A/N: Hello my readers, I own nothing so no money is being made from these stories. Thanks for reading and please review….

I walk from the room to my friends who are waiting for me, Tris stands with Christina and Will. Some Dauntless brush against me and they murmur words that sound like gratitude, or compliments, or reassurance. Then out of nowhere Tobias stands next to me.

"I got our weapons back," he says, offering me my knife.

"Thanks," I stick it in my waist band as Tris takes her's. "We can talk about it tomorrow," he says. Quietly. Quiet is dangerous, with Tobias he is talking to Tris "Okay," she says.

"Come on we need rest," his arm is over her shoulder and her around his waist, her hand on his hip, like her life was on the line. "I am going to go walk around,"

"Ava, you haven't slept in days. You need to sleep," his voice quiet "I'll when I'm ready, I'll come find you," I walked away hearing him calling after me.

Dauntless Guards were everywhere, others must be readying themselves for sleep as well. I walk, I am now sure Tobias will not let Tris out of his sight tonight she is drained physically and emotionally. I could just walk out of Candor and never look back. But where would I go?

The elevator door slides open, I hit the button, the twentieth floor. I am alone now, I breathe in slowly as it moves up. The cool air hits me, the city looks beautiful. I walk to the ledge looking down and climb up. My first memory of Eric was of him standing on the ledge leading to Dauntless, now I am here in Candor. The wind hits me as I walk, if I fall my death will be swift, but I just laugh sitting, my legs dangling over.

The dead river curls around the building and disappears. The bridge, its red paint peeling, stretches over the muck. Across it are buildings, most of them empty. It is hard to believe there were ever enough people in the city to fill them. I sit for too long because now the sun is rising. Another day has passed so I leave, making my way back to the elevator but when I reach the floor where I left my brother and Tris, Tobias is waiting his arms crossed over his chest, he comes in the elevator and we descend to the second floor.

He stands with his arms crossed and his head down until I can't stand it anymore, until I feel like I might scream, or punch his face. "Why are you doing this Ava?" he says.

"Doing what Tobias?" I counter "Acting as if you don't care, as if you don't need me. You don't eat, don't sleep," I knew he was right.

"I am fine, maybe I just don't need you. Tris needs you Four, your mother sure needs you. Until I can trust you I don't need you,"

"God damn it Ava, you can trust me. I made a mistake with our mother, I do believe in some of her ideas but not all, I don't want to live in a world without factions it would be chaos. I understand, I gave you girls a reason not to trust me but Tris at least gives me a chance, but you won't. I worry," I sigh, we stood outside the elevator now. Tris was watching us, she looked torn on who to comfort, but I didn't need to be comforted and neither did he.

Tobias lets out a frustrated sound and turns away from me, pacing a few steps. When he turns back, his cheeks are splotchy. I can't remember ever seeing his face change color before. "Sometimes," he says "It isn't easy to be around you, you make it hard by being so rejective. Sometimes I wish I wish I wasn't your brother." I took a step back.

"That was harsh Four," Tris said his eyes turn towards her "I can't believe I just heard you say that Four, after all the great thing Ava has said about you. Wishing she had more time with you. Maybe you should see things from her point of view, we are at war, Eric was her boyfriend, now look, her heart is broken. You have Tris right here with you. She told me you did something and she feels she can't trust you, she feels she can't trust people period, our leaders injected us turned us into mindless killers. You make it hard, not her," Christina said I turned I had tears welling up, Uriah, Will, Marlene, and Lynn all stood watching as my heart broke.

"Well then, Four, we are no long siblings," I feel like a space has opened up within me, expanding so rapidly it will break me apart, I turn walking away.

"Come on Ava," Lynn says "We moved Tris a little bit ago, now your turn. You're Dauntless, get back to acting like it. Well actually you never stopped, get your stuff together,"

"Fine," I took what little things I had, I don't see a reason to refuse. I get up and follow her down a series of hallways. She moves at a brisk pace, but I keep pace with hers only because I was used to doing so with Eric.

"We're trying to forget those Dauntless-Erudite bastard children. Pull together again."

I laugh. "Dauntless-Erudite bastard children, nice." Wasn't hard to imagine her calling Eric that to his face.

She pushes a door open and we stand in a large, open room that reminds me of the building's lobby. Unsurprisingly the floors are black with a huge white symbol in the center of the room, but most of it has been covered up with bunk beds. Dauntless men, women, and children are everywhere, and there isn't a single Candor in sight.

Lynn leads me to the left side of the room and between the rows of bunks. She looks at the boy sitting on one of the bottom bunks—he is a few years younger than we are, and he's trying to undo a knot in his shoelaces.

"Hec," she says, "you're going to have to find another bunk."

"What? No way," he says without looking up. "I'm not relocating again just because you want to have late-night pillow chats with one of your stupid friends."

