Divergent

Monsters

"26, huh?" Nilsa said looking at the score board. "What?" Four tried to be clueless. Nilsa gave him a mocking side glare. "Really? You're talking to the Queen of Bullshit. That's a well defended title, Four." She laughed.

She saw his lips twitch. "Ya, so cutting the bullshit. Your new...pet project, is suddenly making progress." She smiled watching Eric verbally abuse the initiates while she waited for him to form an answer.

"She's doing it on her own." He finally said. "Oh, I know. You're not the only one that knows how to use cameras." She said never looking away from Eric as Four gave her a, for him, shocked look. The others wouldn't see it.

"I know it's hard for you to believe, numbers boy, but Eric and I aren't the enemy, not really. Do we have fun at others expense? Oh, definitely." She let him digest that for a moment before continuing. "If you wanna help your little Stiff have at it. Just know we can only look away for so long before you put everything at risk, Tobias."

With that she walked off to join Eric as they broke for lunch.

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Nilsa walked the train as it headed to the wall to show the initiates their world. She was just in time for Four's monologue.

"As Dauntless we fight to protect every life inside the fence without fail. That's why we train you the way we do, to teach you not to give up, and to find out who has what it takes. I know it's been quiet out there a few years, but that could change at any moment. So we have to be ready for everything."

The train came to a stop causing all but the two high ups to lean on the wall or fall over. "They need a balance lesson, Four." She said lightly jumping to the ground and heading for the wall. She heard the kids behind her questioning.

"What's out there?" Tris asked looking at the fence. "Monsters." Christina mocked. "Amity folks." Al said obliviously. "No, I know. Beyond that." She explained.

"Places that never recovered from the war." Will said thoughtfully. Nilsa stood next to Uriah at the foot of the staircase. "Do you know?" Tris asked Four. "Let's just say they built the fence for a reason." Was all he would say.

"Truth be told Candor wasn't far off, Stiff." Nilsa started. She waved off Four when he opened his mouth to stop her. "No, some of them will be out there soon enough. They should know what they're fighting for." He didn't have anything to say to that.

She walked up to the group and looked directly at Tris. "Out there...out there everything that makes you you is stripped away. No family, no friends, no protection, no dinner waiting every night. That world causes people to go insane. If you get treated like an animal long enough...that's what you become."

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Nilsa typed in the passcode for their apartment absentmindedly. Throwing her unfinished paperwork on the counter she walked to the wall of windows. She liked to imagine what the fairgrounds had looked like when the world was still in one piece.

She must have been lost in her thoughts because she never heard Eric come in. "Babe..Babe!" She let herself be turned from the window into Eric's arms. "Where you at, Baby?" He asked quietly. She laid her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat. "I'm not a good person." She said quietly.

Eric pulled back looking at her face. "What the hell makes you think that?" He asked shocked she would think so. "I would let it all burn." She said as if she was admitting a dirty secret. "You're not making sense, Baby." He said confused. She sighed turning back to the windows but staying in his arms.

"We were at the fence today." He nodded knowing she had jumped the train to escape paperwork again. "The Stiff asked about outside. I feel terrible for those outside the factions. I hate what my mother is doing. But if I have to make a choice I'll let them all crash and burn before I let anything happen to you."

The chest behind her rumbled in laughter. She felt him kiss her head and met his eyes in the window. "Babe, that proves you're a better person than me." She looked at him questioningly. "I'd kill them all myself to keep you safe and never feel an ounce of regret."