~Jade's POV~
Me and my brother walk out of the bathroom to see our younger brother and friends chatting amongst one another. We approach them, and Will meets us half way, "are you two alright?" He asks. Christina, Will and Liam approach us as well. "Yeah, what on earth happened in here?" Chris questions with her arms crossed. I explain that I was trying to protect Tris from Peter's torment, and when she got away, I assumed and told them he took his anger out on me.
"So wait, Tris was in here?" Miles asks looking to me, "Where is she now?" He also questions, but before I could answer, "right here." I hear from behind me. I turn around to see Tris, fully clothed, holding that same white towel in her hands with her hair down and wet. Both me and Miles must've blocked out the sound of one of the showers running in the bathroom because, I had totally. forgotten that she was in there. Tris approaches and her eyes land on Miles, and then, to the exact spot Peter had been laid out by said brother of mine. "There's . . . blood on your jacket. And on the floor. . ." She mutters to herself, "Miles, what happened?" She asks him, and Miles quickly explains everything that had happened.
"So that was you two talking in the bathroom? I almost thought Peter had done something even worse to Jade and was coming after me with his little minions." She says, and Miles wraps an arm around her. "If he had, I would've killed him instead." Miles blurts, and by the look on his face after speaking, it seemed he didn't expected that to come out of his own mouth. ". . . Sorry, I'm still feeling a bit . . . On edge, I guess you could say." He apologizes, and I lay my hand on his arm. "It's okay Miles. If the shoe was on the other foot for the both of us, I'd do, and feel the same." I say to him, and he smiles a bit. "I know you would, Nat. Family's gotta stick together, and protect one another." He says, and me and him both look to Liam.
I am then reminded of something, and I take my brother's arm and look at his wrist watch. "It's just about noon. Liam, Four said to meet him and Lauren in the training room in a few minutes." I say and Liam nods, and we both tell our brother and friends we'd see them later. Me and him make our way to the training room and on the way there, we happen to bump into Lauren heading the exact same way. Liam calls her, "oh hey guys, you two ready for a day full of training planning?" She asks, and I nod wholeheartedly, genuinely curious as to how we're going to be training both next years transfers and Dauntless-Born, together. "Sure am. I'm curious on how this whole transfer-Dauntless-Born merge is going to work." Liam answers, I nod in agreement.
"Nothing's really official yet but, Four told me he has a few ideas of what may come in the next 6 months. I've only been able to come up with one idea so far, considering I've been tending to Eric in the infirmary." Lauren says with a hint of dismay in her tone. "Your boyfriend sure did a number on him." She adds looking back at me as we walk, "Yeah, I tried to get them to stop from fighting but, it was out of my control due to male pride." I say, and it was true. After Eric handed me the ring, thinking he had won, I attempted to stop them verbally but, it was no use. "Yeah I heard. The whole fight was based around a ring, until Eric handed it to you. Jade, did they . . . Fight over you?" She asks me cautiously, just as we push through the doors of the training room. "Yes, they basically did," I answer honestly, "without my consent though." I add in a huff.
I look around the training room to see only Dauntless members training, and no Four in sight. We decide to stand and wait for Four by an arena, the same arena actually, that Four and Eric fought on. I walk around on the raised and matted platform, "Liam, let's fight a little?" I ask my brother, and he shakes his head. "I know it'd be just practice but, I'd rather not hit my own sister. Especially after what happened this morning." He says and Lauren cocks her head at him, "Wait, did you just say sister?" She asks him, and I get an idea. "He sure did. I'll explain while we fight, come on Lauren. You know ya wanna." I invited her, and she gladly takes off her shoes and steps onto the mat.
I do the same, -with the addition of putting my hair up-, and we get into position. I begin to explain just as Lauren throws the first punch. I dodge it, and block the next the came after it. I continue explaining our family ordeal as I throw a clean jab to the right side of her rib cage, having Liam chime in once in awhile, helping with the explanation. She hisses in pain, but retaliates by tackling me with her arms around my torso.
