Chapter Text
“Subject… Newt?”
A cold voice woke Newt abruptly from the dark abyss he had found himself in. Suddenly, an abundance of memories hit him. He had been infected with something. He had run away from his friends. He has survived with zombies. He had been killed by- Tommy. Everything felt blurry still but Thomas’s face was as clear as day. He had been killed by Tommy, only because he asked, no, begged him to. The pain on the boy’s face was soul crushing. Newt opened his eyes wide and looked at his surroundings.
Plain white walls.
Beeping machines.
Bright lights.
A hospital.
“Damn it.” He mumbled to himself. It seemed like no matter what happened, he just couldn’t die. Not even a bloody bullet to the brain could end him. Then, he remembered the voice that had woken him up. Was that.. Ava Paige? The lady from WICKED? But wasn’t WICKED gone now? Too many questions flooded his brain.
He focused himself on one thing. Carefully, he raised his hand and felt his head. Bandages were wrapped tightly around his skull. They had saved him. WICKED has saved him. He growled with frustration. They just wouldn’t let him escape. He slowly sat up, ignoring the intense pain in his joints, and looked around the room again. In front of his bed was a large glass panel, on the other side a bare and empty corridor. Suddenly, a door on the far side of the outside hallway creaked open. Newt stared at it curiously. Was he going to get greeted by doctors? After being with WICKED for so long, he didn’t know what to expect. Two officers walked through with someone in tow, someone Newt recognised. Horror filled his heart as he watched Thomas walk past him. Why was he there? Had he been captured?
Newt tried to jump up but he had no energy. Thomas didn’t seem to notice him at first, but his eyes wandered and he caught sight of Newt. Newt couldn’t hear anything outside of his room but he saw Thomas gasp and rush up to the window. Thomas was shouting something and banging his fists on the glass but a soldier grabbed him and forced him away. Thomas’s face reflected how Newt was feeling, despair. Then, to add to the confusion, Ava Paige herself walked into the hallway and approached Thomas. The two seemed to have a conversation and throughout it all, Thomas kept his eyes on Newt. The boy looked so sad and Newt wanted to comfort him desperately but he was bedridden. Finally, the guards led Thomas away, but not before he sneaked one last look at Newt.
The group disappeared from sight and Newt felt his heart crumble. What had happened? Why were him and Thomas back with WICKED? He needed answers. Then, a small door in his room opened and Ava Paige walked in.
“Newt! Awake al-“
“What are you doing to Tommy?”
“Newt-“
“Where are you taking him!”
Newt yelled and thrashed against the wires that were keeping him in place. Ava didn’t even flinch, just looked at him with a false sense of sympathy.
“We’re getting the cure. Thomas gave himself in after your death, isn’t that kind of him?”
Newt’s heart stopped.
“What? No… no!” He stopped thrashing around and froze in place.
”Would you like to know what happened to you?” Ava continued.
Newt felt numb, all he could do was nod weakly. Ava smiled at him.
“Good. So after you met your unfortunate demise, we quickly found you and saved your life. We almost lost you but our doctors succeeded.”
“Go on.”
“Patient. Then, yesterday Thomas showed up at our doorstep and said it was time to find the cure…”
Ava kept talking but Newt didn’t hear her. Thomas had given up? No. He wouldn’t. Newt’s heart started beating faster. Thomas had a plan he had to.
“…Newt are you listening to me?”
“What’s happening to him?”
Ava sighed, “We’re cutting into his brain and he has the key ingredient. We believe it’s his blood but until we research his brain waves more, we don’t know. But this is good! We are one final step away from a cure.”
“You’re going to kill Tommy?” Newt felt an inhumane anger take control of his mind and a white haze drifted over his eyes. Ava snapped her fingers and Newt felt a cold rush shoot through his arm.
“There. All done.”
Newt choked and shook his head before looking at Ava.
“What..? What did you do?”
“A sample, some of Thomas’s blood. The flare is still raging inside of you and who knows, your Tommy may of just cured you.”
