AN

Warning: This story contents swear words – but only occasionally. This first chapter contents description of violence.

The Story is mostly told from Eric's POV.

AN2

I've recently (april 2017) decided to change the tags from Eric, OC to [Eric/OC], though it's a slow burn and only starts in later chapters. Orginally the OC was only ment for the child

Patrol gone wrong

Though Eric had been leader for some years now, he wasn't one to only get his Intel from reports therefore, among others things, he had made is his habit to regularly join one of the patrols: Currently he was with Barry and Dan and so far this one had been routine but suddenly shots rang out. Without a second thought Eric was quickly running towards the commotion, his men following him. Getting nearer he caught sight of some Factionless attacking a food truck from Amity. The men from Amity had taken cover behind the front wheel, while a man from Abnegation was trying to hide behind one of the back wheels covering a small child with his body and much to his dismay Eric also noticed a young woman from Abnegation apparently shot, lying dead on the ground. Eric always hated it when innocent bystanders got victims. Unknown to the most he fiercely believed in the Dauntless manifesto to protect those who couldn`t protect themselves. His often harsh demeanor was covering up the man beneath.

"Fuck!" Eric didn't realize his laud cursing while he frantically tried to locate the shooters. Then he had located them on the rooftop of a building close by. A shout came from the direction of the truck. It wasn't overly loud, rather strained and followed by a cough:

"Eric!"

The young leader felt cold dread crawling up on him. It was a voice he'd recognized anytime, anywhere. Laying out cover fire he raced over to the truck, taking cover wherever he could, his mind assessing everything in order to come up with a plan and, having finally reached the truck, he immediately turned to the man who had called out to him.

"Ethan! What happened?" Eric looked at the distraught face of his eldest childhood friend who was holding protectively onto his son, while Theodore's face was buried into his father's chest.

"We were walking back from Erudite were Theo was for treatment, that's why he is with us. The Truck was passing by and suddenly we were under attack." Ethan speech seems slightly sluggish but seeing no injury Eric didn't dwell on it and looked at the amity men, raising his eyebrow questioningly instead.

"We hadn't had anything like this in this area. Otherwise we would have called Dauntless for backup."

Eric nodded in approval.

"I'm sorry for Abigail, Ethan." Eric gave Ethan's shoulder a short squeeze. "I'll get you out of here."

"I know. "

Theodore pulled his head from his father's chest and looked at him with fearful but trustful eyes. With a lump in his throat Eric turned to his men who had taken cover behind an old dumpster further away.

The Factionless were shooting down on them from a rooftop, so they needed to get them from behind: There was no way they would be able to get out of this staying with the truck. Unfortunately there were only three of them, but he would certainly not leave his friend or the Amity unprotected. He signaled the younger one of his man, Barry, to come over to stay behind. He knew Barry to be capable so he could trust him with this while he and Dan were spreading out in order to get the Factionless down. Again there were taking everything they could for cover. Not wanting to give their position away they refrained from using cover fire once they were out of immediate proximity of the truck.

Shortly after Eric and Dan had managed to get behind the building which's rooftop the rebels were still firing from. Quickly assessing the situation Eric slung his gun over his back whispering:

"Surly they will have the stairs covered so we will climb up over there. See that thing in the roof? We'll use it for cover. "

Dan nodded approvingly securing his own weapon for the climb. There were small avant-corps in the wall along with holes due to the moldered state the building was in. It would take all their skills since they could only hang on to it with their fingertips and toes. Side by side they made their way to the top and Eric could feel his fingers in his left hand nearing a cramp.

'Dammit!' He refused to give in. Shaking his hand once he went on and finally, after a few more climbs, he was able to carefully pull his body over the top, Dan following moments later.

Eric had been right: A figure was standing close to the stairs looking down - they wouldn't have had a chance in hell to pass that tiny opening. Five other men were sprawled on the ground close to the edge shooting down and, though it would be good to get one of them alive for questioning, Eric didn't want to take any risk. His priority was to get Ethan and Theo out there. Then there were also the remaining men from Amity. Perhaps he would have taken the risk if it would have been only these men, but there was no way he'd gamble with the life of Ethan and Theo.

