A/N: HEEERREEE WWEEEEE GOOOOOOO!

DISCLAIMER: ALL RECOGNIZABLE CHARACTERS AND PLACES BELONG TO VERONICA ROTH. ALL OCS BELONG TO THEIR OWNERS. SLATER BELONGS TO ME.

Slater

Slater leaned against the rickety metal barrier between him and the chasm. He was

unhappy today, he'd been unhappy for the past week. Slater felt his face curl up in a sneer as he thought of the source of his anger.

"Asshole," he muttered as he brushed his blonde hair from his face.

"Are you still sulking?" A feminine voice asked him. Slater rolled his eyes and turned around so his back was facing the chasm. Ashlee Dawes, or Ashe as she was better known was standing in front of him. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she looked expectantly at him.

"I don't sulk," he snapped as he walked towards her. Ashe shook her blonde head,

"You can be upset about this you know. You're not the only one." Slater shrugged and played with his ear piercing as he and Ashe started walking.

"Who else is mad?"

"Me… Four's concerned, he might be upset. I can't tell with him."

"Who can," Slater agreed, "I just don't get why the picked Eric to be the new leader you know? I mean Eric… why not me?"

"You're not smart enough," Ashe stated bluntly. Slater shot her an angry look,

"Old habits die hard." Ashe was a transfer from Candor. They were in the same initiate class last year. Normally Slater didn't associate with faction transfers; in fact he made a habit of it. It just so happened the two got into a fight once and Ashe decked him in the face. Slater as pissed at her, as any self-respecting Dauntless would be, but then he came to respect her. They've been friends ever since.

"Remind me why you left Candor?" Slater asked.

"I'm a fantastic liar, I like adventure, I look bad in white… you know the regular transfer reasons." The two kept walking until they reached the edge of the Dauntless compound. The Dauntless sixteen year olds and their families were jumping on the passing trains. They were heading to the Choosing Ceremony.

"Are you going?" Slater asked as he watched a family jump onto a train. His eyes followed the train until it passed out of sight.

"Yeah, I guess. Eric asked me too," Ashe said with a shrug. She adjusted her ponytail as she started walking towards a train.

"I'll go too," Slater decided as the two continued their journey.

"Why?" Ashe asked, "You hate initiates."

"I hate transfer initiates, with obvious exceptions," he corrected. "Plus, if I stay here I'll have to listen to Eric all day."

"Then let's go." Ashe and Slater started into a run and hopped onto the moving train. It didn't take long for the two to reach the choosing ceremony. Slater and Ashe hopped off with ease.

"Hey Max!" Ashe yelled as they jogged up to meet Max. Max was the oldest Dauntless leader. Slater trailed behind Ashe, he wasn't in the mood to speak with Max. He watched in disinterest as Ashe chatted him up. He nodded at her when she spoke and then his eyes flashed to Slater. Slater flashed him one of his plastic smiles and a short wave. Max stared at Slater for a few seconds longer before excusing himself from Ashe.

"You are sulking," Ashe, confirmed when Slater joined her.

"I told you before, I don't sulk."

"Riight…" Ashe smiled at him. "Let's get good spots."

As Ashe and Slater walked into the large room they stood behind the Dauntless families eyeing the crowd. Ashe's eyes filtered over to the Candors. Slater remembered she had a little sister, but he was pretty sure she was only 15 now.

"Do you miss them?" Slater asked.

"No…I… I don't miss them," Ashe said as she turned away.

"I'd miss my family if I left. Or at least I'd like to think so." Ashe nodded in agreement and the two stayed silent for a few moments watching more people crowd in.

"So what do you think we'll get this year?" Ashe asked as her green eyes scanned the crowd.

"You know, the usually. All the scrappy kids will leave," he said gesturing to a few teenagers in the front of the Dauntless group. "We'll get a few Candors because you know, they can't stay away," he said as he nudged Ashe. She swiped his hand away without a second thought. "Maybe we'll get one…or two Erudite." Ashe nodded in agreement. Slater noticed her eyes wandered over to the group of Candors, but he ignored that. "You know," he said breaking her out of her reverie, "If we do get some Erudite I can shove them off the train, you know… just to spite Eric."

