CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

FOUR'S POV

I wake with a start. Someone is banging on our door. Not loudly but consistently, they haven't stopped. I jump out of bed trying not to wake Tris. I open the door to see a worried looking Tori.

"Where's Lynn?" she whisper shouts at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Lynn didn't come back to our room last night and I know she isn't with Shauna."

"Calm down Tori. I'm sure she is fine," I say.

"You know where she is?" Tori asks.

"I have an idea," I reply.

"Please don't tell me what I think you are going to tell me," Tori whisper shouts again.

"Okay. I won't. Can I go back to bed?"

"Four," Tori starts but I put my hand up to stop her.

"Don't Tori. There are things happening that you don't know about."

"Well maybe you should enlighten me."

I sigh. This is a conversation I was hoping I wouldn't have to have. How do I explain Eric. Tori hates him and I know she will never trust him. Do I trust her with the information?

"How do I know I can trust you?" I ask her.

"How can you say that to me? You know me Four," Tori says.

"I do. That's what worries me, I don't think you are going to be happy with what I have to tell you."

"Eric's changing sides, isn't he?" Tori whispers.

I nod my head.

"Good," Tori says. Not the reaction I was expecting.

"Well I will let you get back to sleep, sorry I disturbed you," Tori says as she moves toward the door.

"Wait Tori," I call her back. She turns to look at me.

"This needs to stay between us," I warn. "We can't trust everyone and I think Lynn and Eric are going to upset a few people with what is happening."

"I understand," Tori says as she turns and walks out the door.

I shut and lock the door and get back into bed.

"Hey," Tris mumbles still half asleep. "Was that Tori I heard?"

"Yeah. Go back to sleep Tris. I will tell you about it when you wake up."

Tris snuggles into my side and we both fall back to sleep.

I hear shouting in the hall way. Tris and I are both only just starting to wake up. "GET UP!" Someone is shouting as they walk down the hall and bang on each bedroom door as they go.

"Is that Uri yelling?" Tris asks. I shrug as I get out of bed to have a look.

I open the door to a very happy looking Uriah. Running along with a cake in his arms.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"They sent me a cake," Uriah says.

"Just you?" I ask raising an eyebrow at him.

"I was the one who asked for it," Uriah whines. "Plus, they gave me two. So, I get one and you can all share one."

"Good luck with that Uriah," I say. "I think you are going to have to learn to start sharing your cake."

"But Four," whiny Uriah says.

"Do you really think you are going to get away with keeping a cake to yourself?"

"It was worth a try," Uriah says with a grin. "Come on, let's go eat some cake."

"You want cake for breakfast?" I ask.

"Who cares what meal it is," Uriah says. "It's cake!"

I can't argue with that. Who doesn't love cake? I run back into our bedroom.

"Tris," I call out when I don't see her in bed.

"I'll be out in a second," Tris calls back from the bathroom.

"Hurry up! Uriah got his cake," I shout, a little too excited. Not going to let Uriah know though.

"Did you say Uriah has cake?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go then."

We race down the stairs and find that everyone is in the dining room eating cake for breakfast. The mood is good after all that happened yesterday. I suppose cake will do that for you.

I sit down and look across from me and can't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Eric asks.

"Your shirt," I say. "They couldn't have given you a bigger size?"

"We didn't have many options Four," Zeke defends.

"Maybe you should just stick the X to one of your own shirts," I suggest.

"I don't know," Marlene says. "I don't think there is anything wrong with showing a little mid drift."

"For you maybe," Eric grumbles.

"Why did you put it on then?" I ask.

"Uriah wouldn't give me any cake until I put it on. Told me if I kept it on while I ate he would give me seconds," Eric says.

I burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Uriah asks.

"What is wrong with you Eric? You get killed and go soft on us," I say still laughing. "When have you ever let an initiate order you around? When have you ever let anyone order you around? Now all of a sudden you're scared of Uriah."

Everyone starts laughing.

