"Good people are like a candle. They will burn themselves up to give others light."
My eyes scanned the surroundings, gun still raised as multiple dauntless emerged from either side. I ducked down, seeking protection as I shot at the dauntless. They were staring at me absent-mindly, their eyes glazed over because they followed every order that came in through the serum. I never shot to kill but in the heat of the moment I knew it would happen.
Then Tris cried out next to me. "Will!" She lowered her gun as a young dauntless approached. I recognized him from this year's batch of initiates. "Will, stop!" Tris cried when the boy didn't relent. He kept his gun raised and I was ready to step in if Tris couldn't. Then she cried out again and shot him. On purpose or not, it was fatal. I grimaced and closed my eyes. But a bullet flew dangerously close by my head, ricocheting off the wall behind me.
I ducked, hunched in alarm before I shot up onto my feet. I aimed at the dauntless shooting at me, standing sideways with my gun raised with one hand. I recognized the dauntless. Hunter. He had been in my initiation class. Tears swelled before I squeezed the trigger, aiming for his leg. He and Solomon were together, as in lovers. I had only found out by accident.
I never shot to kill. A small principle because the dauntless were family, friends. A hand grabbed my arm and yanked me along. There had been an opportunity to escape. I lowered my lashes, looking to the boy on the ground before turning away completely. We all halted next to a building, we had to cross a large open space to get to safety. "Cover me! I'll go!" Natalie said and held the gun close to her chest.
But Tris held her back. "No, I will go!" She didn't want her mother to go fist and I understood that. Natalie sighed quite reluctantly. Tris moved around her mother, peaked around the corner to make sure there were no one there before she stepped out. But the moment she stepped out, a large vehicle emerged. Multiple dauntless followed and they all saw Tris.
"Move!" I yelled at Natalie under the loud yells coming from the dauntless. I grabbed her sleeve and pushed her ahead of me while we sprinted towards the other side, to the cover of the buildings. I kept my gun raised, hunched slightly as I provided some cover for Natalie to throw herself at her daughter, pulling her to safety while I followed. I landed on my knees, skidded over the ground while twisting around to shoot at the dauntless. They covered behind the vehicle, and I moved out of sight.
"Mom!" Tris suddenly screamed beside me. My attention snapped to her. Natalie was lying on the ground, hand covering a fatal wound on her stomach as Tris held her head cupped between her hands. Dread settled in my gut, and I had to turn away as the dauntless continued to shoot at us. Bullets ricochet off the wall behind me. An involuntarily yelp escaped me before I threw myself at Tris.
"We need to move! I'm sorry Tris." I ordered and apologized at the same time before pulling her to her feet and pushed her ahead of me. She barely stumbled as we continued towards Monroe and state where a group of abnegation would be waiting. Natalie had informed us about it when we were running but I couldn't remember when she had told, I just remembered that she had.
We halted by the next corner, made sure that there were no one around before we sprinted towards Monroe and state. Tris threw herself at the door, pushing it open with her shoulder and kept the door open so I could enter behind her. She was an adequate runner, not as fast as me but still fast.
There was only darkness, very little light when we entered the building. I kept my gun raised just in case but when we were greeted by multiple silhouettes dressed in grey, I lowered it again, pointing it towards the ground but kept it secured between both my hands. "Where's my father?" Tris asked and looked around when people dressed in grey emerged.
"Beatrice." Andrew stepped forwards and Tris threw herself towards her father. Their embrace was tight and very unlike abnegation. They rarely showed affection towards each other in public. I had to look away from the show of affection. It hurt to look at because all my previous ignored feelings swelled up in me with a malicious vengeance. "Your mother?" Andrew asked when releasing his daughter.
"She saved me." Tris cried in a whisper when a young boy dressed in blue stepped out. "Caleb." She muttered and went to him instead. They embraced as well, and I wondered if he was her brother. He had to be, why else would they embrace each other. He kept apologizing to her.
Then a person I recognized stepped forth. Marcus. My eyes narrowed at the abnegation leader before my fingers squeezed the cold metal in my hand. I had to suppress the urge to raise my gun. It would take one bullet. I bit down the urge as the man looked at me with fear. He was not happy with my presence. I didn't blame him. He knew of dauntless leadership and he knew exactly who I was. And since dauntless was helping erudite, I had to be the enemy.
