The Flame and the Void

by Lunaschild2016

She was controlled and calm, empty of all emotions. He wasn't fooled though and from the moment she crossed that stage he knew he wanted her. She was the master of the void. She felt no pain, no emotions and no fear when she was in her void and no one pierced that void if she didn't want them to. Until Eric that is. Could their flame endure or would it burn them both? Eric/OC AU M

25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 - Eric's POV

When I get to the infirmary Zeke is there and Mar is looking furious. "Where is the shit?" I growl.

Zeke looks at me and his rare anger is showing. "Please tell me we can kick this fucker out? He just fucking tried to put his hands on Mar and is demanding we let him see his 'Fucking bitch girlfriend'."

My jaw clenches. "Mar work on documenting this as a violation of the code of conduct. For every count you can possibly make it for. Let's get this piece shit out of here. I will be having words with him."

Zeke shows me to the room he was put in and I slam in as I let him see he is lucky to be alive.

"It's about fucking time. What the fuck I told that bitch I want Raven? Where the fuck is she?"

"Listen to me carefully Shane. You are treading a very fucking thin line here. You are lucky to be alive…"

He scoffs "Bullshit, Raven just got fucking lucky I went easy on her. Do you know who my fucking father is…"

"Finish that fucking sentence and we will add factional treason to all of the other counts of insubordination and assault on a senior member that are adding up as we speak. Here is what is going to happen. You are going to be discharged and you will go back to the little girl you had been sleeping with. Consider this as your official verbal break up. I should think Raven's performance in the ring as all that is needed but you apparently aren't all that fucking smart. Do not go to the dorm, we will have your shit brought to you and we will see at the end of the off days whether you will either be factionless or in a Candor jail cell, if you are still here by some miracle we will be keeping such a close eye on your you won't be able to fart without some right there at your ass to let us know. When we walk out of this room, it would really behoove you…oh that means it would be best if your kept your fucking mouth shut. Am I understood shithead?" I ask an inch from his face towering over him and speaking so softly there is no way he can doubt how close he is to me killing his ass.

He doesn't answer he just nods and follows Zeke out while I walk right behind him. Zeke grabs the discharge papers and I shove Shane forward so he doesn't go near Mar. We don't give him any pain pills and I watch as he hesitates to follow what I told him to do. He ends up eyeing us shiftily and walking off.

I growl and motion for Zeke to follow me and we head to the dorm because I just fucking know he is going to go there. Sure enough we follow him to the dorm, giving him a bit of room. We get there and he must be expecting Raven to walk in because when the door opens for us he is at her bed and he lets his mouth start writing checks his ass can't cash.

"Miss me bitch? You put me in the fucking hospital for the last time. I should have kill…" My hand is around his throat before he can finish that.

"I do believe I fucking gave you and order fucktard. Apparently you can add another count of disobeying a direct order from a Leader. And let me tell you that won't be fucking pretty Shane." I squeeze his throat and he starts turning red and kicking as I cut his air supply off.

I am interrupted by Zeke. "Tris and Raven are on their way."

I squeeze harder at the thought of him touching her or threatening Raven again and he starts turn purple.

Zeke puts his hand on my shoulder "Eric as much as I want to see this punk die, we can't. He won't last much longer here and we can send him where the fuck he belongs. Either to the factionless or home to his dad in a body bag."

I know I am about to lose it so I drop him and he collapses to the ground then whimpers before standing up.

"Raven always comes back." he rubs his throat "Her dad always makes her see exactly what a little cunt she was and that she can't think for herself." He rubs his throat and tries to act like he is some tough fucking guy.

Zeke looks just as murderous but I really am about to kill the fucker now. Zeke starts trying to drag me back as I start to walk forward and the door to the dorm opens up. Raven looks to Shane with dismissal but then moves over to me in concern. But not because she is concerned I am going to hurt him I think.

I look at Raven and Tris "Have her pack now and take her to your place." Then I turn back to Shane.

He looks over at Raven and pastes on a smile but I am not fooled, his hands are twitching just hoping we leave.

Raven looks at Shane and at his hands and then up to his face and she smiles her small feral smile. Shane moves forward and her voice is cold, I am actually fucking impressed how menacing and cold it goes. "Stop right fucking there Shane. You are lucky you are alive. You were only saved because someone pulled me off of you. You won't be so lucky next time you come near me or touch me. Once was enough and never again. Did you really think I wouldn't find out about you and all of the girls you have been with? You messed up Shane because the only thing holding me to you was a very fucking misplaced sense of loyalty. I don't love you and probably never have just like you never loved me. You thought my Father's influence would be good for you and you only followed me here because without me there my Father had no further use for you. We know what happens when he doesn't have uses for people, don't we Shane?" Her smile says she would be pleased if he found out first hand.

"That could be why I sent him the last email I will ever send him telling him my sad news. My long time relationship with you is over as of last night. Now he really has no further use for you." She finishes in an almost dismissive, 'sorry bout your luck', tone.

Shane practically shits himself licking his lips and his eyes start shifting around. "Raven…I'm sorry. It will never happen again. I wasn't thinking and I told you that…" He swallows nervously and almost whispers "You didn't really message him that did you?"

She bares her teeth even more and I don't know what to think. Sorry that I am not sorry is what I am leaning to.

Shane looks to us like he needs to make himself look tough again and fails at his sneer."That's fine Raven, not like I have wanted you since you stopped even wanting me to kiss you after our first time." Good! She was too good for you fucking dead man walking.

This didn't have the desired effect because Zeke snorts and then turns trying not to laugh.

Shane falters but then tries again. "Besides she is much better in the sack then you would ever be."

He doesn't even get the last two words out before Zeke moves and now he is the one grabbing him by the throat and squeezing. Zeke didn't finish in the top 3 in our initiation because of his jokes and smiles.

"You don't get to talk to her or look at her. You are fucking a speck of shit compared to her. If I ever get a hint you have even thought her name you will think initiation has been a fucking cake walk to what you will be put through. Be careful Shane, people fall into the fucking Chasm all the time, and Dauntless sure as shit won't miss a fuck up like you." His voice is soft and deadly.

Zeke always had this side to him. He can go as deadly as the best of us, even me. When Zeke loses it though you don't see it coming. That makes him even more deadly. Secretly I am hoping I get to him in action again right now. He throws him towards the door and past me where Shane lands on his ass and scrambles out without looking back.

I hear his footfalls and Raven passes us causally still smiling a bit and goes to her bed area.

I look to Tris and frown and she frowns after Raven. "Go head Tris I will make sure he doesn't come after her. I'll bring her to your office after she packs. Zeke go get those reports from Mar and put someone on tracking his movements."

They nod and head off and I move towards her as she has started to pack. I grab her hand and spin her to look at me frowning. She is just way to fucking calm.

"Are you in your detached space?" I look into her eyes and the sparkle is there.

She smiles at me. "No why, should I be?"

I shrug. "I don't know I guess I wouldn't have been as calm if it were me."

She laughed. "Maybe because I got out the physical aggression this morning. I just needed to say the words and now that is done." She looks around and then back to me. "Did Tris leave?"

I nod. "I told her I would take you to her office and then you two can head to the parlor if you want to go ahead and shower here. I can plan on waiting and taking you up to her. Zeke went back to do a few things and then head back to Control."

She looks to be calculating and in thought but then shrugs. "I don't mind showering here, it would be more efficient anyways since quarters are on the other side away from the offices and the parlor."

I smile and shake my head, amused. "Yeah because everyone bases getting to shower in a private bathroom or the dorms on efficiency."

She giggles with a beautiful blush. "The bathrooms aren't that bad now that they are separate and there isn't anyone to hog all of the hot water. Well, now there is but hey that is just how the cookie crumbles."

As she packs I go through her wardrobe amazed at how ordered it is. Clothes color coded by type hanging up. Clothes in the drawers broken down to work out gear and type of garment. Then casual done the same way. Her shoes…everything is categorized and placed neatly accordingly. It is amazing because my whole apartment is rather like that, even my books.

"You know I heard you guys were organized but I don't think I have seen this level in initiates. The ones stationed on the fence and in the patrol barracks yeah, but not anyone living in compound housing." I mutter and pull out her dress uniform and smile almost giddily at how pressed and to code it is. "Did you iron this yourself?" I run my finger down the gig line.

She chuckles but is full of playfulness and pride. "Yes starched to within an inch of its life. I actually do all my friends because they said they know I like to do it and they aren't wrong, I do. I draw the line at doing their boots for them though. Want to see my locker?"

I hang her uniform back up carefully so it doesn't become crooked or fold incorrectly. "Is it anything like this?" I had already started to walk as she opens it and holy shit she is organized. And the things she has taken it on herself to get.

She has two sets of sparring gear and they are separate. Looks like the stuff we issue and then the slightly different set that is usually just bought. I crouch down and look over it all and see her tactical vest pockets already have things stored in it. Batteries, medkit, ration bars, hand warmers; you name it these have it.

She seems to have a backup for boots and running shoes and I am smiling as wide as can be.

"Am I keeping you from something by taking a shower here?" She asks while packing but I am struck by so many things I want to know!

"Why do you have your own gun maintenance kit or whetstones?" I ask and look at her backside then turn back to look at everything, trying not to go there and my curiosity winning over the lust.

She shrugs. "Because it's something I will need and why wait to get it when I can have it now. I still use the one that Four brings out anytime we work with firearms but I will be issued one when I become a member so just better to have it. The whetstones is because if you look in the 3 tactical vests I have them outfitted with a few pocket knives and because I have an obsession with things that need to be sharpened. Throwing stars for instance. Four has those though and we pull them out when I practice my throwing." Damn I need to see those stars and what she can do with them

I pull up her tactical vest and look over every pocket and find her knives and flick it open. I hear her laughing as she is looking at me and my grin.

"What? I happen to like knives and this is a pretty nice one too. Must have set you back some credits. The other one is smaller but still nice."

She takes off her workout jacket, phone and accessories and then starts unbraiding her hair I itch to run my fingers through it. "Yeah Shauna was pissed because I refused to buy more clothes. Or at least the kind she wanted me to buy. I got those instead but Zeke talked her down and then I appeased her with something else she likes me to do."

"Shauna backed down? What did you appease her with?" I put everything back still grinning. "You even polished the hardware on the vest along with the boots. I thought I was the only one to do that. Hell, I know I am the only one to do it on the vests."

"Maybe the saying is true then." She turns to me and winks. "You know great minds think alike."

I close and lock her locker and hand her the key as I my smile is still plastered on my face. "Or maybe great Erudite minds think alike."

She tilts her head and nods smiling. "Yeah it fits."

I stretch out on her bed and take out my phone and start responding to emails or messages.

"You never answered the question about Shauna." I eye her over my phone.

She shrugs and sighs. "She likes me to sing and especially when I do it and play guitar. In fairness it does seem to help the baby when he is keeping her up at night with hiccups or when he is lying in a rib."

I lower the phone, head tilted and wonder how I can hear her sing. "Have you sung at the open mic nights I hear they have?"

She shakes her head, eyes wide and mortified at the idea. This is a new one, her not being fearless. "Hell no and I don't have plans to either. It really has only been at the parties my friends have or when I have spent the day with Shauna at her apartment. She was having a tough time when I was still going out and doing more things with my, well family. I would stay there and take care of her. Which allowed Zeke and Uri to not worry so much."

I grin at her, already planning to be at the next one Zeke mentioned to me. "Then maybe I will take Zeke up on one of his persistent invitations."

She blushes. "They are your ears to torture. I am going to go ahead and get a shower." She grabs her things and heads to the bathroom.

I can't help but smirk at the idea that I found a button of hers to push as I nod. "I will be here."

I lay stretched out on her bed and respond to Max who will be looking into getting those hospital reports. We are going to move forward on the charges we can get him on, Max sounds pretty damn furious about it all.

I expect to be sitting here for a while since women do tend to take longer than men. But I should have known that wouldn't be the case with Raven. In what can't have been more than 9 minutes or so she is walking back out fully dressed and looking at her watch smiling.

I can't help but break out into laughter because I think she just timed herself in the shower no fucking less.

"Did you seriously just time yourself?" I put my phone back up but stay stretched out and look her over smiling.

"I didn't time myself…exactly." She blushes and drops her clothes in the hamper and moves to put her toiletry bag into the matching overnight bag.

"Well then what did you do exactly?" I quirk an eyebrow and keep my grin.

She was still blushing and shrugged trying not to let her embarrassment show. "I knew the time going in and I indulged allowed the hot water to work on my muscles for two minutes. I also know how long my showers take and I kind of like knowing I beat the last time, when I beat it that is. They don't last longer than ten minutes regardless."

"You weren't kidding about competing against yourself. I would hate to see how competitive you are against someone else." Actually I would love to see her compete. I was looking forward to seeing her do that obstacle course.

She smirked at me. "You did actually at capture, which if I am not mistaken I was on your team and we won."

I grin and smirk back because damn that had felt good. Not only to have her on my team, but right there with me as a three man team to take the flag. I had thought she had gotten hit but she ended up tossing down the flag all laughing and jumped down practically into our arms instead of climbing back down. It was one of those rare moments early on that just kept playing in my mind about her. When she had dropped down and briefly her arms were around my neck and her smile. "Yeah we sure did. Good plan by the way, not that you are bragging or anything."

"Me, no never." She says with s shit eating grin as she pulls on a jacket and puts her phone up.

She grabs her bag and I stand up and really take a good look at it. Looks like a custom design of blood red. Which seems to be a theme between her jacket and bag.

"That doesn't look like a standard issue bag, but it is nice. Where did you get it?" I see the dauntless flames on the leather but there seems to be a silver clasp of some sort that has a black phoenix.

"Tori and Bud got it for me for my birthday at the end of the first month. They had someone burn in the dauntless flames to the leather and engrave the button since that is one of my designs and part of the tattoo I am having done now. The phoenix part is done we are just finishing up details in the body and then the arm and leg part. "She throws the bag over her shoulder and I nod as we move out of the dorm.

"Pretty nice gift. Can't wait to see the tattoo, sounds like it is a big one." I allowed my hand go to the small of her back again and as much as I want to slide it under that jacket and that tempting bare skin I see in her crop top tank, I resist.

She laughs. "Yeah I am going to have to find something else to relax me soon besides getting tattoos. Or as Bud likes to call it, my massage sessions. I apparently don't know what a small tattoo is."

"Why don't you go for the new machines?" I tilt my head looking at her.

She shrugs and smiles. "The gun is cathartic I guess. Also because it takes away the artistry of it. If someone knew how to do it I might have it done the way Ancient Eastern cultures like Polynesian cultures did. Besides it wouldn't feel like I had earned the tattoo if I didn't bleed or have some pain."

I don't speak for a while because I feel a bit overwhelmed from everything I have learned about her. I knew she obviously shared some of the thoughts I did about tattoos but to go that far into how I felt. How does she even know about that method? Nothing should surprise me with her anymore today but it does. I have to breathe because I am fighting the urge again to pick her up and just say fuck meeting Tris.

"So would you really let them use the method where the tap the ink in?" My voice is thick in desire and I can't help it. At first she looks pleased that I know exactly what she was talking about but then she frowns worriedly looking at me.

I feel a shiver go down her spine as she understands what my tone and look mean, I don't bring attention to it because if I do we both might lose control. "Yes I would for sure get that kind of tattoo. It was said to be the mark of a warrior and could only be received once a man or woman had reached adulthood and completed their rite of passage. The choosing is a rite of passage and we are the warrior faction. What better way to honor that?"

I asked for it. "Gods help me I need to keep control." I mutter and I see her breath hitch so I clear my throat and pray this is a safer subject. "I asked to see that obstacle course before it is reset. I would like to see you run it so I can get a better idea what you have been working on."

She smiles in anticipation again. "Four mentioned that and I would be happy to do it. Lauren and Zeke even helped come up with a few of the things. I told Four I would love to see what you could add. Did they tell you what it is composed of?" I smile liking that she wants my input.

I shake my head at her question though. "No we didn't get around to that. What can you tell me about it?"

"Well it has actually evolved since initiation started. It started out with a combination of high lows with the MP5 then moving on to a small set of physical obstacles at the end of which ended up in a quick load a sidearm and fire at pop up targets. Of course the targets were randomized between friendly and enemy boards. Those were spread out and at the end I had to complete a roll and fire up at a target that was set above me at some distance. I reloaded and had to holster properly and safely and then moved on to some more physical obstacles, that let out at a knife throwing exercise. The final was a wall that I had to get over by climbing the rope that was set up and rappel the short distance down. Zeke and Four would toss out targets and I had to pull my sidearm and fire before they got close to the ground while continuously moving forward. I ran that until as soon as the targets at the end were released I hit them before they could start their descent." The minute she started with moving on from high lows I stopped her and I could only listen incredulously. She already did more in one obstacle course than we do in a month of fucking training! My eyebrows must be in my hairline. Fuck, this needs to be talked about now.

"Christ….one fucking second Raven." I whip out my phone and fire off messages to Tris, Max, Andrea and Leo about us needing to meet now. To Tris I ask her to start telling Max and that we need to see about looking at this now. "Come on Tris will be waiting there." I mutter and guide her again but a little bit quicker than I had been walking with her before.

She frowned looking worried. "Was there something wrong with all of that?"

I take a breath and mutter. "No, a bit shocked but I guess I shouldn't be."