Variance [A Percy Jackson/Divergent Crossover]

Chapter 5

I'll try to update every day or two. Show this book to your friends. Thanks! I'm probably putting Beatrice Prior in this chapter.

Annabeth's P.O.V.

We have a quick dinner of peas, potatoes, asparagus, and quail meat. "It's too healthy," Leo complains.

We stay up late that night discussing what happened during our test. Apparently, two of the administrators are Divergent, and two others are working for Jeanine Matthews. We still don't have much of a lead on her and what she's up to. But I plan on choosing Erudite tomorrow at the Choosing Ceremony. Hopefully I can gather information from there.

I lie awake, staring into the darkness and thinking. I can't seem to shut my brain off, even though the digital clock reads almost midnight. I'm too worried about Choosing Day.

It takes me an hour, but I finally drift to sleep.

__________.__________

Today is Choosing Day. I remind myself to control my breathing.

We take the stairs, following the rest of Abnegation. I suppose it's a selfless act to use them and allow another faction an elevator, but I'm panting by the time we've reached the top. We'd climbed twenty flights of stairs.

We push open a set of doors, and I lose my friends in the crowd. The room beyond is arranged in concentric circles. Sixteen year olds stand on the edge, about a hundred strong, arranged into five groups based on their faction. My friends and I join the Abnegation group.

Five metal bowls are placed in front of us, exactly as Chiron described them. Lit coals fill the Dauntless bowl, still water fills the Erudite bowl, glass coveres the surface of the Candor bowl, dirt fills the Amity bowl, and gray stones fills the Abnegation bowl. An Abnegation man with graying hair stands in front of the bowls, obviously the speaker. He introduces himself as Marcus Eaton. Lanterns are strewn across the room, glowing an eerie blue that washes us in light.

We're all in alphabetical order, I think. Marcus rattles on about tradition and the founding of the factions and Chicago's greatness. At the end, people applaud, but it sounds unenthusiastic, as if they heard this rubbish every year. Then he calls the first name, an Amity girl in a yellow sundress.

The Amity girl slices her palm open with the knife and winces. She holds out her hand and allows her blood to sprinkle into the bowl of earth without hesitation. She smiles and joins her friends and family in Amity.

Marcus keeps calling names. Agitha Ailment, Julia Barber, and...Annabeth Chase. 

I walk over to the bowls, struggling to keep my face expressionless while I feel a wave of emotions inside. 

Marcus hands me the knife, and I slit my palm. I barely register the pain as I thrust my hand toward the Erudite bowl and let my blood stain the water. The first faction transfer. I hear grumbles from Abnegation. I join the Erudite section.

"Welcome to Erudite," a blonde woman in a blue dress says, smiling kindly. "I am Jeanine Matthews, faction leader."

Nico's P.O.V.

I walk confidently to the bowls, grip the knife, and make my decision without hesitation.

Dauntless.

I am brave. I am reckless.

I am death itself.

Jason's P.O.V.

I watch as Annabeth takes a seat with the Erudite. She looks horrified, as if she'd just seen a ghost. My brow furrows. I'll talk to her about it later.