Hello world of faaanfiction! I read Divergent and Insurgent and LOVED them. I decided I couldn't wait until next year for this book, so I would write it myself. Thank you to my friend Evanna ( .Dauntless) for helping me out so much with this story!
This will be post-Insurgent, like the 3rd book in the series. It's what I have hopes of happening and I hope you do enjoy it! Please read and review- it would make my day!
Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent, the characters, the ideas, or anything. I'm just a lonely teenager with no social life and a computer that really likes this book.
"My name is Edith Prior," she says. "And there is much I am happy to forget."
Prior.
The video stops. The projector glows blue against the wall. I clutch Tobias's hand, and there is a moment of silence like a withheld breath.
Then the shouting begins.
~The end of Insurgent
The world seems to be spinning.
Like a chorus the hundreds of voices around me shout, but not in a simple argument. They're facing each other, confused and lost. They're facing Evelyn and Tori at the front of the room, who both show different expressions- they obviously think differently about the situation at hand. The world is spinning, and I can feel a headache coming on just from these few seconds of noise. Everyone is lost in this room. Everyone is confused and shouting to try and get their confusion out of them.
All except me, and Tobias, who sit across from each other in silence; our hands still latched together, his mouth almost turning up at the corner. What is he thinking?
"ENOUGH!" The shrieking of Evelyn slices across the room, stopping everyone in their tracks. The factionless that belong to her almost hang their head ashamed of what they've done. But, not the Dauntless. We stand proudly, looking at her with defying eyes, even though we've lost our weapons. She doesn't even seem to flinch. Maybe she doesn't know what we're capable of.
Evelyn smiles, looking kind as ever. I know firsthand that is a mask hiding the evil beneath; my insides churn at the very thought.
"What are we doing people? We stand here arguing like fools! We need to begin working on our system immediately! Our world with no factions- remember?"
"What about that video?" I hear a Dauntless shout out from the room, and a handful of others shout with him in agreement. Evelyn laughs a short, almost mocking laugh.
"Oh, that? It was obviously a fake video…" Fake? I know Evelyn is not stupid, she knows what's going on. But, she also knows what the video means to her plans..
"For what purpose?" I hear another voice shout out. I think it's Christina.
"To get us to leave here. To leave our system… To create a new one," she almost turns to look towards Tori, who glares at her in response.
"What? You think I made that video! I've been here the whole time!" Tori is angry, for many reasons. I almost stopped her from her revenge against Jeanine. Dauntless is being taken away from her just like her brother was. And now…
"I don't know," Evelyn replies smoothly. "You are against my plans of a faction-free world, and this would be the perfect way to get everyone against what I have talked about."
"This video was found in Jeanine's office! It's what we've died for!" Tori argues, her hair starting to stand up on end. For the first time in a while, I find myself agreeing with Tori, and wanting to stand on her side.
"How do I know that?" Evelyn replies, "How do I not know that you're keeping something from me?"
"Because we aren't keeping anything from you Evelyn. What has been shown is the truth." Tobias finally speaks, putting the room's attention on us, something I didn't want to happen. He stands up, removing my hand from his. I want to reach out and grab it back; he was the only thing that kept me from exploding or running away right now.
"Oh, so it would seem Tobias.." She looks over him, his body steady. Then her eyes flicker up and land on me.
Prior.
The woman, Amanda or Edith, said her name would be Prior. That directly puts all evidence towards me, doesn't it? The video had to be true. We're all an experiment to create a perfect society. The question is… why doesn't Evelyn believe it? Why doesn't she want us to believe it?
The answer is clear, but I don't want to see it. I can't look at her and find myself in a second staring down at the floor, a million thoughts racing through my mind.
"What are you-" Tobias begins to speak, but then he falters off, probably catching Evelyn's eyes on me.
"Why don't we ask what Beatrice Prior thinks about this," I hear Evelyn's smooth voice, and her small footsteps as she walks closer towards us. I know what she's doing. I can't give in to her.
"What do I think?" I finally find my voice in me. I can't be scared of her; I'm Dauntless. "I think that we're all being stupid right now." Hushed whispers spread throughout the room. I lift my head up and meet Evelyn's eyes. She seems just as collected as she was before.
"Why would you say that, Prior? We did not try to trick our friends and family." Now I realize her angle: she's trying to make it seem like I made the video, like I'm trying to trick all of them into leaving this society. That's why she's using my last name like a weapon against me.
"Tris," Tobias steps in, using my name in a tone like she did. "Has nothing to do with this."
"But she does, doesn't she?" Evelyn looks back at me, her lips pursed. "She used her name in that video, found someone to act like some ancient creator of this civilation, and is trying to get us to leave our society that we're creating. She's a criminal."
A criminal.
I don't know why those words sting, especially coming from Evelyn. But, they bring me back to a few hours ago, in Jeanine's office when I tried to stop Tori from killing her. When Tobias began to distrust me, for an instant, thinking I told nothing but a lie. Then he forced Caleb into hacking into the computer, and getting this information…
Tobias didn't want me to be a criminal anymore. So he showed everyone the footage.
I quickly look down, then back up, my eyes finding his, and his finding mine. I can't read his expression. Does he know what has happened? What he's accidentally done?
"I did nothing." I say evenly, my eyes still focused on Tobias.
"You're right," Evelyn begins, and something inside me stirs. What is she saying? "We have no proof of anything to do with the video, but… you still did help Jeanine, an act that is against everything we stand here for."
"Because of this!" I stand up, almost screaming, "Because of this information about how our society was an experiment to create perfection!"
With my words, the room begins to shatter with voices, yet again. Evelyn stares at me, with a hard expression.
"Be quiet!" She shouts like she did before, "Listen to the madness we are saying!" She takes one step closer to me, and with her movement Tobias does as well. He doesn't trust her to not hurt me. Her heads lifts a little, and she pauses before she says her next words.
"Arrest this girl."
There is more whispering in the room among the factionless and Dauntless. Tobias steps in front of me.
"No." His voice is low, quiet. I've learned that quiet is scary with him.
"She is a criminal, charged with treachery. I have every right to-"
"No you don't." I hear a new voice, one I recognize. I look up, and see Tori walking towards us, an expression I can't read on her face.
"What do you mean?" Evelyn says, surprised by Tori's outburst.
"She is a Dauntless- which means that the Dauntless get to decide her fate- and not you!" I realize this is now not a matter of saving me, I know Tori could care less what happened to me since I got between her killing Jeanine. She doesn't want Dauntless or her power taken away from her and will fight for it. The Dauntless around her begin to stir, and I know they don't want their life taken away from them either.
"I thought I made it clear-"
"No matter what you say, no matter how many weapons you take away from us we are still Dauntless and you of all people will not take that away from us!" Tori shouts, and in response the Dauntless cheer.
"Why you little-" Evelyn stares her down, her attention diverting from me.
"What? Say it- because I don't care! I will still fight you!" Tori grins, putting up her fists.
I watch as Evelyn hits her, right across the face.
In an instant, everyone is moving.
It's all one big fight, between the factionless and Dauntless. My eyes swarm around, trying to figure out what's going on. I watch as Tori gets up and hits Evelyn right back, earning her a hit in the back of the head with a man in an eye patch that could only be Edward. It's all a big mess.
I feel a hand slip into mine, and look up to meet Tobias' eyes. He's sending me a silent message, which I get as soon as he starts to pull me into the crowd.
It's a big mess that we can easily escape from.