"We had a lot of fun back in the day," the blond says wistfully. "You would know, right? How did you find him?"

I don't reply, choosing to face the road instead.

"Oh, you haven't. My bad," Taya says chirpily, completely unbothered. "I'm surprised though, Eric does have a high drive, at least, last I recall. You sure you're dating?" His sex-buddy thrums her fingers on the steering wheel, bobbing her head to a non-existent beat. "Because I'm pretty sure he would be all over you by now."

I slam an extra pillow to my face and groan. This is stupid. "Why, boy? Why?" My dog belly-crawls toward me, licking my arm in greeting. "Just..."

"I mean, she's not that pretty… right?" Sabre and Hawk have disappeared into the shallow woods, uncaring of their owner's insecurities. "Gunner?" I ask hopefully instead.

My bed buddy doesn't acknowledge my call. His nose remains glued to the ground, sniffing for the perfect spot for his morning release. Tucking my hoodie tighter around my body, I sigh. "Who am I kidding? Even I would date her." The fallen wet leaves don't crunch when I drag my feet around, much resembling my mood. Taya is bubbly, probably funny, and insanely hot. It's not hard to see why Eric was with her. She was practically a ray of sunshine during our first interaction, surely she was even more when she was with him. A perfect match for his dark brooding self.

And her looks… Dark eyebrows contrasts the bluest of eyes I've ever seen. She puts the oceans to shame. Her jaw is sharp and her lips are full. It was as if God himself meticulously placed each part with his own hands, forming the perfect human. Her figure is tall and fit, held with such confidence that any man would love to have by his side.

However, the thing that makes us vastly different, is her youthfulness. There's something about her smile and personality. It's almost as if she grew up shielded from the horrors of the world - untainted. Yet, there was no way she could've.

And she knows how to drive too.

My hands gather the defrosted meats packages, transferring them onto the chopping board. "Why does he even like me?" I complain. A scowl is cemented on my face from my inability to stop thinking of her flawlessness. My pups wait in suppressed excitement for their food, sitting in their designated spots so their drool are contained in one area. "Look at this! Bland, bland, bland!" I pat my cheeks with the back of my bloodied hands exasperatedly. "You can't even see my cheekbones!" Sabre merely yawns in response, not hesitating to let out a loud uninterested whine while at it. Gunner, on the other hand, wags his tail sporadically. He must be hesitating on whether he should try cheering me up.

I wave my knife between the three of them. "Look, I know you guys are only here for the food, but can you at least! At least, pretend that you're listening?" Gunner tilts his head. "Not you Gunner, you're a good boy." My eyes narrow accusingly at silver hound, "Especially you Sabre. Is my insecurity a joke to you? And you too, Hawk. Focus on what I'm saying, not the meat I'm preparing."

No reply.

"I made you lunch."

Eric stares at the container I've extended to him questionably. "Why?" A pang of hurt goes straight to my heart.

I swallow thickly. Note to self: Never do this at the entrance of the mess hall ever again.

It would be overwhelmingly embarrassing if he rejected my food in front of everyone. "You don't want it?"

His face shoots up to meet mine, alarmed. "Of course I do," he grabs the warm box from my hand. "I mean, why all of the sudden?"

I shrug. "No reason. Just felt like it."

"Uh-huh…" He glances down at the three pups around him. From the way he's using his eyes to gesture to me, he's pleading to them for help. When they don't offer him any hints, he begrudging lifts his head back to me. "So you just woke up and decided that you'll cook lunch for me today," he questions skeptically.

"I cooked it yesterday for myself too, but yes, yes I did."

"And this has nothing to do with the encounter with Taya like what? Two days ago?" he continues.

"Of course not," I say a bit too quickly. With that, I'm walking down the stairs, hiding the sudden twitch in my eye. "Why would you think that?"

He doesn't hesitate to reply. "Because you were miserable since both of you met," he states matter-of-factly. "And you're awfully bubbly now."

