Chapter Text
“Who's in the shadows?
Who's ready to play?
Are we the hunters?
Or are we the prey?
There's no surrender
And there's no escape
Are we the hunters?
Or are we the prey?
This is a wild game of survival” — RUELLE, 'Game of Survival'.
"Oh, believe me, if I can deal with the craziness of the city council daily, then I sure as hell can deal with Eric Coulter." Kate's highly confident that her new partner in crime wasn't gonna be as bad as everyone else thought. So far, he hasn't given her a reason to. And nothing could be worse than having to put out the fire between the Abnegation and the Erudite members once they really got an argument going.
"I'm not doubting you at all, Kate. It's him that I worry about. Eric is not known for being patient, diplomatic, or… Well, a pleasant person to most people." Harrison paused for a second, pondering about the young leader's reputation. "You know I'm close to him, he takes his job seriously and his loyalty to Dauntless is unquestionable but I can't say the same about his methods, you know? Now that Max is gone, I'm the only one left who can keep him in check."
As he stood up from his comfy new office chair, one of the perks of being the new leader of the faction, it became quite visible what the new role had done to her boss. In the span of two weeks since Max announced his retirement and Harrison climbed up the last step of the leadership ladder, it looked like he had aged a decade, and a deep frown was permanently glued to his features. She couldn't blame him, Max’s decision did take everyone by surprise and it would take some time for him to get used to it.
Harrison being a leader also meant that all the other three remaining leaders were given new responsibilities and one spot for leadership opened up. It was offered to Kate, who outrightly refused it. She wasn't cut out for it. For now, the new apprentice’s identity remained unknown, just another bullet point on the growing list of things that Harrison had to do.
"If he gives you too much trouble, let me know, okay? You don't have to prove to me that you can handle everything thrown in your way." Harrison guided her towards the door, he had a meeting to get to, and she was expected a few steps down the hall, in Eric's office.
"You worry too much. I can handle my own and I can kick his ass if I need to." Harrison raised an eyebrow in question. "You know what I mean! All in a diplomatic way! I think you’re just worried that you’re gonna miss me too much.” Kate looked at him one last time, giving him a curt nod and a small smile. For a moment, he looked like himself again. The man from before that once trusted her with the ambassador position. Now, she could only hope to make him proud.
All leaders shared one floor. One long row of doors in a rarely well-lit corridor. Most offices looked the same, except for Max's or, from now on, Harrison's. So when the change in leadership happened, the only person who had to move was him. A faction leader needed some more grandeur. On the other hand, Eric remained at the end of the corridor, gratefully isolated from the rest with only his secretary to keep him company.
Lidia had been with him from the start. Unlike his assistants who ran away after an average of one or two weeks time, the older woman stayed. Rumor has it that she knows some dark secret about him and uses it as blackmail. Kate suspects that Eric will keep Lidia around as long as she is good at her job because, at her age, it wasn't easy to find a position at Dauntless. If she couldn't contribute anymore, a voluntary trip to the Chasm was most likely her swift end. It was the Dauntless way after all.
Setting her eyes on the secretary, Kate opened one of her signature smiles, the one she plasters on her face during endless meetings and the most chaotic days. All a part of her job description.
"Morning, Lidia. Enjoying the changes around here?"
"I can't say that I love the paperwork that comes with Eric being the second in command but I approve of the extra points in my card." The witty reply was actually a good sign, it meant Eric probably wasn't pissed off but there was still time. It was only 8 a.m.
"Can't complain about those, huh? Well, I'm gonna go ahead and say hi to my new partner. Have any tips for me?" She couldn’t deny that Lidia probably would be her best ally in the foreseeable future.
“Never barge in, don't order him around, and, no matter what, don't mention that he finished second during initiation. He hates it." Lidia winked but there was a real warning in there.
"Duly noted, thank you." With that, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door, waiting until Eric's booming voice told her to come in.
Even though she has been an ambassador for over three years, seeing the ruthless leader during weekly leadership meetings and always being invited to the same events as him, she couldn't remember ever setting foot in this room. It was exactly like she expected: black furniture only varying in texture, impossibly tall piles of documents on his table but spotlessly clean and void of anything that could give her a clue as to who he is while not on his working hours.
