A/N: Hello! How have you been? I'm really sorry for the long wait, but it was my exam period so it was kind of hard to find time for writing.

Also, I apologise if the characters don't seem faithful with their books' representation. In this story they're the same as the actors who played them, though I will take a lot of things from the books. I am not very satisfied with this chapter, but I promised you it'll get better with time ;)

Well, please enjoy!

"Get out of here!"

I could feel nausea threatening to jump through my throat. The need to vomit upon hearing the inhuman growls that were behind intensified itself by the seconds.

Minho and Thomas, who were just behind me, were still yelling at the top of their lungs. Hearing them excited me more to run, but I was beginning to get tired already. My legs wouldn't give up though, and I was running faster than I had ever run, even coming level to level with Newt, who too, was moving his legs like a flying bird would flap its wings.

I felt a hot breath on my neck, and I shivered in terror, my body warming up like never.

Was I done? Would I really die here without remembering the life WICKED had stolen from me?

"Run faster!" Thomas cried behind me. My heart pounded in relief, though it was only short lived. Thomas' intervention suddenly brought a new vigor in me, and the urge to save my life made my heartbeats crazy. A short surprised shriek escaped my lips as my head raised to see ruined escalators at a meter.

"Thomas, what the hell are those things?!" Minho yelled.

"I don't know! Keep going!" Thomas' voice held an extremely panicked tone to it.

If light had come in the shops we had been in, I couldn't observe the same for the path we were going. The escalators weren't that long, crossing them had taken seconds.

The same growls resounded, and they came closer and closer.

I forced myself to run even faster with traumatised strides, but my chest and legs hurt a lot. My throat began to burn, but it wasn't like the call of thirst, it was worse, and impossible to describe.

"Move, move!"

I wanted to sob, tears already burning. The harsh reality snapped at me like the antagonist of a book: What alternative but death did we have? I had realised it sooner, thinking that we would never really escape from WICKED, but now, we were doomed: we didn't know this place; how could we find an escape? I couldn't stop myself to think like this, even when I had Thomas and Minho, the Asian, hot on my trails, even when Newt was beside me, even when Aris, Teresa, Winston and Frypan were in the front, running and never giving up, I just couldn't.

"Come on!" Newt screamed, taking my arm in a grip to force me to go faster. He must have noticed I was at my limits, because Thomas and Minho were the ones in the front now.

This sudden realisation awoke my senses. I was depressing, but I didn't want to die, and surely not in an awful way.

The growls got sooner, but not even ten seconds after, Thomas stopped running with a shriek, facing an human form.

With terror, I saw the most disgusting creature I had never seen. Tatters of skin and ruined clothes covered its unseeing body, arms that didn't even look like flesh dangled in the void as it moved. But its growls, it was its growls out of everything that made me realise it was no longer an human being who was standing.

Not even the grievers had looked this monstrous.

In a flash, Aris was jumping on it, the creature.

"Aris!"

Aris avoided the blow the thing had tried to throw at him, and immediately hit it in its legs with an iron bar. The creature let another growl before Aris hit it again, sending it flying to the ground.

Widening my eyes, letting the loudest scream that had ever left my mouth, allowing my feelings to take over, I couldn't take it anymore: the tears fell, hot, which was a contrast with how cold this place was; and I ran as they traced patterns on my bruised face. I ran to the next place my eyes found, far away from it.

"Gladys, no!"

Newt's voice was terrified, but I ignored it all and ran towards the escalator in front of me. Turning my head but never stopping, I saw the creatures, chasing Thomas and Teresa that had gotten separated from the others. Behind, I could distinguish Newt's voice along other's. He was following me. But I didn't notice, I couldn't concentrate on it. I ran faster, my heart moving against my chest as if it would be taken out of my body, so loud. My fear was at its paroxysm, like ten thousands of iced needles that were piercing my heart inside of my chest.

Howls echoed, and I gasped, realising I was running with despair. Everything was sinking slowly. I was lost, lost in my emotions.

"Don't stop!" Newt screamed beside me as I turned a left and ran another escalator with hurried moves. I could hear Teresa and Thomas not far away, along with Aris.

"Does this place even have an end?!" I cried desperately. A bridge awaited us at the end of the escalator. My legs were trembling, but it didn't stop me from moving them.

"How do we even get out of here?!"

"How the hell would I know!" Minho shouted in frustration.

"We gotta find a way to get out of here!"

The sounds of glass breaking and growls echoed again. I froze with a gasp as someone screamed, and turned to look behind, horrified at the sight of Newt and one of those creatures on top of him.

No.

An image flew in front of me. Suddenly, this moment turned on itself, the dark colours changing into white ones as the scene took place. People in white blouses gathered around a shivering body on a table, in what was probably a lab.

