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Chapter 25.

Natalie

I woke up clenching my shaking body with my hands. I felt cold and clammy, like I had been in a fever that wouldn't break. My mouth felt dry and my lips chapped. The air was stiff but unusually cool around my shoulders. Something smelled sweaty and pungent inside my nostrils. I realized it was my own body odor. It was revolting and I couldn't help but gag a little. Somehow I had survived. Some way I made it through the nightmare. The blood, the trees, the silver syrup, my family's body part floating and yelling at me. All on an endless loop.

My mind felt fuzzy like invisible moths were flying around inside of it. I felt a drunkenness inside my chest that didn't come from any alcohol, but my own brain. My limbs felt heavy as I sat up on the cold, dark floor of the room of mirrors. I looked sideways at myself, my dirty dark hair now wild over my brow and face. It seemed to grow a few inches.

How long was I in here? It had to be more than a day or so. I smelled like it anyway. I didn't even know where my brother could be. Where was Leon?

As soon as I thought it, the heavy metal door behind me swung open. Bright, white light flooded the room and I held my hand up to block the intensity on my eyes. A dark, tall, muscular figure appeared in the light as I lowered my hand slowly and adjusted my body to sit forward.

"You smell terrible." Leon's deep and blank voice came.

I tried to stand up, but my legs felt like toothpicks. I just rocked back on my knees a little until I could find my balance. I had to lean against a mirror to support myself and Leon's eyes watched me carefully.

"You survived." He said "A week of having your fears being played on a constant loop inside your mind would kill or destroy anyone else. But you seemed to have survived. Good. Really good. So…what have you learned?"

I looked curiously at him as I licked my dry lips. He stood and waited for an answer.

What did I learn? I wasn't sure. But I think I learned something. Something important. Something my father and mother always knew how to do. Something I didn't understand until now.

"I can control fear. Fear cannot control me."

Leon smiled. "You're training is complete."

TJ

I wasn't sure what the black flames that seared across my skin a few days ago meant, but I tried my best to understand them. I tried to understand the feeling. I tried to remember the fire that ate me from the inside out. It consumed my nerves, my breaths, my muscles, my eyes, and my brain. The burning should have been painful. But it felt…good. It felt like lightning on my spine. It felt like God had touched me with the tip of a paintbrush with a color never seen before.

I wanted to feel it again.

I tried to make them come out again. They wouldn't at first, but I figured out they were connected to my emotions. Specifically my anger. So I clung to it. I anchored myself to my anger. I let it fill me. The flames appeared again. This time they didn't extend all the way across my body, just to my shoulders, forearms, and upper neck. Apparently the more that appeared, the stronger I could get.

But I also realized once the flames receded, my body would feel weak and drained. I felt cold and shaky every time they disappeared. My chest felt heavy and I gasped for breaths. Maybe they were also connected to my body temperature? I didn't understand them much.

Leon said they were Dauntless flames and I had something called 'Faction Power'. I had no idea what that meant. But these tattoos that originally belonged to my father seemed to have their own individual power. So far I had only discovered one out of five. I never thought to ask my parents what the other factions represented. I guess I would have to figure the other ones as I went along.

Leon left me alone for a few days to discover my powers. I didn't make much progress. I worried about my sister. The screams she made continued for a few days. Until they just stopped. Perhaps she died. I didn't want to think that way, but now, I had to understand anything could happen now. My parents could be dead.

I explored more of the underground facility on my days to myself and found myself in an old abandoned small library. The books were old, thick, and covered in layers of dust and cobwebs. I picked a heavy, leather bound book with a green cover off one of the shelves and sat down in one of the few metal chairs that wasn't broken. As I ran my hand over the front to wipe the dust off the cover, the book was called "The Art of Survival: A Wanderer's Guide to Living in A Post War World"

It had no author on the cover or on the inside. Most of of the pages were torn or written on. Some were stained and most of the words faded over time. I closed it and rose to put it back on the shelf when something electric jolted through me. I felt something crawl and stretch over me. Something familiar.

