Inextricable: A Divergent FanFiction (Book Three) ©

Chapter 19

Even in the dauntless compound, a place made specifically for fighters and soldiers, Dan and I received an assortment of looks as we walked down the hallways with our various rifles slung across our backs. I imagined we looked like a couple of commandos who were about to go into an all-out war.

Looks weren't the only things that followed me. Even if I hadn't paused to pay close attention, it was evident that my miraculous recovery was the talk of the town –so to speak. My name was whispered with variance nuances; respect, disbelief, awe, and even in some cases fear.

"That's the guy I told you about–" Someone would mutter fervently when they thought they'd be out of earshot. "–the Monster, Stronghold."

"I heard he was stabbed in the gut."

"–but then how is he walking around? That can't be normal."

"I was there, front row seat, and it was actually to the chest." Another would reply. "You can ask Jax, he saw it all too."

"Could be a lie. I mean, who survives that kind of attack? It's probably all for propaganda."

"–wanna' test that theory?"

"He'd rip you in two."

"–don't know that I can trust a man who can't die."

Dan, who's hearing was just as acute as my own, would give me a wry smile whenever a particularly outrageous piece of gossip floated by.

"I heard, from a friend of a friend, that he used to get into knife fights all the time back in the Upper Levels. Even killed a kid once, and that this is vengeance for that death."

"–told me that he tore out a man's throat, with his bare teeth!"

"I happen to know, from a direct source, that he and Ally nearly killed each other on a different occasion. Yeah, it's true, they wanted to push each other off of a building or something–"

"What do you think will happen when they finally see each other again?"

This last question made me pause mid-step, because it was a question I'd found myself wondering on several occasions.

"Who knows? Maybe she'll kill him." Someone replied. I clenched my teeth, but before I could rush off to catch up with Dan, I heard another voice counter with, "Or he'll kill her."

I was displeased with both of those answers, but had to admit it did seem –at the moment at least– pretty black and white. If she'd tried to kill me before, what was to stop her from attempting it again? And if she did attack, would I be able to just stand there without lifting a hand in self-defense?

No; was my visceral response. No. I am not a killer. I don't just take lives like they mean nothing. As seconds passed, however, a tiny voice in the back of my mind quietly whispered; but what if it wasn't just you at risk? What if Dan was somehow injured because you couldn't do what had to be done? Or Grace, Finn and the boys, even Lyla. Their blood would be on your hands.

Though I knew it was silly to work myself up over something that had yet to happen, I couldn't seem to stop my brain from obsessing over everything that could go wrong. I was working myself up into a real lather when Dan snapped his fingers in front of me.

"Hello?" He said, smirking when I blinked several times in surprise. "Anyone there?"

"No," I replied. "But if you leave your name and number, I might call you back."

"Might?" He repeated with a look of mock disappointment. "Don't toy with a man's emotions like that. It's not attractive."

A mix of a laugh and snort escaped from me, and it was when I'd finally caught my breath that I determinately made the decision to push my dark thoughts away. I had to live in the now, or the past would end up devouring me.