"The first thing you will learn today is how to shoot a gun. The second thing is how to win a fight." I say, standing in front of the Stiff, sorry, Tris, and shove a gun in her hand, walking past her towards the next lucky learner.

"Thankfully, if you are here, you already know how to get on and off a moving train, so I don't need to teach you that."

The group droops like a wilting flower from lack of sleep and I raise my voice, my patience running thin. "Initiation…" I am rewarded with jumps from the crowd, starting to listen to me.

"…is divided into three stages. We will measure your progress and rank you according to your performance in each stage. The stages are not weighed equally in determining your final rank, so it is possible, though difficult, to drastically improve your rank over time."

Tris looks down at her gun, her face ashen. Peter smirks, swinging the gun lazily in his hands.

"We believe that preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear. Therefore each stage of initiation is intended to prepare you in a different way. The first stage is primarily physical; the second, primarily emotional; the third, primarily mental."

"But what…" Peter yawns, smirking at me. "What does firing a gun have to do with bravery?"

I growl, my patience gone, flipping the gun in my hand, pressing the barrel of the gun at Peter's forehead, and click a bullet into place. Peter freezes with his lips parted, the yawn dead in his mouth.

"Wake. Up." I snap, my eyes furious, a snarl twisting my mouth. "You are holding a loaded gun, you idiot. Act like it."

I lower the gun, and Peter's green eyes harden, his cheeks red.

"And to answer your question…you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you're prepared to defend yourself." I stop walking at the end of the row and turn on my heel, glancing meaningfully at Peter and Tris.

"This is also information you may need later in stage one. So, watch me."

I face the wall with the target, my feet apart, holding the gun in both hands and fire. Half the group blanches away from the sound and half flinches. I sigh inwardly.

What a bunch of losers…

I step back and lean against the wall, watching the initiates try to hit the target. I watch the Stiff try to hit it, and she cringes away from the gun, slamming back against the wall. Her face hardens and she walks forward to the line and shoots again.

And again…

And again…

I sigh, detaching myself from the wall and walk down the row of initiates. Peter and Molly hit the target on the edge every time and I stand at their shoulders.

"Tilt the gun a little to the left." I say, sounding almost bored. Molly looks over her shoulder in surprise and Peter flushes with anger, staring stonily at the target. Molly looks at me again, with veiled anger and I reach around her shoulder, moving the gun, and gently press on her fingers. Molly jolts back from the gun and gasps with surprise.

Bull's eye…

I nod and walk away from her, moving down the line.

I am helping Christina load her gun when I hear the Erudite boy-Will- say to Tris, "Statistically speaking, you should have hit the target at least once by now, even by accident."

I hand Christina the gun, watching her shoot while listening to Tris's reply.

"Is that so." She says without inflection.

"Yeah. I think you're actually defying nature."

I walk away from Christina and lean against the wall, watching Tris and Will, a smirk on my face.

Tris grits her teeth and turns back towards the target. She squeezes the trigger, hard, and her hands jump back but her feet stay in place. A bullet hole appears at the edge of the target and she raises an eyebrow at Will.

"So you see, I'm right. The stats don't lie." He smiles a little.

Tris smiles back. She looks lovely when she smiles. Wait…what am I thinking?

I shake my head and detach myself away from the wall again and move down the line, watching Tris from the corner of my eye all the while. I smile when she finally makes the target and clear my throat. All shooting stops and I smile a little.

"Time for lunch, trainees."