Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Fierce Battle

"You have an odd number of people, and we are fighting in twos. Obviously, there is one person who does not need to participate in the fighting today." The fourth child stepped back from the "blackboard" in the training room and glanced at me.Leave blank next to my name. The tight string in my heart instantly relaxed, but this does not mean that my fighting training has stopped, it is just a reprieve. "It's kind of bad." Christina nudged me.This morning, every muscle in my body was sore and she poked right where it hurt and I flinched. "Ouch." I yelled.

"I'm sorry," she said hastily, "but look, I've encountered a tank and I'm going to fight her." In the morning, Christina and I have breakfast together.Earlier in the dormitory, Christina helped me change my clothes.I grew up to be my best friend.Looking back on the years at home, Susan and Caleb were better than me, and Robert went wherever Susan went. It should be said that I have never made any real friends. In the dictionary of altruism, there are no such words as "accepting handouts and help" or "talking about private affairs". In this way, how can true friendship exist?But there will be no such thing here.In just two days, I feel like I know Christina far better than I know Susan.

"Tank?" I looked for the name "Christina" on the "blackboard", and "Molly" was written next to it. "Well, Pete's female minion." Christina nodded meaningfully at the crowd standing on the other side of the room.Molly is the same height as Christina, but that's where their similarities end.Molly was broad-shouldered, copper-colored, and had a bulbous nose. "Three big fairies," Christina pointed to Pete, Drew and Molly in turn, "actually, they've been together all day since they crawled out of the womb. I really hate them."

The fight begins.Will and Al stood facing each other on the field, with a murderous look in the air.I saw them raise their hands to protect their heads - just like the old fourth teacher - stepping and circling on the field face to face.Alby Will was about fifteen centimeters taller, but twice as big.When I stared at him, I realized that his features are also so prominent - big nose, thick lips, big eyes.I don't think this game will be too long, and it will be obvious who wins and who loses. I glanced over at Pete and his buddies.Drew was shorter than both Pete and Molly, but he was stocky and rounder, with a stooped back and orange-red hair the color of an old carrot.

"What happened to them?" I asked. "Pete was a pure little devil. As a kid, he would pick fights and fight with kids from other factions, and when the grown-ups came to talk him out of the fight, he'd start crying and justify himself with lies, saying someone else beat him up first. Of course. Now, grown-ups tend to believe his lies, because we are honest people, and honest people never lie. Haha." Christina wrinkled her nose and continued to say enthusiastically: "Drew is Pete's lackey. I suspect he doesn't have his own ideas in his mind. As for Molly...she's very perverted, she's the kind who goes back and forth to see ants Twist, and burn the ants with a magnifying glass."

On the court, Al punched Will hard on the jaw.I flinch back a bit.Eric stood on the other side of the room, looking at Al with a fake smile, and kept flipping his brow ring with his hands. Under this heavy blow, Will staggered a few steps to the side, covering his face with one hand, and resisting Al's new attack with the other.Judging from the pained expression on his face, it hurts to block the next punch and the punch he has already received.Al shot slowly, but powerfully. Pete, Rude, and Molly looked at us furtively, then put their heads together again, muttering something. "I think they might know who we're talking about," I said.

"So what? They already knew I hated them." "How do they know? They don't have ears." Christina forced a smile and waved at them.I lowered my head and my face started to get hot. Anyway, I shouldn't gossip about others, because it's an expression of self-indulgence. Will's feet quickly hooked Al's legs and pulled hard, throwing Al to the ground.Al struggled to get up. "Because I told them myself." She smiled a little stiffly, and squeezed out these words from between her teeth.Her teeth were straight above, but crooked below.She looked at me and said, "At Honesty, we all open up and say how we feel. A lot of people have told me they don't like me, but a lot of people haven't. Who cares?"

"We just...shouldn't hurt people," I stammered. "I like to think that I'm doing them a huge favor by hating them, and I'm trying to remind them that they're not God's favourites, so don't be so complacent and ignorant." I smiled and continued to pay attention to the situation on the court.Will and Al hold each other for a few seconds, more hesitant now than they were before.Will gently brushes the hair that covers his eyes.They looked at the fourth child, as if they were waiting for him to stop, but the fourth child still held his hands on his chest and did not respond.A meter or two away from him, Eric looked at his watch.