A younger Newt, maybe thirteen or fourteen, laid there. He was breathing heavily, tears at his eyes as his face paled in anger and nervousness. Betrayal resurfaced in his brown eyes, his tears colouring his lips. In the same instant, with a deep breath, he moved his head towards someone. He gazed at them, a glint of tenderness danced in his eyes for a few seconds. It didn't disappear, even as he raised his arm towards them and linked their hands.

"Newt!"

Instantly, the image disappeared. The clear surroundings were gone, only remplaced by the darkness of reality.

I gasped, my eyes taking on the sight of a wincing Newt. Thomas and Frypan helped him to get on his feet quickly, and whatever had been on top of him had disappeared. Before I had the time to wonder, other growls echoed from the direction we had come. A horde of monsters were running towards us.

I paled. My feet moved again as my eyes caught Minho's, who was nodding towards the alley at our right.

"Wait-"

Everyone rushed inside, and I breathed a curse I didn't think I would. Newt and Thomas entered in the same moment as I, with Winston just behind.

It was a complete maze of alleys in what looked like black streets. The more we ran helplessly trying to figure a way out, the more this place seemed to become bigger and darker.

"Guys, where are we even going?!"

Thomas cursed and tried to open one of the thousands doors in the walls.

"It doesn't want to open. Let's just try to find another-" I was cut off harshly by the howls.

They were close, very close.

Newt shrieked and pushed me forward towards Minho, exhaling when we ran another endless door, until Thomas' body came face to face with a wall.

I bit my lips in terror.

"It's a dead end!" I screamed.

Someone's torch moved beside Thomas, illuminating another door, but it looked locked.

I felt like in the maze, just like the time the griever had cornored both Sonya and me in a dead end, until Harriet's war shout had attracted its attention, allowing us to slip away.

"This way!"

Thomas began to strive on the other door. In utter agony, I moved to help him, followed by Minho, Newt and the rest but Aris, who was staying behind with Winston.

My body was exhausted, and I let out a sigh of tiredness and frustration, trying to ignore the howls that were getting louder and louder than ever.

"I'll hold them back! Get that door open!" Winston shouted.

A few bullets pierced the air, coming to a stop when they touched their victims.

Frypan, using all his strength and the weight of his body, pushed against the door, and it opened with a few shocks.

"It's open!" I cried hurriedly.

I yelled when someone took my arm and pushed me forward without as much as a word. I thought it was Newt, but he was just behind me, running, Aris was the one having a death grip on my arm.

"Hurry hurry!"

Winston was half-inside when an arm with long nails caught him in his waist. My heart pounded. Winston's lower half was outside, between the door, being pushed back by the creatures pursuing us.

Minho was already beside the door, pushing his body against the door to prevent the monsters from completely entering, but the grimace on his face was enough to know he wouldn't last long.

"Get him out of here!"

Everyone tried to pull Winston back inside and held on whatever part of his body they could get. The nails holding him back drew blood while the unfortunate let out screams of agony.

Not holding it anymore, I left Winston to the others in an implusive move, Harriet's face hauting my mind. I roamed the area with my eyes: A bit of light, which didn't look artificial, was showing at twenty meters ahead of us. There were a lot of debris here and lots of cars -definitely a mall before-, and I found exactly what I had been looking for: a weapon.

Rage remplaced my weakness upon hearing Winston's horrifying screams. I ran towards an iron bar, like the one Aris had used a few minutes ago, and moved. Everything happened too fast. With a scream, I used my hatred and fury to hit the creatures, trying to get them to loose their hold on Winston. Not giving up, I hit them again and again, a new rage that had been repressed in the deepest parts of me resurfacing. These were familiar feelings, maybe similar to the maze: I was hitting the creatures like Harriet had hit the griever that had tried to kill both Sonya and me.

With another scream, I tightened my grip on the iron bar and aimed it at one thing's head. It entered its eyes, blood spitting from them, and it let out another awful howl before it let go of Winston. The other tools did the same, seeing as I kept hitting them with an anger I had never felt before. Not even Janson's hypocrite smile had ever made me this angry.

"Gladys, enough!" Aris shouted when Winston's half-alive body fell to the ground with groans.

Thomas and Minho were still pushing the doors trying to hold the things back from entering, but they were at their limits, with sweat and ragged breaths. Their eyes were struggling not to close for a second as terror haunted their faces.

Glaring at nothing, I threw the bar away from me and frowned at Aris.

"Go!" Thomas yelled.

Taking a deep breath, I moved closer to Thomas and Minho, at both their surprise. Everyone had already started running, Newt, after throwing me an extremely worried glance, and Frypan, were helping Winston. Aris and Teresa had flown away, but not without urging us to hurry.

"What the hell are you doing, you shank?!" Minho shouted.

