Becoming Determinant - Tobias' Story

Insurgent Chapter 9 - Evelyn

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and to those kind people who wrote a special extra review for Fanfiction Appreciation Day. :-)

Thank you also to my wonderful beta reader, Rosalie!

"Insurgent" Chapter 9 – Evelyn

Dinner among the factionless is different from anything I've seen before. We sit in a circle around a large metal bowl, heating cans of food over the fire it contains. When each can is warm enough, it's passed around the circle, and everyone takes a bite when it reaches them.

A vaguely disgusted look crosses Tris' face as she takes a spoonful of the soup I just handed to her, and I can't help smirking a bit. It's certainly not the tastiest dish in the world, but after everything we've been through, I'm glad to have it anyway. We need the calories.

Edward plops onto the floor on the other side of my girlfriend and takes the can from her. "So, you were all Abnegation, huh?" The question makes me bristle, as any hint of my connection to Marcus has over the last two years. He doesn't seem to notice as he shoves some soup into his mouth and passes the can on to the woman on his left.

"We were," Tris replies. "But obviously Tobias and I transferred." It's strange to hear her use my real name around other people, but I don't comment. "And Caleb and Susan are still Abnegation."

She says it smoothly, so it takes me a second to realize that she didn't mention Caleb having picked Erudite. It's probably a good omission – it's unclear what the factionless think about that faction at the moment.

"And he's your brother – Caleb?" Edward asks. "You ditched your family to become Dauntless?"

It's a rich statement coming from someone who transferred, too, and I can't blame Tris when she snaps back in annoyance, "You sound like the Candor. Mind keeping your judgments to yourself?"

Therese leans closer. "He was Erudite first, actually. Not Candor."

"Yeah, I know," Tris answers. "I –"

But Therese interrupts her. "So was I. Had to leave, though."

It's an interesting admission, and I glance up as Tris asks, "What happened?"

"I wasn't smart enough." Therese shrugs as she takes another can, spooning beans into her mouth. "I didn't get a high enough score on my initiation intelligence test. So, they said, 'Spend your entire life cleaning up the research labs, or leave.' And I left."

She looks unfazed as she licks her spoon clean, but I find myself staring at the fire, disturbed by the images going through my head. I've known for a long time that the factions can be cruel, but I guess part of me thought the worst of it was limited to Dauntless. After all, they're the ones who toss initiates out without blinking an eye – and who do the same to their elderly, for that matter. If I was wrong about that...if other factions do the same thing...then maybe my mother is right that serious change is needed.

"Are many of you from Erudite?" Tris asks, almost as if she's reading my mind.

Therese shakes her head. "Most are from Dauntless, actually." It's somewhat reassuring to hear that. "Then Erudite, then Candor, then a handful of Amity." After our experience there, I guess it shouldn't surprise me that people can be kicked out of even the faction of the kind. "No one fails Abnegation initiation, though, so we have very few of those, except for a bunch who survived the simulation attack and came to us for refuge."

And Evelyn....

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised about Dauntless," Tris comments.

"Well, yeah. You've got one of the worst initiations, and there's that whole old-age thing."