"I wanted cake," Eric responds. "I wasn't going to start an argument until I had at least had some cake."

I just shake my head.

"Do you think if we asked for other things they would give them to us?" Marlene asks.

"I suppose it would depend what you want," I say.

"Did they leave us anything else?" Tris asks.

"Some more food, toiletries. Nothing exciting," Christina answers.

"Make a list," I say. "See what happens. The worst that can happen is that they don't give us anything else."

"Put cake on the list Mar," Uriah says with his mouth full of cake.

"Close your mouth when you are eating Uri," Tris says.

"You better go to the training room after this," I say to Uriah. "I don't want to have to deal with you hyped up on cake all afternoon while we try and read."

"I agree," Eric says.

"Will you spar with me?" Uriah asks Eric. Bouncing in his seat. I swear he acts like he is five sometimes.

"Can I have an extra piece of cake?" Eric asks.

"No, you are already getting two," Uriah responds.

"No, I won't spar with you," Eric says.

"I'll spar with you," I tell Uriah.

"Serious?" Uriah asks. I just nod. I could do with the workout. Uriah's a good fighter it should be fun.

"Mar can you put healing serum on the list," Uriah groans as we sit down to read another chapter.

"What did you do to him Four," Marlene shouts at me.

"I didn't do anything," I raise my hands in defence.

"Then what does he need healing serum for?" Marlene asks with a raised eyebrow.

Zeke, Eric and Lynn start laughing.

"What's so funny?" Marlene asks.

"Uriah got one good punch in on Four and he got a little excited. Started to do a happy dance and slipped on some sweat on the floor," Zeke says through laughter. "He slid across the floor and Lynn was about to punch Eric but she hit Uriah instead."

We are all laughing now.

"It's not funny," Uriah says. "Lynn hits hard."

"It probably didn't help that you were sliding across the floor rather quickly," Eric says, he is trying to be serious but it just isn't happening and he breaks into laughter.

"Oh Uriah," Marlene sighs. "Maybe just one piece of cake at a time."

"Mar," Uriah groans.

Once the laughter dies down Will opens the book.

"Do we need a recap of where we are at?" Will asks.

"I think everyone was cheering at my demise," Eric states.

"We are also waiting to see what has happened to Shauna," Lynn points out.

Will begins.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Blood is a strange color. It's darker than you expect it to be.

I stare down at Marlene's hand, which is wrapped around my arm. Her fingernails are short and jagged—she bites them. She pushes me forward, and I must be walking, because I can feel myself moving, but in my mind I stand before Eric and he is still alive.

He died just like Will did. Slumped just like Will did.

"How can you compare Will and Eric's deaths?" Christina asks.

"I don't think I am," Tris says. "they're both dead, that's it. I wish you could understand that I never would have wanted to kill Will."

"I do," Christina says. "I'm sorry, I just get so upset every time I think about it."

I thought the swollen feeling in my throat would go away once he was dead, but it didn't. I have to take deep, hard breaths to get enough air. Good thing the crowd around me is so loud that no one can hear me. We march toward the doors. At the front of the pack is Harrison, carrying Tori on his back like a child. She laughs, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Sounds like someone is having fun," Uriah says to Tori.

Tori shrugs. "Eric's dead, we are going home. What isn't there to be happy about?" Tori says.

Tobias sets his hand on my back. I know because I see him come up behind me and do it, not because I feel it. I don't feel anything at all.

"Glad my death is affecting you Tris," Eric smirks.

"Yeah, great," Tris mumbles.

The doors open from the outside. We stop short of stampeding Jack Kang and the group of Candor that followed him here.

"What have you done?" he says. "I was just told that Eric is missing from his holding cell."

"He was under our jurisdiction," says Tori. "We gave him a trial and executed him. You should be thanking us."

"Jack will probably have a heart attack," Tori says.

"Why ..." Jack's face turns red. Blood is darker than blush, even though one consists of the other. "Why should I be thanking you?"

"Tris you really can be very morbid," Lynn says. "You think the weirdest things sometimes."

