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DAVINA woke up to someone roughly shaking her shoulder, and she let out a groan. There was an alarm lightly buzzing in Davina's ears. The person attempting to wake her persisted, and she rolled over.

"Hey, fuck off," she managed to get out, her voice heavy with exhaustion and throat dry. Through her blurry, sleep-crusted eyes, she could make out the shape of Peter and his head of perfect hair looking down at her.

"Not a morning person, nose?" he mused.

Davina grabbed her pillow and shoved it into Peter's face, hard enough he stumbled back away from her bed. She briefly heard Christina laugh, as the blonde sat up, yawned and stretched. Some of the initiates were already moving around and getting ready for their designated 'field trip,' and Davina quickly joined in, slipping out of her pyjamas and getting dressed into the black Dauntless clothes she was quickly becoming used to.

"Hey," Davina said, loudly, looking up at the top of her bunk, where an Apollo-sized lump was unmoving. She stood on the frame of her bed so she was level with his, and shoved him, hard. The boy sprung up, sending her a lethal, half-asleep glare. "Get up," she told him, unphased by his death stare, as she hopped down from the bed.

"It's too fucking early," Apollo seethed. Davina just scoffed at him and turned away, eyes finding Drew across the room, who was developing a light bruise on his chin from the day before.

She noticed Tris had returned to the dorms at some point during the evening, but was fast asleep. She must have missed it when she had been training.

"Am I ever going to see that tattoo?" Davina asked as Apollo got down from his bunk, now dressed as he basically flopped onto his feet next to her. His hair was still a mess, and he seemed to be styling it just by running his hands through it.

"Nope," he snipped, and Davina rolled her eyes. She then watched, warily, as Apollo moved to join Peter and his friends, the blonde girl hanging back. Peter shot her a glance, raising his eyebrows like he was wondering why she didn't join them. Davina took one look at Drew and Molly, scowled, and turned away from the pretty brunette boy.

She fell into step, as per usual, with Edward and Myra as they headed towards the tracks. The Pit was already alive with Dauntless members despite how early it was, all with their own designated tasks and movements. Davina admired the organised chaos found in the older Dauntless members, and throughout the faction as a whole.

The morning sun was glaring as the trio climbed the steps from the Pit to the glass building above, moving towards the exit and into the fresh air. Despite everything, the Dauntless compound was frustratingly stuffy, and the breath of fresh air and wind in her hair was fully welcome to Davina, who let out a sigh as they headed for the tracks.

"You know what would make this ten times better?" Davina said wistfully.

Edward shot her a look. "Smoking is bad for you."

"Buzzkill," she sighed.

Some other initiates had already arrived, and Davina noted Will was alone, standing poised and ready as the group of three approached. The blonde boy noticed her, scrunching his nose up.

"Hey, sleeping beauty," he greeted.

"Dick," she echoed, coming to stand beside him as they waited for the train. To their left stood Four, stoic as always, though Davina was glad it was just him today. "When did Tris get in last night?" Davina asked, attempting to make conversation with her former faction member, and because he wouldn't stop looking at her like that.

"Pretty late," Will replied. "Which is what she appears to be now, too," he added, as 8:15 began to crawl closer and neither Christina nor Tris had arrived yet. The rest of the initiates had filed in by now, sticking to their usual groups that had formed amongst themselves.

"Stiff probably couldn't get out of bed," came a voice, and Will and Davina turned to see Peter sneering, standing in front of his posse. Davina hadn't expected Will's glare to be so lethal, while the blonde girl only managed an annoyed sort of look.

"Oh, shut up," Davina jeered, lightly.

"Make me," Peter said, innocently. Davina arched an eyebrow at the flirting-teasing, Will scoffing loudly from beside her. "Say something, blondie?" Peter asked, voice turning cold. Davina immediately knew 'blondie' was not referring to her– it lacked all the teasing that 'nose' did when he said it.

Will clenched his jaw. "Christina was right about you, you know that?"

Edward and Myra looked at the situation warily, but Four hardly seemed to have taken notice. Davina could only stare at her feet, mentally cursing Will for taking the bait.

"You always believe what your girlfriend says?" Peter challenged.

"She's not my– whatever," Will hissed. "You Candor always tell the truth. Except you– it seems."

"Truth doesn't get you very far," Peter said with a shrug.

"And kicking someone while they're down does?" Will snapped back.

"We can test that, if you'd like," Peter responded with a grin. "I was gonna wait till we have our match– but the concrete sounds much nicer."