Newt felt sick to his stomach. He didn’t say a word, just stared at Ava with revulsion. Ava smiled and it sent a chill down Newt’s spine.
“I’m glad we have you here Newt.” She murmured. Was the room getting colder?
“We know how unpredictable Thomas can be so with you in our clutches, he won’t be so rash with his… ideas.” And with that, Ava walked out of the room leaving Newt with his empty thoughts. WICKED had him and Thomas. Thomas was going to die. He was possibly going to survive. It was wrong. Newt yelled in frustration and tried to pull himself away from the bed again but it was no use. His bones were sore and his muscles were weak. Sadly, he gave up and laid back down. It could’ve been minutes that passed after that, maybe even hours, but Newt was detached from life itself. He felt numb, cold and an overall sense of despair. He had nothing to stimulate his mind with other than the beeping machines around him and the lonely corridor behind the window. With all the spare time he had, Newt found himself thinking about other matters to not go insane. His memories were few and far but after suffering with the flare, scenes from his life had snuck back into his knowledge.
Family. Friends. Family. Then family again. A girl, maybe a few years younger than him. Blonde hair. Sweet smile. A sister. Newt had a sister. Sonya. Was it Sonya? No… Lizzie. Lizzie was his sister. Then other faces, Minho, Alby, Thomas, Gally, Teresa. All people he knew from the maze, but their faces… were they younger? Had he- yes he had. He had known them before. Everything was coming back to him, only in fractured pieces but it was still something. After a while, he knew everything. He was Newt, he had a mother and a father, also a sister. WICKED had taken him away, separated him from Lizzie. He had lived there, right? Yeah. And the others, they had become friends once as children then again in the maze. Newt found himself smiling at that, it was almost poetic. They had lost each other and still found comfort in one another even without their memories.
A loud crash threw Newt out of his deep thoughts. He jumped and stared, looking for a change in his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary but one by one, the hallway lights started shutting off. Maybe that was what WICKED did at night? Another crash.
No, something was wrong. But that also meant something was right. As dazed as he was, Newt knew that if WICKED experienced any trouble, it could be linked to Thomas having a plan.
”With you in our clutches, he won’t be so rash with his ideas.” Ava’s words rung in Newt’s ears. He gave himself a spark of hope to cling onto, that maybe Thomas had a plan after all. Maybe Thomas could escape with his life. Newt sat up and steadied his breathing. He wanted to check out where the noises were coming from, which was probably crazy and suicidal but he didn’t care. Shouts echoed outside and Newt focused his hearing. He couldn’t see anyone in the corridor from where he sat, maybe if he could just get up-
“NEWT!”
A voice Newt recognised all too well filled the air.
Thomas stood behind the glass with a chair.
“WATCH OUT!”
Newt got the memo and quickly covered his head as Thomas smashed the chair into the glass. With two hits, it shattered with a sharp explosion.
“Newt…” Thomas panted and chucked the chair away before throwing himself through the shattered window.
“Tommy?”
Thomas looked up and reached his hand out. Newt flinched but as soon as Thomas touched Newt’s shoulder, his eyes lit up and he dived into a hug.
“It’s not a mirage- oh man, we thought… no, you died!” He squeezed Newt tightly and let out a sob. Newt couldn’t process everything quick enough but soon unfroze and hugged Thomas back.
After a couple of minutes of both the boys not wanting to let go, Newt pulled away and stared at Thomas sternly.
“What is happening out there? Why are you here? What did you mean mirage? I- uhh… too many questions.”
Thomas smiled and pulled a gun out of his belt.
“I’ll tell you but we have to be quick, it’ll be easier to talk and run.” He grabbed Newt’s hand and pulled him out of the bed.
“Ahh-“ Newt winced as wires were popped out of his arms.
“Shuck, I didn’t realise. Sorry!” Thomas quickly apologised and helped Newt pull the multiple needles out of his arms. Newt then tried to stand but he collapsed. Thomas managed to catch him and he propped him up on the bed.
