*** DISCLAIMER ***

I own NOTHING regarding the divergent series e.g. the books/the movies
The only things I own are my own characters that I've created.

A/N: I started writing this fic a while ago and was on the fence about publishing it, I've always loved the divergent books and movies and I had an idea so I decided to write it down.
There will be some recognizable characters in this fic but there will be no Tris or her friends, this story takes place before the first movie which it's mainly based on rather than the books because the movies usually never include everything from the books however there are some aspects of the books in place in this story too.

"The future belongs to those who know where they belong." Jeanine Matthews said.

Those were the concluding words of her speech, the same speech she had given the previous years, she then swiftly disappeared off the stage and was replaced by an abnegation man who introduced himself as Andrew Prior.

Before the man began the introduction of the choosing ceremony he briefly welcomed the audience and then explained that he was filling in for Marcus Eaton who was unfortunately unable to attend the event, as he continued to speak however Phoenix's mind began to drift.

She thought about the test from the day before and the result she received, she then glanced over at amity where they sat to the left and she scanned over the faces slowly until her father quietly clearing his throat grabbed her attention, she faced forward once more to look at Andrew prior who had already began calling out names and his voice gradually became a blur as her mind started todrift off once more, she found her thoughts drifting back to the year before.

oOo

Phoenix sat with her family in the building where the choosing ceremony was held amongst the rest of their abnegation faction, beside them were the factions amity, erudite, candor and dauntless.

This year the leader of amity, Johanna, had the job of calling out the names of the people choosing and she wasted no time in getting the ceremony started, before Phoenix new it three people had already been called up to choose and they had each chosen to stay in their faction of birth.

She applauded softly when it was appropriate to do so along with her parents and brother, the choosing ceremony could last up to an hour or two, sometimes longer than that so she kept her focus on Johanna and made sure to listen to every name that was read out.

The previous year she'd gotten an extremely sore back and even accidentally let out a yawn, her mother had not been impressed by this in the slightest, the yawn was really more from lack of sleep than it had been out of boredom.

It was now forty minutes into the ceremony and she was wishing that she had stayed at home, her parents did say she and her brother could but he had told them that he wanted to go...so here they were.

She pulled her eyes from Johanna and turned her head to look at her father sitting beside her, a beat passed before he turned his own head and gave her a brief smile of understanding as he patted her hand, she smiled back at him, he always seamed to know exactly what she was thinking without her having to say a word.

"Patrick Holdsworth." Johanna's voice called out.

Phoenix's eyes widened and shot to the leader of amity upon hearing the name, she was convinced she'd misheard what was said but hearing her mother's almost inaudible cry of anguish confirmed for her that she hadn't.

She slowly turned her head from Johanna to look at her brother who was sat on her other side, he was staring ahead with an unreadable expression on his face and their mother beside him was trying not to break down in tears.

Time seamed to slow down as Patrick then stood up from his seat followed by their mother and father and eventually Phoenix herself, their mother touched his arm briefly before he started to move to get out of the isle they were sat in.

"Patrick." Phoenix whispered to him as he passed her but he ignored her and continued walking, she wanted to reach out and grab him to demand what was going on but she seamed to suddenly be immobilized, all she could do was watch him go.

Their father took a hold of his hand and shook it before he stepped passed him, he didn't acknowledge the handshake in any way, he just made his way down the stairs towards the ceremony bowls that were lined up on the stage beside Johanna.

Phoenix and her parents each sat back down slowly and looked amongst one another with similar expressions on their faces, this was a complete shock, Patrick was not supposed to be choosing today.

How was it even possible? It wasn't, it couldn't be...he hadn't even taken the test!

Neither of them had.

"Candor." Johanna announced and there was an applause from the factions.

Phoenix and her parents sat still as they were surrounded by a brief applause and some quiet murmuring amongst the rest of abnegation.

She stared at her brother as he walked towards his new faction and he didn't look in her or their parents direction, he didn't look in abnegation's direction at all, he just kept walking and took the seat that was offered to him when he approached.

Johanna moved swiftly onto the next person that would be choosing once Patrick was seated and Phoenix looked down at her hands that were now clasped tightly in her lap when she felt tears beginning to form in her eyes.

