#even inside WCKD

[downthe-f4ndom-rabbith0le]

As Brave As You Are (Newt x Reader) - A Maze Runner Story

As Brave As You Are (Newt x Reader) Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Word Count: 12,051 Warnings: death, bloody wounds, fighting, mental and physical torture, guns, suicidal thoughts and actions Spoilers: no spoilers because the books and films came out ages ago

After helping Newt recover from his ankle injury, Y/N and Newt formed an unbreakable bond that always had them looking out for each other. When they escaped the Maze, then navigated the Scorch, they always had each other’s back. It isn’t until Y/N is captured alongside Minho by WCKD and Newt contracts the Flare that he realises how he truly feels about Y/N.

Problem is, will he rescue her in time to tell her?

Note: I'm back in my dystopian future era thanks to the new Hunger Games film so of course I had to write for my original YA crush. This piece is based on the movie series mainly. Don't get mad at me, I love the books more, but I can appreciate the storylines that came out of the path they took with the films. And if there is one thing the TMR fandom can agree on, it is that the film cast was the best cast ever for the series. So enjoy - not sorry that it's horrendously long, Newt deserves it xx

‘Medjack! Medjack, now!’

Y/N recognised it was Minho was calling for help. Clint and Jeff ran out of the med hut to see what all the commotion was. It wasn’t long before they were hurrying back inside, carrying Newt of all people between them, Minho and Alby in tow.

‘Clear the table,’ Clint ordered, and Y/N quickly followed through, practically throwing off containers, bowls and medical instruments to get Newt on there as quick as possible. Once Newt was up, Y/N finally noticed the unnatural twist in his ankle and it almost sent Frypan’s sloppy sweet potato soup right back up. 

She was still pretty new to her job as a Medjack, being the greenie and all. She was the only girl in the Glade of the current twelve residents, so she was intimidated at first as to what role she could play in the place. Medjack seemed the most suitable, and she seemed to have a knack for it, having stitched up some eyebrows and cleaned up knee scrapes with ease and precision. 

But even though she’d seen blood, dealt with displaced bones and joints, she still got queasy doing her job. It didn’t help that Newt was hissing through clenched teeth from the intense pain, an occasional sob passing through.

‘What happened?’ Y/N asked.

‘I don’t know,’ Minho said. ‘We split up for only five minutes. I thought we could cover more ground that way. And we’ve run that part of the Maze like a hundred times already. I thought we’d be fine…’

Clint held Newt down as Jeff and Y/N took a look at Newt’s ankle. Jeff only pressed gently with his fingers around the bone, but Newt’s responding howls confirmed the severity of the injury.

‘The bone is completely shattered,’ Jeff said grimly. ‘We’re going to need to reset his foot first though. Y/N?’

‘On it.’ She rushed to a shelf that held bandages, then to a cupboard with flat boards about shin length. She grabbed two of those before heading back to the table.

‘You’re going to have to hold him down,’ Y/N directed at Alby and Minho, gesturing to follow Clint’s efforts. Then she turned to Newt, whose face was slicked with tears and sweat as he continued to writhe in pain. ‘Newt. Newt, can you open your eyes for me? I need you to focus on me.’

To his credit, Newt opened his eyes and he didn’t look away from her. 

‘Good. Good, Newt,’ she said. ‘Now, we have to realign your foot. It’s going to hurt a lot. We’ll go on three, okay?’

In the short time Y/N had known Newt – which arguably was no time at all, as he ran every day and she was in the Medjack hut all day. They didn’t interact unless he or another runner got hurt, or at dinner if only to say hello. Even so, she had come to know he liked it plain and straight, no bullshit. So, despite his pain, he took two deep, calming breaths and gave her a nod to say he was ready for what they had to do.

Y/N nodded back, then looked to the others, who had their hands braced on all Newt’s limbs. ‘Ready?’ she asked, to which they nodded in reply. Y/N gently held Newt’s ankle, eliciting a quiet whimper from the boy. ‘Okay, on three. One, two…’ She cut herself off as she slammed her hands either side the ankle bone, causing a loud cracking sound as the ankle snapped back into place. 

Newt’s wail of pain must’ve been heard from across the whole Glade it was so loud. He writhed and pulled to sit up, but the boys held him down as Y/N and Jeff bandaged the two splints either side of Newt’s ankle. Jeff then dabbed a small dose of chloroform in a cloth and pressed it to Newt’s nose. Soon enough, the boy was unconscious, finally pain-free.

‘You guys go have dinner,’ Y/N said to Clint and Jeff a little while later as they were cleaning up the hut. Alby and Minho had left soon after Newt fell asleep, but it was almost dinner time now. ‘I’ll stay with Newt tonight.’

‘You sure?’ Clint asked. ‘We can do shifts if you’d prefer.’

Y/N shook her head. ‘I insist. You guys rest up. I can do this. Consider this my final test to becoming a fully-fledged Medjack.’

Jeff chuckled. ‘You have much more to learn, Greenie, but suit yourself.’

‘We’ll bring you back some food, Y/N,’ Clint said as he and Jeff left the hut, leaving Y/N to idly clean up.

Newt woke up from a dull throbbing in his ankle, which turned into a harsh pain, causing him to sit up in alarm. 

‘Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay,’ a voice gently said as equally gentle hands pushed him back down.

‘My ankle,’ he said, voice hoarse and dry. ‘It hurts…’

The face of the voice finally came into view: it was the Greenie. Y/N offered him a small smile as he finally recognised her. In one hand, she held a needle with clear serum. Her other she offered to his leg. ‘May I? It’ll help, I promise.’

He hesitated for a moment, but the intense pain in his ankle broke his composure as he eagerly nodded. The painkiller worked immediately, and Newt sighed with relief as the throbbing eased significantly.

’There,’ Y/N said, wiping the needle. ’That should help for a bit. Sadly, we don’t have much left for me to give you more than once a day, but I’m hoping you won’t need it beyond the end of the month.’

Confusion clouded Newt’s mind as he tried to process her words. ‘What… What happened?’ But he answered his own question as images of the Maze flashed through his mind, and he remembered it all. How he bid farewell to Minho. How he climbed as high as he could along the Maze walls. How easy it was to let go. 

Then the pain fully encompassed him, and then it was just a blur. How Minho found him. How Clint and Jeff laid him on the table he realised he was still on. How angry and embarrassed he felt having his friends see him broken and miserable. 

Newt managed to pull himself into a sitting position, propping a pillow behind him to cushion the hut wall. ‘How bad is it?’ he asked glumly, eyes unable to lift from his injury.

He couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries. He was too tired, and, frankly, saw no point in keeping up appearances anymore. 

To her credit, Y/N seemed to pick up on his mood, saying, ‘It will heal to a point you’ll be able to walk again. But it won’t ever heal properly.’

‘You mean I’ll have a limp?’

‘Potentially.’

’So I can’t be a Runner anymore?’ Y/N didn’t reply, finally drawing Newt’s attention away from the source of his pain and to her. 

Newt had only interacted with Y/N on a few occasions. Mainly at mealtimes or the odd occasion he passed her by on the way back from a run, only talking as much as greeting and farewelling one another. As the only girl so far, of course he found her intriguing, but he never had time nor a reason to get to know her.

And while he’d come to think of her as the quiet and gentle Medjack in comparison to Clint and Jeff, he didn’t see an ounce of pity on her face as she looked at him. Only quiet contemplation, as if there could be any other answer but no to his question.

‘I guess that’s up to you and Alby,’ she finally said. ‘I mean, I know what I should say is no. I’m sure Clint and Jeff will say no. But it’ll more so come down to if you want to go back in or not.’ Her eyes flickered to his ankle, sadness glazing her eyes briefly before returning to him. ‘But I think I can take a guess as to what your answer will be.’

Newt’s gut twisted with guilt and shame that she’d figured it out, and his face flushed with embarrassment and anger. ‘So, you going to tell everyone?’ he asked, words thick  with hopelessness. ‘I mean, that’s your job, right? Diagnose me, then tell Alby, then the whole glade how pathetic I am?’

Y/N shook her head. ‘I think you give me too much credit. I’m not an actual doctor, you know,’ she said, coming to stand beside him. She inspected his ankle for a moment, then turned her gaze to him, and it shocked him to see such intensity in her eyes. It was as if suddenly he was the most interesting person in the world.

‘I can say it was a running accident,’ she finally concluded. ‘You can tell your truth when you’re ready. It’s not my place to take away hope when the others are so full of it right now. That includes me.’

He stared, stunned, as she packed up the last of her things by a spare medical cot at the other end of the hut. It wasn’t until she let out a loud yawn that Newt noticed it was dark outside. The silence of the Glade told him everyone else had gone to bed so it was late. Or early, he couldn’t really tell.

Y/N fluffed a sad excuse of a pillow and put it on the cot. ‘Now that I know you’re alive, are you going to be okay if I get a few minutes shut eye? I can stay up if you’d like.’

Now that the initial shock and embarrassment of the day’s events had subsided, Newt realised how exhausted he was still. ‘No, that’s okay,’ he said. ‘I think I should rest a bit more anyway.’

Y/N nodded and swung her legs up to lie down fully. Newt went to slide himself and his pillow back down to do the same when Y/N spoke again.

‘And Newt?’ she said, her voice soft and almost hesitant.

‘Yeah?’ he called back.

She was silent for so long Newt thought she’d gone to sleep. But then she spoke. ‘For the record, I don’t think you’re pathetic. For wanting it all to end, that is. I actually think what you did was really brave. You might be scared and maybe out of hope, but at least you did something about it. The rest of us can only hope to be as brave as you.’

Newt’s breath caught in his chest as it swelled with a mix of emotions. Brave? What he did was the act of a coward. Tears streamed silently down his face, both from a deep shame, but also a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time.

The rest of us can only hope to be as brave as you…

Newt had lost all hope after a year of searching for a way out and finding nothing. But she didn’t know that, and neither will the next Greenie, or the Greenie after that. Even some of the boys already in the Glade didn’t know that. That’s why they waited every day for the runners – for him – to come back with news, with a shred of hope that they’d get out of there soon. 

Newt twisted himself so he could see Y/N, who was rolled away from him, her body rising and falling with the rhythm of sleep. Even if he thought it would all be hopeless in the end, some truly believed they would get out of here.

And maybe that was something worth fighting for.

~

Two years on and Newt and Y/N had managed to forge something akin to a friendship. 

Y/N had kept her word and said Newt had had a running accident, and he’d agreed with her for the sake of his worried friends. Y/N had also been right about his ankle; it healed to point where he could walk and do a decent jog with a limp. But he would never run again. 

He was transferred to work as a Track-Hoe in the gardens with Zart. But it wasn’t all bad. As more boys arrived – never any girls much to their confusion – Newt developed a knack for leading others, for diffusing hard situations, and for wrangling the boys into line. Because of that, he was promoted to Alby’s second-in-command, which gave him more meaningful work to do than just the gardens – stuff that might actually get him and the other Gladers out of the bloody Maze. 

It also meant he had more time to talk to Y/N. He would make sure to drop by once a day (and not just at mealtimes) to check in on her. For a time, he convinced himself he did that because it was his job as second-in-command to keep up group morale, and he would visit everyone in the Glade. Eventually, however, he realised it was because he genuinely enjoyed her company.

Since that night, Y/N had come out of her shell more. Still a little shy and apprehensive at times, but she would openly joke and play along with the boys’ antics. She was more confident in her work as a Medjack too, not afraid to boss Clint and Jeff around if she needed something from them.

Newt’s visits became longer, as they talked about any and all things. Aside from Alby and Minho, Newt considered Y/N one of his closest friends. And she must’ve felt the same – or at least in a similar fashion – as she entertained his thoughts about life beyond the Maze, and the rants he would go on thanks to whichever stupid shank put the fertiliser in the wrong place.

It was a friendship built on mutual respect and genuine care for one another, something that helped Newt convince Y/N to come with him and the others when they finally decided to leave the Maze. But he couldn’t help but feel a deep dread and guilt as he waited behind Thomas, knowing that Grievers were right around the corner.

While the others caught up, Newt turned to Y/N – who’d been helping him through the Maze with his limp – and offered her a spare spear he’d been carrying.

Her eyes widened at his offering. ‘I can’t take that. I can’t fight.’

‘Well, you can’t just go in there without something to protect yourself,’ he said, this time forcibly handing the spear over. Y/N clutched the spear awkwardly, and Newt saw the uncertainty in her eyes, in her trembling hands.

Newt felt bad for making her hold such a violent weapon. All her hands had ever done were help people, save them at times. Now he was asking her to kill. It was for the greater good they both knew, but to kill, nonetheless.

Newt placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and locked eyes with her. ‘Hey,’ he said softly, ‘you stay with me the whole time, do you understand? I promise you won’t have to use that unless absolute necessary.’

Y/N bit her lip to stop it trembling too, but she nodded, steeling herself in preparation for the fight ahead. Newt reciprocated the action and gave her shoulder a final squeeze before turning to face Thomas as he explained the plan.

They fought the Grievers, taking down a few while some of them took down Gladers. The Gladers were backed against the door that Teresa and Chuck were trying to open with a code. Minho shouted numbers at them as he, Newt, and the others fended off one last Griever.

Before he could finish, Minho was caught by a Griever, and Clint ran out to save him. But the Griever’s tail caught him, sending him over the edge of the walkway they fought on with one flick.

‘Clint!’

Before Newt could stop her, Y/N rushed out from behind him, spear drawn back and flying at the Griever in seconds. Not being a fighter to begin with, let alone a good one, the spear bounced off its metal leg without much effect. It did, however, alert the Griever to her presence, turning all its attention to her. Minho leapt to his feet, finally free, and ran back to the group. ‘Y/N!’ he cried as he ran. ‘Run!’

Y/N seemed to finally realise her situation, looking up at the Griever frozen with fear. The horrible creature raised its claw to end her, but Newt moved faster. 

He ran as fast as he could, limp be damned, past Y/N and threw his spear at the Griever’s head. It landed true, puncturing one of the creature’s bulbous eyes, drawing a painful screech from it. Newt didn’t wait to see what it would do next, as he grabbed one of Y/N’s arms and Minho grabbed the other and ran back to the group, practically throwing her behind the front line and against the door. 

Teresa finally got the door open and the Gladers tumbled in, Thomas throwing one last spear down the Griever’s throat as the doors closed. 

Lights flickered on to show they were in some empty room with a door on the wall behind them leading to a corridor.

Thomas looked at the group, taking heavy breaths. ‘Everyone okay?’

‘What’s left of us, that is,’ Winston said, his tone sad and regretful. 

As Newt eyed the group, he noted how many they’d lost, how little their group seemed all of a sudden. 

Minho stepped ahead with Thomas, pointing towards the door. ‘Well? It’s not going to open itself.’

As Minho and Thomas led the group to the exit, Newt turned to Y/N, whose eyes had a distant look glazed over them. ‘What were you thinking?’ he asked, bringing her attention to him. ‘I told you to stay behind me. You could’ve been killed.’

‘I-I know. I’m sorry,’ she stuttered out, tears teetering in her E/C eyes. ‘I just… Clint… It all happened so fast, and I was just kind of moving before I knew what I was doing.’ She looked down at her hands then, and Newt noticed a slight tremble to them. ‘I thought I could help, but I was too slow. And I put you guys in danger too. I’m just… I’m sorry.’

Newt’s guilt came back full force then. He placed a gentle hand over her trembling one, grasping her fingers to stop their shaking. When she looked up at him confused, he just said, ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pressured you into thinking you had to fight. You won’t ever hold a weapon like that again. I promise.’

Y/N opened her mouth to object no doubt, but Newt cut her off. ‘But you have to promise me something back. Promise me that you’ll let us protect you. You can help by keeping us alive, just like you always have. But you’ve got to listen to me, you got it?’

He used his authoritative voice this time, and it seemed to work as Y/N calmed down, her unshed tears now gone.

‘Okay,’ she said, quiet but strong. ‘I promise.’

Newt nodded. ‘Good that.’ He turned to see the others leaving through the door then turned back to Y/N. ’Do you think we’d be lucky enough not to face anything else beyond those doors.’

‘I think we should consider ourselves lucky for getting this far.’ To her credit, Y/N managed a small smile as she looked up at him. ‘But why should our luck run out now?’

There it was again; the glimmer of hope Newt had felt from her since the night he injured his ankle. Newt couldn’t deny that they’d made it this far – by design or by luck, they’d made it. 

And who was he to deny that things might be on the look up for them now?

Together, Y/N and Newt followed the rest of the Gladers to meet their makers.

~

‘I never thought I’d say this… but I miss the Glade.’

The group around the fire grew silent at the implication Frypan’s words had, the memories they conjured up. Y/N couldn’t help but agree as she looked into the dark sky above her, peaking from behind the crumbling pillars they took refuge under. 

The sky was always so clear back in the Glade, she recalled silently. But, just like their current situation, the sky was now obscured. 

The people who rescued them from the Maze were actually WCKD – the people who’d put them in the Maze in the first place. The past twelve hours had seen herself, Newt, Thomas, Minho, Frypan, Winston, and a boy named Aris find Teresa, break out of the facility, and enter the deadly Scorch. In their search for supplies, they’d been attacked by crazed, infected people, driving the group to hide where they were.

The Maze was dangerous, but it was familiar and the only home Y/N recalled ever having. Out in the Scorch, safety wasn’t guaranteed. 

She looked to Winston, who laid back, his shirt pulled up to expose the bloody bandage she’d wrapped his torso in. Y/N tried not to think about the infected scratch marks underneath, and more specifically what gave them to him. The Grievers were one thing, but the things that attacked them? They used to be people.

Not wanting to sit in her thoughts anymore, Y/N stood up, brushed off her pants, and grabbed knife from their pile of weapons they’d found in the abandoned mall. ‘I’ll take first watch.’ 

She didn’t wait to hear if anyone objected, already walking around the stone that covered them so she was on top. To her relief, the others let her go without argument, putting out the fire and quickly settling down to sleep.

After half an hour, Y/N decided to get up and patrol around the area, knife tightly gripped in her hand and her footsteps quiet despite the sand. 

There was so much of it,  the sand. The lady in white – Doctor Ava Paige – had said in her video that the whole world was just desert now. The thought made Y/N yearn for the Glade even more. For the grass, and the woods, and the bonfires they used to have, and the games they played. The boys – Clint, Jeff, Alby, Gally, Chuck. 

Y/N wasn’t a hateful person, but she clutched the knife tighter at the thought of all the loss they’d all suffered at the hands of WCKD. 

It’s why she didn’t hesitate to follow Newt when he’d found her in her room – for some reason, she hadn’t been allowed to stay with the other girls from the other mazes just yet. It’s why they were now braving the Scorch searching for people that Thomas didn’t know even existed. They wanted a better life out from under WCKD’s thumb.

The crunch of sand had her whirling around, awkwardly poising the knife as if to attack, but she relaxed at the familiar person standing there.

Newt raised his hands in mock surrender. ‘Whoa there,’ he said, the quirk of a smile on his lips telling her he was just joking. ‘You could do some real damage if you’re not careful.’

Y/N blew out in relief, the knife dropping to her side again. ‘Thanks, but we both know that’s not the case, Newt.’

Newt shoved his hands in his jacket pocket, shrugging his shoulders as he did. ‘I don’t know, I’ve seen you with a scalpel. Absolutely terrifyingly precise with that thing.’

Y/N chuckled softly, appreciative of the distraction. But her smile dropped as she looked out into the dark cityscape. The moon hid behind clouds so Y/N couldn’t make out anything. ‘Is it pathetic that I’m scared to see what the world has become?’ she asked, not daring to raise her voice above a soft mumble.

Newt stepped up beside her, his body radiating the last remnants of heat from the fire and it warmed her slightly. ’Someone once told me that I was brave for facing my fear,’ he said after some quiet contemplation. 

Y/N looked up at him confused, but he looked down at her with a knowing, smug smile. Much to her chagrin, she couldn’t help but chuckle and shake her head at him. ‘I don’t recall saying that specifically. But if that’s how you saw it, who am I to tell you that wasn’t what I meant?’

Newt hummed in agreement looking back out at the dark expanse, contemplation scrunching his brows together. ‘I’ll be honest with you, I’m scared too.’

That surprised Y/N. Newt, second-in-command, casual, leader Newt was scared? ‘You are?’

Newt nodded. ‘I’m scared that we’ve made a mistake. That Thomas is wrong and there aren’t any mountain people.’ He turned back to Y/N, the most serious she’d ever seen him. ‘I’m scared we’re going to lose more of us, and then what was our escape for? But… it’s not my place to take away hope when the others are so full of it. Including myself.’ Finally, Newt’s smile returned, and it warmed that cold pit of despair Y/N had been falling into ever since they left the WCKD facility. ‘Or, at least, I think that’s what someone very wise once told me.’

Y/N stared at him, awestruck. Hopeful. Newt was hopeful again. And she didn’t want to read into it, but she thought the knowing smile he was giving her told her that she had something to do with it. The thought alone strengthened her resolve, and she looked down at the knife in her hands, less afraid of it all of a sudden.

Y/N held it out to Newt. ’Teach me.’

He raised an eyebrow in a silent question. ‘What?’

’Teach me. How to fight,’ Y/N explained, eyes unwavering from his. 

Concern flashed across Newt’s face for a brief moment. ‘Y/N, I told you, you don’t have to fight if you don’t want to.’

‘If there is one thing I’ve come to know about WCKD is that it doesn’t actually matter what I want anymore. What any of us want,’ Y/N said, feeling the most certain she’s felt in a long time. ‘The one thing we have on WCKD is that we are defiant. We escaped, and are taking away the one thing they want most of all: a chance to find a cure. So, if we’re going to have any hopes of making it to the mountains alive, I’m going to have to know how to fight. So please – teach me.’

Newt contemplated her for a moment, and Y/N just prayed he wouldn’t say no. Or even worse, laugh. Instead of doing either, he took the knife from Y/N’s hand, his fingers brushing across her palm as he did. 

‘All right,’ he said, moving his feet apart to get into a fighting stance. ‘First of all, you’ve got to have a wide-ish stance, and stay light on your toes so you can control when you back away from your opponent.’ 

He demonstrated the movement by quickly shuffling away, always keeping his feet a certain distance apart and the knife gripped tight by his hip. ‘…and when you go into attack.’ He moved so fast Y/N didn’t see his footwork, her eyes locked on his as they bored into hers, knife poised at her neck as if he’d strike.

He stepped away and gave her the knife back. ‘You think you can do that?’

Y/N nodded and took the knife, and for the next hour Newt taught Y/N basic blocks and manoeuvres that he’d picked up from Thomas and Minho and just from basic instinct. Just like she’d been with her Medjack skills, Y/N was a quick study, performing move after move when Newt asked her to. 

She impressed herself. For a natural pacifist, she wielded the knife quite fluently.

They decided to finish the session on a quick sparring match. Newt took a swipe at Y/N, and she stepped back just like Newt had taught her. She then rushed in for an attack, to which Newt threw up his own knife in time to block. Y/N anticipated the pushback and twisted out of Newt’s way as he stumbled slightly forward. While he was disorientated, Y/N gripped his wrist that controlled his knife and pointed her own into his back. 

‘Looks like I win,’ she said, breathless but proud.

Y/N didn’t like the carefree scoff he gave her, followed by, ‘Are you sure?’

She doubted herself for a moment, loosening her grip enough for him to twist out of her reach, knock her knife away and bend to sweep her legs out from underneath her. Y/N landed hard, groaning at the pain in her butt as Newt looked down at her and laughed. 

‘I’m glad you find my pain amusing, Newt,’ she grumbled, rubbing her sore behind.

Newt laughed for a moment longer then calmed down. But his radiant smile remained on his face, brightening the darkness surrounding them. ‘I’m sorry, love,’ he said between remaining chuckles. To his credit, he held out his hand in an offer to help her up. ’But the surprise on your face was priceless.’

Y/N contemplated his hand for a moment, whether she should just push it away or take it. Instead, an idea came to mind, and she gripped his hand tightly then pulled him to the ground with her. He landed on his stomach beside her, getting a face full of sand.

Y/N let out a loud laugh before quickly covering her mouth to stifle the relentless laughter that wished to burst from her. 

Newt spat and coughed out sand as he made to sit up. ‘Well,’ he started, spitting out more sand as he looked up at Y/N, ‘I should’ve seen that coming.’

That just made Y/N laugh even harder, using now both hands to quieten the giggles. Goodness, when was the last time she’d laughed this freely? When was the last time she’d felt such joy? After everything they’d been through, Y/N was worried she’d forgotten what was like to laugh.

When she’d calmed down, she looked down to see Newt propped up on his arms looking up at her with an odd expression on his face. Like he was in awe, maybe. Whatever it was, it made Y/N acknowledge how handsome Newt had become. His baby features had faded since she’d first met him, being replaced by a lean figure and a toned jawline from working in the gardens every day for two years. And with his big brown eyes, tousled blond hair and funny accent, Y/N wondered how he had changed so much without her realising it. How she hadn’t realised he’d grown up.

The intensity with which he looked at her brought a heated blush to her face, and so she turned away into the cool night breeze, willing the blush to cool down. Newt shuffled to sit up next to her. They didn’t speak for a minute, until Newt suddenly stood up. 

‘Well, um,’ he started, and for the first time since Y/N had known him, he sounded uncertain about what to say. ‘I better let you continue with your shift. At least you know how to defend yourself now.’

Y/N hastily stood up as well, making sure there was at least a step between them. ‘Yes!’ she said. ‘Thank you for that. I’ll be sure to practice.’

‘Good that.’ 

They looked at each other for a moment, and even though Newt said he was leaving, he made no move to leave. Maybe he doesn’t want to, she thought, and the mere possibility of that being true warmed her heart.

But he took a step away, gave her a shy smile and a small wave farewell. ‘Goodnight, Y/N.’

‘Goodnight Newt,’ she said, those two words hanging in the air long after he’d left.

As she finally woke Frypan up for his shift, she clung to the knife and went through all the manoeuvres Newt had taught her until she fell asleep. 

Newt was unable to sleep until Y/N woke Frypan up to take the next watch shift, and laid down to sleep herself. Newt opened his eyes to see Y/N laying across the pit they’d dug out for the fire. She faced him on her side, and Newt noticed with curiosity that she held the knife she’d practiced with close to her chest. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically, and paired with her heavy breathing, Newt figured she was completely asleep. 

An odd sensation fluttered in his chest and stomach as Newt considered Y/N’s sleeping face. It was the same feeling that had fizzled in his chest when he’d looked up at her as she laughed. He couldn’t remember the last time any of them had laughed as freely as she had. 

And he couldn’t help but admire how beautiful she looked doing so – hiding her bright smile behind trembling hands, eyes narrowed but sparkling with joy. 

All because of him.

He rolled onto his back then, not wanting to give the thought anymore weight. There’s no point getting your hopes up, he reminded himself. But like a moth drawn to flame, Newt couldn’t help but tilt his head to gaze upon her peacefully sleeping. An ache carved itself deep in his heart. How had he not realised her growing up, changing? Being the only girl for a long time, of course he and the others found her pretty. But now that he looked at her – really looked at her, and wasn’t concerned with his life for just a split second – he realised just how beautiful she was. 

It was in her features, but also in her determination to be better for the group. It both hurt and impressed him when she asked for his help. He promised her she would never have to fight again, but things have changed drastically since the Maze.

It was in her ability to still find the joy in things, to still be able to laugh despite their situation.

It was how she believed in Thomas, in Aris, in the mountain people, even if she was scared. 

‘The rest of us can only wish to be as brave as you,’ he whispered into the night, a silent promise that he’d tell her that sometime. 

And with the fluttering in his chest finally easing into a calm warmth, he finally fell asleep.

~

Everything exploded with chaos as Y/N, Newt, Thomas, and Minho navigated their way through the Right Arm camp as guns fired and explosions went off. 

Teresa had betrayed them. Y/N couldn’t believe it when it was revealed in front of everyone, and she still couldn’t believe it as Minho pushed her head down, sheltering her from another explosion. Teresa truly believed WCKD could find a cure, but still at the expanse of Y/N and her friends’ pain. And just when Thomas was going to blow them all sky high, Jorge and Brenda had come in like a saving grace, and that’s when all hell broke loose.

‘This way!’ Thomas yelled over the din, beckoning them behind a weapons container.

However, Minho stopped suddenly and picked up a launcher. Keep going!’ Minho called over his shoulder as he shot at WCKD soldiers around him. ‘I’m right behind you!’

Thomas and Newt reached the container, but Y/N stopped and turned at the sound of a painful cry. ‘Minho!’ she cried as her friend fell, his body convulsing from a launcher shot. 