"This is just ridiculous," Tris says. "I will never know if I am thinking these things or whether the author just put it in the book. I can't even imagine thinking half of the thoughts that she is saying."

"I never thought of it like that," Tori says. "I wonder if there are other things in here that could be embellished just to make the story more interesting."

"Like what?" I ask.

"Maybe Eric and Will aren't dead," Tori says.

"Yes," Eric shouts.

"Don't get too excited," I say. "We know that everything up to when we were put in here was true. Even if there are embellishments, I don't think we should forget what we are up against when we leave here. The whole reason we have been put here is to try and stop what is happening. We need to stay focused on that."

"Way to ruin my mood," Eric grumbles.

"You're dead," I say. "What mood?"

"You're not going to let me forget it, are you?" Eric asks.

"At least not today," I say. "Where's your X shirt?"

Eric holds up his wrist and he has the shirt tied around it. "I'm still wearing it."

"Can we please read?" Lynn says. "I can't wait to hear what Jack does."

"Because you wanted him to be executed, too, right? Since he murdered one of your children?" Tori tilts her head, her eyes wide, innocent. "Well, we took care of it for you. And now, if you'll excuse us, we're leaving."

"Wha—Leaving?" Jack splutters.

If we leave, he will be incapable of fulfilling two of the three demands Max had of him. The thought terrifies him, and it is all over his face.

"I can't let you do that," he says.

Laughter starts to move around the room. We all know just what a ridiculous statement that is. How is he going to stop a room full of Dauntless?

"You don't let us do anything," says Tobias. "If you don't step aside, we will be forced to walk over you instead of past you."

"Didn't you come here to find allies?" Jack scowls. "If you do this, we will side with Erudite, I promise you, and you will never find an ally in us again, you—"

"What a crock," Tori says. "He was going to give in to their demands, he had already shown who he was siding with. Coward."

"We don't need you as an ally," says Tori. "We're Dauntless."

Everyone shouts, and somehow their screams pierce the haze in my mind. The entire crowd presses forward at once. The Candor in the corridor yelp and dive out of the way as we spill into the hallway like a burst pipe, Dauntless water spreading to fill the empty space.

"Would the water be black if it was Dauntless water?" Uriah asks.

No one bothers to answer Uriah. We could be talking about it for three hours if we encourage him. Better to just let Will keep reading.

Marlene's grip on my arm breaks. I run down the stairs, chasing the heels of the Dauntless in front of me, ignoring the jostle of elbows and all the shouts around me. I feel like I am an initiate again, storming the stairs of the Hub right after the Choosing Ceremony. My legs burn, but that is all right.

"How cool was that?" Uriah asks. "At the hub. It was so funny to see the transfers faces as we started to run down the stairs."

"We had no idea what was going to happen," Will says. "What you would expect from us?"

Uriah shrugs. "Wasn't as funny as when we had to jump off the train."

"But still it was a transfer who was first jumper," Tris says, teasing Uriah.

Zeke starts laughing. "She's got you there bro."

"Yeah okay, that wasn't as funny," Uriah says.

We reach the lobby. A group of Candor and Erudite are waiting there, including the blond Divergent woman who got dragged to the elevators by her hair, the girl I helped escape, and Cara. They watch the Dauntless stream past them with helpless looks on their faces.

Cara spots me and grabs my arm, wrenching me back. "Where are you all going?"

"Happy to be friendly now, isn't she?" Lynn says. "Should have stomped on her foot Tris."

"Why?" Tris says. "Because that is what you would have done?"

"For her," Lynn says. "Probably would rather just punch her."

"Hey," Will calls out. "That's my sister."

"Can't help who you are related too," Lynn says.

"Dauntless headquarters." I try to pull my arm free, but she won't let go. I don't look at her face. I can't look at her right now.

"Go to Amity," I say. "They promised safety to anyone who wants it. You won't be safe here."

She releases me, almost pushing me away from her in the process.

