Alby and Alex heard the scream again. They glanced at each other and took off towards the scream. Alex's blood had turned to ice in her veins. They followed the sound, Bark took the lead, smelling and hearing better then the 2 teens. Jumping over fallen branches and ducking under low hanging ones, it was much easier for Alex, she was smaller and more agile. She easily left Alby behind.

All she could think was: No! No, Chris is dead, he's not here. He can't hurt you!

She could hear the pleading voice of a boy.

Alex stopped behind a large tree for a moment to catch her breath and gain her bearings. She notched an arrow, she felt sweet run down her neck but her hands felt numb. She heard a voice repeating "YOUR BAD! YOUR BAD BAD BAD! I SAW YOU!"

Ben! How did Ben get out? He was still asleep when I was there an hour ago! He sounds like Chris! He's crazy! He's not human anymore. The serum didn't work!

"Please! I don't know what you're talking about!" Pleaded the other boy.

Thomas!

"SHUT UP!" screamed Ben.

Alex took a deep breath, looked down at her notched arrow. Bark was silent, waiting for instructions.

"Okay girl, stay close. We need to save Thomas." She whispered. She stepped out from behind the tree and raised her bow.

"BEN!" she yelled.

Both boys' heads wiped in her direction. Thomas looked relieved that someone was there. Ben looked even more wild and angry. His veins were still black and thick like rope, twisting around his arms and up his neck, his eyes were black and pitless, his clothes were hanging off of him, he had spit flying from his mouth when he talked.

"HE'S BAD! I SAW HIM! AND I SAW YOOOOUUUUU! YOU TWO DID THIS! ITS YOUR FAULT! ALL YOUR FAULT!" He screamed again, he took a step forwards, as he did he pulled out a small knife.

Where the shuck are these crazies getting knives? I thought they were all locked up?!

"BEN. STOP." Alby finally made it into the scene. "Your just buggin' from the Changing. Get your scrawny shuck butt back to the MedJacks."

Alby had lost all the kind fatherness he had when Alex and him where shooting and was replaced by the authoritative leader he was.

"I can't. They are bad. Bad. Bad people. WE HAVE TO KILL THEM ALBY! WE HAVE TO. THEY DID THIS TO US! I SAW THEM! HE WANTS TO BRING US HOME!"

Alby glanced at Alex quickly nodded to the bow, Alex understood instantly. She raised it, and pulled the string back until it was taut.

"I'm going to ask you one more time Ben! Stand down and go back to the MedJacks!" Alby warned. The arrow aimed and ready. Bark let out a growl and was crouched ready to spring into action.

"Ben." Alex called, "I'm going to count to Three."

Please don't make me use this! Please Ben, please!

Ben just looked wild, panting. He was passing the knife back and forth between his hands.

"ONE."

"They're bad! Your bad." He was whispering to himself

"TWO. DON'T MAKE ME USE THIS BEN!"

"CAN'T LET THEM LIVE!" He crouched down, like an animal ready to pounce on its prey.

"THREE!"

Ben had pounced a split second before she yelled 3. But her aim was good. The arrow sliced across the graveyard, and with a thick wet shink noise the arrow hit its mark, the side of Ben's face, just as he landed on Thomas. The force of the arrow wiped his head and the rest of his body around. Blood splattered, and then slowly pooled and dripped down, soaking the dried leaves and mud.

It was silent for a moment. Alex lowered her bow, breathing hard. Her eyes glazed over, a haunted expression in them. Alby put a hand on her shoulder.

"You did good. That wasn't Ben, that was another Monster of the Creators."

He turned to address Thomas, but Alex had turned and left the graveyard, Bark following. Alex had made it back into the cover of the trees, she dropped to her knees and threw up. She heaved everything out, her eyes watering, from throwing up and from shock.

I just killed someone! I killed a Glader! Friend! A brother! I killed someone. I took their life! I'm no better than the Creators! Ben was right. Chris was right! I'm bad!

The tears came faster.

"Alex!" Her head vibrated.

"Sonya?"

"Alex. It's not your fault. You are not a bad person!"

"How do you know? I just shot another Glader! I took his life!"

"I know, because I had to do that too. I don't know the circumstances, but we had a girl go through the changing, and they weren't human anymore. You didn't kill a friend. It was a monster. And that monster, I'm guessing was going to hurt you or someone else. You defended them. Like I had to. I had to stand in the way and defend my tribe. Like you stood in front and defended your boys."

"How? How did you know?"