‘Y/N, no!’ Newt called after her, but she was already running back to Minho, grabbing at his jacket to drag him to safety. 

But Y/N was not strong like the boys, and certainly not strong enough to move Minho in any hurry. She looked up just in time to see a launcher fire at her, then her body felt like it was on fire. 

She was sure she was screaming, but she couldn’t hear anything as the electricity struck every nerve with a vicious bite. After what felt like an eternity of pain, she was granted a moment of peace as her vision went white, then in a flash was swamped by darkness.

Newt’s heart stopped when he saw Y/N shot. She convulsed as Minho had, then collapsed beside their friend unconscious. The second Y/N hit the ground, Newt found his voice again, feelings of anger and desperation clawing their way through every vein in him.

‘Y/N, no!’ His cry came out broken as he made to run to her, but a strong hand gripped the back of his jacket and pulled him back. 

‘No, boys,’ Vince shouted over the din, holding both Newt and Thomas back. 

‘Let me go!’ Newt protested, struggling against Vince, eyes darting between him and Y/N. ‘I need to help her! Y/N!’

But WCKD soldiers were already picking up Y/N and Minho’s unconscious bodies, dragging their feet through the red dirt and into a berg.

‘I’m sorry, son,’ Vince said, and Newt thought he sounded genuine. But that didn’t stop icy terror gripping tight on his heart as the doors began to close on Y/N, Minho, and other immunes from the Right Arm.

Thomas called for Minho, and Newt called for Y/N, but neither could do anything to help their friends as they were flown away. Back in WCKD’s clutches once again.

When the sun rose, the remaining survivors came out of hiding and began scrounging up supplies. They were moving on, Vince claiming there was nothing they could do but keep going with who and what they had left.

Newt couldn’t accept that, and neither could Thomas apparently, as he claimed he was going after Minho, Y/N and the others. Without hesitation or any further explanation, Newt was the first to sign up and join him.

And so, they went on a quest to rescuing Minho, Y/N, and as many immunes as possible. The train hijack was a huge success with immune numbers, but no Minho and no Y/N. Even so, Newt refused to accept that he’d never see either of them again. Even when they almost got killed by cranks. Even when he, Thomas, Brenda, Frypan, and Jorge were almost blown up by turret guns.

Even when he found out he was infected with the Flare.

He could feel it, his mind slowly slipping away as the Flare ate away at his sanity. He was usually level-headed and rational – it’s part of the reason he became second-in-command in the first place. Guilt and shame ate away at him as he sat on the rooftop of their hideout in the outskirts of the Last City, explaining to Thomas why he just bit his head off about being in love with Teresa.

Not that I’m one to talk, he thought as he rolled down as his sleeve, silence wrapping around him and Thomas comfortably. Newt could feel Thomas didn’t know what to say, and Newt didn’t like long silences so he broke it.

‘The crazy thing, though is…’ Newt started, a soft but sad scoff escaping him, ‘I’m not scared of dying. I used to be, back in the Maze. Because it felt like my friends were dying for no reason, without purpose. But…’ Newt looked over his shoulder, past Thomas, and to the peaking spires of the Last City. To where Y/N was being held somewhere.

‘I have something to die for now,’ Newt said, eyes never wavering from the spires.

Thomas came to sit beside Newt, a sad realisation drawing his brows and lips down. ‘You’re not just talking about Minho, are you?’ he asked.

It was how gentle and matter-of-fact Thomas spoke that had Newt’s chest tightening with fear and an immense pressure he’d been scared, until now, to acknowledge. His throat threatened to close on him as he spoke, rendering his words tight and uncontrolled. ‘I failed to protect her, Tommy,’ he managed to get out. ‘I promised I’d always protect her, and I didn’t.’ 

It surprised Newt how simultaneously hard and easy it was to speak about his feelings, and now that he had started, the words just flowed. 

’She’s just always been there, so I never saw it coming,’ Newt continued, a melancholic smile adorning his lips as he recalls the day he met you, how you helped him with his ankle. How, since then, you’ve always been by his side, growing with him, changing with him, supporting him and everyone else around you. 

’Saw what?’ Thomas asked.

‘I never saw that I could have a future after the Maze, after all of this,’ Newt explained. ‘That I would want a future… with Y/N.’ And with that, his tears finally spilled over, the pressure in his chest bursting into sobs that wracked his whole body. Newt was vaguely aware that Thomas was now holding him, and so he wrapped his arms tight around his friend, around his brother.

‘I love her, Tommy,’ Newt whispered over Thomas’ shoulder, his words obscured somewhat by his tears and holding back sobs. ‘And I’m scared I’ll never be able to tell her before I go.’

‘Hey,’ Thomas said, pushing Newt to arm’s length. He kept one hand on Newt’s shoulder and used his other to grip Newt’s neck, forcing their eyes to lock. ‘We’re going to find her – and Minho, and the other immunes. We’re going to get you that serum that helps with the Flare – as much of it as possible – and you’re going to tell her. You’re not dying. No one is dying. You hear me?’

No one could replace Alby, but the way Thomas was taking control of the situation reminded Newt of his old friend. How kind yet stern he could be. How hopeful yet pragmatic he was. It was something familiar that Newt was thankful for. He quickly calmed down, wiped away his tears and nodded at Thomas.

‘Good that,’ Thomas said, a small proud smile gracing his lips at his use of Newt’s common phrase. 

Newt couldn’t help a chuckle as well. ‘Good that, indeed,’ he agreed, and followed Thomas back inside the hideout to finalise their plan to get into the WCKD facility.

…and you’re going to tell her. You’re not dying. 

There was a nagging voice in the back of Newt’s head that was telling him not to believe Thomas. That Newt was going to die, or worse, turn into a crank and hurt his loved ones. That voice had followed him from the Maze, to the Scorch, and now the Last City. It was the voice that had driven him over the edge of the Maze walls all those years ago. But not anymore.

Newt had to keep hope, just as Y/N had taught him. He just had to be brave.

~

Y/N sat in the corner of her white-walled cell, hugging her knees to her chest as she rested her head on top. She’d sat there for hours, perhaps days. Y/N lost track of time after her first month in WCKD’s facility. 

There were no windows, and the lights never dimmed. She pressed her eyes into her knees in the hopes of downing out the incessant white light. Her eyes ached with sleep deprivation, but she refused to sleep. The nightmares were much worse to deal with, and they always came whenever she closed her eyes.

Images of her friends dying in the Maze and the Scorch, of Grievers chasing her, of her friends turning into cranks and attacking her. Images fed to her by WCKD. 

She knew they weren’t real, but she could never wake herself up in time to escape them. So, she stayed awake, knowing that she’ll have no choice but to face her nightmares when the doctors and scientists come to test on her again.

Y/N shivered at the thought of seeing another needle, of seeing her blood drained from her while WCKD turned her mind against her. When will it be enough? She might’ve lost track of time, but Y/N knew she’d been in the facility for a while now. If they hadn’t found anything by now, something told Y/N that nothing she gave would ever be enough. That included her life.

She knew Thomas and Newt would be dumb enough to come after her and Minho – that’s just the kind of people they were. Her heart ached at the thought that their efforts would be in vain. 

Y/N hadn’t seen Minho since they arrived, having been separated from each other and the other immunes. Something about how they were the most promising subjects, she overheard from a scientist one time. Y/N didn’t know if Minho was alive, and if he was, what condition he was in. 

But Minho was strong, the strongest of all the Gladers in Y/N’s opinion. If he was being tortured like her, he would be able to hold on. Y/N highly doubted she would last much longer.

The rest of us can only hope to be as brave as you…

Y/N wasn’t sure if Newt knew she was actually awake that first night in the Scorch, but she’d heard him, his words so soft she thought she’d dreamt it at first. But it had been real; Newt thought she was brave.

She was too dehydrated to produce tears, but an ugly sob desperately tried to escape her aching chest. She bit her lips instead, hard enough to draw a little blood, and the sob died out, leaving her body quiet except for her mind.

I’m sorry Newt, but I am not brave.

Even so, Y/N refused to crumble to WCKD anymore. They’d taken everything from her. Her life, her memories, her loved ones, her friends. Even her hope – something she so naively believed no one could take from her. They would not take her dignity.

She raised her head at the sound of her cell door unlocking, blinking a few times as bright light flooded her vision once more. Two WCKD soldiers and two scientists stood by the door, and Y/N spied a gurney just behind them. 

One of the scientists – young male, maybe in his early twenties – stepped forward. ‘Time for more testing, Y/N,’ he said in a cold tone. But he had the sense to look sympathetic as his eyes roamed over Y/N as she stood up, showing how pale her S/C skin had become, how dark the circles beneath her eyes were, how the cargo pants and grey t-shirt hung off her in areas where she used to fill.

Y/N knew it was useless, but still she ran for the door, pushing past the scientists with ease despite her weakened state. However, she hit the soldiers like a brick wall, unable to fight against them as they restrained her arms and pressed her against the wall. The male scientist recovered quickly and injected her with a serum that made her drowsy enough that she wasn’t in control of her body. She was conscious as the soldiers strapped her to the gurney and the four of them wheeled her down corridor after corridor, and all she could do was watch fluorescent lights pass her by as she stared at the ceiling. 

Soon enough, she was in a familiar room: the test lab. 

‘It hasn’t been that long since we last tested her,’ the other scientist – a female, about the same age as her co-worker – said, her words laced with worry. ‘We put her under again, we risk losing her for good this time.’

‘I didn’t make the call,’ the male said as he continued to set up equipment around Y/N. ‘When Janson says he wants a cure, I don’t question him. Do you?’

The female didn’t answer, switching her focus to helping her co-worker. Y/N could slowly feel the serum wearing off – it was obviously only a light dose, the scientists knowing they’d put her under when they began testing. 

But just as they unstrapped her to move her to the nightmare simulator, the room shook, sending Y/N rolling to the ground as glass and steel broke around her. 

Sounds were muffled briefly and her vision blurred in and out of focus. She couldn’t hear what exactly the soldiers were shouting, but she saw them run out of the room alongside other soldiers. That just left her and the scientists. 

Y/N flexed her fingers, the serum completely wearing off. Before she could stand though, two hands roughly grabbed her arms and hauled her to her feet. ‘Come on, Y/N,’ the male scientist said, pushing her towards the machine. ‘Just one more trip under…’

Fear electrified Y/N’s every nerve. No, not again. With a desperate cry, she shoved the male into the utensils table, sending him and the tools scattering across the ground. Before he could get up, Y/N straddled his upper body and slammed his arms into the ground.

‘Get off me!’ he yelled, struggling violently beneath Y/N. He managed to twist them both around until she was the one pinned to the ground. Y/N struggled but to no avail. She was significantly weaker than she was when she was first captured and he knew that.

‘You little brat,’ he spat in her face. ‘Ungrateful, selfish immunes. Your duty is to save us all! You–’

He was cut off when he suddenly went slack, falling unconscious on top of Y/N. She scrambled out from underneath him, then looked up from the floor to find the female scientist with a syringe in her hand. She looked between her unconscious co-worker then Y/N, a scared and disbelieving expression morphing her delicate features. 

‘Go,’ the scientist finally said, her voice shaky, but the resolve in her eyes told Y/N that she wouldn’t chase after her. The room – no, the whole building – shook again, and when Y/N looked out the window, she realised why.

The city outside was on fire. Buildings crumbled, and Y/n could hear the screams and cries of civilians through the broken windows. The scientist wouldn’t chase her because there was no point. 

This was the end.

‘Go!’ The scientist insisted, and Y/N didn’t think twice. She picked herself up, ignoring the cuts and scraps of glass it caused her, and ran out of the room.

She ran into the corridor, ignoring the cries of soldiers and other scientists who recognised her as a subject. She didn’t know where she was going, but this was the most freedom she’d had in forever.

Then a thought came to her – Minho. She had to find him, he surely had to be alive. She would run through every floor if she had to to find him. So she ran, looking into every test lab, every storage closest, every break room on the floor. 

‘Minho!’ she cried, uncaring at this point if someone heard her. She just wanted to find him. She didn’t want to die without a familiar face with her. ‘Minho, where are you?’

She rounded a corner, right into the chest of a WCKD soldier. He was caught by surprise, giving Y/N an opportunity to slam him into the wall. It was like her fear was giving her a boost of strength, as she kneed him in the groin, sending him to the ground. He dropped the pistol he was holding, and she quickly picked it up and smacked the butt over the back of his head. He fell to the floor in one last scuffle and laid unmoving as Y/N sucked in deep breaths.

‘Y/N?’

She whirled around at the familiar call of her name, only to find three other people had entered the corridor. Thomas, Minho, and Newt. Her eyes scanned over them all, heart aching with an intense relief it threatened to crush her chest. ‘Guys?’ Her voice was hoarse with disuse and exhaustion. She was surprised she even had a voice after all her screaming.

Newt stepped forward, a relieved smile gracing his lips. ‘Yeah, love,’ he said, sounding on the verge of tears. ‘It’s us.’

Y/N’s first instinct was to run into his arms, the only place she’d felt since leaving the Maze. But she took a closer look at him. He was paler than when she last saw him, almost sickly with how dark the circles under his eyes were. Crank.

She pointed the pistol at her friends, causing them to raise their hands in shock. ‘Whoa, Y/N, it’s us!’ Thomas exclaimed.

‘No,’ she said, her voice cracking ever so slightly. ‘How do I know I’m not in that simulator again? How do I know this isn’t just another test, another trial?’

‘What are you talking about, Y/N?’ Newt asked, worry crinkling his brow. 

’She doesn’t trust her mind,’ Minho said, as if in explanation. ‘Boy, they really did a number on her…’

‘Shut up!’ Y/N unlocked the safety and pointed the gun at Minho. ‘You’re just trying to trick me. Make me think everything is all right. But it’s just a lie. You’re not here. You’re not here…’

Newt stepped into the firing line. ‘We are here, love. I promise, we’re really here.’

‘Newt…’ Thomas warned, but Newt remained, eyes locked on Y/N’s.

Y/N couldn’t look away from Newt. He sounded so genuine, so much more real than previous simulations. But WCKD couldn’t be trusted, and they were wearing soldier uniforms…

Her hands shook but her voice was strong. ‘Prove it,’ she said. ’Tell me something only the real Newt would know.’

Newt swallowed thickly. ‘Okay, um… You cut yourself when you tried out being a Slicer and had to have Clint and Jeff fix you up. That’s when you thought being a Medjack would be a good idea.’

‘WCKD was watching us the whole time. They would’ve seen that,’ she countered, using both hands to grip the gun. 

‘Okay, okay,’ Newt said, looking away a moment to think of something else. When he finally looked back at her, he was calm once more, eyes genuine and sincere. ‘How about how I jumped off the walls of the Maze in an attempt to kill myself?’

The world around the four of them seemed to freeze, as if the world wasn’t collapsing outside. To Y/N’s knowledge, Newt had never told anyone the truth of what happened that day. It was the shocked and tragic expressions on both Minho and Thomas’ faces respectively that had Y/N loosening her grip on the gun slightly.

Newt took a small step closer, eyes never straying from her. ‘I had lost all hope of getting out of that bloody maze. So I did the one thing I could do to control the situation. But I failed.’ He stepped closer again. ‘I was embarrassed, ashamed. I was just a coward. But you healed me and told me something I will never forget. I have held onto it like a lifeline through the Maze, through the Scorch, and all the time I was looking for you.’

He took one final step towards her, unfazed at how the gun pressed hard against his chest. Now that he was so close, Y/N saw just how sick he was. He looked like the early stage victims of the Flare they’d seen in the decrepit city they’d lost Brenda and Thomas in temporarily. And while Y/N refused to believe Newt – her beloved, sweet Newt – was infected, his eyes were the same as always. Open, honest, and truthful.

‘The rest of us can only hope to be as brave as you.’

It wasn’t the fact that he knew the exact words – again, WCKD had cameras everywhere in that Maze, they would’ve heard it. It was instead the emotion tied to the words. She felt them, felt the lifeline they’d created for him in his darkest moment. He wasn’t lying, and that meant he was real.

Finally, she allowed the sob to break free as she dropped the gun and threw her arms around Newt’s neck. He breathed out in relief, bringing her closer to his chest, face pressed into her H/C hair.

‘It’s really you,’ she whimpered, grasping tighter to the person she’s always been able to rely on. The person who has always protected her and brought out the best in her. Her closest friend, her safety net, her home. 

‘It is, love,’ he said into her hair, breathing her in deeply. ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you before.’

‘It’s okay,’ she said, pulling away to look up at him then to the other two. ‘I can’t believe you came after us.’

‘I know right,’ Minho said, punching Thomas’ arm lightly. ‘Dumb shanks.’

‘You can berate us later,’ Thomas said, rubbing his arm. ‘Right now, we’ve got to get out of here before Lawrence brings down the whole city.’

Y/N went to ask what he meant but gripped onto Newt instead as the building shook again.

‘Come on, let’s go,’ Newt said, grabbing Y/N’s hand with one hand, and holding a launcher in the other. Together, the four of them ran to escape WCKD once and for all.

~

‘Brenda!’

Y/N didn’t care about the rain of bullets and walls of fire around her as she ran for the berg. After hearing Teresa’s broadcast, she needed to get the cure back to Newt fast. Leaving him was one of the hardest things she has had to do. He wasn’t in great condition, but Thomas insisted that he’d take care of Newt. But the medicine Thomas had given Brenda all those months ago didn’t just buy her time, it had cured her completely. It could do the same for Newt.

If she could make it in time.

‘Brenda!’ Y/N cried as she spotted her friend. ‘The cure! I need the cure!’

Brenda understood, immediately retrieving one of the extra capsules Mary had made from Thomas’ blood before WCKD raided the camp. ‘Here,’ she said, passing over the injector. 

‘Thanks!’ Y/N said, already sprinting back into the war zone before anyone could stop her. 

She could feel it, the exhaustion, the strain she was putting her body under. Underfed and under trained, she was struggling. But she refused to stop. Newt had come all this way to find her, risked his life to get her out of WCKD’s clutches when he could’ve been administered the temporary cure and been safe on the berg already. No, Y/N refused to let him die without trying.

Minho, Brenda, Frypan, and Gally – Y/N was still shocked about that revelation, but that was for another time to discuss - followed around her, covering her with guns and other weapons as they ran through the war zone.

After an eternity of running, the group rounded a corner to find a sight that made Y/N feel like she was back in the nightmare simulator. Newt was leaning over Thomas with a knife aimed at his chest.

‘Newt, no!’ Y/N cried, running towards the two boys without thought. 

Newt faced her at the call of his name, and she froze as she saw his black eyes. Dark veins branched over his skin and black blood dribbled from his chin. He was a full-blown crank now. 

He raced at her, snarling as he swung the knife at her throat. She ducked just in time and rolled away as he slammed the knife down where her neck was. She quickly jumped to her feet, and despite her fatigue, muscle memory took over her legs, then her hands. That first night in the Scorch came to mind, how her and Newt sparred. The injector was her knife, and Newt her proper opponent.

‘Newt, it’s me,’ she said, slipping into her Medjack demeanour – calm and steady. ‘It’s Y/N. Please, snap out of it for a moment so I can help you.’

She thought he would run at her again, but his brows crinkled with concern and he looked at the knife in his shaky hands. He looked back at her, and the voice he spoke with broke her heart. It was a mixture of his sweet accent and a gargled croak where blood clogged his throat. 

‘Y/N…’ he started. ‘Run away… Before… Before I kill you.’

The scene reminded her of the time he came in with his injured ankle. How desperate he was to fade into nothing because he was scared and ashamed of what he’d done. But just like then, she refused to be scared of him. 

Y/N shook her head. ‘I’m not leaving you, Newt,’ she said. ‘None of us will.’

Newt seemed to realise there were more people than just her and Thomas, turning around to see the others. The sight of them seemed to distress him, though, as he snarled angrily and charged at her. She shuffled back as he swung at her again and again, but as she stepped back again, she tripped on something. She fell onto her back, knocking the air out of her lungs. Before she could gather herself up, Newt was on her, straddling her similar to how he had Thomas pinned before. Newt raised the knife to bring down on her but was tackled by Thomas.

They rolled for a little, then scrambled to their feet as they fought once more. This was Y/N’s only chance. She pushed herself up and ran for the boys, injector at the ready. Newt was bringing the knife forward in a wide arc that would gut Thomas when Y/N threw herself in between them, slamming the injector into Newt’s arm.

Right as his drove the knife into her stomach.

‘Y/N!’ 

She wasn’t sure who called her name, because all she could focus on was Newt as some of the blackness in his eyes cleared and she saw some of his gorgeous brown eyes. She also felt her body finally giving up. As if it knew that this was the end. After all the torture and pain, she had stayed alive so long for one reason. To save Newt – the boy who had been there from the start. So much so she hadn’t realised until he wasn’t there how much he meant to her. How he’d wormed his way into her heart and consumed it without her even knowing. 

She gripped his hand that held the knife in her stomach, unfurled his fingers from the handle, and brought them to her chest where her heart was slowly slowing down. Her weak legs gave out, and she brought Newt down to his knees with her. She could’ve been imagining things, but she swore she saw recognition in his half-black eyes which made her smile as tears finally fell from her eyes.

‘It’s okay, Newt,’ she whispered. ‘It’s okay because… I love you.’

Her vision blurred and she finally let go of Newt as the both of them collapsed to the ground. Her breaths were short and sharp as the pain made itself known. A rush of feet thumped around her, and she had the slightest awareness that someone was moving her, but she didn’t care. She was finally at peace as darkness, at last, consumed her.

~

Y/N woke to the sound of waves rolling over on sand. The first thing she saw was grey canvas, then rolled her head around to see she was lying on a cot in a small tent with tables and medical supplies similar to how her Medjack hut looked. But she wasn’t alone.

‘Oh my God.’ Brenda’s face came into focus as the girl crouched by Y/N’s cot, disbelief and relief morphing her gentle features. ‘You’re awake! You’re finally awake!’

‘Ow,’ Y/N clasped at her head at the sudden loudness. ‘Could you lower your voice please?’

‘Yes, right, sorry,’ Brenda said, but her lips split in a bright smile as she helped Y/N sit up. ‘I’m just so happy you’re okay.’

‘What happened?’ Y/N asked, all she remembered was being stabbed then falling unconscious. She pulled up her fresh linen shirt to see her wound bandaged. ‘I thought I was done for.’

‘So did all of us,’ Brenda admitted, her tone sombre as she pulled up a seat beside the cot. ‘We got you to the berg as quickly as possible and Vince got you stable, but you just weren’t waking up. It’s been a week.’

‘A week?’ Y/N made to get up but sat back down as her wound pulled in an unpleasant way.

‘Whoa, where do you think you’re going?’ Brenda asked stabilising Y/N back in her bed. ‘You’ve just come out of a coma induced by physical and mental torture. Not to mention you were stabbed.’

‘I’m fine. Trust me, I’m trained… somewhat,’ Y/N said, this time able to swing her legs over the side of her cot. Brenda didn’t try and stop her, but she did have to help Y/N when she stood. ‘Now, where is Newt?’ Brenda didn’t answer right away, and tears threatened to pool in Y/N’s eyes at what her silence could mean. ‘Brenda… Is he… Is he alive?’

Brenda, again, didn’t answer, and her face didn’t give anything away either. Instead, she just held back the flap of the tent and motioned for Y/N to exit. Y/N took cautious steps forward as she followed Brenda into a completely new place that had her staring in awe.

It was a bustling camp where sleeping quarters and other spaces were mapped out by canvas strung up on carved wood pillars and posts. Y/N spied a kitchen area where she swore she heard Frypan laughing with some others. 

There was a gathering area where a giant stone stood in front of the seats. There were names carved into it, like what they used to do in the Glade. Y/N tried to make out if a certain blonde’s name was on it. She caught familiar names like Alby and Chuck, Clint and Jeff. 

‘Y/N?’ 

She swung around to find Brenda smiling as she was joined by Thomas, Minho, and Jorge. The three of them ran at her, arms wide open to capture her in a hug.

‘You crazy shank, Minho said, laughter on his lips. ‘Look who finally decided to join the living again.’

‘And here I thought I was the lazy slinthead for sleeping for so long,’ Thomas said jokingly, pulling Y/N in for another hug. ’I’m so relieved.’

‘Welcome back, hermana,’ Jorge said, a warm smile gracing his lips as he gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder.

‘Good to be back,’ Y/N replied, smiling at the three males. ‘What happened after I thought I’d died?’

Thomas went to reply, but Minho cut in. ‘We’ll explain later. Right now, I think you should go say hi to someone else.’

Confused, Y/N followed Minho’s gaze to Brenda, who stood atop a hill and was staring over the other side of it. Y/N quickly reached Brenda’s position and followed her gaze to a large garden that people were working on. But her breath caught at the sight of a familiar blond at the edge of the gardens talking and pointing in all directions to people.

‘Hey, Newt!’ Brenda called out, causing the blond to turn around and look up. At first, he saw Brenda, but his gaze soon fell on Y/N and his whole face changed into disbelief.

With the other gardeners forgotten, he started climbing up the hill, and Y/N couldn’t wait another moment so she started walking down the hill. 

They met in the middle, with Y/N standing at Newt’s height on the uphill. Neither said anything to begin with, both in disbelief and awe at who stood in front of them. Y/N looked over Newt, noting he still looked pale and somewhat sickly. But the dark veins were gone, as was the black blood and his black eyes. And the sun shone so brightly that his hair looked golden. It was as if he was never infected to begin with.

With a shaky hand, she reached out to rest her hand over his beating heart. ‘You’re alive,’ she whispered, too scared to voice it too loudly in case this was also another nightmare. 

But he proved her doubts wrong as he rested his own hand on top of hers. ‘I am,’ he said, and the usual warmth of his voice truly convinced her he was real. 

His face pinched suddenly with concern and guilt. ‘I’m so sorry, Y/N,’ he said, his hand tightening slightly over hers. ‘I hurt you. I almost…’

‘It’s okay,’ she interrupted, using her free hand to cradle is cheek and keep his eyes on her. ‘You didn’t. I am here, too. Looks like we both saved each other.’

To her relief Newt smiled. It was a genuine, happy smile, something she hadn’t seen on him in a long time. He nuzzled into her hand briefly, before bringing it down with his free hand so he held her hands between them. 

‘Before I passed out,’ he started, ‘I remember you saying something.’

‘Oh.’ A blush heated upon her cheeks, but she refused to look away from him. ‘Right. I did say something.’

She was trying to play it cool, but as soon as his deep brown eyes fixed on her, she knew he could see right through her. But he didn’t smile smugly, he didn’t tease. He actually looked scared as his jaw clenched, fighting to find the next words to speak. 

‘You said you love me,’ he finally said, words tight but hopeful. ‘Is that true?’

Y/N’s mouth dried up suddenly, constricted by all the things she wished to say but couldn’t say all at once. It’s not like she was scared, she just never thought she would live long enough to have a future, let alone one with love. One with Newt.

But she had – she had survived WCKD’s cruelty, she had survived the terrors of the old world, she had survived when so many of her friends hadn’t. And it was her duty to live her gift of a life to the fullest.

‘Yes,’ she finally said, and it was like breathing in fresh air after being underground for so long. ‘I love you, Newt. I don’t know when or how it happened, but I do. I love you.’ 

There was a second of hesitation, but then Newt broke out into a wide smile, and Y/N swore she saw tears brim in his eyes. He suddenly reached one hand up to cradle her neck as he pulled Y/N in for a sweet kiss that simultaneously knocked the air out of her and breathed new life into her. He held her neck and hip, and she pressed her hands against his chest, satisfied to feel his heart thundering beneath her hands. The heart that almost never beat again, the heart that had saved her over and over again. 

The kiss was short but was no less breath-taking, and when they pulled apart neither could stop the smiles on their faces. 

‘I love you, too,’ Newt said. ‘If that wasn’t already obvious.’

Y/N threw her head back in a hearty laugh. She slung her arms around Newt’s neck, a cheeky grin dancing across her lips. ‘I’m not so sure. Maybe we could try that again to make sure?’

‘Cheeky bugger,’ he murmured as he pressed his lips to hers again. Y/N sighed into the kiss, grasping the baby hairs at the base of his head. 

They pulled apart at the sound of their friends whooping and clapping atop the hill. Y/N felt her face erupt with embarrassed heat, to which Newt laughed as she ducked her head into his chest. 

‘All right, come on lovebirds!’ Minho called out. ‘Dinner’s almost ready.’

As they walked down out of sight, Y/N went to follow but was stopped by a loose grip on her wrist.

‘What is it?’ she asked as she turned back to Newt.

‘I just…’ Newt turned to the gardens below, then to the water, then to the sunset that bathed the whole camp in beautiful hues of orange, pink and purple. When he finally turned back to Y/N, she thought he couldn’t look any more handsome with that pure sunshine smile and sparkle in his eyes. ‘Thanks.’

