"Seriously, El, do you think Divergents are real?", Al was asking questions ever since they got up, and it was already noon.
They were preparing for fights.
And no matter how much Ellie liked him, and she did, now was growing bored.
"Are you seriously asking me this in
the middle of the training?", she couldn't contain herself anymore and rolled her eyes, leaning on the boxing bag he held, near him.
"She wouldn't even recognize a Divergent, even if she met one. You're asking the wrong girl, pal." Peter interfered as always, being somewhere behind them.
She didn't even have one single nerve to turn and look at him again, but she did.
Was Peter prying on their chatter??
"Oh, because you are such an expert on the subject in your free time? Please, Peter. Put your money where your mouth is.", she let out.
Peter, of course, being his usual self, opened his mouth to say again something vile, but the sound of strong footsteps coming in interrupted him from doing so.
"First fight!", Eric announced, still walking towards them, making all of them tremble for all sorts of reasons. "Tris versus Peter!"
"What?", Ellie and the rest of her friends turned to look at the situation.
Peter smirked at them vengefully. Ellie was now officially pissed of.
This is not how her day should have started.
"Uh-oh.", Will was upset. "It's Eric. He's just trying to get back at Tris.", he concluded.
"Tris, make him break a sweat, then punch. Let him go first, it will exhaust him.", Ellie snatched her hand quickly when Four interfered and simply took her and her timid face to the ring without looking at any single one of them. He was speaking, walking beside her, obviously advising her.
"All right there, stiff? Look like you're about to cry.", Peter smiled widely. "Might take it easy on you if you cry."
"Come on, Tris!", Christina shouted.
But...
Tris was down in twenty seconds.
Of course, she was. Eric set her up to fight the number one initiate on the scoreboard.
Eleanor looked at him, he looked back. "Why??" was written all over her face. But, he just shifted his gaze indifferently back on the ring.
Tris grunted. She fell to the ground half aware of the world.
"Get up. Get up.", Peter shrieked at her.
"Come on. Stop playin' with each other.", Eric rolled his eyes.
That was one thing they both had in common, they rolled their eyes indefinitely when annoyed or bored.
He looked bored now.
And what was even worse, Ellie saw it, he was.
He was here for blood. Tris's probably since she was the one to provoke him in the Knife room.
Peter behaved like a dog that received a command.
He was becoming a true Dauntless, from her viewpoint.
That's what they needed, too - blindly obedient guardians, dogs, and soldiers.
Ellie didn't sure does she meet the requirements for any of that.
One, two, three.
Tris was officially knocked down and unconscious.
***
"Congratulations on your score, that's awesome!", Will said audibly, taking the place in front of Eleanor at the dinner table.
"You guys are not so bad yourselves.", she giggled at him and Chris, pulling the bread out of the basket.
Ellie never asked Will about how the Hell he did fell in love with Christina so quickly, since he was never the one to fall like that.
But, she has decided to be their best friend as always and to simply share his happiness.
"We're not second behind Peter.", Christina smiled considerably.
"You can't peel off each other, even in here, on the scoreboard.", Will chuckled. Two seconds later, the bread stroke him in the nose.
"Auch!", he groaned. "What was that about?"
"Don't ever say that again. Not even in a joke.", Eleanor threatened him, smiling though. "Anyways, any news from Tris?"
"We'll visit her later to check up on her. She hasn't woken up yet. You can come with us, before the game.", Christina invited her.
"I promised Uriah to meet with them before the train. But we will see each other there, you can tell me how she is.", she smiled erroneously, obviously not being pleased with the topic.
"Are you sure you're not avoiding it?", Christina asked.
"Avoiding what?", she was already steady in the next moment.
"The fact that she's leaving.", Christina said. "I think you're not bearing with that. But, it's okay, you're not the only one. No one knew they will change the rules.", Christina tried to soothe her.
But, solacing Ellie was like stroking the stone sometimes. "So are we."
"I am fine.", Eleanor sounded indifferent as ever. Only Will understood that answer.
One that meant "Yes, I am kind of sad, but I won't talk about it." He just glanced at her.
"Guys, there's Eric. With Max.", Al tarnished the telepathy moment between the two besties. "They'll probably go to announce the War games."
