Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Twilight and Divergent. Those rights are reserved for Stephanie Myer and Veronica Roth. I do own the characters created for the storyline. Please support the official release.
Writer's Notes: Thank you everyone for all the reviews! Happy St Patrick's day everyone! We're finishing up the story now. We have another chapter after this, making it the last of the series. I have loved this story so much. I can't believe that we made it this far! I have enjoyed writing this story the most and It also shook me the most. (Which is why it took me a week to write the next chapter because I hurt my heart with Lukas's death) Anyways, here is the next chapter and I hope everyone has enjoyed the story as much as I have. Don't forget to follow, favorite and review!
The death of Lukas sat heavily on Bella. She knew that he did what he did to protect her and her unborn children. It angered her still that Caleb did this. Lukas's death sent a wave through their group. Jasper and Eric were still gone. A week had passed. Four returned with news that the Divergent city was decimated. Eric and Jasper weren't found. Bella thought about the worse case scenario. Eric's disappearance was too coincidental with Caleb's betrayal. Someone killed Eric and Jasper. Bella felt numb inside. She started shutting down, keeping everyone at arms length. The aftermath of Jeanine was still rocking Chicago. There were Jeanine supporters that popped up, but Bella squashed every one of them before a revolt could happen. With the help of Jack Kang and Johana, they were holding peace in the faction systems.
Every faction head was gathered in Candor proper now, in a large bright, white and black room, with a white table. Bella sat as the head of Dauntless. She was the one in charge after all. Natalie and Andrew sat as the council left to make decisions for Abnegation. Evelyn Johnson was there for the Factionless. She was Four's mother and it took Four a long time to come to terms that she didn't die. That she walked away from his father because she was abused and so she faked her death. Bella didn't particularly care for Evelyn, but she tolerated her because of her help.
"What are we going to do about the emerging rebels?" Jack Kang asked at the meeting.
Bella had been silent as they droned on about city issues. But she spoke up now. "Bring them to me." She said her, vacant dark eyes lifted to look at Jack Kang.
Jack stared back at Bella. "What will you do to them?"
"Kill them." Bella said simple.
Andrew frowned. "Bella you can't possible suggest that we just kill people like that. There has to be a process."
"Let me ask you a question. What happens when someone else like Jeanine takes the reins and the outcome is worse? Abnegation was nearly eradicated because of it. We stopped her. I lost people." She stood now. "I lost important people to me. The father of my children is dead. My best friend, dead. The people I trust the most, dead. So tell me Andrew, what do you want me to do with the treasonous bastards that rise up and try the same things that Jeanine did?" Her dark eyes were cold.
Andrew shook his head. "We can't just kill them."
"I killed Jeanine and Caleb and here I am." Bella said motioning a hand around the room. "No one wants to talk about that. They just accepted that I killed her and Caleb because it benefited Abnegation at the time. I have people rising up and trying to kill ten year old Divergent kids in the streets because they got their hands on the devices that Jeanine and Caleb developed." She shook her head. "I'm not going to allow innocent lives to be sacrificed because you can't do the hard thing. That is my job. MY job is to protect this city. Protect this… council. I'll do what I have to. If you have a problem with it, then you better kill me now."
"No one is going to hurt you Bella." Johana spoke up. "You're far too important. I think what Andrew is saying is, there should be a process. Perhaps the worse crimes are handled by you while the small ones be shifted to Jack and go through a due process."
Andrew didn't look at Bella now. He was hurting in different ways. He lost his only son, but he had to watch his daughter become a shell of herself and he felt like this world wasn't fair anymore. What was the point?
Bella looked at Johana. "Fine." She said and sat back down.
Jack cleared his throat. "That's settled. What about the air quality issues Abnegation is facing on their end of the city."
Natalie spoke up now. "We have moved the elderly and children inward. We're working on re assigning housing and trying to combat-"
"Plant some trees." Bella said and sighed. "The Divergent City faced similar issues. The children there were suffering from oxygen deprivation. George moved the children closer to the trees and moved the hospital closer so that they could get the denser oxygen. We need to start spreading what greenery we have to those outskirts of the city and even bring some trees in closer."
Johana nodded. "We have some smaller trees we can transplant to Abnegation. We can accommodate that."
"What about outside the wall?" Jack asked.
"Outside the wall is extremely dangerous. I have lost people to ravagers. It's likely what happened in part to the Divergent City. They didn't have walls, but it didn't help that Jeanine and Caleb took out their defenses. Ravagers took advantage. As long as we don't have a break in the security on the wall, we're protected. Caleb was purposely interrupting that security so that is what led to the ravager breaches we saw here. We have the weapons to push them back, but I'm running out of people to man the wall. Dauntless population isn't as large as other populations like Amity or Abnegation." Bella explained.
Evelyn spoke up now. "We'll help. The Factionless have the manpower. Tell me where you need my people and they'll help." She said with a nod. It was the first thing Evelyn said during this meeting.
"We were talking about assimilation of the Factionless. I know there are those that were thrown out of Dauntless before… during Max's tenure." Jack stated.
