Daunting Fires (Completed)

8- Concussion

Damian was the fifth jumper. He has wide shoulders and he's pretty tall. I wasn't so sure about his muscle capacity. But still, how was I going to win this fight? I'm a foot shorter. I look at Eric, desiring to know that he made a mistake. Eric looks back. "Get to the platform." Is this payback for being rude? Because I would genuinely like to apologize.

I walk to the fighting platform and glare at Damian's blue eyes. He doesn't look nervous but I see sincere pity in his eyes. It makes me angry. I don't hesitate when I decide to punch his jaw.

Damian has his eyebrows raised, completely surprised. I smile slightly. He tries to punch my stomach but he hesitates before doing so. I have just enough time to move away.

I feel confident up until Damian slides his legs behind mine and trips me. He kicks me once in the side and I groan in pain. He tries to kick me again but I grab his leg and make him fall on his behind. I hear a snicker from the initiates.

While Damian is down, I get up and kick him in his gut. He yelps in pain and I find yet another opportunity to kick my foot into his nose. I'm about to do it again when I stop. His nose is bleeding all over the place. I think I'm done.

I look at Four. "Ok, fight number two winner is Dal-"

"She didn't win yet." My eyes jump to Eric. "He's still able to fight."

I stare back annoyed. Then I look at Damian who is struggling to get up. He's holding on to his kicked up side. My foot pushes him down on the ground again. I'm about to kick his head and "finish".

But I can't. I look down at his bloody nose. His face looks tragic. Did I break his nose?

"I said finish, initiate," I hear Eric say. I extract my foot to kick Damian again but I don't have it in me. I, for some absurd reason, don't want to win. No, not like this. Not without true reason to win.

"Get up," I whisper to him. He groans lightly, clutching his side. "I said get up, weakling. Get up and fight like a man." With this, Damian gets up and throws a punch in my face. I fall down and he has the perfect opportunity to finish the fight. Instead, Damian trips over my legs onto his face, unconscious.

What? What just happened?

"Jared, you've already fought. Help me take him to the infirmary," says Four blandly. Jared nods and goes to Damian, picking his oblivious body up with Four's help. I'm still on the ground, confused as hell.

Out of nowhere, a blonde girl from abnegation stomps towards me. I recognize her as the girl Damian talks to. "See what you've done to him? Did you see?" She starts kicking me in the side and then in the head. I try the best I can to cover my head but she blows another kick to my it and I pass out.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

I wake up and Mara's face is above mine along with Eric's. "The little princess woke up," says Eric in a dramatic voice. I hear grunts of pain and cries of initiates. They're fighting. Why isn't anyone stopping them? I get up too fast and my head throbs like crazy.

"I think you might have a minor concussion, hon," Mara says in a sweet voice. She was definitely a former Amity. "Do you remember your name?"
My eyes glance to Eric and he looks amused with a playing smirk on his face. I give him a dirty look and he chuckles. "Hon, can you answer me?"

"I've had it for 16 and a half years. what do you think?" I say as my eyes follow her mini flashlight. Eric laughs darkly and says, "yep. She's definitely herself. She's fine." I look at him, wanting him to disappear.

"Could you get up and walk in a straight line?" Mara asks. "Sure I can. I'm not drunk." I get up and walk in a straight line, again, way too quick. I get dizzy and lose my balance, gripping the wall for support.

"Guess you are drunk." I wish I had a serum called "Eric-be-gone". I would use it wisely.

"Ok, well take it easy, Dalia." Mara leaves and I look around the room. An unconscious girl is being dragged out and I think everyone else is headed towards the cafeteria for lunch. I sigh and walk towards Cecelia. She's waiting for me with an overwhelmed look on her face. She looks exhausted.

I almost reach her when someone yanks my arm. I look up into Eric's cold eyes. "May I speak with you?" I smile a fake, sarcastic smile. "No. But thank you very much for asking!" I head back to Cecelia, who looks petrified. Eric grabs my hand and takes me to the target zone. I try to keep up and yell to Cecelia, "I'll see you later."

Once Eric and I get to the targets, he let's go of my hand and frowns. "Oh. You must be beat from watching fights." I say and roll my eyes.

Eric takes me by the shoulder and slams me against one of the body targets. His left arm pins my collarbone to the target board. In his right hand is a knife. He slams it in the little space near my head. I look left at the knife, kinda impressed. He's so close that I note his breath smells like mint toothpaste and not chocolate cake.

I'm not scared that he'll kill me. He might hurt me. But he can't kill me...

Right?

"You need to take this whole initiation process more seriously. If not, I'll introduce you to factionless life myself." His words vibrate in my ear. His chest is only an inch away. I look at his biceps, now on both sides of my head. Eric notices me looking at him and playfully smirks.

"Huh," is all he says. He looks down at me and I look up at him, and I can't help but look at his muscular build and handsome face. "You checking me out, initiate?" He gets closer to my face, obviously trying to tease me. I blush tomato red.

"Nothing to check out," I swallow the lump in my throat. His smirk grows bigger.

"There are only twenty minutes of lunch left, Dalia," Four's voice sounds from the door. Eric closes his eyes and sighs. He immediately rolls his eyes when they open. "Go," I obey Eric's command and leave. I duck under his massive bicep and walk towards the door.

"Don't forget who's in charge," Eric says behind me. I smirk and quietly scoff.