This is the sequel to my story Double-Edged Knife. If you haven't read said story, I suggest you read it or you'll be lost. The war has yet to occur.

My hand touches the ink on my neck as I gaze at my reflection in the mirror, looking at the tattoo I acquired two days ago. I acquired this tattoo the day after I signed the paper commencing my leadership training. Tori volunteered to draw the tattoo on my neck.

I couldn't talk for a few hours because that would move the muscles in the neck, therefore botching the healing process.

Tattoos in Dauntless have many meanings, though this one is very significant. It shows that I'm a leader of this faction. One of them at least. It's good that the five of us share the power instead of one holding it.

Knowing that I have to get to my new office in thirty minutes, I quickly brush my teeth and pull my hair back in a ponytail to showcase the new tattoo on my body. Eric just left ten minutes ago, which is good because his birthday present is in plain sight.

Today he's turning nineteen and I thought to give him a pocket dictionary and a coffee mug because we have so many books. He's hard to buy for anyway. Who would have thought that someone born in Erudite would be hard to buy for?

I shrug my jacket over my clothes and leave the bathroom to quickly box the presents before leaving. I asked Jocelyn about ideas how to conceal presents and she suggested cutting up old boxes to create a gift box as it would save Dauntless credits.

So, I cut up the empty box of pancake batter and made a box that way, gluing more cardboard on the inside to make it sturdy.

I place the wrapped mug in the box before inserting the pocket dictionary. Once I tied the box shut with a string, I grabbed my headset and left the apartment.

It's amazing how a single change in your status can affect how people see you. The three people standing around the elevator parted as they see me approach, not uttering a word. I've been introduced to the faction as one of their new leaders and already my presence is considered prominent.

Fortunately, so far most of the Dauntless were pretty receptive as me as a Dauntless leader. They probably remember the time I threatened Peter with the very weapon he used to attack Edward. I'm not considered as the demure girl originating from Abnegation.

The elevator door opens and I'm the first one who enters. Will and Peter are in the elevator with a few members of technical support who are on their way to work. Will smiles at me though Peter stumbles back and his back hits the metal wall of the elevator.

It's amusing how he's making a fool of himself sometimes but it also shows what a coward he is too. Eric did say that I being emotionally braver then he scared Peter, and that only comes from a coward.

"Morning, Tris," says Will.

"Morning," I greet back, holding on to the package tightly and carefully so it doesn't drop.

"What do you got there?" he asks.

"A certain person is turning nineteen today," I tell him. "I'm giving it to him during lunch."

"How did you conceal that?" asks Will. "The two of you live together as it is."

"We have a spare room which I know he doesn't go in," I answer. "I concealed it in there."

"Gotcha," he says. "I'm going to think where to hide Christina's present when her birthday comes up."

"You two are living together?" I ask.

"Since Valentines'," he answers.

The elevator stops at the tenth floor and I disembark when the doors open. My footsteps echo in the hallway as I make my way towards the corridor containing the conference room and the offices of the five leaders. One of them belongs to me now.

I stare at the wooden door to my new office. The original plaque has been screwed off and is now replaced with the plaque with the words TRIS PRIOR. Since I'm a Dauntless leader and my father is a Abnegation councilmember, the surname of Prior might stand out even more when it comes to inter-faction politics.

I take out the set of keys from my pocket and unlock the door. The office was the same as Jackie left it but whatever personal possessions she might have had are probably gone. I put the box in the desk drawer and glance at the phone on my desk. The blinking could only mean that someone has left a message.

Probably about this new and improved factionless sector patrol program that I'm in charge of. I press the number two and an automatic male voice says, "You have one new message" followed by a drawn out beep.

"Hey, Tris. I just wanted to give you a heads up." It's Eric. "Sometime today, we should meet up with Four to discuss about plans for initiation this year. I know it's only March and initiation doesn't begin until the first week of September but they say it's best to plan ahead of time. Love you, and good luck with selecting the patrollers for the factionless sector."

