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Kaitlynn's POV:

Today is the day; choosing day. I have waited for this day for so long. I used to think that I would stay in Erudite until the day I die. Sure, I always hated my parents, but I figured once I was 16 and an adult, I didn't have to see them anymore.
But after what happened last year, I made up my mind; I am Dauntless. Maybe not yet, but I am going to choose Dauntless.

I find myself standing in line with the rest of the Erudite who are choosing today. I'm not thinking about what to choose, or what the consequences might be. I made my peace with my decision a long time ago, now.
So, I'm not thinking about never seeing my parents, or friends, again.
I'm not thinking about what I might have to go through in initiation; not at all. I'm thinking about Jai Courtney.
Will he still be there?
Is he factionless now?
Somehow, I feel like he would've passed initiation. So, then, if he's Dauntless now, would he recognize me?
Would I recognize him?

I've changed a lot in the past year; I've really grown into my body, and I don't look like a little girl anymore. I've heard about parents going to visit their children on Visiting Day, between the second and third stages of initiation, and they weren't even able to recognize their own children. I guess it's all the tattoos, and piercings.
And the hairstyles.
And the lack of sunlight.
And all the black clothes.

"Kaitlynn Benson!" I start, when I hear my name, being pulled from my thoughts quite suddenly. I hesitate a moment before I make my way over to Marcus, and accept the clean knife that he is holding out for me to take. I turn the blade over, and look at it.
I smile.
I want to be different.

I slice into my wrist, parallel to the blue vein running down the length of my wrist; not deep enough to do any damage.
I hear a gasp throughout the some in crowd, but I just smile wider.
I hold my wrist over the Dauntless coals and make my way to my faction. My new family.


**************************


We are running; out the door, and the down the steps, of the Hub.
I feel free.
I giggle to myself, and run faster, and push myself harder.
I know I made the right choice, even if I did receive an Erudite test result.
We're climbing.
I pull myself up onto the platform, and place my hands on my hips as I take a deep breath.
Then we are running; again.
Beside a train.
Dauntless are crazy.
I am the third initiate to jump into the train. I brush the windswept, blonde hair out of my face, and grin like an idiot.
It's not too long before we are jumping; again.
Did I mention that Dauntless are crazy?
I time my jump, and fling myself off of the train, and onto the roof, with the rest of the Dauntless initiates.

There is a man standing on the edge of the roof. He is dressed in all black, with tattoos running down both sides of his neck, and up both of his arms. He has gauges in both of his ears, and two piercings above his right eyebrow.
He looks to be the very definition of Dauntless.
"Initiates! Listen up!" He speaks above everyone else, with authority, his eyes scanning the new initiates, especially the transfers. His eyes linger on me a moment longer, and I can feel his stare.
It makes me blush, but I stare right back at him, and smirk. He turns his gaze back to everyone else.

"My name's Eric. I'm one of your leaders. Today you have chosen the Warrior faction. You'll go through three stages of training. Stages one and two are physical, and emotional; you'll learn how to fight, and shoot a gun, and in the second stage you’ll be facing your worst fears; conquer them, or they will conquer you. The third stage will be mental, a combination of stages one and two. You've made it this far, so I don't have to teach you how to use our mode of transport. But now, the only way in is to jump. And somebody has to go first. So, who's it gonna be?"

That gets them quiet.
Nobody wants to go first.
I step forward, determined to show no fear.
Eric looks at me again, and I feel like I know him.
There's something about his eyes...
I step up, onto the ledge, and I smile and wave; then I jump.
I don't make a sound.

I land on a net at the bottom, and I grin.
I think I could do that again, right now, but somebody is pulling me down, so, it'll have to wait.

"What's your name?" I recognize Tobias Eaton.
He doesn't look much different, just a bit older, a bit more muscular, and there's a tattoo peaking out of the collar of his t-shirt.
I hesitate at his question.
"Is that a hard one? You can pick a new one, but make it good; you don't get to choose again."

"Alright," I say, twiddling my thumbs. "Alright, I'm Stormy."
"First jumper, Stormy!" Tobias hollers out, as the Dauntless cheer for me, and I smile.
I like my new family.

