"Get up," a voice growled.

Peter felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He instinctively put a hand to his head and saw a red spot swim into vision on his palm.

"Ugh," he groaned and rolled to his side. But to his surprise, he didn't feel the rough mattress of the dormitory, but a cold tiled floor. "What...?"

"Listen, Peter. I need you to do something for me." He could make out he voice now- it was Eric. Eric crouched near Peter's face, which was laid on the white floor. The look on Eric's face suggested he was not happy with him.

When Peter came around after a smack from what felt like Eric, he pushed himself up onto his knees. Eric was still crouched in front of him.

"You are just so damn lucky we needed another," he growled in the same tone as before.

"A-another wh-what?" Peter stuttered. His head was still pounding and his vision was swimming. A weight forced his chest down and be heaved with exhaustion, another added concern tacked on to his growing list of ailments. Peter's head banged against the tile and he was too weak to lift it. A hot breath trailed down his collar when he felt another body next to his.

"Did I stutter, Candor?" Eric again. The weight lifted off him as quickly as it came, and left the same amount of pain in his body. Peter tilted his head and his eyes fluttered. No sense had been made of Eric's words. Voices bounced around him.

"Are you sure this kid can do this?"

"Dammit Eric he guy is as good as factionless!"

"Get your ass up, Peter, I'm not telling you again,"

"Just leave him! Even if he's out of the simulation, he'll get what's happening when he comes to,"

"And the sims might get him by then..."

"No! Peter is... special... You should have seen him! Damn... We need this kid around."

That was Erics voice. Was he actually defending him? Didn't he just threaten his life? Peter fluttered his eyes at the mention of his name.

"Oh look, the pansy's come around," a woman said.

Peter lifted his torso up by his elbows. He felt his head again, and his hand came away with more red. "Where'm I?" he slurred to no one in particular.

"Daunyless compound. 100 meters below surface. More specifically, outside the control center of this entire operation." Eric was speaking to him. He looked as menacing as ever, in black jeans and a black shirt with he sleeves rolled up to the elbows, looking like he was ready for dirty work. For once, Eric's greasy hair was pulled back with a rubber band, exposing the metal dangling from his ear. "Peter. You are one lucky bastard that I saw you in the crowd. Get off your ass and stand in front of the door. Your life is worthless compared to what is happening behind those double doors, understand?"

Peter nodded dumbly and got to his feet, still a bit shaky. He noticed Lauren and David in the vicinity of the hallway they were standing in.

"Team 12 moving into sector 4," a static filled voice sounded through a talkie on Lauren's hip.

"I'm on my way. We'll join in sector 5," she spoke into the device, then rolled her eyes. "You know, Eric, we don't need constant updates. They are fine up there by them-"

"If ANYTHING goes wrong tonight," Eric interrupted, "it's all our heads in the guillotine with whoever is left over as the executioner, got it?"

Lauren nodded with clenched teeth and briskly walked out of the corridor. David sighed and glance at Eric.

"She's not the same," David said to Eric.

"Don't you think I know? If we live through this there is no way she is getting anywhere near us. You can never fully sever ties with your home faction. She's a Stiff in the inside, like we're still Erudite." He pulled his sagging pants up a bit higher and raked his fingers through bangs.

"Here," David said, noticing Eric was getting frustrated and off task. He reached behind his back and grabbed a large gun, swinging it around his torso and taking it off. "You're not armed and you sure as hell should be with the Stiff running around out there." he said, addressing Peter.

"Wait," Peter drawled, making his first noise in minutes, "...Tris?"

"Yep. Four's behind you in the control room monitoring all the others' progress, but Tris cheated the reaper and lord knows where she is now."

"Wait," Peter stated again, "what do you mean 'others'? Where is everyone else?"

"Dammit boy! I don't have time for questions!" Eric roared. He stepped closer to Peter, and even though he was shorter, towered over him. "All you need to know is you are cured and dandy and everyone else is helping us right the wrongs done to us. Just take David's gun and STAND HERE. For no reason, under any circumstances, are you to leave, move, or do anything else your thick head might deem acceptable, got it?"

Peter rocked on his heels and got out an "Uh huh," he looked down to inspect his new toy and saw a pool of blood gather between he and Eric's feet. Peter felt he might faint if any more injuries came upon him, but this time, Eric was the one who had been bleeding.

"Are you bleeding?" Peter asked. Obviously he was still a bit disoriented, because if he had been completely sober, Peter would have thought through questioning his leader. "Are you... Shot?"

Eric locked his eyes on the Candor boy and brought his knee to his stomach. His body stumbled back and crumpled at the waist. Peter could feel the pounding in his head return and knew there would be blood.

"Don't worry about me, boy." Eric turned on his boot heel and walked out, with David in trail.