A Beaten Heart (Eric Coulter FanFic)

Training

(Katherine's POV)

Four woke us up by banging a pipe against the stair rails. "I want everyone in the pit in 2 minutes." We all got up quickly getting dress and shuffling our way to the pit. Everyone look a bit groggy from just being woken up. I loved the morning.

Four began explaining to us how initiation was going to work. The two stages of training. Physical and Mental. How we would be separate from the Dauntless born but ranked together. Our jobs after initiation.

"Ranks will also determine who gets cut." Eric piped in. He had been sitting behind Four. I didn't notice him before. We all looked confused. "After each stage of training, the lowest ranking initiates will be leaving us." 

"To do what," Al asked.

"Well, there's no going back to your families so you would live factionless." Everyone looked concerned and he smiled. "Its a new rule."

"Why didn't we know this," Christina asked.

"Why," Eric's eyes bore into hers, "Would you have chosen differently? Out of fear? I mean if that's the case, you might as well get out now. If you're really one of us it won't matter that you might fail. You chose us." His eyes landed on mine. "Now we get to chose you."

Four lead us into the training room where he began teaching and demonstrating.

The following days were him teaching us how to fight and shoot guns. I was doing exceptionally well. Little did I know growing up on a farm with all the manual labor had made me strong. I had no idea. My aim with the gun was decent but I liked the fighting part more. We ran every morning. My favorite part. Running. Legs burning, heart pumping, and me smiling as I was right behind Four.

Tris and I were paired up and I was helping her with her hits when Eric came in. I noticed the air in the room shifted. How can so many people be afraid of one man, he didn't even faze me.

"First Jumper." Eric glared at me. I raised my eyebrows questioningly, "In the ring. Last jumper." Molly scurried to the mat where I was standing. "Time to fight."

I cracked my neck and knuckles. This was about to be interesting. 

"How long do we fight for?" Molly asked fake confidently. I know what fake confidence looks like. 

"Till one of you can't continue."

"Or one of you concedes." Four piped in.

"According to the old rules. The new rules, no one concedes." Eric smirked. Four turned to Eric and whispered something, but Eric didn't seem to care.

I got in the stance that Four had shown us and so did she. I erupted as soon as I saw she settled. First, punch landing right on her jaw. She stumbled back trying to regain balance. I turned and swinging my leg, sweeping hers. She fell to the ground with a loud thud. I straddled her, throwing punch after punch, not letting up.

She grabbed my throat, taking me by surprise. Flashbacks came to me. My father strangling me.  I was losing oxygen. Many nights I would just let the beatings happen and after I was too weak he would do even more. My father was the only thing I could see. I blinked to make the images go away, but they wouldn't. I screamed, "NO!" I blinked one more time and I saw Molly. I hit the inside of her elbows causing her grip to loosen. I grabbed her head, pulling it down to my knee. The crack of her skull against my knee echoed in the room. I took a step back as Molly went limp on the floor.  Everyone in the room cheered except for Peter and his group.

Did I kill her? A panicked look went over my face as I looked to Eric. He was smiling. "Four have someone take Molly to the infirmary, she'll be fine." Four did as he was told. He made Peter and Edward help her up as she was regaining consciousness.  Thank god I didn't kill her.

A sigh of relief left my body as I looked at my blood knuckles and felt my throat burn.

"That was good initiate." I looked up to see Eric in front of me. "What's your name?"

"Kat." He nodded.

"I'm shocked an Amity girl has that kind of fight in her." Why do people keep saying that? I learned how to protect myself. I learned how to keep myself safe. Why does he question my ability just because of my previous faction? He saw the look of anger on my face. "Is it something I said initiate?"

"My previous faction should not be thrown in my face. I am here now. I am Dauntless. Nothing else should matter." I blurted out of anger. It looked as if his face had turned to stone, no reaction to my previous statement. 

"Well then." He turned and looked at everyone. Mixed reactions through the crowd. Some looked shocked others looked scared for me. He turned back to me a hint of anger in his ice-blue eyes. "Don't talk back to me ever again, initiate. That goes for all of you." He didn't let go of my gaze. "Thanks to your friend's mouth here, she just earned you 10 laps! Go!" I turned to run when Eric grabbed my wrist swinging my attention back to him. "Meet me in my office at 8." And he turned and walked away.