‘For what?’ she asked.

‘For teaching me how to be brave,’ he answered.

Y/N gave his hand a squeeze. ‘You were always brave, Newt,’ she said. ‘It’s how I learned how to be brave in the first place.’

Newt squeezed her hand in return, then they walked hand in hand back up the hill and down to dinner to where their friend awaited them. 

Where the lives they never imagined they’d get a chance to live awaited them.

#maze runner newt x reader #newt x reader #tmr newt x reader #maze runner imagines #maze runner x reader #the maze runner #minho #tmr frypan #tmr thomas #tmr minho #tmr newt #tmr gally #tmr brenda #tmr jorge #the death cure #the scorch trials #romance #angst #friends to lovers

[voidpetrova]

newt fucking you in his WCKD uniform. help?

the sleek, dark-gray jumpsuit with the WCKD emblem prominently displayed on his chest clung to his sweaty, sticky body. the uniform was designed to look utilitarian and functional, featuring numerous pockets and practical details. newt's tousled blond hair and rugged, yet youthful features, contrasted with the seriousness of his uniform. his intense blue eyes and added to his distinctive appearance. despite the uniform, his expression of lust and hunger reflected what he had really been feeling. the face mask was crucial, covering the lower part of his face, from his nose down to his chin. the black face mask added an air of mystery to newt's appearance, concealing part of his face and making him seem enigmatic.

“come on now, baby,” he murmured from his place between your thighs, tongue shooting out to drag through your pussy, his mask pulled over his head. the low and gentle vibrations of his deep voice send shockwaves of pleasure directly to your dripping hole, reverberating through your clit until you nearly began to cry. “thought you promised to be my good girl, huh?” he reached for the nearby vibrator that had been sitting on the bed in wait, bringing it into tact as you whimpered and attempted to shut your legs in retaliation. unfortunately for you, his lean frame kept them open, as did the threatening glare of warning that he shot you before turning the toy on.

the sound of the vibrations alone made you whine, a chill flying straight to your core as you began to breathe just a little quicker, eyes locked on the weapon in his grasp. you knew what was coming next, aware of the pain and the pleasure that awaited you fought against your orgasm. newt knew how to be cruel, but you didn't imagine him being as cruel as he was now, with an unbreakable desire to ruin you.

the moment the tip of the vibrator came in contact with your clit, you began to cry, already too sensitive from the sensation of his tongue inside you. even without the climax, your body felt spent. bruised and overstimulated. you didn’t think you could take much more. no trength to hold off the way he had demanded you to. “shh,” he cooed from between your legs, attention zeroed in on the movement of the toy. the way it circled the aching nerves, the way it pressed into them, deep into the bone. “you can take it, you’re okay.”

he was focused and merciless, digging the tip of the toy deep into your cunt before dragging it across your clit, using it to spread your lips open. the toy loses itself in your arousal, the material coated with your juices as he circled your fluttering hole with hunger. “you’re close, aren’t you, sweetie?” he purred, shifting closer, pressing a kiss to your clit.

when he pulled the toy away, you nearly cried, tears pooling in your eyes as you called out his name. the empty feeling lasted no more than a few seconds, not until he pressed a kiss to your forehead, pulling his mask back down his face and under his jawline, only to strip himself of his boxers instead. he was throbbing. long, hard, throbbing and leaking from the lack of contact. it was angry, with the leaky, red tip and unbearable pain searing through him. that pain didn't last much longer, not when he was pushing himself into you without a care in the world.

“newt,” you gasped, finding your fingers intertwining with his, clutching his hands with all your might as he forced your cunt open. “'s too much, newt.” you couldn't see his face, but you could practically feel, touch and hear the smirk on his lips. he fucked you open, in such a beautiful position, you nearly came all over him. he was hovering above you, grunts leaving his mouth as his hips rutted eagerly and desperately, as if he was trying to savor all of you at once. his hands were gripping your tits, fingers trailing down your waist before digging into the meat of your hips. he needed all of you, and he was determined to get it.

#the maze runner #tmr death cure #tmr scorch trials #tmr #tmr newt #newt fanfiction #tmr newt fanfiction #tmr newt smut #newt x reader #newt x reader smut #smut #death cure #the maze runner smut

[lowkeyrobin]

can u write a tmr newt x gn!reader where they were really close in the glade but slowly started to drift off of their friendship when they were in wckd compartments but got together again during one of the scorch nights(angst to fluffy thingy) tried my best to make it make sense:^)

ooo okay okay I got you ; idk I just had zero ideas for this?? I apologize lmao, I got like the basis of what you wanted, I'm just posting bc I spent way too long making just this 💀

NEWT ; rekindling a friendship in the scorch

summary ; friends to not friends to friends again in the scorch

warnings ; language

word count ; 959

masterlist

You and Newt were inseparable in the Glade. You did nearly everything together, following each other around, finding comfort in one another. It changed once you escaped the maze, however.

Even though you shared a room in your new home inside a lab, it didn't help whatsoever. After that first warm shower, everything between you two just changed.

You were never able to have lunch with your friends, always being pulled away for more and more testing. You'd seen Newt following Thomas around like a lost dog.

Between all the stress and physical deterioration, you didn't have time to talk or share thoughts with him anymore. He seemed to think the same way as you basically ignored each other as the days passed. Everything seemed to be a problem now, even though no words were spoken, only looks, or for that matter, the lack of them.

Upon finding out that WCKD was never gone in the first place, you quickly join the escape with your new friend Aris, crawling around through the vents at dark. The escape was quick and calculated, and nearly ended in death, probably a solid fourteen times. But, your group escaped to the dark, sandy scorch outside.

Bergs fly overhead, lights shining onto the sand in search of you. You all ran through the rough terrain as fast as you could and hid behind a large area of hills, waiting for them to retreat, hoping they wouldn't find you.

Unluckily, you slid down next to Newt, not a glance shared between you two. You instead looked over at Aris and Thomas to your right, making sure they were both in one piece.

The long, painful hike through the scorch continued, Newt behind Thomas and Teresa while you were behind those three, then Minho and Fry. Winston and Aris were behind you, symmetrically separating you and Newt.

The night passes, hours and hours of walking and sweat fatiguing you.

You stumble upon a mall, building up your outfits and learning some more about the Cranks that flooded the scorch. Your fight through the mall was intense and still really God damn awkward as you found yourself helping Newt up off the floor after being tripped, nearly left for dead for the Cranks.

You sprint behind the group, catching up as Thomas leads you to the exit.

Once the adrenaline wore off, it was back to the exhausting trudging through the sand.

You kept your distance with Newt, especially after Winston had fallen ill to the Flare Virus. You'd both known Winston for most of the time you could remember about your lives. The pain after hearing the lonely gunshot in the distance stopped you all in your tracks before continuing some moments later.

The days were far too long for the group of teenagers. Why you were all bundled up in a desert was beyond you, but you'd take listening to the others rather than dying because you didn't cover up. No one knew who was actually immune or not, so it wouldn't be worth it to try and test it out.

You'd taken refuge under some rocks in a little flatland area in the desert once it hit dark. You'd barely spoken in the past few days, malnourished and exhausted. You, Aris, Fry, and Newt are the stragglers left awake, baking cans of beans over the fire while also tending to it, making sure the others got some warmth as they slept.

As the hours passed, Fry and Aris fell asleep, cuddling up in the heavy clothing they found extra warmth in. Who knew a desert would be freezing once the sun had set? Obviously not you, since most of any important memory ever had been wiped, but yknow.

That left you and Newt awake, sitting a few feet away from each other, an awkward silence among you. You tap your fingers on the sand beneath you, then graze them around in little patterns, unable to find yourself tired even if you wanted to. You were exhausted tired, not sleepy tired, sadly.

The blonde surprisingly speaks up.

"Thanks for saving my ass in the mall"

You glance over at him, then look back down at the sand beneath your fingertips. You nod. "Yeah, anytime"

He slowly nods, looking out at the empty miles of sand and dirt surrounding you in all directions. "Is something wrong between us?" He asks, "You haven't been talking to me at all, and you've always got this intimidating look on your face when I look over at you, so I mean, I didn't wanna bother you, ya know?"

You shrug in response. "I mean, it started back at that lab. They were always testing on me and I was just tired, but once we escaped I kinda thought you were trying to ignore me. I dunno, sorry if I read that wrong"

His expression morphs to one of sadness and guilt before wrapping you in a hug, pulling you closer to him.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to ignore you, Y/n"

You lightly smile, wrapping your arms around him. "Sorry for kind of being a bitch about it"

"Look, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. We did kind of escape the maze, then WCKD after being tricked, and we've been running through this bloody desert for days. I don't blame you. If anything, I'll blame Rat-Man for burning you out with testing in that lab. " The dirty blonde smiles, patting your back.

"Oh, thank you, Newt. How could I ever repay you?" You chuckle, pulling away from the hug as he does.

He shrugs, a devious yet smug smirk on his face. "You could repay me in water?"

"My cantine has been empty since this morning!"

"Damnit"

#lowkeyrobin #tmr newt #newt tmr x reader #tmr newt x reader #newt x reader #newt tmr #the maze runner x reader #maze runner x gn reader #maze runner x reader #maze runner oneshot #the maze runner #gender neutral reader #gn reader #gn!reader #they/them reader #thomas brodie sangster x reader

[ivys-cafe]

📠 don't go dark

pairings: newt x thomas, female!reader is only mentioned

summary: newt finds it hard to cope after the group got separated with y/n. thomas helps him find hope.

timeline: wckd lab during scorch trials

genre: angst, hurt, comfort

warnings: established relationship, mentions of pregnancy, devastated newt

author's note 🧇

i've always imagined what it would be like if my oc got separated from the group. also i made y/n pregnant here. sorry if anyone is finding difficulty relating to that. it's just i've wrote a whole story before about my oc, and in my version the oc is pregnant with newt's baby in the glades. but i hope it doesn't take anything away from this scenario. i really want to highlight newtmas' friendship and all of its fluffiness. if you have any feedback, you can message me or write something on my ask. i would appreciate it very much.

-ˏ͛⑅　‧̥̥͙‧̥̥ ̥ ̮ ̥ ⊹ ‧̫‧ ⊹ ̥ ̮ ̥ ‧̥̥‧̥̥͙　⑅ˏ͛-

Newt slumped down onto the cold metal floor, his head buried in his hands. He feel his heart beating erratically in his chest. How could they be in the safe hands of WCKD, while the love of his life was still out there? Was she alone, scared, and in pain? He could hardly bear the thought.

He thought of you, your stubbornness and unyielding nature. He knew that you had made the decision to stay behind in the maze, not wanting to abandon your best friend Gally, but he couldn't help but regret not forcing you to go. He should have gone back for you, he should have done something.

But now, it was too late. He was stuck in the hands of WCKD, with no way of knowing whether y/n was even alive. The uncertainty was tearing him apart from the inside out, his mind racing with all the possibilities of what could be happening to you.

Were you in danger? Were you being hurt? The thought of you suffering alone, with no one to turn to, made his chest ache with a pain he had never felt before. Newt's anxiety spike, his thoughts are driving him insane. He knew he had to find a way to get you back, but he didn't know how.

Thomas sat down next to him, looking just as exhausted and defeated. "You okay, man?" he asked, trying to break the silence.

Newt scoffed bitterly. "How do you think I'm holding up?" he snapped. "I don't even know if she's alive or dead, and we're stuck in this damn place."

Thomas placed a hand on Newt's shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. "Maybe she's out there. We'll find her, Newt."

Newt jerked his shoulder away from Thomas' touch. "Oh, of course. How could I be so foolish? We'll just stroll out of here, past the guards and their guns, and find y/n wandering around outside the building. Simple as that." He shook his head, fear latched onto his trembling voice. "Face it, Tommy. We're trapped here. And we don't even know if y/n's alive or dead."

"Y/n's smart," Thomas stated with conviction. "She can handle herself out there, Newt."

Newt's body trembled as he shook his head, anger and grief mixing into a boiling pot of emotions inside of him. "You heard what those bloody cranks say, didn't you?" He hissed at Thomas. "The Scorch will chew us up and spit us out like we're nothing. And y/n..." His voice cracked, the anguish almost palpable. "She's out there, alone and pregnant. And I couldn't do anything to protect her."

Thomas frowned, his face etched with concern. "I know it's not ideal, but we have to keep moving forward. We have to keep fighting."

"You don't get it," Newt said, his voice barely above a whisper as he struggled to hold back tears. "You don't know what it's like to feel like you've lost everything,"

Thomas's face fell, his eyes betraying the pain he felt. "I do, Newt," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "I lost my memories, my family, my entire life. We were all in the maze, fighting for our lives every day. I know it's not the same, but I understand loss. And I'm here for you, man. Whatever you need."

Newt's anger began to fade, replaced by a deep sadness. He leaned his head against the wall, feeling defeated. "I just miss her so damn much," he whispered, tears streaming down his face.

Thomas could see the pain on Newt's face, and he knew there was nothing he could say to take it away. He put his arms around his friend, holding him tight as Newt sobbed into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Newt. I'm so sorry," Thomas said softly. "But we can't give up. Not now. We have to keep fighting, for y/n, for ourselves, for everyone we've lost."

Newt pulled away from Thomas, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. "I know," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We'll find her, Newt," Thomas asurres, his voice firm and resolute. "No matter what it takes, we'll find her and the rest of our friends."

end

2023 • ivys-cafe ☕️

all rights reserved

#tmr newt #newt tmr x reader #newt the maze runner #the maze runner #newtmas #newt x reader #scorch #scorch trials #tmr imagines #newt tmr imagine #newt x y/n #thomas brodie sangster #thomas sangster #the maze runner imagines

[sukisheadlights]

PROTECTIVE TENDANCIES!

tmrminho x wckd!oc

summary: she took care of him all these years in the maze. But will she be there for him when he needs her outside it?

story: maze runner masterlist

rory’s voice mail 🎧: Sooo I'm not that well versed in the lore (that is a sign for re-watch + re-read I know) either way I haven't made any mistakes as far as I'm aware of but incase I missed anything, let me know <3 love you, say it back!

SPOILERS AHEAD OBVIOUSLY

Sadira spins around in her chair as the dark blue light reflects off her glasses; before coming to an abrupt and screechy halt when she hears him yell through the computer screen. She quickly turns and looks over the multiple cctv screens around her in search of minho, until she finds him. Eventually. She messes around with some buttons around her until the 'griever' as the gladers called it, slows down. She sighs and leans against the chair having succesfully saved him the third time this week.

Sadira could confidentaly say that she was the youngest at w.c.k.d. She was 16. She could tell you alot of things, except for what she does in the abnormally technologically advanced building all day. There isn't exactly a job description for saving the asses of the friends you've made through a screen who don't know you even exist. Infact, that probably hinders the consistent experiements being thrown at these children who are her age, heck— some of them are even younger.

Sadira knows that the only reason she isn't in that maze is because she's the daughter of Dr. Ava Paige. I guess even being an adopted daughter has it's own advantages.

That's why she's so careful when she saves the lives of the gladers, if ava finds out both her and the reckless gladers she watched over are doomed. Boy this would be tough to explain if she met them in person, how would she even act around them? Thankfully she doesn't have to worry about that yet. Right?

When Ava turned her away and banished her from coming to w.c.k.d for 'safety reasons', Sadira was MORE than curious on what her 'mother' was hiding. So naturally, when she called her back urgently she ran through the multiple maze like hallways of the building in search of Ava like a mad woman. Maybe in her own way, w.c.k.d was her maze and cage too. just in a non-life threatening sense. for now.

She walks towards the prison cell looking holding room as she stands next to the woman she calls her mother not looking through the window just yet; she should have, maybe she could have ran instead of walking straight to her demise.

Instead she stared gaping mouth at the other girl who happened to step into her peripheral vision. "You remember teresa, yes?" Ava announced loudly, her words ringing colder than the white lights above their head. Sadira could only nod in response; who the hell was inside that room?

"Unfortunately my love, it would be unwise to get into details here. But teresa recently found her way back to w.c.k.d, back to us. And she has been working with us in your absence. It is with a full heart that I can tell you that you will be learning hands on how to talk to a test subject today. Do not worry child, rest assured, you will be safe." She spoke again as teresa walked away, her tone laced with something unfamiliar which, looking back— could have only been something poisonous. "Go on." she nudged again as Sadira walked into the plain white chamber which, looked even sadder from the inside.

She turned around as the door closed behind her and this, mystery inmate. Her heart dropped to her feet. It was him. He was here. Nonetheless, she approached slowly and sat down infront of him. He looked...Terrible.

"Hello," She said blandly, but internally she was nervous as ever. But if she showed it, Ava wouldn't let her talk to him again. How would she help him out then? She should probably slow down but the difference in his character was unsettling.

He didn't say anything in response and only watched her intently, or dazed. She remembered how his eyes looked in the maze, even if they were facing near death every second of the day. And then she noticed how dead they looked this very moment, when this was the one time in life he was truly protected. She looked towards the one-way mirror hoping she was looking directly at Ava. That's when he scoffed. "They can't save you in here."

She looked back at him, eyebrows raised and all. "What would I need saving from, Minho? You won't hurt me." She said confidentally, but not in the sense that she knew he wouldn't. Well, still in that sense but she only showed Ava what was on the surface. Confidence in the sense that she was hiding her fear.

Minho ofcourse, knows that even if he wanted to kill her this very second he would be unable to, considering the shitload of drugs he was put on. She's pretty, it's a shame she's on the wrong side of all of this, he thought.

"Don't wanna talk? that's alright. We'll get you to one of these days Minho. Time is on our side." the words spilled out of sadira's mouth leaving a bitter after-taste. she didn't like talking to him like this, but if she even let Ava catch on to the idea that sadira had...once grown fond of the boy infront of her? she would have lost her chance. for what exactly? she's not entirely sure herself.

silence engulfed the small white room as she watched the nervous bob of his adam's apple before promptly getting up and leaving.

That night, without much shock. She was kidnapped. "Oh, it's just you lot." she said calmly, looking at the faces of thomas, frypan, newt, and gally. All the idiots she saved multiple times. Well, except for frypan— he was always a sweetheart.

The point is, she wasn't intimidated. Instead she laughed when they tried to threaten her. Then, she asked them to untie her and much to everyone's surprise, they obliged.

Not wanting to leave them high and dry Sadira explained everything to them. How she saved their lives, How she knew them, How she saw teresa, And about how she spoke to Minho. She then warned them that as a 16 year old saving them to those small extents was all she could have done and that it would be unwise to redirect their anger from w.c.k.d to her simply because she knew.

She also agreed to get minho out, but that was a given. The only condition she set down was freedom from Dr. Ava Paige. Who she had the displeasure of calling her mother. They sat on the floor that night and all the gladers and Sadira in unison decided the best plan to get minho out of that hellhole. And they settled.

On Gameday, Sadira offered to walk with Janson and pointed out how something looked suspicious with teresa and her guards. Inevitablly, Janson approached the disguised gladers and it was there that they grabbed her as she sneakily snatched janson's all building access card. She was with them under the ruse of a hostage, just so that Ava doesn't get suspicious and look too closely.

When they found out Minho was moved, it was only because of Sadira and another test subject that they could pinpoint Minho's exact location.

However, she should have probably thought to warn him in some way that she was on their side. Maybe then Minho wouldn't have mistakened her for the enemy and slammed her into the wall once they did find him. ouch.

The escape after that was mostly smooth sailing, there were no losses and only minor setbacks. But those don't matter enough to be mentioned here. [Authors Note: I didn't have it in me to kill off newt so don't blame me] Ofcourse, Sadira almost dying while protecting minho doesn't fall under minor setbacks but she would have done that for any glader.

When she woke up in the 'refugee' a few days later, minho was the first person she spoke to. The conversation flowed much more smoothly when her formerly alive mother (that was fun to find out) wasn't watching over them, she joked. And he laughed. And she thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world. So she made him do it again, and again, and again. Until she finally realised she couldn't get enough of it.

They moved fast. From touches, to kisses, to something more. But it was never in the sense that it was too much to handle, Instead it was in the sense that they had waited too long for each other and that they were desperate for this. Needy, even. Which was insane considering he barely knew her. Oh well.

First Kisses and First loves are obviously difficult post-apocalypse but hey, atleast it makes one hell of a story.

#minho tmr #minho tmr x reader #tmr minho #minho #the maze runner #tmr thomas #the scorch trials #the death cure #newt tmr #newtmas #newt x reader #minho the maze runner #minho x reader #thomas tmr #sukisheadlights

[nomoreusername]

The Other Side

Pairing:Newt x gender neutral reader

Summary:After both Newt and you get the flare you make a life ending decision together.

It was the worst thing to happen to anyone. I had caught the flare along with Newt. Despite Thomas trying his best two people, almost half dead, and going insane, was a lot to handle. He had to drop us on the ground.

"I don't think I can do this anymore,"I panted, laying still in front of the WCKD building.

"You'll both be fine. They're getting the cure. You'll be fine,"Thomas tried to assure this.

"Don't make promises you can't keep,"Newt murmured, his body almost completely limp next to mine. I felt like my heart had stopped beating, like something was hitting my head over and over, as I felt myself freeze. I couldn't move.

This was for the best because once those lights came on everything inside me seemed to cloud over. I had one thought on my mind. Somebody needs to suffer.

I turned my head to see a stranger glaring at me, with black eyes, and black drool. He looked just as ready to kill so I had to get to him first.

I lunged at him and knocked him to the ground. He scratched at me, his nails drawing blood. This stranger was a threat.

"No! No!"Someone screamed, trying to pull me off. I threw that person to the ground. They hit it with a thud before lying motionless.

I went over to see who it was when I realized something. Thomas. I had just killed Thomas. At least, I thought so until I saw his chest moved. I didn't kill him. I caused him pain.

"Tommy?"Newt asked, kneeling next to me. I looked over a him. He didn't have much time left either.

"I'm sorry Thomas,"I whispered, closing my eyes. I pulled a gun from my pocket and looked at Newt. He nodded as his eyes filled with tears.

We couldn't live like this though. This wasn't even living, and we knew our friends wouldn't make it to save us.

He pulled his own gun out and held against his head. We just stared at each other.

"I love you Newt,"I said for what could be the last time.

"I love you too. I'll see you in the other side,"He whispered.

"Yeah. If we get there I'll find you,"I promised. He nodded before closing his eyes. I did the same before pulling the trigger.

If only we had waited just one more minute. Then, Brenda would have given us the cure.

#newt maze runner #tmr newt #newt tmr #newt x y/n #newt x reader #the maze runner #tmr #one shot #angst with no happy ending #pure angst #hurt/no comfort #the death cure

[slut4fictionalmen33]

Don’t Lie To Me (newt)

Summary: i can’t rly fill this out without it spoiling the story

Warnings: angst, language, gun, tdc spoilers. tdc plot

Word Count: 1.2k

You, Newt, Thomas, Gally, Fry, Jorge, and Brenda were in a beaten down building. Home of Gally, Lawrence and the rest of the right arm trying to figure out another way into WCKD.

“Same dick who betrayed us?” Brenda blurted.

“I like her.” Gally finished. Newt huffed before standing up straight and speaking.

“What’re you afraid your little girlfriends gonna get hurt? Hmm?” There was a pregnant pause and awkward silence before he spoke up again. “This has obviously never been about rescuing Minho. Has it?”

“What are you talking about?” Thomas questioned, obviously confused at the sudden outburst.

“Teresa!” His volume increased. “She's the only reason Minhos even went missing in the first place. Now we finally have an opportunity to get him back and what? You don’t want to because of… her?” You had never seen Newt like this. So demanding and aggressive. It was sort of intimidating. “Because deep down inside you still care about her. Just admit it.” He pressured backing Thomas all the way against the nearest wall.

“No I-…”

“Don’t lie to me!” Newt yelled, earning a gasp from both you and Brenda. “Don’t. Lie. To. Me!” He repeated.

You could see it on his face, the guilt and regret. You could tell something was wrong. But as he ran out all you could do was watch as Thomas followed.

After a couple of minutes when you gathered enough courage to go talk to him you walked into the cool air revealing a hunched over Newt sitting on the edge of the roof.

“Newt, are you okay?” You asked walking over and sitting down. “I’ve never seen you so upset.”

“Y/n i’ve been hiding something.” He gestures at his arm. “Don’t think I can hide this anymore.” He says pulling up his sleeve to reveal black and blue veins stretched from his wrist to his elbow. You gasped and covered your mouth. You were shocked to say the least. How could your boyfriend hide something so crucial? “I was going to tell you. Not like this. I’m sorry.”

“Newt. I-I it’s okay i’m just not sure what to say. It’s a lot to take in.” You sighed, staring at his forearm.

“Y/n i’m sorry I yelled back there. I didn’t mean to scare you. I love you.” A simple tear trickled down your face as you predicted your boyfriend’s inevitable future.

“I love you too. I will make sure we get through this. You deserve to live Newt.”

“Thank you Y/n.”

~

Newt was panting trying to catch his breath as you had stopped to rest.

“We’ve got to get the serum. Minho you’re the fastest go!” Thomas ordered.

“I’ll go with him for protection.” Gally said, chasing after Minho.

“Newt stay with me baby. I need you. You’re okay I promise. Stay with me. I love you.” You pleaded keeping Newt's head upright so he could look at you.

His head dropped without your support, eyes bloodshot black liquid running down his chin.

“We have to go Y/n!”

“Y/n.” Newt groaned. “I need you to take this.” He said, grabbing on the bullet around his neck.

“Newt not right no-…”

“Just take it!” He yelled. “Just take it.” He said quietly, almost ashamed of his actions. “In case I don’t make it.” He assured.

“Newt I promise you’re going to make it. I just need you to help as much as possible.” He nodded as he placed the necklace in your hand.

Shoving the necklace into your pocket you and Thomas decided it was time to keep moving so you gathered Newt under his arms and carried him as far as we could until he became dead weight.

“Newt, come on.” You sobbed. “Please.” You collapsed with him.

“Y/n.” Thomas kneeled with you a comforting touch on your back. “All we can do now is wait okay? I promise he will be okay.”

“Yeah like you promised Chuck?” You snapped. “Or Winston? How about Alby?”

“Y/n you know you can’t blame me for this. I didn’t do this. It was WCKD.”

“Thomas.” Speak of the devil. Somehow Teresa was speaking on the overhead speakers telling us some bullshit story again. “You are the cure. Your blood kills the virus. Come back to me.”

“Don’t you dare Thomas.”

“We have to save Newt!” He yelled as he ran back to the lab. Just as he was running off you were greeted by a not so happy guest, Newt.

“Newt?” You questioned inching closer. “Newt is that you?” Before you could get any closer Newt turned around and lunged at you. “Newt what the hell! Newt get off me!” You sobbed.

Newt shrieked eyes, fully blackened hair sticking up in different places trying to kill you.

“Newt please.” You kept pushing. “Please stop.” And suddenly as if the real Newt could hear you his eyes cleared and he stopped holding you down. You took this chance to flip the two of you over and pin him down in case of another episode.

“Y/n? Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

“No Newt you just held me down. It's okay. I love you.”

“I love you to-…” He was cut off by a shriek.

Newt started thrashing under you almost as you were minutes before.

“Newt, please just calm down.” You pleaded. “Minho!” You yelled hoping he heard you.

“Kill me!” Newt yelled from under you.

“W-what?”

“Kill me!” He repeated flipping the two of you over once again. “Before I turn into one of them.”

“Newt I-…” But before you could finish he pulled your gun out of the gun holster on your leg and cocked it aiming for his head. “No!” You yelled before knocking the gun out of his hand.

Newt was not happy. He charged at you and tackled you hard.

“Newt please.” You pleaded. Just as Minho and Gally arrived and punctured Newts back with the serum.

“Thank you.”

“Where is Thomas?” Gally asked as Minho tended to Newt.

“I-I don’t know. Teresa said come to the lab. I-I need help.” You said as you felt the back of your head luckily there wasn’t much blood, just a pounding headache and memory loss.

“Y/n I need you to stay with us for Newt.” Gally say you up. “Y/n?” He questioned but you were already unconscious.

Gally carried you all the way to the burg Minho doing the same with Newt.

~

You woke up to a blinding light. The sun. Your head was pounding and your body was sore.

You looked over to see Newt opposite of you “Newt!” You exclaimed running over to him ignoring the soreness. “You’re alive!”

“What the hell? Where are we?” He asked, hugging you back.

“The Safe Haven. I love you so much!” You hugged him tighter.

“Y/n I can’t breathe baby.”

“Sorry.” You pulled away. “I-I just thought you wouldn’t make it. I thought I wouldn’t make it.”