Four still hadn't seemed to notice, and after the display from the day prior, Davina wasn't sure what Peter might do. Will had clenched his fists, and took a step forward just as the blonde girl held out her arm across his torso.

The blonde boy sent her an angry look, which she only returned with a glare. "Will, stop it," Davina said firmly. "You're being stupid."

Will looked offended by the accusation. "I'm standing up to–"

"Stupid," she repeated.

Will looked at her evenly, before his shoulders slumped. "You look like Viv when you make that face," he muttered as he pulled away, Peter looking smug as if he had won something. Davina didn't stop him from parting ways, only watching him with a frown and a tight throat.

"Who's Viv?" Peter asked lightly.

"You're still here?" she snapped, just as the train could be heard in the distance.

Peter's eyes widened at the heated response. As the train arrived, Four moved to stand at the front, closer to the tracks than any of the initiates dared to be. He stepped back to let some of them on first, as Will jogged a bit and hoisted himself into the car, landing on his stomach and pulling his legs in after. Davina was close behind him and swung herself in with more power than she probably needed, almost stumbling as she landed in the car.

A second later Four joined them, effortlessly, soon followed by the others. Tris, who had miraculously arrived on time, was last, and was helped into the car by Al, the blonde girl wincing before she was put down. Davina frowned, knowing full well the beating she had endured yesterday, as Tris smiled weakly at Al, before someone snickered from behind them.

"Feeling okay there?" Peter gave her a look of mock sympathy, his lips turned down and his eyebrows pulled in. "Or are you a little Stiff?" He burst into laughter, joined by Molly and Drew. Apollo turned away and smirked to himself, but that was it.

"We are all awed by your incredible wit," Will said, dryly.

"Yeah, are you sure you don't belong with the Erudite, Peter?" Christina chimed in. "I hear they don't object to sissies."

"Hey!" Will piped up.

"Am I going to have to listen to your bickering all the way to the fence?" Four cut in from where he was standing on the edge of the carriage. Peter looked disgruntled at not being given a chance to retort, and everyone had gone quiet. Four gave them one last look, before turning away, Tris' eyes trailing him.

Davina slid down to sit at the back of the carriage, yawning loudly, ignoring the look Will gave her. The scenery outside began to blur past as the train moved further and further from the compound, Davina relishing the air rushing through them. They'd had a small garden back home, but no matter the size, she'd often found herself sitting under the single tree breathing the fresh air into her lungs.

Her chest twinged at the thought of home, of days spent in that garden painting or catching up on work that now felt so unimportant, of times spent walking outside in that neighbourhood, and Davina glanced briefly at Will. She wondered if he missed home sometimes, too, if he missed their faction.

You look like Viv.

"We didn't even have guards near the fence until five years ago," Will cut in to Tris and Christina's conversation, seemingly oblivious to Davina's staring. "Don't you remember when Dauntless police used to patrol the factionless sector?"

"Yes," Tris replied.

"Oh, right," Will realised. "I bet you saw them all the time."

"Why do you say that?" Tris asked, sharply.

"Because you had to pass the factionless sector to get to school, right?" he said.

"What did you do, memorise a map of the city for fun?" Christina scoffed.

"Yes," Will said, looking puzzled. "Didn't you?"

Davina shook her head at him, just as the train's brakes squealed, and the initiates lurched forward as they slowed. The brunette girl looked outside, now not a blur but rolling, yellow hills and train tracks, as the train stopped under an awning. Davina caught Apollo's eyes across the carriage, the pair exchanging glances, before the boy leapt out with Peter and his group.

The rest of the initiates followed, and Davina landed on grass as she jumped down from the train car. She was met by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire that continued further than the eye could see, and on the other side were Dauntless guards carrying guns. Davina looked at the scene warily, feeling Will beside her.

"Nothing weird going on here," he said, quietly and sarcastically, so only Davina could hear.

"Follow me," Four said, loudly. The initiates fell into step behind him, following as he led them towards a large gate that barred the way to the road that led to the city. Davina could briefly recall this went somewhere to Amity's farms. They hadn't travelled much as kids, and her family had mainly stuck to the Erudite sector and surrounds, and most of what she knew was from studying maps when she was younger. Trust Will to be like most Erudite, including her.

"If you don't rank in the top five at the end of initiation, you will probably end up here," Four spoke as he reached the gate. "Once you are a fence guard, there is some potential for advancement, but not much. You may be able to go on patrols beyond Amity's farms, but—"

"Patrols for what?" Davina interrupted, curiosity getting the best of her. Four looked at her oddly. She supposed she was usually quiet.