"Hey, do you want me to toss your skinny butt off the twentieth floor," I smile his eyes move to mine "Yes, she is my friend. Ava this is my little brother Hector. Hector this is Ava,"

His eyes go wide.

"You're Divergent," he says. "My mom said to stay away from you because you might be dangerous."

"Truly, I am dangerous," I say.

"Yeah. She's a big scary Divergent, and she's going to make your head explode with only the power of her brain," says Lynn, jabbing him between the eyes with her index finger. "Don't tell me you actually believe all that kid stuff about the Divergent."

He turns bright red and snatches some of his things from a pile next to the bed. I feel bad for making him move until I see him toss his things down a few bunks over. He doesn't have to go far at least, little snot.

We talked as I made my bunk, Tobias and Tris are next to us, we talked about how people viewed Divergents which was a load of shit. I had no special brain power "I just shut down the simulations, or learned to control or it change it because I knew it wasn't real." She looked impressed.

"I come bearing clothes," says Marlene, stepping in front of our bunk. She holds a stack of black clothes the size of her torso, which she offers to me with a proud look on her face. "I even guilt-tripped your sister into handing over a dress, Lynn. She brought three."

"You have a sister?" I ask Lynn I looked through the clothes putting some on Tris' bed.

"Yeah," she says, "she's eighteen. She was in Four's initiate class." I grumbled at his name.

"What's her name?"

"Shauna," she says. She looks at Marlene. "I told her none of us would need dresses anytime soon, but she didn't listen, as usual."

I think it would be easier to fight in a dress," says Marlene, tapping her chin. "It would give your legs freer movement.

And who really cares if you flash people your underwear, as long as you're kicking the crap out of them?"

Lynn goes silent, like she recognizes that as a spark of brilliance but can't bring herself to admit it "I am not flashing my underwear,"

"What's this about flashing underwear?" says Uriah, sidestepping a bunk. "Whatever it is, I'm in."

Marlene punches him in the arm "So what was it like kissing Eric? Sorry we heard he tried to kill you after he found out you were Divergent" Lynn said as Marlene sat with us Tris and Christina sat on my bed with food.

"Eat please, you haven't in days," she said "I just have been very upset, Christina," I said taking the sandwich and taking a bite.

"I don't know how to explain it, he was very passionate when we were alone. Kissing him was something different, it was bone jarring." They all smiled.

We talked before I walked with Tris and Christina, she was showing us around "My mother told me three cryptic codes have come in and they can't decipher them, Tobias is up there now trying." Christina said as we walked her little sister chatting about anything and everything and I mean everything.

"I like you both, I don't care if your brain is different than mine."

"Thank you," Tris smiled at her "Well I will take that as a compliment," I gave Christina a look "Candor," she shrugged.

"Ava, would you come with me. Your brother said you also have advanced skill with computers. We are having no luck as of yet with the incoming messages," it was Jack Kang in his black suit with a white tie.

"Sure, I will give it a go. But if Four had no luck, I doubt I will. I will see you girls in a little," I walked with Jack Kang, to a large room it was the whole of the eleventh floor, Four was working at a large screen his fingers moving but an error code came up.

"Your sister is here, Tobias."

"These are Dauntless codes, but right now they are making no sense to me," Tobias said as I walked up looking at the screen. A series of letters and numbers flashed in front of me, I smiled.

"Because the message was meant for me, I would be the only one to understand it," my fingers moved, pressing and moving letters until I pressed the final one of the first message, it was short.

"Ava. Attack on Candor one day away." I sighed as jack Kang gasped "Let me do the others," these are a little harder he was risking so much, but I knew he was covering his tracks.

"Midnight, shooting devices not bullets." I rather be shot with a bullet.

The last was all for me "I love you." I bowed my head.

"We need to ready for an attack Kang, he is warning us one day ahead of time so I suggest tomorrow we have every Candor in the largest room and us Dauntless protect it. With us knowing we can have the advantage, we need to call a meeting and organize. Whatever they are shooting is dangerous, Kang, it will control your faction, I guarantee that," he was reading me, his eyes looking over me.

"I agree, Ava. We will do as you suggest. We do have guns that we will give to those who don't have any" we walked out after I deleted the files and wiped them.

"I am calling a meeting of all Candor," he said walking away not long after we heard it announced as every member walked until only Dauntless are left, we agreed the lunch room was best it had enough room for us all.

"Okay, Ava cracked the message. It was a warning. Candor will be attacked at midnight, we aren't taking any chances so tonight and tomorrow we will guard Candor while they reside in the interrogation room, it can house them all. They won't be shooting bullets either, a device was all it said, we have the element of surprise they have no idea we know they are coming."

"Who sent the message?" was called out.

