Tobias was furious as he watched Jeanine saunter into Tris's cell for the second time that day, looking like the cat who swallowed the canary. His hands would never heal if he was forced to watch more testing on Tris, or witness her having the nightmares that seemed to invade her head every time she closed her eyes; the bloody spot on the wall was a grim reminder of his inability to rescue her. Jeanine pulled her up roughly and Tobias leaned forward, curious; Jeanine had never treated her like that before. There was no sound in Tris's cell, and he cursed when he realized Jeanine was talking to her.
"Their technology has improved," Jeanine whispered. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped around Tris, scrutinizing every feature on her body. "Even the background paperwork they created for you was nearly flawless. You almost slipped by me. But it seems as though David's ego has foolishly led him to believe that he can outsmart me. It's laughable, really, considering my intellect far exceeds his — or anyone else's, for that matter. The Bureau must be pretty desperate to throw a naive, ignorant child up against me. Or were you sent to take my place?" Jeanine rolled her eyes, scoffing at the idea. "David simply cannot accept that things are not going the way he planned, can he?"
Tris stood completely still as she tried to digest Jeanine's words. She was tired of the lies and tired of pretending; it was obvious now that Jeanine knew far more than she had been letting on. Tris blinked slowly, trying to keep her mind clear: she could still feel the lingering effects of the last serum tests. "They put me in here, and they can take you out."
"Oh, but my dear, they won't. Let me guess, they told you that they developed everything there?" She sneered at Tris, her voice oozing with contempt. "I am the one who perfects things, not them. Their dependence on me is almost pitiful." Her expression hardened as she grabbed Tris's face, pulling it inches from hers.
"I have been beyond their control for years, and they know it. Now, with the support I have from the other factions, I'm virtually untouchable. Nothing they — or you — can do will ever stop me." Jeanine shoved Tris away harshly, and Tris held a hand to her head, swaying slightly as she tried to keep her thoughts straight, images of David dragging Tobias away from her flashing through her mind, merging with reality. She looked up at Jeanine's face as it blurred, then came back into focus.
"The Bureau isn't the only one with spies, you know. I do have to congratulate you, though, on your determination to keep up the charade. And now that I have cracked that head of yours open, all your little secrets are mine, including this one." Tris watched as she held up her small bag that she had hidden underneath her mattress. Jeanine pulled out the earpiece and threw it on the ground, smashing it underfoot.
"I have no use for you now," she said, a smug look on her face. She pulled the mirror out of the bag and checked her face in it. Tris eyed it, remembering that she wanted to smash it, press the button inside of it. She reached out as Jeanine stepped just out of her reach. "Well, no real use. Though I suppose I could keep testing on you…" Jeanine snatched Tris by the arm, dragging her down the halls and into the lab, circling her as she looked her over.
"I have been messing around with the serums for some time," she began, grabbing Tris's face again and flashing a light in her eyes. "But I never thought to combine them, not until you came along. As it turns out, that's pretty useful against your kind. I have had some other Divergents here for a while, but they are nowhere near as special as you, they don't even come close to your caliber. I am, however, interested in pushing you to your breaking point, then testing them to see if they respond the same way. The sooner I can save the city from dangerous creatures such as yourself, the better."
"I'm not the dangerous one," Tris said, trying to keep her confidence up. She couldn't help but whimper when Jeanine pulled out a syringe, screaming as soon as the effects kicked in.
"Marcus?" He turned to see Natalie looking at him in confusion. "What are you doing in here?" He had no idea what to say to her; he thought he had been careful, that nobody had seen him come into the records room.
"Oh, Natalie." He turned his head away from her, trying to buy himself some time. "I have to ask you to go. I can't have you in here, you know that."
Natalie looked him over: his posture, his demeanor, even the tone of his voice screamed that something wasn't right. "Marcus, what happened?" She was patient as she waited for him to talk to her.
"There… I don't have time to tell you the details, I just need you to believe me when I say that you must leave."
Natalie knew how little she could trust Marcus; she also knew he had just returned from Erudite, which currently housed both her children. She crossed her arms, defiant, and leaned against the entrance to the room. The softness of his expression faded for only a second, but she caught it. "My son is in Erudite," she said firmly. "And let's not forget about the note that was found. If there is something happening, I want to know."
