Eric stood stoically as he leaned against the door of the train as it rattled down the tracks, peering out into the city as the buildings created silhouettes along the dark, navy blue sky. The city seemed so different at such an hour so early in the morning, Eric noticed; the streets were almost completely desolate, only a few people walking among them in order to get to their jobs, the jobs that seemed so mediocre and unfulfilling to Eric. The blond scoffed at the thought of having to get up this early in the morning to go to a job that wasn't he only sounds was that of the train as it roared down the line on the newly furbished tracks. The sky was dark and no starts twinkled above, a luxury long lost to the city but the people didn't seem to mind.
Down the line towards their destination, the leader could see black smoke billowing up above some of the buildings near the Abnegation compound in the early morning darkness. He cursed under his breath, thinking it was too early in the morning for something like this to be happening. He should be in bed, or at least working out in the private gym back at his apartment, not in the middle of the city as he was about to potentially risk his life and those of his men. He knew it was going to be a long day and he'd probably need a drink or two after this was all over and done with. With the smell of the smoke leaking into the train's cracks, Eric could already feel a massive migraine start to form, the painful sensations of pins poking into his forehead.
This would've been the perfect opportunity to take the initiates with the soldiers as a learning experience, but they were not yet at the level of training that would benefit them in the field; most of them would probably freeze in the middle of danger and put the operation at risk, Eric thought to himself as he continued to stare out the window, his eyes analyzing the landscape of the city. The leaders had tried that once before a year before, bringing the initiates with them on a field mission, but the results proved disastrous; half of the younglings weren't skilled enough to be able to spot the difference between a target and a civilian, nor were they able to quickly decide the best course of action under the immense amount of pressure that they were in—being suddenly dropped into a war zone. It was one of the worst decisions the Dauntless leaders had made, but they thought it would be an advantage for the initiates to see first hand some of the situations they would be thrown into at a moments notice—they thought wrong.
The sun was barely up and here he was with nearly half of Dauntless' soldiers, responding to a threat within the city. This was a horrible time for such an event to occur, wishing that it wasn't taking place in the middle of initiation—he had enough to worry about with the black-haired, sexual offender and the brunette girl who reeked of ethical justice against said offender. Eric couldn't help but think that she was something else, Isabelle. In the six-in-a-half week period she'd been in training, he noticed that Isabelle had improved immensely, much more so than some of her peers. But it wasn't only her physical abilities that had improved since she arrived, but he could see the changes in her personality as well. She was once more reserved and timid, now she stood with confidence in her own abilities—not afraid to back down from almost anything. She was finding her voice and she was learning how to use it to her advantage. Eric had noticed that the girl was planning something unscrupulous; he had noted that she whispered deviously to her three friends, eyeing the dark-haired boy with malice filled eyes during training, not to mention that she had helped Nikki defeat Avicus the other day during matches. Oh yes, Eric had observed that. Four wasn't as suspicious of the girl, but the blond had every right to be—he saw the fire in the deep pools of her hazel eyes, so different from what he had first known them to be.
It wasn't only Eric who noticed her improvements, but Four and Max as well. Four wasn't nearly as surprised in Isabelle's abilities as Eric initially was. The other instructor had seen many initiates who didn't quite seem to fit the Dauntless standards at first quickly came to prove everyone wrong; those were his favorite initiates. He himself was a prime example: a child of Abnegation who rose to become one of Dauntless' best soldiers and most valued members. A boy stemmed from abuse and selflessness was able to make a name for himself in a well-respected faction for being fearless.
Isabelle's friends also had potential in becoming great members of Dauntless, especially Warsan. Eric noted that if the boy didn't mess around and took his training a little more seriously than he already had, then he could become one of the greatest leaders Dauntless has ever seen. The boy was strong and cunning, so using it to his advantage would offer great advantage to him as a member of the faction if he were to pass initiation. As of late, Warsan was starting to take the initiation process pensively, not allowing to subjugate himself to his own pride.
That was the problem with Avicus, Eric noted. He was too full of himself—too cocky for his own good and that's why was starting to pay the consequences for such actions and attitudes. Avicus could be a decent competitor, one of the strongest among the transfers even, but Isabelle was right about him—he wasn't Dauntless material. He was sadistic and enjoying causing as much suffering as he possibly could for his own damn amusement. He picked on the weakling because he knew they were feeble and that he could over-power them; that wasn't brave, that wasn't something worth noticing in someone's character—it was predicable and insulting to those who challenged themselves to do better. Being a predator could be considered good in Dauntless, but not when it endangered innocent people.
Now, Eric knew that he could be sadistic, and a bully as well, but most of the things he did—especially to the initiates during training—was for their own damn good. Yes, he humiliated them, and he pushed them to their limits, and he called them out in front of everyone else, but he did it because he needed to know who was weak and who had potential. Eric needed to know who the all-stars were and who the underdogs were. He needed to find out who were the ones to break under pressure, who were the ones who could take orders—and who could give them. He was training potential soldiers and leaders, training the future of his faction who were supposed to be brave enough to protect the city and its people. He didn't want to waste his time on kids who were goofing around or who didn't respect the faction and their way of life, especially when there were lives at stake, even if Eric was merely thinking about the future.
