Tobias x Reader

Chapter 6: The First Ten

After about an hour of practicing the techniques that Four showed me I checked my watch and saw it read 5:45. Almost time for us to leave. I tense up, ready to aim another punch at the bag when I see the door at the end of the training room open. Four, who was pacing behind us, paused right behind me to see who was entering the room. It was Eric.

I drop my hands to my side and turn around to face Four.

"What is he doing here?" I ask. I don't like Eric and I especially don't like the idea of him seeing us train.

Four turns to me with an amused look, "Why do you care?"

I cross my arms over my chest and narrow my gaze at him, "Why shouldn't I care?"

Four laughs quietly, more to himself than to me, "Trust me, anything he has to say shouldn't worry you at all."

I look back at Eric who is studying all of the Initiates. None of us are doing anything anymore though. We're all just staring at Eric. Eric gives a pointed look to Four.

"Get back to work Initiates," Four yells.

Almost immediately, the sound of fists smacking the bags filled the air. I punch the bag hard, my eyes still trained on Eric. After a few minutes I look at my bag and see blood. I gasp and step back. I look down at my hands and realize that I was punching the bag too hard and the skin on my knuckles split. I shake out my hands and wipe the blood on my pants. 

Four noticed me wiping my hands on my pants and looks at me curiously. I lift my right hand to show him my knuckles. He smiles knowingly and continues pacing behind us. It's funny how something like split knuckles is relatable among the Dauntless.

"Four," Eric says loudly from the door.

Four walks over to him and they exchange words quietly. I watch them curiously and see that a few other Transfers are watching them as well. When they finish talking, Four calls for our attention while Eric smiles smugly from behind him.

"Okay Transfers," Four say, "This is Eric, one of our five Dauntless leaders. Normally leaders are away from the Initiates doing leader things but this year, they've decided to change things up a bit. Eric is going to elaborate on that." He gestures to Eric and steps back. 

Eric smiles at us. I look beside me and see Michael and Galen with wary looks on their faces. 

"Thank you, Four, for the poor introduction," Eric says. Four rolls his eyes. "Here at Dauntless, we take our initiation process very seriously, so I volunteered to oversee most of your training," he continued.

My blood ran cold at his statement. I don't know much about Eric but I already know that I don't like him.

"Also," he says like he's talking about the weather, "Here are some ground rules. You must be in here by 8 o'clock every morning. Training is from eight to six with a break for lunch. After 6 o'clock, you're allowed to do whatever you feel like doing as long as it's in the Dauntless compound."

"Well...you're allowed to leave if you're accompanied by a Dauntless," he adds, "And, last thing I promise, for the fighting part of your training, you will be separate from the Dauntless born initiates but for the second part of your training you will train together. This also goes for your rankings."

"Rankings?" Galen asks his hand raised slightly. I notice that his knuckles are also split.

"Yes. Rankings," he says the word slowly, like we won't understand if he talks too fast, "Ten of the Dauntless-borns and Transfers will actually become Dauntless members."

"But there's more than ten of us," John says.

"I know," Eric responds coldly.

"The top ten in the rankings will get to be members of Dauntless," Four says. He doesn't look happy about what he's saying though, "And your rankings also determine what kind of job you get."

"I suggest you guys work hard then," Eric says in an almost sing-songy voice, "I can already tell who's working hard and who isn't." He looks pointedly at my hands and Galen's. I look at everyone else's hands. All of them had pink knuckles except for me, Galen, and Michael. Michael's knuckles weren't split or pink. It looked like he hadn't been doing anything at all. Galen noticed too. We exchanged worried glances but said nothing.

"I told you. You have nothing to worry about," a voice says from behind me. I turn to see Four standing with his arms crossed and the corners of his mouth raised slightly.

Before I could respond his watch goes off and he yells, "Dismissed."