"I don't think that will spite Eric. Actually I think that might make him like you more." Slater barked out a laugh and shook his head. "You know Slater, I don't know why he bothers you so much he's not that," Slater cut her off by holding a hand up,

"We're you going to say 'not that bad?' Please tell me you were kidding."

"I was kidding," Ashe placated as she focused her attention on the stage. An Erudite man was going to be leading the ceremony. Last year it was a Dauntless leader, next year it would be someone from Abnegation. Slater looked over at the five metal bowls for each faction. By the end of the ceremony the Erudite Water was stained red with blood, the Dauntless Coals were smoking, the Abnegation Stones were covered with blood, the Candor Glass was red and opaque but to him the Amity Earth looked the same. Slater zoned out while the Erudite man was speaking, instead he focused on the sixteen-year-olds from Dauntless. There were some he knew would stay, Phoenix Sterling would stay. Her father was a Dauntless Leader, even if she didn't want to, she practically had to stay. She wants to though, Slater thought as he eyed her.

"Andrew Adams!" called the Erudite man; Andrew would be the first to pick a faction. Andrew was a slight boy from Abnegation he would be the first to decide whether he would stay or go. Slater watched as Andrew walked over to the five bowls, he was nervous but he made no hesitation when he picked Abnegation again. Slater zoned out until Ashe elbowed him in his ribs. He looked up to see an Amity girl walking towards the Dauntless.

"First transfer," Ashe said as she nodded towards the girl. She wasn't very pretty in Slater's opinion, she was average.

"From Amity?" Slater whispered as the Erudite man called out more names.

"Yeah… impressed?"

"Of course not." A few people later the man called another name,

"Crystal Pales"

"I know her sister," murmured Ashe as an Amity girl walked onto the stage.

"How?" Slater asked as he eyed the girl. She was a very pretty girl, raven hair, caramel eyes and deeply tanned skin.

"Her sister Andrea transferred to Candor…I saw her as she was going through her initiation."

"You think she's going to stay in Amity?" Slater whispered. Ashe shrugged,

"I don't know her, I guess so, why wouldn't she?" Slater nodded and watched as the girl sliced her hand. She didn't even hesitate as she made her decision, she switched to Dauntless. "Whoa… that's… unusual. Two Amity's this year" Slater nodded his eyes wide,

"I might be impressed." The girl from Amity walked straight over to stand behind the other Dauntless Initiates. She didn't look at her old faction but stared straight ahead.

"LETS GO!" Slater yelled as soon as the ceremony was over. He took off running, he knew that Ashe was behind him, he could hear her boots against the tile. Slater didn't bother looking back at the initiates; if they couldn't keep up with him then they didn't deserve to be Dauntless. Slater rounded a corner and bolted down the stairs, he was jumping five at a time. He can hear the panting of the transfers as they reach the first floor. He knows some have stopped, and that will be their downfall. Slater keeps running until he reaches the train tracks.

"Right on time," Ashe whispers as she stands next to him. If he turns to the right he can see the train approaching.

"Are we supposed to get on that?" comes a voice in the back. Ashe turns back around.

"Scared?" She asks. It's an Erudite boy; he's small and scrawny. Slater considers telling him to not even attempt the train jump, but he decides the boy should at least get a chance.

"Everybody on!" He yells as he jumps into the first car. A few of the Dauntless born initiates follow. He recognizes Raine and Phoenix.

"Didn't pick Amity, Phoenix?" He asks with a smirk. She shoots him a glare and narrows her light eyes at him and snaps back,

"It's Foe now." Slater watched Raine stifle a laugh from the corner of his eye.

"Alright then Foe, don't think I'll go easy on you just cause your daddy's a leader."

"Wouldn't expect it." She walks over the car door opening and waits. Her dark red hair blows in the wind. It's dyed, Slater knows that. He watched as Raine walks up next to her. Raine was inanely short compared to Foe's 5"7, he's 5". They start to make small talk and laugh at each other. This is why he likes the Dauntless, no fear, no nervousness. Just confidence.

