Chapter 1:

This is my first Divergent Fic. I have not written in a long, long time. This is a work in progress that will constantly be edited so please give opinions and tips for making it better. This is a Eric/OC story. It will change the plot line of the book/movies, owned by the glorious Veronica Roth, just a bit more so near the end.

All my life I have felt like an outsider in my home. Well, maybe not all my life. I felt a lot more like I belonged back when my parents were alive. Even then though we all knew it was not the right place for me. They had this way of making me feel like being different was not such a bad thing. They used to tell me that one day I would do great things. It was easy to believe back then that I could have done those great things alongside them. That all changed with their death. They were high up in our faction's leadership ranks. I had hoped to one day make them proud by following their footsteps. It soon became clear after their funeral that while one day I may be a great leader, doing great things I would not be able to do so here.

"Ms. Summers. Did you hear me?" a voice questions breaking me out of thoughts.

"Sorry, I spaced out could you repeat that?" I ask.

Jack King, leader of the Candor faction, sighs and just looks at me for a moment in deep thought.

"I know things have not been easy for you over the past 8 years or so but I had hoped you would find your place eventually. It seems that is not the case though. Your parents had high hopes for you." He finally says.

"I apologize sir for the trouble I have caused"

"I am sure you are. Tomorrow is testing day, I hope that you will find the answer you seek as to where you do belong in this city"

And there it is, what he really wants to say.

"Your parents were always talking about the greatness they saw inside you, though most felt that was their way of overlooking how much you do not fit in here. In two days you will get to choose which faction to spend the rest of your life with. I hope you find the one that will make you happy" he finishes.

Translation: whatever the test says please pick anything but Candor and save everyone the trouble of dealing with me ever again.

"I am sure the test tomorrow will prove to show I belong somewhere different like me sir. Thank you for your words of wisdom" I bite back my true rhetoric.

Like he said, I am not fit for Candor so why should I act like one. Lying is easy when the truth does not always feel like power. The truth did not save my parents nor could it have. That is why I must leave. I need to find somewhere that I feel connected too. But where?

"That will be all Ms. Summers. Good luck will all your future endeavors" Jack Kang says as he rises from his seat to dismiss me from his office.

I nod and leave the room without another word or second I enter my small apartment I cannot help but begin to think through the options I have. Abnegation; bleck, too boring and too much like Candor. Amity, too happy. I like to be free and have fun but they are just too happy too often. Erudite; I do enjoy knowing all that I can but they seem just as stuck up as Candor in their ways. Dauntless; now there's a faction that knows how to have fun and not care about the rules or others opinions. When I really think about it, Dauntless seems like the only possible choice. Candor may have been my home these last 17 years but it has never truly felt like it. It may be all I know but it does not know me or want me.

Tomorrow is testing day, will the test tell me I am wrong and truly belong in Candor and that my outbursts are simply some uncontrollable truth inside of me, or will it tell me I do not belong here. I can't imagine getting Candor for my result but the thought terrifies me.

Testing Day. The day many fear due to the unknown results that await each one of us about where we belong. Though the test results are not mandatory to follow many fear hearing they do not belong with their families. It is a hard choice. It must be nice to be the ones who know they belong right where they are. As I wait in line I try not to think about the test itself and what it may tell me. While I wildly hope it tells me I am not Candor, I fear what it will tell me instead.

Behind me I hear other Candor giving the Abnegation a hard time about the food supplies. Insert eye roll here. The abnegation take the stairs instead of elevators and eat the grossest and plainest of the food and people think they steal supplies. Even if they did steal it would not be for themselves, it would be to give to the factionless. They would never keep it for themselves. You can see the selflessness as ingrained in them as the truth is in Candor born and so on throughout the factions.

The arrival of the Dauntless jumping from the train ends the oncoming argument as the trains breaks, whoops of the kids, and thuds of there boots hitting the ground become all you can hear. I watch them for a moment and imagine myself among them. I quickly shake the thought from my head as the doors open to let us in.

I am tested by a Erudite woman. She does not talk much other than to instruct me to sit down in the strange chair and drink the weird blue liquid. I do as I am told just wanting this to be over with and next thing I know I am alone in the room as the test begins.

A time later I gasp back into consciousness and the present to see the Erudite women giving me a stiff smile. "Congratulations, your result is dauntless. Please return to the Candor table and await the rest of testing to finish" she says before turning back to her station.

I am frozen at first before I nod and leave the room out the opposite door in which I entered. Others are exiting their rooms and we file down the hall back to the common area to wait. It is fairly silent as we try not to discuss what we have just been through. It is forbidden to discuss the test or your result with anyone.

My mind is reeling and I cannot help but smile a little. I am not a Candor. I was right about not belonging. And for the first time, in a very long time, I feel at peace. I do not care in that moment about what my result was or what my actual choice of faction will because I am simply happy to know why I have always felt so out of place.

Choosing Day. A big day for all in my class and age group. Those like me who do not belong in our faction of birth have a big choice to make. One that will change our lives forever.