"It's unknown, but they risked a lot to do this," I say standing on the table but Tris looks at me I give her a nod, her hands cover her face as Christina understands, it was Eric.

"Now if you rather be inside with the Candors, please feel free. But if you are Dauntless, I suggest we sleep now, we have a long night a head of us," I jump down walking out Tris, Uriah, Lynn, Marlene, and Christina with me.

"Ava, a word please and you Tobias," we walk over "We agree, they will bring their things in soon."

"We're going to go rest so we can guard Candor for the next two nights. Only answer the door if you hear two knocks, then three, then six."

"Thank you," he gave Tris, Christina, and I a hug then pulled away, his job must be hectic. "Ava, can we talk,"

"No, I have things to do," his last message was "I love you" my heart was still beating in my chest. I lay on my bunk hearing snoring this brought back some memories, I fell asleep. It was if I blinked when I hear Tris.

"Ava,"

"What?"

"Time to eat," I sat up I was clean so I didn't need a shower, but I pulled off my pants changing into another pair with a different tank top, before putting my jacket back on, then my boots.

I can barely eat but I force myself to seeing Tobias watching me, his eyes soft, he has tried to get me alone to talk but I was still upset with him.

We are positioned everywhere in the cover of the dark, we can't be seen I am with Uriah and Lauran her eyes say "Hey, I had sex with him"

"Can you please shut up," I snap Uriah puts his hand to his chest fake hurt as I roll my eyes I see a flicker of blue over Lauren's shoulder, and peer around her to get a better look, knocking her to the side.

Then the guns go off.

The glass doors explode into fragments. Dauntless soldiers with blue armbands stand on the sidewalk outside, carrying guns I've never seen before, guns with narrow, blue beams of light streaming from above their barrels.

"Traitors!" someone screams.

They are coming from all floors as we surprise them "Move, now," Lauran shoots one as I fire, I don't stop.

I don't see Eric, I see another Dauntless leader his name unknown me. I start forward with a new sense of purpose. But then I see Hector, that stupid boy as he gets shot, I grab him tossing him over my shoulder feeling it hit the back of my shoulder, it was a dull pain, but I pushed it off.

One of the elevator doors opens, and a Dauntless soldier shoves Uriah—whose lips are stained with blood—toward the short row of the Divergent. Uriah glances at me, but I can't read his expression well enough to know if he succeeded or failed.

"Ava Eaton, grab her." I shoot moving, taking out the traitor who was holing Uriah who runs. But I am caught "So now you got me," I smile.

"Yes we have direct instructions to bring you back to Erudite. We need the Prior girl as well," he said. I had hoped they send Eric "So you're a Dauntless leader. I never saw you. Where's Max, is he still mad I put a knife in his hand? Or Eric, is he holding a grudge because I shot him?" I laughed his cold green eyes landed on mine.

"They both want to deal with you personally for your actions, little one. But Jeanine wants to see you first," he was calm and collected, but I have a knife in my back pocket. I inch my hand back, centimeter by centimeter, so the soldier pointing a gun at me doesn't notice. The elevator doors open again, bringing more Dauntless traitors "They are taking down our forces, the Candors can't be reached,"

"Oh tough shit, stupid bitch," I smile her look turns insane as she wants to rip my face off but is held back. My hand reaches the corner of my back pocket. I keep it steady, my fingers shaking with anticipation. I have to wait for the right moment, when he is close.

I focus on the mechanics of my breathing, imagining air filling every part of my lungs as I inhale, then remembering as I exhale how all my blood travels to and from the same heart.

He clasps his hands behind his back and begins to pace, back and forth, before the line of Divergent there are three of us, Tris is nowhere to be seen. A young boy, Uriah, me, and another older Dauntless women.

"My orders are to take only two of you back to Erudite headquarters for testing," says the man, if I knew his name I would curse it. "The rest of you are to be executed. There are several ways to determine who among you will be least useful to us."

His footsteps slow when he approaches me. I tense my fingers, about to grab the knife handle, but he doesn't come close enough. He keeps walking and stops in front of the boy to my left.

"The brain finishes developing at age twenty-five," says the dauntless leader. "Therefore your Divergence is not completely developed."

He lifts his gun and fires.

A strangled scream leaps out of my body as the boy slumps to the ground, and I squeeze my eyes shut. Every muscle in my body strains toward him, but I hold myself back.

"You are dead," I snarl seeing the boy dead, a child dead.

"You are also rather young," he says. "Nowhere near finished developing."

"Most of the Divergent get two results in the aptitude test. Some only get one. No one has ever gotten five, not because of aptitude, but simply because in order to get that result, you have to refuse to choose something," he says, moving closer still. I tilt my head back to look at him, at all the metal gleaming in his face, at his empty eyes.

"My superiors suspect that you got five, Ava," he says.

I close my hand around the knife handle and squeeze. He leans closer.

