INSURGENT: Tobias

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

We walk along the railroad tracks in order to get to the city, me balancing on the edge, Tris on the tracks, and Caleb and Susan following behind. I keep my face blank, hiding the chaos erupting inside of me. Marcus is dead. Marcus... is dead. The words play in my mind over and over, as if they're on repeat. Most people would grieve if they thought their father was dead. I should be happy. The man who became a monster in my mind, the man who beat me and hurt me, can't hurt me anymore. But I guess I can't believe that he's just gone. After everything that I had to go through because of him, he's just not here anymore. I shake my head, clearing my thoughts of him. I don't have to think of him anymore.

I slow my footsteps as I see Tris bend down out of the corner of my eyes. She places her palms against the tracks and closes her eyes.

"It's coming," she says, swaying a little before pulling herself back onto her feet and wiping her hands on her pants. "I think we should get on."

"Even if it's run by the Erudite?" Caleb asks.

"If the Erudite were running the train, they would have taken it to the Amity compound to look for us," I tell them. "I think it's worth the risk. We'll be able to hide in the city. Here we're just waiting for them to find us."

With that said, we get off the tracks and wait for the train to reach us. I can faintly hear Caleb explaining to Susan how to jump onto a moving train. I roll my eyes subconsciously at the Erudite in him. The first train car passes us and we all start running. Caleb helps Susan into the train car first followed by Tris whose legs dangle out of the car briefly before Caleb helps her in. I used the handle on the side of the car to slide in swiftly.

As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I can make out several pairs of eyes among us. My eyebrows pull down as I realize who these people are. My face pulls down in a grimace.

The factionless. Memories swarm through my mind and my mood worsens. Suddenly everyone is on their feet and a man with an eye patch has a gun pointed at me. I recognize him after a few moments. Edward. My fingers curl around my gun, but I don't make it's presence known.

"I've never seen the Amity armed before," the woman to the left of Edward says.

"They aren't Amity." Edwards says, his eyes locked with mine. "They're Dauntless."

"Hello, Edward." Tris says, trying to diffuse the tension.

Edward lifts his head in her direction, but doesn't drop the gun. "Tris."

"Whatever you are," the woman says, impatient. "You'll have to get off this train if you want to stay alive."

"Please," Susan starts, unshed tears pooling in her eyes. "We've been running...and the rest of them are dead and I don't..." Her voice shakes and the tears stream down her cheeks as she finishes. "I don't think I can keep going, I..."

Caleb starts up once it's clear that Susan can't go on. "We're running from the Erudite. If we get off, it will be easier for them to find us. So we would appreciate if you would let us ride into the city with you." He says with a firm voice.

"Yeah?" Edward says, tilting his head... mocking us. "What have you ever done for us?"

A thought courses through my mind as I realize that they will show us no mercy. They don't care about us... a bunch of runaways. Who are we to them than a bunch of nobodies who were part of the same government that tossed them out onto the streets... with the factionless.

"I helped you when no one else would. Remember?" Tris says and I do. The night he got stabbed in the eye. She was the only one who helped.

"You, maybe." Edward acknowledges. "But the others? Not so much." Even though Tris helped him, It's not enough. Nothing they say will be enough. I know what I have to do. I step forward, my throat barely an inch from the tip of Edward's gun.

"My name is Tobias Eaton." I say, my voice steady. "I don't think you want to push me off this train."

My name works just as I suspected it would. Everyone lowers their weapons and look swiftly across the space at each other.

"Eaton? Really?" Edward says, his eyebrows raised at me. "I have to admit, I did not see that coming."

He clears his throat once in the silence before continuing.

"Fine you can come. But when we get to the city, you've got to come with us." He smiles slightly. "We know someone who's been looking for you, Tobias Eaton."

Unconsciously, my face pulls into a grimace at the mention of that specific someone. My mother. The one who abandoned me... left me to fend for myself against Marcus. Still eyeing Edward, I grab Tris's hand and pull her along with me to the edge of the car. I sit and Tris occupies the space next to me, our legs dangling over the edge.

"Do you know who it is?" She asks.

I nod once as I think about all the things Tris doesn't know about me.

"Who, then?"

"It's hard to explain," I begin, aware of the fact that she, along with the rest of the Abnegation, believe my mother died years ago. "I have a lot to tell you." I admit.