"Because, I can feel your emotions. Remember? When you're feeling strong emotions, I get them too. Sometimes when it's especially strong I get snips of your thoughts. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with our ability to communicate."

"Seriously, I don't know what I would do without you, Sonya. I don't know what's going on, my memories are getting worse, more intense and awful. Minho and I found a dead Griever, Gladers getting stung during the day. Life sucks in the Glade right now! Minho won't want to talk to me after-"

-"who's Minho?"

"Seriously Sis?"

There was a twig that snapped behind her and she heard voices. She stood up and spun around. Alby and Thomas approached. Thomas looked pale and a little green.

Alby nodded at her. "Alex. You okay?"

Alex just nodded, hoping he couldn't see her tear marks on her checks.

"Good, when you left without a word... Anyway. Baggers will take care of Ben, we need a Gathering and this guy needs to see the MedJacks. I'll gather the keepers, you take him to Clint. I need to find Jeff and see what happened. Meet us in the council hall in 5. Good That?" She was glad Alby was in charge.

Alex just nodded, wearing a mask of stone, hiding her emotions for now. She led Thomas out of the trees, just as he made it to the glad he dropped down and threw up. She waited patiently, she understood. When he had left his stomach contents on the Glade floor, he stood up wiping his mouth.

"Thank you" he said shakily, "I don't know what he meant! What did he mean when he saw me?"

"No one explained The Changing to you?" Thomas just shook his head. Alex sighed, then explained the process of what it was and how it brought back memories, usually awful horrible ones.

"But you get memories, and never try to kill anyone!" Thomas was looking at her, desperate for an explanation of any kind. Alex shook her head, "Mine are different. Mine are random, I never know when it will happen."

Alex pushed open the Medjack door.

Clint was just cleaning up, "Did you find him? He hit Jeff on the head and escaped while I was on break! Jeff went to find Alby! Alex what's happening?" Clint was panicking.

"Clint, Thomas needs some cleaning up. We found Ben.. There is an emergency gathering, right now." She didn't give any details, she was sure Thomas would fill Clint in. "I have to go. See you guys later, Clint, I'm on shift tomorrow" And she left the boys.

She hesitated by the council room door, she was nervous. Alex hung back, taking deep breaths. Bark felt her anxiety rising and she pushed up against her whining, Alex crouched down, her beloved dog placed her head on Alex's shoulder and gently licked her face. Alex wrapped her arms around the dog giving her a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you girl for being there for me. Us Shankets gotta stick together, hey?" Alex sighed, "I guess I have a Gathering to attend." She could hear the boys voices getting louder, some kind of argument was breaking out behind the door. Alex stood up, composed herself, ran her hand through her tangled hair, messing her braids up even more. She shoved her emotions back down put her mask of stone on and opened the Council room door.

Minho's POV

The room went quiet and all heads swiveled to Alex. Minho's jaw dropped. He was looking at a real Warrior Princess, like straight from the stories and myths! She had changed out of her runner gear. She was now wearing tan pants, an olive green tank top, and black combat boots. He had seen this outfit before, and loved it, he would catch himself staring and would have to rip his eyes away from her. But she had somehow managed to get a hold of the leather belts and holster he wished he could wear, they had come up in the supplies with her, but was thrown into the weapons room. However, it looked like they were made for her. She moved with ease with the holster buckled around her hip and her right thigh. She also had the shoulder and chest holster on, stuffed full of throwing knives. She moved like it was a second skin. She also had a quiver of arrows on her back and a bow over her shoulder, she had a smear of mud on her cheek bone, making it look like war paint. She held her head high, shoulders square, she exuded confidence right now, but he could see her eyes didn't match her expression. They looked tired, red and jumpy, hiding something.

"Whole shuck she's hot!" Minho whispered.

Newt leaned over and whispered back, "Watch it shank, that's my baby sister you're talking about!"

Minho raised an eyebrow at him. "And? I'm admiring your family genetics. What happened to you? They skip over you and she get them all?"

Newt just smacked him in the back of the head.

"HEY! Watch the hair you shuckface!"

"Gathering is now in session. Everyone sit." Alby roared.

All the keepers found their seats, still stealing glances at Alex and her new badass look. Minho wasn't even hiding it now, just out right staring. He couldn't help it, his heart was beating at an irregular rhythm. Alex looked up after she took her bow off her shoulder and sat down, her eyes catching his. He saw the corner of her lip twitch, but he noticed her eyes weren't all there. What the shuck happened?

