A/N: Hey guys! I know there are a lot of stories out there like this one, but I hope this is slightly different and you enjoy it! Just so you know, this will be a mixture between the book and movie – there are things I like better about each. Please let me know what you think! Also, if anyone is interested in being my beta reader, please let me know.

Disclaimer: I don't own Maze Runner. The only thing I own is Marie.

I was scheduled for the swipe in two days. Two days and life as I knew it would come to an end. I didn't want to go. I didn't want to join the tests. Hell, if it wasn't for a certain person, I would have tried to escape a long time ago. But I couldn't leave him.

Even if, technically, I now would be.

I wouldn't remember him anyway. Wouldn't it be better for me to get out now, with my memories intact, instead of letting them wipe me clean and place me in that hell? It was bad enough I had to watch people I cared about go through that day by day, not knowing who they were, fighting to survive. I didn't want to be like that. I didn't want to forget them.

When it started, they picked the twenty that they knew weren't completely loyal to their cause. The ones that had caused problems, the ones that wanted out. We all knew what they were trying to do, but was it really worth it?

They split them up, boys and girls, and shoved them into the first trial. The maze. Group A and Group B. Then, they watched them. We watched them. Watched as both groups built a sort of system, watched as they began to die.

Then others started to be taken. Those that spoke out about the treatment of the people inside. The ones that wanted to fight against it. They got two days warning. Some of them had tried to escape.

They never made it.

I had never thought it was right, but I hid it as long as possible. If they found out, they would separate us. He would stay here and I would be sent into the maze with the other girls and I would never see him again. Even if I managed to finish the first trial, I wouldn't know who he was. Essentially, I would be dead.

But I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't stand watching them die. People who had been my friends, people I cared about. Dying, one after another. I knew I would get caught. I knew what was going to happen to me, but I had to do it.

So many of them died because of those things. Horrible deaths. Painful deaths. Deaths that could be avoided. Yes, the medicine would make them recover at least some of their memories, but it was better than watching them die. So, when I was loading the supplies to send up to Group B and the scientists were getting the newest "greenie" ready, I hid a box of serum underneath a few of the requested blankets with a note. Try this.

It didn't take long for the boys to figure out what it was for. It took an even shorter time for WICKED to realize who had given it to them. They had been furious with me and confined me to my room. He hadn't said a word, merely walked into my room after I had been there for a few days and wrapped me in his arms. He had stayed with me a few hours before having to leave before lights out. I hadn't seen him since.

I had to leave. I couldn't go through that. Call me a coward, or weak, or whatever else you want, but I would not willingly put myself through that hell. They didn't know about the loose vent that would lead me to Teresa's room. I just had to wait until lights out, go through the vent, and walk out Teresa's door. Then I could make my way to the control room. After watching the "subjects" as they called them on the monitors for almost two years, I knew my chances outside of the facility were probably better than in that maze. The maze he had helped to build. The maze I had helped to build.

If I could get to Denver, I would be safe. I just had to make it there. At least I knew I was immune. Not that it would stop me from being torn to pieces. I wasn't sure which death would be more painful, actually.

With those thoughts in mind, I slid a packed bag out from where I had hidden it under the bed and stuck to the mattress. It had been packed for months. A flashlight, a change of clothes, food, water, a knife. Just a few things I could carry so I could get out of here. After I watched Nick die and Newt jump, I had thought about leaving. Knowing Newt, who had been one of my closest friends and nicest person I had ever met, would rather die than be there, I had decided that if I was ever given my notice, I would leave. Whether he wanted me to or not. I had done all of this for him. I couldn't let myself be sent in there.

Two hours after lights out, I slowly unhooked the vent from under my bed and slowly made my way toward Teresa's room. She and I had loosened them when we were twelve, wanting to have "sleep overs". The guards hadn't allowed us when we asked, so we had made this our secret passage. We hadn't used them much lately, but I knew she wouldn't have blocked her end off. I hoped, anyway.

I pressed against her cover lightly, relieved when I felt it give. Slowly, I slid out from under her bed, wondering if I should bother to wake her before leaving. I didn't want to put her in that position, but she was my best friend. She had been here longer than anyone and we had clicked instantly the day I was brought in. She had shown me how to survive in this world. I would hate to leave without saying goodbye.

