating glint shimmering in their stormy depths.
"Okay, people, let's wrap it up!" barked Domino.
One by one the group gathered at the score board. Eric sent a lingering glance at it as he passed by, scowling as he saw he was at the bottom of the ranks. It was a short four weeks before the first stage of initiation was over. His eyes shifted over to where Frank and Clyde were closing up a sparring match, and his lips curved up into a grimace as Frank leapt up with an impressive spin kick, something neither of them would have been able to pull off mere weeks ago.
He was so fucked.
Eyes shifting to the board once more, he made his departure from the gym, oblivious to the pair of hazel-green eyes staring after him thoughtfully. He was just about to cross the bridge when a voice stopped him from behind.
"Eric."
He turned, once again not missing how she used his name. Rain nodded in the opposite direction.
"You got a minute?"
She shut the door to her office, locking it for good measure to ensure they were not interrupted before walking around behind her desk.
"Just out of curiosity, what are your intentions now that you know Erudite is out of the question?"
Eric looked at her. "Define intentions."
"I saw you looking at the scoreboard. It's the first time you've bothered to spare it a glance."
He held her stare for a purposeful moment before averting his eyes to the side. Rain's gaze was knowing, holding the same distinct awareness as always.
"You don't have to call yourself Renaissance, but we are all that's going for you right now. It might be in your best interest to at least attempt making it through initiation."
Eric's expression grew bitter. "We have four weeks left, and I'm not even close to being caught up with the others."
"Dauntless never give up."
His eyes met hers. "I'm not Dauntless."
Her eyebrows rose in a challenging manner. "So that means you're a quitter now?"
"No, I-"
"If anyone here can get above that line in four weeks, it's you."
He silenced.
"Meet me in the gym after supper," she concluded.
For a good few moments, his eyes lingered on her, as if he wanted to say something but was unsure how to voice himself. In the end, he said nothing, eyes falling before he turned for the exit.
"Eric."
He looked back over his shoulder, hand clasped around the doorknob. The faintest of smiles pulled at Rain's lips.
"It's good to have you back."
His eyes fell, followed by his silent departure. As he found himself wandering through the empty halls, he considered joining the activity towards the center of the compound, but then decided against it. If he had any hopes of making it through training, he had to stay away from high populated areas as much as possible if he wanted to avoid more fights to land him lower on the scoreboard. In a way, he suspected he was starting to understand the grading system. It had caught his interest one day during training that a couple had suddenly fallen below the line after being near the top, and then he recalled the same two men hackling a couple factionless outside the gate. Could they seriously be being graded on their morals? It certainly appeared that way. Rain and even Domino seemed pretty grounded in their belief of honor and respect.
"Dauntless."
He stopped dead in his tracks. That voice. Turning slowly, his eyes darkened into a fierce glare as he met eyes with the only surviving member of the group that had jumped him. His bulky form was silhouetted in the shadows of the dimly lit hallway, but Eric didn't miss the sharp object held in his right hand. His eyes flickered towards the shank fleetingly before returning to his enemy's blackened face, this time mask-less.
"No masks this time, coward?" he sneered.
The Renaissance adjusted his grip on the shank, and Eric knew what was coming. When one lunged, so did the other, and they were colliding in a tangle of fists and swipes. Eric expertly ducked and dodged the shank, his smaller bulk giving him the advantage of speed. He managed to grab the offending wrist and axed his hand down on his assailant's arm, effectively knocking the shank from his grasp. In that split second that his guard had been down, however, his attacker managed to get in a blow right to the bullet wound on his side. His face instantly contorted in pain as a shout escaped his lips, hand flying to his side, and in this moment of incapacitation his attacker sent a mean upper clip to his chin.
He hit the floor hard, dazed. Instantly, the other man moved for the shank, when suddenly it was knocked from his reach by a booted foot. Head snapping up, he was met with a boot to the face as it nailed him directly under the chin, sending him sprawling backwards. Eric's head snapped up, and he froze. It was Edward.
Edward met his eyes coolly and wordlessly kicked the shank towards him. Not wasting a single second, Eric snatched the weapon from the floor and lunged at his attacker like a wild animal. All the bastard had time to do was widen his eyes before the blade was driving into his heart. Eric's eyes were wide, lips pulled back in an animalistic snarl, and he gave the shank a sharp, fatal twist.
The body beneath him fell still.
Not seconds after his victory, they were alerted to booted footsteps thundering through the halls as the guards rushed towards them, having probably witnessed the fight through security cameras. Eric stood slowly, as Edward raised his hands.
"Drop the shank," the younger guy hissed through his teeth.
Grimly raising his hands, he did as he was told. It clattered to the floor, and the guards were grabbing his arms roughly. Edward made an effort to talk them down, but they weren't listening. Eric remained calm as they escorted him to Rain's office, and it was clear by the look on her face when they entered that she had not been notified of the incident ahead of time.
"What's this? What the hell happened now?" she demanded.
"Just killed another one, Rain," one of the guards snarled.
Her eyes snapped back towards Eric, but before she had a chance to react Domino was entering the office at a hostile stride. The second he saw Eric, he was grabbing him by the collar and slamming him up against the wall with brutal force.
"I've had enough of this! It's time this little prick learned his place!"
Eric gagged as Domino's grip on his throat crushed his windpipe, and he tried prying his hands away while kicking at his legs, but to no avail. He tried talking, but every time he attempted to do so Domino only tightened his grip.
"It was self defense, Domino!" Edward butted in.
The boy's words went completely ignored.
"Domino, release him!"
His jaw tensed. "Rain-"
"I said release him!"
Gritting his teeth, he turned and threw Eric down to the floor. Eric instantly sucked in a large gulp of air, coughing at the rush of air that flooded his deprived lungs. Rain approached him calmly and knelt down before him.
"Tell me what happened."
He looked up at her darkly, and she instantly knew the answer without being told. Looking towards the head guard, she addressed him directly.
"What is the victim's ID?"
"Jackson Leonard, ma'am."
"I figured." She stood, as did Eric. "Was he not part of the last struggle with Eric?"
They seemed to be thinking.
"Yeah, he was," Edward cut in.
"There was another attack just before this one," Domino snapped.
Rain's eyes snapped up sharply. "Why was I not notified of this?"
"It just happened minutes before this."
"What time?"
"Five thirty-two, exactly. We've been searching the building for you."
"Who got attacked? Are they dead or alive?"
"It was Jared. Alive, but in the infirmary."
"Well, it wasn't Eric. He was with me during the time you just told me."
The guards exchange looks.
"And before you accuse a man of murder, you might want to check the cameras in the hallway of the attack to conclude whether or not it was in self defense. I think you will find that it was." As if to make her point, she sent a solid look towards Domino, who held her gaze darkly but submissively. Biting his tongue, he turned and left the room to do as ordered, followed promptly by the guards in tow.
Once alone, Eric turned his attention towards Edward. "Where the hell have you been?" he asked sourly.
"Miss me?"
Eric scoffed.
Rain looked between them. "Edward, why don't you show Eric out? I have to attend to the matter at hand."
Edward shrugged. "Why not."
He turned away and headed for the door, but before following him Eric looked back at Rain. All she offered was a small pat on the shoulder before turning back towards her desk. In the end, he said nothing and turned away after Edward. As they were walking, Edward voiced an offhanded question.
"So, why did that guy go after you like that?"
"Because he's a psycho."
"There had to be a reason."
Eric remained silent.
So much for avoiding conflict, eh? Haha he just can't win. Sorry for the short chapter. 13 will be up soon.
I hope to see more of you all. Your reviews keep the story going. The more input, the faster the updates. xoxo