The moment he had seen Ethan again for the first time after choosing day came flashing back to his mind. Like now he had been on patrol and, turning around the corner, he had suddenly literally run into him. After that he'd always made sure to regularly patrol the sector were his Abnegation turned friend now did all he could to help the Factionless. Already back in Erudite Ethan had had always looked out for others, putting them first. He got bullied for that and while Eric was by no means even tempered and friendly, he had always hated bullies. So he stood up for Ethan and the two of them became a pair of unlikely friends, making the others wonder what made them stick together. Choosing day and the regulations of the Faction tor the friends apart, when Ethan followed his heart consequently choosing Abnegation while Eric choose dauntless, both protectors at heart, both willing to do so with their given skill set.

Signaling Dan to cover him, Eric slowly made his way to the man at the stairs. Due to the continuing gun fire he was able to sneak up on him and with one swift motion he covered his mouth with one hand and then broke his neck. He may have been able to just choke the man until he passed out but that would have ment taking a high risk at being discovered due to the struggle, again a risk he wouldn't take. He needed to take these men out as effectively as possible to ensure Ethan's and Theo's lives. He still remembered the day Ethan had told him of meeting Abigail and later on of Theo's birth more than three years ago. Once in a while Eric had been able to meet with Ethan in a safe location close to the Abnegation quarters to the sole purpose of getting to know his friend's son and wife. To be honest, Eric didn't much care for Abnegation, as most of their rules seemed plain stupid to him. He had no wish to 'project outwards until he disappeared'. What kind of manifesto was that? But Ethan seemed to like it there since he was able to help people and look out for others in his own way and Abigail, who was born Abnegation, seemed all right for a stiff to him.

Again Eric signaled Dan. They had to aim carefully to take out the threats. He aimed for the head. For one it was the only part of the body sticking off the ground and on the other hand it promised a quick death.

A minute later everything was over, with all five rebels dead on the ground. He left Dan to search their pockets for evidence and to collect the weapons while he rushed down the stairs to reconnect with Ethan. Down on the streets again, he noticed something was off. Barry was on his knees next to Ethan while the Amity were gathered around them. Barry head snapped to him but he wasn't getting up. Eric rushed over and, getting down on his knees himself, he saw that Ethan had been hit during the fight. He should have been the one staying with him Eric dreaded but then again, Barry never would have been able to climb the facade of the building. He knew that. Never had been much of a climber, neither during initiation nor later.

Ethan caught his eye:

"Eric, it happened before you came. There is nothing you could have done."

"Ethan." Eric let out in pain, shrugging out of his jacked to carefully put in beneath Ethan head. He could see that his friend was dying. He briefly wondered why he hadn't been able to see it in the beginning. But then again his friend had already been crouched down; there had been nothing suspicious about it since it had been necessary for cover. The wound had been facing away from him and he knew from experience that Ethan was pretty good had hiding his injuries. It was a very Ethan thing to try to offer comfort to him with his dying breath. Why hadn't they arrived only a few minutes earlier?

"Eric, listen..." Now Ethan was already coughing up blood. "I want you to take Teddy in and raise him."

"Ethan, are you sure? You were never one for dauntless." Eric stammered, caught completely off guard.

"This isn't about dauntless, this is about you." Ethan looked at him with trust like he always had. Not many people trusted him like that. And with that it was settled with Eric.

"I promise, Ethan." Eric made sure to look him in the eyes and saw the relieve reflecting in them.

"Thank you."

"Come here!" Eric barked at the men standing about. "We need you as witnesses!"

The Amity, as well as Barry and Dan, who had joined them by now, came over.

"You heard him?" Eric asked the men tersely.

"Yes." All of them confirmed.

"So you will testify his wish." Eric clarified.

The three men from Amity nodded while Barry and Dan said: "You can count on us."

Not bothering with them any longer, Eric turned back to his friend. His men knew what to do and right now he couldn't care less about the Amity. After all there hadn't been any victims among them.

It was painfully clear to him, that Ethan was holding unto his son with his last strength and reaching out his own hands, Eric supported his friend's grip. Ethan was fading fast now and Eric simply set by him, changing his position so he was supporting Theo with one hand while holding Ethan's with the other. He didn't know how much time had passed when he felt Ethan going limp. Slowly he closed his eyes before he gently detangled a crying Teddy out of his father's arms. He picked him up, softly stroking his head with a tenderness he didn't even knew he had, while Teddy buried his face in his chest like he had done with his father. Secured in the knowledge that his friend's son trusted him like is father had, Eric set out to dauntless leaving Barry and Dan in charge to clear up everything else.