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"Yeah," I say I can’t deny it "I’h"
Hopefully they can’t tell I’ht of myself in aon the way into the coled I look like I have experienced so powerful
"Well, youan Erudite," says Al His voice sounds eager I can count on Al to try to break the tension "He was here asking for opinions about the Abnegation leadership, and Christina told hi"
"Which she was coot testy with her Big h, et their jealousy, or hurt, or whatever is brewing behind Christina’s eyes
"Yeah," she says "While you were off having fun, I was doing the dirty work of defending your old faction, eli interfaction conflict…"
"Co her with his elbow "If you’re not going to tell the whole story, I will He was standing…"
Will launches into his story, and I nod along like I’ down the side of the Hancock building, and the iot of the lory I look over Will’s shoulder at thebits of food at one another with their forks
It’s the first tier to be one of them
Which e of initiation
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
AS FAR AS I can tell, the second stage of initiation involves sitting in a dark hallith the other initiates, wondering what’s going to happen behind a closed door
Uriah sits across froht The Dauntless-born initiates and the transfers were separated during stage one, but ill be training together from now on That’s what Four told us before he disappeared behind the door
"So," says Lynn, scuffing the floor with her shoe "Which one of you is ranked first, huh?"
Her question is met with silence at first, and then Peter clears his throat
"Me," he says
"Bet I could take you" She says it casually, turning the ring in her eyebroith her fingertips "I’m second, but I bet any of us could take you, transfer"
I alation, her co the Dauntless, challenges like that see to expect them
"I wouldn’t be so sure about that, if I were you," Peter says, his eyes glittering "Who’s first?"
"Uriah," she says "And I a for this?"
If she intends to intimidate us, it works I already feel colder
Before Peter can respond, Four opens the door and says, "Lynn" He beckons to her, and she walks down the hallway, the blue light at the end low
"So you’re first," Will says to Uriah
Uriah shrugs "Yeah And?"
"And you don’t think it’s a little unfair that you’ve spent your entire life getting ready for this, and we’re expected to learn it all in a feeeks?" Will says, his eyes narrowing
"Not really Stage one was about skill, sure, but no one can prepare for stage two," he says "At least, so I’m told"
No one responds to that We sit in silence for twenty minutes I count each ain, and Four calls another name
"Peter," he says
Each minute wears into in to dwindle, and it’s just ers tap against his knee, and I try to sit perfectly still I hear onlyfrom the room at the end of the hallway, and I suspect this is another part of the ga us at every opportunity
The door opens, and Four beckons to ainst the wall for so long, and walk past the other initiates Drew sticks out his leg to trip me, but I hop over it at the last second
Four touches uide me into the room and closes the door behind me
When I see what’s inside, I recoil i his chest
In the roothe aptitude test Beside it is a faht There is a computer screen on a desk in the corner
"Sit," Four says He squeezes my arms and pushesto keepI don’t succeed
"Ever hear the phrase ‘face your fears’?" he says "We’re taking that literally The simulation will teach you to control your e situation"