Hello fellow nerdlings, here is a chapter for yall now that I have a bit of down time. Thank you for being patient. As usual I own nothing except new characters and ideas, I make absolutely no money from writing, and all rights go to the rightful owners. Thank you for reading, hope yall enjoy it.
I stood with my friends and brother watching and listening to Avalon, I caught a glimpse of Eric behind her. He starred at her with dreamlike eyes, a love filled smile changing his features dramatically. He no longer looked demented, he looked softer and trust worthy. Eric truly loved Avalon, it was the type of love that couldn't be doubted; anyone could see it. It was the kind of love everyone ached to have. Even myself.
Peter squeezed my hand. "This is it." He looked so hopeful, he stilled looked sickly but for the first time since we've been here there was hope and courage in his eyes.
I took a deep breath, my eyes watering as I tried to calm myself. There was a long road ahead of us but finally Avalon was here, there was hope for us all. My brother would be okay, my friends would be okay.
"For now, we eat and we rest. In the morning we go over the plans, we don't give Erudite time to start their own plans; we don't give them time to act. Erudite has a strict curfew."
There was a murmur of agreement. As everyone was leaving Avalon came up to my friends and I, a determined yet grim look on her face. "Except for you guys." She motioned for us to follow her: Lynn, Marlene, Uriah, Zeke, Christina, Tris, Will, Peter, Eric, Four, Tori, and myself. "A group called the Factionless, who everyone has heard of, has taken my sister. They learned of the corruption, an inside spy, they want to be a part of this plan. Their leader wants to meet to discuss what she wants, how she thinks the plans should change. We're going there to 'negotiate.'" Her smirk told us all that we need to be armed and ready.
"We should hurry then, no need to leave them waiting." I rolled my eyes.
"One more piece of information, their leader is a woman named Evelyn. Evelyn Johnson-Eaton." We all turned to face Four, whose real name was Tobias Eaton. "Four already knows this, she's contacted him before. He's the one who she contacted for this, not me." Poisonous anger dripped from her words, her glare as lethal as the guns we carry.
"She may be my mother but she's as corrupt as Jeanine, she wants the factions broken apart, she wants to rule over all of us on her own. That's what she'll say tonight, except it'll be wrapped in a shiny bow." His stone-cold eyes moving from one of us to another, letting his words sink in. "I almost succumbed to them once, weeks ago, but Avalon and Tris promptly smacked me into seeing what she was doing to me." His hand slowly raised to his cheek. "I deserved it." Tris was looking up at him as if she had no regrets and was tempted to do it again just for the hell of it.
"Take caution, by the end of the night there will be no more factionless. They've all been tainted by the same ideals, they have weapons and will use them. The threats they've sent me, what they said they'd do to my sister…they'll regret it." Her words like daggers, piercing the tension in the air before she turned and walked toward the exit.
It didn't take horribly long to get to the outskirts where the Factionless reside. The train bustled along the tracks like the world was okay, like we weren't trapped in an experiment and fighting for our freedom. I was leaned against Lynn during the ride, my brother was talking to Avalon and Eric.
"We're almost there, get ready to jump." Four, who had been keeping watch, alerted us. We all stood and line up at the train doors, two jumped at once for efficiency and safety. Lynn took hold of my hand and we jumped together, the cold wind whipped my skin as we tumbled and came to our feet. Peter, Uriah, Zeke, Eric, and Marlene stayed outside, never coming into view of the people in or outside of the Factionless compound. They would take out those unwilling to change and take the children back to the train where we would take them to Amity. It was the safest place for them, Avalon sent over four dauntless members to watch over their faction.
Together we walked to their makeshift compound, things weren't great but they at least had a place to live. They dressed in several colors, some were pieces of different factionless clothes sewed together. While their home wasn't in the best condition you could tell they ate and did what they could to train. Some of these Factionless came from Dauntless, whether raised or a transfer.
We were watched by hate filled eyes, smaller children looked curious and others mimicked their parents and elders. Lyn gripped my hand tighter, her face lacking emotion but I knew pain and anger were brewing on the inside.
We reached a room where a rickety table and chairs stood, two men clad mostly in black stood at the back with guns in their hands. One was Edward, the other I didn't recognize but he looked a year or two older than Four. A woman who resembled Four, stood as we entered. She looked middle-aged with curly black hair, olive skin, stern and angular features, a hooked nose with a strong jaw, a spare upper lip, stick-out ears, and dark eyes that look almost black. Her lips turned up in a false grin, her eyes conveyed all that she was trying to hide. She reminded me of a vulture, just looking for someone weak enough.
We all sat as she finally spoke. "Good evening, I'm so glad you all decided to come. Let's not waste time." She laughed, we all stayed stoic. She plunged into this huge plan that we all knew would lead to the demise of too many people. In the end she would be leader, our society should not be led by one person. No one person should have so much power. I could tell we all thought along the same lines, we all agreed that we should keep the factions but install a council where faction leaders meet.
