A/N: Hey, guys! I'm really glad you enjoyed the first chapter! That makes me excited to keep updating! I'll try my best to update at least once a week. So thank you, and keep the reviews coming! Enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter 2

It isn't long before all the initiates have made their jumps, and we are all gathered around the man who injected me with the syringe.

"Welcome to Dauntless, everyone. We are so glad you decided to choose us as your new faction. My name is Amar, and for the next few weeks I'm going to be the instructor for all the transfer initiates. I'm going to help you the best I can during the initiation process, so that you all have an equal chance, so that you have the option to not become factionless as long as you put in the effort."

Amar doesn't seem to be much older than me. Maybe a couple years. His hair is jet black and sticks out a little in the front. He seems easy-going, a jovial smile playing at his face whenever he talks. His lip is pierced, and tattoos cover much of his arms. Completely normal by Dauntless standards.

Amar continues, "I've injected about half of you with a serum. Don't worry, it isn't poison. The first thing you're going to face here is your fear landscape. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a room where you will be faced with every one of your fears. It's simulated different for each of you. The idea is to get through your fear landscape by calming your heart rate or embracing your fears to move on to the next one."

He pauses to let us digest the information. I take the opportunity to think of my fears. An image of Marcus materializes on the inside of my brain. I swallow, knowing he'll definitely be in my fear landscape.

"This is where Dauntless-born and transfers will split. So if you are a transfer, stay here. Dauntless-borns, you can go with Jesse"—he gestures to a short man to his left—"and get your injection from him."

There is a shuffle of feet as the Dauntless-borns move over to Jesse.

"Now, let's get going before those injections start working…"

Amar leads to a room about the Pit. It is very high up, in fact. As we continue up the flight of stairs that never seems to end, I start getting nervous. I will myself not to look over the edge. Heights will without a doubt make an appearance in my fear landscape too. But what else will I have to encounter…?

Finally, we make it to the top where we are taken to the room I assume will be the place where each of us will have to conquer our worst nightmares. Amar starts giving us more information.

"You're going to go one at a time. The serum I injected into each of you is programmed to last longer than usual. I will program the computer so that it is set to each of your different landscapes. We'll see how you react to your fears, what you do, but nothing more. Don't worry. This is just your first time. I don't expect anyone to do this in record time. This exercise is simply to get you exposed to your fears. The idea is that after you are exposed to your fears, you will have a simpler time controlling them during initiation."

He stops and grins at us all. "Oh, come on. You're all looking at me like I'm crazy."

Nobody says anything. This definitely isn't what we were expecting to do the moment we arrived.

"After you get through this, you'll be given a tour of Dauntless, and you can get food in the cafeteria. But just remember, this is one of the three initiation stages you'll have to face again eventually, so get accustomed to your fears now," Amar says, smiling again as he notes each of our shocked faces. He seems too happy to me. Then again, he isn't the one about to go into his fear landscape.

"The other point of this exercise is to remind you of the Dauntless belief that nobody is fearless, but you can function better when you have your fears under control, when you can act even when you're scared."

I nod without realizing. It is true, what Amar is telling us. It makes sense. Now if only it were as easy as it sounded.

"I know it probably doesn't sound reasonable, but relax now until it's your turn. Think about your fears and how you will power through them. Don't let your fears become you, do not drown in the prospect of them. Fear occurs because you allow it to. The most horrifying moments in a person's life are built up to be that way because our minds are naturally altered to associate fear with panic. It is instilled in your brain because that's all you've ever known. That is about to change." Amar says this slowly, looking us each in the eyes.

The room is silent as the group of initiates absorb Amar's words. Again, I know he is right. Why do humans even get scared? Where did fear originate from? Who was the first person to feel panic and call it fear? It's interesting to think about, and the more I do, the less it makes sense. But then Amar is calling out the first name, and I abandon these thoughts.

"Eric," he says. "You are the lucky first one." Then he's taking Eric into a side room, and I can only see them on the computer screen. Eric is visibly frightened. I don't blame him though.

"Be brave" is the last thing I hear Amar tell him before the simulation starts. Amar returns to where the rest of us are and sits at the computer to analyze Eric's moves.

The weird thing is that Eric just stands there, not moving a muscle. I can tell he is screaming though, his teeth clenched, but not enough to hide the sounds. I know nothing of what he's facing, only that whenever he conquers a fear, his eyes open briefly, before they close again and he continues to scream. It's almost like Eric is overcoming his fears with his body, because there are moments when he seems completely calm and collected. How is this even possible? I can't tear my eyes away because just then, I see Eric as intelligent, using his Erudite instincts to achieve something that the rest of us can't. And I am leery of him.

He goes through a kind of rhythm with his fears, his eyes opening and closing, his body calm and then squirming, and it goes on for fifteen minutes. Then it's over. I can tell because Amar is rising out of his chair, and because in the other room, Eric's eyes have returned to the present. He's here in Dauntless, not being haunted by his fears.

