*** DISCLAIMER ***
I own NOTHING regarding the divergent series e.g. the books/the movies
The only things I own are my own characters that I've created.
A few more minutes passed by before the final jumpers were landing in the net and just after that the dauntless members were beginning to come down, Eric was first of those members, Nix watched him as he effortlessly removed himself from the net and looked around everyone.
"Dauntless born follow Theresa, transfers follow Adam." he called out to everyone as the rest of the dauntless members started jumping from the roof.
The dauntless born that had been choosing that day immediately followed after a woman with green hair as she walked towards a tunnel that led deeper into the building and the transfers started to follow the man that had helped Nix and some of the others from the net in the same direction as the dauntless born, the other dauntless members that had been watching everyone jump into the net seamed to gradually disappear when Eric appeared, the rest of the dauntless members that were jumping into the net seamed to land, hop out and leave also.
The transfer group was a lot smaller than the dauntless born, in total there were now ten of them when originally there had been thirteen...that thought scared her because it was more of a reality that if she had hesitated for a second too long on that train it could have ruined the rest of her life, she could have ended up factionless just like those three missing transfers.
The dauntless born began with eighteen members and still had eighteen members, Nix and Andie began to follow their group until Eric walked towards them.
"Stop." he said and they had both halted instantly.
He stopped infront of Nix so they were practically toe to toe and she had to tilt her head back to look up at him, he then pointed at Andie.
"You, disappear." he said without looking at her and she hesitated before looking at Nix who glanced briefly back at her, Eric then firmly said, "Now."
Nix looked back at him and saw he hadn't taken his eyes off her as he'd spoken, Andie didn't hesitate a second time, she moved around him and followed the rest of the transfers, looking over her shoulder briefly at Nix as she did before she turned and jogged to catch up with them.
Nix moved her eyes from Andie's retreating form to Eric who was staring at her intently, it was now just the two of them left as everyone else had gone and Nix was suddenly very aware of the thoughts she'd had when she first saw this man up on the roof.
Despite him having a rather frightening demeanour she couldn't deny that he was also very nice to look at, especially being as close to him as she was in that moment.
"You're hurt." he eventually said after a long moment of silence and his tone, surprisingly, seamed to be a bit softer than it had been before.
She shook her head and replied, "No."
"It wasn't a question." he said immediately and she opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out, she then closed it and opened it again, Eric rolled his eyes at her and dropped down so he was kneeling infront of her.
"What are you doing?!" she almost screeched at him as he placed a hand at the top of her bare thigh and the other around the top of her knee.
She shook him off and stepped back then she pulled the ripped pieces of her skirt together to cover herself up, her skin was burning from his touch...especially her cheeks.
"Relax, don't be such a prude." he said with an impatient sigh and she gaped at him, "Come here...let me see."
A long moment passed with her just staring at him before she took a hesitant step forward back to where she had been stood previously and she watched him watch her as she did this.
His hand reached up and tapped her fist that was curled around the rip of her skirt, she didn't let it go however as she was too embarrassed.
He sighed and wrapped his hand around her wrist, "Let go or I'll make you."
She furrowed her brows at his statement, 'before he would make her'?
As she was thinking it his hand around her wrist squeezed hard, to the point where it made her fingers release the hold of the fabric that she had.
He then wasted no time in gripping onto her leg with both hands again as she rubbed her wrist with hot cheeks, hot that he had his hands on her and also hot because she was angry that he had hurt her to do so.
"You'll be fine." he stated after thoroughly inspecting the damage the fall from the wall had caused her, "When you've got a chance, go get it cleaned at the infirmary."
He let go of her leg and slowly rose up so he was once again standing infront of her, she found herself staring at his chest for a moment before she swallowed and looked up at him.
His face was expressionless as he stared at her and it made her uncomfortable, she looked away briefly then up at his face once more, "Do I go now? I mean...can I?"