“I love you Y/n. I will never leave you.”

You crawled in his bed and snuggled into his side. “I love you too Newt.”

#tmr newt #the maze runner #newt x reader #newt tmr #newt oneshot #newt imagine #the death cure #thomas brodie sangster

[m30wk1ttycat]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴢᴇ ʙ ɢɪʀʟs - 𝐈𝐈

this wasn't really supposed to have more more parts, but i got bored. contains: blood, flames, guns, violence, newt being caring and hopelessly in love. word count: 1937 pairing: newt x fem!reader summary: just when everything was going so right, it was all going so wrong in the worst ways possible. for six months, you were held captive by wckd. and when you get rescued, newt is acting like a concerned boyfriend. the only issue is, that he isn't really your boyfriend.

everything was perfect. you and newt got along, brenda was getting better, you were reunited with your friends again. that is, until you looked up into the sky, seeing bergs flying. what the hell? you and newt exchange a glance, confused. how did wckd find out where the right arm was? "what the hell?" you mumbled, looking around. newt looked just as baffled as you did. then there was an explosion. and then more. you could count to six. you then lost track when you got dizzy, because of the bright flames that lit up the entire camp. newt grabbed your arm, trying to get you to focus on anything other than the smoke. a few wckd guards - now seeming like there were hundreds of them as they all exited the bergs - were currently shooting everyone who moved - or who they felt like, it seemed. "come on, focus. please," newt said, and pulled you up with him. running as fast as you can, you grab the guns that harriet threw in your direction. the same ones that you almost shot him with just earlier that day. vince was trying to shoot as many as he could. so were the others. but it was no use, there were too many of them. everyone was forced to kneel down as the guards scanned them. you were smooshed between sonya and aris. the guards read out the subject names. once they got to you, you let them do whatever it was they were doing - scanning, threatening everyone, and whatnot. you weren't going to cause a scene. not now. "how many did we get?" janson asks one of the men, who answers with "all of them. give or take." janson doesn't seem to satisfied with the answer, though. "give or take what?" "well, they lost a few," the man responds. "b9," the other guard says from behind you. just like twenty minutes ago, you, and newt exchange a glance.

but, when janson asked "where's thomas?" you look back down, panicking internally. "right here," thomas said, walking towards him. the guards approach him and tell him "freeze," to which he complies and puts his hands up. the guard behind him pushes him forward, and before he could even blink, he was standing right infront of janson, face to face with the guy that newt is currently glaring at. thomas was then pushed to the ground, kneeling next to minho. when you look up at the sky - now pitch black sky, with only a few stars you could notice being the only things that made it look as if it weren't some kind of void -, there was a large aircraft. the dust was being blown into your hair and eyes. when it stopped, you looked up to see ava paige leave the berg with four guards around her. "is this all of them?" she asks, to which janson answers with "most of them," before adding "it'll be enough." you hated the way he worded his sentences. it? right, because you were an object in his eyes. it. "start loading them in," ava commanded. "yes, ma'am," was the last coherent sentence you heard before the guards started to pick you up, and force you inside the bergs. ava stood in front of thomas, teresa - the girl he once trusted so much - by her side.

"i'm glad you're safe," ava says to teresa, in a tone that you'd describe as caring, if it wasn't ava who was talking. "what the hell?" frypan looked surprised, seeing her. "teresa?" newt, on the other hand, looked utterly confused. "wait, what's going on?" thomas' answers only fuels his confusion. "she's with them." "since when?" he hears minho ask. janson, already standing behind the two women, answers. "teresa's always had an evolved appreciation of the greater good. once we restored her memories, it was only a matter of time." teresa's voice trembled when she says, "i'm sorry." but then she continues. it kind of makes you hate her even more. if only she would've stopped there.. "i had no other choice. this is the only way. we have to find a cure." thomas looks to the side for a moment, taking in her words. "she's right. this is all just a means to an end. you used to understand that, thomas," ava says in a slightly harsh tone. "no matter what you think of me.. i am not a monster, i'm a doctor. i swore an oath to find a cure! no matter the cost. i just need more time." "more blood," mary corrects her. then it clicked. what aris told you - that he found the strung up immunes in that building, the one they were in before they got to the right arm - it was all true. not that you didn't believe him, you just didn't want to.

"hello mary," ava greets her with an emotionless expression. "i hoped we'd meet again. i'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances."

but was she really sorry? "i'm sorry about a lot of things, too. but not this. at least my conscience is clear." ava's jaw tenses before she speaks again. "so is mine." a gunshot was fired. then vince panicked. "mary? mary?" no answer. but i think we all know why that was. "mary!" vince yelled again, and your eyes shift to janson holding a gun. mary's body fell to the ground with a thud, her blood seeping through her shirt. vince cries out, "no! mary! no!" holding her body close to his, as janson puts back the gun. "load them up. let's go," ava orders. "all these people. let's go! let's go!" she repeats again. sonya, aris, and you were already being led away by the guards in black suits with the wckd logo on them, harriet calling out your names. thomas grabbed an explosive, and ordered her to let everyone go. ava said she can't and tried to talk thomas out of using it. just as he was about to use it, jorge crashed a jeep in a group of wckd's soldiers. you were half sure the man was either crazy, or about to turn into a crank. his ideas weren't the brightest, but hey - at least thomas didn't blow up everyone and everything. nevermind. he threw at one of the soldiers who was about to shoot him. and everyone started shooting eachother. again. for the third time that day. shots were fired, bullets flying in the air. minho was getting dragged by the guards - or soldiers, i have no clue what to call them - to the the berg. you, sonya, aris, and minho were taken by wckd. you were almost entirely sure that that would be the last day you'd get to talk to newt. that is, until six months later, you got rescued. harriet hugged you guys when she saw you. "there you are. oh, god!" she whispered. newt gave you a warm smile, as if trying to reassure you. just like thomas was doing, only that thomas wasn't smiling, and was also searching for minho.

"he's not here," thomas shook his head. newt didn't respond to him, and looked away. now, you were in their new hideout, sitting against a wall. your head thrown back, sonya wiping aris' lip. harriet approached them with something to drink. then you, eventually. "took you guys long enough to rescue us," aris joked. "it's good to see you, too, bud," thomas said, looking at you and aris. aris had a black eye, a busted lip, and you had a cut on your nose bridge, a few scrapes on your forehead, and also, like aris, a busted lip. newt kneeled down infront of you, tilting your face so he could clean your wounds better. you flinched at the sudden contact, and tried to assure you that he wasn't going to hurt you. you knew he wasn't going to. he told you once that he wasn't really a fan of violence. "y/n, it's okay. i won't hurt you, and neither will they," he gestured towards the others, whispering. his soft voice surprised you. the last time you heard him felt like forever. not to mention that he looked different from the last time you saw him those six months ago. his hair got longer - so did brenda's, who was standing behind thomas with her arms crossed -, the cut he once had on his cheek was healed and was barely visible now, and somehow, he looked even more adorable when he made that face with his furrowed eyebrow. "i know, i'm sorry," you whisper. "don't be," he whispered back, holding your cheek. he smiled softly. "so what happened?" thomas asked, he nodded towards you, and aris, who seemed roughed up. the bruises and gashes didn't go unnoticed by anyone. but you wished they did. "fought back," aris answered. you interrupted to add, "tried to, anyway," looking at thomas. newt took your chin and made you look at him again so he could actually clean up your bloody lip. hell, who was he lying to? he wanted to clean up your entire face of the dried blood, not just your lip. dabbing away the blood on your lip, he asked, "does it hurt?" "no" was your answer, but when you sucked in a sharp breath, it was pretty obvious that you weren't exactly truthful with him. "sorry. i'm tryin' to be gentle. i really am, y/n," he said, sounding frustrated with himself. "it's okay. don't worry about it," you assured him, but no matter what you said, he still had a feeling that he was hurting you. thomas asked if you had any clue where you were heading to. you'd answer him, if it weren't for you always getting into fights with the guards after attempting to fight back. it seemed like violence was the only answer when it came to wckd related things. thankfully, aris, who wasn't unconscious most of those six months, answered. it wasn't much of an answer, but it was something. something about a city or something, but you were too busy looking at newt.

"i didn't there were any cities left," harriet said. brenda, who was quiet for most of the time, spoke up. "that's because there aren't. not still standing, anyway." newt's eyes were fixated on your lips, dabbing away the dried blood. when he was done, he patted your shoulder, and sat down next to you. he pulled you closer so your head was on his shoulder. you found yourself wincing when he pressed down on your hip, where you had a huge bruise. "sorry," he kissed your forehead, pulling his hand off of your hip to wrap around your waist instead. he listened to whatever thomas and the others were saying. he did his best, at least. but how could he, when the girl he fell in love with at first sight those six months ago - the same girl who he was helping when she got dizzy, the same feisty girl who fought back when the guards tried to force her into the bergs - was currently letting him hold her? thomas' words went in one ear, and went out the other. it was getting a bit hard to focus on him and what he was talking about. and he was almost entirely sure that you heard his heartbeat speed up. in his arms, you felt something you haven't felt in a long while, always on the run, trying to constantly get away from wckd. you felt safe.

#the maze runner #newt tmr #the maze runner newt #tmr #tmr newt #newt x reader #newt x y/n #maze runner #newt the maze runner #newt #the scorch trials #the death cure #newt x reader tmr #newt tmr x reader #the maze runner fanfiction

[themoonandtheprincess]

Farmer's Market Troubles Part 1

"We're taking the word Crank back!" Newt frowns as he messes with a corner on the pamphlet he was just given. The people on it are not infected with the Flare, not ones before or after Gone or healed like he is, and it's apparent in how they're standing. They're shot straight up and proper and too close, almost crowding each other. It's like this new WCKD group wants to keep the infected crammed in with each other, far away from the Immunes in their own lands. Newt thinks of the Scorch. It's not a thought he wants right now. The June sun doesn't help his thoughts either as it heats up his neck and ears and he takes a sip of water as he thumbs through the pamphlet. They insist to be called Cranks, at least by this organization, smiling at the camera with blurbs of their stories that's too coherent to be from a Crank. Newt would never let himself be called a Crank. The language from the Glade was goofy enough. He glances up at the non-infected people running the booth and imagines everyone glowing with color. Like an X-ray, there's a black dot inside of him and it expands and deflates everytime he breathes. He tries to keep it inside him. And it tries to move to his fingertips but he drops the pamphlet and rubs his sweaty hands against his jeans. Touch had became so difficult when the Flare came, like he was burning people too close to him and the feeling never went away, even with years of being cured. Touch and being touched came easy with Thomas but it was frustrating to the point of tears when all he wanted during his sickness was Alby's warm hand squeeze his shoulder or Minho to try to wrestle him without feeling like the black spot in him would bleed out of him like a ink on paper. He would not allow himself to become a Crank. Newt gives himself a moment of clamping his jaw shut and digging his fingernails in his palm with every emotion he's ever had as he looks down at the pamphlet, desperately wanting to tear up the pages onto the new group's lap, the little letters from the paragraph on "How to live normally with the Flare" spelling out Fuck you. But what would that prove, a bitter part of him seethes, that you are, in fact, a Gone, nasty Crank? Newt pauses and looks for new words. I am healed, I am healed, I am healed- He had been for years. Things can always be reversed- They can but this wouldn't be. There are an infinite amount of universes and the one I am in is the one where I am better. With Tommy. There are an infinite amount of universes and you'll never know which one you'll fall into- Infinite could mean anything. Anything could be good. And even amazing, wonderful things. Newt says nothing to the people running the booth as he wills himself to calm down. It would do no good, nothing except rile him up to be here. That was what the whole thing was for. The whole organization. He sets off to find Thomas and their friends.

Minho has his eyes half-closed as he slumps against a tree and lazily opens them as Newt catches himself from stumbling against another tree. Damn it. Why did his bloody limp have to worsen when he was pissed? "Don't kill yourself," he jokes, then tries to redeem himself. "You okay?" "Yeah." He replies, easing himself against the opposite tree. " 'M fine." Thomas shoots Minho a sharp look but says nothing as sucks in his bottom lip staring at Newt- a weird habit he developed in the Maze when he got to thinking too much. Thomas stretches his legs out from under him as Newt does the same as best he can. Their boots knock into each other's and he gives Newt a calming smile. Newt lets out a small breath. "You wandered off for a little too long," he teases. "Minho's getting tired and is being a big baby about it, insisting we drive him home." "Jorge never answered my text if he could." Minho whines. "Should had texted him earlier." All three jump at Brenda's voice as she appears from behind a tree and streches to grab a low hanging branch to swing on. She looks tired from her morning at her Jorge's booth but she continues to swing with a smile. "He's never not busy," she adds. "What brings you three little piggies to the market?" Newt laughs. Again, he thinks of the terrible language of the Glade fourteen year olds who thought they were cool made up. "I went on a run with Minho," Thomas pipes up. "I didn't even know the market was today, so of course I had to call Newt because he loves all this stuff and then he got lost-" "I didn't get lost," Newt interrupts. "I was looking for magic beans." Thomas rolls his eyes and continues. "Anyway, Minho needs to be put down for a nap so could you please drive him home? Newt drove the car here and your house is closer to his then ours. Please?" Brenda and Minho's faces twist into matching cross expressions. It's no secret they don't like each other, but Brenda believes in karma and whether she thinks something good would come to her from driving her annoyance of a friend-of-a-friend home or something bad would happen happen to Minho, she agrees and then adds: "Why can't he just run home?" Minho flicks her ankle as she dangles and she kicks his shoulder. "Because I'm a tired little baby." He whines. She might had said Damn right you are under her breath but Newt couldn't hear over the slight grind of her teeth. Brenda glaces and Thomas, who has puppy dog eyes, then drops down from the tree. "Slim it. Get in the car." She says. Thomas mouths Thank you, I'm sorry as her and Minho leave and Brenda flips him off. For some reason he has a pleased look on his face. He bumps his shoe into Newt's again and it brings him to look up. Thomas as softened against the tree like he'll melt in it and Newt imagines the colors of his surroundings again. The park pulses with pale blue love and life and almost everyone and everything does too. Thomas is in bright hero green and it radiates out of him into everything he touches and everything he loves. They are connected and there is slight worry about it but Newt's loyalty and love for him and engulfs them both. He forces himself back to the ground where it's just him and Thomas and the birds.

#newtmas #newt tmr #tmr thomas #tmr minho #teresa tmr #brenda tmr #the maze runner #the scorch trials #the death cure #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 #fluff #angst #Crank tmr #I don't know what this was please I'm begging do not look into the logistics

[in-need-of-gally-content]

|Chapter•Nine|

•|Masterlist|•

(M/n) found himself trying to sleep for the remaining hours he had left of rest, but he soon realized it was useless, he can't fall asleep again because his mind is awake, alert, and on edge.

He sat on the mattress and reached his hand to the bookshelf, taking out his journal and a pen from the box, reaching up the top to turn his lamp on, opening a random empty page and (writing/drawing) about his dream, or what he could remember of it, which wasn't much.

Closing the journal, he stared at the WCKD label on the hardcover, and he couldn't hold back from doodling all around it, drawing devil horns and fire around it.

After a little while of mocking the Creators, (M/n) was getting bored, sleep was definitely not coming back to him until later in the evening, so he found some rope made of hay, and the origami he had done. Poking small holes in them with a needle and using the stray strands of the rope to secure the paper on the rope, he thought some simple decorations for the walls didn't sound too bad. He kept hanging the origami on the rope, leaving roughly 3 centimeters of distance between each one, and he soon ran out of rope, so he placed it on top of his bookshelf to hang it later.

(M/n) realized there was no point in staying in his room any longer, the sky was turning clearer but there was no sight of sunlight just yet, so everyone was still asleep. He stood up and grabbed his bag with the few snacks he packed the previous day and walked out.

He quickly yet silently made his way to the kitchen to grab his bottle and put it inside the bag, before jogging to the closed Maze Doors, placing his bag on the ground to make his way to the Blood House, he decided he was gonna be useful before he left for the day.

Greeting every animal that woke up, (M/n) filled their water and food bowls, greeted Bark with pets and kisses, staying outside of the barn to play with him for a little while. Until his eyes noticed two figures approaching him, Minho was heading his way with one of the guys he saw on his first day, the long-haired blond one was... Dan, right?

"Alright, boy, I gotta go," he leaned down and kissed Bark's head, walking out of the barn as the Maze Doors did their mechanical growl-like sound as they opened.

Bark watched him from his spot, his tail moving slowly as the three of them ran into the Maze, observing (M/n) as he disappeared.

/////

Running the Maze was quiet at first, until Minho started making conversation with both of them, and of course, (M/n) ended up mentioning Gally, catching Dan's attention, seeing the playful smirk growing on his face as he looked at him over his shoulder.

"Gally, eh? Didn't picture him as your type, greenie," (M/n) felt his face warm up but he decided to blame it on all the running he had been doing, laughing and shrugging.

"We're not like that-" he couldn't finish his phrase because Minho snorted.

"Yeah, they're just friends, Dan," (M/n) scoffed playfully at the obvious sarcastic tone in Minho's voice.

"We are!" He exclaimed with a wide smile, laughing a little between words.

But Dan wasn't convinced, "Not with the way he looks at you, no," both Dan and Minho kept running ahead of him, chuckling at each other as if they got their hands on the world's biggest secret, and (M/n) was... Confused, to say the least.

Dan's words made his heart beat faster and his tummy tingle, but he knew better than to believe anything that wasn't said by Gally himself. They're just playing, yeah... That's all they're doing.

And now, it was time for a chance of pace, "So..." He started as he approached them, keeping a steady jogging pace, "How long have you been a Runner, Dan?" The blond glanced at him and tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

"Almost two years, but I'm not exactly a Runner, I'm a Map Maker, although we do run the Maze as well," (M/n) frowned and nodded at his explanation. There were some jobs that had some sort of 'ramifications' for putting it in a fancy word.

"Kind of like the Builders and the Brick-nicks, I get it," he added to his explanation, humming as he glanced up the huge walls momentarily. They were approaching new territory, or so it seemed, because Minho looked at Dan, who reached for his bag and pulled out a journal and a pencil, mapping the turns they did, along with the unexplored pathways.

He wasn't expecting to be running along unknown territory, but he trusted Minho, if anyone knew anything about the Maze, it was him.

//////

The sound of the Maze Doors opening woke Gally up, he sat on his bed and rubbed his eyes before yawning. There wasn't much noise coming from the Glade besides a couple of guys awake and walking around, usually Frypan and some other cook getting up to start with breakfast. And Gally wasn't the type to laze around for long, so he got up from his bed, picked up his sketchbook, and made quick way to the bathroom in the Homestead.

He greeted Fry on his way past the kitchen and subconsciously started making his way to (M/n)'s tree, he only realized where he was going when he spotted Bark walking in the same direction as he, both of them stopping and making eye contact briefly.

"Hey, boy," Bark wagged his tail at him and continued on his path, Gally right behind him. He watched how Bark laid next to a tree, under its shade, and Gally briefly remembered that Bark had been staying at the treehouse all the while (M/n) was gone, the poor labrador was already there when he and (M/n) had come to chill out for a little bit.

He reached for his sketchbook when an idea sparked in his mind. Flipping through the pages, he found the finished blueprint for the treehouse, stapled to the page with the original sketch. He moved the paper away and gripped his pencil, doing a rough drawing of a dog house on the free space under (M/n)'s room, making it a close space to protect Bark from the cold wind and the rain, a foundation so he wouldn't sleep on the mud, sketching a small roof under the window, where his food and water bowls would be.

Gally is focused on getting every detail done as precisely as possible, figuring out (M/n) wouldn't really mind Bark's company, they really seemed to get along, a relationship of unconditional and mutual love.

But he's so entranced in what he's doing that he doesn't realize a few hours going by, skipping breakfast and lunch, only snapping back to reality when he hears the alarm of the Box coming up, and he remembered (M/n) telling him a thing about how there might be something for him with the supplies.

Gally secured his sketchbook back on his utility belt and jogged his way to the Box, reaching it right when the mechanical gates were opening up. He ignored everyone that asked him where he was, and silently jumped in the Box.

Looking around briefly, he spotted a rather small white cardboard box that had (M/n)'s name written on it, and he decided to leave it for last before handing crates of various sizes to the rest of the Builders. And when everyone was busy getting everything to their respective place, he grabbed the cardboard box and climbed out.

"Hey, uh..." Everyone around looked at Gally as he spoke, watching him fidget with something in his hands, "I'll be right back, start without me."

Doug nodded and called for everyone else to keep working on getting their supplies where they belong, and Gally turned around, heading to the treehouse.

Bark spotted him from afar, lifting his head off the ground and his tail thumping softly on the grass, Gally smiled at him briefly before going up the ladder and opening the door.

The bookshelf they built together sat next to the mattress, and the double curtains (M/n) made were held up by a nail on either top corner of it, some thinner rope tied to each one. The curtains were open to showcase the books on the horizontal crates on top of each other, his clothes and other things were kept in the vertical ones on either side. It was simple and looked nice. And...

They made it together.

Gally walked inside and place the box on top of the bookshelf, basically working as a drawer and bedside table by now, and he noticed the journal laying next to the lamp. A chuckle escaped him at the sight of the silly doodles around the WCKD label on the hardcover, some words written under it but crossed out.

And then he saw all the origami (M/n) did tied to a rope, it looked like it was gonna be some simple decoration, and he wondered where he was gonna hang them. He looked around for a moment, the little bit of light coming through the slightly open curtain made the place look cozy and homey.

Gally found himself wanting to stay inside for the remaining hours of the day, but he had stuff to do, so letting out a sigh, he turned around and left the treehouse.

//////

While he was busy placing the supplies in their respective spots, he overheard two other Builders snickering nearby. They had their back turned to him so neither of them had seen him.

"Well, but... Even if she is hot, she would be so much hotter if she stopped being... Like that, you know? It feels like I'm attracted to a guy, I hate it," Gally's jaw clenched, suddenly remembering (M/n)'s comment about how he would never fit in the Glade, and how everyone viewed him like... A girl.

He stood straight and stood behind them, towering over them, being a head taller than both.

"If I hear you talking about (M/n) like that again," both of them flinched at the rough tone in Gally's voice, looking up at him, trembling under his glare, "You'll be working under the sun with no breaks," they gave frantic nods at him, staring at the deep frown on his brow, "And you'll be working extra today, now back to work."

Their complaining whines got stuck in their throat when Gally turned around and went back to work.

Unfortunately for the rest of the Builders, they also had to face a pissed off Gally, who was tense and on edge as he supervised their work, especially when they were put to work on something Alby requested needed to be done. Some of them were definitely glaring at the culprits, who worked more as Brick-nicks rather than Builders, but were also part of this whole thing.

No one complained and silently followed Gally's instructions, not wanting to anger him more. However, they felt relieved when he walked away after he spotted Winston, heading to the Homestead with containers filled with meat.

"Winston," he called him as he walked next to him, the Keeper of the Slicers hummed in response, "Could you take Bark's water and food bowl to the greenie's tree house? Thank you!" And he was gone before he could get a response.

"...Sure."

Gally ran over to Mikah and Xan, who were drinking some water and wiping the sweat off their faces, panicking when they realized their Keeper walking closer to them.

"We'll get back to work-," Gally stopped them from doing so, holding them by their shoulders and making them turn around, a little frightened about what could happen to them.

"I need your guys' help with something," he announced calmly, instead of snapping at them for slacking. They briefly glanced at each other, "Come with me."

Gally started heading toward the warehouse where planks, sticks, rope, and such were kept safely, dragging Kurt with them on his way.

He was very brief and concise when he told them what to do. Mikah and Xan were in charge of carrying planks, sticks, and ivy back to the treehouse, while Kurt ran to the Homestead to get the builders' toolbox.

When they were done, he lead the way, telling them where to put everything and how they could stay if they wanted, but they didn't need to help him.

They were skeptical, Gally was mad no less than twenty minutes ago, but he seemed calmer now, and that was nice, but neither knew how long it would last. Even so, Mikah smiled and went to Gally's side, saying something about wanting to help him.

In the end, they all stayed with Gally, listening about the dog house he was planning to do for Bark, who had stood up to greet all of them briefly, pressing himself up against Gally, who scratched his ears like (M/n) did.

While they were discussing the foundation of the house, Winston came by to drop the bowls with food and water for Bark, who went and ate something, taking some gulps of water before sitting by a tree, staring at them as they worked. For now, they were only gonna get the basics done, the size of the floor and the four columns under (M/n)'s room.

A while later, Gally let everyone else go back to the Homestead or wherever they wanted to go while he tied sticks together with ivy, he didn't wanna leave Bark sleeping in the cold, so he was improvising a quick wall that should work as a provisional thing.

But now, (M/n) should be coming back from the Maze.

//////

With nothing to do as he waited, Gally's mind wandered to the single thought of how (M/n)'s arrival at the Glade was two weeks ago. Time does fly when you're having fun, it almost felt like only three days had gone past...

"Gally?"

He blinked and noticed (M/n) standing in front of him. He looked tired and that made Gally frown, although he understood that the greenie would be tired from running for eight hours straight, that didn't make him feel less worried about him.

In complete silence, he handed him another candy, watching how he unwrapped it and ate it, releasing a quiet and short hum as he turned to make his way to the Homestead. Gally followed him closely, keeping an eye on him and seeing how (M/n)'s eyes were closing on their own as he walked.

He watched (M/n) as he sat down by the entrance to the Homestead, and he sat right next to him, "Long day?" He finally managed to say.

(M/n) looked up at him, and showed him a tiny smile, nodding sluggishly in response, "Yep," he replied quietly, barely audible.

Gally offered him some more snacks, but (M/n) shook his head and silently drank some water from the bottle he brought, placing it down between his legs, staring far into the Glade. Everything was quiet, or well, they were the quiet ones, and Gally's mind wandered, realizing how the annoyance he felt earlier was gone, he wasn't mad or feeling on edge anymore, all of that was gone by simply being in (M/n)'s presence, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

It meant he had someone who he could spend time with to relax and be himself without his tough façade, but it also meant (M/n) was his weakness, that he had a soft spot for the greenie and other shanks or slintheads -like Peter or Billy- would soon realize that and he didn't want to involve him in anything that could hurt him-

The soft bump he felt on his shoulder snapped him back, feeling an increasing weight on him. Did he...?

Slowly moving his head to his side, he realized that his thoughts were true, and (M/n) fell asleep on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the feeling of the goosebumps covering his skin and the way his heart started beating faster, and louder -or it felt like it did, pounding like that in his ears-.

Gally really didn't want to move, but he was only able to stay still for so long, since Fry had started calling dinner. He sighed and shook (M/n) gently, calling his name quietly, managing to wake him up rather quickly, as it seemed he wasn't asleep just yet.

"Hm? What... What happened?" He asked sleepily as he rubbed his eyes, yawning and shaking his head a bit, it reminded Gally of a puppy.

He buried the thought in the back of his mind, and stood up, helping (M/n) do so as well, "Dinner is ready, come on."

//////

With dinner going by quickly, (M/n) finished eating and stood up to head to his room, his eyelids closing on their own but managing not to trip on his way there.

He noticed something being built under his house, but he didn't think much of it, he figured Gally had a good reason for it and went up the ladder, putting some force to raise it off the ground before going into his room. There wasn't much he was able to see, but his eyes had been getting used to the dark outside so his sight focused rather quickly.

(M/n) put on an extra effort to change his sweaty clothes to clean ones, leaving the dirty ones on the remaining space atop his bookshelf-drawer-bedside table, and simply... Knelt on his mattress before falling face-first into his pillow, needing to restore energy for the next day, figuring he would be gone for longer again.

That night, his mind was plagued with dreams, but only one stood out, probably because of the feeling of calmness and ease he felt. He was sitting on a rooftop, staring at what seemed to be a city, pretty advanced in his opinion, seeing as it looked nothing like the Glade. The sight and the place were rather eye-catching, mesmerizing in a way, but he realized he would rather pick the green scenery of the Glade over all the lights and tall buildings surrounding him, unable to see more than a few stars lathering the night sky.

Putting all those observations aside, he noticed something else. He could hear himself humming a song, quietly followed by his singing voice, his hand holding someone else's, someone who was humming alongside him.

He tried to look toward the person he was sitting with, to know the person holding onto his hand and gently squeezing it, but his sight was locked straight ahead of him.

"I just wanna be with you, (M/n)..."

There goes the same phrase he heard on his first day as a greenie, the same voice just a little bit clearer, and he realized.

It sounded... Familiar.

//////

This time, when (M/n) was running the Maze, everything was quiet, but he did not mind that Alby and Aiden weren't talking to him, or talking at all, the quiet was nice because he needed time to think, still making sure he didn't stay behind and both of them remained on his field of vision, jogging ahead of him with a few feet of distance.

