The end is going to have a overview of a canon moment, only with a few changes.

For a moment, I stand there where he left me. Thinking what he said and how he failed to answer my question. As if it was too personal of a question for him. As if the number of fears might betray whatever image he's trying to project.

No. He's playing games with you as he would. He tells you about fear landscapes and about how Tobias got his nickname, then he balks at the question about how many fears he has. Just like the game he is playing with you right now.

You'd think he'd answer that question? You shouldn't have asked anyway. You're just an initiate and he's a Dauntless leader. Learn to respect some boundaries.

I like to believe that the former is true, but perhaps the latter isn't wrong either.

I leave the room and rush back towards the dormitory to change out of these sweaty clothes.

The trip to the fence didn't take long: only that those who weren't ranked in the top seven of the fourteen might expect to find themselves guarding the fence, and that there is just a little room for climbing the career ladder. The top seven are eligible for leadership and training initiates, the latter of which is a seasonal job.

Upon arrival back to the compound, the "Pire" was revealed to be a tall glass building that sat above the rest of the Dauntless compound. We head to the tenth floor, where the leaders' offices are located in a long narrow hallway and adjoined is a conference room, which we are led to.

Waiting for us is a Dauntless woman who has to be in her mid-thirties. Her black hair has red tips at the end and both her eyebrows are pierced three times and she has the same tattoo that Eric has on his neck. She studies us with critical eyes as we enter.

"My name is Veronica, and I'm one of the five Dauntless leaders," she introduces after we all take a seat at the table. "I'm sure you both met Max and Eric by now, but I'll be overseeing your job selections the day after the initiation ceremony. That is, if most of you pass initiation."

She picks up a white sheet of paper. On there what looks like a list of what jobs we have to choose from.

"Each one of you will get a form that will be personalized. The higher your rank, the more options you have," Veronica explains. "For those ranked from first to seventh, the only reason you might not show up for the job selections is if Max offers you a opportunity to become a faction leader. If not, you can assist the councilmembers and help them make informed decisions. If you don't prefer a desirable position, there is the control room, technical support, tattoo art, inventory, and guarding the fence. I'm sure none of you want the custodial work."

I thought I see Peter and Molly side eye me as they chuckle and whisper and the only words I could make up was "toilets" and "factionless." I will not become factionless and spend the rest of my life cleaning toilets.

"Or if you feel that you aren't ready to take on a role for your faction, you can sign up for Advanced Upper Levels," she finishes, "and finish up your schooling for two more years."

Advanced Upper Levels. I've seen people in the Upper Levels building that were past the age of the Choosing Ceremony. Most of them would be Erudite and Candor, but I've seen some sprinkles of Dauntless, Amity, and Abnegation.

She picks up a stack of paper packets. "Now, we have part two of job orientation the day you get your ranks for stage one. Then you will be able to take a tour of at least three jobs that might interest you best if make it after stage one. Again, the only reason you might not show up to your career pathway of interest is if the Dauntless Leaders express interest in you interning at their offices. You have two hours to read the packet and fill out what area interests you. Take your time."

She passes out the packets that says Dauntless Career Paths on the front. I pick it up and skim through it. The first half seems to be dedicated to explaining the careers here; the back half I sheet I have to fill out about what jobs I might be interested in.

"The control room or tech support is something that I can work with," Will notes as he goes through his pamphlet. "I always liked to take apart computers back in Erudite."

"Aren't you sure that it isn't too Erudite?" Christina raises her eyebrows as she goes through her own packet. "Come on, you got to pick something that isn't so much like your former faction."

"Computers isn't just a Erudite thing," Will points out. "Not when Four mentioned that he works the control room when he's not in charge of initiation training."

"I might do control room." Ally turns a page in her page. "My father back in Erudite managed one of them before getting elected for the city council. Maybe work with inventory."

I slowly turn the pages of my packet. Each of the careers are divided by category. Maintenance, technology, communications, hospitality, retail, etc. I look around the table. Edward, Nomi, and their friends are looking over the packets together. So are Peter, Molly, and Drew. Though the latter two keep going back and forth between pages as if they were given a particularly difficult assignment.

I check out the hospitality category first. Perhaps it's the Abnegation in me that's interested.

The first thing that sticks out to me is the kitchen. One of my earliest memories was with helping mother make meals for the factionless in the kitchen at Abnegation headquarters. How the aroma of her banana nut bread would waft through. Before transferring, one of my volunteer activities was spending time in the kitchens to make food for the factionless. I have some training in that area, so I circle that.

