I do not own The Maze Runner trilogy.

"Ooh woo, I'm a rebel just for kicks, now

Let me kick it like it's 1986, now

Might be over now, but I feel it still."

—Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man

They crowded around Thomas, waiting for him to wake up. Teresa was gone, and they needed to move quick. Ruby knew that they might have to wake him up if he doesn't awake soon.

When he did wake up, Ruby, along with Harriet and Sonya, leaned forward in anticipation.

"Good evening," Thomas said sarcastically. "Can I help you ladies?"

"Cram it, ya stick," Ruby snapped.

Harriet glared at her before turning back to Thomas. "We want to know what you know," she told him softly.

Thomas snorted. "Why should I help you?" He retorted, but Ruby could see the faint hope in his eyes.

"Well," she said, "I don't think ya got much a choice, but if you share what you've got in that head of yours, there's a chance that we can help you."

"Where is—"

"She said she wanted to scout the area to see if your friends followed us," Sonya interrupted. "Been gone for about an hour."

Thomas said nothing for a while.

"Forget how to talk?" Sonya scoffed.

"No, " Thomas replied hastily. "Um... does this mean you guys are having second thoughts about killing me?"

Ruby tilted her head from side to side, as if to say, 'Maybe.'

Smirking, Harriet said, "Don't go jumping to conclusions. And don't think we've gone all righteous. Let's just say we have our doubts and want to talk—but your odds are slim."

"The smartest thing to do right now seems to be to do what we're told," Sonya said, continuing Harriet's train of thought. "There are a lot more of us than there are of you. I mean, come on. If it was your decision, what would you do?"

Even though Ruby could tell that Thomas saw their point, he was still quick to reply, "Pretty sure I'd choose the option of not killing myself."

Snorting, Ruby snapped, "Yeah, that's what we're doing, plewface."

Sonya nodded. "Don't be a jerk. This isn't funny. If you could choose, and the two options were you die or all of us die, which one would you pick? This is all about you or us."

Silence.

"You gonna answer?" Sonya pushed.

"I'm thinking," replied Thomas. "Okay, I'm being honest here. I promise. If I were in your shoes, I'd choose not to kill me."

"Easy for you to say," Harriet scoffed. "It's your life on the line."

Thomas was quick to refute her. "It's not just that. I think it's some kind of test, and maybe you're not really supposed to do it. Maybe we should share what we know, figure something out."

Harriet, Sonya, and Ruby all shared a long, contemplative look.

Finally, Ruby shrugged. "Why the hell not?"

Sonya nodded in agreement, then Harriet said, "We've had our doubts about this whole thing from the beginning. Something about it isn't right, so, yeah, you better talk. But let us get everybody over here first." The three girls stood to rouse the rest of their group.

"Hurry, then, " Thomas urged. "We better do this before Teresa gets back."

"Newt! Psst! Hey, Newt! Wake up!" Minho shook his friend urgently.

"What?" He snapped groggily as he sat up. "What is it, you shank?"

Minho explained what happened in the dream between him and the girl from Group B: their run through the maze and their conversation about Teresa and Thomas.

Newt just raised an eyebrow. "You woke me up to complain about a bloody dream?"

"I dunno, man," Minho said, rubbing his hands through his hair. "What if WICKED's messing with my head like they did with Thomas and Teresa?"

Sighing, Newt looked at his friend. "Maybe they are messing with your head, Minho, I've got no bloody idea. But I do know one thing—if they are connecting you to this girl, maybe we've got a chance to save Tommy."

Gathering all of Group B was not hard. In fact, a large portion of them were already awake, including Joan.

"Are we not going to kill Thomas now?" Joan asked, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

"We'll see, kiddo," Ruby replied as she shook Malala awake. "We're gonna see what he's got to say, first. Hurry, we don't know when Teresa's gonna be back."

All of the girls crowded around Thomas, and Ruby had to hold Joan back from completely smothering Thomas with questions. That didn't stop her from asking, though.

