Lovers In The Pit (Tobias/Four Eaton x OC) ALL RIGHTS TO VERONICA ROTH

Chapter 4

Tobias POV

We all made our way to the training room, led by Amar. He paired us all up. I think he likes me because he paired me with Vi. I also think he hates me because of that. I know next to nothing about fighting.

"Ok, now that that's sorted," Vi said, scratching her head "Let's work on your stance, getting into a fighting stance."

I bent my knees, kept my feet at a small distance, and held my shaking hands in front of my body.

"You done?" Vi asked, "Let me show you how to do it, then you can copy me, yeah?"

I nodded.

Vi spread her feet apart a little and bent her knees slightly before pulling her fists in front of her face.

"A fighting stance needs to be strong, so when you're fighting, you keep tension in your stomach," Vi explained, "While holding the stance, you also need to be able to move, so you don't keep tension in your legs unless your kicking someone."

I nodded along with what she was saying.

"You try," Vi commanded.

"Ok, I'll try," I said.

"Trying is the first step to success," Vi said.

I tried to copy her, I really did. I spread my feet apart, my toes pointing inward. I bent my knees and held up my fists.

Vi walked over to me and poked me in the shoulder. I collapsed.

"And that," Vi said as I stood up, "Is exactly how I know you've never been in a fight. Or you have, it was just one-sided. Try again, and this time, I will correct your positioning because you need it."

I nodded and tried again, resuming the stance I had before. I now know it's wrong, but I don't know how to fix it.

"Ok, we're gonna start at your feet and work our way up," Vi said, "I want you to have your feet slightly under shoulder width."

"What does that mean?" I asked, confused.

"Shoulder width," Vi put her feet so her heels lined up with her shoulders, "Slightly under," she shifted her heels so they were further under her body.

"Ok," I first put my feet at shoulder width then shifted my heels further together, "Like that?" I asked.

Vi grinned at me, "Exactly like that! Now we gotta work on your knees."

I looked down at my legs and noticed that my legs were straight, "They're not meant to be straight?"

"Nope, if they're straight then one, your legs are tense, two, you're easier to knock down, and three, they're easier to break," Vi said, listing all the things wrong with something I wouldn't have thought twice about.

"How are they easy to break?" I asked.

"The easiest breaking point in any object is normally the middle," Vi said, "And the middle of your leg is your knee. If your leg is straight, then all it will take to break it is a firm punch or kick to the knee. Depending on who delivers the blow, your kneecap will completely shatter."

I looked at the girl in front of me with terror, "It's that easy to break a leg?"

"Oh yeah, legs are so easy to break, especially in Dauntless. If you jump onto a train and land wrong, break. If you jump off of a train and land wrong, break. Step wrong, break," Vi said, "It's so easy to break a leg, they're amazing things to have, but they're very easily broken."

I gulped.

"Let's get back to it then," Vi said, "You're gonna wanna bend your knees," I bent my knees slightly, "More," I bent them further, "Perfect."