Chapter Text
Álvaro
The only way to make Isco disappear unnoticed is to distract those who would notice his absence first. As the other new members are currently busy with their new jobs and still fairly high about passing the initiation, it leaves just Alonso and Llorente. And as Alonso himself said, the divergent aren’t the priority for him now. Álvaro’s barely seen him around the last few days. Which leaves Llorente, who is still sniffing around like a dog. And outsmarting Llorente is not an easy task.
Which is why Álvaro decides to use the weapons of his old faction rather than his wit.
Saying goodbye to Isco, his only kindred soul in this steel and glass world where everything is calculated, is harder than he expected. They are waiting near the railway, which is the fastest and the surest way to get far from the Erudite compound. If it can take Isco far enough, they can’t tell.
“I wish I could go with you,” Álvaro whispers, leaning into Isco.
“You fought so hard to be here,” Isco says. “You can’t give it up now.”
“I’d give it up for you. If I could find a way to…”
“You’ll figure it out,” Isco smiles and places a kiss in Álvaro’s hair. “You’re the smartest guy I’ve ever met.”
“Definitely not.”
“The smartest Abnegation-born, then.”
The sound of the train approaching cuts off Álvaro’s dismissive answer. Isco sighs and adjusts the small backpack on his shoulders.
“See you soon,” he says.
Álvaro nods, then just before the train appears, he hugs Isco tight and kisses him, and then he sprints towards the compound, not looking back even once.
When he returns to the compound, he finds Llorente in his bedroom. It only confirms that Llorente knows nothing about their plan and about Isco’s escape yet, otherwise he’d be searching for him everywhere.
“I was looking for you,” he says.
“Yeah, I was outside,” Álvaro says, trying to sound casual. “I needed some fresh air.”
“Why is that?” Llorente asks, intrigued. “Do you have something you need to get off your chest?”
Such a chance might never repeat itself, and Álvaro isn’t going to miss it. The longer Llorente is interested in him, the longer he doesn’t remember Isco.
“Maybe,” he whispers.
Then he presses his lips to Llorente’s, before he can change his mind or lose the courage. The older man tenses for a moment and Álvaro is afraid that he’s misjudged him, that he will push him away and scold him, but then Llorente laughs shortly, wraps his arms around Álvaro and kisses him for real, sliding his tongue between Álvaro’s lips and a part of Álvaro wants to die.
Marc
Cesc storms into the room so quickly that Marc doesn’t even have enough time to pretend he’s in Sergi’s bed for… whatever reason he could be there, really, other than the one he’s there for. But Cesc doesn’t seem to give a damn about them spooning there practically naked. He looks like the world outside has just exploded.
“Get up, quick!” he barks, and to make things worse, he switches on the light.
Marc feels the blood rush in his cheeks. Sergi only sleepily untangles his arms to let Marc sit up and then looks at Cesc accusingly.
“What’s going on?” he asks.
“I wish I knew that,” Cesc says. “The only thing I know is that the Dauntless have invaded the Abnegation sector.”
Sergi frowns, while Marc feels his stomach make a flip. “What? Why?” Sergi asks, while still managing to find Marc’s shirt somewhere in the mess on the floor and handing it to him.
“After the scandal in the media the Erudite made, it’s quite obvious,” Cesc shrugs. “Abnegation had the power. Dauntless want that power and now it’s easy to take it. But the first news are that there’s… violence.”
“And the other factions?” Sergi asks.
“Erudite and Candor have done nothing so far. Either they chose to ignore it, or…”
“Or they’re on it with Dauntless,” Marc nods, finally finding his voice.
“Exactly,” Cesc nods. “We need to know what’s happening. We need to know how this could affect us, so that we can decide where we stand.”
“Isn’t it clear where we stand?” Sergi looks at him. “If someone needs help, we’ll help them. If someone uses violence, we won’t encourage it.”
“And if it means standing against all of the other factions?” Cesc raises his brows.
“Since when being peaceful means being cowards, Cesc?”
Cesc raises his hands in an appeasing gesture. “As I said, what we need is to assess the situation. And there’s only one person who can do that for us,” he says and looks at Marc pointedly.
Álvaro
“Well, who would have thought you had this in you,” Llorente says, running a hand through his messed-up hair. “But then, you’re not what you seem to be at all, are you?”
“I’m not what you think I am,” Álvaro whispers, looking down at him.
Llorente just blinks. “What I think?”
Álvaro nods slowly. “I’m not the one you’re looking for.”
Llorente looks positively shocked. Somehow, Álvaro feels good about it, almost accomplished. He thinks that he must have gone mad.
“Elaborate,” Llorente says, his voice strangely distant, like his mind is not really there.
“Erudite was my choice, but my aptitude test said Abnegation. It was clear as day. Ask the evaluator. Or do more tests to me if you want to. It will always say Abnegation. I’m not divergent.”
Llorente keeps staring at him for a long time. Then he suddenly starts to laugh. “You tricked me,” he breathes. “You little bastard, you tricked me.”
Álvaro doesn’t say anything, just looks at him, letting things take their own course.
Llorente stops laughing. Then he flips them over and pins Álvaro under his body. “Selfless to the core, aren’t we?” he growls. “Who did you sacrifice yourself for, eh?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Álvaro says calmly. “He’s already far away from here.”
Llorente isn’t even listening to him, it’s like he’s determined to find the answers himself, merely waiting for Álvaro to confirm that his theories are correct. “Alarcón, isn’t it?” he says. “I noticed your... friendship. I should have paid more attention to the Erudite-born. But you were so remarkably able to change your very nature that I had all the reasons to suspect you.”
“You changed your nature remarkably as well,” Álvaro notes. “Why are you so surprised?”
“Only that it seems that you didn’t really change,” Llorente says. “Your Abnegation nature is rooted deeper than I thought. It will take more effort to extract it.”
“What for?” Álvaro asks. “Isco is gone. I’m not divergent. You don’t need me.”
“Only two of your statements are correct,” Llorente says. “You’re not divergent. And Alarcón is gone. But wherever he is, he didn’t choose a good night to run away. And thus, there’s still something we need you for.”
Marc
It’s been so long since Marc wore his black clothes that he feels like a completely different person. It’s no longer him, and yet there is some part of him that feels better this way than in the yellow and red. Sergi watches him quietly. Then he walks up to him and hugs him.
“Be careful,” he says.
“I thought you’d try to talk me out of it,” Marc says.
Sergi smiles bitterly. “I’ll tell you something,” he says. “It used to be a part of our manifesto, but it was later taken out. One friend says to another: ‘Friend, today I fought with my enemy.’ The Other Friend says: ‘Why did you fight with your enemy?’ - ‘Because they were about to hurt you.’ - ‘Friend, why did you defend me?’ - ‘Because I love you.’ And the Other Friend says...” Sergi’s voice trails off and he touches the necklace on Marc’s neck.
“What does he say?” Marc whispers.
“He says: ‘Then I am grateful.’ And I am.” Sergi looks him in the eyes and kisses him, and then he’s gone.
With one last look at the empty room Marc zips up his black leather jacket and grabs the two guns on the table.