Tris POV
"This is for your own good." Tobias said as he prepared to whip the belt on his cowering father. At first, I couldn't believe that Tobias would ever do such a monstrous thing, no matter what Marcus has done in the past. I had expected him to lower the belt and walk away. But apparently I didn't know my own boyfriend. The belt lashed down, stinging right on Marcus's forearm, the same place Marcus hit me when I was in Tobias's fear landscape.
That exact moment, I realized what was happening. The Tobias I met was not a coward, the Tobias I met didn't believe in hurting those weaker than you. This was not Tobias, this was another Marcus. I didn't want such as monster to be reborn, no matter what has happened to him in the past, or how horrific his father was.
The little abnegation girl that I had kept hidden and locked up for so long has come out. Tobias has raised his arm to strike again as he looked in the eye of the man who had ruined his life. I could see his thoughtful eyes turn cold, solid, and victorious. But I couldn't help it, the exact moment Tobias lowered his arm to hit again, I darted in between the father and son. No matter how much I had hated Marcus for all he has done, I had to stop this from getting out of hand. The belt left a red scar on my crossed arms, just like in the fear landscape. Expect one difference, this was real.
"Get out of the way." Tobias whispered through clenched teeth. I was not going to let this continue.
"No." I objected, feeling Marcus's shock behind my back. I was preparing for the worst, I knew he was going to start yelling, do whatever it takes so that he can re-earn the dauntless trust. But he had taken it too far, and I wasn't going to move. His eyes where bearing holes in my heart. Just like snakes spreading around my insides until I was drowning in them. My arms started to burn, and I was trying to blink away the tears.
"What are you doing? Are you siding with the man who ruined me, who scarred me?" He whispered to me, his voice stayed bitter and monotone. I started rubbing my bruised arms in an attempt to make them sting less, which didn't work.
"You… you coward," I started to whisper, I was at a loss for words, how was I going to explain this? "Don't tell me you had to do it, because you didn't. You are becoming one of him, a clone, a man who prays on the weak. I don't care what he has done to you, what you're doing is equally horrific." The tears started to roll out of my eyes, each drop staining our relationship. "I've had enough."
I never saw his reaction, because I immediately turned my back and walked through the door. I know none of the dauntless could hear what I had said, because Tobias could barely hear me himself. All I know is that after everything cleared, I left Marcus in the hands of Tobias, who (from what I heard from Cristina) stood frozen for an hour at least. I didn't want it to end this way, leaving Tobias, but the truth is, he left a long time ago.