Chapter Text
TRIS POV
Day five of stage Two rolled around with little acknowledgement by both the initiates and the instructors. Tris found herself settling into the routine of testing somewhat easier than she had thought she would.
She had yet to see any of the fears Four had warned her about – the ones indicating that there was more to it than just a simulation, for which she was immensely thankful. She didn’t know if her ‘Scary Six’ persona would hold if she did, or if she would be broken, unprofessionally reverting back to her old Abnegation habits.
Nevertheless, as long as the situation didn’t come about she didn’t see the need to worry about it.
After grabbing her customary blueberry muffin and cup of coffee, Tris made her way towards the testing rooms. It was still early, so none of the initiates had arrived yet, which suited her just fine as she strolled into her testing room and started the familiar setup routine for her station.
It took her no time to get the monitors and hard drive booted, the network connection set up, and her authorization codes entered, bringing up the simulation software with ease. She had initially been surprised that Eric was willing to have her run simulations alongside him and Four, but she quickly realised it just meant less work for him – which was probably the main reason he was so accepting.
She hadn’t missed that Valkyrie was the last initiate he tested every day, that as soon as she was done, he would pack down his station and leave the rest for her and Four to finish up. Long past the point where she was suspicious of his intent towards the younger blonde, Tris often had to stop Four from charging off on a mission to accuse Eric of slacking.
Not that she wasn’t keeping an eye on the duo. She regularly checked in on what they were doing with the extra time after simulations via the compound's many cameras, and more often than not she would find them sparring with wooden hanbo in the training room, their movements oddly in sync and more like a dance than actual combat. Occasionally, Valkyrie would see an opening in Eric's defence and make contact with her hanbo and Eric likewise, but it was always in an oddly gentle way. She had never seen either of them marked by the other.
Voices in the corridor pulled her out of her reverie, and she quickly finished wiping down the chair before making her way to the door. Peaking out, she saw the duo were the source of the noise, standing close and completely unaware of her presence, she watched as Eric’c face broke into a grin at something Valkyrie had said.
More voices echoed down the hallways, indicating that the other initiates were about to arrive. Eric quickly ducked into his testing room to set up and Valkyrie assumed a slouched seating position on one of the many benches along the walls. The other initiates began to take their seats before Tris spoke up.
“Cam, since you are already standing lets get this over with.” She called into the corridor, causing Valkyrie to give a slight start at her realisation of Tris’ presence. Tris merely smiled at her before shutting the door behind herself and Cam.
“How are you feeling today Cam?” Tris asked kindly as she readied the needle, making sure to get all the air bubbles out before looking to him for an answer.
“Good. Nice to be in early today. I hate waiting in the corridor.” He told her with a smile. She had tested him before, and knew him to be one of the more laid back initiates.
“I remember the feeling well. Something between dread and anticipation.” Tris replied. “Oh well, be brave.” She told him as she deftly injected him, his eyes slipping shut nearly instantly as the simulation began to play on her screen.
Almost immediately, Tris knew this was going to be one to remember.
A woman she didn’t know shouted out to Cam as she ducked out the door, clearly in a hurry to be somewhere – probably work if her slinging her uniform jacket onto her back as she dashed for the door was anything to do with it.
“Sorry Cam, but I have to go – Eric asked me to come in as emergency cover at work and will kick my ass if I don’t. It’s only an hour, you’ll be fine! I’ll call Dave and ask him to leave early if he can, so hopefully you won’t be on your own with the kids for long!”
The door slammed shut and for a minute all was quiet, before a quiet whimper could be heard and Cam slowly turned around.
“I want mummy!” the little girl’s whimper turns into a cry, followed by her younger brother deciding now is the perfect time to start screaming. Cam tries his best to calm the kids, offering them food, story time, and even trying to coerce them into making a blanket fort with him, before eventually giving up and locking himself into what must be the bathroom of the apartment.
He sits on the floor as fists pound on the door and the screams of an epic tantrum can be heard through the walls, head in his hands as he tries to block out the sounds.
After five minutes of trying to slow his breathing, he is finally able to free himself from the simulation, sitting up slowly in the chair as he realises that only noise is Tris’ typing as she logs his sim.
“Sister’s bloody crotch goblins” Cam mutters almost to himself and Tris finds herself unable to hold back a snort at his reaction.
“Well your time for today was good, so I guess they can’t be that bad.” She tells him with a smile before gesturing that he can leave when he is ready.
“Yeah well, they are family. I wouldn’t give them up for the world.” Cam replies, returning the smile before heading towards the door. Tris settles her face back into a professional mask, sticks her head out after him and calls in her next victim.