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Chapter 12
The recruits gathered on the 9th floor, in training room two, on Monday morning after breakfast.
They were down to eight, having lost Joan and Al already.
"Today you will have your last chance to show your ability in hand-to-hand combat," Four announced.
The combinations were already written on the board.
Tris had to fight Molly. Molly, the Amazonian, hulking, strong and blood thirsty. Molly, who had put Joan in the infirmary.
"After today, you will move into the next stage of training, which will be more of a mental test, than a physical test. You will continue to work on the physical side of training, including receiving more specialised, individual training in hand-to-hand combat. You will of course be expected to train daily in the gym, as well as working on your marksmanship," Four explained. "You will be sent details of your individual trainings sessions to your cell."
"We're expected to do all that, all at the same time?" Drew asked incredulously.
"I really think you're the last person who wants to be speaking right now, Drew," Four said coldly.
"I will explain further about the next stage of training, once you actually complete this stage," Four continued unsmilingly. "For now, first pair on the mat."
Christina and Tris stood together as Will took to the mat with Peter.
"Will's got a difficult last fight," Tris muttered to Christina.
She nodded grimly then said, "Well, so do you. And you're up second to last too."
Tris just nodded tensely, and they watched as Will stood up to Peter, challenging him at every turn. He was not going to go down easily.
When Peter came off the mat, after defeating Will in a long, even fight, he said to Tris in a low voice, "Molly's going to finish you off, Stiff. You've got no chance, you're pathetic."
Instead of feeling weak and helpless, Tris was filled with anger. She had had enough of being picked on, bullied, and beaten up. Not this time.
By the time she took to the mat with Molly, she was seething with pent up rage. All the anger she felt toward Peter was rapidly boiling just below the surface. The sneer on Molly's face only added to Tris's fury. She could see Peter and Drew on the edge of the mat, grinning snidely, in anticipation of Molly taking Tris down. Well, she was not going to give them the satisfaction.
She lunged out suddenly at Molly, catching her off guard, as soon as their fight started, hitting her in ribcage sharply.
Filled with adrenaline and anger, she continued to attack Molly, allowing her no chance to recover her focus. Tris hit at her head, her side, then kicked out at her knee, sending Molly to the floor.
Tris jumped straight onto the middle of her back, and pulled Molly's arms sharply behind her back.
"Have you had enough?" she asked, breathing heavily.
Molly tried to roll over and get Tris off her back, but Tris kicked her sharply in the ribs, repeatedly.
"I'll just keep going like this unless you give in," she threatened, adding another kick for good measure.
"Tris wins," Four declared, ending their struggle. "Tris, get off her."
Tris didn't move, she was so focused on keeping Molly down that she was oblivious to anything.
Four walked onto the mat and forcibly removed Tris from Molly.
Tris looked dazed and shocked for a moment, and then she heard Four say, "That's enough. You won. Go cool off."
Tris walked from the room, shoulder's squared, head held high. She had defended herself, and shown Peter and Molly that she was not their play thing. She did feel a little bothered by the fact that it was her rage that had empowered her to fight so viciously.
The more she thought about it, as she showered off the sweat from the fight, she realised that maybe emotion was the key. Not anger, but passion. When you fight, you have to fight for something, for someone, not just for bloodlust. As a part of Dauntless, she would be fighting for those who couldn't, her life would be dedicated to working against evil. That's where her passion needed to come from.
With this new found knowledge, she joined her friends in the dining room for lunch, a newfound confidence and ease settled over her.
"I don't think I'll even go to dinner," Christina said thoughtfully, as they ate. "I'll just wait outside the noticeboard until the rankings are posted."
"Peter will probably be waiting too, and blow your head off if he isn't first," Will joked.
"The rankings won't look any different if you wait to see them after dinner," Tris said matter-of-factly. "Just try to treat today like a normal day."
Christina grumbled, but agreed with them.
They spent the afternoon with Four, in their last extended target shooting session.
As it grew close to the time Four usually sent them to the gym he stopped them and said, "As I mentioned this morning, your training changes tomorrow. You are entering the next stage, which is going to be very intensive. You will be learning a lot about the theory behind our work, and about the different areas we specialise in, and the various positions available in Dauntless. This information will be mainly delivered through lectures – some by me, some by Eric, and some by agents you haven't met yet. You will learn about the government, the law, and psychology and profiling, as it applies to Dauntless agents. You will also do workshops in how to use our technology. The next few weeks will be packed full of learning and training, they won't be easy. At the end, you will be ranked in accordance with how well you demonstrate your knowledge in the areas in which you have been taught."