One of my other volunteer activities was working in the hospital. Helping the Amity or Erudite nurses and doctors as they tended wounds or help them with their equipment. Sometimes I would help the factionless even bandage their wounds. I circle that one as a area of interest as well.

Then, I find myself going to the technological section. Four said he worked in the control
room outside of initiation, but I'd feel like that would be invasive. To see things that others might not want people to see. Then there is technical support. Working with cameras and on computers and what not. Though the Erudite dependents spent a lot of time in the computer labs during school, all of us had to take tests and do assignments on computers, since it was mandatory. I'm not a computer expert, but that doesn't mean that I'm not fascinated with how computers work. I accidentally expressed curiosity about it one day an few months ago, and Ms. Katherine French, the librarian – Erudite, obviously, because their professions are concerned with academics – at the Upper Levels school, asked if I can learn how to take extra computer lessons to know the advanced stuff.

Though it was tempting, I politely declined, knowing my father's disapproval if he learned that I was spending my volunteer hours on a tool commonly used by the Erudite.

I press the eraser of my pencil against my lip. Hesitating as I look at the technical support entry before going over the other two jobs I am interested in. Expressing interest in things like healthcare, cooking, and tech support might raise some eyebrows. Might give away my Divergence to those in charge.

Computers isn't just an Erudite thing, Will had said earlier.

No, maybe such a combination won't ring alarm bells. Having decided what I want, I fill out the form with my name. Fill in the boxes of what I'm interested and turn the packet over. I wasn't the first one that had finished. Edward and Vi are doodling on the back of their packets, waiting for everyone else to finish.

By the time everyone was done, Veronica goes around to pick up our packets. "The day after the stage one rankings are released, Eric and I will be in the mess hall during breakfast handing out forms to the ones that stayed. Those that rank high might find a special offer for the government internship inside their folders."

"My neck is sore." Al rubs his neck as we file out of the conference room.

"Do you know what you signed up for?" I asked him.

Al shrugged. "It overwhelmed me, to be honest. Who knew there was more to Dauntless then just jumping off and on trains and all that? I just wrung it and picked the kitchen, the loading docks, and inventory."

We hear a derisive snort and I see that it's Peter. "I'd leave the kitchen stuff for the former Stiffs," Peter retorts. "You picked the kitchen right? Because that's where I see you if you scape through stage three."

I feel the heat reach my cheeks. This was bound to get old. "At least that means I don't get to see much of you."

"Besides, you might want to be careful," Will tells him. "She might put a herb in your food and they'd probably find you dead in a few hours."

The Dauntless-Born initiates are let out for their training sessions two hours before six. While Christina, Al, and Will go visit the tattoo parlor again, I go with Ally, Uriah, Lynn, and Marlene to the piercing station.

"Yeah, we have part one of our orientation tomorrow," Lynn says after we filled them in on what we did today. "You wouldn't think we need it, but we do. Like, I don't want to wind up at the fence like my sister."

"What might you do after initiation?" Ally asks Uriah.

He shrugs. "My mom and my brother after her have signed up for the control room. I could sign up for that, but one would rather not work in the same place as one's own brother, you know what I mean?" Uriah shifts the plastic curtain and I see him shaking his head. "And guess who's getting more metal attached to him?"

I don't need to peak in to see who is there, but I do. Eric is sitting on one of the chairs. Talking to a Dauntless woman with blonde streaked brown hair. Probably his friend as they are both smiling.

"Should we change our mind and go somewhere else?" Marlene asks.

"Nah, as if I'm not afraid of a Dauntless leader," Lynn counters. "Even ones like him."

"It's just one of them," said Uriah with a nod.

"I mean, it's just Eric," Ally brought forth.

Part of me agrees with Marlene. Perhaps it might not be the best to cross him after he refused to answer my question about the numbers of fears he had. On the other hand, Uriah, Lynn, and Ally seemed to not be afraid of him even if the former two dislike him.

Why should I? It's not like I am not seeing him every morning for stage one.

"Why not?" I say. "He would call us cowards if we avoid him."

Eric doesn't seem to notice us come in until we're halfway in. Except his gray eyes home in on me in particular. "Never thought I see you here, Stiff."

"No, I just came along with a friend," I say, though I find myself gazing at the busts and walls displaying different sorts of piercings. Piercings for the nose, face, lips, and even intimate areas of the body. The last part making me cringe.

"Not if I see you looking over there," I hear him say.