"Let's go!" Slater takes a running jump and lands on his feet, the pebbles of the roof scatter under him. Slater swings around in time to see the other Initiates jump off. Slater doesn't look away when Katherine Madds misses and falls to her death. She was Dauntless born. He notices the Erudite boy from early didn't make it off the train. Or maybe he never made it on. As all the initiates line up on the roof he does a mental count. Ten transfers, less than usual, they started off with fourteen. His eyes scan the Dauntless born, ten of them. Katherine and someone else didn't make it. Someone who he couldn't remember.

"Less than last year," Ashe mutters. She's right there was an insane amount of initiates last year. Ten made it through: Zeke, Shauna, Ashe, Four, Eric, Landon, Lauren, Maia, Hazel and himself.

"Less work for us," he mutters back.

"Time to begin," Ashe says, "Wanna start?" Slater heaves a heavy sigh before beginning.

"Welcome Initiates! You've passes your first test. As I'm sure some of you have realized, not everyone passed."

"That's one way to put it," an Erudite boy mutters.

"It is isn't it? Tell me would you like to try again? I could make you walk back to the train station and see if you can find your way onto the right train. That could be fun right?" The Dauntless born start laughing and the boy turns red. "Didn't think so."

"Time for lesson number two!" Ashe calls out, "Let's see how brave you really are. The entrance to our compound is down there," Ashe points over the ledge of the building. "There's no ladder. You have to jump. And before you ask what's down there. I have no idea." She says it so convincingly Slater doesn't second-guess her decision to leave Candor. "Our initiates will have the pleasure of going first. So who's up? If none of you jump, I can assure you Slater here will throw you off." Slater waves and grins at the initiates. The transfers can't tell if it's a joke, but the Dauntless born know it's not. They know Slater; they know what he's like. Ashe waits a few minutes before speaking again, "Well?" On cue Slater starts walking forward towards the initiates.

Fletcher

"I'll go!" Fletcher called out. He stepped forward and rolled up the sleeves of his dark blue shirt. He walked past Slater and the girl. He walked towards the edge of the building. Fletcher stopped as he reached the edge of the building. It was too far a drop, Fletcher couldn't see the bottom, it was just darkness. He steadied his breathing as he closed his bluish grey eyes. I can do this. Fletcher took a few steps back and leapt off the building. He let out a scream as he fell. Fletcher landed with a thud. As Fletcher pushed off the ground to steady himself, he fumbled as his arm fell through a hole. Once his eyes adjusted, Fletcher realized he had landed into a woven net.

"Grab my hand," A boy called out to Fletcher. Fletcher reached out and took the boy's hand.

"Thanks." The boy helped Fletcher out of the netting and onto solid ground. The boy had dark tanned skin, he was a slight boy but he looked strong.

"I'm Zeke. What's your name jumper?"

"My name's…" Fletcher paused. The name 'Fletcher' wasn't right. It wasn't a Dauntless name, it was an Erudite name. "My name's Fox." Zeke nodded,

"Guys!" He called, "First jumpers name is Fox!" There was resounding cheer from the darkness and Fox was pushed deeper into it. He waited; about twenty minutes later everyone had came down. Once everyone had settled down Slater and the girl from before walked to the front of the room.

"We're gonna split up now. Dauntless-born, you're with me," called Slater, "We'll be heading straight to dinner. No need for a tour, am I right?" Fox watched as the Dauntless-born walked away into the shadows. He carefully glanced around. He knew two of the initiates; they were from Erudite like him. Their names were Zero and Tomas. There were two girls from Amity. He recognized one of them as Amelia. He had met her on the train. There was one girl from Abnegation, her face was expressionless. Fox couldn't decide how she felt. The rest of the transfers were from Candor – two boys and a girl.

"Alright, my name is Ashe," the girl addressed them. "Today I'm your tour guide and from tomorrow on, I'm one of your instructors." Everyone was silent while Ashe spoke. "Some of you may know me, depending on your old faction. For those who don't all you need to know is I'm Ashe and I'm Dauntless. Let's go." Ashe lead the group down a dark passage way. "We're about to enter the Pit."

"Why is it called the pit?" Zero asked as he rocked back and forth on his heels. Ashe grinned and shoved open a door.

