( even during stage two of initiation, when everyone's being worn down to the bone by their own fears - there are good days and there are bad days.
tris wandered the compound after her simulation session. aimlessly trailing down half-remembered corridors, until she'd found herself at the back entrance, so she'd sprawled in the safety net for a while. thinking. thinking about her fears, and what they really were. right up to the moment when molly yanked her out of the net by her hair. apparently she wanted some sort of payback, and tris doesn't really want to start anything, but now that it's been started, she's not ready to sit it out.
peter isn't there - a good thing, unless she's just not seeing him yet in which case that's terrible - but her insides knot up preemptively anyway.
maybe, tris thinks, she could outrun them. but she doesn't want to.
Ellie thinks of the old days, the days when she and Riley would actually leave the compound, ride the trains and leap between the tracks, jump between the cars. Slide down the rooftops because they could.
Riley taught her how to never get caught, and nobody ever misses her at bedtime. These days, she can't leave, not really, but she hangs around the back entrance, watching the sky in the quiet darkness.
Ellie's fears are many and varied, but they always cycle back to one thing: being alone.
It makes her want to laugh sometimes, that the hallucinations try to drop her into something that is simply reality. She is alone, especially among the Dauntless.
At first, Ellie doesn't realize anyone is down there, let alone sprawled in the net. But when the muffled gasping noises work their way up, followed by the thudding, organic sounds of trading blows, Ellie sits up to listen. Heavy breathing, sharp little squeals of pain. Someone shouts hold her! and then there is the sound of a heavy roll of tape being pulled apart.
As quietly as she can, Ellie tumbles down into the net. They're all making such a racket that they never notice her rolling out of it, or creeping up behind the biggest one. There are three of them, all so busy with binding and beating the shit out of their small victim, they never see her coming.
Ellie doesn't hold back on the first blow. She visualizes her fist going through his head, and swings, hammering directly into his ear. He staggers, and when he does Ellie catches him in a chokehold, pushing the point of steel writing pen into his jugular vein. Not enough to pierce, but it'll be easy to push it in.
"Hey, assfaces," she calls out, almost casually. "You wanna make it two on two?"
Tris hears the net, but she doesn't really have the time to turn and look. There's tape covering her mouth and binding her wrists together, one of her eyes is already beginning to swell shut and she hurts in more places than she cares to keep track of.
The best she can hope for is that it's not someone else's way of making a dramatic entrance, and the best she hoped for certainly falls short of what happens, luckily. She recognizes the girl, Ellie, as one of the Dauntless born initiates, and barely takes the time to register that the other girl is helping her, because Molly's hold on the back of her neck has losened in surprise. Taking her chance, Tris writhes out of the bigger girl's grip, clasps her bound hands together and swings them up hard to meet her chin.
It's not as hard a hit as all that, but it's enough for her to take a half step back and trip down the stairs of the platform.
Meanwhile, the press of Ellie's arm around Drew's neck is quickly causing him to lose consciousness, and the pen pressed against the side of his neck doesn't actually stay Peter's hand.
Peter lashes out at Ellie with a growl, hits her a glancing blow in the side of the skull, and Ellie stumbles back, knocked off balance by Drew's limp weight.
"You little bitch-"
Peter heads straight for Ellie, who is still reeling from the blow, weaving and low to the ground, trying to regain her balance. The perfect target. Weak, small, easily breakable. Her pen clatters to the ground, leaving her weaponless as Peter closes in.
But Peter isn't in Ellie's class, the Dauntless-born initiates. He doesn't know how good she is at taking a beating. When Peter comes for her, she lashes out and punches him directly in the throat, followed by a right hook directly to his jaw.
She isn't strong enough to knock him clean out, though. Not quite. He comes at her again, and this time Ellie can't get out of the way fast enough. He tackles her to the pavement, pinning her down.
"You see that, Stiff? Your little sister came to save you, but it's not going so well for her after all."
Tris doesn't bother ripping the tape off her mouth to answer. Not that she's really coherent enough now anyway. She's as angry as she was when she fought Molly, so she just moves. Unfortunately for him, pinning Ellie to the ground leaves him in a perfect position for Tris to kick him, and she does. In the side, in the ribs, until he lets go of her and tries to get away to regain his feet.
Of course all this means she's turned her back on Molly at the base of the platform, but with Drew unconscious and the numbers not in their favour, she's not going to stick with it, is she?