"We need to leave here." Marcus interrupted. My focus snapped to him, though his had never left me. I tilted my head backwards in challenge, but he turned away from me. "Are there soldiers outside?" Marcus finally turned to Tris.
I scoffed and answered instead. "No." Marcus looked back to me, an eyebrow raised as Tris stepped forth, almost standing in between us. Though the air had dropped a few degrees she retained the same diplomatic stance Four always took. And how it annoyed me.
"There are no more soldiers outside." I informed and holstered my gun. He wasn't even worth it. A conclusion i had come to when he looked between Tris and I. I then crossed my arms over my chest and turned to Tris as well. "What now? We need to stop that simulation and get Four back."
She nodded when the erudite boy stepped forth again. "What is happening. I don't understand why they are doing this. Why is dauntless fighting for erudite?" His eyes shifted between his sister and me. I nibbled at my lower lip and turned my gaze down while shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. But Tris answered in my stead when I couldn't find my words.
"They don't know what they're doing. They're under simulation. We need to wake them up. I need to get into dauntless. We need to get into dauntless." Tris corrected and turned to me when Marcus stepped forth.
"It's a fortress. It's not going to happen." Marcus sounded very defeated. I rolled my eyes and turned towards the door for a moment. The other abnegation had taken a step forward while we spoke. But yes, dauntless is a fortress to the untrained eye. But I had lived there for a year, been a leader for almost the same period. I knew a way in.
"To the untrained eye, yes dauntless is a fortress—but I can get us in." I smirked and turned to Tris. "But you might not like it." I grinned. "The second initiation jump. The net is still there. It doesn't get taken down because people like the thrill of that jump." It was hard to contain my excitement, but I didn't care what they thought of me, none of it mattered anymore.
"Wait—Octavia, why are you doing this?" Andrew's voice reached my ears after I had turned towards the door. My hand rested on the doorknob but hadn't grabbed it completely. "But first, thank you. First you warn us, then you bring me my daughter." Andrew had taken as step forward when speaking. I was able to see it from the corner of my eye. He looked eternally grateful despite the fact that he had just lost his wife.
I felt uncomfortable but smiled weakly. "I did it because it was the right thing. I've been blind to what's been happening, and this was finally something I could control." I spoke slowly and chose every word carefully before grabbing the doorknob and executed my intention of opening the door to step outside.
I gathered the guns from the fallen dauntless soldiers nearby before holstering my own. I swung the strap of one of the larger guns over my shoulder when Tris stepped out of the building, followed by Marcus, Andrew, and her brother. I raised an eyebrow at the group before Tris turned to me. "Lead the way." She smiled and I handed a gun to her. She took it but passed it onto to her brother while I reached one to Marcus.
Tris grabbed another gun from the ground and tried giving it to her father, but he refused. "Come this way!" I called and jumped into a run. I sprinted down the ally, gaining fast on the others as I kept watch for any approaching dauntless. But none stepped into our path, and we reached the train tracks before long. Somehow, we had managed to find a station. The train would completely stop here.
I was the first to get on when the train stopped, then Tris and the abnegation men followed much slower. I resisted to urge to roll my eyes at Marcus's strained expression. He definitely didn't like this. I had found a comfortable position against the opposite side of the cart. Leaned against it with my arms crossed, I swayed to the gentle movements as the train gained speed. It wouldn't be long before we would reach dauntless.
The abnegation men did the same after a while but kept their distance. Marcus seemed to be one knowledgeable enough to handle a gun whereas Caleb kept the tip pointed upwards. His father pointed the tip away more than once. I rolled my eyes at the sight when the rooftops became familiar. When I pushed away from the wall, Tris had noted as well. "Get ready." She prepared them.
"What now?" Marcus asked as Andrew was the first to stand up and move towards us. I had already pushed the button that opened the door. It slid open with a loud hiss as the familiar rooftop emerged. I smirked and stepped back.
"You're not going to like it." Tris sighed and stepped back as well when I threw myself out the open door. Somehow, I managed to stumble and had to do a tuck and roll before getting back up onto my feet in one fluent motion. I was the quickest runner and didn't even look back when I clutched the gun to my chest and threw myself over the ledge on the other side of the building. I plummeted down into the darkness as the first.
