wholocker78218: Eric gets pissy when he's forced to publicly show his affection xD
Guest: I know, I feel so bad, but we wouldn't have a story if everything went smoothly! D:
DarkFlameJ: Eric isn't the one she's going to try and kill. Yes, I made him go back for Tris, haha. Gotta wedge in some character development between those two somewhere. He was definitely expecting the worst when he told Jessica he was Tyler's killer. As for Four's reaction to Eric being captured, read and find out! :)
BK2U: Interweaving makes me upset xS Haha, it's so hard to write it without making a carbon copy of the book/movie!
VioletBrock: Happy you're enjoying it! Snarky one-liners are a must haha. Don't worry (?) more Eric whump to come. Poor baby.
Classybird: I can't promise that, I'm sorry! D: He'll kick ass later on, though. This IS Eric, we're talking about. As for Edward and Peter, tensionnn
Hello new readers! Glad to know you're enjoying this story. I hope to hear more from all of you in the near future! Here's another chappie for you. xoxo
Chapter #34: Numb
A shout escaped Rain as a grenade detonated a mere few feet from where she was knelt, barely ducking behind wall in time as shards of tile and dust flew passed and causing a few loose strands of her hair to whip around her face. The handful of soldiers she had brought in attempt to quietly infiltrate the building were rapidly proving insufficient against the remaining Dauntless and Erudite traitors. Lifting her hand, she pressed a finger to her ear.
"Fire the flares! Call the others in!" she hollered.
Outside, figures emerged from their hiding spots along the perimeter of the Erudite compound. As a single unit, they all lifted their arms high, and bright red flares were fired into the air, climbing high into the sky like thirty red, slithering serpents. With it came the conjoined, thunderous roars of Renaissance and loyal Dauntless as they stormed in from the shadows in one giant black mass, a sight that caused any Erudite guards within sight to wisely flee in startled terror.
Rain's arm flew up to shield herself from more debris, cursing as a few chunks whizzed precariously passed her head. Pressing her hand to her ear piece once more, she shouted over the noise:
"Domino! Domino, do you copy?"
"I copy. Where are you, Rain?"
"I'm in the main lobby! I need backup!"
"On my way. Hold tight!"
"Eric! Eric, do you copy?" A frown came to her face when she received no answer. "Eric, do you copy? Over."
Still nothing.
Her frown deepened, ice cold dread instantly striking through her core like a strike of lightning. Just as she was about to try again, her head was snapping up as an Erudite rounded the corner and pointed their gun at her, but she was faster, her arm shooting up with lightning speed and pulling back on the trigger. Her eyes followed his body as he fell dead in front of her, blood oozing from the hole in his chest. She was going to attempt to reach Eric again, when the roaring army of soldiers suddenly came bursting through the lobby doors, pouring in like a black wave of bullets and fire. She stood slowly and turned to face the carnage before her, watching with widened eyes as Erudite and traitor Dauntless dropped left and right at an alarming rate. This wasn't how she had wanted things to go, but they had given them no choice. Only those firing against them would fall to their bullets. They were sealing their own fates.
"Rain!"
Her body whipped around at Domino's voice to see him running towards him with three senior Renaissance in his wake.
"Domino, have you seen Eric?" she asked instantly.
"No. Last I heard of him was when he was trying to find Four." He frowned. "He's not answering?"
"No." Although she tried her hardest to maintain a controlled front, she knew the panic shone bright in her eyes. "Domino, I have to go look for him."
"Your faction needs leadership, Rain."
"I can't leave him!"
"We won't, but we can't be running around blindly, either."
"Rain! Rain, do you copy? It's Jacob."
She pressed her hand to her ear. "I copy, Jacob."
"Rain, they have Eric."
Her eyes widened, her voice coming out as a horrified whisper. "What?"
Before he was able to reply, all their heads were abruptly snapping upwards when the huge screen hovering over the lobby suddenly came to life, and she was shocked into stillness at what it projected. Beside her, Domino had frozen as well, staring openly at the screen with widened eyes.
"Oh, shit..."
Lined up in a row was a total of twelve Renaissance and loyal Dauntless, all on their knees with their wrists tied behind their backs, and behind each stood an armed guard. In the very center of the lineup knelt Eric.
All fire had ceased at this point, eyes staring at the screens in a mixture of shock, horror, and rage. Then from the side, Jeanine calmly walked into sight on the screen.
"Cease your fire."
"That bitch," growled Domino.
"I am speaking to all that are listening," said Jeanine calmly. "This is not the answer. Raging war upon Erudite will not stop the decline this city is facing. We are not what's threatening this population. We're what's trying to save it."
"Bullshit!" one of the soldiers in the lineup snarled.
"They're not as stupid as you pin them for, Jeanine," Eric spat.
Turning her head, she regarded him coolly. "Strange. You were once thought of them as a bunch of unintelligent insects crawling beneath you."
He gritted his teeth. A moment passed, and then she was walking up to him, causing him to frown, and his eyes to darken when she drew near. Reaching down, she removed his earpiece in a single, fluid movement, which only brought an angered snarl to his face as he gave his restrainer a firm jerk.
Jeanine turned back to face the screen with impassive eyes and held the earphone up to her own ear. "I've got something you want, Rain" she said.
Rain's eyes narrowed dangerously when her voice rung in her ears.