Though Tris isn't particularly strong, Peter's body rocks on top of Ellie's with the blows, and she shields her face, so she doesn't take much damage -- long enough that she's ready for once Peter starts to get up, gets just far enough for Ellie to slam her feet against the platform, push back, grab his forearm-
And slam the heel of her boot right into his jaw as hard as she can. The impact knocks him out cold, and Ellie doesn't bother to cushion his heavy fall. For a second the only sound is Molly's footsteps, running away down the corridor.
Ellie pushes up to her feet and sets her heel on Peter's shoulder, pushing him onto his side so the blood bubbling up from his mouth won't drown him. He's probably broken a few teeth.
"What's that about being a little bitch?" she asks him, acidic, and swipes her pen up from the floor, giving Tris a small smile.
"Here, gimme your wrists." She reaches out and uses the nib to pop holes in the tape between them, making it easier to tear off. "Nice kick, I think you saved my ass."
Tris is breathing shakily through her nose, waiting for Ellie to get done with her wrists. When she pulls the tape off her mouth, it tears some of the skin off as well, making her hiss.
"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" She has no idea how to kick that high. If she could knock anyone out with a single kick. It's not hard to see the difference in how many years they've been fighting, but she can't really feel jealous when this more or less stranger just swooped in to save her neck.
Trying to pull apart her wrists, she finds the tape gives pretty easily now. She wipes her mouth with her sleeve as soon as she's got some of the tape off. Bloodstains don't show too much on black. Maybe that's why Dauntless wear it.
"Thanks," it occurs to her to say, belatedly. It doesn't seem like enough. Not remotely. She's starting to shake all over.
Ellie squints in the dark, checking her mouth, but it seems like nothing's broken. Just a bleeding lip, a blacked eye, probably some bruises under her clothes. A bruise is already starting to darken around Ellie's cheekbone and forearms, but she got off easily compared to the others.
"Well, now we're even."
She pauses, then flashes a smile. She remembers her. First jumper, Tris- and the girl who got into the zipline headfirst. She stands out. Though Ellie notices the shaking, she doesn't mention it. Instead she nudges her elbow, not ungently, urging her away from the area. The boys will come to in a bit, and Molly will probably be alerting someone. They don't want to be found.
Suddenly, intensely, she flashes back to the first time she met Riley properly. She was older, an initiate at the time. Had saved her from something very much like this. At the time, Ellie hadn't been grateful. Within the Dauntless, requiring saving is a blow to one's pride, and it makes others see you as weak.
At least, back then, Ellie had seen it that way. Riley had showed her how wrong she was. How there was bravery in standing up for someone. How there was strength in sharing a burden with friends. She shook the memory away.
"C'mon, let's go get you cleaned up."
Ellie leads the way through the dark halls of the complex, finding a smaller bathroom they can slip into. She wets a paper towel and reaches out to hold it to Tris's lip.
"Here, put the cold part on there and press down. Theeeere ya go."
By the time they slip into the bathroom, the shaking has stopped. Movement helps. Anything to keep going, anything to not think. Her lip is still bleeding, and every breath she takes stings. She doesn't remember where the blows fell, but the taste of blood is in her mouth either way. Her pride stings too, but more because she got caught, again. Wandering around alone, again. But she won't let the fear of them dictate where she goes and when.
But the walk gives her time to get a better look at her rescuer, too. She remembers her from capture the flag and the zipline. Ellie had been one of the first Dauntless-born Four picked for his team, and she didn't have to make herself memorable by stepping on her feet.
"You do this often? Just jump into a fight?"
Paper towel or no, she can't stop herself from asking.
"Some people just need their asses kicked. It's like a public service."
Ellie flashes a smile while she rinses her fingers, leans back in to check the bruising around Tris's eye. Looks nasty, but doesn't seem to have any fractures. She's been helping in the medical wing for ages now, she knows her injuries.
After a moment, the smile sobers into something more serious, as she gently prods the area with her fingertips.
"And it's not exactly my first rodeo, either. So when I see shit like that... it just pisses me off. Especially since Eric won't do a fucking thing about cowards like that in the ranks."
Tris flinches at the prod. Her eye's already swelling shut, but she can't tell how bad it is. Doesn't have any idea how Ellie can tell either. The mention of Eric immediately makes her scowl, which also hurts. But then, everything does. Especially her head. She's starting to feel dizzy again and can't tell if she's swaying, but she sure hopes not.
"I think Eric has a different idea about what makes a coward."