Minho told him before they left that today they had to explore a new area that opened up in the Maze, they couldn't keep putting it back just because he was on his Runner trial, so this could go really good or really bad. He wasn't worried in the slightest, he had been able to keep up with Minho for two days, and he figured he could...

"Okay, we're here," Alby spoke as they slowed down to a walk, and soon his eyes caught sight of a weird section of the Maze, "Start mapping the Blades, Aidan," the Keeper of the Map Makers nodded, and did the same Dan had done the previous day, he started marking their path, "Greenie," he looked at Alby with wide eyes, caught off guard for a moment, "You're gonna be taking some of the ivies on the walls and would trail our path, so we don't get lost."

He nodded and reached his arms to tear some of the ivy hanging on the walls, putting them on the ground and holding them down with any heavy rock he found.

Everything was alright, but the longer they walked and stayed there, an uneasiness started settling in his chest, he almost felt as if someone- something was watching their every move. (M/n) felt like a prey out in the open, waiting for a predator to jump him.

And he swore he heard something akin to a metal growl in the distance, snapping his attention in that direction, halting his movements. He squinted and saw the sun reflecting onto something, and he wondered what it could be-

"Greenie, don't stay behind," he apologized quietly and obeyed Alby, heading his way while continuing on his task, and yet, he was unable to shake the feeling of anything happening during their time in the Maze.

//////

Gally was pissed.

More Gladers had been making unnecessary comments about (M/n), and there wasn't much he could do when they were part of the Sloppers and the Baggers, he had no authority regarding them, and that only left him angrier, closing his fists tightly as he held back from punching them until they understood they were doing something wrong. But they were slintheads before and they'll continue to be, beating them up wasn't gonna change their behavior.

So now, in order to focus on something else, he was working away to finish Bark's house, taking a few breaks every now and again, especially when Bark came up to him asking for attention and wanting to play around.

He made sure to refill his bowls, realizing the previous bag of dog food had run out but they'd gotten a new one yesterday coming in the Box. Gally noticed that Bark had been feeling lonely and looking down ever since (M/n) had been running the Maze, and he couldn't blame him, he felt the exact same way.

Sitting on the grass with Bark laying on his lap, he realized, has he ever felt lonely in the Glade just because one of his friends wasn't around? The answer was no, he hadn't, and he blamed that on the feeling that he never felt like he had a true friend, or someone who he could consider as such.

He stood when Bark walked away to drink more water, and he tried to continue building, but with his head somewhere else besides the structure, he ended up cutting open the skin of his fingers. He considered just keep working, but it was bleeding quite a bit, as most hand injuries do, so he huffed and made his way to the Homestead.

Walking straight to the med room, he stepped in and immediately made eye contact with Newt, who was rubbing his left leg and groaning in pain.

"It's acting up, isn't it?" He asked quietly as he started rummaging the drawers in his search for bandaids. Gally glanced at Newt, seeing him nod with a frown in response before he went back to look around.

Newt maintained his look on the taller blond, "How you feelin'?" It took Gally a few seconds to answer, simply asking something else in return.

"'Bout what?"

He sighed and simply said it, "About (M/n)," Newt didn't miss the way Gally stopped moving for a short while before taking a deep breath and shrugging, trying to act nonchalantly.

"G-good, I think... He'll be going in the Maze tomorrow as well," Newt silently nodded, taking notice of the small frown on Gally's face.

"But...?" Sighing again, Gally grabbed the bandaid and sat on the couch behind him, fiddling with it.

"I feel... Alone, and like I'm a shucking idiot for liking him because he's into girls but a lot of the guys see him as one... and I'm worried about him being in the Maze with the Runners for so long," certainly, Newt wasn't expecting Gally to actually tell him what was bothering him, but he understood Gally's worry.

Not only was (M/n) -biologically- the only girl in the Maze, but he was also their dear greenie, one that hadn't caused trouble on purpose and had been a great help to everyone in the Glade, whether they deserved his kindness or not, and he was... The guy Gally liked.

Newt wasn't gonna let the thought of Gally liking someone else get to him, he was the one that wanted to continue being friends with him after all, and he had offered his ears and mind to help him if he ever needed to talk about his feelings.

They continued talking for another while, until Gally decided he was gonna get back to work, unable to stop himself from apologizing to Newt for simply rambling and bothering him with his dumb issues, to which Newt said it was nothing and didn't have to feel sorry, that he wanted to help him.

"Don't worry, mate, we're all humans after all," he said as a way to reassure him, and it worked.

But Newt didn't like the way his heart skipped a beat when he saw Gally smiling at him as he left the med room.

With gritted teeth, Newt messed up his hair in frustration, "What the shuck is wrong with me?"

//////

With the sun setting in the horizon behind the Walls, Gally wiped the sweat off his forehead, done building Bark's house, and placing his bowls on the intended spot he made, right under (M/n)'s window, a small roof sticking off the side to work as cover. He liked it. Now he had to run to the barn to get Bark's bed.

And... Done!

He looked at Bark and petted his head, "That's your new home, boy," gently tapping his back, he watched how Bark slowly approached the house, sniffing it before recognizing the smell of his bed and he walked in, laying on it, his snout poking out the door.

Gally smiled and glanced at his watch, the Runners should be coming back soon...

Making his way to the Homestead he grabbed a few snacks that continued to lay around in the cabinets, on rare occasions anyone that wasn't a Runner ate them, since they were mostly kept for them to eat while in the Maze. He grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and began making his way to the doors, waiting for (M/n) again.

This time around, they came back right on time before the Doors closed, and Gally couldn't help but realize that the greenie looked exhausted, he was almost mad at Alby for making him run for such a long time, but that was the point of the Runner trials, to prove they could take the mental and physical exhaustion.

(M/n) turned to look at him the moment he entered the Glade, completely ignoring the food he had on his hands and leaning against his body, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes, Gally's proximity and body heat was pretty much all he needed to fall asleep standing, he felt safe after being on edge the whole time he was at the Blades, feeling observed even on their way back, and now he was much better.

Gally didn't push (M/n) away, he simply wrapped his arm around his middle and took him to the Homestead, heading to the dining area while they waited for dinner to be ready.

Fry had noticed the greenie's state, so he got his plate ready first along with Gally's, and told Carl to take the tray to them.

With (M/n) barely being able to keep his eyes open, he ended up getting Gally to feed him, not that the Keeper really minded, everyone knew better than to make fun of him in his presence, and well, the sight was rather cute, he couldn't let this opportunity pass.

Even as cute as (M/n) looked falling asleep every few seconds, Gally wasn't gonna let him walk back to his treehouse in the dark, on his own, otherwise he was probably gonna trip and end up sleeping on the dirt, so he took (M/n) there, catching his attention to make sure he would raise the ladder before heading inside, telling him to close the door.

A sleepy (M/n) smiled at him from his elevated spot, leaning on the doorframe, "Thank you, Gally..." His voice was rumbly and deep, clearly tired after the day he had, and Gally felt a shiver run down his spine, one that he couldn't nor wanted to blame on the cold breeze around him, whistling in the leaves of the trees.

He smiled back, his face warming up as he nodded.

"Good night, (M/n)."

//////

His hands were holding someone's face in the dark, the breaths mixing as their foreheads pressed together.

"We're gonna be together soon, okay? I promise," whoever he was holding nodded in response, feeling their hands moving his hair back.

"I trust you, (M/n)."

The scenery changed after those words, and now he was in the same security room from before, screens in front of him showing him images of the Glade.

His eyes stared at everyone running toward the Box, opening it, and helping the new guy get out, his ears picking up on the conversation they were having.

"Where am I?! Why can't I remember anything?!" He frowned at the words he heard, and he turned to stare at a blonde woman.

"We... We had a deal! We weren't supposed to erase his memories!" The woman never looked at him, and he got angry, launching himself at her, but being stopped by two men holding him back, "We had a deal, Ava!"

With a jolt, he woke up.

(M/n) sat up on his bed and held his pounding head in his hands. What were these dreams he kept having? Were they just nonsense?

Or were those his memories before being sent to the Glade?

#gally x reader #gally x y/n #gally x male reader #the maze runner x male reader #the maze runner #the maze runner x reader #tmr gally #gally the maze runner #gally maze runner #ftm reader #trans reader #trans #will poulter #will poulter x reader #will poulter fanfiction

[serenefreakgeekao3]

Apricity

[Table of Contents]

CHAPTER ONE, The Beginning

Day One, Wednesday

The first thing you notice upon waking up is darkness. You feel your eyes fly open, can feel them twitch around wildly for any purchase of light, something to see. Suddenly a flash of light passes in a blink of an eye, on and off again, and you squint and blink the stars back. So you listen instead. Clunks and grinding of metal, the pull of what sounds like chains. And clucks, from chickens.

You feel around and you're laying on some sort of canvas bag, pushing it down you feel little pieces inside, like rice. You follow the canvas bag down until you meet a smooth, cold metal floor. It's slightly cold, and you can feel wind rushing past you, blowing through your hair and whipping your cheeks.

Another flash of light, this time you manage to see boxes piled up in the corner opposite of you. The light flew downward, as if the platform you're sitting on is rushing upward. Like an elevator. You're not sure where the word comes from, or how you know it, but you do. You try to remember how you got here, how you know what anything is, and can't quite grasp it. It all feels so familiar, like you might've lived this once. You study the feeling, the only thing you can latch onto in this darkness, and you realize maybe you haven't lived this before, but you know it. And you know you're heading someplace both safe and dangerous. Guard up, but not fight or flight. You start feeling irritated, the memory is just there and you can't quite reach it.

The platform you're on is slowing, the wind isn't as rough against your cheeks and the sounds aren't quite as noisy and dangerous sounding. Clunk, clunk... Clunk. The platform comes to rest, and you huff a breath. Ok, now what?

Your question is answered as the darkness above you opens- first with a slit, then expanding, an exceedingly bright light blinding you. You raise a hand, covering your face and blinking harshly a few times, trying to accustom your eyes to the new brightness as quickly as possible as fear flared up in your stomach. You were surrounded.

There were voices, calling and mocking, and an authoritative one calling for everyone to disperse. Your eyes adjusted more and you can see people surrounding you- inside some hole in the ground? You take a moment to look around, and you had been right. An elevator, boxes with the letters WCKD across them, and a sack of rice under you. You look back up, noticing fewer people than before, the novelty must've been wearing off as they wandered away. 

"You must be confused." A deep voice calls down to you, and your eyes finally find purchase on one of the people. A young adult man, dark skinned with a bald head. You couldn't see his eyes from here, but his voice sounded kind. "We all were, when we came up."

"Where am I?" You call up- and, yep, that was your voice. You heard a few chuckles from the surrounding people, only about ten left, and your eyes scanned around and through them. The sun was shining down into your eyes still, and the people were standing in front of it. All you could really see was shadowy forms. 

"The Glade," A rough voice was next, followed by the man who spoke jumping down and landing harshly into the cage across from you. You didn't move, or flinch even, still just letting yourself rest against the rice. You watched him warily though- 'Guard up, but not fight or flight,' you repeat to yourself- and his impressive eyebrows seemed to raise even higher. "Any other questions, Greenie?"

You watched him turn around and grab a hold of something being lowered into the cage, some kind of jumble of ropes. He bends down, lifting a box and fitting the jumble of ropes around it. "Why am I here?" The next question out of your mouth earns a surprised chuckle, the man turning his head to eye you for a moment before securing the box better.

"Pull it up!" He calls out, and you look in the same direction, noticing the rope being suspended in the air by some sort of metal pole, and two boys hefting the rope up. The box began to ascend steadily, and he turned to look you in the eye once more. "Dunno' why. To live here, I guess?" The answer confused you, though you considered that if he didn't know why then it wasn't likely anyone here did. At that answer, you felt restless, and pushed against the rice to stand and meet his gaze at eye level.

"What do you know?" You winced at the condescension in your voice, not meaning to sound rude. You felt better at the bark of a laugh the man produced, and watched as he looked upward toward the others. You followed his gaze, noticing far fewer people. Your eyes met the first man that spoke, and a few other men to either side of him. The workers were lowering the rope already, and the man in your cage turns and begins working on the next box.

"Why don't we discuss that once you're up here?" The kind voice spoke up again, now that you were looking at him. You took a deep breath, nodding. "Gally can help-"

"I can do it, so long as you catch me." You call out, watching him shift his feet and glance at the man to his right warrily, before looking back to you.

"What do you mean-" His voice tapered at the end, cut off by your sudden burst of movement. You ran toward them, jumping and kicking up the cage wall as best you could, throwing your hands upward. The man dived for you, as did both of the others standing next to him, and suddenly you had multiple hands grasping your wrists and forearms. 

You laugh, disbelief coloring your voice, followed by the men's groans. They must've thrown themselves down pretty hard. They began pulling, and you helped where you could, getting footholds on the gaps in the cage walls and hoisting yourself upward as best you could. Soon, you were laying on the grass just outside the elevator. You laughed once more, and you could hear another chuckle from one of the men nearby.

The sky was blue. You knew this was true, at least. It definitely seemed true enough, as you stared upward toward it. You heard a few weirdly worded curses nearby, and pushed yourself up to your elbows to take a look around. What you noticed first was the walls. Giant, made of stone, and surrounding you on all four sides, two of which with large openings in the middle. Great, you jumped out of one cage to be trapped in another.

The next thing you noticed was how green everything was. Ivy climbed high up the walls, passed the tree tops- and yes, those were fully grown trees. An entire forest fit into this land, and as you sat up further you noticed a farm with growing foods, and a barn with some animals grazing in front of it. Many people swarmed around, digging in the farm, carrying sacks or boxes in their arms, or even raking over in the animal pens. An entire community.

"Shucking warn a man next time," Came the kind voice, though not sounding quite as kind as he had. You turned to meet his eye, and he huffed out a breath, wiping his hands on his pants. You looked more and noticed other two who had helped you up. One with shaggy, dirty blonde hair who wouldn't meet your gaze, and another with short brown hair whose gaze wouldn't leave yours. This one had a smile on his face, and you figured he had been the one to laugh with you.

"I'm Alby," The main man said- the leader? You looked back to the dark skinned man as he stood, reaching a hand down to his friends to help them up. "I'm the one in charge of the Glade," He confirmed your suspicions, and you pushed yourself up on your own. "Welcome to your new life."

"I'm Thomas," The brunet piped up quickly after Alby finished. You met his eyes again, the man still not looking away from you, so you decided to give him a once-over. His clothes were dirty, though his shoes were surprisingly well kept. You could tell he was fit under his clothes, and lean, like a runner's body. 

"I'm Newt," You turned to the blond, finally meeting his eyes, though something had been off with his voice. He didn't speak much, so you couldn't quite tell, but he sounded different. You studied him as well, and he was similar. Dirty clothes- in fact, you could see clumps of mud clinging to his hands. As your eyes land on them, he raises his hands and begins to brush them together, puffs of dirt falling from them. "Don't worry too much if you don't remember your name yet-" And there it was, he had an accent. That was what had been off- "They take everything but your name, though it usually takes a day or two to remember it."

"What about Greenie?" You ask, finally lifting your eyes to meet his once more. He had soft brown eyes, kindness apparent in them, though his eyebrows furrowed in evident confusion, so you continued. "The man down there called me Greenie?"

Thomas laughed, but Alby was the one who answered. "Just a nickname, for the newest member of the Glade. At least until you find your own name." You nod gently, glancing around once more before an irritated huff draws your attention back to Alby. "Where's that kid when you need him?" He was glancing around the open area, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sun for a better vantage.

"I'll do it!" Thomas blurted out eagerly, his smile still lighting up his face. He was still staring at you when both of the other boys turned to look at him with exasperation, and he finally turned to meet Alby's gaze, he began waving his arms as he spoke, "What? It's my day off Alby, I have time! I can give them the tour!"

"I didn't even mention anything about the tour," Alby protested weakly, and you held in a chuckle that Newt let out as Thomas lowered his arms finally, looking slightly embarrassed. His eyes lit up once they landed on you again, however. "Whatever, shank. Go ahead, have at it."

You didn't quite like how Alby phrased that last sentence, but you couldn't stop the bubble of laughter from rising up after seeing how excited Thomas got. He reminded you of a puppy, almost jumping in the air from his elation as he quickly moved closer to you, placing a hand on the small of your back to turn you, his other arm showing the way. Your eyes caught on the last of the group, Newt, whose eyes were also solely focused on Thomas with a mix of exasperation and fondness that conveyed some rather strong feelings for the man.

Thomas began to push you toward the rest of the Glade that you hadn't seen when your back was turned- a set of buildings jumbled together and a roof with no walls suspended nearby, covering a host of bedrolls and hammocks. His arm gestured wildly as his excited voice began to fill the air around you. You started to wonder where he stored all of this never-ending excitement.

"So the largest building there is the homestead, where we keep the majority of our supplies and have Gatherings and stuff. That building next to it with the giant shutters is the kitchen, they open those up when it's time to eat. Three meals a day, of course, 'cause what's the point if not, huh?" You heard a laugh to your other side, and turned your head to notice Newt following a few feet behind, his arms crossed but with a smile.

"The man's obsessed with food," He felt the need to point out, and you couldn't help but match his smile as you turned to look back at Thomas.

"A man's gotta eat! Especially when Fry is the one grilling it up." The name sounded a bit too on the nose, though you didn't have much time to dwell on it as Thomas moved on to the next building. "The one on the other side of the homestead is the Med-jack's hut. They deal with injuries and sickness and stuff. Clint runs the place, but Jeff and Holly help out when needed."

"Holly is actually the last Greenie before you," Newt tagged on, and you and Thomas both turned to face him, "About five- six months ago?"

"Six months?" 

"Well," Newt huffed a laugh, running a hand through his shaggy hair, "For the first few years here, a Greenie would get sent up at the start of every month. About four years ago it slowed down. Maybe the Creators were worried about overpopulation or something. Now we get one every so often, at least two a year. Maybe more, depending."

"Depending on what?" Your question caused the two men to catch each other's gaze before they both looked off into random directions, one with a shrug and the other with a light huff.

"Just. Stuff," Newt answered vaguely, waving a hand noncommittally. Thomas began to tug you in the direction of the roofed area, and you realized perhaps that wasn't the best subject to pursue any longer. 

"Not really any other buildings I can show you right now," Thomas began, apparently less excited, "But we can get your sleeping arrangements set up!" As you walked, you turned the conversation around in your head before glancing back at Newt.

"You mentioned years. Like a lot of them. How long…?" You trail off, unsure of how to ask your question. Newt just smirks and shrugs, answering blatantly.

"Alby was the first sent up. He was here, alone, for a whole month. That was a little over eight years ago." You tilt your head, and it's as if Newt can read the question in your eyes. "I was sent up only a few months later. I've been here eight years too. Tommy here's only been five."

"Yeah, 'only,'" Thomas scoffs out, shaking his head with exasperation. The group wanders to the middle of the scattered sleeping area, Thomas reaching down to tug open a lid to a box, glancing inside. "Alright, so, hammock or sleeping pad?"

You notice both boys eyeing you, waiting on your decision. Taking in a breath, you turn to start scanning the immediate surroundings, walking over and feeling the sturdiness of the ropes on a nearby hammock, then bending down and feeling the sleeping pad that lay beneath every sleeping bag on the floor, cushioned a lot nicer than you had originally thought. You straightened back up, placing your hands on your hips and glancing back to them. "I'm sure this isn't a permanent choice? I could change my mind if I don't like my first choice?"

You watched both boys let out a slow breath, glancing at each other once before meeting your eyes again. Thomas straightened up and shrugged, nodding along, "I mean sure, yeah. Just gotta find an open space. Where exactly you sleep might change, openings are slightly different depending on either. Like that spot would be good for a hammock, but not enough space for a sleeping pad, right?" Thomas gestured loosely so you couldn't tell where exactly he meant, but you nodded along anyway, glancing around.

"So where are you guys sleeping?" One of them seemed shocked, sucking in a breath quickly, though you couldn't tell who. You wait a moment for a response, finally turning to look back at them. Thomas was approaching, then placed his hand on the small of your back, once again, to lead you somewhere. 

It was toward the back edge of the floored area that you found two sleeping pads on the floor, pushed close but not touching, one with a ratty green blanket and one with a dirty cream colored one. There were bags full of, what you assumed, their personal things sitting on their bed or just to the side. You glanced back up to Thomas, seeing him nod and Newt not too far behind. You wait a moment, looking between them before trying to smother a smile, looking back downward.

"What, so- so this," You wave your hands at the two, letting a small smile through, "These are your beds? Right next to each other?" You turned, your smile growing as you watched Thomas flounder, his mouth opening and closing wildly. "How convenient I have what accounts to two roommates giving me a tour of the Glade together."

"It's just a coincidence-" Newt began suddenly, raising a hand to rub the back of his head, "That we, uh, it happened to be us. And everyone's sleeping arrangements are random, really. They change so often, too." If you didn't know any better, you'd say the redness rising high on Newt's cheeks was a magnificent blush. But it was quite hot outside, wasn't it?

"Do you need some water Newt? You seem to be getting flushed," You added onto the conversation, smirking softly at the boy. He was cute- undeniably so, you decide as you watched him huff from embarrassment. He was about to answer again when Thomas cleared his throat loudly.

"So, hammock or sleeping pad?" You meet Thomas' eye, and you couldn't quite tell if he was having the same problem or not, blush not as evident on his tanned skin compared to Newt's pale. You glanced back down and shrugged.

"Sleeping pad, I guess? Seems it's good enough for you both?" You smile, looking back to both of them. Newt began to look around, a question on the tip of his tongue.

"Any idea where-"

"They can be here," Thomas interrupted, his eyes never leaving your form. You shift in surprise, though you don't feel upset about this. You couldn't quite place the feeling, but it wasn't bad.

"Nearby here? Would that be okay?" You ask, looking between both of the boys. "I mean, you guys are really the only people I've talked to as much since-" You hesitate, trying to come up with words to describe what you went through. You really did just appear here with no idea of where or why. You suck in a breath, trying to crush down the panic that's been lightly simmering under the surface this entire time, before a gentle hand placed on your shoulder wakes you from your trance. You looked directly up into Newt's kind eyes, letting out a slow breath. "I just mean I might feel safer, is all. Having you both nearby."

"Yeah, I think that's a fine idea." Newt's voice was soft as he answered, finally looking away and studying the area. "We'll just push some pads around, make some room."

"Might have to push them against each other to have enough room for all three," Thomas adds, as if this was no big deal. He was already turning away, wandering back to the middle to fetch the pad. Newt released your shoulder, studying the arrangements before giving you the side-eye.

"Any preference for which side?" You were considering it, opening your mouth to answer somehow, but nothing came out. You were stumped, honestly. Would it be weird to say in the middle? They obviously knew and liked each other better than you. But you were going to be pressed in against them anyway. Would it offend one to pick another? You closed your mouth and shrugged, before Thomas barreled past you and started shoving the bed pads around with his feet, shaking a new one out and placing it down on the outside, grabbing up both blankets and making sure the edges of the bed pads lined up.

"I don't think we need to decide right now, right?" Thomas' voice was even, and you could feel heat rising in your cheeks. "When night comes, we'll see who lays where." He stands, balls the blankets up and tosses them both on the middle of the mat. He turns with a large smile, hands on his hips. "So, I guess that's the tour!"

"That's it?" Newt laughed loudly at this, crossing his arms. "Tommy, have you ever given a tour before? You didn't even go over the three rules!" Newt takes a few steps past Thomas with lingering chuckles, raising a hand to point toward the forest, "That's the Deadwoods there. The pond, where we wash up our clothes, is there, and nearby there's two outhouses. Even further inside is the graveyard." He turns, gently twisting and guiding you along, "There's the farm, of course, where the TrackHoes work. There's two outhouses out past those too. The ranch is across the way, where the Slicers work."

"TrackHoes? Slicers?

"Job names," Thomas answers, walking up to your other side, "There's also Builders, Cooks, Sloppers, and a couple Med-jacks."

"Slopper?"

"They do the jobs that no one else wants," Newt answers now, shrugging, "To quote the Keeper of the Sloppers, anyway."

"Keeper? Ok I can't keep up-"

"No, you're fine love, it's a lot of information at once." Newt barrels right along as if he didn't just use the cutest nickname you had ever heard, and you keep your gaze looking out toward the Glade to hopefully detract attention from your burning cheeks, "There's a Keeper for every job out here, they're basically the one in charge of making it all go smoothly. Alby, as first in command, basically runs over all the Keepers. Though he doesn't hesitate to help out wherever needed, of course."

Your gaze easily slides back in the direction of the elevator you came from, watching Alby haul on the same rope as before, helping to lift a chicken cage up and out of the box. You could tell he works hard, his physique showing evidence as such. He seemed antsy when you spoke before, as if he should always be doing something productive. It made sense, now. Everyone was working hard, every day, to make a life out here with what they could.

"Which brings me to the three rules of the Glade," Newt swings around, standing in front of you while still facing you, holding a hand up to count along as he smirks, "Firstly, everyone does their part. Which means you'll need to find which job you're best suited for." Thomas walks up next to him, placing an elbow on his shoulder and leaning against Newt casually, "Secondly, never hurt another Glader. We have to be able to trust each other." You nod along, agreeing to the reasonable rule as he holds out a third finger, "And lastly, never go outside the Glade."

This brings you pause, your head snapping quickly in the direction of one the openings in the giant walls. You study it for a moment from a distance, the ominous size of it a bit unnerving. You look back to the boys, and something must've spooked them as Thomas was taking a firmer stance, and Newt was slowly raising his hands in a placating gesture before speaking.

"Now I know that might sound bad, but you have to trust us. It's for the best." He was being cautious, like he expected you to bolt? Where would you even go? You just cross your arms and watch them both relax over time, turning to look back at the doors.

That's when you watch someone jog into the Glade. From outside. You do a mix of a scoff and a chuckle, raising a hand and gesturing toward the Asian man that had just stopped, pulling a canteen from his side to drink from. "Did someone tell that guy rule number three?"

You watch both boys twist so suddenly you were surprised you didn't hear their back pop. They both laugh belatedly, turning back to you. "Well, yes, obviously. But no, that's just Minho." It was Thomas who spoke this time, and you just raised your eyebrows.

"Just Minho? Is this one man allowed out?"

"He's the Keeper of the Runners," Newt tacked on, chuckling under his breath. "The Runners are a job we didn't mention because newcomers aren't typically asked to join. You need to be approached by them, or make your intention known and work toward it." Newt shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Ah, the elite job, I see."

"No," Thomas interrupted, shaking his head, "It's the dangerous one."

"Tommy-"

"We say not to go into the Maze because it's dangerous. Not usually during the day, but we can't be too careful. You have to be in peak physical shape, and you have to have a great sense of time and direction."

You could feel the panic beginning to rise again, and you loosely watched as Newt placed a hand on Thomas' shoulder, attempting to stop him. You look back to the doors, watching another blond man run out into the Glade, joining Minho. Your mind was focused on one thing, your voice almost a whisper, "Maze?"

"It's fine, look," Newt approaches you, placing his hand on your shoulder in a mirror of the last time you felt this panic, and you quickly glanced up to lock eyes with him. It was weird, his brown eyes were lighter than Thomas' own eyes. Like honey, swirling in tea perhaps? Why did it matter? You realized Newt was still talking, and were able to tune in for the last part, "-close at night, alright? So they'll be locked out."

"What will be locked out?" You watch Newt take a breath, feel him squeeze your shoulder briefly.

"We call them Grievers. But this is a bit too much for a newcomer, alright? We don't normally bring all of this up so soon." Newt is hesitant as he watches your eyes, like he's waiting for something. "You can learn more tomorrow, maybe?"

You nod lightly, taking in a deep breath and realizing that, once again, Newt managed to calm you down from a terrifying state of mind. You take another fortifying breath as you spin around on your heel, trying to take in more of your environment.

"You're taking all of this a lot better than most," Thomas mumbles, and for a moment you're not sure if he had meant to say it out loud, but Newt was already nodding along like he agreed with the thought.

"I am?" You eye both of them before letting out a small laugh, "Is that why you both keep looking at me like you're expecting me to catch fire?" Newt laughs, and it makes your smile widen. 

"Well most people panic," Thomas adds helpfully, shrugging. "Some cry, some upchuck," You wince in sympathy, and Newt interrupts Thomas with a laugh.

"Some decide to take off running and fall flat on their face." You smile at this image before Thomas groans loudly, roughly rubbing a hand against his face, and you realize he was referring to a certain person. Newt turns and begins leaning his shoulder against your own, the both of you laughing at Thomas' apparent misfortune. It was almost too easy to imagine- like a forgotten memory slowly materializing in front of you.

