"LOOK! THERE!" Chuck yelled! He was pointing down the corridor.
"Oh no. Something is wrong!"Newt said with horror. They could see the guys, but Minho was holding Alby up, trying to pull him along the corridor, Alby draped over his shoulder.
"Come on Minho!" Frypan was yelling.
Gally had stood up from his crouching position and shouted, "LEAVE HIM! COME ON MINO!"
Everyone was yelling encouragement or telling him to leave Alby behind, unconscious and alone in the maze as easy food for the Grievers. Alby slipped out of Minho's exhausted arms and they both fell. Minho struggled to his feet and tried pulling him. Alex knew. She knew there was no way he would ever leave anyone behind. He would put his life in harm's way to save the ones he cared for. He was loyal like that. And that was why she loved him. She loved him. And she never said it. She never told him how she really and truly felt!
"They aren't going to make it," Newt whispered.
That broke Alex, hearing Newt, the one with hope, the one who held everyone together, when she heard the despair and hopelessness in his voice she snapped. She flung herself forwards, intending to go out there. Arms had wrapped around her waist holding her back.
"I'm sorry, I can't let you do that! We need you!". She screamed. She cried. She struggled. Frypan heaved her up so her feet weren't on the ground anymore. She fought with everything she had but Newt had grabbed on too, and they weren't letting go, Minho's exhausted face looked up hearing her scream his name.
Minho POV
He heard screaming, he heard his name. Alex was fighting Frypan and Newt with everything she had. Clawing, squirming and kicking anything to get out of their grasp. He was never going to see her again. He was never going to hear her laugh or see her smile, how her eyes lit up when he was around. He was never going to hear her say his name with a mix of exasperation and amusement. He had liked her for a long time, he knew he fell for her hard. But he knew now he loved her. He could never tell her now. He was never going to make it, he was exhausted, his muscles wouldn't even let him get up off the floor.
"MINHO!"
She screamed again reaching both her hands towards him, knowing they could never reach, knowing he could never hold them again. His stone walls around his heart shattered. He managed to push himself up into his knees. He took a finger and drew an X over his chest. A tear slowly ran down his check. He could hardly talk, let alone yell for her, that was the best he could do to tell her he loved her.
'Cross my heart'
The doors slammed shut.
Alex's POV
She saw him lift a hand not taking his eyes off her and cross his heart. Her scream turned into a sob, her world, her anchor, the person who held her together, kept her safe, the one she loved was gone. She reached out both hands toward him. She knew she was never going to reach, Fry and Newt had a death hold around her, despite the blood she drew from their arms.
"THOMAS! NO!"
The doors slammed shut. Fry and Newt released her and she threw herself at the wall doors, she clawed and tried to push them open, beating the walls with her fists, sobbing and screaming. The Gladers stood watching in shock and silence. They had never seen her lose control like this before. With the last of her strength, with a final gut wrenching scream that came from the depths of her broken soul, she punched the wall. And then she fell to the floor in a heap and stayed there, not moving. All the fight drained out of her. Newt stood shocked, he was looking at the wall to the broken girl on the ground. He took a step towards the wall, there in the middle, right, where her fist made contact, was a dent. A fist shaped dent. In the stone.
"Fry! Jeff! Come here!" Both boys and Gally tagging along, stepped forward. "Look." was all he said as he pointed to the fist shaped dent in the thick stone wall.
"Holly shuck!" Whispers Fry.
"She did that?" Gally backed away, his eyes narrowed, mistrust written all over his face.
"How could someone as small as her do that?" Jeff crouched down beside Alex. "Let me see your hand."
Alex didn't move. She didn't hear, she couldn't hear. All the noise had stopped, like she had gone deaf. She didn't see anything either, her world had turned from colours to black and grey. Everything had lost meaning. She didn't know where she was and she didn't care. She was empty. Numb. And hopeless.
Jeff looked up to Newt and Fry. All of them worried, all of them struggling with the knowledge that they had lost 3 friends. They lost their leader and Keeper, both original Gladers, both of whom help keep this place running.
"What do we do?" Jeff whispered in disbelief. Chuck had come over. Tears running down his face, he sat beside the broken girl.
"Hey Alex, it's okay." His young voice broke. "Thomas is with them, they'll survive. I know it. Minho is smart and fast. You'll see."
