"Ergh" Saffron groaned, rolling away from the intense light that suddenly consumed her vision. She wasn't in her hammock - whatever she was laying on was hard and cold, not in the least bit comfortable. She found her front flush to uneven, icy cold ground. Where was she?

"Jeez, that's Baltic" she shivered, lifting up her body, so her weight rested on her arms. They were stretched out on either side of her, her palms on the ground. Her head swam and she closed her eyes, trying to shake her head clear. 'Panic attack' Saffron suddenly remembered. 'Really, really, really bad panic attack … and ending up in a very close position with Newt' her memories flooded back to her, as her cheeks flushed. Remembering being shifted into his lap and him trying to sooth her, brought a tomato tint to her complexion. With the bright light fading, she peaked a look around again. She observed her surroundings. Bamboo walls, dirt floor, a small source of light … the pit. She was in the pit. That was the conclusion she came to

"Saffy, you alright?" Chuck's voice sounded behind. The blonde tumbled over slowly and got herself comfy in her spot, on the ground. Her legs were out in front of her and she resorted to leaning back on her arms. She was right to assume, she was indeed, in the pit. She had been laid by one of the far walls, away from the grate entrance. She saw Thomas, unconscious, with his head in Teresa's lap. The brunette girl was kneeled on the floor and looking down at him until Chuck's question. Teresa's head snapped up looking intently at Saffron, concerned about her only other female counterpart. At the bamboo, barred entrance was: Newt, Minho and Chuck, from left to right - respectively. Chuck was sat on the ground, looking in. Minho was crouching down and looking straight down and in on them. Newt was on the far end, kneeling at a slight angle, towards Minho. He had an arm resting on the grate's bars. The three boys and Teresa all looked so relieved. At least one sigh escaped each of them as they finally let go of breaths, that they felt like they'd been holding for hours.

"Erm, yeah … morning?" Saffron let her greeting hang, unsure of the time or even how many days had passed. The others must have noticed her perplexed expression and laughed a little

"Morning Saffy. You good now?" Minho chuckled. Meanwhile, Saffron shuffled. She moved so her body was more curved. This meant she didn't have to lean back on her arms and was so a little more comfortable.

"Erm yeah … what's happening? I remember freaking out big time but before my panic attack? No. It's all kind of blurry" She confessed running her fingers through her hair

"Well before your episode, that scared the shuck out of us, seriously Saffy. Thomas stabbed himself with a Griever sting and Gally offered everyone a choice" Minho began

"To join him or join us, yeah. I got that bit." Came the blonde's mumbled response

"Is Thomas going to be ok?" Saffron spoke clearer and louder this time

"Tommy's going to be fine, Saffy. The most important thing is, are you? You stopped breathing at one point" Newt asked tentatively, reaching a hand through the bars and motioning to her to come to him. After a moment of gathering her strength she tottered over to where Newt was, on the other side of the bars. She reached out and clasped the hand that he'd beckoned her over with. Newt's other hand found her cheek, stroking the hair that fell over her face a little. His eyes scanned over her frantically, checking her face for damage.

"I'm fine Newt. Just a panic attack" she pushed her head against his hand

"I know but I can usually stop them" Newt said before he could stop himself. He didn't know where that sentence came from or what possessed him to say it - he just couldn't stop himself. It felt like his words had great truth behind them and he just couldn't restrain himself. It was like a memory that was no longer represses that he had to voice.

"Wha-" Saffron's eyebrows pulled together as everyone else turned to the blonde, English gladers. She tried to question him but was cut off by:

"Hey? Are you ok?" Teresa asked suddenly, to Thomas. Her proclamation quickly got the others attention and Newt's comment was forgotten. They all looked - Saffron turning round but still keeping a firm hold of Newt's hand - to where Teresa was now back to leaning over Thomas. His eyes were wide open, his head lurching up a little. 'If I didn't know better, I'd say box boy was trying to kiss her' Saffron mused silently

"What the hell were you thinking?" Chuck demanded. Thomas sprung up turning to face where Newt, Minho, Chuck and Saffron were looking at them. Thomas noted how the three boys were outside the constraints but Saffron was in the cell with him. Teresa also diverted her attention to the other four, watching cautiously to see how events were going to unfold. Saffron, however, took the opportunity to prove her 'episode' hadn't taken the sarcasm out of her

"Good that. I mean it's not your average morning salutation but it's very ... Original, so to speak" Saffron rolled her eyes as Chuck merely glared at her, playfully. In response to which Saffron just raised her eye brows, her facial expression screaming an exasperated: 'really?'

