"You are lucky that you stayed behind, you know," Edgar tells me before lunch, as we ladle the food into the cans. "Jeanine is going to want Candor to hand over the insurgents."

"There is the truth serum to consider," I point out. "They will not hand them over once they are given the truth."

Edgar shrugs. "I'm glad that I was born factionless instead of being categorized into a group. When you're in a faction there are a lot of expectations and how to act."

I could see where he was coming from; that there are expectations to your behavior when you are in a faction. Without a doubt, there will be factionless who will view the faction system as oppressive.

I probably don't feel that way since I was born in Abnegation and passed initiation.

"Shit," I hear a vaguely familiar voice say from a distance behind me followed by clattering of cans.

We both turn and I feel my eyes widen when I recognize who it is. Molly, who fed the Erudite lies about my father and tried to belittle me during initiation, looks at me like I'm someone that she didn't want to see again. Looks like she's heard from Jackie about what went on after initiation.

"Let me give you a mop so that you can clean that up," Edgar mutters under his breath before walking away. Leaving the two of us.

I cross my arms and ask her, "Did the door hit you on the way out after initiation?"

"I guess so," she says, scratching her neck. "Edward made some friends in here and they all agreed to ignore me as I was the girl that made the slanderous comment about one of the Abnegation councilman."

"It was slanderous, not to mention childish." I look at her coldly. "Idiotic as well. Did it occur to you that my brother would read it or were you were so focused on getting revenge for me ranking third in stage one that you didn't think it though?"

She says nothing, though her face turns to color of puce. Not so cocky and tough now, huh?

"Funny," I say, arching my eyebrow. "Last time I saw you, you mocked me every chance you got and tried to prove how tough you were."

"Tris, Peter – " she begins until I cut her off.

"Don't give me that bullshit," I say, cutting her off. "You helped bully me out of your own free will. Not to mention that it was your decision to lie to a Erudite reporter, knowing far too well about the relations between Erudite and Abnegation. You think I'm that stupid?"

She pauses, not sure what to say at first. "I see that Eric has been a influence in your demeanor."

"Yeah, because the only thing you know is that hard exterior of his," I say coldly. "Because you been in Dauntless for only three weeks."

By this time, Edgar comes back, bringing over a bucket and a mop. I return with what I was doing earlier. I don't want to waste time with Molly and her excuses. I have better things to do.

"Did she give you any problems?" Edgar asks me.

"She used to," I tell him. "She was a lackey of someone who thought that I was weak and wouldn't last initiation. She and another lackey of his parroted that belief."

"People who say that others are weak are the weak ones, as Evelyn says sometimes," Edgar says.

"True," I say. "Only a coward stomps on people who are emotionally stronger than them."

After we finished ladling the soup into the cans, we bring them out into the central eating area that way people can have their share with food. I sit down somewhere with a can of soup and stuff a chunk of beef and some noodles in my mouth before passing the can to the person next to me.

"The Erudite seem to be quiet for days since the attack," someone says beside me.

"They are quiet until after they run out of their batch of Divergents from Amity to test on," I reply. "Jeanine won't stop until she finds a Divergent suitable for her criteria."

"So, the Erudite leader is using a percentage of the population as lab rats?" someone asks me.

"Without a doubt, yes," I say before being handed a can of peas and corn. "Nothing that shouldn't surprise me."

"I don't know if anything should surprise us about that woman," says Edward. "Especially after she programmed Dauntless into being killing machines."

"Could you please take your conversation elsewhere," a woman says feet away from us. "You will unsettle the children."

"Let's go to see what Evelyn thinks about this," says Edward.

The last time I saw Evelyn was when we arrived from Amity after running from Erudite-Dauntless forces. I'm sure she has choice words about Jeanine's schemes, especially concerning the Divergent.

Edward, two of the Factionless who were part of the conversation, and I leave the eating area. We walk along the line of open apartments and towards a door to a apartment that is closed off. Given that Evelyn assigned herself as the leader of the Factionless, it would be hers as she would be deserving of privacy.

Edward knocks on the door and I hear her say, "Enter."

He pushes open the door and we follow him into a room that seems patch worked from materials originating in previous buildings; as the door looks out of place. Evelyn looks up when we come in, studying us with critical eyes. Due to that analyzing gaze, she must have been born Erudite before her transfer to Abnegation.

"Is there something that requires my attention?" she asks us, standing up.

"From what we hear, the Erudite are not lying dormant like you thought before, Evelyn," says Edward.

"Technically, I was proven wrong by Tobias as he said that he and his friends were chased by Dauntless that are loyal to Erudite," Evelyn replies, turning the wrists buttons on her white shirts. "Yet, he didn't say why."

"Jeanine is looking for Divergents," I answer. "She is using us as a scapegoat for the attack on Abnegation, and is using that as an excuse to cleanse the remaining factions of Divergents."