Despite Andrew knowing about Natalie's past with the Bureau, sharing Beatrice's warning with him had been difficult. There had been a lengthy discussion between them about what the Bureau wanted with their daughter and what she could possibly be doing in Erudite. In the end, they had both agreed it would be impossible to fully explain to the council how Natalie had obtained the information. They had settled on scrawling a warning note which they presented to the council under the guise that Natalie had found it inside a piece of donated Erudite clothing.
The council had held an emergency session, concluding after a short debate that they would not confront Erudite or Dauntless without at least one piece of corroborating evidence. Andrew had argued that they shouldn't just sit by and wait for something awful to happen; as a result, the council had agreed to issue a general warning to the faction to be on alert for any suspicious activity. Natalie had taken it upon herself to warn all the factionless she encountered, and asked them to spread the word. It wasn't much, but it would have to suffice.
Marcus stopped rifling through the cabinet and turned around to face her. "Yes, and nothing has come of that note, has it? In fact, Jeanine wishes to come to an agreement with our faction, to work together for the good of the city," he announced pompously.
Natalie plastered on a fake smile. "Oh, that's wonderful. I can tell Andrew for you and he can gather the council—"
"No! She was very clear that she would only work with one council representative, and since I'm the leader of Abnegation, she wants me to handle it."
"But that's not how things work, Marcus."
"Please, Natalie," he pleaded. "Don't stand in the way of this momentous occasion."
Ordinarily, she had a hard time believing anything that came out of the man's mouth, and this was no exception. She dropped her smile and cut straight to the point. "How about you and I make an agreement? You tell me the truth, and I will help you in any way I can."
"I am telling you the truth, Natalie. Now please, I do not require your assistance in this."
"Then answer me this: why are you in the records room? What is in here that you need to take to Erudite?" The mask fell again, and she knew she was on to something. "Marcus, someone that isn't you needs to know what is going on."
Marcus sighed. He wasn't going to get rid of her, that much was obvious, and time was of the essence. He thought perhaps he could use her kindness against her. "You recall my son, Tobias?" Natalie nodded her head. "I've just found out that he's alive, after all these years."
Natalie's eyes widened. "H-how is that possible?" She had always wondered about the circumstances of Evelyn's and Tobias's deaths, but it was crucial that she remain calm and not let her suspicions show.
"That is what I'm trying to find out. Now please, Natalie. You already know too much."
"You can't trust her." Natalie uncrossed her arms and stood tall, looking down on Marcus as he bent down to continue his search. "Believe me. Whatever Jeanine has told you, there's a lie mixed in there." While she knew this to be true, she was also planting the seeds of doubt to help cover her tracks, just in case Jeanine somehow figured out she had helped Evelyn and Tobias escape all those years ago.
"You think I don't know that?" he snapped. "But it's my son. I need to know."
"Fine. Then I'm coming with you. My son is there, too." And my daughter, she thought. If she could just find Caleb, she could find out what happened to Beatrice and help them both.
"No. I have to go alone."
"You go with me, or you don't go at all."
Marcus gritted his teeth. While he was curious about Tobias, it was imperative that he acquire the footage of himself and Evelyn, and he couldn't do that with Natalie around. "Fine. But you will wait in a nearby building, and I will meet you there afterwards."
Natalie eyed him. It wasn't an ideal plan, but it was better than nothing. "Fine."
He grabbed a drive; without seeing it, Natalie knew exactly which one it was. "Marcus," she cautioned.
"I know what I'm doing." Natalie sighed; she had no choice but to go along. Tobias was alive and so was Beatrice. Maybe even Evelyn, too. She was more sure than ever that this had the Bureau written all over it. She had to get her children back. She had to keep them safe and find out what was going on.
The pair boarded a train together, forgoing a car to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Getting off at a stop blocks away from Erudite allowed them to stay hidden, and also gave them a chance to scout the buildings before securing a meeting position in one. Natalie wished she had brought a gun, but there wasn't enough time and she really didn't want Marcus questioning why she had one in the first place.
They agreed on a time, and if Marcus wasn't back by then, she was to head back to Abnegation, alone, with no questions asked. Natalie would then tell Andrew and the rest of the council what happened so they could form a plan from there. She wasn't thrilled with the idea, but her choices in everything were limited. When Marcus was out of sight she ran to the top floor of the building, taking up a spot where she had a vantage point over the whole courtyard. She kept to the shadows, but watched diligently for any sign of Beatrice or Caleb, or for anything else that seemed out of the ordinary.
"Glad to see your quick return," Jeanine said, motioning for Marcus to take a seat. "I assume you brought what I asked for?"
