Urgent

Chapter 12

Happiness was relative.

When I beat Drew in my last fight, I should've been elated. Elated because I wasn't at the bottom of the leaderboard anymore, and even more so because I had left one of Peter's minions with black and blue bruises all over his body. 

I'm not happy. 

Not like the others, who have all managed to win their fights, with the exception of Al. They're smiling. I'm not. Strange stuff. 

I sight softly, flopping onto my bed in which I instantly sink. I'm about to close my eyes - but the door has swung open and a dozen or so dark figures streamed into our room, shining flashlights directly into our eyes and almost blinding me. 

I sit up, groaning in frustration. Of course, they had to come just as I'm about to sleep. 

'Everybody up!' someone roars. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who the someone is. He stands in the darkness, the rings in his lips glinting in the dim light which the flashlights provide. Eric is surrounded by a group of Dauntless, some of whom I have seen wandering around in the Pit, and others who are complete strangers. 

Four stands amongst them. 

'Did you go deaf, Stiff?' demands Eric, and I notice he's scolding Tris who's still lying down, her eyes half opened. Typical. 

I don't think I've even been more relieved that I've been raised in Abnegation, and always slept fully clothed. Because while I may be particularly brave, I don't think I would be able to glare at Eric like she is. Not when wearing only a t-shirt. 

'You have five minutes to get dressed and meet us by the tracks,' says Eric. 'We're going on another field trip.' I blink. 

'Another one?' Eric glares at me, I don't shut up. 'Totally not random.' It was like I lost all sense of self-preservation when I saw Eric - I was terrified of him, yet stupid crap still came out of my mouth regardless. 

Since I was already dressed, all I had to do was shove my feet into my favourite pair of boots before sprinting after Christina, who had managed to locate and pull on a pair of pants in the few minutes Eric had given us to get dressed. 

We arrive at the tracks, just barely on time. Right behind the Dauntless born initiates. Next to the tracks is a black pile. And when I squint, I can make out - barely - a cluster of long gun barrels and trigger guards. 

Next to the pile are boxes of what looks like ammunition. I inch close enough to the boxes so I could read "PAINTBALLS" which is written across it in a messy scrawl. I've never heard of them - but judging by the name, it's probably paint in the form of a ball. 

'Everyone grab a gun!' shouts Eric. We all oblige, running towards the pile. Since I'm the closest, I find a gun first. One which is heavy, but not so heavy that it's a difficult to lift it. I grab a box of paintballs too, shoving it in my pocket before slinging the gun across my bag. And it's not comfortable, let me tell you that. 

'Time estimate?' Eric asks Four. Four checks his watch, glancing at it before looking back to Eric, not looking particularly happy. 

'Any minute now.' He pauses. 'How long is it going to take you to memorize the train schedule?' 

'Why should I, when I have you to remind me of it?' says Eric, shoving Four's shoulder in a way which seems friendly. 

A circle of light appears on my left, far away. It grows larger though, as it comes closer, almost completely blinding me as it does.  While I'm trying not to have my retinas permanently damaged, Four takes the opportunity to jump onto the train, and Tris follows after him.