Becoming Determinant - Tobias' Story

Divergent Chapter 33 - War Begins

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and to my wonderful beta reader, Rosalie! This is the last chapter before the ones that are currently in Part 2 (which is only on the fanfiction net site). I'll be removing those from Part 2 soon and will post the revised versions here. Then, I'll take a short break before working on the "Insurgent" chapters. (I'm drafting an intense part of my "Prior Rings" story right now, so I need the break to focus on that.) Anyway, this isn't really an "enjoyable" chapter, but I hope you like it.

"Divergent" Chapter 33 – War Begins

By the time I'm able to get away from Zeke's celebration and flop onto my bed, it's late, and I immediately fall into a sound sleep. Not surprisingly, I dream about Tris.

She's walking through Abnegation in black clothes as everyone congratulates her, with their polite smiles and mild words. Eventually, they start following her, marching in time in a way I've never observed in any faction. Their footsteps get louder and louder, all drumming to the same rhythm, until the sound abruptly awakens me.

I lie there for a moment, listening to the unmistakable noise of real people marching down the corridor outside my room. The numbers are clearly large, but there's no conversation of any kind – simply the sound of many feet hitting the floor in unison.

Adrenaline surges through me as I understand. The war has begun.

Leaping out of bed, I yank my clothes on and grab the gun that I keep in my nightstand. I've already failed to warn them, but I won't let Abnegation go down without a fight.

Opening the door just a crack, I peer out to see what I'm facing before I actually leave my room. Dauntless soldiers march past me in a long line, but they don't look at all the way they normally would. Instead, their faces are slack and expressionless, and their eyes are fixed straight ahead – and completely blank. It's a look that's strikingly familiar, after running so many simulations and after just watching the fear landscapes.

The realization jolts through me as a surge of pure panic. That's what the injections were. They weren't tracking devices at all; they were a way of forcing the entire faction to be part of a mass simulation – one that will cause them to attack Abnegation without even knowing it.

And I'm not affected…. Almost before I can wonder why, the answer slams through me. I'm Divergent. And that means that Tris and Uriah must be in the same position I am – and in even more danger. I at least might be able to hide in my room, but they're still in the dorms. I have to find them.

Stuffing my gun into my waistband, I pull a jacket on to cover it. Then, I set my expression to match everyone else's and step into the corridor with no sign of hesitation. The rest of the line makes room for me, and I immediately match my pace to theirs, marching with them as if I'm as dead to the world as they are. It's the most frightening experience of my life.

We continue in the same rhythm toward the Pit. I feel another surge of panic as we pass the final hallway that branches off to the side, and I see Max watching us from it. He's clearly awake, overseeing the army he helped create, and the sight makes me want to wrap my hands around his throat and stop all of this now.

But I know it wouldn't really have that effect. So, instead I follow the others, keeping my face as slack as theirs and pretending I don't see the way Max's eyes hang on me for a long moment. There's something of sadness in his expression.

The line moves to the left, and I follow them without pause. It's obvious where we're going, anyway – to the trains. But I'm certainly not surprised when we stop to pick up weapons. I strap a belt and holster on the same way everyone else does and fill it with a gun and spare ammunition. It's difficult to work around the gun that I already have in my waistband, but I don't dare remove it. That could easily attract attention.