42 (Corresponding with Insurgentchapter 47)

I slip into the gathered Dauntless and factionless, Evelyn speaking to the crowd. But I can barely hear her. Can only think of what I just saw upstairs on Jeanine's computer; Caleb did not need much convincing. He does not have the pain tolerance of his sister.

Tris has turned and is staring at me. I walk towards her. Squat down.

"You were right," I say, keeping my voice down. I smile a bit. In a world that's collapsing, I feel so grateful for her. "I do know who you are. I just needed to be reminded."

Her mouth falls open, but she's speechless.

The screens all around the room, or at least those without too many bullet holes, flicker on.

The room is quiet as Evelyn stops whatever speech she was making. I hold out a hand to Tris, and she takes it, and I pull her up to stand with me.

"What is this?" Evelyn asks. She's angry, a cat about to pounce.

"This," I say, looking at Tris, "is the information that will change everything."

"You did it?" she asks.

"Youdid it," I say. "All I did was force Caleb to cooperate."

Tris circles her arm around my neck, jumping a bit to do so, and kisses me. Finally, is all I can think. Inappropriate, public, but something that feels so necessary to my survival. I kiss her back, wondering how I kept away from her for so long. Sometimes kisses taste like passion, or need, or wanting, but this was comfort. Trust. Hope.

The recording starts and we break apart to watch it.

A woman with brown hair sits with her hands folded and her back straight. She looks nervous and excited.

"Hello," she says. "My name is Amanda Ritter. In this file I will tell you only what you need to know. I am the leader of an organization fighting for justice and peace. This fight has become increasingly more important- and consequently, nearly impossible- in the past few decades. That is because of this."

Pictures flash. Violence. Flashing so fast that we don't really have to look at it. I already saw it once; I don't want to watch again.

"You do not remember any of that," Amanda says, and I look back up. "But if you are thinking these are actions of a terrorist group or a tyrannical government regime, you are only partially correct. Half of the people in those pictures, committing those terrible acts, were you neighbors. You relatives. Your coworkers. The battle we are fighting is not against a particular group. It is against human nature itself- or at least what it has become."

I look down at Tris, her eyes are wide. In awe.

"That is why you are so important," Amanda says. "Our struggle against violence and cruelty is only treating the symptoms of a disease, not curing it. You are the cure.

"In order to keep you safe, we devised a way for you to be separated from us. From our water supply. From our technology. From our societal structure. We have formed your society in a particular way in the hope that you will rediscover the moral sense most of us have lost. Over time, we hope that you will begin to change as most of us cannot.

"The reason I am leaving this footage for you is so that you will know when it's time to help us. You will know that it is time when there are many among you whose minds appear to be more flexible than the others. The name you should give those people is Divergent. Once they become abundant among you, your leaders should give the command for Amity to unlock the gate forever, so that you may emerge from your isolation."

Abnegation had this information. They wanted us to leave. To help.

"The information in this video is to be restricted to those in government only," she says. "You are to be a clean slate. But do not forget us."

She smiles an odd, melancholy smile.

"I am about to join your number," Amanda says. "Like the rest of you, I will voluntarily forget my name, my family, and my home. I will take on a new identity, with false memories and a false history. But so that you know the information I have provided you with is accurate, I will tell you the name I am about to take as my own."

She smiles, genuinely this time.

My name will be Edith Prior," she says. "And there is much I am happy to forget."

Tris's hand squeezes mine. I take a deep breath.

Then the shouting begins.

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for sticking with me and Four. I hope to pick up my other story "I'm Here To Guard You" as soon as I can, as well as my story "An Unexpected Roommate" on Wattpad (if you would like to follow some of my original work, I am KATO13).

All the love,

Katelyn