And as if on que Gally called "What's this meeting about Alby?"

Alby stood up with a heavy sigh, "You all know Ben was stung, and was almost done The Changing. He somehow escaped the MedJack room" He looked at Jeff who ws holding an ice pack to the back of his head.

"He somehow got out of his binds, and wacked me on the back of the head when my back was turned and ran for it. I went to find Alby as soon as I came too."

Alby nodded, satisfied with that. He turned back to the other Keepers and continued.

"Alex and I were in the Deadheads shooting, we heard screaming, we ran to see what was the shuckin matter. She's faster and made it to the screaming before I did."

He turned to Alex and nodded, obviously waiting for her to tell her view of events. Minho could tell she was nervous, her hands were opening and closing into fists and her eyes kept darting around, never staying still, like she was trying to find an exit. He couldn't handle it anymore and spoke up, his arms crossed across his chest

"We're not going to banish you Sunshine, just tell us what the shuck happened." Her eyes snapped to his.

Why is she looking like a trapped animal? We ain't going to banish her... are we? What the shuck is going on? Or did Ben do something to her like Chris did? Oh my shuck, he did not!

He felt like breaking something. He felt sick to his stomach, again she had to deal with something on her own and he had failed to be there for her!

She had to deal with Ben jacked out of his mind! Shuck shuck shuck!

"I saw Ben attacking Thomas." Alex stated. That snapped his angry panicking thoughts off.

"I saw him holding a knife- you guys need better control over the weapons by the way, that's the second time someone has gotten hold of a knife and threatened someone else- I told him to drop it, and he kept screaming he knew me and Thomas from before, he wasn't making sense. Alby finally showed up and we both tried to reason with him. Alby told me to use the bow if I had to. We both gave him warnings, he didn't listen and attacked. I shot."

She had said all that quite calmly and then added quietly, "You can't reason with a monster"

Minho watched in shocked amazement as she went on.

"I gave him time, tried to give him time to stop and change his mind. He wouldn't listen" her voice cracked at the end. "I'm sorry, I took another Gladers life."

One lonely tear leaked out and slid down her check. Minho's heart stopped and then fell into the pit of his stomach. The keepers all gasped and arguments erupted all around. Minho stayed silent, he placed his interlocking fingers behind his head and leaned back on his chair.

Shuck, this place is awful. We are all going to die here.

His mind wandered back to Alex, she had to do something he never had to do, he had never had to kill another human before, at least that he remembered- he had to help banish some Gladers... He couldn't even imagine what she was going through. He was going to get up when he saw that Alby was holding her in a tight hug and he was talking quietly to her. He just sat watching instead, with a scowl on his face. The jealous monster raging inside of him.

Why are you jealous? It's not like you were there for her. Again. Even after you promised! You shucked up again.

While he was watching the girl quietly trying to hold herself together he caught a few words from the arguments around him and it made his blood boil even more.

He stood up so fast the chair fell over, "SLIM IT YOU SHUCK FACE SLINTHEADS!"

The arguments stopped, Alby patted Alex's back and stepped to the middle of the room, nodding at Minho in thanks.

"Your welcome for doing your shuck job, and keeping order in this joke of a counsel" he snapped. Alby just narrowed his eyes at him.

"Everyone sit down, you will have your turn when it's your shuck time."

Gally didn't listen, as usual and staid standing "Why should we listen to what she says? How can we know she's telling the truth? That's the second time someone went through the changing and said they saw her, and now they are saying the same thing about that Thomas kid. I never liked him. So why not banish them both? Better safe than sorry!"

There was another instant up rawer at his words.

"SHUT UP EVERYONE AND SIT DOWN" Alby screamed, he was panting like an angry bull.

"Seriously Gally? You're shucked in the head" Minho spat at him.

Gally got right in his face, "standing up for your girlfriend are you?"

"You better the shuck believe I'm standing up for her, you shuck face! I'm pretty sure Alby shot Chris with the same bow and you didn't even bat an eye then, but as soon as the Shanket does it, ON ALBY'S SHUCKIN ORDERS you're all for banishing? That's a little sexist don't ya think? Sit down before you embarrass yourself more!" Minho was right up in Gally's face too, poking him in the chest.

Newt pulled Minho away, "Slim it man" he whispered to Minho. "You know Alby would never let that happen! You also know he gets like this."

Gally was about to say something more when Alex stood up. She was so much shorter than everyone around her, yet when she stood up she had the command of the room.

"Sit. down." She hissed.

