Minho and Eleanor had just left the Kitchens after stealing a sandwich for Minho, when the shouting was heard.

"Ben!"

Eleanor looked up at Minho questioningly. "Is that…?"

"Alby." Minho confirmed.

Without another word, they started making their way towards the sound.

"Ben," Alby's voice echoed. "Stop right now, or you ain't gonna see tomorrow."

"The Deadheads." Said Eleanor, following the sound.

Minho nodded.

They picked up their pace, breaking into a run. Swatting aways branches and leaves, they made their way through the darkness of the forest. Eleanor could barely keep up with the Runner, but she somehow managed to.

"If you kill me, you'll get the wrong guy."

She recognized Ben's voice. Only, it was lower, deeper.

They were almost there. Eleanor could hear him clearly.

"He's the shank you wanna kill."

They finally arrived. Eleanor came into a stop at the shocking image they came upon.

Ben was standing near the Newbie, Thomas. He had no shirt on, his sweat mixed with the dried dark blood. He looked just as the last time she had seen him, except he was awake, his eyes bloodshot as they glared at the Greenie. There was a sharp gleaming knife in his hand.

Eleanor held her breath.

They had been in the Med-hut only a while ago. How had Ben simply woken up and left? Newt was supposed to be watching him and the girl.

"Don't be stupid, Ben." Alby calmly spoke.

Eleanor gasped before she could help herself, as she saw him a few feet away holding a bow. He aimed a sharp long arrow at the blonde Runner.

"Thomas just got here. There's nothing to worry about. You're still bugging from the Changing. You should've never left your bed."

Alby gaze shiftly travelled to where they stood, with a completely blank expression. His gaze focused on Minho for a moment and he made a small gesture with his head. Minho nodded.

"He's not one of us!" Ben screamed, clearly out of it. "I saw him. He's- he's bad. We have to kill him. Let me gut him!"

Thomas took a step backwards, fear evident in his features.

What did he mean he'd seen him? In his memories? Was it possible they could have known each other before the Maze?

The leader hadn't made a move, still focused completely on Ben. Minho had circled around and was now standing on the opposite side, ready to take action if he had to.

Eleanor didn't know what to do. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest.

Please, don't let this end badly.

"You leave that to me and the Keepers to figure out, shuck-face." Alby said, still perfectly still, to the point where he looked more menacing than she had ever seem him look before.

"Right now, back your scrawny butt down and get to the Med-hut."

It sounded like a final warning. Eleanor's heart skipped a beat.

"He'll wanna take us home." Ben continued. His focus was entirely on Thomas, his gaze holding a rage she had never seen in him before. "He'll wanna get us out of the Maze. Better we all jumped off the Cliff! Better we tore each other's guts out!"

"What are you talking-" Thomas tried to defend himself.

"Shut your face!" Ben yelled, his face distorted in a mask of rage and deliria. "Shut your ugly, traitorous face!"

"Ben," Eleanor was trying her best to sound clam. He didn't even turn to her. "Thomas just got here, he couldn't-"

"He's bad." He cut her off. "I saw him. I saw him!"

"Ben." Alby regained his attention. "I'm gonna count to three."

"He's bad, he's bad, he's bad ...," Ben started muttering.

His body had started swaying with his words, his hands playing with the knife, still focusing all his attention on Thomas.

"One."

Oh god, no.

"Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad ..." Ben was smiling now, enjoying Thomas' suffering.

The New boy didn't even move, seemingly too scared to do anything.

Minho took a silent step forward, waiting for an opportunity.

"Two." Alby's second warning came loudly.

Eleanor was frozen in place. Her heart beating loudly in her ears.

"Ben," Thomas spoke, with his best innocent face. He looked completely mortified. "I'm not... I don't even know what-"

Ben gave out a loud scream and leap towards his pray, knife on the rise, reflecting the moonlight.

"Three!"

Eleanor didn't even register what had happened after only a few second.

The sound of the arrow hitting its target resonated through the woods. Minho was already on the ground, having pulled Thomas out of the way.

She breathed out as she confirmed there was not a scratch on him, or Thomas.

Then, Eleanor looked at the other boy in the ground. The air came short as she gazed at Ben's face, covered in black blood still oozing from the fresh wound. The arrow was poking out of his head.