Her words sound like judgement, and for once she doesn't worry who she's saying what to. It's not like it's a secret that Tris isn't Eric's greatest fan.
Ellie pauses, then takes the selfsame pen she'd threatened the boys with earlier, clicks a button on the end. It lights up and she shines it into each of Tris's eyes, watching how her pupils respond to light. It's a simple check for a rattled brain, but generally reliable. Thankfully, what she finds doesn't seem to alarm her.
"You're probably okay, but stay away from balance beams-"
Cutting off, she grins sharply, something borderline vicious and angry in her eyes.
"You've got no idea." It's a cryptic statement, but she doesn't know to trust Tris yet. Four seems to, but it takes more to get past Ellie's suspicious nature. Speaking of him: "Are you gonna tell Four what happened?"
She's got some idea, at least she thinks so, but she isn't about to tell stories just yet.
"I... don't know," she accompanies her answer with a shrug, startled into honesty. "I mean, it probably won't make a difference."
Because he'll probably find out anyway, whether she brings it up or not. Besides, she doesn't expect them to face consequences all of a sudden. Cruelty and violence aren't taboo here.
It's not a question, but a realization that she doesn't think to keep in, to keep safe. She's seen all sorts of reactions to him. Many are wary, some outright afraid. Some of the Dauntless born initiates are more at ease with him, but she never got the idea that any of them were really close to him. But then, maybe some are. It's not like she's been here that long.
Setting her jaw stubbornly, Ellie wets another paper towel and swabs it across her face with a sigh. "But yeah, I trust him. More than anybody else in this place. ... he should have been a leader. But I guess the best never want that."
The bleeding from her lip is beginning to slow down some, Tris finds as she removes the towel pressed against it and dabs at it slightly with a part that isn't yet soaked. Still, time for another one. An excuse to stall for time, too, if she had to be honest.
And on the note of honesty, she's considering what to answer, while at the same time imagining what Dauntless might be like, if he was one of the leaders. And then she thinks of Eric, and of Edward and Peter and too much blood on the dormitory floor.
"I think Eric would've tried to kill him." And Eric is ruthless about everything he's after. But she isn't sure that is enough of a reason. If Four really had wanted to lead, he would be, come whatever threats may. He's no coward.
It doesn't sound like a question, but before Tris can answer, Ellie looks slowly out towards where they came from, towards where blood is absolutely still on the floor from the recent attack.
"... besides, if he ever tried, he'd have a couple of people to answer to."
Ellie pauses, then turns back to Tris, eyes serious. "You and me though, not so much. Maybe that's why those assholes thought they could fuck with you."
Tris isn't sure what she thinks. No matter how strong Four is, he isn't invincible or invulnerable. But he is also able to look out for himself, so she's never thought to worry about him before.
Herself, on the other hand... apparently there's more reason to worry there than she'd realized. Anger makes her tense, jaw clenching and eyes becoming colder. She wants to end this, (end them, maybe, but no, no she wouldn't. she can't be the kind of person who would.) but she hasn't thought of a way to. Yet.
Tris glares murder at the trail of small drops of blood they've left in the bathroom. She doesn't want them to have to worry about answering to anyone. She'd much rather they worried about her but then- maybe that's what got them into this situation in the first place. Maybe they already worry about her. Thoughts of Al rise to the surface, turning her stomach.
"Maybe. But I'm wondering what I can do about it without making it worse."
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nestbox2014-11-09 11:57 pm
first encounter.
tris wandered the compound after her simulation session. aimlessly trailing down half-remembered corridors, until she'd found herself at the back entrance, so she'd sprawled in the safety net for a while. thinking. thinking about her fears, and what they really were. right up to the moment when molly yanked her out of the net by her hair. apparently she wanted some sort of payback, and tris doesn't really want to start anything, but now that it's been started, she's not ready to sit it out.
peter isn't there - a good thing, unless she's just not seeing him yet in which case that's terrible - but her insides knot up preemptively anyway.
maybe, tris thinks, she could outrun them. but she doesn't want to.
this is going to be ugly. )
no subject
Ellie thinks of the old days, the days when she and Riley would actually leave the compound, ride the trains and leap between the tracks, jump between the cars. Slide down the rooftops because they could.
Riley taught her how to never get caught, and nobody ever misses her at bedtime. These days, she can't leave, not really, but she hangs around the back entrance, watching the sky in the quiet darkness.
Ellie's fears are many and varied, but they always cycle back to one thing: being alone.