I don't say what her motives are, since I don't know how Evelyn would react to it; not to mention that I barely know her.

"Interesting that they are not storming the factionless compound instead," says Evelyn.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"Before the simulation attack, part of the Abnegation aid effort involved testing the factionless for a certain genetic anomaly," she says. "Sometimes that testing involved re-administering the aptitude test. Sometimes it was more complicated than that. But they explained to us that they suspected we might have the highest Divergent population of any group in the city."

No wonder people who ended up factionless had a hard time conforming to the factions they chose.

"Oh," I say. "No wonder you had trouble –"

"Trouble conforming?" she finishes. "Most of us can't confine themselves to a particular way of thinking would be most likely to leave a faction or fail its initiation."

"What about those that remain in a faction undetected?" I ask. "Is it just pure luck?"

"Divergents are able to go undetected in Amity and Abnegation, I heard," Evelyn says in reply. "In Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite, it's difficult to hide, especially given that the Dauntless use simulations for their initiation. It's pure luck to go undetected in Dauntless initiation."

"Let me guess," I say, folding my arms. "Tobias has supplied you information about Dauntless initiation."

Evelyn nods and her lips curve into a smirk. "However, I have eyes in other factions as well."

She's using him, I think to myself. But I can't place myself on a pedestal since I have done things I regret myself. I heard something along the lines saying, that things in our lives make us or break us. Probably from one of Eric's books. I don't remember which one to be specific.

Evelyn has been abused by Marcus and who knows what happened to her before that. Mother says that Evelyn has plans for Erudite.

Evelyn is one angry woman and it's like she wants to spread her misery.

On the third morning in the Factionless Compound, I choose my outfit by random. One would considering that people wear their outfits mixed from the other factions. When I finish dressing into a set of clothes, I realize that I'm wearing black, grey, and blue together.

The colors belonging to the three factions I have aptitude for. To those knowing what I factions I have aptitude for, I'm a walking target. But people who don't know me well wouldn't think twice.

I am in line to get my breakfast when a boy that looks to be a year younger then me comes in running. With his heavy breathing and the urgency on his face, it's like he saw something that he wants us to know about.

"There was a raid in the Merciless Mart led by Dauntless loyal Erudite!" he shouts. "It happened last night!"

The chatter becomes nothing but a whispers and Edward approaches him. "What was the outcome, buddy?"

"I didn't see it, as I wasn't in there," he says. "But I remember most of the raiding party evacuating like they lost a fight but the Erudite they brought with them and the leader of the raid wasn't with them."

The leader of the raid was left behind? Frantic thoughts race through my mind. Please don't let it be him, please don't let it be him…

"Who was their mission leader?" I ask hollowly.

"I didn't get his name but he had a tattoo on his neck just like yours and his head was shaved except for the top of his head," he answers.

My heart sinks at the revelation. Eric.

I don't know how time passed between the hour we heard about the raid in the Merciless Mart. Within minutes of hearing about the raid, mother, father, and I took our meager possessions and left the Factionless sector. Father said that they might need our help and since he's a councilmember, he's not wrong about that.

My legs feel like gelatin on the way to the Merciless Mart. I am literally preparing for the worst but if he's dead, I don't know what to do. It would feel like someone ripped a piece of my heart out. Hopefully he's not dead but I fear it.

By the time we arrive in the Merciless Mart, I feel like passing out due to anxiety and as if she senses it, mother wraps her arm around my waist to support me as we make it up the stone steps.

When we enter the lobby, we see Dauntless soldiers standing around. Their weapons are not drawn but they eye me with unease. Yet they are not moving in to arrest me.

"State your business," says a Dauntless soldier with a cast on her arm.

"We came to help," says father, but after that escapes his mouth, I say, "I need to speak with your leader."

Eyes all fall on me and someone lifts their gun up slightly. "You have a message from Erudite?"

"No, and it should be obvious that I'm defected," I say, making those words sound commanding and authoritative as possible. I am one of their Dauntless leaders after all. "Bring me to Jack Kang."

They take me to the third level of the building and lead me into a polished office; with a marble desk and a bookshelf sitting against the wall and behind the desk was Jack Kang himself.

By most faction standards, he is a young leader – only forty years old. But by Dauntless standards, that's nothing. Eric became a Dauntless leader at seventeen, as well as myself. But that's probably one of the reasons the other factions don't take our opinions or decisions seriously.

Jack is handsome, too, with short black hair and warm, slanted eyes, like Tori's, and high cheekbones. Despite his good looks, he isn't known for being charming, probably because he's Candor, and they see charm as deceptive.

He looks up at me as soon as I entered. "They say you requested an audience with me?"

"In fact, I did," I say, as I'm sitting down. "As you know, I defected from Erudite."

He nods in acknowledgment. "Tobias Eaton's testimony cleared you from any implications of ill will, as far as I'm concerned."

