Timeless- The Sequel To Dauntless: A FanFic Of Divergent

Chapter 14- Initiates

No one's actually getting dressed up for the Choosing ceremony. We're Dauntless, and we don't do dress up. Everyone looks pretty normal, actually. As normal as Dauntless get, that is. But there is excitement in the air. Initiation is almost like reality TV to us. It's entertainment, but there is also an element of faction pride. Only the best make it here. I pull my hair into a snug ponytail. The only thing I'm dreading about today is the interaction with the other factions. Mainly Erudite. I've made a point of locking myself in this compound for the past year. Isolating myself from the outside. Immersing myself in my new life. It's been wonderful, to be frank. I've only left twice. It's a community in its own. Everything you need is here, especially when that's were your job is. I certainly don't mind.

I sit next to Tobias and Shauna. Kate is on her other side. It's tradition, for the instructors to be in front. So we have a better view of who we'll be training. It helps me to be stronger, because I know that Tobias is in the exact same position as me. He doesn't want to see his father, and I don't want to see my mother. It must be like this every year for him. A harsh reminder of why he sits where he sits. I suppose it'll be the same for me now. You can see it in the way he sits, tense, eyes always on Abnegation. I know why. My eyes keep wandering back to Erudite as well. She is standing in that back of the crowd, searching the crowd. Not for me, I hope. But I get a bad feeling about the whole thing. Is it like this for all faction transfers? Always tense, wondering if they made the right choice. I could have just as easily been sitting across that room in blue instead of black. But I know I made the right choice. Dauntless is where I belong. I've immersed myself in it as much as Four has.

Jeanine speaks first "The faction system was installed by our founders to keep the peace. It has done so. As long as our youth choose where they truly belong." She looks directly at me, smiling coyly. "We depend upon you to make the right choice. And I'm sure every one of us is where they are because they knew themselves. Or thought they did." She says, earning a nervous chuckle. But everyone can feel the tension. We all know who she speaks to. The Abnegation. She has been after them for ages. A part of me knows the comments are also directed towards me. She still believes I should be in Erudite, following her like a blind mouse. But I'm not blind. And I have every intention of staying away from the big, bad, wolf. And I can do that in Dauntless. Maybe even bring her down.

9 others think they belong here as well. Transfers. Plenty of Candor, a few Erudite. And one Abnegation. Prior, was her last name. One of the council member's daughters, I think. I see Tobias curl his fingers as she chooses. I think they are two members of a very, very small club. Abnegation-Dauntless is not at all a common transfer. She's small, skinny. But so am I. If she's a fighter, she can do it. And she does look that way. Her brother transfers also, to Erudite. My mother is going to have a field day with this. The whole Abnegation's teachings are corrupted story. Four's name might even be mentioned. As I watch the boy, Caleb, join the blue faction, I get the feeling that him and his sister are two very different people.

I'm pretty used to running up and down stairs at this point. Usually, it wouldn't bother me. But I've never done it with a gunshot wound when I'm out of shape. I've been out of training for a while, for obvious reasons. I'm winded by the time we reach the train. It's embarrassing. I'm supposed to be a trainer, a model. But I can't even run down the street. I really run into problems when I attempt to pull myself into the train car. Something rips. I cry out and struggle to hang on, barely pulling myself into the car. I roll onto the ground, breathing hard. This is horrible. I must look like an initiate myself. Tori snickers quietly from behind me. "Hey! Lay off her, she's shot!" one of the Dauntless-born initiates yells. I glance up. Zeke puts a hand on his shoulder "Enough Uriah." His brother. I'd almost forgotten it was his year to join. I smile at him weakly, trying to ignore the explosion of pain in my side. I push myself up, clutching it. I take a few breaths, and stand carefully. I definitely reopened it. I doubt anyone could see it through my black shirt, so I pretend like it didn't happen, ignoring the warm blood that I can feel starting to soak through. "Thanks." I say to Uriah, still a bit out of breath. Zeke ruffles his hair. "Dauntless in training." He says, smiling. Uriah glares at him "I'm only a year younger than you." He says, annoyed. Zeke shrugs "Whatever. Are you ok?" No, not really. But I am not going back to that god damned hospital. "I'm fine." I lie. He raises an eyebrow. "Alright then." He says suspiciously. I'm a really bad liar.

A/N: Saw Divergent again today:) Slap dat vote button if you enjoyed, and stay Dauntless:)