He just shrugged. "I suppose you'll discover that if you find yourself among them."

"Well, that's not ominous or suspicious at all," Will whispered to her. Davina bit back telling him they weren't friends, and his remark from the train was still lodged in her chest.

"As I was saying," Four continued. "For the most part, those who guard the fence when they are young continue to guard the fence. If it comforts you, some of them insist that it isn't as bad as it seems."

"What rank were you?" Peter piped up.

Four looked evenly at Peter. "I was first."

"And you chose to do this?" Peter asked in an exasperated sort of tone. "Why didn't you get a government job?"

"I didn't want one," Four said, flatly.

Peter still looked confused by the answer, like he couldn't imagine a bigger waste. He'd clearly put some amount of thought into jobs after initiation, it seemed. Davina, on the other hand, had hardly spent a second considering a future she hadn't secured yet.

The group stopped next to the gate, only some of the Dauntless guards paying them attention, as they were too busy pulling the doors to admit a truck, which stopped inside. The back of it was open, filled with crates of produce, and a couple Amity sitting amongst them, one of them merrily stringing at a banjo.

"Beatrice?" an Amity boy said, Davina and a couple others turning to look at him, as he hopped down from the truck and took a few steps towards the initiates lined up, as Four continued to talk in the background. The boy was mainly paying attention to Tris, Davina noted, as he approached her and hugged her. She visibly stiffened in his arms, not returning the gesture. "Beatrice, what happened to you? What happened to your face?" he asked, pulling away.

"Nothing," Tris dismissed, standing near the back of the initiates. "Just training. Nothing."

Davina was prepared to turn away, when a nasally voice demanded, "Beatrice?" Molly crossed her arms and laughed at the pair. "Is that your real name, Stiff?"

"What did you think Tris was short for?" Tris snapped.

"Oh, I don't know...weakling?" she said, thoughtfully, touching her chin, dramatically. "Oh wait, that doesn't start with Tris. My mistake."

Davina just rolled her eyes, unable to resist getting involved. "Stop talking. You'll make the rest of our faction look stupid," she said, stepping away from Will and the others.

"What's that?" Molly snapped, turning her attention to Davina. She caught the look Tris gave her, that same one she shot Al that morning when he'd helped her into the train. She wanted to handle this herself, she didn't want the help. Lucky for her, Davina wasn't there just to help, she also didn't like Molly.

"If you were smarter, I'd make a joke out of you but I'm not sure if you'd get it," Davian deadpanned.

Molly seemed to realise she'd been insulted. "Say that again, Nose." She advanced on Davina, but the smaller girl hardly flinched.

"Nose, huh? Original," she said in exaggerated amusement, watching as Molly's jaw clenched. "I'd call you loudmouth but I'm sure you've heard that one more times than you can count."

"How about bitch?" Molly made a lunge forward, Davina's legs tensing as she prepared to dodge. She had been anticipating fighting Molly eventually for stage one, what was a couple days difference?

Instead, however, Davina jumped as Apollo's fist collided into the side of Molly's face, the lithe boy seemingly coming out of nowhere. Some of the soft-spoken Amity around them let out sounds of alarms and backed away, the boy Tris had been talking to dragging her away as if it were unsafe.

Davina yanked Apollo back, holding him roughly as Molly turned her gaze on them, looking livid.

"You're gonna pay for that, Stiff," she snarled, holding her face. Over her shoulder, Davina saw Peter and Drew watching on.

"Who're you calling Stiff?" Apollo spat.

"Find another table to sit at," Molly said, like a child threatening another.

Apollo scoffed. "Fine by me. Don't know if I could spend another moment having to look at you and pretend your nose doesn't take up half your face."

"Same goes for you and that ugly scar," Molly sneered. Davina felt Apollo tense against her, and saw the lethal look in his eyes at the line that had obviously been crossed.

"Initiates!" Four shouted as he moved towards them, only now seeming to notice the conflict.

"Fuck," Davina breathed, and Apollo finally looked away from Molly. The older boy stood between them, looking down at all three of them, harshly.

"Save it for training," he said, giving them all a warning look, before walking past them towards Tris, who was now standing alone watching the Amity truck depart. Molly gave the pair one last glare before heading back towards Peter and Drew, who gave Apollo wary looks.

Davina turned back to her unexpected saviour, whose eyes were still gleaming at what Molly had said, a look comparable to Peter's the day before. "Don't go starting fights you can't win yet," Davina chastised him. "Just being honest. You can barely throw a punch," she added at his annoyed look.

