The Dauntless Twins

Chapter 5

UPDATED

Maylyn's POV-

I wake up in a panic from a nightmare I had. I can feel my heart beating a million beats a second. I had a dream that I was killed in the training arena during my fight that was scheduled to happen today. I am not ready, I am not prepared. I have never hit someone, I don't fight. The only time I consider wanting to fight is when someone provokes me. I don't know these initiates, how can I possibly hit one of them? My nerves and anxiety really kick in when I remind myself that I have to rank well or I could become factionless like the poor girl yesterday.

I need to talk to Brooklyn. I need advice. If I keep all of my anxiety bottled up, I will pass out.

I get up and wake up Brooklyn. Correction, I drag her out of bed. This girl does not do mornings. Brooklyn is irritable and borderline rude when she has to be up early. Oh well. I need sister time.

"Brooklyn, can you hurry up? I need to talk to you and we still have to go get food." Brooklyn grunts in response but changes her clothes and follows me to the dining hall.

Brooklyn starts eating her food as I begin to push mine around on my plate. I need to eat but I am too anxious.

"Can I ask you something?"

Brooklyn looks up from her food, "I am wake enough now, go for it."

"I am terrified for today. I don't know how to fight. How do you do it?"

"Simple. Channel something that makes you enraged. With Peter, he said I am a bitch, that pissed me off. With Caleb, he hurt you, so I hurt him. If I needed to, I would channel my anger towards our parents."

Channel something that enrages me. What enrages me? I do not get that upset over things. At least, not like Brooklyn.

"You look more lost." Brooklyn points out, I stare at her blankly. "Better yet, if you feel like you can't start the fight just protect your head and your abdomen. You will get angry and your adrenaline will start when you get hit. Fight or flight mode will kick in, you can't flee so you will fight."

Well, here goes nothing.

-/-

I look at the board in the training arena and cringe. I am in the third fight and I am against Peter. Of course, I'm against the only initiate I know. I like Peter for some strange reason and I want to get to know him more. How can I still want to get to know him after he hits me? Why do I still want to know him when he fought my sister yesterday and called her a bitch? The human brain makes no sense. Emotions make no sense.

I feel an elbow nudge my arm and see a battered Peter standing beside me. Brooklyn really went at him yesterday. I suddenly feel scared of my twin sister. If she can inflict this much damage to someone who only called us bitches, what else is she capable of doing?

"Ready for the fight?" I ask him.

"Do I have to answer that honestly?" Peter gives me a slight smile.

"Not necessarily because no matter your answer. We still have to."

Peter cringes, "Just do me a favor and don't hit my face, your sister did a number on it yesterday."

"Yeah, she kind of messed up your handsome face." No, stop. Don't go there.

"Handsome?"

"Can you two shut up?" Four snaps. "We would like to get on with the fights. You two would know this if you stopped talking."

'Can he shut up? He has a number for a name for fuck's sake. Why does he annoy me so much? I should fight him just to make shut him up. With how much he pisses me off I bet I can beat him.'

"Really?" Four questions, "You think you'll beat me?"

"What?" I ask quietly as my feel a lump forming in my throat.

"Isn't that what you just said? That I piss you off so much that you can beat me?" I stare at Four and try to figure out what to say, when I can't, I shut my mouth. "That's what I thought. You'll be gone by tonight if you keep running your mouth like that."

"I can." I blurt out.

"Can what?" Four looks intrigued.

"I can attempt to beat you."

"I would like to see this." The leader, his name is Eric. "No initiate has tried to take on the instructor before. Do you have a death wish initiate?"

I try to form things to say back but I am ultimately left speechless. Mainly because I am the idiot who put herself in this situation.

"Fine, let's go." Four steps onto the mat and crosses his arms waiting for me to join him. "I can show you all the reasons you don't belong here."

I am royally screwed but does have have to be that egotistical? I go to the mat and stand across from Four.

"Go!" Eric shouts and before I can even blink Four has me pinned on the ground.

"Whoa!" I gasp.

"What, too fast for you?" Four teases.

"I would say not fast enough but I know you would somehow manage to go even faster."

"Mhm."

I grit my teeth and dodge one of his blows directed at my face. However, his fists plants on my right shoulder. I try to shrug it off but the pain is almost unbearable. Brooklyn said I would get angry and adrenaline would kick when I got hit. That has yet to happen. Flight mode is in full effect. I try to push up on Four to get him off me. He takes this opportunity to land another blow, this time to my stomach. I almost throw up from the pain but I swallow it back down and look for his weak spot. What is he leaving open? Brooklyn said to always protect your abdomen and head. Four is not blocking his face. I quickly land a punch to his nose. I can tell this completely catches him off guard because I am able to push Four off me and get to my feet. I shake out my hand as my wrist hurts now from punching him.

"Ow!" I exclaim as I am slammed onto my back and my head bounce off the ground.

Get up, Maylyn.

I stumble trying to get on my feet. I am quickly knocked back down when I feel a sharp pain to the side of my face. I feel very discombobulated. My vision is spinning, I taste blood, I smell blood, I can't get a sense of what is up and what is down.

"You are almost making it too easy for me." Four mocks me.

Keep fighting, Maylyn.

I once again get on my feet and see Four charging at me again. This time I duck his right handed throw and deliver a kick to his stomach.

"You just don't know when to stay down, do you?" You can antagonize all you want to Four but I am not going down until I have given it my all.

Four lunges at me and wraps his arms around my waist, bringing us both to the ground. Having Four's body weight come down on top of me knocks the wind out of my lungs. Four quickly uses this to his advantage and punches me three times. Once on the lip, next on my right eye, finally, my nose. I feel like I am going to pass out.

"Stop," I say meekly. "Please."

Four lands one last punch to my cheek and everything goes black.