Hello little nerds, here is a new chapter of my story that I hope yall will enjoy. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be splitting this fic up like the books but it may only be two parts since I am changing the story line a good bit but we'll see I guess. As usual I own nothing except new characters and ideas, I make no money from writing, and all rights belong to the rightful owners. Check polyvore for character pictures and outfits Noellamonster. Leave a review if you'd like.
My stomach churns as I look over the chasm, when I close my eyes I can still see his lifeless eyes.
I let the stinging pain of my arm anchor me to the present. My friends stood beside me, we all had just gotten new tattoos. It wasn't the same without Al. Did he get tattoos so often so it would numb his pain, to keep himself grounded?
I shouldn't be thinking like this, it would tear me apart if I let it. Peter walked over to us, his eyes sunken in. "What'd you get?" he asked me, without a word I held up my arm. A white snake was coiled around a black rose, delicate leaves overlapping the reptile. Three small geometric figures were added to add extra dimension to the piece. "I like it." He managed a smile, carefully he pulled off his shirt.
Feathered wings encompassed his whole back, continuing onto his arms and down into his pants. Did my brother just get his ass tattooed? I'd rather not have known that.
"They're incredible…" I gawked, "Must have hurt like a bitch though."
"Oh yeah, worth it though." Slowly my brother was turning back into his old self, although now he was more mature and aware of the world around him. There were parts of him I knew would never be the same. He wouldn't be as collected, his emotions more guarded in fear of going berserk like the serum caused. He didn't want to find out if it had lasting effects on his psyche; frankly I didn't either.
I watch as papers are torn and thrown into the chasm, my stomach lurching as Tris and Will argue. "Is this really necessary?" I snap, my knuckles white as I grip the slick railing. "We all want something different, want more than what we have. But we can't have it. Tris is right, abnegation take care of the factionless. They don't horde things for themselves, I've seen them." Will hangs his head, his face the color of fresh blood. "But I do agree that abnegation shouldn't be running things anymore. People have grown, our world and needs have changed. We need a council of leaders from every faction to lead us all."
"I think I agree with Alessa." Chris noted sheepishly.
"I know I sure do." My heart fluttered at the sound of her voice, Lynn was walking up to us with a smile, her short hair a mess and her bed clothes on. "Isn't my baby adorable when she talks politics?" she joked, she held her arms opened as a signal of wanting a hug.
Without aa second of hesitation I threw myself into her arms, her grip was tight, pulling my fractured pieces together. Her warm lips pressed against my forehead, then the tip of my nose, and finally my lips.
"It's bedtime," Christina says, smiling. "Ready to go back?" I could her the smile in her tone.
"I'm stealing Alessa for the night, you guys have fun." Lynn yawned and took my hand in hers, guiding me away from the group and back to the dauntless-born dorm.
"Nice new ink" she smirked as she helped me into bed, plopping down beside me and pulling me close. Our bodies entangled in a way that probably looked uncomfortable but soothed our deepest aches.
I run after Tris, Chris staying behind to cover for us and attempting to stop Peter from following us. A task I knew was impossible.
All three of us sit on the train, Tris still doesn't trust him. While I understood her reasoning it still upset me, he didn't have control of himself. He was watching himself through a monitor, his memories have come crashing back and some nights all he does is cry. My brother was not the nicest person back in candor but he never would have done anything so cruel, he had a soft soul.
"What's your brother's name?" he tries to break the silence, she shoots him a disgruntled look.
"Ugh, his names Caleb." She finally spoke.
The train slows as it reaches the heart of the city, and I sit up to watch the smaller buildings grow into larger buildings. The Erudite live in large stone buildings that overlook the marsh. I hold the handle and lean out just enough to see where the tracks go. They dip down to street level just before they bend to travel east. The air is cold and moist, almost refreshing but not as much as the chasm waters.
The train dips and slows, and we jump. My legs shudder with the force of my landing, and I run a few steps to regain my balance. I walk down the middle of the street, heading south, toward the marsh. The empty land stretches as far as I can see, a brown plane colliding with the horizon.
I turn left. The Erudite buildings loom above me, dark and unfamiliar. Did Tris even know how to find her brother without making a fuss?
My answer came shortly after. She marched into the largest, center building and right up to the desk directly underneath a narcistically large portrait of Jeanine Matthews.
