A/N: I'm so sorry guys. :( I didn't mean to leave you alone for close to two weeks. But, in my defense, I did warn you. Band Camp started this last Monday. 8 hours of marching in the hot sun and playing the flute in a school that has no air conditioning tires you out both physically and mentally. Every day when I came home, I just wanted to read and relax. I wasn't in the right mindset to update Camilla's story.
Plus, the Olympics were on, and I couldn't miss those. The USA and China are tied for most Olympic medals (as of July 31). Who do you think will pull ahead? And who are you rooting for? I'm on Team USA, nothing against China, just, I live here, so....
Anyways, you're probably wondering what this image is for. I want to start a third Divergent fanfiction, and I have a lot of ideas. I picked the best three, designed covers for them, slapped together this banner, and now I'm asking you which one you want me to do. I think I'm going to do all of these eventually, so I should actually ask, Which one do you want me to do first?
I know that a cover probably isn't enough for you to decide, so I'm going to provide a short synopsis of each story at the end of this chapter. Please comment and choose which one you like best!
Now, here's Chapter 9!
"Today is the first day of fights. There are eight of you, so everybody will fight." Tobias steps away from the board so we can see our matchups. I'm against Aiden, the male Erudite transfer.
I glance over at him. He's wearing a frown, but doesn't look too concerned. Because I'm just a tall, skinny Abnegation, right? I think mockingly. He is tall, a few inches taller than me, and round.
I'm brought out of my strategic reverie by Lavender's apprehensive voice. "Uh-oh, look who I'm up against."
I scan the board for her name, and my heart nearly stops when I find it next to Zayden's.
"They put you up against him?" Ethan cries angrily, his words mirroring my thoughts exactly. "No offense, Lav, but he'll shatter you. What is wrong with Four?"
Lav? I want to interrogate her on the nickname, but I decide to wait until after the fights. We all need to focus. I can't help but feel slightly irritated at Ethan's words for my brother.
"I don't think Four would pair them up." I say as calmly as possible. "He's usually fair. It was probably Eric who made the pairs today."
Lavender sighs. "None taken, Ethan. You're right, Zayden is a lot better at fighting than I am. And you're probably correct too, Cammi. It smells a lot more like an Eric move than a Four move."
"Don't give up!" I encourage her. "Take him by surprise. Imagine the look on his face when you sweep his feet out from under him!"
We all laugh at that. When it subsides, after a few seconds, Julia continues what I was saying. "Cammi's right. Don't go down without a fight. Besides, if that bitch decides to pummel you, I'll ruin him when we fight."
The three of us look at her in surprise. "You?" Ethan asks skeptically.
Julia grins mysteriously. "There's a lot you don't know about me yet."
"Ethan, Sadie, in the ring!" Tobias calls out. Ethan starts walking towards the center of the room, and, with a little wave towards us, steps in the ring. Sadie, the other Erudite girl with dirty blonde hair, looks nervous as she joins him.
Ethan and Sadie start circling each other, their hands up to protect their faces. Ethan is taller and broader than Sadie. Plus, he looks more confident, but not overconfident. Sadie, on the other hand, looks like she's facing a monster. Her pupils are dilated, and I can make out her hands shaking. Unless Sadie can pull herself together, move quickly and pull some surprises, this fight looks like it has a winner.
The room is almost completely silent, except for the hushed whispers of the initiates. Every pair of eyes is on the boy and the girl in the ring.
I sneak a glance at Aiden, who, according to Julia, is pretty close to Sadie. His forehead is creased and his eyebrows are furrowed. His eyes are glued to Sadie.
Ethan makes the first move, driving his fist into Sadie's jaw. Sadie stumbles backwards, holding her jaw. I cringe at the sight, and even more when I see Eric's face. It has a wide grin stretched across it, and his eyes are predatory. He enjoys this. Sick.
Ethan moves closer, preparing himself for his next attack. But Sadie, at the threat of another blow, seems to recover quickly. Ethan lifts his foot and sends it towards Sadie's side, but Sadie grabs it and pulls, causing Ethan to fall and land on his back.