"I wasn't miserable," I say defensively. I was pretty sure I wore my poker face throughout the entire time yesterday. There was no way he could tell. Grabbing a plate and two sets of cutleries, I busy myself with loading fruits. I'm glad Eric can't see my expression, for he would've been greeted with the fakest smile he's seen.

From the dog pants behind, I can tell Eric followed me instead of finding us a seat. "You were. You frowned at the computer the entire you time were using it and when you were compiling the reports. I saw through the blinds."

"It's not nice to spy on people," I grumble. "And I was thinking about something else."

"It's not my fault you kept your blinds open." I can tell he's smirking from his tone. "Plus, our offices are just across each other's."

There's nothing I can say after that.

"You do realize that I'm with you and not her, right?" Eric waves the fork at me, confused.

I hold up a spoon of blueberries for Hawk. "I am aware," I say almost robotically.

"And that her and I aren't anything close to what we have?" he further elaborates. "We had a booty-call relationship, nothing else."

"Why?" I figured that if Eric wasn't looking for an actual relationship, he would've taken the liberty to be with multiple women like Skylar had said. "Why just stick with one person?" I ask curiously.

He swallows the pasta and twirls another portion with his fork. "I mean, I used to sleep with different women. Eventually, I got tired of their buffoonery and became lazy to find new ones. Most of them are half-drunk when I find them," as he says this, he studies me cautiously. "Most of them hoped that by having sex, I would magically 'fall in love' and would want them to stay. Which I never did nor intended to," he says nonchalantly. "Occasionally it was amusing, but most of the time it's frustrating."

His casualness surprises me.

"Then I met Taya. We were initially acquaintances and went into the whole sex arrangement. There isn't much to say about it. She was going through a tough time and so was I. We had a mutual understanding."

Hearing Eric talk about his past was far less painful and envious that I anticipated – if I felt anything negative at all, surprisingly. He spoke as if he was discussing the weather and nothing more. It's obvious he's since moved on, completely unbothered nor wistful about the women of the past.

"Why did you stop with her? She mentioned that things ended a year back," I ask, feeling drastically better. My mood has lifted from its previous episode of doom and gloom, and it's all because of him.

This man works miracles.

The tips of his ears turn red and he purses his lips. "I fell out of it. Sex was to help me forget, and I guess found something else."

"Oh." I want to pry, but I can tell he wasn't in the mood. "That's nice." Maybe another time.

He brings the last forkful of pasta. "And you're okay with it?"

"Hmm?" Gunner nudges his empty pasta container to me. The dogs had plain pasta and a few meatballs; they can't eat onions.

Eric swallows. "With everything I've just said," he says carefully.

I tilt my head, confused. "It's in the past, why wouldn't I be okay with it?" Even if I wasn't, there was nothing I could do about it now. I can't hold his past against him, especially when we haven't even met.

Plus, if he hasn't been sleeping around for over a year, I'm assured that he wouldn't start anytime soon.

He blinks. His lips part for a second then close. He blinks again. "Right." Blink. "You're a really good cook, by the way."

I smile. "Thanks."

Not sure if it's her cakey makeup, nose-irritating perfume, or the fact that she's creating a brainless army that could ultimately destroy entire factions that gives me the creeps. It is probably the last one. It bothers me to no end that anyone could feel no remorse towards the unjust slaughter of others.

"Anna, what a pleasure for you to finally come along," Jeanine says. She's seated in a plush blue velvet chair, her hands loosely clasped on the desk. In front of her is one of her lackeys – the one interested in Eric – pouring water into glasses. I don't miss the way her back is unnecessarily arched to reveal the curve of her backside; shallow.

To Jeanine, I do my best to smile. "Afternoon, Jeanine."

"Forgive me, but I've been pushing Eric to bring you along for quite some time now. I've heard great things about you and your work ethic." Eric settles into his seat unfazed. I follow in suit.