The tears though weren't particularly tears of sadness, they were more of anger.

She was angry because she didn't see it coming...she had no idea that he would do this to them...to her.

How could he...how could he do it.

Phoenix turned her head to look at her mother and saw the woman inhale a long, deep breath before she exhaled and formed a smile on her face, a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Phoenix leaned towards her a little and was about to speak but her mother immediately shushed her and made a gesture for her to pay attention to the ceremony and with a frown she did as her mother wanted.

Her fists then gradually began to clench as she sat there, did her mom really expect them to just sit through the rest of this ceremony acting as if the fact that Pat choosing to leave them hadn't happened or affected them?

She waited a beat before she then looked up and over towards candor, she found him immediately where he was sat in the front row and she stared at him, she stared at him until he finally decided to look up and when their eyes met she gave him a look that made even his new faction members that were sitting beside him who had curiously followed his gaze duck their heads.

Eventually he ducked his own head and then focused on the ceremony once more, she inhaled a deep breath then turned her head back to the front to look at Johanna just as her lips started to say the name of the next person that would be choosing.

oOo

"Phoenix Holdsworth." Andrew Prior called out from where he stood on the stage and she was out of her daydream and brought back to the present instantly.

It was her turn already? How did that happen?

Her heart started hammering inside her chest and her stomach was now hurting, she could feel eyes on her from the other members of her faction which made her mouth go dry, her father gently gave her hand that he was holding a squeeze and she swallowed, she then looked at him and inhaled a deep breath before she slowly rose from her seat.

Both her parents stood with her and she turned to look at her mother who had risen with a hand on her back, Phoenix smiled at her when she saw a hint of tears in her eyes, her mother returned the smile and gave her back a soft a rub with the hand that was placed there before she dropped it and clasped it in her other one infront of her.

Her father who was still holding her hand led her out of the isle they were sat in and when they reached the end of it he whispered to her, "We love you."

She stared at him briefly with tears now in her own eyes and gave him a nod before she whispered back, "Bye daddy."

He didn't look shocked by what she had said, he just smiled in a way that told her he'd known all along that she wouldn't be staying in abnegation where she'd never fitted in, not in the way she was supposed to anyway.

She sadly let go of his hand then made her way down the stairs towards the stage, praying the whole way that she wouldn't trip as she did because her legs were suddenly very wobbly.

She inhaled and exhaled another deep breath as she approached the bowls that symbolized the different factions, Andrew Prior who she still didn't really recognise from abnegation offered her a brief smile and she barely managed to return it.

She picked up the knife that was laying on the table beside the bowls with a shaky hand, she then stepped up and placed the tip of the knife against the palm of her hand and then she slowly moved it across her skin until she felt a brief sharp pain followed by blood appearing, she placed the knife back on the table and clenched her fist to make the blood appear and move down her palm quicker.

Her heart started to race once more as she moved her hand in the direction of the bowl of the faction she would be choosing, she looked at the grey stones of abnegation where she was born and raised...where her parents were, she then looked at the glass of candor...the faction where her brother had transferred to.

She forced thoughts of both those factions aside and focused on her new one, she whispered the words faction before blood to herself then moved her hand above the hot coals of dauntless and squeezed, her blood dropped onto the coals with a sizzle.

"Dauntless." Andrew called out and the room erupted in cheers and applause, mostly all from the dauntless faction, her faction now.

She picked up one of the band aids that was lying on the table beside the knife and turned to head for dauntless, she looked up at her parents in abnegation briefly as she walked, her mother had her head bowed crying but her father just gave her a nod followed by a weak smile.

She looked away from them both and towards her new faction that she'd now reached, someone stood up and shook her hand before wandering off up the stairs to find a seat at the back.

She took the now free seat and was greeted warmly with more handshakes and pats on the back, someone even high fived her.

The loud applause that was now only coming from dauntless slowly began to die down once Andrew asked for quiet.

"Welcome to dauntless." a man with a purple beard said with a grin beside her once Andrew had called out another name.

"Thanks." she replied with a smile as she placed the band aid on the cut on her palm and then she let out a sigh of relief that her choosing was now over.

