Author's note: thanks for the continued support. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent or any of its related contents or characters. Divergent and it's related material are the property of Veronica Roth.

Chapter 4.

I emerge from the fear landscape room. The only reason I went in was to prove to myself I am not like him. Intimidating. She can't even fathom the meaning of the word. What would she know about intimidating? A quiet Abnegation girl, from a perfect Abnegation home. Intimidating. We will see what she thinks after today's fights.

I stand in front of the chalkboard. I have just finished pairing todays fights. I turn to face the initiates as they enter the room. When the last few trickle in, right at eight o'clock, I give them a threatening look. Everyone immediately falls silent. They can tell I am not in the mood to put up with any of their shit today.

"Since there are an odd number of you, one of you won't be fighting today," I say, stepping away from the board. I give her a look. She glances at the board and I see a look of relief wash over her face. I may be intimidating, but I am not cruel. It is a small reprieve, but seeing as how she is the smallest, there wasn't a way to give her a fair fight today.

I stand at the edge of the ring. I watch the fights, studying the technique of the initiates and making mental notes of their strengths and weaknesses. Al and Will are in the ring. They circle each other nervously, more tapping at each other than truly punching. I know they are waiting for me to call the fight off. I am just about to let them off the hook, when I hear the door to the training room open behind me. I turn to look, hoping to see Max or Lauren, but I already know who it is. Eric. My already bad mood worsens.

I hold my position. Arms folded, feet shoulder width apart. They glance at me again and I know what is coming. Eric checks his watch. After a few seconds of circling, Eric shouts, "Do you think this is a leisure activity? Should we break for nap-time? Fight each other!"

"But…" Al straightens, letting his hands down, and says, "Is it scored or something? When does the fight end?"

"It ends when one of you is unable to continue," says Eric.

I speak up at that point, knowing Al is no match for Eric. "According to Dauntless rules, one of you could also concede."

Eric narrows his eyes at me. He isn't going to let them off that easy. "According to the old rules," he says. "In the new rules, no one concedes."

"A brave man acknowledges the strength of others," I quote from the Dauntless manifesto.

"A brave man never surrenders." Eric shoots back.

Eric and I stare at each other for a few seconds. He and I both know who would win in a fight. I can feel the initiates watching us, scared of how this might end. In this moment, they are seeing two different kinds of Dauntless - the honorable kind, and the ruthless kind. They will need to know both sides if they are going to survive here. I continue to stare him down, but I know that in this room, it's Eric, the youngest leader of the Dauntless, who has the authority.

I look back at the two boys in the ring, indicating to Eric that he has won this round. "Well? What are you waiting for?" I snap at them. In a few hits the fight is over. Al hunches over Will's body tapping at his cheek, a look of shock and fear on his face. He is horrified at what he has just done. He is too kind to survive here for very long. I walk over and pull Will from the mat. I support him at the whist and lead him towards the infirmary. As I leave, I can't help but notice the worried look on Tris's face. At first I think she is concerned for Will, but she isn't looking at him. Her eyes are trained on Eric. She is nervous about being left alone with him. I feel it too. Leaving Eric alone with the initiates is a bad idea.

By the time I get Will settled in the infirmary, it is dinner time. I walk towards the dinning hall and see Tris and Al supporting a very wet and shaken looking Christina. She didn't strike me as a jumper, but you never know. I see Eric walk out from the Chasm looking especially pleased. The last couple of fights must have been bloody ones.

Lauren runs up to me looking shaken and out of breath. A feeling of nervous apprehension washes over me. It takes a lot to shake a Dauntless born like Lauren. "Who the FUCK does Eric think he is? Messing with the initiates that way. We could press charges against him!" Her face is contorted in absolute rage, making her eyebrow piercings quiver. "If he even thinks of pulling that shit with one of the Dauntless born...God knows what the rest of the faction would do to him. How the hell could you let him get away with that Four?"

I look at her in utter confusion. What the hell happened when I was gone? I stare at her with my eyes wide and my mouth open not knowing what to say. She looks back at me and the realization that I am clueless as to what she is talking about comes over her face. "You don't know? Where were you?" she asks , a distinctly accusatory tone in her voice.

I stare at her, temporarily speechless. "In...Infirmary with Will." I stammer, still confused by what has just happened. "Lauren,I swear. I really have no idea what you are talking about." Before she has a chance to answer Zeke runs up looking a little panicked.

"He didn't chuck Uri in too, did he? I mean, I know Uri can be a pain in the ass, but he is a good kid. I don't know how I would tell Mom if he was ever-"

I interrupt. "Would someone please tell me what the HELL you two are talking about?"

"Eric..." Zeke says out of breath. He must have run all the way from the control room. "He made one of the transfers climb over the rail into the chasm. I saw it from the control room. I didn't see what happened after that. I panicked and ran down here when I thought about Uri. Some of the others pulled her out, but dude, she nearly fell in."

I can't even speak, as the pieces come together in my mind. Christina. My whole body tenses with rage as I process what they have just told me. I turn and punch the rock wall of the pit, a loud yell of anger escaping me as I do. Lauren and Zeke both look at me with blank stares on their faces. I don't wait for them to speak. I stalk out of the Pit towards the training room to take my anger out on the punching bags. I will end up with a broken hand if I stay here much longer. It is going to be a long night.