"How will we know where we're supposed to be, and when?" Christina asked curiously.
"You will get a message on your cell each evening," Four answered. "It will tell you the time, place, and subject of your classes for the next day. It will also list your instructor. Oh, also, you will be mixed in with the other recruits for some parts of the next stage of training. Dismissed."
Will, Christina and Tris walked out together, processing the new information.
"It's like high school, on steroids," Christina said with a moan, as they headed for the gym.
"I don't know, it might not be that bad, I like being busy," Tris countered.
"Yeah, I've kind of missed learning stuff, other than violence," Will added.
"You were both those nerdy kids in high school, weren't you?" Christina said astutely, and comically. "You know - those over achieving loners."
Will grinned guilty and Tris nodded.
"Well, I can see why you two aren't that bothered," Christina huffed. "At least the book stuff will be mixed in with the fun stuff. I can't wait to actually learn some proper defence and fighting techniques."
"Don't forget the technology side of things, that will be pretty great," Will reminded her.
"Maybe I'll get a gun that looks like lipstick!" Christina enthused.
Tris shook her head in amusement as they entered the gym.
The rest of the after noon and dinner passed fairly slowly for the recruits, even though they talked almost non-stop about what the rankings would be.
As soon as was realistic, they abandoned eating and made for the noticeboard on the dormitory floor.
The recruits all gathered around the noticeboard and impatiently read the list.
Edward
Peter
Will
Christina
Molly
Tris
Drew
Myra
"Six?" Tris wondered aloud. She had expected to be no higher than second last.
"Well, you did beat Molly pretty convincingly," Christina pointed out.
This caused Molly to death stare Tris with the fire of a thousand suns.
"Better stick clear of her for a while," Will suggested with a chuckle.
"I'd say the same to you, except for the fact that Peter is probably going to be too busy working out a way to ruin Edward's ranking for the next stage," Tris said grimly. "Nice work, Will."
Tris was fairly satisfied with her placing, she was sure she'd be able to improve it greatly in the next stage, partially because the style of learning would suit her more, and partly because she was really beginning to find herself.
When at the board, Tris had briefly noticed the rankings of her 'legacy' friends. Uriah had been second, Lynn third, and Marlene fifth. Tris didn't exactly think of Lynn as a friend, but she was still someone Tris knew, and would be up against at the end, when they picked who would become Dauntless agents.
That evening, as they were all readying for bed, each recruit received their promised message, containing their training plans for the next day.
Tris had a lecture with Harrison first thing, on Dauntless and the government. Then she was required to spend an hour in the gym before lunch. After lunch she had a workshop introducing her to weapons technology, with an agent called Lauren. After that, a training session in more advanced target practice, with Four.
Christina's schedule was the same, and a message from Will let them know his was the same.
Tris concluded that most of the recruits would be together most of the time, except when they had individual sessions in hand-to-hand combat.
"Sleep well," Christina said, when they were in bed with the light off. "We're going to need all the sleep we can get."
The next morning all of the remaining recruits sat expectantly, waiting for Harrison to appear and begin their next stage of training.
Harrison enetered the room a few minutes later, quickly set up a presentation, then addressed the room.
"As Dauntless agents, it is essential that you have a thorough understanding of government structure and processes. Our missions usually have some sort of connection to the government, so an extensive knowledge of how they work will allow you to do your job successfully," Harrison explained. "In some instances, you may be planted within a government section to protect someone, or to uncover cases of espionage or terrorism. More commonly, there are cases of government corruption that need to be monitored and addressed. You will also learn about various facets of the law, including governmental, during your law lectures, which will allow you to function seamlessly when working with and within the government."
The recruits were nodding, listening closely to Harrison.
"You will be tested, in written format, at the end of this stage of training, and this will determine a large part of your ranking at the end of the second stage. So I suggest you take extensive notes during any lecture you attend," Harrison advised. "Feel free to use pen and paper, but I personally would recommend you use your cell phones. They will become an extension of you, in your life as an agent, so making every use of them is advisable. We will commence now."
And so it began.
