A/N: Two chapters in one day! I wouldn't normally do this, but I'm so excited for what's to come. I usually try and write a few chapters ahead so there's some exciting things coming and I just can't wait to keep going. I hope everyone likes this chapter - from here on out, this is where things started to get more M rated, more because of the themes and issues that are brought up. So here is a slight T/W for people: this story does have mentions of weight problems, violence/gore, implications of abuse and obviously swearing and some steamy stuff later on. This is more to show Cain's backstory, how she progresses through Initiation and how she grows as a person outside of this story with Eric. I hope you guys enjoy and please R&R to tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: me no own Divergent

It took a while for the rest of our Initiate class to join me and Tony down in the compound. I tried my best to stay friendly with him, but at arm's length. I didn't trust the people he was hanging around, and so I wasn't sure if I could trust him. I stayed with Chris and Sarah, the Amity transfer who had introduced herself when she came to find me. A couple of Dauntless-born Initiates came up to me to high-five me for standing up to Eric. Apparently he was well-known for being a hard-ass, even to the dependents before they chose their factions. They introduced themselves as River and Johnny; River was a tall, slender girl with beautiful raven hair, and Johnny was the typical blond jock type. They were both friendly enough though, and said goodbye to us when Four - the man who had helped us off the net - had split up the transfers and Dauntless-born. He was going to be our instructor for our initiation, and started us on a tour of the faction.

It was only when Four was taking us through the Pit, the main area of the compound, that I saw the short, sandy hair of Eric once again. Four mentioned that Eric would observe our training from time to time, and I didn't know if that made me happy or not. Definitely some kind of anticipation, but it would take some time to realise if that was good anticipation or bad.

Overall there were twenty-two of us in total; twelve Dauntless-born and ten transfers, including me, Chris and Sarah who had stayed by my side the entire time. Tony, Paul and Emmie were the other Erudite transfers, with two more Candors, another Amity transfer and one lone Abnegation transfer. I eyed the boy, Matthew, with pity. He looked alone, and I wondered how he was feeling. I knew this was an every-man-for-himself type situation, but I knew I would be feeling the same if Chris and Sarah weren't around me.

Four took us to our dorms, shared between the sexes which had Paul and the two Candor boys Flint and Callum whooping. I felt a shiver travel down my spine at that thought, of not just showing my body to these strangers, but to those three specifically. I made my way quickly into the dorm as Four showed the others the shared bathroom, and picked a bed right in the corner. I indicated to Sarah to quickly follow me as she re-entered the room, and both she and Chris took the beds around mine. I saw Matthew had followed us to the corner, as well as Tara, the other Amity girl. I didn't think Paul and the others had given off a great impression.

We continued in this weird group into the mess hall, grabbing a table altogether. The black training gear we had all been provided with was not sitting well with me; Chris had thankfully helped both me and Sarah change, using one of the bedsheets to shield us each time. The long sleeved shirt I was wearing felt like a second skin, and I shivered as I saw a fair few pairs of eyes on me, making me feel disgusting. River and Johnny came and joined us; they didn't think the two groups mingling was as bad as the others were making it out to be, and I decided I liked them even more in that moment. I eyed the food in front of us wearily. I hated eating in front of others; my mother would often make comments on how much I ate, even if it was vegetables, and I didn't know how I'd get through all this with so much out in the open. The lack of privacy was definitely throwing me.

"So why Cain?" Johnny was sitting diagonally opposite to me and had been the one to ask. "I mean, it's obvious that's not your original name, unless your parents were sadistic."

I didn't even want to think about how true that comment was.

"I don't know. I always liked the name, and I know it has a bad story behind it, but Cain might not have been the evil character he was always made out to be in the Bible, just like the people in Sodom and Gomorrah. Besides," I took a thoughtful chew on a carrot," my birth name wasn't really me. I wanted a change."

"Well I think it's fucking awesome," Chris suddenly said, making us all laugh out loud. "No I mean it! Like, could you imagine the bylines from the fights? The mark of Cain, ha" he chuckled. I hadn't thought about what our training would be like; Four had mentioned that we would have to fight each other, but really realising it in that moment, I felt the sick anxiety fill my stomach once more, and I pushed my plate away from me.

