‹ Prequel: Hollow Body Got a Hold on Me
When the Sky Begins to Fall
Chapter Four
Four's POV:
I was just exiting the control room, and heading downstairs, towards my apartment, when I saw Eric standing at his door, fumbling with his keys.
His hands were shaking, and he looked like he might faint.
I was worried.
"Eric?" I say, gently, as I approach him. He drops the ring of key cards on the floor, startled at my presence.
"Four, what the fuck do you want?"
Shit.
He's really angry.
Ah, fuck.
He didn't...
I bend down, and grab his keys off the floor, and notice that, not only are his hands shaking, but, his entire body is trembling.
I slide the correct card in the slot on his door, and hear the lock click, allowing access to his apartment.
"Eric," I try, again. "We need to talk."
Eric glares at me then, still trembling. "Well, too fucking bad."
He walks through the door, and slams the door behind him, and I hear the lock clicking back into place.
Shit.
He did.
I noticed he didn't have his bag, today.
Did she even give him any of the drug, that he now needs to survive?
I find that I am extremely angry.
I've got to do something about Jeanine; for Eric, and for everyone else.
That woman is out of control.
***************************************************************************************
One week later
Tris passed stage three, with flying colors; I knew she would.
I'm so proud of her.
Tonight, Dauntless is holding a banquet, in honor of the new members.
The trucks from Erudite have stopped coming, a few days ago, and that worries me.
If they're not unloading more supplies, then have everything they need, for whatever it is that they're doing.
The question is, what are they doing?
Eric has gone to Erudite, everyday.
And every time he comes back to Dauntless, he looks worse, and worse for wear, than the day before.
I don't know what Jeanine is making him do, but, it's taking a toll on the youngest leader of Dauntless.
*****************************************************************************************
After the banquet, Max ordered us all to seperate into four lines, and receive a chip. He claimed it was only a tracking device, but I have a feeling that it has something to do with the orange serum, and computers, from Erudite.
*****************************************************************************************
Eric's POV:
I have been waiting for this day since Stormy was murdered, by the Divergent.
Jeanine notified me, today, that the serum is ready.
We were to inject every Dauntless with the mind-control serum, with the exception of the leaders.
Today, I will get some revenge.
The serum will not work on the Divergent.
Jeanine gave me 40 ML of Hyperopium, today, promising that after we attack Abnegation, she will give me another 60 ML.
She advised me to take all of it; that I will be well taken care of, from now on.
I don't want to agree, but I can't say no, either.
I take all eight injections; one, after the other, until it is all gone.
I see red.
Today, I get my revenge.
****************************************************************************************
I stand in the cafeteria, with the rest of the Dauntless leaders, and the sparse few members who were allowed to be free of the serum, specifically for the purpose of keeping an eye on the Dauntless compound, while the rest of our army marches on Abnegation.
They have been found guilty by Jeanine of harboring fugitives, and Divergents.
Almost everyone in the cafeteria marches slowly, as one unit, picking up their gear, and heading out to wait for the train to arrive.
One unfortunate bastard is wandering around, asking the robotic Dauntless what is going on.
Oh well.
"Hey," I call out to him, as I walk forward, beckoning him towards me. "Everything's fine." I raise my pistol, and fire a shot, right between his eyes, grinning from ear to ear, as the Divergent drops dead at my feet.
That felt good.
The blood spilt seems to be enhancing the strength of my medication, as well.
****************************************************************************************
Stormy's POV:
"Kaitlynn!" I hear someone call my name from the other side of the door, which opens just a moment later.
"Kaitlynn! Come on, we're getting out of here, now! Let's go!" Caleb grabs my arm, pulling me up off the bed, and out of the door.
I feel fear, like waves, throughout my body.
"What's going on?" I ask, in confusion.
"Jeanine's not here; trust me, I can get you out," he explains, as we walk through the corridors, encountering no one.
This can't be real.
This must be a dream.
This is too good to be true.
Nonetheless, I allow him to pull me through the winding corridors, and down staircases, until we finally make it through the front doors.
