Annabeth

There's so much black clothing in Dauntless that I feel like I'm working part-time at some run down Hot Topic.

And I can't find anything, who even designed the compound anyway?

Night had fallen onto the sky, dotting the horizon with patches of white looking stars. I trudged in the darkness, hoping to find Percy. But eventually it hit me that I would never even get inside unless I went incognito, or I could just steal some black clothes. Whatever works, right?

I ran into a group of bitter and sassy Dauntless girls huddled together by the chasm. They were giggling and pointing and whispering, and it sends a jolt of nervousness into my stomach. What could they be possibly saying? I glance down and realize I'm wearing my Erudite getup - that's probably it. If I wanted to blend in, I had to ditch my Erudite clothes - and fast.

The compound was abandoned, not a single soul in sight. I found a stack of - maybe? - clean black clothes laying on a bedside table. I scooped it up and changed right there. What?...there wasn't a person for miles, I'll be fine.

The material felt thick and rough on my skin. Erudite preferred tight and silky attire meanwhile Dauntless wore scratchy stuff, I guess. My charcoal black jeans hugged my knees, making it difficult to walk properly. I hobbled like an old woman out of the dorm room. Luckily there was no around to see me making a fool of myself.

Probably a few miles away, I saw flashing and glistening lights erupting into the sky. It was coming from the direction of the Pier. I heard some cheerful screams and shouts, as well. What the hell is going on over there? I thought instinctively. It seemed unwise to follow trouble, but years with Percy have taught me that we don't chase trouble, trouble chases us.

My flats were filled with mud and pebbles from trekking the swampy area surrounding Lake Michigan. I cursed out loud as I walked my way to the Pier. The bright lights and screams got louder and louder and I knew that the Dauntless were there. But what could they possibly be doing?

Then I saw it.

No wait, him.

I saw Percy, climbing his way up a tower. His sea green eyes could be seen from halfway across the country. He was waving a golden lit flag in his hands. Capture the Flag...Jeanine mentioned it one time. It was done every initiation by the Dauntless. She said it was 'uncouth' and 'barbaric' and a bunch of other words I barely know. I thought to myself.

All I know is, I want in.

It was kinda hard at first, blending in. I had that rigid and refrained feel of the Erudite, which was as obvious as taping ERUDITE IDIOT to my forehead. The Dauntless were loud, and crazy, and reckless.

No wonder Percy and Jason chose this place.

Speaking of that, I need to find them, and fast. I can't forget why I'm here.

"PERCY!" I shouted. His head twisted in my direction but he must not have seen me because he whipped right around and ran off towards the waving golden flag high above the ground.

"Damn," I mumbled before chasing off to find Jason. He's my other option.

I decided to just chase after the flag instead. That's where the boys will be, obviously. But in spite of the moment, I needed a gun. I tripped over a piece of chipped Pier wood and fell into the grass. In the dark, with my face planted, I could make out a black gun laying right below the ferris wheel, sitting on the asphalt.

Relief gathered on my face. Yes! I found a gun! I pushed myself off the dewy grass and bolted towards the ferris wheel. As soon as I bent down to retrieve the gun, I'm suddenly thrown to the ground. Standing back up, I rub my eyes - unable to see, I touch the scuffs on my elbow and arms that the pavement left me with.

"That's mine." A stoic girl with deep brown hair says to me. I tried to meet her eyes, but they were covered by a thin layer of long bangs. "Get away."

"I need that though." I sounded much more confident than I felt inside.

A boy with short dark curly hair steps up behind her, and places a hand on her shoulder. "Molly, I can handle this." She nods and runs off, taking the gun with her. Well there goes my chance to get a gun and blend in. My plan has all gone to hell now.

"Who are you anyway?" The boy whips back around to face me. "I've never seen you here before."

"God is this some cheesy ass pick up line?" I held back a laugh, even though my heart is beating through my chest.

Instead of answering, his arm swings my way and hits me directly in the face. Before I can tell him off, stars dance around in my vision and the darkness pulls me in.

" - who is she - "

"I've never - "

" - Percy, do you - "

"Yeah yeah I can handle this - "

The voices pry me awake, pulling me from my unconscious dream. Where the hell was I?

I was in a desolate part of what once was a Chicago tourist attraction - in this dimension, at least. The room itself was shaped like a circle, with a stone brick wall around me. In front of my eyes - a pleasant sight to see - was Perseus Jackson, cocking his head to the left and observing me with his deep sea green eyes I never miss looking into.

"Per - Percy?" I coughed out.

"Wise girl." His grin from looking at me could have lit up the sky.

Regaining my composure to reply something snark, I scoffed: "Seaweed Brain. Good to see you again. I see the barbarians haven't killed you yet. These Dauntless are insane." I mumbled the last line under my breath.

"That's just Peter. Don't believe that we're all crazy." Percy laughed, and it felt good to my ears. I've missed the few days we've been separated.

"Yeah, sure. Now I'm here to talk to you about something - " I began.