"Eric? Eric, come in. Over." the voice on his earpiece said suddenly, snapping the leader out of his thoughts. Eric placed a finger on the earpiece to press it harder into his ear to hear the voice better. It was Four.
"I hear you, Four. Over."
"We're about to reach the outskirts of the compound. Max has established that'll he'll take the North side of the area. He's assigned me the East side, Angelique the West side, and you have the South side of the compound. We make our way towards the center of the settlement until all sources of danger are extinguished. All factionless are to be taken out, that is a direct order. Over?"
"Understood. Over."
Eric stood straight as he touched the earpiece one more time, ending the call to his peer. Glancing out the window, Eric noticed they approached their destination, only to be there in a few moments, so he moved to the front of his car as he faced the soldiers who stood before him.
"Attention!" His voice roared within the confined space, "we will reach the Abnegation compound any moment now, where just outside of it's borders the threat lies within it." Eric took a deep breath as he watched the soldiers sharply. "We have been called in because a large group of factionless have rioted within the compound and they are threatening the safety of the people in Abnegation. We are to go in and take out any threat to the people's safety. All factionless on the compound will be shot and killed for disobeying our laws. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers said in unison.
"Good, prepare for dispatch!"
The soldiers did as they were told and prepared themselves, holding their guns with steady hands as they turned the safety off and checking the ammunition. Eric did the same as he checked his own weapon as well as making sure his different grenades and knives were all in place, everything set to be used if train slowed to a stop, signaling Eric to ready himself for their mission, taking a deep breath before exiting the car, jumping off onto the soft grass that surrounded the Abnegation compound. He took a quick glance around, trying to get an idea of where the factionless rioters were; the smell of smoke was thick and Eric's eyes started to burn, watering up slightly but he blinked the burning sensation away.
He turned his head and saw Four exit the train as well. The other leader caught a glimpse at his blond counterpart and nodded, acknowledging for them to begin the mission. Although the two needed to work together in order to successfully carry out the mission, Eric didn't think that Four should've been there with him and the other leaders. Four wasn't one of them, he worked in intelligence and was an instructor. Four hadn't earned his stripes yet. Eric earned it. Max earned it. Even Angelique and Ashur had earned it, all while Four hadn't. But he was a favorite amongst the higher up's, so Eric couldn't do anything about it.
Ignoring that train of thought, Eric ordered for his men to follow suit. They all obeyed, jumping two at a time out of the train to trail their leader. Once everyone was out, Eric started to make his way towards the South end of the Abnegation compound with his soldiers devotedly behind him. Despite being a large group of about twenty soldiers, they were quiet as they stalked the area, their steps not making a sound. This is where the stealth aspect of training played a key role in real world situations. Eric wished the initiates could see this, the mission. During training, he taught them each skill separately, but in the field, in real life, skills blended together—stealth and firearms, agility and knife throwing, endurance and hand-to-hand combat. They needed it all to survive and the initiates needed to learn that if they wanted to become Dauntless. It wasn't a game. It wasn't a right. Being able to be called Dauntless was a privilege, it was a proud achievement, and needed to be earned. Some of the initiates still didn't understand that.
As they got closer and closer to the compound, the smoke around them increased as they could hear the crackling roar of the fire that had started somewhere within the faction, most likely by the rioters. The gray and black smoke rose up above the buildings and houses on the compound before spreading out into the open air. Eric turned his head to glance over his shoulder, making sure his men were close behind. As they finally made it to the South side, the sounds of gunfire rang out through the space, causing the leader and his troops to search the surrounding area for any signs of conflict or targets as they raised their guns, ready to shoot. When none were found, they persisted into the compound, continuing with their rifles up.
Upon rounding a corner, there was an Abnegation woman and her child, running through the street frantically. Eric commanded his men to hold their fire before turning to the woman. He ordered her to go back to her home immediately as it wasn't safe for her to be out. She said she couldn't as her house was in the middle of where the riots were happening and she left because she feared for her child. Eric nodded at ordered one of his soldiers, Tig, to escort the woman and her kid to safety. Taking the two, Tig lead them out of the area and towards the train where he knew they would be fine and out of harms way until the mission was over.
As the three of them disappeared behind the corner of the street the soldiers had just walked down, the gun shots resumed, so Eric split his team up as each took soldier found a safe spot to take a defensive stance, scoping out the area while remaining hidden from view behind buildings and homes. Eric was stationed behind one of the buildings with one of his most experienced soldiers, Ion. Eric stood while the other was crouched down on one knee, both of them using the wall of the building for support and protection.
