Vic (a divergent fanfiction)

32

I don't know what to do, how to react. He's been shot. His wound is fatal. My brother is going to die. I'm going to lose him. I can't lose him. I need him. I sprint forward, my feet thumping on the smooth polished floor. "Cal! Cal!" my voice is louder and more nervous then it's ever been, my tone weak and shaky with terrified anticipation. I cant let this happen. My brother came here to save me. My brother knew the risks, but he still came for me. I won't let Cal die for me.

Felix throws his knife at the guard that shot my brother. The sharp blade whistles through the air, soaring over me, and finding mark in it's target's heart. The man drops beside Cal, body limp and lifeless. Felix's throw is perfect and well guided, despite his injuries. But I don't care, I need to reach Cal.

I fall to my knees, kneeling next to Cal's twitching body. He winces in pain, shaking and moving. I'm scared to move him. Afraid of killing him. I want him to live. I need him to live. I need my amity brother. I always have and always will. "You don't need him Vic." I whisper, "You have to be brave. Be brave without him." My brother's face curves into a smile, the pained expression on his face gone and replaced by one of peace and ease. I feel his hand touch mine, before his bleeding chest heaves a final breath, wheezy and hoarse. Then, Cal goes limp. Lost to the cold realm of death. His eyes are gently closed, his smile so familiar, sweet and simple, I wonder if he could be sleeping. But really he is, I remind myself, he just won't wake up. Tears come, a sudden flow of emotions fill me as my face goes damp, and my cheeks grow red and warm, while Cal's go cold with lifelessness. First despair, then sadness, next grief and finally anger fill my confused body. My whole soul and mind powered by anger and fury, I pick up my knife and wonder why it had to be him. Then my eyes glance around, searching for someone to blame for my loss. My grieving eyes drift to Felix fighting with the dauntless man and knocking him unconscious, his strength and skill filling my with a vengeful happiness. He killed the man who murdered Cal. He avenged him for me. But then, an idea comes to me. Who ordered this? Who's actions make Cal risk his life for ours? Jeanine. She needs to die.

I pull my knife from my pocket, running for Jeanine. She knows she's outnumbered two divergents to one erudite. Jeanine may as well be already dead. I pounce, grabbing her legs and tackling her to the ground, pinning her beneath me. We hit the ground with a thump, me using Jeanine's body to absorb most of the impact. Her head hits the ground, her blonde hair tangled round her face, blue dress torn by my knife, azure eyes welled up with a cowardly fear. Something stops me. Understanding? Sympathy? Selflessness? Whatever it is, I realize how selfish this is. I now see that I'm doing this out of spite, to make me feel better. I can't kill her, that would make me as bad as her. Her fear evaporates, a weak smile appearing on her face, a smile of mocking cruelty. "You can't do it can you?" she taunts, her voice a shuddery whisper, "You are too abnegation to murder me. You pity me, you look for reasons to let me live. Your a coward Vic. You are what your father wished you not to be."

"That is why he came to guard me and Felix isn't it?" I ask, in soft yet surprisingly deadly sounding tones, "He's angry of my 'cowardice.' But, let me tell you something Jeanine, I'm not a murderer. I will not harm you or anyone just because you nearly killed me first. That, is how a coward survives, that is what dauntless call bravery. But, I've come to learn what bravery is. Bravery, is facing your fears not being unafraid. Bravery is protecting those that cannot protect themselves and those that wouldn't protect you. That is why I am leaving you alive, because I do not believe, that any other virtue is more important than bravery." I smile after reciting the last line of the dauntless manifesto, because I believe it true. I pin Jeanine's hair to the floor using the knife, leaving her there to untangle ourselves. "Felix, we have to go!" I yell and he nods, sprinting out of the door to the glass building we've been held captive inside. I follow him, excited to reach freedom at last.

A soft breeze greets me as we run, tugging at me as it's always done. I know who I am now. I'm not erudite, not candor, not abnegation and of course I'll never be a pansycake. Maybe some peace would be nice, but I wouldn't die for it. And, sometimes you have to fight for peace. If I ever thought I were amity, erudite, candor, abnegation or even dauntless, then I was wrong. I'm a divergent and, I'm Vic. "What are we going to do now Felix?" I inquire grinning.

He grabs my hand, wrapping it in his loving warmth and shouts "We'll decide later! Together!" I know he's right. All we need to do now is run. Later, we'll decide together as divergents. And maybe, we'll do something real together. But for now, we can run free, without a faction, without any family, no company except each other and our feelings. We can be whoever we want now, but I know who I'll start with. I only need to be who I am. And, I am Vic.