When I landed in the net, I was once again swallowed and bounced back up a few times before quickly getting down. Tris dropped seconds after and I pulled the net down, so she had easier access to get off. "Thank you." She smiled when her feet touched the ground again. Marcus was the next person who jumped. I helped the man down when Caleb jumped. He screamed the entire way down and I flinched, that had to have alerted others of our presence.
Andrew released a small yelp as well, not as loud but still loud. "We have to move. That screaming must've alerted others." I groaned at Tris. She nodded and I turned away, taking leadership of the group again. They all followed me as I guided them down the familiar hallways. It was strange being back here. It didn't feel like we left the compound this morning. It already felt like a lifetime ago.
I swallowed my emotions when we reached the pit. There were a single guard. I had already raised my gun, but Tris placed a hand around the barrel and forced it down. "Wait here." She said and snuck around the guard. When he turned again, I noted it was another initiate. I raised an eyebrow as Tris snuck behind him, then kicked his gun out of his lose hold.
It skittered across the floor as he spun around to face Tris already aiming her gun at him. The boy's hand flew up in surrender and he covered, taking a few steps back. "Against the wall." Tris ordered. "Against the wall!" She repeated more forcefully when the boy didn't comply. "How are you awake?" She inquired and we all stepped out from out hiding.
I kept my gun raised and scanned the area, making sure there weren't any other guards in sight. "Because I'm smarter than you and they need me." The boy scoffed disrespectfully. I rolled my eyes and turned my gun to him. "Whoa, easy!" He exclaimed, raising his hands a bit more. I raised an eyebrow at him when Tris lowered her gun.
"Where are they controlling it from?" She ordered to know more than asked. But it was a question she hadn't needed ask him because I already knew. I lowered my gun a few inches and turned to her when the boy decided to answer. Forgetting to keep his smart mouth closed.
"Why would I tell you that? It's not like you're going to shoot me." He antagonized her. I snorted. No, but I might. I raised my gun higher, aiming it directly at the boy's chest.
Then Tris groaned loudly and raised her gun again. "Why do people keep saying that?" She was annoyed and within seconds she shot the boy. The bullet only grazed his side and buried itself in the stone wall behind him. He cried out and sank to the ground, settling in a crouch as his hand clutched the wound "Where are they controlling it from?" Tris asked again and moved closer to him. He covered even more, and I sighed.
"Intelligence." I informed. "They're definitely in intelligence. It's the only place that is capable of the technology." Tris turned to me with a surprised expression before she nodded and grabbed onto Peter's jacket. She yanked him away from the wall and pushed him in front of her as I lead the way.
When we stopped near intelligence, Marcus could no longer keep his mouth shut. "Did you really need to shoot him?" He asked with a cold voice. A shudder wacked through me and I spun around, gun held up as I pushed him against the wall. The abnegation leader was really surprised.
"Dauntless way—and that coward deserves nothing more." I warned as Tris also took a step forward. She had clearly intended to say something. Andrew placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently and urging me to release Marcus. "I don't expect you to conform with our ways, but you have no jurisdiction here." I scoffed and moved away.
Tris then stepped forth. "Every minute we waste another abnegation dies and a dauntless become a murderer—Peter lets go!" She had been much more diplomatic than me but my patience was wearing thin. When we stepped onto the hallway leading down towards intelligence, I slowed down and kept to the wall as we crept forwards. I sought cover in an open hallway leading away from the one we were on. "That's it, isn't it. I've seen Janine go in there. It must be where she's controlling it from." Tris whispered after she had settled beside me.
I wasn't the only one nodding. Peter was as well. The question had been intended for him, but I hadn't seen because I had been occupied with looking at the guards. There were at least five from what I could see. I counted them as Andrew stepped closer. I heard the exchange of the gun. I made me turn back around when Tris passed the gun to him.
"Like you said, there not a second to waste." Andrew whispered and shifted the gun in his hands. Before either of us could understand his intentions, he had already stepped out, gun raised and aimed at the unsuspecting men. The first fell before the others understood the situation but, in the time, it had taken them to raise their own, I had also stepped out, lowering to my knee while shooting at the men.