I can't possibly imagine Eric rambling about me to Jeanine, especially when he's so against the idea of me meeting her. It would be a great help if she elaborated on her statement, but she doesn't, and I'm not sure how to reply.

"Oh, thank you." From my peripherals, the assistant glares at me. Perhaps I should apologize to her for being more capable.

"Say, I thought you would've brought your dogs along. Max has been telling me about what a great addition they have been, especially the grey one," her lips quirk down and she bites her lip to add effect. "Perhaps next time, maybe?"

Eric's rough voice cuts through the conversation. "That's not what we agreed upon." His tone is light, but I'm still able to sense the underlying threat.

Jeanine clicks her tongue like a mother to a child. "Oh please, let the girl decide for herself," she replies lightly. It seems she had all of this planned out already. "You would bring them, right Anna? After all, it is only natural for me to be curious over something that's been improving a faction. A product of Erudite technology to add." I bite my tongue, refraining to mention that practically everything she eats is a product of 'Erudite technology' and she should examine that instead.

"Sure," I say in spite of myself, "but I'll just bring one, having all three of them here may get chaotic."

She grins widely at my begrudging agreement. "Excellent! Next Tuesday perhaps?"

"Sure."

Jeanine claps her hands in excitement. "Luce, please note that down into the calendar."

The lackey diverts her sour face to her tablet. "Shall I notify Charles?" her high-pitched voice asks.

"Of course."

"Who's Charles?" I can't help but blurt out, alarmed. Was she planning to invite the whole faction too?

Jeanine turns back to me with an attempt of a comforting smile. "Charles was the one who led the team that developed the machinery, he of all people would be delighted to meet your pet."

That was a breach of personal rights, but there was nothing I could say. "Oh." I grab the glass of water and lean back on my seat, not feeling quite relieved.

"Now, on to what we are supposed to discuss. Anna, I-"

"Actually, Anna was just about to leave," Eric interrupts rudely. "She has other matters to attend." He points to the file on my lap, "These are plans to help combat the food-stealing issue."

Her brows knit together, and she leans back. "Is that so? May I have a look at it?" I hand over the file. The assistant takes it upon herself to scan the badly done sketch as well. I can't help but wonder if Eric ever slept with her. Maybe before he transferred? That would explain the empty death-glares she keeps sending my way. It's almost like I stole her man.

Newsflash, he's mine.

"Perhaps you could do this after the meeting? I'm sure that this can be done quickly," Jeanine reasons, handing the file back to me.

"We'll miss the train if so, and I still have an agenda to adhere to," Eric replies for me. There is no agenda. I know this because we virtually share the same schedule.

"I guess that's too bad then," Jeanine concludes to herself. "Before you go, Anna, I would like to ask you something."

"Anything," I say. Eric's knuckles blanch. He's definitely against Jeanine getting me involved, and I'm not quite sure why. It should generally be a plus point for your partner to be working on the same cause.

Jeanine leans back on her seat. Her hands clasped on her lap as she examines my – hopefully – blank expression. "What do you think of the current government?"

Four had briefed me on this. "The one currently being run by Abnegation?" I ask.

"Yes."

I had a long discussion with Four during yesterday's training session. He wasn't happy to hear that I'll be traveling to Erudite today. "I believe that there could be room for improvement."

At this, she straightens her back and picks up a pen. "How so?"

Her question was predicted. I couldn't be any more prepared. "To start, I don't believe it's fair that Abnegation is the one and only faction that makes up the government. Of course, I do know that the faction is known for their selflessness." She inclines her head slightly, pen thrumming between her fingers. "However, their selflessness does not necessarily equate to knowing the needs of the people. Also, corruption is still possible."

"But Abnegation has been the governing council ever since the development of the faction system," she counters.

"Just because it's old, doesn't mean that it's still the best system. For all we know, the government of the past could've been much different from what it is today." My hands are clutched behind my back, the clamminess making them slide a little.

