"Who turned the bloody lights on?" Newt asked. He was looking around the group, but everyone was just as confused.
"I think They did." Alex replied quietly.
Her eyes were flitting around the room. She slowly stood up, using the wall to steady herself. Her mouth fell open.
"Uhhh guys...?" She stammered. Everyone scrambled to their feet and looked where she was pointing. On the far side of the room was a long table. On that table was food. All sorts of food. Pizza, rice, chicken, meatballs, mashed potatoes, all kinds of fruit and vegetables, just to name some of the food. And big pitchers of ice cold water. Everyone stood stunned for a second.
Where'd this come from?
Frypan took a step forward, his mouth hanging open. "I CALL DIBS ON THE RICE!" He called running to the table. Everyone else followed. Alex behind everyone, she still felt nervous about this place. The unsettling feeling from the helicopter hadn't gone away.
Alex slipped onto the bench at the end, beside Newt. She grabbed some of the food that was in front of her. She wasn't as hungry as everyone else apparently. She nibbled on some grapes. Newt leaned over and placed a chicken leg on her plate, and then grabbed a bowl of mashed potatoes and scooped a big pile onto her plate, with a scoop of meatballs and sauce.
"Eat. You will feel better. Trust me." She sighed and took a few bites.
"Thanks Mama Newt."
She had to admit, it was good. She looked down the table and everyone was shoveling food into their mouths. Swallowing without chewing and shoving more in. Minho was drinking straight from the pitcher. Frypan was using the serving spoon to eat straight from the rice bowl.
"This is way better than Frypan's slop!" Winston laughed, his mouth full of food.
"HEY!" Frypan yelled back "You're lucky you had me at all! You'd have all starved!"
Everyone was laughing. Teresa tried to grab a muffin but Clint smacked her hand and grabbed it from her. She gasped and took a handful of grapes and threw them at him.
"Oh no! Don't start something you can't handle Shanket!" He retorted with an evil smile. He grabbed a handful of green beans and threw them back at her, some landing on Thomas and Minho, who were sitting on either side of her.
"Dude! Don't mess with the hair you Shank!" Minho yelled appalled that Clint would even try. An all out food fight broke out. Frypan was trying his hardest to protect his bowl of rice yelling "NO! NO! NOT THE RICE! THE RICE!" Alex sat and watched with a blank face.
Why don't I want to join in? Chuck would have loved this! Same with Matt. Maybe that's why?
She smiled sadly, thinking of her dear friends.
As the Gladers stuffed their mouths with one hand, they tossed food at each other with the other. Alex looked down at her plate, playing with the food on it, lost in her melancholy thoughts. Something warm, soft and sticky hit her on the side of the head, she felt it slide down her neck and down her shirt.
She stiffened. The Gladers went quiet. All watching her reaction, unsure what she would do. Alex blinked, slowly turning her head to face the guilty faces. Frypan had his spoon in the air, his eyes wide. Winston had fear on his face. Same with Clint, A.J and Leo. Newt looked amused. Thomas looked like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Teresa and Minho were both trying very hard not to laugh. Minho had his fist in his mouth, tears running down his face. Teresa was biting her lip, trying in vain to act shocked.
"You think this is funny?" Alex whispered threateningly. Minho and Teresa both snorted and shook their heads.
"Are you sure?" They both nodded, sniggering behind their hands, trying to keep straight faces.
Alex looked back to her plate. She placed her hands on the side of her plate and stood up, slowly. She could see Newt lean away from her with a small snort of laughter. She grabbed two handfuls of the mashed potatoes from her plate and at the same time she chuckled one in Teresa's direction and then smashed the other into Newt's hair.
Everyone gasped, Alex smiled evilly. Newt sat there in shock with mashed potatoes smothered into his hair. Then with a wicked glint in her eyes, she picked up her spoon and a huge scoop of meatballs with sauce, she turned to Minho.
"You wouldn't dare, Sunshine." He said with a cocky smirk.
"Hmm. Yes. I think I would dare." And she flung it. It spattered on his forehead, up into his hair.
"Not so funny now is it?" She whispered, raising an eyebrow.
Minho shrieked "NOT THE HAIR! ALEX HOW COULD YOU? I TRUSTED YOU!"
Teresa giggled. She stood up and grabbed her spoon and then made a show of taking a big scoop of rice, and then flung it at Alex. Alex had grabbed a plate to hide behind.
The food fight started all over again. Alliances were formed, plates were used as shields, and forks became mini swords and spoons were used at catapults. At one point in the great green bean assault, Alex snuck to the other side of the table, she was going to try to applesauce the opposing team. She got within a foot when Minho swiveled around and grabbed her wrist.
"Ah ah ah there Sunshine. I wouldn't do that." He smirked down at her. She batted her eyelashes, looking as innocent as possible.