Of course. I haven't forgotten the new policies that I proposed for initiation. While Eric's policies weed out those who can't take a punch and last in a fight, my additions will weed out people like Peter: people who think that being Dauntless equates with stomping on people they perceive as weak. We like strong people yes, but not the ones who use their strength to hurt others.

As for Eric's policies may be concerned, one might find them cruel and morally questionable. Putting two transfers against each other and fights ending when an opponent can't stand may seem barbaric but we are the protectors of the people. Their soldiers and if something happens, only we'll be the ones to combat it.

I pick up my phone and look at the extensions on the side. I don't know whether Tobias is working at this hour and I don't really want to interfere with his work schedule. However, Eric does wish to discuss plans for initiation sometime today.

I type up the extension for the control room and press the phone to my ear. It only rings twice until someone picks it up. "The control room. Daytime supervisor speaking," I hear Gus, the daytime supervisor of the control room, say.

"Hi, this is Tris, the new Dauntless leader," I say. "I was wondering if Four was available. This is about initiation."

"Oh, he's right here." I hear him transfer the phone to him and him saying something but I couldn't catch what it is.

I thought I hear Tobias grumble and he says flippantly, "Yes, Eric?"

"No, this is Tris," I correct. Why on earth did he assume it was Eric calling? Eric is in a meeting with Max and Ross.

"Tris," he says in relief. "When did he hand over control of Dauntless initiation to you?"

"I have some role in it, though he's still in charge," I say. "I'm calling because Eric is in a meeting. I wanted to spare him the time."

"So, this is about this year's initiation," he says.

"Yes," I say. "Eric wants to discuss plans for initiation sometime today. The meeting is between me, you, and him."

I hear Tobias swear under his breath before asking, "Is Eric doing anything at two thirty?"

"Not that I'm aware of," I say.

"I'm off this afternoon and I would like to fill that time," he says.

"Will do," I reply. "I'll leave him a message."

"Thanks," he says.

"No problem." I press the button to end the call and I begin dialing the extension to Eric's office phone. It rings five times before I get his voicemail.

"You have reached the office of Eric Matheson. At this time, I'm probably in a meeting or involved in some other important matter. If it's worth my time, just leave a message."

He sounds formal yet irritated too. Typical of him. After the beep, I say, "Hey, this is Tris. I'm just leaving a message regarding the meeting about plans for initiation. Tobias thought that we might meet at two thirty, if it's okay with you. Hopefully I hear back on that. Love you."

I hang up the phone and sit down at my desk. I turn on my computer and log into my account. I open up the messaging system to see that I have one message. I see that it's just Max, asking for the list of people who I want to patrol the fence. Since I made that PDF document around Christmas time and I haven't changed my mind, it doesn't take me long to attach it to my message and I write, These are some of the people who passed initiation from three to five years ago, as it wouldn't too difficult to have them follow the new regulations.

I send the message to Max and look at the agenda for today. I am supposed to send a memo to the technical support staff, informing them about the update of the safety regulations.

With that in mind, I reopen the messaging program.

"Did you get my message?" I ask Eric at ten thirty when I enter his office.

"Yeah and I confirmed the time for him," says Eric. "We'll be talking about plans for initiation here in my office. Besides, I was hoping that you would drop by. There was something I wanted to show you."

Eric takes a duffel bag from the side of his desk and unzips it. He takes out a red, artificial looking rifle from the bag. It resembles the rifles we used for capture the flag during initiation last year.

"Remember these guns?" he asks.

"Yes. We used them for capture the flag," I answer.

"Good thing your initiate class used paintballs as ammunition, because the ammunition for this year will be painful," Eric says, smirking in a way like he has something under his sleeve.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

He takes out a box from the duffel bag and opens it. Between his fingers is a silver ball that resembles a bullet, only there is a small needle at the end. "There are a few perks when it comes to our relations with Erudite. I contacted Jeanine about what the engineering department is up to and they were so kind to ship cartons of these."

"What are they exactly?" I ask.

