Same, But Different //discontinued//

Part 2: Even the Dauntless-Born aren't safe

The Dauntless roar as we tremble down the stairs. At my fastest run, it is just barely enough. I wonder how Beatrice is doing running. Why am I thinking about her like this?

We run and run until we arrive at the train tracks. I can faintly hear the horn in the distance. A short Candor girl with dark skin is speaking with Beatrice. The train nears us and a boy in blue clothes elbows me in the side.

"Hey, Stiff...What are we supposed to do?" He snickers. I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Hey, Smart ass...Figure it out for yourself." I say back, anger in my voice. I made my choice. It's either Dauntless or Factionless. There is no in between. There is no returning back to Marcus.

The Erudite boy laughs thickly at me. His laugh is terrifying and humorous at the same time. I shake my head and focus back on the train.

It rushes past us. The wind ruffles my loose gray clothes and cools my skin. I notice movement in front. They're jumping on the trains. I act first and think second, before I run vertical to the cars. My gray clothes weigh me down. I jump for the handle on the door and swing myself in. I land on my feet triumphantly. A red headed boy leans against the wall. He's wearing Candor's signature black and white and a devilish smirk. He catches my eyes and stumbles over to me.

"So, you're the Stiff..." He snickers. I'm several inches taller than him, so he looks up at me. My upbringing shows itself in this moment and I don't reply. I just turn to the doorway.

He grabs my shoulders and slams me into the wall. For such a small boy, he's quite strong.

"Don't turn away when I'm speaking to you." He growls.

"What's your name again?" I ask with a smirk. His scowl fades as he answers.

"Peter." He hisses back.

"Well, Peter. I'll do whatever the hell I want. I'm just as Dauntless as you are now." I chuckle darkly. He slams my shoulders back into the wall and I have to remind myself that I'm Dauntless now. It's okay to fight back from the bullying. The torture.

My arm reels back and I punch him in the jaw. He releases my shoulders, tugging me down to the ground. Stay on your feet. I chant to myself. Stay up.

My leg swings back, hooking around his and I pull him down to the ground. He falls down, cracking his elbow on the metal floor.

"Do not touch me, Candor." I growl at him, my hands in fists at my sides. I look up from our fight and notice we've gathered a crowd. I scan the faces, looking for her. When I finally see her, she wears a surprised smile. She's standing next to the Candor girl who is holding in laughter. I suddenly feel embarrassed. Everyone in the car is looking at me. I turn my back on the fight and the crowd and walk to the edge of the car. I look out and just think.

What would I be doing if I had stayed in Abnegation? Would I be taking Marcus's beating or would I be in my own home, doing my own thing?

There's noise from the cars ahead of us and I look over. They're jumping off. I shake my head, effectively clearing my thoughts. The ledge slides out in from of us and I don't want to jump. We're so high... I stand back and watch as Beatrice and the Candor girl jump together. By now, there are only a few left. I gather up all my courage - every bit of it - and jump.

I close my eyes. My breaths are out of control. I breathe in gasps. I can feel the wind press down on my chest and I open my eyes. I look down at the concrete of the roof and tuck and roll. My arms take the worst of it, but there's one brush burn on my cheek.

I stand up and brush the rocks from my clothes. I will never wear these clothes again. I will never see Marcus again. The thought thrills me. I won't ever be hurt again.

I look around. Others have had varying types of success on landing. Peter is grinning triumphantly. He must've landed on his feet.

Beatrice and Christina look okay. They must've fallen because they're both shaking gravel off of themselves.

The Erudite boy from earlier is grumbling under his breath while holding his elbow. I notice the red blood on his blue coat, staining it crimson.

I hear a high-pitch scream and I turn around to see two Dauntless-born's - one male and one female - near the edge. The boy is holding on to her waist as she wails.

"Rita--Rita, calm down. There's nothing you can do." He coos, trying to soothe her. She collapses onto her knees, dragging the boy with her.

I am no longer sure I will be able to last this. This just proves that even the Dauntless-Born aren't safe.