Dark jagged lines, like computer wires inked across my arms and hand that rested on the book. The ink extended itself onto the book, inside the pages, on the cover, and the spine before it receded back onto my skin. The rest of the ink wires disappeared to my back but then I felt the same electric feeling drill into my mind. I clenched and gritted my teeth as it felt like something wedged itself in the grooves of my brain. It felt like someone filing away folders of information inside my head. The feeling was strange but brief.

I felt my muscles and back relax. My breathing returned to normal and my head felt heavier now. I touched my skull gingerly and felt the same dark blonde messy hair that had always been there. Nothing seemed out of place.

Suddenly something jumped into my thoughts. I understood how to properly build a makeshift bomb shelter for a nuclear attack. I knew how to properly defend a territory from looters. I knew how to craft splits for broken bones. I knew how to tunnel my way through an underground. I knew how to salvage certain plants for food and healing.

How? How did I know these things. I looked at my hand and at the heavy book again and again. Could I absorb information just by touching something?

"Erudition is a quality you've always had." Came a deep, heavy voice from the doorway. "Now it seems to show itself more openly now."

I looked at Leon who leaned against the door frame with his muscular arms crossed against his chest. I shook my head.

"Erudition….wait–––

Leon raised an eyebrow at me and I looked down at my sweaty palms.

Erudite. That was another faction. What did this mean?

"As you progress and understand you're abilities, you'll see why you can do what you can do. Let it happen." Leon said serenely.

I looked up at him and felt something wash over me. Not like Dauntless flames or Erudite wires. But something like thirst. I wanted to know more. I wanted to feel more. But I didn't want it to consume me.

"Exactly." Leon said as if he read my mind. "You cannot let it consume you. If you do, then your body and mind are not in your control and now, you have the ability to be in control."

"I don't know if that's true just yet." I said softly.

"Just because you don't know, doesn't not make it untrue." Leon responded.

I clenched my fists together. I felt focused. Still unsure. But focused.

"You're training is at an end." Leon said with a sigh. "Whatever else you learn, is up to you. I have given you what I could."

I jerked my head up and looked at him curiously. "But…we can't be done. There's no way. We've only been training for…four months maybe?"

"Have you seen your body? Have you felt your strength?" Leon asked dully.

It's true. I did feel more powerful. I felt…capable of something now.

I felt ready to fight and get my parents back.

I felt powerful. Finally.

Natalie

We celebrated the end of our training with a large meal prepared by Leon in his apartment area he had built for himself. The space was a medium-sized studio with a wide bed with dark covers and pillows placed against the wall. The floor was like nearly everywhere else in the facility, made of dark wood. Only in Leon's apartment it seemed more polished.

I noticed that everything in his apartment was neat and organized. The books were all the exact widths apart from each other. His abstract paintings of gray and navy paint were all lined in a row above his bed. I looked over at the kitchenette where Leon stood over the small titanium stove oven. Every utensil was neatly placed into ceramic jars along the counters. I didn't know if Leon was just anal about neat or if there was a deeper meaning to his organization.

The smells of something savory and slightly sweet filled the space as TJ and I watched Leon prepare the food. I couldn't see too much past his tall, muscular frame but he was ladling something thick and runny into a glass pan on his right. My mouth watered and my stomach made small gurgling noises when a whiff of mushrooms and peppers hit me.

I looked over at TJ who was seated across from me on the other side of long dark brown dining table. He sat composed with his fingers laced in front of him and I couldn't help but think how much he had changed. His shoulders were broad and muscular, his jawline was defined and his hair reached the base of his cheeks now. God, he looked like Dad more than ever. Just with longer and blonder hair.

Before we came to Leon's apartment, we talked about our powers with each other. I thought my ability to manipulate fear was something, but to find out he could gain an ability of the old five factions made me a little envious. He got five powers in one. Although he told me he only could use two.

"I hope you all are hungry." Leon's voice descended around as he sat a pan of pesto-covered chicken breasts. Then he placed a huge dish of pasta with mushrooms, peppers, and onions down. It was covered in a white roasted garlic sauce that was so aromatic it filled the entire room. After he sat a decanter of water down, he took his seat in between my brother and myself.