Tris leans against my side as her head falls onto my shoulder. Without thinking about it, my arm finds its way around her waist, pulling her closer. We simply stare out into the darkness, catching flashes of light from buildings in the distance. Just waiting. As I continue to stare out into the night I can make out the outline of buildings in the distance approaching fast. The buildings I used to pass walking home from school.

They tell us that we need to get off now. The four of us, Caleb, Susan, Tris and I, stand in the doorway of the train car. I can hear Tris reassuring Susan. They jump off together and I follow a second after them. The factionless seem to have had practice with using the train as a means of transportation as they all jump off with ease.

My muscles tense for what we're about to face. I walk beside Tris, Placing my hand very gently on her injured shoulder.

"It's been a while since I checked that shoulder. How is it?" I ask her.

"Okay. I brought the pain medicine, luckily," she says, breathing a small sigh of relief. "I don't think I'm letting it heal very well. I keep using my arm, or landing on it."

"There will be plenty of time for healing when this is all over." I tell her, willing it to be true.

"Yeah." She says and in that moment I know she is thinking the exact same thing I am: What if we don't make it after this?

"Here," I take out a small knife from my back pocket and hand it to her. "Just in case." She takes it quickly and puts it in her pocket.

The factionless lead us down an alley full of garbage and rats and dirt. Edward stops in front of one of the brick buildings and forces the door open. We all follow him inside the dark room, lit only by a single lantern. And I see faces... tons of faces lit by the sole lantern and I know I should feel surprised, but I was expecting something like this.

Tris, though, is very surprised. I can tell from her breathing, which has suddenly become erratic. I pull her closer to me, trying t shield her from the unknown, but doesn't notice. Her eyes stay glued to our surroundings. And I know she sees what I see. A faction of sorts. A faction that welcomes the unwanted, with my mother acting as the faction leader.

"Come on," Edward says, motioning us forward. "She's back here." He leads us further into the building where we are met with a loud silence and questioning stares from all around us.

"What's going on here? Why are you all together like this?" Tris asks, not able to contain her curiosity any longer.

"You thought they-we-were all split up," Edward starts. "Well, they were, for a while. Too hungry to do much of anything except look for food. But then the Stiffs started giving them food, clothes, tools, everything. And they got stronger and waited. They were like that when I found them, and they welcomed me."

We walk deeper and deeper into the building and suddenly my nerves make themselves known. My fingers find a stray thread from the hem of my shirt, winding it around and around and around my fingers. I know we're close. Only minutes away.

Edward when we reach a metal door and knocks loudly. My breath quickens and I can feel my heart beat speed up.

"Wait you said they were waiting?" Caleb says, "What were they waiting for, exactly?"

"For the world to fall apart," Edward says simply. "And now it has."

The door opens and a woman walks out, eyeing the four of us.

"Strays?" She asks.

"Not hardly, Therese." Edward says, pointing to me over his shoulder. "This one's Tobias Eaton."

She stares at me for a couple of seconds, scrutinizing me, but then nods. "He certainly is. Hold on." She shuts the door as she goes to inform my mother. I swallow hard, thinking about what's going to happen.

"You know who she's going to get, don't you," Caleb says. He doesn't ask.

"Caleb," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "Please shut up." And thankfully, he does.

The lady named Therese opens the door again and motions for us to follow her. She leads us into a room that appears to be a boiler room, but with such low lighting is more of a maze of machinery than anything else. And then we reach the back of the room. Where my mother...Evelyn...stands behind a table. Memories invade my mind again. My mom whispering to me that everything was going to be okay, knowing that she would protect me against him. But she left me. The woman in front of me is a shadow of the mother I used to know. I reach my hand out for Tris's. As her small hand comforts my own, I find the strength to speak.

"Evelyn," I say, my voice shaking only slightly. Tris's grip on my hand loosens as she pieces together who Evelyn is.

"Hello," Evelyn says, walking around to the front of the table, eyeing me. "You look older." Well, duh! I think to myself.

"Yes, well. The passage of time tends to do that to a person."

She smiles for a moment and I know what she's going to say before it leaves her mouth. "So you've finally come-"

"Not for the reason you think," I interrupt her. "We were running from Erudite, and the only chance of escape we had required me to tell your poorly armed lackeys my name." I say quickly, trying to get this over with as fast as possible.

