A/N: Yay! Another update!
Four: Disclaimer: she doesn't own Divergent!
Me: good job! No go glib that Ferris wheel!
Four: What?! *starts having a panic attack.*
Me: He'll be fine...
Chapter 8: A Dauntless Game
This is ridiculous. Everyone in the dorms was awaken at 12:00am. Who gets up at midnight?!
"Initiates!" Four had shouted. Eric had told us to dress in two minutes. Ugh. Christina was not happy at all. She and Eric got into a staring contest, but obviously, Eric won.
Now, we are on the train loaded up with guns and paintballs. Okay, maybe this will be fun. The initiates are all still pretty tired, but excited too, to be playing a "Dauntless Game". I keep peeking at Eric and Four as they talk. The first night, it was obvious that Four did not like Eric, but now they appear to be getting along. Eric seems genuinely excited, for once.
"Initiates, listen up!" Four shouts. "We are going to be playing a game. It's like Capture the Flag." He explains how to play. "This is a Dauntless tradition. I suggest you take it seriously." He finishes.
"What do we get if we win?" Someone calls out.
"That sounds like something someone not from Dauntless would ask." Four says. "You get to win, of course." I smile a little. This will be fun.
"Okay, we're going to split into two teams. Four and I are captains."
"You go first." Four offers.
"Alright!" Eric says, happily. "Edward."
"I'll take the Stiff." Four counters.
"Ahh. Picking the weak ones, so you'll have someone to blame when you lose." Eric says.
"Something like that." Four replies. This makes me angry. He thinks I'm weak. I have to show him that I am stronger than he gives me credit for, and I have to do it tonight.
Four's next choice is Christina, so now I'm confused. Christina is strong. She is a good choice. What exactly is Four doing?
I scan my team. What do we have in common? I look over to Eric's team. What do they have in common? Eric's team is big and built. They will be operating on sheer force. They are most likely going to be a brutal team, like Eric himself.
Four's team on the other hand, is made of lean and smaller people. We are most likely faster than Eric and his team. I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my smile. We are fast. For a game like Capture the Flag, speed is more useful than strength. Eric may be physically stronger than Four, but Four is smarter.
The train is approaching the Pier. I can tell we'll be getting off here.
"Okay, you can go first." Eric tells Four.
"Don't do me any favors." Four replies. "You know I don't need them to win. You get off first."
"Take your scrawny team, and get out of here." Eric replies.
Four grins and gestures at us to follow him.
We jump off the train and run into the night. People start to talk to one another about where to hide the flag.
A girl walks up to Four and bats her eyelashes at him.
"Where did you hide the flag last year, Four?" She asks him, flirtatiously.
This makes me mad. Jealousy twists inside my stomach like a knot. I want to punch this girl.
"Telling you would not really be in the spirit of the game, Marlene." Four replies cooly. I smile a little.
"C'mon, Four!" She whines. She runs her hand up and down Four's arm, and I watch with satisfaction as he brushes her hand off.
"No." Four says, his voice suddenly cold. The girl sulks, and walks away to a group of girls giggling.
I wander around looking for an advantage point to win. My sights land on the Farris wheel. It's definitely high enough to serve my purpose.
I sling my gun strap over my shoulder, and walk swiftly towards the Ferris wheel. I start to scale the ladder.
"Tris?" A familiar voice says. I pause in my climbing. It's Four.
"Yes?" I ask.
"I came to see what you are doing." Four replies.
"Oh. I'm getting a better advantage point." I reply.
"Good thinking," he says. "I'm coming with you."
He looks a little nervous, but he slides his gun over his head and starts to climb.
"You don't need to come with me. I can do this myself." I say cooly.
"Undoubtedly." Four agrees. "Nonetheless, I'm coming."
"Okay." I smile a little as I continue to climb.
We are pretty high now, and the wind is stronger.i
"So, what do you think the point of this is?" Four asks, breaking the silence. "The game, I mean. Not the climbing." He sounds out of breath.
"Uh, strategy. Teamwork maybe?" I reply.
Four laughs. It's an airy choke of a laugh. He almost sounds hysterical.
"Maybe not." I say. "Teamwork doesn't seem to be a high priority among the Dauntless."
"It's supposed to be. It used to be." Four says.
"What changed?"
"The leadership." He says. "A few years ago, Dauntless got a new leader. The initiation got more brutal. Bet you can't guess who Max's new protégée is."
The answer is obvious.
"Eric." I say. "So Eric was their second choice for leadership, and you were their first." I say.
"What makes you say that?" Four questions.
"The way he was acting that first night." I say. "Jealous, even though he has what he wants."
