Hey guys, I just realized that in the last chapter I accidentally wrote that Beatrice wanted something on her back.

Ignore that.

Thank you guys so much for the reviews! Let's try to hit 70-80 for this one!

Chapter VII. Fights and the Fence

BEATRICE

I wake up the next morning. I take off my bandages covering my tattoo in the bathroom. I come back into the dorms, it being awfully quiet. I yawn and stretch. I look around, noticing I am the only one awake. I look at my watch. We only have fifteen minutes until fights. I want to only wake Christina, Will, and Al up, but I feel bad.

I guess a part of me will always be Abnegation.

But then again, selflessness and bravery aren't all that different.

"WAKE UP!" I yell. I hear the groans of the other initiates.

"What Stiff?!" Peter snaps.

"We have," I look at my watch.

"Ten minutes until training!" At this comment, everyone gets up. I look to my right. Christina is asleep.

"Christina," I shake her. No answer. "

Wake up!" I yell. Still nothing. "There's a moth on your face Christina!" I scream.

She instantly gets up, screams, and rapidly bats her face. I laugh.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

I shrug, still laughing. She joins in this time.

"Come on, we got to go!" Al says. Luckily we all slept in our training outfits. Christina and I run to catch up with the other initiates.

-o0o-

We run into the training room, where all the other initiates are looking at today's pairs. I search for my name, or Stiff.

Christina/Al

Edward/Will

Drew/Molly

Stiff/Peter

Myra/

I'm fighting Peter. I actually am happy, he seems like a worthy opponent. I look at Tobias, he seems worried but glad someone could show up Peter. I look to Christina, Will, and Al. They all look happy with the pairings. Except Al. He comes up to me.

"Maybe you can just take a few hits and pretend to go unconscious." I feel my heart drop and my anger rise.

Does he really think I am weak? Did he not see me break FOUR punching bags?!

I shake my head.

"I am not weak. I can do this." I snap.

He seems hurt, but I don't care, I don't return his feelings.

o0o-

Fight by fight goes by, with Christina, Will, and Molly winning. Tobias drags Al, Edward, and Drew to the infirmary.

"Stiff and Peter."

I walk to the blood-stained mat, with my head held high, showing that I have no fear. Peter also slowly walks up, his smirk faltered. He looks genuinely scared for a second, but masks it with a cold sneer. We circle each other with our hands held up to protect our face.

"A brave man acknowledges the strengths of others."

Tobias's words pop up in my head. I note Peter's weaknesses; he is too arrogant for his own good.

He is easily distracted. I decide to play weak. I pretend to look like I'm crying. Peter smirks.

"You okay there, Stiff? You look like you're about to cry. I might go easy on you if you cry." It's working. I try not to smirk and continue acting vulnerable. Eric's foot tapping is getting so annoying, I want to throttle him.

"Come on Stiff. Just one little tear. Maybe some begging."

He lowers his defense. It's nearly time to strike. I weakly kick him, and he pulls me to the ground. Just a little more… I get up.

"Stop playing with her. I don't have all day." Eric sighs sarcastically. Peter smirks arrogantly. NOW.

I kick Peter in the gut and I sidekick him, pushing him onto his side on the floor. I kick his stomach, earning me a punch in the nose. Black dots start to stain my vision, and I shake my head. I punch his nose, and he kicks my gut.

Pretend he is Marcus. Pretend he is the person who abused you for nine years. Pretend he ruined your life.

I try not to double over, but he kicks my feet and I fall over on my side. Currently we are both rolling around on the floor, punching each other. We are stuck on the floor, because if one of us try to stand up, the other pulls them down. I try to escape his grip and I stand up, before he pulls us both down. He is on top of me, and he pins my wrists above my head.

"YOU BITCH!" He pulls his head back, and before he can head-butt me, I punch his throat, and flip us over.

I am straddling his stomach, and I repeatedly punch his face.

Eric wolf whistles. "SHUT UP ERIC!" I growl, and Peter and I continue to punch each other. I start to see his eyes roll back. I stop straddling him and I quickly stand up. Before he can stand up, I kick his temple, hard. His eyes roll back and he stops moving.

"The Stiff wins!" I step back, and start panting heavily. Christina and Will are cheering, and Tobias is failing to hide a smile. He circles my name, then places a limp Peter over his shoulder, and walks off in the direction of the infirmary.