"What are you doing, Marie?" Teresa whispered from her bed, making me gasp and turn around quickly to face her. She was sitting up on her bed, squinting at me in the dark.
I shook my head slowly, hoping she would understand. "I can't do it, T. I have to go."

Her mouth dropped open, "What about-"

"He'll be fine," I said, cutting her off as I began to move backward toward the door. "At least this way I'll still remember him. I can't lose that. Please, T. Let me go."

There was silence and my breath caught. Would she let me leave? Would she call a guard? Teresa had always been so loyal to the company… she believed in everything they were doing. But she was my best friend. She watched the monitors every day. She ran the maze. She knew I would die in there.

"Go," She finally said, throwing her blanket off of her. She wrapped me in a strong hug before lightly pushing me toward the door. "The guard won't be down this hall for another five minutes. Go now."

"I'll miss you, T," I said softly, slowly pulling open the door. "Tell him I'm sorry."

I slipped out into the hallway, heart pounding, and moved toward the control room. There should only be a few people on this time of night. I just needed to make my way past them and move into the director's office. Everyone that had been caught had tried to go through the front hall and out the main gate. But Director Paige had her own exit in case of emergencies. I could disable the alarm easily and move through the back. Then I would just have to make my way out the security exit.

I ducked into one of the supply closets as I heard footsteps coming toward me. There shouldn't have been a guard at this time! It must have been someone else.

I waited until the footsteps faded away and slowly pulled the door open. The hallway was clear once more. I let out a deep breath and slowly moved, keeping as close to the wall as I could and listening for anyone moving. Finally, I made it to the control room and peaked around the doorway.

I was right about the night shift being light. The only people working was one person at the main controls, monitoring the creatures and the maze's themselves, and two people watching the subjects. One for Camp A and one for Camp B.

It was laughingly easy to move around them into Director Paige's office. Obviously, no one was worried about someone trying to get in the main control room. They only worried about people trying to get out.

I slid a screwdriver out of my pocket and opened the control panel by the emergency exit quickly. Within minutes, the door slid open and I moved into the tunnel that would lead to the security exit.

Less than five minutes later, I was stepping out into the cool night air for the first time in ten years. My heart was pounding as I took a deep breath, letting the coolness fill me, as I carefully closed the door as quietly as possible so none of the guards would come around the side to investigate.

I had only taken three steps when strong arms clasped my arms to my body.

I let out a startled gasp as an amused voice spoke. "Well, I have to admit, it was very close. If it wasn't for the tip off, you probably would have made it."
Jansen. Shit. "Let me go!" I snarled, trying to break out of his grasp.

He chuckled, holding my arms tighter to my sides, tightly enough that I had no doubt there would be bruises within a few minutes. "Unfortunately, that won't be happening. Take her to zone four."

Zone four. The swipe zone. They were going to do it early!

Jansen passed me off to two guards. One grasped my hands and held them behind my back while the other grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back toward the building. I pushed against them, trying to get away. I felt the coldness of metal as my hands were handcuffed. The guard then grabbed the back of my neck, making it impossible for me to thrash around. "Careful or I'll snap your neck," he chuckled.

We were barely inside the building when I saw her. She was standing there, still in her pajama's, with Ava Paige's arm wrapped around her shoulders. She stared at me with cold eyes, shaking her head like she was ashamed of me. "Wicked is good."

I stopped struggling, my brain fighting to comprehend. Teresa. She had turned me in. My best friend had turned me in. "Move along," Director Paige said, motioning toward zone four and letting go of Teresa. "It was the best attempt I've seen yet," she told me as the guards pushed me down the hall, "which just shows that I was right in choosing you for this task."

"What task?" I snapped as the doors to zone four opened.

She didn't answer as the scientists motioned for the guards to put me on the table. They did so quickly and people swarmed around me, unlocking the handcuffs and pulling my arms out to rest on the sides of the table. I fought them, trying to get them off of me, but they only held tighter.
"What task?!" I screamed at Director Paige as thick straps were wrapped around my body, making it impossible for me to move.

"You're going to become the new variable," Director Paige said to me, staring down at me imploringly. "You will be very important to the cause, Marie."

"The new variable? What the hell does that mean?!" I yelled, struggling against the straps.

