Chapter 4: The Train
Tris's POV

It's past nightfall, and I stand just outside the Dauntless sector. This city still has a curfew, and I am on the cusp of breaking it. Lights go out at 9. Streets must be cleared at 10. So, loitering in the streets at, I check my watch, 9:15, is suspicious. I am small and work in security, so I have a knack for blending in. It helps

I don't know why I trust this girl. Maybe I don't. But I have to know more. If there is even a possibility that she holds the key to part of my past, I have to meet her.

David doesn't like to give details. He says, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." I think a president said it, but I'm more interested in my own history than my country's.

She arrives early too, moving swiftly down the road, sticking to the shadows from the row of buildings.

"Tris," she says quietly.

"Beatrice," I correct. My voice carries on the wind, and she sees me.

"We can't talk here. Follow me."

We walk side by side, moving quickly.

"Who are you?" I ask, unable to stop myself.

"Christina," she whispers. I start to open my mouth again but stop short as she says, "It's not safe here."

I hear a sound in a nearby alley, and we break into a run. It's probably nothing, but I enjoy the run. I can feel the anxiety leaving my body. Blood pounds in my ears. I feel like I could leave everything behind in this moment. We reach the city train tracks, and she stops, panting. We both smile a little.

"Come on; train will be here in 1 minute," she says.

As it approaches, I realize that while it's slowing down, it's not stopping. "How do we get on?"

"Run alongside, grab a bar, and just pull yourself in. I'll go first."

At that, she begins to jog beside the train. I follow her. She grabs a handle and propels herself into the train. It's impressive. Almost graceful. I will probably splat against the side and fall to the tracks. I speed up and grab the side, flinging myself at the train. I make it but only halfway. My feet are unsteady. I may fall off this train after all. She pulls me in.

We sit for a second, catching our breath, looking out at the moonlit city.

She, Christina I mentally correct, is biting her lip. "I've been thinking about what to say... How I can tell you... This is so hard."

She looks at me finally. "What do you know? About your past?"

I blink back. This is a pretty personal question to ask. Her eyes demand an answer, and I feel compelled to answer.

"My name is Beatrice Wright. I live in the Bureau of Genetic Welfare outside of the city. I work in security and lost my memory to serum in the line of duty. My family is from Detroit. David, my boss, rescued me from the Fringe." I don't tell her about my family's violent history. I don't want her to know. It's too personal.

She stares for a second. No longer nervous. She looks angry. Furious even.

"Screw it. I'm just gonna tell you. It's not going to be easy to hear. Everything you've been told is a lie."

A lie? From who? I remain silent.

"You are Beatrice Prior. You were born in the city. In the experiment. You were Abnegation. Your parents are dead, but they were amazing people. They gave their lives for you."

I blink back a tear at this. My parents killed each other. Their selfishness and violence was stronger than their love for me, leaving me to starve in the fringe. I wish the people in this story were real.

She barrels on, without noticing my reaction.

"You have a brother who's alive. The first time we met was on choosing day. You chose Dauntless, and we became friends there. Both transfers. You were so brave. First jumper. First in initiation. The city was torn apart over over the secret of the experiment. You probably know this part, right?"

I nod my head dumbly.

"You were a revolutionary. We left the city together with friends. The first to do so and ended up at the Bureau. You disagreed with the idea of Genetically Pure & Damaged people and learned what the Bureau had done. They created the serum that controlled Dauntless and murdered your faction. Your parents. Your friends."

I look at her incredulous.

She plows on, "The city was about to implode. Factionless versus factions. The Factionless leader had death serum. The Bureau's solution was to release memory serum and erase the entire city. Everyone we had ever known."

She shudders.

"Anyway, with the help of some others, you broke in and released memory serum on the Bureau. We were told you died. They even gave us your ashes," her voices cracks a little.

"We thought everyone in the building had been reset," she continues shakily. "But it sounds like we were wrong."

"Of course I would have died. Death serum would have killed me." I mutter.

"It wasn't the death serum that killed you. Or at least that we thought had killed you. It was David. He shot you. Twice. Once in the neck and once in the chest."

I reach down, feeling the scar on my neck. No. It can't be true. David has been kind to me. He saved me.

She looks relieved to have to finished but anxiety washes over her, waiting for my reaction.

"I don't believe you," I say slowly.

A/N: Thanks for all of the encouragement. You make it even more fun to keep this story up! We're getting to Tobias. I just want to make sure it's at the right moment! And, ChibiRealm, good point! I never even thought about that. The death serum absolutely should have killed him, especially when you consider the memory serum spread to the whole building.