Stepping into the office, the diplomat couldn't help but feel like she was disturbing him even though she scheduled an appointment. First thing in the morning every Tuesday, just like she used to do with Harrison.
"Eric.”
"Ambassador." That was another thing. In all this time working around each other, during the very few and short conversations they carried out —or the one or two times Eric actually asked her a question during a meeting— he never once called her by her name.
“I see the new position is already giving you too much paperwork. Congratulations, by the way, I didn’t have the chance to tell you that before.” Something passed Eric’s eyes for a second, she dared to think it was a look of surprise, like his accomplishment wasn’t well acknowledged by others. Maybe they were so scared of him that it was better to avoid flattery.
Eric dropped the pen and took his gray eyes away from the document, sitting up even straighter. Everything about him was sharp. Tattoos with strong lines, an ironed uniform, and perfectly placed hair. A perfect exterior to hide the storm underneath.
“You’ve got 30 minutes before you lose your spot to these papers. What’s up?” He eyed her up and down, taking in her wardrobe choice for the day. Kate adapted her style to suit every faction she attended to. Today an Abnegation visit was in order, which meant non-fitting clothes that covered everything from her neck down but were black instead of beige. Always black.
“Oh, this time I don’t need 30 minutes. It’s usually how long it takes to discuss things with Harrison but since we’re just getting started, I thought I’d drop by and let you know that I’m on my way to Abnegation.” Now she was sure that a look of disgust crossed his face. “I think I’m close to convincing them to have an updated computer and maybe a few smartphones for their leaders. It would make things easier.”
“Stiffs wouldn’t know what’s better for them even if it hit them square in the face.”
“Well, as long as they know what’s best for Chicago, it’s all good. I’ll let you know how it goes. Do you… Do you have any questions about how Harrison and I worked? We can adapt as we go.”
“I just wanna know why you even bother to wear black. I barely see you in our uniform. Might as well wear their goddamn colors.” From all the things she expected him to ask, that was far from one of them.
“I’m Dauntless and that will never change. I wear our color with pride.” Kate had to keep herself from moving around, a nervous energy building inside of her. She didn’t sit down once she came in, because he never told her to. Probably no one stayed enough time in there to get comfy. “And I wear our uniform all the time, it’s just that you don’t often see me around outside of the leadership meeting.”
“Does it make any difference? Wearing their clothes?”
“I like to think it makes me appear more approachable and open-minded.” Kate pondered after a second. She definitely didn’t wear those itchy fabrics that Abnegation was used to out of fun. Although she didn’t mind Amity sundresses or Erudite smart-looking clothes, she had to say that Candor’s white was so bright that it gave her headaches.
Appearing satisfied with her answer, the leader intertwined his hands over the table. A gesture that signaled that he was done with his questions. Taking that as a cue, Kate prepared her exit.
“If there isn’t anything else, I’m heading out. Gotta catch a unit to escort me there. I’ll send you an email about the meeting but you’ll have to sign the order for the tech if Abnegation agrees to it.”
Eric nodded. “Just forward it to Lidia.” He looked down at his watch and then at the paperwork again. “I guess I’ll use these extra 25 minutes to finish this. You’re dismissed.”
Almost fleeing out the door before he caught her off guard with another one of his questions, she couldn’t help but wonder how she could probably survive 30 minutes every week when only 5 had already proved to be nerve-wracking.
Abnegation remained the same. Rows of houses, nothing entertaining in sight, and occasional flimsy factionless people that went there looking for food. This faction was all about abstaining from human desires and personal needs to help others, which included the ones who failed at fitting in. That’s why they were the elected-government. Still, considering how things around there always remained the same, not taking into account how other factions felt about it, Kate always wondered if they were really that selfless.
A few years ago, a scandal exposed by Erudite led to Marcus Eaton being made factionless. He was discovered to abuse his son and to use power for his own gain. There was no way he could lead Abnegation or the city council. So, five new members were elected but the faction’s ways remained the same.
The new faces of the faction became Natalie and Andrew Prior. They were easier to deal with, or so was Kate told. All her interactions with Marcus had been brief because she was still shadowing the previous ambassador when everything went down. She got lucky to not have to deal with that mess.
Climbing off the Dauntless truck and fixing her coat, Kate made her way to the faction’s office. A small and plain-looking building close to the Hub. From a distance, she could see the couple waiting for her. Honestly, she was never able to get a real read from them. If there was one thing that Natalie and Andrew knew how to do was to keep their emotions in check.