I pause for a moment, to catch my breath.
"Come on, Kaitlynn! We've got to go, while we can!" Caleb yells, again.
I run on my own, now, keeping pace right behind him.
I don't understand what's going on, but I decide not to question it any further at the moment.
We end up at an old warehouse, there are hundreds of old bolts of fabric lying around, and it is dark inside.
"Caleb!"
We both turn, at the same time, and are faced with an older man, the spitting image of Caleb.
That must be his father.
******************************************************************************************
Caleb's POV:
"Dad!" I exclaim, in relief. We share a quick hug, and I introduce Kaitlynn.
She shakes his hand, and I can sense her awkwardness.
I'm not about to tell her how I got her out.
You can't truly win, when you make a deal with the devil.
"Caleb, what are you doing here?"
I turn around, and Kaitlynn gasps, and then whimpers, and I notice Marcus Eaton in the crowd of Abnegation refugees.
I glare at him, darkly, and I don't answer him.
Kaitlynn holds onto me, and I let her.
I'm not letting that sick bastard get anywhere near her.
"Where's mom?" I say, thinly.
I think everyone in the room can probably sense the tension that now fills the air, but, I can't be bothered to care.
I'm not here for their comfort.
"She went to find your sister," my dad explains.
*******************************************************************************************
Four's POV:
I've never been so scared in my life, but, I have to keep up the act.
I'm so glad Tris is by my side.
We march on Abnegation, and we hear screams from every direction within the faction.
"We need to find my parents," Tris whispers, the fear evident in her voice, as she glances around, frantically.
"Just keep moving, which house is theirs?"
Tris leads the way, and we search her old house, but there is no one there.
"Where would they have gone, Tris?" I ask her; we're running out of time.
"I don't know," she sighs, and I can tell she is worried.
"It's gonna be okay," I tell her, trying to keep my own voice calm. "Come on, we'll look for them, they can't be too far."
We exit the plain, cement house, in sync.
That's when we run into Eric.
He stands in front of us, blocking our path, and we stop, awaiting orders.
"Legendary Four," he begins. "Not so great now, huh? You used to be first in your class, and, now..." Eric looks me up and down, before continuing. "Now, you're nothing."
Eric starts to walk away, and I don't move.
That was a mistake.
"What is this shit?" he asks, scrutinizing my face, now.
Max walks over then, too.
Shit.
"Think he might be..." Max trails off, then.
Eric smirks. "There's one way to find out."
He pulls his gun up, pointing it between my eyes.
"Move, and you die!"
Shit.
Eric keeps the gun pointed at my head, as he turns to see Tris with her gun trained on him, and Max with his gun trained on her.
Eric laughs, darkly. "The Stiff?" he nudges the barrel of the gun into my temple. "Two Stiffs. Two dead Stiffs!"
"Drop the gun, Eric!" Tris screams, cocking her gun.
Eric chuckles. "You're not gonna shoot me."
"I think you're underestimating my character," Tris replies, as she aims her gun down to his leg, and fires, a scream escaping his lips, as he falls to the ground.
*******************************************************************************************
Eric's POV:
Fuck.
Shit!
Fuck!
The bitch shot me!
Fucking Divergent whore!
I don't know why I wanted to shoot Four; honestly, I don't know why.
I don't even know why I hate him.
I guess, now I know.
He's Divergent, just like his girlfriend is; just like Amar was.
I vaguely feel myself pulled off to the side of a building, before I faint from the blood loss.
*****************************************************************************************
Stormy's POV:
"Stormy!" I see Chaotic from where I'm currently standing with the Abnegation in Candor headquarters. Caleb left. He left me alone.
At least Marcus isn't here; that's a blessing, anyway.
I find myself wondering if I will ever see him again.
But, right now, there are people surrounding me, some crying, some excited, others, like Chaotic and Rebel and Rowen, just absolutely losing it.
"Oh my God, you were dead! You were dead! How are you not dead?!"
I'm bombarded with questions that I don't want to answer, right now.