"Yes, but I'm here to make a request," I say. "I want to know what happened to the leader of last night's raid."

"He's locked in a holding cell until we hold him on trial for his crimes," says Jack Kang.

Relief fills me. He's not dead, however

"I arranged a meeting with the representative of Jeanine Matthews tomorrow morning," he says. "To see if we could avoid any more trouble."

What? Knowing Jeanine, she'll send someone who she would consider disposable. Max. And knowing her, I know what one of her terms will be: to return Eric to Erudite. She will want him back as he is among her pawns that know important, valuable information.

"You can't expect Jeanine to leave you alone without strings attached," I point out, slamming my fist onto the desk. "If you want something, she wants something in return. And I know that she knows that Eric holds information that she doesn't want him to spill."

"Don't worry, he's well-guarded," says Jack.

"By people who most likely hate his guts, who wouldn't hesitate to turn him over," I hiss.

Jack considers this for a moment before asking, "Do you intend on staying?"

I remember mother telling me about her plan to leave the city before things get bad. About meeting people who she knows.

"We're leaving tonight," I say.

"Then, you two will leave Candor at night," he says.

It's settled.

I use the directory to find the cafeteria, but as soon as I enter Caleb runs towards me and enfolds me into his arms in a hug.

I return the hug. I know it's only been a few days since I have seen him, but the last time I hugged Caleb was during Visiting Day this year. I never thought that I share this again with him.

"How did you get here?" I ask him after we separate.

"Jeanine wanted Erudite witnesses to the Candor raid and Zeke offered to refer to Erudite he selected," answers Caleb. "Little did she know, we used that as a excuse to get out of Erudite."

"Where's Zeke?" I ask.

"Still at Erudite," he says.

"Tris!" I hear Christina yell. I turn to see where it was coming from, only for her to launch into a hug. This takes me by surprise, since I thought she would have considered me a traitor for just being in Erudite.

"It's good to see you," she says with a smile. "When did you get here?"

"Since this morning," I answer as she leads me to a table. "We heard about the attack in the Merciless Mart, and my parents decided to help."

"Why would it surprise me? They are Abnegation and all," she says.

I feel the blood drain from my face and my stomach writhe as I recount the image of bodies lying on the ground. Will on the ground, dead from my own hand. That twelve year old girl…

Christina steps back, like it was a mistake for her to mention my former faction.

"Yeah, sure," I say, breathless. There is one person that I need to see and it's Eric.

Tobias steps into the cafeteria and some jeering follows. Something about him being a coward for leaving his home.

"What happened?" I ask, wondering about the jeering.

"When they put Four under the truth serum, he said he regretted being a coward for leaving his home," says Christina. "And some idiots think that he was a coward for leaving."

"Tobias is no coward," I say, standing up. "The people that think he is are narrow-minded."

I approach Tobias and he straightens when seeing me. Despite the chaos that reigned for the past days, I'm still considered a Dauntless leader.

"Tris," he says, "I was wondering when –"

"Where are they holding one of the leaders of last night's raid?" I demand, interrupting him.
"I don't think I can do that," he says sternly.

"What? In fear that he might hurt me?" I demand.

"You don't know what he's done," Tobias maintains.

"Did he kill anyone?" I demand.

"No, but he led a raid that could have resulted in the deaths of people," answers Tobias. "Not to mention he participated in the genocide that led to the deaths of thousands of Abnegation."

Blood reaches the surface of my face. "Listen, I played a role too."

"That is different," Tobias says. "You had no choice. Eric on the other hand –"

"If I had no choice, then the same can be said about Eric," I point out. "What warped logic do you have to believe that Eric wasn't blackmailed into participating? Jeanine had the footage blacked out that day, so you don't know what Eric said when Jeanine presented her scheme."

Tobias puts his head down. He can't deny that I'm right.

"I just need to speak with him," I say. I want to do more than that. I want to embrace him and never let go.

Tobias looks at me and says, "Come."

I follow him.

Tobias leads me to the fifth floor, where the same black and white theme is on the walls and on the floors. It's a good thing I didn't choose Candor or otherwise my eyes would have been dizzy from the checkerboard patterns.

We approach a door guarded by two Dauntless soldiers. When they see me, I see the immediate wariness in their eyes. It's because I supposedly sided with Erudite after the genocide on Abnegation.

"I just want to visit him," I say.

"How can we be sure that you would not help him escape?" the woman asks me.

"Just give me three minutes," I say, this time sounding more authoritative.

The Dauntless guards look at Tobias for confirmation. He nods at them.

"Alright, three minutes," the man says.

He unlatches the lock and opens the door. I feel my heart pound hard inside my chest as sweet collects in my palms.

I take a deep breath as I step inside the room. he looks up to see who walked in and at the sight of me, he slouches.

"Tris," he breathes.