“Mr. and Mrs. Prior, it’s good to see you again. Thank you for taking the time.” Once again, her unwavering smile was present in her features.
“You never leave us much of a choice, Kate.”
That was blunt. Could have mistaken them for Candor.
“Once you agree to have a computer made in this century and a few phones for the council members, I promise to stay out of your hair, mostly.” The smile grew bigger. She wasn’t a quitter.
They made their way to Andrew’s office, as basic and simple as it could possibly get. “That's until you come back asking for cameras once again. Or more patrols. Maybe something else.” There . She finally got something, a read on Andrew’s emotions. They weren’t happy and the reason couldn’t possibly be just her visits or trying to force their hand into newer technology.
“Well, I sure don’t like to waste people's time. Especially when you have a city to run. So, let me be Candor for a minute and ask what’s going on around here.”
Natalie Prior always liked to take her time but the same couldn’t be said about her husband. He appreciated someone who could cut to the chase.
“We allow your soldiers to patrol the outskirts of Abnegation, still it doesn't give them the right to mess with our members. All week, one of your units has caused havoc and it’s scaring people away.” He took a deep breath. “If you can’t control your soldiers then don’t ask us for favors, or for things that only benefit Dauntless.”
You’ve gotta be kidding me.
Today was definitely not getting any easier. Patrol units knew better than to mess with the so-called Stiffs.
“I assure you, Andrew, that our soldiers are ordered to stay away. We’re here to ensure the safety of your faction and of Chicago, not to offend your ways or disrupt your daily lives. If you tell me more about the unit, I’ll make sure they never set foot here again. I'll personally see to it.”
That’s how Kate found herself cutting the visit short. Carrying with her the plate number of a truck full of idiots and trying to stop the frustration from creeping in. Weeks of work potentially went down the drain and, on her very first day working with Eric, she would’ve to report that failure.
Her first stop was at the front gate. Every unit or soldier that left the compound had to be scanned. Those guards would know whoever was making a huge mess out of her day. It wasn’t even noon yet.
“So they’re in Candor today? What time will they be back?” She looked expectantly at the guard, who had given her the great news that the unit in question was from her initiation class.
“Shift ends at 6. I can call your office and ask the unit to wait until you get here.”
“Sounds good. Don’t let them leave unless you want to deal with a city crisis, okay?” On that note, Kate left the guard looking rather pale. He didn’t get paid enough points to deal with other people’s bullshit. And he didn’t need any higher-ups pissed at him.
“Aren’t you even gonna say hi? Are you running from Eric already?” A male voice made her stop. One that she knew too well. Before she could even find him in the crowd of soldiers coming and going from patrols, arms encircled her waist and turned her around. A bear hug followed.
Jace.
Throughout the chaos of initiation, Jace, a transfer from Candor, was the only one she could trust. They shared a connection from the beginning, one making sure the other didn’t fall behind the rankings, sharing knowing looks at night with their bunk beds next to each other and staying friends all those years later.
Jace ranked 6th, the fear landscape wasn’t his finest moment and his final ranking took a hit. So, he got a job at the Armory, making sure every soldier in and out of the faction had what they needed, and returned it at the right time.
“Always the dramatic one! I didn’t see you and I’m not running from him. At least not yet.” She smiled at him, her first real smile of the day. “Are you loading a truck?”
“Yeah, some extra guns for tonight. Things are getting dangerous in the factionless sector. Someone was shot this morning. Pretty sure you can expect at least one leader reaching out to question you about it.”
“Are they okay?”
“From what I’ve heard it was a bullet to the shoulder. I’m sure they’ll live.” He let go of her to check his watch. “Didn’t want to eat the mushy food at Abnegation? Or did they kick you out?” His wicked smile made an appearance.
“Almost got kicked out.” His smile was gone and a look of concern fell on his angelic face. “Guess which unit decided to mess with their members? Trying to undo all the progress I’ve made with the Priors?”
“I don’t wanna say Peter but I feel like that’s where this is going.”
“Peter, Richard, all of their friends… Now, I gotta wait until they come back from Candor to give them a piece of my mind and make sure they adore me even more.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything else from you. Just… Just be careful with Peter, okay? He gives me a vibe.”