"Don't get into a glare battle with me, kid. I will end you - without even trying" She declared

"What happened?" Thomas muttered

"Gally's taken control - " Newt sighed and was then interrupted

"And for once Mr Big-Bones is not the least of our problems. He's given them an ultimatum" Saffron eyes rolled sky eyes for seemingly the a millionth time

"- He said we had a choice. Either join him or get banished at sun down with you" The English boy finished

"That's the other, big problem. Banishment" Saffron used her hands (and the one of Newt's that she still held) to make a gesture to accompany the word 'big', emphasising its importance

"And the others agreed to that?" Thomas stumbled, groaning to his feet

"Gally's has everyone convinced that you're are the reason all this has happened" Teresa confessed as Thomas came to sit on a seat a makeshift ledge. It was forged into the a rock that made the back wall of the pit

"Well he's been right so far" Thomas confessed and everyone looked confused

"What are you talking about?" Minho quizzed

"My sentiments exactly … Explain" Saffron ordered her gaze meeting Thomas'. Brown eyes met blue and held each other's look steadily.

"This place, it's not what we thought it was. It's not a prison, it's a test. It all started when we were kids. They'd give us these challenges - they were experimenting on us … and then people started disappearing. Every month, one after the other, like clockwork" Thomas began

"Sending them up into the maze" Newt deduced giving Saffron's small, soft hand a squeeze

"Yeah but not all of us" Thomas agreed

"What d'you mean?" Newt asked

"Guys, I'm one of them" the brunette stated and silence fell. A look of great confusion and disbelief plastered across there faces. Newt used his grip on Saffron to pull her back towards him and the grate, putting closer to himself, closer to his safety and protection. Minho cocked his head slightly, as if it would help him process the information better while Teresa, Saffron and Chuck stayed motionless. The quiet quickly dissolved when Thomas spoke up again:

"The people that put us here? I worked with them … I-I watched you guys for years. The entire time you've been here I, I was on the other side of it … so were you" Thomas glanced at Teresa. The girl's eyes quickly teared as she let out a shaky:

"What?"

"Wow, real chivalrous Thomas. If your going down she's going with you? Is that the logic we're applying because that's just nasty. We could've all lived in blissful ignorance that Teresa's a baddie and just pummelled you … alone" Saffron's light hearted, sarcasm effectively lightened the mood like she'd intended it to. She may normally have made nasty sarcastic remarks but that didn't mean she didn't know how to spin her dry words in to a joke. At her words, Thomas eyes jumped to Saffron, at her words. All the while Teresa continued mumbling how it couldn't be true and shaking her head

"You were there too" Thomas breathed out

"What?! Hold up! Two's company, three's a crowd - I get you want friends to go out on a baddie climax with ... but c'mon! Me?! Why?!" Saffron dramatically exclaimed

"You weren't with us, you weren't on our side. It was like Alby said. You didn't do things there way, you refused to watch these guys suffer. As a punishment they made sure Newt was one of the people that mysteriously disappeared. That didn't stop you though, you cried a lot but then continued the way you had before. Your number was 666 - Saffron they were convinced a virus. A menace to everything they'd done - you were the devil to their project" Thomas explained. Saffron's eyes went wide and she turned to look a Newt, squeezing tightly on his hand and trying to get as close to him as the bamboo bars would allow. Much like when Thomas, Minho and herself had stumbled across the shreds of Ben's clothing in the maze, she felt she needed comfort and the only effective source of comfort and compassion and understanding was Newt.

