Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.

Tris

I'm in the control room today.

Of all the places I could be. This is where the other leaders chose to put me. I have to fight not to lay my head down on my desk and take a nap. Learning about computers is boring.

I tap my fingers impatiently on the surface of the table. I just want this lesson to be over, so I can pass my test with flying colors and become a leader. But Lauren, my supervisor, is still talking. She drones on and on and on, like she's been programmed to do so.

Finally, I open my mouth and interrupt her. "So," I say casually, "do the Dauntless leaders not get more free time than this?"

Lauren stops. Then she scowls at me. "This isn't enough?" she challenges me.

"Yes," I say quickly. "I mean, no. I mean…" I fumble for the right thing to say. "I'm just wondering how, um, tough the leaders can get."

Lauren's about to say more, but just then I hear a loud rapping on the door to the control room. "Hey, Tris!" a familiar voice calls out. "You in there? Open up! I need to talk to you!"

Lauren rolls her eyes. "I know that kid," she says in an exasperated tone. "Tris, this'll be your first task as a leader. Go and talk to him. When you're like me, having to deal with newbies all the time, you'll be just as sick of having to show your face in front of them."

I can't argue with her. Because I know that voice, too. It belongs to Peter, the Candor transfer who attacked me during initiation and tried to throw me into the chasm.

I walk to the door and open it. "What exactly do you want, Peter?" I ask him. I make sure to keep the door halfway closed, so Peter can't barge in.

He's stronger than me physically, so he shoves his way in, anyway. "Hey, Tris!" he greets me, in a fake-cheerful voice. "Don't worry. I swear I'm not here to mess with you. I just have news for you about your unlucky brother, Caleb."

"Why my 'unlucky' brother?" I snap at him. I look to Lauren for help, but she's busy working on something on her computer. "I'm warning you," I say to Peter, "when I'm sworn in as a leader, you'll have to answer to me."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." He doesn't look sorry, though. He smiles at me. "I'll get straight to the point. Your brother's going to prison. Here, in Dauntless."

"What!" I'm shaken to my core. "What for?"

I imagine Caleb committing a crime on Dauntless premises. What could it be? Murder? Theft? Loitering? Even that last one, I can't fathom. Caleb's always been on his best behavior. Yes, he deceived us all when he transferred to Erudite, but I choose to give him the benefit of the doubt. Most likely he kept that secret because of societal pressure, not the desire to deceive.

I look at Peter for the answer. The smile's gone from his face. "He did something that I'd much rather say congrats to him for. He went to bed with Maria, got her pregnant, and ran."

"Maria?" The name rings a bell. "You mean, Zeke's ex, Maria?"

"That's the one."

"Oh, this is bad." I cover my face with my hands, as if that'd somehow block out all the problems I'm experiencing. "Those bastards couldn't just let him support her?"

"No." And Peter looks serious again. "See, Max just disappeared one day. Went to the Amity sector, he said. But that's not the point. He left Eric to lead in his place. Eric, the Dauntless leader who made us beat each other unconscious, hung your friend Christina over the chasm, and made your other friend Al stand in front of a target while knives were thrown at him. You stood up to Eric before, Tris. You can do it again. Go talk to him and ask him to pardon your brother. You're your brother's only hope, Tris."

I bury my face in my hands. "So Eric's really going to kill him?"

"To make an example out of him, yeah," replies Peter.

Panic eats at me from the inside. "I'm just a Dauntless leader-in-training," I remind Peter. I must sound as helpless as I feel, but right now I don't care. "What can I possibly do?"

"Use the power you have," Peter says. At my confused expression, he clarifies. "The issue I have with you Stiffs is, you just keep your heads down and tell each other to hush. To not speak up about injustice. You guys gotta learn to start shouting. You can't let fear stop you from acting."

It's great advice. But it's coming from Peter, and I still can't help but despise him. I chew on my bottom lip as I consider what to do next.

"Alright, fine," I say. "I'll talk to Eric."

"Awesome," says Peter, and here I get the feeling he doesn't really care about Caleb, he just wants to make sure Eric's softened, so he can save his own skin. But I care about Caleb, and that's enough for me.

"You won't get a goodbye from me," I tell Peter, then I slam the door in his face. I'm grateful he came to tell me about my brother, but if he thinks I'm ready to forgive and forget what he did, he's totally wrong.

Tobias

"And what'll you do after you pardon him?" Eric asks me. "Hold his hand and tell him it'll be okay?" He shakes his head in disgust. "You want to turn the law into something from a simulation."

His fingers skim the surface of the stone as he walks next to me in the dim hallway. This is the same hallway I went to after I beat him in our last fight, during initiation. The blue light from the lamp above casts a pale glow on Eric's face, making him look ghostly. I avoid looking directly at him.

"No," I say, frustrated, "I want us to think. Better if we cut a little, than fall straight into the chasm. This kid's got a good reputation and his father's a council member, no less." I stop walking and stare at Eric. "Now I'm not saying you have, but if you've ever surrendered to your emotions like Caleb did, you now open yourself up to a beating by the law."