He wasn't moving.

Eleanor ran forward till she reached the Runner's body.

There wasn't as much blood as she had originally seen but his eyes were closed and he wasn't moving.

Please don't be dead, please don't be dead. She chanted as she brought her fingers to his neck and pressed slightly.

She exhaled. He had a pulse, faint, but there it was.

"Call Jeff and Clint." She ordered to no one in particular.

Thomas was on her side in a second. Looking up she saw his face was tinted with the horror of what he had just witnessed.

She looked at Minho who had sat down on the ground and was looking at them with an expression she couldn't decipher.

"Come on," Alby said to the group. "Baggers'll take care of him tomorrow."

Eleanor snapped her head up, shocked. "He needs to go to the med-hut."

Eleanor heard their words but couldn't make sense to what they were saying.

It was surreal. It didn't make any sense. There was no way that those were the actual words Alby had spoken. Her brain must had been playing tricks on her.

Banish Ben?

As in, leave him out in the Maze even after the Doors had closed.

Eleanor hadn't ever witnessed a banishing herself, but she knew they had been done before. She had assumed that punishment was applied when a Glader did something horrible, something unforgivable; like killing another Glader or, at least, seriously harming them. She didn't think someone could be banished for acting crazy while going through the Changing, which anyone had no apparent control over.

Therefore, Eleanor stood there confused for a second.

They had been ambushed by a bunch of Gladers as they had taken Ben's unconscious body out of the Deadheads.

After that, it had been a confusion of voices and orders; and someone taking Ben away, leaving her soaked in black and feeling a cold she had never felt before.

When she finally realised they were being completely serious, Alby had already barked a couple orders and they were taking Ben to the Slammer.

"Wait, what?" She managed to get out.

Minho had left to take Ben away and no one around her even turned at her question. She quickly scanned her surroundings and turned to Zart, who was closest to her.

"What's going on?" She asked as she got to him, not believing this was actually happening.

"He's being banished, obviously." He spat harsher than usual.

He looked angry, or solemn, she couldn't say.

"That's not possible." She mumbled.

It couldn't be.

Zart shook his head and walked away. Eleanor felt her stomach getting heavy inside her body.

It couldn't be.

She spotted Newt ahead of her and she ran to him, not caring that he was talking to Alby. She could only focus on him.

"-sorry, man." He was saying. He looked distraught. "I just stepped out for a second."

"It's not your fault." Replied Alby.

"Newt." She tried, forcing herself to focus. She managed to say. "Newt, you can't."

He closed his eyes and shakily exhaled. "We don't have a choice."

She could hear the pain in his voice that matched the one in his eyes. From the corner of her eye she saw Alby roll his eyes at her.

"I can't deal with this." He announced.

Eleanor didn't care. She already knew she could never convince Alby of anything. She needed Newt.

"What do you mean you don't have a choice?" She spat, barely registering the Leader leaving. "Yes, you do."

Newt shook his head.

"We don't." And before she could object, he added, "There are rules for a reason."

"Seriously?" She asked, not believing what was happening.

She didn't care how miserable Newt looked, and how he was clearly suffering. She needed to stop whatever was happening.

"Yes, Eleanor." He sounded exasperated, "We're not happy about it either. But we don't have a choice."

"How about not letting Ben die." She said, forcing her voice not to rise.

Her anger would not help her that time. Tears had long ago started but she couldn't be bothered to pay attention to them in the slightest.

"Eleanor, please." His eyes were pleading, "Don't make this harder than it already is."

He looked so sad. She had to keep herself from lashing out. She felt bad for him but this was wrong. She couldn't let them do it.

"I won't let you leave him there to die." She stated, not even bothering trying to look intimidating.

"Eleanor." He sighed, grabbing a hold of her arms as if that would make her understand. "He's attacked Thomas. He's too far gone. There's nothing we can do."

She was already shaking her head. "You don't know that."

A sob broke out from her lips and she breathed in, forcing the hysteria down.

"I've seen it before."

He looked so honest and hurt that she immediately believed him.

Maybe, she couldn't be mad at him because she understood where he was coming from, but that didn't mean it wasn't wrong.

"I can't give up on him." She whispered.

