Minho had no memories of visiting the ocean. He wasn't even sure if he had ever been to a small lake. He didn't know if he could swim. Should he find himself underwater, will he be able to paddle to the surface or will he sink to the bottom like dead weight? No one around him could give him an answer. He thought it was probably why the idea of drowning scared him. He could always find a way out as long as his feet are on solid ground. Put him in water and he was as helpless as he could be.
Minho was drowning. At least, it felt like he was. He urged himself to breathe but it felt like no air was getting inside his burning lungs. He whole body cramped. His brain screamed for oxygen. Just when he thought he was about to catch his breath, the memories came flooding back. Wave after wave of the life he had lived before the Maze came back to him. In the blink of an eye he was a labrat running on a treadmill. A heartbeat later he was a freak show in a water tank, panicking because he was afraid of being trapped. A sharp pain sliced through his head making him scream in agony. A second later he was a young boy screaming for the loss of his entire family.
"You're my person Min," a girl's voice echoed in his throbbing skull. A bright white light. A younger version of a smile he knew too well. It was the only good memory of the nightmare that was his past.
"You got my back and I got yours. You won't lose me. I promise."
'Alex, come find me. I need your help.'
WICKED didn't let her keep her word. He could feel them watching him as he watched her die. He thought he would've felt better if they killed him instead. With anguish came the anger. He couldn't stop it. It was everywhere, consuming him, suffocating him, turning into rage. Another scream ripped out of this throat as his left fist punched a hole in the ground. By then, the rage was all he could think about. It overshadowed everything else that made him who he was. It turned him into an animal, a bloodthirsty monster.
The rescue squad was lucky. They found the footprints before the evening winds blew them away. Using only their flashlights, they plowed through the blinding dust and went where the prints took them. Just as Harriet and Sonya had predicted, these led them to the mountains.
"Cole are we going the right way?" Gally shouted through the howling wind. The former Crank gave him the thumbs up. He remembered the cluster of dead trees east of the largest rock by the entrance. They were on their way to the caves.
"Those kids better be alright," Jorge prayed, pressing the bottom of his flashlight against his lips. "Lord Father help them."
"You're right. They better be," Brenda replied. "They're the best chance we got of making it."
Whether they wanted it or not, Thomas and Minho had been the major brains in making Paradise's systems for defense and resource gathering work. Thomas was practically born to create highly complex yet effective systems. Despite not being part of the Council, everyone knew about his contributions behind the scenes. Minho's eidetic memory and stamina was also a prime asset. Without those two, Paradise will be severely crippled, all the more if the Right Arm decided to attack as they had feared they will.
A chill ran down Brenda's back as they entered a Cave. The air was cooler inside. The howling of the wind had stopped and in its wake was deafening silence. Everyone moved silently, too afraid to be the first to make a sound. Up ahead, Harriet raised her hand up, signalling the group to stop. Brenda and Jorge exchanged worried looks. She strained her neck, curious to see what it was Harriet was looking at. The girl had crouched down to check something on the ground. From where she stood, it looked like thick, dark muck.
"Look," Jorge whispered. He trailed the beam of his flashlight heading their way. Smudges of the substance was on the ground. She jumped in surprise when she found a black handprint inches from where she stood.
"It smells like blood," Gally mumbled, rubbing the liquid between his fingers. It only meant one thing. Someone was hurt.
'Please don't let it be Thomas.' Fear trickled inside her, making her break into a cold sweat. With fear came panic. She couldn't stand not knowing whether or not he was safe. After everything that had happened, she had to know. If it meant giving in to one moment of weakness, then so be it.
"Thomas!" she shouted despite what her training had taught her not to do. Everyone gathered around her to keep her quiet.
"Thomas where are you?!" she shouted again.
"What the shuck?" Gally whispered.
"Zip it!" Sonya hissed.
"Over here!" A reply echoed along the stone walls. "I'm over here!"
"Oh my God," Harriet gasped. The group broke into a sprint, following the direction of the missing Nav's voice. They urged him to keep talking as they managed through the numerous twists and turns of the cave system.
They found him in one of the dead ends, both legs bound by a thick rope. His hands were tried behind his back. Brenda elbowed through everyone and knelt down in front of him.
"You okay? Are you hurt?" she asked shakily. Thomas shook his head, unable to help but smile at the sight of his girlfriend. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you again."
The two exchanged a quick kiss before Brenda and Cole proceeded to undo his ropes. "Let's get you out of here bud."
Sonya bent down to meet his gaze. "Where's Minho?"
"Vince let him go. Listen, we have to find him," he replied urgently as he struggled out of his binds. "He's been stung."
Everyone paused at Thomas' words.
"What do you mean stung?" Gally asked in alarm. He turned to Harriet who looked at him with eyes as wide as saucers. She looked horrified.
"Look out!" she shrieked.
He turned around just in time to see Minho jump at him. The two landed on the ground with a heavy thud.
"What the hell shank!" It took all of the strength of both his arms to stop the Runner from clamping his hands over his throat. One of the flashlights above shone on Minho's face, making Gally curse in surprise. It was like seeing Ben and Van all over again. Blue veins ran through his neck and face. Even the whites of his eyes had ropelike veins in them, making him look like a monster.