Not surprisingly everyone did, when a small girl with fire in her eyes, decked out in knives and a bow, who knew how to use them, you listened. Minho smirked. She glared at everyone in turn, including him.

"So when Chris attacks me and your leader and commander saves me, it's fine, an act of heroism. But I do the same thing for another Glader, on your leaders orders by the way, I'm the shuckin bad guy? All because why, Gally? I'm a girl? I'm different? You're going to listen to someone who was jacked out of their mind, acting like a lunatic, spewing some shucked up nonsense? Thomas has no idea who he is, other than his name. He doesn't know what happened before the box, just like the rest of us! So, how do we know none of you were 'bad'? Huh? I could claim I saw each one of you and you were bad. I did what I had to do. What Alby would have, HAS DONE. So if you're going to shuckin banish me, do it for a shuckin good reason!"

Minho slowly clapped. "Preach it Queen!" Alex just gave him a glare that could kill. He smirked at her "Good speech Sunshine."

Alex POV:

The counsel room door burst open, a bagger was in the doorway, panting, "He aint dead! Alby! Ben aint dead! The arrow missed his brain! We have him in the Slammer"

Alex froze in her spot.

"Keepers! Stay here! Newt, come with me." Alby and Newt followed Gavin out the door.

Alex shrunk into the corner. She was fighting herself,

I'm guilty and maybe I should be banished...but I was following orders! And he was going to kill Tommy! What's going to happen now?

Relief flood through her, she didn't actually kill someone, he was alive...but then fear washed over her, that monster was still alive. She was so deep in her own thoughts she didn't notice there was someone in front of her until that person had their hand on her shoulder. She jumped.

"JEEZUS MINHO! THE SHUCK!" she yelped, her heart beating so fast. He smirked down at her.

"What's going on up there?" He tapped her temple.

She shrugged and looked away, "too many things."

He crossed his arms, and looked her up and down, "So what's with the new warrior look?"

She was grateful he didn't push it. She spread her arms out and did a turn "You like it? I heard you tried to wear it." She let a small smirk on her face, picturing his big muscled body trying to fit into the belt and holster.

He cocked an eyebrow at her "Sure do." She was going to tell him about the memory she had when she touched the belt but Alby and Newt came back. Both looking grim, Newt threw her a nervous glance.

"He's alive. But still insisting on killing Thomas and now he's pissed at Alex. And wants to kill her too. Keepers, we vote on Banishment."

It was unanimous. Ben would be banished at sun down.

An hour later, Alex watched as Minho dragged his old running partner into the front of the crowd, Newt had the long metal pole ready. Alby snapped the collar around Ben's neck, like Chris he sat there defeated, not fighting. Alby spoke in a loud, almost ceremonious voice, looking at no one and everyone at the same time.

"Ben of the Runners, you've been sentenced to Banishment for the attempted murder of Thomas the Track Hoe and uttering threats to Alex the MedJack and Runner. The Keepers have spoken, and their word ain't changing. And you ain't coming back. Ever." He picked up the pole, the doors started to rumble. "KEEPERS!"

Alex could hear stone on stone and the hidden rusty gears, it was Deja Vie. She had flashbacks to the banishment with Chris a month ago. Chuck was beside her at the back of the crowd along with Thomas. This time his face was pale instead of her.

"You ok? You look like you're going to pass out." Alex was concerned for him. She understood what was going through his head.

"It's my fault he's getting banished. It's my fault! This is so barbaric! How can you all just stand there and watch?"

Alex got angry at that statement. "Well, I could have left him there to beat you to death and eat you, like Chris did to me! And when I fired that arrow, I didn't see you complaining! I saved your shuck butt. If we don't have order in here, then everything we've built comes crumbling down." She softened her voice, he looked so stricken, "He's not human anymore. Okay? Whatever the Grievers inject, it poisons their minds and turns them into animals. It takes their humanity. I'm sorry Thomas. This is a shucked up place. And we have to make shucked up decisions."

Alex turned to Chuck "You're too young for this, let's go, I don't want to be here either." He was trying to be brave, but Alex could see the tears forming and his lip trembling. "Come on. Wanna help me start a campfire?" He looked up desperately, he nodded his head and reached for Alex's hand. She clung to it and the 2 walked away.

They had built a small fire, just to keep busy, but they still heard Ben's last blood curdling scream before the walls slammed shut. Alex sat down in front of the fire, her back against a log. Chuck curled up on the ground, his head in Alex's lap, just staring into the fire.