It makes her want to laugh sometimes, that the hallucinations try to drop her into something that is simply reality. She is alone, especially among the Dauntless.
At first, Ellie doesn't realize anyone is down there, let alone sprawled in the net. But when the muffled gasping noises work their way up, followed by the thudding, organic sounds of trading blows, Ellie sits up to listen. Heavy breathing, sharp little squeals of pain. Someone shouts hold her! and then there is the sound of a heavy roll of tape being pulled apart.
As quietly as she can, Ellie tumbles down into the net. They're all making such a racket that they never notice her rolling out of it, or creeping up behind the biggest one. There are three of them, all so busy with binding and beating the shit out of their small victim, they never see her coming.
Ellie doesn't hold back on the first blow. She visualizes her fist going through his head, and swings, hammering directly into his ear. He staggers, and when he does Ellie catches him in a chokehold, pushing the point of steel writing pen into his jugular vein. Not enough to pierce, but it'll be easy to push it in.
"Hey, assfaces," she calls out, almost casually. "You wanna make it two on two?"
no subject
The best she can hope for is that it's not someone else's way of making a dramatic entrance, and the best she hoped for certainly falls short of what happens, luckily. She recognizes the girl, Ellie, as one of the Dauntless born initiates, and barely takes the time to register that the other girl is helping her, because Molly's hold on the back of her neck has losened in surprise. Taking her chance, Tris writhes out of the bigger girl's grip, clasps her bound hands together and swings them up hard to meet her chin.
It's not as hard a hit as all that, but it's enough for her to take a half step back and trip down the stairs of the platform.
That leaves one.
no subject
Peter lashes out at Ellie with a growl, hits her a glancing blow in the side of the skull, and Ellie stumbles back, knocked off balance by Drew's limp weight.
"You little bitch-"
Peter heads straight for Ellie, who is still reeling from the blow, weaving and low to the ground, trying to regain her balance. The perfect target. Weak, small, easily breakable. Her pen clatters to the ground, leaving her weaponless as Peter closes in.
But Peter isn't in Ellie's class, the Dauntless-born initiates. He doesn't know how good she is at taking a beating. When Peter comes for her, she lashes out and punches him directly in the throat, followed by a right hook directly to his jaw.
She isn't strong enough to knock him clean out, though. Not quite. He comes at her again, and this time Ellie can't get out of the way fast enough. He tackles her to the pavement, pinning her down.
no subject
Tris doesn't bother ripping the tape off her mouth to answer. Not that she's really coherent enough now anyway. She's as angry as she was when she fought Molly, so she just moves. Unfortunately for him, pinning Ellie to the ground leaves him in a perfect position for Tris to kick him, and she does. In the side, in the ribs, until he lets go of her and tries to get away to regain his feet.
Of course all this means she's turned her back on Molly at the base of the platform, but with Drew unconscious and the numbers not in their favour, she's not going to stick with it, is she?
no subject
And slam the heel of her boot right into his jaw as hard as she can. The impact knocks him out cold, and Ellie doesn't bother to cushion his heavy fall. For a second the only sound is Molly's footsteps, running away down the corridor.
Ellie pushes up to her feet and sets her heel on Peter's shoulder, pushing him onto his side so the blood bubbling up from his mouth won't drown him. He's probably broken a few teeth.
"What's that about being a little bitch?" she asks him, acidic, and swipes her pen up from the floor, giving Tris a small smile.
"Here, gimme your wrists." She reaches out and uses the nib to pop holes in the tape between them, making it easier to tear off. "Nice kick, I think you saved my ass."
no subject
"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" She has no idea how to kick that high. If she could knock anyone out with a single kick. It's not hard to see the difference in how many years they've been fighting, but she can't really feel jealous when this more or less stranger just swooped in to save her neck.
Trying to pull apart her wrists, she finds the tape gives pretty easily now. She wipes her mouth with her sleeve as soon as she's got some of the tape off. Bloodstains don't show too much on black. Maybe that's why Dauntless wear it.
"Thanks," it occurs to her to say, belatedly. It doesn't seem like enough. Not remotely. She's starting to shake all over.
no subject
"Well, now we're even."
She pauses, then flashes a smile. She remembers her. First jumper, Tris- and the girl who got into the zipline headfirst. She stands out. Though Ellie notices the shaking, she doesn't mention it. Instead she nudges her elbow, not ungently, urging her away from the area. The boys will come to in a bit, and Molly will probably be alerting someone. They don't want to be found.
