Author stuff: This chapter was added last year. I wasn't entirely sure of what I wanted with it, but I needed to add in Verena getting into the Map Room, so a follow up chapter had to be written. I have a lot of… complicated feelings about this chapter.

It was originally supposed to be an Archie chapter. He and Graham were going to bond, and Adne was going to come in and the three of them were going to talk about her locket. Mostly because I forgot Archie and Adne were both Runners and that couldn't happen. So, I had to rework everything. But I got to slip in a part of a scene that was taken out, so yay!

This was the outcome of it. Y'all are getting an extra Adne chapter. I'm breaking the cycle! It's fine though.

Trigger warning: Violence, blood, and injuries.

Chapter 39

In Which Adne Talks About Her Locket

Adne was grateful she had the day off. It had been… a while since she'd done, really, nothing. In the morning, she helped out in the gardens. Zart chased her away before something could happen to the turnips.

Again.

She went to a couple others to see if they needed any sort of help and was promptly shooed away. In the end, she wound up doing some basic exercises and stretches. That is, until she was interrupted.

"That looks painful."

Adne rightened herself, turning around.

Now, she knew Graham. They shared a similar friend group, but the two of them? Well, to say they spent any amount of time without at least one other person, would be a lie. It would be like finding a diamond in the Glade.

"Not really," she said, bringing her arm up over her head and bending it at the elbow. With her other hand, she found the joint and pushed down, feeling a few muscles tug as they were stretched.

Graham winced.

"And that looked gross." He wrinkled his nose. "How did you know that you could do that?"

Adne shrugged.

"Just kind of happened." She moved on to the other arm, repeating the process.

"You know, you're probably grossing out half the Glade."

"Doesn't bother me."

"No?"

"Blame Verena. She's always staring at me when I stretch in our room."

"She kind of scares me," he said, shuddering.

"Yeah," Adne said, "she kind of freaks me out it makes you feel better, she only picks on people she considers her friends."

"That's not… comforting."

"Zart's kind of her favorite target right now. The two of them formed a weird bond."

"Did something happen?"

"I didn't catch all of it when Flossy explained, but it was something about his tomatoes."

"Zart and his shucking tomatoes."

The two of them shared a look and laughed.

"You're kind of warming back up to people after… yeah."

Adne shrugged again.

"Y'all aren't all terrible. Just a few bad apples in the bushel."

"Gee, thanks."

She snorted.

"So, why aren't you working today?" she said, moving to sit on the soft earth and stretch her legs.

"Fry gave me the afternoon off. There's too many of us in the kitchens, and it's shucking hot in there. He doesn't want any of us to end up in the Med-hut." He sat down next to her, gazing out over the Glade. After a moment, he added, "Can I ask you something?"

"Didn't you just?"

"No, something I've been wondering about since your first day here."

"What?"

"Is your hair naturally like that or do you style it to be all… fluffy?" He used his hands to exaggerate how her hair was, making her laugh. She sat up and shoved him, smiling wildly. "No, I'm actually wondering something."

"Okay, go ahead."

"What's at the end of your necklace?"

"The other end of my necklace?" She showed him were the two halves were latched together. He gave her a flat look that made her roll her eyes. "Alright, fine."

She undid the clasp, pulling out the medallion from under the collar of her shirt. She lifted his hand and delicately lowered the necklace into his open palm. Once the ends were safely in his grasp did he start to look it over.

The medallion, he realized, was actually a locket. It was simple, the same silver as the chain. There were no ornate carvings or engravings on it anywhere. The slightly convex surface was dented here and there, but it was otherwise smooth.

When he went to open it, he found that he couldn't. It was as if it was locked. Or rusted. The latter was the most probable.

"I've tried to open it hundreds of times," Adne said, pulling her knees to her chest. "I wanted to know if it had any pictures or something that could tell me about my past. But it just won't open. Sorry if it's not as special as you were thinking."

"It's alright," he said, handing it back. He watched as she redid the clasp. "Not everything can be special. It probably has a really ugly baby picture of you in it anyway, and who wants to see that?"

She barked out a laugh and slugged him in the shoulder. He winced and rubbed the tender spot with the hand that wasn't tingling.

"Sorry," she said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"It's alright." Graham gave a tight smile. And then a frown appeared, and he got to his feet. "Hey, what's going on?"

Adne peeked over her shoulder and stood up with him. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and dug her toe in the dirt as Zart and Jeff jogged over to them.