You perceive movement out of the corner of your eye, and you twist your head to look past Newt, your eyes locking on a squat teenager who was running up to your little group. He had shaggy brown hair, with a cute round face, and something about him made you relax even more. He seemed younger than any of the other men you've seen here. In fact- he seemed like the only kid. Your movement brings the attention of Thomas and Newt to the newcomer as well, and Thomas moves quickly, ducking behind the kid.

"Chuck, save me, they're bullying me!" Chuck laughs loudly and grins up toward both you and Newt. He seemed extraordinarily happy, like a little brother finally being invited to hang out with his brother's friends. You felt yourself shaking your head fondly, a soft smile on show, as Newt reached over and pressed a hand on top of Chuck's head.

"There you are, Alby was looking for you earlier, mate! Slacking on your tour guide duties!" He retracts his hand, crossing his arms and keeping his light lean against you. There was something comforting and solid about having Newt lean against you, and you him, as you stood there watching this whole interaction. 

"Hey, it's not my fault that some shucks decided to spill-!" Chuck huffs dramatically, shaking his head and raising his arms in front of him. "You know what, don't get me started. This the Greenie then?" He looks at you and smiles broadly, and you feel yourself immediately nodding, extending a hand to him as if on instinct.

"Yeah, that's me. Name's [Y/N]." Chuck grins and reaches to clasp your hand, though you feel Newt suddenly stiffen beside you, and watch Thomas raise his hands up toward you in a bout of sudden movement. You pause, your hand in Chuck's, and you glance between the two boys again. "What?"

"[Y/N]? That's your name?" Newt asks suddenly, standing up straight, and you feel the weight of him leave you. "Are you really sure?"

"Yeah…?" You trail off, confused, as you let go of Chuck's hand. Then you slowly realize, 'Oh, I had forgotten that,' and blink quickly. Your gaze flickers between the three boys around you and you let out a laugh, shaking your head. "Wait, I remembered it! My name!"

"Already…?" You hear Thomas muttering in the back, but Chuck started clapping your back in congratulations and Newt was looking at you with what could only be described as fondness, and you felt your emotions take over. You leapt at Newt, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him in for a tight hug. He seemed hesitant for half a second, not expecting this, but his arms were wrapping around your waist and pulling you closer.

You didn't linger, pulling back and taking a stabilizing breath. You turned to look back at Thomas and smile brightly. His smile was slow forming, but soon spread across his face as well. You couldn't help but be thankful that if you were going to be locked in the middle of some random maze, it happened to be with these people.

≣≣≣≣≣

The bonfire crackled loudly in front of you, the heat just on this side of bearable, and you heard the laughter and play of an entire community surrounding you. The sky was painted in the fading shades of indigo, earlier having been bright bursts of orange and red. When the sunset was at its peak, Thomas and Newt had brought you over to watch the doors close. You finally realized why they had been so antsy next to you, as you watched them relax when the doors finally closed. Did they expect you to run inside?

Of course, that was earlier. Now, you stood holding some random glass jar and were surrounded by the merriment and cheer of the Gladers. They treated this as some sort of holiday, you figured. That, or perhaps this was just how they partied. Celebrating you, they had said. Though you didn't feel too celebrated, everyone minding their own business- too consumed with the drama of their own daily lives. You had just arrived here, shoved into the middle of a society that's been surviving for years. 

The jar that had been shoved unceremoniously into your hand was sweating from the cold drink inside so near to the heat source in front of you. It was filled with some kind of liquid, yet when you initially raised the glass to your nose it had singed your nose hairs. You still weren't sure whether you should drink it, even as you watched the party grow more lively around you as most everyone else drank greedily. You knew what it was, vaguely, and you knew it was strong.

A light 'clink' sound is heard, slight vibrations running up your hand as someone steps forward and taps their jar to your own in some kind of welcome. You look to your right and see Thomas siddle up, his eyes full of mirth and slightly watering. You wonder how much he's drunk of what you were told was 'Gally's drink.'

"For someone who's having a party thrown for them, you look awfully sober." He doesn't even need to speak too loud, as no one else is within a good distance of you two, as spread around as they were. It's like the entire Glade lit up in celebration.

"It's weird," You begin, hesitantly, "I almost feel like I'm intruding. Like I'm-" You're unsure of how to continue, but at Thomas' confused look, you press on. "Almost like I'm supposed to be an outsider, looking in? And suddenly I'm here, in the center of everything, and it feels so bizarre and-" 

"Strangely comforting?" Thomas finishes quietly, and you meet his eyes quickly. You didn't realize you were staring into the fire before as you rambled, but his gaze grounded you suddenly. There was recognition there, and understanding. You began to feel a lot less alone. 

"Yeah, comforting. Why is that?" You watched Thomas suck in a deep breath, then turn to look into the fire. He took a long drink of the liquid in his jar, then turned to you and shrugged.

"Dunno'. Hey, why don't you come over and hang out for a bit? I'll introduce you." He nodded his head in the direction he came from, and you looked over to see a group of friends laughing and having fun together. Newt sat on a log at the end of the group, his gaze looking steadily and directly at you and Thomas, even as the boy you recognized as Minho must have been talking his ear off to the side.

"Yeah, sure," You agreed easily, following behind Thomas as you approached the group. You already recognized half of them- Newt, Minho, Chuck, Alby, and that guy that had originally jumped into the cage when you first came up, and you thought you remember one of them calling him Gally- though there were a couple new faces. You smile as Thomas gets everyone's attention, introducing you with your name before he turns to you and begins to list off the rest of them. 

"That's Frypan, the Keeper of the Cooks, and Holly, she works with the MedJacks. There's Gally, Keeper of the Builders, and Ben, one of the Runners." As you're introduced, you begin to slowly realize that this group was most, if not all, of the main leaders in the Glade. You felt that trickle of self doubt in the back of your head, wondering why they were taking such an interest in you, being as new as you were. Unless they did this with every Greenie?

"It's really cool to meet you all," You sounded awkward, and raised your jar in a cheer toward the group. Most did the same back with their own, half of the group going for a deep swig afterward. You realized that maybe you weren't the only one refusing to drink the strange liquid, and you belatedly looked toward Newt to see if he was. It didn't seem like he drank from his own, but you realized he was curiously watching you throughout this whole introduction. 

"So, any idea on what job you wanna' try first, Greenie?" The man introduced again as Gally spoke, his eyebrows sitting high on his head. You laughed lightly at this, shrugging.

"Well, I still don't really know anything about any of them, but I did promise Chuck I'd spend my first day trying out the Sloppers to see if it might work out." You looked to Gally's side and watched Chuck- who seemed to be one of the only Gladers not holding a jar- cheer and jump at Gally. The man quickly caught the kid, lifting him up and spinning around before putting him back down as Chuck taunted the man loudly.

"Yeah, see Gally! I told you I could get the Greenie to be a Slopper on day one!" Chuck fist-pumped himself, grinning broadly. Gally seemed to humor him, nodding along and seceding. 

"Yes, yes, you have beaten me, little squire." You laugh at the apt nickname, watching Gally reach over and take his friend's jar- Ben, you think- and drink a gulp from it before handing it back. "Alright, ring time." 

You watch Gally clap his hands together loudly before jogging over toward the forest more, entering into the center of a ring on the floor, a crowd of people already gathering and forming around him. You hear calls and jeers thrown around, and someone Gally must know enters the ring, causing the man to laugh. The sport starts as the two men begin wrestling, attempting to push each other out of the ring, and you watch with interest for a few moments. 

"You should try it." It's Newt's voice being whispered into your ear, and suddenly all of your attention shifts to him being right next to you, raising an arm to lean on top of your shoulder. "Gally's brew," He continues, as if clarifying his earlier statement, and you glance down to the jar still half full of the strange liquid. His breath smells almost the same as the drink itself did, and you realize perhaps he did have a few drinks when you weren't looking. 

You lift the jar to your mouth, holding your breath as you let the liquid into your mouth, and try to swallow quickly before tasting it. It goes down, but the aftertaste irritates your gag reflex, and you hear Newt laughing merrily at your side afterward. When you meet his eyes again, you see something resembling astonishment, and wonder why that was. He had just told you to drink it.

"I see how it is shuckface," A new voice began, and was quickly identified as Minho as the Runner enters your field of vision, glaring directly at Newt. "I would say I'm mad about you walking out halfway through my story, though I'm certain you hadn't listened to a word of it." You watch him cross his arms, holding his mostly empty jar by the ridges on the top. Newt laughed brightly, turning to lean his shoulder against yours in a mirror of earlier, and you felt a rush of comfort so strong you weren't sure what to do with yourself. So you took another drink while Newt responded to his friend.

"Can you blame a man, mate? I've only heard you tell that story a little over a thousand times." As you finish wincing from the burn, you look up to see Minho's expression completely changed. He looked jovial, and this expression seemed much more at home on his face. You watched the two crack up like old friends, knocking into each other and sending you wobbling through the impact, Newt's arm quickly shooting out to steady you.

"Hey, Newt! Alby's lookin' for ya'!" The three of you turn to see another random Glader, calling out and waving a hand toward him. Newt just sighs heavily, handing his jar off to Minho and patting your shoulder before wandering away. Minho laughs, cheersing himself with his two glasses.

"Second-in-command duty awaits!" Minho hoots loudly, and you tilt your head in confusion as the blond meets up with the new Glader and they both take off in the same direction.

"Second in command?" 

"Yeah, just after Alby!" Minho answers with a grin, and you feel yourself suddenly being sized up by the Runner. "You didn't know? You've certainly caught his interest, I'm surprised you don't know everything about the Glade already." He finishes this with a large swig from one of the jars, and to burn time you take a swig of your own. The burn is beginning to hurt less already.

"Well, I do know quite a few things already," You tease, which brings a mischievous smile to his face. At his gesture, asking you to go on, you acquiesce, "I know we're in the middle of a Maze." You watch his face deflate just slightly, and his head tilt curiously, "And that there's dangerous things out there called Grievers. I know there are jobs, and Keepers of those jobs, and that you," You point one of your fingers from the hand holding the jar, "Are the Keeper of the Runners." Minho smirks a little more solidly, crossing his arms and watching you. You decide to strike out, turning your gaze to look into the bonfire, "And I know that you chart out a map of that maze every day." 

"How do you know that," Minho asks immediately, taking a step closer to you. He was in your personal space now, leaning close, but his seriousness was contradictory to his unsteadiness, wobbling where he stood. You could smell Gally's brew on his breath from this distance, and you kept your head turned for some fresh air. "Who told you?"

"No one told me," You mumbled back, locking eyes with him, "I'm just a great guesser." It felt like a lie coming out of your mouth. It was true that no one told you, but you felt firm in the belief of what you said. It felt almost natural, like it was one of the truths brought with you, along with the sky being blue. It only just hit you that you hadn't remembered or thought of it until after you said it aloud.

"Pretty spot on for just a guess," Minho mumbled under his breath, finally pulling away just enough to give you breathing room. You watched him take another long drink from one of his jars, emptying it and pulling a face. "So what do you wanna' know then?"

"Who said I want to know anything?" You reply easily, watching him stumble slightly on his feet before finding his footing. You subtly start inching closer to a nearby tree, thinking maybe he'd be able to hold onto something soon.

"You're a Greenie! Greenies always wanna' know stuff!" You laugh at this, raising a hand out to steady Minho as he tries to follow you.

"I think all I want to know at this point is whether you'll be okay," You catch him as he stumbles into you, helping to lower him down onto the ground near the tree. He makes to wave you off, but just manages instead to slide his hand against your shoulder and knock his head into the bark of the tree. With a groan from him, you glance around for help when you feel a presence step up close on your side. 

It's Thomas here, leaning down and settling Minho into a comfortable position. He's sporting a fresh red spot on his cheek, very obviously tender and maybe even split, and you wonder if he had just got out of the ring with Gally. You back away, letting him deal with his friend, and turn to watch Gally throw a lightweight man practically out of the ring, laughing loudly. The cheers from the crowd begin to prod at your head, and you decide maybe that's enough celebration for you for one night.

You remember where your bed was. You set your jar down on one of the benches sporting an entire line of extra drinks, and make your way over. It was dark finally, and though most of the party was still in full swing, you could already see a couple people laying in their beds or hammocks. You don't have to step over anybody on the way over, but you try to keep your footsteps quiet.

You find the three bed pads, all pressed together like one giant bed, and move to lay down in the furthest one. You leave their blankets and pillows alone, and you figure if you looked in the boxes in the center you might find a spare for yourself, but you decide not to. You feel too out of place, and thinking of doing it gives you a sickly feeling in your stomach, like you were contemplating stealing from people who already had so little. 

You were in the middle of a hazy half-sleep when you felt the ground shifting nearby, and heard whispered mumbles. You tried to lift your head, force yourself awake, but you were too far gone. Before you knew it, you were engulfed in a warmth and comforting feeling, and you left your first day in the Glade behind.

#Newt x Thomas x reader #Newt x reader #Thomas x reader #Newt x Thomas #Newtmas x reader #Poly!newtmas #Maze runner #Fanfiction #Gender neutral reader #Second person POV #Chapter one

[lowkeyrobin]

Hi!! 🍄 again I was wondering if I could get a platonic newt x reader (from tmr) where maybe it’s while newt is still new to his limp and reader is helping him do Is jobs

(Also just to let you know if you didn’t newt from tmr is canonically gay (as stated by the author ) I just wanted to let you know so you didn’t write him with a fem reader btw I didn’t relizie how rude this sounds not trying to be rude just and fyi also sorry if you did know just a lot of fans didn’t )

Thank you once again sorry if it seemed rude

ooooo okay I like this! ; also I know, don't worry, and you didn't sound rude! i do see newt as a queer character 100 and I always have, even before learning about James dashners tweet about it, which I find sketchy bc I'm pretty sure he tweeted that after being accused of being weird to women or smthn?? idrk, doesn't matter here bc gn readers only + I wholeheartedly see newt as queer and I can rant ab it for hours ; I don't plan on writing for tmr much but pls send requests, I love writing for this fandom lol

NEWT ; personal aid

summary ; youre helping him after he gained his limp

warnings ; language, talk of/about suicide and mental health

genre ; platonic fluff, kinda angst

word count ; 1k

masterlist

Newt was recently injured in the maze. He'd been as fixed up as possible, given a brace made of tree branches and some painkillers sent from the box. At least no one was using the pills for bad, considering they're a fragile item to give to a bunch of teenagers. The only thing you'd ever thank WCKD for was those painkillers, because seeing the blonde hurt like that killed you inside.

To put it as blankly as possible, he tried to kill himself. He climbed his way up of one of the walls surrounding the glade using the ivy that grew on it, and jumped. He fell about thirty feet, considering he only climbed up the wall about a third of the way, apparently thinking thirty feet would kill him.

He'd never been the type to express happiness within the glade, but he never expressed the opposite either.

But, everyone struggles inside, especially in the Glade. Reoccurring dreams and nightmares, unanswered questions, the will to live dwindling down each and every day, they only fed into the growing depression. Everyone was struggling in the Glade, but Newt, he took the first place trophy for that.

Once he'd been able to walk around again, you took helping him into your own hands. He was clearly never running in the maze again, due to the limp that slowed him down. So, he had a few options, hopefully one he'd like.

Alby took pity in him, making him his right hand man not long after. He needed someone around for when he wasn't, Newt was a good choice for that. He was responsible, good at directions, and keeping order.

You were working as Newt's personal aid, being a medic. You were very much an empath, and your true goal was to just help anyone and everyone. You brought him food and water, washed his clothes, sewed up his ripped up clothes from that day in case he'd be strong enough to wear them again, you did everything for him.

But now he leans into you, looking up at you with a certain displeasure, clearly uninterested in working outside of the maze.

You obviously were never going to let him be a builder, that was already off the table. But he got to look around and make his decision between slicer, cook, track-hoe, med-jack like you, slopper, bagger, and map keeper.

He easily put his money down on track-hoe. Something you didn't know about him was that he found gardening therapeutic. You didn't blame him whatsoever, you never wanted to be in the shoes of the sloppers, slicers, or baggers. To be fair, it was a little too gruesome and gross for you, you'd rather be helping people around the Glade than washing everyone's clothes or killing the animals, just a personal opinion.

He needed help while working, though. He couldn't put too much weight on his one foot, and he couldn't bend down on that knee at all yet. So, while he worked, you stood off to the side, making sure he was alright while you watched the others work around the Glade, enjoying their peaceful, warm day.

While he was picking fruit and vegetables off the vines of ivory, you were by his side, either holding the basket or getting the ones he couldn't bend down to reach. You couldn't help but feel bad for his poor spine as well, considering your back started to hurt after a few hours. The gardens were pretty large, considering there was about thirty or forty boys in the Glade to feed, meaning there was always hours and hours of work or expansion to do.

"Y/n, sorry, can you help me?" The dirty blonde asks, groaning as he stands back up, holding a hand on his knee. "I can't get those tomatoes at the bottom"

You quickly nod, kneeling down to grab them for him while he moves to the next bush, plucking off all the ripe tomatoes off the vine. You retie a string around the support branches, which heald the bush together and let it grow vertically rather than horizontally and try and choke out and kill any other plants nearby.

"Fry is gonna love it when he sees these tomatoes, they're the biggest and ripest they've been in a long time" You comment, looking over at Newt.

He nods, tossing a cherry tomato in his mouth to amount to a little snack. "He sure is, we'll be eating good this week" He chuckles with a little smile. "You wanna work on the cucumbers for me? I'll get the corn" He suggests, wanting to work a bit quicker and suggest some things he could actually do without feeling a pain shoot through his leg.

You nod, taking a new basket over to the cucumber lane. You feel something pang in your heart as you see him attempt to kneel down on one foot to reach one last tomato, groaning and furrowing his brows in the process, clearly still hurting him.

"How are you feeling? Physically and mentally, nothing is off the table."

Newt shrugs, watching you examine and touch around the bruising and his ankle. Your fingertips slide over his ankle a little harshly, and he quickly inhales and furrows his brows, which you respond to by quickly pulling your hands away and apologizing.

"On a light note, it looks much better than before already. How are you doing in a mental sense?"

"I hate this bloody place, I feel dumb for not climbing higher-" He strays silent, watching you wrap a fresh bandage around his ankle. "Sorry..."

"It's okay. I'm here as your personal aid, Newt"

"That's the damn thing! I don't want you to waste your days on me. You have other important stuff to do, I don't want you to have to babysit me." The blonde expresses, watching you properly stand up.

"It's fine, really. You're still in a lot of pain, and I swear I'm not babysitting you. I'm just watching over you so it doesn't end up hurting more, alright?"

"Alright..."

#lowkeyrobin #the maze runner x reader #the maze runner #newt x reader #tmr newt #tmr x reader #tmr x gn reader #gender neutral reader #tmr thomas #tmr gally #tmr minho #thomas brodie sangster #thomas brodie sangster x reader #tmr newt x reader

[looneyleyle]

run away ~ thomas

synopsis: with the mission to rescue minho on the horizon, everyone is in a bit of a funky mood, saying things that they wouldn't normally say and probably don't mean :(

warnings: a little bit of sadness

words: 973

note: from my wattpad account, written april 8 2021

jane pov

the technological glow of the city felt unreal, a stark contrast from the maze i came from. the only thing that reminded me that this wasn't a dream were the crowds of people surrounding the walls. they were hungry, sick, and begging to be let in. just past the walls would be minho, trapped by wckd. he was the whole reason why we were here. the boys had rarely gotten any sleep during the past six months. all they thought of was minho, and winston, and alby, and chuck, and everyone else they had lost along the way. they weren't going to let that happen to anyone else.

"jane, i need a hand." frypan was struggling to work the car, lurching forward and abruptly stopping every couple of seconds.

"you can't operate a crane if you can't even handle a car." i teased, approaching the car. frypan stepped out and handed the keys to me.

"then you do it. i was made to cook, not drive a death machine."

"you sure you were made to cook?" thomas shouted from across the road. i snatched the keys out of fry's hand with a snicker.

"be nice tommy, i don't see you cooking up any gourmet meals." i laughed, getting into the car. it was rare for us to be in such a good mood, and i wasn't going to be the one to break it. inside of my head were a million 'what ifs', and none of them had good outcomes. the days were ticking by, and there was no guarantee that minho was even alive anymore. this mission had to go perfectly, and if fry's driving was any indicator of how this would end up, it would be a miracle if even one of us survives.

it took fry a bit to learn how to drive the car, and he nearly ran brenda over while doing so. soon, the sun was down, and everyone was preparing for the next day's mission. newt stayed quiet in the corner, away from everyone else. brenda and jorge were looking over the plans one last time, making sure everything would go smoothly. fry, thomas, and i were all huddled up, trying to keep each other's spirits up. it didn't take too long for the silence to engulf us all.

"i'll be right back." thomas broke the silence, getting up and towards the tunnel. fry and i shared a nervous glance, worried about the boy. his girl friend, or whatever she was, had betrayed us, taking one of his best friends as hostage, and he felt at fault for all of it.

"go get your man before he does something." fry nudged, slightly teasing, slightly serious. i shoved him lightly, making a comment about how he wasn't 'my man', before following in thomas's footsteps. he sat on a ledge overlooking the last city, his eyes downcast and shoulders slumped. i took the spot next to him, mirroring his stance. he took a quick glance at me before looking back over the city. the night lights from the city illuminated his face and tousled hair. i didn't even notice his clenched fists until he relaxed them.

"what are you going to do after this?" he asked me in a hushed voice, still observing the dead city.

i pondered on it for a moment. i caught myself almost saying 'if we survive this', but realized it would do more harm than good. we all knew that our chance at surviving this mission was low, there was no need to voice it.

"i'd run away if i could." thomas looked at me questioningly. i took a breath before continuing.

"whenever i look at newt, or brenda, or even fry, all i see is pain and death. i hear the gunshot echoing around the scorch. i see the berg touch down at the right arm and take so many of us. i just want to get away from it all. find a place untouched by civilization and spend my remaining days there." i didn't have to looking into tommy's eyes to know they glistened with tears. the memories replayed in his mind constantly, haunting him every waking moment. my answer rung through our ears, and we both turned back to the city, seeing an occasional truck patrol the streets.

"would it be okay if i joined you?" i hadn't expected a reply, and i most certainly did not expect that. facing thomas, i noticed the trails of tears streaming down his face. instead of wiping the tears away, i sat closer to thomas and rested his head on my shoulder.

"doesn't it sound miserable? not seeing newt or any of the others again?" i asked. he nodded into my shoulder, getting it wet with his sadness.

"any type of living after this will be miserable. i just want to be miserable with you." the words coming out of his mouth felt so foreign, we had never opened up to each other like this. i knew in reality, he wouldn't be able to handle being without his friends. they meant to much to him, and he wouldn't give them up to stay with me, but, a tiny piece of me, just for tonight, wanted to let that fantasy play out. to imagine living my dying days out alone with thomas, fighting off cranks and finding a tiny corner of this hellish world to call our own.

and while i knew his feelings would change the moment his eyes would fall upon minho, or even teresa, i whispered a soft 'yes' into his hair, wrapping my arms around him and watching as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep. whatever had just happened would be meaningless tomorrow, but i let myself believe those words, if only to get me to sleep through the night.

#thomas #maze runner #thomas x oc #fanfic #death cure

[fictional-character-whore]

CHAPTER 3: The Maze

SUMMARY - All the boys in the Maze thought that Alby, the Leader of the Gladers, was the first ever to come up in the box into the Glade. But what if they were wrong? What if there was another Glader who arrived before him, someone who had been there since day one, someone who suffered with her friends and struggled to find a way out of the dreadful Maze that has trapped them for three years? But none of them knew for sure and the only clues they had to this person's existence was bright coloured paint that splattered the walls of the Maze and bark of the forest trees. Perhaps there were a certain few Gladers that still made contact with her during their days in the Maze. And perhaps one of them visited her more than the others. But when a Greenie enters the Glade and everything starts to change, will this mystery Glader reveal herself to help escape the Maze for good, or will she continue to hide from them all and risk both her freedom, friendships and a possible relationship?

WARNINGS - trauma, physical violence, blood, i don’t think i got that far in this fic and i can’t remember what i wrote in it so let me know if i missed any warnings, i don’t think this fic was too bad tho in terms of tws, cringe af

Thomas' POV

"WCKD is good..."

"Thomas..."

"You have to choose..."

My eyes snap open as my body jolts awake inside my hammock, my muscles tense and mind frantic with panic until I realised that I wasn't dreaming anymore and I relaxed back against the soft material of my hammock, calming my slightly uneven breaths. I turned my head to the side, looking out at the Maze and the slowly brightening blue morning sky, just now hearing the Maze doors slide open across from the other side of the Glade, but when I looked over at the opening door I was surprised to see Minho, Newt, Alby and the strange girl I keep seeing everywhere, standing together in a little group just outside the doors. They seemed to be talking, Alby who seemed to be wearing a Runner vest just like Minho and the girl were, looking as if he were giving Newt instructions from the hand gestures and the serious expression on his face, before the two boys shook hands with Newt, the girl giving Newt a hug, before running off into the Maze and leaving Newt to stand and watch them disappear within its thick walls.

Why was Alby going into the Maze with Minho and that strange girl? Alby was the leader of the Maze, not a Runner, so wouldn't he be needed here in the Glade instead of out in the Maze? Wouldn't he not have the abilities to last a whole day of running out in the Maze like Newt said you needed to be a Runner? What was so important that he needed to run in there and leave us? And why was that girl willingly standing with them out in the open when she was always hiding from everyone else? Were the four of them were still friends? But if they were then why was she still hiding in the Maze? Was she hiding from a certain person or just everyone else besides Alby, Newt and Minho? Who even is she?

But it was far too early for me to just go out there and bombard Newt with these questions, and it would seem kind of suspicious and weird to him, he'd think that I was spying on them which technically I kind of am but not really. But it wasn't like Newt would answer any of my questions anyway, although it was worth a shot, maybe I'd get lucky this time.

So, I decided to wait until later during the day to ask him instead.

✦⭑Time Skip⭑✦

Later on during the day, maybe around half way through the morning, I couldn't really tell since I wasn't used to telling the time without a watch or a clock, I was sitting on a large fallen grey barked tree trunk next to Chuck who was sitting beside me carving out the same piece of wood from yesterday. I sat on the wood, restlessly twisting the machete knife that Newt had lent me in my hands, watching as Newt and Zart hacked away at the roots of a dead tree stump, trying to get it out of the ground and out of the way while my mind whirled with questions and worry for Alby, Minho and the surprisingly for the strange girl too. I was supposed to be helping Newt and Zart chop the tree truck, that was the whole reason Newt had given me the large knife in the first place, but my mind was too busy swarming with questions as I waited for the prefect time to ask and get answers from Newt, and now probably wasn't the best time to do it since Zart and Chuck were both in listening range but I just couldn't wait any longer.

"Why would Alby go in the Maze?" I randomly asked Newt but he seemed to be expecting me to ask him questions since he didn't seem startled, "I mean, he's not a Runner."

Newt swung his knife down against the base of the stump where he had been chopping its outer layer and bark off for what I thought had been the past twenty minutes, stopping to look up at me slightly out of breath and tired from the work he was doing, "Things are different now."

Newt swung his knife back and forwards in front of him as he swayed slowly from side to side on each of his legs, "Alby went to retrace Ben's footsteps before sundown," he spoke he pointed his knife at the chunk of wood in the ground in front of him and an irritated frown curved onto his lips, "Are you gonna help?"

"Okay so he's going to back to where Ben was just stung to-" I said ignoring his last comment to try and get more answers from Newt but just ending up getting cut off mid-sentence as usual.

"Alby knows what he's doing, alright," Newt said sounding calmer now for some reason as he pointed his knife at me, making my nerves prick with anxiety at the fear that he was going to hit me with the knife which would probably seem tempting to Newt after the amount of annoy questions I keep bugging him with, "He knows better than any of us," he swung the tip of the knife in a little circle in front of him gesturing to everyone in the Glade and then bending down to continue hitting the wood.

"What does that mean?" I asked Newt, yet again making him stop his work to look up at me and answer my question for the third time in five minutes.

He hesitated for a second, scratching behind his head with his hand before giving up on trying to hide things from me knowing that I'd just keep pushing and pushing until I got the information that I wanted to know, "Alright, it's like you've heard, yeah? Every month the Box sends up a new arrival, but someone had to be first right? Someone had to have spent a whole month in the Glade alone, and that was Alby."

"I mean it can't have been easy," Newt said turning back to keep cutting at the tree stump as he continued to talk, "But when all those other boys started coming up one after the other, he saw the truth, and he learnt that the most important thing is that we all have each other," he said gesturing with his knife to everyone in the Glade again, "'Cause we're all in this together."