"That's why." Fox peered in with the other transfers. The Pit was a large underground cavern, basically the hub for all Dauntless dealings. There were steep steps and curving and jagged roads. This place needs to be baby proofed Fox thought to himself as he and the others ventured further into the Pit. As they continued a group of screaming teenagers ran past Ashe. One crashed into her. She didn't stumble, but instead she grabbed the offender by their collar and pulled them in front of her. Her narrowed green eyes softened once she saw the boy.

"Really Uriah?" She asked with a groan. The boy laughed, he was maybe a year younger than Fox, two years younger than Ashe.

"Sorry Ashe… I'll see you later!" He called as he ran. Fox watched as the group approached the edge of a chasm.

"This is the Chasm!" Ashe cried over the roaring water. They're really literal here huh? Fox thought to himself as he leaned over to see the waves crashing against jagged rocks. "A jump in here equals death – I would try to get a different result. Let's move on." They walked a little further before Ashe pushed open the doors to the dining hall. Cheering erupted from the other Dauntless Once that died down Ashe spoke again.

"Obviously this is a dining hall. You will have dinner for an hour, and then I will come and get you. After dinner I'll bring you back to your bunks. If you need me I'll be over there," Ashe pointed to a table where a boy about her age was nursing a bloody nose. As Ashe turned to leave everyone filtered out and picked a table. Fox sat down at a table next to Amelia and Zero.

"Hi!" Amelia greets as she reaches for a hamburger.

"Hi to you too! I see you made it."

"You too. It's good to see you again Fletcher… or is it Fox now?

"Fox."

"Just like the one I saw before I left." Amelia smiled. She and Fox talked for a bit more before she turned away.

"Well looks like you're getting along well with the others," Zero commented before he took a sip of water.

"Yeah… why not?"

"Because who knows what we're going to have to do. I think it's better if you wait before you make friends." Fox eyes him and shrugged,

"You do what you want Zero. I'll do what I want."

Landon

Landon sat in the dining room with his head titled back. He was pinching his nose to stop the blood from flowing out of it. He got into a fight, again.

"What happened?" Slater asked as he plopped down across from Landon. Landon glared at Slater through his grey eyes.

"What do you think?" He snapped.

"Looks like someone punched you," Slater noted as he dug into his hamburger, "You lose again?"

"Not again, I've just been having a bad day."

"Bad week's more like it," Ashe commented as she sat next to Slater. "Ever considered taking a break?"

"From fighting? No, it's fun," Landon said with a shrug, "Are you using your napkin?" He asked as he reached for Slater's. Slater shook his head and shoved the napkin into Landon's hands. "Thanks… so what did you two do today? How are the initiates?"

"Still alive," Slater said as he turned around to get a good look at them. As per usual the Dauntless born and transfers were sitting separate. "Well… most of them."

"I heard Katie died," Landon said as pocketed the bloody napkin. "That's too bad."

"Yeah well Marsha fell of the train last year," Slater pointed out as he went to grab some of Ashe's French fries.

"She was a bitch though," Landon, pointed out, "She tried to rip out my piercing!" Landon gestured to his industrial piercing on his left ear. Unlike most Dauntless Landon was fairly plain. He had dark brown hair, grey eyes, and only two piercings: the bridge of his nose and an industrial, and he had no tattoos. What was unusual about that was that Landon was Dauntless born, as far as they go he was pretty laid back.

"So who stayed?" Landon asked as he craned his neck.

"Phoenix Sterling – she goes by Foe now, Raine Johnson,"

"I thought he would have went to Candor, the boy's brutal."

"Nah he stayed. We also kept, Demi Raden, Lane Weatherton, Lea Hunt, Sophia Charlston and Phillip Taylor."

"Go figure… no surprises then?"

"A lot of Amity," Ashe chimed in as she chewed on a French fry. "Like two, which in itself is odd."

"Should we take bets now or later?" Landon joked.

"Later," another female voice interrupted, the group looked up as Maia Wetherton slid in next to Landon, "And don't talk to me."

"Well don't sit next to us," Landon said, "Why are you so upset?"

"Same reason Slater was sulking earlier."

"I don't sulk Ashe, we've been over this!" Slater snapped.