"You have something I want as well," she continued. "I'm suggesting a fair trade. Your Divergent serum for Eric."
Eric's eyes instantly widened. "No, Rain!"
"Quiet!" one of the guards snapped.
"You and I both know she's lying," he persisted in a stern voice. "She'll kill me anyway."
"Jeanine, don't do this," said Rain lowly, eyes locked on the screen. "Don't do this. It doesn't have to be this way."
"You're the one that came storming into Erudite with guns," Jeanine countered calmly.
"You mean to stop you from killing off more innocents?" Eric spoke up coldly from the line. "Maybe if you weren't killing off hundreds of people for this cause of yours, everyone might be less apt to hunt you down."
"You are hypocrisy at its best, Eric." She turned back to look at him over her shoulder. "Have you been in Renaissance so long that you've forgotten what landed you there in the first place?"
Eric's eyes darkened at her words.
"Are you forgetting that you helped lead the attack against Abnegation? That you lead your men to Amity in search for Divergents? Has it slipped your mind you were once as set on this cause as I am?"
He said nothing, merely glaring at her with withering eyes at being reminded of his previous affiliation with her forces.
"I gave you a fair warning," she continued, "but now you've crossed a line."
"You made me attack her!" he shouted suddenly. "You shot me up with your serum, and you made me go after her! I almost killed her, you psychotic bitch! I crossed a line?" His eyes were wide—enraged.
Amongst the crowd, a few eyes, mainly Renaissance, fell at the outburst, as did Domino's, whom had witnessed the ex-Dauntless' reaction to the incident first-hand when he had realized what he'd done to Rain. Beside him, Rain's eyes were wide as she stared at the screen, having obtained a distinct shine at the emotion she heard in Eric's voice. Lifting his arm, Domino placed his hand on her shoulder.
Jeanine, however, appeared completely unfazed by Eric's statement. Looking over her shoulder, she nodded, and one of the soldiers moved forward. She then returned her attention to Eric, eyes containing a robotic chill.
"If you want to play that card, so be it. You really have proven to be a massive disappointment to me, Eric."
Eric continued glaring up at her with enough venom to put down ten men.
"As a leader, it is your duty to take responsibility of your actions." She turned back to the camera. "Need I remind all of you that he used to work for me? You are allowing yourselves to be lead by a coldblooded murderer—a man that is easily brainwashed into doing whatever he is told. First it was Dauntless. Then he decided to work for me. Then Rain. He's an unpredictable attack dog to anyone that will throw him the largest steak."
Eric's lips curled back into a sneer, yanking against his restrainers in pent-up rage. Jeanine held up a USB port for her audience to see.
"The memory serum has two types. To preserve and to erase. In this port, all of Eric's memories from when he was working for me to when he was taken by Renaissance are recorded."
Eric's eyes widened at her words.
"Take a look at the man you have decided to trust with the lives of you and your children." With that, she walked over to one of the monitors in the room, and, in a sudden, uncontrolled fit of panic, Eric started struggling against his restrainers.
"No!"
She plugged the USB into a port.
"JEANINE!"
Her fingers glided over the keyboard as she started typing, and he thrashed in a desperate attempt to break free from his captors and stop Jeanine, but they held him firm. Then the next second, the screen was coming to life with a series of gunfire and screams, making his head snap up just in time to see an elderly man and woman drop to the cement with blood oozing from their heads. He recognized them instantly.
It was bizarre and horrifying, for he could not see himself other than when he raised his gun to fire. They were literally watching this through his eyes. He and the other captives in the room had fallen completely silent as they watched the horrors unfold before them. One by one, innocents dropped at his hand, as they stared up at him with wide eyes shimmering with terror. Some pleaded for mercy, but it was not given to them, and with each plea resulted a deafening bang and spurt of bright red crimson.
Eric's head lowered as yet another body was dropped at his hand, but one of the guards grabbed a handful of his hair and harshly jerked his head up, forcing him to look at the screen.
"You will watch this, you coward."
His teeth gritted together as he listened to the callous tone in his voice while he interrogated a captive, hating what he saw and heard. The man's eyes were staring directly into his, wide with fear as he pleaded with him to allow his family to live. He had watched as he strode through Candor, mercilessly shooting its residents with Jeanine's serum and stepping over their unconscious forms without so much as a single thought to whose fingers he stepped on. In fact, he had made a point to step on them. If they flinched, they were awake, and that made them Divergent. When a little boy's face showed up on the screen, however, his heart dropped into his stomach at realizing it was Madeline's son. He shut his eyes, knowing what was coming, and his muscles tensed in anticipation for the fatal blow. When it came, the gunshot seemed to echo for miles, shooting straight through him like an electric jolt.
Amongst the crowd, Rain felt as if her heart had stopped as she watched the horrors projected on the screen; though, it was not so much directed towards Eric's actions, but for how everyone else would react to seeing this footage of him. Her dread only deepened when she thought of how this was affecting Eric.
Behind him, Eric felt the guard release his hold on his hair with a cruel shove, and another guard took his place. As the terrified screams continued to echo through the room, Eric had fallen completely silent, unable to take his eyes off the monitor—off of himself. It was like watching a real-life horror movie—and he was the star. A regular boogeyman. There was so much blood that it had started to all meld together, until he was seeing nothing but red. Moments later, he watched the images on the screen blur as it transitioned to another memory, and he found himself staring into the face of a little Candor girl.