"Their mind games didn't work on you either … You weren't like Teresa and me" Thomas finished

"No … I-I refuse to believe it" Teresa gasped, tears spilling from her eyes

"Teresa, we did this to them" Thomas said softly but she continued to protest

"No, it can't be true" she sniffled but remained adamant

"It is. I saw it" he assured

"W-wh … why would we send us up if we were with them? Why send Saffy up? If she ruined everything under there supervision, surely now she's free to do as she pleases, she'll be even more of a menace to them"

"It doesn't matter"

"He's right-" Newt piped up, all of sudden. The two brunette a in the pit turned to look at him, Minho and Chuck focused their attention on him and Saffron looked up at him. Though she didn't know it herself the way she gazed upwards at him, waiting intently for his opinion- her look could almost be considered as loving.

"-it doesn't matter. Any of it. Because the people we were before the maze, they don't even exist anymore. These creators took care of that … but what does matter is who we are now and what we do right now. You went into the maze and you found a way out" the blonde boy finished

"Yeah but if I hadn't Alby would still be alive" Thomas argued. At this Saffron placed a kiss on to Newt's knuckles, that were wrapped and tangle amongst her own

"Maybe" Newt admitted sadly

"But I know that if he were here he'd say the exact same thing: Pick your arse up and finish what you … two, started" he glanced down at Saffron, who moved her head so her cheek was resting on top of their entwined hands

"Because if we do nothing, that means Alby died for noting and I can't have that" Newt finished

"And you won't, right Thomas … or Tommy? Or whatever it is you're being called now-a-days. Halibert, maybe?" Saffron reassured Newt before addressing her Box friend

"Ok … ok but we gotta get through Gally first" Thomas agreed

-line break-

"Would you mind, very kindly, to remove your hands from my person? I do not like being touched, it's a violation of my rights and it greatly upsets me" Saffron spat venomously. She, Teresa and Thomas were currently been dragged by four of Gally's builder friends, from the pit to God knows where. Thomas was been supported by two of the boys, his arms hauled over both their shoulders. He was still weak to walk after his self-induced injury. While Teresa and Saffron were escorted by a boy each. Teresa walked almost defeatedly, head down, saying nothing. Saffron however flounced and pouted like her life depended on it. She struggled in the boy's grip. His hold was not wanted nor needed. 'I can walk unattended, y'know! For Christ's sake, I'm 16!' Saffron's conscience raged.

The were marched through the grilled glade. The crops had been incinerated and black soot, with the occasional burned leave sticking up, was the only sign that their farm produce had ever existed. Most of the buildings were fully destroyed and those that weren't, were only half standing, unsafe and uneven to say the least. All the construction, whether it was still standing or not, was smoking as the fire's aftermath still had control. Numerous small patches of flames were still alight but we're slowly fading away, burning out. There embers fell onto the charred black ground. There patches baldness in the grass, from the fire, as well as multiple scorched areas where the grass was still there - just dead.

The approached the maze doors just as Gally struck Alby's name off the wall. There were 3 thick and tall branches erected in front of the maze doors, they sort of resembled thinner totem poles. 'One for each of us, I presume' Saffron's mind wandered. Once they reached the doors, Thomas was chucked on to floor as the Teresa and Saffron were held, up right, by the their jailers. All the other boys - which was a weird thought because there were so few boys. Many had been lost and now 'all the boys' only comprised of no more than 19 or 20 people.

"This is such a waste" Gally began. Sheathing the dagger, he'd used to scratch out Alby's name, back in to his belt.

"Well if you don't do, whatever you're going to do, then it won't be a waste. It'll be a win win situation for both sides and we can all group hug and hold hands from this day forth" Saffron offered but Gally ignored her

"Gally?" Winston spoke up from his position next to Jeff. The two were stood in the speckled crowd of onlookers. Gally's attention and many others, turned to fall on the slicer

"It doesn't feel right man" Winston expanded

"Yeah … what if Thomas and Saffy are right? Maybe they can lead us home" Frypan agreed and the tension in the, smoke permeated and fried glad, rose astronomically. Gally walked towards them with a hard face, he glanced around the dwindled numbers before saying, in a very forceful tone:

"We are home, ok?" Gally flatlined. Saffron's scoff and her muttered comment of:

"If this is home, I'd have hated to have seen your actual home life, like before" was heard

Her snarky babbling made Gally's blood boil but he continued regardless. He'd put up with cursed blonde brat for this long, he could put up with another half an hour.