"Do what Love?"
"Let's see the bowl, hand it over." He held out his hand.
Ha as if!
She looked up at him through her lashes, and bit her lip gently, as she ran her finger down his chest. She whispered seductively, "I think, my dear handsome man, you forgot something."
He raised an eyebrow at her, "oh ya? And that is?"
She smiled wickedly at him, "I won't go down without a fight, babe." Before she was done talking she raised the bowl and tipped it upside down. He froze in shock as apple sauce oozed down from his hair, onto his face. He blinked. He slowly reached a hand to his hair. Alex snorted with laughter until he had taken a handful and smooshed into her face and rubbed it into her hair.
It was her turn to gasp. "MINHO!"
"ALEX!" He copied her.
He was still holding onto her wrist. He leaned in an inch. "You need to use that voice again."
She smirked at him, tilted her head down and to the side, looked up at him through her eyelashes, "which voice? This one? Does it get you all hot and bothered?" She teased, using the same seductive whisper, "does it make your knees weak, and your heart beat faster?" She raised up onto her top toes, to whisper in his ear. "If it makes it easier to get what I want, I'll use it all the time."
She heard him humm at the back of his throat. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his chest.
"Shuck Alex, that's hot." And he planted a kiss on her lips as she laughed. She kissed back immediately.
He pulled away "mmmm you taste like apples."
"And who's fault is that?" She teased, she wrapped an arm around his neck and placed her goopy applesauce hand on the back of his neck and pulled him back in for another kiss, this time he licked her bottom lip, humming while doing so. She opened her mouth, letting him in.
"TRAITOR!" Frypan screamed.
Everyone stopped throwing things for a second to see who broke their alliance. Frypan was pointing at Alex, who was wrapped up in Minho's arms.
"Stockholm syndrome?" Alex asked.
The whole side of the table, Frypan, Winston and Newt all started yelling traitor. Teresa Thomas, Leo, A.J and Clint started yelling traitor at Minho. And both sides throwing food at Minho and Alex. Who finally broke apart only to be pelted with whatever was left on the table.
The Gladers all lay around the room, full and content. Alex hadn't laughed like that in a while. She sighed. Minho tried to run his fingers through her hair, but there was too much food. "Ouch! Mean-ho!"
"Sorry!" He chuckled.
"So...what do you guys think?" Thomas asked from the corner. The happy mood shifted quickly. He was sitting down on a sack of flour, Teresa leaning against his legs, he was twirling a piece of her hair around his fingers absentmindedly.
"I don't know...I've had an uneasy feeling since the helicopter. But...I don't know." Alex replied, she was sitting on the bench, with her head on Minho's chest, who was laying on the now empty table, with his hands behind his head. She propped her chin on her hands, looking at Thomas.
"Why would they throw us in here? And where did the food come from?" He asked.
Alex shrugged, she was passed out when they got here.
"Well, whoever they are...they can sure cook!" Frypan interjected, he still managed to keep his bowl of rice. Teresa was rubbing her forehead, her face scrunched "ya...but who are they, really? We don't know anything about them!"
"I agree. I don't know...I just...it seems weird. Alex added, with a nod to Teresa.
"Well, we know they're no friends of WICKED." Newt spoke up.
"That's good enough for me! Ah, you guys think too much." Minho said lazily, closing his eyes. "We're free. Enjoy it."
"Ya maybe...but don't you think it's convenient that they show up right as we escape the maze and watch a video...and then we get tossed into a room that locks from the outside? We escaped a maze to be locked in a closet.. doesn't exactly scream free." Alex argued.
Thomas and Teresa were both nodding.
"Hmmm, ya I guess you're right. A little sketchy. I guess we'll wait and see." Minho replied thoughtfully. Giving Alex a reassuring smile.
Alex heard a noise that reminded her eerily of the maze doors opening, rusty metal on rusty metal. Everyone scrambled to stand up. The door was opened by a big man dressed in black combat gear, a gun strapped to his front. He had removed his helmet and scarf from his face. He hadal a bald head, Alex could see tattoos creeping up his huge muscled arms and neck. She looked at him a little longer, something about him bugged her. She had just made eye contact with him when a shorter skinny man with graying hair stepped in the doorway. He was wearing a white sweater with a high neck, and white slacks, and a white suit jacket.
"You kids doing ok?" He asked.
Alex was surprised by his voice, it sounded reedy, and it immediately grated on her nerves. His nose twitched as he talked, and his eyes darted around. He looked at all the Gladers with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. When his eyes met Alex's, she instantly felt uncomfortable. Her body stiffened, and her eyes narrowed. She involuntarily took a step back. She could have sworn she saw his mouth twitch into a smirk, but it slid just as quick into one of concern. She bumped into Minho's chest.