After that it was silent for a bit as I let myself digest the information that Newt had just given me. Newts answers weren't exactly as informative or precisely what I had wanted to know but it was a start at least. Although there was still one question that I was desperate to get an answer to, but I had a strong feeling that Newt wasn't going to answer this one.

"What about that girl?" I suddenly asked causing Newt to instantly look up at me, "I saw her run into the Maze with Minho and Alby, and she helped me fight Ben in the forest yesterday. And there's a girl's name carved into the wall of the Maze with the others. Lydia, I think. Who is she?"

Newt looked at me with an unreadable but guarded expression on his face, quickly side glancing to Zart and Chuck as they partially listened to our conversation while doing their own things, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come on Newt," I said frustrated that he was completely lieing to me now after he knows that I saw him talking to her hours ago, "I literally saw her hug you before running into the Maze this morning, you can't seriously expect me to believe that you have no idea who she is?"

"I thought there were no girls in the Glade?" Zart suddenly said, stopping his work to join our conversation.

"That's because there isn't," Newt said angrily, glaring me, "There are no girls in the Glade, there never has and most likely never will be. You probably just delirious from sleep and thought you saw someone there when there wasn't, so just drop it."

Zart and I shared a doubtful look to each other before he started to work again. Newt was clearly hiding information about her for a reason, and I intended to find out why. I mean sure she's hiding from everyone but Newt, Alby and Minho but why was he so worried about her? Why was he always so urgent to drop the topic of her existence? It's as if he doesn't like her or want to talk about her at all, as if she had done something cruel to him that he had grown a grudge against her, but there was no way didn't at least like her in a friendly manner if he had let her hug him this morning. Maybe he actually cared for her more than a friend would and didn't want to betray her trust? Maybe they figured out that they were related or something and he felt the need to protect her? Maybe he was trying to protect her from the other guys in the Glade but what had they done to her that she felt the need to hide from them all? Had they done something to her in the past? Was she here in the early years of the Glade like Newt and Alby had? If she was than doesn't that mean that some of the others would know who she is too? Did they think she was dead? But if Zart didn't know who she was then maybe there had been a lot of guys killed at the start when like Alby had implied yesterday morning and none of them were here to remember who she was?

Having decided that I had gotten enough information out of Newt for today, I stood up and walked toward the tree stump, crouching down in front of Newt, and swinging my knife over my shoulder and back down and into the roots of the dead wood in front of me.

"Yeah," Newt said as he stood back slightly to watch me hit the wood, making sure that I was doing it right and wasn't going to hurt myself or the others, his mood slightly lifting at the sight of me working, "There you go Greenie."

We all continued to chop at the wood, but soon stopped when the faint sound of thunder interrupted us. As I looked upwards into the distance in the sky, my eyes widened slightly in wonder as I had not noticed the dark clouds that had gathered together above us and dill flashes of lightning and tiny claps of thunder sounded in the near distance. It was the first time that I had seen dark rain clouds like these before since I had arrived in the Glade, and it was pretty cool to see for someone that's had their memory whipped.

But by the looks of it there was a storm brewing, moving further towards the Glade in the centre of the Maze, and everyone had to pack up all the equipment that couldn't stay out in the rain and get wet before we all moved to under the huts for shelter where we waited, staring at the Maze doors, waiting for the rain to stop and for Alby and Minho to return to the Glade. We had waited for most of the afternoon under cover, keeping ourselves dry but not every entertained as watching the rain turned out to be quite boring for most of us, but it had gotten close to that time of the evening where Minho and the other Runners usually got back from their trip in the Maze, but there was no sign of either Alby, Minho or the strange girl and it was starting to make some of us worry.

"They should be back by now," I said resting my arms on a wooden post of the hut I was standing under that gave me a perfect view of the Maze walls and the grassy clearing in front of if, turning my head over my right shoulder to look at Newt who stood behind me leaning his back against another of the wooden posts as he too looked out at the Maze walls through the rain as grim but also confident expression on his face, "What happens if they don't make?'

"They're gonna make it," Newt said not taking his eyes off the Maze entrance.

"And what happens if they don't?" I asked again, walking from my spot to stand right beside him.

"They're gonna make it," Newt repeated confidently, turning his head to look at me for a moment before we both looked back out to the Maze.

I was beginning to get very frustrated with Newt not giving me any straight answers to my simple questions. It was very annoying and I was starting to get sick of it, but I was also beginning to relate to the frustration of being asked so many questions repeatedly that Newt most likely felt but it only made my suddenly dim mood darken. With a final glare at Newt and the Maze, I turned around walked away from Newt, going to try amuse myself with something or someone elsewhere while I waited for the rain to stop.

✦⭑Time Skip⭑✦

The rain had finally stopped about half an hour later but even though the water had stopped pouring down onto the ground, making the soil and dirt slippery and muddy to walk in, the clouds never left, only lightened slightly as they thinned from starting to separate away from each other and slowly dissipated as they moved in a different direction away from the Glade, making everything seem darker and bringing a certain gloomy feeling with is as it joined the hopelessness feelings we were feeling as the chances of Alby and Minho coming back lessened with every passing moment, but even though our surroundings were damp and dark the tiny droplets of water sitting on the plants and objects around the Glade were shining slightly from the refection of the faint light that shined through the clouds and down to the ground, making everything around us look to be covered in silver glitter, it made our eyes stare hypnotised by the strange beauty and added small smiles to our lips as it was the only thing that seemed to brighten our moods.

Once the rain stopped we all walked together to the Maze entrance where the doors still stood wide open but with no sign of Alby or Minho at all, our boot clad feet slipping and sliding along the mud, occasionally stepping in a particularly soft spot on the ground and causing our feet to get stuck in the mud, flicking up little splotches and drops onto the of the back and front of each other's pants as our feet kicked through the mud. When we reached the Maze entrance we all stood in a tight group, everyone trying to get a look inside the Maze to see who could spot the two missing boys first. I was standing at the front of the group with Newt and Frypan to my right and Chuck and Gally to my left. We all stood in complete silence, fidgeting constantly as we restlessly waited for the boys to get back before the Maze doors close and trap them inside for the night with no way out. Leaving them inside with the horrific monsters that hide within its walls that no one has ever seen and lived to tell about.

I stood in my place nervously glancing to the others beside me, restless with the fact that we could go in there right now and bring them back but instead we were just standing around waiting for them to just show up. What was taking them so long to get back? Did they find a Griever? What if they had been attacked by a Griever? If they had been attacked than what if they're out there somewhere seriously hurt and unable to get back? Shouldn't the other Runners go in to find them? Why was no one doing anything to help?

Suddenly the gears of the Maze doors moved, sending a loud bang into the air to signal that the doors were finally going to closing, startling everyone from their watchful and concentrated minds and thoughts. Everyone sighed, angry and sad that Minho and Alby weren't going to make it back and that they would probably never see them again even when the doors would opened the next morning.

"Come on guys, can't we send someone in after them?" I asked worried and irritated that one was doing anything to help improve the situation.

"That's against the rules," Gally said from his crouched position next to Chuck on my left, "'Cause they make it back or they don't."

"We can't risk losing anyone else," Newt gravely added turning to me as my eyes briefly glanced to him and then quickly back to the inside of the Maze.

The strong wind blew through the Maze and towards the group, making us cover our faces and eyes from the amount of air suddenly rushing onto us. Gally stood up from his crouched position on the ground and watched with the rest of us as the doors started to slowly slide closed.

But just when everyone was beginning to lose hope that Minho and Alby were going to make it back I suddenly spotted an arm swing around the corner of the furthest turn in the Maze entrance, and that arm soon expanded to be Minho and Ably as they rounded the corner at the end of the Maze corridor, "There!"

A loud groan came from Minho as he slowly limped forward towards us, and upon further notice it seemed that he was also carrying Alby on his back which was odd, bringing instant alarm to the others as we watched the two boys from our spots in front of the Maze doors. Was Alby hurt? It looked like he was unconscious. Maybe he had been attacked by a Griever? God what if he was dead? Was Minho hurt too? It was too hard for me to tell from this distance. Where was the girl? Was she no able to make it back? Was she hurt too? Did they leave her somewhere in the Maze by herself? What if she left them? What if she left them to distract a Griever while they got away? Why wasn't she helping them?

"Wait, no. Something's wrong," Newt said leaning forwards slightly beside me to try and get a better look at what the two boys were doing.

"Come on Minho you can do it!" Chuck suddenly yelled, starting an uproar of encouraging cheers and shouts from the others to follow, trying to motivate Minho to move faster and get to us before the doors close in time.

Minho dropped Alby off his back onto the ground, trying a different technique of dragging him to try and move faster although it didn't make much of a difference since he wasn't moving any faster than he was before, instead he seemed to be moving slower. As he got closer and closer to the Glade with every step he took, I could see that there was immense amounts of pain and exhaustion written all over his face, he was covered head to toe in sweat and water from the rain that had just fallen, with dirt covering his clothes and face in patches as his vest seemed to wrap far too tightly around his chest.

"They're not going to make it," Newt said to me over the loud shouts of the others behind us, sounding hopeless and regretful as he leaned further towards me to watch Minho drag Alby through the thinning gap between the Maze doors.

Just as Minho cried out again, time around me seemed to stop, slowing down until everything went still for a single second before instantly speeding back up again, and in that one second of stillness I made a decision that would change everything.

Just as the doors were seconds away from fully closing I leaped forward into the gap, rushing forward as fast as I could as I felt the walls get closer and closer to crushing my body, restricting certain movements and preventing me from moving as fast as I could have gone but it didn't stop my determination as I slipped through the Maze doors and trapping myself into the Maze. With a final cry I pushed off the stone doors and fell to the floor, panting heavily as the sound of the other's protests and shouts were silenced by the closing of the doors.

I scrambled backwards on my hands and knees, astonished with myself that I had actually made it through those doors without getting even a finger or foot stuck in between the large slabs of stone and getting crushed. I quickly turned around though, after my astonishment had eased away I had forgotten for a second why I had even decided to run into the Maze in the first place, to be remined by Minho. Minho was kneeling on the ground panting so heavily it seemed as if he was going to pass out from lack of oxygen after running for hours on end without stopping, and behind him laid Alby, knocked out cold but luckily seeming to still be alive.

"Good job," Minho suddenly said to me between his gasps for air,

"You just killed yourself."

Lydia's POV

"Shuck!" I yelled in frustration as I stormed around the corner of the Maze where Minho had walked out of carrying Alby by himself since I would have been seen by the others in the Glade if I helped him.

I frustratedly kicked a rock against the wall where it rebounded in other directions and cracked in half, scattering small broken pieces on the dirty stone ground as I raked my hands in my messy hair and pulled on its roots, grunting in anger before tearing my hands away and punching my left fist as hard as I could into the stone wall beside me as I yelled out as loud as I could in anger.

"Shuck!" I yelled again angrily as I retracted my hand in pain.

I had stood hiding behind the wall, watching helplessly as Minho struggled tremendously to drag Alby across the floor of the Maze, going as fast as his exhausted body would allow him to, trying to and reach the others in time before the Maze doors closed and trapped them inside, only to see the doors close as he was three quarters of the way there.

This morning, Alby had made the three of us run into the Maze together to try and find if the Grievers had left Ben's dead corpse intact somewhere in the Maze for us to take back and bury him in the Deadheads, and to retrace his steps to try and find any clues that would lead us as to why a Griever had attacked him in broad daylight. At first we couldn't find any remains of Ben's body whatsoever and eventually gave up on looking after a few hours, assuming that the Grievers had taken his body with them back to their lairs, then we went to Sector Three; the Sector that was open yesterday, and where Ben had gotten stung in. When we got there, finding it unusually open and accessible, we couldn't find anything strange or out of the ordinary in the inner sections of the Maze, but then when we got to the Blades Alby decided it was a good idea to split up and search by ourselves to cover more ground quicker since it was getting late, a storm had suddenly appeared above us, and the doors were going to close soon. Since the Blades weren't that tricky to go through and they were thin enough that you could see most of the large area that they were spread out in, Minho and I had reluctantly chosen to go along with his plan, knowing that if someone got hurt that it was be easy enough to find them quickly, but when Alby's scream filled the raining air, neither of us could get to him in time to stop him from getting stung by a Griever. By the time we found Alby the Griever had fled the scene and left Alby to slowly turn from its venom. We managed to get back to the inner parts of the Maze just as the rain was starting to get lighter but along the way Alby had gone crazy from the venom flowing in his system, spreading from the puncture wound in his chest through his veins and to his brain, turning him against the two of us and forcing us to fight back, knock him unconscious and drag him the rest of the way to the Glade. Just as we turned the second last corner we heard the doors begin to close, so in our panicked and exhausted state of minds and not wanting to risk being seen by the others I quickly helped Minho get Alby onto his back and pushed him around the corner to the others. But we were too late and the doors closed just before they could get through and now they're both stuck in here with me, with no way out and certain death knocking at their doors.

I should have forgotten about my stupid pathetic secret and just helped them get through. If I had then they'd probably be safe on the other side of those stupid stone walls. I should have helped, I should have done something other than just stand and watch behind a wall while Minho ran for his life to try and get out of the Maze with Alby, but I didn't do anything and now they're stuck in here with no way out and it was all my fault. God I never should have run away from the others. I such a bloody slinthead!

"You!"

Startled out of my angry and emotional state, I snapped my head around at the unfamiliar voice, letting my eyes widen in horror as they landed on the newest Greenie in the Glade getting to his feet and walking closer to Alby and Minho who were both on the ground in front of me, never letting his eyes leave my figure.

"You're the girl that I keep seeing everywhere! W-who are you?!" Thomas shouted as he quickly got to his feet, "Who are you and why do you keep disappearing?!"

"Shuck," I mumbled, ready to throw my fist straight back at the wall as the anger rages inside me once again.

I snarled, slowly letting go of my hand and stepping towards him, my face heating up from the anger as I quickened my pace. Thomas seemed to notice my rage and started to step backwards slightly but before he could say or do anything else I grabbed the collar of his shirt and threw him against the wall, pinning him there with my fists.

"You dumb slinthead!" I screamed at him, "What the shuck were you thinking?!"

"I-I I'm sorr-!" he stuttered starring wide eyed at me with his hands flying up in surrender beside him on the wall.

"You run in here, almost getting crushed by those bloody doors, thinking what?! Thinking that you were going to help us? Thinking that a Greenie like you that has only been here for three whole days now, could help us survive a night in the Maze?" I shouted getting right up in his face, the occasional bits of my spit shooting out onto his face as I spoke, "Well news flash shuckface! You just made our chances of dieing skyrocket through the shucking roof! Because dead weight like you and Alby are just going to slow us down and get us killed while we stop you from getting killed!"

"Let him go Lydia!" Minho suddenly shouted ripping me from the terrified Greenie but I just went straight back to push him against the stone again.

"No Minho!" I shouted, "This mothershucker ran in here thinking that he could help, going against Alby's rules, letting Newt watch another Glader basically commit suicide right in front of him after he just saw his three friends get trapped in here with no way out and now he has the decency to start shouting questions at me and demanding to know who I am!"

"Lydia! Just calm down!" Minho shouted from beside me, pulling at my left arm to make me let go, "Yes he is a stupid shank, but he doesn't know anything so don't expect him not to ask questions! He's has no idea what he's done because like you said he's only been here for three days!"

"He ran in here right in front of Newt!" I shouted feeling the faint pin prick of tears start to sting the back of my eyes, "He ran in.. he saw us- he's never going to see us again.. I'm never going to see Newt again!"

I let go of Thomas's shirt and punched the wall inches from his head, "I should have let Ben kill you in the Deadheads!"

I swiftly turned around, walking away from the two boys to the other side of the Maze corridor, leaning my forearms above my head on the wall as I let my head slump against it. This guy had run into the Maze at the very last second before the doors closed, risking getting every bone in his body crushed as the doors would have squished him to death if he hadn't of made it through in time, and he had done that for what? To help Alby and Minho even though they were basically going to die in the next few hours or so from the Grievers? How bloody stupid was this shank?

Now I'm trapped in here with him, completely exposed with nowhere to go because even if I did run now there was no way he wouldn't not remember seeing me. And now I'm never going to see Newt again because I'm going to die trying to protect these shanks, I'm going to break my promise to Newt because if I die then I'll be leaving Newt and I promised him that I would never leave him again. But here I am awaiting my death, crying in front of the boys after I had almost beat one of them up, humiliating myself in a fit of anger that I couldn't control. But if I was going to die I want to die with dignity, so giving myself a mental punch to the face I whipped away my tears and put my angry face back on.

I turned around and looked over at the boys, Thomas slouched against the wall, breathing heavily from the shock I had given him as I shouted in his face mere seconds ago, Minho sitting down beside him with his back pressed against the wall as he caught his breath from the exhaustion of running and carrying Alby for the past few hours.

"I'm sorry Thomas," I said trying to sound calm and as sincere as I possibly could but I still heard a slight quiver in my voice as I spoke, "I shouldn't have shouted at you, it was wrong of me."

"You.. you know my name?" Thomas spoke quietly, seemingly ignoring my apology.

"Yes Thomas, I do," I said trying my best to stop my irritation from adding to my anger, "I know everyone's name in the Glade, it's kind of my job."

"Your job?" he asked completely confused.

"My job is to protect the Gladers and to do that I need to know who you all are," I said leaning my back against the wall as some of my anger infused adrenaline started to turn into exhaustion, making my limbs dully ache all over.

"...Who are you?" he hesitantly asked me confused and seemingly still unaware of how bad our current situation is.

I sighed deeply letting my hands run over my face and then roughly through my still damp hair from the rain, pulling at the feathers and flowers braided into my hair, noticing a few leaves fall out of the loose strands and messy bun that was half falling out as it sat on top of my head. I threw my head back keeping my hands on my face, groaning in frustration at the terrible situation I had put myself in. I had no choice but to reveal my identity to him, but I don't know if I can trust him enough to keep my secret if we ever get out of here alive. What if we got out and he spilled everything about me to the others? What would I do then? Reveal myself to them and then be forced to go through the same clunk like last time I was free in the Glade? I don't think so. I couldn't go through that again, and even if Alby said things have changed over the past years in the Glade, which I know they have, I can't help but feel like everything will start going wrong the moment I come back. I don't want to ruin everything that Alby has put so much time and effort in to build over the last two years, even if he was going to die. I can't let all his hard work go to waste because I finally decided that I was sick of playing the game of hide and seek with the Gladers.

"God I hate this," I growled to myself taking my hands away from my face and pushing myself off the wall and started pacing back and forth in a small circle, feeling the eyes of the Greenie burn holes into my head as he watched and waited with what seemed to be his limitless patience for my answer, "What the shuck am I going to do?"

"Slim it, Lydia," Minho suddenly said to me, sick of my childish behaviour and mumbling, "He was going to find out who you are sooner or later, and we're all going to die anyway so it doesn't matter if he knows who you are, so you might as well just tell him."

"Fine," I growled, "But if we do get out of here alive and he spills information about me to the others don't be surprised if he ends up missing and you find a fresh set of bones in the Deadheads or somewhere inside the Maze," I said directing my threat to both boys as I crossed my arms over my chest in frustration.

"You can throw him to the Grievers whenever you want," Minho said chuckling at me, "You'd be doing us a favour."

"At this rate he's bound to get himself and us killed in the next hour," I said sourly.

"I'm right here," the Greenie scoffed, causing me to snap my head back in his direction, "So you're Lydia? You're the one who was up in that tree at the party and who helped me fight Ben in the forest?"

"Well, I wouldn't call what you were going fighting exactly, more like letting yourself get murdered while flapping around like fish out of water before I came in and beat him up," I said sarcastically, trying to drag this part of the conversation on as long as possible so I wouldn't have to tell him much about myself and my time in the Glade. Not like I would though, but this kid was very stubborn and persistent, "I saved your dumb shank ass, although it's not like I did us any good since your now stuck in here and going to die."

"That's not the point," he said shaking his head and trying to get back to the main topic of the conversation, "You've been hiding in the forest and Maze? Why? Have you done something wrong?"

"I didn't do anything," I snapped, "It was the guys rotting six feet under the ground that did all the wrong things. If it weren't for them I would we'd all be on the other side of those doors."

"Sorry," he said putting his hands up in mock surrender, alert from my anger and scared that I would hurt him again.

"You're gonna be sorry once it turns dark and the Grievers start ripping your organs from your body," I snarled and turned to walk away for a second, trying to clear my head.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" the Greenie shouted at me, "We have to stay toget-"

"I'm not going anywhere," I snapped spinning around to glare at him, "There is literally nowhere else to go."

"But don't you have a way of getting out of the Maze?" he asked me, "don't you come in and out of the Maze all the time at night? The night at the party you went to go check out why that Griever screamed didn't you? So, you'd have to have a way of getting in and out?"

He's right, I do have a way of getting out of this dreadful place at night but there was no way that I'd be able to get these three boys out using it. First we'd have to climb all the way to the top of the Maze walls and around the edge of the Maze that outlined the Glade until we got to my corner of the Glade were my treehouse was hidden in the forest, risking getting our feet crushed and falling to the ground from moving walls along the way, and then we'd have to use the ivy vines that covered the walls to carefully climb down the whole million meter high wall and down to the ground. It would take us hours to do, especially since neither of the boys were used to climbing the flat surface like I was, and besides, there was no way in hell that we'd be able to get Alby out that way without dropping him and getting him killed, we probably wouldn't even be able to get him up to the top of the walls. The risks were too high and there was just no chance for us if we tried, we'd just be wasting valuable time on nothing.

"The way I get in and out of here is not as simple as your thinking. Neither of you would be able to do it without getting yourselves killed, and besides there's no way we'd be able to get Alby out," I told him, and his eyes suddenly widened in remembrance.

He looked down to the ground where Ably was, suddenly remembering that Alby was in here with us, injured and laying on the ground unconscious. Thomas crouched down beside his head and examined his dirty and rain soaked body, noticing both the bloody marks on his head and chest, "What happened to him?"

God this guy was dumb, as so easily distracted. He's definitely going to die in here.

"What does it look like?" Minho asked him irritated as he seemed to be thinking the same thing I was, "He got stung."

"What about his head?"

"We did what we had to do," Minho said, his voice echoing slightly through the corridor.

Thomas turned his head to look at Minho, probably with no clue as to what Minho meant since he was so naïve and clueless. A sudden loud screech echoed throughout the Maze, catching all of our attention, turning our heads to look at the wall where the passage split in two, both leading further into the Maze where the Griever most likely was, waiting to come after us as soon as it tracked us down. As the scream was silenced that sound of the massive stone walls, sliding and moving against each other came right after, indicating that Maze has begun its change and that it wouldn't be long before the Grievers came for us.

"Both of you get up now," I urgently ordered the boys, turning my head back to watch as Minho slowly got his feet, grunting in pain, while Thomas moved to behind Alby's head, reaching out to grab his shoulders.

"Help me get him up," Thomas said to the two of us.

"We gotta go," Minho said stepping towards me as I also started to walk towards the two and corridors, "The Maze is already changing."

"Hey Minho! Lydia!" Thomas shouted at us, stopping us in our tracks but not turning to look at him, "We can't just leave him here."

"Taking him with us is just going to slow us down and give the Grievers a better chance at finding us," I said turning to face Thomas, "We don't have a choice. We have to leave him here."

"But if we leave him here than the Grievers will get him," Thomas snapped back.

"He's already stung, if we got him out then we'd just have to throw him back in again tomorrow," I said, casting my gaze downwards to the ground, "and I don't think I can handle killing one of my best friends."

"Lydia," Minho whispered softly, putting a hand on my shoulder, "We should at least try to get him out.. the others deserve to see what has happened to him themselves."

I looked at Minho with a doubtful gaze. I know that it would be the right thing to bring Alby with us, but it would lessen our already slim chances of surviving the night to impossible. Carrying Alby with us already got them stuck in here, why do they think carrying him with us throughout the whole night would not get us killed? Minho of all people should agree with me, and by the looks of it he did, but I could see in his eyes that he also didn't want to leave his friend out in the open to die like this.

I sighed, looking back at Thomas who seemed confused as to what I had said before but also hopeful that we would agree to bring Alby along, "Alright. We'll take him with us."

With that being said, the three of us picked Alby up; Minho and Thomas each carrying one of his arms and shoulders while I carried his feet and legs, and we began to walk as fast as we could through the Maze. The sound of the stone walls sliding against each other as they shifted continuously and the loud thumps of our boots slapping the wet ground being the only sound to fill the gaps of silence between the three of us as we directed each other through the Maze. It didn't take long though before holding onto Alby became really painful, straining the little amount of energy and strength that Minho and I had after the endless amount of running through the Maze during the day set in, stiffening our muscles and making the aching pain that came with it throb beneath our skin. Although Thomas seemed to be in far less pain, looking as if he could go on for hours whereas it felt like my legs were going to give out at any second.

As the dark clouds started to separate from each other, thin rays of orange and yellow tinted light streamed through them, illuminating the dirty water sitting in puddles on the ground, looking like tiny exploding fireworks as the droplets splashed from underneath our feet with every step taken in a puddle. The air was thick with humidity from the left over moisture from the rain and clouds, making my clothes stick uncomfortable to my skin with the excessive amount of sweat dripping from my body, irritating my skin and making the urge to strip all the leather harnesses holding my heavy knives from my body more appealing every time I felt a bead of sweat roll down my face and drip from my chin.

Since the Maze was currently changing it was very hard to tell where we were and where we were heading and even though I spent most of my time at night in the Maze while it changed I still hadn't fully memorised it's patterns as it changed yet, so I had no shucking idea where the hell we were.

As we came to a section of the Maze where it branched off to three other passageways that then led to over a dozen more passageways that led to god knows where. The three of us walked out into it, turning and looking down each path before deciding to finally take a break and put Alby down, sitting him up against a Maze wall.

Was crouched down around Alby trying to catch our breath back, another scream of a Griever sang through the air seeming to come from the somewhere in the Maze towards the corridor to our right, closer than when we had at the Maze entrance.

"This isn't gonna work," Minho said quickly standing up, pulling my arm as he went to bring me along with him as he started to walk in the opposite direction of where we heard the Griever scream in, "We have to go."

"What are you talking about?" Thomas asked, crouched down beside Alby as Minho paced back and forth beginning to panic, "We gotta do something, we gotta hide him."

"Where?" Minho snapped turning away from the corridor to our left as some of the walls began to move.

"We're in a shucking Maze, Thomas," I shouted throwing my hands up in the air, "The only thing in here is big stone walls and terrifying creatures that are going to rip us to pieces if we don't move now!"

"There not even a single place we could take him?" Thomas asked seemingly oblivious to how bad our situation is right now.

Minho yelled in frustration, shooting downwards and shoving Thomas against the wall by the collar of his shirt, just like I had done before, "Listen to me shuckface, alright? Take a look around, there's nowhere to go."

Having realised that what we were saying and trying to tell him wasn't even beginning to process in Thomas's mind, Minho hastily let go of his shirt and stood up, staring at him in disbelief, "You don't get it. We're already dead."

But Thomas didn't seem to be paying much attention to Minho anymore, he was instead too focused on looking past him at something on the Maze wall that when he stood up, and walked towards Minho, he just went straight past him as if he wasn't even there. Minho and I stared at him, watching as his face lit up as an idea seemed to form in his head and when he looked back at us I knew that it wasn't going to be a good one. And to be honest, it really wasn't a good idea, but it was the only plan we had to somewhat safely get rid of Alby so we could focus on staying alive.

Thomas's plan was to tie Alby to a thick bunch of ivy that covered the entire surface of a Maze wall and string him up, tie him to the top where he would stay suspended in the air and half hidden in the ivy leaves. It was extremely clear that when Thomas came up with this plan that he had no idea whatsoever of what a Griever looked like and what it could do, and I had to remind him of that several times, but he never doubted his plan at all.

I had known that something bad was going to happen, so I had offered to go keep a look out for any sign of Grievers while the two boys tied Alby up. Once I had left the boys, I began to walk down one of the many Maze corridors, my steps light and soundless so as to not attract any unwanted attention. My mind was fully alert with the only thoughts of keeping the boys safe and getting out of here alive as my priority, adrenaline and fear ran through my veins like a drug, making my exhausted and tired body flow with an endless amount of energy. My eyes scanned the walls, dashing from side to side, up and down, watching for any sign of a Griever as my ears strained for the familiar sound of their metal legs thunking against the stone ground or walls and their ear piercing screams and hissing to echo off the thick stone surrounding me. All my senses seemed to be heightened at this very moment, making me smell, hear, see and feel the smallest of things, like a radar at full power, and it was making my insides jitter with anxiety and fear spike my heart every time I saw the slightest movement.