"You aren't going to Group B," Director Paige stated, the words ringing through my head. "You will be placed in Group A."

I froze, "Wh-what?! They – but they aren't – how could you –"

"It shall be an interesting experiment," Director Paige said, obviously not worried about the fact I wasn't speaking in full sentences. "That and the little…test we are going to try during the swipe."

"Test?"

"We are going to take all of your memories," no shit, "except for one."

"What?"

"Give you something to fight for. It will surely be difficult for you, surrounded by males. Especially teenage males who have not seen a female in, well, since they can remember. I'm sure you will need some encouragement."

"Which memory?" I asked frantically, my entire life swimming before my eyes. "Which one?!"

"Start the process," Director Paige stated, turning to walk toward the doors. "I look forward to seeing you again, Marie."

"No! Stop! No!"

I was moving. I was moving and my head hurt. My entire body hurt. And I felt sick.
Slowly, my eyes blinked open to see…nothing. Darkness. Bracing myself, I stood. I was in a type of cage, a cage that was traveling up quickly. There were piles of things around me. A few blankets. A box of some sort of cloth. Other things I couldn't really see in the dark.

Where was I? What was happening?

I struggled to remember. I had been…no. No. I couldn't remember anything. I didn't know who I was. Or where I was. Nothing.

The cage jerked to a stop and I heard someone yelling. I hissed and threw my arm over my eyes at the doors above me opened and light streamed into my tiny cell. "Come on out, Greenie!" Someone said loudly.

I felt the box shift as someone jumped down. I slowly lowered my arm, staring up at a pair serious brown eyes. The boy gaped at me in shock, his blond hair falling over his forehead.
"Gally, go get Alby," he said in a thick British accent to a boy I hadn't noticed who was hanging over the top of the box. The boy moved out of my sight and the one standing in front of me slowly moved to kneel beside me, wincing a bit as he did so. "Um, hi. I'm Newt."

I didn't say anything, just continued to stare at him. What was going on? Where was I? Why was I in this thing?

"Alright then," he muttered, running a hand through his shaggy blond hair. "We need to get out of here," he told me, slowly reaching for my hand. I grasped it, noticing instantly how tanned his skin was against mine, and he moved to stand, pulling me with him.

"Newt?" A voice said from above, making me flinch slightly and move behind the boy. I wasn't sure why I was trusting him, but I had a feeling he was probably my best bet at the moment.
"Everything alright?"

"It's a girl," Newt said quietly, as if he didn't want other people to hear the conversation.

I realized why seconds later. Apparently, someone had heard the comment and wasn't as close-lipped. "A girl?!" They yelped.

"What?"

"I wanna see!"

"I call her!"

I flinched back at the last comment, pressing myself against the bars of the cage. Newt turned to me instantly, still holding my hand, and pulled me toward him. "You don't want to do that, love. Come on, I'll help you get up."

I moved closer to him and looked up, noticing a young man with dark skin and an amazed expression staring at me. He shook his head slightly, as if snapping himself out of some sort of daze, and kneeled down to hold out his hand. I slowly moved my hand from Newt's (what type of name is Newt anyway?), and grasped the hand in front of me. Newt instantly placed his hands on my waist and the two managed to help me get up onto solid ground.

Boys. A lot of them. All staring at me. Some had grins on their faces, others smirks. A few of them winked at me when I looked toward them. I moved back, thinking I needed to get away from the eyes, only to bump into Newt who had just made it out of the box. "Woah, don't fall back in," he said, placing his hands on my shoulders and keeping me in place.

"Alright, welcome to the Glade, greenie," another boy said loudly, his eyes flickering to the other boys. "No one here is going to hurt you."

"No, they aren't," the dark skinned boy chimed in, throwing his own glare around. I saw a few of them look away. "I'm Alby," he said holding out his hand.

I took it slowly, "I'm…I don't know."

Alby nodded, as if expecting the answer. "Yeah, it'll come to you."

"Do you remember anything?" Newt chimed in from behind me, his hands still on my shoulders.

I began to shake my head when images began flashing in front of me. A boy. A boy with brown hair and whiskey colored eyes. "My brother…" I muttered, getting raised eyebrows and confused muttering in response. "I have a brother!"