She received a few more whispered welcomes and pats on the shoulder as the next person was choosing their faction.

oOo

The rest of the choosing ceremony flew by after Phoenix had chosen and it was hard to keep focused throughout that time as from where she was sat she had a clear view of her parents in abnegation and she couldn't help stealing glances at them where they sat, her mother had moved into the seat she had been sitting in at the beginning of the ceremony and was holding hands with her father.

She could feel their gaze on her from time to time and she tried her best to ignore it because...faction before blood.

Before she knew it the ceremony had come to an end and people around her were standing up, she quickly stood up from where she was sat and began to follow them along with the other transfers.

"Time to go home." a woman said from behind her and she looked over her shoulder to find the woman grinning at another dauntless member before they both headed off infront of her.

Phoenix then looked around her and noticed that everyone was doing this, no one was waiting patiently in a single file line to leave like she was used to doing, they were all just wandering out of the hall freely.

"Let's go." called someone up ahead and everyone started moving quickly towards the exit, Phoenix had to pick up the pace to keep up and not hold others behind her up and before she walked through the exit she took one last look at her parents who were still sat in their seats in abnegation...watching her go.

She ducked her head and whispered to herself 'goodbye' as she walked through the doors leading outside.

oOo

"Nice outfit." A girl said to Phoenix after she had practically dived into the moving train and landed hard on her knees, some of the other transfers and the dauntless members had laughed at her and made comments about how she was last on and that they were surprised she'd made it at all.

With a slightly red face she pushed herself up to standing position and looked down, the skirt of her dress had gotten caught on a broken part of the pillar of the train track that she had been climbing and ripped all the way up her leg.

She opened her mouth in shock, it hadn't been that bad when she had looked at it before, she grabbed at the ripped pieces and pulled them together in a desperate attempt to cover herself back up, she'd never publicly exposed this much skin to others before and especially not to strangers.

The girl that had spoken let out a laugh and Phoenix looked at her and noted she was dressed in amity clothing.

"I'm serious, it's a nice look." the girl said with a grin which then widened when Phoenix's cheeks heated up, "Aww you're blushing!"

"Is it really?" Phoenix asked sceptically, choosing to ignore the statement about her obvious embarrassment.

"Really." the amity girl replied with a nod.

"Then why are you laughing at me?" she asked with an annoyed frown.

"Because you look so funny trying to hold it all together, just let it go sweetie, it ain't fixable...embrace it." the girl said with an amused smile.

"Embrace it? It's all the way up to...my crotch." Phoenix said, whispering the last words with suddenly very pink cheeks.

"That's the best part." the girl said enthusiastically and Phoenix's mouth popped open, "Shame about the granny panties though, you could have worn something a little smaller."

Phoenix gaped at her words and the girl threw her head back and laughed freely, some people in the train car looked over at them and desperate that no one else's attention be drawn to the conversation Phoenix hushed her with an angry whisper, "Quit laughing at me."

"Your face!" the girl said once her laughter died down some, "I love it, it's so expressive!"

Phoenix looked away briefly then back at the girl, she then asked as she began to shrug out of her jacket, "Are you always this."

She trailed off, unsure of how to finish what she was asking, however a dauntless man with short dark hair and tattoo's up and down his right arm over at the other side of the car finished for her, "Hyper."

"Oh yes! However I do prefer the term...excessively enthusiastic." the amity girl said with a smile towards the man and he rolled his eyes at her.

"You're way too amity." he replied with extra emphasis on the word 'way' and the people he was stood with laughed, Phoenix looked from him to the amity girl as she tied her jacket tightly around her waist.

"Proud to be." the amity girl said immediately and the man looked over at her, regarding her curiously.

"Then why leave? Why have you joined dauntless?" he asked as he turned his body in her direction and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I like to fight." the girl replied, the lively and warm tone was gone from her voice and replaced with a low, threatening one, a smirk also replaced the sweet smile.

The man's eyebrows rose considerably at her response with surprise clearly visible on his face, he then nodded his head and said in a low, husky voice, "Word."