"Well dig in." He said passing me a set of metal tongs for the chicken. I took them immediately and grabbed the nearest chicken breast to me. My brother spooned three hearty portions of pasta onto his plate, then passed the bowl to me. I watched him tear into the chicken with his fork as he wharfed the first bite down.

The food was so good. It was almost better than mom's cooking. I felt guilty about thinking that.

We ate until the pan of chicken had only greasy, pesto remnants left. The pasta which was massive in portion was all but gone. I had never eaten that much in my life. I felt my stomach and midriff become tight against the band of my sweats. I clutched my sides gingerly and sighed.

TJ suddenly belched loudly making the whole room reverberate. Leon shot him a icy look and I gasped. He look nervously at Leon and whimpered "Sorry."

What came next surprised us both.

Leon laughed. Loudly and deeply. He tilted his head back and cackled. I didn't know whether or not to join or keep silent.

Then TJ started laughing. I couldn't help it after that either.

"To be so short, you burp like a giant." Leon teased wiping the corners of his eyes with his thick and long fingers.

TJ chuckled and said "I didn't think I could eat like that."

Leon nodded and took a swig of his water before saying "Your bodies are different now. They need more fuel now. You'll also find you can go longer periods that most people without food and water."

I don't know why, but hearing that made me appreciate my body more. There was so much I could do and I didn't even know the half of it. I looked at Leon's frame, how tough and scarred it was. His skin was beautiful, yet rough at the same time. Like living leather.

I realized that besides knowing he could kill anyone with one finger and all his knowledge on Resurgents, my brother and I didn't know much about Leon. Sitting here, the atmosphere didn't seem as tight or hot. As if the air that surrounded him now was calm and welcoming now.

"Leon." I began as I twirled my fork with specks of grease and black olives between my fingers. "What faction did you originate from? Were you always Dauntless?"

His face grew a little sullen. He adjusted his empty plate so that it was perfectly center in front of him. I looked at TJ who's eyes were full and curious just as much as my own. Leon took a long time to answer. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked. I felt my brow begin to bead with sweat and my stomach churn. I thought he would dismiss us and make us go run laps around the facility or thrust our palms in scalding hot water as punishment.

He sighed deeply and said "I came from Amity."

TJ choked on his water and sputtered "Am-Amity?!"

Leon glared lazily at him and TJ squeaked out a quick apology. I watched my brother flush red and look at me nervously. I had to admit I was in disbelief as well.

"It may be hard to believe" Leon said "But it's true."

"Why did you leave?" I asked unable to stop myself.

Leon closed his eyes and said "I had to. I didn't belong in Amity. Besides my father was originally from Dauntless."

"Really? He transferred to Amity? I thought once you were Dauntless, you kinda just stayed Dauntless." TJ said as he twiddled his thumbs absentmindedly.

"People transferred for all kinds of reasons. Even Dauntless."

"Why did your father?" I asked again.

"You're being awfully nosy tonight. Sometimes curiosity does kill the cat." Leon said coldly.

I felt my face drain of color and I looked down at my empty plate with its greasy remnants caked on the surface.

There was an uncomfortable silence that hung in the air. I could hear the hum of the fluorescent lights above and my brother's breathing next to me.

Leon stood up and began to clear the table. He said nothing as he swiftly removed the empty pan of chicken and bowl of pasta from in front of us. Next thing he was in the kitchen area with his back turned to us. He placed the dishes in the sink and began washing them. The stainless steel faucet jetted out foamy hot water that created wisps of steam throughout the air.

TJ side-eyed me and muttered irritably "You just couldn't help yourself, huh? He was finally being nice to us."

I shrugged and said "I didn't mean to upset him. I just—

Suddenly there was a crash by the kitchen area. Leon had dropped a small ceramic yellow bowl and the pieces were scattered over the floor. Leon was doubled over, holding onto the sink for support as he coughed violently. My brother and I immediately rushed over to him, but stop slightly in our tracks as Leon held up a trembling hand. TJ and I gasped in unison at the sight of Leon's hand clasped over his mouth. It was covered in deep, dark blood that seeped out between his thick fingers.

