Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.
A/N: Tobias is going to be OOC (Out Of Character) in this story, because he was different before he became a full Dauntless member, okay? So I am well aware that he isn't really like Four, but that's because he isn't. Not yet anyway.
As soon as the choosing ceremony was over, the Dauntless began to run outside. I was pushed up beside Tobias and I nearly pushed him over. He was a Stiff but surprisingly strong.
"Hey, you all right there?" He asked. If it were anyone else they probably would have thrown me a dirty look, scanned me up and down, decided that I didn't look good enough to bother themselves with and walk away. But Tobias was raised in Abnegation, that would be the last thing on his mind.
"I'm okay." I huffed, annoyed that somebody cared. Dauntless was meant for the tough and cruel, the brave and strong - not the caring and weak.
"Wonderful. Now what are we supposed to be doing?" He said, jogging along beside me. He wasn't out of breath yet. How could a Stiff be so fit? Wasn't that something to do with vanity and selfishness? He must have really stuck out like a sore thumb in Abnegation.
"No idea." I answered. "I'm new like you, remember?" I told him, gesturing to my blue Erudite suit.
"Oh yeah, right. Man I can't wait to get out of these clothes. The sooner I leave my faction behind the better." Tobias looked away as he said it. It made me curious to the reasons that he decided to make such a giant move. I was about to ask when something caught my eye. The Dauntless were jumping onto the train.
"Oh God, they are actually jumping onto the train." I swore silently under my breath.
"Absolutely wonderful. We are being tested already and it hasn't even been an hour. I thought that I could get some rest first - I had no shut eye last night." Tobias complained.
"I thought that it was selfish to complain," I snipped.
"Well I'm not in Abnegation anymore am I?"He smiled. "I thought it was stupid not to know the answer to such an easy question." I gritted my teeth in irritation. One minute this boy seemed nice, the next he was annoying the living daylights out of me.
"I never liked being intelligent." I grumbled. "We are going to have to jump in a minute you know."
"I know, I only hope that I don't fall." Tobias closed his eyes. "I never did introduce myself. Tobias. Please remember it to write on my gravestone when I kill myself from doing dangerous, adrenaline rushing things." Somehow I didn't think that it was going to happen. He seemed... to fit in perfectly in a strange way.
"Eric. And I don't think we'll fall if we execute this properly." I contradicted.
"And how will we to that Mr. Know-It-All." A Candor girl came up behind me. "Please do share your secrets with us all before you fall and die." I balled my fists up and was trying my hardest not to let my temper go wild so that I could hit her.
"What's your name?" I asked her harshly instead.
"Marie." She smirked.
"Well Marie, if you don't want to be pushed off I suggest you keep your mouth shut. That is the plan." I glared at her, well aware that I hadn't even reached the Dauntless compound yet and I had already made an enemy. She shot me a death glare but other than that sulked into the corner. Coward.
"Eric, time to jump." Tobias reminded me, snapping me out of my rage. I was going to do this. I was going to belong.
. . .
Tobias and I sat on the train, side by side. He was the only companion I had that didn't seem to look at me in disgust. Half of these people had never met me, never talked to me, didn't even know my name yet they still judged me and decided that I was trash. How you identified trash, I never knew, but I knew that whatever it was about me, that I spread a bad vibe. I have no idea how, really.
"Hi." A small Amity transfer knelt down in front of Tobias and I. She had long, blonde, wavy hair and light brown eyes. She had a light tan, like most Amity born and she wasn't very tall or strong looking. I immediately disregarded her. Weak, small, quiet. She would be begging to be let out of Dauntless in a week. I threw her a glare. Maybe this was why people generally didn't like me. She returned it with a haughty glance.
"Fine then." She turned to face only Tobias. "Hi. Are you friendly or are you going to try burst me into flames too."
"Nope, I'm relatively friendly." Tobias laughed. "What's up?"
"Well, you may or may not have noticed, but people are starting to jump off the train." She glanced at the open doors dismayingly.
"What?" I gasped. Were they trying to kill us all?
"I wasn't talking to you." She replied stiffly and began to turn away but I grabbed her arm hurriedly.
"Okay I'm sorry, please tell me more." I didn't usually apologize but this was for a special case.