They circled around like this for a few seconds, and no one attacked. Eric shouted impatiently: "Do you think this is a leisure sport? Do you want to stop and take a nap? Right now, give me hit!" "But..." Al stood up straight and lowered his hands, "Is it scoring or something? When does the fight end?" "Beat until one of you can't get up," Eric said. "The Dauntless faction stipulates that one of you can admit defeat." The fourth child added. Eric narrowed his eyes and looked at the fourth child, and said word by word: "That's the old rule, according to the new rule no one can admit defeat."

"Brave people recognize the strengths of others and face their own shortcomings," retorted the fourth child. "A brave man never admits defeat." For a few seconds, Eric and the fourth child stared at each other, and the atmosphere froze.These are two different types of dreadnoughts: one honorable and one grim.But even I could see that it was Eric, the youngest leader of the Dauntless, who ultimately had a say in this room. Beads of sweat formed on Al's forehead, and he wiped the back of his hand. "That's ridiculous," Al yelled, shaking his head vigorously. "What's the point of beating him? We're on the same side."

"You think it's easy to beat me? Come on, dawdler, hit me." Will suddenly grinned. Will raised his hand again.I saw a determination in his eyes that wasn't there before.Does he really believe he can win?Al punched him, and I'm afraid he would be knocked out on the spot, if Al could do it. Al punches, and Will dodges.The back of Will's neck was covered with sweat.He dodged the next punch, slid around behind Al, and kicked him hard in the back.Al staggered forward a few steps, regained his balance and turned to face Will. When I was a kid, I read a book about a grizzly bear, and there was a picture of a grizzly bear with its paws outstretched, standing on its hind legs and roaring.That's what Al is now.He jumped at Will, grabbed his hands to keep him from getting free, and punched him hard in the jaw. I watched Will's pale green eyes like celery leaves lose their brilliance in an instant, the eyeballs rolled outwards, his body went limp, slipped from Al's hand, and he collapsed on the ground.Seeing this, I suddenly felt chilly on my back and my heart became cold. Al's eyes widened suddenly, and he squatted down next to Will, patting his face lightly with one hand.The room suddenly fell silent, and everyone expected Will to stand up.For a few seconds, he lay motionless on the ground, one arm pressed against his body, and then blinked, obviously a little drowsy. "Get him up for me," Eric yelled.He stared greedily at Will lying on the ground, as if the sight was a good meal, and he hadn't eaten in weeks and was hungry.The corners of his mouth curled up, looking ruthless. The fourth child turned to the "blackboard" and circled Al's name on it—the winner of the game. "Next group, Molly and Christina," Eric called.Al then puts Will's arm around his shoulders and drags him off the field. Christina cracked her knuckles and could tell she was nervous.I wanted to wish her luck, but didn't know how that would help.Christina is not weak, but she is still thinner than Molly, I hope the height can help her.I prayed silently. On the other side of the room, the fourth brother held Will's waist with both hands, and led him limping out of the door.Al stood blankly at the door for a few minutes, watching them leave. The departure of my fourth child made me nervous.There was a chill, eerie air in the air, and leaving us with Eric was like leaving a bunch of kids with a nanny who was always whetting his knives. Christina stuffed her hair behind her ears.Her hair was about chin length, very black, and held in silver barrettes.She cracked her knuckles again, and she looked tense, which is no wonder, after watching Will collapse like a rag doll, anyone would lift their hearts . I don't know what freshman training would do to me if there was only one last man standing in a Dauntless fight.Would I be like Al, stepping on someone's body and congratulating myself that I was the one who knocked him to the ground, or would I be lying helpless on the ground like Will?My heart is full of such a strong desire for victory. Is this selfish or courageous?Thinking of this, I hurriedly rubbed my sweaty hands on my pants. On the court, Christina kicked Molly in the side, and my attention was drawn back.Molly was gasping for breath, clenching her teeth, almost snarling.A strand of sticky black hair stuck to her face, but she ignored it. At some point, Al stood beside me, but I was too engrossed in this new fight to go see him or congratulate him on his