He quickly turned away from his as he climbed back up to standing position. Leon turned the running faucet to cold water and rinsed his hand quickly. He cupped a few sips of cold water into his mouth and swallowed hard. After a few more gulps and a splash to his face, he shut the spigot off and took long deep breaths.

I looked to my brother who was staring blankly at Leon's shaking back. I didn't know what was going on. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Leon kept breathing until his stood firmly again. He reached to his left and grabbed a tea towel to wipe his dripping face off. I held my breath as I watched him.

"Leon…are you alright?" TJ asked carefully.

He threw the tea towel down on the counter and massaged the back of his neck. His tattoo peeked up from the collar of his dark shirt. For some reason, it reminded me of Dad in that moment.

"I'm fine." Leon said unconvincingly.

"No you're not." I snapped quickly.

TJ glared at me and said "Cut the shit, okay?!"

Leon began to chuckle. It started off slow, then turned into a deep laugh. I was confused. My brother was confused too. I could see it on his face.

"It seems that time is catching up with me." Leon said softly.

"What do you mean? Are you sick? What can we do? What do you need?" I asked nervously and quickly.

Leon turned us and was beaming. It was odd and sad to look at.

"I'm dying." He said.

I felt my stomach drop and my palms sweat. I shook my head.

"No you aren't. You're just—you're just tired. You aren't dying." I said shaking my head trying to convince myself.

But his expression didn't change. He smiled weakly at us and said nothing.

TJ sighed and said "How long have you been sick?"

Leon crossed his arms and leaned against the sink. "About a year and a half now. It's a condition that was passed down from my father. It killed him and now it's killing me. I've tried everything to stop it. There's no cure. I've been all over the world to find one. The most I've been able to do was to contain it with a specially crafted serum, but it wasn't enough I'm afraid."

"Well you must have more then. You have to have more. Or we can get you some more." I said shaking my head.

Leon chuckled again and said "No we can't. I've used the last of it. It's derived from a particular chemically engineered flora that was destroyed nearly thirty years ago. After the faction system was destroyed and the Erudite labs were revamped, most of the older experiments were lost. There's no way of recovering it."

"Our Uncle Caleb runs those labs. If we can contact him, he can probably—-

Leon shook his head said "I went there first. About a year ago. The files were lost."

"You've met our Uncle Caleb?" TJ asked surprised.

"Yes. He was quite curious about me. About who I am. Or rather what I am. He knows you two are like me as well."

I looked at TJ who looked at me with wide-eyes. Why would Uncle Caleb not tell us something like this? It didn't make sense.

"Why wouldn't he tell us?" TJ asked curiously.

Leon shrugged. "That I cannot answer. I don't have much trust or time for scientists. I've had too many experiences where all they want is to poke and prod you. He didn't have what I needed, so I left."

"So that's it, huh? There's no chance for you at all? TJ asked softly.

Leon nodded solemnly. "Afraid so."

"How long…how long do you have?" I asked nervously. My legs felt like jelly and my throat was tight.

"I'm not sure exactly. From what your Uncle told me a few months ago, maybe another four to six months. Maybe less."

I felt my heart pound in my ears. I didn't think someone like Leon could be affected by something like…death. He seemed invincible. I didn't even know why I was worried so much. It wasn't like we were friends. In fact, when I thought about it, I didn't really even like him. One night of food and a few laughs didn't change the fact that we had be subjected to months of his cruel tutelage.

But I realized that his teachings made me feel like I could fight back now. I understood why he did it. Because the world above us wasn't the same. Because the DGD did take our parents. Because they did destroy our home. Because they were hunting us. Leon made us realize that.

Now, I also realized why our training had to end. I felt Leon had more to teach us. But he couldn't. The stress on his body.

Suddenly the sound of sniffling broke my thoughts. I looked over at my brother who was covering his face with his arm. He was crying.

I didn't understand it.