The recruits were relieved to find themselves in the gym a couple of hours later, where they could just exercise, without having to take care to absorb anything and everything Harrison taught them.
Tris was running on the treadmill when she heard a bloodcurdling shriek over the noise of her music.
She stopped the treadmill and looked up.
She could see Myra, standing over someone, presumably Edward, and they were crying out in pain.
Tris rushed to them, along with several other recruits, and the agent on duty, Tori.
Edward was pinned to the bench, the heavy weight he had been lifting, crushing his upper torso.
One shoulder was popped out at an awkward angle, and his chest looked literally crushed.
Everyone was looking on in horror, including Tori.
Tris looked expectantly at her, but she seemed unsure of what to do.
"Run to the infirmary, now!" Tris ordered Marlene, who moved off immediately.
"Will, Uriah, we need to get the weight off him, but avoid moving him," Tris continued. "Each of you grab one end, and lift it off slowly and carefully. Myra, you need to step back. Christina, hold her back. Edward, this is going to hurt, but it's going to be better for you in the long run. Stay as still as you can, help is coming."
Uriah and Will removed the heavy object off Edward's chest and set it on its bar.
Tori seemed to snap out of whatever trance she had been in, and she started asking questions.
"Who saw what happened? Anyone?" she asked sternly. "Myra?"
Myra shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Edward, can you talk?" Tori asked.
"Someone forced the weights down onto my chest, crushing me," Edward ground out through gritted teeth. "I don't know who."
Tris immediately thought of Peter. He, Drew and Molly were standing around, with everyone else. Tris assumed if he was ever questioned, they would both provide him with an alibi. But judging from the satisfied expression on his face, it was all Peter's handiwork.
"I will be asking questions about this, we don't have any surveylance in this room, for privacy reasons, but I do know who was here at the time, because there's no way you got in here without checking in," Tori annouced. "You'll all be hearing from me later."
The doctor arrived then with Marlene, and attended to Edward, quickly arranging for him to be taken away.
"You were cool as a cucumber," Uriah said, once things had settled a little.
"My dad is a doctor, I guess part of him rubbed off on me," Tris said with a shrug.
"They'll never get to the bottom of this, you know," Uriah replied. "They can ask all the questions they want, but in the end they'll get nowhere. People join ranks, and all they can do is issue a warning and watch the suspected perpatraitor closely from then on."
"I figured as much," Will said, who had been listening to their conversation. "It's a pretty brutal world. I guess we can look forward to being questioned and lectured."
"Pretty much," Uriah confirmed. "Well, I'd better get back on the bike, I've still got 10 miles left on my workout."
They all resumed their activities, trying to go about things as normal.
Lunch followed, and then they were all in their workshop for weapons technology.
When they entered, Tris recognised, their instuctor, Lauren as one of Four's friends, she was usually sat with him, Zeke and Shauna in the dining hall.
The workshop was quite intruiging, and the time passed quickly.
Before they knew it, they were in a new target practice room, with a new, more complicated set of targets.
After their lesson, Four subtly stopped Tris on her way out.
"I hear things got intense in the gym today," he said.
"You mean, someone tried to take Edward out. That someone obviously being Peter," Tris replied grimly. "Don't bother telling me, I know there's basically no way to prove it."
"You're right," Four said seriously. "I wish it wasn't that way, but it is. Especially because, from what I last heard, he and Myra are quitting. She probably wouldn't have made it through training anyway, and he is going to be injured for a while. Dauntless won't bother extensively looking into what happened if they're gone."
"What will happen to them?" Tris asked in concern.
"Well, we'll make sure Edward heals okay, then, as with everyone, we'll fix up their memories, and slot them back into their old lives," Four replied. "When you've been here a while, you'll get more use to seeing people come and go. It's often in a violent manner, because life here can be violent, often frequently."
"Yeah," Tris said quietly. "You've just got to keep rolling with the punches here."
"You're doing well, don't sweat it too much," Four said reassuringly, smiling encouragingly at her. "I'll see you later."
"Sure," Tris agreed, giving him a long look. "Later."
Tris rejoined her friends, preparing to ready herself for more intense training over the coming weeks.
AN: Thanks for reading! This story is on a two week hiatus, sorry! I'm really busy with work at the moment, so I need a couple of weeks to breath and get some more of this written :) Thanks for your understanding!