"I know," Apollo jeered. "And you're welcome."

Davina sighed, knowing he had gone out of his way to defend her, however extreme. "Thanks for punching your friend for me."

"Only if I can have your table," he told her.

She chuckled. "Whatever you say, Greek mythology."

He looked disgruntled at the nickname, but let it slide as Davina glanced back at the truck as it began to roll away, the Dauntless guards locking the gate behind them. The blonde girl couldn't help but look at it, cautiously, as it seemed to be keeping them in rather than out.

But that didn't make sense, at least that's what her logical brain told her. Then again, it did ask, what the guards were needed for? It all seemed so unnecessarily vague, what the Dauntless were doing, and none of it sat right with Davina, who knew she'd be up late questioning everything later that night, as she always was when something didn't click into place in her brain.

"Initiates, time to go!" Four's shout snapped Davina out of her thinking, as they began to backtrack to the train station, Apollo standing over her in their newfound union.

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RETURNING to the compound and descending back into the darkness away from the fresh air and sunlight pained Davina, as they were filed back into the training room without a moment's break. She had stuck by Apollo the train ride back, Molly continually sending them death glares that the pair merely ignored, but later laughed at. It was also the first time since she'd joined Dauntless that Davina consciously chose not to stick with Edward.

Four immediately threw them into fighting and shooting exercises, building upon the skills they'd already been introduced to. Apollo's shooting aim was getting better, but his hand-to-hand combat was still the same, and it was clear it would damage his rank. Davina avoided saying anything as Four allowed them to break for lunch.

As promised, Apollo and Davina sat at their own table for lunch, which today was sandwiches, as they sat opposite each other. The bruising on Apollo's face had gone down significantly from the past few days, and the scar was back to being his most striking feature, though his knuckles were now noticeably red and raw.

Their duo-time was abruptly cut off, however, as two figures stood over them. "Dare I ask?" Davina asked as Peter sat next to her, and Drew next to Apollo across the table, the latter pausing with his sandwich halfway to his mouth.

Peter sent Davina a disarming smile, which she simply chose to ignore. "Well, Molly said she wouldn't sit at any table where the 'Stiff' was so... here we are," he said with a shrug. Davina briefly considered asking where Molly was sitting then, but quickly decided she didn't care.

Davina arched an eyebrow at the pretty boy beside her. "Wonderful," she said sarcastically.

Under the table, Apollo kicked Davina's foot, the blonde girl sending him a glare, only to see his eyes pointedly looking past her. Davina glanced over her shoulder to see Tris' group looking at them critically, quickly turning away when she noticed them.

"So, how's about that shiner you gave Molly?" Drew asked, drawing Davina's attention back, as she tried to push down any sort of irrational guilt she felt for who she was sitting with.

"Atwood had it coming," Apollo shrugged, sipping his drink.

"She'd say the same for you," Peter mused, and Davina looked on as he neatly cut his sandwich up into little triangles and removed the crusts.

Apollo hardly looked phased. "She talks so much shit I'm surprised her nose hasn't grown at all," he remarked. "Not that you'd be able to tell," he added with a smirk, Davina almost choking on her drink.

"If only all Stiffs were like you," Peter chuckled.

"Well, then they wouldn't be Stiff, would they?" Davina retorted, trying not to sound too defensive.

"Yeah, no shit, nose," the pretty boy said, turning to her.

"Don't call me that," Davina said in response to the nickname, just as the boy's eyes lit up.

"Wait, did you know the Stiff back in the day?" Peter asked Apollo, sounding eager– too eager.

"Not really," he replied, sounding disinterested. "I stuck to myself. Her dad's pretty influential, though."

"Really? Interesting," Peter said, slowly, and Davina hated the tone he had. He put a sandwich triangle into his mouth and turned to Davina. "What about you?" he asked, putting on a flirtatious tone.

"Hm?" she hummed in question.

"What's it like where you're from?" Peter elaborated.

"It was fine. Different, I guess," Davina answered, simply. Peter arched an eyebrow and she relented, "You weren't allowed nicknames, free time was considered wasted time, alcohol was frowned upon; those sorts of things."

"Sounds like a nightmare," Apollo scoffed.

Peter nodded. "Yeah, and why alcohol?"

"It impairs thinking, makes you vulnerable," Davina explained. "Can't think logically when you can't think at all."

"What, so you've never had a drink?" Peter asked in disbelief.

"No," she replied, indignantly. "People in Erudite thought I was stupid because I did."

"Scandalous," Peter said in mock horror, Davina shoving him with her elbow, the boy laughing.

