The Iron Soldier: A FourTris Divergent Story

Chapter 37

AN: I know I haven't updated in forever. I do apologize for that. I haven't had any time to myself since I lost my office space. But not to worry, we are having a shed built in the yard that will become my personal little studio. It will be finished in just a few more weeks so hopefully, no more long gaps between updates.

This chapter is only half of what I wanted it to be, but I didn't want to keep you waiting even longer, so I'll just make the second half Chapter 38.

Special thanks, to my amazing beta Eunice339. As we discovered tonight, one letter change can make a huge improvement. These are things I can't do without your skills.

Tris' POV

Eric's grin looks disgusting right before he shouts, "Stalemate!" Except it's not. Stalemate would imply nobody wins or loses. In this situation there is clear winner, and it's not me.

Four won't kill Eric if he is the only one who knows where the cure is, but if he refuses to speak, he really isn't doing us any good. What would be the point in keeping him alive? I've never been a violent person, but if it were my choice, I'd kill him right now. That would give us free reign to search the castle without having to watch our backs.

The glimmer of hope that Four has been holding onto makes me want to cry. He's trying so hard to keep it together, but he knows as well as I do that Eric won't help us.

A loud gasp escapes my lips as a sharp pain shoots through my torso. My skin is pinking up again despite the blood gushing from my wrist. The painful pressure I felt before is spreading through my veins too, and I know it won't be long before I'm crumpled up on the floor once more.

Four picks up on it with one quick glance and a fire ignites in his eyes as they squeeze closed. He turns to Eric and pulls in a deep breath through flared nostrils, "I'm going to ask one more time." Four's long fingers curl into fists as he clenches the fabric of Eric's collar. "If you aren't going to talk, then she's going to die. If she's going to die anyway, I may as well give her the satisfaction of watching you die first."

Eric snorts, "You won't kill me. I know you too well. As long as there is even the slightest possibility that I might change my mind and save her, you won't kill me. I don't have anything to worry about. Well, at least not while she's still alive. You might have a bit of a meltdown once her chest explodes," Eric snickers.

Four's nostrils flare again. "Fine. Let's do this the hard way." Without even looking at where he's aiming, Four fires off a shot from the gun in his hand. Eric screams out in pain right before a second shot echoes through the tiny room.

Eric falls to the ground, landing on his backside as he covers the gunshot wound on each knee with his hands. Though his voice is pained, his expression remains stern. "It doesn't matter what you do to me. She's going to die and you get to watch," he adds in a labored breath, "It's what you deserve after you did the same to me."

With both his knees blown out, Eric is little threat to us. We could go searching for the cure and he couldn't stop us now. But Four has something else in mind as he spins to face me.

He takes a step closer, pulling me into his arms. His mouth moves to my ear as he whispers, "You're not going to die. I'm not going to let that happen."

He may believe this, but hope is slowly leaving me. "How are we going to find the cure? It could be anywhere and this place is huge." I feel tears form in my eyes as his thumb brushes over my lower lip.

He presses his lips together briefly. "Give me the syringe."

As if a veil were being lifted away, I now see his plan, and it just might work. I retrieve the instrument from my back pocket and open my hand slowly to look at the only hope I thought I had left. Is it really as useless as Eric claims? Four doesn't believe it is, otherwise he wouldn't be making this move. I squeeze my hand closed around the plastic one last time before handing it to Four.

"Trust me. This will work," he whispers as he moves towards Eric, slipping just out of my reach.

Four immediately turns back to Eric. "I'm willing to bet you don't want to die the same way she is going to," he raises his voice, "You yourself told me this is a pretty painful way to go."

"Tobias, wait!" Eric holds both hands out in front of him, completely ignoring the blood gushing from both knees.

Four doesn't even acknowledge Eric's plea. Instead, he pulls the cover off the needle and jams the point through the soft skin of Eric's neck, forcing the remaining liquid into his vein.

"You asshole! That stuff's not calibrated to my blood type," Eric shrieks in horror.

"Why should I care?" Four's face shows no remorse.

Eric's eyes widen as he tries to reply, but only a gurgle comes out, followed by a deep cough that spews what appears to be blackened blood out in front of him.

"Oh, shit!" Four understands a moment later why he should care. He rolls Eric over onto his side, allowing the blood to drain from his throat, but it's too little too late.

Eric's skin has turned gray at the injection site, and the color is spreading quickly. His eyes roll back into his head as his body begins to shake into a violent seizure. Four can do nothing but back away and watch in horror as he realizes his own actions have taken away our last hope.

It is only a matter of moments before Eric's entire body is the color of decaying flesh and his body convulsions have stopped.

Four stares at the motionless body in front of him. He kneels and checks for a pulse we both know he won't find. His eyes meet mine with a shake of his head, confirming what I already suspected. Eric is dead.

Four looks like he's about to cry, but it isn't Eric's life he is mourning - it's mine. As if on cue, pain explodes in my chest, robbing my lungs of oxygen. I collapse onto all fours as the pain pulses through my body.

"Four!" I scream, but he is already by my side, pulling me into his arms. "I'm running out of time."

"No, no you're going to be okay." He eases me back onto the mattress. I have no strength to move. Even if I did, the pain coursing through my body is ten times worse with every movement.

"You rest. I'm going to look for the antidote." Without waiting for a reply, Four plants a soft kiss on my forehead before jumping up and running out of the room. I close my eyes, as it has become too painful to resist the exhaustion taking over. One final thought crosses my mind before I lose consciousness. Is this how I'm going to die?