"So everyone's upset about Eric?" Landon asked, "I don't know why you two are so surprised."

"Because he's an asshole," Maia snapped back as she dug into her hamburger, "And I would be a ten times better leader."

"Well… that's debatable."

"What was that Slater?" Maia snapped.

"You heard me, Maia… I think I'd be better."

"I think neither of you would be good leader, if you ask me," Ashe said with a grin.

"Who would you pick then?" Landon asked.

"Four, who else?" There was silence for a few moments at the table. As much as they wanted to be leaders, Landon thought, They still know Four would be better. Hell everyone knows Four would be better. Landon let his eyes shift over to Four; he was talking with Shauna, Zeke, and Lauren. He looked relatively happy. He seemed to be the only one out of all of them who wasn't upset about Eric's ascend to power.

"I have to go, actually we have to go," Ashe said as she stood up and pulled Slater with her, "The Initiates are done eating."

"Do I have to?" Slater asked with a groan. Ashe rolled her eyes as she spoke,

"You volunteered idiot. Let's go." Landon watched as they walked away to gather the initiates. He turned to face Maia,

"I heard your sister made it." Maia nodded. "You don't look too thrilled."

"She's not like me. I don't know what will happen."

"We'll find out soon enough."

"We will won't we?"

Ashe

Ashe adjusted her ponytail as she waited for the initiates to finish eating. Once they all lines up she lead them out of the dining hall. After going through a passage way Ashe came to a stop before a wooden door.

"Behind this door are your bunks. Yes, men and women sleep together. Get use to it guys," she said as she noticed nervous faces, "this is the least of your worries. So before I leave you to sleep, let me explain a few things. You have to be in the training room by eight o'clock everyday unless we say otherwise. Training is roughly from eight to six, with a break for lunch. After six you have the run of the place. However you cannot leave the Dauntless grounds without a Dauntless. There will also be a few days of breaks between each stage of initiation so you can all re-group." Ashe opens the door and leads everyone inside. "Ten bunks, ten initiates. Fortunately two of you didn't make it." Ashe leaned against a bunk as the initiates spread out in the room.

"That's cruel," a Candor boy murmured, Ashe ignored him.

"Let me explain your initiation process. There are three stages. Welcome to stage one. We keep you separate from the Dauntless born, but you're evaluated the same. At the end you will all get ranked. These ranks are important,"

"Why are we being ranked?" the Erudite boy with shaggy black hair asked.

"Let me finish," Ashe snapped, "Your rankings serve two purposes. The lower the rank, the better the job. I.e. you want to be number one. The second purpose is that only the top ten become initiates."

"What?" the redhead from Erudite responded.

"Only ten of you become initiates. So you're clear there are twenty initiates. Ten transfers, ten Dauntless-born. And just incase that didn't sink in. There is a high probability that more than half of you won't become members." Ashe walked towards the door, "I'll see you all Eight AM, sharp."

Ashe closed the door and came face to face with Eric. She narrowed her eyes as she leaned against the door.

"Eric."

"Ashe." Ashe tilted her head as she stared down Eric.

"Do you need something?" She asked as Eric smiled.

"Did you talk to the initiates, are you done?"

"Just finished. Since when are you concerned about the initiates?" Eric shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pocket,

"Since I became a Dauntless Leader. I'm going to be checking in on their training. Have you picked someone to volunteer to help?"

"Four, but he's busy tomorrow. I'm going to ask Landon," Ashe explained before Eric could suggest himself. Eric and Ashe were both transfer's, as such he seemed to feel he had a bond with her and the other transfers. As far as Ashe was concerned there was no bond and there never would be. Eric smiled, his piercings pulling at his skin. Ashe tried not to cringe.

"I have to go," Ashe lied. Eric didn't stop her. She didn't like Eric but she didn't dislike him. However Ashe would admit that he gave her the creeps. If she had any say in it he would stay away from the initiates, maybe she would talk to Max about it.

A/N: Hey guys so here's the first chapter. I hope you all liked it. Next chapter will focus more on the actual initiates and the Dauntless born. I was just trying to get background in on this chapter. Again, hope you all liked it! Also a very special shout out to TuxedoDuck!