If Erudite never strikes-(alternative divergent ending)

Chapter 2

4 YEARS LATER

I stand near the net with Tobias, the new initiates will be arriving soon, last years group was amazing and no one like peter was there, it was hard to see some of them become factionless.

The train horn echoes through the compound . they're here. it is a few minutes after the train horn that we hear the first screams getting closer. a girl hits the net, she wears black skinny jeans and a white blouse. Candor. I pull the net and help her down. she smiles at me her dark blonde hair falls at one side into her blue eyes.

"hi what's your name?" I ask

"Rachel" she says. I turn to Tobias

"first jumper- Rachel" he shouts. a series of 'whoop's comes from the crowd

"welcome to dauntless" I say

"thanks" she replies quieter. and I gesture to the space a few yard away and she walks over. the next boys screams follow him down. a dauntless born, ive seen him around before.

after 20 minutes the initiates are down. we have more than average this year, maybe 24, most are dauntless borns who's names I haven't bothered to learn as tobias and I are taking the transfers, Uriah and launen are having the borns.

so we have:

Rachel (first jumper) - Candor

finn- Erudite

Harry- erudite

Tess - Candor

Emy - Erudite

tommy- erudite

Alistair- Erudite

Killian- Candor

the initiates line up before us and I immediately notice that Emy and finn stand quite close and their hands are almost touching, and Rachel is staring at that boy killian.

"Rachel eyes on us and stop drooling" I say. her head whips forwards and she looks at us, her ears turning red, im getting ready for a candor snarky comment but she stays quiet.

"welcome to dauntless, initiates, my name is four and this is Tris" tobias says, I don't like how he isn't going by tobias but oh well it makes me feel better that he loves me enough to be the only person who knows his real name.

"isn't four a number?" tess says.

"yes, yes it is" tobias replies "is there a problem" he finishes a little sharper, tess shakes her head

"good" he says and steps forward to tess who puts her head down "you're not in candor anymore your dauntless... act like it" he says quietly, I hear tess take in a deep breath and move her head back up, looking tobias and the eye.

"that's better" he says with a smile "now everyone follow me" the initiates file behind tobias and I bring up the rear. Tess and Rachel chatter quietly at the side and every so often giggle. I notice Emy is in front of me, spaced out from everyone else looking at the floor. I speed up so I walk beside her

"hey" I whisper "i know its hard to leave your faction and family but it might make you feel better to go talk to Tess and Rachel" she looks over at them and shakes her head

"i'm fine" she says

"they're just candor, they don't bite- although they may be rude and say the first thing that comes to mind, trust me I learnt the hard way" I say and she smiles

"okay this is the pit" Tobias shouts over the noise of the dauntless "the centre of life here" the initiates look on in ore "lets keep moving" we continue

"the chasm reminds us that their is a fine line between bravery and idiocy, if you go down there I highly doubt that you will come back" I say

"why" Finn asks with erudite curiosity

"because that drop will kill you, and if it doesn't .... then the water will" I reply

"how many people die a year?" he keeps pushing

"Finn"

"yes?"

"your Erudite is showing, give it rest"

"oh sorry" he turns the other way and the initiates follow Tobias to the dorm

"you will be sleeping here for the next ten weeks- and before we get any questions its girls and boys" a murmur starts around the initiates but Tobias ignores it "choose a bed and get changed with the clothes we have provided. Tobias leaves while I hover around the door to make sure that their is no trouble. Alistair takes charge and says

"i think it may be best to have boys at this side and girls at this side" the others nod. Tess and Rachel go to the beds in the corner but Emy stays at the top nearest the door.

"hey Emy, come down here with us, we gotta stick together" Rachel calls and laughs, Emy walks down the room and sits with the other two girls, I try to hide it but I can feel myself smiling. I leave and Tobias is outside waiting for me. we are not letting the initiates know about our relationship and we have agreed that as initiation gets closer to finishing we will drop little hints and signs and im sure they will figure it out. Tobias takes my hand and pulls me into a hug and kisses me. I hear a wolf whistle and pull away from the kiss to see Uriah and Lauren leading the dauntless borns down the corridor

"and now my dear children we spot a wild four and tris performing their mating ritual" Uriah says In a posh accent

"URI SHUT UP" Tobias and I say in unison

"see they're perfect for each other" a dauntless born shouts from the back and the group sniggers

"i see that you've already been teaching them" Tobias says

"when you are an initiate you gotta know the sassy talk otherwise toy just aint dauntless" Uriah says

"Uriah lets go" Lauren says and leads the initiates away Uriah jogs after them.

"i think we should check on them" I say

"yep" Tobias replies and slams the door open. the initiates are dressed and killian and Alistair are already lying on their beds they sit up when they notice us

"well don't you guys look dauntless" I say. they smile and nod "well looking the part is only the first step, to get through initiation you need to be strong, be brave. we will push you until you break and after that we will keep on prodding until you're dead. understand?" they nod again

"in the first stage of training you will be trained physically and master hand to hand combat along with shooting and knife throwing, stage two is mental, you will be facing your fears and learn different situations, and stage 3 will be your fear landscapes where you will face all of your fears at once, maybe you'll conquer them or maybe they'll get you first, its sounds easy now, but you'll want to go back to your mummies after dauntless initiation has chewed you up and spat you out....... no pressure" Tobias finishes for me,

"you can go to the cafeteria and get dinner now. Then tomorrow, you need to be up at 6... training starts at 8, be their or be factionless" I say and we leave.

Tobias goes to the cafeteria to get some food while I go to our apartment and shower. On my 18th birthday Tobias asked me to move I with him, before I shared an apartment with Christina, Marlene and Lynn, it was fun to live with my best friends but I often slept at Tobias's anyway, the only downfall was the next day where I would be flooded with questions about what I had done, if I had done anything, with Tobias that night: the answer was always nothing, I still have that 7th fear lingering around. tobias gets back and we eat and talk about training plans, I eventually dose off on the couch and just before sleep engulfs me I feel tobias lift me with his warm strong arms and lay me in bed with an arm still around me.