Knocking at the door. Zero gets up out of bed, bouncing over to the sound. Her shoulder feels completely healed, the doctor has given her the all-clear, and Eric's due home today from the fence. All in all, a good day. She opens the door and immediately falters at the grim-faced Max. Wordlessly, he hands her a sheet of paper. "It's your decision," he says before turning and walking away.

She remains standing in the hallway. Zero looks down at her hands and unfolds the sheet of paper, eyes flicking over the block handwriting.

It has come to our attention that the wound you sustained while protecting the city has impaired your ability to continue protecting the city. As a faction of warriors dedicated to the well-being of the city, we ask you to step down from your position as both Leader and Dauntless member within the week. Thank you for your understanding.

-Dauntless Leadership

Zero crushes the paper in her hand. She shoves it in her pocket and slams the door on the Dauntless compound. And then she doesn't quite know what to do. The apartment greets her gaze, seeming so empty, small, insignificant. She folds her arms and leans back against the wall. Bullshit. She's completely healed and scheduled to work on the fence next week.

The door opens, trapping Zero between the wall and door frame. Eric walks in and shuts it. "Zero?" he calls, looking towards the bedroom.

"Yes, Eric?"

He lets out a yelp and leaps away from the door. Then he pauses, seeing it's her, and his face reddens. "Uh... Hi."

She laughs and crosses the distance to hug him. He hugs her back and then holds her at arm's length. "Everything's better?" His fingers rub a gentle line over her shoulder.

"We can go fight in the Pit if you need proof."

He grins and smashes their lips together. Guilt rushes through her at the gesture. She should tell him. Talk with him about it. "John is demanding to see you tonight," Eric tells her once they pull apart. They gaze at each other, his eyes dark with lust and love. His piercings reflect in the lamp light, and for the first time Zero realizes how much he's grown since initiation. He doesn't look like an initiate anymore. But she can't dwell on that too long, not now.

John needs them. "Let's go!"

Eric lets out a laugh as Zero yanks him out of the apartment. Maybe she'll tell him later.

Dead. Is it true? Four folds his arms and stares hard at Max as he gives the typical short speech for the fallen Dauntless, only adding a few sentences to personalize it for Eric. But Max doesn't seem anymore shaken by this death than any other. And that doesn't sit right with him. He doesn't think Eric's really dead. In fact, Four won't be surprised if he somehow finds Zero, Eric, his mother, and maybe even Amar in his bedroom tonight, all having a great laugh at the city's gullibility. Shaking his head, he leans against the wall and watches the initiates' reactions. They all look lost. None of them particularly liked Eric, but they recognize the severity of losing a leader, even if they haven't been in this faction long.

And then someone sidles up next to him. Four raises an eyebrow as he comes face-to-face with John. "Can I talk to you in a quiet, private place?" he asks, face ashen, eyes wide.

"Of course." With a glance at Max, the two leave. Zeke, Shauna, and Uriah shuffle out of their way, watching the pair go. They look lost, too. Unsure, uncertain. The last time they had lost a leader was just a year and a half ago. Everything seems too close together for any sense of security. Wary of the cameras, Four leads John to his apartment where they can talk without fear of eavesdroppers. "Here. Have a drink, too," he says once they're safely inside.

John takes the can of cider with shaking hands. "Harrison and I didn't know who to tell, and we figured you're the most trustworthy person we've ever met, so... Well, we have a secret. About Eric."

Four lets out a laugh. "Let me guess, he's alive?" John's jaw drops. And then Four's eyes widen. "What?" Okay, so maybe he lied about the whole 'not being surprised' thing.

"Jeanine caught Zero to experiment on her, so we went to break her out, but Eric got caught, too! They shot darts in their necks and then..." He shakes his head. "Harrison and I didn't know what to do. So we came back. But we don't know what's happening. He could be dead. He could be alive. We have no idea. What do we do?" John's hands quiver too much to even drink from his can.