Frypan shook his head sadly. He said to no one in particular "I'll make us some hot chocolate." And he wandered off to his kitchen, cooking always made him feel better.
"Alex, when you feel like getting up, come to the MedHut, I need to see that hand. Newt, you too, those scratches look pretty bad, same with Fry." Jeff got up and wandered back to the Homestead with his head down. Newt wandered after him too, tears in his eyes.
Struggling to hold himself together, he had to be strong for Alex, and the rest of the Gladers. He was the leader now. He had just lost his 2 friends. His best friends, his brothers. They were the ones who save his life, he owed them everything and there was nothing he could do. He watched as they struggled and he did nothing. He held back the one person who might have been able to help, he has the claw marks on his arms to prove it. But he couldn't risk losing her too. She was the only biological family he had right now. (He had no idea where Sonya was) After Jeff cleaned him up and wrapped a few of them Newt grabbed some pillows and blankets and carried them to the wall where Chuck and Alex still were. They were still in the same spot, Alex hadn't moved, she hadn't spoken, she barely blinked. Just staring at the wall with void eyes. Chuck and Matt were trying to talk to her, petting her head. Bark had crawled up beside her. Frypan was handing out warm drinks to the few who stayed by the door. There weren't many, not many had hope they would last the night. The sun had set, and blankets were distributed. Alex didn't touch her drink, it was still sitting in the same spot, now cold. Newt had placed a blanket over her. He tried talking to her again, but nothing. He sighed and lay down and closed his eyes.
Around midnight she finally moved.
She sat up. Her hand was throbbing and swollen, bruising showing. She probably broke something. She looked at the stone walls, she saw where she punched the stone. She thought she heard a Griever scream followed by a human scream. She stood up and walked away. She couldn't be there anymore. The last place she had seen him. The last time she would ever see his face. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't care either. A few minutes later she found herself in her room, well still technically it was Minho's room. Not anymore...it was her room now. She couldn't be here either. She wandered down the hall, thinking she could sleep in the Med Room. She stopped at an open door, Newt's room. She saw a sleeping bag on the floor, along with some shirts and a hoodie. She pulled off her shirt and pulled on the hoodie from the floor, pulled the hood up and snuggled her nose into it. It smelt like him. Alex curled up into the sleeping bag on the floor too. Bark came to lay beside her, but Alex opened the bag, Bark climbed in snuggling right beside her. She lowered her arm, the top of the sleeping bag now over both of them. If Alex closed her eyes she could almost pretend Minho was beside her helping her ward off her nightmares.
"Alex?" Alex vaguely felt her mind buzzing. She had no energy or will to answer, even her sister.
"Alex, what's wrong? I can feel your despair! And it hurts me so much, I can't imagine what's going on!"
Alex just stared at the wall, a tear slid down her check.
"Alex...please..."
Alex ignored her, after a long while her mind stopped buzzing. She felt empty, cold, numb and alone. It was a long night. She didn't sleep, just stared blankly at the wall.
Newt POV
As the sun came up Newt came looking for her. He had fallen asleep, finally, last night and when he woke up Alex was gone. Instantly worried about her, he knew something inside her broke. She had gone through so much in the three months here. He was really worried she would do something to herself in her post trauma response. He went searching for his little sister. She looked after everyone else, but no one really looked after her, well he did..and Minho...but now it was just him. None of the Gladers had seen her. She wasn't in the Deadheads, Map room, Lookout, MedHut or her room. On his way back down the hall, he spotted a lump on the floor of his room. Bark lifted her head, he slowly walked in and crouched down.
"Alex? Come on, that hand looks awful, come on, up you get. You need to eat too."
He was gentle and quiet. He knew the signs of lost hope, and sorrow. He wouldn't let her go through that alone. Even if he was hardly holding it together himself. He slowly and carefully pulled her up, she didn't even look at him, but she didn't resist either. He held her hand and led her down to the The MedJack room, like a lost little child. He made her sit and Jeff gently wrapped her hand and knuckles with white cloth and gauze.
"That was some punch there kiddo. Don't be doing that anymore, or you will have more than a bruised bone" Jeff said, with a small chuckle. Alex didn't even blink, vacant eyes, staring far away. Newt shrugged and shook his head, at a loss too.