"Hi, sweety."
He grimaced at the sickeningly fake friendliness in his voice, watching as the girl looked up at him with frightened, tear-filled eyes.
"The lady said..."
He saw her shrink back a bit as he stood, her eyes still glistening as he lifted the scanner to her face, revealing her percentage of Divergence.
"I guess it's not you, either," he said.
"The lady said I shouldn't of... the lady said I shouldn't of come downstairs," she whimpered.
He could practically see the exact expression he had made at her words, containing a phony and unapologetic sympathy.
"I guess you should've listened."
Eric knew what was coming next, and the next second the screen was jerking to the side as he was tackled by Tris a mere split second before he would have shot the girl in the head. Without realizing it, relief had washed through him as he remembered that little girl was still alive—no thanks to him. He watched as he pinned Tris beneath him, his hands clenched around her throat, not missing miss how the masked guard behind him tightened their grasp on his shoulder. Tris' gasps for breath could be heard when he finally released her on Max's command.
She was laying on the ground, her wrists bound and lip bleeding, as she stared up at him from the floor. As her Divergence was revealed through the scan, her lips had curled into the smallest of triumphant smiles directed at him, and as he knelt down to her level he imagined the condescending smile he had worn while looking at her.
"If you think you got lucky, you're wrong. Oh, you're gonna wish I killed ya."
The screen went black. For the first few seconds, all he did was continue to stare at the blank screen, his body feeling numb. Then slowly, he bowed his head, eyes closing against what felt like the universe weighing down on his shoulders. He had been thinking about his past actions a lot lately, but he had been nowhere near prepared to witness them first-hand like he just had. Seeing it in person was an entirely different level of impact, striking him straight in the face like a fist of iron. The perfect karma.
Jeanine shut off the screen and turned back to Eric, but he wasn't looking at her, staring down at the floor with uncharacteristically haunted eyes. Her cold orbs lingered on him for a moment, and then she once again lifted the earpiece as the screen went back to gazing out at the crowd.
"Now you all know exactly who you are dealing with."
"Unfortunately, you don't know who you're dealing with," came Rain's ice cold voice through the device.
Jeanine paused, just then realizing the Renaissance leader was no longer amongst the crowd.
"You shouldn't have taken your eyes off me, bitch."
Swiftly, Jeanine turned towards the guards standing behind the hostages, eyes slightly widened. "If you want to play that game, so be it." She gave a single nod, keeping her finger pressed to the ear piece so Rain could hear her. "Shoot all but him."
Eric's head snapped up in alarm, and then behind him at the guards as they lifted their guns to his comrades' heads. "NO!"
Then without warning, the guard standing behind him suddenly turned his gun on the others, and a split second after another guard joined him. Before any of them could so much as process what was happening, they were falling dead to the ground with a series of carefully planned out shots.
Jeanine whirled around, startled, as Eric's head snapped up to the larger guard when he turned to face the Erudite woman. He had his gun aimed between her eyes, while the other started cutting the binds of the captives. When he got to Eric, he came to one knee before him, slicing through the cord with a knife. When they reached up to remove their mask, however, Eric was shocked into stillness when he realized who his rescuer was.
"Jacob?"
The larger guard kept his gun trained on Jeanine as he punched the button beside the door, knocking Eric into even deeper shock as it slid open to allow passage to a seething Rain. She strode in with Clyde, Domino, and at least ten other men at her tail, looking nothing short of furious. She didn't even look at him, eyes locked on Jeanine like a heat-seeking missile.
Jeanine took a step back. "Do you really think—"
She was abruptly cut off as Rain slugged her across the face without warning, the sheer brutality of the hit sending the older woman falling to the floor with minimal grace. Rain only glared down at her with an enraged snarl of disgust, and then, finally, she turned to Eric to see he was staring up at her with widened eyes. Clyde took her place pointing his gun at Jeanine as Rain stepped towards Eric. Slowly, she lowered to her knees before taking his face in her hands and kissing him fully, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. He hugged her back on reflex, barely feeling the contact. It was as if his nerves had been shot. His attention was redirected upwards as the other guard that had assisted Jacob came into his line of vision, but when they removed their mask he was hardly prepared for whose face lay beneath it.
Four nodded to him once, communicating without words. Now they were even.
"Rain, do you copy? Over."
Having managed to collect herself for the most part, she pressed her finger to her ear. "I copy."
"She did it. Tris did it."
She frowned. "Did what?"
"While everyone was distracted, Tris headed for the labs. The box is open, Rain."
Her eyes widened. "Oh my God..."
Four looked at her. "What is it?"
Turning her head, she regarded him with widened eyes, but then she was striding towards the door. "We're going to the simulation room." Pointing back with her gun hand, she glared towards Jeanine. "Bring that bitch. Four, Eric, come with me."
Momentarily forgetting their dislike for one another, the two men exchanged questioning looks, but then were following after her at a swift stride, as Domino seized Jeanine by the arm and forcibly lead her out the door. As they were walking, Four turned his head to Rain, frowning when he didn't see Tris anywhere in the crowd.
"Rain, where's Tris?"
"That's where we're going." She looked up at him. "She opened the box while everyone was distracted."
