Dauntless

Part 14

I watched as the initiates one by one went into their final testing, some coming out in tears, some looking somewhat confident, and some just plain cocky they did well.

We’d see.
I sat on top of one of the tables, leaning back on my hands as I waited on the news. There was only a couple initiates left and then we’d know who were the new Dauntless and who didn’t make the cut. 
I knew everyone I trained would do well, I was an excellent teacher.
“Hey, Tori,” I said as she sat down beside me, her eyes on the blank screen above us, waiting for the news; all of us were dying to know who would be joining our ranks.
“Hey. Long time no see.”
“You’ve been avoiding me.” I reminded; her and Four could start a Camille hate club at the rate it was going.
She frowned at me. “You’re sleeping with the enemy.”
I didn’t bother to deny the sleeping part, I figured that was probably obvious to everyone now. “He’s not the enemy, we’re all Dauntless.”
“Some of us more then others.”
I sighed, shaking my head. I didn’t want to argue with her, there wasn’t a point. She was as stubborn as I was.
So we sat there in silence, waiting, and finally the last initiate came and went, a little wobbly when she left her testing and returned to the rest of us. There was nervous chatter as we all sat around, waiting for the announcement, the room just about filled to the brim with Dauntless.
I rapped my fingers impatiently, dying to know already — what was taking so long?
“Dauntless!” a voice suddenly boomed, and we all looked up, seeing Max standing along the rails of the upper level; my eyes immediately found Eric, standing just in the shadows. “It’s time to know who your new Dauntless are!”
I glanced at the screen as it flickered to life in red and black, the initiates names displayed for all to see.
So the Stiff made it after all, nice. I’m sure Four was very proud of her.
Cheers erupted all throughout the room, almost deafening with so many people here. I watched as everyone hugged and lifted the new Dauntless members into the air, big grins on everyone’s faces as they celebrated.
I wondered which of the initiates would be dead in a few months, what “accident” or “disappearance” Eric and the goons would create to make their deaths believable, just because they were born differently. I didn’t agree with it at all, but I was taking my own advice to Four and staying out of it completely lest I get myself killed.
I wasn’t a complete idiot.
“So Four and Tris are together.” Tori said after a moment, gazing off into the chaotic crowd. I turned to look at her in surprise.
“Why would you say that?”
“She just kissed him in front of everyone. You didn’t hear the gasps of shock?”
“Oh, no, I wasn’t paying attention,” I shrugged, stretching my legs slightly. “But I’m not surprised. She had to be getting some extra tutoring from somewhere. She got good too quickly.”
Tori gazed at me for several seconds, then just shrugged, turning away from me and looking back out into the crowd.
What, no comment?
Fine.
I sighed, watching everyone, seeing that Four and Tris were indeed together, standing very close and just looking at each other. I hope he knew what he was doing, that they didn’t find out what she was and break his heart.
On one hand, I kind of understood a little more why my brother, if he really had been divergent, had made a break for it and got the hell out of Dauntless. Our faction was changing, the rules were evolving, and I wasn’t sure if it was for the better.
But my brother had been an asshole. I had a hard time believing he was special at all, he hadn’t been overly exceptional or anything. He’d just been…. Himself.
But I’d also never believed he would hurt me.
So perhaps I really was too trusting; proof of that was trusting Eric for anything. He kept proving to me over and over what a fool I was to let him get to me, to even mildly appreciate him when he had his clothes on. I knew what kind of person he was, I always had, and although Four probably thought I was the female equivalent to Eric, it wasn’t true.
I actually had a conscience.
And my conscience told me that murdering people because they were born differently wasn’t okay, especially those in our own faction. It was awful, and they didn’t even know it was coming, couldn’t prepare or defend themselves.
But I was helpless there, I couldn’t offer any assistance. I was just low level leadership, and I wasn’t shoved up Maxs ass like some people. I had no say in anything, and I doubted I ever would.
I could see what type of people were leading, and a very small part of me wondered if I even wanted to be associated with them, if being Dauntless was worth losing myself — perhaps being factionless was the way to go.
“Attention! Everybody start forming lines!” a voice suddenly bellowed from above, and we all looked up, staring at the left hand of Max as he stood a level above us. “Come on, move!”
What? 
Lines?
“What’s going on?” Tori asked, and I shrugged, unsure myself.
“I don’t know, I haven’t heard anything.” I was incredibly uneasy for some reason. I watched as everyone grumbled and grouched as their celebrations were momentarily cut short, everyone starting to be ushered by the high ranking officials.
“It’s just trackers, people, nothing to worry about,” someone called when there was an uneasy ripple through the crowd at the sight of the injection guns used for simulations.
Trackers?
Why were we getting trackers?
“Did you know about this?” Tori muttered to me, and I shook my head, both of us ushered in line like cattle to slaughter.
“No, I had no idea. This is from way above me,” I mumbled, irritated at how long the line was. I really just kind of wanted to go take a nap, if I was being honest, I thought this was such bullshit.
I glanced over as I heard Erics voice, and I saw him stop the Stiff — er, Tris — when she tried to backtrack. He smirked at her, and I saw her stiffen as he forced her head to tilt so he could use the gun on her himself, his words lost to me through the murmur of the crowd.
Such an asshole.
I shifted restlessly as Tori stepped up next in line, brushing her hair over her shoulder and allowing the gun to be pressed to her skin. She didn’t even seem to notice the sting, but she was also covered in tattoos so it was nothing new to her.
I stepped up next, and tilted my head.
“Wait — not her.” I felt a hand close around my neck seconds before the gun was to be pressed against it; any later and the needle would have jabbed into his skin. My eyes went to Erics where he suddenly stood beside me, his hand flexing against me. “She doesn’t need one.”
I didn’t need a tracker?
“Come on,” he muttered, dropping his grip on me, instead latching onto my hand and dragging me out of line and to where Nosey stood, scowling. I raised a brow at him as we stopped beside him, and he quickly looked away from me.
Eric kept a tight grip on my hand, and I stared at him, confused. Didn’t he realize we were still in public, where anyone could see us? We were fuck buddies, sure, but there wasn’t any affection between us — especially not where others could see.