A/N - There is some mild scenes of violence towards the end of this chapter, just wanted to give a heads up just in case. Enjoy!


I'm suddenly panicking as we all line the platform, all the initiates rearing to go. There's lots of excited chatter happening that I'm glad in a sense, it's distracting me from the pounding in my ears. Fifteen minutes ago Eric showed up at my door with dark clothes and boots and demanded I follow him, now here we were on the Dauntless platform waiting for the train that never stops. The trains run on an endless loop, I'd seen them from my time in Abnegation and Erudite. I've also seen how Dauntless board these trains and the thought is terrifying. Sure I can run but they've got it down to a T, I'm sure even most of the initiates know what they're doing. But I'm a nobody, I can't run to catch up to a train and that thought alone is scaring the shit out of me.

To my right I feel fingers graze the side of my hand and I look to Eric, trying to find some kind of comfort or support to squash down my nerves. I would have missed it if I wasn't paying attention, the look of concern crosses his face as he looks down to me, noticing my reaction of what we're about to do. "Run as fast as you can, try to keep up. I'll handle the rest." He says this to me and only to me and I decide I'm going to trust him with this. Even though our interactions have been few and far between and he might not even admit it, but I can tell there is something in him that cares and that I can trust. Even if he won't openly show it.

The train comes around the bend, its wheels screeching on the track as it barrels through the tunnel. I notice the way it slightly slows, but not enough to give me much hope that I might fail at this. As soon as Eric moves to start running, it take me a moment for my brain to comprehend what's going on and I take off after him and everyone behind me is obviously following because I can hear their foot falls on the pavement beside the train. I watch Eric up ahead, he's moving so quick that he gets up onto the side of the train with ease and pushes the button to open the door and he steps in. For a minute I think he's going to leave me there as my feet and legs move as fast as they can carry me, he then appears in the doorway with one hand grabbing what I assume is some sort of railing on the inside and he leans out the door with one arm out. I ignore Four's calls of my name and I push even harder, catching up to Eric just in time. I grab for him as his arm grabs my waist and he effortlessly pulls me up and into him, crushed against his chest as he pulls me inside the train.

I stay there against him, completely out of breath as he continues holding me. The adrenaline running through my veins is unmistakable, I'm shaking as I breathe and I'm surprised when he doesn't let go. "Thank you", I smile up at him and he nods.

"Are you sure you should've picked Erudite?" This makes me smile even more, I can't answer him.

He finally lets go when Four comes up to us and he's looking at me with concern, "Are you good?".

I nod because I am good, a little out of breath but I'm good, all thanks to Eric.

"Okay, listen up Initiates," Eric's voice breaks out over the top of the chatter, his tone dripping with authority. "As usual, two teams. Four and I are captains. First team to get the other team's flag, wins. Everyone, take a gun." Eric goes on to explain the bullets in the gun, they aren't real bullets, more like a dart that inject you to give off the real feeling of being shot and the thought of possibly being hit by one is horrifying. Although not fatal even in the slightest, I still don't want to get shot with one.


As the train moves around the track, an old run down amusement park is seen in the distance. I try to imagine it before the war that destroyed our city, crawling with children and families, lining up to get on the giant Ferris Wheel that sits at one end of the park. Now everything is dark and dim, the only light being seen is what little light the moon gives off. A small glow peeking around the surrounding buildings, most likely coming from Erudite and Candor. I'm leaning against the door frame now, gun in hand. I'd looked over it a few times, it's the first time I've held anything remotely violent and I wander why Max thought it'd been important I come along. I wasn't part of all the initiates and I was in no way on par with Eric and Four, I was just a transfer from Abnegation and trying to navigate my way through Erudite.

The thought was eating away at me when Eric came to stand beside me in the doorway, too close to the edge to make my stomach do flips. When Eric had finished his explanation of the game and how the bullets worked, him and Four picked their teams. Eric picked me first and it seemed I would get my shot at shooting my brother, that made me smile and my brother's huff of annoyance was evident with how he felt about that. Now Eric stood next to me, his own gun held in his hands with more confidence than anyone else. He looked extremely militant and intimidating with this look, it's like he was always prepared for a fight and a game meant for a bit of fun was no exception.