His and Eric's eyes both widened.
"You've got to be kidding me," Eric muttered. Again, the girl had managed to one-up him.
As they entered the room, they were greeted with the sight of a hologram taking form of a woman being projected above the box. They had all drawn to a gradual stop—all but Four—who had run into the chamber to be beside Tris. Jeanine's eyes were locked on the box, all traces of her previous smugness disappeared from her features as they gathered around.
"Hello," said the woman in a calm, almost soothing voice. "I come from outside the wall... where we have all but destroyed each other. We designed your city as an experiment. We believe it is the only way to recover the humanity we have lost."
Eric's eyes had grown in size as he listened to the woman, lips having parted in a state of shock. Beside him, Rain stood calmly, the smallest of smiles dancing across her lips.
"We created factions to ensure peace... but we believe there will be those among you who will transcend these factions. These will be the Divergent. They are the true purpose of this experiment. They are vital to humanity's survival."
Eric's lips parted.
"If you're watching this now, then at least one of you is proof that our experiment has succeeded. The time has come for you to emerge from your isolation and rejoin us. We've allowed you to believe that you're the last of us... but you're not."
Eyes falling, Eric blinked and looked beside him at Rain calculatingly, suddenly recalling their conversation at the wall.
"Mankind waits for you... with hope... beyond the wall."
With a smile still gracing her lips, Rain turned her head to where Tris was hooked up, only to see the girl was wearing a small smile of her own. The next moment, she was coming out of the sim, and Four caught her as she lowered back down to the floor.
"You okay?" he asked, voice containing a discrete breathiness.
Smiling, she nodded. "Yeah."
Rain's eyes shifted back to Jeanine coolly, only to see she was staring up at Tris with widened eyes. It was clear just by looking at her that she was devastated by the message, for it had gone against everything she had been stating from the very beginning. Up on the platform, Tris stepped up to the glass calmly, eyes containing a distinct triumph as she looked down at her.
"You were wrong about us," she said softly. She shook her head faintly. "We were never the problem... We're the solution."
Eric's eyes lowered to the floor, when he suddenly felt a light hand on his shoulder. Lifting his head, he looked beside him at Rain. Her eyes held a knowing glint, expressing that she knew exactly what was going through his head at that very moment. Leaning in, she placed a single, doting kiss on his neck.
"Rain, do you copy? Over."
"I copy. What is it?"
"Factionless just arrived. Evelyn is on her way up."
Rain looked up as the doors slid open just a few seconds after being notified, and in stepped Evelyn with a small army of Factionless behind her. Eric straightened, body regaining its rigid posture beside Rain as the older woman confronted them.
"Looks like you started the party without us," said Evelyn.
"It wasn't personal." Rain's eyes held a respectful submission.
The look in the older woman's eyes clearly told she wasn't convinced, but at the same time an understanding of sorts was visible within their depths. Turning, she faced Jeanine, eyes cunning.
"Hello, Jeanine."
Jeanine's eyes held transparent incredulity. "...Evelyn?"
"Impressive." Evelyn nodded as she gave the room a quick scan. "I think we're gonna like it here."
The expression on Jeanine's face said it all. "Do you honestly think the other factions will stand for this?"
She cocked her head at her with meaningful intent. "Because you're so popular?" When Jeanine said nothing in reply, a scoff of disdain left Evelyn's lips. "Get her out of here."
Two of her guards stepped forward, but before relinquishing his hold on her, Domino met Rain's eyes for approval. With a single nod, he was handing Jeanine over, and she was roughly restrained and shoved forward. As she was being lead towards the door, however, she managed to turn herself around and face them once more in a last-minute state of panic.
"When that message gets out, it'll be the end!"
She wasn't given another chance to speak as she was forcibly lead out of the room, followed by Christina, who lead Tris' brother by the arm. Rain watched Tris with sympathetic eyes as she watched her brother being taken away, the conflict evident amidst her features. Once they were out of the room, Evelyn turned back to face Four with questioning eyes.
"What message?"
"You'll see." A miniature smile tugged at his lips. "I'm gonna put it on every monitor in the city."
Tris glanced over towards Rain. Her eyes held a strange awareness as she studied the Renaissance woman. It was a moment before she spoke, but when she did her voice contained a quiet realization.
"You knew."
Rain turned her head towards her. Four and Eric looked at her before shifting their eyes to Rain, and Four's eyebrows drew together slowly when she made no move to deny the accusation. Realizing this himself, Eric turned to face her fully, a spark of betrayal evident in his slate blue orbs.
"Is that true?" He stared at her with incredulity. "You knew all this?"
Eyes having been directed towards the floor, Rain met his gaze evenly, unflinching. "The information was passed down to me by Nathaniel."
"Who's Nathaniel?" asked Tris.
"He was the leader of Renaissance before Rain." Four looked back to her. "Why wouldn't you tell anyone?" he demanded, a hint of anger detectable in his voice.
Eric looked equally betrayed.
"I was sworn to secrecy," she explained calmly. "The city wasn't ready. I fear it still isn't." Her eyes moved back to Tris. "You are an extraordinary young woman, Tris. This city is right to look up to you. I just hope they're as smart as you."
Eric stepped up to her, eyes drilling into hers. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Rain's eyes softened at the faint hurt she saw in his slate blues. "There were a few times I almost did. I think you can guess why I kept my mouth shut. Look what happened to Tris' family."