She realised, in that moment, that Newt was close enough to hear her even with the busy Glade. People might have been looking at them but she didn't care. And she didn't have the strength to stop the Second-in-command when he closed his arms around her. Or, maybe, she didn't want to.

She let her head fall on his chest, not caring about how strange his action was, and could immediately hear his heartbeat.

"There's nothing you can do." He said softly, his voice resonating through his chest.

"I can't just do nothing." She said, hating how she already sounded defeated.

"I know it's hard." He said. "But you have to."

Suddenly, anger rose up in full force. She really felt like there was nothing she could do. She felt powerless. She felt like a coward.

Ben deserved so much more than that. Ben would have done so much more for her.

She couldn't just let it happen.

"No." She said, pushing him away quickly. "I can't."

She couldn't look at his sad honey eyes. He would twist her way inside her mind again.

"Eleanor, don't." He replied, grabbing hold of her wrist, preventing her from leaving.

"Or what?" She said and tore her arm out of his grasp. "You'll banish me too?"

The venom on her voice didn't faze him one bit.

"No." he replied. "But I'll have to throw you in the Slammer if you do something stupid."

She looked up at him, outraged. Did he just think she was a little girl that he couldn't let unsupervised?

"I won't let you put yourself in danger." He tried to explain with his best soothing voice.

Eleanor saw red. She knew his tricks. She wouldn't let him get to her.

"You mean you won't let me put the Glade in danger."

The taller boy didn't deny it. "I care about you too, whether you believe it or not."

Eleanor scoffed. She didn't have time for Newt's confusing signals. She had to help Ben.

"I'm going to talk to Minho." And she was off, diverting her eyes from his sad ones.

She couldn't let herself feel bad. She had a rescue to plan.

"Help me, Min." She pleaded. "Don't do this."

They were back in their room, well Minho's room.

Dinner had probably come and gone by then, although Eleanor wouldn't know. She hadn't even gone near the Kitchens knowing she would not have been able to stomach any food. Neither could she be in the same presence as the rest of the Gladers after what had happened before.

She had whacked her brain trying to find a way to get Ben out of the Banishment but so far had come up with nothing that wouldn't get her banished as well.

She had even tried to sneak in a visit to the Runner. There, she had gotten a glimpse of another tall blonde guarding the door and she was definitely not going to let herself be caught by Gally.

Her last choice had been asking for help, hoping Minho would back her up. He felt like her only option.

"There's nothing we can do." Had been his answer.

Eleanor could tell how upset he was about the whole thing, even if he wouldn't show it. She knew her friend. Ben was one of his best friends, and Eleanor knew he felt guilty he had gotten stung in the first place.

But it wasn't time to talk about his feelings that she already knew he would not talk about. It was time to set a plan in motion to stop the barbaric event that was about to take place.

"Stop saying that!" She yelled, out of patience now. "We can't kill him."

She could see Minho setting his jaw, clearly on edge already.

"We're not killing him, Eleanor." His patience was clearly running thin. "He's far beyond our help."

"But what if he isn't?" She exclaimed desperately. She couldn't believe no one was seeing how wrong this was. "He can't die."

Minho sighed and before she could comprehend what was happening she was in his arms like she had gotten used to being over the last couple of days.

Why did they all suddenly react to her anger by just hugging her?

Well, it worked... It calmed her down.

Newt had just been trying to control her but Minho... Minho cared. She knew he did. He was trying to protect her, but she'd get him to see... They'd help Ben.

She allowed herself to relax slightly. She hadn't even realised she had started crying.

"It's gonna be ok." He softly said, stroking her hair.

She could tell he didn't even believe it himself. But it did make her feel a bit better. She knew she could trust Minho.

Suddenly, his warmth was gone.

When she opened her eyes, all she saw was his retreating back and the closing of the door.

Eleanor stood there confused.

Then, she heard the lock.

The crying girl ran to the door, pushing down the door knob with little success. She had never even realised that door had a lock. No one ever locked their doors in the Glade.

"What are you doing?!" She yelled, hoping he was still on the other side.

"Trust me, El." Was his answer. "It's for the best."

And then, footsteps.

"Minho!" She shouted, but there was no reply.

She pushed the door with her whole body but it didn't budge.

She tried the knob a thousand times until it broke in her hand. She tried tearing the lock out with her fingers, which only resulted in many broken fingernails and a trickle of red blood running down her black stained hands.