Suddenly, intensely, she flashes back to the first time she met Riley properly. She was older, an initiate at the time. Had saved her from something very much like this. At the time, Ellie hadn't been grateful. Within the Dauntless, requiring saving is a blow to one's pride, and it makes others see you as weak.
At least, back then, Ellie had seen it that way. Riley had showed her how wrong she was. How there was bravery in standing up for someone. How there was strength in sharing a burden with friends. She shook the memory away.
"C'mon, let's go get you cleaned up."
Ellie leads the way through the dark halls of the complex, finding a smaller bathroom they can slip into. She wets a paper towel and reaches out to hold it to Tris's lip.
"Here, put the cold part on there and press down. Theeeere ya go."
no subject
But the walk gives her time to get a better look at her rescuer, too. She remembers her from capture the flag and the zipline. Ellie had been one of the first Dauntless-born Four picked for his team, and she didn't have to make herself memorable by stepping on her feet.
"You do this often? Just jump into a fight?"
Paper towel or no, she can't stop herself from asking.
no subject
Ellie flashes a smile while she rinses her fingers, leans back in to check the bruising around Tris's eye. Looks nasty, but doesn't seem to have any fractures. She's been helping in the medical wing for ages now, she knows her injuries.
After a moment, the smile sobers into something more serious, as she gently prods the area with her fingertips.
"And it's not exactly my first rodeo, either. So when I see shit like that... it just pisses me off. Especially since Eric won't do a fucking thing about cowards like that in the ranks."
no subject
"I think Eric has a different idea about what makes a coward."
Her words sound like judgement, and for once she doesn't worry who she's saying what to. It's not like it's a secret that Tris isn't Eric's greatest fan.
no subject
"You're probably okay, but stay away from balance beams-"
Cutting off, she grins sharply, something borderline vicious and angry in her eyes.
"You've got no idea." It's a cryptic statement, but she doesn't know to trust Tris yet. Four seems to, but it takes more to get past Ellie's suspicious nature. Speaking of him: "Are you gonna tell Four what happened?"
no subject
"I... don't know," she accompanies her answer with a shrug, startled into honesty. "I mean, it probably won't make a difference."
Because he'll probably find out anyway, whether she brings it up or not. Besides, she doesn't expect them to face consequences all of a sudden. Cruelty and violence aren't taboo here.
no subject
Ellie leans in, dabs at Tris's lip again, gives her a meaningful look. "There are some people here worth having at your back, and he's one of them."
no subject
It's not a question, but a realization that she doesn't think to keep in, to keep safe. She's seen all sorts of reactions to him. Many are wary, some outright afraid. Some of the Dauntless born initiates are more at ease with him, but she never got the idea that any of them were really close to him. But then, maybe some are. It's not like she's been here that long.
Either way, she watches Ellie closely. Curious.
no subject
Setting her jaw stubbornly, Ellie wets another paper towel and swabs it across her face with a sigh. "But yeah, I trust him. More than anybody else in this place. ... he should have been a leader. But I guess the best never want that."
no subject
And on the note of honesty, she's considering what to answer, while at the same time imagining what Dauntless might be like, if he was one of the leaders. And then she thinks of Eric, and of Edward and Peter and too much blood on the dormitory floor.
"I think Eric would've tried to kill him." And Eric is ruthless about everything he's after. But she isn't sure that is enough of a reason. If Four really had wanted to lead, he would be, come whatever threats may. He's no coward.
no subject
It doesn't sound like a question, but before Tris can answer, Ellie looks slowly out towards where they came from, towards where blood is absolutely still on the floor from the recent attack.
"... besides, if he ever tried, he'd have a couple of people to answer to."
Ellie pauses, then turns back to Tris, eyes serious. "You and me though, not so much. Maybe that's why those assholes thought they could fuck with you."
no subject
Herself, on the other hand... apparently there's more reason to worry there than she'd realized. Anger makes her tense, jaw clenching and eyes becoming colder. She wants to end this, (end them, maybe, but no, no she wouldn't. she can't be the kind of person who would.) but she hasn't thought of a way to. Yet.
Tris glares murder at the trail of small drops of blood they've left in the bathroom. She doesn't want them to have to worry about answering to anyone. She'd much rather they worried about her but then- maybe that's what got them into this situation in the first place. Maybe they already worry about her. Thoughts of Al rise to the surface, turning her stomach.
"Maybe. But I'm wondering what I can do about it without making it worse."