victory.In fact, I have no way of knowing whether he is really yearning for victory in his heart. Molly looked at Christina with a half-smile, she spoke quickly, and rushed over without warning, opened her hands, and attacked Christina's abdomen with all her strength.Heavy, one punch knocked Christina to the ground, and pressed her to the ground.Christina struggled desperately, but Molly was too heavy for her to move. Molly clenched her fist and punched hard. Christina turned her head to dodge, but "you can't hide from the first day of junior high school, but you can't dodge the fifteenth day." Molly punched one after another until it hit Christina on the chin, nose, mouth.Reflexively, I grab Al's hand and pinch his flesh with all my strength - I just need to grab something.Blood was seen streaming down one side of Christina's face and dripping onto the ground next to her face.I prayed silently in my heart, hoping that she would pass out quickly. This is the first time I have prayed for a person to pass out. Instead of fainting, Christina screamed, freed a hand, and punched Molly in the ear, knocking her off balance.Christina managed to break free, knelt up, covered her face with one hand, thick black blood flowed from her nose, instantly staining her fingers red.She screamed again and scrambled away from Molly, shoulders heaving, I could tell she was sobbing, but my ears were buzzing so I couldn't hear her. Christina, please pass out quickly. Molly kicked Christina sideways when she wasn't looking, and Christina collapsed on her back.Seeing this, Al suddenly let go of his hand and pulled me close to him.I gritted my teeth and didn't want to cry.That first night, while I was indifferent to Al's cries, I wasn't yet a hard-hearted person.At this moment, seeing Christina clutching her ribs in pain, I really wanted to rush up and get in between them. When Molly raised her foot to kick again, Christina wailed, "Stop!" She held out a hand, "Stop! I..." Then coughed a few times, "I surrender." Molly smiled, and I breathed a sigh of relief.Al also breathed a sigh of relief, his chest rose and fell with his breath, touching my shoulder back and forth. Eric walked towards the center of the arena. He moved slowly, folded his hands on his chest, stood beside Christina, and said softly, "Sorry, what did you just say? You surrendered?" Christina put her hands on the ground with all her strength and knelt up.When she raised her hand, a bloody handprint was left on the ground.She pinched her nose to stop the profuse bleeding, then nodded. "Stand up," Eric said.If he yelled, I probably wouldn't feel like my stomach was going to churn; if he yelled, I knew it was the worst.But his voice is calm and his words are refined.He grabbed Christina by the arm, pulled her up to her feet, and dragged her out the door. "Come with me," he said to the rest. We followed him out of the field. The river seemed to roar and moan in my breast. We stood by the railing of the Grand Canyon.At this moment, it was three o'clock in the afternoon, and there was no one in the deep pit of the base, but it made people feel like a few days and nights had passed. Even if there were people around, I doubt they would help Christina.One, it’s because we’re with Eric; two, the Dauntless faction has different rules, that is, “atrocities are not against the rules.” Eric pushes Christina to the railing. "Climb over," he said. "What?" Her voice sounded like she was hoping Eric would show mercy, but her wide eyes and pale face suggested otherwise.Who is Eric, how can he give in. "Climb-over-rail-post." Eric said again, emphasizing every word, "If you can hang above the canyon for five minutes, I will forgive your cowardice. If you give up , your probationary career ends here." The roaring river splashed white waves, hitting the metal railings, which were narrow and slippery.Even if Christina had the guts to hang on it for five minutes, she might not be able to hold it.Poor Christina is caught between a rock and a hard place. She can either choose to become a non-partisan or try to die. I closed my eyes and imagined her falling off the cliff and hitting the jagged rocks, and my heart trembled. "Climb and climb." Christina's voice couldn't hide the trembling. She was tall enough, and with a slight lift of her long leg, she stepped over the railing, stepped on the narrow ledge with her toes, and stepped over with the other leg.She faces us, wipes her hands on her trousers, and clings to the rail, her knuckles white from the exertion.Then, she moved one foot away from the rock ledge, her leg was slowly suspended in the air, and then the other foot also left the ledge, and