"I don't like your sister Will," Lynn grumbles. "She isn't very nice. I can't believe you are even related."

"Like you're the most friendly person in the world," Zeke laughs.

"We probably wouldn't be in half the mess we are in if it wasn't for her," Lynn defends. "She's the idiot who helped create the serum that put us under the simulation in the first place. So I wouldn't start comparing me to her if I was you Zeke."

"Good point," Zeke says. "I don't think I like her very much either, now that you put it like that."

Outside, the ground feels slick beneath my sneakers, and my sack of clothes thumps against my back as I slow to a jog. Rain sprinkles my head and my back. My feet splash through puddles, soaking my pant legs.

"Where do you keep getting shoes from Tris?" Marlene asks.

"I don't know Marlene," Tris replies.

I smell wet pavement, and pretend that this is all there is.

"That's a page break," Will tells us.

I stand at the railing overlooking the chasm. Water hits the wall beneath me, but it doesn't come high enough to splash my shoes.

A hundred yards away, Bud passes out paintball guns. Someone else passes out paintballs. Soon the hidden corners of Dauntless headquarters will be coated in multicolored paint, blocking the lenses of the surveillance cameras.

"Finally, it sounds like we are going to have some fun," Uriah says.

"We are in the middle of a war," I say.

"Yeah, so?" Uriah says. "We all need a little fun Four."

"Hey, Tris," Zeke says, joining me at the railing. His eyes are red and swollen, but his mouth is curled into a small smile.

"Hey. You made it."

"Yeah. We waited until Shauna was stable and then took her here." He rubs one of his eyes with his thumb. "I didn't want to move her, but ... wasn't safe with Candor anymore. Obviously."

"How is she?"

"Dunno. She's gonna survive it, but the nurse thinks she might be paralyzed from the waist down. And that wouldn't bother me, but ..." He lifts a shoulder. "How can she be Dauntless if she can't walk?"

"I'm paralysed?" Shauna asks.

"Looks like it," Eric responds.

Shauna lets out a sob and Lynn quickly goes to her sister and tries to comfort her.

I stare across the Pit, where some Dauntless children chase each other up the path, hurling paintballs at the walls. One of them breaks and splatters the stone with yellow.

I think of what Tobias told me when we spent the night with the factionless, about the older Dauntless leaving the faction because they were no longer physically capable of staying in it. I think of Candor's rhyming song, which calls us the cruelest faction.

"She can," I say.

"Tris. She won't even be able to move around."

"Sure she will." I look up at him. "She can get a wheelchair, and someone can push her up the paths in the Pit, and there's an elevator in the building up there." I point above our heads. "She doesn't need to be able to walk to slide down the zip line or fire a gun."

"Would that work?" Shauna asks.

"It's up to you Shauna," Lynn says.

"She won't want me to push her." His voice cracks a little. "She won't want me to lift her, or carry her."

"She'll have to get over it, then. Are you going to let her drop out of Dauntless for a stupid reason like not being able to walk?"

"I could stay in Dauntless?" Shauna asks.

"It hasn't even happened yet," I say. "You can do anything you set your mind to Shauna."

Zeke is quiet for a few seconds. His eyes shift over my face, and he squints, as if weighing and measuring me.

Then he turns and bends and wraps his arms around me. It's been so long since someone hugged me that I stiffen. Then I relax, and let the gesture force warmth into my body, which is chilled by damp clothing.

I hate hearing those words. I hate hearing how distant Tris and I have become.

"I'm gonna go shoot things," he says as he pulls away. "Want to come?"

I shrug and chase him across the Pit floor. Bud hands each of us a paintball gun, and I load mine. Its weight, shape, and material are so different from a revolver that I have no trouble holding it.

"We've mostly got the Pit and the underground covered," Bud says. "But you should tackle the Pire."

"The Pire?"

Bud points up at the glass building above us. The sight pierces me like a needle. The last time I stood in this spot and stared up at this ceiling, I was on a mission to destroy the simulation. I was with my father.

