AN: This is my take on another way the attack on Abnegation could have gone. It starts at the beginning of Chapter 33 of Divergent, the banquet at the end of initiate training. Tris and her fellow initiates have just finished training, and Tris placed first in her class. She has also figured out, at least in part, that the "trackers" Eric injected everyone with are actually a simulation serum, though she hasn't had a chance to share that with Tobias or anyone else yet. In future chapters, portions will come directly from Divergent. All rights to that story, its characters, setting, etc. belong to Veronica Roth.
The party in the cafeteria looks like it might go on all night. Every time I turn around I face another wave of congratulations, hugs, and high fives from people I've never even met before. Zeke and Shauna stop at my table to offer their congratulations and let me know that there will be a party at his apartment right after dinner. I'm to bring Christina and Will with me, and when I offer to pick up some drinks or snacks, Zeke refuses.
"Don't be a Stiff, Tris! We're celebrating you tonight! You're the top initiate! Just come over right after dinner," he says gleefully, shaking my shoulders. I grin back at them and promise to be there.
The kitchen staff have pulled out all the stops for the banquet. We feast on steak, potatoes and green beans fresh from the Amity fields, and of course, Dauntless cake. Giddy about the party, Christina sneaks out early to go get dressed and do her hair. She tries desperately to get me to go with her, but I refuse to miss out on the cake, so I stay with Will.
As the cake is being served, Eric jumps up to make another announcement. "For those of you who didn't get to the infirmary today to have your tracker put in, you will be required to have that done before you leave the cafeteria this evening. We have two lines forming by the exit. You won't be able to leave until you've had it done, so don't wait."
"He's such a ray of sunshine," grumbles Will. "Did you get your tracker yet?"
"Yes," I reply, my hand fluttering to the bandage on the side of my neck, "he injected me right after my fear landscape. Didn't you get yours?"
"No," says Will, "I guess they were down at the infirmary when I got done, but I was too shook up from my fear landscape to remember to go down there. I'll get in line as soon as I finish my cake."
Suddenly my Dauntless cake doesn't taste so good. My mouth is dry and I can't swallow it past the lump of panic in my throat. I want to stop Will from getting the injection, but I don't know how to explain it in this busy room or how to sneak him past Eric without revealing what I figured out. I take a deep breath and try to calm my thoughts. With this many Dauntless already injected, stopping Will won't stop an attack. Besides, Tobias and I were already injected. Our only hope is to find a way to stop it before it starts.
I give in, put on a fake smile, and say to Will, "I'll head back to the dorms then and let Christina primp me for the party. You know that makes her happy. We'll wait for you and head to Zeke's when you get back."
I head out of the cafeteria, showing my bandage at the checkpoint to prove that I already got injected, and head in the direction of the initiate dorms. I see Tobias pacing in front of the dorm and wave to him. He rushes right to me.
"Tris! You figured something out, didn't you? I saw it on your face and I've been waiting for you to get out here. What is going on?"
"It's the trackers they're injecting everyone with," I explain, "It's an orange liquid. Orange liquids are not trackers, they're sims. I think Erudite is going to put the Dauntless into a sim and make us cooperate in their attack on Abnegation. I don't know if they're going to make us give up our weapons or actually do the fighting for them, but they're going to use us against our will."
Tobias' eyes widen, his jaw drops, and for a minute he's speechless. When he recovers, all he can say is, "Tris, what do we do?"
"I don't know, Tobias, I was hoping you would have an idea," I reply. "We need to figure out when the attack is going to happen. Let's start by going to Zeke's tonight, just like we planned. I'm sure they won't be holding the sim this soon, there have to be people that aren't injected yet and it should take a few days to get everyone. Maybe we can talk to our friends about this and come up with a plan. We'll come up with something. We have to. But if we can't find a way to stop this, we have to warn my parents!"
As I think of my parents, friends, and former neighbors in Abnegation, panic again threatens to overwhelm me. Tobias must see it on my face, because he pulls me in for a hug, rubbing gentle circles on my back.
"You're right," he says soothingly, "we'll think of something. Let's go to Zeke's. We're going to need our friends to help us figure this out."