"Not eating Initiate?"

I froze. For once, Eric's voice didn't do crazy things to my hormones. It instilled a deep fear in me, like I had been caught out by my father. I looked up behind me, and saw him standing right behind me, obviously having been watching as I stopped eating.

"You know, normally Initiates would need all the energy they could get in order to get through initiation. For you," his eyes roamed my body as if tracing hot fire against it, "I don't think that will be a problem." He smirked, and waltzed off as quickly as he had joined us.

The table was silent for a moment, some of them not knowing where to look, but Chris and Sarah were both watching me. I moved my gaze from my lap where it had fallen after Eric walked away and accidentally locked eyes with Matthew. His eyes hardened. "He's not wrong you know," my eyes widened, "but not for the reason you think. Unlike you, the rest of us are gonna have to do all we can to pack on muscle and fat to help us get through this. You're already a step ahead, and believe me, that's an advantage some of us won't have. I mean, I'm basically a scarecrow."

If he hadn't have made a joke, I think I would have burst into tears. Instead I let out a loud laugh, and the ice that had taken over our table thawed. Chris thumped Matthew on the back, continuing on the jokes about his stick-thin figure. As everyone began talking again, I briefly thought about what Matthew had said. I supposed he had a point; I had already proved that I could run and catch up to everyone even at my short and larger size. What if he was right, and it would be easier for me to keep up with the fights once I had turned myself into a ball of muscle.

I glanced up, to the higher levels of the Pit, and once again saw Eric. I felt that anger, that was becoming a second nature, rise again in my chest. I kept my eyes on him, feeling that white hot feeling penetrate into me, as I took back my plate and filled my mouth up with food. Only until he looked away did I stop, and I felt all the more strong for it.

It was towards the end of dinner when a hush came over everyone. We looked round and saw what I assumed were the other leaders of the faction standing on one of the higher levels. The man I assumed was Max, the overall leader, started his speech.

"Welcome Initiates, to Dauntless!"

The cacophony of cheers echoed around the cavern. He raised a hand to silence them; I had never seen such a display of power before, not even by Jeanine Matthews.

"We welcome our newcomers to our home. We police the factions; we are their saviours, and their protectors. We do not search for power; power finds us." I felt his words cut at the anxiety in my chest. "You have chosen us. Now it is our turn to choose you. Go forward in your initiation, and show us how Dauntless you can be."

It seemed that Max was a man of few words, but it was enough to bring the cheers and excitement back to the room. People made their way to the tables of initiates, and one by one picked us all up. I was nervous when the hands reached me, the voices coming back to my mind for the first time since that morning, but Sarah grabbed my hand and I fell back into laughter and joy.

I walked back to the dorms alone, the others wanting to stay in the Pit for a bit longer despite Four letting us know our training would begin early the next morning. The excitement and nerves of the day had worn me out, and I was desperate for some alone time so I could shower and change in peace. I should have known that the peace I sought out wouldn't come easily.

"What do you think you're doing Initiate?" a voice sneered from the darkness. I turned back and watched as Eric strutted into view and I balked, my confidence from earlier long gone.

"Just heading to the dorms. I want to get some rest before tomorrow," I said meekly. Eric eyed me once again, his eyes raking me and I almost felt bad for taking up the space in the corridor. For some reason, the energy he gave off reminded me of my father; I think it was because of the unspoken threat behind his eyes, and the lack of kindness his look seemed to give.

"I think you'll need a whole lot more than rest to get through tomorrow, Initiate."

Every word he had said to me so far since meeting him sounded like a threat, and any good feeling I had had since arriving here just seemed to evaporate under his fiery gaze. I felt like I was back at home, walking on eggshells. I could only nod at him, and it didn't seem like he liked my answer. He gritted his teeth, his brow furrowing and he walked off with a scoff, as if I wasn't even worth the time to haze.

I thought about those grey eyes long into the night, as my friends and the others crawled into the dorms and fell asleep.