"We're jumping soon" he points out as I peer at the amusement park coming in to sight.

"Can I ask you a question?" I ask nervously, gripping the rail by the door with my free hand.

"Why do I get the feeling regardless of my answer, you're going to ask me anyway?"

I ignore him and decide to just go with it, "Why did Max want me to come? It's been bugging me. Like, the initiates and you and my brother I get. But why me?".

He takes a moment to answer, I watch as he chews the inside of his cheek. Contemplating my words and maybe his answer. "I'm not sure, I advised against it. He claims it was Jeanine's idea."

I mull this over for a moment, "I think Jeanine's trying to get me killed."

He doesn't quite laugh at my words, but he does scoff like what I've said is ridiculous. "If Jeanine wanted you dead, you'd be dead."

With that being said, something still feels off about it. I have no doubt that if Jeanine wanted someone gone, she had the power and the people backing her to get rid of someone easily. I don't get much time to think about it because we were approaching the park and Eric had instructed everyone to get ready, his team was to follow him and Four's team to follow Four.

Catching up to a moving train was hard, exiting one was even harder and a lot more painful. Eric asked if I needed help and I declined his offer, wanting to try and do it on my own. He jumped with such precision that he made it look almost easy, I jumped after him along with everyone else. My landing was not as graceful, I rolled several times. Scratching up my hands a little on the way down, I wiped them off on my pants before I picked up the gun that was thrown to the side. Eric was at my side in an instant, an amused expression on his face.

"Shut up" I glare at him before he could say anything.

He just held up his hands, "I wasn't even going to say anything".

"Sure you weren't," I said more to myself than him.

I stood by him while we waited for our team to come together while Four's team went in the other direction of the other end of the park. Eric began giving orders to everyone, our flag was currently being hidden with a few other's atop of an old carousel with initiates guarding it. Me and two others were to go with Eric, while another team would go around the outskirts of the park and try and flank Four's team from the back.

Everyone had their orders and everyone seemed to know what they were doing, I found this exercise completely pointless for me because I had no idea what I was doing. I was forced to just copy everyone else. Before we set off for the other team's flag, Eric had given me a quick lesson on how to use the gun. These were not your usual guns, so they looked fairly simple to use. Hold it up, aim then shoot. Not that I've ever held a gun before but I have seen them on the guards around Dauntless.

We ran through the amusement park stealthily, hidden in black in the dark. In this scenario, it was clear why the dark fabrics of Dauntless. It made it almost impossible to see anyone. So when Eric was able to shoot someone who was darting in between broken down concession stands, I was beyond impressed. I have to admit, from jumping out of a moving train and the fear of being shot at loomed over me. I was enjoying myself more than I thought I would be. I mostly followed behind Eric while our other two team mates were watching from behind us to make sure we wouldn't be snuck up on by Four's team.

We soon realised we didn't need to worry about that, we could clearly see and hear Four's team in the distance. I could faintly see the orange glow of fabric from their Flag flapping in the slight breeze, they were guarding and protecting it inside the small ticket booth at the base of the Ferris Wheel.

"I see their flag," I whisper to Eric, crouched down beside him behind a wooden crate. He looks to me and nods, he'd seen it too.

"Jarrod and Thyson, you take the left. Allie and I will take the right." They both nod at Eric's command and without hesitation they were gone, keeping low to stay out of sight. So far no one had noticed us, I could see Four faintly in the light of the moon talking to girl that was standing by the booth.

I followed Eric's lead as we stayed low between the crates before yelling up ahead alerted Four's team of our arrival.

"Shoot", Eric commands. I had yet to fire my weapon so it was either now or never, I ducked around the crate and my aim was so bad that I didn't hit a single person. Turns out I didn't need to because that was the cover fire Eric needed to slink forward with his gun raised, firing at each person he came across and his bullets didn't miss a single person. I followed behind Eric as he moved further forward, then firing from the other team began. It went from calm and very timid to all out war as flares were thrown from nowhere and gun shots were ringing through the air. The other third of our team had arrived on the other side of Four's team and we were slowly boxing them in as we got closer.

