Chapter 19

Back at the dormitory, Tris is furious when she discovers Peter reading aloud from an Erudite article denigrating the Abnegation leadership and her parents. The article in question also includes Molly's insinuation that Tris's father is an abusive parent. Before Tris can beat up Molly, Will grabs her. He drags her into the hallway and tells her to ignore rumors that she is powerless to stop. To divert Tris, Christina invites her to the tattoo parlor with her, Al, and Will. There, Christina persuades Tris to get a tattoo of the Dauntless seal, to put on makeup again, and to purchase a shirt that exposes more skin.

Later, Al gives Christina a piggy-back ride as they leave the parlor. Although Al seems like his old self again, Tris worries that he is just putting up a front. On the way back to the dormitory, the group sees Four socializing by the Chasm. He has a bottle in his hand and appears intoxicated. When he approaches the group, Tris is the only one he addresses. He comments on Tris's tattoo and compliments her on her looks. Four's flirtatious behavior is noticed by Tris's friends, and Tris knows that Will overheard their instructor's compliment to her. Feeling self-conscious, Tris tries to stop Will from repeating Four's words in front of Al, as she doesn't want to hurt Al's feelings.

Chapter 20

Tris finds that the simulations are causing her anxiety during her waking and sleeping moments. In one particularly frightening simulation, she is drowning in a glass box. She hears herself call for help, but no one steps forward. In the end, she breaks the glass panes of the box and escapes from a watery death. From her ability to manipulate the simulation, Four deduces that Tris is divergent. He tells her that he will delete the footage and warns her against exposing her divergence. To seek more answers about her nature, Tris goes in search of Tori.

At the tattoo parlor, Tori tells Tris that divergents are the only ones who can manipulate their simulations. Because of their aptitude, the Dauntless leaders see them as a threat to be eliminated. Like Four, Tori warns Tris that their leaders will kill her if they discover her divergence. Tris is initially incredulous but is convinced after Tori relates how Dauntless leaders murdered her divergent brother and then made it look like a suicide. She warns Tris that divergents are a threat because they cannot be controlled, a concept that terrifies Dauntless leaders.

Chapter 21

Erudite has released two further articles about Abnegation: the first criticizes Abnegation for withholding luxuries from the other factions, and the second advocates a return to the old democratic process of choosing leaders. Meanwhile, Tris reveals that she has faced four fears in her simulations and that she struggles with frightening simulations that involve her family. When she discovers that Four is indifferent toward his family, she wonders what his family life was like. As Stage Two continues, Tris notes that her peers are suffering greater distress than her—particularly Al, who screams from his nightmares every night. Back at the dormitory, Tris notices that the rankings for Stage Two are up; she is in first place, while Al is in last. Angered by his second-place finish, Peter attacks Tris and accuses her of scheming her way to the top. To divert Tris, Uriah invites her to watch as he shoots a muffin off Marlene's head. Later that night, Tris overhears a conversation between Eric and a woman. The woman tells Eric that his job is to scout...