But she kept trying.

The window was too small and too high up, the door too thick, the lock too strong.

But when the shouting started, she tried harder.

Even from the small room all the way across the Glade, she could hear the soft echo of Alby's strong voice.

"Ben of the Runners, you've been sentenced to Banishment for the attempted murder of Thomas the Newbie."

No, no, no, no, no, no…

"The Keepers have spoken, and their word ain't changing. And you ain't coming back. Ever."

"Please! Somebody help me!" Came Ben's screams. "You can't do this to me!"

"No, no, no, no, no, no…" She barely register that she was speaking.

She threw her whole body against the door. Pounded her fists with all the strength she had in her.

"Help me!" Came another yell.

Ben.

Eleanor sobbed loudly.

"PLEASE!"

She got to her feet, hands grabbing her hair. Her brain going a hundred miles a second.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…" She was muttering, thinking, sobbing. Tears clouded her vision, making her see the room in a blur.

She needed something, anything, to break the lock.

The chair.

She quickly grabbed the chair from the corner, raising it over her head, and sent it crashing down against the floor.

It broke.

She wasted no time on her small success. Grabbing a newly broken leg, she ran to the door.

"Please, work." She silently pleaded.

She hit the lock with as much force as she could, little bits of wood digging into the skin of her already sore palms. She paid no mind to any of it.

She hit it again.

It broke off slightly from the top.

"C'mon, c'mon…" She hit it again, and again.

"Keepers, now!" Alby's shout reached her from afar.

The lock fell to the floor with a victorious clatter.

Eleanor wasted no time. She threw open the door and ran down the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her. It wasn't fast enough.

"NO! NO!"

Ben's screams spur her forward.

She could see his figure at the opening. With a loud sob, she pushed even harder. She had never run that fast in her life.

The Doors' rumble vibrated through the Glade.

Closer. She might make it.

The Doors were moving, closer together.

Almost there.

Then, with a loud thud, he was gone from view.

The wall of concrete stood there, mockingly.

No.

Eleanor fell to her knees a few meters from the crowd of boys, the weight of what had happened crushing her down.

It wasn't possible.

Ben was gone, just like that.

He didn't get a second chance, like Gally. He was just… gone.

She nearly jumped. Someone had touched her shoulder, as they kneeled down next to her. She didn't look up.

Ben was gone and whoever that person was had allowed it.

All of them had allowed it.

"Don't."

She didn't even scream. She got up and released herself from his grip.

"Don't touch me."

She heard her own voice, emotionless, but she couldn't bring herself around to care. She felt numb.

"Eleanor." Minho begged, standing up. "Please..."

She knew in any other circumstances she would've caved in. She would have been surprised and melted by how vulnerable and raw her best friend was being.

But she didn't think she could ever forgive what he had done. She didn't think she could think of him as her friend at all.

"Leave me alone."

"No." He said, forcing her to look at him with his hands. "I won't."

Eleanor didn't even bother trying to escape his touch.

"Minho." She said slowly. "I don't think I can forgive what you've done."

"El," He sounded desperate. "I know you're angry, but you have to understand-"

She cut him off.

"I'm not angry, Minho. I understand why you did what you did. But I cannot forgive you. Now, please, let me go. I don't want to hate you but you really hurt me. So, please, don't hurt me anymore and leave me alone."

Her coldness was clearly upsetting him more, but she really didn't care.

"Fine." He spat, clearly angry then. "If you can't see that I did this for your own good."

Minho removed his hands from her face and took a step back.

A crowd had formed around them but none of them paid the other Gladers any attention.

When his words registered, she was fuming.

"I had to hear my friend screaming for help while I could do nothing. I had to imagine you all doing the worst thing while I could do nothing. I had to watch you kill him while I could do nothing. Was that for my own good, Minho? Huh? You chose for me. You chose wrong."

"Oh, boo hoo." He mocked her, with a venom in his voice she had never heard before. "I was the one who had to banish my friend. I helped you! You didn't have to see it. You didn't have to do it!"

"So I should thank you?" She asked, not believing what she was hearing.

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

The Glade had gone silent.

Eleanor didn't recognize the angry boy in front of her. She couldn't fathom that her best friend could have done something like that to her.

"I hate you."

And she meant it.