"I did. You'll only get it if I get what you promised me." Jeanine smiled and held out her hand, extending a small drive to him. Marcus quickly took it, exchanging it for the one he brought. Jeanine plugged it into the tablet she was holding and tapped: a young woman appeared on the screen, stating her name and explaining that she was a willing participant in an experiment, one that involved having her memories altered and her name changed. Jeanine smiled again, pulling the drive from the tablet.
"May I?" Marcus asked. She shrugged and handed it over; Marcus plugged in the drive he was given. On it was the same footage of Tobias and nothing else. "What is this?" he asked, his voice rising.
"Oh, Marcus," she said, chuckling. "As much as you like to think you have a modicum of power, the truth is you do not."
"You promised me my son."
"And there he is, right there in front of you. You can watch him over and over, until your little black heart is content." Marcus stood, his hands balled into fists. "Now, now. Let's not be too hasty," Jeanine said, pulling out another drive. "You also asked for this, did you not?" Marcus eyed the drive, and nodded. "Well, now you have to make a choice. Your son, or the video of you killing your wife." Marcus glared at her, and reached for the drive.
"You know, on second thought," she said, pulling it back out of his reach, "I'm beginning to feel like I'm the one who's not really getting a fair deal out of this. The possibilities for me — if I hold onto this little piece of evidence — are endless. I could destroy you in an instant, with the simple flick of a button, or hold onto it and have you do my bidding. No, I don't think I can hand this over to you. There are far too many outcomes, all of them to my advantage."
"You bitch," Marcus growled, "We had a deal."
"'Had' being the operative word, and now we shall have a new one. Abnegation will step down from their council positions and hand them over to Erudite, effective immediately. In return, no blackmail. You can have the drive and I'll tell you where your son is."
"We had a deal!" Marcus slammed his fist on her desk. "You do not get to back out of a deal with me."
"Temper, temper," she said, smiling. "Tell me, Marcus, what exactly is it that you have to offer me? I do believe 'nothing' is the answer. Like a fool, you handed me exactly what I wanted, and now you're useless to me. You know what, let's just forget all the deals. I think I'll just use my little army of Dauntless soldiers to forcibly remove Abnegation from power, right after they learn you're a murderous liar."
Marcus launched himself across her desk, his hands outstretched; Jeanine pushed her chair back, narrowly avoiding his grip. When he stood she pressed the panic button underneath her desk, and Erudite guards instantly filed into her office.
"Jeanine," Marcus said, his face full of concern. "What is going on?"
"Oh, stop playing the fool, Marcus. Mr. Eaton is to be escorted out of this building immediately. If he sets foot on our premises again, Dauntless is to be notified and he is to be arrested."
Marcus played to his strengths, looking both lost and surprised at Jeanine's decision, and the Erudite fell for it: they didn't bother to secure him in any way as they walked him to the elevator. Just before the doors closed, Caleb walked in. He nodded to the others as he pressed the button for the floor Beatrice was being kept on, and looked directly at Marcus, willing him to understand. Caleb exited the elevator when the door opened and turned, giving a faint nod just before he walked out of view. The window was small, but Marcus took it, slipping out just before the doors shut.
"This way!" he heard, and he ran towards the sound of Caleb's voice. "8596," he said quickly as Marcus approached. "Press 8596, then the green button, and the door will open. It's cell 14." He held out his hands, backing away slowly for the cameras. "I'm too weak to stop you, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't punch me in the face."
Marcus didn't hesitate, and punched him squarely in the nose. Caleb fell down, clutching his face as the blood began to trickle down. Marcus ran, entering in the numbers and flinging open the door to see a young girl sleeping on a cot. If Jeanine thought she needed to secure this girl in a cell, she must be a valuable asset, one he would take great pleasure in snatching away from that two-timing bitch. He smirked as he thought how fortunate it was that Caleb had come to him for help, presenting him with this opportunity to exact revenge on Jeanine.
Marcus looked closer at the sleeping girl, but didn't recognize her as the Beatrice he had met many times; that didn't stop him from trying to shake her awake. "Beatrice," he said. Her eyes opened slowly, then rolled back into her head. "Beatrice, look at me. You have to wake up. You have to run." Time was of the essence, so he scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder. He could hear the sounds of the Erudite shouting as they got off the elevator, dictating who should search where.
"Marcus." He turned to see a small, mousy girl down at the other end of the hallway, Caleb standing with her; he walked towards them. "Emergency exit. It's a long flight of stairs that will take you down to street level, though the last few floors are old and in need of repair, so be careful."