Jeanine studies me closely, her brows slightly furrowed as she decides on the integrity of my words. I am grateful that none of my dogs are here, for they would've picked up on my racing heart. There isn't a doubt that Jeanine would grow suspicious if my dogs started acting weird in response.

After what felt like an hour – a few seconds probably – Jeanine smiles ever so slightly. "You seem to have strong opinions on all of this." Eric jostles in his seat.

I shrug in what I hope feigns indifference. "There are just things that could be improved. I'm sure I'm not the only one."

Of all the lies in the world, the best are half-truths.

"Indeed," she nods. "Well then, I hope to see you soon, Anna."

Mentally, I sigh in relief. If she had pressed on what I thought could be improved, my façade would've evaporated. I did not prepare for that. "Of course," I smile politely. "I'm sure my dog will be excited to meet you." He won't.

"We're going to be late." Eric's curt voice cuts through my conversation with the man. His mere presence has turned the atmosphere sour. The accomplished Erudite visibly shrinks into himself the moment his gaze lands on my brooding Dauntless leader. Oddly, Eric has light footsteps for a man his size. The only reason why I didn't jump at his voice like the grown man did was because I felt the slight brush of wind against my arm.

I regard the time displayed on my unlocked phone.

We aren't.

In fact, we have well over fifteen minutes till the train is due. "Sure, I'm almost done anyway."

"Why did you agree to bring the dog? You knew I was against the idea." Is the first thing he says once we're boarded. I knew something was coming from the way he didn't speak during our long boring wait, but it didn't occur to me that it was about my pups.

"I didn't have a choice."

"You did," he growls. He runs his hand through his short hair, frustrated. It's weird to see him worked up over something that doesn't directly affect him, the faction, or me for the matter. How strong is his bond with them anyway?

"Did I truly though? I'm aware that Jeanine holds more power over Dauntless than it seems. She wouldn't have taken no as an answer."

For the first time since we exited the nose-irritatingly clean building, he glances my way. "What makes you think that?"

"Why else would she have been there when Max offered me leadership?" I counter.

He whips his head, shocked. "Jeanine?" The file in his hand is tossed to the empty seat beside him. "What did she say?"

That was not what I was expecting to hear. I lean back, stumped. It never occurred to me that Eric wouldn't have known. From the way things are, I figured he knew every nitty-gritty detail about everything. "I can't remember. Nothing important I guess." Is Jeanine having a secret agenda without him? My head pounds at that thought. The amount of secrets this woman is keeping brings a sour taste to my mouth. "Why?"

"When did she take interest in you?" I can see the alarm in his slate blues. He has the same posture and expression as when my dogs hear a noise in the woods. All he needed was perked dog ears and tail to match.

Shifting in my seat to get comfortable, I rest my head against a pole. Unlike Eric, I wasn't too bothered over Jeanine's interest over me. She made it easier for me to stop her psychotic plans. "Not sure. Maybe it has to do with my lineage. My mom did transfer from Dauntless and my dad does work with her," I point out.

He lifts his head to the air. From the way he's acting, this possibility never did cross his mind. "Right." His gaze starts unfocusing, reanalyzing the situation in his head.

"What's wrong with bringing the dogs?" My interest is piqued. Does Eric have a secret bond with them? Hawk perhaps?

He raises his pierced eyebrow. "Would you?"

My reply is ironic but expected. "No."

"Then?"

I throw my arms out in front of me and shrug. "I don't know. I mean, why are you so concerned?"

Eric doesn't reply immediately. I swing my feet in the air, patiently waiting. Now that the worse is over, it is nice being alone with him, despite the noise pollution of the speeding train. Here, we're just two people without the distractions of work or the stares of the public. Here, Eric is just Eric.

"They are yours," he finally replies. I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I pressed on, but it wasn't: "And also the possibility that Jeanine may use them as a project."

My shoulders sag slightly in disappointment. "Oh." It would've been great if Eric had bonded with my pups; their approval is of the utmost importance. "How so?" Either way, I am interested in his theories.