I stand my ground and managed to knee her in the gut a couple of times before she had released. By then, I was nearly done with my relatively quick explanation, "Wow, you guys are actually triplets. I honestly didn't believe you at first." She says in between breathes, as we decided to pause for a little. Eventually, she asks what happened earlier this morning, since Liam had mentioned it. I explain how I saw Tris, Peter, and his minions in the sleeping chambers, and Liam continues for me, explaining how I ended up against the wall with Peter's hands around my throat. Lauren stops fighting and looks at me crazy, "woahh, now that you say something, have you seen your neck?" She asks, and I furrow my eyebrows and shake my head.
I touch my neck, and pain instantly courses through me. I walk over to nearest window and focus on my reflection, rather then what's on the outside. That's when I realize my neck was bruised, black and blue, all around two large hand shaped welt's. I walk back over to the arena, "that fucker was actually trying to kill me. I hope it isn't too noticeable though, I don't need Four seeing it and leave to go finish what Miles started." I say, and I watch as Lauren and Liam shake their heads. "Oh it's noticeable alright, especially with your hair up. And so what if he goes and finishes off Peter. I'd say good riddance to that." Liam says, and I could tell he meant what he said.
"Trust me, I want Peter gone too, but not in that way, and not by the hands of my boyfriend. Watching him become Factionless would be more satisfying then killing him honestly. I have a strong feeling it's a fear of his." I say, pulling the hair tie out of my hair. "Actually, that might just happen, considering your boyfriend did just earn the authority to grant exactly that." Liam says, and my eyes widen in realization. I imagine in my head watching Peter leave to the very Factionless site we once looked upon during initiation. "Speak of the Devil. Would ya look who finally decided to show up." Lauren says, looking over to the training rooms main entrance. I quickly, but casually run a hand through my long curly hair, and do my best to have it hide my neck.
"Sorry I'm late guys, still in the process of getting this whole leadership thing down with Max. He had me stay a little longer then planned." My beloved says walking up to us, I step down from the arena and greet him with a hug. And it was like magic, all my pain, all my stress, and all my worries fade from just being in his arms. I release him and peck his cheek, "it's okay, me and Lauren were just sparring to pass the time." I say looking up at him, and just as he was about to respond, his eyes fall to my neck and his eyebrows furrow. He moves my hair from my neck, and examines it closer. "Okay I've fought Lauren plenty of times before and I know for a fact she doesn't do shit like this." He says, and then he looks even closer, holding my head to look towards the ceiling with his hand against my cheek.
"These hand marks are to big to even come from a female." He adds, and I could feel his hand beginning to tense up against my cheek, "Natalie how did this happen?" He asks me seriously, now looking into my eyes. I swallow nervously, "It was Peter . . . he uh," I begin to confess, and a scowl instantly finds its way onto Four's face. "Him and his little minions were messing with Tris in the sleeping chambers while she was getting ready to shower so, I stepped in. Once I got all of their attention, Tris slipped away back to the bathroom and, I guess that pissed Peter off and so," I pause, gesturing up to my neck. Four pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs irritably. "Luckily though, me, Miles, Chris and Will had walked in just in time to get him off of her. Or, I should say, my brother had walked in just in time to get him off of her. And if you're thinking about beating Peter's ass, just know he's already in the infirmary." Liam says, and Four looks at him confused, and then at me curiously.
"Miles got him off me by tackling him to the ground beside us, and without hesitation, he beat Peter unconscious. I saw a side of my brother I never thought I'd see." I say and Four nods his head. "Good. He deserved every swing that Miles threw, and then some. What's funny is that, he only dealt with the brother, now it's time to for him to deal with the boyfriend. Training planning is gonna have to wait. We gotta get you an ice pack anyways." Fours says to me, he then takes my hand and begins to pull me to the training rooms exit. "Wait up! If that's the case, he only dealt with one of the brothers. I'd like to say a few things to him, if he's conscious." Liam says, waving his fingers, and we all look to Lauren, seeming she's the only one not going. She shrugs, "why not? I'll check on Eric while we're there." She says, and tags along. We weave through the halls of Dauntless, through the pit to the infirmary.
