Vic (a divergent fanfiction)

30

Felix's hand rests on my shoulder and his breath shudders as he sleeps. Felix and I are in our strange cell again. Neither of us got into bed, we just sit on the cold floor like we did last time. I can feel my eyes drooping, heavy with weariness, but for some reason I won't let myself sleep. Maybe I'm afraid that I won't wake up, maybe I don't want both me and Felix to doze. I need to be alert. Jeanine will spend the whole of tommorrow testing and improving her serum to suite me. But I think I know why I'm most afraid. She doesn't need Felix anymore. Jeanine might kill him, and I can't lose him. I must protect him even if it means dying in his place. I have to keep him alive. But why? Because I love him. Because I couldn't live without him anymore. Because that's what true love is. I need him. I love him.

A jingling of the lock alerts me. The door creaks open, and I want to scream, but the person coming in puts a finger to his lips. Cal? Cal! I stand up to greet my brother, knocking Felix slightly and waking him from his light slumber. I cover his mouth before he can make a sound. My brother reaches his hand through the bars. Something silver shines in his hand. "You'll need this." He says, passing me the knife. The blade shimmers a brilliant silver, sharp and keen. I know that this is a dauntless knife. The handle is slender and black, perfect if you want to get involved in hand to hand combat and keep your life. Felix stands up beside me, eyes scanning the knife and admiring its murderous beauty. "I have another for you Felix." Cal whispers, "I'm going to get you both out of here."

Felix glances at Cal staring into his shining eyes. "Thanks pansycake." Felix says grinning.

"Don't mention it know it all." Cal jokes, reminding me of the game of candor and dauntless that we all took part in before the choosing ceremony. Cal unlocks the cell swiftly and quietly. When we step out of the cell Cal puts his hands on my shoulders. "Vic," he mutters.

"Yeah Cal?" I wonder, filled with happiness. He didn't betray me. Cal still loves me like Felix does.

"I missed you."

Joy and pleasure at his words surges through my body. I'm so happy that he's here, proud of his plan to help us. I finally have my brother back, and we're finally together again. Felix doesn't look as pleased, but right now I don't care. I throw my arms around Cal, embracing him for the first time since the choosing ceremony. He is warm and loving, real. This isn't a serum. This is real. We will finally be free. "Hey," Felix mutters, "you two can catch up later. We need to get out of here." I sigh sadly, but I know he's right. Cal leads the way to the elevators, and we step into one.

Cal presses the lowest button. As he does so a strange beeping goes off. "What the heck is that!" Felix yells forgetting to be quiet. There isn't much point anyway, as the noise seems to be the loudest thing I've ever heard. A red light flashes brightly, joining the odd noise in the process of attempting to give us away.

"It's some kind of alarm! We need a code to disable it! I think that if we press the buttons in the right order it'll turn off!" Cal yells back, trying to be heard over the noise and gesturing to the elevator console. I stare at the keypad. 

"Let me try." I say.

"Ok, but every mistake you make will make it louder!" Cal informs me. I think back to the day we just had in the office. I can't think of a code. Then I remember the secretary taking me up in the elevator. She pressed one button three times in a row. The button was in the bottom courner of the elevator keypad. I stare at my possible numbers. Three, eighteen and thirty one. I press thirty one three times. The ear splitting sound becomes louder, and Cal and Felix cover their ears. One down, two to go. I press eighteen three times, and the alarm falls silent. "How did you-"

"It doesn't matter. Let's get out of here."

The elevator continues its descent down to the first floor. Did anyone hear the alarm? Yes, someone must have. It was really loud. What if someone's waiting for us at the bottom? What if we can't get out? Felix seems to notice my expression and whispers, "don't focuse on what's going to happen next."

"Yeah, but how can I when I know what might happen to us? How could I do that? I'm not like you Felix." I reply.

"I think you are. We'll get out of this. Well, I know you will. You always do Vic. You're a survivor."

"It's easier to get into the enemies clutches then it is to get out again." I state.

"Where'd you hear that?" Felix asks.

"I don't know. It's some quote I read." I answer.

"Whoever wrote that is probably an amity."

"But they're right." Cal mutters.

"It was written before the Great War." I explain.

"Oh, so they didn't have a faction?" Felix questions.

"Yeah, people didn't then."

"How did they live without them?" Felix mutters, "not that it matters. I officially declare this person amity. Now they have a faction." He grins.

"Whatever." I say, rolling my eyes, but I can't help but smile. The elevator halts, screeching to a stop. The three of us step out to see what makes us wish we'd stayed in the elevator. Five dauntless stand behind Jeanine, all with fists raised. Jeanine looks me in the eye, as if adressing me only.

"Come quietly, and no one's hurt." She announces.

"No!" We all declare. Jeanine glances at Cal.

"Faction before blood." She reminds him.

"Yeah, maybe for you Jeanine. I don't believe in that old saying." Cal says, his usual quiet tone replaced by a defiant confident one. He looks at Jeanine and recites a piece of the dauntless manifesto. "I believe, in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those that cannot defend themselves." Cal looks into my eyes and then turns back to Jeanine. "I believe in family before faction." I don't know how he knows the line; We believe, in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those that cannot defend themselves. I don't care though. It sounds nice coming from his lips. He's defending me.

Jeanine smiles sadly. "You're aiding evil. Cal, these are divergent. Are you sure you wish to go through with this?"

"Yes, Jeanine. I am brave enough, unlike the cowards behind you. I care about my family, I care about my friends. I will not let you, or my faction change me." He answers.

"In that case, my guards will handle you." Jeanine says turning to the dauntless behind her. "Avoid harming Vic. I still need her. Do whatever you wish to the others, kill them if you wish. Leave her be, keep her alive."

The dauntless nod, then they charge forward. Cal runs at one, being brave for the first time in awhile. Whatever he's feeling, love, passion, it's egging him on. He pins one man to the ground, knocking him unconscious with a few skilled punches to the face. Me and Felix join him, fending off our attackers. After a small series of fights, Felix is badly injured. "Rest," I tell him, "there are only two more. We'll take them." Felix nods. A bang issues, echoing throughout the room. I turn round, as I watch in horror as Cal crumples to the ground.