her whole body was suspended in the air.Through the bars of the railing, I could see Christina's face, determined, her lips tightly shut. Beside me, Al sets the time on his watch. Ninety seconds passed, and Christina was fine. She was holding on to the railing firmly, and her hands didn't shake.I'm starting to be optimistic that she'll do it, get through this, and show Eric how stupid it is to doubt her. But after a while, the huge waves splashed by the river hitting the stone wall hit Christina's back, and her face hit the railing rail heavily, and finally she couldn't help crying loudly.Her hands began to slip, and only her fingers were left to hook onto the railing, although she tried desperately to hold on, but her palms were too wet and slippery. If I rushed to help her, Eric would definitely make me suffer the same fate as Christina.Do I want to watch her fall to her death, or do I want to be reduced to someone without faction?Which is worse: to stand by while someone else is dying, or to be exiled with nothing?My parents' choice was obvious. But parents are parents, and I am me. As far as I know, Christina hasn't cried since we've been here, but now her face is contorted, crying over the roar of the river.Another round of waves hit the stone wall, and the waves "swallowed" her whole body, and a few drops even hit my face.Her hand slipped again suddenly, and one hand let go of the crossbar.At this moment, she only had four fingers hooked on the crossbar, and her whole body was suspended in the air. "Christina, come on," Al yelled, his deep voice surprisingly loud.She looks at him.Al clapped his hands and yelled, "Come on, keep holding on to the railing, come on, you can do it! Hold on to the railing." Even if I risk my life and rush forward, can I catch her with my strength?If I know that I am too weak to help her, but I try to help her, is it worth it? I know that these questions are all "excuses". "Human beings are able to find excuses for all their sins, which is why it is important not to rely on them." These are the words of the Father. Christina flailed her arms and groped for the position of the guardrail.No one cheered her up except Al, who trumpeted his big hands around his mouth and yelled encouragement, his eyes fixed on Christina's.I wish I could cheer her up too, I wish I could rush to help her, but I just stand there staring at her, wondering how long this nasty selfishness has been going on. I checked Al's watch, four minutes had passed.His elbow tapped my shoulder hard. "Come on." The voice was as small as a mosquito.I cleared my throat, "One minute left!" The voice was louder this time.Christina's other hand finally reached the railing, and her arm was shaking so badly that I thought it was the ground shaking under my feet, causing my vision to shake, but I didn't notice it. "Come on, Christina," Al and I yelled in unison.When our voices sounded together, I began to believe that I really had the power to help her. I will help her, and if she misses again, I will. Another wave hit her back, and she slid her hands down the railing, screaming in fright.I also exclaimed in horror. Fortunately, she grabbed the railing rail and did not fall.I watched as her fingers slowly slid down the bar until her head was out of sight. Al's watch prompts, five minutes are up! "Five minutes," Al yelled, almost spraying the words in Eric's face. Eric looked at his watch, unhurriedly, and tilted his wrist.Looking at this, I felt a twist in my stomach and couldn't breathe.In the blink of an eye, I seemed to see the body of Rita's sister lying on the sidewalk under the train tracks, her limbs twisted into strange angles; I also seemed to see Rita screaming and crying; I also seemed to see myself turning around indifferently. leave. "Okay, Christina, you can come up." Eric said coldly. Al sprinted for the railing quickly. "You can't go," Eric said, "she has to climb up on her own." "No, she doesn't have to," Al roared. "She did what you said. She's not a coward! She did what you said." This time Eric didn't refute.Al bent down and stretched out his hand, and with his height, he easily grabbed Christina's wrist.She gripped Al's forearm tightly.Al tried to pull her up, blushing, and I rushed to help him.As expected, I was too short to help, and as Al pulled Kristina up a little higher, I grabbed under her shoulders and together we dragged her over the railing.At this time, she fell to the ground, her face was covered with blood from the fight, her back was soaked, and she was trembling all over. I knelt beside her and she looked up from me to Al.The three of us took a big breath at the same time, and no one spoke.