"Helping you, you fool!" I snapped at him with a glare. The creatures were louder than ever, still pushing. "If we let go now they'll catch us quicker than anticipated. Winston's hurt, he won't be able to run!"

Thomas groaned, gritting his teeth. "We need to let go now! At ten!"

I inhaled. Ten seconds could be fine if we ran extremely fast. But would I do it? I had never been a runner-

I would do it! I had run faster than anyone not even five minutes. I could do it again. Even though back in the maze I had never been able to last three minutes in a race. Maybe it was Newt, or the adrenaline that was running in my blood. This need to live, this fear to die, all of this was making me stronger than ever.

"Four!"

I groaned and yelped. These doors were heavy.

"Five-"

"Shuck this," Minho yelled. "Let's go now!"

He moved and ran. I winced, my back hurting more than ever. I could see the others' shapes far in the front, nicely traced by light.

Thomas looked at me. "Gladys, now!"

We moved in the same time, in perfect synchronisation, while the door opened as soon as we let go.

I couldn't see them, but the howls behind weren't as close as what I had expected them to. They had probably fallen when Thomas and I had let go. It'd take them a few seconds to chase us again, a few precious seconds for us.

"Hurry, the both of you!" Minho yelled far in the front.

I nodded at Thomas, and though I hadn't believed it was possible, I ran even faster, getting far away, faster than him, going ahead, faster than Minho, running for my life, but deep in me, I knew there was another reason for why I was even more motivated to stay alive than my instincts.

Winston's was sobbing, and pity traveled from one eyes' to another at the sight of his lacerated body, in the center of the circle we had formed. Frypan's arms were around Aris', whose hand remained on my shoulder.

Teresa was next to Thomas and Minho. Newt was on my other side.

It brought a bit of warmth in such a cold night, and eventually, the terrifying growls that had been so close were gone.

I breathed heavily, too heavily, catching up my breath. My throat felt dry, my back hurt along each muscles of my body, but it was my heart which was hurting the most.

I wanted to cry like Winston. But in all of this, I couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe we were alive, I couldn't believe I was still alive.

I, the girl who had always needed help from others.

Aris' hold on my shoulder tightened. I turned my hands into fists to calm myself.

Immediately, Newt's hand came upon mine. His skin was warm and sent a reassuring vibe in me. I squeezed it, looking at him though the darkness made it impossible to see his handsome face.

I sighed, closing my eyes. They were so far away, some memories...

"Hey, hey! Get out of here!"

With a groan, my eyes flew open. My tired sight caught Thomas, who was yelling at a bird who had been stealing his food. The guy looked like he was at his witts' end.

I winced when light hit my face, dejected to have been awaken in such a brutal way. This light was intense and so bright, not artificial like the maze's, it was true light from the sun. In a way, it was beautiful. Something that hadn't been created by them, but something natural.

The sun destroyed everything.

I sighed, blinking. Just beside me, Newt was here, fully awake. He had been since longer than me, observing me with his penetrating brown eyes, a frown covering his face.

I gulped, something felt familiar; like a remake, as if I had already lived this instant, he and I assessing each other.

As if it weren't the first time.

"They're gone?" Aris asked.

Bringing my gaze down, I saw him sitting on a rock, not far from Frypan. His hair was messy but his face surprisingly clean compared to the rest of us.

I sighed, getting up when Thomas began to do the same. My eyes connected with his.

"For now," I said. "Maybe the sun's light's dangerous for them?"

Minho grunted. "Highly doubt that."

I frowned at the Asian. "Why?"

"I don't know, but I don't believe there is a single reason for -"

"You know," I cut him off, offering him a small smile when he rolled his eyes at me. "The flare was originally brought by the sun. There're possibilities it's all linked."

"We gotta start moving," Thomas spoke up. I raised my gaze at him and saw his worried eyes. "We're safe, for now, but nothing tells us those things won't come back. Aris, Frypan, come on."

"Thomas..." I tried, glancing at the debris that rested on the ground. Once my eyes met's Winston's body, pity shook my heart like a thousand of needles. Winston groaned loudly. The guy looked like he was going to pass out at any moments. Frypan helped him get up, talking with him a bit with a sweet and soft voice.

Everyone seemed to be extremely exhausted, which was only normal: lack of sleep, stress... I didn't know where Thomas could find this energy, but I knew I didn't have it in me, nor did anyone else. Even Minho, who looked to be the strongest beside Thomas, was groaning loudly.

I took a few steps forwards, wincing when I felt my legs wavering under me.

"You okay?" Newt asked worriedly. His eyes shone with tenderness as they flew over my face.

"Come on," Thomas insisted, already off from a few meters. I looked towards him a moment, impressed by the energy he was displaying, when Newt's hand touched my shoulder to nudge me forward, I knew it had to stop.

"Thomas, stop!"

