"Alright Marg?" Ada spent her time helping Marg, an elderly woman with a particular gift for mending clothes.
She'd been keeping her distance from the Gladers and Group B, it hurt too much.
"Alright Ady Lady. You?" The old woman was lovely, like a mother to Ada.
"Yeah Marg, what've we got today?" She plonks herself down on the tree stump, the familiar bumps not bothering her anymore, and pulls a rag from the basket.
"Heard you hollering last night, those terrors still bothering you?"
"Yeah Marg, they're still bothering me." Marg, apart from Linus, was the only one who knew about who Ada was, it felt good to be able to talk to someone about her problems.
"Wish them Wicked folk were here now, I'd show 'em what for." The woman jabs out with her needle in a fashion that could only be likened to a sword fight with a borrower.
"They've been shown what for Marg, Tommy rung Rat Man's neck, remember?"
"I remember," the old woman grumbles, "I'd still like to stick him one."
Ada laughs, which feels good, she only laughs for Marg. There's not much to laugh about in this new world.
Lunch comes and goes and she heads to the lake with a basket of clothes to wash that Marg has sewn up.
After all the clothes have been soaked and laid out on the rocks for drying Ada has about an hour to kill so she practises her karate, making her way through the Kata before practicing hitting a target - or a circle she'd carved into the tree.
Minho watches from afar, this girl impresses him. The determination in each punch, each kick and each block tells him she's been through hell.
He smiles and walks off, listening to her grunts.
The end of the day comes without hassle and everyone settles down to sleep.
"Ada!" Minho.
Minho called her name and she spun round immediately, she'd been heading to Marg but Minho wanted her?
Minho got her.
"Yes?"
"Can you go with Thomas and Brenda? They're doing scavenging duty and Marie- we were attacked yesterday and lost a scavenger. You seem competent during weapons training."
Once a week everyone had to take part in weapons training, it didn't matter that the only weapons were knives.
Oh. Okay.
Disappointment floods Ada's body, I thought you wanted me. I thought you wanted me to be with you.
"Sure." She stands up and walks to the jeep they'd managed to come across.
"Ada?"
"Yes."
"Can I ask you something?"
"You just did." She grins but his face remains emotionless, "sure."
"Why do you let me lead?"
"Because you're a good leader."
True.
"You listened to me from the first day. You can't have known I was a good leader just from what went down in the Maze."
"Because I trusted you."
Also true.
"Why?"
Crap.
"You have a... Trustworthy face?" Ada attempts.
He glares at her, "thanks for the help."
Now he hates me.
This was hard, spending time with her friends, with her Minho. She had no clue how to act. Linus told her to just tell them, explain what happened but that would confuse them, they have enough one their plate without memory wipes being added to the mix.
She heads out with Brenda and Tommy.
"So what's the plan, Tommy boy?" She realises her slip up too late.
"Did you call me 'Tommy'?"
"Yes. Why? Just an abbreviation."
"Well don't... I had a friend who called me that."
"Had?" She tries to keep an expression of oblivious innocence.
"I shot him."
They made him think he shot Newt? The Swipe was meant to make things easier.
"That sucks."
"Don't you want to know why? You could be in a car with a cold blooded killer."
At this she snorts, "cold blooded killer? Your first day in the Glade you fell over your own fe-"
Shit. Me and my big mouth.
The jeep jerks to a halt and in seconds Brenda is in Ada's face, knife at her neck.
"I'm gonna ask you some questions and you'll answer. Got it?"
Ada nods nervously.
How the hell am I going to get out of this one?
How did you know about Thomas falling over?"
"Uhh... umm... lucky guess?" Ada tries.
"Gonna count to three girl, don't make me hurt you."
"I worked for Wicked."
Not a total lie.
"How come I don't remember you?"
"I was part of the team with Thomas and Teresa and Rachel and Aris." She blurts the names out.
"Then why don't I know you?" Thomas comes in to view.
"They did the Swipe right? Removed your memories and they never took the chips from Aris and the others, they just pretended, when they found out I'd gotten out they did another Swipe, taking me from you and the others."
"I don't believe her." Brenda sneers, "Reckon she's just another Wicked Crank. Let's take her back to Minho, he'll know what to do."
They bind her hands and Thomas sits next to her with a knife in his hand, just waiting for her to try something.
They're nearly back to the Colony when a Crank appears out of no where, Brenda swerves on instinct but manages to right the jeep before any serious damage comes to it.
"The Cranks are getting worse lately, braver." Brenda frowns at the road as she drives and Thomas only stops glancing around the vehicle when they are back inside the barriers of the compound.
Minho marches over, "what're you doing back?"
"This shuck reckons she knew us before, said they redid the Swipe." Thomas shoves Ada forwards.
"That true? You said that?"
"Yeah, 'cause it's the truth Minho." Ada tries for her most 'honest' face, looking him in the eyes and remaining calm despite the knife pointing at her.
"Tie her up by the wall, have someone guard her, find her brother and bring him to me."
"Minho, please. Don't tie me up. If the Cranks really are getting worse I don't want to be tied up in here."
"Fine. Tomorrow, I'll banish you. Today? Tie her the shuck up and bring me her brother."
A wave of fear hits Ada like a punch.
"No! You can't banish me! Shit Minho please!" But her pleas fall on deaf ears and she watches him walk away.