Divergent One Shots (Eric & Tris)

Fourteen-Initiation Offers 5.1

Tris

I wait at the bottom of the members' entrance for our new initiates to arrive. I'm on one side of the net, Four at the other with his arms crossed over his chest. He's trying to avoid talking to me and I'm glad about it. Things haven't been so good between us since I became a member. He wants a relationship with me, but I refuse to go into hiding. He gave me a list of acceptable jobs to choose from—or the like that might've been available—the night of my graduation from initiation. I laughed in his face and thought he was joking. He picked a public fight with me after he discovered I took a high ranking position. I'm working in intelligence, too, just a more prestigious position than his sitting in front of a monitor all day. I took the job as Jax's assistant. He's the head of the Dauntless army. I do whatever he requires—following him on assignment, running errands, delivering confidential information... Four insists I work too closely with leadership and I'm going to get caught.
"It's your funeral," he whispered harshly to me.
At that point, all feelings I had toward him were gone. He kept coming back and trying to apologize afterward. I refused to take him back. Even when his apology seemed genuine, he just felt off—like not a good suit for me. I decided that we could still be friends. He definitely wants more from me than that. He kept trying to convince me to work in the tattoo parlor or places like the cafeteria... I shake my head. I feel like I make a difference in the city where I am. I'm like my parents—trying to help the city become a better place.
I hear the blare of the train horn in the distance, the clatter as it passes the buildings followed by random stomping and laughing echoing through the room with net. They're here. I grin in anticipation of checking out our new trainees. They sound so excited about the first day of their new lives. I can't help the smile plastered on my face.
I hear a scoff. I look over to see Four giving me a hard look.
"What?" I ask him.
"You better get serious and stern or these initiates are going to walk all over you," he lectures not even looking at me.
"I'm not concerned," I laugh lightly. "Even the biggest Dauntless-born initiate—if he actually stays—I can knock down in seconds. I'm not worried."
He guffaws and rolls his eyes. Clearly he hasn't seen me training with my team in the last year and does't believe me. I could probably take him out. Let him think what he wants. This is their day, not his.
I hear Eric calling them forth and I can see him standing on the ledge just above us. He gives them a similar spiel that Max gave us last year. I can't help but smile at how tough he sounds, how ready he seems—maybe even excited about this. I've gotten to know him a little bit better in the last year—at a distance, of course. But he doesn't seem to be who Four made me think he was during my training. He seems like a good, capable, strong leader of Dauntless. I think his position suits him perfectly.
"So who's it gonna be?" Eric asks in his rumbling, authoritative voice drawing my attention back above us.
I see a few initiates—even Dauntless-born—peek over the edge. The sun is so high and the shadow so strong that they can't possibly see us or anything down here but darkness. I know—I've checked. Even on cloudy, overcast days, the shadow is still too strong to see.
"I'll go first," a boy volunteers.
I smile at that.
"What's wrong with you, Stiff? Be serious," Four whispers to me harshly.
"You keep talking to me like that, and I definitely won't be smiling," I reply.
"That's what I'm hoping," he mutters under his breath.
I purse my lips in response and I see an Abnegation boy climb the ledge. My smile grows. He looks kind of familiar but I can't tell from this distance. He jumps face first and I watch in awe as he falls, hitting the net with an oomph. He laughs as he notices the net.
"Thirty seconds," Lauren calls out.
I yank on my side of the net and he rolls in my direction. I reach out my hand and he grasps it. I pull him to the edge using my body weight since he's heavier than I expected.
"You wanna jump down or do you need some help?" I ask.
"I'll jump," he says moving his feet around.
"Fifteen seconds," Lauren warns.
He nods in understanding and climbs down, stumbling a little as he gains his bearings so I help him to stand. I finally see his face as he smiles down at me.
"Beatrice Prior?" he questions surprised.
I grin at him and Four clears his throat. I ignore him. "I go by Tris here. It's Frederick Davenport, right?" I question. He nods. "Do you want to change that?"
He laughs mulling it over.
"How about Freddy?" he inquires.
I smirk at him.
"First jumper, Freddy!" I announce. "Welcome to Dauntless," I tell him patting him on the back as the room cheers. Zeke and Uriah are by far the loudest—whistling and stomping. Lauren directs him to stand aside and wait for the rest.
The next one jumps—a Dauntless-born. He's the biggest one. Four helps him out.
"Second jumper, Cain!" he shouts.
"Awe man, Four and Tris are training this year?" he questions Lauren. She nods. "Yes!"
I laugh at that but Four still keeps his stern face.
"Lighten up, Four," I tell him.
"Just wait and see," he grumbles.
