"Tris." I feel Eric's elbow nudging my back. "It's time."

Knowing what he means, I grab my pillow and groan. "No. I don't want to."

"You have to," I hear him say sternly. "I want no part of this either but it's not going to do any good if you keep laying here."

I know he's right. Nothing good can come out of resisting. I kick the covers off and I rub my eyes as I approach the bathroom to take my shower. I take a cold and quick shower before drying myself off and dressing myself into a pair of pants and a tank top.

I hesitate when I look at my jacket with the blue armband, marking me as the ally to Jeanine Matthews. I don't want to wear it but what choice do I have? With hesitation, I shrug it on and snap on the buttons.

Twenty minutes later, Eric and I eat a breakfast of sausage, scrambled eggs, and hash brown patties. The two of us don't talk as we eat. What is there to say anyway, since most of a faction will be slaughtered in just a few hours?

When we are finished eating, we wash the dishes and put them in the rack to dry. We both grab our Genetic Sensors, strap the holster's for the Genetic Sensors to our legs, and we grab our lunch pails before leaving the apartment.

"Good timing," says Max as we enter the cavern where the Dauntless members under simulation will get their weapons. "Jeanine will begin the simulation in a hour."

A lump forms in my throat. An hour. What are they doing over at Erudite headquarters? Booting up the software and getting their computerized commands ready?

We take the assault rifles from their cartons and lay them in a heap on the table. The same with the gun straps and holsters on another table. Once that was done, Ross hands us each a gun and a holster. I strap the holster to my waist and insert the gun in.

Max hands us tablets, where a map of the compound visible on the screen. "Marked are your designated areas where you'll survey the Dauntless members as they march past. Look out for any signs of simulation awareness. If you do examine their genetics and detain them if necessary. When the line ends where you're standing, go to the armored truck parked by one of the emergency exits."

We nod and I go over to my designated area, which is only a few yards from where I'm standing. I lean against the stone wall and close my eyes to recover my breath for a few minutes before straightening my stance.

When I look at my wristwatch again, I see that it's six o'clock. Jeanine must have ordered to simulation to begin by now. I feel my fingers tremble and I try not to drop the tablet I am holding.

Minutes later, I hear the footfalls of marching. Perfect synchronized marching. An line of Dauntless members wearing battle garb come my way, all of them carrying assault rifles. They move in unison, with the same feet always forward. I search the emotionless faces to see if I could find anyone I know and the first person I see is Tobias, looking emotionless and moving robotic as everyone else. Then I see Christina and Will; both of them looking emotionless and moving like robots.

I quickly run my fingers over my face to wipe away the fresh tears I feel running down the side of my face. My friends, they don't have any idea what atrocities they will commit in the next few hours and I don't want to think what their reactions will be if they find out.

When the line of armed Dauntless members reaches its end, I go to the emergency exit marked on the map that's currently on the tablet I'm holding. I run up the stairs and open the metal door. Then I hurry towards the armed truck that's parked with the engine running. I slide open the door with shaking hands and jump in, the blood pounding in my ears.

I get in the seat next to Eric, who takes my hand and squeezes it. Most likely a comforting gesture, since he knows how hard it will be for me. What is upsetting to me is that there is nothing I can do about it without risking retaliation.

Veronica is the last Dauntless leader to get into the armored truck. "Alright, they are all on the train," she says breathlessly.

"Then let's go," says Eric as she sits next to Ross and across from Eric and I. Then I feel the wheels begin to move before we leave the area above the Dauntless compound. The insides of my stomach writhe and I squeeze his hand hard for support.

Whatever happens in the next hour, my former faction will condemn me for just standing there and doing nothing. That I had a choice in helping them and that I willingly didn't do anything. I could understand that, as I wanted to help them and stop the simulation but Eric said it was dangerous. That there will be repercussions from Jeanine if I tried doing anything.

I want to help, but I couldn't.