Leon sighed and said "Don't cry for me, Tobias. I've accepted my fate. I have tried fighting it. I have tried extending my life. All I can do is try to enjoy the days I have left. Besides, there is a war going on above us, if you haven't forgotten."

TJ choked and wiped his face. His eyes were puffy and red.

"I didn't…" He whimpered. " I just…"

Leon said "I'm not dead yet. Save your tears, boy."

He gave us a small smile and turned back to the dirty dishes in the sink.

"Let me do that, Leon! You should go rest." I said stepping forward.

He chuckled and said "I said I'm not dead. You go rest. Tomorrow we will begin devising a plan against the DGD. It will take awhile."

TJ looked up from the floor, his eyes still bloodshot. "Already?"

"Yes." Leon said squirting green dish soap into the sink. "We must strike while it's still early enough. It will be a difficult fight, but one I believe we can win."

I clenched my fists together and chewed the inside of my cheek. I was ready. I was ready to fight.

That night as we prepared to sleep, I laid awake for awhile. Mostly due to my brother's sniffling—he was crying again. It still made me uncomfortable.

I thought about seeing my mom again.

I thought about punching a hole through whoever took her.

I thought about Leon. I thought about him dying. I tried to shake it from my head.

But then I felt small tears run down my face and I clasped my hand over my mouth to stop a sob that almost escaped from my lips.

I didn't want him to die. I didn't.

Somehow I fell asleep with tears still falling down my cheeks.

I dreamt I was in the ocean. In an endless sea of dark teal water.

Then hands shook me awake.

"Get up. We've been breached. The DGD are inside. They'll be here in less than five minutes." Leon's stern voice came from above me.

I didn't want for the delirium of sleep to leave me. I jolted out of bed and threw on my boots and jacket. I saw out of my bleary eyes that TJ was grabbing his backpack from the foot of his bed. I hoisted my own over my shoulders and sped out the door behind my brother. We reached the balcony that overlooked the dojo. TJ leaped and twisted in the air over the bannister and I followed suit. We landed on our feet and turned to meet Leon who was fully dressed with a heavy bag on his back. He also had a long, narrow, and curved tube strapped across his chest.

"Let's go." He turned towards the doors leading out into the irrigation systems.

Before we could exit, I heard raised voices along with radio feed. They were at the doors. Only twenty feet away from us. I looked at the door at saw it was locked with heavy metal slates that slid out the sides of the walls. It looked as if Leon had melted the doors shut somehow. The metal looked like silver glue that had hardened.

Then came the bangs. They were trying to shoot it open. I heard a voice say "Prime the mines. We don't have time for this. They want R6 and R4 taken alive. R0 we can kill."

I didn't know who R6, R4, or R0 were, but it had to mean us.

"Natalie!" TJ shouted. I turned to see him and Leon at the doors leaving the dojo.

"I hear them! Blow these damn doors down!" came an angry and excited voice.

I rushed out before the searing explosive heat engulfed the room. We ran down the dark metal corridors away from the sounds of militant feet. Though we were fast, the DGD soldiers were close behind. They shouldn't have been as quick as us. Something was odd.

Leon made a sharp left up a flight of stairs we had never been on. TJ reached the top before both of us and burst through a pair of doors. Leon slammed them shut behind us and we were in a empty room with nothing but blank walls. There no windows or anything. How were we supposed to escape with no way out?

"Get against the wall! Now!" Leon shouted as he turned to press his hand on the rusted metal door.

I took a step back with TJ and felt sweat drip down my neck. I was breathing hard and so was my brother. I didn't know what to do. I watched Leon stay perfectly pressed against the door and I wondered what he was doing.

That's until his hand began to glow red hot with an thermal light. The metal began to bubble and sizzle under his palm. It liquified and melted like glue down the crevice as steam whistled loudly through the air.

Leon removed his glowing red hand and the melted metal hissed slowly to silence. The door frame was disfigured and inaccessible. The DGD couldn't get in, but we couldn't get out either. Besides I was certain they had more explosives like the one that just destroyed the dojo.

