Chapter 36 - Too Late

— Tris

The first group of squads was sent out five minutes ago.

"Do not shoot unless you are shot at. That is an order directly from the leaders. The attackers have proven that they aren't here to kill, so they seem, and we would like to keep it that way." One of the squad leaders, a tall middle aged brunette female stands on a ladder to speak to the masses.

She gets off the ladder and disappears from my field of vision.

I feel numb.
I want to know what's going on.
I don't just want to stand around body to body in the training room and wait.

Hours pass and I find myself sitting on the floor with Christina. They skipped over squad 26 and started calling at number 27 when they began calling squads out to fight.

"Will proposed to me yesterday." She doesn't look up from picking at the bottom of her shoe.

"Christina! That's great, Congratulations!" I grab her hand forcing her to look up at me. Her eyes are sad but she smiles with her teeth.

"I know the feeling," I comment, referring to the happy mixed with sad. "I was suppose to be getting married today."

"You didn't tell me?" Her false happiness turns to a mild anger.

"We didn't want a big deal, Chris. The proposal in front of all of you was enough," I express and she shrugs.

She knows Tobias and I.
She knows we wouldn't want anything big, if anything all.

We sit quiet in each other's company for just minutes before someone yells.

"All troops deployed! Move out!"

We rise and I wipe my palms on my jeans.

Staying with Tobias in his office really seems like a better option right now.
Sixteen year old Tris wouldn't have this amount cowardliness in the face of a fight.
She wouldn't consider opting out because of the fear.
But sixteen year old Tris did not know fear like this.

I stay close by Chris as we move through the training room doors. "26 is stationed at the Cafeteria and central compound." A man says as we walk out of the door.

Breaking in a jog, we head towards our destination.

Except, we barely make it to the next hallway before the screaming begins.

They know is my first thought.
All our troops
All our weapons
The only current access point to the Main Building.

They have to know that it's located here, the Training room.

Metal is the first thing I see, lots of metal.

My mind starts flashing.
I recognize the metal objects.
Long poles, blades and bows and arrows, all a rusty silver color.

New York was turned into a metal production site when the war broke out among America. Because of the amount of fires, the fires that burned Chicago to the ground, metal was a need because it melted slower than wood.

How the hell do I know that?

I'm almost instantly lost from my squad, everyone spiraling out of control to defend the training room.

I find myself alongside Ian, a challenger charging.

Do we shoot?
The attackers don't seem to have guns.

They think it's unfair to attack with guns, it's too way of a route.
Again, how the hell do I suddenly know this?

I don't think Ian cares about the previous order not to shoot. He pulls out his pistol and clicks a bullet into the chamber.

The attacker, I now see it's a male, pulls out his long pole as he approaches us. I pull my knife from my pocket and move in to slash along his ribs as he raises the pole in the air.

Ian kicks his legs from out under him and the man is down on the ground. Ian takes the pole from him and we move towards the crowd brawl in front of the training room.

A group of attackers emerge from the crowd and instantly I bolt in the direction we came from.

I don't like this. This feeling of war. The feeling of another man's blood on my own hands.
I find myself grow nauseous.
I want to go home, hide in my apartment.
I don't want to be out here.

Ian catches up to me and runs at my heels, the attackers catching up.

We have to move faster or fight back.

And suddenly, Ian's gone.

And suddenly, I'm alone.
Standing, dead center in the middle of the area below the Pire.

I spin, wondering where Ian went, where the attackers went.

I'm surrounded.

Tall forms are closing me in. It's like a scene from a movie: my heart racing in my ears, sweat running down my face, I continue to spin, looking for a gap in the barricade these men have created around me.

"Beatrice, my it is a pleasure to see you again. Back up, would you? Give the girl, or shall I say woman, and I some space."

A voice I have yet to forget.

He emerges from the attackers surrounding. I now notice there is three of them and him.

The last time I saw him, he was serving me food as I bled out from bullet wounds.
He told me to respect him as I would David.
However I know there is more story than that; more story I do not remember.

"Please don't tell me you don't remember me. More importantly, please don't tell me you've forgotten all of my hard work on training you." His tone is sly, and it is a childish tone I shall never forget.

"I know you've learned to speak again, dear girl. I just wanted to come to congratulate you. Five years is a long time. It's been seven since you last, well, I'm sure you remember."

What do I remember?

I can't find words through the throbbing of my heart.
I feel as if I may cry, or attempt to flee, however, I cannot loose my lock of eyes on him and show weakness.

"What do you want?" My voice is weak, and I cannot help it.

"To see you again."

"Well I'm right here," my strength is back. "And you're not blind like you made me, so here I am."

"And there she is. The girl that, well, you remember."

I don't remember.
He knows I don't remember.

"How've you been? Your leg holding up?" He moves to tap my leg and I step back quickly, his foot missing my leg.

"What are you here for?" I press.

"Did you end up finding that guy you always talked about when, well, you remember."

"Leave him out of this." I'm stern in my voice, my strength growing.

"I'll take that as a yes," he smirks.

"What. Are you here for?" I grit my teeth.

"You see, Tris. It was my dying wish to see you again. You and I, well, you remember the times," he turns around and motions to the one male who hands over his long metal pole, a staff.

Derrick pulls his own staff that was strapped to his back.

"For old times sake." He holds out the staff parallel to me.

I take it in one hand cautiously, scared to make any sudden movements.

It feels natural in my hands.
Why?
I take the staff and have the top end in my left hand, the lower part at my right in an angle across my body. The pole has to be over six feet long, and it's heavy.
I've done this before.
Not in Dauntless.

"Care to spar? That is, if you remember of course."

I grip the pole tightly, my eyes not leaving his dark brown orbs.
The color of shit.

He swings, and I block the blow with a second nature, gaining a successful blow to his ribs.

How am I doing this?

He smiles, widely, proudly, menacingly.

I run on second nature, a nature I do not remember receiving, as I block and send blows. My whole body feels as if it is electrified, electric currents snapping in my head as signals are transmitted as to know what to do.

Suddenly, Derrick throws the pole.

"Why did I come, Beatrice." He phrases a question as a statement.

I hold the center of the pole to his chest, none of the men around me move.

They're not worried about his safety.
They're not defending him.

I press the pole into his chest with more force: a threat.

"Take over for me." Is all he says.

"What the hell?" I remark not moving my stance.

"My men respond to the person who killed the previous leader, a system of hierarchy."

I'm still, unmoving.

He wants me to kill him.

"I'm sick with an incurable disease, Beatrice. I may die tomorrow if I live today. My work in you, it is not gone like David had tried to take. Take over for me, it was the original plan."

My mind is racing.
I need to consult with someone.
I can't do this.
I need Tobias.

I kill him, and I will never have to worry about New York attacking.

I don't kill him and he is alive to be tried and tell me what I don't remember.

New York can be controlled another way.

"KILL ME!" He yells growing hysterical.

The first thing I hear is glass shattering.

Then a full blown explosion.

The men surrounding Derrick and I are gone.

"Tris, run!" I see Ian running towards me from way across the open area.

But it's too late.