"She could clone them. I know your breed was renowned in the police force centuries ago." My eyebrows shoot up. "German shepherds, I think. I did some research a while back on it."

It takes a while to process the meaning of his words. When I do, I catch him off guard by leaning forward and grinning. "Were you thinking of bringing dogs to Dauntless?"

He scratches his neck awkwardly, almost as if embarrassed. "No, not really." When he finds me still waiting enthusiastically, he elaborates choppily, "it was just something that popped into my mind one day."

That's a really weird thought to have out of the blue. He clears his throat before I could pry some more. "Back to the issue. Jeanine might want to have your dogs cloned, especially since she knows how much of a success they've been."

"Oh, that's it?" I expected something more gruesome, coming from her. "She can if she wants, as long as she doesn't recruit me," I shrug. It would be hilarious if Jeanine had my dogs cloned. I bet she and her other Erudite scientists know close to nothing about raising a dog, much less a dog with such drive and energy. In the unlikely event that they did, I doubt they would succeed in the first try. I didn't.

As opposed to my unbothered self, Eric's getting worked up. "'That's it?' Do you-"

"It's fine," I reassure. "It takes more than the same DNA to produce well-trained canines. Their DNA contributes only a small fraction to the final product, it's upbringing that matters." I should bring Sabre the next time I visit. Of the three, he was and is the most destructive puppy. "Yes, this breed is capable, but only if in the right hands," I ramble off, my knowledge of their genetics vomiting. "They also have high levels of energy, which is mostly a con as they tend to get destructive if they don't exercise enough, even for a day. It does get annoying at times, but it gives them the ability to work long hours. A very hardworking breed. To the extent that they can't grasp the need for a rest day. I guess in their perspective, working is just another name for playtime. You know, I thought the Belgian Malinois would be a perfect breed – hence I got two - but man, their energy levels just drive me-" I pause.

Eric's staring at me weirdly. It's not a 'stop talking' stare, neither is it 'this is interesting' stare. I can't pinpoint what he's thinking. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" he replies airily. I can tell he's distracted, except that I'm not sure by what. He's acting so strange, yet it seems so familiar.

My finger circles his face from afar. "You know… that."

He looks away to the ground for a second. When he comes back, all traces of his previous behavior are gone. "No reason."

Ah yes. He was like this when I offered him the pocket knife. "Okay."

"Hey Ann-" Four's face and voice are blocked by an unusually hyper Uriah.

"Anna! Anna! Anna! Anna!" Despite right in front of me, Uriah continues to loudly chant my name.

I wince when my ears throb and take a step back. "Hi, Uriah. How are you today?"

"I have a question!" He is extremely excited today, which says a lot since he's always excited. The young male doesn't wait for my approval before he's already asking. "Are you dating Eric?"

"Urm…"

"You are right? Right?!" He's practically jumping on the spot, his body trembling with excitement. "Don't lie!"

I peer over the teen's shoulder to Four for help, but he pathetically shrugs and shows me his palms.

Some friend.

"Not officially…?" I add uncertainly. Uriah pouts. Technically, Eric has never asked me out, much less on a date; though, he did call me his 'girl' once. "Maybe it is? I don't know." Both of us have a mutual understanding, I guess. Definitely more than him and Taya, to say the least.

"But you like him, right? And you want to date him?" Uriah adds hopefully; a dash of puppy eyes for effect.

I scratch the back of my head. "Yes, I suppose so."

I'm not prepared for the loud 'HA!' that escapes him. Uriah cheers and starts dancing horribly on the spot. "No chores for a month! No chores! No chores! No chores! Woohoo!" he sings to the ceiling. "Thank you, Anna. Thank you," he picks up my limp hand and shakes it with too much force. "I owe you my life." With that, he's prancing to his brother. Through the dim lights of the Ramp, I can make out a horrified Zeke getting his shoulders shaken.

