Fractured | Tobias Eaton ✓

51 | What Was He Like

Today is the day. The first day of leadership training. It's led by Max which I'm so thankful for. I'm the only transfer in the group, Uriah is here though. I don't recognize any of the others in the room which worries me more than anything.

Most of the group is on the younger side, but Uriah and I seem to be the youngest.

"Welcome everyone, today we'll just be doing the basics of what we'll be following for the next year. Our city is changing and we need to adapt with those changes. We have young leaders but this year's group of initiates has given us an excellent opportunity."

I furrow my brows as Max glances over me. He doesn't look at me like Eric does–he seems proud. I've only met him once before...

"But... first, introductory papers must be filled out." Paperwork in Dauntless? That's kinda funny. Sheets are handed out to everyone and it's quite basic toward the top.

Name: Rita Rose
Age: 17
Faction of Origin: N/A, first of "Factionless turned Factioned"
Number of Fears: 3?
Explain Your Fears: Heights, Unable to help those I love, being exposed. Blood, it always shows up with my other fears in the simulations.

The further down I get, the more confused I get.

It's okay to steal if it's to help someone else: Most of the time (I'd steal for my family)
Some people are more deserving of rewards than others: Sometimes
Power should only be given to those who earn it: No, bad people can earn power too (I think of Eric when I write this answer)
Difficult circumstances form stronger people: Not always (Al comes to mind...)
You don't know how strong a person really is until they're tested: No.
Doing something for your own personal gain is okay: Depends on what it is

Respond to the following scenarios with a Yes (if it applies to you) or a No (if it doesn't apply to you), try to answer quickly so your answers are more honest:

1. I'd kill someone to get the upper hand if they were attacking me - Yes
2. I'd save someone I loved over a majority of strangers - Yes
3. I act before I think - Yes
4. I am willing to do anything to succeed - No
5. My personal opinions are superior to others - No
6. Harming others for personal gain is okay - No
7. Pretending to be weak is a strength - Yes
8. I tend to isolate myself when knocked down - Yes
9. I am actively working on reducing the number of fears I have - No
10. Being Dauntless means to be brave in the worst situations - Yes

I don't really like these questions but I answer them as honestly as I can. Not only are the questions weird as shit but they're confusing. It seems less like standard paperwork and more like a personality test. Part of me has the Aptitude Test stuck in my head as I push the paper toward Max, he collects the papers and organizes them beside him on the table.

"Alright, now we can talk about the general timeline of leader training. I won't be leading training for the entire time because we will cycle through the five leaders every week. Training lasts about 30 weeks so you'll see each of us six times. Next week you'll be seeing Eric Coulter. He's the newest leader so I think it's important to ask him any questions about adjusting to his position."

Max begins to explain the daily itinerary. It's very similar to Dauntless initiation. Only now I don't have to worry about being factionless again if I fail out. "We do cuts every month so this group will dwindle down to two of you by the end of training."

Uriah raised his hand and Max nods at him to continue, "Since there's going to be cuts, what jobs will we have to choose from then?"

"That is a great question, you ranked second among the initiates this year?" Uriah nods his head, "You could do just about anything if you're cut, being cut from leader training is much more merciful than being cut from initiation."

A few chuckles erupt around the room as Max laughs. "Thanks," says Uriah.

Max seems to become less formal at that moment, "If there are any more questions, shoot." He leans back in the chair, opening the floor.

A person with bright red hair is the first to speak, "Is there any way we could know which leader we will get each week?"

And I kinda zone out after that. I listen to each question and answer, trying to memorize everyone's faces. I'm bad with names. Max dismisses us after almost an hour of the Q & A as he calls it. I'm the last to stand and push my chair in. "Rita," I freeze like a deer in headlights, "Don't worry, it's nothing bad."

"What's up?" My voice is much higher than usual and I want to hit myself for asking such a casual question.

Max chuckles at my nervousness, "Just wanted to congratulate you on getting first place. I see you and Four have..." He brings his two pointer fingers toward one another and I clench my jaw. "There's nothing wrong with it," He says quickly, "I just find it a bit funny. You two seem very similar. I'm glad to see you're doing well. That's all."

"Doing well? I've only met you once before..." I want to ask him why it's funny that Tobias and I... came together as he put it.

"Do you have any idea how you were chosen for the Factionless Turned Factioned program?" I shake my head no and step back toward my chair, he gestures for me to sit and I do. I'd love to hear more about how I was given the chance to join a faction. They really told me the bare minimum. The main reason I agreed is because of how much they're paying my family.

Max takes a deep breath, "I've always hated how those born without a faction have always been sentenced to living as second citizens of sorts–and while I am Dauntless I do have opinions of my own." I shake my head at that, "It was an Abnegation member of the council of factions who brought this idea up, naturally."

I scoff, "Naturally."

I see that he's obviously fighting off a smile as he continues, "Why give kids who spent their whole lives living comfortably a step forward when there are kids who haven't even had a single day of leisure? Why do you think we've been slowly letting the factionless children mingle with those from the factions?"

"Desensitize them, maybe?"

"Exactly so, Rita. You were among the top choices, your intellect alone was astounding for a factionless teenager–which is our fault entirely that there are kids who go without." I find that he's admitting that the government is at fault so... weird. It puts me on edge. "And so the program was created, Erudite did most of the work finding good candidates but from the moment I saw your name, I just knew you'd be the one to succeed."

I bite the inside of my cheek, "How... when you didn't even know me?"

Max tilts his head to the side, "I was Candor before I came here, I recognized you as your father's child and it was easy enough to know you'd be perfect for the program."

"You knew my Baba? What was he like?" I lose all interest in the program as I lean forward.

"He was an asshole," I slump back in my seat, I knew that already. "You'd rather hear about him than what changed your life?"

I shrug, "Honestly? Yea. I want to know about it... I've learned more about myself in the last few weeks than I have my whole life. Maybe I'd rather hear about anything but faction stuff."

"That's fair enough, I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you, sir."