When I enter the training room the next day, Eric is waiting on me. He has already made the fight list for the day. "What do you think?" he says, an evil sneer curling at his lips.

I glance at the board and my heart stops in my chest when I see it. Tris v. Peter. I don't know what she did yesterday, standing up for Christina no doubt, but what ever it was, it was stupid. Eric will make her pay for embarrassing him. Not just today, but as long as she is in Dauntless. He is not the kind of person that forgives and forgets.

"I thought you would find my matches...intriguing." he says raising his eyebrow on the last word.

"If you call pairing a 5'3" hundred pound girl with a 6'2" two hundred pound boy intriguing...then, I guess I would have to agree." I make no effort to hide the disgust in my voice. I don't care what she did to him. This is sadistic and he knows it.

"Aw...what's wrong? The mighty Four feeling a little Stiff this morning?" he looks at me with a mock pouting face, making his facial piercings look even more hideous than usual.

"This is wrong and you know it." I state flatly back at him. I won't allow him to bait me. But, I won't let him think he has won, either. "Besides, after the stunt you pulled yesterday at the chasm, I am surprised Max will let you anywhere near the initiates." He looks a little confused. I guess he didn't expect me to know.

"Max is at Erudite for a few days on assignment from the Council. What he doesn't know wont hurt him." Eric snaps.

"Who says he won't know? The whole compound is covered in security cameras. You really think he can't access them from Erudite headquarters? Who do think installed the monitoring system in the first place?" I expect Eric to come back at me, but I can see from the look on his face, he hasn't thought about that. Good thing he left Erudite. He would have never made it.

Before he can answer, the transfers come in. They look at the board behind Eric and I hear Peter laugh maliciously. I immediately look at Tris. She is staring at the board with a look of what I can only assume is disbelief. Christina shoots me a look of outright disgust, as if I am the one to blame for this.

The first few fights go on without any real surprises. I circle the names of victors on the board without much thought, until I reach the set of names I have been dreading the most. I feel my chest tighten and my heart pounds. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "Peter and Tris" I call through gritted teeth. Peter and Tris step into the ring. I feel a knot form in the pit of my stomach as Eric moves up to the edge of the mat, an eager look in his eyes.

They square off. Tris puts her hands up in a defensive position. Good. She's been paying attention. The knot in my stomach loosens a little. But, I know she has no chance of winning. I feel myself move closer to the door. I hear Peter taunting her from the ring.

"You okay there, Stiff?" he says. "You look like you're about to cry. I might go easy on you if you cry."

I pucker my lips. He is a bully, no better than my father. His words leave a sour taste in my mouth. I see Tris look at me and I immediately want to stop the fight, but I know the only way to get her off Eric's radar is to let this play out. I keep my face still and do not look back at her. I fix my eyes on a spot just behind her head.

I see Eric tapping his foot in anticipation of the bloodbath that will most certainly follow. I put my hand up to my face and squeeze the bridge of my nose, my eyebrows furrowed. There is nothing I can do to stop this.

"Quit playing with her! I don't have all day!" Eric snarls. This is her punishment and he is impatient for it to start.

Peter's face suddenly becomes hard. He has a menacing look in his eyes. He reminds me of Eric. He had the same look the day we fought. The only difference is, we were fairly matched. The knot in my stomach tightens again. This is going to be a massacre. I feel my back push against the door of the training room. I won't make it long. I know I will have to leave. There is no way I can watch someone beat the hell out of her. I close my eyes and rub the back of my neck.

I look up to see Tris punch Peter in the ribs. He just knocks her down, with a swat of his hand like she is a fly buzzing around him. I pray that she will be smart and lay there, but she springs to her feet. He knocks her down again, this time much harder than before. She heaves herself from the mat, unsteady on her feet. She looks over at me again. Our eyes meet briefly. I can see that wild spark dance within them. Peter punches her hard to side of the head and I see her hit the mat. Blood spraying from her mouth as she falls. I know she is down for good this time, but she raises her head and looks at me as she tries to get up. Peter begins to kick her hard in the ribs. I push through the training room doors. I can't watch anymore of this. The last thing I hear as the door closes behind me is a sickening scream and then silence.

I keep going once I am in the hallway. I head straight for the tattoo parlor. I must look like I am going to hurt someone when I walk in because several people leave, giving me a wide berth on their way out.

"Well you really know how to make friends. Don't you?" Torri's voice says from behind me.

"Something like that." I say through gritted teeth, still on the verge of losing it.

Torri senses the anger in my voice and backs off. "OK...well...uh what can I do for you?" I think for a moment and then say "Just finish it already."

"Are you sure, Four? You said that you wanted all of them except that one. Something about how no one can be that happy all the time."

"Do I sound like I'm in the mood to debate about it?'

Torri doesn't say anything back. She just looks me over slowly, like she is analyzing me. Times like these I can tell she transfered from Erudite. A true Dauntless would have punched my in the face by now. "Lay down."

I lie face down on the table and can hear the familiar hum of her gun start up. I feel the needle piecing my back as she draws the Amity symbol at the bottom of my back.

"Done" she says. She hands me a mirror so I can look at my back.

All the faction symbols are tattooed down my spine with Dauntless flames wrapping around my rib cage and up my neck. Selfless. Brave. True. Intelligent. Kind.

She makes me want to be kind.