"What do you mean, you're dating him?" Zeke exclaims incredulously. "What happened to him?!"

I follow the direction of his thumb to a confused Four. "But we-"

Zeke throws his arms to the air. "Well you were supposed to!" Then he takes a step forward, invading my personal space like Uriah did moments ago. "Tell me," he asks quietly. I blink. Nudging his head towards the direction of his co-worker, he stares straight into my eyes. "is there something wrong with Four?"

Out of courtesy, I reply with 'no'.

Zeke explodes in fury, stepping away. "Then what? Do you even have the slightest grasp on how difficult it is to find him a compatible, respectful mate?! You, you, argh!" He somehow grips his incredibly short hair, shaking his head. Four stands behind him, slightly frightened by his friend's outburst.

"I thought it was obvious. I sit with Eric during lunch on most days…" I trail off, confused as to why Zeke is surprised at the news.

"Yeah, but I figured you guys sit together since you work together!" he replies defensively. "How am I supposed to know you guys are really a thing?"

Behind him, Four mutters, "Because I kept telling you."

Uriah's appears in my face out of thin air. "So like, do you guys really work in the office or…?"

My brows furrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean like, do you guys work or do you guys like- owh!" Uriah glares at his brother, rubbing the back of his forehead. "What's that for?"

"Your stupidity, obviously," Zeke snaps back, slapping him upside the head again. I can't blame Uriah for when he yelped again. It looked painful. Clearing his throat, Zeke turns to me. "Don't mind my idiot brother. He tends to not think before speaking."

"No I don't!"

"Yes, you do!" he barks back. "Now, run back to Marlene and let the adults talk." Uriah is given no chance to fight back, being shoved away by brother dearest.

Once Uriah is sulking his way to his buddies does Zeke start his interrogation. His posture is one of a disapproving dad: arms crossed and chest puffed out. "Now, what I would like to know is: when, what, how." Before I can speak, he lifts a finger to stop me. "And more importantly, where's the dogs?!" his expression once again melts into rage when he motions to empty air beside me then the massive area of The Ramp.

I blink. "They're at home watching tv."

His eyes nearly bulge out. "You're telling me…" his voice a low growl, "… that you trapped our mascot... at home?!"

I scowl. "They're watching Infinity War. They love marvel movies…" I grumble defensively. I want to watch Infinity War too. Gunner's favorite character is Captain America. It's beyond me how he even recognized the captain after his latest hairy makeover. Hawk on the other hand, absolutely adores Natasha, who with her new hairdo, loosely resembles Skylar. It's no wonder why my meticulously-trained canine decided to drop everything he's learned when he saw her last week. "And none of them are 'mascots', this isn't school anymore."

Zeke clicks his tongue. "Yeah, well, Gunner is our mascot. His appearance is vital for the team's morale."

"There isn't even a tournament! It's the middle of the week!" I argue back. "And I never agreed to bring him over."

"Just to get it out of the way: it's Thursday, not the middle of the week," he unhelpfully points out. "And why not? I'm sure he would have fun."

I narrow my eyes. Zeke couldn't possibly be implying that my dog should participate in the game. "Doing what?" I have no intention of teaching my dog a sport that could potentially break his legs.

"Getting free pets from the team," he dead-pans. "Plus, I'm sure he would love seeing you beat other people."

Now it's my turn to dead-pan. "If you haven't realized, I suck at Chase-Tag."

His face brightens briefly. "Oh, is that why you haven't been coming? Or is there more?" He redirects his disapproving gaze to his innocent friend. "Did you scare her off?"

Four frowns. "Why would I?"

Zeke taps his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know… maybe because she's dating your nemesis instead?"

I groan. "Me and Four have always been friends, nothing more. We meet up every day to train the dogs too." Training the pups with Four has been great. It just took a while for him to get used to the fact that the dogs are killer machines, or 'wolves in sheep's clothing' as he likes to call it.

Zeke lifts his head and regards me slowly. "So, you've been cheating with him. Does Eric know about this?"