"Do you think there is anywhere that is going to hold happy memories for you Tris?" Marlene asks. "It seems that there has been so many horrible things happen and you just keep reminding yourself of them."

"I hope that we will never have to find out Marlene," Tris says. "We need to stop this before it happens."

"What do you think the people who have read this story thought of it?" Marlene asks. "You know, the people hundreds of years ago. Do you think they liked it? Or did they get all sad when the bad things happened?"

"They just thought it was a story," Tori says. "Probably didn't mean that much to them."

"Do you think that matters?" Marlene asks. "I know I have read stories and been happy or sad after I have read it."

"They made movies out of the books so it must have been popular," Tori says.

"How cool would it be if we could watch the movies?" Uriah says.

"You just want to see yourself," Zeke teases.

"Yeah I do," Uriah says. "I bet they couldn't find anyone as good looking as me to play the part."

"Keep dreaming Uriah," Lynn scoffs.

"Do you think whoever had the books, has the movies?" Christina asks.

"I suppose anything is possible," I say.

"You might find them in Erudite," Eric says.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Erudite have these underground storage rooms with millions of things from the past. Where do you think the movie theatre gets its movies from?" Eric says

"Does that mean that Jeanine could have copies of not only the movie but also the books?" I ask.

"It's possible," Eric says. "But if it has the word Divergent in it, she or the leaders before her could have destroyed them."

"You would just think it was a story. Unless you knew the characters in the book you wouldn't have made a connection," Tori says.

"Why didn't our kidnappers just put copies of the book around the city? Let others read what was in it. Do you think if Jeanine read the book she might stop what she is doing?" Marlene asks.

"I would think that Jeanine would be sitting here with us if they thought that was the case," Eric says.

"Could you imagine if we had been locked in here with Jeanine?" Uriah groans. "That would have been horrible."

"Maybe when we get out we can make her read the book," Christina says.

"Or maybe we could just shoot her in the head and be done with her," Lynn snaps.

"Keep reading Will," I say.

Zeke is already on his way up the path. I force myself to follow him, one foot and then the other. It's difficult to walk because it's difficult to breathe, but somehow I manage. By the time I reach the stairs, the pressure on my chest is almost gone.

Once we're in the Pire, Zeke lifts up his gun and aims at one of the cameras near the ceiling. He fires, and green paint sprays across one of the windows, missing the camera lens.

Uriah starts to laugh, a really belly laugh.

"What's so funny?" Zeke asks.

"You are," Uriah replies. "How could you miss the camera like that?"

"Maybe it's one of those parts in the story where the author embellished," Zeke replies.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Uriah says still laughing.

"Ooh," I say, wincing. "Ouch."

"Yeah? I'd like to see you do it perfectly the first time."

"This should be hilarious," Eric says.

"Why?" Zeke asks.

"You've seen what she's done to me. Just wait now it's your turn," Eric says.

"At least I'm still alive," Zeke teases.

"You'll be wishing you were dead in a minute," Eric says.

"Don't joke about that shit," Lynn snaps.

"It's okay Lynn," Zeke says in a soothing voice.

"No it's not Zeke," Lynn almost yells. "Five more are still to die. Don't you think it is becoming a little too real now?"

"Okay, okay," Zeke says putting his hands up. "We will try not to joke about death. It's Eric's fault anyway."

"Would you?" I lift my own gun, propping it up on my left shoulder instead of my right. The gun feels unfamiliar in my left hand, but I can't bear its weight with my right yet. Through the scope I find the camera, and then squint to stare at the lens. A voice whispers in my head. Inhale. Aim. Exhale. Fire. It takes me a few seconds to realize it's Tobias's voice, because he's the one who taught me to shoot. I squeeze the trigger and the paintball hits the camera, spraying blue paint across the lens. "There. Now you have. With the wrong hand, too."

"Ha ha," Eric says. "Told you."

"What do they teach you in Abnegation? Because you and Four are freaks," Zeke says.

