Eric waits in the interrogation chair. He can hear the Dauntless coming closer, bringing his death with them. What else would they bring, with all he's done? He can see his hands trembling. He tries to still them, hating the idea that even he is afraid to die.
He knows that he deserves this. There is no doubt about that. He's already come to terms with it, and he even welcomes it.
He's gratefully accepting his death, and yet he still can't stop his hands from shaking.
The roar of the Dauntless crowd grows louder and louder until finally the door leaps open. Four is the first one into the room, followed by Tori and then by Harrison. After them, everyone else floods in. The faction goes silent as the last few stray Dauntless enter.
His eyes scan the crowd and eventually settle on Tris's stare. She looks truly pissed, like she just lost a fight. And judging by the way that she keeps on looking at Four, she lost something to him. As she glares daggers at Eric, he involuntarily moves his hands to where she had stabbed him not all that long ago. It was the second time that she had made him collapse, the first time being when she had shot him. He wouldn't allow it to happen again. Well, not that there would really be any opportunity for that. Either way, the only other person that was ever able to make Eric fall to his knees was Tobias.
He always called him Tobias when the initiates weren't around. If he called him Four it would just be a reminder of one way that Tobias was superior. Though to him, it didn't matter how many fears you had as long as you could conquer them.
That was when Four opened his mouth to speak.
"I'm sure that you are aware of the crimes you have committed, so I'm not going to bother with saying them." He sounded like he was trying to appear bored, but in reality he cared very much.
"I also know that you are aware that you should be executed for these crimes." Eric becomes aware of the deliberate word choice of "should" rather than "will."
"Fortunately for you, you might turn out to be useful, so that isn't going to happen."
"What?" Eric is sure he has misheard something. He's killed people, innocent people, and they're not going to kill him? It's not how a true Dauntless would do it. Which is fitting, he muses, as Four used to be a Stiff.
"You might come in handy. For bargaining. So, you aren't being executed, for now at least." He can't believe it. He should be happy, after all he gets to live for a little while longer. But he's not, he's only angry, because what about the people he's killed? Do they not matter just because he seems useful? Maybe he's annoyed because it's illogical, and there's always the Erudite part of him that wants things to make sense.
"I can't help! Jeanine doesn't need me for her plan!" He briefly smirks at himself when he wonders if there's ever been someone so mad that they weren't being executed.
"Yes, and we can definitely trust you." Talking about trust in a Candor building, how ironic.
"Just do it. Shoot me." Did he want to die? He couldn't say for certain. It definitely wouldn't surprise him after all he's done.
"No one is shooting you. Handcuffs; yes. Bullets; no." Eric had to appreciate the pure snark that Four was emitting.
"Then I'm just going to do it myself, and that way you won't get the satisfaction." Four wouldn't be satisfied. To be honest, he didn't really want to have to shoot Eric, and he had been the one to convince the Dauntless that they should keep him alive. He figured that it was probably related to the Abnegation side of him. It wasn't that he thought that he didn't deserve a punishment for his crimes, but he just couldn't agree with shooting him in the head as he just sat there.
"Why would you want to?" The question shook Eric. Answers flitted through his mind, about justice and about usefulness. He decided that it would be best to not give an answer at all.
Eric let the Dauntless handcuff him and drag him with them without resistance. He had a lot of thinking to do.
AN: Alright, first time writing a story for Divergent. I've only read the second book and seen the movie, so sorry if I got something wrong. Reviews are greatly appreciated!