Chapter Three

A/N: Happy Saturday! It's been a few days. I've been fighting a cold and not really feeling up to writing. But here is chapter three! I hope you enjoy. We get to see what Eric is cooking up! In the next chapter we will be intoduced to the new initiates. :) And let me know what else you might like to see in term of Tobias and Tris. I don't want the main focus to be on them, as this story will be bigger than that, but there will be a few filler chapters with just some good fluff. So let me know!

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I awake to the sound of Tobias' cell phone ringing loudly. I groan as he reaches over and answers it. I look to the alarm clock glowing dimly in the still dark room. It reads 5 a.m. I still have 2 hours to sleep!

"Uh-huh, this better be good," says Tobias, annoyed. He hangs up and heads to his shower. "Eric says we're to meet him in his office. He says it's important. Better be important, I don't wake up this early for some bullshit..." His voice fades away as he turns on the faucet.

I sit up and stretch as I make my way to the dresser. I keep extra clothes at Tobias' apartment for the nights I do spend with him.

When we are both ready we make our way to Eric's office, ready to hear some new scheme to take over the world. 'Bullshit,' I think to myself.

Tobias bangs on his door loudly, cussing under his breath. Eric answers swiftly and ushers us inside. He gestures to his large meeting table for us to sit. He sits at the head and leans his face on his hands, looking at us with a gleam in his eyes.

"I think you already know why you're here," he says.

I snort. "Well, assuming we don't, please enlighten us."

His eyes flash and he stands abruptly, starting to pace the length of the office. "You both know that every year we are required to..." He taps his chin, searching for the right word. "...eliminate the Divergent. Nothing new, right?" He turns and raises his eyebrows. We nod for him to continue.

It's no surprise that this is what he called us in for. The Dauntless make it a point to get rid of any Divergent, as per orders from Jeanine Matthews herself. There are many ways to "get rid of them." It's an easy task to stage an "accident." One initiate standing too close to the chasm and boom. No more Divergent boy. This is nothing new to me and I don't understand why we need to be called in to be told this, once again.

"Well, we all three know what a pleasure it is to work with Jeanine and the Erudite in order to rid ourselves of the Divergent. Such a pleasure, wouldn't you say?" His eyes flash again at her name. "But I've been given word from an insider at the Erudite that Jeanine has a new plan. She has gotten hold of the Death Serum." He pauses so that we have time to comprehend what he has said.

The Death Serum is an extremely rare serum. It is not easy to make and be made right, so very few times has it ever been made. It is not easy to replicate either. And why or how Jeanine has gotten it is beyond me.

"She has been able to produce mass amounts of it. What she plans on doing with it, I do not know, but I don't think I want to stay and find out." He stops and leans with his palms on the table, staring intently at us.

"So, with our knowledge of what Divergents are capable of, I think we might just have some use for them afterall." He smiles at us.

"What the hell are you going on about," Tobias says.

"I want you to report all Divergents to me. They will not be eliminated, nor will anyone else know what they are. We will be sure to arrange for them to pass initiation, regardless of their scores. They will have safety here in Dauntless, and when the time comes and we have enough of them, we will invade Erudite headquarters. Since the Erudite like to play with serums, I want to see how they'll battle a group of Divergents." He smiles triumphantly, like his plan is flawless.

I stand up. I don't want anything to do with him and his impossible schemes. For one, I don't trust him. "And what happens afterwards? When they aren't needed anymore. Will you just arrange a mass exacution?" My voice grows louder and I slam my hands down on the table. "What the hell do you gain from this, Eric? Why do we even need the Death Serum? If she's massed produced it, then what stops her from making more when you take it from her?"

He waves me off. "No matter. Those details aren't important now. Right now, I just want the Divergents reported to me, as usual. I will fill you in again soon." And with that, he leaves us alone.

I sit haughtily. Tobias' brow is furrowed, deep in thought.

"I don't trust him," I say. "It doesn't make any sense and doesn't add up at all."

"I dunno, Tris. Maybe this is a good thing," says Tobias.

I look at him increduously. "A good thing? How is that?"

"Well, you know they've been monitering the fear landscapes so they can judge for themselves whether an initiate is Divergent or not. And because of that, I can't manipulate the recordings. We can't save them a majority of the time. But maybe if we do report them to him, they have a chance."

I take that in. Eric did say they'll be given safety in Dauntless. Maybe he's right.

"I still don't like it. If we turn them in that's like sentencing them to a possible death. We don't know what exactly he's planning to do with them inside Erudite," I say.

We mull on the facts we've been given, deciding whether to go through with this or not. Either way Eric will find out if they are Divergent, since he moniters the recordings. But turning them in myself just doesn't seem right. I'm at a loss as to what to do.

"I just don't know," I say. "At least if we don't turn them in, we still have a chance to save them when Eric isn't looking. You can change the recordings when he isn't around but that won't always save them, will it?"

He shakes his head solemnly. Being Divergent ourselves there are mixed feelings. A part of me wants to trust Eric, to ensure them safety, but another part knows what he is capable of and I don't want to be the one to sentence them to death.

We walk hand in hand to the Pit. People are starting wake up and mull around until the day's work starts.

"Let's just wait and see what happens," says Tobias gently. "Maybe it will work out and we can save them."

I nod silently. I sure hope so.