Author's Note: *waves* Hello, Lovelies!
This is the fourth story out of the series (there will be six, in total). For this one, all I have to say is that this one is filled with drama, drama and more drama. And it is not going to stop for a while. It will carry on, into the next story as well.
In this story, I am trying out a new technique, which is going to cause some confusion for some readers. In this story, I am trying a new way of writing down the characters' thoughts and the flashback sequences. I'm just writing them down, in the same manner that a person reflects. So, they will appear as if I just 'smack dabbed' them into the story.
RATING: Rated 'M' for 'Mature'. NSFW. Strong adult language. Strong adult content. Graphic violence.
WARNING: This story (like the entire series) is an 'A/U'. Non-Canon. Characters are OOC. There are OCs in this story.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters from the "Divergent Series". They belonged to Veronica Roth.
If you feel like leaving a comment, please do. I love to read your thoughts and opinions. Rate, if you want to do so.
Also, I want to tell everyone who has left a review and has 'favorited' my story/add me to their 'Favorite Authors' list, thank you and I really appreciate every kind gesture.
Enjoy!
Prologue
"Love is very dangerous if you just have love and don't have the ability to be lovable."
*Dick Gregory
"BAL-BLATT!"
"BAL-BLATT!"
"AAAAHH—
"SOMEONE GET HELP!"
"OH GOD! NO-NO-NO-NO…"
The screams and the cries of horror continued to rang out in the training room.
"BAL-BLATT!"
"BAL-BLATT!"
The stomach-turning sounds of fists violently colliding into bruised and tendered flesh continued to spill out into the training room's atmosphere. In between the macabre melody, there was a ferocious and feral growl.
"YO, GET OFF OF HIM, YO!" another one of the teenagers screamed out. He stood on the sidelines making demands like he was in charge, but he possessed the posture of a coward.
"FIX! OH MY GOD! FIX, GET UP!" a female teenager screamed into the sparring ring. She also stood on the sidelines and watched the tribute unfold. "FIX, GET UP, PLEASE! GET—
"BAL-BLATT!"
"NNNNGGGGHHH! YOU LITTLE SHIT—
"BAL-BLATT!"
"BAL-BLATT!"
The cinder block-paved walls were bathed in the sounds from her tribute.
Movement managed to catch her attention. It flickered right into her peripheral view. She turned her face slightly and allowed her sight to land on the entrance to the training room. She stared at a pair of newly-minted Dauntless members that occupied the threshold that was in between the room and the outside corridor. The huddled and cowered together, with their backs facing the room's interior.
'Insipid cowards,' she quietly sneered. She rolled her eyes in annoyance and then returned her focus on the gift that he was providing her.
"BAH-BLATT! BAH-BLATT!"
Her eyes took in the sight of his meaty fists as they pounded away at the bloodied flesh and bone. She glimpsed at the blood-decorated, elaborate markings that were on his forearms as he rained his wrath down on his prey.
"ERRR-RIC!"
"aaaaaaAAHH! Oh my Gah—
There were more ungrateful cowards, who can't appre—
Hazel-brown eyes slightly widened with subtle amazement, once their vision landed on a pair of familiar faces. 'Oh,' she secretly cooed. Her line of sight bounced off of the dull-haired girl that he chose to court and returned onto him. In particular, she was staring at the svelte yet strong-looking trainer's frame as he charged towards the sparring ring. The possible notion that she would have his contribution to her tribute, filled her spirit up with joy. She felt her body's temperature raise and flood her core with liquid heat. Her skin buzzed with ripples of electricity. After all, Four was definitely the perfect man to participate in her tribute.
"ERRRR-RIC!" roared Four as he ran to the ring's sideline.
"BAL-BLATT! BAL-BLA—
"GET OFF OF—
Her eyes widened with excitement as she viewed Four's left leg swing out in front of him and connect to her project's face. The sound of cartilage and bone mincing upon the shin's impact, echoed in the cavernous room. She soon became a spectator to another tribute. Her eyes viewed Eric's finely-tuned form fall backwards into an uncoordinated, over-the-shoulder tumble. He rolled his body four times, effectively getting away from Four's potential strikes. He rolled his body away from the trainer, adding enough distance between himself and the attacker.