Evelyn nodded. "There are some that wish to go back to their original factions, but others that are comfortable with the lifestyle. We don't want to steal from the system. We only want to be apart of it in our own way."
"Become a new faction?" Andrew asked.
Evelyn nodded. "Yes. We don't like to be called Factionless because we are united. We have created a place in this city."
Jack looked at Johanna and she nodded to him then he looked to Bella, she nodded slightly. He looked back at Evelyn. "Alright. You want to be the new faction. What is it that your faction can offer to the already five factions that currently occupy the city? What are your skills, what are-"
"We are very much like Dauntless. A lot of us came from Dauntless. But, I feel that we are resourceful. We know how to dig, we know how to blend in to our surroundings without being noticed. Did any of you notice my people slinking through the city?"
"Yes." Bella said her eyes falling on Evelyn. "I know were every one of your Factionless outpost are. I know every one of your Factionless bodyguards. I know where you get your resources and I know where all your exit points are in the wall." She said. "You're not as cunning as you think Evelyn. Don't boast. You are important to the faction, but no need to gloat about a talent that you don't have."
Evelyn stared at Bella. She wanted to glare, but she just nodded. "Alright. You know this city inside and out. Part of that is because you have Factionless allies."
"No. Part of it is that I'm very observant Evelyn. I have eyes and ears all over this city. No one makes a move without me knowing about it. I have very loyal people that follow under me. It's been a week since Jeanine was put out. Do you know who is currently leading Erudite? They're not here right now. There's a reason for it." Bella said and looked around the room.
Jack frowned. "Erudite has a new leader?"
"Yes." Bella said. "Erudite's new leader is Will. He was Erudite before coming to Dauntless. He expressed an interest in bringing Erudite to a better space. He's working with Tori Wu right now to break all the encryptions that Caleb put on the systems so we can all have access to the technology that Jeanine was hoarding for herself. That means the new medicines for all the factions. And Will, will be the face of that."
"We didn't discuss this." Jack said, shocked.
Bella stood then. "Jack. Not everything needs to be discussed here. It had to happen, it's happened. People are following Will and his orders. There are people that want this Faction to work as much as I do. Despite me being Divergent, I want the best for this city. I have no plans on unraveling the faction system because it works. Now, I have to get back to my job. If there is anything else you need to say," she paused and unhooked a second palm pilot and tossed it on the table. "That's the best way to get to me directly. All of Dauntless uses them. I'll have some more delivered to the faction heads later. Evelyn. Welcome to the Faction system."
"What is the new name?" Andrew asked before Bella left.
Bella looked at Evelyn and then back at her dad. "The Architects."
"The Architects?" Jack asked.
"They've been building. Perhaps I am the only one that has noticed." Bella said and looked at Evelyn. "You know where to find me Evelyn." She said and she left. She needed to get out of that room. She was nauseous and that was because of the twins. They were growing and despite being in the second trimester, she was still having morning sickness sometimes.
Eric and Jasper sprinted, sliding down into a ditch next to George and the four kids that George had with him when he brought them on a small expedition to teach them about plant life. It was Oliver, Jasmine, Danny and Sabrina. They were varying ages. Twelve to Eight.
Sabrina was the oldest at twelve. She pulled a grenade from her pocket and she pulled the pin and then lobbed the grenade like an expert. She was Dauntless born after all.
They heard the boom and then they all scrambled, getting to their feet and running. Eric and Jasper fell back, shooting back at the ravagers that advanced on them. George kept running with the kids.
"Jasper fall back. Go with them." Eric ordered.
Jasper shook his head. "Nope, not gonna let you die today brother." He said and he pulled the grenade from his pocket, he pulled the pin and lobbed it like Sabrina had then grabbed Eric's arm and pulled him along. They were getting close to the city at this point. They had been outside the wall for two months now. Two months since they were forced to run from the city.
Eric had a beard going on, but so did Jasper and George. They were tired from running and keeping away from the city at the same time. Eric had lost the communicator a long time ago like an idiot, so he had no way of knowing if Bella was okay or his children and that ate at him. He held on to hope that she was okay.
As they were running from the ravagers they saw Dauntless vehicles approaching fast.
"Shit." Eric cursed. This was it. They would be captured and that would be the end. He would never see Chicago again.
The Dauntless vehicle drifted in sideways and the side door opened. Four was standing there, a rocket launcher perched on his shoulder.
"GET DOWN!" Four yelled, Eric and the others didn't hesitate. They hit the dirt and Four shot the launcher, blowing the ravagers up and then a ring of fire started rapidly spinning around the city. "Get in." Four said quickly. Eric scrambled, picking Oliver up and carrying him towards the transport. It was mechanical. He doubled back for Jasmine and Danny and Sabrina got on the transport with George and Jasper. Eric was last to get in and Four pulled the door shut.
Christina was driving the transport with Uriah sitting front seat with her. They spun the transport around and floored it back to Chicago.
"You're alive." Four said and then was hugging Eric tightly like a brother would.
Eric hugged Four back tight, relief flooding through him that it was Four and not someone random. "Barely." He said back, his voice shaking a little. The emotion was clear, all Eric was thinking about now was Bella.