Four stares down at the counter, his grip tightening on his own can of cider. And then something clicks into place. "You caused the explosion at Erudite headquarters, didn't you?"

John grimaces. "Maybe they shouldn't put gas tanks there, alright? Geez." He ducks his head and does a shuffle with his feet. "You and Harrison should fuck off."

Four rubs his eyes and hides a smile. Only John. But it's not time for jokes. "What exactly do they want with Zero and Eric?"

"Uh... Shit. Nothing."

Four tilts his head and gives John a stern look. The older man gulps and scuffs his foot, refusing to meet Four's eyes. "John. Is there something you need to say?" The older man mumbles. "What was that?"

"She's a werewolf."

Four pauses. "What?"

John shrugs. "The truth can be weird."

"Truth?"

He nods.

Four opens his mouth and closes it. And then, "Alright. We need to get into Erudite headquarters with a better escape plan than what you guys had. We'll somehow hack into their cameras and locate them." But how? John and him lock eyes, the same question in their gazes. "Know any Erudites?" John shakes his head. Four drums his fingers on the counter, and then closes his eyes. He knows an Erudite, and he knows at least one initiate who would be willing to help him. And if Tris is on board, then Will is on board. Then maybe Will can utilize some of his Erudite past. Rubbing his brow, Four blows out a breath. "I think I may know one. Do you think this could wait a few days?" They had just begun stage two. Perhaps by letting their fears grip them they would be more willing to seize this as a distraction, no matter how steep the consequences.

"I don't know, man. But if a few days is what it takes to ensure we get them out, then I think we should stick to that. I don't want to lose anyone else to Erudite," John replies.

Four nods. "Alright. Three days. I need to talk with two initiates."

Werewolf. Four shakes his head. Not possible. There has to be another explanation. Not that it matters right now - he needs to begin his coaxing, as he likes to think of it. Because Dauntless do not beg for help. But he'll probably need to beg to convince them to betray the faction system...

The four initiates don't say a word as they walk towards the Pit. Al, Christina, Tris, and Will. Their sullen silence tells him that he's waited a good amount of time. All of them have dark bags under their eyes, huddle towards each other, shy away from shadows. Four swallows. Really, he'd rather talk to Tris alone, first, but he doesn't see that as a likely option at the moment. "Initiates," he calls out. All of them halt and turn. "I need to talk to you all."

"What is it?" Tris asks. Concern lights her eyes for half a second, and Four guesses it's their conversation about Divergency. But the concern fades as she remembers her place with her three friends - Four won't say anything in front of them.

Taking a breath, Four closes the distance between them and him and then says, "I need your help."

"With what?" Christina asks for them all. Al tilts his head, curious, too.

"It's about two friends... They're in danger and I need some intelligence and muscle to help them out."

"Out from where?" Al questions. Leave it to the Candor to blurt out every question in their mind. They may as well be Erudite.

"Out from..." Four runs a hand through his hair. "Out from Erudite headquarters. They've been taken in as experiments, without consent. It's a direct violation of our city's laws. Their both friends of mine and most of Dauntless. A man and a woman." If he could avoid all the details right now, before they've agreed, he would like to do so. But Tris quashes that hope.

"Who are they?" Tris asks, trying to quell the jealousy pooling in her stomach at the mention of a woman. She has no right to that emotion, especially when it was regarding Dauntless members in need of help. This is her faction - she has to do anything for them.

Four answers, "Zero was my training instructor and the Dauntless leader before Eric. She got shot in the shoulder and the other leaders told her to step down and leave the faction. They said her injury was too severe for her to keep up." Four lets out a laugh and shakes his head. "I thought she was dead until about four nights ago. She's Eric's girlfriend. Jeanine captured Zero, and then a rescue attempt went wrong and she captured Eric. So now we're going to go save them both." All or nothing, he figures. Now they know all.

"Both?" Christina gasps.

Four nods. "As far as we know, Eric was captured alive. But we need to hack into Erudite cameras to check on their status as well as locate them before we begin planning their escape."