"What was it like in your maze?" She asked. "Did you get to run through the maze? What about Teresa? Was she more nice when she was with your group?"

Thomas just sat there, looking bemused.

"Joan," Harriet said authoritatively, "Please be quiet." She turned to Thomas. "All right. You talk first, then we will."

Nodding, Thomas cleared his throat. "All I know about your group is what I learned from Aris," He told them. "And it seems like we all went through pretty much the same thing inside the Maze. But since we escaped, lots of things have been different, and I'm not sure what you know about WICKED."

"Not much," Sonya admitted.

Ruby cut in. "Well, I had been stung by a Griever back in our Maze, so I remember a few bits and pieces. But Sonya's right—nothing much."

Thomas continued, "Well, I've learned a lot about them. All of us are special in some way—we're being tested or something because they have plans for us." he paused. "A lot of the things they're doing to us don't make sense because they're part of the trials—what WICKED calls the Variables. Seeing how we react how we react in certain situations. I don't understand all of it, not even close, but I think this whole thing about killing me is just another layer, or another lie. So... I think this just another Variable to see what we'll all do."

Harriet was skeptical. "In other words, you want us to risk our lives because of this brilliant deduction."

"Don't you see?" Thomas pleaded. "Killing me has no point. Maybe it's a test for you—I don't know. But I do know I can help you if I'm alive, not if I'm dead."

"Or," countered Harriet, "we're being tested to see if we have the guts to kill our competitors' leader? Weed out the weak and leave the strong?"

Apparently, that was a ludicrous idea to Thomas. "I haven't even been the leader—Minho has."

Ruby thought about the tall, dark haired boy that she ran alongside in the Maze in her dreams.

"No way," Thomas continued, "think about this. How are you showing any strength by killing me? I'm way outnumbered, and you have all these weapons. How does that prove who's stronger?"

"Then what does it have to do with?" Malala questioned from the back.

"I think it's a test to see if you'll think for yourself, change plans, make rational decisions," Thomas said carefully. "And the more of us there are, the better odds we have of making it to the safe haven. Killing me makes no sense, does no one any good. You've proven any power you needed to by capturing me. Show them you won't blindly take it all away."

Ruby could see he had a point, but Sonya didn't. "Sounds a lot like something a person who's desperate not to die would say," she replied.

"I really feel like it's the truth." Thomas shrugged. "I think that if you kill me, you'll have failed the real test WICKED is throwing at you."

"Yeah, I bet you think that," Harriet snapped, standing up.

"Listen," Ruby continued for her, "to be honest, we've been having some doubts about this, thinking the same kinda crap you've been spewing. But Teresa's gonna be back any minute now. We'll talk it over with her then."

Thomas was quick to reply, a frantic look in his eyes. "No! I mean, she's the only one who seems the most gung-ho about killing me. I think you guys should make the decision."

Harriet smiled halfheartedly. "Calm down. If we decide not to kill you, there's nothing she can freaking do about it. But if we..." Harriet shook her head. "We'll figure it out."

Thomas's shoulders slumped slightly in relief.

As it grew darker, they began to back their things into the knapsacks they kept hidden in an old log nearby. Bits and pieces of hushed conversation floated around all the girls, wondering if Thomas was right, if they shouldn't kill him.

When Teresa finally came back, she immediately noticed the uneasy tension that had settled over the group.

"What?" She demanded, a hard look on her face.

Harriet was the only one who answered her. "We need to talk."

When they were sure that Thomas couldn't hear them, they started their meeting.

"Okay, talk," Teresa said, clenching and unclenching her hands.

Harriet, Sonya, and Ruby all shared a look, silently wondering who was going to speak first.

Eventually, Ruby spoke up. "We can't kill him, Teresa."

Teresa's eyes darkened dangerously. "What are you talking about?" Her voice was low and hollow, but it held a nervous undertone.

Harriet snorted. "I think that you heard her, stick. We're not killing him."

"Do you have any idea of what you're doing?" Teresa asked, raising her spear slightly.