After a moment, a small group of factionless came into sight as they marched from the west; Eric noticed that some of them had guns while others had makeshift knives and bombs. The leader turned to the rest of his men and gave them a hand gesture, signaling them to be ready—they all nodded. The blond then raised his gun, closing his left eye as he aimed for one of the factionless in towards the front of the group who held a machete in one hand and a homemade grenade in the other; he looked like the leader as he rallied the group, making them cheer in a sicking commotion.
Eric took a deep breath as he kept his target in sight; it wasn't long before he pulled the trigger. Once the first shot had fired, the body of the factionless man fell to the ground, a gory hole left in the middle of his head; the soldiers didn't waste any time as they followed suit, firing upon the confused and baffled group of factionless rioters. One by one bodies fell to the ground, some needing more than a single bullet to do so. The sound of continuous, rapid gunfire echoed through the air for only a few seconds before the commotion started to die down.
Once the last body hit the ground, Eric ordered a ceasefire. He looked up from his rifle and examined the area, his cold eyes focusing on the bodies that littered the ground like trash. When he felt that there was no danger, Eric moved away from his spot behind the building and made his way over to the massacred factionless. He walked over their dead corpses, feeling the oozing sensation of blood beneath his boots as he took each step, walking through the slick grass that was covered with the crimson fluid like early morning dew; he nudged some corpses with his boot as he sought out any survivors without even thinking of what he had done to them—their bodies rattled with bullet holes. He didn't see them as people, he never did. How could they be when they were forcing their way into an innocent faction and causing so much damage without a second thought? These weren't people, Eric thought, they were animals that needed to be put down. Finding no survivors, he ordered his men to keep moving, continuing on their path towards the center of the compound to meet up with the other leaders and their soldiers.
Cautiously, Eric's men moved quickly through the South end of the settlement. With each encounter with small groups of factionless, the soldiers had fired upon them without hesitation. In some instances, when the factionless seemed to be better equipped with weapons, the Dauntless would throw smoke grenades at the rioters. With the factionless disoriented, it was easier for Eric's men to take them down without much of a struggle.
As they got closer to the center of the compound, the waves of factionless came quicker than the last, with more added to the group each time. The soldiers were on their feet though and stayed vigilant as they took out the targets that came from every direction. On the fourth wave of factionless, two of Eric's men got shot by an outdated, homemade gun while three others were blown up by makeshift grenades. Eric didn't take that lightheartedly as he pushed back the enemy line with his warriors at his side, killing every single factionless member without hesitation and with brute force. Eric didn't like losing men. He didn't like the fleeting sense of guilt in the back of his mind at the mere thought of it. But it made him more determined to successfully complete the mission without losing any more soldiers; he wouldn't allow it.
By the sixth wave of factionless rioters, Eric had grown tired of such games. Luckily it was the last group as Eric's team made it to the center of the compound where Max and his men were already there, holding down the fort. Eric ordered his men to secure the area, spreading out and taking their defensive stance, ready for another attack by the factionless.
Eric strode over to Max and explained that the South side of the settlement was clear and that all factionless had been taken out. Max gave a curt nod, not having any words after all the blood that had been spilt on Abnegation soil. About an hour later, Four's team had arrived. Eric noticed that his group looked a bit smaller as well, registering the worst in his mind. He informed the other two leaders that his group had put out the fire that was ravishing the East side of the compound, but it had only damaged two buildings; the others were perfectly fine and no one was harmed, being evacuated from the area in the nick of time. About an hour and a half later, Angelique's team turned up to the safe point; she didn't look too pleased as there was a gushing wound on her forehead that was oozing blood, nearly blinding her left eye. She said she was fine, that the wound was a fresh one and that she just needed it cleaned and stitched up.
After regrouping and affirming that all of the factionless had been taken care of, the leaders and Four took their leave with their soldiers trailing behind them faithfully. As they ventured through the seemingly empty compound, the soldiers recollected their dead, ready to take them back to Dauntless for a proper burial before they would celebrate those who lost their lives and for completing the mission. When Eric arrived at the train, he saw Tig with the woman and child as he still guarded her. Eric told his soldier that the compound was clear, so they allowed the woman to leave. She thanked them before walking away with her kid.
As the Dauntless boarded the train to go home, Eric momentarily glanced up at the sky, noticing that he didn't even realize that it had turned from navy blue to the beautiful robin's egg color it was now with not a single cloud to be seen. He thought about how astonishing it was that something so beautiful like the color of the sky could be present during something horrible like a bloody massacre, the extermination of a people. It was strange to think that something beautiful and something ugly could be found within the same circumstance, yet be so clearly drawn apart, so unrelated. Beauty and disaster were seemingly often interwoven with each other, Eric noticed, especially when humanity remained at fault. But as he looked far out into the horizon, he could see the creeping navy blue color of the sky that indicated that night would soon be here.
Without another thought on the subject, Eric jumped onto the train, leaving the mess of the factionless massacre behind with the rubble of the compound—and far from mind.