(Part Two as promised :) Thank you to Gwtwfan25, LightWitch13, Prioreincantatum, and nvnightrider9 for the follows and favorites! I was hoping to get this posted before a friend had returned from vacation so this is the procrastinator in me trying to redeem a missed deadline ;) I hope you enjoy. Much more to come, I intend this to flow into an epilogue based solely on movie canon. Thank you for your time and attention, it's much appreciated! I do not own Maze Runner)
For Thomas, the lead up to the attack on the WCKD supply train was a blur. Last minute preparations were all in place. All there was left to do was for everyone to get into position. Thomas was trying to keep himself focused on the moment, but he couldn't get the things he'd seen during last night's dream out of his head. He was sitting next to Newt inside their intercept vehicle at the top of a hill just waiting for their quarry to arrive. The view of the train tracks combined with the faint smell of burned rubber from Newt's lead foot wafted through the open cockpit only intensified his sense of deja vu. Thomas glanced over at Newt who was nursing a healthy dose of pregame jitters by chewing on a plastic straw.
"Don't worry man; this is going to..."
Newt looked confused.
"Going to what? Are you alright Tommy, you ain't having a stroke or something are ya?"
Thomas shook his head and continued. "This is going to work. -I said that before!"
"Before what? Tommy Boy, if this is supposed to be a pep talk, I'd be more inspiring without the bloody stammering."
Thomas was about to explain himself or at least try to when he saw Newt's eye's focus on the horizon. Thomas remembered this too. He pointed at Newt as they simultaneously spoke.
"Showtime!"
Newt grinned. "Great minds think alike."
"I knew you were gonna say that."
Newt shook his head. "Tommy, you picked a hell of a day to start gettin' weird. Buckle up!"
Newt slammed on the accelerator and the next moment they were hurtling towards the speeding train.
As the action of the train heist unfolded Thomas only felt a deepening sense of deja vu the only difference between his dream and reality is that now things were happening in real time. But from one moment to the next Thomas would spot some detail about events and suddenly remember exactly what was about to occur. As Newt jumped the vehicle onto the tracks behind the speeding train, Thomas climbed onto its hood. The sense that every action he was taking was something he'd already accomplished once before gave him an odd confidence he couldn't explain. He leaped over to the train and started climbing the runged ladder. He knew he was moving faster than in his dream, but he'd need the extra time for what he planned. Thomas sprinted over the prisoner transport cars to plant the explosive. Moments later the charge separated the railcars from the rest of the WCKD supply train and their target coasted to a stop.
"Newt! This one!"
Thomas directed Newt to begin cutting the security mounts on a different car then he remembered from his vision. Part of him felt like a snake knowing that by trying to save Minho he was condemning Sonya and Aris to the same torture Minho endured. But for now, he didn't have time to worry about the finer points of morality. Now that the drive section of the train had come to a halt, Thomas could see WCKD's security personnel deploying to intercept them. He knew Newt would need every moment he could give him. Thomas slid back down the ladder and sprinted to an outcropping of rocks that gave him a better vantage point for suppressive fire. He hadn't done this the first time but it after right away he could tell it was working. The WCKD guards were pinned down and unable to advance.
"Nice jKLAK Tommy! AlmKLAK donKLAK here!"
Over the sound of gunfire Thomas couldn't make out exactly what Newt was saying, but whatever it was, at least he looked happy about it. Thomas slid behind the rock to reload just as Jorge and Brenda's Berg came into view. He smiled remembering what Brenda said the night before about that part of the plan being 'sketchy.' He was glad it worked out this time too.
After firing a prolonged burst at the approaching troops, Thomas raced back the rear of the transport car to rejoin Newt.
"Nice work Tommy! Now let's get the hell outta here!"
The pair climbed up the ladder of the car as the Berg went into hover mode overhead. At first, the WCKD guards sped up assuming the Berg was there to reinforce them but a sustained burst of chaingun fire made them think otherwise. The commandeered gunship lowered cables down to Newt and Thomas who were able to work freely now that the hail of bullets had abated. Thomas looked up and could see Brenda giving him a thumbs up smiling. Her smile was contagious as he suddenly found it on his own face. Moments later they were all in the air. Thomas knew that in short order, he would find out if his friend Minho was just beneath his feet or if his dream had cost Aris and Sonya their freedom needlessly.
Newt slumped down next to Thomas who was sitting with his back up against a broken down car. Fry Pan had taken over with the cutting torch to give Newt a break.
"Holy hell Tommy, now I ain't complainin' but is there some reason you were even more action hero than normal back there?"
"What do you mean?" Said Thomas looking confused.
"What do you mean, what do I mean? The plan was to use the railcar for cover. Not go bloody runnin' off into the desert to pick a firefight with the whole damn squad from behind some rocks." Newt chided.
"Yeah, I guess that was the plan. I don't know man, I just saw an opportunity, and I took it."
Newt nodded. "Well, it worked out real good this time, Tommy. Just don't make a habit of it. You've come too bloody far to catch a bullet showing off."
"Don't you mean we've come too far Newt?"
"Of course, that's what I said wasn't it?"
"Not exactly... Hey man, I've meant to ask. Have you been feel-"
"-Great job guys!" Brenda shouted while running up to Newt and Thomas. "That was some nice shooting Thomas!"