Tris' eyes fell, as did Eric's.
"It's not that I didn't trust you, Eric."
His gaze moved back up to hers.
"I was just keeping a promise to the person I owed everything to. I was keeping my faction safe. Jeanine would have went after every one of them. Try to understand that."
For a long minute, he remained silent, but then his lips parted once more. "Are you Divergent?"
Four and Tris looked at him, surprised at the sudden question. Rain, however, remained calm, as if she had been expecting this.
"Yes."
His eyes burned though hers. "What percentage?"
A brief pause lingered between them, but she did not remove her stare from his. "One hundred."
Tris looked at her sharply, as Eric's eyes widened a fraction.
Four stepped towards her in equal disbelief. "How is that possible?"
"I don't know how it happens. It's just how it is. Tris and I are the only ones that I know of. There was one woman who was 99%, but she's no longer with us."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She met Four's eyes, as did Eric. Eric had shot him a look as if to ask why she should have, jealously making its way into his eyes once again.
"I didn't tell anyone, because I knew what would happen," said Rain. "Look what happened to Tris. Only a few including Nathaniel and myself know of the outside world. They kept their secret for the same reasons. With Jeanine at power, and the factions on the brink of war, revealing there was an entirely different world out there would have erupted into chaos. Now that Jeanine is taken down, and people know she was wrong, it's time they know the truth."
Tris was listening intently, but her attention had been caught on the revealing fact that there had been two other Divergents aside from herself and Rain. "Who was the 99%?"
Rain looked back to her, eyes having obtained an almost maternal glow. "Your mother."
Tris' eyes widened.
"Why do you think she and your father were chosen to lead the government? To keep the box safe? Why do you think your mother knew so much about Divergents?"
Tris said nothing, in shock. Rain placed a hand on her shoulder.
"She would have been proud, Tris. You've managed the impossible. You proved everyone wrong."
Behind her, Eric's head lowered.
Within minutes, the message had been projected all over the city, the monitors lighting up with the woman from beyond the wall. Her voice echoed through the halls as the four of them made their way down to the main lobby, all eyes on them.
Eric's eyes remained down as they walked, lost in thought. Aside from his troubled thoughts, he had noticed a strange tingling in his legs as he walked, frowning at the slight weakness he felt in them. In the end, however, he drew it down to shock and put it in the back of his mind. A few of his fellow Renaissance gave his back firm pats as he passed by, voicing their support as he walked. Beside them, Tris and Four cast him a curious glance, and after a moment Four finally reached over and gave his arm a small nudge to gain his attention. When he turned his head to send him a small frown, Four's head dipped in a discrete nod.
"Thank you."
Eric, however, just looked back forward, solemn-faced. "Don't thank me."
They both regarded him carefully, but before either of them could comment on the ex-Dauntless' unusually dismal disposition Rain was addressing them.
"If we're going to venture outside the walls, we should do it prepared. Meet me at Renaissance in one hour. There are some things we need to talk about."
Four nodded. "We'll be there."
With that, Rain strode towards the exit at a swift stride, and Eric looked after her before following silently.
Eric rubbed his leg as they drove, frowning upon noticing the trembling in his muscles hadn't shown any signs of decreasing. Sitting beside him, Rain turned her head when she saw the movement from the corner of her eye, and a concerned frown stamped itself on her face.
"Are you hit?"
He shook his head, not taking his gaze away from staring out the window. "Not with a bullet. They shot both my legs with neuro-stim darts when I was detained. Though, it's never caused the muscles to prickle like this before..."
Her frown deepened. "We'll run a scan when we get back. The last time we assumed you'd been shot with a stim dart, you almost died."
He nodded, but it was distracted, staring out the window with distant eyes. He was lost in his thoughts, having barely heard her. Images of the people he'd killed kept replaying in his mind over and over again on a loop ever since the screen had gone blank. Those people would never get a chance to see beyond the wall... Hell, they would never get a chance to do a lot of things. Yet he was living on. He would get the chance to leave the city—to be free from the lies and isolation. Despite the grand opportunity, he felt no joy. He felt no excitement. Even the shock he had felt while listening to the message had already worn off, his heart rate having lowered back down to an almost listless beat. He felt numb. Jeanine had been wrong about Divergents—he had been wrong. All those people he killed because he had believed in Jeanine, and it turned out Divergents were what would save humanity. People like Jeanine—like him—were what the population beyond the wall had been trying to annihilate.
Closing his eyes, his head fell back against the seat.
When they had arrived back at Renaissance, they were greeted with cheers as they stepped off the truck. Rain smiled at her men as she passed by, but Eric remained stoic, his body and mind on autopilot as he followed her through the halls.
He stood off to the side, eyes flickering around at the wounded as Rain explained to Clair what happened to him. Many of the injured would be fine by the looks of it, but some were in critical condition from their wounds. God knew how many they had lost in the battle.
He had contributed to the start of this war. This was all partially his fault.
All of a sudden, without any warning, his legs abruptly gave out beneath him when he went to take a step towards Clair as she beckoned him forth. He collapsed to the floor with a grunt, startling everyone in the room. Rain whipped around, and within a split second she was at his side, as was Jacob, but he refused their help.
