Residual Consequences

Chapter 2

I walk through the gates to the factions and leave Lauren and Kaylee sitting in the car. I wave goodbye before the gates close behind me and I can't see them anymore. One of the guards by the fence offers to help me carry my things and I accept his offer. It would be very hard to lug all of my stuff to Dauntless by myself. After I tell him I'm heading to Dauntless we walk in silence for a few minutes.

"You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" he asks. I shrug.

"You might. I lived here for the first sixteen years of my life. I transferred to Dauntless and was in the last initiation group before the war. After that I decided to work outside the wall for four years," I tell him.

"What's your name?"

"Tris Prior." He chokes on air.

"You're Tris Prior?"

"Yes."

The rest of our walk is silent except for the sound of our feet of the pavement. When we finally reach the Dauntless compound I thank him and take my luggage from him before I leave to go find Tori. I need to tell her that I'm back and that I need a place to stay, and hopefully a job. I tentatively knock on her door and wait for her response.

"Come in!" I hear through the door so I gently open it. "Tris! What are you doing here?"

"The project I was working on at the Bureau ended so I decided to come home," I explain. Tori doesn't ask anything about it, which I'm grateful for.

"I'm assuming you need a place to stay. Since you're a Dauntless member I can help you out." She looks through a door and pulls out a set of keys. "Apartment 752 is all yours. It's decently big. Big bedroom, full bathroom, full kitchen, and a medium sized living room, fully furnished."

"Sounds great!"

Tori sits back in her seat and looks at me. "What else is on your mind, Tris?"

"I don't have a job."

She smiles at me. "Yes you do."

"No, I really don't."

"Yes, you do," she insists.

"Tori, I really don't- Oh. You mean work for you?"

"Not for me, with me. You know the most about the Bureau and know a lot about the faction system. You know a ton about Divergence. You have connections to the Bureau and other factions. You'd make a perfect leader."

"I'm not sure that I would make the best leader."

"You'll be a great leader. You're calm, smart, and dangerous. You'll do great."

"I don't want the position," I insist.

"And that's why I want you to take it. The people who want power often want it too much and you saw where that got us before. If you don't want power you're less likely to abuse it. I can't make you say yes, but I know you won't get a better offer."

"Are you threatening me, Tori?" I ask with a laugh.

"In a roundabout way, maybe," she replies with a laugh of her own.

"Fine," I say with a shrug. "I'll do it."

"Great! And by the way, I also want you to help with initiation. It starts in two weeks."

"You still have initiation?" I can hear the exasperation in my own voice and am not surprised when Tori laughs.

"Yes, but it's not the same. The Factionless are now their own faction and hold actual jobs. If people fail initiation they have the option to join another faction. The Factionless don't have initiation and accept everyone. It's not as strict as it used to be."