"I'd rather stay still in my seat if I were you." I peek to see the woman doing his piercings wiping the upper part of his ear. "You wouldn't want me to rip half your ear off, jackass."

"No shit, Joss," he says. They seem to be friends, as he didn't snap at her. Uriah settles down in a chair after finding a pair of miniature black discs to put in his ears. Lynn and I browsing at the various facial piercings.

"How about this one?" Ally holds up a ring for the lip.

"Unless one wants a torn lip when they fight," I point out.

"I just don't want one on the most sensitive part of my body," said Marlene. "What about you, Tris?"

I say nothing in response as I gaze at the options before me. No, I don't want my lip pierced or even my nipple as Will jokingly suggested. I don't even know if I want a piercing.

Ally did say on our first day that the Dauntless tattoo and pierce themselves to show they are able to handle pain. And Tori drew the flock of ravens on my chest the first day, and it was painful when Tori did it.

I gaze at the various piercings for the eyebrows. Ranging from studs to tiny rings. When I made my decision, I pick a silver stud for my right eyebrow.

"So much for not wanting to get one, eh, Stiff?" I hear him tell me as I sit back down in the chair to get my piercing in. I ignore him, as he might be baiting me. Trying to get a reaction. He is sick that way.

By the time I leave the piercing station, Ally's stormy silence is enough to indicate that Eric's interaction with me ticked her off.

"You know, you could have picked a better time to change the color of your hair," I hear Edward tell Vi as I come back to the dormitory after yet another training session with Eric the next morning. "Like after Visiting Day. I don't think your mother would like it too much when she sees you."

Vi's hair had gone from it's flaxen blonde to a violet that fades into a blue just towards the bottom of her locks. Vi shrugged. "I don't care how she feels," she scoffs as she ties her shoes. "I'm not in her faction anymore."

"Oh, look what the cat dragged in?" Molly sneered the moment she noticed me walking towards the bathroom. "Knock yourself out all you want, Stiff! It's not going to help you move up the ranks!"

I ignore her as I get my change of clothes from my trunk and head to wash up in the bathroom. My body twinges as I move around in the shower, but not too painful when I do something like lathering up with soap.

"I mean, it's amazing all the work and concentration one puts into tattoos," Christina prattles on as we make our way to the training room. Eating muffins that we took from the mess hall. "I had a sketchbook back in Candor. It's still in my old bedroom."

"You do realize that tattooing is not the same as regular drawing, right?" Will asks her. "That it will be someone's skin you'll be using as a canvas rather than a sheet of paper."

"It's still art, Will," she maintains. Splitting her muffin with her fingers. "Just a different form."

Gazing at the scoreboard as we enter the room, I see that my name is still under the red line. but I am bumped a row for some reason even if I lost to Edward two days ago. Do they take effort into consideration as well?

Or is it one of Eric's ways of messing with me like a cat does with a ball of yarn?

I turn from the scoreboard to look at the chalkboard. When I see my name, I feel my eyes widen.

My opponent is Al.

We both glance at each other, wide-eyed. No, I don't want to fight Al. He did knock Will out cold in his first match, but he expressed repeatedly that he didn't want to knock someone out cold. He lost his fight to Drew on purpose the last time we had fighting matches.

"I'm just going to take a few hits from you and pretend to go unconscious," he whispers to me. "I'm not going to even block punches."

Even if I tell him not to, he still won't listen. I doubt Eric will be even happy when he finds out that it was rather an easy fight. Predictably Ally rolls her eyes, and I thought I hear her mutter "doormat" under her breath.

On the other hand, it's clear why Al wants to lose to me on purpose. It bothers me that he thinks I am not able to hold myself in a fight.

I stand at the side of the room, half listening to Al and Christina's chatter, and watch Peter fight Edward. By observation, they are both good fighters, only that Edward is smarter and faster than Peter. Seeing Peter fight Edward makes me relieved that I'm paired against Al. I would rather be beaten by a friend then by someone who hates me. Peter wouldn't give me a chance to defend myself.

Seeing Peter being bought down a peg is satisfying to watch, though.

They take longer, but Edward is able to knock the wind out of him, making him the winner. Then it's Drew and Myra, Edward's girlfriend. Myra is only a few inches taller than me. She doesn't seem like much and would probably be easy to take down. Though Drew is clumsy compared to her as they fight on the platform. It ends when Myra has her arm wrapped around Drew's neck and he goes limp in her hold.