He didn't reply in any way to her for what felt like the longest time then he silently stepped to the side to let her pass him and she did so as quickly as possible but stumbled over her feet in the process, the ground was then suddenly very quickly coming towards her face, however...it never did.
She found herself flush against Eric's solid chest with his arms wrapped tightly around her, he had grabbed onto her waist and yanked her back up to standing position before she could fall.
Her breath came out in quick bursts and her heart raced inside her chest, "Clumsy."
At the sound of his voice she looked up and saw what she thought was a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth, she looked down briefly then back up and whispered, "Thank you."
She began to move in his arms and he released her, "Watch where you put your feet next time."
She nodded as she stepped back from him and then she walked off quickly in the direction the other transfers had gone, she took deep breaths as she went and sighed in relief that she was now away from him and able to think clearly, something about being in such close proximity with him had her head spinning.
She entered the dark tunnel and rushed through till she came to a wall that led to corridors both left and right, she looked down both and didn't see anyone.
"Which way did they go?" she asked herself as she veered off to the right, it could have been either way but she made a guess and went for it.
"You're going the wrong way initiate." She heard Eric's deep voice say from behind her and she froze, she then turned around and saw him standing a few feet away from her with his arms folded across his chest, she hadn't even heard him approach which was impressive for someone of his size and build.
"This way?" she asked hesitantly and pointed to the left.
"Well there's only two ways to go and you're going the wrong way." he replied and started to slowly walk towards her.
She looked away from him when she felt her cheeks heat up, she wasn't stupid, she knew that...he just made her nervous and it caused her to say out loud what she was thinking.
He sighed and said as he walked past her, "Follow me."
She did as she was told and walked behind him, making sure to keep a good distance back from him but not enough to fall behind.
Eventually as they walked through the corridor she heard distant music and noise from a crowd, she also heard what she thought might have been Adam's voice up ahead and she caught up to Eric's side for a better look of what was ahead, she felt his eyes on her after she did this and she looked up.
"Name." he suddenly said as he looked away from her.
"What?" she found herself saying and he looked at her with a bored expression.
"What's your name?" he asked as he looked ahead once more and she waited a beat before replying.
"Nix." she said and he made a noise which caused her to look up at him with a frown.
"Nix." he repeated.
"What about it?" she asked in a defensive tone which surprised herself, he looked down at her beside him and even though he never smiled she knew he was amused.
"What was your old name?" he asked and she stared at him with narrowed eyes before replying.
"Phoenix." she said and she saw his eyebrows rise in surprise.
"That's not very...you." he replied and glanced at her.
"Me?" she asked instantly, feeling very annoyed all of a sudden.
"Abnegation." he clarified after looking her up and down slowly in a displeased way and then he rolled his eyes as if it needed no further explanation.
"That could be because my father was a dauntless transfer." she replied and a noise of scepticism left his mouth, her eyes shot to him, "What?"
"I don't believe ANYONE would transfer to abnegation...especially from dauntless." he replied.
She stopped walking as an exclamation of annoyance left her lips, he heard this and stopped a few steps ahead of her then turned around, a frown formed on his own face when he made eye contact with her and then he all but marched towards her until he was stood directly infront of her.
"What?" he demanded in a tone that dared her to talk back to him and as intimidated as she felt in that moment she made sure to never let it show, she crossed her arms tightly over her chest and stared up at him.
"You don't favour abnegation?" she asked after a beat had passed.
"What IS there to favour?" he replied in a low menacing voice and she swallowed at his words and the tone of them.
"You must be from erudite." she said under her breath after clearing her throat and that was obviously the WRONG thing to say to him...if looks could kill she'd be breathing her last that very moment.
"What are the words?" he asked after a long and uncomfortable moment of silence between them, only his lips seamed to move as he asked this question which proved he was mad and she feared that she'd made a major error in what she said.