"Okay, come on love, let's go get some fresh air and food." Newt took her by the hand. "Come on Bark, lets go."
They had stepped into the fresh air of the open kitchen area when there was a shout from the open doors. Newt looked up to see who was yelling. Chuck was running towards them!
"THEY MADE IT! THEY ARE ALIVE! I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU THEY WOULD MAKE IT!" Newt looked at Alex, but her face didn't show any signs she heard Chuck, he pulled her good hand and made her follow him to the maze doors.
Minho's POV
They got to the open stone doors. They had made it! They survived a night inside the maze! The two exhausted boys stepped from the stone floor into the soft grass of the Gald. They dropped Alby into the grass, absolutely exhausted.
"He's been stung! He needs Grief serum!" Minho panted.
Jeff and Clint jumped into action, they brought him to the MedHut and got him the serum, hoping and praying it would work.
Thomas was laying on the ground gasping for air, half dead, with his eyes closed. Minho still managed to stay on his feet, searching the crowd for one face, ignoring all the others and their questions.
Where was she? I thought she would be the first one there!
Newt caught his eye, at the back of the crowd. He nodded slightly indicating to his left and stepped sideways, behind him was the only person he was searching for. She looked like a mess. Her red hair was everywhere and tangled, her eyes were red and puffy with black bags underneath, her face was pale, and had tear streaks down her cheeks. Her one hand was swollen and blue, and wrapped, she was wearing his hoodie. But she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. As fast as he could he made his way towards her, pushing shanks out of his way. She was the only thing that kept him going last night. And he didn't really want to admit it, if it wasn't for Thomas he wouldn't be standing in front of the girl who knocked the stone walls around his heart down.
Her eyes were were unfocused, she didn't recognize him, there was no awareness that he was standing in front of her.
"Sunshine?" He asked quietly, unsure of her mental state. "Alex? Sunshine...?" he asked quietly again, worried. He glanced at Newt who just shrugged.
He couldn't take it anymore. He reached a shaking dirty hand out, and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger on her check.
She blinked, her eyes flicked up to his, slowly focusing on his face. He could see the distant look in her eyes, she wasn't truly seeing him. Slowly her eyes came to focus, and he saw the recognition flash in them. Her eyes widened in surprise and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out, she took a step backwards, his hand dropped to his side. He smirked down at her, "Ye of little faith, did you think you could get rid of me that easily?"
"Minho?" She breathed.
"Ya, it's me. Your going to have to KEEP me around a bit longer"
Her face twisted into anger, and she let out a sob.
*SMACK*
Alex slapped his check, for a second time, leaving a bright red hand print.. His head wiped to the side, he stumbled a bit. The Gladers all "oohed" . His hand flew to his stinging check. He slowly looked back at her, utterly confused. A flash of anger shot through him.
"WHAT THE SHUCK ALEX?!" Minho yelled.
Tears slipped over her eyelashes and down her cheeks.
"You left me Minho! You left me hanging! You have no shucking idea what you did to me!"
Her voice broke and she doubled over, then fell to her knees sobbing. His heart melted.
"But I crossed my heart." He answered quietly, "and I never break a promise!" He crouched down in front of her and gently pulled her up. His eyes never left her face, watching tears slide down her face.
Alex POV
She felt his hands on he arms, pulling her back up. Feeling flooded her body. He was pulling her out of her pit of despair. For the first time since those doors slammed shut, she could hear. Everything around her slowly came into colour again. Feeling spread from the pit of her stomach and travelled down her legs and into her arms. The young man in front of her had that stupid signature smirk on his face. He had cuts and scrapes, and a big red hand print on his face. Yet he was the most breathtaking, irritating, gorgeous human she had seen. Butterflies exploded in her tummy and she couldn't stand it anymore. She didn't care about all the watching eyes. Chuck was right. He was right so many times, that bloody little bugger. Right now is the best place to be happy, in the midst of all the bad and awful. If you happen to find happiness, grab it and hold on for dear life. And she did. She grabbed Minho, and didn't let go.
She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his neck and he wrapped one arm around her waist, lifting her off her feet for a second. He dug his fingers into her hair cradling her head and pulled her even closer, his forehead resting on the top of her head, breathing her in. Her body was shaking, her shoulders shuddering, silent sobs racking her body. She felt him shaking and shuddering, she felt tears on her head, she felt him tighten his grip. She thought she had lost him forever. She thought she lost her anchor, and she would be lost adrift forever. Tears ran down her face, mixing with the sweat on Minho's neck. She had him back. And she was never going to let go.
