a/n: I know it's been like almost a year since I updated this story, but, considering I just saw Divergent, I decided to start again. Thank you to all the new readers and I hope you guys are still interested in it!
Chapter Three: The Weak Will Inherit the Earth
"Being here doesn't mean you are ready to be in Dauntless." Four said, his eyes moving over each and every person in the room, as he jumped down from the platform he stood on. "Far from it. Being here means you are barely even ready to train to be in Dauntless."
"Train?" a voice that sounded suspiciously like that girl Erin broke out from the crowd. Four bit back sarcasm as he answered her.
"Yes. You will be training, hard, for the next two weeks. There are two stages: physical and mental. From hand-to-hand combat to knife throwing to shooting a gun, you will learn what it means to be Dauntless." he pushed against one of the punching bags that was set up, watching as it swung away from him and then began coming back. He stopped it with his hand before it could knock him over. "But being Dauntless is not just physical strength. It is also mental. For the second stage of training, you will face your worst fears. And you will overcome them."
"What do you mean?" Erin asked. Four pointedly ignored her question. He was not to be interrupted.
"And I would advise against the making of any friends. Because, during these two weeks you will also fight. You will fight each other. Whether you are friends or enemies or have only laid eyes on each other once, there is a chance you will fight." He watched as people in the crowd glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes.
"If you are friends," Eric's voice came from the back of the crowd, "You will definitely fight each other." He moved from the back to stand right next to Four.
"Thank you, Eric." Four said through gritted teeth.
"Of course." Eric smiled, "Now, I hope you're ready because training starts now." He reached down and undid his belt, sliding it off. Four probably would have flinched if he didn't already know this is what Eric did when he was going to work on his training. However, as he watched the crowd, he saw the Amity girl- what was her name? Mari?- take a small step back and her hands twitched like she wanted to raise them to protect herself. He froze for a second. He knew those tell-tale signs all too well. Maybe he had more in common with this girl than he thought. By the time he had shaken himself from his thoughts, the initiates were walking to their individual punching bags.
"You okay?" Four jumped at the sound of Emily's voice right behind him.
"Yeah." He said, lying through his teeth. He was a little shaken by the recent observation.
"Fine. Don't tell me," she said, holding up her hands in defense, "but I think Eric wants us to walk around and help the initiates." Four nodded and they separated to help different sections of the room.
When it was time for lunch, and the initiates were sufficiently worn out from training, Four was glad they could migrate to the dining hall. After he'd gotten his food (some kind of chicken today), he scanned the room for Mari. She was sitting at one of the back tables, with the first and second jumpers. She seemed distant from them though. They were in some kind of heated debate but Mari was on the opposite bench, and down a few spots. He made his way over to her and, with a sigh to himself, sat across from her.
"Hey." he said. She didn't seem to even register that he'd said anything, or even that he'd sat down at all, "Mari?" he asked. She blinked at her name and looked at him.
"Hi." she said softly. He tried desperately for conversation, if only to make the situation less awkward.
"You know... I saw you in training. If you fight like that, you'll get killed." He meant it in a joking matter but he knew that wasn't how she took it, "I could help you?" He offered. She shook her head, her dark hair falling in her face.
"I'm okay, thanks." He nodded and didn't say anything else. They ate the rest of the lunch in silence.
"Next fight: Mari and Blaze." Eric called out. There had already been a few fights, always the obvious ones winning. But the weaker ones were learning quickly from watching each other. Four glanced at him. He saw Four looking and smiled that devil's smile. He'd seen Four talking to her and was going to make him watch her get pounded for it.
The two girls got into the ring. They took their starting stances and waited.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" Eric asked. Blaize smirked, lunging for Mari. Four felt himself look away. He couldn't watch this girl fail. He heard a few hits and then a body hit the ground. The whole room was silent. God, is it that bad? But when he finally got himself to look, he was stunned silent as well. Because it wasn't Blaize standing over Mari's body.
It was the opposite.
Mari looked down at Blaize and cracked a smile.
"Am I done here?" Her voice was no longer small and afraid. She projected confidence. Eric blinked a few times before nodding. She shrugged, stepping over Blaize's arm (but she made sure to catch a part of the skin under her foot as she walked by, making Blaize groan weakly), and got out of the ring, heading out the door, probably to get water.
"Follow her." Emily said.
She didn't have to tell him twice.
a/n: please make sure to review and follow and such! love y'all!