MAX
FOUR POV
I have just finished helping Tris with her punches and kicks. I am trying to quiet the internal battle going on in my head about Tris. I can't help but touch her. Every chance I get I am drawn to her like a magnet. I know I need to stay away from her, I need to let her get through initiation and then we can be together. But just because I know what I should be doing my body seems to have other ideas. As I move past Tris towards Suzy the training room doors open and Eric and Max walk in.
I start to walk over towards them. I hate Eric for the position he has put me in but at the same time I now have a better understanding of him after last night's confessions. At least now I am going to have a chance to stop the Erudite attack on Abnegation. I just wish I knew how I could change Max's mind about it.
"Afternoon Four," Max says.
"Max, Eric," I say.
"Eric is going to take over this afternoon's training so we can have a chat in my office," Max says.
I nod my head and start to walk toward the training room doors with Max. Just as I reach the door I call to Eric, "I was just about to help Suzy with her punches, maybe you could start by helping her." I know this will make his day. I don't know why I'm trying to help him with Suzy. I can't imagine the two of them together. Maybe it's to alleviate the guilt I feel for touching Tris when I promised myself I would stay away. I don't know I just hope I'm not putting Suzy in a position she doesn't want to be in. After the way that Caleb treated her she deserves so much better. I just don't know if Eric is capable of it
We get up to Max's office and we both sit down. I don't really know what to expect here but I know I am nervous to find out his reasoning behind what is happening.
"Eric tells me you are ready to accept my job proposal," Max says. I just nod my head.
"Well it's about bloody time. Carmen is about to retire this week so we need you to step up into the position as soon as stage one of training is finished," Max says. "I know Eric has told you a bit about what is about to go down here Four. I need your full support on this."
"I am happy to take the position Max," I say. It is making me nauseous just being in the same room as this man. To think he is willing to turn his members into mindless murderers without an ounce of guilt.
"Good Four I am glad," he says. "Now I need you to keep training the initiates as usual. Eric will be with you for the rest of stage one and for now he is still in charge. Then once you have been named as the new leader you will run stage two by yourself. You understand we need to look out for anyone who may be divergent. We can't have them messing up our plans."
"I understand Max. But I do have a few questions," I say.
"Of course you do, well let's have them," he says.
"Why?" I ask.
"What do you mean Four," he says.
"Why do you want to become Jeanine's lap dog?" I ask. Probably a bit too direct but I need to get to the bottom of all of this and I don't have much time before it is going to happen. I need to try and find a way to convince Max that he is doing the wrong thing.
"Well I wouldn't put it like that. We are trying to help to make our society better Four. Abnegation are not fit to rule this city. You of all people should know that better than anyone else. After the troubles you have had with your father. Won't you be glad to see him overthrown?"
"My father is one person Max. And while I don't think of him as my father anymore I don't understand how murdering the whole of Abnegation and putting our members under mind control is going to help our city."
"I can understand your apprehension Four. I had those thoughts at first as well. But Jeanine is very persuasive and she is promising Dauntless a seat in the new government," he says.
"One seat? Is that all you are getting? What will happen when the Dauntless members are taken out of the simulation Max? How do you think they are going to react to what you have let Jeanine do to them? Do you really think they are going to be happy with this? Or are you going to keep them in the simulation forever, if that is even possible?" I ask.
"Four you have a lot of questions. I don't have answers for most of these questions at this stage. I thought you would be happy to be rid of your father for good. Maybe I was wrong? We need to get this city out of the control of Abnegation. The factionless are becoming stronger and this is because of Abnegation giving them more than the factions are getting. You should be aware more than anyone of what the factionless are capable of," he says.
So he know it is my mother who is running the factionless. Great this is turning into one big mess with both my estranged parents at the front of the line. "I have only seen my mother once in the last nine years, I don't have any plans to see her again. Nor do I have any plans to have to deal with my father again. I am true to my faction Max. The questions I am asking are not about trying to save them, it is about saving my fellow Dauntless. I need to know that they aren't going to turn on Dauntless once they know what they have been tricked into," I say.
"That is not something that we have thought of Four," Max says.
"Maybe before this goes any further you need to think of these things Max. If Abnegation are gone and the factionless aren't getting hand outs from them what do you think they are going to do? There are a lot of factionless Max, if our members turn against us and we have the factionless against us, how long do you think we will survive? Jeanine can't control everyone even though she is arrogant enough to think she can. I will do whatever you need me to do but I am asking you to rethink our involvement in this," I say. I won't be doing what he wants me to do unless it is to stop this from happening. But I need him to think I am, it is the only way we can get the information we need to stop this. I also need him to rethink his position in this. I don't think he has thought any of this through properly. I am sure Jeanine has completely manipulated him, she is smart and knows how to get her own way. Max probably hasn't thought past getting Dauntless into the simulation. He can't possibly thing our members would be okay with what he is proposing.
We are interrupted from our discussion with Eric standing in the door way. He actually looks a little frazzled which is not something you see from Eric.
"Who is with the initiates?" I ask.
"I let them leave early," Eric says.
"Why?" I ask.
"I had a little incident with Peter, so I thought it was best to give the other initiates an early mark," he says.
"What sort of incident?" Max asks.
"I knocked him out," Eric says.
I start to laugh. I can't help myself, I thought I had problems with him. Obviously not, Eric seems to have had a worst day.
"Don't you laugh," Eric says. "From what I heard you held a loaded gun at his head this morning."
I'm laughing even more now and Max has joined in. "Well he deserved it," I say.
"Yeah well he is lucky I only knocked him out. He is going to be more trouble than he is worth that one," he says.
"Yeah well we are stuck with him for now, hopefully he fails and we can kick him out," I say.
"Well I think that is enough for one day," Max says. I know this is our cue to leave so I walk out with Eric.
I am about to walk into my apartment when I am stopped by Zeke. "Hey man what is going on?" he asks.
"Not much. Why?" I ask.
"I saw Eric going into your apartment last night with beer. Since when have you two become pals?" he asks.
"We aren't pals Zeke. We are working on something together and he decided he would bring beer while we worked," I say.
"What the fuck man! Are you crazy?"
"Look I have to work with him I can't get on his bad side at the moment," I tell Zeke.
"Oh okay. I was frightened you had turned to the dark side Four," he says.
"No I'm just monitoring it from close range Zeke," I say. "You know I don't trust Eric. Well we are going to be working closely together and I need to be able to keep an eye on him."
"Okay, I can understand that. You going to dinner soon?"
"Yeah I was just going to grab a shower and then head down there," I say. Thankfully Zeke doesn't want details. That's the great thing about Zeke, he will take you at your word.
"I'll see you down there then," he says and he walks towards his own apartment.