Welcome back again! So with the sudden influx of reviews I seem to have received, I'm going to reply to them here.

Slane02: I hope the way things have turned out so far has pleased you :)

DauntlessCore: It was amusing to read each review you left, as you read each chapter. Thank you for your kind words and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

kgoodwin918: Glad you enjoyed it! Your request has been fulfilled by Alex in this chapter :)

Guests: Thanks so much for reading! Leave a name and I can acknowledge you though :) Lynn, to me, seems much more suited to the role of instructor. Veronica Roth portrays her as a complete badass, who even admits she'd rather be a man. It just makes sense that she would become an intimidating instructor. And thanks for pointing out the incorrect spelling of Jeanine. Don't know how I managed that :( Think I got it right this chapter though! Small question, if I delete that chapter and re-upload it, is it going to mess up the order of them or anything weird? I'm new to this site so I am still inexperienced, sorry.

Thank you to everyone who is still reading these. I have nearly reached 1000 views which is just awesome! So thank you thank you thank you xD

Now I'm gonna shut up and let you get on with the next chapter...

Disclaimer: I do not own the Divergent Trilogy. Veronica Roth does.

Chapter 9: Stage One Ends

Despite the fact that no one actually slept last night, we are all gathered in the training room as usual for more fights. I can't stop looking at Laura that whole day, my heart doing several back flips every time she returns the gaze and smiles at me.

"Tomorrow is the final day of stage one!" Six is telling us. "You will fight and train today and tomorrow before we determine your final rank based on everything we have seen this past week. Four people out of all the initiates will be factionless tomorrow. How you perform today and tomorrow could be the difference between making it, and not," she looks around at us, letting the weight of her words sink in. Then she turns to the board and says, "Kunai and Thomas. You're up first,"

I look at Thomas as we walk onto the mats, who is smirking at me. I just smile back at him. I am going to enjoy this, a voice says in my head.

I watch him as he enters his stance. He's averagely built but I know he's willing to cause as much pain as possible to gain what he wants. When I fought Simon, I noticed that he constantly bounced on his feet, always ready to move. Thomas, however is standing perfectly still, just waiting for me to attack.

So I do. Jumping up to him, I punch at his stomach and hear the satisfying sound of air whooshing out of him. While he is leaned over, I pull him forward so that he lands face first on the mat below us. He rolls to the side and gets up ponderously before just standing perfectly still once again. What the hell is he playing at? I ask myself. Thomas sees the frown on my face and just smiles at me. I rush forward again and kick at his side and he makes no attempt to dodge or block it, he just grunts when my foot connects with his side.

"Thomas!" Four yells from the side. "Fight back, now!"

He doesn't so I connect my fist with his face. His expression goes blank for a second and he looks around, dazed before he crumples to the floor, unconscious.

I walk back to the others, confused as to why he just stood there and didn't fight back. I push it from my mind as Simon and Georgina fight next. Georgina really hasn't improved and Simon is practically running circles round her hitting her from all angles. Eventually, she's had enough and concedes.

P/B

Laura and I sit at lunch and are halfway through our meal when Thomas strides in and jumps onto the bench in front of us.

"Bet you feel like a real man, knocking out a completely defenceless guy, huh?" he says to me.

"You could have fought back," I reply quietly.

"Maybe you didn't give me a chance," his gaze slides to Laura and I feel my whole body stiffen. "Maybe you are just a ruthless monster who enjoys beating the crap out of others," he looks back at me and that insufferable smirk is on his face again.

I keep my voice, low, fighting to stay under control, "Get lost," I growl.

"Of course," he replies. Then he looks at Laura, "There's a certain someone you know quite well back in Amity who is extremely disappointed in your recent actions," I see her flinch and look down. He looks at me again and says innocently, as if commenting about the weather, "You'd better watch your back."

I am suddenly on my feet, rage coursing through my body. Thomas grins at me, but I don't care. I don't care that he is trying to get me angry and make me do something stupid. I feel Laura stand next to me and wrap her hands around my arm, holding me back.

Thomas stands slowly and strides back out the cafeteria, whistling softly.

I sit back down, feeling Laura's eyes staring at me.

"I won't let him near you." I promise, saying the words quietly. Almost a whisper.

"I know," she replies. "But I'm more worried about you." I turn to her, frowning. "Just don't go looking for a fight, okay?"

P/B

That afternoon we are back in the Training Room shooting the guns again. I try my hardest to push all thoughts of Thomas and Laura out of my head and concentrate on aiming. I am slowly improving and by the time I leave the training room, every shot has hit the target though most were clustered around the edges.

"It's Visiting Day tomorrow," Laura tells me as we sit in the dorm after dinner. "You think you're parents will come to see you?" she asks me.

"I doubt it," I reply. I still remember the look on my mother's face as I left the Choosing Ceremony with the Dauntless. "Well, my dad might." He told me he would still love me, no matter what faction I chose.

"I think I'll stay in here when it's time," Laura continues. She looks anxious and I realize that she doesn't want to risk seeing her father.

"I'll stay with you," I tell her.

We head to bed early that night, completely exhausted from the paint ball game last night.

P/B

The next morning is spent in knife training once again. I sigh in relief, realizing that we won't need to fight again. I am lulled into the familiarity of throwing the knife at the target in front, and in no time, Four and Six dismiss us for lunch.

During lunch I notice Thomas talking to three dauntless-born initiates and I feel my stomach clench up, sure that he is attempting to recruit them. They seem to be getting on very well and, as if feeling my gaze, Thomas turns and smirks at me.

After lunch, we remain seated in the cafeteria and wait for the leaders to arrive to show us the rankings for the end of stage one. Everyone is silent as we wait, even the dauntless-born glance around at each other nervously. I spot Jay sitting among them and he nods at me. I smile back.