"I don't want to cross any more names off that wall" Gally insisted

"Really? Because you have a funny way of showing it" Saffron rolled her eyes and then winced. The builder holding her, tightened his grasp on her, harshly

"You really think banishing us will solve anything?" Teresa asked and Gally turned to her

"No. But this isn't a banishing … it's an offering" he deadpanned and with that, Teresa and Saffron were roughly pulled, dragged and tugged onto the branches nearest them.

"WHAT?" Teresa exclaimed. The two boys hurled them against the posts, holding them high as they pulled out rope. The hemp material was, presumably, going to be used to secure them

"Of course it is" Saffron rolled her eyes at Gally, pulling away from the boy who was trying to grab and heave her, against the pole

"I mean, what a surprise! The steroid, anger man is also into Medieval, Pagan rituals! I bet you do rain dances and warrior sacrifices in your spare time ... y'know, when your not bullying people" Saffron bit out as she had her hands roughly thrown above her her head. The builder holding her then began to bind her wrists there, against the branch. Obviously she squirmed but that only made her captor hold tighter

"Gally? What are you …" Teresa demanded as she too was being strung up

"Oi! Careful! I'm fragile, you oaf! Classic and expensive, you shouldn't touch … Ouch! All damages must be paid for!" Saffron exclaimed rather shrilly when the builder fastened the knot harshly against her skin

"What are you doing?!" Teresa asked again, struggling as her wrists were bound.

"YOU REALLY THINK I'M GONNA LET THOMAS BACK INTO THE MAZE, AFTER WHAT HE'S DONE?!" Gally lost all his calm and reserve, breaking into a sudden shouted rage. His two builder friends had just secured the two girls as his rant came to an end. However the two boys then started to rigorously stress test the knots they'd tied, tightening them if needs be.

"LOOK AROUND YOU!" Gally then demanded to tragically small glade community

"Look at our glade" he said more calmly this time, gesturing out and into the still smoke invested air. It still rose from the wreckage of the singed buildings - the whole place looked desolate. As told, the gladers glanced around, surveying their ruined accommodation.

"This is the only way and when the grievers get here -" Gally started

"And when the grievers get here, they're going to think: 'Ooh! Appetisers! Now, where's the mains and they'll pillage and plunder like they did last night! This won't stop them!" Saffron interrupted, wiggling against the pole she was tied to, trying to free herself

"No. When the grievers get what they came here for … everything goes back to the way it was" Gally contradicted

"Are you listening to this? Why are all just standing there? He's crazy!" Teresa asked the boys, shocked they couldn't see the obvious

"You shut up?" Gally asked

"If you stay here the grievers are gonna come back. They're gonna come back. And they are gonna keep coming back, until you are all dead!" Teresa ignored him

"SHUT UP … tie him up!" Gally exploded before giving the order for Thomas, to also be strung up against a pole. However the two boys that carried him were suddenly reluctant. They stared at Thomas from where he lay on the ground and then looked at each other and then back to Thomas. The teen boys made no move to restrain him or even touch him

"D'you hear me? I said tie him up!" Gally snapped again and the two other boys shared another look and then sluggishly began to haul Thomas up.

They had only, really got at Thomas up into a position where he could kneel, if he bent his knees, when Thomas burst in to life. He elbowed one of the boys, who had ginger hair and pale skin but also held a long stick that had been semi-fashioned into a spear, in the gut. Thomas grabbed the boy's spear from him, swinging it round to smack the other boy across the face with the rounded end. Sensing the mutiny, many of Gally's builder friends stepped in, to intervene - none of them got too far though as then other boys such as, Minho and Frypan snapped into action - going against Gally.

The boy who'd tied up Saffron immediately jumped forward to ensure she stayed secured as, as soon as the commotion broke out, the blonde started heaving, heavily at her binds - throwing herself around in an attempt to loosen them.