“Yeah? What vibe? The one you get from people that stab the competition with a butter knife?” She tried to not sound too worried about it but he gave her the creeps. And Peter always made sure to let her know that the ambassador position would’ve been his, he just forgot that losing that opportunity was his own doing.
“Sounds like it. You got this, okay? I gotta run but text me later. I wanna know everything.” She nodded. Jace didn’t have the perks of her flexible hours, staying at Armory away from the sunlight was his only choice. Nonetheless, she constantly missed having her best friend around.
With six hours to go, her only option was to figure out how to report that to Eric and rehearse her speech to make it sound less like her problem with Peter was personal.
It turns out that there wasn’t enough sugar coating that could keep her report from sounding like “Hey, you know all that tech meant for Abnegation? Don’t even bother, an unit fucked it up.” Still, Kate emphasized in her email that she was handling it today. There was no way Peter and his friends would cause her to go back to square one. There had to be a solution.
So when her office’s phone rang announcing the end of their shift, Kate strode with purpose towards the loading docks. Speech rehearsed and maybe a little bit too much anger. She also changed into a uniform, because Eric’s comment had left an impression and she wanted to look the part. Kate needed to be a soldier now, not a diplomat.
Looking up for a second, she found that the sky agreed with her. Dark and angry rain clouds were coming. It wouldn’t be long before the storm hit, but first, she had to cause one herself.
In one of the final rows of trucks, far away from the entrance, Peter and his group of four friends from initiation stood up from the vehicle looking rather displeased. She didn’t know exactly what the entrance guard had told them but they knew it wasn’t good.
Locking eyes with one of them, she fixed her posture and tried to look the part, thinking about some of the leaders. She thought about Lauren, the only female in leadership, who always looked so tough. Harrison had an incredible ability to pick someone apart with a calm tone. Eric was ruthless and cruel, not allowing any disrespect. Never allowing shame to be brought down on Dauntless. Kate even thought about Four from the control room, Eric’s rival, and the one responsible for training her initiation class.
Stopping in front of them, she held her hands behind her back and tried to look taller than she really was.
“Listen up! I’ve received a complaint from the Abnegation leaders. Your behavior has caused problems in our negotiations and that will not be tolerated.” She paused. The mocking eyes and smirks in front of her made her blood boil but she couldn’t lose it. “Dauntless are the protectors of the city, your role is to patrol these grounds, ensure our safety, not to mock or even interact with residents. Understood?”
She was met with silence. Until one of them let out a yawn.
“Do you realize what you’ve done? You’ve hit a pause on an important negotiation. Right now, they’re one call away from asking us to reduce patrol numbers or to stay even further away from their homes.” The wind picked up and the first droplets of rain began to fall. Peter fixed his posture and the others soon did the same. “If they fear us, if they don’t trust us, it will make the job more difficult. For all of us."
Maybe she was getting through to them. But it didn’t matter. Kate had to make sure it wouldn’t happen again and she didn’t trust this unit. Personal feelings or not.
“You’re all banned from Abnegation patrols. Each of you will hand-write a letter apologizing to their leadership. And I’ll write you up for this behavior. If you can’t find another patrol to go to, you’ll stay here and it will be deducted from your payment. This decision will be revised in a month. Is there anything you wish to say?”
It was a full storm now.
“No? You’re dismissed.” They didn’t move. Only then did she realize that none of the soldiers were looking at her. Turning around, she was met with Eric standing a few steps back, leaning against a wall. Clothes wet from the storm, arms crossed, and his permanent look of disdain on his face. The same look that used to scare her during the beginning of initiation.
Peter and the others were waiting for his permission. They only changed their postures when he appeared behind her, probably in the middle of the speech. Like a guard dog making sure none of them would get out of line. That unit would never respect her.
“The ambassador told you to leave. Get out.” She didn’t have to look back, sounds of feet scrambling to get away in the wet pavement could still be heard over the pouring rain.
“Eric, I was handling it” It wasn’t the first time she said that today. “What are you doing here?”
He stepped away from the wall.
“You handled it. I was just observing it, maybe giving a bit of moral support, making use of those extra 25 minutes you gave me.” He smirked. She could almost call it a smile.
“Oh really? The support is appreciated but is unnecessary.”
