... Meh. Weird little drabble-y thing, because it's what came out of my brain. Whatever XD

Disclaimer; I've done three today already...


"Natalie? One moment, please." The girl in question, Natalie, meets the tester's grey eyes evenly. Her mother's friend, Lira. They are both leaders of her faction, Dauntless. The brave ones. Natalie doesn't feel very brave at the moment.

The door swings open with a whoosh as Lira strides out, purposefully, intent on whatever she is doing. When it bangs shut again, Natalie finally allows herself to relax, to show a tiny bit of weakness, of vulnerability.

She shrinks back against the slippery cushions of the examination chair, heaving a deep sigh. What was that? Her aptitude test, she knew, but what else? It was almost as though they were testing HER, how far her loyalties would go.

Of course she chose the knife on the table over the cheese, because the first thing that all Dauntless are taught is to arm themselves. But she didn't kill the dog. All living animals are equal. At least, that's what Natalie believed. Why should one being have more right to live than another?

So she had stood very still and let the dog sniff her, to be friendly. And the dog had not attacked her, and she had petted it until the little girl arrived. The little child had run to the once-vicious beast, yelling.

Without a thought for self-preserval, Natalie had leapt at the girl, dragging her out of harm's way and placing her own body in the dog's path. Innocent lives could not be wasted, even in a simulation.

And then the man on the bus had seen her, and interrogated her. And of course Natalie had said no, she didn't know who it was, and was he stupid. How would she, a sixteen-year-old girl, know who a murderer was? Faction before blood. Always.

Lira strides back into the room, her movements quick and powerful. Her expression is grim and serious. Natalie sits up straighter, her brow creased in confusion. What did she do wrong?

Natalie's expression of puzzlement only increases as her own mother walks in. What is she doing here? She is supposed to be running the control room, back at home.

"Natalie," her mother starts, her voice clipped and concerned. "Listen to me very, very carefully." Natalie is so distracted, she doesn't even critique her mother's patronizing tone.

"You are in grave danger."

Natalie freezes, and she is suddenly visibly more attentive. "What?" Her voice comes out shaky and uneven, and she curses herself for letting it tremble in front of her mother. Be strong.

"I don't have much time, Natalie. Your aptitude test results were something called Divergent, meaning they were inconclusive. You have no set faction and you have traits from many.

"You now need to be on your guard at all times. The Erudite are hunting down all of the Divergent as we speak, trying to eliminate them because they pose a threat to the Erudite's power."

Natalie has been growing paler and paler throughout her mother's speech, and now her face is almost paper white. "What do these Divergent do?" she says, her natural curiosity overwhelming her immediate fear.

"They can control simulations. They are radical thinkers. They can challenge authority and succeed. And Erudite view this as a danger to their position, and will do anything to stop the threat. Even if it means murder."

Natalie searches her mother's stern face for the giveaway glimpse of a laugh, some sign that this is some elaborate hoax. She can't find it. "How do I know you aren't lying to me?" she says, crossing her arms protectively over her chest.

Natalie's mother's face grows, if possible, even more grave. "Because Lira and I are Divergent. And now so are you."


Review for Tris's mom!