Eric stops in his tracks and points a finger at my face. "It's one thing to take risks, Tobias…" I cringe upon hearing him say my real name. "Another thing to be stupid. I don't deny, the Dauntless leaders may, in the sworn five, have a coward or two guiltier than the one they tried. But the criminals we see, are the criminals we seize. You can't excuse what Caleb did because I might've done the same. But I'll let you tell me, when, I mean, if I commit the same crime, let them sit me in the chair and put a bullet through my head. Four, he has to die."

"If that's what you say, so be it." I continue walking down the hall. Once Eric's set his sights on something, there's no steering him off the course.

But poor Caleb, I think. Not even Dauntless, but Erudite, and now he has to pay the penalty for a simple mistake. Eric hasn't learned much from his close call with the law, instead he's only become crueler.

He deserves someone to pray for him, I think. I close my eyes briefly. May God forgive him, and forgive us all. Some rise by cowardice, and some with courage fall. Peter ran from brakes of ice, and answered none, and Caleb's condemned for a fault alone.

I walk out of range of the blue light shining from above, and darkness falls over my face.

It's much noisier here, where we're in full view of the Pit. I can see Dauntless members milling around, most of them younger than I am. Some of them are shopping for clothes, others are just horsing around, daring each other to jump from rock ledge to rock ledge. I don't share their enthusiasm. I've got too many worries on my mind.

My worries are about to be added to, because I see Gus, my old employer, walking on the path with two guys in front of him. The two look very familiar. I recognize Zeke, my former coworker in the control room, and Uriah, his little brother. Gus pushes them both forward with his gun.

"Go on," he's yelling at them. "Keep walking. If you two are upstanding citizens who'll help us root out those traitors, then I know nothing of Dauntless law. Keep moving!"

I'm about to walk toward Gus, then Eric gets the same idea as me. He reaches Gus first. "Now what's going on here?" he demands. "What's your name, and what's the matter?"

Gus stops marching momentarily, and so do Uriah and Zeke. Knowing those two, I think they might legitimately be in trouble. But I don't know for certain, so I'll have to ask. I just need to make sure I get through to them before Eric does.

Gus makes a conciliatory gesture at Eric. "Begging your pardon, sir, I'm just a control room employee. But I'm willing to serve the system of justice here, so I'll bring before you these two initiates, who're up to no good."

Confusion enters my mind, and judging by the look on Eric's face, he's puzzled, too. "Initiates?" he asks. "Didn't these two graduate some time ago?"

Gus hurries to correct himself. "Oh. Yeah. Well, I don't really know what they are. But I do know they're a couple of hoodlums, and sympathetic to the cause of those traitors called the Divergent, who are, well…"

Eric taps his foot on the ground, looking impatient. "Just get to the point, will you?"

"Yes, sir, I will. As I was saying, these two sympathize with the Divergent, who have, what again? Many aptitudes for one faction?" Gus suddenly looks lost, and I have to feel sorry for him. He must be having a bad day.

I decide to help him. "One aptitude for many factions, sir."

"Right. Thank you, sir." Gus looks at me with gratitude, and then his gaze shifts to Zeke and Uriah. He glares at the two of them, who shuffle back and forth in place, looking nervous but still mischievous. Typical for those two.

"What do you do in our faction, sir?" Eric questions Uriah.

"Oh, him?" Gus growls at Uriah, grabbing him by the collar. "This here's a known Divergent sympathizer. Works for the lady who owns the tattoo place. Which we just found out is a very dirty place, the filthiest place in the Pit! It's where criminals and faction traitors go to perspire, I mean, conspire. They love to get together and bond, you know, so I say the tattoo place is a place where there's a lot of illegal, uh, bondage and uh, domination…"

Uriah interrupts. "You're saying the tattoo parlor's actually a massage parlor?" There's a sly grin on his face. It's how I know I should warn him to keep quiet.

Now Zeke chimes in. "That's a lie," he says to Eric. "This man, Gus, just falsely accused us. There's no bondage going on within those walls. My brother went there to work, that's all."

"Work at what?" Eric demands.

"Harboring Divergents!" shouts Gus, spittle flying from his lips. He gives Uriah a hard shake, but Uriah doesn't look intimidated in the slightest.

"And how do you know that?" Eric keeps his focus on Gus. He taps his foot on the ground once more.

Gus starts to calm down. He wipes the sweat from his veiny forehead. "Well, sir, I know because of my wife, who I'm quite daunted by…"

That catches my attention. I know Eric won't like it, but I speak. "What? Your wife?"

"Yes, sir, because we two were two of the top performing initiates during our, uh, initiation…"

"And for that, you're daunted by her?" I raise an eyebrow at him. My former employer must not be very eloquent, at least when put on the spot.

