Wendy thinks the new initiates are raising the bar every year. Maybe Erudite fashioned something for Amity that’d really pump up the protein in their produce, something like that, just anything that would explain how these kids were getting so good.

She breaks her trail of thought, vision adjusting again to the two new young initiates fighting before her on the training podium. Her eyes were so used to pain and gore that nothing could make her wince.

Her and the other initiates gazed in awe at them, though clearly one in particular, Yeri. Well, she launched herself off the train on initiation day as Yerim, but landed deep into the Dauntless crevices and now walks through the Pit as Yeri. Dropping one sound seemed to give her whole character new life, a whole new feeling of expressiveness Wendy loved to see amongst newbies.

Wendy was in charge of training the kids who’d transferred because she, herself, was a transfer. She was born into Erudite and their thirst for knowledge, seas of calming blue clothing, and traits of curiosity which she’d never quite been able to rub off. Naturally, she was academically gifted and fit right into her mother faction, and blue was definitely her colour, but her parents always knew she had a sharp flurry of fight in her too strong to be concealed. It wasn’t too much of a shock to set her free.

Besides, she was far too loud for Erudite, and newspapers being your only line of conversation could be painstakingly boring.

However, her keen intelligence gave her remarkable skills when it came to predictions. As a Dauntless faction leader, she’d be surrounded by eager young souls year after year, and her knack was in ranking them.

For instance, Yeri was passionate, born as Amity but born to be in Dauntless. Truly, she was a remarkable sixteen year old, having just struck down her competitor with seemingly no trouble and extremely minimal injuries, looking towards her admiring initiate companions with a blinding smile.

Wendy saw her probably ranking at the top of the group, if not behind a few Dauntless borns.

Unfortunately, the battered boy relentlessly beaten into the side of the podium didn’t seem to have as much of a chance. His name was Yugyeom, and Wendy truly did wonder if he accidentally sent his drop of blood to the wrong representative element when deciding his faction.

Maybe he was aiming for Abnegation, she wasn’t sure; his giving, harmless personality resembled a calm little flower. He was definitely tall, but far from being any sort of beast.

And soon enough, Wendy would have to drop him into the clasps of the factionless.

“Very impressive, Yeri.” Wendy nodded with crossed arms, her smile charming, then tossing her a rag in order to wipe off any perspiration. Yeri could probably barely hear her praise with the whole training unit swamped by courageous cheering, but she smiled kindly back, and Wendy guessed her warmth as opposed to obnoxiousness was the main reason why she liked her.

“Yugyeom,” she called to the sorrowful bloodied heap, cheers immediately halting as her authority flooded across the room. “You need to step up your game, seriously.”

Wendy actually hated tough love, but after years of leading the new initiates it’d come to her like a ferocious instinct.

Just as she was about to send off some initiates to carry Yugyeom over to the healing ward, a fellow faction leader came running in, his height noticeably tall and motions prompt.

“Can I help you, Hoon?” She spoke loudly but kindly, one eyebrow lifted as she waved him forwards.

She was easy to spot; expressive ear piercings, platinum blonde hair and an endearing smirk. “Hey.” Seunghoon nodded in acknowledgement, scratching the side of his adam’s apple. “Can I take you outside for a bit? The faction has, uh,” he paused, staring the surrounding initiates down until they looked away and pretended not to be listening into their conversation, “...plans.”

“Oh, sure.” She puffed out her cheeks, curious. “If you’d excuse me, you guys.” She drawled, earning a firm, confident nod from all of the adolescents around her as Seunghoon led her out of the training unit, and then past a few guards into a scattered control room, where only the top ranking individuals would have access.

Seunghoon went to sit by a security panel, while Wendy perched on the edge of the table in the centre of the room, fiddling with her jacket’s defense padding. She stared at him attentively, hoping he’d elaborate.

“Well, there’s issues between factions. And surprisingly,” he added a forced chuckle, “not ours.”

“Who between?” She quirked an eyebrow, three attractively piercings lining its tip.

“Amity and Candor.” said Seunghoon without missing a beat, and of course by the harmless involvement of Amity it was probably Candor picking a fight with their faction morals.

“So what’s Dauntless doing?”

“Our job is to provide defense for one of the sides, hopefully to stand in the way of any sort of unrelated war that takes over the whole country. We need well-trained faction members, people most prepared for defense, those who scored high up in the rankings during initiation,” he elaborated with artistic hand gestures, “Most importantly, you.”

Wendy tilted her head, her eyes questioning. She understood that she was one of the faction leaders, but didn’t quite get why she was such a stand-out necessity.

“You’re probably the most intelligent leader among us, especially being Erudite born and all that. And you’re around people who have traits from other factions on an almost-daily basis.” He explained, and Wendy’s nods were a little off-kilter, with mitch-matched confidence and modesty.

Suddenly she turned her head towards a slight squabble when a couple of other high ranking Dauntless members walked into the control room, and though they most likely had an idea about this issue Seunghoon kept his voice low. “We need you to decide which faction we protect.”

Wendy ran her fingers through her platinum hair, sudden weight dragging down her shoulders, which were clothed in jet black leather.

But she was Dauntless, she couldn’t be flustered by this - instead, she was excited. The entire faction, and possibly the entire future for the country, lay malleable in her very own hands.

“Alright,” she declared, tapping her bottom lip with her thumb in deep thought. “I say Amity.”