I have a few questions of my own.
"Where's Eric?"
I was just exiting the control room, and heading downstairs, towards my apartment, when I saw Eric standing at his door, fumbling with his keys.
His hands were shaking, and he looked like he might faint.
I was worried.
"Eric?" I say, gently, as I approach him. He drops the ring of key cards on the floor, startled at my presence.
"Four, what the fuck do you want?"
Shit.
He's really angry.
Ah, fuck.
He didn't...
I bend down, and grab his keys off the floor, and notice that, not only are his hands shaking, but, his entire body is trembling.
I slide the correct card in the slot on his door, and hear the lock click, allowing access to his apartment.
"Eric," I try, again. "We need to talk."
Eric glares at me then, still trembling. "Well, too fucking bad."
He walks through the door, and slams the door behind him, and I hear the lock clicking back into place.
Shit.
He did.
I noticed he didn't have his bag, today.
Did she even give him any of the drug, that he now needs to survive?
I find that I am extremely angry.
I've got to do something about Jeanine; for Eric, and for everyone else.
That woman is out of control.
***************************************************************************************
One week later
Tris passed stage three, with flying colors; I knew she would.
I'm so proud of her.
Tonight, Dauntless is holding a banquet, in honor of the new members.
The trucks from Erudite have stopped coming, a few days ago, and that worries me.
If they're not unloading more supplies, then have everything they need, for whatever it is that they're doing.
The question is, what are they doing?
Eric has gone to Erudite, everyday.
And every time he comes back to Dauntless, he looks worse, and worse for wear, than the day before.
I don't know what Jeanine is making him do, but, it's taking a toll on the youngest leader of Dauntless.
*****************************************************************************************
After the banquet, Max ordered us all to seperate into four lines, and receive a chip. He claimed it was only a tracking device, but I have a feeling that it has something to do with the orange serum, and computers, from Erudite.
*****************************************************************************************
Eric's POV:
I have been waiting for this day since Stormy was murdered, by the Divergent.
Jeanine notified me, today, that the serum is ready.
We were to inject every Dauntless with the mind-control serum, with the exception of the leaders.
Today, I will get some revenge.
The serum will not work on the Divergent.
Jeanine gave me 40 ML of Hyperopium, today, promising that after we attack Abnegation, she will give me another 60 ML.
She advised me to take all of it; that I will be well taken care of, from now on.
I don't want to agree, but I can't say no, either.
I take all eight injections; one, after the other, until it is all gone.
I see red.
Today, I get my revenge.
****************************************************************************************
I stand in the cafeteria, with the rest of the Dauntless leaders, and the sparse few members who were allowed to be free of the serum, specifically for the purpose of keeping an eye on the Dauntless compound, while the rest of our army marches on Abnegation.
They have been found guilty by Jeanine of harboring fugitives, and Divergents.
Almost everyone in the cafeteria marches slowly, as one unit, picking up their gear, and heading out to wait for the train to arrive.
One unfortunate bastard is wandering around, asking the robotic Dauntless what is going on.
Oh well.
"Hey," I call out to him, as I walk forward, beckoning him towards me. "Everything's fine." I raise my pistol, and fire a shot, right between his eyes, grinning from ear to ear, as the Divergent drops dead at my feet.
That felt good.
The blood spilt seems to be enhancing the strength of my medication, as well.
****************************************************************************************
Stormy's POV:
"Kaitlynn!" I hear someone call my name from the other side of the door, which opens just a moment later.
"Kaitlynn! Come on, we're getting out of here, now! Let's go!" Caleb grabs my arm, pulling me up off the bed, and out of the door.
I feel fear, like waves, throughout my body.
"What's going on?" I ask, in confusion.
"Jeanine's not here; trust me, I can get you out," he explains, as we walk through the corridors, encountering no one.
This can't be real.
This must be a dream.
This is too good to be true.
Nonetheless, I allow him to pull me through the winding corridors, and down staircases, until we finally make it through the front doors.
I pause for a moment, to catch my breath.
