Chapter 2
Tobias sat on his bed, his head resting in his hands, as he tried to process what Christina had just said to him. Deep down, he knew she was right. It was just - he was Four. He didn't need help. No. He could get through this alone.
With that he walked out the door and downstairs. He was surprised to see that it was already 3 in the afternoon. Christina was waiting for him downstairs, looking a bit out of place in the bare, Abnegation room.
She smiled, "I knew you would come round, it's what Tris would've -"
Tobias stopped her, "Don't talk about Tris - please. I need to move on.
Her smile faltered, but before she could question him, he said, "Come on, we need to find Marcus. "
As they walked through the ruined streets in the Abnegation sector, they could see small groups of people (none of them dressed in a particular faction colour), assessing the damage. Even though Abnegation was targeted first by the Erudite, it had got off lightly compared to the damage done in both the Erudite and Candor sectors of the city. Chicago is in tatters, Tobias thought, and we have caused it.
They walked towards the Erudite headquarters, where Marcus had set up his base. As they walked in the main doors, Tobias saw that both the library and the research labs were nearly fully restored. However, he knew that the decades of research were lost forever. Safe from the death serum for another 50 years - he thought to himself. As they walked up the endless flights of stairs, Christina turned off to find Will's elder sister. Will's death had brought the two girls together as friends and they had become quite close. Tobias carried on up to the top floor. Before knocking on the door that would take him into Marcus' office, he took a deep breath. That man still scared him, even after all that had happened since. And Tobias hated him for it.
Going to see Marcus was the only way Tobias could think of to distract himself from Tris. As soon as he thought this, Tobias immediately felt guilty. But it was the only way that he knew to let go. After all, it had worked before with Evelyn. Filling himself with fake confidence, Tobias knocked on the door.
"Come in, " a gruff, bear-like voice growled.
Even the sound of Marcus' voice filled him with dread. No, he reminded himself, I am not scared of him anymore. Tobias walked in slowly and started straight up at Marcus' eyes. Inside, he breathed a sigh of relief that they were normal grey eyes and not the swirling black pits of his fear landscape.
Before Marcus could continue, Tobias stopped him by saying, "Marcus, I want the position of trainer of the New Chicago army. "
"Tobias, are you sure about this. Of course I would give you the position, but when I offered it to you a few months ago you refused. Saying that Tris - before she, well - anyway she had said to you that she didn't want you getting involved and getting in more danger. "
"Tris is gone. I can't keep living my life in her shadow. " Tobias was shaking, his hands clenched into fists so tight that when he released them, there was blood where his nails had been.
Marcus sighed, he pitied his son. "Fine, you start tomorrow at the old Dauntless headquarters. I think your making a bad decision "
"What would you know about bad decisions, " Tobias replied bitterly. He left the room, slamming the door behind him.
He didn't wait for Christina. Instead, he marched out of Erudite headquarters. Back through the library, where the shredded portrait of Jeanine still hung. As soon as he was out the door he started running towards the fence. He planned to take an Amity truck outside the fence. Eventually his breathing slowed and he managed to lose himself in the pounding of his feet against the hard ground. Each footstep drove away all thoughts of guilt about Tris.
But you can't run forever.