He confirms my suspicions. "Yes, sir," he says confidently, "and I'm quite daunted by myself also. Now, sir, on the subject of my wife and the tattoo place…"

"You hear him mix up his words?" I whisper to Eric. Eric nods, annoyance on his face.

After letting Gus ramble for a minute, Uriah breaks in. "Sir," he says to Eric, "whatever this guy's going on about, it's not true. I can explain. You know my brother, Zeke? You see him standing here, right?" Uriah gestures toward his older brother's face.

Eric nods, but he still looks annoyed. "I see him," he says to Uriah.

"Well, lemme tell you about my brother. Four knows him, don't you, Four?" Uriah waits for me to nod before he goes on again. "Well, my brother Zeke first met Four when they were sitting in the dining hall together, and then, well…"

"Get to the point," Eric snaps. "What did you, or your brother, do to this man's wife?" He gestures to Gus.

The sneaky grin doesn't leave Uriah's face. "I'll tell you at some point," he says with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But first I gotta tell you about Zeke. So as I was saying, Zeke and Four met when they were in the dining hall together, and Zeke pointed out our mom to Four. You know our mom, right, Four? You remember her name?"

"I do," I say, trying to hide my smile behind my hand. "Her name's Hana."

"Right, and…"

"Enough!" Gus stomps his booted foot. He gives Uriah another insistent shake. "If you don't shut up right now, I'll have to teach you a lesson."

Uriah gives Gus an innocent look. "But I thought they wanted me to explain."

"I'm warning you, kid," Gus growls. "I've got the strength of a giant. And I won't hesitate to use it on you. Julius Caesar once said, 'It is exceptional to have a giant's strength, and it is terrific to use it like a giant.'"

Eric interrupts. "Julius Caesar never said that," he corrects Gus, with a roll of his eyes. "That was one of the great English writers from before the new millennium. Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's not 'exceptional to have a giant's strength,' it is 'excellent to have a giant's strength, but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.'"

"Spoken like a true Erudite," laughs Zeke. "And you say my brother and I are…"

Eric blows air through his teeth before Zeke can finish. He glances at me. "This might last until next year's initiation. I'm leaving now. I'll leave you to deal with these two, and I hope you'll find cause to make them both factionless."

"I think I will," I reply, still hiding my smile. "I'll see you later, sir."

Things went smoothly after that. I managed to convince Gus that neither Zeke nor Uriah pose a threat to Dauntless life. That the rumors about Tori harboring Divergents are just that, rumors. Once or twice Zeke or Uriah tried to break in, to add to their already-full arsenal of snarky replies, but I told them to shut up and stay silent with just my eyes.

It wasn't easy. Gus' temper nearly won out, and at one point he threatened to bash Zeke's head against the wall. That was when Zeke warned him, it's "an exception" to have a giant's strength, but it's "tempting" to use it like a giant. I had to fight not to dissolve into giggles.

But that's all over, and now, Gus and I are alone. "So," I ask him, "how long have you been assisting in our investigations?"

Gus scratches his head for a bit, then he gives a downright baffling answer. "I've been working the last six years, no, actually, six years out of the last decade. Uh, five years out of the last decade, I would work three years in one decade, and one of those years, I would work two years in one decade, so… the last six years, I'd work for them." He grins, like he's immensely proud of himself.

I sigh heavily. "Look, if you just give me the names of some Erudite transfers who work with you in the control room, I'll make sure you get the help you need."

"Really?" I nod, and Gus looks ecstatic.

"Thank you, sir. You're amazing, truly." Gus throws an arm around my neck, and I have to restrain myself from shaking him off. "Hey," Gus continues, "I can't believe I ever thought you were capable of breaking into Max's office. That was a crazy thing for me to think, right?"

I force a smile. "If you say so, sir."

"Alright. See you around. And hey, thanks. For everything." Gus leaves then, and as soon as he's disappeared around the corner, I put my head in my hands.

"God," I whisper, "save me from this nonsense, please."

Yet I know I'm the one with the least to worry about. If either Zeke or Uriah are caught, and I'm not there to help them, it'll be over for both of them. They'll be made factionless for sure, or even executed as traitors. And then there's Caleb. I know they say pardon often comes with more woe, but the poor kid won't see it that way.

May God help him, I think to myself, and then I walk back toward the apartments, away from the unsettling chaos of the Pit.

AN: Hope you enjoyed! This was such a hard chapter to write. The scene in the original contained a whole bunch of outdated humor and dirty jokes that most casual 21st century readers wouldn't get. Add to that the challenge of making the jokes palatable to the world of Divergent.

If Gus seems out of character here, it's because he plays the role of the comic relief. Plus I did think he was an incompetent supervisor when he couldn't figure out that Tobias meant to break into Max's office.

Thanks to mixed martial arts fighter Tito Ortiz for the absolute GOLDMINE of a quote that inspired Gus' line about the number of years he's been working. Lol. I am sorry but I couldn't resist using it!

Eric was the only one who got the quote right, it is indeed "excellent to have a giant's strength, but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant."