A/N: To "Hi" (again): This is the hopefully badass chapter. :) If not, it will at least be gory, which reminds us: Warning, this chappie may get a bit graphic.
***ERIC'S POV***
"We're the ones who start little fires
Yet they burn out."
Modern Jesus by Portugal. The Man
I arrive to the party just in time to make things interesting. I'm going to have to speak with Four before I start anything, yet, but I'm sure if I run into Peter I could give him a little lesson. Or his girlfriend, Lauren, for that matter.
I smile to myself as my eyes rest of Four standing with Tris. I make my way to them slowly and deliberately. With any luck, one of them will spot me and the fear factor will only increase. I love have people fear me; they do what I want.
"Four, long time no see," I say with false cheerfulness lacing my tone. Tris tenses.
"Eric?" he asks after turning to see me. Tris flinches and digs herself into his side even more than she was already. The bastard actually has the audacity to wrap an arm around her, as if that can protect her.
"In the flesh," I say with my palms up and arms spread. I lean in closer to Four and jam my finger in his chest, hoping to make him flinch. "Now, you listen here. You're going to come with me, alone."
He gives Tris one last look and decides to come with me. He probably thinks he can fight me after what he did to Peter. Peter is pathetic, whereas I am strong. Tobias turns again to see Tris and some kid flirting. I face forward before he can see I'm staring.
"It sucks, doesn't it? Seeing her with him," I say as I'm stating that the sky is blue.
I suddenly jerk his collar in my hand and spin him around. For a second I think he's going to attack me, but then he gets a cloudy look in his eyes and doesn't. Shame, I was really hoping for a good fight tonight.
"I've decided to enlist your help, Four," I tell him without releasing my grip on his shirt.
"I'm never going to help you," he says while glaring at me.
I shake my finger back and forth in such a manner that probably comes across as demeaning. "Now, now, Four, just listen to me. It involves Peter. I want to get him back. I know he has something to do with Julia running off, again, and I know you still have a bone to pick with him."
"No way. He helped Tris get away from you," he says. Damn, I almost forgot about that. I bite back a laugh that I could have forgotten such a thing.
Instead I smirk and let go of him. "I figured you'd say that. Oh, well, and here I was going to tell you about his latest plan to get Tris…"
His hands ball into fists, trying pitifully to not take the bait "He's engaged to Lauren-"
"And you think he likes her? Hell no! He wants Tris," I say with a sneer that I know will get him enraged. It doesn't, and I suppress a frown.
"He didn't at his apartment," he counters, crossing his arms.
"You know what? Fine. I just thought you'd be able to see through his little plan. He's here tonight, with Lauren. She's helping him, now."
He sighs. "You're insane."
I only watch his back as he turns and leaves. I'll show him…
I move towards the bonfire and pretend to be riling up the fire, flashing a smile at a nearby girl, who simply scoffs and walks away. I scowl and look up to see Tris talking with Four and her friends again. I chuckle lightly as I grab a log with fire on its tip. I chuck it into nearby corn and watch it light up, the light and heat burning my face.
Someone finally calls out that there's a fire as I'm walking calmly away from it so as to not draw attention to myself. First rule of arson is to not get caught. Just as I suspect, Four and Tris eventually get separated, and I move in to grab her.
"You getting a little hot, princess?" I ask her.
"Did you start the fire?" she asks. She's smart, I'll give her that. This also means that she doesn't automatically see Peter as the bad guy anymore. I give her a quick nod.
I latch onto her other arm and pull us through the corn, knowing exactly where to go thanks to my preplanning. This cornfield's map is permanently etched into my brain. She asks what I want from her, how cute.
"To get back at Peter and Tobias. You think they'll mind if you go missing? I know they will," I say with my mouth nearing her face. She shudders out of fear and I smile softly.
"Peter won't care," she whispers. Good, she thinks he still has no sympathy for her. If only she knew how he felt.
I don't say anything back and instead herd her farther into the corn. The moon keeps everything lit, but it's not like I need it to guide me. She turns feebly to escape me, but I keep her at bay.
Suddenly she cries out, "Help! Please!"
I turn, quite confused at who she's talking to, and see Peter's outline. I would recognize him anywhere with his smug little way of holding himself up. I laugh and stop our advancement into the corn stalks that aren't alight.
"Peter? Oh, this is too perfect," I chuckle.
"Peter!" Tris yells with all of her might. I never thought I'd hear that from her...
I bring us closer to him, figuring we could have some fun. I release one of her arms, sure I can keep a grip on the other.
"Come on, Peter, help her!" I mimic, and then cackle.
Peter moves away from us, about to turn, when out from Tris's lungs bursts, "Peter, please!"
His face is set with determination as he whirls back to us. I can almost hear his mind saying 'no' and see his reaction when Tris will be inevitably hurt. I am not dissatisfied with his answer.
"No, Tris. We're even, remember? I don't have to help you."
She cries out a little, and Peter looks a bit dismayed.
"Don't you want to get back at Eric, though?" she begs. Does he?
He shakes his head. "Nope, already did that."
A smaller figure approaches him from behind, and I brace myself for that devil of a woman that is his fiancee. Lauren.
"Peter, what are you doing?! Let's go!" she says before seeing Tris and me. She immediately moves forward to help her, and Peter doesn't stop her. What does she care about Tris, her competition?
She sends a punch to my jaw, and I release Tris to nurse the wound. I notice the fire is growing and know that the fumes will become trapped in the field. I take my escape while I can to avoid certain must see the fire growing closer, because he abandons ship and runs out of our sight. Lauren says something and I can hear her footsteps gaining on me. Crap.
For being so strong, she really is quite lithe. I hop around the corn, wincing as it scratches my already bruised face. It doesn't help when the stalks hit a piercing, digging it further into my flesh. I try to set up traps, like how you see in films when someone tries snapping a plant back on the other person, but all to no avail.
The fire is spreading closer to my route, about to block it off completely and my only chance of survival. I don't waste a second stopping and turning to Lauren.
"Stop!" I yell with my hands up, knowing that unless she stops trying to attack, neither of us are going to make it out alive.
She ignores me, of course, and kicks me square in the chest. I lurch back and stagger to try and catch my balance. Tonight seems to be a bad one for me, seeing as I land right into a small patch of fire. It singes my clothes and hands that I used to catch myself. Dammit!
Lauren gasps as what she just did hits her. Before I can get up or roll to put out the flames, more are jumping to me, licking at my skin hungrily. I scream and see Tris and Peter in the distance. Their mouths are moving but I cannot hear them, nor do I want to. They're probably glad that this is happening to me. I consider calling for their help, but decide it's a lost cause anyways. It's not like I'm asking Peter or Tris for help.
The fire, once slow and steady, moves at a much quicker pace, rapidly gaining speed and eating away at my clothes, and soon my flesh. I can smell the sour-sweet twang of smoke curling up to my nose and decide that if I somehow manage to make it out of this alive, I'm never going to smoke again.
Most people get startling revelations when they're dying. Not me. Nope. I get a freaking clue as to what scientists and doctors have already been warning about for the past fifty years or so. I decide that if this was really my final moment of life, I should try something knew.
I pray. I pray that the red-hot plasma will stop burning holes into my skin. I pray that I won't be able to feel my face melt and peel away anymore. I pray that I'll at least pass out from the gases soon and will die somewhat peacefully.
My prayers are answered in the form of a girl and boy standing over me, spraying something that puts out the flames. I vaguely remember them from a few years back… Molly and Drew, I believe their names are. They yell and yell, but it's all muffled and ringing. Soon, I can't smell, taste, or feel anything. My vision is going black, and my hearing is fading fast- or whatever is left of it.
My final thought is most certainly not any revelation. It's as simple as this:
I know four people who are going to die very soon. Lauren. Peter. Four. Tris.
A/N: How's that for revenge, since technically Eric bugged the phone with his Erudite smarts in the first place? Did it get too graphic? Not enough? And what about this Molly and Drew businesses? Will Eric really give up on life? (If you've read Dauntless Initiating Divergents, another story of ours, you'll know the answer to the last question. :D Also one of the last lines of the song in the chappie will answer that question, too!)
Question time: Basically all the questions above. ^^ We're just too lazy to type them out again. :p