Marcus nodded and pressed past them. "Your mother is waiting in a building on Grove Street, second one on the left."
"I'll be just behind you," Caleb said.
Marcus swayed, realizing the stairs were outside the building only when the door opened. He concentrated, taking them as quickly as he could; Tris made a noise with each rough step. "Are you awake?" he called out as they neared the bottom.
"Yes," she said weakly. He looked up: there weren't any signs of guards above him, and the people below seemed none the wiser, either. He set her down.
"The stairs are going to be hard to navigate," he started, "Can you do it?"
"I can do anything," she said, a smile crossing her face. She held onto the railing and placed a bare foot on it, trying to climb over.
"No!" Marcus shouted, pulling her back down. "You have to walk."
"Don't tell me what to do!" she snapped, taking off down the stairs on wobbly legs.
Marcus followed closely, watching her as she narrowly avoided falling through holes in the steps and gingerly jumped over missing ones until they were finally on the ground. He grabbed her firmly by the arm and began dragging her towards Natalie. "Stop!" he heard, and spun to see Caleb running after him, the mousy girl in his wake. They were navigating the last few stairs while more Erudite were pouring out of the top of the building. There wasn't much time. He broke into a sprint, Beatrice laughing as he yanked her along.
"I know about you," she said, dragging her feet. Marcus felt himself getting angrier by the second, her childish actions slowing down his escape and potentially jeopardizing his plan. "I'm glad she helped them. I couldn't love him if it wasn't for her." He ignored her words and her actions until they were safely inside the building.
"You're a monster," she said, ripping her arm from his grip. "I have wanted to say that to you for a long time, and I don't care if it's real or not. I used to look up to you, but then I found out you hurt them. You hurt him." Her eyes stung and her words sounded empty and hollow. She wished she had more anger inside of her, but she was only numb.
"Beatrice?"
Tris turned her head to see her mother walking towards them and let out a strangled chuckle. "Of course you would be here," she said, dropping to her knees. "You're always here."
"Beatrice, you aren't making any sense. What did they do to you?"
Tris watched her mother crouch in front of her, barely registering her brother and Cara out of the corner of her eye. She reached her hand out, touching her mother's face. "I'm sorry I had to lie to you."
"Oh, baby, it's okay."
"No, Mom. You thought I died. You had a funeral for me. But I was at the Bureau—"
Her eyes focused on her mother's soft face, the way she looked at her so lovingly as Natalie reached out and cradled her. "I'm glad you helped him, Mom. I wish I had known." Tris closed her eyes and nestled into her mother's arms. "You saved them from the monster."
"What monster? Beatrice, honey, you aren't making any sense. You have to tell me what happened to you."
"No. I just want to stay here, in your arms."
Marcus watched their exchange, piecing together the words she was saying and the unsurprised look on Natalie's face as she rocked her daughter back and forth. Beatrice must be the reason Jeanine knew his secrets, which also meant she knew where Tobias was. He debated on her usefulness versus what she knew, and decided that in her state, he could easily play off that Erudite had done something with her memories.
"You need to gain control of your daughter," he chimed in. "She's delirious, and she's going to get us captured or killed. We need to start making our way back to Abnegation."
"We shouldn't," Cara said. "They'll have Erudite looking for us, and the Dauntless will be patrolling soon enough. We should just wait it out."
"Or get a head start," Marcus countered. "It will be at least thirty minutes before the Dauntless can assemble and get here. The Erudite won't do anything without them in the meantime. We need to move, get on the train and get out of here."
Caleb and Cara reluctantly agreed, acting as lookouts for Natalie while she helped Tris. She pleaded with her son to tell her what happened once they were safely on the train, but he was silent while Cara refused to look anywhere but the ground. She did check on Tris once, though, and whispered to Caleb that the effects of the most recent serum seemed to be lingering longer than usual; it filled him with guilt.
The train took them the long way around the city, allowing Tris some time to rest. Her sleep was fitful and she woke often, sometimes screaming or asking if things were real, only to fall back into what looked like unconsciousness. Natalie soothed her each time she woke, tears filling her eyes at what had become of her children, and how she had no idea how to help either one.
"Her feet," Natalie whispered, noting the small cuts and abrasions from the metal stairs and the rough sidewalks. She wiped them clean as best as she could before taking off her own shoes and placing them on her daughter's feet.
