Tris and I go straight to the control room. Soon, we have a crowd with us, and not just Divergent, but people from all factions. Leo, Cara, and Linus, of course, but also Fernando - he volunteered to be Erudite's liaison to Divergent. Uriah shows up, bringing Zeke, Shauna, Inez, and Lynn. Johanna drops by with Christopher, who turns out to be Divergent. He's going to stay in Amity, but he wants to help us plan.

We agree to four main lines of effort to prepare for the mission: Cara is going to research the purple serum and the computer records, and Linus agreed that she could bring over some of the researchers she trusts. Tris and I are in charge of finding and recruiting Divergent. Leo, Lynn, and Fernando will design a training program, which will include physical, mental, emotional, and survivalist modules. Uriah, Zeke, and Inez will figure out what equipment we're going to need, which we all agree will include scavenger teams to explore the city for useful raw materials - for the mission, but also for the factions. Fernando will help them, too, with new technologies. Tris is in charge of planning the actual mission, though I and all the team leads will help her.

We agree that Divergent should be headquartered at Dauntless for now, if Tori and Harrison give their consent. Much to my surprise, Shauna volunteers to organize the living and meeting space for the Divergent, to include scouting for a long-term headquarters. She notices me looking at her and crosses her arms defensively. "What?" she snaps. "You don't think I can be useful anymore?"

"I'm just surprised you want to be," I note.

She flushes, keeping her arms crossed. "Of course I want to," she declares. She glances at Zeke, who gives me his best death glare, but he winks when she looks away.

Then Marcus saunters in.

"What do you want?" Tris demands.

"I've come to be of assistance," he says smoothly, not looking at me.

"Well, we don't want you. You are not welcome here," she shoots back. "Leave. Now."

"Beatrice," he says to her, with exaggerated patience, "I am not interested in what a 16 year-old girl wants from minute to minute. There is more at stake than you can possibly understand." He pauses, crossing his arms. "And in any case, I would hope that my son is man enough at this point in his life to speak for himself if he has something to say to me."

The room goes completely still. I feel anger rising in me like floodwater; I will suffocate if I can't break the surface. I stand, clenching my right fist, ready to beat him again - he's definitely asking for it. But then Tris's cool hand cups over my fist, pulling me up like a lifeline.

I exhale noisily and do something even I didn't expect.

I laugh.

"Oh Marcus," I say, letting my fingers uncurl into Tris's. "What would you know about manhood?"

Marcus's mouth falls open, and he stares at me. He's used to people doing what he expects them to, and this is not what he expects from me.

"The only thing that makes you feel strong is beating up children and women. But it was never enough to make you feel like a man, was it?"

I laugh again, this time with relief. My shoulders actually do feel lighter, as though a burden I didn't even know I was carrying around with me has been lifted off.

"And for what it's worth, I'm man enough to like it when the woman I love stands up for me," I say, pulling Tris into my arms and kissing her soundly, in front of everyone, and Tris only hesitates for a second before kissing me back. I'm dimly aware that people in the room are whooping and cheering.

We are both smiling when we pull apart. Marcus turns on his heel and stalks toward the door.

Tori arranges to have food brought up to us so the teams can continue working. She and Harrison both come by, readily agreeing to shelter the Divergent for as long as is necessary. Harrison sticks around to help the training team, and Tori chats with us about recruiting. Tris looks at her. "Are we going to find your name in the records, Tori?" she asks quietly. Tori smiles. "No, you won't find my name there," she says. "But the aptitude test isn't always right, is it, Four?" She nods coldly at Leo before leaving, but at least she acknowledges him - it's a step up.

We load the data chip into a computer and start reading through the lists - they go back 10 years. There are hundreds of Divergent on the terminated and Factionless lists. Then there's a watch list and a known-at-large list, which only has about 20 people on it, including me, Tris, and Marcus. And Tori is wrong; she is on the watch list with a notation that her older brother, Edward (terminated), was Divergent. I find Amar Sadawy on the terminated list, and then Leila Sadawy on the watch list - I did not know he had a sister.

The teams continue planning into the night, but Leo finally stops us around 11:00.

"This is the most important mission most of us may ever be involved in," he says as the group falls silent. "It's important that we are all at our best, and that we function as a team - whether you're part of the Divergent group that will go forward, or the faction support that will stay behind. So I strongly recommend that we all go get a drink together and then get some sleep. Sound good, Four?"

I nod, even though my preference would be to keep going. "Back here at 7:00 a.m.," I say, to a roomful of groans and exclamations. "I could make it earlier," I say mildly. There's hasty assent before we all head to the bar.