That wasn't enough though. For either of them. She pulled away just enough to jump. She wrapped her legs around his waist, he easily held her, even after a full 24 hours running in the maze. He didn't hesitate to pull her even closer. One arm around her hips, the other still buried in her hair. Alex had his face in her hands, Minho tilted his head up just slightly. They crashed their lips together in the most desperate kiss. They kissed each other like the other was the water and they were in a desert, longing for more. The crowd of boys watching went from quiet observation and anticipation to loud wolf whistling, whooping, clapping and hollering. The Creators didn't need the Beetle Blades to hear the racket they made. Frypan and Chuck being the loudest, they were the captain and first mate on the Ship.
"YES! HIGH FIVE LITTLE BUDDY! FINALLY!"
When their lips met Alex felt fully alive for the first time since coming out of the box. She felt fire in her soul. The butterflies in her belly were doing cartwheels and a warm tingling that ran to the tips of her fingers to the ends of her toes. They held on for as long as they could, their lips moving in sync, but eventually had to pull away for air. Alex rested her forehead on his, their noses touching. Both their eyes closed, just holding each other. She slowly slid her hands from his face down his neck and then up into his hair, and then down to hold his face again. Touching him, making sure he was actually here. She opened her eyes to meet his beautiful warm eyes, eyes that made her blush, eyes that glinted with care and mischief. They both gazed into each other's eyes, like it was the last time they would ever see each other. Minho smirked into another kiss. He pulled away just enough to whisper, "if I didn't know any better, Sunshine, I'd say you missed me."
Alex smiled "You have no idea! I love you Shuckface." She breathed out, "And if you ever do something that slintheaded again I will bring you back to life after the Grievers are done with you just to kill you myself."
"Aww that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me! And I love you too Sunshine!" Minho murmured against her lips. "So, your definitely going to KEEP me around?"
"Did you just.."
"Did what Sunshine?"
"That was the worst pun?!"
"Was it though? I don't see a problem. I think I'm going to KEEP doing it." She sighed. But it was a happy one. Nothing else mattered. They had finally found each other. She closed her eyes again and she kissed him slowly, savoring everything about this moment.
"Ahhh hemm" an awkward voice cleared his throat beside them. Minho peeked an eye open "hey Sunshine" he whispered, with mock surprise.
"Ya Minny?" She asked in amusement, she was looking into his coffee brown eyes, she didn't want to look away.
"There seems to be other people around us. And they're watching us."
"Hmm, I did happen to notice." She peeked his lips "They don't seem to have a life," she kissed him again quickly "or anything better to do than watch us, apparently."
He kissed her lips again. Minho smirked, sass in his voice, "Well I'm flattered. How about you? I always knew I was the most interesting person here, but.."
"What should we do about it?" Alex questioned. Minho kissed her nose. They were playing with Newt and the others now, and it was getting on Newt's nerves. "Well, I have an idea..." he said mischievously and raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm what's that?" She asked with an evil little grin herself. "We could make out...And make it really passionate, make it awkward for them. Especially your brother who is right beside me either glaring at me or ready to throw up!"
Alex laughed, "I like the way you think, love"
Just as Minho pressed his lips against hers again they heard Newt whine, "Bloody hell you two! Could you shuckin refrain from any more PDA right now! We need to discuss some important events that just took place!" Newt had his fists on hips.
Alex giggled.
"I'll think about it" Minho said thoughtfully.
Alex however, unwrapped her legs from around his waist and he begrudgingly placed her gently down on the ground. They both looked at Newt, eyebrows raised. Now that they were detangled from each other, the questions came at Minho and Thomas like rapid fire.
"What happened out there?" Chuck asked
"How did you guys make it out?" Newt asked
"Did you see a Griever?" Chuck asked Thomas, he was bouncing on his toes in excitement.
"Yeah, I saw one." He said still laying on the ground.
"He didn't just see it...He killed it!" Minho marveled.
Alex could hear the disbelief and pride in his voice. No one had killed a Griever before.