"Minho fight it! Listen to me!" he cried. He moved his head just in time to escape the rock that the deranged boy slammed towards his face. It dug into the ground an inch beside his ear. Gally braced himself as punch after punch rained down on his head.
"Murderer," Minho whispered, which stunned him more than any blow he had endured from him. "You fucking killed him. You killed Chuck."
"Gallly watch it!" Cole warned. He felt the rush of something swinging above him. Minho rolled out of its way before it hit him. He recovered into a crouching position a couple of feet away. Gally scrambled up to his feet, still shaking at the other Glader's whispered accusations. Harriet helped him up. "You okay?" she asked. He replied by spitting out a thick wad of blood. He looked at Cole on his right whose deathgrip on the wooden spear tightened even more. He was ready to strike if the crazed boy came at them again.
"What the hell is wrong with him?"
"It's the Griever venom," the Builder replied. "Thomas do not tell me there's a Griever in here."
Thomas, who was now free and on his feet, shook his head.
"Vince injected him with it for interrogation. Minho didn't give, the tough shuck. So he cut him loose hoping to take you guys by surprise." He motioned at the bleeding wound on Minho's heaving chest. A portion of the stinger was still embedded in it.
"But...we have no Grief serum," Sonya pointed out. She didn't say it but he knew what she meant. Without the serum, the infection will spread in his blood and consume him. It may not look like it but he knew better. Minho was dying.
The Runner stopped growling for once. Like a stiff old man, he sat on the ground and clutched at his pounding head.
"Minho," Thomas called out cautiously. "What's wrong?"
"Everything from the looks of it," the dark-haired boy replied with his signature smirk. He chuckled when he saw their terrified faces. "I'm a goner, aren't I?"
"Don't say that babe," Sonya sobbed. Harriet grabbed her by the hand when she made an attempt of walking over to him.
"Baby, you've always been good at lying to yourself. Stop it," he pointed out.
"Shut it, asshole," Cole scolded. Minho didn't hear him. At that moment, another dagger of pain sliced through his head, making him throw up.
"I got you," Alex was by his side, helping him dry up after the another round of the Tank Test. Her movements were slow and gentle but he didn't miss the anger shining bright in her eyes. He still couldn't stop shivering from the drug-induced mindrape. Behind him, he could hear the scientists going through his test results in preparation for the official report.
"Interesting. Very interesting," a male voice said. Despite the pain he felt all over his body, he turned his head to look at them. They were looking at him in that curious way that made him feel like a freak. He hated it.
"What now?" he croaked. Alex shushed him.
"He's the third one we got that has these results," one of the female scientists said.
"I know," the oldest-looking one replied. He recognized him. It was Hans. "I want blood samples from the Subject for genetic testing."
The youngest of the group nodded and approached the two teenagers on the floor with a tray of syringes in her hands. This time Alex spoke up.
"That can wait. I'll do the bloods for you later but can you please give him a break?" Despite his besfriend's small frame, the firmness of her voice made everyone pause. "Thank you," she added. Minho gave her a small smile. "My chick's bad."
"Call me chick again and I'll throw you back in the tank myself," she replied in a low voice. She helped him up to his feet. "Let's get out of here before these weirdos come up with something sick."
He remembered the treatments, the false comfort that they lulled the Subjects into before inducing those experiments on them. The more he remembered it, the angrier he got.
"You shucks better leave right now," he said. "I'm getting fucking pissed by the second."
"You're coming with us," Thomas replied. Everyone turned to look at him.
"That is not a good idea." And everyone agreed silently. He hated everything at that moment. He didn't need a reason why he just hated them. His knuckles where itching to hit something. "I have this crazy urge to kill someone right now. I'm not exaggerating," he said with a flat voice.
"We'll find a way around it. We're not leaving you." Thomas picked up the thick ropes by his feet and wound it up his forearm. First, he needed to find a way to get him back to Paradise. And then he will find a way to save him. If he couldn't do it, he will find someone who could. He's had enough of watching his friends die in front of him.
Author's Notes: I saw the movie yesterday and MAN. I got bad blueballs watching it (which is a feat...considering I have none). Aside from that I had a weird feeling of deja vu every half an hour. Despite all that and the major differences from the books I enjoyed it. Worth every penny if you ask me. For those who have seen it, you know what I'm talking about.
Now, as you all know I started this fic way before the Scorch Trials movie came out. So really I didn't know what to expect from it. Wes had told us earlier on that it was not going to stick with the book. And he meant it. For those of you who have watched the movie but have not read the books you might be wondering why some of the things here are very different from the movie version. FYI I'm sticking as close to the book canon as possible...while adding bits and pieces from my own imagination on the way. I made that decision before I even published the first chapter of The Variable and I plan to keep on doing just that. Still, despite the differences hope y'all enjoy it anyway. And um...reviews are ossum! They're love I tell you.
popsmission: Don't hate me. But I felt GIDDY watching Minho and Sonya on the same scenes. I was waiting...WAITING for them to flirt with each other or even exchange glances and all. WAITING. And I swore if those two did that I will squeal in the cinema. I didn't care who I was watching the movie with. Squeal! Just sharing. Oh and I was really flattered by your last rev. Thanks!