The wheels of the armored truck begin to slow before the vehicle comes to a halt. Eric gets up and opens the door, allowing us to jump out. I land on my feet and look around. The army of mind-controlled Dauntless are not close by yet, but the grey houses and buildings within the Abnegation faction are quiet. Everyone is not up yet, I assume, which makes this whole thing more brutal and cruel.

The sun hasn't fully reached the horizon yet, but I see that there is no cloud in the sky. The air is still and I hear nothing but the chirping of birds.

The five of us walk down the block to stand in our posts and I pass the bus stop where Caleb and I would wait for the bus and the building mom and I would buy clothes for our family every six months. I stand outside a house and wait, trying to suppress any emotions I have.

As the crowd of Dauntless enters the Abnegation sector, the lights of the house I'm standing in flicker on. What alerted them that something bad was going to happen? Perhaps sound of the engine of the armored truck, as the engines are loud anyway.

Then the first line of Dauntless enter the first houses on the block, kicking the doors open and I see the lights flicker on. My heart hammers in my chest, the blood pumping in my fingertips as I walk down the street.

I hear popping noises and bloodcurdling screams, that they make the hairs of my neck stand on end. Soon enough, everyone in those streets will be alerted to the gunshots and the screaming, which will put them in the path of what's going to happen.

Later, I hear my headset crackle and with a shaking hand, I lift it up to my mouth. "Yeah?"

"Report to the Eaton home," says Max from the other end. "That's where Jeanine wants us to look first."

I nod and run from where I stand, crossing two blocks. A few more pops and some screams. I look to see Tori shooting a councilmember in the head, his brains landing on the grass around his head.

I try not to gag and I choke back sobs before running to the block where the Eaton home is located. When I reach there, I see Eric attaching mines to the door. They are going to force entry by blowing up the door?

We step back before Eric presses the red button and the door explodes. I cover my ears to protect my eardrums and avert my eyes so that the debris doesn't get in them. When I look again, I see the smoke dissipate from the doorway and we go inside.

"Tris, check the upstairs!" Max shouts. I run up the stairs and open the first door I see. No one is in the bedroom. Could he be hiding in the bathroom? I open the center door and flick on the lights. I go in the room and run my finger on the side of the bathtub. It's dry yet, meaning that it must have been hours since he used it.

When I leave the bathroom, I hear the screams outside and look out the window. Two Dauntless soldiers are pulling occupants from the house across and forcing them to a nearby building. Among them a child. I tear myself away and go to the other bedroom. No sign of Marcus in here, though this looks like more a room that Tobias slept in before he left. I don't understand why Marcus would hide in here anyway.

"Can't find him?" I hear Max ask from the headset.

"No," I answer. "He's not up here either."

"Somebody must have warned him," Max theorizes.

"If someone warned him, there is nothing we can do about it," I say. "Whoever warned him has probably evacuated from their faction by now."

I see Eric ascend the stairs, carrying a large sonar object. "Couldn't detect anything in the first floor. If not there, the Box is probably hidden in the walls," he says. He turns to me and says, "Check your parent's house."

I nod, even though I do not want to go back outside where the carnage of innocents is taking place. I descend the stairs and go outside, when I try not to gag.

At my feet is the body of a councilman, his brains everywhere. I choke back a sob as step over his head. When I leave his body, I nearly burst into tears. A few bodies are littering the street, a combination of old and young. Gunshots ring in the air and Dauntless soldiers following silent commands push people through the street.

My feet feel like nothing but jelly as I approach the house where I grew up. Standing outside are Ross and Veronica.

"House is empty," says Ross. "Has been since soldiers arrived in here."

Relief fills me. They are alright.

However, I must play along. "Still, we have to go inside the house and check for anything."

I walk past them and into the living room. It's in disarray: the coffee table is turned over and in the dining room I see the table knocked over. I go upstairs and into Caleb's room, where I move his dresser to see a Biology textbook fall from behind it.