We walk in and the first person we see is Eric, on the first infirmary bed. His nose was wrapped in a brace, and he didn't look anymore conscious then he had laying on the matted arena. We then see Peter, laying on the second bed, unconscious, just like Eric. The only visible difference was that Peter's entire face was wrapped, all but a little hole for his nose. We also see someone standing at the foot of Peter's bed, and someone sitting on the vacant third bed beside him; Molly and Drew.
Molly, while sitting forward on the bed, happens to notice us walk in. "What? Have you brought your big leader boyfriend to beat Peter into a coma next?" Molly says aloud, drawing Drew's attention to us. "I never asked to get throttled. And my brother never asked to watch me get throttled either so, this is all on Peter." I say angrily. Molly stands from being seated and huddles next to Peter's bed as we head to the fourth infirmary bed. I take a seat while Four walks over to this small black fridge, and takes out a medium sized ice pack.
He walks back over to me and places it in my hand, and places my hand with the ice pack on my neck. "Thank you." I softly say to him, and he smiles at me while running a hand through my hair. He kisses my forehead just before walking around the fourth bed, all the way to the second one. He looks at Molly, "No, I'm not here to beat someone who's already unconscious. Nor have I come here to hear you defend someone who's guilty of nearly killing another." I hear him say, and then I hear Drew scoff. "Then what the hell have you come for? Hm?" Drew responds, and I could hear annoyance in his tone.
"Oh nothing really, I just wanted let you guys know that you're all Factionless, starting now. Do me a favor and let Peter know when he wakes up." Four spits, and both Molly and Drew gasp. "What?! You can't just do that! Me and Drew didn't even do anything!" Molly shouts, and Four gets into her face. "Actually, I can do this. He's not leader anymore," Four directs his thumb behind him, at Eric, "And I am. And honestly, I'm only doing this because you're absolutely right." He says looking down at her. "You and Drew didn't do anything!" He looks over to Drew, disgusted, "You both just let it happen. You both stood there, and watched, while Peter nearly took her life!" Four yells, and the looks on both Molly and Drew's faces were truly priceless. "I had no idea Peter was even going to do that! My intentions were not to try and kill someone!" - "Then why didn't you help her?!" Four questions Molly aggressively.
"Because I was in shock! He pushed her at first, making me think we were just going to mess with her a bit, but then he got his hands around her throat and I just, froze." Molly explains, lowering her voice by the end of her sentence. "And how would I know you're telling the truth? And don't give me that 'I'm a former candor, I don't lie' bullshit either." Four asks her, and I remember back to when I was up against the wall, with Peter's hands around my throat. I remember back to when I peeked and saw both their reactions from behind Peter. Drew's face showed pleasure, and satisfaction, while Molly's didn't. "She's telling the truth alright." I say, hoping off the bed.
Molly looks at me with a quirk as I walk over and stand next to Four. "When this, fucker," I smack Peter's shoe, "had me up against the wall, I looked at the both of them. Seeing if which, or maybe both would help me. Neither of them did but, the look on her face definitely shouted terror." I say, and Molly looks at me in a way she never had before. She looked at me as if I just saved her life, and in a sense, I kinda did. "Alright fine. Atwood, you're in the clear." Four says, and I watch as Molly mouths a thank you towards me. "But that doesn't mean you're off the hook completely. What about Drew here?" Four looks to me, and I make eye contact with Drew.
And I can say this, the look on his face, didn't match the look in his eyes. His face laid nonchalant, with maybe a dash of concern, while his eyes on the other hand, screamed for mercy. I squinted my eyes at him, and then I did something. I did something I thought I'd never do. "Same with Drew. He was just as shocked." I lie, not breaking eye contact with him.