"I'm fine!" He shoved them off. Embarrassment seared through him, overpowering his confusion as he slowly pushed himself back to his feet. When he caught Rain's eye, he saw she was staring at him with widened eyes, concern alight in her hazel-green orbs.
Clair stepped towards him. "Has this happened before?"
"No, it hasn't happened before!" he snapped. "You think I might have mentioned that?"
She glanced towards Rain, but she looked just as lost, still appearing a bit startled. They looked at him again as he hopped up onto one of the cots, grimacing at the trembling in his muscles. What the hell was going on? He remained still and mainly compliant as Clair ran some scans, only because he wanted to know what the hell was wrong with him. Domino had left the room, mentioning something about confronting Jeanine. Minutes felt like hours, when Rain's pocket tablet suddenly went off. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled the small device out and tapped the screen.
"What is it?"
Domino's voice sounded through the speaker. "Just got through interrogating Jeanine. It wasn't a neuro-stim dart."
She frowned, as Eric looked up from his seat, frowning as well.
"His legs were shot with paralysis darts. They contain a powerful strain of paralytic." His face was grim. "It's not meant to wear off."
Eric's eyes had widened as he listened. Clair had stopped what she was doing to loom over Rain's shoulder, listening intently.
"Well, there must be something we can do," said Rain. Although her voice was calm, it was clear that she was suppressing her alarm.
Domino's eyes fell. "There isn't a known cure. It will progressively get worse until his legs are fully paralyzed... It's unlikely he'll be able to return to the battlefield." He lowered his voice so Eric couldn't hear him, knowing he was listening. "That was her plan all along, Rain. She wants to break him."
Rain's eyes were wide, and within a couple seconds they had formed a seething rage that was completely out of her character. "Tell Evelyn I asked her to hold off on Jeanine's execution. There's a few things I need to... say... to her."
Domino nodded, and with that the screen went black. Turning, she looked over at Eric, only to see his head had fallen back against the pillow, eyes staring up at the ceiling blankly. He looked much like he had after finding out he'd been injected with the WD toxin, a state of grim despair glazing over his slate blue orbs. Her heart clenched within her chest, causing it to tighten. She knew what this meant to him. Already, she could tell what he was thinking.
Then suddenly, he got up, swinging his legs off the cot and hopping off.
"Eric!" called Clair. "You need to sit down!"
He ignored her completely, and, just like last time, he strode from the room without so much as looking back. Rain's eyes were pained as she watched him go, knowing there was no stopping him. Knowing it was best to allow him to cool off, she gave him some time before making an effort to find him.
First, she went to the apartment, but he wasn't there. Deciding it would be easier just to track him, she pulled out her tablet and activated the tracker in his neck despite the guilt she felt at doing so. Having figured he would be either in the gym or on the roof, her theory was concluded correct when she saw the small blue dot hovering over the gymnasium. She heard his fists beating against the leather bag before so much as entering the room, the sound echoing through the quiet hall.
He was beating viciously on the bag, having stripped off his jacket. His exposed arms, face, and neck shined with sweat from the backbreaking force he was using to hit the bag. She could hear his choppy, labored breathing as he worked himself to the brink of exhaustion but showing no sign of stopping. It was a sad sight to behold. Anyone that knew him would understand what he was going through at that moment—that this sudden urge to brutally work himself was a result from the shame and panic he felt at the news he'd just received. Working out was his relief. It was his sanctuary, and it was what he turned to when most upset. Knowing he would no longer be able to turn to his workouts as forcefully was driving him to rampage. When she saw his knuckles were starting to get bloody, however, she knew she had to intervene.
"Eric." When he didn't answer, she stepped forward. "Stop."
She attempted to grab his wrist, but he yanked away from her. He was breathing heavily, entire body shaking. Her eyes were slightly widened as she watched him.
"Eric, breathe. Easy."
"I'm fine." Turning back to the bag, he continued the beating.
"Eric!"
"I'm fine!"
Slipping between him and the bag, she pushed him back by his chest. "Enough!"
He tried shoving her away, but she grabbed him, forcefully holding his wrists as he tried pulling away from her once again. "Hey—hey!" Releasing his wrists, she took hold of his face and gave him a firm shake, forcing him to look at her. His eyes were widened, gripping her arms tightly while breathing heavily. His slate blues swam with a chaotic vortex of anger, distress, and fear. Eyes softening, she leaned in and pressed her forehead to his.
"Stop. Shhhh..."
Slowly, his eyes closed, face twitching with a slight grimace at the burning in his muscles.
"That's it. Easy... easy..."
Without warning, his knees suddenly buckled beneath him, and he grabbed onto her out of impulse. She held him fast, and he managed to catch himself, legs shaking.
"I got you."
Immediately, he tried pushing her away, but she kept a firm hold on him.
"Eric, easy. It's okay. Easy..."
His eyes remained tightly shut, jaw clenched as she helped him sit down on the bench. He wasn't looking at her, staring down at the floor with wide, haunted eyes. She didn't like it at all.
"Hey." Kneeling down in front of him, she looked up at him. "Eric, look at me."
He didn't.
"Look at me, hun."
Still, he didn't. Anyone would be able to see he was falling apart, and it was destroying her. Suddenly, she looked up when she saw movement in the doorway. Jacob stood there, staring at them with solemn eyes. It was made clear he knew what was going on with a single look. Not five seconds later, Domino showed up, but he stopped as well when he saw them. Even if he hadn't admitted to it, it was clear he had started to like Eric, and that he didn't like seeing him like this anymore than the others did.