I looked around the blank room for any trap doors or windows and couldn't find any. Leon suddenly was beside my brother and pressed his left hand on a spot in the wall. The space glowed laser green against his finger and suddenly a panel slid open revealing a smooth elevator door.

The door sprang open and Leon shouted "Get in, quickly!"

We got into the compartment and Leon pressed a yellow button to his right. The wall panel closed and the elevator door slammed shut. Then we began to plummet quickly downward into darkness. I thought I would scream, but my mind was focused. I could hear another explosion many feet above me and more muffled, angry voices. I looked at TJ who's eyes were sharp, even in the dark elevator car. He looked like he would attack without hesitation. Something he never had before.

The elevator came to a silent halt and the door slid open to a dark gunmetal circular tunnel. It smelled of motor oil, rust, and mildew. Something large, metal, and rectangular was also in front of us. It looked vaguely familiar.

Suddenly rows of circular white lights began coming on one by one. The long metal machine was a train, but it looked weathered and inoperable, like it had sat down here for nearly half of a century. I also didn't understand why a train would be underground. All of the trains I knew and saw rode above the city. They were also much larger than the one in front of me. This one seemed to be a little sleeker and more compact.

Leon suddenly called to us at the right side. "There's no time. Get on."

My brother and I swiftly boarded the train and rushed to the front with Leon. The train had destroyed plastic seats, faded posters of children, advertisements, and warnings. I caught a glimpse of one that talked about free healthcare and had seven numbers at the bottom. I suppose the number was some sort of code.

As we finally made it toward the front, Leon stopped at a narrow metal door and turned to us.

"Take a seat in the compartment behind me. Hold on tight."

TJ nodded and went back into the compartment behind me and I followed him. Leon disappeared and before I could sit my heavy bag down in the seat next to me, the train began to lurch violently. I held on to a long, metal railing on my left to keep my balance. Then I felt the long, metal tram rocket off into the dimly lit tunnel.

I fell into the plastic seat across from TJ, catching myself with one hand pressed to the dirty floor. I watched my brother grip the bottom of his seat until his knuckles turned white. His eyes were open and focused.

"What is this thing?" I asked loudly over the muffled howling of the wind and scraping metal rushing by.

"I don't know!" TJ shouted back.

I didn't have time to asked another question before we came to a startling halt. The metal car vibrated all around me and the doors slid open quickly. Leon appeared before us in a flash and said "Let's move.

We ran through a dark space that lead to damaged and cracked stairs. As we ascended, I felt the air shift from musty and mildew to cold and something I couldn't recognize.

Leon vaulted over a rusty railing and gate and my brother and I followed him. We turned the corner and took three more sets of stairs. Then we burst through a metal door into a large glass lobby.

I gasped. I hadn't seen the city for nearly six months. It changed.

I didn't have time to look around where I was, but I knew it all too well. It was the abandoned Union Station hub I always walked or drove by when I was with my parents. The doors were missing and half of the entrance on the left was destroyed.

Leon bounded quickly forward and said "Let's go!"

As we ran outside, the chill of winter hit my face and my lungs. There was no snow or ice, but it was freezing. I didn't know what month it was, but it had to be at least February.

The city became a dark blur as we ran, but there was no sign of civilians anywhere. There were no lights on from buildings or people walking around. It seemed empty, yet I felt like everyone was hiding. I guess they were now the DGD had taken over.

We rushed down Michigan Ave toward a train platform and before we reached it, Leon jumped nearly twenty feet in the air and landed on it. TJ came to a skidding halt and I almost crashed into him. He had never taught us to do that.

He turned to us and growled irritably "What are you doing? We don't have time to stop!"

"I don't think we can do that!" TJ said pointing at the giant gap. I nodded my head in agreement. I felt the weight of my backpack on my shoulder blades and neck. Enhanced endurance or not, I was tired.

"I taught you to focus." Leon said quickly "Now do it."

I looked at TJ who looked nervously at me. The wind whistled loudly in our ears followed by something else in the nearby distance.

Tires.

They were close. I'm not sure how they found us or if they had actually yet, but I didn't want to stick around and find out.