"What?"

"Know that you've been meeting up with number boy over here," Zeke clarifies. "And that you've been collecting used shirts from other males."

Four scowls. "I told you it was for their scent training. And don't call me that. Where did you even learn it?"

Zeke huffs. "Oh please, Eric uses it all the time." When Four doesn't respond fast enough, Zeke continues smugly, "So you're not denying it? That you're trying to steal his girl?" The air in the massive stadium now feels stuffy, I take a step back.

Four is slow to process everything. "Oh, so you're taking his side now?" Four accuses, his reply lagging. I blink at the two bickering, wondering how things have escalated. All I wanted was to have a quick chat with Four, nothing more. Had not Uriah charge to me, I would be back at my apartment watching Infinity War with my pups. They must be having a blast without me, all in their cocoons I wrapped them in.

"Anna, I think you should let Gunner decide for himself whether he wants to join the team," Zeke says. Four stands further away from him, his face to the phone. I suspect their argument mustn't have gone well.

"The crowd and noise may hurt his ears." Especially on tournament days where the loudspeaker and cheers become deafening. "Plus, I don't think Gunner will take it well when he sees me being chased down like a rabbit."

Zeke thrums his digits on his folded arms, thinking. Behind us, Uriah yells that it's almost Zeke's turn. He yells back over his shoulder in acknowledgment, gaze hastily flickering to the scoreboard. "Fine, we'll sort this out another day. Until then, please find Four a mate." His tone is serious, but his words are the exact opposite. I'm confused on whether he means it.

"Sure," I find myself saying. "I'll try."

"He's joking right?" Four asks worriedly. We've finally been left alone, Zeke happily exerting himself on the course. Meeting here was a bad idea. All of this could've been avoided if we met at the chasm instead.

Shrugging my shoulders, I point out, "He's your best friend, how am I supposed to know?"

He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose defeatedly. "That man doesn't quit."

"Why have you been turning down the blind dates? I'm sure not all the girls are that bad." I briefly recall Zeke complaining about the blind date failures. Have I not be with Eric, I wouldn't be surprised if I became a victim too.

Four crosses his arms and stands to my side, watching Zeke deftly hurtle over platforms. "It's just hard to find someone that interesting while holding the same values as you. Most people here at Dauntless are very simple-minded. They don't tend to think beyond Dauntless cake, tattoos, hair, and brawls."

"But that could be said for other factions too. Erudite doesn't think beyond advancing technology and Amity doesn't think beyond happiness and farming," I say. "Maybe you should give them more of a chance, get to know them. People are always shallow when you first meet them."

Four doesn't reply. The horn blares, signaling the end of the match. Zeke hoots in victory, patting his opponent on his back and shaking his hand. My absence from Chase Tag wasn't due to my skills. I'm just not ready to face Axel again. His disapproval that night unnerved me, and that left a negative impression on this place.

"So, does it work?" I ask instead, steering the conversation to the main reason I came.

Hearing this, Four digs into his pocket to pull out the device. "Well, the audio is pretty scratchy. It's probably cause you're moving and such." He places the small elongated recorder onto my palm. "I've moved it to a flash drive. Is there a less noisy place you could hide it? A file or something maybe?"

I flip the slim device in my hand, the black paint coating obscuring all icons and hence, it's identity. "I'll be bringing one of my dogs there next week. Maybe stowing it in his vest?"

"As long as no one pries."

A/N

Heh. I'm sorry for this late update.

I didn't forget, I just had a ton of tests (6) to go through last week. I also needed to edit a scene because the flow wasn't smooth enough.

Thanks for the support! (I noticed a bunch of you checked for the new chapter last week. *Touched* I'm so sorry :') )

My trial exams are coming up the following week, so I don't want to say I'll be posting before then (3 weeks))

I am hoping to post another chapter by the end of this week, but I'll have to see if I can find time to write with the inhumane amount of school work I've been assigned with.