"Hey!" Newt's voice held a tone of protectiveness as he moved towards the boy, who was trying to keep Saffron from thrashing. Newt used the hilt of the blade, he used for gardening, to whack the boy. It effectively knocked him out and then British boy then used the knife for its proper purpose, cutting her bonds in a single strike

"Thanks" Saffron breathed out as her wrists fell. She massaged her wrists, slightly, to alleviate the ache the rope burn had caused. Newt, still had his blade in hand as he, bundled Saffron into his side (via an arm round her waist) and ushered them towards the door. They stilled next to Thomas as he too held the sharpened, impaling instrument out in front of him

"Don't mention it" he smiled and passed her a gardening knife much like his. At the same time though, while Newt and Saffy's exchange had been going on, Teresa had kicked the guy restraining her in the balls and Minho had raised a blade to Gally. Minho placed the knife so it sat on Gally's shoulders, one wrong move and the builders neck would be nicked. Frypan cut down Teresa and Chuck run forward, his arms ladened with God knows what. The young boy was carrying - in bags on his shoulder and in his arms - a vast array of things, some Saffron had never in even seen before. Teresa came to the other side of Thomas as Minho slowly edged round Gally, the blade he held still pointed at the builder in a nefarious manner. Frypan also then came to stand by Teresa on her other side, handing her a blade

The other gladers who weren't really pro-Gally but weren't part of Thomas, Teresa and Saffron's rescue all stood on - watching in awe almost. Life in the glade had got so different, so fast. None of the really knew what was happening anymore. Minho continued back towards the group, joining them at the maze door. The 6 teens all held their respective weapons in front of them, warningly.

"You are full of suprises aren't ya?" Gally shrugged angrily

"You don't have to come with us but we are leaving" Thomas declared

"ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO COME, NOW'S YOUR LAST CHANCE!" Thomas then raised his voice to a shout, opening his request out to the whole group.

"Don't listen to him, he's just trying to scare you. Alright?" Gally tried to calm the others who were getting increasingly jumpy. The effects of of Saffron's and Teresa's claims about the grievers starting to press on their mind and Thomas' spoutings were only adding to their unease

"Since when have you been a psychiatrist? Gally knows how everyone's mind works, now, apprantly" Saffron rose her eyebrows

"No. I'm not trying to scare you, you're already scared. Alright, I'm scared … But I'd rather risk my life out there than spend the rest of it in here" Thomas and Gally competed in an intense glaring match, as he spoke.

"We don't belong here. Hey, this place isn't our home. We were put here, k, we were trapped here, at least out there, we've a choice. But we can make it out of here - I know that" Thomas spoke again and for a moment silence enveloped the group. Gally glared at Thomas, Thomas glared at Gally. All the others' eyes just shifted from person to person, gaging their reaction - seeing how everyone else was dealing with the choice.

After a moment Winston, closely followed by Jeff crossed from behind Gally. Several other boys soon started filtering over to where the original 6 stood in front of the maze doors.

When the numbers on Gally's side had dwindled down to a pitiful few, that mainly consisted of Builders, the seemingly always angry boy, looked around those who chose to stay with him. 'He actually seems quite upset, distressed even' Saffron's nose crinkled at the display she saw Gally being anything but mean of his own choice for the first time.

"Gally, it's over" Thomas told the defeated builder. Gally refused to meet his eyes though, he became fascinated with his shoes

"Just come with us" Thomas tried to reason. This got his attention. He lifted his head slowly, shaking it a little and licked his lips a few times before he spoke.

"Good luck against the grievers" he sounded composed as opposed to beaten. A heavy sigh left the group who were leaving, they were going without everyone. People were staying behind, people who would inevitably get killed by the grievers. Slowly they began to disperse, in dribs and drabs, into the maze through the open doors. Saffron looked at Gally in despair, granted she didn't like him but she didn't want him dead.

"Saffy, let's go" Newt said, his mouth was close to her ear and he tugged gently on the arm closest to him. Gally caught her eyes and merely nodded a silent goodbye that she replicated and then turned and began to run, at the back of the group, with Newt.