“I remember your initiation. I didn’t agree with Max’s decision to allow Peter to stay.” He was standing right next to her, the rain getting stronger but none of them seemed to care. “A guy like him will never respect you, especially because of the final rankings. So here’s a piece of advice, if you can’t get them to respect you, do the next best thing. Make them fear you.”
She nodded. His ‘moral support’ was nothing but a message to those soldiers. They fucked up and if they didn’t comply, there would’ve been hell to pay.
“We need those CCTV in Abnegation, got it? Sooner better than later.”
“I’ll convince them but this incident will stretch the timeline a bit. If they can accept computers and phones, and learn to trust the technology, it will be easier to talk them into having cameras.”
Eric looked around them. Not a soldier in sight. They were either out on night patrol or inside away from the rain. A lightning bolt illuminated the sky.
“Let’s go.”
“Afraid of a little storm?” She asked.
“I don’t mind it. But I would mind the cold I could get for the rest of the week.” He started walking towards the entrance at a rapid pace.
“Race me then.”
At that, Eric stopped, turning around to see Kate with a challenging look. An incredulous expression took over his face. Did she ask him to race? Are they kids?
She didn't know what came over her. Maybe she was trying to show that she wasn't an Erudite in Dauntless clothes. “The loser pays for the coffee for our next meeting.” With that, she took off.
Eric soon followed trying to process what the hell was that about. But it was undeniable how liberating it felt to run in the rain. Dauntless soldiers were supposed to be free, but still most were stuck inside with 9 to 5 jobs. He couldn't even remember the last patrol he supervised, there was too much paperwork, and too many people needing things from leadership.
As the trucks around them became a blur, Eric caught up. While he still spent a lot of time in the office, the leader still worked out daily to maintain his shape. No headstart could keep him from victory.
"I see it now, I gotta spend more time in the training room." She wasn't winded, the distance had been short, and her pride was the one that got the real hit. Even if the race start wasn't exactly fair on her part, the ambassador was just trying to level the playing field a little.
Eric kept walking, water falling to the already slippery floor, a faction built mostly on a cave system meant that dying was a possibility by just walking around to eat in the mess hall. "I like my coffee with cream and no sugar. Make it a double."
The sweet, sweet price of victory. While he disappeared down the hall, Kate stayed behind to try and dry her clothes a little. She didn't want anyone breaking their necks. Before Eric could completely disappear from the view, he surprised her one last time. “By the way, today you were a soldier, Kate. See you at the next meeting.”
If her name sounded too good rolling out of his tongue, Kate would never admit it. In the end, Eric wasn't the only one victorious.
The next morning, the young ambassador decided that being a diplomat didn't mean she was any less of a soldier. Kate wasn't exactly in the same shape as during initiation and was thrown into an office right after the welcoming ceremony that officially made her a Dauntless member.
Unlike active soldiers, she didn't worry about good aim, combat skills, or night patrols. Her job was to worry about council members wanting to behead their lovely colleagues. Don't get her wrong, she could shoot well, even if she preferred knives. That's the only weapon she carried around.
When she felt like it or the stress got too high, a stop at the training room right after her shift was the easiest option. Punching a bag, throwing some knives and the occasional spar with Jace felt like it was enough.
It clearly wasn't.
That's how she found herself passing the abandoned buildings around the faction's compound in what could hopefully be called a sprint speed. This time, there was no rain and the early rays of sunshine illuminated her path. It wasn't even 6 a.m. yet, and only sheer force of will had made her get up from her comfy bed. Undoubtedly, she would regret that decision around lunchtime or in the middle of the afternoon.
"Still hurt about losing?"
Kate whipped her head around, seeing Eric getting closer. The leader was dressed in workout clothes and didn't appear to be breaking a sweat. After all, he ran that circuit every day before dawn, not that she knew about it.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I do this all the time"
"C'mon, Kate, I come here and the only people around are a few guards training or initiates from last year who are still trying to prove something." He fell into her rhythm, jogging side by side. "You're just trying not to have to pay for the coffee next time."
It wasn't a lie but she blamed his ego instead. Besides that, Eric was known for being competitive, which sprung an idea into her mind.
"I could race you right now. Yesterday was slippery. The winner buys donuts for our meeting."
He barked a laugh. The audacity! "Sure thing, Kate. Should I tell you my order now or when you're defeated?"
