AN: Again, this one has a lot of fears that are totally real. They aren't mine, but they're from someone I know who was giving me suggestions. So have fun and Happy Reading~

When Factions Collide

Chapter 20: Adam

I'm not afraid of material things. I have; however, made a series of unfortunate mistakes by letting myself be vulnerable. I guess that's why I chose Dauntless in the first place, to be able to get over that vulnerability; to be stronger.

Wren stepped out of the room with a look that could kill. Luckily, I don't think it was my fault this time. How bad could her fear landscape have been? She was only in there for twelve minutes. Of course, she was a fast learner. Brilliant, and fast. The first initiates were still in their rooms. I was the only one of the second line up to go in.

"Adam," Theo called sternly. "Don't be alarmed when you go in, you'll start in a minute." he seemed upset. There was a furrow in between his brows that made him just seem...more worried than ever.

"You okay?" I asked quickly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he said. Oh well, wasn't like he'd tell me anyway. I felt the background changing and closed my eyes, preparing for the worst.

It started off with everyone telling me my faults. I was wrong. Again and again I was wrong. I didn't like it, and I didn't know how to make it stop. I figured I would just have to calm down. After what seemed hours, I finally got to a point where the scene changed. Now I was in front of Wren. She was not angry at me, or mad, or in any way about to punch me.

"I don't hate you," she said, putting her hand on my shoulder. Her eyebrows knitted together. "I'm disappointed in you, and everything you've done." That was a blow to the gut. Again, there was nothing I could actually do, so I just calmed down. Normally I prided myself on my logic, but there was nothing but pure emotion within me. I cried. I fumed. I did everything that I shouldn't have done. I finally was able to calm down, after losing the truest love I had, I broke down quickly. This test ground people down to what they were made of. That was for sure.

My next fear was known. It was my fear of rejection. But not only was Wren there, but even Caroline, my last resort, was gone. This one I knew how to solve. I left. I left the compound. And my landscape changed again.

I was standing in the dorms with all the girls I had seen lined up. Caroline, Mels, Wren, Em. All there. All my mistakes. My feelings. I had to deny the rest and choose one. But what did I do? I couldn't do it. Funny how my problems seemed to revolve around one girl; Wren has been in every single one of them. I had to choose her, and deny the rest. I took her into my arms and the landscape changed again, leaving me alone with her. But she was talking to Theo. About me. Spilling my secrets. Everything I told her was leaving her mouth and going to Theo. I was afraid, not only for my credibility, but for my initiation. I couldn't get through this one, so I just had to calm down again. That part was getting easier to do, but the bad part was that I couldn't face my own fears.

The setting changed to me sitting in a chair, a searing pain going through my body. My only way to stop it was to reach the morphine, but even the movement of my chest as I breathed set my body on fire. I inched my arm over slowly, the pain growing more and more as I got closer to my solution. I finally grabbed the serum and plunged the needle into my body, and I screamed in agony at the very movement, and I breathed heavily as the pain washed out slowly.

I sat in the same chair as I watched Wren come in. My final fear. I was afraid of her. Not just losing her, but everything. I was afraid of how good she was, how much she hated me, how much of a threat she was to me. But this was two fears in one. A different version of myself walked in, because I was afraid of myself as well, and the danger I caused to others. I always found justification in my actions, and now I couldn't find anything.

"I'm sorry." I cried, and it was over. It was black.

I slowly drifted out of the simulation and was awake on the floor.

"Thirty two minutes" he said. Really? Less than an hour? I felt like I was in there for days.

"Really?"

"Average time, good enough." he said grudgingly. "Six fears, not bad."

"Is that good?"

"Yeah, but it's not going to improve your ranking. It's about how you execute, not how many. You had to calm down for a significant amount, that won't cut it. But good on timing."

"It felt like more."

"It always does." he said as he gestured me out of the room.

I walked back to the dorms and saw Wren sitting on the bed, crying. She was trying to be silent about it, and she looked up as soon as I walked in.

"Hey," I said quietly.

"What do you want?" her wall came back up and she squinted her eyes at me, trying to be menacing. It didn't quite work with her red eyes and tear streaked face.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. Leave me alone." Now was my chance. Maybe I could get rid of my fears.

"No, tell me." I took her hand. She snatched it away from me.

"Just go...go talk to Caroline."

"She's still testing."

"Leave me be. I just want to be alone." she got up and went to the bathroom. Well, I tried, but even I was emotionally and mentally exhausted after that workout. I decided to let her be, the best decision for her mental health and my physical well-being, although I wasn't completely sure I cared anymore. My mind was stuck on her. I hope she trusted me soon enough.