Alex intertwined her fingers into his, "come on, walk and talk, you and Thomas need some cleaning up, and Newt, we should probably have a gathering." Alex had life in her eyes again and color in her face. "And food!" added Minho. "And food" she smiled up at him.
The MedHut was full. The new girl lay on a bed in the corner, Alby lay strapped down in the other bed.
"I thought we were getting a new MedHut at some point!" Complained Jeff as he bumped into someone for the 10th time. Clint was sitting with Alby, Jeff was patching up Thomas and Minho insisted on having Alex, even with her swollen knuckles.
"I only want the best possible care, sorry Jeff, Alex beats you everytime" he lifted her bruised knuckle to his lips and gently brushed his lips against them.
"Okay one ouch and two Ya she probably is the best..but still ouch man. Also, could you NOT do that in here with everyone around?"
Minho smirked at him, "do what? This?" And he leaned into Alex and kissed her slowly.
"Ya that. Just cuz you got the girl- and about shuckin time- doesn't mean you gotta flaunt it!" Newt whined from the corner, "that is still my sister and I WILL throw your blood arse in the Slammer!"
Alex snorted "No you won't, Newtie" replied Alex as she finished wrapping up a long cut on Minho's arm. "Though if you do, I could just sneak in..."
Minho winked at her with a sly smirk. "Okay, back to your story- the new girl... Another SheBean eh? Thomas you think she's hot?"
"Excuse me?" Alex looked up shocked he would say something like that, she pulled the bandage tight.
"OUCH!" He yelped, Alex just raised an eyebrow at him, not impressed, "Shuck no, not for me Sunshine! I got you, and I don't want anyone else. I mean for Mr HeThinksHesARunner over there. Thomas won't stop staring at her!" He said quickly.
Alex wasn't so sure, she stuck a hip out and placed a hand on her hip. Minho stood up from the table he was sitting on. He towered over her petite athletic frame, he leaned in and tiled her face up towards his, "don't worry Sunshine, I'm all yours. I love you so shuckin' much!" he paused for a moment, "Also, your Ninja Warrior Princessness scares the shuck daylights out of me!"
"As it should!" She replied with amusement, she placed her hand on his check. They just stood for a second, ignoring the chaos around them, enjoying the small second of time they had, because who knew when it would be their last. Especially in a place like this.
"SERIOUSLY! YOU GUYS! ENOUGH!"
Minho didn't hesitate, he smirked at her, his eyes dancing with mischief and wrapped her up in his arms and dipped her low, she shrieked at the sudden movement, she grabbed onto the front of his shirt. Then she giggled and slipped them up his neck into his hair again. Then he made a big show about kissing her; Her soft lips, her sun kissed nose, her freckled cheeks and the scar on her forehead. Alex giggled with each kiss. Every time his lips made contact there was an explosion of butterflies in her tummy. And left a tingling sensation on her skin. The rest of the guys just groaned in annoyance.
Ten minutes later all the keepers were seated in their chairs in a half circle with the rest of the Gladers all crammed into the room behind them. It was cramped and hot, which didn't help the smell. Newt had taken Alby's spot temporarily as Leader, leaving the second in command chair empty. Alex had her honorary council chair beside Newt's old empty one. And Minho beside that one. She was sad she couldn't sit closer, but apparently there are traditions they just couldn't break or something ridiculous that Newt had said. He also grumbled under his breath "and to keep your bloody hands off each other"
"I'm pretty sure Newtie Pattotie, you wanted this to happen too" she had gestured to Minho and herself, "so don't get cold feet now!" Alex had sassed, Newt just rolled his eyes.
Newt stood up and the room went quiet. "I declare this gathering bloody started or something like that" he said waving his hand in the air and rolled his eyes.
Gally stood up, and puffed his chest up, "Things are changing. No doubt about that! First Chris is stung, then Ben in broad Daylight and now Alby! And now this Greenie here thinks he can just run into the maze!" He was addressing the other Gladers as much as he was the keepers.
"Not true!" Alex said, crossing her arms. "
What?" He turned his head towards her. "What's not true?"
Alex stood up to face him. "He's not the Greenie anymore. The SheBean is- man that really is an awful name! You guys suck with naming things!" she added that last part to Minho who just snickered.
"Who cares if he's a greenie or not!"