TJ must of heard them too because his face drained of color as he balled his fists tightly.

"Hurry up!" Leon barked lowly.

TJ and I took a few steps back and got a running start. I felt the city blur once again around me, the dark colors of cement and night sky becoming bluish grey streaks and shapes. I focused on the train platform which was nearly fifteen feet ahead of me. I felt my knees crouch and my boots dig into the ground.

My brother leapt first and soared high into the air. He spiraled with his entire body as he landed perfectly on the ledge three feet away from Leon.

I followed after him feeling the power of my legs propel me from the cracked pavement underneath me into air and nothingness.

I felt my body become featherlight as the wood and metal platform came rushing at me. But somehow, it all slowed down while I flipped forward. The sound of the wind and empty city disappeared around my ears. I could trace the grooves in the wood and see the dirt in the metal.

Suddenly I landed on my feet and the sound of Leon's voice turned on my ears like a switch.

"Good. Let's go shall we."

We ran across the tracks. Our steps were quick, nimble, and careful.

I felt the weight of my bag on my back as we ran, but I didn't slow down. I couldn't slow down.

We ran and ran. Until the buildings became higher. We rushed past a neighborhood of small, square, and grey houses that were all identical. I remembered them instantly. Abnegation houses where my parents grew up.

The tracks seemed to go on forever, but Leon came to a stop after another five minutes of running.

The Abnegation houses had to be nearly fifteen miles away by now. My legs were burning, but not out of fatigue, but with energy. My calves felt tight and I felt like I could kick through a brick wall if I needed to.

Leon stood at the edge of the tracks and pointed toward a low, red brick building a few feet in front of us.

I looked at TJ and nodded. The three of us jumped and landed on rocks and dirt. The gravel underneath us made a crunching noise when we hit it.

I watched Leon quickly appear by the edge of the building. He climbed on top of the edge and stretched his arms out like a bird.

"What's he doing?" TJ asked curiously.

But I didn't get a chance to respond before Leon's body fell forward into a black abyss. My brother and I screamed and yelled as we rushed forward to the edge.

We looked down for any sign of him, but it was too dark.

I felt a strong draft hit my face, blowing my hair over my eyes and nose. I swiped it out of the way and looked at my brother. He was sweating nervously and slightly shaking. He had been good so far, but I know the heights had finally got to him.

"I'll go first, yeah?" I said slowly.

TJ gulped hard and looked me wide-eyed.

"Shouldn't we go together?" He asked shakily.

"I don't know." I responded honestly.

TJ crouched down and put his head between his knees as he tried to breathe.

I remembered something mom told me the first time I went swimming at the old Amity pools.

"Don't think." I said aloud as I climbed up on the ledge. "Just jump."

TJ looked up at me and I smiled at him before I closed my eyes and fell forward. I heard my brother's screams soar away from my ears as I plummeted into darkness.

I didn't know if Leon would catch me or expect me to catch myself. I kept my eyes closed and prayed I would break my leg or worse, crack my head open.

But something did catch me. Something mesh like and with holes.

I rolled around on a strong net beneath me. It felt springy and a little worn, but still durable.

Big hands rolled me off and Leon helped me down. His face was still looking upward as I watched him.

"That brother of yours will let those heights be the death of him." Leon muttered irritably.

But soon after TJ came falling down with a yell. He bounced hard on the net and grunted as he struggled to make sense of where we was.

Leon helped him down and as we both looked at each other, he turned forward.

I watched my brother struggle to not vomit after his experience with the net and something hit me.

"Leon." I said slowly "Where are we?"

Something about this place seemed familiar, though I hadn't ever been here before. It reminded me of something Aunt Christina, Zeke, Amar, and my parents used to talk about when I was younger.

I saw Leon smile softly at me and my brother. "You really have to ask? If things were still the same, this would be you and Tobias' home."

TJ looked bright eyed at Leon and then at me.

"We're not––

Leon nodded and smiled.

"Welcome to Dauntless." he said as he walked ahead into a dark corridor.

Sincerest apologies for being late. I mean extremely late with this. Thanks for all your support and patience.