Variance [A Percy Jackson/Divergent Crossover]

Chapter 24

Percy's P.O.V.

I stand with my friends, Thalia and Nico, along with some Dauntless initiates: Tris, Will, Al, Christina, Uriah, Zeke, Shauna, Marlene, and Lynn. Marlene is digging into a blueberry muffin.

Marlene and Uriah are arguing about something. I tune in.

"That's the most ridiculous dare ever," Marlene says.

"So you're chickening out," Uriah says.

"No! I'm just--You know what? Fine."

"What's the dare?" I ask them.

Marlene smirks. "I have to put a muffin on my head and let Uriah shoot it off."

"Sweet. I'm next," I say.

"Seriously? Percy, you have the brains of a butterfly," Nico says.

"At least butterflies are good-looking, like I am," I retort.

Tris rolls her eyes. "You're just as vain as Zeke here."

"Our vanity binds us," Zeke says, giving me a high-five. I return it.

Marlene stacks a dozen muffins in her arms. I frown. "Is that allowed, Mar?"

"Everything is allowed when your name is Marlene," Marlene replies, grinning.

"Whatever," Uriah says. "Come on, guys."

Uriah leads us into a dark room, with a pile of guns on the floor. Uriah grabs one.

"What if we get caught?" Thalia asks.

"Uh, just don't get caught," Shauna says.

"How nice."

Marlene sets her other muffins down on a table, and places one on her head.

Uriah aims the gun, and Marlene shouts at him to wait.

"Finally chickening out?" he says hopefully.

"Nah," Marlene responds. She takes a bite of her muffin and puts it back on her head. "I couldn't waste it."

"For the love of the gods," Thalia says, sighing.

Will opens his mouth. "You don't believe in God?"

"Um..."

"We aren't Christians," I interrupt. "We're...uh..."

"Greek," Nico finishes. Not a lie, I guess.

"Oh," Will says. (A/N: Just so you know, it isn't Will Solace. I hope you knew that already.) "I guess people have their thing."

Uriah shoots the muffin off Marlene's head. She laughs and picks it up.

Uriah wrinkles his nose. "Don't eat it, Mar!"

"Too late." She stuffs the muffin in her mouth, and we all cringe.

"I'm next," I say.

"Please shoot him in the head," Thalia mutters to Uriah.

Uriah flashes her a grin. "Even if I did, it would only sting. It's programmed to feel like a bullet, but it only hurts for two seconds."

"Huh. Shoot him in the head anyway."

"Nah. Percy would push me into the chasm," Uriah answers, cocking the gun again.

I stand in the center of the room and put a muffin on my head.

"Percy, you should wear a muffin hat all the time," Thalia calls out. "You look dashing."