Remergent (divergent alternate ending x crossover)

Chapter 6 - Lucy Gray

Because she deserves a real romance. 

Somehow, the crowds and the dim light of the pit reminded Lucy Gray Baird of a tavern. Maybe it was the loud chatter of men and women sharing a meal, the lively aura of the cafeteria, or perhaps it was the way the place felt. Either way, Lucy Gray almost felt sad when she and the others left the cafeteria to follow Tris on the next leg of the tour.

Though Dauntless wasn't her first choice when it came to picking a faction, Lucy Gray decided she wouldn't mind living here if she made it past initiation.

"Beyond these doors is where you will be staying for the next few weeks," Tris projected her voice as she threw open the double doors behind her. "There are enough beds for all of you, though some had to be added. More of you than we thought," she chuckled, as if she had made a joke, but no one laughed with her. Four, the man next to her, spoke next. "You're expected to be in the training room at eight every morning. We'll train until six with a break for lunch. After six, you may do as you please, but you can't leave the compound without a Dauntless member."

Ten hours. Ten hours of training every day, and Lucy Gray wouldn't waste a second. She would prove Billy Toupe wrong. He and Mayfair wouldn't win this bet.

"Careful, darling, you look as though you're about to kill our new faction leaders," a boy with an absurd cowboy hat and a buttery Southern drawl to rival hers leaned in to whisper in her ear. Lucy looked up and, indeed, Four stared at her, raising an eyebrow at her apparent resentment. She gave him a dazzling smile before turning back to the cowboy. She couldn't remember what he said his name was. 

"Thanks for the input, cowboy, but I'd rather you mind your own business. Say, isn't that your dear brother trying to flirt with the ponytail over there?" She nodded her head towards Tris. Without looking, he replied, "Jamie flirts with everything. Girls, death—I once saw him put on his charmer smile for a half-empty bottle of Jack."

"That smile won't look as pretty when lover boy punches him." They both looked over to where Four had turned his attention to the brown haired first jumper, Jameson; he looked like he was about to throw Jameson into the chasm.

 The cowboy opened his mouth to reply, but Tris ushered them inside the dorm room where she told them to get changed into Dauntless clothes, and spend the rest of the day exploring the facility.

"Remember. Tomorrow morning at eight." She parted with those words as her and Four left the dorm room. 

Lucy found an empty bunk with generic black clothes. She started to undress and then caught sight of what the others were doing with their clothes from before. Item after item went into a flaming pit where the orange fire licked the different colored fabrics, sending ashes up an incinerator shaft and out into the afternoon sky.

She clutched her black and white dress. It was the only thing keeping her strong. The faded checkered print garment had belonged to her mother, and it was the only thing she had left after her mother's passing some years ago.

Lucy looked around. Most of the other initiates had already changed, and some had even left the room. Quickly, she stripped off her dress and pulled on black sweatpants and a loose t-shirt over her knitted undergarments. Then she kicked the heap of discarded Candor clothing under her bunk before anyone could take notice. It was just a dress after all. 

She then escaped out the door, behind a pretty curvy girl with light brown hair. 

Her first stop was back to the Pit. The many shops built into the stone walls had immediately drawn her attention during the tour, and though she had no credits to spend on any of the goods, browsing was an adequate replacement. She spent the next few hours combing through the Pit, her curiosity and aw peaked. 

The numerous tattoo and weapons locations held no interest for Lucy Gray, but three stories up, in the corner of the massive space, was a small stall that sold musical instruments.

She knew music wasn't a big part of Dauntless like it was in Amity—the faction she would've chosen if she had a choice—but seeing the various string and woodwind instruments made her heart soar. 

She didn't linger however at the instrument shop, but instead made her way down the carved stone paths to the chasm. The deep ravine with a river raging in its depths was stunning to Lucy Gray. She leaned into the railing, peaking over into darkness. The line between bravery and folly, Four had said earlier, or something along those lines.

"Careful, princess, you're awfully close to that ledge," Cowboy warned her for the second time that day.

"I'm beginning to think you're following me, Prince Charming. Only half a day into initiation and I already have a stalker?" She turned with an eyebrow raised at the boy. 

"You think very highly of yourself, darling. I was actually supposed to meet my brothers here at seven-thirty."

"Need an escort, do they?"

Lucy couldn't believe it was almost eight already. She should head back herself; who knew what would be in that training room tomorrow. 

"More like an accomplice."

Before she could unravel that thought, she saw three boys sidle up to the rail where she and Nash—she remembered his name—were standing.

"How many flips could I do before I hit the bottom?" She heard Jameson ask his brothers as she made her way back to the dorm room.

She was surprised to find that none of the other initiates were back. Only one girl sat on a bed next to hers, rubbing her eyes as if she had just woke up. When she looked up at Lucy Gray, she noticed it was the curvy girl she had followed out. 

"See anything interesting?" she asked Lucy Gray. Lucy Gray shook her head before sitting on the edge of her bed and untying her shoelaces.

"Nothing extraordinary." The girl nodded. 

"I'm Nina. I like waffles, shoes, and sleeping," She introduced herself to Lucy Gray.

"I'm Lucy Gray. I adore music." They began chatting about what the training might be and about the other tributes. Something unexpected had happened, she had made a friend. 

***

BASICALLY I rewatched the Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes last night and I love Lucy Gray so much. My bad if she doesn't seem in character, I tried y'all. 

ALSO special thanks to @justduckling for commenting and boosting my moral. 👏 🎉 

-Kimberly ❤️