𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑴𝑶𝑹𝑨𝑵𝑻 . Tobias Eaton

*ೃ༄ 9 ༄ೃ*

After lunch, Four leads us to a new room. It's huge with spread out mats across the hall for fighting.

We line up behind them and Four stands in the middle, where we can all see him.

"As I said this morning," says Four, "next you will learn how to fight. The purpose of this is to prepare you to act; to prepare your body to respond to threats and challenges—which you will need, if you intend to survive life as a Dauntless."

I can't even think of life as a Dauntless, but maybe that's because I've been so use to exercising my brain and less of my body.

"We will go over technique today, and see about fighting each other," says Four. "So, I recommend that you pay attention. Those who don't learn fast will get hurt."

Four names a few different punches, demonstrating each one as he does, first against the air and then against the punching bag.

I catch on as we practice. Like with the gun, I need a few tries to figure out how to hold myself and how to move my body to make it look like his. The kicks are more difficult, though he only teaches us the basics. The punching bag stings my hands and feet, turning my skin red, and barely moves no matter how hard I hit it. All around me is the sound of skin hitting tough fabric. But as much as it looks physically painful, mentally and emotionally, it doesn't affect me.

Moving onto practicing with others, we used these moves against our pair. Sarai and I picked each other and so we transferred the skills from the punching back to using our hands and gently going over the moves with each other.

"First jumper! In the ring." Eric exclaims so that all of us can hear.

I look over to Sarai, that was me. I am first jumper.

"Last Jumper!" He continues.

Walking over towards the ring alongside the girl I was against who had a red short bob and was around the same height as me. I wasn't nervous, I don't get nervous, but I was in a situation where I was stuck because my knowledge can't quite keep me safe in this event. On the other hand, the girl seemed relatively confident, she looks over to Eric as though I was too weak for her.

"How long do we fight for?" She bluntly asks.

"Till one of you can't continue." Eric proposes.

"-or one of you concedes." Four interrupted.

Eric once again arguing, "Old rules. New rules, no one concedes."

Four whispers something to him but it was too quiet for us could hear but it looked like there was undermining tension.

"You'll be scored on this so fight hard."

Immediately the girl went into her position with her firsts in front, unlike me who hadn't started. We both looked towards Eric.

"Go." Eric gestures

As the girl approaches slowly towards me, I follow a loop of a circle around the mat, giving myself the time and space to think of what to do. Quickly.

"Don't be scared, Nose!" Peter called out.

The girl took this as an opportunity to try swing at my face, but I dodged to the left to which I caught her flying arm just in time and tripped her over so that she fell on her face.

"Go Quinn!" I heard Sarai say.

Backing up as she stood up from her position, she strides towards me attempting the same move, I ducked down and swung her across the face as I lifted my posture back up. I could sense the girl getting angrier by the second, but I wanted to win.

Grunting, the girl flew towards me and began hitting me left and right around my ribcage where she got above me and continued to use this move. Ducking down further, I was able to use the ground and roll myself out from the situation and used my full force to punch her in the ear.

I could tell this had hurt her as she rose with a hand covering her ear. Unlike her I wasn't thirsting with anger and so it was difficult for me to use all my energy.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Eric shrugging with his hands but while I was distracted, the girl knocked me down to the floor with a cold hit. Not enough to knock me out though.

I heard a couple of echoed cheers for across the room, which filled my body with the adrenaline I needed to find the anger inside of me. Rising from my position, a little dizzy, I caught the eye of the girl and just as I was about to knock her clean, she had done it before me, and I fell for the last time.

Sitting on the bench with an icepack on my cheek, I look back to the other initiates practicing and some fighting. Getting beat up on the first day will definitely leave a permanent impression of my character.

Weight is suddenly leaned on the end of the bench and I look over to the side to see Four staring at my icepack.

"Are you okay?" Four asks me.

"Does it look like I'm okay?" I reply hinting at my bruised cheek.

"It's the first day, you'll get the hang of it." He tells me.

My eyes search Four's face but I notice Eric calling the group over.

"Alright, guys, over here. Listen up."

I jogged over to see a board with all our names, leaving Four by the bench.

"Know what this board is? It's your life. We grade you every day. If you're still in the red by the end of the first stage, you're out."

I noticed my name beside the number 27. I was below the line.