His hands came to her arms, "you alright?" He said quietly.
"No. Something doesn't feel right." He just hummed, and squeezed her shoulders gently.
"Sorry about all the fuss. We had ourselves a bit of a swarm." The man in white said as his eyes slid to Thomas when he asked "Who are you?"
Alex swore she saw that smirk again.
The shuck is his problem?
The man smiled and held his hands out wide, "I'm the reason you're all still alive. It's my intention to keep you that way. Now, come with me."
He turned on his heel, and waved his hand for them to follow. The guard stayed by the door and followed behind them. Alex and Minho were at the back of the pack and kept glancing over her shoulder.
What is it about that guy? Do I know him? How? I don't remember him.
Their guard kept his eyes forward, if he noticed Alex continued glances, he didn't show it.
Their guide, Alex decided to call him Rat Man, kept talking, "We'll get you kids squared away. You can call me Mr. Janson."
Alex leaned over to Minho, slid her hand into his, lacing her fingers into his, "I prefer Rat Man" she whispered.
Minho snorted with laughter, and she heard a deep choking noise behind her, she glanced over her shoulder, the guard had a hard set face, but she saw the corner of his mouth twitch.
Maybe he's not so bad.
"He does look like a twitchy rat, doesn't he?!" Minho whispered back.
"Ya, especially when his nose twitches!"
Minho snorted with laughter again,"Ya, a real piece of work, that guy. I've gotta get me one of those shuck suits! Fancy stuff."
"Ya, but unlike him, you could pull off a full white suit!" Alex giggled back.
Alex giggled uncontrollably, Minho right along with her. Newt and Rat Man both glared at the pair, which made Alex giggle harder. Their guard cleared his throat a few times. Rat Man continued his speech as he led them down cement halls.
"I run this place. For us it is a sanctuary, safe from the horrors of the outside world." He turned around to walk backwards, holding his hands wide, like they should be impressed.
"You all should think of it as a way station. Kind of a home between homes. Watch yourselves." They had passed under some construction workers, they were cutting some pipes, causing sparks to fly around.
"That mean you're taking us home?" Minho called to him, his eyebrows raised.
"A home of sorts. Sadly, there wouldn't be much left of wherever you came from. But we do have a place for you."
Alex saw Minho's face fall. And then narrowed his eyes when Rat Man kept talking like it was all a practiced sales pitch. Like he was trying to convince them.
"A refuge, outside the Scorch, where WICKED will never find you again. How does that sound?"
"Too good to be true," she whispered to Minho. Then raised her voice to be heard over the construction, "Why are you helping us?" Alex asked.
"Let's just say... the world out there is in a rather precarious situation. We're all hanging on by a very thin thread. The fact that you kids can survive the Flare virus... makes you the best chance of humanity's continued survival. Unfortunately, it also makes you a target, as no doubt by now you've noticed." He replied, without looking at them.
He led them around one more corner and stopped in front of a big sealed door. He took out a card key, and swiped it, causing the keypad to change from red to green with a small beep.
Uhg too similar to the Griever tunnel!
Alex shuddered.
"Beyond this door lies the beginning of your new lives. First things first... let's do something about that smell."
Showers did sound wonderful. Alex had food, Griever goop and guts, dirt and sweat and blood everywhere on her. Mr. Janson (or Rat Man) led them down a bright white hall. Alex felt very out of place, so dirty and dark against the bright stark white. Halfway down the hall he stopped and turned.
"Right, gentlemen. Your showers." He waved a hand towards the door. No one moved.
"Gentlemen?" Newt asked.
Mr. Janson blinked, "Yes."
All the guys instinctively stepped closer to Teresa and Alex. Alex reached through the guys and grabbed Teresa's hand and pulled her back into the middle of the group.
"Gentlemen, do you really expect the girls here to shower with you?" He raised his eyes in surprise.
"Yes." Minho simply started.
"We showered beside them when we lived in the Glade. It's no different here." Alex protested, narrowing her eyes. Janson's eyes flicked to hers. She couldn't detect his emotion.
"Miss Alexandria. I insist you and Miss Teresa come with me. Your showers are waiting down the hall. You will be reunited with your boys when you are done. I insist." He made it sound like a threat.
Newt turned to her and Teresa and said quietly, "You'll be ok. It's just showers."
"Newt, don't trust them so easily. Something is up, and I don't like it." Alex snapped.
Minho nodded. "Keep your eyes open. Be safe. Use your shuck brain and don't leave me hanging." He muttered under his breath. He kissed her forehead. Alex and Teresa stepped forward and cautiously followed. She turned back, and saw Minho, Newt and Thomas left in the hall. Alex used a finger to draw an X over her chest. Minho copied her actions with a worried look on his face.