ABNEGATION HELLIONS

CHAPTER 18

Tobias POV

I glance at the list I have scrawled on the scrap of paper in my hand. This is the last time I'll have to watch this group of initiates fight; it's the last day of stage one. I keep going back and forth between being relieved that the anxiety that comes with watching Tris fight will end after today, and dreading what comes next: tomorrow is Visiting Day.

As I pick up the chalk, I try to push my anxiety about Visiting Day away and distract myself instead by trying to predict the outcome of these final fights. The initiates have been here for a month now, fighting every few days with target practice, conditioning days, and the occasional field trip in between.

Will vs. Myra

I snort and roll my eyes. Myra is the worst initiate in the bunch; it's clear that she only came to Dauntless to follow her boyfriend, Edward. Will is not one of the best, but he fights well enough. He has won half his fights so far, though he has never gone up against Edward or Peter. But Tris, Uriah, and Al have all beaten him without too much trouble. Regardless, Will won't have any difficulty with a timid little thing like Myra. The fight will be downright boring. But Will isn't cruel; he will get it over with quickly.

Edward vs. Al

Edward is among the best; I expect him to rank high. Uriah is the only one who has beaten him so far, and Edward left him with a limp for a couple of days. Al, on the other hand, has been a bit of a wild card. He won his first three fights, against Will the first day, then Peter and Molly after that. But he has lost to opponents that Peter and Will have beaten. He is big and powerful but often seems to just give up. Having lost his last three fights and with how good Edward is, Al won't win. I feel a bit of satisfaction at the thought; I have noticed the way he looks at Tris. It will be a relief when initiation is over and I can make it clear to everyone that she is mine.

Drew vs. Uriah

Obviously Uriah will win. He is undefeated so far, while Drew has won half his fights: Myra barely counts, Al didn't seem to be trying when he lost to Drew, and Tris was too injured to get a single solid punch in.

Molly vs. Peter

I smirk in satisfaction as I write Molly's name. She beat Myra, of course, but she's never gone up against Christina or Drew, the two others she might be able to beat, so that has remained her sole win. It's not entirely fair, but given what she has done to Tris, I don't give a shit; she should have been factionless after the train incident anyway. She came into initiation cocky, thinking that her sturdy build and height would be enough, but she is slow and stupid.

Peter, on the other hand, lost his first three fights against Uriah, Al, and Edward, but has been on a winning streak since, and his attitude reflects that. I have successfully managed to avoid putting him in the ring with Tris. But Peter is both quick and powerful, and will likely win again today.

Tris vs. Christina

Tris. She is hands down the better fighter, though she may be unhappy with the pairing. Tris and Christina seemed to become good friends instantly when they arrived at Dauntless, and I remember from my own initiation how awful I felt when I had to fight against Zeke. But the only others she hadn't fought were Peter and Uriah. Other than the disastrous fight with Drew after her fall from the train, Tris has only lost to Edward, while Christina has only beaten Myra and Drew. There is always the chance that Tris's selfless side and loyalty will overshadow her drive to win. I'm certain that Tris will hold back, I just hope she doesn't hold back too much; while the second and third stages are weighted more heavily than the first, stage one results are typically a good predictor of the final rankings.

I set down the chalk and run my hand over my face, still thinking of Tris. Since our argument, after I was forced to throw knives at her, we have seen each other here and there outside of training. She has updated me on Adeline's change in diet ― still cranky as ever ― and arranged a time for Zeke and me to watch the babies for her last night.

But we haven't really talked.

At first, I was just so angry with her. Throwing those knives at her was like a nightmare; if my aim were too far off, my worst fear, the fear of losing her, could become a reality and it would be all my fault.

After the incident, I tried again to meet with Max. It took a while, but I finally managed to see him. Unfortunately, he simply reminded me that if I wanted a say in how initiation (or anything else in our faction, for that matter) was run...I should have taken the leadership job which I have been offered many times. I couldn't admit to him what a coward I am, that one of the main reasons I continued to turn it down was that I was afraid of seeing my father. I also haven't been happy with the direction Leadership is taking Dauntless in, but I know he's right. If I want to change it, that's the opportunity to do so. I just don't know if I can be brave enough. And that cowardice has put Tris at further risk.

At least this is the last day of stage one, I think as the initiates begin to trickle in, beginning with Edward and Myra. It's a relief to know that after today, I won't have to watch Tris be hurt in the ring, won't have Eric hanging over my shoulder ordering me to put her physical safety at risk.

Tomorrow will be visiting day. I won't be able to avoid the Pit this year as I must keep an eye on the initiates. I can only hope that Marcus will not try to see me again this year.

Then stage two will begin. That thought puts a whole new fear in my head. Beatrice hasn't shared her aptitude test results with me, neither of us has even brought it up. But if she's what I think she may be... then she is at far more risk in the simulation stage than she was with the fights. The kind of risk that got Amar killed.

That's what makes it worth being required in the Pit tomorrow and risking an encounter with the monster that raised me. I have to be in that simulation room to protect her.

Before I can worry about that, we have to get through today. The initiates continue to trickle in, and I see Uriah enter with Will and Christina, Eric following behind them. I feel uneasy realizing that the only two missing now are Tris and Al. They finally enter together as the other initiates are quieting down, and Tris breaks away from Al and hurries to sit by Uriah. Al follows her movements with a pair of puppy dog eyes that make my blood boil.

"Will and Myra, in the ring," Eric bellows out without giving the initiates a chance to even warm up. He doesn't care if they get hurt worse than they need to. In fact, I think he enjoys it.

The fights go just as I had predicted: Will beats Myra in minutes, Al went down and didn't get up early into his fight with Edward. Uriah wiped the floor with Drew so badly that I wonder if Drew will even be released from the infirmary to see his parents tomorrow, if they come to Visiting Day.

Peter and Molly have just finished their fight. The pair are friends, but Peter was ruthless and showed no restraint at all. It seems the bonds of friendship don't go far with him. He smirks in satisfaction watching Edward drag an unconscious Molly out the door to take her to the infirmary.

But now I have to watch the fight I have been anxious for all day: Christina and Tris. I give Tris a sad smile as she makes her way to the ring, but she doesn't look apprehensive. You'd think that she didn't give a damn what happened to her opponent in this fight. Even though I have noticed some tension between the two girls in the past few days, it puzzles me.

The two girls step into the ring and each takes a defensive stance. "Begin!" I call out.

Christina wastes no time in making the first move, but Tris dodges Christina's kick easily. She circles for a moment, fakes a jab at Christina's stomach and Christina falls for it. While her hands have moved to needlessly protect her midsection, Tris throws a hard punch at Christina's jaw.

Christina growls in anger and frustration and I watch with my jaw dropped as the pair ruthlessly trades blows. Christina is showing more determination and endurance than I have ever seen from her before even though Tris is clearly winning, and the two even pull hair and scratch each other.

Christina is losing steam and her next kick is sloppy. Tris catches her foot and Christina hits the ground hard. I stand frozen in shock as I watch Tris ― though fierce, she is usually so kind ― kick her friend's stomach and head as Christina curls into a ball. "Stop!" I finally yell. "Enough!" Christina isn't unconscious but her eyes are glassy and unfocused, I'm almost certain she has a moderate concussion. Tris bends down and says something in Christina's ear too quietly for me to hear before calmly walking out of the ring.

"That's enough for today," I mutter, it's a wonder the initiates even hear me. "Will, take her to the infirmary."

Tris just nods once and stalks out of the training room leaving most of us starring after her, still stunned.