Find the Shadow (FOUR'S SISTER)

6. I Don't Need Your Help

She woke with a start as someone rested their hand on her shoulder. "Sorry" she apologized letting go Four's shirt she had grabbed out of reflex. Four sat next to her his leg dangling over the edge. "Having trouble sleeping?" Four asked her. Mare nodded as Four continued, "It's hard to used to the new noises and people around you.." Mare cut him off. "That's not it, just some old nightmares that's all." Four nodded. "What about?" He turned to her his usual stern glare softened. "It doesn't matter." Mare sighed swinging her legs down onto the first step as she began to climb down, "Mare," Four called to her, "Be careful the next round is going to be mentally challenging. Just be ready for anything." Four warned her. Mare nodded again while she descended to find somewhere quiet to sit.

Mare spent most of the next week fighting a punching bag and the urge to sleep as the other transfers struggled to move up in the rankings. Mark and Orion were on the mat, each seemed just as skilled as the other. Orion watched Mark predicting his punches. Mare stopped her training and stood next to Eric to watch the fight. "He's good. Almost as good as you stiff." Eric smiled watching Mare shiver. "Get ready you might have to fight him next," Eric whispered in her ear before leaving the two to evenly match each other. Suddenly Mark pulled an unexpected attack, hitting Orion square in the face sending him down on the mat hard. Orion wasn't going to get up. Eric stalked back nudging the boy with his foot. "Well looks like he is down. Guess you won't have a match after all Stiff." The next two opponents faced each other on the mat. The rest of the week was filled with more one on one fights. Mare managed to beat everyone Eric pitted against her. Ace was first, she tried not to hurt her too much, putting her in a headlock making it unable to fight back. Then, Henry, he was harder, hit her a few good times but went down with a quick jab to the throat. She faced Emma the Candor girl, but she was easy to read mare kept predicting whether she would hit and jabbed all her open, exposed body. Rick's results were very similar to Henry he was hard-hitting but failed to think about the next attack, he was simply tricked into giving up. Finally, Mare faced Orion, he proved to be a challenge, he was upset that she beat his friend and he was clever enough to think ahead. For the first 2 minutes of their fight, neither person advanced. They just watched and waited. "If you two don't start fighting each other you will both be hanging from the chasm," Eric growled lowly. Mare swallowed her nerves. She didn't like Eric, he reminded her of her father. Dangerous and bent on hurting others. Orion made the first move, lunging at her and delivering a swift uppercut to her jaw. Mare left herself open before attaching herself to his arm. She wrapped his arm around her shoulder and heaved his body weight forward. Orion's back collided with the floor with a loud thud. Mare used the opportunity to punch him in the gut and then in the nose. Orion growled pushing her away from him. Mare looked at Eric, "well finish him," growled Eric his eyes watching her intently. "But he is injured, "Mare stated watching the bruising forming under his eyes. Mare knew he had a broken nose, she remembered the horror of waking up and having 2 panda-like eyes. "What's wrong stiff? Lost your nerve at the sight of blood?" Orion chuckled behind her as his handheld onto his bloodied face. "He isn't at his full potential so any further victory, would be unfair," Mare started ignoring Orion's comments. Eric jumped up onto the mat, talking towards her. Four stopped what he was doing watching the interaction closely. " You will do what I tell you to initiate." Eric grabbed her face harshly pulling her chin to meet his gaze. "You fight until I tell you to stop!" he hissed. Mare nodded slowly as not to further provoke him. Eric dropped her chin and made his way off the mat. Mare circled Orion again. His blood from his nose was now freely streaming down his face. Orion swang his fist wide clipping Mare in the ear before slamming his other fist into her gut. Mare took the opportunity while he was close to her to grab his head and slam it into her knee. Orion crumbled as Mare released him. She was covered in blood but for once it wasn't her own. Eric simply walked away calling the next fight as Mare limped off of the mat. Eric got bored very quickly of her beating everyone and forced her to go back training on the punching bags.

With the overall rankings for round 1 being finalised and released the initiates were given the end of the week off to rest and recover for round 2. Mare woke with a gasp as another nightmare haunted her. It was early, all the other initiates were still asleep. So Mare slipped on her shoes and went to the training room. After a gentle jog and some knife throwing another initiate joined her. Mare looked up from the knife table as Nate waltzed in carrying two thick weights. "Good Morning, sweetheart." he said watching her as she laid the knives back down onto the table." it's a little early isn't it?" she asked him. Nate smirked, "Never too early, besides I heard there was good company." Mare shrugged, "I'm not going to get any more sleep, so there is no point lying there and not improving." she stated matter of factually heading over to the punching bags. "I suppose not. Why are you still training? You will be ranked first for sure." Nate asked her as he used his arm to curl the weight towards him. "First means nothing. Being Dauntless is about being prepared for anything, and I would rather be prepared than caught out." Mare hit the bag, her punctuating each word with her fist. 

"So you would never be the victim again?" Nate asked Mare stopped studying the swinging bag. "Something like that." Mare shook out her sore hands leaving Nate to train alone. Nate sighed as he watched her leave. The girl was complicated. She was powerful and determined, she had a smart head on her shoulders. But Nate was worried that her past had damaged her. Only time will tell. At the end of the week, Mare was still ranked first. She spent the night at the spot above the chasm as a precaution. She knew people were angry and desperate. These things were not a good mix.