Nico's P.O.V.

Eric's idea of a field trip and my idea of a field trip are two separate things.

We gather behind the railroad tracks and wait for the train. There are guns piled up next to the track, and I notice a few large crates there labeled 'PAINTBALLS'. My stomach clenches.

"Everyone grab a gun and a box of paintballs!" Eric shouts. The other initiates rush to obey.

Leo grins. "I love this game."

Percy snorts. "Seriously? Of all the death sports and daring feats I envisioned, we're playing paintball?"

"Yes," Eric says calmly. "Now get your supplies and shut up."

We hurry to the pile of guns and snatch one. I dig into a box and put the paintballs in my pocket. I sling the gun over my shoulder so it's strapped to my chest.

In the darkness, a light forms in the tunnel, moving closer to us. A beam of light hits my face and I squint.

The train chugs past us, and the Dauntless form a line and hop on the train. 

Once everyone's in, Four speaks up.

"We'll be dividing into two teams to play capture the flag," he says.

Our heads snap up. 

Percy rubs his hands together. "Oh, Annabeth's gonna be jealous now. She won't be there to beat me."

Thalia smiles. "Nope, but I'll be there to beat you."

Percy groans. "I forgot."

Four silences them with a look. "Each team will have an even mix of members, Dauntless-born initiates, and transfers. One team will get off first and find a place to hide their flag. Then the second team will get off and do the same." The train car rocks dangerously, and Four steadies himself on the door handle for balance. "This is a Dauntless tradition, so I suggest you take it seriously."

"These paintballs are programmed to feel like a bullet every time it hits you. This is to prepare you for Dauntless training," Eric says, eyes wild, "and just for the fun of it."

"Really?" an Erudite girl asks.

Eric shoots her in the leg with his gun, and she cries out. He flashes her his trademark grin. "You'll only feel pain for a few minutes. It's not designed to kill you."

"Four and I will be your team captains," Eric announces. The look he gives Four is a challenge. "Let's divide up transfers first, shall we?"

"You go first."

Eric locks eyes with me. "Percy."

Percy walks over to his side with difficulty. His eyes are filled with hate.

Four scans the group of initiates. He glances at Tris. "I want the Stiff."

Stiff must mean Abnegation, then. Tris' face flushes, but she stands with Four. 

Laughter fills the car. I want to bash their skulls in. She's probably braver than them, but they tease her.

Eric smirks. "Got something to prove? Or are you just picking the weak ones so that if you lose, you'll have someone to blame it on?"

Four shrugs. "Something like that."

Then it occurs to me. He's picking the agile, smart ones. Four is an excellent battle strategist.

"Your turn, Eric," Four says.

"Peter."

"Leo."

"Thalia," Eric growls.

"Christina."

"Molly."

"Nico," Four says.

"Al."

"Will."

"Drew," Eric says.

"Myra."

"Now for the Dauntless-born initiates," Eric says. I tune out after that. I take in each team. Our team are all built for speed, and Eric's team are mostly all muscle. Capture the flag is a game of agility, not brute force. This will be interesting.

They finish choosing teams, and our team is the first to jump off the train.

We form a circle around Four. He holds up a neon orange flag.

"It needs to be placed somewhere out of reach, but not somewhere too obvious. Any ideas?" Four asks.

My eyes travel along the landscape. Tris voices an idea before I can. "The Ferris wheel."

Four stares at the deserted carnival in the distance and nods. "That could work. It'd certainly be hard for them to climb."

There are no objections, so we head east. I recognize this place. We're about a mile away from Erudite headquarters. I wonder how Annabeth's doing.

I make small talk with Leo as we walk. "Are you okay?"

Leo shifts his weight. "Yeah. Close call with death, but I'm perfectly fine," he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You're insufferable."

"You're about as social as a bear in a cave," he says, and I punch his shoulder.

We enter the carnival, and I can tell it's been desolate for years. I almost check it for ghosts.

The Ferris wheel towers over us. The cars creak and swing in the wind, and a shudder moves along my spine. 

"I bet you wanna ride that Ferris wheel so bad, di Angelo," Leo teases.

"I bet you wanna stick your face in that pile of mud over there, Valdez," I counter. 

"Aha, you do have a sense of humor."

Four takes out the flag. Tris steals it from him and walks toward the Ferris wheel.

"What are you doing, Stiff?"

"Getting to a higher vantage point and sticking this flag up there," she replies confidently.

Four has no choice but to follow her.

I watch as their shadowy figures scale the Ferris wheel. That's high enough to be in Zeus' territory, and I'm glad I didn't go with them. Zeus would love to blast me to bits.

I cringe as one of them slips on a railing. The other saves them from falling. I doubt they would survive if they fell.

They're so high up now that their forms are hidden above the clouds. I spot the orange flag waving in the wind.

But how will they get down? 

My question is answered when the Ferris wheel creaks and begins to turn. The two of them climb into a car and prepare to jump.

Oh my gods. They can't make that jump.

The car lowers itself to the ground, and Four jumps off, Tris following behind. She rolls out of the way as the car nearly crushes her. 

They made the jump.

"Good news," Tris says as we run to join her. "Their flag is currently at one of the watchtowers. If we could keep a few of us here to defend our flag, then-"

"We could send the rest of us on the offensive," Leo chimes in, warming up to the idea. "Good thinking."

We head west, and Tris is in the lead. I can't believe that she was once the fearful Abnegation girl I saw at the Choosing.

When we get there, there are Dauntless on Eric's team patrolling around the tower. 

"Split into two groups," Tris whispers. "Group one attacks the opposing team, and group two sneaks in and steals the flag."

Four raises his eyebrows, impressed. He divides the team, and I'm on the offensive. Four leads us into battle, while Tris leads group two to the flag.

Four lets out a war cry, and we cock our guns. I roll, then pop up and shoot Al in the chest. He crumples, and I prowl along the sidelines.

Tris' team moves undetected. They reach the bottom of the watchtower, until someone spots them. It's Molly. She races after Tris as she climbs to the top.

Our plan is actually succeeding. At one point, I'm confronted by Thalia, who shoots my arm. I grit my teeth and scream. Pain flares in my body, and I fall to my knees. Thalia looks apologetic, but she loads her gun and keeps running.

Percy and Leo are in a paintball battle. Leo fires at him, but Percy dodges. Percy loads his gun, but Leo shoots him in the thigh and he stumbles, cursing.

I ignore the painful throbbing in my arm and look up. Tris and Christina are waving the flag in the air, and my face breaks into a grin. 

Our team, including me, lifts Tris and Christina on our shoulders and carries them back to the train.

We've won.