"Just between you and me …I think you might have gotten five, because you're the kind of bullheaded person who would refuse to make a simple choice just because she was told to, I mean you managed to get Eric for a short time." he says. "Care to enlighten me?" his eyes looking into mine as I smiled.

Before he can understand what has happened to him, the dagger is already pulled out and his blood is pooling on the floor "You won't live to tell anyone,"

Uriah launches himself at one of them and punches him hard in the jaw. The life goes out of the soldier's eyes and he falls, knocked out. Uriah takes the soldier's gun and starts shooting at the Dauntless closest to us. I toss my dagger taking out another moving toward her, taking back my daggers, it was chaos as I grabbed a gun firing in rapid session.

I cover the older women handing her a gun before she joins in the fight when the sheer amount doubles, my head bleeds, and my shoulder does as well.

A heavy arm wraps around my shoulders and shoves me toward the wall. My right shoulder burns, and I see the Dauntless symbol tattooed on the back of a neck. Tobias turns, crouched around me to shield me from the gunfire, and shoots.

"Tell me if anyone's behind me!" he says, I fire. The loyal Dauntless are rounding up the Traitors that try to run, they didn't expect us to be ready for them.

I was relieved to find only a few of us had been shot, I let the jacket slide from my arms and examine my shoulder. A metal disc about the size of my pinkie fingernail is pressed against my skin. Surrounding it is a patch of blue strands, like someone injected blue dye into the tiny veins just beneath the surface of my skin. Frowning, I try to peel the metal disc away from my arm, and feel a sharp pain.

Gritting my teeth, I wedge the flat of my knife blade under the disc and force it up. I scream into my teeth as the pain races through me, making everything go black for a moment. But I keep pushing, as hard as I can, until the disc lifts from my skin enough for me to get my fingers around it. Attached to the bottom of the disc is a needle.

I gag, grasp the disc in my fingertips, and pull one last time. This time, the needle comes free. It's as long as my littlest finger and smeared with my blood. I ignore the blood running down my arm and hold the disc and the needle up to the light above the sink.

Judging by the blue dye in my arm and the needle, they must have injected us with something. But what? Poison?

Christina and Tris walk in 'Gross," she wrinkles her nose "Grow a back bone," Tris looks from me to the needle in my hand to the line of blood running from my shoulder to my wrist.

"How are the others?"

"Marlene's cracking jokes, as usual." Tris smile grows, putting a dimple in his cheek. "Lynn's grumbling. Wait, you yanked that out of your own arm?" she points to the needle. "God, Ava. Do you have no nerve endings or something?" Christina stares at me.

"I think I need a bandage."

"You think?" she says.

"So is that Dauntless leader dead?"

"Something about honorable treatment of prisoners. Kang's interrogating him in private right now. Doesn't want us there, disturbing the peace or whatever."

"So these things, I am guessing they are a form of controlling us. The colored dye, with the electrodes and all. Jeanine doesn't want to kill everyone," I say slowly. "She knows that would be illogical. Without each faction, society doesn't function, because each faction trains its members for particular jobs. What she wants is control" I picked it up looking at it.

"Hey, I could have been in Erudite,"

"We should tell Tobias," Tris said as we walked out together. Jack Kang announced that we would have a meeting at noon, so maybe I can fit in a long nap after I eat.

When we walk into the cafeteria, though, I see Caleb Tris jumps up a smile on her face. They hug "I don't like her brother Chris, he is an Erudite, he rubs me wrong," she looked at him.

"I will watch him," she was good at reading people, Will came up sitting with us his arms wrapped around her as she smiled placing a kiss to his lips.

Now I watched Four and Tris talking, a few Dauntless walked by taunting him, I saw Marcus here. But Tris looked to be defending herself, I walk up to them hearing "I just don't want to lose you,"

"Stop pushing her away," his eyes into mine "Ava, he is right, I don't like to admit it but he is,"

But we stay in the bunks talking "I don't want ice cream Marlene," I laugh.

"It probably won't be as good as Dauntless cake," says Marlene mournfully. She sighs, and a strand of mousy brown hair falls in her eyes.

"We had good cake," Tris tells Caleb.

"We had fizzy drinks," he says.

"Ah, but did you have a ledge overlooking an underground river?" says Marlene, waggling her eyebrows. "Or a room where you faced all your nightmares at once?"

"No," says Caleb, "and to be honest, I'm kind of okay with that."

Si-ssy," I say in a sing song voice as Tris hit me with a pillow making me laugh.

"All your nightmares?" says Caleb, his eyes lighting up. "How does that work? I mean, are the nightmares produced by the computer or by your brain?"

"Oh God." Lynn drops her head into her hands. "Here we go."

Marlene launches into a description of the simulations, I just looked at Christina and Will kissing before falling asleep.