I still hadn't hit a single person and I was mildly okay with this and I hadn't been shot yet either, which was a good feat in my opinion. It appeared our progression was pleasing for Eric, he had a small smirk on his face as we ducked behind more crates. The ticket booth for the Ferris Wheel was only a few meters away and the girl standing outside the booth looked panicked, so did my brother. He was yelling at her to keep her guard up and that only made her panic even more.

We were so close, I could almost taste it. I had a sudden rush of bravery as I slowly come to stand, "I'm going for it" I announce to Eric. He takes a moment to assess the situation and he nods once, getting up to come up behind me. We move like a well oiled machine, Eric's gun poised in every other direction while I take the front of our duo with my gun drawn right at my brother. While he's distracted yelling at the girl, he doesn't see us slowly approaching. I pull the trigger and he falls to the ground instantly and I can hear Eric shooting behind me. As we get closer, Four is on the ground plucking the dart from his leg. I take the opportunity as I get closer and shoot him in the side and he lets out a groan, I'm more than pleased with this outcome as the girl guarding the booth concedes with her hands up. I walk straight past her, ignoring my brother's groans of displeasure as he calls out the girls name. I reach in and grab the flag and stop at my brother's feet, "Now we're even!".

He nods in my direction and just gives in to the fact that he's lost by lying back on the ground, I hold the flag in the air whooping loudly and all the gun fire stops and Eric's team caws loudly. Cheering. I feel accomplished in that moment as people from our team rush at me and pull me up to sit on their shoulders and in that moment I feel that I could conquer the world. I lock eyes with Eric while still hoisted up in the air and a look crosses his face that I can't quite place, I just smile from ear to ear and he huffs a little and flashes me his award winning smirk.


The train ride back to Dauntless is quiet, it's just Eric and I. All the initiates and Four were taking a different root, I heard someone mention something about initiation tradition. So we parted ways and Eric escorted me back to the train tracks to board the next incoming train and we boarded it much like the way we had earlier, Eric hoisting me up and holding me impossibly close as he pulled me into the train. I still clung to the flag in my hands now as I sit on the floor next to Eric, our legs almost touching as they stretch out in front of us. He had his head resting back on the wall with his eyes closed and I watch him out of the corner of my eye, his neck tattoos standing out above the collar of his jacket. It looks like he could be sleeping. So I take the time to admire the dark ink, it aligned his throat perfectly in bold black ink in perfect squares reaching just below his jaw. He looks peaceful and somewhat normal as he sits there quietly, gone is the intimidating militant man that I've grown to know.

"See something you like Stiff?" His voice makes me jump and I immediately tear my gaze away to look at the orange glowing fabric in my hands, my cheeks burning fiercely at being caught.

"You know I have a name, like an actual name." He just raises one eyebrow and opens one eye to look at me, I go to hand him back the glowing fabric and he shakes his head pushing my hand back to my lap. I don't miss the way his hand lingers on my wrist.

"Keep it. You won it, you keep it." He hesitates before resting his hand back in his lap.

"Thanks." I speak quietly before shoving it into my jacket pocket, I lean back as we both fall silent. My high from earlier has left me feeling tired and although the train ride back to Dauntless isn't a long trip, I let my eyes close just for a moment.

I'm being jostled awake as Eric moves, my head had somehow found its way onto his shoulder but he was now moving me to wake me up. I look around a little confused before I realise we are still on the train, with Dauntless coming in to view out the open door. He goes to stand up and stretches out his hand for me, I take it and allow him to pull me up. I expect him to let go except he doesn't, as he leads me to the door. I have to shake away the fatigue as I realise we will be jumping very soon, dread wells up again but this time Eric is there still clutching my hand as we disembark the train. I revel in how warm and firm his hand is grasped around my smaller one and this time I jump without even a scratch as the train slows down considerably for us to depart. He lets go once my feet are flat on the pavement safely and I hope I don't have to do that again for a long time. Or at least not without Eric's help.