When the pair returns, Amar wears an amused expression and his hand is resting on Eric's shoulder in a good-natured fashion.

"Not bad, not bad!" he says to the group. Eric's face is triumphant. He must feel accomplished being the first to win the battle with his fear landscape.

"You probably noticed his nice use of breathing control. That's commendable. Alright, alright. Next is Jennifer."

A girl from Candor cautiously approaches Amar. She seems more frightened than Eric did. I hear Amar tell her to be brave as well, and her simulation starts.

Jennifer handles her fears differently. She moves around, and it is mostly easy to guess what her fears are based on her reactions to them. She swats at bees, or maybe they're some other insect. She runs from something. She panics, she screams, she even flails. It isn't going well.

I continue to watch everyone closely, trying to figure out how best to conquer my own fears. But it's hard to find a pattern. Everyone is different. When a boy from Erudite finishes, he comes back with a face streaked with tears. I try not to scowl at his weakness.

"Tobias, you're up," Amar says. I glance up, and see him gesturing for me to follow him.

I hold my breath all the way into the room. I don't have much of an idea about what awaits me other than my father and heights.

Amar looks at me. He is probably an inch or two shorter than I am. I know what he is going to tell me. He is going to tell me to be brave, and like some trigger, my simulation serum will kick in. I don't let him tell me though.

"I know. Be brave, right?" I say, grinning just slightly.

"You're catching on," Amar says, letting out a laugh. Then he leaves the room, and I'm standing alone.

The room goes dark right before it changes completely. I am no longer in Dauntless headquarters. Instead I stand on the roof of a 20 story high building, and wind is whipping my face, making my eyes feel watery. My heart rate picks up to an unsteady pace, and I feel my finger go numb. I knew it was coming, but it doesn't make it any easier. I'm not even really sure what I have to do to move on. I know it's impossible to calm my breathing. I try a couple times and am unsuccessful.

I walk to the ledge of the rooftop and, stupidly, I look down. My mouth gets dry, and I can't swallow anymore. The wind picks up, and I back away, afraid I might get blown right off the edge. That's when it hits me. I probably have to jump to move on to the next fear. The thought sends me into a panic. I can't jump. Jumping off the building to get into the Dauntless compound was different. This will surely end my life. But the longer I stand here doing nothing, the more it seems like my only option, and the less I want to do it. Dread overpowers me as if it is the only feeling than can even exist. Like I don't even remember what happiness or anger feels like. Only fear. I have to jump to feel something else again.

And yet I am not moving. The wind is so strong now that if I don't jump, it will surely blow me off. I have to face my fears by myself though. The wind is here to make things worse, not help me do what I can't.

But I can. I think to myself how it will only be a few seconds. Just a few seconds and it will all be over. I'm wasting time. This is stupid. It's not as if I'll ever have to really do this. Just do it. Just do it. Just. Do. It.

Then I'm falling, and I can't suppress the scream that's traveling up my throat. It escapes me. It feels better to scream though. So I scream all the way down. I remember how I'm going to die though. I'm going to hit the concrete and in one plat my life will be over because I jumped off the stupid building. Instead, a second later my feet hit the ground lightly as if I am as light as a feather, my landing graceful.

I feel relief for a fraction of a second. My surroundings change again. I am in a dusky room with nothing but concrete walls and a concrete roof. I wonder what comes next. I don't remember being scared of concrete…

"Ouch!" I yell out involuntarily. Something hard and solid just hit my head, back, and neck area. I turn cautiously to inspect what it is. But there is only wall.

"Oh," I whisper. Then I groan. I should have known.

Around me, everything starts to cave in, until I am hunched over with my arms pulled in to my chest. I think back to my childhood and how I was forced into the small closet whenever I would get in trouble. I hated that closet. I still do. But the memories remind me of why I am scared now.

Confinement. Now one of my fears thanks to my father. Again my heart is racing like I just ran a marathon. I want nothing more than to crouch in fetal position and scream. I remember Amar's words though. About how fear is created by the mind or something like that. I tell myself to stop being a coward. Scared of a freaking closet? Come on, Tobias!

But even making it sound pathetic doesn't help me because you can belittle your fears and make them seem less significant, but the truth of it is, they are more powerful than that.

I choose to tackle this fear by giving in to it, by making it deeper. I get in a squatting position and pull my head in to my neck as far as it will go. My breathing is so loud. The wall collapses inward again, until it is practically molded around my shape. It fits to my size perfectly. Now I am uncomfortable and scared. I can't take it. I try to lift my head, but it just slaps into concrete. I have to hold back my cursing.

Deep breathes. That will work. Or it had better, because I'm out of ideas. I need to escape before I succumb to the power of anxiety, which is now threatening to overwhelm me and leave me defeated. So I breathe in and out as slowly as I possibly can. It's harder than it seems, calming yourself down. My hands are shaking uncontrollably. Keep breathing. Keep breathing. I try thinking of something else. Of how I won't have to be in that closet because I've escaped my father. I think of how free all the Dauntless are. I think of anything but my current predicament. Miraculously, it works. I feel the walls ease away, and coolness replaces the feeling of concrete on my back.