"I don't understand why all the fuzz about it.", Eleanor shrugged, eating the potato slice. "No one's crazy to miss the traditional "Welcome to Dauntless " party, or whatever this is."
"It's embarrassing.", Christina was uneasy about it. "Mainly if we're not in the winning team and if we end up above the line even after the game."
Eric walked through the Hall, following Max with the speculative look coming from his eyes.
He was looking for something.
His murky eyes were inspecting the crowd the whole time while walking.
Everybody was aware that the Leadership was in now.
The shift in the crowd was apparent.
Those lowering voices mumbling indistinctly made the environment quite anxious and heavy.
Ellie was coming to be nauseous from the friction she was only trying to swallow along with the potatoes.
"He's looking at us.", Al weirded out, completely feeling uneasy.
"He's not looking at us. He's looking at her.", Will inferred with dislike in his tone.
"Ellie, he's looking at you: Why is he looking at you?", Christina's startling reaction came soon after.
"How should I know?", she retorted quietly, obviously stressing about it.
Yeah, she felt his eyes stung in her back.
Again.
Well, that was what she'd call embarrassing!
"Have you two even talked?", Christina asked in a low voice, still secretly prying on him.
"No, for the love of God, Christina, we haven't talked.", Ellie was still upset, answering back in low voice.
She enclosed her face with one hand, feeling ashamed and somewhat intimidated.
"Khm-khm, he's still looking.", Will "coughed" under his hand, lowering his head.
Max and Eric stood up on the stairs, but he kept glaring at her, just less plainly.
He noticed Initiates around Ellie were in distress because of the situation, but he didn't mind.
He found what he was looking for.
"I think he will try to kill me tonight and feed me to pigs.", Ellie assumed with a frantic expression all over her face and a potato slice in her mouth. She was just too overwhelmed, she couldn't even swallow the food anymore.
"Pigs? Eww, El, Grosse.", Christina was repulsed.
"They eat everything.", Will was lecturing as always. You can get the boy out of Erudite, but not the Erudite out of the boy.
"Yuck, Will, still gross!"
"Attention, soldiers!", Max piped up loud, which stopped them from conversing. The noise was suddenly lowered and the Pit became one peaceful place. Pretty extraordinary for an area full of Dauntless people.
"Tonight, we'll be traditionally playing the War games. Be at the Pit everybody, we will check the scoreboard and celebrate the winners. Freshmen, make us proud!"
Ellie heavily exhaled. She had a strange feeling about this.
* * *
They were on the train, anticipating every moment some kind of announcement from Eric or Four.
But, there wasn't any.
The trainers were just spending their time in silence, unloading the weapons.
Eric hasn't looked even once at Eleanor since they got on the train.
Why isn't he looking?
Are you seriously asking yourself why isn't he looking once the man has finally left you alone? she interrogated herself, but then, quickly turned to the open door to watch the city. She had to clear her head and relieve the anxiety.
The city of Chicago was partially in ruins after the Hell the world has been through, but it still had some unique beauty in it.
She turned her head to the left while gazing and her breathing ceased.
The excitement filled her lungs in two seconds.
"Christina!", she yanked her friend's hand forcefully and broke her out of her thoughts.
"What?", Christina asked, little taken back by her strong yank.
"It's Tris!", she spoke loudly, which wasn't a good idea since it caught both Eric and Fours' compassion and they started looking out for her.
"C'mon, Tris, c'mon!", meanwhile, Will snatched her hand and pulled her in.
Beatris was rapidly breathing, looking good and fresh, like after a good sleep. No matter what Eric said, Ellie was delighted she was here. She deserved to be here tonight, just like everybody else.
"Hi.", Tris widely glowed, but the moment of happiness was soon long gone, because Eric, as always, intruded on it. Wherever he stepped in, the darkness was left behind his footsteps.
"What are you doing here?", Eric was impolite.
"I just figured that I had to make it.", she said.
"Who let you out?", he asked boldly and stood next to Ellie.
"I did.", she said. Ellie looked stunned.
"You did? Okay.", he sounded insensitive again and glanced at Ellie.
Her stomach began swiveling for unknown reasons, not feeling so indifferent as him right now.
