AN: Thanks to those who reviewed, and hello to the new readers :) I hope you enjoy the way I've approached this next aspect of training!
Chapter 6
When the alarm went off the next morning, at 6 o'clock sharp, Tris sat up in bed, a little less startled than the morning before. She woke a little more quickly too, her body already beginning to adjust to the early start.
Then her fingers went to her collarbone, and gently touched it, where her new tattoo was.
The night before, she, Christina and Will had gone with Al to the tattoo parlour because Al wanted to get a tattoo.
When they walked in, they had found Tori there, talking to a tall, broad, muscled, tough looking agent, with plenty of tattoos. It was clear he was the tattoo artist.
"Oh, hi Tori," Christina had said, being the first to catch sight of her.
Tori smiled and turned around and greeted them.
"This is my partner, Bud," Tori added, after salutations where exchanged. "As you can see, he's our tattoo artist, but he's also my partner on field assignments."
"So, you lot are awfully keen to be getting tattoos already," Bud said, he appeared a little amused.
"Well, everyone around here seems to have at least one tattoo," Will had commented.
Tori smiled knowingly, and then explained.
"Once you pass training, each new agent gets a tattoo as a form of identification – in case you need to prove your identity when out in the field, usually to another Dauntless agent, from another area. You can pick whatever design of tattoo you want, the Dauntless 'D' just has to be incorporated into the design, somewhere unobtrusive," Tori informed them. "Many agents get more tattoos, or like yourselves, get tattoos before training finishes. It's a way of expressing ourselves as our uniforms don't allow it," Tori explained.
So Al had gone off with Bud to be tattooed.
While standing, chatting to Tori, Tris had noticed a design of a bird, and impulsively decided to have it tattooed on her collarbone. Three ravens, to be exact. One for each member of her family, as a way of keeping them with her, in her new life.
Like the morning before, Tris and Christina dressed quickly and quietly, with Tris revisiting the adventure of the evening before, conscious that her new tattoo peaked out above her uniform.
Breakfast was like the day before, but a little quieter, the new recruits thinking over the fact that they would be fighting each other in a very short space of time.
They returned to the 9th floor, but instead to room 2, as Four had instructed them at the end of training the day before.
They entered, as a group, subconsciously grouping together to face the unknown together.
In the training room there was a whiteboard, with the ten names of their class written up, and paired.
Molly vs. Myra
Will vs. Al
Joan vs. Tris
Drew vs. Christina
Edward vs. Peter
Four appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and began explaining their day, "The names on the board are who you are paired to fight with today. There will be several rounds of fights, so your ability against different opponents can be assessed."
The recruits stood before him, serious and quiet.
"The rules are that there are no rules. You do not get to wear protective gear. If you have to learn to fight without it, you're more likely to learn to protect your body, which is essential in the field. You have to think of this as a life or death fight, and you have to disable your opponent the best way you know how. The fight ends when one of you has successfully taken out their opponent. You can concede, but I really wouldn't do that," Four said, his tone an added warning. "This is as much a test of your combat skills, as of your bravery."
"What's the point in hurting each other?" Drew asked defiantly.
"You're welcome to leave, Drew," Four answered icily. "Otherwise, stay here, and learn. We're the best, and this is how you become the best. By doing what you're told and following methods that are proven to work."
They began almost immediately, Molly and Myra in the centre of the room, positioned on the blue mat where the fights would take place. The others stood around, waiting, watching, eager, yet nervous.
"This is so bizarre," Tris said in a soft voice to Christina.
"But kind of exciting, even though I'm the only girl fighting a boy today," Christina countered animatedly.
Tris paused a moment and thought over their differences. They were both determined to succeed, but Christina embraced everything new with excitement or eager anticipation. Tris was more wary. She assumed it was due to their different upbringings. Tris had been taught to respect life, that causing pain and injury to others was wrong. This was very much impressed on her father, who saw pain and hurt every day, and wanted to teach his children the right way to live.
The logical part of Tris's mind listened to Four's reasoning, explaining the teaching methods of Dauntless, but her gentle upbringing made her uneasy at the violence at times.
Tris watched as the physically imposing Molly, quickly, and quite brutally, beat the small and meek Myra. Myra looked a little worse for wear, blood was pouring from her nose, her left eye was already bruising and she was holding her side, wincing as she breathed.
Molly looked relatively unscathed.
Tris wondered how people like Myra and Al ended up having Dauntless choose them, and they actually accept their offer. Tris assumed there must be something seen in them, more than physical capability.
Tris knew that she didn't have much strength, but she was fit and determined.
Al, with his half a head height advantage, and general physical size, quickly disabled Will, winning him the fight.
Then it was Tris's turn.
She stepped onto the mat with Joan, and they faced each other, poised and at the ready.
Joan was of a general size, larger than Tris's slight figure, but she seemed to have a streak of determination in her eyes.
She proved this, by striking out at Tris first, catching her off guard, and placing a sharp jab to her ribs.
Tris winced and jumped back, carefully watching Joan.