Ruby laughed mirthlessly. "I don't know what you plan on doing with that, girly, but let me remind you that there's over twenty of us, and we've all got pretty toys, too."

Clenching her jaw, Teresa lowered her spear. "Fine," she muttered. "There's something I need to tell you guys." She paused for a moment. "WICKED doesn't actually want us to kill Thomas. I'm supposed to take him to this place—I'm not exactly sure what for. All I know is that he has to genuinely feel betrayed, and that if we don't go through with this, they'll actually kill him."

"You're gonna take him to an undisclosed location, by yourself, and we're supposed to believe that you're not gonna kill him?" Harriet asked, crossing her arms.

"She's not going by herself," spoke a voice from the shadows. It was Aris.

Joan was the first to react. She ran to Aris, leaped up, and hugged him as tight as she could.

As he set her down, he continued, "I'm supposed to go with Teresa and help her. I promise that if she suddenly has a change of heart and decides to actually kill him, I'll stop her."

Sonya interjected. "All right, that works for me. We'll go back out there and say that we talked Teresa out of killing Thomas. Aris, you hide until it's time. If Thomas sees you here, he'll know something's up."

Everyone nodded and went back to the camp. Ruby and Harriet went over to Thomas. Harriet knelt by the ropes and began to untie them.

"Well?" Thomas asked. "Did you guys decide anything."

"We're not gonna kill your stick butt, if that's what you're wondering," Ruby told him.

Thomas just nodded.

Harriet stood and helped him but. "But I'll tell you what. Teresa does not like you. I'd watch my back around her if I were you."

Soon, they were all eating, and Thomas was with them this time. After they ate, they were moving through the mountains, making their way toward the safe haven. Thomas walked in the back of the group, and soon Ruby found herself walking next to him.

"Sorry we dragged you around in a sack," she told him, a small smirk on her face.

"Oh, no problem," Thomas replied sarcastically. "It felt good to take a load off for a while."

Ruby laughed. "Yeah, well, the plewface from WICKED had very specific instructions on what we were supposed to do with you. Teresa was the one who got all excited about killing you—like you did something real awful to her. She made it seem like the whole thing was her idea."

Thomas ignored the last part. "Did the guy have a white suit and kind of look like a rat turned human?"

Snickering, Ruby said, "Yeah, that's one good comparison. Same guy who talked to your group?"

He nodded. "What were the... specific instructions he gave you."

"Well the first thing we were supposed to do was that weird thing with you and Teresa in that building in the city. Remember?"

Thomas seemed uneasy. "Uh, yeah, I remember."

"Well," Ruby said, "if you hadn't noticed by now, it was an act. Sorry, man. It was supposed to give you a false sense of security. She said they even controlled her long enough to make her kiss you, or some crap like that. That true?"

At this, Thomas stopped walking and put his hands on his knees.

"I'm sorry, man," Ruby whispered softly. "I really am. You two seemed close."

Thomas stood up and took a deep, long breath. "I... just... I had hoped it was the other way around. That they were forcing her to try and hurt us, that she broke away long enough to... to kiss me."

Ruby reached up and put a comforting arm on his shoulder. "When Teresa replaced Aris, she'd made you out to be an absolute monster, that you did something real bad to her, but she'd never say what. Anyway, you don't really seem like the guy she made you out to be. That's the main thing that changed our minds. Plus, Joan, that little kid, has taken a liking to you real fast."

Thomas stopped for a moment before walking again, faster this time. "Okay," he said shakily. "Tell me the rest. I need to hear it. All of it?"

Ruby walked faster to catch up with the tall boy's stride. "Everything else about the instructions for killing you had to do with snatching you from your buddies in the desert like we did. They told us to keep ya in the bag until your group was outta sight. Then, the big day was gonna be the day after tomorrow. Supposedly, there's this fancy old place built into the mountain on the northern side. That's where we were supposed to kill ya."

Thomas stopped walking. "A place? What does that mean?"

Shrugging, Ruby replied, "Dunno. The Rat Guy told us we'd know what to do when we got there. I bet that's where Teresa went earlier."