Eventually, Max walks in with Eric and a couple others who I don't recognize.

"You have completed the first stage of your training with us," Max addresses us, his voice booming in the large room. "Four of you will leave today, and we wish you well in whatever it is life leads you to. Here are your rankings." He gestures to a board, high on the wall behind him. It reveals the bottom name first, number sixteen, which is Georgina, then slowly reveals each name above it one by one. As each name is shown, a cheer goes up from all the Dauntless members who are gathered around us. Simon is at number ten, and as we get closer and closer to the top, I feel my throat tighten. Laura is at number six and I squeeze her hand and smile at her when her name is revealed. Thomas is at number three and I curse silently, watching him turn and smirk at me.

This is the end, the voice in my head tells me. I'm going to be factionless.

Then, number two is revealed, the name short but it causes air to rush out of me in relief. 'Kunai'. I look back at Thomas and grin, laughing when I see his face pale. Jay is number one. I look over at him and am surprised to see him staring back at me. I cheer with everyone else when his name is revealed, joy and relief all I can feel.

I notice that Rory isn't on the list and feel a twinge of guilt surge through me.

P/B

We are given the rest of the afternoon off but I spend the whole time in the dorm with Laura. Our families are permitted to visit us from now until later tonight.

After a while, Georgina walks in.

"Kunai, there's a women from Erudite asking after you," she says to me.

What? I think. Why would my mother come here?

I glance at Laura and she says, "Just go. I'll be fine here." I nod and head toward the Pit. I don't understand why my mum would come to see me, especially after I chose to leave Erudite and my family behind. When I arrive at the Pit, it is full of people with their families, the noise echoing all around the huge cavern. I can't see my mother anywhere and am about to leave when a voice behind me I don't recognize startles me.

"Hello, Alex." I turn and see her. Not my mother. Jeanine Matthews.

She is standing smiling at me, with two Erudite men with her. "What are you doing here?" I ask cautiously.

"Why would I not be here? We're family after all," she says and I almost laugh. She has never taken any interest in me before now except to enquire to my parents if I'd actually passed a test yet.

"Is there somewhere we can talk in private?" she asks me and I nod, gesturing to her to follow me. I lead them down the corridor where my isolation room was and stop when we are away from the roar of voices which fill the Pit.

I turn back to Jeanine. Her eyes fall to the tattoo on the side of my neck and she smiles again, "Well. I see you are getting on very well here, Alex."

"It's Kunai," I reply.

"Very well," her smile broadens.

"What do you want Jeanine?" I ask impatiently.

"You are about to enter the second stage of initiation, correct?" she asks and I nod. "You are going to be experiencing the fear simulations next and I was wandering if you would perform a very important task for me."

I think of the threats Laura has received over something to do with the fear simulations and feel my whole body go rigid.

"Why are you so interested in the fear simulations?" I ask her.

"I am the head of the team that created them. Surely it's only natural that I am interested in how effective they are? I wander if you could do me a favour. It's a simple one, I'm sure you could manage it," She smiles again.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Just... watch your fellow initiates."

"Watch them?"

"Exactly. Let me know if you notice anyone acting... strangely. As if the fear simulations are easy." She says.

"Why would anyone find them easy?" I ask, curiously.

"Well, if they did, it might mean that there's a problem with the simulation. And if you tell us, we can fix it."

I'm not convinced. "Why can't you just get the instructors to tell you?"

"I assumed you would know them a bit better. They might be willing to talk to you about a problem with their simulations."

Something isn't right here. First, Laura starts receiving threats on how to behave in the fear simulations and now Jeanine is telling me to keep an eye on anyone who isn't behaving properly. I slowly shake my head, "Sorry, but I don't see any reason that I should tell you anything."

"Come now," she replies. "You wouldn't want to help your old aunt out? After everything I did for you?

"Excuse me?" I reply, incredulous. "You've never done anything for me! The only times you've even acknowledged my existence has been when you were asking about my test results. You couldn't care less about me."

"Now, that's just not true-" she starts, but I interrupt.

"You know what? We're done here. I am Dauntless now, you are not my family. I've got things to do," and with that I push past her and walk back out into the Pit.

As I am pushing my way through the crowd of people I notice Thomas talking to a huge bear of a man, dressed in the bright colours that identify him as Amity. Then, I see Thomas point at me and see my name pass through his lips.

I walk over to them.

"Kunai!" Thomas greets me with false joviality, "I was just pointing out our best transfer to Mr Johnson here," I look at the man.

"Hello there," he extends a hand in greeting which I ignore. "Um, I'm Hal, nice to meet you." his hand falls back to his side.

"Should I know you?" I ask, my voice low.

"Well, I am Laura's father. Thomas, here tells me you and her are getting on very well. And I must admit, I'm glad to hear it. She was ever so quiet back in Amity but I'm glad she has found a place to fit in. Do you know where she is by any chance?" He is grinning all the time, speaking in a high voice which doesn't suit him at all. His attitude gets on my nerves.

"No, I don't. And I'm pretty sure that wherever she is, she'd rather stay there than talk with you," I say coldly.

"Whatever makes you say such a thing like that?" He asks innocently.

I just glare at him. This is the man that has forced Laura to live in fear her whole life. This is the man who believes he has the right to control everything in his daughter's life. Anger trembles through me.

"I think we both know the answer to that," I growl. His eyes go narrow for a split second before the goofy grin is back in place.

"Well, please tell her that I stopped by, if you see her," he says but I have already turned away, shoving my way past people, hearing several cries of outrage follow me.

See you next chapter :D

~Crysics~