Ethan stays on the ground, clutching his back and wiggling to try and keep Sadie from pinning him. To the other initiates, it probably looks like he's injured. But something, a sixth sense maybe, tells me that Ethan is not so injured. He didn't fall that hard, after all, and he landed on his back. He's faking it.
For a Candor, Ethan has some brains.
Sadie climbs over him, pulling back her fist to deal an immobilizing blow, when Ethan suddenly wraps his legs around her waist, puts his hands on her shoulders, and flips them so he is on top. Sadie looks stunned.
Ethan starts to get up, but Eric stops him with his shout. "What are you doing?"
Ethan freezes, turning his head to face Eric. "Um, I thought, isn't the fight over? I pinned her down."
"The fight is over when one of you is unable to continue. Right now, that is neither of you. Keep going."
"If one of you concedes, that would also end the fight." Tobias adds.
Eric sends Tobias a death glare, which he returns. "Not anymore. By the new rules of Dauntless, there is no conceding."
Before Tobias can reply, Ethan speaks up, clearly sensing the tension between the two. "Fine. I understand." With that, he turns to Sadie, who, by now, looks terrified, and punches her once, in the head. Just like that, she is out like a light.
I feel sick. I hate this. I hate that Dauntless, or more accurately, Eric, is making us not just fight, but injure and knock out our friends and fellow initiates. I hate that there is nothing Tobias can do about it, because when it comes down to it, Eric, Dauntless leader, holds authority over Four, Dauntless initiate instructor and control room employee.
Aiden rushes over to Sadie, pushing Ethan out of the way. The first thing he checks is her pulse. He sighs a few seconds later, so he probably found her pulse. He then taps her cheek lightly and tries to get her to respond. No response.
"Ethan, take her to the infirmary." Tobias says. Ethan obliges, kneeling down and taking Sadie in his arms.
Ethan and Aiden exchange a few words, too soft for me to hear. But it must have turned out well, because Aiden pats Ethan's shoulder, then returns to his spot, as Ethan walks out the training room doors with Sadie in his arms.
I look at Eric. Eric is staring after Ethan and Sadie, the predatory look in his eyes still not gone. It reminds me of an animal stalking his prey. His lips are curled into a satisfied smirk.
Tobias circles Ethan's name on the board. A win for him.
"Next up, Lavender and Zayden." Eric yells, looking bored now that the previous fighters are gone. He fiddles with his piercings, turning the one in his eyebrow.
Lavender visibly gulps. I pat her shoulder. "Good luck. Go get him!"
Julia gives her a hug, which Lavender reciprocates, before she steps into the ring, facing the sneering face of Zayden.
"Hey, hippie. We meet again." Zayden taunts as they begin to shuffle around each other. I analyze them. Lavender is shorter and skinnier than Zayden, who is built like a football. But I've seen Lavender at the punching bags. She's got more muscle than you'd expect an Amity to have. When I questioned her about it, she replied that part of her job at Amity was loading and unloading food supply trucks, so she did a lot of heavy lifting. This fight will not be pretty.
Lavender ignores Zayden's taunt. Good for her. He's trying to distract her, and she's not falling for it.
The fight starts with Zayden going for Lavender's jaw, just like Ethan did. I know, from experience, that a punch in the jaw hurts like hell. It can stun the person bad enough so you can go in for other attacks. Zayden's fist is flying towards Lavender's jaw and it looks almost like a repeat of the last fight, except, unlike Sadie, Lavender ducks under Zayden's fist nimbly and goes for a punch in the ribs. Zayden is quick though, and blocks. Lavender winces and backs off.
Zayden's eyes have become more green, as full of rage as they are. "Well, you can be violent, hippie. Tell me, how do you do it? I mean, did you get into fights at Amity? I bet that's it."
I bite my tongue to keep from firing some not-so-pretty words at Zayden for insulting my friend. Lavender, however, keeps her cool. I can see her clench her jaw a little, but, otherwise, she doesn't react. I don't know how she manages to keep a cool head.
Her next attack is a fist directed at Zayden's jaw. Zayden, however, grabs her arm and twists it, causing Lavender to cry out in pain. But Lavender takes advantage of the situation quickly, by stepping closer and kneeing Zayden where the sun doesn't shine. Zayden cries out, half in rage and half in pain, and lets go of Lavender.