"Why? How close are we to the other side."

"No idea, actually."

They fell into a somewhat comfortable silence and kept walking.

They had been walking for a full day when they finally reached the end of the Pass. Ruby and Thomas, who had stayed at the back of the group for most of the time, both broke into a run to get to the front of the group. The view was beautiful, and empty. Very empty. With no sign of the safe haven anywhere.

"Maybe we just can't see it," suggested Thomas.

Harriet nodded. "It might just be another entrance to one of their underground tunnels. I'm sure it's there."

Sonya agreed. "Well, not much of a choice but to keep heading north. We should've known better than to expect something easy. Maybe we can make it to the bottom of the mountain by sunrise. Sleep on flat ground."

Thomas turned to Ruby. "Where's Teresa?"

Ruby shrugged carelessly. "Don't no, don't care. If she's a big enough girl to go running around when she don't get her way, she's big enough to find us when she calms down. C'mon."

They started walking again, going down the path, the loose gravel and soil crunching underneath their feet. The group continued to make their way down the mountain in silence, and Ruby was next to Harriet and Sonya in the front this time. She wanted to keep Thomas company—she felt bad for the guy—but she knew it was almost time for Teresa to take him. Ruby just hoped that Teresa wouldn't change her mind and decide to actually kill Thomas.

When they finally reached the bottom of the mountain, they settled down to sleep. Thomas was gone, and no one said anything about it. They all just hoped Teresa and Aris were telling the truth.

Ruby shut her eyes and opened them in the center of the Maze, in the Spring.

"Pleasure seein' you here," a voice said behind her. It was Minho.

She snorted. "I just wanna know why this keeps happening.

Minho shrugged. "My friend and I think it might be WICKED, messing with our shuck heads."

"Like they did with Rachel and Aris?" Ruby asked. "Makes sense."

"Now what?" Minho plopped down on the grass, squinting in the sun.

Ruby sat, too. "Dunno," she said. "Should we just wait until we wake up?"

Minho groaned. "That's boring!" He looked at her. "You're shucking boring, Ru. I can't believe that, of all people, WICKED paired my head with such a boring little shank."

Snorting, Ruby retorted, "Yeah, I can't believe they paired me with a claggy annoying stick."

Minho reached out and shoved her, and Ruby laughed a little before sobering up.

"I dunno if I'm allowed to tell you this," she said, "but we're not killing Thomas."

Minho sat up, his face very serious. "Tell me that again, and if you're lying, I'll—"

"We're not killing him, I swear on my life," Ruby told him, holding her hands out in front of her. "We all talked to it and decided Teresa and the dude in the white suit were full of crap. When we told Miss High-and-Mighty, it turned out that we were never gonna kill him in the first place."

"What the shuck do you mean?"

"According to Teresa, the whole plan was to make Thomas think we were gonna kill him, to make him feel betrayed. They've gotta take 'em to some special place where it'll look like he's gonna die, but he isn't."

"They?"

"Teresa and Aris."

Minho looked at her like she grew two heads. "Aris? That shank's with us!"

"Is he?" Ruby asked. "When was the last time you saw him?"

Minho thought for a moment, and his eyes widened in realization and he pounded the ground with his fist. "That shank!" he yelled. He continued to hit the ground, letting out all of his pent up anger.

Ruby said nothing as she waited for him to calm down.

"You good?" she asked after a while.

Minho nodded, panting a little. "I needed that."

"We're a few miles from the safe haven," Ruby told him. "How far out are you guys?"

"Same as you," Minho replied. "Just a few miles out."

"I wonder what's there," she said.

"I guess we'll find out," he replied.

They shared a look, as if they both knew something bad was going to happen.

A/N

Wow, this is a pretty long chapter—over 3,000 words! Thanks to everyone who has read this story, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know if any of the characters seem OOC because that's something I'm still trying to work on that. Anyway, if you like this story, please review, favorite, and/or follow! Any of those will be greatly appreciated! I promise the action will kick in soon; I'm sorry if things have been a little boring.