So he has hidden books. I move his desk to see another book – this time a History book – fall on the ground. As I pick up his textbooks, I hear rummaging in the other two bedrooms. I doubt they will find anything in my room and my parent's room.

I go outside, the books in hand when I meet with Veronica. "Nothing in the bedroom of Andrew and Natalie Prior, though I assume you found something."

"Yeah, these books were in Caleb's old room," I say.

"Rather Erudite, is he?" says Veronica, taking them from my hand.

"He is," I say. From the corner of my eye, I see Ross return from my room empty handed.

"We found nothing except for two books," I say. "I'll check downstairs."

I hurry down the steps when I see Eric enter the house with the sonar device in his arms; Max right behind him.

"It wasn't in the Eaton home, so we assume it might be here," says Max. "If not, we'll check the home of Alice and Reginald Brewster."

I watch as Eric slowly runs the device around the floor, checking for metal and metal deposits. One could hear the confused and terrified screams of people over the noise of the sonar equipment. Close by, I hear the sound of a gunshot.

"Move the coffee table," Eric prompts. Ross and I both lift up the tipped over table and move it to the other side of the room. When Eric moves the sonar device over the spot where the coffee table was and I hear the sounds of the beeps come closer together, as if he found something. He moves it over the same spot again and we hear the same sound of the beeps come closer together.

"It looks like we found something," he says.

"Good," says Max. "Spray paint over that area."

Eric moves to the side as Ross sprays a giant, red 'X' over to where the box might be at.

A few minutes later we go outside and I feel as if my stomach might explode. The blood draining from my face. Up ahead, we see Tobias walk towards us, moving robotically though Irene is close behind him.

From behind me, I hear a gunshot and I turn to see a grey figure fall into the street. The blood pumps faster and I resist the urge to vomit.

Eric puts his hand to Tobias's chest, stopping him. I frown. If Tobias is under the control of the simulation, wouldn't he keep walking?

Eric removes his hand from Tobias and crosses his arms behind his back. "The legendary Four. First in your class and now you're…nothing."

I frown at Eric for that taunt in these inappropriate circumstances before approaching a house. If someone is hiding, I might encourage them to hide until this blows over.

Until I thought I heard Tobias spit. I abruptly turn, only to see him standing there like a statue. Eric notices too, as he stands in front of him again.

Max approaches Eric, his eyes narrowed in confusion and asks, "What? You think he might be…?"

Eric pulls out the Genetic Sensor from the holster strapped around his leg and says, "There is one way to find out."

He puts the Genetic Sensor over his face. It lights up and spins. Only the Abnegation symbol lights up but it says, "Divergent: fifteen percent."

Eric looks at the device and shrugs. "You're could pass as normal, which makes you useless. Then again, we knew that it would come to this, Four."

I gulp. He's going to kill him. I just know it. Quickly, I look around to see if there is anything that might distract him from something he will most likely regret later.

Anything.

"We got two people trying to run away!" I hear Ross shout. Eric and I immediately run away from Tobias towards where Ross is standing. Down between two houses, we see Irene and two Abnegation members running.

We raise our guns, though I intend to misfire. To fire at some of the members of Dauntless under simulation who are chasing them also. Not to murder but to just injure. Just to injure them.

I put my thumb on the trigger –

Someone grabs me from behind, lifting up my chin and grabbing my arm. I can't see. I can't see.

"No!" I hear Tobias shout. "Don't shoot them!"

I feel the gun go off twice.

It takes two people to wrestle Tobias from me and I recover myself, breathing deeply as I look at the alley in front of me. Two people are lying dead on the ground. Walking closer, I realize with horror that they are a twelve year old Abnegation girl and Will.

It's like my body goes numb. I hear nothing but the ringing of my ears as I look at what I have done. I feel an arm drag me away from the scene and pull me towards the center of one of the streets.

It's Eric. He tells me something but I can't hear it past the ringing of my ears. I walk away from him and walk slowly from him. Everything becomes blurry and it feels as if the ground is moving under my feet.

Then I blackout.