Chapter Text
It started with quiet. So, so quiet. Quiet that consumed you. And you loved it. Every. Damn. Second.
The swell of the silence whilst you're watching down from the vents of the WICKD compound to the ground below is almost a gentle comfort to your battered self.
What's better, is you know no one else will be here. You're just watching the world go by, and there's absolutely no one to judge, or hurt you here.
Because, believe me, you had been so, so hurt.
Not the kind of hurt that makes you cry.
The type of hurt that makes you want to shiver uncontrollably, retch, claw your own skin, wondering what you did to possibly, possibly, deserve this. What anyone could do to deserve this.
You snap out your dismal thoughts as a man you recognise as Janson, the owner of this compound, walks below you. You hold your breath as his steps begin to slowly fade away.
You don't trust him.
You don't trust anybody, but especially him. He seems... two faced.
Running your hand up the smooth and cold vent, biting your lip, you mutter to yourself that you'd better get back to whatever sleep you could salvage.
Stepping back into your room and placing the lid slowly on the vent which you'd come from, your head a tired mess, there is one thing you don't realise.
One, you'd left your ring in the vent. A small subtle mistake, possibly.
But two, you won't get it back, as whilst you are sleeping, in the vent, a tall boy wearing a striped grey and blue hoodie has watched you leave, when you were unaware, noticed you dropping the ring off your finger, crawling forward to grab it, and placing it on his own finger, twisting it, a look of satisfaction on his face, before he too goes back to his room as if he was never there.
And sleeps.
______
The next day, you don't notice anything. You're so, so , tired, lucky if you noticed anything apart from the way you hated the feel of your own body, and felt out of place here.
The girls you shared a room with left you alone, and you were glad for it. You didn't want to speak to them, they were full of pity and happiness and love. Things you tended to avoid. You only noticed them glancing at you when they thought you weren't looking, and didn't care much.
As you all walked into the cafeteria for breakfast as usual, you pick up an apple and go sit down by yourself, your skin pricking when anyone else looks at you, your head down, in your own world.
Janson steps forward into the cafeteria entrance and clears his throat. Looking around, you notice how everyone seems excited and pleased for him to speak.
How aren't they suspicious? How do they trust so easily?
Janson calls some names, and the people called get cheered for, clapped on the back, hands shaken and hugs exchanged.
You sigh. They aren't coming back. You're just waiting for the inevitable day when you're called like the rest of them.
*Then I won't have to feel anymore.*
Snapping back to your senses, you blink and realise a lot of people have left. The only people left are a group of quietly muttering boys- one of which you know of as Thomas, and another tallish boy on a different table opposite you. He has his hands clasped in front of him. You're about to look away when you catch a glint on one of his fingers and your eyes narrow. A ring?
Identical to yours?? You look down at your finger suspiciously
*Not identical. It is my ring!!
How did I lose it? When did I lose it?*
Before any rational thought has time to take place in your mind, he finishes his food, throwing the discards in the trash, and walks out.
*Do I go after him??
I'm scared...*
He did look intimidating, after all. More so because he held your eye than anything else. You won't go after him. Why do you give a damn if he has your ring? Not like it was that important anyway... plus, talking to people means caring about people, and you're rather awful in that department.
As night falls like a soft blanket, you get ready to sit in the vents as you do every night. You crawl to the place you usually sit, but so exhausted that it takes almost all of your effort to get there. You feel your eyes closing, promising yourself a small nap couldn't possibly hurt in the grand scheme of things.
_____
Jolting awake uncomfortably as you hear someone else's breathing that is most certainly not your own, you scramble backwards, sure that you'll get killed or injured, that this person wants to scare you.
Lifting your head to look at the intruder, you almost choke in shock. Grey hoodie guy??!
He smiles down at you softly, holding your gaze once again.
"We haven't met, but I notice you up here. You haven't noticed me."
He slips the ring off his finger gently and before you can react, picks up your hand to place it back on your finger.
*He's so gentle...
No. Stop.*
He looks at you questioningly:
"Gonna say something? Or are you just a face without a voice?"
You clear your throat and sit up slowly.
"Sorry. I didn't expect company, sorry. Thank you for the ring back, I didn't realise I'd lost it"
The boy holds out his hand for you to shake.
"I'm Aris."
Hesitating before taking it, you mutter back;
"Y/N."
"Y/N"... he murmurs thoughtfully. You look at him your eyes a little wider than your usual tired expression shows. You're not sure what to make of this, of him.
But you don't hate it...
*Pull yourself together.*
Neither of you speak for a minute, and then your heart almost stops when you hear an alarm blaring through the compound. You don't have a chance to say goodbye, as the boy is already crawling back to his room. Following his lead, you go straight back to yours.
As you drop back into the room, all three girls you'd been sharing with gasp in surprise. You dont acknowledge them as you carefully place the vent cover back, and then turn to them, anxiously tapping your foot.
"What's going on?"
The first girl speaks up. She has honey blonde streaks in her brown hair. You didn't notice that before.
"We don't know. The alarm just started and the door won't open-"
Biting your lip, you eye the chair in the corner. It's the only way.
"Stand back" you instruct.
Before slamming the chair into the door, shattering the glass in one hit.
*Well, that was satisfying.*
You gesture forward for them to get the hell out of there, and then you in turn sprint to where the noise is coming from. You see the group of boys as well as a girl you don't recognise- Thomas' group, as well as Aris, fighting off the WICKD soldiers in the hallway that led to the opening door.
*How did he get here so fast?!*
Without a thought, you grab your penknife from your back pocket and stick it in the guards neck that seems to be the major problem, grabbing his gun and helping the others fight off the rest of them. A blonde-ish guy with a slight limp tries again and again to swipe the key card they have obviously stolen with no avail.
You look away from them as a bullet narrowly misses you head, shooting back in anger, not stopping until the culprit collapses.
The key card seems to work, finally, and you race the other side of the door with the others, waiting for Thomas. He slides through the door at the last moment, giving Janson the middle finger like an absolute five year old. You have to admit, it's funny though.
The others look at you with a mix of suspicion and respect as you clean your knife free of blood and place it back in your pocket.
The blondie speaks up.
"Thanks for helping us back there, mate. Got a bit rough for a few minutes."
You smile before answering
"Couldn't just watch you all get beaten. What's the point in that?"
Introducing yourself, you find out the names of several people:
Frypan, Minho, Newt (the blondie), and Theresa (the girl you hadn't seen before.)
Thomas speaks up.
"We're going on a journey, and it'll be dangerous, but you're welcome to come. You're a good fighter, and we'd be lucky to have you."
Within seconds, you reply
"I'm with you."
They all seem to nod at that in a pleased manner, and you notice Aris looking at you, the corners of his mouth turned up.
*What have i gotten myself into now??*