My choice today will take me away from the place I could never call home and hopefully to a faction where I will never have to feel alone again. As we enter the dome and I sit with my faction waiting, I become excited. I realize as Erudites leader talks about our choice today that I am more excited than I thought I ever could be. Today is the day I leave behind the past almost 2 decades of heartbreak, pain, and loneliness to start anew.

The ceremony begins with the first name. I am so happy they go last to first name. If I had to wait until the end for my turn I may cause a scene. My name is finally called and I rise to exit down to the stage from my seat. I pass Jack Kang as I make my way down and see the knowing look in his eye.

Don't worry; I think to myself, you will never see me in Candor again.

I walk across the stage and accept my knife before heading for the bowls. I slice my hand as I walk without hesitation and squeeze my blood onto the burning coals. Dauntless erupts in roaring cheers and I smile so big I must look ridiculous as I run and jump off the stage and into the first row of Dauntless. I am welcomed with high fives and slaps on the arm and back as I am given a seat to take with my new faction.

I cannot believe it as I look around in wonder feeling happier than I have in so long at the energy and happiness I feel around me.

Once the ceremony concludes the other initiates and I are ushered out of the meeting hall and into the streets at a fast and loud pace. Everyone is yelling and cheering and startling the other factions out of our way. When we reach the train tracks the Dauntless born begin to climb and I eagerly follow up one of the beams with ease. I can practically hear my heart pumping at the feel of the adrenaline coursing through me. Things quite down as the others climb up and people mill around.

Until the train comes that is.

I had seen the Dauntless on their trains so many times in my life I knew what was coming. So as the crowd began to run I did so with them. The first to jump aboard opened the door and others quickly followed. I ran and launched myself up to grab the handle and swing myself in, somehow managing to land on my feet.

An older girl, who smiles big at me in congratulations, quickly claps me on the arm in approval. I take the time to catch my breath and look at the city passing by. I step closer to the edge and look out at the city blurring by as we continue to rise up above it.

"Here it comes" a dauntless born says from beside me a few minutes later.

I lean out a bit and see the rooftop he must be talking about. The train does not seem to be slowing at all. I take a deep breath and let it out.

"I would just make sure to roll once you land" A voice whispers and I look to my left to see the girl from before smiling at me secretly.

As we get closer everyone moves to the back of the train for a running start. Two dauntless born go first and then the others look to the initiated present and motion to hurry. Without giving myself any more time to think I run and propel my self out of the cabin and across the gap to the roof. Just as I feel my feet touch the ground I quickly dive into a roll as the girl instructed. I can feel why as the gravel on the roof digs into me briefly.

Once all but one girl are safely on the roof we are taken to the opposite edge where a guy with piercings jumps up on the ledge.

"Alright, listen up. I'm Eric. I'm one of your leaders. If you want to enter Dauntless, this is the way in. And if you don't have the guts to jump, then you don't belong in Dauntless." he announces.

"Is there water at the bottom or something?" a Erudite boy asks.

"I guess you'll find out. Or not" is Eric's only reply.

All I can think is how much of a prick he seems to be. A good looking one at that though.

"We just jumped, they want us to jump again?" I hear the only abnegation transfer whisper.

"Well someone's gotta go first, who's it gonna be?" Eric demands.

"Me." The abnegation girl surprisingly says just as I was about to step up. Oh well. This way her screams may at least tell what may or may not await us at the bottom.

I watch as she walks over to the edge and looks down at the hole below; she looks back at Eric then takes off her jacket.

The idiot Peter who is transferring from Candor like me taunts her.

"Yes, Stiff. Take it off...Put it back on."

She peers down from the ledge and looks to Eric again. Almost hoping he will give some indication of how unsafe what she's about to do might be.

Today, initiate." Eric warns her.

We all watch as she jumps. A few rush to the edge hoping to catch a glimpse of her landing but it's too far and too dark. After a minute Eric asks whose next. The others quickly form a line and I jostle into third place behind the Erudite my turn I step up to the edge and look down. I look up at the sky one last time before I let go and take the plunge.

After being led to the initiate dorms by Four and changing out of our old factions clothes we are taken to dinner. I cannot help but look around at all my new surroundings as I eat my burger. I briefly hear the erudite transfer Will and my fellow Candor Christina giving Tris, the first jumper, a hard time about the food. Well mostly Christina with Will correcting her 'lack of knowledge'. I soon tune them out as Max, the Dauntless leader comes out on the balcony above us to give a speech.

"Initiates stand" he commands.

"You have chosen to join the warrior faction tasked with the defense of this city and all its inhabitants. We believe in ordinary acts of bravery and the courage that drives one person to stand up for another. Respect that. Do us proud." He finishes before disappearing again.

I cannot help but feel connected to those words. Like they have been ingrained in me my whole life. I forget about any worries I have about initiation and know there is nothing I cannot handle from this point forward. I am home. Now I just have to prove it to everyone else.