They roused Tris as the train was approaching their stop, and she looked around, confused. Natalie helped her down into the factionless sector and they stood there, unmoving and unblinking, listening to the unmistakable sound of gunfire.
"What is that?" Marcus asked, orienting himself towards Abnegation.
"It can only be Dauntless soldiers," Natalie said.
"Why are Dauntless soldiers firing guns?" Tris asked, turning to her brother; he lowered his head and put his hands in his pockets. She blinked a few times, bits and pieces coming to her as the fog began to lift from her head. "Wait, are they shooting in Abnegation? What about Dad?"
Natalie frowned. "Your father will be fine. We have to get you all somewhere safe."
Tris's eyes roamed from her mother to her brother to Marcus, fully realizing for the first time that he was there with them; her hands clenched into fists. "Safe?" she seethed. "There's nowhere safe with him around."
"Beatrice!" Caleb reprimanded.
"No! You have no right to talk! You don't know the things he has done! He beat Evelyn and Tobias for years. Mom had to help them escape and they had to live factionless because he's an abusive monster. He murdered Evelyn with his bare hands. And really, you're no different, Caleb. Abnegation is under attack because of you, and all those people are going to die, too!"
"What?" Marcus's voice was quiet as he turned around. Tris paled as the look on Marcus's face went from disbelief to anger, her words having slipped out without a second thought. "What did you say?"
Tris stumbled as she stepped between her mother and Marcus. His eyes flashed with something she had never seen before in anyone, let alone the man who led her faction peacefully for her entire life. She felt small, fearful, and in that moment she understood completely why Evelyn had done it, how much courage it had taken to get her and Tobias away from the monster masquerading as a pillar of virtue.
"Marcus," Natalie warned from behind Tris. His eyes flicked over to her for only a brief moment before he reacted. Tris saw his fist swing towards her and felt the hard sting on her cheek; her head was swimming as she fell to the ground. Marcus lunged at her, his expression oddly calm as his arms stretched out to grab her. "No!" Natalie yelled, rushing to intervene. "Run, Beatrice! Get out of here!"
Tris lay frozen as she watched her mother take on Marcus, her small hands struggling, trying her best to fend off his larger ones. She heard screaming and felt a hand on her, but Tris couldn't tear her eyes away as her mother kicked and punched desperately at Marcus to no avail. He landed a solid blow to her abdomen, and as Natalie gasped for breath, Marcus closed his hands around her throat.
"You traitorous bitch, you were the one responsible for their leaving me!" he yelled, nearly frothing at the mouth, his eyes wild and his face red.
"Mom!" Tris screamed, scrambling to stand. Caleb and Cara grabbed her arms, trying to pull her away, but all she wanted to do was run towards the pair as they struggled against one another. That was her mother, and Marcus was going to kill her.
"Beatrice! We have to go!" Caleb's horrified face was in front of hers, pushing her further away as she clawed at him, screaming, trying to help her mother. Tris used her knees and elbows as she hit them both, trying to free herself from their grip. "Do you want him to kill us, too? There's nothing we can do! We have to go!" Tris took one last look at her mother, her face red, her motions slowing, and turned away, tears streaming down her face. Her mother had sacrificed herself to protect her and her brother; she knew they had to honor that sacrifice by getting away while they still could, despite the agony she felt.
They ran as fast as they could through the factionless sector, the sounds of gunfire echoing louder with each step. Tris wiped her eyes and stopped to get her bearings, making sure they weren't followed.
"What now?" Cara asked as she tentatively touched a scratch on her cheek. "We can't go to Abnegation, and we can't go back to Erudite."
"I know where we can go," Tris said, her voice hoarse, the events of the past few minutes sobering her into acute awareness as she looked at the broken street sign in front of her.
It was only a few blocks away, but it felt like a lifetime before they made it inside the decrepit building. She led Caleb and Cara through the hallways and down the stairs until they were in the room where she first exited the city. "What is this place?" Cara asked, stepping closer to Caleb.
"It's how we're going to get out of the city. But for now, we have to wait."
Tris slid down the wall and kept her eyes trained on the shelving unit, tears steadily falling while she prayed that Tobias knew she was there, and that he would come sooner rather than later.
A/N:
Don't hate me. With Marcus involved, and a title like Sins of my Father, you guys couldn't have been too optimistic, could you?
On a lighter note, I've passed 500 reviews, which is beyond amazing. This is the most reviews I've gotten on any story of mine, and honestly I'm blown away. I don't think I can say thank you enough.