"Neurological Simulation bullets or Neuro-Sim for short," Eric explains. "Once the needle is in the victim, it sends a message to their brains that they were shot and the effect of a gunshot wound could last from two minutes."

Eric is really upping it this year. "The purpose of this is...?" I begin to ask.

"Capture the flag was created by the early members of Dauntless," he explains. "It was formed to teach the initiates – transfers and Dauntless-born alike – about comradeship. Also, this game was also meant to prepare future battles in case a war breaks out. And let me tell you, getting hit in the cheek by a paintball will not prepare them for war. A Neuro-Sim bullet would but a paintball wouldn't. Just because there was no war for two hundred years since the faction system's creation, that does not mean there will be no wars after that. "

I realize how spot on he is. We need to prepare for war, even after two hundred years of no war. The Dauntless are meant to be our soldiers and protectors anyway. Erudite has historians, so they would know the history of all the factions, including their own.

"By the looks of you, they wouldn't think you were once Erudite unless they heard something like that come from my mouth," I say.

"That's the intention," he tells me. "You wouldn't want them to think that you're the girl from Abnegation, would you?"

"Of course not," I say. Especially if people think that the Abnegation are not strong enough.

"Then we're both even," he says.

I conceal the box in a plastic bag before going to lunch. Eric will join a few minutes later.

My hand touches the metal surface of the door and I push the door open. As soon as I step into the room, I hear nothing but silence. It's quiet that the only thing I hear are my footsteps.

I remember the time when I first saw Eric. When I first saw him coming through these doors. When I heard nothing but the sound of his footsteps. It's like that but the only differences are is that I'm in his place, there's no initiate inquiring about my age, and I haven't amassed a reputation yet.

Unless you counted my threat to Peter after he was spreading lies about Eric and I.

When I get to the food line, conversations pick up again. I grip the bag tightly as I pick up my tray. After picking up a plate and utensils, I place a breaded chicken breast, corn, and mashed potatoes on my plate. As usual I put hamburger gravy on the mashed potatoes. I pick up a cold bottle of pomegranate grape juice from the beverage counter and head towards where Will and Christina are already sitting with Shauna and Lynn.

"I'm glad that it's lunch," I say. I place my tray in front of me and sit down. "I'm starving."

I cut up my chicken when Lynn asks, "You're not sitting with people that are considered high status?"

I raise my pierced eyebrow at her. "What makes you think that?"

"You're a Dauntless leader now," she says.

"Just because I'm a Dauntless leader now, that does not mean that I'm going to abandon my friends," I say. "Besides, being a ambassador to this faction would qualify as a important position. It's a government job."

Lynn snorts. "Yeah. I do your dirty work when the leaders don't want to do speak with representatives from other factions."

"Not necessarily," says Eric, who just dropped in a seat next to me. "There will be times when our schedules are full to actually make a visit to another faction's compound."

According to plan, I remove the box from the plastic bag and place it in front of his tray. He turns his attention to the box in front of his tray as I began eating my food.

"So, you're giving my birthday present now?" he asks.

"You don't have to open it now if you don't want to," I say. "It's your birthday anyway."

"I'm not one of those people who make a fool of their selves when receiving a gift," he says. "Besides, I don't want my curiosity to become flammable."

He unties the yarn as Zeke, Tobias, Jocelyn, and Sean join us. Tobias and his friends pay no mind, though I, Jocelyn, and Sean look at him expectantly as he removes the contents from the box.

He smiles in amusement seeing that pocket dictionary. "This could come in handy if something doesn't go my way in a conversation."

I hear Tobias cough, though I wonder if it was a scoff hidden in a cough. Eric unwraps the paper from the coffee mug. He tilts the mug in his hand and examines it.

Christina looks at the mug and fails to hide a snort. Probably because the mug is blue, the color of Eric's former faction.

"Now, don't let that give you any ideas," says Eric, putting his birthday presents in their box.

"So true love is not a cure all," says Jocelyn, shaking her head in amusement. "You're still the arrogant jackass we all know."

"Shut up, Jocelyn," says Eric, his tone a mixture of irritation and amusement.