"Four and Tris are here," he said finally.
It was obvious by the look in her eyes that she was hardly willing to leave Eric's side, and Jacob seemed to sense this, because he stepped forward. Gently, he lead Rain off to the side so Eric couldn't hear them, and he faced her.
"I'll keep an eye on him. Go do what you have to do."
Turning her head back to Eric, she walked over to him and knelt down beside him once again. They watched solemnly as she took his face in her hands, thumbs stroking over his cheeks before leaning forward and capturing his lips in a loving kiss. Then with that, she was walking from the room, Domino following after her, but not before casting Eric one last glance.
Four and Tris lifted their heads when Rain entered her office, and they stood straight, turning to face her with attentive eyes.
"Evelyn is taking over," said Tris almost instantly.
Rain paused, eyes meeting hers. "What?"
"She's taking over the city," she clarified. "She's forcing the others to live under her command as one huge faction."
Sighing, Rain leaned back against the wall and lifted her arm to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Is she executing people?"
"So far, no," said Four. "She's barely holding off on Jeanine's execution, though. You might want to hurry if you want to talk to her."
When Rain said nothing in reply, it caused the both of them to frown. Clearly, they had been expecting more of a reaction from her, but the Renaissance woman seemed nothing short of distracted—not to mention exhausted.
Four's eyebrows twitched together as he observed her. "What's wrong?"
Rain looked up at him, as did Tris before shifting her eyes back to the older woman in question. At realizing she was doing a horrible job at masking her anxiety, Rain's head lowered, and a weighty sigh left her lips.
"I'm fine."
"No you're not." Four took a step closer to her, making her return her gaze to his face once more. "This is me you're talking to." His eyes searched hers. "Talk to me."
It was for a long moment that she remained silent. However, knowing there was no use in denying it, she turned her head to the side with a defeated exhale, shoulders slouching.
"It's Eric."
"What happened?"
She told them about what happened, and they were silent as they listened. Tris' lips had parted the tiniest of fractions as she told them how Eric would likely be paralyzed before the month was up.
"He's falling apart. He won't let anyone near him, and he won't speak to anyone... not even me."
They exchanged glances.
Jacob sighed as he walked alongside Eric, who still hadn't spoken a word. Once he had finally stood up from the bench, he had made a direct beeline towards the apartment, not so much as sparing the smaller man a glance. Jacob didn't let his deter him in any way, though, remaining patient as he accompanied him.
"So, are you never going to speak again?" he said finally.
A sigh of what could be taken as annoyance left the ex-Dauntless at the tone in his companion's voice.
"Eric, are you forgetting everything you've just accomplished? You're giving up now?"
Finally, he turned to face him, stopping in front of the apartment door. "What have I accomplished?"
"Are you kidding? Four and Tris would be dead, for one."
"Big fucking deal; did you see the video?!"
"Fuck the video; it's not like we didn't know what you did, Eric. You're not that man anymore—"
"FUCKING CHRIST, WOULD EVERYONE STOP SAYING THAT?!"
Jacob jumped at his sudden outburst. "Eric, chill! Look, you're panicking, and I get it. I honestly get it. No one is judging you, man. The only reason Jeanine displayed that video was to try and break you, because she knows you've had a change of heart. She wants you to give up. You're giving her exactly what she's looking for."
"Yeah, well, I don't really have a choice, do I?" he snapped.
Jacob's shoulders fell. "Eric. Listen to me. There's always hope. It's not over. New serums are being created every day. Who says there can't be one to save your legs?"
He was quiet for a long time, staring down the hall with unsettlingly detached eyes. For a second, Jacob wondered if he would even react if he tried hitting him, when at last he spoke, his voice droning and emotionless.
"I don't deserve to be fixed."
Jacob blinked. "Eric—"
"It doesn't matter." Turning, he opened the door and stepped inside the apartment, shutting the door behind him before Jacob had a chance to stop him.
"Eric!" He banged on the door with a forceful fist. "Eric, open the door!"
No answer.
In a fit of frustration, he kicked the door. "Goddamn it, you can't give in! Do you hear me? You're stronger than this! We thought you were finished after the WD toxin, too, remember? There's still hope."
Still, he received no answer. With a resigned sigh, the ex-Erudite's head fell.
Four sat beside Rain, Tris sitting to her left. Domino had departed some time ago when his presence was requested in the pit, leaving the three by themselves. Rain had sat down after telling them about Eric's condition, how overwhelmed she was fully exposing itself as she sipped on a glass of scotch Four had poured her.
"I don't know what to do," she said quietly. "I have a faction to lead... but I can't just leave him alone to carry out business. He needs me."
"Then you stay with him," said Four.
She looked up at him.
"I have a faction to lead as well, but that didn't stop me from going after Tris." His eyes stared directly into hers. "Sometimes it's okay to take a step back in order to take care of those that mean most to us."
Her eyes had taken on a distinct shine as he spoke, and her head bowed to look down at the glass in her hands. "I just don't know what to do for him. I think he's finally breaking, and I don't know how to stop the cracks from spreading."
