Emergent: Four X Reader

Chapter 5: Reaching Through

     My feet burned from treading so cautiously, but I still moved swiftly forward, towards a heavily guarded building, with Jeanine's signature car parked outside the front gates. Real subtle.
     My eyes fell on the four Dauntless guards wandering in front of the concrete building, their feet scarily in time with one another. Thud. Thud. Thud. I snapped out of the brief trance, focusing once again on Tobias - I need to find him. Things were just beginning, they cannot be taken away so abruptly!
     I quickly scout the building, keeping my steps quiet, and found a back entrance. I tried to pull the handle, but it was locked. Swiftly, I grab the knife I had previously strapped to my calf, and wiggle it about in the lock until there is a light click. I begin to push the door open, peering around, and find an empty hallway, sprinting down it as lightly as my feet will take me. My throat burns from trying to keep my panting quiet. My head is filled with Tobias' face, the memory of tracing his tattoos lightly with my finger tips... And I round the corner into a bunch of Dauntless guards.
    "Hey!" One of them shouts at me, as I try to run back up the corridor. While I am fast, these zombies are faster. Suddenly, I am hit in the back heavy, and fall to the ground. Luckily I manage to keep my hands in front of me for the fall, but someone lands hard on my back and knocks the wind out of me, and pushes my head forcefully into the ground. My forehead and nose throb violently, and red begins to drip from my brow.
     "This is the one Jeanine is after," one of the awake ones says, "take her to the lab." At this, the two Dauntless on me get up in unison, and take one of my arms each, tearing me away from the floor; they drag me down the hallway I just ran and up several flights of stairs. My shins scrape against the metal edges of the steps as I try to walk myself up, but the guards hold my arms at such awkward angles I cannot keep my balance nor my footing.

     Once we reach what I assume is the top floor of the building, the Dauntless throw me to the ground again. Finally, with my arms free, I reach my hands up to my face and touch my forehead. I feel the heat radiating from it, and feel split skin; I bring my hands down in front of my eyes and see blood covering my finger tips. I wince at the sight. All too soon I hear a click click of high heeled shoes, and they slowly make their way into my blurred vision. I see 4 blue heels in front of me, and follow the pale legs up to see two blonde ladies - oh no, one - standing over me.
    "Y/N..." Jeanine tuts, "I thought better of you. Your Amity background would suggest you'd avoid this sort of behaviour. But, I suppose, puppy love can do that to a person." She cackles.
    "To-Tobias," I croak, my vision slowly clicking back into place, "where is Tobias?"
     "With me," she smiles menacingly. "Bring her," Jeanine barks to the guards around me, and once again I am hauled to my feet. Though my vision is repairing itself, and the throbbing from my head is slowly dimming, I keep up an act of concussion, wary that this may give me an advantage to strike. Not very Amity now, are we.