Once everyone was safely inside, Tobias and Eric lead us through the dark halls. Tobias introduces himself as Four, and explains that Eric will be our instructor, while Lauryn will be training the Dauntless-born initiates.

We arrive at a dorm room with 10 beds. There are only eight transfers, so I decide I'm going to steal an extra bed.
The bathroom makes me queasy; there are no partitions or stalls, just naked toilets, out in the open.
The shower is the same way.
Okay, I don't like the idea of everyone watching me shower.
I'm just going to have to take my shower before everyone else does.
Four and Eric have been speaking, but I didn't hear what they said, as I was too engrossed in scrutinizing the bathroom.

I take the two beds in the corner, to give me extra space, and privacy.
I hear some of the other transfers talking about tattoos, so, I decide I need to go shopping.
I don't go with anybody though.
I don't want to make friends yet.
I make my way down to the Pit, where all the action is.

The first shop I go in, is a salon. I decide I don't like my blonde, boring hair anymore.
I get a jagged, shaggy cut, dyed a dark, blood red, with blonde and black chunks around the bangs.
I eye myself in the mirror and I am definitely pleased with what I see.
I head into the clothing shop next.
I grab eight sets of matching bras and panties, twelve pairs of socks, two pairs of black combat boots, and eight sets of black t-shirts and leggings.
I decide to get a tattoo before I get anything that isn't for training.
When I head into the tattoo parlor, the Dauntless woman that administered my test is cleaning her station.

"Hi," I say. "Tori, right?"
"Hey, and yeah. And yes again, I can do your tattoo," Tori says, answering my yet-to-be spoken question, with a smile. "What have you got in mind?"
I smile back at her as I tell her what I want, and I make myself comfortable in the chair.


**************************


I love tattoos.
I think I am addicted now.
I'm back in the clothing shop, trying to find the perfect outfit to show off my new tattoo.
I've never been good at this sort of thing.
I head to the counter, and the lady there has bright green hair, with white highlights. Her nametag says "Dianna".

"Let me guess," she says, leaning forward, and resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "You need help finding the perfect outfit for your first tattoo?"
I must have some kind of look on my face, because Dianna starts laughing.
"Don't sweat it," she says, still giggling. "You'd be surprised how often I get asked."
I smile and relax a little bit.

When Dianna is done with me, I really don't recognize myself. She has me spin in front of the mirrors.
I'm wearing skin tight black pants, and a black, mesh shirt, with the back ripped in big sections, and the long sleeves reach down over my wrists.
I stare at my new tattoo in the mirror.
I think I just made a friend in Dianna.

The butterfly wings on my shoulder blades are black, with red veins going through to the tips, and this outfit really does show it off.
I smile like an idiot while I make my way back to the dorms.
Somebody said something about dinner, but I just want to rest up for the first day of training tomorrow.


Eric's POV:


That transfer looked so familiar.
I don't know where I've seen her before.
I know she was Erudite, so maybe that's all it is. Maybe it's just the nostalgia of my old faction.
I can't shake the feeling though.
I find myself frowning, trying to think of who this girl is.
What can I say, you can take the boy out of Erudite, but you can't take the Erudite out of the boy.
I'm definitely not a boy, anymore; people are actually scared of me, now. They find me intimidating.
Maybe that's why I can't stop thinking about that Stormy.
She smirked at me, and then she waved before she jumped into Dauntless.

I wish those factionless last year were scared of me. They still haunt my nightmares about what they did to that poor girl, and what they did to me.
I find myself wondering if she's still at Erudite.
Maybe she's not even old enough to choose, yet.
I'm glad she ran; I'm grateful she didn't stick around.
I've never told anybody what happened there.
Not about her.
Not about me.
I don't ever want anybody to find out what happened to me.

I had planned on choosing Erudite, that day, but after what happened the night before, I had changed my mind.
I was going to choose Dauntless.
I was never again going to be so helpless; for the sake of myself, and anyone else.
I chose Dauntless, but my heart feels like it is back in Erudite, or wherever that girl may be.

I fall into an uneasy sleep.
The nightmares are here, every night; they never leave me alone.
Those horrible, factionless men... They never leave her alone... They never leave me alone.