"I care Gally. And I care because if you're going to accuse someone of something, then use facts, instead of your conspiracy theories." She was so sick of this kid's mood swings and aggressive attitude. The other Keepers nodded thoughtfully.
"Who cares, he went into the maze, which is a clear violation of our rules!" Gally shot back.
"I would have gone in, if I wasn't held back" she shot Frypan and Newt an angry look, "and I'm a runner. Does that make me a rule breaker, Gally?"
"He also saved Alby's life!" Frypan put in.
"Did he?" Gally snapped.
"Yes, because he is still breathing and his heart is beating. I call that alive. If Minho had listened to you, he would have been ripped to pieces by a Griever. And that's quite selfish. So yes. Thomas did save THEM. Minho opted to stay with Alby, and Thomas put their lives above his own" Alex said sternly crossing her arms, she stood right in front of Gally, not backing down.
"For two years we have coexisted with those things! And the minute Alex gets here they come out in broad daylight and now Thomas has decided to kill one of them!"
"Gally, you fall off a bloody shuckin' roof?" She yelled exasperated. "Coexisting! Something that chases you down, and tries to kill the weaker prey is NOT coexisting! That's predatory!"
Alex was trying very hard to keep her temper under control. Newt was sitting there, arms folded, a look of pride, letting Alex handle this. Minho had his hands behind his head, amused with his signature smirk. A twinkle in his half moon eyes, watching the argument. She was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Not many guys were brave enough to stand up to him, and here was the only girl here, a full foot and a bit shorter than him, right up in his face roasting him, and ripping his ridiculous theories apart. He loved her. So shuckin much.
"Who knows what this could mean now! Now that Thomas killed one!" Gally roared
"Gally! Ya dumb Shank! Did you forget Minho, Ben and I almost did the exact same thing the other day? We just about killed a Griever! If the doors hadn't closed, we would have had to take it down... Thomas was smart enough to use a closing section of wall!"
Gally was livid now.
Newt finally stood up and crossed his arms, and leaned on the wall, "what do you suggest we do Gally? You seem quite opinionated."
He threw his hands up in exasperation. "This shank needs to be punished!"
Arguments broke out everywhere.
"Come on, really Gally? What is with you and punishing everyone?! You're quite the dictator." Alex said, "You want to punish him, for the same rule YOU shuckin broke!"
Gally took a step forward, looking like he was going to punch her.
"Ya Gally, I know you stepped out into the maze your first month here, and you got stung. And what are you going to do, punch me? I shuckin DARE YOU!"
"ALL RIGHT SLIM IT!" Newt yelled, stepping in-between them, "Everyone sit the bloody shuck down. And don't say another bloody word unless I ask you too." Newt said with authority.
Gally slowly sat down glaring at Alex. Alex glaring right back. She wouldn't back down from a bully. Not on her first night in the Sand pit and not now in the Gathering Hall. She noticed when Gally blinked and looked away, his body language changed, he looked different, he looked stiff and uncomfortable, his eyes lost the fire, he had a second ago, they looked blank.
"Minho!" Barked Newt, pointing at him "you were there with him." Minho stood quickly, taking everyone off guard.
"I was out there; I saw what this guy did- when I turned tail and ran...this dumb shank stayed behind to help Alby. Look, I don't know if he's brave or stupid. But whatever it is, we need more of it."
Minho took a dramatic pause, making Alex roll her eyes. He then said with a deadpan expression on his face, "I nominate this shank to replace me as Keeper of the Runners!"
There was complete silence. And then chaos erupted. Some agreed with Minho, others not at all. She didn't ever think Minho would give up his leader position so easily, he was proud of it. When he sat down with an amused little smile and a wink at her, she knew he was playing them.
Why and what was the end game?
Newt was waving his arms and storming around the front, "SLIM IT YOU SHANKS! I've never seen so many shanks acting like a bunch of bloody babies. We may not look it, but around these parts we're adults. Act like it, or we'll disband this bloody Council and start from scratch." he was marching from one end of the room to the other glaring at everyone.
"Now Minho! That's a huge klunk to bloody drop on us. Stand up and defend your bloody ridiculous idea!" Minho's amused expression turned to exhaustion, but he slowly stood up and started defending what he said.