Although it seemed as if I had gone quite a long way away from the others because of how quickly the bright sky had turned dark, I hadn't strayed far from the boys' position in the Maze and even though the walls changed all around me I knew exactly how to get back to them if anything were to happen. Coming to one of many dead ends I looked up at the low wall covered in ivy and began to quickly climb it, trying to make the least amount of sound that I could. When I got to the top I jumped up to the wall connected to the left of it that lead back into the direction of the boys where began walking along its rough surface, admiring the slight view that I got of the top of the Maze walls, occasionally spotting a wall slowly sink into the ground or extend wards or shift sideways, as I decided to report back to the boys and tell them that there were no Grievers currently in this part of the Maze.

Just as I jumped down to another low wall that was sitting a few meters away from the boys I could faintly start to hear their low grunts as they were lifting Alby's unconscious body up the wall of ivy. But that wasn't the only thing that I could hear, seeming a little further past the boys, the sound of a wall sliding to the side masking the hissing sound of a Griever from behind it. Its hissing grew louder and louder the further the wall moved as it opened up a new set of pathways to the corridor, exposing Thomas and Minho's location in the Maze. The tap of its metal feet clicking against the stone as it emerged from behind the moving wall and came slowly out into the corridor, walking straight in the direction of Minho and Thomas where it would eventually find and kill them if they didn't move soon.

My heart rate quickened and my adrenaline and protective instincts kicked in, making my legs move and leap forward into action. I ran forward, leaping up and down from the uneven stone walls, trying my best not to trip on any loose strands of ivy that had grown across the top of the walls as I sped up my pace to get to the others as fast as I could to protect them if the Griever found them. Although if I could hear it from further away I'm sure they could hear it too and would be smart enough to run away from it but if they ran off than it would be slightly harder for me to find them because of the changing walls, so I had to get there fast before they split up.

As I jumped over a gap in the Maze I landed on the wall opposite where they were hanging Alby who I saw hanging most of the way up the wall, still unconscious, but when I looked down the only thing I saw was an empty corridor with a massive ugly Griever slowly stalking along the paths, turning down towards where the two boys must have run.

When I looked down over the edge of the wall neither of the boys were there and I quietly cursed to myself, not wanting to be too loud to accidentally attract the Grievers attention. I crouched down making my shadow that was cast by the dim moon light shrink to look like a small bump in the top of the wall to blend in just in case the Griever spotted it as it slowly stalked past. I watched the Griever with an intense gaze as I waited for it to reach the end of the corridor and finally turn another corner until it was completely out of sight and hearing range. Just as I was about to stand up and go look for the boys a sudden grunt and the rustle of leaves coming from the bottom of the thick ivy in front of me made its way to my ears, I quickly looked down and to my surprise I spotted Thomas crawling out from underneath the ivy that has bunched up against the bottom of the wall, quickly tying the end of a thick vine that was attached to Alby to a root stuck in a large crack in the stone floor.

I scoffed with a smirking spreading on my lips, turns out this kid wasn't as dumb as I thought he was. But where the shuck is Minho? He must have ditched him when he saw the Griever coming when the wall moved. I don't blame him for running off though, I would have done the same thing if I were him, but I'm not. Right now I couldn't run away, I needed to stand my ground and shove my fear down inside me so I could protect Thomas and Minho for a long as I could because I'm their best shot at surviving the night and we all know it.

I stood up and backed up a bit getting ready to jump over to the other side when the sound of the Griever's fading steps started getting strangely louder and when I turned my head to the right and saw the Griever walking back the way it came, towards Thomas and I began to panic.

"Psst! Thomas!" I whisper shouted trying to get his attention to warn him but I only succeeded in grabbing the Grievers attention instead.

The Griever hissed loudly, chattering its sharp teeth as its head snapped up in my direction, but with my quick reflexes I managed to drop to the ground and roll to the edge of the wall, grabbing onto a bit of ivy, quickly wrapping it in loops around my wrist and holding onto it tightly with both hands as I rolled completely off the edge, hanging against the side of the wall facing away from the Griever's sight. With my back pressed against the rough wall and lumpy patches of ivy digging uncomfortably into my skin, I slowly twisted around so as my stomach was pressed against it instead, sticking the tip of my boots into small groves and holes in the stone and ivy to hold myself up more to stop the tight sting in my wrist from the ivy as it held my full weight over twenty metres above the ground, probably giving me rope burn of some kind. I could hear the Griever slowly climbing the walls, hissing loudly as it came to investigate the noise I had made, resulting in my breath to quicken and my heart to race as fear and panic clouded my mind. I turned my head slowly to the side, noticing Thomas pressing his back against the wall beside mine, out of the Griever's sight and a small wave of relief calmed my mind as I knew he was somewhat smart and capable enough at hiding from the Grievers so if I died right now he should be okay for a while before he got killed later on in the night.

The loud thunder of the Griever's metal feet dig into the stone, mixing with its hissing and growling made it sound louder and more frightening than it already was, and as I heard it approach the edge of the wall above me I sucked in my gut, holding my breath and flattened myself as much as I could against the wall. It was a pathetic attempt to conceal myself but with the thickness of the ivy vines I had a somewhat good enough chance that the Griever wouldn't recognise me. As the Griever's huge body moved to the very edge of the wall, its large shadow making my surroundings seem darker in the already pitch black night, it looked around with its beady little eyes that were stuck in the slimy and gross texture of its skin, looking for me, and just when I thought it was convinced I wasn't there I felt it suddenly freeze above me and I instantly knew why. It spotted Thomas who from the corner of my eye, I could see slowly walking around the corner and checking out the corridor to see if the Griever had disappeared since he didn't see it climb that walls to look for me.

I cursed to myself as the large creature slowly moved away from my hiding spot on the wall, silently moving towards Thomas, stalking towards him like the predator it was, waiting for the right moment when it was attack its prey who unfortunately was Thomas. I let out my breath, gasping lightly as I scurried up the wall, crouching on my knees as I untangled the ivy vine from around my wrist which left red circled marks behind on my skin. Ignoring the stinging pain from the ivy and quickly got up, noticing that the Griever had climbed its way to position itself between two of the walls in the corridor that led to where it had come from at the start. Thomas was standing underneath it, a grossed expression on his face as some of the icky yellow slime from the Griever dripped down onto his shoulder, and when he looked up and noticed the Griever he stumbled over his own feet and fell downwards landing on his butt as the Griever dropped quickly to the ground in front of him, screeching a loud and terrifying sound that blocked out his own scream of pure terror.

Before I could do anything Thomas started running away from the Griever as fast as he could in the opposite direction as it chased after him. I dropped the ivy in my hand and began to run after them on the tops of the walls, grabbing two knives from the leather harnesses and belts wrapped around my waist in my hands. Thomas turned so many corners as he desperately tried to lose the Griever and it was somewhat hard to even keep up with him. He was so fast and had the agility of a cat in water, and I was starting to think that maybe he didn't even need my help because so far he had actually succeeded in losing the Griever in the maze, but then he ran into a dead end and the Griever cornered him. As I sprinted down the long stone surface of the wall top I looked down to the side taking a deep breath and closing my eyes before I veered my body sideways and jumped towards the Griever, flipping dramatically in the air, lifting the knives tightly held in my hands up in the air behind me and swiftly swinging them downwards into the skin of the Grievers back as I landed on top of it.

The Griever shrieked in pain, rearing up on its back legs as the thin blades of my knives sank deep into its slimy flesh. It reared back, whipping its long metallic legs back and forth behind it, trying to fling me off its body and it wouldn't have succeeded if its skin weren't so slippery and slimy. My feet slipped down its back, scrambling around to try and dig the heels of my boots into its flesh to get a grip but it was no use, so as the grip on my knives still stuck into the Griever tightened, I fiercely yanked them downwards, tearing two long streaks in its skin as I slid backwards. It screeched again as it felt the pain of its skin being slit open, throwing its body around in all directions, banging it into the walls surrounding it, making my body fling from side to side, hitting my legs and back against its metal body and the stone walls.

I looked behind the Griever as it finally managed to shake me off, flinging me out down the corridor and into one of the solid walls, not noticing the pain that would have throbbed within my body from being thrown around because of all the adrenaline I had and stared at a frozen Thomas, awestruck horror etching into his facial features as he witnessed what I had just done. The Griever had turned around to watch me fly into the ground, seeming to think I wasn't going to get back up as I coughed and spluttered out blood from my most likely damaged insides, and then it turned back to Thomas as it snarled loudly readying itself to pounce onto him.

"Thomas!" I shouted at the top of my sore lungs, "Move! Run! Get out of the way!"

My voice seemed to startle him out of his terrified daze, snapping his head up the Griever as he began to scramble backwards, running towards the wall behind him which was low enough for him to climb onto to get up and away from the Griever who had advanced towards him.

I got up quickly, ignoring the painful protests from my body, letting my still growing fear and adrenaline power my energy and movements, I ran to another exit on the Maze, there were ivy vines growing up too high for me to reach and the small passageway was quite narrow so I ran to the opposite wall and jumped onto it, using the rebound force I created to push myself sideways and towards the opposite wall, extending my arms out to grab at the ends of the ivy vines at the top of the wall, pulling myself towards it before I could lose my grip and fall back down to the ground. Using the ivy as a makeshift ladder I pulled myself upwards to the top of the wall, climbing the ropes and tangles of the ivy until I reached the top of the wall, scrambling to my feet and running forwards.

Thomas had managed to climb higher on top of the walls, running through strange archways that the Maze had somehow made as it changed during the night, jumping as far as he could over gaps in the Maze to get as far away from the Griever as he could, but unlike Thomas and myself the Griever was part machine and it didn't rely on its own energy to keep going without getting exhausted, it had mechanical legs to keep it moving faster and faster the more we ran from it. I ran forwards, jumping and turning along the patterned surfaces of the wall tops, going as fast as I could to reach Thomas before the Griever did, and as I was a few short walls away from him he almost fell off a wall, stopping at a dead end as the Griever prowled closer and closer to him, knowing that Thomas had nowhere else to go since the gap to the next wall was too far away. The only way he could get away from the Griever was if he tried to make the impossible jump and I really didn't want to see him jump, not after what happened to Newt.

So when I climbed onto the small archway the Griever had crawled though I watched in traumatised horror as Thomas ran and jumped off the wall, falling towards a wall completely covered with thick ivy and I screamed as the image of Newt replacing Thomas flashed before my eyes, "Thomas!"

Thomas screamed out in terror, obviously not thinking he would be able to make the jump but to both of our surprize he did. He gripped tightly at the ivy vines, looking back at the Griever to see it in his place on the other wall from mere seconds ago, an angry snarl escaping its disgusting rotten toothed mouth as it too jumped towards the wall, landing right on top of Thomas, slamming the sharp ends of its metal legs into the stone of the wall, trying to find some kind of leverage on the vertical surface to properly attack Thomas.

I jumped off the archway and ran forward just like Thomas had and jumped, grabbing another knife and digging it into the side of the Griever just as it climbed a little higher up the wall and Thomas slid downwards towards the ground as he lost his grip on the ivy. I grabbed onto its leg to use it as my own leverage since holding onto its bare skin would do me no good but what I didn't expect as I retracted my knife from the Griever and threw it at its head where it sunk deep into the skin on the top of its head, was for the wall of ivy to completely rip from the wall, its roots snapping and tearing under the immense weight of two teenagers and a Griever, causing us to fall backwards and crash to the ground.

I let go of the Grievers leg and fell, screaming with my eyes firmly closed as I waved my arms and legs into the air, blindly trying to grab onto an ivy vine but having no such luck. When my back hit the ground, my eyes snapped open, tears stinging them as pain coursed through my body like the blood in my veins as it spilled from my mouth and cuts on my body. I had managed to stop my head from hitting the ground too hard as the jolt of my back hitting the ground had caused my head to lean forward before limply hitting the ground underneath it. The drop wasn't that high since we were only half way up the wall so I doubt that I had broken any of the bones in my spine but as a leg of the Griever came crashing down on top of my chest seconds after I had hit the ground I knew that it had broken a few of my ribs as it knocked the air out of my lungs, sending a strange sting across my stomach as the Griever quickly retracted its leg to try and free itself from the tangle of ivy vines stuck wrapped around its other legs and metal body.

"Lydia!" Thomas shouted grabbing at my arm as I rolled onto my side, pulling me upwards and away from the rage filled Griever that was desperately trying to get to us as the ivy vines held it back.

I got to my feet as a cry of pain left my lips, but neither Thomas nor myself cared, the only thing we cared about in this very moment was getting the shuck out of here and away from that blood thirsty Griever behind us. Just as we reached a fork in the corridor where it split into two, another figure came crashing into us, almost knocking both of us back down to the ground from the unexpected force.

"You crazy shuckheads!" Minho's voice suddenly shouted into my ears as I now realised that he was the thing that had run into us, now grabbing at both of our arms and pulling us to our right, away from the Griever that had almost freed itself from the ivy.

We sprinted down a corridor, only just noticing the rattling sound of the moving walls again as we come upon one, "It's changing! It's changing!" Minho shouted out as he spun around in a little circle looking up the walls with a faint hint of hope glittering in his eyes as he tried to figure out which wall was moving, "Come on! Come on! Come on!"

We ran down the rest of the corridor which led to its only exit at a left turn where a very long and thick wall was about to move, where it would block this end and the other off including the Griever, "This section's closing! Come on! We can lose it down here!" Minho shouted gesturing us to follow him with a wave of his arm as he began to sprint down the closing corridor as fast as he could.

I followed him, running slower as the adrenaline was slowly burning out and not leaving enough in me so I could mask the very intense pain that my body was in. I could feel the warm liquid of my blood running in thin streams down my chin and a similar feeling in the side of my stomach, I could feel the ache in my joints from the exhaustion of running and jumping throughout the Maze all day, I could feel the already bruising bruises forming on my back, shoulders, abdomen and legs from getting thrown at the walls and ground constantly, and I could even feel a throbbing head ache starting to grow at the back of my head as my eyes began to tear up. My body was screaming at me to stop moving, begging me to stop before I did more damage to my already worn out body, but I had to keep going otherwise I'd either get crushed by the moving wall next to me or the Griever would rip me apart, both options ending in curtain death and not very nice to think about, so I willed myself to move, using the last bits of strength left in me to get all the way through the thinning corridor to Minho and Thomas.

Wait. Thomas. Where the shuck was he?

Just as I reached the end of the corridor, the wall almost reaching halfway to fully closing, I looked back behind me as Minho caught my shoulders and helped me stand after I stopped running and we stood staring at Thomas who was for some completely dumb and unknown reason still standing at the other end of the corridor, staring down the way we came from as the Griever cried out loudly.

"Thomas!" Minho shouted at him, "What are you waiting for?! Get out of there!"

"Run you stupid shank! Run!" I screamed out at him but he just completely ignored us.

Thomas stood staring down at the Griever who was likely at the endo the corridor racing towards him and it was only when the Griever was mere meters away from him did he start running. Thomas ran as fast as he could, running faster than he has probably even run before as the Griever chased after him, gaining speed with every step it took and almost reaching him just like the wall was getting closer to closing in on them.

"Come on Thomas! Don't look back!" Minho screamed at him as we both watched on it utter terror as Thomas' plan to get the Griever stuck inside the wall had finally registered in our brains.

"Run! Thomas! Run!" I screamed, leaning forward slightly letting my eyes widen slowly in sync with the speed of the closing wall.

Thomas was almost a third of the way there when the wall was almost a meter away from him, making it harder for the Griever to move all its legs and large body through the gap, and when Thomas was almost there the Griever gave one last lurch forward, reaching its long front legs out just as the wall was mere centimetres form closing as Thomas jumped forward towards mine and Minho's outstretched hands as we all screamed.

"Thomas!"

CHAPTER 1 - CHAPTER 2 - CHAPTER 3

[nomoreusername]

It's Always Been You

Pairing:Aris x gender neutral reader

Summary:When a new group arrives at WCKD Aris's behavior is definitely off when one of them starts flirting with you.

Aris and I are opposites in every way. I guess that's what drew us into each other. I know I could tell him anything without it being spread around, and he knows I'm always here even if it's just to sit in silence. Plus, the fact that we had been here the longest out of everyone definitely helped.

We were eating lunch together as he told me what he heard in the vents. I was about to ask what he meant when the door opened. In walked a group larger than any of the others and looking very out of place. An Asian boy with dark hair looked at me and smiled. A different boy with blonde hair saw this and nudged him in the ribs. I laughed a little at their bickering, and the boy winked at me.

I looked back at Aris to see he was clutching his silverware so tight I thought it would snap in half. "Are you alright?"I asked.

"Fine,"He said, not looking at me. I reached for his hand like I always do when he's upset, but he snatched it away. He didn't say a word for the rest of lunch.

♡ - - - ♡

I had been trying to get him to talk to me for the rest of the day, but he would only give me a one word response. By the time dinner came around I was tired of it. I'm not frustrated he doesn't want to talk. I'm frustrated that he's being so passive aggressive. When he wants to sit in silence he always tells me. It's clear that's what he wants so why can't he just say that?

Eventually, I gave up on having a conversation with him and accepted that he wasn't going to tell me what was wrong today. He wouldn't even look at me.

As we sat in an uncomfortable silence I felt someone come up and tap me on my shoulder. I turned around to see the boy from this morning.

"What's up?"I asked with a friendly smile.

"You've been here for a while, right?"He questioned. "Yeah. Me and Aris actually,"I answered, pointing behind me. He just looked at me puzzled. "You and the boy in the hoodie?"

I nodded and turned around to see he was gone. He wasn't anywhere in the cafeteria anymore.

Worry flooded through me. He'd been acting strange all day, and now he's gone. It'd be one thing if he left, but the fact that he slipped out without a word is another red flag.

"Excuse me one moment,"I said politely before leaving out the backdoor. For some reason guards never looked at this one so he must have left this way.

I quickly yet quietly made my way to his room. I didn't even bother to ask how he got in as I banged on his door. When no one answered I knocked harder and started yelling his name. I didn't stop until he opened the door just enough for me to see him.

"I'm busy,"He mumbled.

"Busy with what? There is literally nothing to do here,"I reminded him. He just shook his head and mumbled something incoherent.

"Aris, please let in,"I begged. He didn't say anything as he shut the door. I thought he was just going to lock me out until I heard the buzz of the door opening so I could come inside.

I took a seat on the bed as he stood there awkwardly before joining me. "Are you okay? You disappeared halfway through dinner."

"Nice of you to notice,"He responded so quietly if I wasn't two inches away I wouldn't have heard it.

"I always notice when something's off. You've been off since this morning,"I said, reaching for his hand. He pulled away even quicker this time, as if my touch could burn him.

"Do you want to sit in silence?"I offered.

"I want you to leave."

"I'm not leaving you alone when you're this upset. I won't speak, but I'm not leaving you alone,"I said firmly, trying to look him in the eye. He just looked up and blankly stared at me. It was like he wasn't all there.

"I'll leave if you look me in my eyes and say it. If you look at me and tell me to go I will."

"You can't do this to me Y/N. I can't do this to myself. Just stop,"He pleaded, close to tears.

"Stop what? Just tell me, and I will,"I promised. "Stop doing that! Stop grabbing my hand! Stop running after me! Stop checking on me! Just stop making it so easy to love you!"He choked out through sobs.

I stared at him as he sat next to me close to breaking down. I didn't know what to say.

Instead, I grabbed his face and kissed him. I could feel him tense at first before kissing back like his life depended on it. I could taste the tears that had been running down his face as he deepened it. We didn't stop until we needed air.

"I'm in love with you Aris. I've always been in love with you."

#one shot #aris x reader #aris jones #tmr aris #the scorch trials #tmr #the maze runner #fluff #friends to lovers

[pathsofoak]

fanfic ask game time 🤩

A (regarding your whole project)

F

H

K

N

R

U

Ohh I like these XD also this got long because the snippet isn't really a snippet, more like 500 word excerpt. I'm not that good at cutting things

A: How did you come up with the title to The Cold Half?

Well first of all I wanted titles that kind of fit with the original series, so "the-word-word" basically, so that's the answer on the structure.

But they have a thematic meaning as well. Technically, The Cold Half is only the title for the first four parts, since I added part five much later (originally it was just going to be oneshots, but I stretched the character arcs across a full extra story).

The Cold Half basically means the night. The cold half of the day.

So the first part, The Late Fall, is the sunset. It's still light enough, trouble has begun but the true problems still have to come. Thomas has been taken, but he's still got a chance to escape. The others still feel comfortable ignoring all their problems, Teresa hasn't touched upon the idea of betraying WCKD yet.

The Blue Hours, is like the bit of time just before it gets dark. It's already getting colder and there's not a lot to be done but prepare for it. Thomas has spiraled into WCKD's lies, Teresa is setting herself up to be hurt by WCKD because of her new drive to help Thomas, and the others haven't figured out how to grow back together yet.

The Night Winds is midnight. Its the coldest, it's the darkest (unless you live in Northern Europe and it's summer in which case it doesn't get dark all the way and I can't sleep but that's unrelated), and the most dangerous. They can't see the danger coming. Thomas doesn't realize WCKD didn't lose him, they dropped him alone on the Scorch for an experiment. Teresa gets stuck with the others and pays the price for her betrayal on top of not being able to return to WCKD (not that she wants to), and the others still struggle to be a team especially when they learn Newt still can't be saved, and Brenda is still showing signs of the Flare too.

However, after midnight things get lighter and warmer. Everyone makes big steps forward in terms of working together after the halfway point of this part.

The Early Rise is the sunrise. They're not there yet, but things will get better and there's nothing WCKD can do to stop it, if they've even noticed. The kids don't realize it yet either, but they're nearing the endgame (it's still a bit of a misnomer though because this part is the angstiest of the three so far).

The High Noon is the odd one of the bunch, because this one happens during the day, so to speak. It's noon. They're all safe, now all they have to do is take their time to recover in the safety of the afternoon.

F: share a snippet from one of your favourite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it

This is so hard because I actually really love most of my writing equally... No I really can't choose so I'm gonna go ahead and pick a bit from a recent chapter that actually doesn't contain a whole lot of dialogue because Gally refuses to speak (which made the scene so much harder to write making me prouder of it lol):

Newt squeezed Gally’s hand as his imagination provided him with countless horrid ideas of what WCKD might have done. “Can you talk?”

Gally nodded, squeezing back.

Newt wasn’t sure if Gally was sure, but at least it meant WCKD didn’t take that away. “Do you want to?”

Gally looked away and Newt took that as a no.

“Okay. You don’t have to.” They would never get any answers of any kind if they pushed him. “I’ll be right here.” He went back to drawing circles on Gally’s head with one hand, and on his shoulder with the other. “Just breathe.”

Chuck passed the door and stared inside.

Newt tilted his head to tell him to leave, but he stayed.

“Is he okay?” he asked softly.

Gally turned away.

“Fine,” Newt lied for him. “Why don’t you head on to the library, all right? Frypan or Minho can help you, or Brenda if she’s up to it.”

He would forbid it later, but the others wouldn’t have let him come near without good reason. Newt’s orders went ignored as rarely as he gave any these days.

Gally spoke, for his first and last time that day. “I only ever get people hurt.”

Newt tried to hide his anger against WCKD for forcing him back into that thought. He had seen it in him back in the Last City. His hesitation, his shame, his guilt, it tainted his every action. Ever since they got caught it only got worse.

“That’s not true. No one feels any less safe with you than with anyone else.” He put his hand to the back of Gally’s head to hold it closer to the safe beating of his own heart. It calmed him, and it could no doubt do the same for Gally.

Gally’s gaze went back to the door, where Chuck had just left.

“He loathes everyone and he still asked if you’re okay.” He ran his hand up and down Gally’s arm as he kept drawing circles with his other hand. “He’s not scared of you. No one is. If WCKD’s been telling you that you can go ahead and flush that klunk right down the bloody loo.”

Gally grimaced as if telling him he couldn’t.

“Look at me.” That was exactly what WCKD had been telling him, hadn’t they? That what he did to Chuck marked him for the rest of his life. Chuck didn’t seem to care much anymore. Sure, sometimes he’d stare into the mirror and gaze at the scar on his chest, but he didn’t hide away from Gally. He was angry with everyone but if it were about the shooting he would have said so.

Gally looked up, only a bit.

“We trust you. Don’t let WCKD tell you otherwise.” He didn’t know whether what he said was right or wrong.

Gally broke into sobs again, clinging to Newt’s chest.

Newt held him until the time for lunch came and went, the call for dinner went by, and the light faded from the sky. Though he calmed down eventually, the sheer fear never left him. He flinched every time a bird passed their window. He grabbed and squeezed Newt’s hand when someone’s footsteps passed the room.

Just over six hours, that was all WCKD needed.

They could have shattered them all completely right on day one, but they hadn’t.

Pain pierced his head in a flash of a moment. Just long enough to hurt, just short enough to pretend to not have noticed.

Your purpose is to keep your group stable. He was sick, that was why he couldn’t do it, but that didn’t stop him from beating himself up over it.

He had the energy now and he wouldn’t waste it. “Do you want to stay here, or head to the bunks?”

Gally didn’t answer. He stayed in Newt’s arms, though.

First of all, hurt/comfort. I genuinely struggle with softer touches, so this one was a bit hard to write. At first it was quite literally just going to be Gally running to his bunk and not coming out (he got in trouble with WCKD. What actually happened is revealed in a flashback later on), but I got this idea of Newt being soft with him and I had to try. There's a lot going on too. Newt is having a suspiciously good day Flare-wise, but the pain at the end is a signal of an episode (like, temporarily cranking out) coming. Gally's single line is basically the entire thought he has to overcome throughout the story, and Newt telling him this about Chuck is the last push he needed to start moving in the right direction.

Also Gally isn't necessarily someone who's constantly ignoring or hiding his pain, but he's not the most expressive either so feeling the way he does here would be very foreign to him as much as it is to Newt, just adding onto the whole thing.

(If you want to read one with more dialogue tho there's my most recent snip in the word wars channel. I'm very proud of that one too, since it's got all my feels in it ;)

H: how would you describe your style?

Very character-focused. Most of my word count goes to descriptions and narrative about emotions and emotional conflict. I rely pretty heavily on some emotion to have the foreground rather than just an action, actually. That's why part three is so much shorter than the rest when it comes to Thomas's POV, since it's almost entirely plot-focused.

K: What's the angstiest idea you've ever come up with?

The Early Rise's third plot point by far if it's about chapter-specific stuff. Everyone is going to have a personalized, WCKD induced, dark moment. It's the part in the fic that's just very dark and heavy in a very short amount of time (page-wise). I'm not going to spoil those though ;)

But for longer parts, the entire "Jorge, Vince, and Justin got murdered by Thomas's guard" plot. The others constantly hide things from Thomas (first that they're dead in the first place, then who killed them), which causes so much conflict between them that Thomas pulls away from them again. At the same time Dijken can't tell him the truth about the entire situation, because if Thomas knows what's really going on, so will WCKD. So Thomas is constantly being lied to by everyone he loves, but it's all to protect him in a way that he genuinely needs (because he simply can't handle keeping the secret of the Right Arm, and he's not mentally stable enough to survive thinking Dijken betrayed him too). And Thomas knows he can't know, which just adds on to the low-self worth he'll struggle with in part five.

N: is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you

Honest answer, I don't read that much to be honest. I need to take some more breaks from writing lol. But there is this ATLA fic I read a while back about what happened if the Fire Nation had won the war, and it was very angsty, it raised a lot of questions, which went unanswered because the writer went on hiatus...

I can't look up the title atm...

As for would write, I just love all kinds of Teresa redemption arcs really. There's plenty, but there can always be more XD. I just love all the ways you can interpret her character both in the books and the movies.

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider and influence?

Well, first of all, K.M. Weiland. I've never read any of her novels to be honest, but everything I know about story structure and character arcs comes from her books on them. Also the writer of the Drakeneiland series (again, can't look it up, but it's about a bunch of young kids who commited crimes and basically get sent to an island where there's no adults and they have to work together to keep their town running). I'm pretty sure those books first introduced me to the concept of found family, even if it's not that big of a theme I think.

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

You, lol. I still can't get I may do no harm out of my head. It was the first Thomesa fic I ever read and to this day it remains my favorite I just love the whole thing. You're so passionate about this ship as well and it really shows in your writing.

@crestfallercanyon I love everything. Just everything. I haven't read everything yet but that fic where Gally is really self-destructive in the Safe Haven comes to mind. I've read it like three times now. And Marathon Man is SO GOOD as well just holy shit.

@shanklovingshank I've only read one of their works, but it was the first work I ever read for this fandom so it's got a special place in my heart. They were also the first friend I made here!

#D answers the asks #tea #I keep using all my 'D' tags lol everyone just calls me Oak by now