"Alex?"

"Ya bud? What's up?" She asked quietly.

She heard a small sniffle. "Do you remember your parents?"

Alex was quiet, what could she say to this small terrified child? "Not really. I remember a warm hug. And a voice singing a song. What about you?" His non answer was answer enough.

"Do you think she misses me? I miss her..but I don't even know what I'm missing." He sounded so broken, so little.

"Chuck. I know your mother is sitting on your bed at home ugly crying, snot and tears everywhere, holding your pillow because she misses her Chuckles. I know I would." There was another quiet minute.

Alex looked down at her little friend, he had pulled something out of his pocket. "Whatcha got there Bud?" Alex asked. He held it up for her to see. It was a little live of wood, he had carved a little human out of it. "That's awesome Chuck! Did you make this?"

Chuck nodded, "ya...it was supposed to be for my parents."

"Chuck, they are going to love it!" He was quiet for a minute and held it back out for her, she took it gently to look closer at it. "You can have it."

She looked back at Chuck, "what?" she asked surprised.

"Not like I can remember them anyways." He sniffed, staring into the fire.

Alex could feel a new determination building inside her. She wanted to find a way out for herself, yes, but she had to, no she NEEDED to, find a way out for this child. For the boys who had given years of their lives to this miserable shucked up place. She was determined to find a way for Alby who had to live alone for a month. For Newt who lost all hope being trapped. For Minho, the broken boy inside a stone wall of sass and confidence. For Gally who was a bully to everyone just to hide how scared he was, for Matt who just about died a pointless death, and for Frypan who just wants to cook in peace and not in a prison. For the CHILD laying in her lap, missing a mother he couldn't remember. She was going to find a way out for all her boys.

"Chuck, you hold onto this for me, k? We're going to get out! I promise, cross my heart! Pinky swear!" She held out a pinky, he slowly wrapped his chubby one around hers.

A few of the others slowly came to sit around their fire. It was a very melancholy subdued fire. Alby didn't say anything, he just sat down, opposite Alex and she could see him deflate, he had bags under his eyes, he looked exhausted. Newt sat next to Alby looking the same. Gally, had a moment of goodwill and with the help of Frypan offered his 'special drink' to anyone. He came to Alex, he didn't look her in the eye, but held it out. She was touched that he even offered after the nasty things he said about her in the gathering.

"Did you poison it?" Gally ground his teeth and forced out "if you don't want it."

Alex grabbed the jar. She never actually tried it before, her last 2 bonfires haven't exactly been happy memories. She held the jar in both hands. Chuck tilted his head to look, "looks like he peed in the jar! And you're going to drink it? Man, Shanket, you're brave! Or dumb!" He chuckled to himself.

"Cheers Chucky."

And she took a sip. It burnt all the way down into her stomach. She let out a small cough. The burning turned into a warmth in the pit of her stomach. There were a few quiet conversations going on, but nothing lasted long. The mood in the Glade was definitely a low one. Chuck had curled even tighter into Alex's side, she laid her arm around him and started playing with his curls.

"Alex, will you sing again? Please?" On the last word his small voice cracked and she heard another sniffle. A few other heads looked over and Newt was looking at her with expectation in his eyes. She took another sip of the courage juice.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You never know dear how much I love you, so please don't take my sunshine away.

One night dear, while I lay sleeping I dreamt I held you in my arms. When I awoke dear, I was mistaken, so I held my head and I cried.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You never know dear how much I love you, so please don't take my sunshine away. "

And closed her eyes trying to think of another song. She reached as far as she could into her dark mind. She concentrated on trying to grab a slip of fog that had swept by.

*** Her mother rocking her after a bad dream singing quietly, she looked tired and sickly. A small Sonya lay curled up on the mattress they shared with Newt. It looked like the basement of a border up house. Boxes and canned food stacked up, a shotgun by the locked door. But she heard the lullaby her mother sang to her as she held her and rocked her back to sleep.

She opened her eyes and looked at Newt as she opened her mouth and sang the sweet and sad lullaby for her boys.

Alby didn't say anything when most of the Gladers opted to sleep outside by the fire. Newt came over to give Alex a hug. They smiled sadly at each other. They both felt like they were carrying the world on their shoulders. Alex laid her head on his shoulder and fell into a restless sleep. Thomas was unusually quiet after the banishment. Minho was nowhere to be seen- though like last fire, he was there listening from afar, watching from the lookout trying desperately to hold his carefully built walls together.