A/N- Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited and alerted. Please keep doing so! :)
Four saved the data he recorded into the computer, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder to do his best to console him, though he didn't particularly want to. Peter wiped the seat from his face, still shaking from the simulation. "What the hell…" Peter croaked his voice hoarse from the screams.
"The first one is usually the hardest." Four told him flatly as he finished cleaning the space for the next initiate. "They'll get easier as you learn how to control your emotions."
"It felt real. I thought it was real…" Peter began blabbering as he regained control of himself.
"That's the point." Four told him, having to hold back from adding 'dumbass' to the end of his sentence.
"How did I do?" Peter asked finally, getting up from the chair.
"22 minutes." Four told him. "It's average. Fine for your first time." Peter opened his mouth to ask another question, but Four cut him off before the words left his mouth. "You're done for today. See you tomorrow." He ushered Peter out the door to where Only Veronica, Edward and Uriah remained. "V." He said, motioning his head back towards the simulation room. Lauren would be out for the next initiate shortly, and Four secretly hoped they would finish quickly so Lauren could take the last initiate too, leaving him more time with Veronica. He had a feeling this exercise would be especially difficult for her. She had real demons to fear, not just conjured boogiemen from the hypothetical fears in her mind.
She walked with him silently, her mouth set in a determined line. She had no idea what to expect, but judging from the other initiates faces as they left, it wasn't anything good. She paused once she got into the room, her blue eyes appraising the chair, computer and needle on the small table. She looked up at Four, worry in her eyes and he gave her a small, what he hoped was a comforting, smile. "This is different than the aptitude test. It stimulates…"
"The fear portion of your brain. And there's a transmitter that sends data directly to the computer, so no wires." Veronica finished for him, giving him a smirk. "Jeanine developed it." She told him, in explanation to why she knew so much about it.
"Right." He told her, motioning to the chair. She sat, chewing her lip nervously as she watched him. He brushed her hair from her neck, exposing the tender skin, and placed his hand on the back of her neck as the needle pierced her skin. He kept his face close to hers after he finished and told her, "the simulation is over once you calm down or face the fear." He knew it wouldn't do her any good, as she wouldn't know she was in a simulation once it took effect, but he didn't know what else to tell her. "It'll be okay." He assured her. "Be brave."
She took a deep breath and stared blankly at the wall before closing her eyes as the serum took effect. Four turned his attention to the monitors where Veronica appeared to be standing in an unused part of the city. She turned a slow circle, her heart rate already elevating in the top right corner of the screen as she seemed to recognize where she was. The landscape was very dream like, everything seemed to be tinted blue, except Veronica herself. She began walking sideways, keeping her back to the wall, her eyes on door openings and alleyways as she moved.
Four watched as something materialized from the wall, his mouth opening to warn her, before closing as soon as he realized it was pointless. The two figures were clad in an almost blinding blue, but the faces faded into an unexplainable darkness, making them indiscernible. One launched itself towards Veronica, knocking her to the ground. She struggled against them as one held a hand to her mouth, its knees pinning her arms to the ground. The other began speaking, but the voice was louder and clearer than seemed possible. "Let's start by testing different pain levels."
Veronica screamed against the hand over her mouth, while the real Veronica whimpered, tears sliding down her cheeks as she fidgeted in her seat. Four reached over, taking her hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly as he continued to watch the attack on the screen. Her pulse was through the roof, and more than once he thought about giving her the injection to end the simulation early. He ultimately decided against it, knowing that she needed to finish the simulation like everyone else. He watched, frowning, as she was cut, still struggling against her attackers. After what seemed like hours her heart rate began to slow as she seemed to accept that she was going to die. The moment she awoke she leapt from the chair with a scream, her hands pressed to her stomach as if to staunch the wounds. Four stepped in front of her, putting his hands on her shoulders and drawing her to him. She sobbed uncontrollably, her fingers twisted in his shirt. He held her close, rubbing her back and smoothing her hair occasionally until the cries slowed and she pulled away slightly, taking a long shaky breath as she wiped her face and ran her hands through her hair before looking at him.
"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, holding her gaze.
"I don't really know how to answer that." She said shakily, moving to put her back against the wall. "It seemed so real."
"I know." He told her, watching her carefully. They stood in silence until Four said, "tell me what happened… the first time."
She sighed, sliding down the wall to sit. Four sat next to her, waiting quietly for her to begin. "Dom always wanted to be in Dauntless." She began, seeming to change the subject. "He knew it would kill my parents if he told them, so about 6 months before his choosing ceremony he started going to an abandoned building in the city to train." She said train with an eye roll. "As best as a clueless Erudite could train for this place."
Four smiled, telling her, "Try being Abnegation."
She smiled back before continuing, "being the typical annoying little sister, I would sometimes meet him there to 'help'. He put up with it because I was the only person he told about being Dauntless, and I think he liked having someone to talk to about it." She smiled wistfully at the memory. "A couple days before the choosing ceremony, I decided to meet him." She hesitated before adding, "I took off my blue sweater when I left school, partially because it was hot, and partially because I thought I was being a rebel. When I got there though, Dom wasn't there. I guess… I guess he was running late." Her voice began getting shaky and she paused to compose herself.