"Hey Brenda, thanks! You and Jorge did a great job too."
Brenda smiled as she sat next to Thomas.
"Guess your dream was right. We got the Berg."
"Now let's just see if we got Minho." Newt quipped. "Hey, Fry how's it coming?"
Fry took a step back from the half molten hinge and lifted up the face plant on Newt's welding mask.
"I don't know which is worse. How hot it is of the smell of your breath in this mask."
"Sorry shank, I seem to have misplaced my toothbrush what with us runnin' for our lives and all."
Fry laughed and resumed cutting the last of the mounting brackets on the door. Moments later the door fell forward with a thud. Thomas jumped to his feet and raced through the open door.
"Minho? Minho?"
"Thomas?!"
"Guys he's here!"
Over the next twenty minutes, Thomas and the others freed all the remaining immunes from the hot confines of the of the WCKD transport. Jorge and Brenda went through the Berg with a fine tooth comb disabling every transponder and locator subsystem onboard. Thomas and Newt were sitting with Minho who was rubbing his wrists.
"I never thought I'd be so happy to see your ugly face, Thomas."
"The feelings mutual Minho."
"How'd you guys find me?"
"That was mostly Tommy's doin'. He and Brenda practically mapped out the whole bloody Scorch to figure out how WCKD was movin' test subjects around."
Fry walks up.
"Hey Thomas, everyone is good to go, but uh, it doesn't look like we got Aris or Sonya."
Minho sat up taller.
"They're alive, Thomas. I saw them both back at the holding facility before we got loaded onto the train."
Of course, Thomas knew Minho was right. What no one else knew was that Thomas had just chosen Minho's safety over both of them. He thought of Teresa. How he judged her and WCKD so harshly for playing God with other peoples lives, and now suddenly he felt just as guilty.
"I believe you Minho. Don't worry; we aren't leaving anybody behind."
Newt looked one part shocked, one part confused as he began to speak. "Uh, Tommy, I don't know if you're keepin' up on current events, but that little stunt we just pulled off took us eight weeks to plan. You know Vince ain't gonna be interested in hangin' around much longer."
Thomas nodded.
"You're right; we're out of time."
Newt nodded somberly.
Thomas spoke. "Which is why we'll just have to take the fight to WCKD."
The next morning near the docks Vince was welcoming all the newly freed immunes sharing his vision of a place far from WCKD for them to build a new world. Thomas was sold on that vision. But he couldn't shake the haunting memory of himself chiseling "TERESA" into the memory stone. It made him angry and sad at the same time and even with a head full of the knowledge of events to come, he didn't know what to do about it. Or whose name he'd be chiseling in its place when this was all over.
"Good work back there Hermano."
Thomas was shaken from his introspection by the sound of Jorge's jovial voice. He turned and embraced him.
"We couldn't have done it without you, Jorge. Guess it's our good luck we found the only guy in the Scorch who can fly a WCKD gunship."
"Ah, it's not that hard. I'll have to teach you one day. Hey, what's this I hear about you going after WCKD? I thought the plan was to get Minho back and then sail into early retirement?"
Thomas looked immediately uncomfortable.
"Yeah. Yeah, that was the plan, but it turns out they still have Sonya and Aris. It just doesn't feel right to me to leave them behind."
"Is that the only reason, Thomas?"
Thomas let out an exasperated sigh.
"Why is everyone always asking me that? Yes! If I could snap my fingers and bring Aris and Sonya here than I'd be the first guy in line for the boat."
"Whoa Thomas, take it easy. I get you have to do what you have to do. But it's a good idea to sort out why before you call a play."
"Jorge, it's simple. I just can leave Sonya and Aris to get tortured. It's my fault they're still prisoners."
"Hermano, that's not on you. We could only take one car off that train. WCKD's smart, they didn't put all their eggs in one basket. Us getting Minho meant we missed your other friends. There's no wrong in it. It's just how things happened."
As Vince finished his speech, the crowd clapped. One of the new arrivals weaved his way through the crowd in Thomas' direction.
"Excuse me, are you Thomas?"
Thomas turned to the unfamiliar male voice.
"Yeah, that's me."
The man looked to be in his mid-thirties with short dark brown hair. He was lean and muscular to the point he looked like a poorly disguised superhero's alter ego. Despite appearing outwardly formidable, he had a profound look of indebtedness in his eyes.
"I can't say thank you enough."
He stepped forward and shook Tom's hand. The strength of his grip was startling as he continued speaking.
"If you ever need anything. Even something crazy. All you have to do is ask Thomas. I've got your back."
Thomas nodded shaking the man's hand. "Thanks, I didn't catch your name."
"It's Jake." He nodded curtly to Thomas and Jorge before excusing himself.
Jorge grinned at Thomas.
"See hermano; you might have just saved us all."
"How's that?"
"Well, you got us that guy. When we get to the Safe Haven, we can hook him to a plow and voila, bountiful harvest."
Jorge's laughter was contagious. Between it and Jake's gratitude, Thomas felt better about the whole situation. What he knew for sure was, that I didn't matter how he felt about Teresa. He wasn't going to let her die. Even if she thought she deserved to.
(More soon, Promise ;)