When Zayden recovers, he glares at Lavender. If looks could kill, Lavender would be lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. Just the thought makes me shudder, and memories of my past start flashing in my mind.
Thankfully, Zayden starts talking again before I get in too deep. "Tell me, did your family teach you how to fight, hippie? Was your family so violent that they taught you how to fight in Amity?"
And Lavender explodes. She had taken Zayden's insults well up until now, but at the mention of her family, she loses it.
"Take that back." She snarls through gritted teeth.
"Nope." Zayden smirks at her.
"Take that back, you coward." Lavender yells, as she lunges for Zayden. Her attack takes Zayden by surprise, and he lands with an "oomph" on the floor, with Lavender on top of him.
She draws back her arm. "My family is not violent." She says, emphasizing her statement with a punch. "My family did not teach me how to fight." Another punch. "And, most importantly, my family is none of your business!" Punch.
Lavender lifts her arm for the next punch, and throws it. But instead of taking it, Zayden grabs Lavender's hand and twists, the same move as earlier. Lavender, taken off guard, cries out in pain, and Zayden takes that moment to lift his other hand and hit her in the face. She stays conscious, but is obviously disoriented. Zayden throws her off of him, and she lands on the floor a few feet away.
I hold my breath. This is not good. For managing to pin him, therefore embarrassing him in front of the whole class, Zayden will make Lavender pay. I pray that Zayden will act against every value he's embraced so far, and just give Lavender a simple knockout punch.
But, of course, Zayden isn't that merciful. He gets to his feet and kicks Lavender's side. And again. And again. On the third kick, Lavender groans, but Zayden doesn't stop.
I know I should stop it, but I can't seem to move. Instead of Zayden kicking Lavender, my friend, I see Marcus, kicking Tobias. Both times, I didn't do anything, when I could have. When that happened, I was lying on the floor after my own beating. But I could have gotten up and crawled over, like Tobias did the night before his Choosing Ceremony. I could have, I could have-
I'm finally snapped out of it by Julia gripping my arm. She squeezes my arm so hard, I'm sure it will leave bruises tomorrow. I look up to see Tobias holding Zayden by the waist, tightly. Zayden is struggling against him. "Enough!" Tobias roars. Everyone in the room falls silent, even Eric. "Do you think it's bravery to beat another person when they are already down? Do you think it's bravery to take advantage of those who are weaker than you?" Tobias' voice echoes around the room. Zayden has stopped struggling.
"Because here's some news for you, it's not bravery, it's abuse." Tobias spits. His eyes scan the initiates, finally stopping on mine. He holds them for a few moments, and I do too. We both understand the double meaning behind his words, the hint at our pasts.
The room is silent for a few more seconds, before Eric speaks up. "I didn't end the fight. You don't have the authority to do that."
I grit my teeth and clench my hands into fists. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Julia having the same reaction. Did Tobias' words not even affect Eric?
"Authority, bullshit. I'm the transfer initiates' instructor, not you. The Dauntless rules, your rules, I might add, say that the fight is over when one initiate can't continue. Lavender clearly cannot continue. The fight is over. Zayden, go back to your spot."
Zayden walks back to his spot without a word. I can't see his face, but I know that he's scared of my brother. Thank goodness someone can put him in his place.
Just then, the training room door opens, and Ethan walks in. "He-What happened?!"
He rushes over to Lavender, who everyone has ignored up until now, since Tobias was dealing with Zayden. He checks her pulse, then lifts her into his arms. "I'm taking her to the infirmary." He announces, already walking towards the doors. Nobody protests.
"Get in the ring, Aiden, Cammi." Eric says, his bored tone back.
I ignore my increasing urge to punch Eric in the face and walk into the arena.
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The fights are over, thank goodness. I don't know if I could have handled more bloodshed. I beat Aiden in a close match, but, in the end, I was just too quick for him. It helped that the pain didn't bother me too much, as I was used to it.
I hate that I can say that about myself.
Tobias had given me a proud grin after I came out victorious. Just knowing that my brother was proud of me made my heart swell.