Ryan walks in through the doorway. He went with Eric to the Choosing Ceremony this year and rode on the train back. He must've stayed on until the next stop by the Pit.
"Just a heads up," Ryan whispers to the three of us. "All Dauntless-born dependents stayed except for one."
"Really?" I ask happily.
"Uh huh," he nods proudly.
"Let me guess... Nose?" Lauren teases.
"No, actually. He went to Abnegation of all places. Eric and I were both shocked," Ryan says. I assume he must be Divergent then, but I'm not saying a word about it.
"Wow," Lauren comments. "I didn't see that coming."
Ryan nods, "We've got a ton of transfers, too. I already called the janitorial staff. They're washing more bedding and towels, setting up more beds."
"Alright, excellent," Lauren nods happily.
"We'll probably need more instructors, too. That's why I'm here. We'll have Tori assist again. Four, you work on Zeke and Uriah. That should be enough," Ryan says as Four accommodates a Candor transfer down.
"Just a thought," I say to Ryan and he encourages me to continue. "Have you ever considered male and female dorms?"
He looks at me confused.
"I think she means separating them," Lauren clarifies and I nod.
"We could do that. We usually keep the transfers together since they have more in common," he points out.
Lauren and I both scoff at that as I help a Dauntless-born down. "Fourth jumper, Ian!" I announce and point him to the others.
"No offense, but I agree with Tris. There would be less sexual harassment," Lauren agrees.
"Is that really a problem?" Ryan asks scratching his neck.
"Yes!" Lauren and I say at the same time.
Ryan nods in reply. "Consider it done," he tells us seriously.
I smirk at that, that it was so easy. I walk over to Lauren and high five her. "I tried last year but no change," she admits.
"If they would've listened to you, I wouldn't have had Peter ripping my towel off of me in the dorms," I mumble.
"What!?" Four asks in a high pitched voice.
"Yeah, my initiation was no picnic," I reply to him.
He misses helping the small Candor girl off the net and she falls to the ground.
"Pay attention, Four!" Ryan teases.
"Are you alright?" I ask her concerned helping her to stand.
"Yeah, I just bumped my head," she says holding the lump.
"Zeke! Ice pack," I call out.
He breaks one open and tosses it to me.
"Name?" I question putting it to her forehead.
"Sally," she replies. I call her name out and direct her to the crowd.
Ryan, Four, and I begin to help the initiates off rapid fire and calling out to Eric when we're ready. He texts Ryan that they're all lined up and waiting for the signal. By the time Eric finally jumps, we have thirty-two Dauntless-born and twenty-six transfers. There's ten from Erudite, twelve Candor, three Amity, and one Abnegation. I smirk in awe at this crowd.
"We'll need more trainers," Eric says climbing off the net and slapping away Four's offer of help.
"Already taken care of," Ryan says.
"Who?" Eric questions.
"Zeke and Uriah have already confirmed. Lynn offered on the train. I told her yes and just to clear it with Jax first. I texted Tori and she's willing," Ryan replies.
"Good," Eric says surprised. "Bedding?"
"The staff is already on it. It'll be ready within the hour," the leader informs the other.
"Alright. Let's welcome them," he smirks. His eyes meet mine momentarily before he walks off in front of the massive group of trainees.
He makes a speech to the initiates. All of the confirmed trainers present stand with him—me next to Eric. He starts to talk about the dorms and Ryan whispers in his ear, Eric stopping momentarily. Eric glances at me surprised before he looks back at Ryan and nods.
"We will be separating males and females this year," he continues. He informs them of several more rules—including a no tolerance sexual harassment policy—before releasing the Dauntless-born to go home and pack their bags. He insists on Four giving the tour to the transfers and they're all gone in a few moments.
"I've got the list. I'll handle the point cards and meet you down at lunch," Ryan says waving the list to us.
Eric nods. He dismisses everyone else but asks me to stay.
"Did Four not tell the transfers what I just said last year?" he questions. I shake my head.
He sighs irritatedly. "Of course he didn't," he mumbles to himself. "So apparently, I need to do his job and mine."
I grin at that.
"What happened?" he asks me.
"Does it matter? Most of them are gone anyway," I reply.
"Peter is still here," he says.
"Yeah, and I avoid him like the plague," I respond.
He chuckles at that before looking seriously at me. "If he ever comes near you again, come to me. I will not tolerate anything else from him," he says earnestly.
"Okay," I whisper.
"I've got a question for you," he says.
"Alright," I nod.
"Jude will be retiring soon," he tells me and I frown at that. "Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that either," he admits. "So... we were all discussing who would be a good fit... and your name came up."
"Me?" I laugh disbelievingly.
He nods and meets my eyes with his. He's serious. "Would you consider it?" he asks.
"I... don't know," I admit. "I guess I'd have some serious questions to ask before I'd consider something like that."
"Alright," he nods. "We can talk after lunch?"
"Okay," I agree.