Here it goes again, she thought to herself and looked at Christina for consolation.
Judging by the look in her eyes, she saw what Eric did. It was embarrassing again because Christina probably wasn't the only one.
She tried not to look at her colleagues and thereafter decided that there is no need to know if the others caught a glimpse of Eric's behavior No one could change stating the obvious. It wasn't her fault.
She never did anything to encourage that kind of behavior from him, heck, they haven't even talked that much!
"The game's simple. It's like Capture the Flag.", Eric announced suddenly, now placed behind her, picking up the gun. So lost in the disturbance, she hasn't noticed that the Leader went to pick up some weapons.
"Weapon of Choice.", he announced.
"You call that a gun?", Molly laughed.
The sudden bullet flew across the train cabin on the horror of everybody present.
Ellie was weirded out, but she wasn't scared. She was confused, her body was supposed to react differently. She was supposed to be intimidated. Why she wasn't? But she was sure that wasn't evident. Molly groaned and fell to the ground, in pain, holding her leg.
"Neuro-stim dart.", Eric pulled the dart out of her leg and demonstrated it to everybody.
"Simulates the pain of a real gunshot wound. Only lasts a couple of minutes.", he explained. "Two teams. Four and I are captains."
"You pick first.", Four told him.
"Okay. Ellie.", he said in one breath, looking at her and she stiffened.
Another wave of distress slashed Eleanor because everybody else looked at both of them.
Christina looked at her in concern though, as she could hear her heavy, anxious breathing.
"The pigs, I told you.", she whispered to Chris under her chin.
Eric looked at her again, trying to figure out what she just said to her friend. He was way too interested and she didn't like it at all.
"I'll take the stiff.", Four said, looking competitive.
"Oh. Picking the weak ones so you've got someone to blame when you lose.", Eric grinned widely.
"Something like that.", Four endorsed. It looked like they read each other minds.
* * *
"Three teams. Scouts, watchers, protectors.", declared openly Eric. "Scouts will split and find their goddamn flag. Molly will protect up ours in the tower. Eleanor will stay with me for protecting and covering."
Goddamit, she thought to herself again. There was no use in feeling awkward anymore, she couldn't change a damn thing.
Ellie will need to pull this thing and survive the initiation because that was what she was here for. Thereafter, it won't matter who looked at who and why.
Eric will probably move on to another someone to torture.
"Why doesn't she go scouting?", Peter asked. "She's good with the gun."
"Precisely, Peter, finally something smart out of your Erudite mouth.", Eric told. "I need a good shooter beside me if anyone gets near. Scouts that are staying on the territory, don't make that goddamn true or you're all out.", he barked. "Peter, you may scout in silence with your team. Don't let those idiots shoot you.", he said. They all nodded their heads. "What are you waiting for? Go!", he shouted at them and in a second they split up. Except for her, she was still stunned, waiting for what will happen next.
"You.", he looked at her. "Follow me and keep that gun loaded."
"Okay.", she reacted quietly and heeded into his steps.
She has already decided that there will be no talk. What should she discuss with him? There was nothing to discuss. She'll soon become pig food. But, again, she wasn't terrified. With every step taken towards their destination along with him, she felt oddly more comfortable.
It's what she needed to feel if she was to shoot anyone tonight.
"Molly, watch out from the tower, keep us updated.", Eric said out loud when he saw her battery up on the top.
In the meantime, Ellie loaded her gun and climbed up some boxes for a better view.
"You don't think you're invisible, don't you?", he asked her, bending his back up the wall. He looked so reckless and handsome, but that's what bad boys were for. To look just like that and break weak hearts.
"No, I don't.", she retorted, looking at the distance. For a War game, she felt somehow benign at the moment.
He looked at the distance too. Two minutes just passed in soothing silence they both willingly contributed to.
None of them would admit that, but they had certain chemistry going on there, almost as they were connected.
It was odd but very present and she was receptive to that, now that she stood next to him.
The feeling of security and trust was mutual, almost biological, and that's what counted in the life or death situations.
Anyway, Ellie openly had high hopes he won't talk to her, like ever again.
"You're not much of a talker, aren't you?", but he did.
Crap.
He reads minds now.
