The choices you made | Eric Coulter (Under Reconstruction)

x14. Cross my heart and hope to die | pt.2

After Eric has been taken care of by Max's bodyguards, Ellie somehow managed to calm herself and breathe.
The first aid she gave him helped a lot, and it bought her time to catch Peter to drive him back to Dauntless.
The horrors in Abnegation were still outgoing since the hunt for Tris and Four never stopped.
If anything, it has gotten even more serious.

"We need to meet with Jeanine.", Max announced nonchalantly. "We will relocate with them back to Dauntless."

Ellie shortly nodded and followed in the footsteps of the black Leader, not knowing what kind of attitude to take towards him.
Or Jeanine.
Or this whole damn situation she was in.

Max subconsciously expected Ellie to take Eric's place once the man was out of the chessboard, which was pretty unrealistic.
Ellie was very young and inexperienced.

Not to mention that this wasn't her job at all. She overlooked the administration and the Intelligence section now, so theoretically she wasn't even supposed to be here, but back in Dauntless.
This meant that in her job description was joining Erudite people loyal to Jeanine today and that somehow didn't happen.
She could only presume why.

Indeed, she was far more capable than her whole initiation class, but truth to be told, Ellie was still only 18. And not prepared for the war zone she was put into.

They were trained to be soldiers and to defend just in case.

But just in case happened too soon for her to even catch up her breath and think about it.
Meanwhile, while her thoughts were bouncing around her head, Max entered another ruin left of once a modest family home at the Abnegation, followed by soldiers and Ellie. She was entering Lion's den like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

"Maybe you're not as smart as you think you are.", on the sound of Four's voice, Ellie froze. He wasn't supposed to be here.
They weren't supposed to be here.

"Why are you attacking all these innocent people?", Beatris was infuriated.

Abnegation was a big part of her life and someone just demolished it and took it away from her.
For nothing.

Ellie clearly understood that. Erudite was a big part of her life too and right now, she realized that all she has ever believed were lies. Erudite never valued knowledge. They valued power.
And that was how her childhood was also wiped away in one move.

"Innocent people?", Jeanine cynically implored. "Abnegation, if left unchecked, will destroy the faction system. The same can be said of both of you. Somebody has to stop you, if we don't, peace will be lost."

Lies, lies, lies.
More lies.

Ellie, looking very infrequent, joined the soldiers and Tris looked at her vengefully. She has lost a friend today, she knew that.
But it didn't matter because they both managed to stay alive so far.

"It's already been lost, you destroyed it.", the debate continued.
Four accused her in the face and he was right. Jeanine did destroy the peace they were all so used to.

"Human nature destroyed it.", Jeanine contradicted in her way, calmly.

That one we acknowledged once before, where you could blame her for the end of the world and feel like an idiot about it.

"Those of us with the vision to see that are called upon to protect the rest. We will restore the peace. And this time it will last."

"And what if you're wrong?", Tris asked her, her body still fueled with rage.

She was constantly moving and trying to free herself from George's grip, even though she was badly injured.
Meanwhile, Jeanine completely dismissed her question and switched her look back to Four.