Sorry if it's coming along a little slow! I hate rushing into plots and story-lines, I want this to be a little more realistic, I'm trying to keep the characters in line, but I kind of suck at that, so if you think they're a little OOC please tell me! As usual I love hearing from you guys, you give me the strength to write more chapters, and I love hearing feedback and your ideas! Lots of love!
Chapter 14
"How about we go back to the training room?" Tris asked, making conversation.
"I'm too embarrassed, Eric kicked me out in front of everyone," I said softly, staring at the concrete floor.
"By the sounds of it you chose to leave," Four said sternly as he approached alone. He extended a hand to Tris, pulling her up from the dusty ground. She patted off her filth covered pants.
"I was standing up for something that's right, in my eyes I had no choice, because I'd never choose to hurt someone just for the sake of it," I sighed. I didn't want Four to be angry with me for choosing to be out; he was all about commitment and loyalty to dauntless.
"I think that's admirable, and brave," Tris said with her wide kind eyes staring down at me, a little smile on her face. My gaze turned to Four as I desperately looked into his eyes for his verdict on the situation. He faltered for a second or two.
"It takes the bigger person to know when to quit, you didn't have to half kill your friend in order to win, so you didn't. You also stood up for what you believed in, to Eric no less, a pretty ballsy thing to do," Four said in his low gruff voice. "Those are the qualities we look for in leaders", He said lowly, as if he was thinking aloud. "Stay in dauntless, pass the tests, don't settle for anything less than first. You do that and we'll talk about you joining our ranks,"
"You serious?" I asked, completely bewildered. I had never imagined myself as the leader type; there wasn't an authoritive bone in my body.
"Would I joke about something like that?" He asked, staring at me blankly. Tris nudged him in the side and he cracked a small, forced smile.
"No, of course, thanks I guess, I should probably get back to training then if I'm aiming for first," I sighed, there was not a chance.
"Actually I have other plans," Four said slyly, "Follow me," He nodded his head in the direction of the stairs leading to the upper levels.
"What happened to Clem?" Jason asked as Eric waltzed back into the training room. Eric paused as he passed the two J's, the muscles clenching in his neck, his tattoos rippling as they did.
"That's none of your business initiate, get back to your laps," Eric snarled as he scanned the room to analyse everyone's progress.
"Actually it is, she's my friend, and if you hurt her-" Jason was soon cut off by a fist to the face, sending him flying flat onto his back.
"Hey what the hell!" Jed exclaimed, bending to one knee, aiding the already black eyed Jason.
"In Erudite they may put up with back chat, but not in Dauntless, you cross me again and you're both out," Eric hissed, his fist still balled and bloody. "Understood?"
"Yes sir," Jed muttered coldly as Jason nodded, clutching his eye socket.
"Permission to take him to the medic?" Jed asked, looking up at the brute of a leader.
"Permission denied, both of you get back to your laps," Eric said as he stalked off into the shadows.
"You okay man?" Jed asked as he analysed Jason's eye socket.
"I'm fine," Jason said as he spat a bloody cocktail onto the filth ridden floor.
"Where are we?" I asked as Four led us to a huge led door. He punched some numbers into the keypad beside it and the door slowly slid open.
"This is the eyes and ears of dauntless," Tris explained as we entered the room. An older gentleman and a middle aged woman sat in front of some high tech looking computers and a ton of screens. They didn't even turn to look at us as we strolled up behind them; their eyes were glued to the screens before them.
"Surveillance cameras?" I asked, completely oblivious that the whole compound was littered with them.
"We can see literally everything from this room," Four said, leaning against the back of the mans chair.
"Anything interesting today Gabe?" Four asked as he scanned the screens himself.
"Just the usual, a couple of factionless near the outer buildings, nothing to worry about, already sent a team down there," Gabe said, in an almost robotic way.
"You did miss Eric completely own an initiate though," The girl chuckled, swivelling her chair around to face us. She had purple hair that faded into blue at the ends, it was almost magical and I couldn't stop staring.
"It wasn't me was it?" I asked my face beginning to burn. The girl looked confused.
"Oh no hunny, it was one of the lads, said something to Eric and BAM! Right in the face! Bet he's got a right shiner now!" She said, demonstrating by punching her fist into her open palm.
"He needs to be controlled, it's getting out of hand," Four said to Tris, causing her to roll her eyes.
"You should've just killed him," Gabe said, his eyes still glued to the damn screens.
"Killed him?" I gulped.
"She doesn't know?" The girl with the mystic hair asked with a stifled laugh. "And to say you've been getting cosy with him and you don't know?"