"If I don't have anything smart to stay, I don't say anything at all.", she replied, sounding indifferent as ever. Good job, El, she thought to herself.
"Smart choice.", he approved. "It will probably keep you alive at some point."
"If anything goes sideways, I'll always have this.", she pointed out a rifle, smiling. Where did the silence go? Did she just start chatting?
"That was my mantra from day one.", he said.
"Obviously.", she said, but he reacted a bit bumpy.
"Why does that mean?", his eyebrows narrowed.
"Nothing. I'm sorry.", she said, but again, indifferently. At least, she was doing her best to sound and act impartially.
But with Eric by her side, Ellie felt peace the whole time. Safe. Like no harm could come her way.
He was one of the most dangerous soldiers she has ever known, but that's probably what made him feel so safe to be around.
"Go back to your first logic. The one I agreed on.", he said. She showed him thumbs up and put herself up to watch.
"Ellie, come back down. Right now, I need you not to be shot.", he told her rigidly. But as soon as she was up, he realized why she went up there. She has heard something. And he already knew from where those sounds were coming from.
"Get down right now, I know where it comes from.", he whispered rapidly.
At the moment she leaned, the dart came up to her head, but she managed to jump back next to Eric, holding his hand and resisting it.
"Sloppy.", she commented, loading the gun.
She managed to catch a glimpse of Al, hiding behind the bunker. Five seconds later, he was groaning and moaning out loud because he got shot.
In both legs.
"Cover, now!", Eric shoved her behind the bunker with him
The shots were heard all above.
The opposite team was attacking massively, there was no question, but Ellie knew it was a distraction.
This was way too easy and apparent - someone probably went out to catch the flag behind their backs.
While striding through the dark, she saw Eric being shot.
Ellie instinctively ran to him bending to cover and stop whoever tried to go to the flag, but recoiled for a moment when she saw her friends climbing up there.
Tris needed this.
She needed to stay and Ellie knew that.
Eric was coming to his senses, so she shot Christina who was being pulled by Tris to climb up. She needed to do something to seem engaged in the fire, or Eric won't be nice next time.
"Go.", Eric said, still heavy breathing. "I'll cover, just go."
Without a word, she listened to her leader as every true Dauntless would. At least, it looked like it.
She decided to pull a game, knowing all of her friends are safe on the upper side of the scoreboard, Christina included, which was actually why she was Ellie's first shot. Of course, Ellie was capable of shooting Beatris too.
Ellie went to the tower, with the initial ambition to knock down Molly, who was pretty sloppy sometimes, and to surrender the flag to her friend, fighting to stay.
But, just when she wanted to climb the ladder intentionally not being careful, she got shot in the back. Four still had his gun and freed her of having to explain to Eric how she lost the flag to Tris, who was Factionless at the moment.
***
"I'm not playing the War games against you ever again.", Will said to her and she smiled.
"You seriously almost got the half of the team killed. If you weren't playing with those idiots...", Christina talked and she laughed.
Eric was grumpy because of the loss, but Ellie left him being grumpy to congratulate her friends.
She knew she was going onto stage two anyway. The win wouldn't change a thing for her.
"I am glad you won!", she said out loud, widely grinning.
"I am glad you managed not to become pig food today.", Christina said, looking at her considerably.
"Being good with the guns gives you some credit.", she clarified with a smile. "Especially when you hold one in your hand."
"Okay, we'll keep it that way.", Christina said.
***
"If you're ranked above the red line, you'll move on to the second stage of training. If you're below it, we'll waste no more time on you. Here are your rankings.", Max declared.
The crowd clapped, screamed, and praised as Eric revealed the scoreboard.
"Tris, you made it!", Ellie hugged her.
"I told you that you will.", Christina said proudly, joining the hug.
Ellie, as always, decided not to even indicate how big her part in that was. She hated injustice. And good people are being hurt for no reason. And her friends here in Dauntless were good people.
"Okay, enjoy tonight, guys.", Four said. "But don't enjoy too much, you need to be rested and prepared for the second phase of the training."
Ellie giggled.
For the first time she got here, everything felt okay in Dauntless.
She was occupied with conversing with people that much, that she didn't notice the pair of gray eyes fending her from the stairs, looking promising that no harm will come her way tonight.