"How can I help you?"
"I am looking for someone," her voice is full of anger. "His name is Caleb. Do you know where I can find him?"
"I am not permitted to give out personal information," he replies blandly, as he jabs at the screen in front of him.
"He's my brother."
"I am not permi—"
She slams her palm on the desk in front of him, and he jerks out of his daze, staring at us over his spectacles. Heads turn in our direction.
"I said." her voice is terse. "I am looking for someone. He's an initiate. Can you at least tell me where I can find them?"
"I suggest you help the lady." Peter stands beside me, I don't even attempt to hide my smirk.
"Beatrice?" a voice behind us says.
Tris runs at her brother, her arms thrown around him. He stiffens, their words muttered and his eyes flickering to everyone watching us. A sickly feeling twists my gut, I don't like him.
We exit the building and cross the street. We're forced to jog to keep up with him. Across from Erudite headquarters is what used to be a park. Now we just call it "Millennium," and it is a stretch of bare land and several rusted metal sculptures—one an abstract, plated mammoth, another shaped like a lima bean that dwarfs me in size.
We stop on the concrete around the metal bean, where the Erudite sit in small groups with newspapers or books. He takes off his glasses and shoves them in his pocket, then runs a hand through his hair, his eyes skipping over Tris nervously. Like he's ashamed. But why would he be? Was he nothing like his sister, was he not relieved to see her?
"What are you doing here?" he says.
"I wanted to go home," she says like it's obvious, "and you were the closest thing I could think of."
He presses his lips together.
"Don't look so pleased to see me," she nearly snaps.
"Hey," he says, setting his hands on my shoulders. "I'm thrilled to see you, okay? It's just that this isn't allowed. There are rules."
"I don't care," Tris is losing her patience. "I don't care, okay?"
"Maybe you should." His voice is gentle; he wears his look of disapproval. "If it were me, I wouldn't want to get in trouble with your faction."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I know exactly what it means. He sees our faction as the cruelest of the five, and nothing more.
"I just don't want you to get hurt. You don't have to be so angry with me," he says, tilting his head. "What happened to you in there?"
"She grew up." I rolled my eyes, shaking my head as I looked him up and down. "Is that concept really so hard to grasp?"
The stares are getting to Caleb, Tris pulls him from view. Peter and I lean against where they hide from prying eyes.
"Um…hello." a fairly short and chubby girl walks up to us, "Is Caleb in there?" her silvery blue eyes are piercing, her long wavy auburn hair looks to be freshly pulled from a bun. "He was supposed to stop by the library and my father is not happy that he's late."
"Are you an initiate? I don't remember you from the choosing ceremony." I ask, biding time.
"Oh, no" she laughs nervously. "I won't be choosing until next year, and even then, I won't have much of a choice. Mrs. Matthews is making it nearly impossible, starting next ceremony any transfer is dooming their family. She'll make them factionless. Although her words are much prettier than mine, hides the cruel truth, doesn't it?" her voice turning bitter, her eyes cast towards the ground.
Peter tries to talk, stuttering like a nervous child.
"What?" her expression and tone change, her head cocks to the side and a childlike wonder fills her doe eyes. A laugh escapes my brother, the first I've heard in a long time.
"I said, things will change if you hold onto hope." He still fumbled over his words but got his point across.
"Maybe, I hate that I can't help to change it."
"Deidra!" the girl groaned, the girl who was jogging up to us was Ava. Eric's girlfriend, the leader of the rebellion.
"Deidra, we have to go, now." She snapped, her eyes much more blue than I remembered.
"You two shouldn't be here." Her voice moving to a harsh whisper. "And definitely not talking to my little sister. Get out of here before her little lackeys come, grab Tris too."
"Sister?" Peters eyes bulged as he watched Deidra leave, her blue dress tighter on certain lower and higher areas.
"Yeah, hands off." She warned before walking away with a scowl, playing her part of protective older sister and leader of something that could get many people killed.
We didn't leave fast enough.
Once back in our dark and traitorous compound Eric set in on us, which I should have expected to be honest. We jeopardized everything that has been in the makings for so long, we could have ruined the chance to save lives and ensure a future where Jeanine Matthews isn't leading us with a cold, iron fist with a heart to match.