Four reached out to her, taking her hand in his and pulling her closer to him. She settled next to him, their arms touching and she threaded her fingers into his.
"They thought I was factionless." She said suddenly, skipping ahead in her story. "They weren't factionless…"
"They were Erudite." Four finished for her, drawing the conclusion from the blue figures in her simulation.
She nodded, wiping away a tear before continuing. "A factionless couple heard us and they ran. The factionless got me to the hospital and it's all hazy from that point."
Her voice strengthened, turning to ice as she remembered the next part. "Once I told my parents what happened, they told Jeanine and she told me that she had already found out who had done it and thrown them out of the faction. Then she told me that it would devastate the faction if I told anyone what really happened, and since they were factionless now, it wasn't really lying to say it was factionless that attacked me. I… I wanted to see Dom and I wanted him to tell me what I should do, but he had already chosen Dauntless and left. I knew it was wrong to go along with Jeanine but…"
"You were 14." Four told her. "And the leader of your faction told you what to do. Anyone would have done the same."
"Even you?" She asked him with a sideways glance.
He laughed humorlessly, "Yeah, even me."
Veronica leaned her head against Four's shoulder, looking at her hand in his watching his thumb run up and down her hand. He moved his hand from hers and put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer, their foreheads touching. "I'm so sorry that happened to you." He whispered to her, putting his hand on her cheek. She tilted her chin up, their lips nearly touching and Four paused before pulling away from her, putting space between them.
"I'm your trainer." He reminded both her and himself. "I can't."
Her face flushed in embarrassment and she nodded, pulling herself to her feet. "I should go anyway." She said quickly, leaving the room before he could say anything else.
He sighed, running his hand through his hair as he shook his head. "Great. Real smooth."
Veronica was exhausted. She felt as if she ran the whole gambit of emotions in one day and was drained completely. After her embarrassing near kiss with Four, she stayed away from the dorms. She didn't want Christina peppering her with questions, and calling her on any lies she told about her experience. Christina was a great friend, but her ability to spot lies could be frustrating.
She also wanted some time to chastise herself for trying to kiss Four. She knew better, she knew he was her trainer and while she knew that he had feelings for her, she knew there was a reason he hadn't acted on them. She felt her cheeks burn as she remembered him pulling away from her, and she shook her head to clear the memory before walking into the cafeteria. She just wanted to eat something and try to get some sleep.
She started making a beeline for the food line, not looking around at the crowds of people already at the tables when an arm crossed her path, wrapping around her stomach and waist, blocking her progress. She looked down to see Eric sitting at a table with what she assumed were his friends, his arm still around her. He grinned lazily up at her, soliciting a smile back from her. "Hey." She said, taking a step back to talk to him. He motioned to the seat beside him, and she sat.
"How was it?" He asked her, seeming to genuinely want to know her answer.
"Oh you know…" She said flippantly, "it was a breeze."
Eric snorted, looking at her disbelieving. "Right." He answered in amusement. "A walk in the park is one of your fears?"
"No." She said with a smirk, "Kittens…just tons of kittens."
He laughed at her attempt at a joke before turning more serious. "When I went through, I'd work out or run until I thought I'd pass out after training. I figured out if I was exhausted, it was easier to sleep."
Veronica nodded, "that makes sense. Thanks." She told him with a smile.
"Anytime." He told her, another lazy grin spreading across his face. He clapped her shoulder before she got up telling her to take care. Before he could turn back to his food Four took the seat that Veronica had previously occupied, staring at Eric viciously. Four stared at him, a vicious look in his eyes. Eric stared back, feigning innocence. "What?" He said finally, when it became apparent Four wasn't feeling talkative.
"Awful interested in the initiates this year?" Four asked him, keeping his eyes trained on Eric.
"Not all of them." Eric said with a smirk. "I guess the same could be said about you though, right?"
"I'm her trainer." Four snapped, dropping the guise of staying vague.
"And I'm her leader." Eric retorted. "And she seems to like talking to me. Maybe I'm just more approachable." He added.
"That's Dom's sister. You need to back off." Four warned.
"Oh, ok, so this is just because she's your buddy's sister huh?" Eric asked with another infuriating smirk.
"It's because I don't want her corrupted by your twisted ideals of what a Dauntless member should be."
Eric tilted his head slightly. "She is more like me than you want to admit Four. And, it seems to me that she is going to be whoever she wants to be. I don't think you or I could change that."
Four shook his head angrily, not entertaining the idea. "Just stay away from her."
"Or you'll what?" Eric said lowly, raising his eyebrows. "Remember who you're talking to Four. Just because the rest of leadership thinks you're such an asset doesn't mean I can't move you far away from the initiates, and far away from the compound if I really set my mind to it. You're just a control room monkey."
Four blew air from his nostrils, narrowing his eyes. He said nothing, instead leaving the cafeteria, throwing the door against the wall with a large bang as he did so. Eric chuckled at his retreating back, amused and more motivated than ever. Four wasn't going to win this one.
A/N- Please review and let me know what you think so far, and what you would like to see happen. It might spark some ideas! ;)