Seunghoon nodded slowly, awaiting her explanation. But abruptly one of the two squabbling city security members popped into the discussion, not really sure where that idea came from.

“What? Why?” questioned Hyeri, approaching where Wendy was perched, “We have an alliance with Candor. We can’t just break that.”

“Teamwork used to be one of the Dauntless priorities, it’s long discarded now.” said Wendy, not too taken aback as she addressed her fellow important faction members, “And do you really think it’s Amity who started the whole dispute? The chances are second to none. My knowledge is it’s Candor calling Amity out for the use of dishonesty to keep the peace.”

Yura, the other security official hummed partially in agreement, partially in confusion. “We’re not exactly the most peaceful faction, though.”

Wendy laughed, sending her a light-humoured thumbs up. “Well, yeah, but really what’s the point of protecting a faction who are leading the entire argument? And for a reason that clearly won’t change? As much as Candor link with us, Amity are most in need of that backup.” While Yura and Hyeri slowly let that sink in, Seunghoon stood up.

“That makes a lot of sense,” he said, claw marks expressively tattooed up his neck. “They wouldn’t fight back if their whole faction was stripped to the bone, it’s against their every moral.”

Wendy stood too, all of them following her authority and gaze. “And most of all, I really don’t want to see our nation’s main supply of food burned down to the ground.”

At the mention of food and how the viewpoint finally pieced together, Hyeri finally grinned boldly. She palmed her short, brightly coloured hair, then seizing Yura by the sleeve. “I’ll send out the final message to other Dauntless members. And I’ll find someone to cover for your initiate training while you’re off.”

---

After so long living in the Pit deep underground and only ever being outside to fling herself off a moving train, it felt like years since Wendy had heard birdsong. Her and her team trudged through fields of gleaming grass and wheat, the soil scuffing underneath their boots, and all she could hear was this discontinued melody.

Wendy feels like she would’ve really loved music, had she been exposed to it more.

“I’d like to thank you again for defending our side,” Amity’s representative, Bae Joohyun stuttered softly by Wendy’s left as they continued down towards the domestic area. “Truthfully, this whole thing makes me feel conflicted. I’d love to forgive Candor right away for what they plan to do to our faction or completely ignore any signs of dispute like my morals say, but I also don’t want fellow faction members to suffer.”

“I understand.” Wendy said, nodding, hoping she doesn’t seem too terrifying with her Dauntless fashion but then again feeling like she should embrace it. And she did understand.

After elaborating for a while, Bae Joohyun peacefully drifted off, leaving Wendy at the foot of Amity civilisation. Around her stood people constantly hugging and laughing, but most sitting on the floor singing songs and playing hand-games. The entire area seemed so soft, so colourful and so safe, and Wendy had never seen anything like it.

“Pardon my interference--” Wendy heard something like that behind her as she surveyed her surroundings with a smirk, assuming it wasn’t a phrase directed at her, merely something that faded into the hubbub of happiness and sing-song.

She felt a calm touch at her wrist, spun around in a way that oozed confidence just by Dauntless nature. The girl who’d beckoned her paced back for a second, then blinked at her, restarting her sentence. “Pardon my interference, but do you know a girl called Kim Yerim?”

Wendy grins, so easily imagining Kim Yerim amongst all of this peaceful cheer. “Yeah, Yeri. She’s one of the new initiates I’m training.”

“Oh!” The Amity stranger reciprocates the smile, seeming even more gleeful than before. “I used to live with her, our families shared a hut for as long as I can remember.”

Then she tumbles into a kind ramble about Yeri and their childhood spent together, and this girl’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen, Wendy decides. Her hair was chocolate brown, cascading down her intriguing features, small braids assorted across it. Her clothes were red and yellow, mainly yellow, comfortable and free. Since arriving in Amity on the mission, even after treading through countless fields and witnessing various elements of fine nature, nothing held a candle to her.

But after a few moments, the smiling girl pauses, ducking her head delicately. “Sorry, Dauntless leader, I’m probably standing in the way of your mission.”

Oh, that. Wendy thinks, wishing so badly this could be one of the times she could stay to hear this girl talk freely at her more, but knowing her faction comes before everything, even blood.

She flicks her platinum blond hair out of her eyes, taking note of how this girl’s warm gaze follows the action keenly. “It’s okay, this was nice. But I should get going.” she sighs, “Oh, and you can call me Wendy.”

“Kang Seulgi.” She earns another smile in response. “Just Wendy?” When Seulgi says her name, it runs off her tongue in a way that’s foreign, so she keeps repeating it under her breath to make it more comfortable. And Wendy can’t tear her eyes away.

“Yeah,” Wendy confirms, slowly inching away to meet with her team, “It’s kind of a Dauntless thing, these nicknames.”

Seulgi nods and waves her off sheepishly, and Wendy waves back with bold movements, admiring how no one in the faction seemed the least bit bothered about this uproar between them and Candor.

And Wendy’s definitely found someone specific she’s striving to protect. She’ll tell herself it’s for Yeri’s sake.

A/N: Writing this was really enjoyable. And I did originally plan for Wendy and Seulgi's factions to be the other way around since I'm more used to Seulgi being a badass heroine protagonist, but when I re-familiarised myself with the faction traits I thought Wendy's loudness and expressive personality was a better fit. I hope you liked this, and I'd love any feedback! Thank you for reading <3