Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent or the characters

Tris was making steady progress, and I couldn't help but smile when she won her fight against Myra.

I played it off with a cough, but Four glared at me all the same. I glared back but he had turned his attention to the initiates.

After the day was over and the initiates were allowed some free time, but I grabbed Tris and offered more training.

"You were better in your fight today, but you're still sloppy and off balance."

She scoffed at me and rolled her eyes. It was like a fire inside of her to be the best. Sometimes it seemed that she did well out of spite.

Today she looked at me like I was a viper, ready to bite. "Is this about Christina?"

She turned away and started for the door, but I was not having the silent treatment from an initiate. I grabbed her arm and she tried to counter, but I was too strong. I had to punish Christina for giving up on her fight. If I hadn't I would look weak, and that is something I refuse to do.

"Let me go!" she demanded, an angry flush grazing her cheeks.

"You have to see it like I do."

"See what? Your sadistic need to hurt us and push us to our break?"

"I knew Christina could do it, and if I hadn't punished her it would've made me look weak."

"And if she couldn't do it? You looked cruel, and I had hoped…" She trailed off, but I could sense her angry dropping.

"Hoped what? That I was some fluffy bunny and rainbow loving guy who just wanted the best for everyone? I'm Dauntless, and it is my duty to make sure that Dauntless is full of brave and strong initiates. Giving in was a sign of cowardice, bravery is all that matters to Dauntless."

I took a deep breath and tried to lower my temper. She was just a naïve Stiff, coming from selflessness and humility must make it difficult for her to see me as anything but cruel.

"Tris, if you want to be Dauntless, you need to understand this faction is ruthless, cruel, and exhausting. Every moment of your life is lived in the face of fear. It's how the Dauntless feel alive."

"Does it need to be like that? Bullying the initiates is a sign of cowardice."

"But training them isn't. What about when you're in an actual fight? Do you just hold out your hand and give in? When people's lives are on the line? Is it brave then to give up?"

My point hit her and it had the same reaction as if I had slapped her.

"You're right, but did you have to be so cruel."

"Cruelty and bravery are often confused, but maybe I did go a little overboard about Christina."

It was then that I realized I was still holding her arm. I let go, moving towards the punching bags hanging in the middle of the room.

"Where do you aim when you are facing an opponent to incapacitate them?"

She looked at the target and took a deep breath, launching herself at the sides and head of the human outline.

I pushed her shoulder, and she lost her balance. A curse I didn't think Stiffs knew escaped her and I began to laugh.

"You caught me off guard, it won't happen again." I nodded, trying to contain my laughing.

"Where'd a Stiff learn a word like that?"

"I was around Dauntless before in school, they used to always yell everything. Maybe I paid a little too much attention. I wasn't a very good member of Abnegation."

I placed my hand on her stomach. "Keep a tightness here or you'll easily get thrown off balance."

She seemed to hesitate, even for a moment. This time she wasn't holding anything back as she lashed forward and hit her marks.

I went to once again throw her off, but she was expecting me this time, catching me off guard. Its not easy to catch me off guard, but when this little girl flipped me on my back, I'll admit I was very surprised.

"Nice job Stif…Tris."

She gleamed with victory as she looked at me. It was a beautiful site to see. That fire in her eyes was her best quality.

"Never underestimate my learning curve." She joked, offering me a hand. I took it and popped up. She hadn't hit me hard, but it was a start.

"I'll make sure to not underestimate you." I added, with the tiniest bit of a smile. She was intriguing for a Stiff, and had made so much progress so quickly.

"Let's move on to aggressive defense. How to use your enemy's attacks against them."

I moved back towards the training mats. "I want you to hit me, choose anywhere you like."

She didn't take too much convincing, and she prepared herself. From her stance and where she was looking, I could tell she was going to try for my left side.

I blocked her fist with my forearm and moved my other arm to her stomach. I placed my fist where it would've made contact.

"What does this tell you?"

She looked down and seemed to struggle to find an answer. My last little quiz must've frustrated her so she was trying very hard to get it right.

"I left myself vulnerable on one side by focusing my entire body to my attack."

I nodded, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear. "Yep, as long as your attacker is focused on one single area of their attack, you can utilize that vulnerability to land a blow."

Her eyes perked up for a moment, then she tried her best to hide a smile.

"What?" I asked, her grin bringing in some curiosity.

She stepped closer, arms at her sides. "Do you remember when you first pulled me aside? You told me what my advantages were. What were they again?"

I swallowed hard as she stepped closer. There was not much room between us. My answer came out shakily.

"I told you you were smaller, faster, and had a low center of gravity."

Closing the gap, she brought the corners of her lips to a point. A smirk replaced her grin. "Anything else?"

I thought and then remembered, a blush...a goddamn blush...coming to my cheeks. It hadn't meant anything, but suddenly with her this close it flustered me.

"And that you're beautiful."

With that, she leaned up as if to kiss me. Before our lips could touch, she moved her arm and punched me hard in the side. I lost my balance and stumbled into a wall.

"Did I do that right?" She asked, her lips turned up in a huge smile accompanied by a girly laugh.

I just nodded, regaining my stance.

"Nice little trick there Stiff. I'd say that's enough training for today."

She turned on her heels and walked with a new sort of pep in her step. I couldn't help but stare after her.

There was something about her that I couldn't quite place, but I knew that she was amazing.

I had a meeting with the glorious leader, so I had to shower and head over to the Erudite headquarters.

It wasn't until I began discussing the transfer initiates that things got interesting.

"So you don't see anyone that stands out as divergent?"

She questioned, looking at me with that cruel calculating stare she has.

"No, no one I can notice but then again they can be very good at hiding it."

She sat on the edge of her desk and looked over her figures.

"Beatrice Prior. Do you know her?"

"Is she an initiate?" I asked, looking over at her as she started a projection with Tris's picture.

"Oh. Tris..."

I left her name to hang in the air.

"You have a new assignment. Watch this girl. Her test results were put in manually, she could be one of them. Your job is simple. Romance her. Get her to trust you completely. Find out if she is Divergent, and bring her to me."

I grimaced, glaring at the file she handed me. "And if she's not divergent?"

"Throw her away and return to your original mission. With the plan being so close to completion, finding as many divergent as possible are primary. Tris is the most suspicious. She must be watched."

She finished with a dismissive tone a and I knew arguing was impossible.

"As always, it's nice to see you." I spat, leaving her office in anger.

She had been the reason I became Dauntless in the first place. Now she had something on me and I couldn't escape. For now, I had to do what she ordered. For now, I had to make Tris mine.

Im rolling with it, I'm still working out the kinks though so the plot is not airtight but I'm excited about the story.