"Don't know what? And trust me I am not cosy with anyone," I defended myself.
"Eric was involved in the situation with Abnegation last year," Gabe contributed.
"Yeah I know that, he told me, and you already explained this Four," I said softly.
"" Four smirked; obviously he knew something I did not. I nodded my head slowly.
"He may have just been acting on orders when it came to gunning down my family and friends, but the hunting of divergents was his idea," Tris explained. I'd never realised he was Abnegation; it was so rare for them to transfer to Dauntless.
"That's why he tried to kill you," I remembered mine and Fours conversation from earlier.
"He was hunting down divergents, Jeanine Matthews, who ordered the attack; found that the serum used to control us didn't work on those who were divergent. It was Eric's idea to use that as a way to worm them out of dauntless, and execute them," Four explained. My heart quickened, I should've known this from day one, he was a psychopath, a murderer, and violence ran through his veins. "That's why I told you not to trust him,"
"We are all still here, and Jeanine is dead, so I guess he failed?" I asked, unsure of what actually went on that day. It was never talked about, and Dauntless never released any information to the other factions, it was completely between them and Erudite.
"We stopped them," Tris said, smiling up at Four for reassurance, her voice cracking a little. It suddenly dawned on me that Tris was divergent too.
"It's too bad I never got to put a bullet in Jeanine's skull," Four spoke bluntly.
"Why didn't you kill the egotistical bastard, it would've been easier on everyone," Gabe said, turning away from his screen for the first time to join in the conversation. He was a greying man, at least in his late 40's, with a harsh face and hypnotic green eyes.
"Tris wanted to keep him alive, he had a lot of information on Erudite and their plans to overtake, and apparently they had quite a few of them. He's also helping us find the whereabouts of Jeanine so she can answer for her war crimes. He's proved his worth so far; he keeps the Erudite leader in check, he's had a couple of leads on Matthews," I felt a little happier knowing he was helping and not hindering the rebuilding of dauntless.
"But he killed innocent people," I protested, my voice meek and my stomach woozy.
"I believe in second chances," Tris announced, "For everyone, not just for people we think deserve them,"
"He won't be getting a second chance off me," I said sternly. Suddenly a red light began to flash in the top right corner of the room.
"Looks like the factionless have crossed our borders, are you going to handle this Four?" Gabe asked as he analysed his data.
"Yeah I'll be right on it, take care," He said as he pecked Tris sweetly on the cheek. I never imagined Four could be sweet. "And you be careful of Eric, I already warned you about him once, perhaps now you know more about his ways you'll see reason," Four spoke as he strode out the door.
"So Four says you're divergent too," Tris made an attempt to break the awkward silence. I glanced over to the two techies, unsure whether my secret was safe with them.
"Don't worry, nothing leaves this room," The girl reassured me.
"My test results were inconclusive," I sighed, remembering back to that stressful piece of crap day.
"The test doesn't mean Jack, I got Candor, but I still chose Dauntless," The purple haired vixen smiled goofily. A little alarm clock suddenly began beeping from Gabe's crowded desk.
"It's time for me to take my leave, thank god," Gabe said stretching his arms out. "Think you can man the screens without letting a riot commence?" He asked as he pulled on his black jacket and stopped the alarm.
"Don't worry I got it," The girl smiled. Gabe grunted goodbye and stalked out the room. It felt weird being alone with just a couple of girls, I was never the girly type who hung out with the Amity lasses, not that I ever hung out with boys either.
"I can't believe you and Eric," The girl burst. It was as if she had been waiting for some alone time without prying male ears.
"What happened between you and Eric?" Tris asked. "I'm not going to judge,"
"You can't judge, you got with your trainer," The girl laughed!
"Brandy!" Tris cringed.
"Don't worry I already learnt that from Four." I reassured her, "I don't know what's really gone on between me and Eric, it's all so confusing," I explained trying to dodge the subject, I was not about to pour my heart out to complete strangers.
"He tried to kill her the other day you know, and then like the next day he kissed her!" The girl exclaimed. Tris' face became a twisted mess.
"Seriously?" She asked her voice desperate for a no.
"Kinda," I said, turning bright red.
"Four said you two had a little thing going on but I prayed he was wrong, you deserve better," Tris cringed.
"You don't have to worry, I'm done with Eric, he's nothing but trouble, and after this chat, I don't think I'll be able to look at him the same again,"
"You two were quite cute though, the way he chased after you this afternoon was so weird, I've never seen him care for anyone other than himself," Brandy smiled.
"Do you see everything?" I asked, it kind of creeped me out knowing complete strangers were watching my every move.
"Yep," She laughed.
"Great,"