A/N: Okay- Ahren15 gave me this amazing idea and its been fun, but I've noticed some weird things and grammar mistakes which I am now fixing. So yes, this story is being revised, but it is also being added onto, so… ENJOY, I suppose.
Ohh and I always forget these so listen her and listen good shuckface cause im only gonna say it once.
I DO NOT own The MaZE Runner or anything recognizable.
I DO own MaC. Don't steal her… just don't.
Anyways…..
It has occurred to me that in the books, someone, -ahem, James Dashner- forgot to mention something. Namely me. I mean, yeah, I see how that could've happened and all, but I was there, and I did have a few key roles if I do say so myself. So, I've elected to tell you the story over again, from my point of view.
Perhaps I should've begun by introducing myself. Ah well, I'll just tell you now. My name is MaC, supposed to be short for Marie Curie, she won a few Nobel prizes I think, couldn't tell you what for though. I got dumped in the maze close to three years ago, the first newbie as it was. The only female in the whole place, if you don't count the animals that is (Which I don't).
Anyways, those are the basics. So I'll skip to the beginning of it, or would that be the end… hm.
Anyways… I was helping Zart in the gardens when the newbie alarm went off. That great big obnoxiously annoying ringing sound that never failed to give me a headache. Seriously. Never. Zart looked up at me expectantly.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. Let's go meet the newbie."
By the time the big softie and I had gotten to the Box a crowd had already formed to –ahem- 'greet' the newbie. I found a familiar head of blonde hair and snuck over. Of course being me I couldn't do that without tripping over some shank's foot and knocking into him instead.
Newt turned to look at me, as I had just completely head butted him in the arm. Upon realizing, it was just little old me, an amused sort of crooked smile broke out onto his face as he helped me back to my feet. "Think you stand on your own?" He questioned quietly, eyebrows raised as he teased me.
I rolled my eyes, nudging him slightly in annoyance.
He laughed only to be cut off by a boy's yell erupting from the box. "Someone help me!"
Oh, that was original. Okay, that was mean. But seriously! They're moving up! Towards help. Did they really need to scream? The alarm gave me a headache as it was. I sighed as the boy came up into view. It was always a boy, always the same confused little boy about to cry for his shuck mama. This one was older than the last. He looked about seventeen whereas our last newbie, Chuckie, was about twelve or so.
The usual instigators began yelling out insults at the poor shank.
"Hope you enjoyed the one-way trip, Greenie."
"Ain't no ticket back bro," Alby said. He was standing on Newt's other side, he leant over the opening as he threw in the rope so we could pull the greenie up.
Newt grasped the kid's arm, hoisting him to his feet as soon as he hit solid ground. "Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade."
The boy was positively flabbergasted as a series of harms swarmed him, brushing the dust and dirt from his clothing.
"Look at the Greenbean!" Gally yelled, "Gonna break his shuck neck chekin' out the new digs."
"Oh, shut your, Gally," I yelled at the same time as newt yelled something along the same lines.
"Where am I?" The newbie asked coming to grips with his new surroundings. I got my first good look at the boy. He was taller than I was, but then, most everyone around here was. It wasn't that I was particularly short. They were, well, most of them were, just tall, the newbie included. He was actually sort of… cute… in a way- sharp features, bright eyes, and messy sort of mousy brown hair.
"Nowhere good." That brilliant remark came from Alby followed by: "Just slim yourself nice and calm." Real nice, I thought, rolling my eyes, nice warm welcome.
"Which keeper he gonna get?" someone shouted from the back of the crowd. How the hell were we supposed to know? He hadn't even had the tour yet… slintheads…
"I told ya, shuckface. He's a klunk, so he'll be a Slopper- no doubt about it." I rolled my eyes, yet again and glanced to Newt who, thankfully got my meaningful glance. If neither one of the boys were going to shut that lot up, I'd do it myself. Newt seemed to sense the rising hostility and put a hand on my shoulder to calm me down.
I glanced back at the newbie, the poor guy looked completely lost and confused. Much like the others had when they first arrived. He'd be fine in a few days, but the first few always seemed the hardest… and the most confusing, but he'd live, learn to suck it up and move on.
"I said shut your holes!" Alby yelled spinning to look at the crowd and staring severely at Gally for what was really longer than strictly necessary. "Keep yapping and next break'll in half!" Yep, Alby sure knew how to handle a crowd… that was sarcasm in case you didn't notice.
Gally did seem to be even more hostile than was typical for him. The guy was a right slinthead, but he knew his stuff and was pretty smart in his own right even if he was obnoxious and rude at points. More so after the changing. He was actually a pretty okay guy beforehand. Anyways, something about the newbie seemed to tick him off more than usual.
The newbie was looking around at the boys. He hadn't seemed to notice me yet. That was all well and good as I was usually the only thing they did look at once they did notice me. I wasn't altogether too sure why. I get that I'm the only girl and 'hey look at that', but it gets altogether very comfortable after a minute or so.
Alby was the one to explain things to the newbie… well sort of. "It's a long story shank. Piece by piece, you'll learn- I'll be takin' you on the tour tomorrow. Till then… just don't break anything."
I snorted quietly, crossing my arms over my chest. There was nothing to break.
Alby held out a hand to the boy, shooting me a look in the meantime which I elected to ignore. "Name's Alby."
The boy didn't shake Alby's outstretched hand, in fact, he completely ignored it, instead turning from Alby and walking over to the nearest tree where he sat with his back against the bark
Alby glanced to us in annoyance, Newt and then me… and then rolled his eyes.
"Seriously," the boy began once more, "Where am I?"
