Powerful

12. Ten Million Strong, We're Breaking All the Rules

"What I need to tell you is pretty serious," said Hendo, glancing around at the group. "This could endanger all of us, but particularly me. It's the reason I haven't come to you before, but things are getting worse, and it's different now."

"Why is it particularly dangerous for you?" Asked Virg, eyeing his fellow trainer cautiously.

"Hold on," said Hendo. "Let me finish. I'm a Dauntless-Erudite cross, with Enhancer abilities. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that we're perceived as a threat?"

No one said anything, but a few shook their heads. Hendo nodded, and continued.

"The thing is, as far as I'm aware, the Dauntless leaders don't know I'm Divergent, and I'd like to keep it that way. They think I'm feeding them information about whatever Virgil's up to."

"How much do they actually know about me?" Virgil asked. Jord could hear the worry in his voice, and moved her hand on top of his, wanting to give him support.

"Not a lot," replied Hendo. "They actually can't even be sure that you are Divergent. To be honest, I'm not sure what type you are, either, but they're fairly convinced you're helping the Divergents in initiation."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Virgil asked him quietly.

"I couldn't," said Hendo. "The fact that you didn't really trust me was part of what convinced the leaders they could rely on me for information, and I think we'd do well to keep up that facade going forward. The reason I'm telling you now, is because they want to take the fight into the open, sooner rather than later. And we have so many Divergents in this class, we're better off working together than separately."

There was silence as everyone stared at him in a mixture of shock and amazement. Gini was the first to break the silence.

"You said you're an enhancer," he stated. "Does that mean you've been able to hear everything going on in the training room? All the time?"

Hendo smiled a little.

"Would it make you feel better if I lied?"

"Brilliant," Virg muttered, shaking his head at Hendo in disbelief. "The one thing I didn't consider..."

"I wouldn't worry, Virg," He grinned at him. "It's saved you my questions about how long this has been going on." He nodded towards where Jord's hand was clasped in Virg's between them, and Jordyn rolled her eyes.

"You don't get brownie points for noticing that, we weren't exactly trying to be subtle," she stated. "Spend all my energy hiding everything else going on in here to worry about hiding a relationship." She tapped her skull with her finger, and now Virg was grinning at her too.

"Oh!" Ox spoke, for the first time, his eyes wide in realisation. "So that's where you've been disappearing to all day!"

Everyone laughed at this, with Hannah shaking her head at her elder brother.

"You are literally the only person who doesn't know about this," she rolled her eyes.

"Moving on," said Virg, although he was still chuckling a little at Ox being clueless, "We need to work out a plan if we don't all want to wind up dead in a few days time."

"We've got a little longer than a few days, thankfully," said Hendo. "Turns out our beloved Mason has been useful for once. He's actually gone to the leaders, and convinced them he knows about a few Divergents in initiation, and he's bargaining with them to let him and his friends complete their initiation so he can help them with their mission to get rid of them."

"Well how is that helpful?" Asked Trent, in disbelief.

"They won't be able to complete initiation if they're going to war," said Jord, glancing at Hendo, who nodded.