"We need to change things," Lynn says. "Transfers shouldn't be able to show up Dauntless borns. At least not the way these two do." Lynn points between Tris and me.

"Must be our Divergent mind tricks," Tris jokes.

"Don't joke about that," Shauna says. "You are dangerous."

"At what time have I been dangerous?" Tris asks. "Unless your name is Eric. I got you out of the sim, I just encouraged Zeke to help you to stay in Dauntless. You keep judging everyone who is Divergent because of one person. A person you didn't even know. How do you know he was Divergent?"

"Because my mother told me so," Shauna snaps.

"Which means nothing to me," Tris says. "You are throwing your relationship with Zeke away because of what you were told. There is no hard evidence here that it is true. And so what if it is? Lots of people get a broken heart, that has nothing to do with someone being Divergent. If it wasn't for Tobias you would have failed Dauntless initiation. What good would your aptitude for Dauntless have been if you had failed?"

"How dare you," Shauna screams as she lunges at Tris.

Zeke grabs Shauna around the waist and picks her up and drags her out of the room kicking and screaming.

"I better go and check on her," Lynn starts to move towards the training room, where Zeke took Shauna. As she passes us she high fives Tris. "It's about time someone said that to her," Lynn tells Tris.

"I feel horrible," Tris quietly says to me. "I just couldn't hold it in any longer."

"I wouldn't worry about it," I say. "Maybe it will help her to realise that she is wrong. I don't know."

"I'm going to start making lunch," Eric says.

"I'm going to go and help Eric," Tris says getting up from the couch.

We are all sitting around the dining table about to start eating our lunch when Shauna, Zeke and Lynn walk in the room. All three look to have been crying. No one went near the training room while they were in there. So we don't know what was said.

"I just want to apologise for my behaviour," Shauna says with her head down, not looking at anyone. "I don't understand this Divergent stuff but I should at least give you all the benefit of the doubt."

That is all she says. I don't know if I would call it an apology but at least it is a start.

p/b

"Ready to read again?" Will asks.

There are a few yes' and grumbles.

"Do we need to recap?" Will asks.

"Let me," Eric says with a smirk. "If I remember correctly, Tris just gave Zeke a lesson on how to shoot accurately with her non-dominant arm."

"Thanks for reminding me Eric," Zeke says.

"You're welcome Zeke," Eric replies.

Zeke mutters something under his breath that doesn't sound pleasant.

"Hey!" shouts a cheerful voice. Marlene pokes her head above the glass floor. Paint is smeared across her forehead, giving her a purple eyebrow. With a wicked smile, she aims at Zeke, hitting his leg, and then at me. The paintball hits my arm, stinging.

Marlene laughs and ducks under the glass. Zeke and I look at each other, and then run after Marlene. She laughs as she sprints down the path, weaving through a crowd of kids. I shoot at her, and hit the wall instead. Marlene fires at a boy near the railing—Hector, Lynn's little brother. He looks shocked at first, but then fires back, hitting the person next to Marlene.

"We should have a paint ball fight like this in the Pit," Uriah says.

"That would be so much fun," Marlene says.

"Who's going to clean the paint up afterwards?" Max asks.

"Why would you want to do that?" I ask.

"I'm sure the shop keepers in the Pit wouldn't want paint all over their windows," Max replies.

"It wouldn't bother me," Tori says. "I think it would be a good idea."

"We could have like a tournament," Uriah says. "All Dauntless members could be involved."

"I'll think about it," Max grumbles.

Popping sounds fill the air as everyone in the Pit starts to fire at one another, young and old, the cameras momentarily forgotten. I charge down the path, surrounded by laughter and shouting. We cluster together to form teams, and then turn against one another.

By the time the fight dies down, my clothes are more paint-colored than black. I decide to keep the shirt to remind me why I chose Dauntless in the first place: not because they are perfect, but because they are alive. Because they are free.

"It was nice to finish a chapter on a happy note," Will says.

"Doesn't feel like we are going to get many like that," Christina says.