Author's Note: Thank you for all your constructive comments and positive feedback! I feel loved. I know it's a darker start than some of the other Divergent fanfics out there, and some of you may worry it'll get too dark... but I promise you it won't. I found this chapter difficult to write, but I hope you enjoy it, all the same.
Worthy - Chapter 2
Tobias' POV
"I will co-operate with you." I clenched my teeth as I said the words and stared at Tris. She may think that she's not important or that I may be fine without her, but she's wrong. I would have left Dauntless a long time ago if I hadn't met her. Her stubbornness makes me want to push her limits; her selflessness makes me want to protect her; she makes me feel alive... Hell, she makes me feel. Twenty seconds ago I was faced with an ultimatum from my back-stabbing mother; work with her and renounce Tris to keep her alive, or keeping working with Tris to learn the truth and we both die. It wasn't much of a choice to make - I had to keep her alive.
Why doesn't she get it? How can she be so reckless and selfless at the same time? She said that when I was under the simulation she couldn't shoot me. Said it would be like shooting herself. As the guards dragged Tris' wailing form away, my heart is breaking; before I met her, I would never have imagined that possible. Clenching my teeth and fists were all I could do to control myself from beating the nearest person to a pulp with my bare hands.
Evelyn may have given me her word that she will not harm Tris, but I can't trust her. Not after what she's done. I need to play nice, or as nice as I can manage until I can get a plan going to get us out of here. I continually struggle with kindness, as my memories of Amity remind me.
Evelyn's army began to round up the remaining Dauntless and Erudite people to lead them away from the hall. I stiffened when I felt my mother's hand on my shoulder.
"You will get over her. Let us look to the bright future of a free people." I glanced up at her face and saw her looking reverently over the backs of people leaving the hall, as if she truly believed she was liberating us from the confines of our factions. It didn't look liberating to me; if anything, this was just as bad as being mind controlled except that you were fully conscious. And I feel responsible; as a Dauntless leader, I made the call to an alliance with the Factionless. I think back to when Tris and I were in my room, just after Evelyn and Tori announced the attack plans.
"It's not a natural alliance is it? But we have the same goal." I tell Tris when she asks why the Factionless were so quick to work with us.
"Right now. But what happens when the goals change? The Factionless want to get rid of factions, and the Daunless don't."
Ah Tris... you were right to be suspicious, I think. Truthfully, I had already thought of that, but I was hoping to pull the rug under them first. Looks like my mother wasn't going to give me that opportunity.
"I'm not doing this for you." I reply gruffly, pushing her hand off my shoulder and standing up.
Tris' POV
My eyes start to burn and water from being open for so long without blinking. I am sprawled out on the cool concrete floor of my dark cell, staring at the shadows and lights that peek out from under the door. Footsteps come and go, a few quiet voices, and then I'm left in the silence again. My eyes close and I release a breath I wasn't aware of holding. It's been several days since Jeanine's death and the downfall of the factions. I don't know the details, but it would appear that it went rather smoothly - the remnants of Abnegation silently accepted; Amity and Candor submitted to the Factionless without much of a fight; Erudite, for all their knowledge wisely turned themselves in; and while Dauntless also conceded, it was not all silent or willing. Dauntless value bravery and loyalty, both of which were violated when they partnered with the Factionless. Evelyn gave a speech about how factions divided us, and made us think we were unable or unsuited to achieve values other than those of our own; she said we would be better without the factions.
"Look at us!" Evelyn gestured to the crowd before her. "The factions did not accept the Divergent, those of us capable of thinking freely and differently! No, the factions cast you out. The factions did not save you from the cruelty and violence of human nature!" I could hear her words from where I was kept, and thoughts of Eric shooting the Candor child without a second thought made me shudder.
"Factions created this mess. And the only way to fix it, is to get rid of it."
I suspect that most of the remaining citizens believed her to some extent. Relations among all of the factions were tense for years, each believing the other factions were hiding or keeping things from them. They weren't entirely wrong. Tobias told me that he wanted to be in a place where there were no factions, where people could be brave, smart, kind, selfless, and honest. I don't think this is what he had imagined.
"What do we do now?" I asked aloud, to no one in particular. Evelyn was, so far, keeping her end of the deal with Tobias. Someone had come into my cell the day after the video release to tend to my shoulder. The stitches are healing and it doesn't ache as much. But, I still don't trust Evelyn. My instincts have been relatively accurate thus far and I decided to listen when it told me something wasn't right. Evelyn would eventually reveal her true colours, and when she did, I needed to be a step ahead.
I never expected Tobias to see me, after he decided that keeping me alive was more important than pursuing the truth that so many Abnegation and our own friends had died for. But I silently prayed that he would find a way to sneak in to tell me that he had a plan, that he knew what he was doing... anything. Evelyn was probably keeping him plenty preoccupied.
More footsteps, grunts, and the sounds of whispered death threats drew me from my thoughts. Around this time of night, peopl were brought to the cells, to be tried for their crimes. I thought of Christina, and how I had coerced her to work with me and prayed that she was alright. Shadows played at the bottom of my door and I heard the lock turn. I sat up quickly and leaned back into the corner of the room.
"You have a visitor."
A/N: DUN DUN DUN! Cliffhanger. Please tell me what you think; hate it? Love it? Got ideas? Let me know!
