Break - Eric Divergent

Chapter 23

Waiting impatiently for something to happen is Four. I somehow feel he doesn't deserve to be called Tobias by me anymore. We've just lost something. The problem is I can't figure out what.

He sits in a chair in front of a screen drowning in codes I'd never waste time on in attempt to understand. It would be like teaching a fish to breathe out of water if someone taught me to understand code. Except I don't want to be taught. I'd rather be educated and inspired.

"He's under a simulation" I hear Jeanine say, her voice creeping up behind me till I see her sleek figure beside me, studying Four.

"What for?"

"Why don't you go see for yourself" she eggs me on, giving me freedom to go up to my brother but something in me makes me decline.

"I prefer not to. Is this the only reason you brought me in here?" I ask, slightly altering the topic of conversation. Regret begins to crawl up me, gnawing on my skin every second more Jeanine stares at me. Each second fills me with anxiousness more than the previous second. I search for an escape with every second ticking by that seem to grow further apart from each other until a second feels like a minute, continuously stretching further on.

I look back at the room naturally and see all the Dauntless members have gone so it's just Erudite members.

"I suppose not." Is all she says before placing her gaze onto the ginormous screens of live footage. Already feeling nauseous, I decide not to follow her gaze but that doesn't prevent my stomach churning any less.

"Wait here a moment" she barely says with much thought as something on the screen draws her attention. As soon as she fades from my view, I turn back to Four, only to see a new addition. Amused, I watch Tris as she frees his hands from the chair.

Something seems odd. Mainly in the way Four watches her like it's his prey and she's fallen right into a trap. The minute his hands are free, he grips her hand, jolting them so she drops her weapons and causes me to take a step back. Out of fear that he'll hurt me or astonishment because it doesn't seem like him, I don't know.

How am I just standing here and watching Four carelessly mistreat Tris? Yet I don't feel guilty hardly. All I feel and think is how confused I am. I watch her instant reaction and hear her words louder than she actually says them.

"He can't hear you" Jeanine casually strolls up from behind me and takes a stand beside Four who's face is emotionless towards Tris. I doubt that he's noticed me yet which I'm partially thankful for yet wish he would notice so I could figure out how he sees me by his reaction.

"Amazing isn't it?" She strokes Four's back like he's a doll. Maybe because he is. He's nothing but her puppet. "Everything we think of that makes us a person: thoughts, emotions, history. All wiped away by chemistry" she rhymes as she observes Four like a work of art.

I step further back and try to distract myself with the things on the screens but they just seem even more horrifying and I empathise those that are clinging on for dear life on their knees.

"Divergents threaten that system" I catch Jeanine say over the muffle of sounds that I was trying to drown myself in.

"Don't get me wrong. There's a certain beauty in your resistance" I don't catch what she then says as it's a little too quite from my distance. She gives a nod of communication to one of her pets who walks over to a screen and types in an input I don't understand but instantly do when Tris retaliates against Four as he destroys her.

Unknowingly, I find myself, silently walking over to the screen that has now became unmanned as most people's attention is on Four holding a gun to Tris' head. Even Jeanine is drawn in so I take this as an opportunity to corrupt this as best as I can.