“Your state right now is klunk. What are we going to do with you?” Newt rolled his eyes at Thomas’s comment as Thomas hoisted him up and let him use him as a support.
“Right, talk and walk.” Thomas pulled Newt forwards and helped him through the window before they made their way down the long, dim hallway as fast as possible. A large boom rattled the ground and they almost fell over.
“I need a bloody good explanation Tommy.” Newt grumbled as they turned what felt like the hundredth corner.
“Mhmm… where do I start?”
“My death maybe.”
“Oh, yeah that. Well me and Brenda talked to the Right Arm-“
“Huh?”
“Guys wanting to fight WICKED, then we made a plan. I would turn myself in, play along with the doctors and attach a device to a wall somewhere in the building, then the Right Arm bursts in a blows the place up. Oh and we need to rescue a bunch of immune.”
“Okay and- wait what? There are more people in danger?”
“Well right now we’re in the most danger.”
Another loud crash sounded and the boys fell to the floor.
“Newt?” Thomas scrambled up and checked on his friend.
“I’m fine I’m fine.” Newt brushed himself off and took Thomas’s hand.
“I’ll quiz you once we’re out of this hellhole.”
Thomas smiled at Newt’s perseverance. He hadn’t lost his spark after all. With the taller boy secure once more, the pair rushed through endless corridors before they were faced with a set of stairs. Thomas went first and Newt held onto his shoulders for balance.
Newt could hear voices and shouts from down the passage.
“I think the others secured the immunes. Just down there is a flat trans and hopefully we can escape.”
“Hopefully? Wow I’m so bloody ‘hopeful’.” Newt grumbled. Thomas grinned and pointed to a corridor.
“Down there. Teresa? Gally? Mi-“
“Gally?”
Thomas froze, “Ah… long story.”
“Oh no you shucking don’t. Is that Gally as in Glade Gally?”
“Yes. I can introduce you two myself if you want.” Thomas threw his hands up in the air dramatically. Newt didn’t respond, too confused and annoyed to deal with Thomas’s attitude.
”There he is!” Newt heart Frypan’s voice as he was dragged around a corner. A group of boys and girls all stood in the hallway, helping a long line of people into a storage room.
“What on earth?” Newt peered around from behind Thomas and was immediately tackled.
“Newt you slint-head!” Minho cried and hugged him tight.
“Careful, still suffering from a bullet in the brain.” Minho stumbled back and looked between Thomas and Newt with an unreadable expression. Another person shouted from behind them.
“It’s happening! Get everyone inside that flat trans now!” Teresa brought up the rear and everyone filed down quickly.
”Teresa? What’s happening?” Newt was still resting on Thomas for support but he glanced around warily.
“It’s the ceiling! It’s going to come down any second-“ as soon as the words left her mouth, a large part of the roof behind her collapsed and crushed a few of the people who were straggling behind. Newt almost threw up but Thomas dragged him along faster.
“Newt help me out here!”
Newt snapped out of his daze and used all of his strength to walk. The storage room was near and the only people left were the gladers. Minho and Frypan stood on either side of the door and Gally shoved people through.
“Gally?”
Gally turned around and grinned.
“Guess I’m not the only one back from the dead.”
Another crash followed by screams filled the room and Gally started forcing more people through.
“Hurry your arses up!” He yelled. Because of all the unfortunate losses, Newt, Thomas and Teresa were the last ones. They had just reached the doors when a loud crack creaked above them. Thomas dived forwards with Newt but Teresa wasn’t so lucky.
“TERESA!” Thomas screamed. A large chunk of concrete had crushed her and blood spilled over the floor.
“Tom, go…” her eyes dimmed and she didn’t stir again. Thomas would’ve sprinted to get her but Minho grabbed him and Frypan picked Newt up.
“GO!” Gally screamed at them over the sound of the ceiling fully giving way and all of the boys toppled through the flat trans.