That might have been harder than jumping off that building a few minutes ago. I hate to think of what comes next. And I can't help it when a distant tremor seeps through me at the thought of what I will eventually and inevitably have to face. My father, Marcus. I push the thought aside for now. What next?

The room changes yet again. It is now vast and white everywhere. There is a single table in the middle. I am confused. I don't have a single inkling as to what this could be. I do the only thing that seems logical, and that is approach the table. When I am right next to it, a faceless woman steps seemingly out of nowhere. She stares at me with innocent eyes. What am I supposed to do? She isn't scary at all. I don't recognize her either.

I look at the table. A gun materializes, and I swear that wasn't there just a moment ago. Things begin to make sense though. I'm almost positive that I have to shoot the innocent woman to get by. I've never even shot a gun before. I had no idea that I was even frightened of this until now. Now I can see how it's scary. Now it frightens me deeply. Sickens me, even. The panic I felt while facing my previous fears isn't present. I don't feel panic so much as guilt and dread. I steady my breathing much more easily. I pick up the gun. It feels foreign in my clammy hand.

I look the woman in the eyes and hold the gun up. I'll probably miss. I would like it if I miss. Then the lady won't die by my hands. But because this is a simulation, I know that I won't miss no matter how poor my aim is. I pull the trigger and watch as the bullet flies through the air as if in slow motion. Metal makes contact with skin, and then there's red. I look away instantly, not wanting to assess the damage I've done. I never realized how awful it would feel to shoot someone. Abnegation didn't exactly allow me to think such thoughts. I throw the gun on the floor.

The woman disappears, and is replaced by a new figure. Here he is. The person I fear most.

Marcus walks forward, his face full of hatred. I loathe him right back, but as much as I try, I can't help but fear him more than I hate him.

Next he is sliding his belt off. And I predict the words that will come out of his mouth just as I did with Amar.

"This is for your own good," he states, his voice full of malice. Before I can respond—what would I even say?—he is raising his arm, belt in hand. I cower out of instinct, and put my arms out in front of me to prevent the pain from reaching my face.

"No…no…stop it," I plead.

The leather connects with my hands. Heat and pain course through them. I can feel the stinging even after he back off. He backs off only to gain momentum for the next swing. I know how I have to overcome this fear.

"Stop!" I yell it this time. Marcus stops mid-swing.

"Stop?" He is practically laughing at me.

"You can't haunt me here too. Stop," I say. He retreats, and I know I've won this time.

Suddenly I am back in Dauntless headquarters. I am in the room where Amar brought me to tackle my fears. But it doesn't seem right. How can I be done? Did something go wrong? I've only gotten through four of my fears. Then I think about it. What other fears do I have that I didn't just come into contact with? I come up blank. Do I really only have four fears? I can't help but smile, especially after what I just managed to get through.

Amar comes in the side door. He is grinning so broadly, that I can't help but let my grin grow as well.

"How'd I do?" I ask. I am hesitant even though his face should reassure me.

"Are you kidding, Tobias?" He starts to laugh.

"What?" I ask.

"You do realize you only have four fears, right?"

"Yeah…I mean I guess since my fear landscape—"

"Tobias, this is practically unheard of! The average amount of fears a person has is ten to fifteen! You have less than half that!" He's beaming at me now.

I feel something swell up inside me. Something like pride. And I wasn't aware I could even smile so hugely. Or maybe I've just never tried.

"This is going to be talked about for sure," Amar says, clapping me on the back.

I don't know what to say.

"Come on. I need to announce this!" And then he's dragging me out of the room, past the other initiates whose faces, I notice, are in disbelief.

I almost feel embarrassed when we're out in the Pit where there are so many people.

Amar whistles to get their attention. When people are looking, he says, embarrassing me further, "Abnegation transfer with only four fears right here! A Stiff, can you believe it?"

And to my surprise, people actually start cheering like they did when I jumped into the net this morning. And the embarrassment vanishes just like that. I give a sheepish smile, and Amar brings me back to the group of initiates.

"Well, I'm just going to let you know that you have some competition. I've got my eyes on this guy right here. Tobias, you said your name was?" Amar is making this a huge deal.

"Yes," I say, aware of all the initiates staring at me jealously.

"More like Four now," he says, chuckling. I laugh too.

"That's alright, really—"

"Alright, alright. Back to business. Who's next?"

We continue to watch those of the initiates who are left. But nobody else has as few fears as me. Even when we finish, nobody is quite on my level.

I don't know why exactly, but my fear landscape gives me confidence for the rest of initiation. If this is the worst of it, then I should be well off. As we walk out of the fear landscape room for Amar to give us a tour, I notice Eric glaring at me. I raise an eyebrow at him, and he looks away. Not everyone can be lucky enough to have just four fears.