60 seconds

12). Option Two

Ro's POV -

I don't break eye contact as I enter the ring. I feel panic start to take over and I have to keep reminding myself that it's him or Elena. I can't beat up a girl who doesn't know how to put up a fight.

I shake my hands out and circle my neck around my shoulders. I hear "Rosey" from one side of the matt and "Roundhouse" from the opposite. I start to feel more confident as I hear their chants and Eric notices. With one look he has both sides silenced and it's back to the adrenaline filled eye holding. "We'll see who gets a Roundhouse when we're done" he almost snears.

He charges at me and I let his momentum be his downfall. I get in a ready stance that he taught us earlier and wait till the last second. I move my upper body out of the way and leave my right foot where it is. It's too late for him to stop and I grab his back to push his chest down on my knee, knocking the wind out of him. He looks shocked at the fact I just did something and I take that as my moment to send a flying right hook to his chiseled face. He sees this coming and catches my fist with his palm. He wraps his hand around my fist and I can't believe my entire fist was swallowed by just one of his hands.

He uses his grip on my fist to jerk my arm around so my back is pressed into him. I can feel every muscle on his chest through our shirts and for a second I wish we weren't wearing shirts and this wasn't a ring we were in. It was only for a second. Push it out. We don't need feelings. He whispers in my ear as he bends my arm back, "do I need to make a matching mark on your other arm or are you going to show some respect?" I'm instantly filled with more anger than I've felt in a while. I send my ankle flying up his split legs and hit him where the sun don't shine. His hold on my hand slightly falters and I use this as my time to finally get a good punch. I know that he doesn't know about the abuse but the fact he went there puts me over the edge. His hand went to his area and my fist met his face.

He falls over from the impact and I straddle his waist. His hands were still by his crotch area so before I got a chance to send another punch he gripped his large calloused hands on my inner thighs. His thumbs were so close to my area that I slightly lost my breath. He notices this and grips tighter while throwing me off of him so I'm now the one being pinned. He grabs both of my wrists in one hand and keeps my hands pinned above my head. I try to fight out of his grip but when I look up I almost lose all strength to fight.

Eric knows what comes next and I can tell by the look in his face he doesn't want to? He's the cold ruthless Eric why is he hesitating? Our eyes lock and I know he has to do this. He can't just concede it will make him look weak. I did better than I think anyone was expecting. I might be losing by knock out but I definitely didn't lose.

His eyes changed from anger when we first started to regret. Instead of a dark icey blue their just filled with a look of blankness. I nod my head slightly and don't take my eyes off of his. I'm going out and he can look at me while he does it. I'm not a coward and I know how to take a hit. He just needs to do it.

He blinks and I can tell he feels the same confusion as I am.

I see his fist raise.

His eyes stay locked with mine as his fist comes down and I'm out.

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I wake up to see blinding white light. I groan and go to put my hand over my eyes when I feel an instant jabbing pain in my head and something pulling on my arm. I slightly move my head to the side ignoring the pain and I see an IV in my arm with some other stuff that I have no idea what is. I try to sit up and I know it's a stupid mistake. I slightly fall back down onto my pillow only to spring up.

Jonah!

I look around the room I'm in to see if there's any signs of my attacker as the door opens.

I grab the closest object to me, a plastic cup, and hold it in a defense position.

I know how these hospital trips work. He comes in before I can tell the doctors whatever elaborate story he came up with to cover his ass and stays in the room while I say it. If I go off script it's even worse once we get back to the house. It wouldn't have mattered even if I did tell the truth because for a while I always did.

But then again, even Erudite Doctors wouldn't believe that a little girl was getting beaten by her Amity Representative father. He is not only a member of Amity but is part of leadership in Amity, the faction of peace and love. While I was a sick little girl who liked to get attention.  

The door finally opens to an older lady with spiked pink hair and a tattoo of a vaccine on her face. Her eyes fill with shock as she sees my position with the cup and asks if I'm alright. The previous events finally fill my head and I sigh in relief.

I'm not back there. I'm not with him. I'm safe. I'm in Dauntless. He can't get me anymore.

I lean my head in my hands and laugh. I can't believe I let Eric knock me out because I thought I saw something in his eyes. How stupid am I?

I laugh harder when the Dauntless Doctor looks more confused. "Sweetheart I think Eric hit you a little too hard." She says with a voice full of concern. I laugh even harder.

If only she new Eric's punch was the lightest tap compared to the knock outs I used to get. That thought sobers me up a little and I look back to the doctor. "How long have I been out?" I'm afraid to hear her answer and my heart sinks when I hear it. "A day"

A day! I can't miss a day! What if they went over guns in training? What if my rank drops because of this! I feel so stupid! I shouldn't have let Eric win like that I should've made him concede. Not like he was going to anyway!

I groan in frustration and ask how much training I've missed when there's a knock at the door. She looks to me and I just nod my head. I hope it's Elena but I have no clue who it could be. I know it's not Jonah, I've already gone through that today.

A tall African American man walks through the door and the doctor straightens up. She addresses him rather formally and calls him Max?

Oh, Max!

The Max, head leader of Dauntless, is in my hospital room. I wonder what he's doing here and I pray he doesn't notice me. I don't want our first interaction to be me banged up. He calls the pink Mohawk lady Justine and asks her to leave the room. She immediately obeys and I feel myself start to straighten in posture.

"Hello Ro, my name is Max. I'm the head leader here at Dauntless. I've heard about what happened yesterday in training and I wanted to tell you in person that Eric is being punished for his overuse of authority during training. We don't do this ever so be grateful. The only reason he is getting a punishment is because you are an initiate and he is not. He should have ended the fight with you conscious for the next day of training, not you unconscious missing a full day. His punishment is to personally train you after your regular session tomorrow. He will continue to do this until he deems you are fit to continue on with out his help. You will realize this is an advantage to you so use it wisely. I was told you are allowed back but no fights for three days. You need to learn to respect authority. I agree with Eric on what he chose to do but he was in the wrong to knock you out. You will report to Eric after dinner." Before I could get a yes sir or even a question out he was up and off the bed. He seemed annoyed that he had to deliver this news and that he has more important things to do. I don't blame him, I'm not important. Not yet. I will be once I rank first.

His little speech sinks in and I realize that I now have to train with Eric.

One on one.

Until he deems I'm fit to continue regular training.

What did I get myself into! I should've just fake knocked out Elena! Not challenge Eric! I'm stuck with someone who probably wants to spend as little time training initiates never mind me! I shouldn't have picked Option Two.