Reawakening

Chapter Twenty-Three

A/N: Hey everyone!  Sorry I'm unable to update daily anymore-- I had like fifteen or so chapters written when I started publishing them here, and now that I've run out of those, you have to wait it out the 2-4 days (depending on how crazy real life is) it takes me to write, revise and edit each chapter.  But don't worry, I should still be updating every couple days through the end of the story, I hope!

Also-- this is one of those chapters that has an M-rated version, so again, you can find that through my page.  :)

This T-rated version does also have implied sexual situations, so consider yourself warned!

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Tris

It's late when we get back to Dauntless-- just after midnight.  I know I have training tomorrow, but it's just practicing in one of Lauren's fear simulations, and I'm too wired to go to sleep.  My mind buzzes as I go over and over our plans in my head.

In the end, we decided that our best bet was to allow the simulation to start, with Tobias and me staying back at Dauntless, hiding out, until the trains leave.  Then we will need to sneak up to the control room-- without getting ourselves killed, hopefully-- and shut down the simulation.  Uriah will go along to Abnegation to organize the loyal Dauntless as quickly as possible and hopefully arrest the traitors, with Jeanine, Max and Eric being the obvious priorities.

My parents are to steal and hide the file someplace very safe, so that neither can Marcus relase it, nor will Jeanine be able to find it, and tomorrow my father will do everything he can to convince the council to cancel the release of the file and hope that if he is successful, Jeanine will back off.  

As for Evelyn... we aren't entirely sure what to do about her.  All we know is that we will begin by sending Tobias to talk to her, to see if he can make her see reason.

If at all possible, we will avoid going to the Bureau.  We don't believe that we have said anything that will catch anyone's attention within earshot of cameras-- we've tried to be pretty careful of that.  However, if everything falls apart the way it did last time, we will have no choice.  My mother offered to contact him, to appeal to his humanity, but I know it will do no good.  To David and the others at the Bureau, the majority of Chicago-- the 'genetically damaged'-- aren't people.  We are just some twisted, misguided science experiment and to admit that this was all for nothing would be to question his entire life's work.  David is far too prideful for that.

After shifting uncomfortably around my lumpy dormitory cot for a few minutes, I give up and slip on my sneakers.  I need to relieve some tension, and I know just where to go to do that.

The training room is dark and empty.  I flip on the lights and pull some tape out of the cupboard, quickly wrapping my hands before crossing to the punching bags.  As I punch and kick, over and over, tension slowly melts away.  Fatigue is beginning to set in, but my mind isn't quite calm yet.  I keep going until a voice sends a shiver up my spine and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

"You're not supposed to be in here, Stiff.  It's past curfew."

I have barely seen Eric since stage one ended, and each time since that day that he hung Christina over the Chasm, his eyes have followed me with this creepy sort of... interest.  Tonight, something is different.  His eyes are cold and his glare is so icy, I take a step back.  The last time he looked at me with this sort of malice was when I listed off his crimes in the interrogation room at Candor, minutes before Tobias shot him in the skull.

Goosebumps prickle my skin and my stomach clenches with fear, but I set my jaw and hold my head high.  I will not let him make me weak.  I won't give him that satisfaction.  "Eric," I say evenly.  "I was just about done, anyway.  I'll go."  I know he won't let me away that easily, but I pull on my jacket and begin to stride to the door anyway.