A loud bang outside the door was our signal, now was our time to make a move. Evelyn sent out her two guards, obviously thinking she had us on her side. "Doesn't it all sound wonderful?" she grinned, something unhinged sparking fires in her eyes.
"You are unexplainably delusional." I shook my head, watching her eyes go wide as though she didn't expect my behavior. That was her mistake. "What? You expected any of us to buy your bullshit? Absolutely not. You're not going to lead anything, you aren't even going to be alive much longer." I rolled my eyes, leaning back as Avalon stood.
"She's right." A devious smile played on her lips, she walked forward as Evelyn jumped from her chair and tried to make a run for the door; she screamed out for help as she ran.
Four was up and guarding the door, she threw herself into her sons' arms. "Stop her!" screamed, "She'll ruin everything, ruin all my plans! Kill her, kill her!" she slammed her fists against his chest.
"No." Four sighed, "I hoped you would have changed, that maybe you would see how insane your ideas were and that human lives were more valuable." He shook his head, "But you're still the same woman from when I was little, delusional and only out for yourself. It got worse." He grabbed her, turning her towards Avalon. "You kidnapped a young girl, threatened her and possibly tortured her just to get a meeting. You didn't even try to contact Avalon before or after that. I can't imagine wat you would do to get what else you want. I won't let you hurt anyone else, I won't let you brain wash another person." He shoved her forward and seconds later the gun went off several times.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that." Avalon pursed her lips as she walked over Evelyn's body. "No one should have to see their parent killed."
"You did." He stated, "The only difference is my mother deserved it. We don't have cells, we don't have a way to keep her confined. She would escape and hurt people again."
Avalon nodded and walked from the room, we followed without question. A small group of people were waiting by the tracks, mostly children but there were some older people. Four adults, two teenagers, seven children under the age of 12. Thirteen people total. Along with them stood a short, curvy girl in a tattered blue dress with a black jack draped across her shoulders. Deidra. Avalon swept a piece of hair out of her face and held her close.
"Hello." Avalon greeted them, her voice calm. "My name is Avalon, I understand you followed Evelyn; you believed her delusional words."
"We did, for a time. She told us things that weren't true, the few times we ventured out without her knowing we learned things…" one man said, he had dark hair that was starting to grey and small wrinkles lining his hazel eyes. "She wanted to turn against the Abnegation that helped us, she said they weren't helping us as much as they could. But we would leave and read the articles made by Erudite. Nothing lined up."
"We struggle as a society but soon we shall fix things. Our world will thrive again. In time things will get better. Erudite went about things in the wrong way, so will every single faction on their own. We all need to come together, a council of faction leaders to decide things as a whole." Avalon continued to explain her ideas on the train, the children watching in wonder. They didn't understand what was going on. Tris and I took Deidra to a different train car, helped clean her up and gave her spare clothes. She wasn't full trained but Avalon had started to train her, she knew that Deidra needed to be able to keep herself safe as well. We handed her a gun and a knife.
My brother took to her the minute we walked back in, Avalon didn't notice at first but once she did her stare turned venomous.
We left the train and started the trek to reach Amity. Most would be asleep by now, their leader and our guards would be waiting.
"How many of these children are yours?" I asked.
"None. My wife passed along with our unborn child." The man from earlier spoke, sadness twinkling in his eyes. "I take care of the twins there, their parents abandoned them when they were newborns. My wife and I took them in."
"We have two." A woman spoke, a man's hand clasped in hers, "The little blonde girl in grey and red and the blonde boy in blue and orange."
"My son is this one." The last woman spoke, motioning to a toddler waddling beside her.
"The other ones don't have parents now, they refused to believe anything we said to them, swore up and down Jeanine would lead them to safety." Peter furrowed his brow, his gaze on the ground.
"Wasn't anything we could do to change their minds." Uriah shook his head, "I'll never understand it."
"I don't know how Edward fell for it." Tris and I looked to each other than moved to the teenage girl.
"Myra?" Tris touched her shoulder.
"Yeah, it's me. I know Edwards dead, I know he deserved it. He did everything that woman asked, no matter how horrible and cruel it was. He was the one who took the girl."
"I'm sorry." I bit the inside of my cheek, "I know you blame my brother…but there were things happening to him…" she narrowed her eyes as she looked at me.
"Nothing can explain what he did." She snarled.
"It can." I nearly snapped, anger rising in my voice. "He was filled with a serum that made his rage uncontrollable, filled him with horrible, murderous thoughts. Do you not see how sick and tired he looks? He was as good as dead." I had to stop myself, my breathing shaky as she looked at me with wide eyes. She was shocked to say the least. "You don't understand how strong he is. The one time I was given it…I couldn't control it like he could. I have so many more negative feelings, so much more anger. I almost killed Molly right in front of everyone. They never gave it to me again, they needed to perfect a version just for me. My brother fought everything off enough to keep himself and others alive. I almost didn't."
"Things are worse than we've heard." Was all she said, Peter and Lynn pulled me back, both sticking to my side.
Soon we reached Amity, the most beautiful smells tickling my nose.
"I forgot how beautiful Amity was." I sighed.