"It's sure easy for you shanks to sit here and talk about something you're stupid on. I'm the Keeper of the Runners, and the only others here who have even been out in the Maze are Newt and Alex- and I'm not talking about the shuck peanut gallery behind me, my runners know, but you shanks, I'm talking about you shuckin Keepers who make the decisions. You don't get it"
Gally interjected: "Not if you count the time I—"
"I don't!" Minho shouted. "And believe me, you or nobody else has the slightest clue what it's like to be out there. The only reason you were stung is because you broke the same rule you're blaming Thomas for. That's called hypocrisy, you shuck-faced piece of—"
Alex stood up and laid a hand on his arm, "hey" she whispered, he stopped and took a breath. He nodded.
"I've never seen anything like it. He didn't panic. He didn't whine and cry, never seemed scared. Dude, he'd been here for just, what, 3ish week? Think about what we were all like in the beginning. Huddling in corners, disoriented, crying every hour- well except Alex, she didn't cry- she was stronger than anyone here! Even me, ya I'll say it- She was and is stronger than me and you, Gally. I remember you came up crying like a shuck baby and didn't stop for a shuckin month! She only cried AFTER a human tried to eat and rape her!"
His hands were in fists. He crossed his arms over his chest, making his biceps stand out. Alex blushed as she stared at him.
"Anyways- Thomas..Alex... Ya, we didn't trust anybody, refusing to do anything. We were all like that, for weeks, months even, till we had no choice but to shuck it and live."
He took a pause, the room was dead silent, no one had ever heard Minho talk like this. But it was all true, and they knew it.
"But that was just the beginning. After that, he saw me give up on Alby, leave him for dead. And I was the veteran—the one with all the experience and knowledge. So when Thomas saw me give up, he shouldn't have questioned it. But he did. Think about the willpower and strength it took him to push Alby up that wall, inch by inch. It's psycho. It's freaking crazy. But that wasn't it. Then came the Grievers. I told Thomas we had to split up and I started the practiced evasive maneuvers, running in the patterns...Thomas, when he should've been wettin' his pants, took control, defied all laws of physics and gravity to get Alby up onto that wall, saved his life, diverted the Grievers away from him, beat one off, found—"
"We get the point," Gally snapped, his body still rigid and empty eyes, Alex was a little freaked out by it. "Tommy here is a lucky shank and your girlfriend is better than us."
Minho rounded on him. "No, you worthless shuck, you don't get it! I've been here two years, and I've never seen anything like it- they don't get scared like we do!"
He gestured to Alex and Thomas, who both sat there stunted, with their mouths hanging open.
"They stand up and do what's right, even if it puts themselves in danger! Alex, took control the day those shuckin Grievers chased us down. She threw her body under a shucken wall that could have killed her too, all to save someone IN HER FIRST WEEK HERE! And after what Chris did to her she ASKED TO BE TRAINED SHE DIDN'T SIT IN A CORNER AND GIVE UP! SHE FOUGHT BACK! And when Ben was buggin from the changing, even after what Chris did to her, she stepped between him and someone who needed help. She told ME what to do and how to get around a Griever. She sliced it open and threw a shuckin knife hitting it bulls eye in the forehead, and in its eye...ITS EYE! Thomas ran into the maze after everyone told him how dangerous it is, and what happens when the doors close, and he did it anyway just because he THOUGHT he MIGHT be able to help. He saw an opportunity, he thought outside the shuck box! He used the walls and killed it, squished it flat! For you to say anything about the two..." his frustration making him trail off.
Gally's face was red, his chest was heaving, yet his face was empty of emotion, "you want to throw them a parade? Fine by me! Go right ahead! But if there is one thing I know about the Maze is that"-
Minho cut him off by getting right in his face, and said with a cold calmness that made his threat even more intimidating.
"Gally, you're nothing but a sissy who has never, not once, asked to be a Runner or tried out for it. You don't have the right to talk about things you don't understand. So shut your mouth."
Gally stood there frozen, unmoving, unblinking, it was very uncharacteristic of the hot headed Glader.
"Say one more thing like that and I'll break your neck, right here in front of everybody." Gally said, spit flew from his mouth as he spoke, but it was robotic and deadpanned. He wasn't looking Minho in the eye, he was staring straight ahead.