The guy froze, and turned over. His eyes widened as they took into the scene displaying in front of him: Teresa wasn't moving from her spot, nor was Minho whose eyes were half closed and whose breathing was very slow. Frypan was helping Winston, who seemed on the verge of agony. Only Aris looked like he was somewhat motivated to move.

"We're tired, Tommy," Newt spoke slowly, his hand resting on my shoulder as I fell back on the ground with a groan, before drinking a bit of water. "We need to rest a bit longer, or else, we won't do it." as to emphasize on his words, the blond directed his gaze towards the groaning Winston and his bloodied clothes.

The runner looked around again, assessing his friends for a few minutes. Understanding seemed to resurface in his eyes as they faced him to reality, before he nodded with a long sigh. "Okay," he said simply, his voice laced with anticipation. "We'll wait a bit until... We get to go."

I coughed, looking away with a sigh of relief. My fingers touched the rocks next to me. The ground was warm with sand, just as much as the air was hot with the glaring sun. Rocks and stones sprinkled the few possible walking areas. Walking down those would be a real challenge under this atrocious heat.

"Looks like this place has been completely destroyed."

"It's the flare, the sun... It destroyed almost every infrastructure when it happened. It panicked electrical power which everything relied on. You can easily guess the next."

"Is the "next" those things we saw?"

"The flare works slowly, but at the end..." I trailed off, unsure to comment on such a thing. Newt sat down next to me, his brown eyes not leaving my face.

"At the end... whoever catches the flare will become like the creatures we've seen... Right?"

The only few memories I had were the videos WICKED had shown us when we had believed to have escaped the maze.

It had all been a trick. A disgusting one.

"First it catches your senses and emotions, then your movements. The things we saw... Were normal humans before, just like us," I answered Thomas. "We're different though: we're immunes. For some reasons, our organism resists the flare unlike the world population... And that's exactly why WICKED wants us: A cure, they want a cure to save all these people, and they'll do anything to get us back to continue their researches: the more immunes they have, the more bodies they can test."

"Why do they believe they'll find anything out of us?" Newt began.

I exhaled, sadness whispering in my ears as I let out the next words. "Hope does dangerous things. We're immunes, we're different, our bodies are different. They believe in a cure through necessary sacrifices. However... They make lots of mistakes."

Thomas raised his eyebrow at me. "Mistakes?"

"They understimate the inter-individual variable which makes any living being different from another: despite science, each body is different from another, and so is every organism. Even if we have similar or almost-same genes, we don't functionate the same way, and they're overlooking this," I mumble the last part, not realising how I was letting stuff I had never thought I would know out.

I felt like I had learnt a lesson and was throwing it up on an exam paper.

Had my brain used some associative chains to connect it all together after the video the blond woman had showed us?

"I am sorry," Thomas said suddenly, his eyes held a sad glint as Newt tightened his hold on my shoulder. "Maybe if I could remember more of my life with WICKED... I could help more."

Confusion made me frown. "What do you mean?"

With frustration, he took his head in his hands. "WICKED. I worked with them. I helped them build the mazes."

My eyes narrowed. My heart beat faster in a feeling I was unable to recognise as I watched him with big eyes. But yet, it didn't really surprise me. It should have, but it didn't. I recognised him. Him. Thomas. He reminded me of someone, just like Minho and Newt.

"Did we meet before?"

"W-What?" my voice was a whisper.

Thomas straightened himself, sitting in a better position. Wind flew over his face, his hazel eyes fixed on me. "It's like with Teresa... I feel like I've already seen you... You were here..."

I was already surprised as it was to know Thomas felt the same as me. I felt familiar to him too? Did this mean we had really met each other before the maze? It was so much possible... WICKED could have just toyed with our memories and made us forget everything.

And that was what made me so angry and frustrated. I had a family, a family I couldn't even remember...

"She was here?" Newt asked with a loud voice. "What do you mean, Tommy?"

"In my..." he blinked, wincing a he ran a hand through his hair. "When I hit myself with the stung of the griver-" I dropped my jaw. "You did WHAT?"

Minho groaned. "Shanks, can you keep this down? I'd rather have a wink of sleep before we go over to our certain death."

I rolled my eyes with an indignant grimace. However, what was Thomas saying was really interesting. Grievers? So both our respective mazes might have worked the same way, if his also had had grievers in it.

"It's a long story," Thomas spoke up. "But I was hearing many voices and seeing a few faces... And yours were both there, Gladys. I saw you, I heard you. You were with both Teresa and me, included in the building of the maze."

My world trembled at his words.

A/N: Finally done. Honestly I don't feel satisfied with this, I feel like it was a boring chapter and my writing's kind weak, but I can promise you it'll get much better in the few chapters! So please, don't forget to drop a little review for me :) I really appreciate it, since it takes a lot from me to write, especially in English lol.

See you soon!