"We were looking for Newt," Jeff said, a little breathless. "Have either of you seen him?"

"He was in the kitchens talking with Fry the last I saw him. But that was over twenty minutes ago."

"Shuck," Zart said, not sounding any better than Jeff.

"What's going on?" Adne said.

"Verena's missing. Again."

"Flossy thinks she went into the Deadheads," Jeff said. "Not sure where she went, but she'd in there somewhere."

"You guys keep looking for Newt," Adne said, uncrossing her arms. "I'm going to go help Flossy look for her. That'll be two people she likes. You guys keep looking for Newt."

She started off into the Deadheads. She slowed when she heard footsteps behind her. Graham.

"I'm coming with you," he said, when he caught up. "You shanks could use an extra set of eyes."

"Thanks," she said, clapping him on the shoulder and picking up speed again.

The shade of the Deadheads cooled the sweat that had beaded up on her skin and soaked into her clothes. They had to walk carefully between the trees and over the roots. It wouldn't help anyone if either of them fell down a hill.

Adne couldn't really remember the layout of the Deadheads other than it being a giant tangle of trees and bushes huddled together in the Glade. And that the Map Room was tucked away in a safe corner.

"There's not much in here," Graham said, head on a swivel.

"No, there's not," she said, licking her lip. "Which makes me wonder if Verena is even here. The shank wouldn't be able to find water if she fell out of a canoe."

"I mean, unless she's here to look at the graves —"

Although it was muffled by the trees, Adne heard something. It sounded like… Flossy?

"This way," she said, starting in the direction she thought the sound came from.

She moved quickly, weaving in and out of tree trunks. Graham was forced to follow her, stumbling over tree roots and scratching up his palms.

The closer they got the more she could pick up. It was Flossy. And Clint. They were both pleading with someone. Verena, no doubt.

The closer they got, she realized where they were.

"Shit," Adne said under her breath. Before she could even think, she took off as quick as she could to where their voices were coming from.

Map Room.

"Adne!" Graham called after her. She ignored him.

She didn't stop until she was at the door. It was held open by Clint. His body lurched forward, wanting to go in, but his feet kept themselves planted on the ground.

She slipped past him easily enough. He gave a shout of surprise, his hand going up to stop her. She was out of his reach before he could even blink.

The interior was as bad as she was expecting. There were drawings and their tubes scattered about the floor. Flossy was trying — and failing — to pull Verena away from everything or everything away from Verena. Her normally well braided hair was limp behind her, with strands poking out.

"Vee, please," Flossy said, trying to take a tube away from Verena. She was pushed away and into some crates, letting out a yelp.

Adne didn't think. She grabbed Verena around the waist and hauled her up and out of the Map Room. Short nails clawed at her as Verena let out an inhuman cry.

There were many times that she wished that she had more upper body strength and this was one of them. Still, she got Verena out onto the grass, just as some of the Gladers were starting to arrive. She spotted Newt and Nick mixed in with them.

"Can someone — shuck!" Adne hissed, nearly losing her grip on Verena. "Can someone knock her out or something?"

She couldn't see over the grabbing hands, but Verena went limp and was taken away by Graham and Newt from her and the Map Room. Jeff stood off to the side, a syringe quickly being taken care of for disposal.

"Let me take at look at you," he said, nodding to her. She checked her arms. Fine, red lines with dots of blood beading up along them marred her skin. She had no doubt, if by the stinging was any indication, that she'd been scratched there as well.

"Sure," she said, "but after Flossy —"

"I'm okay," Flossy said, hobbling out of the Map Room. Clint supported most of her weight. A thick, bright red line of blood trailed down her leg and into her sock.

Together, they found the felled tree that was least rotted and sat her down.

"What the shuck happened?" Nick said, once he was sure Verena was far enough away.

Clint dug a water canteen out of his bag and rinsed a Flossy's leg. It was longer than Adne expected.

"You're going to need sutures," Clint said, turning her leg this way and that. "I don't have everything here, so I'm just going to wrap it for now."

"It's my fault," Flossy said to Nick. "I lost sight of her, and she snuck out here."

"How'd she even manage to get the door open? That's a vault door." Nick ran his hands through his hair. "Only a handful of Keepers know the combination. And it's heavy."

"Don't know about the combination," Clint said, taking out a bandage to wrap Flossy's leg. "But she pulled that door open by herself. We both saw it."

