Agents of the Forgotten Faction

|Chapter 5|

"The first thing you will learn today is how to shoot a gun. The second thing is how to win a fight." Four presses a gun into my palm without looking at me and keeps walking. "Thankfully, if you are here, you already know how to get on and off a moving train, so I don't need to teach you that."

I shouldn't be surprised that the Dauntless expect us to hit the ground running, but I anticipated more than six hours of rest before the running began. My body is still heavy from sleep. I know we had early starts at the Academy and it shouldn't bother me but I have a lot on my mind and my body is taking a toll from it.

"Initiation is divided into three stages. We will measure your progress and rank you according to your performance in each stage. The stages are not weighed equally in determining your final rank, so it is possible, though difficult, to drastically improve your rank over time."

I remember Eric telling us something about ranking. This means that Uriah and I need to pass initiation if we want to continue our mission here. Hill hasn't given me any new instructions since last night. It seems like she and the rest of the Agents are just hacking into the cameras and watching our progress.

I stare at the weapon in my hand. Now it feels like home. I remember I first fired a gun when I was around 10. Operations started out with hand to hand and then progressed to more dangerous forms of weapons.

"We believe that preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear," says Four. "Therefore each stage of initiation is intended to prepare you in a different way. The first stage is primarily physical; the second, primarily emotional; the third, primarily mental."

Mental training shouldn't be too hard. From what Zeke has reported back, its just facing your fear. Something we have already done at the Academy. I have around 6. It changes almost every time I go in. It was mandatory to sit the fear test at the Academy every 6 months as an update on progress.

"But what..." Peter yawns through his words. "What does firing a gun have to do with...bravery?"

Four flips the gun in his hand, presses the barrel to Peter's forehead, and clicks a bullet into place. Peter freezes with his lips parted, the yawn dead in his mouth.

"Wake. Up," Four snaps. "You are holding a loaded gun, you idiot. Act like it."

He lowers the gun. Once the immediate threat is gone, Peter's green eyes harden. I'm surprised he can stop himself from responding, after speaking his mind all his life in Candor, but he does, his cheeks red. Good thing that he did. Four was a military man, you could see it in the way he conducts his training sessions. He acted like a general or a lieutenant, someone of high authority like Hill.

"And to answer your question...you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you're prepared to defend yourself." Four stops walking at the end of the row and turns on his heel. "This is also information you may need later in stage one. So, watch me."

Good answer Four, good answer.

He faces the wall with the targets on it-one square of plywood with three red circles on it for each of us. He stands with his feet apart, holds the gun in both hands, and fires. The bang is so loud it hurts my ears. I crane my neck to look at the target. The bullet went through the middle circle.

I got to say. I am impressed. The guy managed to hit the target dead centre on the first go. I mean not even I can do that. I always have to get a feel of the weapon before hand before I can start turning deadly.

I set my feet shoulder-width apart, and delicately wrap both hands around the handle of the gun. I remember what Zeke told me last night and I aim at something behind the target. I squeeze the trigger and the bullet flies to the targeted spot. I pretend to stumble and press my hand to the wall behind me for balance. I know Four is smart so hopefully my acting skills can fool him. I shoot a couple more times purposely behind the target to establish my incompetence.