"Is he alright?" I can't help but ask. Drew is one of Peter's lackeys who laughs along to whatever Peter says, whether Peter meant it as a cruel jab or not. But still….

"I think so," says Will. "She probably used a pressure point to knock him out."

"Next up – Al and Tris!" Eric announces. Al and I exchange looks, knowing that there is nothing we can do about this, before ascending to the platform. Al is at least a few inches taller than me, and if it weren't for his desire to lose, I wouldn't have a chance against him.

We both position ourselves. I space my arms to protect both my face and my abdomen. We circle each other for a few minutes before I send a punch to his jaw. His reaction time is slow and I hit him, or it was on purpose.

I hit him in the eye. He doesn't block it. He doesn't block the punch I send to his nose either. After kicking him in the abdomen, he crumbles on the floor and stays there, not moving.

I hear mutters in the room as I try to prod Al with my toes. He blinks, appearing dazed.

"That's enough," I hear Eric say. Appearing as if this was a waste of his time in contrast to the sadistic glee he displayed a few days ago when Al knocked Will out cold. "Get him out of here."

Four circles my name. "Vi & Molly!" shouts Eric.

I try to get Al up from the platform, but he is too heavy for me to lift. So Four steps up and takes him from me. I watch as Edward and Four take Al by the shoulders and watch as they take him from the room. Watching as I stand with Will and Christina as Vi and Molly get on the platform.

For a moment, I think Vi would not stand a chance. Given how the fight with Molly and Christina went. How it ended and that Eric made Christina hang onto the railing for dear life for five minutes when she conceded. The predatory grin that Molly gives Vi doesn't help any either.

Vi is practically the same height as me.

Vi is faster than her. Managing to duck punches and sends her to the ground after punching her under the navel. The last fight is Will and Nomi. Nomi had managed to beat Tony day before yesterday, Though Will seems to be more skilled than her.

Though both of them sustain injuries and go to the infirmary, it's Will's name that was circled after the fight.

That night, my head just reaches the pillow when the dormitory doors burst open. People streaming in with flashlights. I sit up and squint through the dark to see what's going on.

"Everybody up!" someone roars. A flashlight shines behind his head, making the microdermals above his right eyebrow glint. Eric.

"You have five minutes to get dressed and meet us by the tracks," says Eric. "We're going on another field trip."

Five minutes after getting dressed, all of us meet the Dauntless-born at the train tracks, where Eric orders us to each take a red, plastic gun and a box labeled paintballs. When everyone manages to get in the train, Four speaks.

"We'll be dividing into two teams to play capture the flag. Each team will have an even mix of Dauntless-born initiates, and transfers. One team will get off first and find a place to hide their flag. Then the second team will get off and do the same." The car sways, and Four grabs the side of the doorway for balance. "This is Dauntless tradition, so I suggest you take it seriously."

Capture the Flag. Uriah mentioned this on our second day here.

"Four and I will be your team captains," says Eric. He looks at Four. "Let's divide up the transfers first, shall we?"

"You go first," says Four.

Eric shrugs and glances between Edward, Peter, and I. "Edward."

"Tris."

A faint undercurrent of laughter fills the car. Heat rushes to my cheeks. For a moment, I think I see Eric give Four a poisonous look before he recovers to his usual smugness and says, "Peter."

Of course. He can't have me on his team, so of course he picks the guy who hates me and vice versa.

"Nomi."

"Molly"

I tune out as they divvy up the rest of the transfers, with Eric picking last choice. "Last one is Myra, so she is with me. Dauntless-born initiates left."

"Again, you go first," says Four curtly.

"Lynn," says Eric.

"Uriah," says Four with gritted teeth.

"Gabe."

"Marlene."

I stop listening when I see that there is a pattern with both teams. Most of Four's team are short and slender in stature. Looking over at our team, I see that Eric mostly picked the bulky initiates. Ones that might be able to pack a punch then run fast. Though Myra, Ally, and two Dauntless-born who I don't know could have very well been on Four's team rather than Eric's.

Even if Four's strategy is clear, I don't know what Eric's Though maybe he wants us to think his team would be having the disadvantage due to the build of most on his team. It doesn't help that there would be more former Erudite on his team compared to ours.

We get off the train first and head towards the Navy Pier ("My brother was on the winning team. They kept the flag at the carousel," Uriah brought up). Not too far from the Erudite sector.

"Maybe you can stop by and say hello to your brother," Uriah quipped as I watch Will looking his shoulder with a brief longing in his eyes before it disappears.