She was about to speak when he repeated his question, only this time it was more of a demand and it echoed through the tunnel, she closed her eyes briefly after jumping at his sudden outburst.
"The words." she began to say.
"The words of the faction system, what are they?!" he cut her off and stepped closer to her so he was literally looming over her.
She dropped her arms and held her hands nervously infront of her then swallowed, her heartbeat was suddenly beating very fast and her throat had gone dry but she had to find the words, she knew she had to.
"Faction before blood." she managed to say but it came out in a whisper.
"Can't hear you...speak up." he imitated her whisper and leaned his head down to her level, she suddenly felt very vulnerable where she stood, more vulnerable than when he was towering over her.
"Faction before blood." she repeated in a louder voice but it came out wobbly and she looked down.
"Faction before blood." he said as he straightened himself up to his full height, "The words we live by...I am dauntless...the second I chose dauntless anything that I was before that...was gone...it's in the past, everything that was is cut off, it never existed."
Nix looked up to find him staring down at her and she wished she'd never looked at him at all.
"This allegiance that you have for your faction of birth...no longer exists, you no longer belong there." he continued on to say and then he was silent.
"Allegiance." she whispered and he raised his brows at her, she cleared her throat then spoke again, "What did I say to make you think that I'm loyal to abnegation?"
"You're speaking about it." he replied instantly and she stared at him.
"I transferred here and it wasn't even three hours ago." she said whilst huffing out a humourless laugh of disbelief.
"What don't you understand?" he demanded with a frown and she stared at him confused, "Faction before blood...you chose dauntless over your own faction and that means you're no longer part of that faction...dauntless is where your allegiance lies now."
He grabbed her wrist after he spoke and she gasped as he pulled it up so it was between them, it was the hand that she'd cut in the choosing ceremony, there was a small and barely visible pink mark on the band aid from where the blood had stained through it.
"The second your blood touched those burning coals...everything you were no longer existed." he finished off what he was saying.
She looked from her cut hand to him, she could feel tears forming in her eyes and she swallowed then inhaled in hopes it would make them go away.
He let go of her wrist and began speaking again, "It doesn't matter if it was a week ago or a day or even...an hour ago...you chose dauntless, abnegation is nothing to you anymore...do yourself and everyone else a favour and STOP talking about it...stop even thinking about it."
She was so bewildered at what he was saying because really, she had barely spoken about it at all...she wasn't even sure why what she did say could be so bad.
Was this how it would be from now on, not being able to breathe a word about her former faction where she was born and raised and where her family still were ever again?
"Nice of you to finally join us." A voice from somewhere behind Eric said, Nix glanced past him to find Adam stood at the end of the tunnel and he had a curious expression on his face, no doubt regarding how close they were stood or how tense the atmosphere seamed to suddenly be between them, he might have even heard some of what was said...Eric was definitely speaking loud enough.
"The rest of the transfers are up this way, get moving." he continued and she wasted no time in moving quickly past Eric but as she did she bumped his arm with her shoulder by mistake.
His hand then shot out and wrapped around her upper arm tightly which stopped her from moving any further, she gasped at the sudden movement and looked up at him, his face was extremely close to hers now and he was glaring, "You watch yourself initiate...and keep in mind what I said."
His voice was more menacing than before and it caused a small noise of fear to involuntary leave her lips, a noise which he noticed and for the first time she saw a smile appear on his face, she hated to admit how beautiful she found it to be and she was very surprised to think it also because he was only smiling due to her discomfort.
He let go of her arm and shoved her away from him roughly causing her to stumble slightly and when she looked back he was already heading back down the way they had come.
"Move." Adam's voice called out to her and she turned around to look at him, she found herself almost looking back over her shoulder once more but she didn't, instead she jogged towards Adam as he began walking off ahead of her.
"You don't want to get on the wrong side of Eric Stiff." he said a few moments later, she looked at him just as he looked over his shoulder at her briefly before saying, "Other's have made that mistake before."