But I think the person who surprised us the most was Julia. She fought Dante. Dante wasn't very good at fighting, but we were at least expecting the fight to be a few minutes. However, Dante was on the floor and knocked out cold in less than two minutes.
We had all gaped at her, except for Tobias, who grinned slightly. He knew, of course. Julia had just smiled and left Dante on the floor, walking back over to us.
"How did you do that?" Eric finally questioned, his voice betraying astonishment and slight anger.
Julia just shrugged. "I've been studying combat for a long time. Close to three years. And sorry if I offend anyone, but Dante is horrible at defending himself. His hands are too high and he always steps before he punches."
"But... but that's not fair!" Zayden had yelled, defending his friend. "None of us have prior training-"
"It's fair, Zayden." Tobias intervened, glaring at him. "She knew she wanted to be Dauntless, so she prepared for it. Nobody was forbidding you from doing it yourself. Now, Zayden, take your friend to the infirmary."
Zayden had shut his mouth and picked up Dante. Eric death glared Tobias, but didn't say anything.
"I hope I get to fight Zayden." Julia had whispered to me and Ethan, once the subject of our conversation was out of earshot. "I'll make him pay for what he did to Lavender."
I had just grinned smugly.
Zayden was in trouble.
A/N: This was a shorter chapter. Hope you liked it anyways!
Let's talk a little about my schedule going forward. My schedule in these next two weeks will be a little wonky, because I have the extra time that will undoubtedly disappear once school starts. Once school starts, I'm going to try to update at least one of my stories every week, probably over the weekend. Unless I have some huge project or something. If that happens, I'll try to inform you guys through the conversations feature. I'm going to do my best to constantly update this story, whether it's once a week or once a month, because I hate reading a story that gets put on hold or is abandoned, and I don't want to be a hypocrite and do that to you guys unless I absolutely have to.
Now for the third story that I'm planning. The synopses of the stories are below. Remember to comment and choose which one you want me to write first!
Dragging Me Down:
Beatrice Prior is devastated. She has lost her parents in a random shooting by a factionless man. She doesn't think things could get worse. But, they do. They get much, much worse.
Tobias Eaton is the son of the Abnegation leader Marcus Eaton. But the rest of the Abnegation don't know what goes on behind the closed doors and shuttered windows of their Abnegation house. Tobias doesn't wish the torture he does through on anyone. So when he hears that his father is taking in Caleb and Beatrice Prior, the children of the council member and his wife who were recently murdered, he is terrified, but not for himself.
When Beatrice and Caleb move in, they quickly learn about the dark side of Marcus Eaton, which hides behind polite words and careful deception. And they also quickly learn that there is no escape from Marcus' abuse, at least not until their Choosing Ceremonies. But could they leave each other to the monster's wrath? And if they do, will the ones left behind survive it?
The Brave Amity:
Chrysanthemum "Chrys" Thorne, the 18 year old orphan who has been through more than the average Amity. She never belonged in Amity, yet she stayed for her younger sister, Allium "Ally" Thorne, who meant more to her than anyone else in the world.
Her life was going as well as it could in her situation, that is, until the war broke out. Suddenly, the remaining Abnegation were taking refuge in Amity, along with the Dauntless who saved the city, who the Erudite were looking for. It wasn't safe in Amity for Ally anymore. And that realization is what resulted in her and Ally getting wrapped up in the whirlwind that was war.
Tris and Four may have been the faces of the war and the heroes of the story, but without Chrys Thorne, the war may never have been won.
Bullet For You:
Tris Prior is graphic designer who lost her parents in a car crash. Tobias Eaton is the CEO of Eaton Industries, a technology company he built from the ground up after escaping his abusive father, Marcus Eaton. It is a twist of fate that brings them together - or as together as they can be when one is lying on a hospital bed, in a coma.
Tris is driving one day, when she sees a car about to deliberately crash into the car in front of her. Without a second thought, she rams the car in front of her, making the other car hit her instead.
Tobias is surprised when his car gets hit. After going to the police station and learning about how a complete stranger saved his life, risking hers, he decides to visit her in the hospital.
There is a long road ahead for both of them, filled with their old demons and their new enemies. But one thing that both of them are sure about, is that the other is worth their life.
Alright, byeeeee!