It's been a week since I have last spoken to Caleb. Though it's tempting, what could we possibly say to each other? We probably both be giving each other choice words about the faction we chose. I would, as I know what I got myself into compared to him.

I want to believe I know what I got myself into.

So, I shake my head. "No, maybe in the Visiting Day next year, I say."

We cross the bridge to the more crumbled and worn derelict part of the city. Finding ourselves surrounded by chipped and rusted out contraptions that people used to – as Will says, "have fun in" – before the war that destroyed parts of humanity.

"In ten minutes, the other team will pick their location," Four says as we gather around him in the carousel. A glowing flag that flashes from red to orange in his hand. "I suggest you take this time to formulate a strategy. We may not be Erudite, but mental preparedness is one aspect of your Dauntless training. Arguably, it is the most important aspect."

He is right about that. What good is a prepared body if you have a scattered mind? Also, what's not to say that Eric's team is probably formulating a strategy right now as they walk towards their destination? Eric was Erudite once and he has one additional ex-Erudite on his team compared to ours, so they might have a advantage. They probably know the clock is ticking before our team can get to their location.

Will takes the flag from Four and from there, the team launches into an argument about what would be the best strategy. Four sits down on the edge of the carousel, leaning against a plastic horse's foot. His eyes lift to the sky, where there are no stars, only a round moon peeking through a thin layer of clouds. The muscles in his arms are relaxed; his hand rests on the back of his neck. He looks almost comfortable, holding that rifle to his shoulder.

I close my eyes briefly. Why does he distract me so easily? Perhaps it's that he has the same Abnegation roots as I do. Maybe it was why I seemed magnetized to him after I made that first jump.

I shake my head. I need to focus.

There was going to be no use speaking with all the shouting around me. I come to the conclusion it's best to scout where the other team is located before we do anything. Something that they are probably doing right now.

Knowing that I need to climb high, the heart pounds in my chest as I run towards the Ferris Wheel.

"Tris," says a voice behind me after I had begun scaling the rusted out rungs of the Ferris wheel. Four.

"Yes?" I say.

"I came to find out what you think you're doing."

He climbs after me, even if thinks he doesn't see the point of it at first ("What do you think the purpose of this exercise is? The game, I mean, not the climbing."). The higher we go, I could hear his breathing bursting and him gulping air. When he is helping me up the rungs to keep me from falling, it's more noticeable.

"You're afraid of heights," I point out after we reached halfway. Seeing him press his back against the metal support, breathing heavily. "How do you survive in the Dauntless compound?"

"I ignore my fear," he says. "When I make decisions, I pretend it doesn't exist."

I stare at him for a second. I can't help it. To me there's a difference between not being afraid and acting in spite of fear, as he does.

I have been staring at him too long.

Then I go higher to get a better look. With Four insisting he continue following me even when it's obvious by his shaky breath that going higher is the last thing he wants to do.

Beneath the buildings, the streets look like tunnels. For a few seconds I see only a dark blanket over the land in front of me, just faint differences between building and sky and street and ground. Then I see a tiny pulsing light on the ground.

Then I see it, all the way at the park towards the very end of the Pier. Four sees it too when I point it out to him. He's smiling broadly.

"It's coming from the park at the end of the pier," he says. "Figures. It's surrounded by open space, but the trees provide some camouflage. Obviously not enough."

Four climbs down first and only right after I begin to do so, the bar I'm standing on breaks free and I find myself hanging on for dear life ("Hold on!" he shouts. "Just hold on, I have an idea."). My heart pulses in my throat with panic as I see him going away from me and towards me. Nearly about to slip to my own death until the Ferris wheel starts moving.

When I'm close enough to the ground, it's when I know that it is safe to fall.

"You all right?" he asks, pressing our hands together.

"Yeah."

It's when he pulls me up do I hear the cheering and the whoops not far from where we are standing. It could only mean one thing. Looking at Four's face, he knows too.

"For fuck's sake," he mutters. "This is what happens when we take our time arguing over strategy."

He darts away from me and I can't help to take a few steps closer to get a good view what's going on. Even if I know the outcome.

At first, I don't notice Christina, Uriah, Nomi, and Will splattered in paint as they shake their heads. What I do notice right away is Ally raising our flag in the air with Edward helping her to hold it higher as members of the opposing team cheer in celebration.

What I notice most of all is Eric's infuriating smug smirk which is directed at Four. Who tosses his paintball rifle in frustration.