     We enter a sterile looking room, down a dimly lit corridor; the bright lights and screens inside blind me momentarily, and I blink it away. But then I see him.
    "Tobias!" I say too quickly, and Jeanine's head snaps round to me, "Where are you? I can't see you!" I think quickly, falling into the arms of the guards, "Please..." I pretend to plead, and I see Jeanine's smile grow, believing my act.
    "Your dear Four is, how shall I put it, mine now," she snarls, and I am disgusted, "he is not as strong as you all think. You and your little friend Beatrice."
    "We are all strong. We are Dauntless." I bite my tongue to hold back the anger I feel. I see Jeanine motion with her hand, and then I am being taken closer to the chair in which Tobias is slumped. His broad, strong shoulders are slumped forward, his proud head is hanging limply. He has tubes coming out of him, and I avert my eyes as I see metal points on the end.    
    "Yes, and that's why you're all enslaved and doing the bidding of the Erudite, correct?" Jeanine laughs again, malicious undertones dragging throughout her voice. I feel tears hitting my eyes, as I strain against the arms holding me towards Tobias' limp body.
    "Please..." I whimper again, now for real, "let me see him." There is a pause, before Jeanine waves her hand and the arms release me. I hold back the urge to run to him, and stumble over the white floor to collapse in his lap. I place my arms along his legs, resting my hands on his waist, and I shake him slightly.
    "Tobias," I whisper, and the tears begin to fall. I see a light bruise across his cheek bone, "wake up, please." Slowly, he stirs and his head lifts gently. His eyes search around for a second before finding mine. But they are different. The deep blue that usually swallows me whole is replaced with a dull stare. He looks at me but does not see me, does not recognise me. My heart falls into my stomach, a lump forming in my throat.
    "Tobias..." I repeat, but his face stays still, blank. Until there is a twinge in his jaw; my heart flutters, as I see a hint of something flash across his eyes - recognition, perhaps? No. No, it's much more sinister. But I was too slow, too hopeful. Tobias' strong hand shoots out and grabs me by my throat, moving so fast it yanks the tubes out of his flesh. Small droplets of blood begin to form on his skin and clothes, but it does not phase him. He grabs hard, crushing my wind pipe as I gasp for air.
"Tob-" I choke, spluttering, pleading. Tears begin to form in my eyes, once again blurring my vision. I blink them away hastily, but whatever plan I think of, I cannot harm him. All my senses heighten as my sight begins to darken, the only thing I am able to see is Tobias' face, his lips pulled tight. I hear Jeanine cackling behind me, I feel the roughness of Tobias' large hands against my throat, his fingers curling at my jaw. I feel the throbbing of his pulse in his finger tips, his deep, controlled breathing vastly different from my own interrupted, short breaths. I focus on his face; the beautiful dark blue eyes that once looked lovingly upon me, the long nose, the always slightly crooked eyebrow like he's silently mocking me for something I haven't done yet, the lips that once kissed me. Now he is nothing, a shell. A beautiful shell. Even his face begins to fade now, as I let my hands flop to my sides as Tobias picks me up from the ground, my feet hanging limply.
But then, gun shots. And I hear the room spring into action. Heavy boots run towards the door to my left, and smaller footsteps start towards my right. Jeanine fleeing, as always. Tobias seems unphased by the noises.
The door crashes open. I hear gun shots. Bullets tearing through flesh. Bodies falling, screams of pain. And then I hear,
"Four!" Tobias' eyes flick off me for a second, "put her down." Tris' voice comes to me, like an angel's whisper on the wind, as Tobias throws me to the ground beside him and starts towards Tris. I grab at my burning throat, taking deep breaths. I twist around and see Tris standing calmly. "It's me, it's us," she starts, and I hear a muffled snicker from Jeanine. My eyes flick to her as she presses some buttons on the screen in front of her, and as she does Tobias starts towards Tris. I stumble slowly to my feet as the two begin to fight, still clutching my undoubtedly bruised throat and gasping. Tobias pins Tris against the wall, she swings at his arm but it does not waver. I shake off all weakness, and sprint at them. I collide with Tobias' back, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and heaving him backwards. While his balance barely wavers, he drops Tris in the interest of me. His arm swings around and collides hard with my stomach, sending me reeling and short of breath. Tris grabs his arm, but he twists out of it, throwing her back into the wall. I collapse to the ground, despite my head and my heart screaming at me to stay up. Tobias walks slowly towards me, his eyes bearing holes through my skull.
"Please-" I splutter, tasting blood in my mouth, "Tobias, please," I cough. He drops to his knee, placing his hand on my throat again. I feel the muscles in his arm tense to grab me tight, but then I hear a click. I look over Tobias' shoulder and see Tris pointing a gun at the back of his head.
"Four. Stop." She says calmly, despite having blood trickling from her lip. In an instant, Tobias flipped around and grabbed the barrel of the gun; Tris was caught off guard and stumbled backwards, but maintains the grip on her gun. She holds it for a second, against his chest. He freezes. His jaw clenching. "Please," she pleads, her finger wavering over the trigger. My heart races. Despite whatever Jeanine has done to him, he is still Four. Still Tobias. Tris won't actually shoot him, will she? My eyes frantically search the room; a few steps away I see another gun lying on the floor next to the hand of a dead guard. I slide towards it on my knees, picking it up quickly, naturally. This thought scared me momentarily; mere months ago I had barely even seen a gun before. I snapped back to reality, and saw both Tris' and Tobias' eyes on me. I calmed the growing sense of panic in my stomach, took a deep breath and pointed the gun at my own forehead.
"I love you," I spluttered out, my throat tight and tears falling down my cheeks as I shut my eyes tightly to try and hide the waterfall on my face. My hand clenched around the trigger, and the whole world seemed distant. I slowly squeezed my finger, but before I could the barrel was pushed away from my head, and the gun clattered to the floor. I felt familiar arms grab my body, protecting and consoling me. I let myself melt into Tobias' body.
"I love you too," he whispered into my hair, "I'm so sorry-" he began. I looked up at him, blinking tears away, and finally saw the recognition in his eyes. But, there was a click from across the room, of several guns being pointed at us. The smile fell from my face, as Tobias' forehead crinkled in concern and concentration.

Hey guys!! So sorry this took so long, I was away for aaaages without wifi, so I had to hand write my lil ideas! I hope you're enjoying it, and thank you so much for all the positive feedback! Any constructive criticism is also welcome :) I hope you guys are enjoying reading it as I am writing it! <3 next chapter should be out in the next couple of days, love Gem xx 😘