Phoenix watched him openly look her up and down before he give her a wink, then he turned back to the people he was with and began speaking to them once more, she turned her head back to the amity girl who's cheeks had turned a bright shade of crimson.

With a smile she said in a quiet voice, "Now who's blushing?"

The amity girl stared up at her with an open mouth for a moment before she grinned and then she covered her face with her arm, "I guess I deserved that."

Phoenix shrugged with a smile and then the amity girl held her hand out to her and she took it and pulled.

"Whoa." the girl said as she was hoisted up onto her feet and Phoenix was suddenly taken aback at the girl's height, she wasn't a giant but she was a lot taller than what she had expected her to be, maybe 5'8 or 5'9 to her 5'3.

"Sorry." she said and the amity girl smiled.

"It was just a handshake...you're not in abnegation anymore." the girl said and held her hand out once again, Phoenix swallowed at her comment before she took her hand once more and this time they shook, "I'm Andromeda but don't ever call me that...it's Andie...you're stronger than you look."

"Phoenix...thanks." Phoenix replied and Andie grinned at her.

"What do people call you?" she asked and Phoenix looked at her confused.

"Phoenix." she replied and Andie made a face, "What? Is there something wrong with my name?"

"No, nothing, it's a great name...unusual, but hey, I like it...only, it's a bit of a mouthful." Andie replied.

"No it's not." Phoenix said a little defensively then she looked out the open train car door at the city disappearing behind them, she looked back at Andie and asked, "Is it?"

"Just a little...but that's because I'm used to everyone having some sort of nickname where I'm from." she said with a shrug.

"Your one should be motormouth." the man from before spoke once more and Andie looked over at him, this time with a glare on her face and he held his hands up in mock defence, "Only joking hippie."

She looked away from him and back to Phoenix, "I hope I didn't offend you or anything."

"No, of course not." Phoenix replied.

"It is very pretty." Andie said with a smile and moved towards the open car door, Phoenix hesitated before she followed her over to the edge, she made sure to hold on tightly to the side of the train as she did.

"Yours is too." she said and Andie made a noise of disgust.

"No, it's not." she said with a laugh.

Phoenix looked at her briefly then out at the city flying passed them in a blur before she replied with, "Your one is more of a mouthful than mine, the full version that is."

"Yeah." Andie agreed with another laugh and looked at her, "That's true."

"And...it IS pretty." Phoenix said then she smiled and leaned her head against the side of the train what she was holding onto.

"Thanks." Andie replied after a beat and Phoenix looked up at her to be met with a smile.

"Listen up transfers!" A loud voice called out, Andie and Phoenix stepped back from the edge of the train to see who was talking, it was a man two train cars down from where they were, he was tall and had an orange and purple mohawk hairstyle, "We're approaching the compound, get ready!"

After he'd spoken the dauntless in the train car with Phoenix, Andie and the other transfers began to move towards the two open doorways.

Phoenix ended up being bumped out of the way by some people in the process, she watched them carefully and noticed some of them poke their heads out of the opening then some of them stepped right back to the side opposite the doorway and then they broke out into a run which was then followed by a leap out of the train.

Phoenix gasped silently as more and more people copied the actions of those before them, Andie then asked the question they already knew the answer to, "We have to jump?"

"Where's that eager enthusiasm from before amity?" the man that had spoken to Andie before asked with a grin as he moved towards them both, "It's just a little hop."

Andie didn't have the chance to respond to him as he was already running then leaping off the train, she turned to Phoenix who had begun preparing herself for the jump.

"Move your asses." a dauntless boy said to them and the other transfers as he began running and a chill ran through Phoenix at what he shouted as he was in mid air, "Or be factionless!"

"Andie, let's go." Phoenix said quickly.

"It's a moving train." Andie said wide eyed.

"Don't think about it, take my hand." Phoenix said with her hand held out, Andie hesitated so Phoenix grabbed her hand anyway, "Now!"

She pulled Andie with her as she ran and thankfully the amity girl moved with her otherwise Phoenix would have let her hand go and kept running.

Both girls leapt from the train once their feet were on the edge of the open doorway and they soared across a huge gap.

It was a lot bigger than a 'little hop'.