But familiar eyes met mine, distant but not glacéd over like the rest of the dauntless trapped in the simulation. This one was awake. We both hesitated but it was a mistake because someone else shot at him. "Val!" I screamed his name as the bullet entering his shoulder, forced him backwards onto his back. I shot to my feet and sprinted down the hall before throwing myself to my knees, I skidded to a halt next to him only to see he had been knocked out.
I yanked his jacket off him before ripping a piece of fabric from his shirt. Somehow, I managed to bind the wound tightly, stopping the steady flow of blood. I blew out a breath when Tris's voice brought my attention to her. "Watch them. I'm going in!" She announced. I nodded before she vanished inside intelligence.
I remained on my knees, one hand resting on Valentine's chest making sure he was still breathing while also making sure that Marcus and Caleb stayed put. It was only then I noticed the man on the ground that Caleb was kneeling next to. Andrew. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the chest area. I could make them out from where I sat. I heaved a sigh and sat back down on my legs.
Dread settled in my gut, and I turned back to Valentine. He didn't stir at all. I brushed a few strands of hair away from his face while taking in the peaceful expression. I kept my position beside him until Tris and Four emerged again several minutes after. I had heard the gunshots and battle but hadn't even thought about getting up. "Tell Abby I'm sorry." I whispered before pushing myself up onto my feet.
The moment Four emerged, Marcus straightened up. "Tobias." The abnegation leader sounded surprised, and I couldn't help but look between the two men. There was a similarity between them. Like father and son. Then it dawned in me. Four was a transfer as well. I blinked at the revelation before Four turned to me.
Four's demeanor had changed when seeing Marcus, a barely perceivable twitch moving though him. "The sim?" I asked when Four grabbed me by the collar of my jacket and pushed me up against the wall. His jaw was clenched, and anger radiated from him. I had not expected him to act like this at all.
I cried out when hitting the wall. "Four—wait!" I grabbed his forearms and buckled against him, but he was much stronger than me and I was lifted off the ground. His other hand had found my neck, long slender fingers wrapped tightly around it. "I'm sorry." I choaked out when Four leaned heavier against me. My eyes locked with his. They were narrowed beneath the dark brows as he took me in.
"Four!" Tris hooked her arms around his arm. "Let her go! She saved me." Four's eyes shifted to her for a moment before back to me. They hardened but he released me, nonetheless. I took in a big gush of air when I landed in the floor again and had to steady myself against the wall while I rubbed my sore neck. "There's no time for this! She saved me after they took you away. And she warned my parents." Tris informed.
Four's attention returned to me again and I coughed. I nodded, trying to make him understand I meant no harm. "Orders aren't optional." I wheezed, reminding Four of the one thing that no dauntless could escape. He frowned before turning back to Tris. I coughed again. "I did what I had to do to survive." I gasped and stepped out of Four's reach, fearing what he might do.
Four scoffed and grabbed Tris by the arm. "We need to move." He ordered before pulling her with him. I continued to rub my sore neck but followed them. Four threw himself at the door, bursting out of the darkness. Outside confused dauntless were waking up from the simulation. Four started to sprint down the ally. I cursed and did the same. He had seen the train, I hadn't. It took me little time to pull ahead of everyone.
I had pushed my gun around onto my back, where it bobbled as I ran. I reached my hand out to the train. My fingers wrapped around the cold metal before hauling myself up. I clung to the side of the train before hammering my palm against the pad opening the door. It hissed and slid open as Peter lined up beside me.
I scoffed at him and entered the train before he jumped in. The boy stumbled and had to steady himself against the back of the train. The others got on afterwards. Four clung to the side of the train as he hauled his father up before catching Tris. I watched them get onto the train before Four drew her close. My heart ached when witnessing the embrace.
"We have no home, no faction. I don't even know who I am anymore." She whispered. I just stood there watching them and felt my heart rip into a thousand pieces. It had made me realize how much I already missed Eric. It all felt so strange, and now it just seemed so silly that we fought in the first place.
Tears swelled when I moved towards the still open door. I didn't fight my tears. I merely allowed them to fall tainting my cheeks as I watched the landscape slide past us as we moved towards the fence. I had left behind everything I had ever known and everything that had ever been precious to me.