CONVERGENT - [Divergent] ADOPTED

Chapter Fourteen

[ELLIE]

We were in the training room bright and early today for the fights. There was a slightly matted ring in the centre and a blackboard with our names in pairs.

Trudi                   Alice

William              Dean

Ellie                    Blithe

Cohan               Eli

Kori                    Robin

Zeke                     --

I quickly looked for our names, Blithe. Who's Blithe? Oh, right, must be one of the only people we had yet to meet. But I leaned in to the girls anyway.

"Who's Blithe?" I asked in a hushed voice.

Trudi and Kori shook their heads, but Alice answered. "He came with me from Amity. He's a bully. Really mean and violent. Everyone knew he'd go to Dauntless."

Oh, great. My first fight is against someone who's accustomed to violence.

I saw Trudi and Alice were together and was glad. Although they are friends, at least they won't be against a guy on their first fight.

Kori had Robin, and I remember her showing us him. He stood next to Dean, both looked physically capable and much bigger. I swallowed a lump in my throat. Neither of us had it easy today.

Ajax called for silence.

"Okay, guys. We'll be doing this for another eleven days, so everyone has an even number of fights and everyone has a bye, since there's eleven of you. You're scored and ranked with these, so fight hard and don't leave anything behind, give it all you've got."

Ajax paused, making sure we were all listening.

"Every day, there will be a list of names, these are your pairings for the fights for each day. You won't fight the same person twice and each of you, as I said, will get a bye. You'll use the techniques and moves I've taught you these past two days. The fight continues until one cannot continue, whether that be by conceiting or one goes unconscious. Good luck, first fight, Trudi and Alice."

He stepped away from the ring and waited impatiently for the girls to step up.

"Well? We don't have all day," Ajax snapped.

They stepped up to the mat hesitantly and took their positions.

Trudi and Alice stood staring at each other, hands up to protect their face and ribs, for about five seconds before Ajax snapped at them again.

It was very awkward to watch. One would throw a very awkward punch and the other would side-step to avoid it.

"Stop playing," Ajax wasn't impressed, it would seem.

Trudi finally got a hit in, landing on Alice's stomach, she leant forward, winded. Gosh, there could've been that much force in Trudi's hit, surely.

I saw Trudi's lips moving but I couldn't hear anything as she hit Alice again, she fell down onto her side.

After a few seconds and Alice didn't move, Trudi asked. "Is that enough?" in a such a shaky voice. I could tell she hated it.

Ajax pursed his lips and nodded once. Trudi instantly leaned down and helped Alice up, letting her lean on her as they left the ring.

Ajax called the next fight; William and Dean.

Their fight was much more... punch, punch, hit, dodge. They weren't afraid to land a punch, or take one. Their fight went on for a little bit longer before Dean swiped William's feet under him, landing a solid punch, rendering... unconscious? Or just so winded he couldn't move, but the fight was over.