Jeff started to poke and prod at the scratches on Adne's arms. They were all pretty minor, from what she could tell, but he still checked them over anyway.

"Did anyone leave the door unlocked?" Nick said, rubbing his chin and meeting Adne's eyes.

"Not that I know of," she said. "Minho was the last one to leave last night. He always locks it up."

"And this morning?"

She frowned, trying to remember who left last before the other Runners headed out.

"I'm," she said, licking her lips, "I'm not sure."

"It's alright," Nick said. "I'll speak with the others when they get back tonight."

"Is there going to be a Gathering?" Clint said, finishing up Flossy's leg.

Nick sighed, shoulders drooping.

"Yeah," he said. "Verena broke two rules. We'll have to talk about punishment."

The last word came out bitterly, and Nick's frown deepened.

"We can't banish her," Flossy said, getting to her feet. Well, foot. She didn't put a whole lot of weight on the injured leg. "She… She's a Glader. Like us."

Nick placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No one said anything about banishment."

"You implied it."

"Flossy…"

"Please, Nick. Promise me it won't even be brought up."

"I can't promise that, and you know it."

She looked from Nick to Clint. Both of them averted their eyes. She took a trembling step forwards, her bad leg buckling beneath her.

They all shot towards her to catch her before she fell.

"I'm," she said, fending off their hands, "I'm okay. I just…"

She looked behind her, back to the felled tree, and tentatively sat down.

"Girlie," Nick said, kneeling in front of her to make her meet his eyes, "I can't promise that banishment won't be brought up. But I will try my hardest to keep them from talking about it. Good that?"

"Good that."

He pat the knee of her good leg and dismissed himself.

"Right," Clint said. "We need to head to the Med-hut to get that leg stitched up. Are you okay with walking or do you want one of us to carry you?"

"I…" Flossy said, biting her lip. "I'm not sure."

"Come on, we'll try walking a little bit with the help of me and Jeff."

They got her to her feet and started back towards the Glade. Flossy's face puckered into a flinch each time she put a little weight on her leg. They were most of the way back to the rest of the Glade when a herd of Builders and Gardeners stopped them.

"What happened?" one of them said. Adne thought his name was Dan or Dave or something.

He looked them up and down and spotted the bandage on Flossy's leg.

"Shuck," said another boy, his eyes growing wide.

Four of them stepped forwards at once. Adne didn't see who, but Flossy protested about being carried. As one, they all moved to the Glade.

"Take her to the Med-hut!" Clint called to the one carrying her. "Shuck, don't know if he heard me."

"I'll go tell them," Jeff said. He nodded to Clint and Nick. "You two going to get the rest of the Keepers and call a Gathering?"

"I'd like to put it off until tomorrow, so Minho can be here," Nick said. "But I'd rather him not try to kill Verena for wrecking the Map Room."

Clint frowned but nodded.

"Does Verena really have to get banished?" Adne said.

Nick let out a hiss of air, his shoulders slumping.

"If it was just the Map Room," he said, "I'd honestly just have her in the Slammer for a week with one meal a day."

"So you are going to banish her."

"I'll push for two weeks, but…"

"Gally's going to push for banishment," Clint said, scratching the back of his neck. "She hurt another Glader and attacked you."

"Only because I grabbed her," Adne retorted.

"Adne, look," Nick said, settling his hands on her shoulders. He looked up at her through his glasses, a frown wrinkling his face. "I'll tell you the same thing I told the Girlie. I can't promise banishment won't be brought up, but I'll try to keep them from talking about it. I'll push for two weeks in the Slammer with one meal a day."

Adne pursed her lips into a thin line.

After a moment, she said, "Thanks, Nick."

Author stuff cont'd.: So part 2 is almost done! Like with part 1, I'm going to take the next week off before starting to post part 3. I'll be keeping an eye on things here, but I'm mostly organizing things on my end. I've got a few things to fix up and change — mostly as a result of this chapter and the next.

When I originally wrote the rest of this story, Verena was more involved. But after writing this? And thinking over her part in the story? Yeah, she wasn't necessary beyond this point in Conspiracy. I love her, but her arc is pretty much done. It was a short stint, but who knows? Maybe she'll be back, assuming the Grievers don't get her.

I also didn't intend for Flossy to get hurt but whatever. It was bound to happen at least once. And at least Graham didn't faint this time lol.