"Fights over! You are dismissed!" Eric yells. "You did awesome!" Christina exclaims. I blush. "Thanks." I mumble.

"Come on, let's eat dinner." Will says.

The next day, we awake to Eric's loud voice piercing through the dormitory.

"Initiates! Meet me by the train tracks in five!" I groan, and wipe my red, puffy eyes.

I had a dream-nightmare-of Marcus shooting me, throwing knives at me, and I couldn't move. The usual Thursday "lesson", however I couldn't die.

I just suffered.

I get up and shake Christina awake.

She groans, and wakes up. I change while Christina covers me, and I do the same with her.

We run to the dining hall and grab a muffin. I look at my watch. "Christina! We got to go!" We sprint to the tracks, where Tobias and Eric stand with the other initiates. We stand by Will and Al.

"What took you so long?" Will asks.

"Stumpy legs over here turned into an old lady overnight." I say, nodding to Christina.

"Shut up." She says. I snicker.

I hear a horn. The train is nearing. I break into a sprint, and Al pulls me up into a train car. I help Christina up, who helps Will up. We ride in the car with all the other initiates, and Tobias. When I see Peter limping, I can't help but laugh.

He glares at me. "What Stiff?"

I smirk. "Oh nothing. I'm just proud of my handiwork."

He and his trio glare at me. "

BURN!" Christina whole car erupts in laughter.

"Am I going to have to listen to your bickering all the way to the fence?" Tobias cuts in. T

he car is engulfed with silence.

"What do you think is out there? I mean, beyond the fence?" I ask.

Christina shrugs. "A bunch of farms, I guess."

"Yeah, but I mean…past the farms. What are we guarding the city from?" I roll my eyes.

"Monsters!" Christina teases and makes hand motions. I smile and roll my eyes.

-o0o-

I zone out until the train wheels squeak and stop moving. I hop off the train car.

"Follow me." Tobias beckons for us. We follow him, and he stops at the gate.

"If you don't rank in the top five at the end of initiation, you will probably end up here. Once you are a fence guard, there is some potential for advancement, but not much. You may be able to go on patrols beyond Amity's farms, but-" He is cut off by Will.

"Patrols for what purpose?" His voice is dripping with curiosity.

"I suppose you'll discover that it you find yourself among them." He continues. "As I was saying. For the most part, those who guard the fence when they are young continue to guard the fence. If it comforts you, some of them insist that it isn't as bad as it seems."

"What rank were you?" Peter asks.

Tobias looks at him levelly in the eye. "I was first."

First? That explains how good he is at everything…

"And you chose to be a faction ambassador? Why didn't you get leadership?"

"I didn't want to." Tobias's voice goes flat.

We are led to the next gate, and I see something familiar. I see the personal gray car I drove in to the Choosing Ceremony.

I look at the car and Marcus comes out. My eyes widen in fear and my muscles lock.

No, no, no. The vivid painful memories of him cut deep into my mind.

I immediately hide and try to blend in with the other initiates, between Myra and Christina. He goes up to Tobias and they talk for a bit. I wonder why?

Right, Tobias is the Ambassador to Abnegation.

I overhear snippets of their conversation; "Erudite…Articles…Lies." Erudite Articles?

They wrote some fake ones about Tobias transferring…What'd they write about me?

ach faction normally gets copies, I guess we'll just have to wait.

I hope Marcus doesn't tell Tobias anything about me, or even mention me.

Tobias finishes his conversation with Marcus, who drives back to Abnegation in the car. We follow Tobias to the train. He helps me up, while all the other initiates are in the car in front of us. He places a hand on my cheek, I flinch.

He sighs. "I know something's wrong. No one just demolishes four punching bags in an hour and is okay."

He knows? About Marcus? I hope not…

He pulls his hand away. "Good fight by the way."

I smile. I walk through the door and into the other train car with the other initiates.

Christina smiles. "So…what were you and Tobias up to?" She says, but whispers 'Tobias'.

I blush. "He told me I had a good fight." She smiles even wider.

"It's nothing Christina."

"Sureeeeeeeeee."

"Hey, how's Will?" I smirk. This time, it's her time to redden.

"Touché."

Please review! I will update at 70 or 80.

~WhatifTris Writing