Minho wiped the spit from his face and with the palm of his hand he shoved Gally in the face, "I swear, Gally," Minho said with a sneer, "don't ever threaten me again. Don't ever speak to me. Ever. If you do, I'll break your shuck neck, right after I'm done with your arms and legs."
Gally had sprawled onto the floor. He scrambled to his feet, he tried to charge Minho, but Newt, Fry and Winston held him back and slammed him back into a chair.
The room went into chaos. Again.
Alex looked at Thomas. He was sitting in the chair at the front of the room, his face a mixture of shock, and fear. She probably had the same type of look because Minho had grabbed and pulled her hand so she flipped down beside him, "don't worry about that ugly shank, he exploded like that on another kid once and he was fine. The Shank eventually cooled off. He's got mood swings like a shuck girl!"
Alex gave him a side eye. "Excuse me? I'm a shuck girl Minho. And I'm pretty sure I have never once flipped out like that... sure I punched a stone wall when my heart broke last night...but never flipped on a human...okay maybe I shot a deranged human with a bow and arrow..." Minho was smirking at her with his eyebrow raised.
"Oh shut up, you know what I mean!"
"Sure Sunshine. Sure." He chuckled at her flustered attempt to argue with him.
"But did you see his face, his eyes look empty, he wasn't even looking at you. And his body looks stiff and robotic...it's weird, not like his normal self." Minho shrugged, obviously not worried about it.
"SLIM IT YOU SLINT HEADS!" Newt screamed. The room slowly settled down, tempers were high, the tension in the room higher.
"OKAY! Well...that was bloody dramatic, don't you think?" Newt asked Minho pointedly. Minho shrugged. Gally didn't say anything, just crossed his arm, and clenched his jaw, staring at the wall.
"We still need to decide what to do with the Shank. Gally you want punishment. Banishment is NOT on the table."
Gally huffed, talking to the wall in front of him, "You see what he's trying to do, right? First he breaks our rules" he finally looked at Thomas, murder in his eyes, he pointed at him "...and then BOTH of them try to convince us to abandon them totally. The rules are the only thing that have ever held us together. Why now are we questioning that? If Alby was here, you know he'd agree with me. This shank needs to be punished. And something needs to be done about HER!"
He pointed at Alex. What had she ever done to Gally? Newt was quiet for a moment, running a hand over his chin and bottom lip.
"You're right. Thomas broke the rules. One night in the pit, and no food."
"Come on, Newt! One night in the pit?" Gally yelled, jumping to his feet "Do you think that's gonna stop him from breaking the rules again and going into the maze?"
"That's more punishment than YOU got for breaking the same rule! And, No. We can't just have non-runners, running into the maze whenever they feel like it. So let's just make this official." Newt turned to Thomas for the first time and addressed him. "Starting from tomorrow, you're a runner."
Everyone started talking over each other again. "HEY! I'M NOT DONE!" Newt yelled again, "SIT DOWN!" He stormed up and down the room again. "Alright. Onto the next order of business. Alex."
She froze.
Me? What did I do?
She lost a little colour in her face, but looked up at Newt, he was trying to suppress a grin, he had a hint of mischief in his eyes.
What is he planning?
Newt addressed everyone, throwing his arms out wide, "Everyone here- except Gally, clearly,- respects Alex. Ya?"
Nods of agreement. Gally just rolled his eyes and sneered.
"OKay, Good that! She is already on the council, she clearly can handle her self with you bloody shanks, she can clearly think, Minho saw potential in her as a runner, she can save a bloody life" -
-"LITERALLY! SHE SAVED MY BLOODY LIFE! Get it? Cuz I was covered in blood?" Matt yelled from the crowd.
Alex snorted, trying to hide her laugh. Most of the Keepers tried to hide smiles or chuckles as well. Newt rolled his eyes.
"With Alby..." he cleared his throat, "out of bloody commission for a while, I step in as Leader. Now I need a second in command. I appoint Alex for my second."
Alex sat speechless, her mouth open. Minho laughed, throwing his head back and slapped his knee. Frypan stood up and clapped. Gally got up "WOW Newt." And stormed out. Fry tried to stop him
"NO FRY! NO." "So that's a bloody yes?" Newt asked the Keepes. It was almost unanimous. Gally obviously didn't agree.
"Great. This bloody gathering is finally over!"
From the door, Bark woofed in agreement.