We climb towards my destination, the flat platform in the middle of the wheel.
We climb without talking for a while.
We reach the platform now. I climb on, and sit on the edge, swinging my legs off the side.
Four pulls himself onto the platform, pressing his back against the stabilizer. He looks pale, and his hands shake a little.
"You're afraid of heights." I whisper.
"Everyone's afraid of something." He replies simply.
"How do you survive in the Dauntless compound?"
"I ignore my fear. When I make decisions, I pretend it doesn't exist." He speaks freely. He is letting his guard down, too.
I slide back a little on the platform to give him some room.
He looks far from comfortable here.
I stand and look around. I can't see what I'm looking for.
"We're not high enough." I announce.
"God, Tris." Four practically moans.
"You don't have to come with me." My voice is soft.
"Yes, I do." Four replies.
We continue to climb the actual structure if the Ferris wheel. I am a little distracted though, so my foot misses the next rung, and I slip.
Four catches me before I can fall, and gently tugs me back in place. His fingers find a strip of bare skin just above the waistband of my jeans. My face reddens as I acknowledge this fact, and I can barely mutter thank you.
"Are you alright?" Four sounds worried.
"Yeah. I'm fine, thank you." I reply, shakily. I realize that the presence of him makes me feel like my bones are soft. It is completely ridiculous that I should feel dizzy.
I continue climbing. A few more feet and I'll be able to see the whole city.
"Are you even human, Tris?" It's Four's turn to be nervous. He gulps. "Being up this high? It doesn't scare you at all?" He chokes a little.
I look down at Four, then past him, toward the ground. I will surely die if I fall from here. I'd better not fall then.
"We're almost there." I tell Four. My voice is soft, reassuring.
A few feet more, and I'm overlooking the city.
"Wow." I say. "Four, you have to see this. It's so cool." I scan and see their flag in an open field.
Four chuckles. "Figures. The trees provide some camouflage, but obviously, not enough."
I can hardly hear what he's saying. Not because of the wind, but because his chest is pressed against my back. I feel as if I'm on fire. Can he feel it too? Or is it just me? I really am dizzy now.
"Um, start climbing down, and I'll follow you." My voice shakes. Embarrassing.
"Oh. Um okay." Four stammers.
We descend the ladder quickly towards the ground.
We reach the ground and he takes my hand, and pulls me off to where the rest of the team waits.
"We know where the other team is." Four says. "While the rest of you were twiddling your thumbs, Tris climbed the Ferris wheel."
"What should we do to get them?" One dauntless asks.
"We should split into two groups. One team go and engage Eric. The other will go grab the flag." I command. "Let's go!"
"Who put you in charge?" A girl with a shaved head sneers.
"I didn't see you climb the Ferris wheel, did I?" I snap. I immediately feel ashamed. I don't even know this girl, and I decided that that I can yell at her?
"Ooh! A Stiff with a backbone!" She mocks.
The others take off toward where I point them. Zeke, Christina, Four, and I are to wait three minutes, then we follow.
We run through the field, towards the flag. I see people on Eric's team hiding behind structures, waiting to ambush us. I silently point towards the structures.
"Watch out." I warn my group, quietly.
We sneak towards the flag. Christina is behind me, and I hear a squeal.
I turn to see Peter standing, with a gun pointed and ready.
"Tell me if this hurts." He sneers. God, he's such an ass.
"You tell me!" I snarl, pointing my gun at his back.
He jumps and turns to me.
"You won't shoot me." He scoffs.
"I think you might be underestimating my character." I say. Then I shot his back. It will be hard to take that out.
Christina laughs. "Asshole!" She says.
We ran off towards the flag, which hung in a tree. I'm not going to be able to reach it. It's too high. I am about to scale the tree, but Christina stops me.
"C'mon, Tris. You're already the hero. You thought of the plan." Her look is patronizing. "You can't even reach it." That was a low blow, brining my height in it. But a fight isn't worth it, so I take a step back.
"You're right." I say calmly. "I can't. Go ahead." I gesture towards the tree, while stepping back.
She reached up and grabbed the flag. She smiled as she waved that stupid thing. I shouldn't let that get to me. I'm standing off to the side with a small smile on my features. I do feel happy we won.
"Good job, Tris." Four whispers behind me. My smile widens and I turn to face him. "Thank you." I say.
I'm smiling a little as I turn ad back to the train tracks. Four walks a few feet ahead, earshot of anything I might say. I walk ahead of Christina, and Christina walks with Will.
When we get back to the dorms, I fall asleep.
A/N Chapter was nice and long, right? I wan't to keep my initiates happy...