"The military is his life," said Four. "Without physical strength, in his eyes he's nothing. To take away a soldier's legs... especially one as dedicated as Eric... you mine as well kill him. He doesn't know any other kind of life."
Rain's eyes fall. "I know he's thinking I'm going to leave him for this."
"He thinks he's worthless without strength and power," said Tris.
Four shook his head, sighing through his nose. "He'll probably never trust anyone to love him fully. Not even you."
Wearily, she leaned back against the wall. "I guess I'll just have to keep proving it, then." Downing the last of her scotch, she set the glass aside and stood. "I have to go. I should be with him right now."
Four's lips twitched ever so slightly, and he nodded. "We'll let you know if we're going to make any moves."
She took her leave. When she got back to the room, Jacob was standing outside the door, leaning against the wall with his arms folded broodingly over his chest. He perked up when he saw her, and she walked up to him as he turned to face her.
"He's in there. He hasn't spoken to me."
She nodded. "Thank you. I'll take care of him. You go see to Jessica."
"Jessica is fine. I've already talked to her. I have something else I have to do."
She considered him closely, frowning a little. "Such as...?"
Jacob pointed to the door. "Don't let him give up." With that, he turned and ran down the hall, disappearing around the corner.
Rain watched after him with a puzzled stare, but shook it off. She made sure to calm herself before entering the room quietly, shutting the door behind her with a soft click. Eric was on the bed, laying on his side with his back facing her. He was staring out the window, eyes following the droplets as they slid down the glass. Rain's eyes softened, and she approached him quietly, kicking off her boots and shedding her jacket before climbing into the bed. He didn't even look at her, lifeless, but this time she wasn't standing for it.
Gently, with a hand on his shoulder she rolled him onto his back and straddled his waist, gently taking his face in her hands. Finally, his eyes met hers, empty and impassive.
Managing a soft smile, she leaned down and kissed him lovingly. "I love you. No matter what."
Later that night, Eric lay awake, having not slept a wink so far. He stared grimly at the glass as the water trickled down in steady streams. Beside him, Rain was sleeping snuggled against him with her head on his chest, arm wrapped around him. It boggled his mind. She finally had her chance to leave the city. She should have been with the others getting ready to pursue what lay beyond the gates, but instead she was with him. He just didn't understand it, no matter which direction he tried to wrap his mind around it. Why did she stay with him? After all he had put her through, she should have kicked his ass to the curb twelve times over by now, but here she was. He knew she was clinging to the hope that there was a way to reverse the paralytic like they had done with the WD virus, but half of him was still Erudite, and, naturally, he thought as logically as possible when presented with situations like this. With the WD toxin, there had been an antitoxin already in the works. There was nothing for what was happening to him now, and with everyone focused on what lay beyond the gates it was unlikely there was any research in process.
It was only a matter of time before she accepted there was no hope. There was no hope. It might not be today, tomorrow, or even weeks, but within a couple months she would have to accept it, because by then he wouldn't even be able to stand. He wouldn't let people see him like that. A cripple. Before realizing it, a single tear had slipped from his eye. Immediately, he stubbornly squeezed his eyes shut, roughly wiping the tear away with his arm. Man up, the voice in his head hissed scathingly. This is the least you deserve.
Once again, he thought back on the horrors Jeanine had showed on the screen. All those lives gone because of him, and he was being allowed to live on and start a new life. He had been given a second chance and had become part of a family. However misfit it was, it was family. Then he'd actually gotten into a relationship, which was something he had sworn he would never do. How he had managed to find a woman like Rain was beyond him. She had showed him a whole new world. The icing on the cake had been when Renaissance elected him as their new leader. At last, he had been given the opportunity to be back in his element and lead—to feel like he was someone again—and within a second two darts had taken it away. All of it. A cripple couldn't lead. Hell, he wouldn't even be able to pleasure Rain properly in due time.
Eyes shutting, he carefully wiggled out from beneath Rain and sat up, pausing only for only a moment to look down at her. He felt a painful stab in his chest as he gazed down at her sleeping form, admiring her beauty one last time. Eventually, she would see he wasn't worth the trouble, and he didn't want to be around to see that happen. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he leaned down and kissed her lips softly, careful not to wake her as he brushed his thumb over her cheek. When he spoke, his voice was so quiet it made a kitten's purr sound like a roar.
"Thank you." His eyes closed. Forgive me.
Standing, he paused for a moment to ensure his legs didn't show any signs of giving out before walking out onto the balcony. The cool night air hit his face in a gentle gust as he walked to the stone railing, and he leaned over to look down at the long drop. He wouldn't feel a thing. Breathing having grown a little shaky, he thought about how the others had seen him. Embarrassment seethed through him once more. By now, it was likely everyone knew. Even now, he could feel the muscles in his legs shaking slightly. Closing his eyes, he forced back the intrusive sting. Even now he could feel his strength leaving him. He had to do it now—while he still could. Placing his hands flat on the concrete, he hauled himself up onto the ledge. Balancing on his feet, he carefully rose up to a standing position and gazed down at the drop beneath him once more.
Don't hate me! Eric took a serious look in the mirror this chapter, and I think it's affected him more than he was prepared for. All this is for a purpose, I promise. Poor thing can't catch a break. :c
Btw, warning for those highly allergic to man tears. Grab ya tissues before you read the next chapter. (sorry)