Alby approached him as Newt and I shared a glance, each of deciding whether or not to follow. Alby ran his hand through his hair, agitated. That was when we decided to join him. Newt making a distinct impression on the boy as the first thing he did was slap the back of Alby's head good naturedly and said with a not-quite grin, "Wait for the bloody tour," his english accent thick as always, "Kid's gonna have bloody heart attack, nothing even been heard yet." I kept in the background per usual, observing. Newt bent down, extending a hand to the newbie, "Name's Newt, and we'd all be right cheery if ya'd forgive our flunk-for-brains new leader, here." I smothered a laugh at the description of our deal Alby.
The boy shook Newt's hand, looking only slightly guarded.
"Pipe it, shuckface," Alby grunted in response, pulling Newt down beside him. Newt then reached out to grab my wrist and yank me down next to him, though I sort of collided with his shoulder again. "At least he can understand half my words," Alby finished. A few scattered laughs took place at Newt's expense as the boys paced in around us.
"Who sent me here?" The newbie demanded. "How'd-"
DUDE, shut up. Alby's gonna-
I was actually correct in my line of thinking. Before the greenie could finish his line of questioning Alby had gripped him by the collar of his shirt and pinned him to the tree he had been sitting against. "No interruptions, boy!" Newt and I had scrambled to our feet by that point. "Whacker, if we told you everything, you'd die on the spot, right after you klunked your pants. Baggers'd drag you off, and you ain't no good to us then, are ya?"
"I don't even know what you're talking about," he began slowly almost uncertainly, but steadily, without the tremor of fear I was expecting. Alby came on pretty strong after all.
Newt reached out to Alby in an attempt to calm him. "Alby, lay off a bit. You're hurtin' more than helpin', ya know?"
Alby did actually calm down calm down after that, letting go of the newbie's collar and stepping back a bit even as his chest heaved. (Alby tended to do that after being royally pissed off, I… am usually the cause)Newt seemed to have a calming effect on people. "Old life's over, new life's begun," Alby said, somewhat calmer, "Learn the rules quick, listen, don't talk. You get me?"
The greenie looked over to Newt, who nodded in agreement with Alby. "Greenie, you get him right?"
The newbie simply nodded and said "Yeah."
"Good that," Alby said. "First Day. That's what today it for you, shank. Night's comin' Runners'll be back soon. The Box came late today, ain't got time for the Tour. Tomorrow morning, right after the wake-up," Alby finished before turning to Newt and I. "Get him a bed, get him to sleep?"
"Good that," Newt nodded our agreement.
With that Alby turned back the new boy. "A few weeks, you'll be happy, shank. You'll be happy and helpin'. None of us knew jack on out First Day either. New Life begins tomorrow."
"I'm not sure if 'happy' is quite the right word…" I mumbled to no one in particular, but the newbie seemed to have heard and was now looking at me with a large degree of interest. I suppressed the urge to groan at the sudden unwavering attention. The crowd dispersed soon after, finding there was little excitement to be had.
"What did I do?" He whispered, looking at the ground and mumbling presumably to himself. "What did I do- why did they send me here?"
Newt clapped him on the shoulder like he'd known the greenbean for years. "Greenie, what you're feeling we've all felt it. We've all had the First Day, come out of that dark box. Things are bad, they are, and they'll get much worse for ya soon, that's the truth." Well, at least he's honest. "But down the road a piece, you'll be fightin' true and good. I can tell you're not a bloody sissy."
"Is this a prison?"
"Who knows," I muttered.
"Done asked four questions, haven't ya?" Newt said in reply, "No good answers for ya, not yet anyway. Best be quiet now, accept the change- Morn comes tomorrow."
The newbie seemed to take a keen interest in the growing of grass at that moment.
"S'alright, newbie," I smiled slightly, laying a hand on his shoulder. "First Days always suck. It'll be alright, just hang in there."
He nodded slowly, looking up from the grass to stare at me instead.
"Chuck'll be a good fit for ya," Newt began again. "Wee fat little shank, but nice sap when all's said and done. You two stay here, I'll be back." The sentence had just left his mouth when a shrill scream pierced the air. I sighed, resisting the urge to look towards the Homestead even as everyone's head swiveled in that direction. Even Newt had jumped, his forehead creasing in concern.
I sighed, "Go on, Med-Jack's can't do a bloody thing without ya'. I'll help him find Chuckie."
He nodded, but left reluctantly, casting one last look at me before running over the mess of a building we called 'home'.
As soon as he did leave, the newbie sank down the side of the tree, his head falling into his hands, most likely trying to piece together all the horrible pieces of information and currently hoping to… well, whoever, or whatever… that this wasn't how his life would pan out.
Sorry, to disappoint, but this was reality. It sucked. Horribly, but it was real. Figuring it was best he had some time to himself, I mumbled some incoherent words about finding Chuck and left him to his thoughts.
It took longer than expected but I did find the little bugger. "Chuck!" I called to the pudgy, but actually sort of adorable brown-haired boy with the bright blue eyes. "Gotta newbie for ya'." I said jabbing a finger over my shoulder in the direction of where I had left our newbie. "You're in charge of his sleepin' arrangements. I have to go check on Ben."
"Sure thing, MaC." Can you believe he saluted? The little, I rolled my eyes, ruffing the little bugger's hair before starting off for the Homestead at a run.
It was a few moments before I realized I was running and wondered why. I wasn't headed towards anything good. The shriek that pierced that air really drove that thought home. Sighing, I slowed to a walk, trying to remind myself why I had agreed to heling with Ben's changing…