"Come on, Kaitlynn! We've got to go, while we can!" Caleb yells, again.
I run on my own, now, keeping pace right behind him.
I don't understand what's going on, but I decide not to question it any further at the moment.
We end up at an old warehouse, there are hundreds of old bolts of fabric lying around, and it is dark inside.
"Caleb!"
We both turn, at the same time, and are faced with an older man, the spitting image of Caleb.
That must be his father.
******************************************************************************************
Caleb's POV:
"Dad!" I exclaim, in relief. We share a quick hug, and I introduce Kaitlynn.
She shakes his hand, and I can sense her awkwardness.
I'm not about to tell her how I got her out.
You can't truly win, when you make a deal with the devil.
"Caleb, what are you doing here?"
I turn around, and Kaitlynn gasps, and then whimpers, and I notice Marcus Eaton in the crowd of Abnegation refugees.
I glare at him, darkly, and I don't answer him.
Kaitlynn holds onto me, and I let her.
I'm not letting that sick bastard get anywhere near her.
"Where's mom?" I say, thinly.
I think everyone in the room can probably sense the tension that now fills the air, but, I can't be bothered to care.
I'm not here for their comfort.
"She went to find your sister," my dad explains.
*******************************************************************************************
Four's POV:
I've never been so scared in my life, but, I have to keep up the act.
I'm so glad Tris is by my side.
We march on Abnegation, and we hear screams from every direction within the faction.
"We need to find my parents," Tris whispers, the fear evident in her voice, as she glances around, frantically.
"Just keep moving, which house is theirs?"
Tris leads the way, and we search her old house, but there is no one there.
"Where would they have gone, Tris?" I ask her; we're running out of time.
"I don't know," she sighs, and I can tell she is worried.
"It's gonna be okay," I tell her, trying to keep my own voice calm. "Come on, we'll look for them, they can't be too far."
We exit the plain, cement house, in sync.
That's when we run into Eric.
He stands in front of us, blocking our path, and we stop, awaiting orders.
"Legendary Four," he begins. "Not so great now, huh? You used to be first in your class, and, now..." Eric looks me up and down, before continuing. "Now, you're nothing."
Eric starts to walk away, and I don't move.
That was a mistake.
"What is this shit?" he asks, scrutinizing my face, now.
Max walks over then, too.
Shit.
"Think he might be..." Max trails off, then.
Eric smirks. "There's one way to find out."
He pulls his gun up, pointing it between my eyes.
"Move, and you die!"
Shit.
Eric keeps the gun pointed at my head, as he turns to see Tris with her gun trained on him, and Max with his gun trained on her.
Eric laughs, darkly. "The Stiff?" he nudges the barrel of the gun into my temple. "Two Stiffs. Two dead Stiffs!"
"Drop the gun, Eric!" Tris screams, cocking her gun.
Eric chuckles. "You're not gonna shoot me."
"I think you're underestimating my character," Tris replies, as she aims her gun down to his leg, and fires, a scream escaping his lips, as he falls to the ground.
*******************************************************************************************
Eric's POV:
Fuck.
Shit!
Fuck!
The bitch shot me!
Fucking Divergent whore!
I don't know why I wanted to shoot Four; honestly, I don't know why.
I don't even know why I hate him.
I guess, now I know.
He's Divergent, just like his girlfriend is; just like Amar was.
I vaguely feel myself pulled off to the side of a building, before I faint from the blood loss.
*****************************************************************************************
Stormy's POV:
"Stormy!" I see Chaotic from where I'm currently standing with the Abnegation in Candor headquarters. Caleb left. He left me alone.
At least Marcus isn't here; that's a blessing, anyway.
I find myself wondering if I will ever see him again.
But, right now, there are people surrounding me, some crying, some excited, others, like Chaotic and Rebel and Rowen, just absolutely losing it.
"Oh my God, you were dead! You were dead! How are you not dead?!"
I'm bombarded with questions that I don't want to answer, right now.
I have a few questions of my own.
"Where's Eric?"