Kori: Hey, readers. How is you, cuz I wants ta know? Sorry, saw this girl on Youtube and had to say it once. Do I have any Avengers or Thor fans out there? Yes? Then can someone please tell me who the hell "Darcy" is? I keep seeing her paired with Loki, but I've got no clue who she is. Please help…

Disclaimer: If I owned Yugioh or Divergent, would I really be on this site? Answer: Yes, yes I would actually. Either way, don't own 'em. Want to though.

Read and Review!

One Choice: Chapter 13

When I trudge into the training room the next morning, there is a large target set up and there is a table strewn with knives. Target practice again. At least it won't hurt.

Zigfried stands in the middle of the room. The sight of him makes me feel like the air in the room is heavier. At least when he was slouched in the corner, I could pretend he wasn't there.

"Tomorrow will be the last day of stage one," Zigfried says. "You will resume fighting then. Today, you'll be learning how to aim. Everyone pick up three knives. And pay attention while Four demonstrates."

At first no one moves.

"Now!"

We scramble for the daggers. They aren't heavy, but they feel strange.

"He's in a bad mood," mumbles Anzu.

I nod. Judging by the deadly look Zigfried gives Four when he's not looking, last nights loss must have bothered Zigfried more than he let on.

I watch Four as he throws the knives. He hits the target each time.

Zigfried orders," Line up!"

Haste, I think, will not help. So I spend the first few minutes practicing without a knife, finding the right stance and the right arm motion.

Zigfried paces quickly behind us.

"I think the Stiff's taken too many hits to the head!" remarks Keith. "Hey, Stiff! Remember what a knife is?"

Ignoring him, I practice the throw again with a knife in hand but don't release it. I shut out Zigfried's pacing, Keith's jeering and the nagging feeling that Four is staring at me, and throw the knife. It spins end over end, slamming into the board. I am the first person to hit the target.

I smirk as Keith misses again. "Hey, Keith! Remember what a target is?"

Anzu snorts.

A half hour later, Joey is the only initiate who hasn't hit the target. The next time he misses, Zigfried marches toward him and demands," How slow are you, Candor? Do you need glasses? Should I move the target closer?"

Joey's face turns red. He throws another knife. It spins and hit's the wall.

"What was that?" Zigfried says quietly.

I bite my lip. This isn't good.

"It-it slipped," says Joey.

"Well, I think you should go get it," Zigfried says. He turns to the other initiates-everyone has stopped throwing again. "Did I tell you to stop?" We have all seen Zigfried angry before, but the look in his eyes is almost rabid.

"Go get it?" Joey's eyes are wide. "But everyone's still throwing."

"And?"

"And I don't want to get hit."

"I think you can trust them to aim better than you. Go get your knife."

"No."

Zigfried's eyes narrow. "Are you afraid?"

"Of getting stabbed? Yes, I am!"

Honestly is his mistake.

"Everyone stop!" Zigfried shouts.

The room goes silent.

Zigfried looks at Joey. "Everyone except you, clear out of the ring."

I follow the other initiates to the edge of the room.

"Stand in front of the target," says Zigfried.

Joey's hands shake. He walks to the target.

"Hey, Four," Zigfried calls. "Give me a hand here."

Four scratches one of his eyebrows with a knife point and approaches Zigfried. He has dark circles under his eyes and a tense set to his mouth-he's as tired as we are.

"You're going to stand there as he throws those knives," Zigfried says to Joey. "Until you learn not to flinch."

"Is this really necessary?" asks Four. He sounds bored, but he doesn't look bored. The question is a challenge.

Zigfried stares at Four in silence. Four stares back.

"I have the authority here, remember?" Zigfried says. "Here, and everywhere else."

Color rushes to Four's face, though his expression doesn't change. His grip on the knives tightens and his knuckles turn white.

I look from Joey's shaking hands to the determined set of Four's jaw. Anger bubbles in my chest and bursts from my mouth. "Stop it."

Four turns the knife in his hand and gives me a hard look.

"Any idiot can stand in front of a target," I say. "It doesn't prove anything except that you're bullying us. Which, as I recall, is a sign of cowardice."

"Then it should be easy for you," Zigfried says. "If you're willing to take his place."

The last thing I want to do is stand in front of that target, but I have no other choice. I weave through the crowd of initiates.

I stand in front of the target and my head barely reaches the center. I look at Four's knives, one in his right hand, two in his left.

My throat is dry. I swallow and look at Four. He is never sloppy. He won't hit me. I'll be fine.

I tip my chin up. I will not flinch. If I flinch, I prove that I am a coward.

"If you flinch," Four says slowly. "Joey takes your place. Understand?"

I nod.

Four's eyes are still on me when he lifts his hand, pulls his elbow back and throws the knife. It is just a flash in the air and then I hear a thud. The knife is buried in the board, half a foot away from my cheek. I close my eyes. Thank God.

"You about done, Stiff?" asks Four.

I remember Joey's wide eyes and quiet sobs and shake my head. "No."

"Eye's open then." He taps the spot between his eyebrows.

I watch as he passes a knife from his left hand to his right. I see nothing but his eyes as the second knife hit's the target above my head. This one is closer than the last one.

"Come on, Stiff," he says. "Let someone else take it."

Why is he trying to goad me into giving up? Does he want me to fail?

"Shut up, Four!"

I hold my breath as he turns the last knife in his hand. I see a glint in his eyes as he pulls his arm back and lets the knife fly. It comes straight at me. My body goes rigid. When it hit's the board, my ear stings and blood tickles my skin. I touch my ear. He nicked it.

And judging by the look on his face, he did it on purpose.

"I would love to see if the rest of you are as daring as him," says Zigfried. "But I think that's enough for today."

He squeezes my shoulder. "I should keep and eye on you."

I feel like the word 'Divergent' is branded on my forehead and if he looks at me long enough, he'll be able to read it. But he just lifts his hand and keeps walking.

Four and I stay behind. I wait until the room is empty before looking at him. He walks toward me.

"Is your-"

"You did that on purpose!" I shout.

"Yes, I did," he says quietly. "And you should thank me for helping you."

I grit my teeth. "Thank you? You almost stabbed my ear and you spent the entire time taunting me. Why should I thank you?"

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of waiting for you to catch on!"

He glares at me. His eyes are so dark, they are almost black.

"Catch on? Catch on to what? That you wanted to prove to Zigfried how tough you are? That you're sadistic, just like him?"

"I'm not sadistic." He doesn't yell. I wish he would yell. It would scare me less. He leans his face close to mine, which reminds me of lying inches away from the attack dogs face in the aptitude test, and says," If I wanted to hurt you, don't you think I would have done it already?"

He crosses the room and stabs a knife into the table.

"I-" I start to shout, but he's already gone. I scream, frustrated, and wipe some of the blood from my ear.