"Honestly Four, I do in fact think these two deserve a punishment but, not as bad as what Peter's getting." I say, and I see Four nod in agreement. "What I want from you two is that you'll leave any and all of Jade's friends or family, alone. I find out you continued to act like 3rd grade bullies I'll revoke my mercy and send you off to go find Peter. Understood?" Four says, and both of them nod, and attempt to leave. Four clears his throat, "I'm not done." He says and they freeze and take a step back. Four then looks over at me, pondering. "I don't mean to make you relive this but, how long did he have you against the wall exactly?" Four asks me, I tilt my head at him, trying to figuring out what he was getting at.
"I fought against him so, I'd say about 5-6 minutes. Why?" I ask, and he gives me a slightly evil smile, just before looking back at Molly and Drew. "So here's the deal, you can either go through a heightened version of your very own fear landscape 5 times, hang from the chasm's greased railing for 6 minutes, or do neither and join Peter with the Factionless." Four tells them, and both their jaws drop. "So which will it be?" Four asks with a smile. Just then, "Wow Four, I think I've worn off on you." A groggy, deep voice says weakly. I hear Lauren gasp, and I look over to her and the infirmary bed Eric was in.
And there he was, conscious, and sitting up, quite noisily might I add. He hissed, winced, and cursed under his breath trying to sit all the way up. When he finally did, he looked at me, and then at Four. "You just gave an ultimatum only a leader could give. Why?" Eric asks tediously, Lauren then sits on the bed next to him. I look over to Lauren, then my brother, then Molly and Drew, and finally to Four.
I could sense the tension thickening with every silent second that passed. I looked around for weapons, just in case the news of not being leader anymore gives Eric the needed adrenaline to do damage. I spot a syringe on a medical table, near the foot of Eric's infirmary bed. Apparently, my brother had noticed how tense I had got and placed his hand on my shoulder. Oddly enough though, the moment his hand made contact with my body, my mind clouded with vivid and clear images.
Images of . . . Four, and Eric. The first being the last moment I had saw them before Liam had touched me. The next image, was of Eric, lunging out at Four, right here in the infirmary. I see Lauren and Liam attempting to pry Eric from Four in the next, and Eric knocks them both back and down, and goes back to attacking Four in the one after that. And then I see the unexpected.
I see images of . . . Myself, jumping in and pulling Eric back from Four, in a third person perspective. Knowing Eric all to well, that lead to the next image consisting of me, getting hit by him. Which lead to another image of Four and Liam going after Eric. That last image faded and I scrunch my eyes closed, before opening them again. Liam quickly lifts his hand from my shoulder with a small gasp, and looks at me perplexed.
I quickly look to Eric and watch closely as his posture straightens, and his muscles tense like never before. A strong sense of déjà vu washes over me and on impulse, I react. Just as Eric rises from the bed enraged, I dive for the syringe just in time, stab him in the right side of his neck and inject. I rip out the syringe, barely realizing what exactly I've just done. I gasp, and look at Eric, "what the hell! What did you jussst inject meee with . . ." He shouts angrily at first, but then, the intensity of his words melts away, along with him.
He relaxes and sits back down, and I notice his fast breathing has now slowed. I furrow my eyebrows and look down at the syringe, searching for a possible label. And in big letters on the now empty and little cartridge piece read 'PEACE/TRUTH', and I sigh in relief. I set the syringe down and my younger brother and I make eye contact. I could still feel the lingering pressure of his hand on my shoulder.
And weirdly, I feel this . . . energy, within me, within my mind mainly. I look around at everyone else in the room, and they all are staring back at me, wide eyed. "How did you . . . ?" Lauren mutters, being one of the many people staring at me. I step back and look at Eric, who was still seated now with his head on Lauren's shoulder, and a giddy smile on his face. Letting us know the serum was definitely working. I look back at Lauren, "Let's just say," I pause, "I've had enough violence for one day." I say.