Hi guys! So this is my first Free! crossover with Maze Runner. I saw a picture of Haru and Rin as Runner and I just couldn't get the idea out of my head about them running the maze together instead of swimming. A bit weird but still a cool idea.

Also I added it to the normal Free! section because there is only one cross over between Free! and Maze Runner so far so just to make it easier to find...

The story more or less follows the Maze Runner storyline but I may change it in the future so don't worry if some of the things don't make any sense.

I don't own most of the characters.

The sound of screeching of metal against metal woke Haru in a fit, causing him to slam his head onto the cage surrounding him. He coughed as he realized just how parched his throat was, his hand clawing at his throat as he rasped, "Water. Give me water." When no one answered his pleas, he slowly got to his feet to have something slam into his face, a creature that screeched and clicked as it tried to rip him to shreds.

Haru cried out as he slammed back into the wall, trying to get away as the cage zoomed upwards faster and faster, sending him sprawling to the ground as he whispered, "This is not right. This is not right." As he tried to rake his memory of who he was and what happened before this, nothing came to mind, sending him into a deeper wave of panic as he fumbled for his memories. My name… who am I? Where did I come from? Only one word formed in his fumbled mind: Haruka. His name.

The cage stopped squealing as it halted its breaks, sending Haru into a wave of blackness as the top opened, the lid rattling to reveal harsh sunlight in his face. He wanted to cry out as the sun seared his eyes, threatening to burn his eyeballs out of their sockets when he noticed the group of teenagers grouped around him, eyeing him like he was fresh meat. Perhaps he was.

Voices began to chatter as they sized him up, examining the new kid in town. "Hey, check out the new greenie." "Hehe, would be good to see if he'll throw up trying to slaughter the animals!" "No way. This guy could be used in the garden." "Maybe he can go shove some crap with Hayato as a slopper." That statement earned some laughs and high fives from the group as a boy shouted, "Hey shut up and get to work shanks! The glade ain't gonna keep itself sustained!"

With that, a shadow appeared above him before dropping into the cage with a large clang. Red eyes stared into Haru's blue ones as the boy grinned a grin full of shark teeth. "Hey, greenie. Rise and shine," Rin grinned as he offered Haru a hand, not waiting for the boy to grab it as he hauled him to his feet and yanked him onto the grass above.

Haru stared in horror as he saw the place he was at. He attempted to get up and run for it as someone yelled, "Hey, we got a Runner!" Haru's legs were about to break as he ran and it wasn't long before he face planted himself in the dirt, earning laughs and jeers as his peers taunted him. As he looked around, he felt his heart sinking into an abyss as he realized they were surrounded by four large walls, all too large to scale and keeping them prisoner in this small meadow.

"Don't push your luck, greenie. You're going to need all your limbs in one piece if you want to survive in this place. Once you break a leg, no going back for you," Rin said as he helped Haru to his feet, eyeing the boy with interest as Haru batted his hand away once he was on his feet. "Where the heck is this place?" he grunted. "Really? Normally the others would start bawling about being stuck here forever and all but you seem fine. In fact, you seem too fine. Did you break your head or anything?" Haru just scowled as Rin introduced himself.

"I'm Rin, keeper of the Runners. I help run this place. I'll take you to the leader to show you the ropes around here," he said as he led Haru across the field, the boys already getting to work hauling supplies out of the Box, the place Haru had come out from not long ago and bringing them to the buildings surrounding the Glade. "Hope you don't mind how loud he can be, but Seijirou can be a bit loud for someone trapped in a maze," Rin mumbled, the look on his place telling Haru that he didn't want to meet the guy in charge of this crazy place. But something else caught Haru's attention.

"Maze?" he murmured as Rin sighed, "You see these walls around us? Those are the entrances to the Maze. We send Runners, guys under me, to run and map the area to make sure we can find a way out of here without getting ourselves killed. Try to run and get stuck after nightfall, good luck since the Grievers will eat you." The words Maze, Runners, and Grievers didn't seem to stick into Haru's mind as a voice called out, "Come on, Rin. No need to frighten the new people with the Maze and Griever talk."

Another boy around their age came into view, his green eyes smiling despite the fact they were trapped there with no possible way out. He had a kind smile on his face as he waved at them, his arms exposed to reveal muscles. "Yo, Makoto! Yo, Haru. This is Makoto, Keeper of the Trackhoes, although that's supposed to be someone else's job…" Rin said as Makoto shook Haru's hand. Despite him feeling everything was going really weird, Haru felt at ease with them.

"Hope you don't find yourself too shocked about everything that's happening but you'll get used to it in a while. You're bringing him to go see Seijerou?" Makoto asked as a yell came from behind earning a groan from Rin, "Here we go again." "Yo, Greenie! Welcome to the Glade!" Seijirou clapped a hand onto Haru's shoulder, making him wince as he glared at the orange haired guy who was grinning like mad. "Well, we have a nice party for you tonight, kiddo! But for now, why don't I show you the ropes around here?"

Rin let the guy take Haru hostage and the boy was soon shown how the Glade works, although he had no mood about knowing more than how to get out of that joint. As they walked, he realized that most of the boys were around his age (how old was he again?) or maybe 15 to 18. The only one who stuck out was a kid about 12, his small head poking out from the toilet to look at the new kid as the other kids yelled at him to go back to cleaning the toilets.

"Don't mind Hayato. Poor kid, to have his memories taken away from him at that age… someday, if I can meet those bastards that threw us in here, I'm going to make them pay for what they did to all of us," Seijirou growled, a menacing look on his face before he turned all smiley as he patted Haru on the back. "Go hang around with Makoto and Rin for a bit for now before the party tonight. They'll take care of you," he said as he walked off to do some inspection.

Haru didn't go to where they were but instead, his legs carried him to one of the walls, the doors wide open as he approached. He could feel a small breeze coming from it, beckoning him to enter it. His hand reached out, trying to grasp the source of it as someone grabbed his arm. "Oi, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Rin demanded as he pulled Haru several steps from the Maze entrance.

"Just having a look. None of your business," he scowled as Makoto came up. "That's really dangerous, Haru-chan! If you go there before nightfall…" he gulped, not daring to say the word when Haru raised his eyebrow, "Haru-chan?" "That's a nickname one of the guys here came up with," Rin groaned as he jabbed a thumb at a small blonde boy walking nearby, his shirt stained with blood as he hauled meat to the kitchens. He didn't look as sweet as someone who would call everyone –chan. "That's Nagisa. He's a little absent minded but his ok," Makoto said as wind from within the Maze howled.

"Here we go," Rin murmured as the sound of metal gears screeching filled the air. The doors began to slide shut, the gears squealing so loud Haru had to cover his ears and brace himself as the Maze was blocked from view. Despite that, he could still feel it calling to him, beckoning him to enter before they shut. For a moment, silence hung between the three boys before Makoto broke the ice by saying, "Well, since the doors have been closed, why don't we go grab some dinner?"

This is going to be an interesting summer project.

All comments are appreciated and welcomed!