"Shut up," she said, lightly. "Doesn't matter, anyway. Never going back, right?"

"Right," Peter said, smothering his fading laughter before clearing his throat. "Your friend Edward always been that good, by the way?"

Davina gave him a suspicious look, only uttering a, "Yes."

"Reckon he's number one by now," Drew spoke up, having been chewing silently majority of the time.

"Probably," Davina sneered.

"Four said it's hard to up your rank after this stage," Peter said, sounding unsure. Davina frowned as she saw Apollo's face shift across the table, before turning back to Peter and sending him a look.

"Then I guess you better up your game," she told him.

Peter put a hand to his chest. "That one hurt, nose, really."

"Don't call me that," she repeated, remembering Molly advancing on her.

"I hope she breaks your nose," Apollo said lightly. Peter laughed at him, but his eyes did not light up.

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AS ALWAYS, Davina found herself pounding her knuckles raw while everyone else was asleep, a thin bead of sweat running down her nose. She told herself she would stop once the fighting stopped, after stage one, but for now she needed to stay focused. If she couldn't be number one like Edward, then she would be number two, prepared for any of the initiates as her opponents.

After their final lessons for the day and then dinner with Apollo, she had found her mind muddled and unfocused, so had resolved to punch it out of her system since she still lacked art supplies as a different release.

It did not provide as much of an escape as she would have liked. She kept thinking of the gate and what it meant, trying to prepare for stage two as if she would make it past stage one. Even as her fists rhythmically hit the bag, she contemplated what was going on, trying to figure out some logical answer, but she simply couldn't. There were too many variables and factors she simply didn't know and couldn't plan around. That seemed to be a common feature in Dauntless life, she was finding.

She wasn't sure what time it was when the doors swung open and she paused, turning with a huff and expecting to see Four again. Instead, she saw Apollo, dressed in his usual training gear, eyes wide and perplexed as he saw her.

"So this is where you disappear every night?" Apollo finally spoke.

Davina scoffed. "Yeah."

"No wonder you're not a morning person," Apollo continued.

"How'd you know I leave the dorm every night?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm a light sleeper," he retorted. Davina only turned away and back to the punching bag, feeling watched now that she wasn't alone. "Why're you here?" Apollo asked.

"Practice," she said simply.

"If you need practice then I'm dead," Apollo chortled.

Davina shot him a look. "Is that why you're here?"

Apollo's face slackened into a scowl. "Don't act stupid– you've seen me,"

Davina felt it best not to respond honestly, as she only stepped up to him and held her hands up, palms towards him. "Punch me."

Apollo looked at her quizzically. "Are you kidding?"

"No."

Apollo just shrugged and threw a punch, which Davina blocked and pushed to the side with one forearm. She sent her other hand forward, stopping her fist just before Apollo's face. He looked disgruntled and stepped back.

"Okay, let's actually work on your punch." She held up her open palms again. Apollo struck one. "Terrible," Davina chirped.

"Thanks, coach," he hissed.

"Anytime," she said, tilting her head. She raised her hands. "Again."

Apollo just looked at her. "Why're you helping me?" he asked, instead.

"Because seeing you fail so badly physically hurts me," Davina sighed, dramatically, hands still raised.

The boy looked genuinely a bit offended. "Are you serious?"

Davina let a breath out of her nose, finally lowering her hands. "Look, I can't teach you all I learnt in eight years in a month, so you'll never be as good as me or Edward, so I'm not worried about you beating me or taking my rank. But you'll be good enough to win some fights at least and not be kicked out."

"What do you care if I get kicked out?" Apollo scoffed.

"Well, since you're one of the few people I actually like around here I kinda want you to stick around," she said, honestly.

Apollo looked at her, almost in surprise, the pair standing in silence for a moment. The boy threw a punch abruptly, almost catching Davina off guard as she managed to block it, before flipping him onto the ground, arm at an odd angle. He let out a wheeze and Davina released his arm.

"We'll work up to it," she told him, helping him to his feet. "First off, your punch. It's jerky, and you hit from the elbow. You should hit from the shoulder, put your entire arm into the movement, make it more fluid and powerful."

"Okay." Apollo nodded.

"Okay." Davina held up open palms again. "Come on."

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big fat peter/davina chatpter, and also the beginning of my fave duo of platonic soulamtes, apollina. davina is still wary of peter for obvious reasons but it picks up a bit after this! i swear next chapter has the good shit

this one was a lil choppy idk, i had a lot i wanted to include without dragging it on but eh. thank you for tuning in <3