Joan came again, trying to kick Tris's feet out from underneath her.
She missed, and Tris swung back, a little half heartedly, catching Joan in the shoulder.
They continued to circle, placing little hits on one another.
Tris could feel Four watching intently, and wondered what he really thought of all of this.
In her brief lapse of focus, Joan swung out and placed one hard hit to Tris's jaw, causing her to fall with the force of it.
Joan was on her in a second, pinning her to the floor.
"Joan wins," Four called out in a bored tone.
Tris stood up, and rubbed her jaw, thankfully that her first fight had at least not ended with any blood or broken bones. She was sure she'd have a few painful bruises though.
At the end of the first round of fights, Four addressed them.
"If you all fight like that in the field, you're going to end up dead. You can't dance around your opponent, fearful of what they want to do to you. They need to be fearful of you. Fear debilitates you in battle, in the field. You need to be hungry to win, hungry to stay alive. Tomorrow, if I don't see more fire from all of you, you might as well give up the idea of being Dauntless," Four said harshly. "Return to training room three after lunch, we'll be working on target practice again. Dismissed."
Tris was the last recruit out of the room, her friends hurrying out ahead of her, to seek refuge in their lunch break. They were all stinging from the discipline they had just received.
Tris however, wanted to think over Four's words more carefully, and a part of her was determined not to flee from his words, and the training session, straight into the comforting arms of lunch.
"You've all got potential, you know," Four said, coming up beside Tris and startling her. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't. Making it as an agent depends on what you do with your ability. You have great ability. Your uncertainty is what is holding you back. You have to forget everything, forget your fear, and concentrate on whatever task is in front of you."
Tris stopped, and looked at him seriously.
"You believe all that, don't you?" she asked. "You mean everything you say to us. Everything you make us do is a test, is training, is formulated to make us become the best."
"Yes," Four said simply. "The faster you understand that, the better. The only thing in your way, is you."
They walked on in silence together, headed for the lunch room.
"Does it bother you at all, pitting us against each other?" Tris asked, as they stepped into the elevator.
"Not anymore," Four answered. "Once this stage of training is over again, you're never made to fight against each other like this. But I know that it's essential to you becoming a Dauntless agent – one that will survive in the field."
As they reached the dining hall Tris said, "Thank you. For explaining all that."
Four just nodded, and headed to where his own friends were.
Tris headed for hers, feeling much more reassured, but also a little perplexed. She didn't understand Four at all. He yelled at them, set them impossible tasks, trained them to do violent things, and then, he was suddenly so human. Sometimes as an instructor, answering questions, and then, intimate, speaking directly to her, offering her advice.
She shook her head to clear it.
He was right. She needed to put everything else aside, her confusion, her uncertainty. She needed to focus on her training and put everything into becoming Dauntless. She did not want a low ranking, she did not want to go home.
Despite some of her uncertainties, she felt like she belonged, and that was something she had not truly felt before.
Christina, Al and Will all looked curiously at Tris as she approached what was now their usual table.
Tris ignored their looks and said pointedly, "So, why do you think none of the others sit with us?"
Christina and Al continued to stare at Tris questioningly, but as he was wont to do, Will answered quickly.
"Well, we hate Peter, Molly and Drew. Edward and Myra only see each other, and Joan is a bit of a loner. The other recruit group are of course 'too cool' to sit with us," Will explained swiftly.
"And I thought I was leaving high school behind," Tris said sadly, with a mischievous look in her eye that let them know she was joking. Well, partly joking at least.
"Yeah, it's basically still like high school. Just top secret and brutal. And like high school, people will still look funnily at you if they think you're crushing on your teacher," Christina said a little stingingly.
Her words had meant to be light, but her aching limbs, and general fatigue had ended up causing her to sound more cross than she was.
Tris looked like she was about to argue back, then thought better of it.
At the same time, Christina, immediately contrite said, "Oh, I didn't mean it to sound like that. I just mean, be careful."
Tris just nodded, unwilling to continue the conversation anymore in the public area.
After lunch they returned to training, and spent several hours practising shooting at targets.
Tris blocked the rest of the world out, focusing on the task at hand. Concentrating closely with all of her senses, using everything to get better at hitting the target.
By the end of their time Tris had regularly hit the centre of the target for about ten minutes straight.
Four, walking past her, said quietly, "Nice work."
Tris nodded, and continued.
Shortly later, Four called the class to attention.
"That's enough for today," he said authoritatively. "You're all coming along well. You've still got a long way to go though. I want you to spend the next hour in the gym, working out, building strength and cardio. This will be a regular part of your training from now on. You have to sign into the gym, so I'll know if you skipped going, or if you don't stay at least an hour. See you tomorrow in room 2, we'll be starting the day with fights again."
"And then the wolf chewed up all the little children," Christina said ominously.
A gurgle of laughter burst forth from Tris, and soon she and Christina were both laughing heartily, releasing the tension that had built over the last few days.
AN: Thanks for reading :)
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