The faction is mostly deserted due to everyone being asleep, it's quiet except for the occasional guard roaming the halls. But we make it to the elevator in silence till Eric's phone beeps off, I watch as he glances at it with a frown. He shoves it into his pocket but pushes the button to call the lift up.

"What is it?".

"I have to go to my office, Harrison is still there and wants me to look over something." Harrison was an older surly looking guy and was also another one of the many Leader's here at Dauntless. I didn't have much to do with him as I mostly reported to Max and Max was the only one apart from Eric that frequented Erudite. I'd spoken with the older man a couple times and he seemed nice but he wasn't a fan of Erudite's influence in Dauntless so I had little interaction with him.

When the doors opened only I stepped inside while Eric lingered in the doorway, it looked like he was about to say something but when he didn't I pushed the button for my room's floor. Before the doors could close, he chews the inside of his cheek before he speaks "Goodnight, Allie."

My heart just about leaps out my chest at his words, I like the way my name rolls off his tongue and that's all I think about on my way up to my room. But I don't quite get there as the doors open on a level I don't know and standing outside the door is Tracey, the initiate from Four's team who was guarding the flag. Her face is contorted into pure rage as the piercings in her lip are pulled tight when she curls them into a snarl, the panicked version of her from earlier is long gone and in it's place is someone with pure hatred. She's bigger than me in every way, taller with envious curves in her hips but she is also toned.

"Shit!" I instantly panic as I repeatedly punch the button to close the doors but she sticks her foot in the way of the doors closing and they open back up again, she steps in without saying a word and I back up. She has me cornered, Tracey then grabs the side of my head and slams it into the control panel of the elevator causing it to ring out as the alarm button was pushed with the side of my face. A dizzying sensation overcomes me as I feel a warm liquid slipping down my cheekbone, "Stop.." I try get out but she's grabbed me by the hair and pulls me from the big metal box. I claw at her hands as she drags me a few feet before stopping to kick me in the side while I'm on the ground, white hot pain sears through me from the impact of her hard leather boots.

"You made me drop below the red line, I'm in danger of becoming factionless because of you" Tracey grits out before she kicks me again, knocking the wind out of me. I gasp for air as I roll on the ground to try and get to my feet, if I can just get to my feet maybe I could use what Eric taught me and try get a punch in so I could escape her. How she got back here so fast has me completely baffled, but I don't get time to think about it because as soon as I try and stand she barrels into me on the ground slamming my head against the rocky floor. I cry out for her to stop again but she's ruthless and clearly angry at me for her own panicked state during the war games and since I grabbed the flag, I was to blame for her demise. I could feel the blurriness in my vision long before it comes as she slams my head again, her whole body weight on top of me now as she holds my body grounded.

I use what little strength I have and lift my knee up to push her off of me, it doesn't work. Her hands find my throat, trapping the air from going in or out. I gasp, panicked as my air supply is sharply cut off. I can feel my vision begin to blur and I can feel myself fading as I claw and scratch at her arms and hands, the sounds of the footsteps approaching and several calls of Tracey's name is music to my ears. Then all of a sudden she is gone from atop of me, being thrown to the side and I can suddenly breathe again. My gasps are ragged and Harrison and Max come in to view, hovering over me but I can't make out much more as I start to succumb to my injuries. I do hear Tracey wailing from somewhere beside me, when she stops everything starts to darken and I can feel the weightlessness of my body as I rise into the air and I'm hit with the familiar smell of a deep forest smell and I curl into it closer for a sense of comfort and that's all I remember as I let myself sleep.


A/N - Well that chapter was a roller coaster of emotions and I loved writing it and hope you enjoyed reading it. I'm going to have a small snippet at the start of the next chapter into Eric's mind and a bit more about Eric is coming up also because we haven't really gotten there yet. And if you haven't guessed already, it's a kind of slow burn but trust me. It will happen and I have big plans for upcoming chapters. As always, review, comment, favourite and follow. Much love SJ xo

P.S. Still looking for a Beta to review and edit.