"Which is why you need me," Will states.

Four nods. "I know I'm asking a lot. But there are also a lot of people who will thank you."

Christina snorts. "I somehow don't think they'll welcome Eric back."

He can't argue with that. "But they'll follow Zero in a heartbeat," he tells them. They don't seem convinced. And then John turns the corner, unexpected but welcome by Four.

"Hey! I brought Uriah and Zeke to help!" John happily shouts.

Zeke grabs John into a headlock and slaps a hand over his mouth. "Why didn't you have Harrison help you?" Uriah asks, eyeing the older man. "He'd be considerably quieter about it all."

Four shakes his head. "Apparently I didn't think this through."

"Forget it - Zero's alive?" Zeke asks, face lighting up. "You saw her? In the flesh?"

"I did, too," John whines from behind Zeke's hand.

"Yeah, I saw her. It scared me shitless." The initiates muffle laughter at Four's admission. Four gives them a sideways, good-homored glare before saying, "And apparently Eric's alive, too. Anyone else we need to know about, John?"

He makes a spectacle of thinking for a moment. "No, I don't think so... Nope."

"No surprises then, hopefully." Four scratches his head. "So, are you all willing to help?"

Uriah grins and gives Four a thumbs-up. Zeke says, "Hell, yeah! I miss it when she set things on fire or tried to give Eric heart attacks. Remember when she climbed the rocks right over the chasm?"

"Eric looked like he was going to have a stroke!" John guffaws.

Four smiles at the memory. Not that they all had exactly been calm, but it was fun to give Eric shit for those sorts of things since he usually betrayed no emotion. The instructor turns to his initiates. "I understand if you say no. It will not harm your rankings in any way. I'm just asking you as a fellow member of Dauntless." All four initiates look up at that. He already considers them members. But Four's eyes are mostly on Tris. On a more subconscious level, he really only cares if she's willing to help him and his friends because it might mean something more.

She gazes back at him, weighing their options. Everything to lose if they get caught. But isn't that what being Dauntless is? Tris nods. "I'd like to meet her." Somehow, this woman was bold and strong enough to keep Eric in line, and yet goofy enough to hold a friendship with people like Zeke and Uriah. She looks over to Will, Al, and Christina. Al smiles. Christina finally nods her agreement and turns her head to Will.

The ex-Erudite sighs. "I can try. There are no guarantees, but I can certainly try."

Four cracks a smile as John lets out a whoop. "Thank you."

She should have told him. Zero stares down at the chasm, eyes dark. She can turn back now, go tell him, just stick around and force Max to move his hand. But she's already said her good-byes in the only way she knows how, without words. She can't go back. She'll lose her nerve. Shaking her head, she takes a step forward, and then steps back. Shit.

"Zero?"

She jumps and turns, not recognizing the voice right away. "Harrison? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same."

She swallows and looks away. "I've been asked to leave," she tells him in a whisper.

He inclines his head, brow furrowing. "So you're jumping?"

"Is there any other way?"

He pauses. "You could jump in closer to the river, and maybe live. Follow the river. Maybe you'll get outside the city."

She looks at him, his face shadowed in the darkness of the tunnels. The chasm roars below. "You think I can survive out there?" He nods. After a few seconds of pondering, she says, "I never told Eric."

Harrison's lips draw into a tight line, but he doesn't scold her. Zero blows out a breath and looks at the chasm. She should begin the climb, then. Maybe she can survive beyond the wall. "Bye, Harrison," she says. Before she can swing herself over the railing and begin the descent, Harrison shoves a gun in her hands. Her throat tightens. Thank you, she thinks. Instead she nods. He returns the gesture.

She climbs down.

The descent is fine. Nothing goes wrong. Then comes the daring part.

She stares at the water rushing by mere inches before her feet. Zero takes a deep breath and jumps in.

Thank you, Gsj, for your reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the past ones. Thank you all for reading!