"Percy?" A sheepish girl peeked inside the room. She had blonde hair reaching her shoulders and the bluest of eyes. The girl couldn't have been that tall either.

"One sec, Tris." Percy says, still facing me. "What is it, Annabeth?"

"Wait who's this?" Blonde girl, Tris, walks inside and points at me. "Is she an initiate?"

"No - well I don't know - " He looks confused; he looks cute when he's confused. "Annabeth, why are you here? I have things I should be doing - "

To warn you of an impending war, dipshit. Is what I don't say.

"Percy, Peter and the others are getting close the flag. We have to go, now." Tris clenched her fists together. "Tobias and I already climbed the ferris wheel but we can't lose this." Tris says before trudging out the door. "There's more at stake than you might think." She twisted around, her long blonde ponytail whipping behind her, and strode out of the room - leaving Percy and me by ourselves. Percy stared at the door for a few seconds before speaking.

"Wise Girl, I promise I'll come back later and talk. But - " His eyes linger on where Tris had been standing in the doorway. " - I need to go."

"I understand." I gulped. "But wait, why can't I come?"

"You're not even a real initiate - " He argued.

"Neither are you!" I shout. "None of us are! You don't even know what I need to tell you!"

"Well it can wait! I have a game to win." Percy smoothed out his black tee and ran out. Fine, he wants to ride on his high horse? So will I.

"I'm coming with you. You have no choice." I mumbled under my breath.

"Reyna?" My lip curled up. "What are you doing here?"

She was standing at the top of the tower, waving the golden flag around, yelling that she was the champion.

"What's going on - why are you - " I began, but was interrupted by a horde of Dauntless initiates - Dauntless born, I believe I overheard them saying - who lunged straight at Reyna.

She faced me and tried to talk while fighting them head-on. "Annabeth, I would like to talk to you - uGH - when I have a - gO AWay - chance!" Reyna panted. When the last guy ran in a little too late, she elbowed his stomach and he plummeted right to the concrete floor.

"So," Reyna trudged over to me, stepping over an unconscious body. "I guess it's now or never to explain whats going on."

"Are they going to be..." I gestured towards the initiates sprawled out in a heap on the ground. "...okay?"

Reyna shrugged. "Probably. But anyway, I have to tell you something."

"Shoot." I say without realizing it. Reyna was holding a gun she must have stolen from the Dauntless. "No wait, don't literally."

Before Reyna could speak, we heard several footsteps climb the stairs. They sounded pretty loud and consistent - must be more than two or three. In the doorway, that blonde girl Tris and a bunch of other Dauntless appeared in front of my eyes. I searched the entire group, but neither Percy nor Jason were to be seen.

"We want the flag." A girl with short black hair and chocolate brown eyes says to Reyna.

"Because she'd just give it to you." I interjected. All of them glared at me with a surprised look, as if they had not expected me to be able to talk.

"We're actually looking for someone." Reyna says. "If you tell us where they are, well maybe then we could make a deal..." She tantalizingly waved the golden flag in their faces.

"No way," I heard one buff guy say from the back. "What could she possibly want?"

"I don't give a shit, we want the flag. We can just take it." A girl in the front of the group says forcefully.

"I want to know where - " Reyna clamped a hand over my mouth.

"We want to know where Jackson and Grace are." Reyna tells them all.

Tris is the one who steps out from the horde. "I know where they are. Follow me." Reyna drops the golden flag - it doesn't even get a chance to reach the floor before the initiates jump at it like Cheetahs to an Antelopes.

Once Tris, Reyna, and I were out of the stone brick tower, Tris was the first one to speak.

"So...how do you two know Percy?" She sounded so cool, so casual about it. I couldn't help but wonder how close Tris and Percy were.

Reyna narrowed her eyes. Even in the complete darkness I could read the indifference on her face. "It would be best not to ask."

I walked right of Tris, trying to conjure something to say. "Percy and I are dating."

Tris's eyes lit up at my comment. "Really? Great for you." She grinned.

"Yeah, he's taken." I smiled, but there was a hint of venom in there - just so Tris knows that Percy isn't hers to take...but I'm totally not worried about that. "So, you have someone special yourself?" I can't believe I just asked that.

"Kinda," Tris gave me a sideways glance. "It's just...it's just weird right now, trust me."

"Um, okay." Reyna pulls us out and back into reality. "But where exactly are these boys?"

"I didn't get a chance to save them before - " Tris defended herself.

"Before what?" I stopped walking and looked behind me at Reyna with worry in my eyes. "Tris?"

Tris hesitated. "Eric. Eric took Percy and Jason."

Author's Note: Oooooooh trouble in da Dauntless house :3 But seriously hi, how are my favorite readers?

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If you read this all, thanks bros...you get this: ヽ(ﾟｰﾟ*ヽ)ヽ(*ﾟｰﾟ*)ﾉ (ﾉ*ﾟｰﾟ)ﾉ okay that's all! ~ Jill ( J-chan )