"I'll have you know that I only like chocolate donuts, okay? Don't forget it." Kate looked around and set her eyes on a building where she used to go to watch the sunrise with Jace as initiates. "See that six-story building next to the train tracks? The one with red bricks? Whoever gets to the roof first wins!" Not waiting for a reply and taking all the advantage she could get, Kate took off.
The girl wasn't naive, it was a matter of fact that she couldn't defeat him at the time. The only thing left to do was gamble. Play smart. If Eric didn't know that building well and was ahead of her, he would try to go for the fire escape on the side, which was too rusty and unstable. Until he realized that, it would buy her a few precious seconds to go straight to the main entrance and climb the wooden stairs all the way to the top.
And that's exactly what happened.
With her legs and lungs burning, basically tripping over her own feet, Kate made it just in time. Throwing herself to the ground and feeling like her heart might give up, she couldn't help but smile at the sound of his boots reaching the end of the stairs a few seconds later. She won! She actually won!
"Smart ass." He commented before sitting next to her but not too close.
The sun had finally made its full appearance on the horizon, bathing Chicago in a sea of orange and red. They didn't talk for a couple of minutes, busy getting their breathing under control— in her case, just trying to— and looking at the breaking dawn.
"I had an Erudite moment. Sorry, not sorry." She knew Eric wasn't much of a talker but it felt like the right time to make small talk. "You know I'm Erudite-born, right? Gotta have read my file before I showed up at your office yesterday."
"I skimmed through it. I already knew a lot about you but if I didn't, Harrison made sure of changing that during the past couple of weeks. He just wouldn't shut up."
"Really? I'm very grateful to him. Harrison is the reason I'm here."
At that, Eric couldn't help but frown. "Don't do that. He might have recommended you to shadow the previous ambassador, but you succeeded on your own. That's what we all do. You don't owe anything to anyone."
She pondered it for a minute. She would always be grateful, still, it's not like Kate was just handed the position and a free pass from long hours working in the Armory making inventory and cleaning guns.
"That's very wise. Your Erudite is showing, too." The leader rolled his eyes. The saying faction before blood is something that he took at heart. It's been a long time since being Erudite-born meant anything to him.
"Why did you come here? To Dauntless? Seems like you would have done just fine in Erudite." That's not the real question he wanted to ask. It was a means to an end, hopefully, she would spill what was actually important. He was analyzing her, making sure that they could work together.
"That's the point. I wasn't stupid nor did I fail to fit in at Erudite. Both my parents work at one of the labs developing serums, I could've easily fallen in their footsteps and been just fine ." She took a deep breath to steady herself. Jace was the only one who had asked her this. "When my aptitude test said Dauntless, I literally took a leap of faith at a chance of being something more than a fine member of society. When I ranked third, Peter couldn't accept the apprenticeship, and Christina refused it, so I got my chance of being more than just fine at working in the Armory. I wanted more."
She sat back up, staring at his gray eyes. "So, did I pass your test?"
"For now." He got up and offered a hand that she gladly took. Whatever they just shared was over and it was time to go back underground.
A screeching sound coming from the side of the building interrupted their plan. Someone muttering a " shit " confirmed that people were trying to climb the rusty fire escape. Eric carefully approached the edge of the roof and looked down just in time to see the top of a head disappearing to the south side, where the main entrance was.
Following her gut feeling that it wasn't just one man, Kate checked the other side, seeing four factionless men striding with purpose and at least two glistening guns in their hands, ready to go up there and finish them. Eric and Kate had 30 seconds at best.
Hearing the cock of a gun, she faced Eric, who always carried his issued firearm with him. "Are you armed?" She denied it and could see the tick of his jaw. The last time she even touched her weapon was for cleaning it, around a year ago. There were no guns in diplomacy.
The icy feeling set in her stomach. They were outnumbered and outgunned.
"Eric, there's no way we're gonna survive that if we fight."
"Just hide behind that vent, and I'll take care of it."
She looked to the next abandoned building, it was a big jump but the building was not as tall and another one followed much, much closer. It was their best shot. "I need you to trust my judgment, okay? Please, come with me." Her mind begged her to flight but she would wait until the last second if it meant that Eric would stop being so stubborn.
With one last look at the rooftop door and the sound of steps getting closer, Eric made his decision.
So they jumped.