Her eyes focused their intentions on the trainer again, who was currently kneeling next to the unconscious and bloodied initiate. She noticed the quick snaps of sight that he was making between Eric, who happened to be his superior officer and the kid. Then she aimed her malevolent yet intrigued gaze onto the mealy-mouthed, trouble-maker that was unconscious. The unrecognizable, former top initiate that was known as 'Fix'. He lain on the blue, plastic sparring mat, spread-eagled and hardly breathing. She knew that she didn't have to use the stethoscope that was hanging around her neck, to know that he was shallowly breathing. Her head slightly cocked to the left as she eyed the battered, swollen face. In her mind, she recalled Fix's old face: the deeply-set sapphire eyes, the aquiline nose, pouty pink lips and the high cheekbones, along with the wavy blond hair. 'Now, he barely possesses a face,' she concluded as she stared. Eric's fists managed to turn the initiate's flesh into a bruised and bloodied mess. His fingers managed to make his eyes' sockets into two gap—
"ERR-RIC! NO!"
She tore her attention away from the barely-there human and she eyed Four as he leapt to his feet and placed himself into a defensive stance. Eric invaded her sight's range. He charged Four, with a snarl on his lips and fire in his eyes. 'Oh…Kay. Let's…'
With a spine-tingling growl escaping from his reddened face, Eric's right fist shot through the air. Four skillfully side-stepped and averted the fist's strike. His own left fist connected with the leader's right cheek and jaw. A stout grunt escaped Eric's mouth just as he stumbled into his left.
She kissed her teeth. 'Embarrassing.'
"Eric!" shouted Four, as he eyed the faction leader.
Blue eyes zeroed in on the somewhat thinner man. The scowl deepened. "Nnnngggrrr!" he growled. His feet propelled the rest of his body to charge into Four's direction.
The trainer's right hand quickly shot out to the side as his face was aimed at his opponent. He pointed into the direction of the unconscious Fix. "GET HIM OUT OF HERE! TAKE HIM TO THE INFIRMARY! NOW!" he screamed at the former initiates, who were standing by the sidelines.
Blurs of darkness ambled into her peripheral view. Her hazel orbs watched a trio of younglings come into her full viewpoint. Their tear-streaked, panicked faces were pointed at their fallen comrade. Knees and hands were quickly soiled in his spilt blood. She witnessed the teen clumsily pick up Fix's upper body from off of the mat. They began to drag his body away, when she turned her focus away. 'Such. A. Waste.'
Eric's agitated form caught her attention again. With a hunch in his back, he ran towards Four again.
"Eric! Eric! Eric! Err—Goddamned—
Four, once again, side-stepped out of the raging leader's path. His right hand released a brusque punch to the Dauntless leader's right cheek. Another animal-like grunt came from the enraged faction member.
"HOLD IT!"
Her eyes picked up the small group of Dauntless soldiers that currently invaded the training room and had disturbed her tribute. She quickly assessed there were five soldiers, who were dressed in their battle gear and had their guns drawn. Every weapon was aimed at the two men, who were standing in the ring. The five soldiers took slow and precise steps towards the sideline.
"—IR, STOP RIGHT NOW!" ordered the officer that stood in the front of the formation.
"Oh my God," she heard a former female initiate whimper, out of fear.
Her finely-maintenance lips drew into a sneer. 'Weakness. Such a spoiled, wretched—
The thought was abruptly casted out of her brain, along with the rough exhale that shot out of her nose. 'No… No… No. Those useless slabs of flesh do not deserve the mere consideration of your attention. They shouldn't even be—
"STOP! ST—
Her eyes took in the images of the Dauntless soldiers pulling the triggers off of their guns. She watched the electricity-carrying tendrils shoot out of their tasers' chambers and then sank their teeth into the raging leader's naked flesh. The training room was filled with the cackling noises of the electricity that was being imbedded into Eric's flesh, as well as, the sound of the leader's pain-reflected wail.
"GET DOWN!" she heard one soldier command.
Eric spun around with a break-neck speed. He glared at the soldiers with his swollen and reddened eyes. His hands pawed at the air that was in between the armed soldiers and himself, attempting to remove the tasers' wiring from his skin. As a result, the sounds of the cackling electrical volts became louder and more frequent. Another groan fell from his lips. His knees buckled.
"GET DOWN! NOW!" an officer ordered.
"FFFFFFFF…." Eric's pursed lips formed.
Movement danced into the corner of her sight, again. Her eyes peered at a cool and collected Four as he stealthily approached Eric's back. She, then, watched the trainer apply a powerful and swift kick against the backs of Eric's knees.
"AAAAAAA-ARGH!" the Dauntless leader screamed out as his knees descended towards the mat. Once reached the mat, he was presented with another swift and hard kick, yet, this one was aimed for the back of his head. The blunt noise of the impact reached to the training room's ceiling.
She witnessed Eric's body go slack and crumple to the padded flooring, face-first.