"I see. " Evelyn says meekly, her fake smile remaining on her face. "Introduce me to you fellow refugees, then." I catch her eyes staring at my hand connected to Tris's.

"This is Tris Prior." I gesture to her. "Her brother, Caleb. And their friend Susan Black."

"Prior. I know of several Priors, but none of them are name Tris. Beatrice, however..."

"Well," Tris counters, interrupting Evelyn. " I know several living Eatons, but none of them are named Evelyn."

"Evelyn Johnson is the name I prefer. Particularly among a pack of Abnegation."

"Tris is he name I prefer." Tris says, continuing to challenge Evelyn. "And we're not Abnegation. Not all of us, anyway."

Evelyn shoots me a look. "Interesting friends you've made."

"Those are population counts?" Caleb asks, staring at the map on the back wall. He walks towards it, with his mouth hanging open. "And... what? Factionless safe houses? I mean these places, on the map?" He asks, pointing. "They're safe houses, like this one. Right?"

"That's a lot of questions." Evelyn says, raising her eyebrow at him. "For security purposes, I will not answer any of them. Anyway, it is time for dinner." She gestures for us to walk back out the way we came. Susan and Caleb walk out first, followed by Tris and me and then Evelyn.

"I'm not stupid," Evelyn says quietly. "I know you want nothing to do with me-thought I still don't quite understand why-"

I snort at her.

"But," She continues. "I will extend my invitation again. We could use your help here, and I know you are like-minded about the faction system-" I cut her off before she can keep going.

"Evelyn, " I start. "I chose Dauntless."

"Choices can be made again."

"What makes you think I'm interesting in spending time anywhere near you?" I tell her, stopping dead in my tracks, my face showing my disgust.

"Because I'm your mother." She says, trying to fool me with the softness in her voice. "Because you're my son."

I have to stop myself from screaming at her. This woman has no clue what being a mother is. She is not my mother. Not anymore.

"You really don't get it," I say. "You don't have the vaguest conception of what you've done to me." I tell her, trying to get all the words out. "I don't want to join up with your little band of factionless. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible."

"My little band of factionless is twice the size of Dauntless." She says. "You would do well to take it seriously. Its actions may determine the future of this city." At that, she walks past me and Tris.

I look at Tris, waiting for her reaction.

"How long have you known?" She asks.

"About a year." I say, leaning against the wall, feeling my eyes close. Remembering. "She sent a coded message to me in Dauntless, telling me to meet her at the train yard. I did, because I was curious, and there she was. Alive. It wasn't a happy reunion, as you can probably guess."

My mind tries to force all of the bad memories on me again, but I fight to keep them at bay.

"Why did she leave Abnegation?"

"She had an affair." I say, shaking my head slowly. "And no wonder, since my father..." I shake my head again, unable to finish. "Well let's just say Marcus wasn't any nicer to her than he was to me."

"Is that... why you're angry with her? Because she was unfaithful to him?" Tris asks.

"No," I say quickly, my eyes opening. She left me. "That's not why I'm angry."

Tris walks towards me slowly, as if she's waiting for me to lash out. "Then why?"

"She had to leave my father, I get that," I explain, swallowing. "But did she think of taking me with her?"

Tris's face crumples in disgust. "Oh. She left you with him."

"Yeah." All alone to fend for myself. With no one to comfort me when Marcus came home. With no one to tell me everything was going to be okay after Marcus beat me. "She did."

Tris finds my hands, fumbling with the hem of my shirt, and I intertwine my fingers with hers. I calm myself, letting my breathing go back to normal.

"It seems to me that the factionless are better friends than enemies." I say, breaking the silence.

"Maybe. But what would the cost of that friendship be?"



"I don't know," I admit, shaking my head. "But we may not have any other option."

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Okay guys!!! I hope you like this chapter!! I think it's very emotional for Tobias and it was a lot of fun to write! Oh and Voting for the Watty Awards starts today!!! January 6th! Please vote for my story! DIVERGENT: Tobias is under fan fiction and then books! Each person has only one vote for each category so don't bother trying to vote over and over again for the same category. Voting ends January 31 and the winners are announced in February! You can vote here: http://www.wattpad.com/wattys/showcase

Will you guys make my dreams come true and help me win the Watty Award? I'll be sending out a message to all my fans today too!

Thank you guys for being the best fans and readers in the world! Don't forget to comment and vote for this chapter! 

-Amanda :) <4