Divergent: Four's POV

Chapter 9

Today is the final day of the first round of the initiation. So far I think most the transfers have adjusted well to Dauntless life.

I stand in the training room as I do every day, working off, j my frustrations on a punching bag or throwing knives. I am still frustrated about yesterday's events but the workout always helps, this place has always been my sanctuary. I am always the only one in here, I guess that is why I'm good at the things that I can do. I finish my workout and clean up; the initiates will be here soon for their final fight. Eric is nowhere to be seen and that is okay by me. Im.xd, s ex xn g will be making the pairings today; at least I know they won't be unevenly matched like last time. I have been contemplating this for the past couple days. I write the match-ups on the chalkboard and turn in time to see the first initiates move into the room.

Peter, Molly, and Drew come in the room laughing about something that happened this morning with Tris. Hearing this infuriates me, I know whatever happened with Tris wasn't good. Everyone else arrives, except for Tris. Now I'm getting even angrier, what have they done to her? Just as I'm about to question them, she comes running into the room and over to Christina. She looks flustered and angry. Now I really would like to know what they did to her.

"Hey, where were you this morning?" says Christina.

"I got held up," Tris tells her.

"You okay, Tris?" asks Al. "You look a little..."

"A little what?" she snaps back.

"On edge," Al says.

Well, isn't he the most observant friend. Obviously she is on edge; you could see that from the moment she walked in the room. She looks to the chalkboard and sees her pairing and smirks. Looks like she is ready to retaliate for whatever happened this morning.

All the fights go as planned. Will beat Myra and Al fell after a couple hits from Christina and didn't get back up. Edward and Peter's fight was much more interesting, it is clear that Edward has been studying combat for some time. He bested Peter with a punch to the jaw. The final fight today is Tris and Molly.

She walks to the middle, eyes fixed on a single point and Molly approaches her, smirking.

"Was that a birthmark I saw on your left butt cheek?" she asks. "God, you're pale, Stiff."

What does that mean?

Whatever happened, Tris doesn't respond to the taunting. Tris stands there analyzing, she knows how Molly fights. Molly throws the first punch as she always does. Tris is ready for this and ducks, and punches Molly in the stomach. Molly rushes at Tris ready to tackle her, but Tris sidesteps quickly and attempts to hit Molly in the face with her elbow but only grazes her. Molly gets angry and sloppily attempts a kick that misses and allows Tris to knock her off balance.

The longer the fight goes the angrier and more intense Tris becomes. Whatever happened this morning is surely fueling her rage. Tris punches her in the stomach, kicks her legs out from under her, and kicks her in the ribs. Molly is on the ground curled into a ball but Tris continues in her attack. She gives Molly a kick to the stomach, a kick to the face, and a kick to the chest.

Tris is not ruthless, she is not cruel. It seems like she is taking all of the taunting, name calling, and horrible behavior that she has endured and using it to fuel her anger.

Tris gets ready to kick again, but I decide it's enough.

I go into the rink just before Tris kicks again and grab a hold of her. I stare into her eyes and see something that I've never seen in her eyes before. There is an unnatural viciousness in her eyes. My eyes widen, I know I must look alarmed.

"You won," I say quietly. "Stop."

I look at her now, my eyes searching her for some kind of reaction. I see her calm, and begin to process what was going on around her..

"I think you should leave," I say. "Take a walk."

"I'm fine," she says. "I'm fine now," she is reassuring herself as much as me.

I would love to figure out what happened, but I may never know. It may be time to share my sanctuary with another person. She might just find it as therapeutic and healing as I do.

XXX

We let the initiates go to lunch. They have the rest of today off and all of tomorrow before they begin the second round of initiation. I clean up the training room and head out when I bump into Zeke.

"Hey Four, what's wrong," Zeke asks.

""Nothing, Tris just beat the crap out of someone. Something must have happened to make her act that way, but I don't know what."

"I do," Zeke says. "Shauna and I were walking toward the Dauntless born training room when we heard taunting. Those three transfers that are always together like they are some kind of pack were taunting her. The big one pulled a towel off of her and she didn't have anything on underneath."

Hearing this makes my blood boil. Suddenly Molly's comments about a birthmark and Tris being pale make perfect sense. That boy Peter is just as sadistic as Eric is and he needs to be put in his place.

"Thanks for telling me," I say trying to hide my fury.