"HE'S DOWN! HE'S DOWN! HE'S DOWN!"
The five armed, soldiers-in-black swarmed around the unconscious leader as Four casually strolled away from the scene.
Her eyes remained on the mysterious and usually-brooding trainer. She watched him stroll up to the edge of the platform that carried the sparring mat. She was given a glimpse into his mind, when she saw his handsome face frown up and she felt a glimmer of frustration come off of him. Seconds later, he shielded his face with his hands. He dropped into a squatting position as he kept rubbing his face and scalp. If he wasn't consumed with his thoughts, then he would've sensed her presence as she stood several feet in front of him.
She turned her attention to Eric and to the group of soldiers that were surrounding his unconscious body. The Dauntless leader was subjected to a face-down pose into the mat. His left arm was forced behind his back by a soldier. His right arm was subjected to the same treatment by another soldier. Her eyes viewed the binding procedure that occurred to his wrists.
"The suspect has been apprehended…" one of the binding soldiers announced into his walkie-talkie.
"What-in the-fuck had gone on, in here?!" questioned another soldier, in a hushed tone, as he stared down at the bloodied beast.
Her eyes peered down at the body that belonged to Eric. Her Eric, to be precise.
She deeply inhaled. On the exhale, she was greeted with the memory of that day, on the piers. She recalled the moment of when a hairless boy came into her view. The overcast sky gave him a ghastly-pale appearance. His ill-fitting, school uniform also aided in the poor appearance. She recalled taking a glimpse at his feet and observing his brown, battered shoes. She silently laughed, once she referred to them as "clown shoes" due to their large size. She stood next to the dilapidated structure that used to be a concession stand, hundreds of years ago, and she continued to spy on the kid.
He sat on the dampened, chipped floorboards that made up a portion of the pier and amongst a shallowed puddle of dirty rainwater. He kept his head bowed and his attention on his hands. Fragments that made up a pair of plastic toys kept his attention as he used his dirtied fingers to make them dance along the floor's surface. Nonsense words and incoherent sounds kept spilling from his lips, serving as a soundtrack for his playtime.
It was during this moment of juvenile activity, when she decided to make her appearance known. With careful steps, her patent leather Mary Janes walked across the pier, from her hiding spot to where he was sitting. She stood several inches behind his hunched back, for a few seconds, before she made her presence known. The sound of a firm clearing of her throat alerted the boy that sat in front of her. She surveyed his body language as he swiftly straightened his back and leapt out of his leisure pose. He scurried away from her location and crawled about a foot away. Once he felt that he was safe, he turned to her. She gazed into his eyes and was surprised to see the radiant blue-gray eyes. She felt a twinge of envy as she glanced into those pretty blue orbs. The opinion that he didn't deserve them, crossed her mind. Madeline's scolding voice penetrated her conscience.
'Envy is a useless emotion…'
She quietly admonished herself and focused on her task. She spotted the sign of fear in his widened cerulean orbs as he stared at her. It was quickly replaced with another emotion. An emotion that she was unfamiliar with, however, it left her with a pleasant sensation. A stream of fluttering brewed in her stomach. She pondered if this was the sensation that Madeline told her about, on that night. She quickly dispelled the thought and she returned her focus on the boy that sat on the dirty ground. She kindly introduced herself and then she waited for the kid to return the act.
The bright, blue eyes with the indecipherable emotion stared at her. His lips parted and closed. A millisecond later, he parted his lips again, only to slap them shut again. A few seconds later, his lips performed the same dance again. He glanced at his dirtied uniform pants for a few seconds as a scowl was etched on his face. He glared at her. His lips parted again and a sharp inhale passed through them. "Err… Err-Err… Err-ric… Cah… Cah-coal… Cah-coal… Te—
"ANISSA! GODDAMN IT! WHERE…"
She was unfairly yanked out of her subconscious by Four's raised voice. Her sight landed on the tall figure as he rose to his feet. His eyes were shooting rays of contempt at her, which was left momentarily stunned.
"… IN THE HELL WERE YOU?!"
She quickly gathered her wits. Her eyes did a brief glimpse at the unconscious Eric. Her brain gave away a subtle taste of the past fourteen years. 'Mmmm. It was fun while it lasted,' she concluded. She deeply inhaled and she eyed the angry trainer. 'But I should've had a better tribute from him.' She stepped out of the shadows and into the light. Her tear-filled eyes glanced at Eric, then at the blood-stained mat. The wide, horror-filled hazel orbs landed on Four.
"Oh my G—Four, what happened?!"