"Okay then!" The Amity girl spun around and smiled broadly at me. "I'm Mai!" I had to bite my tongue to prevent a smart comment coming out of my mouth. I had asked her for more information about the train, not her name and possibly life story. What was it with everyone around here?
"I was just saying," she turned back to search for Tobias who was now standing up and stretching. "Before I was so rudely interrupted." She glared at me softly. "That people are starting to jump off the train, from the very top carriage. I guess we'll be expected to jump soon." No longer were the words out of her mouth did the Dauntless leader, Max, walk up behind her.
"Right you are Amity. Now it's your turn to jump. Ready yourselves." And he tapped Mai's shoulder and walked away. After that acquaintance, she seemed spooked, but hurriedly straightened herself up and brushed it off. I instantly felt protective, like I should go and punch Max or something, but I brushed it off. Why would I defend this girl?
"You heard him," she said shakily. "Let's get ready." She pushed through a crowd of people who were readying themselves to jump, nervous energy pouring off them. She disappeared easily into the crowd.
"She was nice." Tobias murmured, scanning the crowd, probably trying to identify her.
"No," I objected. "She was crazy. What Amity transfers to Dauntless if they are clearly not Dauntless material. Would she like to get herself killed?" I fumed. Why was I worried about her getting herself killed?
"Maybe she is meant for Dauntless but doesn't let it show." Tobias suggested.
"I don't know." I answered. "But it's time to jump."
We readied ourselves, starting at the back of the train for greater running distance. As soon as the entrance was relatively clear, we started to run, getting nearer and nearer to the door and then - we were flying through the air and it felt glorious. I fell on my knees and probably grazed them off the stones, while Tobias fell on his side, hitting his hip but laughing off the pain.
"That. Was. Awesome." He gasped.
"I know right?" I grinned. I had never felt like that in all of my life. I had never felt... so alive!
"Initiates, line up!" A voice roared across the roof, commanding, and gaining, everyone's attention. "This is to test your bravery, trust and obedience to your instructors. You will jump from this building, down to there." Max instructed, grinning evilly as everyone took up the sight of the massive cracked hole.
"What's down there?" One transfer whispered, his voice shaking.
"I guess you'll have to find out and see." Max smirked. "Okay, who wants to go first?" Everyone, including me, shuffled around uncomfortably. "Come on, someone has to go first, and if you can't do it then you obviously aren't cut out for Dauntless and you may as well give up now, right?" He said the words with cruel satisfaction.
"I'll go!" Someone cried from the crowd. A tall guy, with dark hair, eyes and skin stepped forward, a huge grin on his face.
"Very well, go ahead." Max stepped aside to clear the way.
"Go Zeke!" Someone cheered from the crowd. 'Zeke' stepped upon the ledge, and turned around slowly to face the crowd.
"Peace!" He shouted doing a backflip in the air and flying off the ledge. We hear his shout of exhilaration get quieter and quieter until he was gone.
"Okay, who wants to go next then?" Max turned towards us cruelly, eyeing us all up. "No volunteers? Shame." He said ignoring the hands and cries of 'me' through the crowd. "I guess I'll have to pick someone then eh? How about you?" He said, pointing to me.
I gulped, my blood running cold. "Okay," I mumbled, walking slowly up. Tobias gave me an encouraging thumbs up and then I was on my own. I stood on the ledge and before I could hesitate I jumped head first, diving into whatever fate would lead me to. I only hoped that I didn't miss the hole and that there was a safety net or something down there. And there was. A net I mean.
I lay there paralysed for a minute all I could think was: I did it, I did it and I'm still alive.
"Come on, get off before someone else decides to jump and squash you. Max isn't the patient kind you know." Someone grumbled from the side. I slid myself giddily from the net. I heard someone's screams coming closer and closer and just as I was standing on my two feet again, someone bounced into the net after plummeting from the sky. Some random Candor guy with a ruffled suit.
"Name please?" The guy with the gruff voice asked. It was kind of dark so I couldn't identify him, only his outline.
"Eric." I answered, my mouth dry.
"You sure? It's your last chance to change."
"I'm sure." I confirmed. "Eric is my name."
And then I went to find the first jumper and wait for Tobias.