The Gladers clumped together. They cautiously walked down the dark cold hall towards the light. Thomas slowly pushed open the door and stepped into another hallway. Everyone else followed on his heels. The hall was dark, but once the door behind them clanged shut a light flicked on. One after another the fluorescent lights flicked on, racing down the hall. The hallway they were standing in was made of cement, with tubes and rusty pipes running along the walls. There were a few sparking cords hanging. It was cold and damp, making Alex shudder. The drying sweat and blood didn't help. Minho pulled her closer. The air was also damp and moldy. Alex looked both ways down the hall.

"I guess we try right first?" She asked no one in particular.

Thomas nodded and took the lead. Teresa right beside him, Minho, Alex and Newt right behind them. Alex reached back and took hold of Chuck's hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Remember, be brave." She whispered, and he nodded. The hall came to a dead end, there was a big rusty metal door at the end of the hall. Above the door was a neon green sign that was flashing "EXIT" mockingly at them.

"Seriously?" Said Frypan, drily.

"Oh the irony is awful, isn't it?" Alex agreed. Everyone was glancing at each other nervously.

This is it. This is freedom behind that door.

Thomas reached out a shaking hand and twisted the handle. For a rusty door, it swung open with ease.

The loud blaring sound of an alarm hit her ears. After the silence of the dark hall, the noise seemed even louder. She stepped through the door. Her feet crunched on broken glass. All around them was broken glass, sparking wires, and flashing lights. That's not what shocked Alex. What surprised her, was the dead bodies. Men and women in white lab coats laying in pools of blood. People in black uniforms and masks, shot in the chest and head. Minho slid a gun away from a dead man in black with his foot, "What happened here?" He asked quietly.

Alex shrugged her shoulders. "Looks like they were attacked. But who are the guys in black? Do they work for the Creators? Or are they the attacking group?"

He shook his head. They walked further into the room. Alex came to a stop in front of what used to be a big glass window. It was shattered, glass all over the floor. Inside the tiny medical room were two gurneys. A body on each, laying covered with a white sheet, covering the body's faces. A pair of dark skinned feet were sticking out from one of the sheets. A morbid thought crossed Alex's mind.

What if that was Alby?!

There were bullet holes in the chests. She stood there staring, wanting to go see if it really was him, to confirm he really was dead...Minho gently pulled her away.

"Alby's dead, Alex. We both saw it." He said gently, like he could read her mind. Her sad eyes met his, he was holding unshed tears back as best he could. Sooner or later they would both have to break. He pulled her into the main room, which was covered in broken and shattered computer screens and keyboards. Bullet holes in everything. Some of the screens were flashing pictures of brains, heart rates, there were a few screens showing different angles of the Glade, which was now smoking. No signs of life, no signs if Gally and those who stayed behind lived or not. One computer showed ID pictures of a few Gladers flickering on the screens.

"So they were watching us. This whole time!" Newt muttered to himself, as he watched the video feed flip through different angles.

One picture caught Alex's attention. She slowly made her way over, her back making movement painful. On the screen was a photo of her. The picture was clean, and fresh. No scratches or bruising, no sun kissed skin. Her hair was washed and brushed, pulled into a high pony. Under her picture was information, she leaned forward to read it.

Subject A0.

Given name: Alexandra,

(the name Alexandra is a girl's name of greek origin meaning "defending men".)

First test subject for The Hurculeas trials. Trial succession: to be determined.

Relationships: biological brother: Subject A5, biological sister: Subject B2.

Romantic: Subject A7

Emotional attachment: child A4

Minho had slid up beside her. "Romantic relationship? Am I subject A7?" He asked, looking at her from the side of his eye. She gave him a withering look.

"Well, I ain't kissing anyone else, so based on my educated guess, I'd say ya. Because these idiots can't use our names...were rats with subject numbers. Not even shuck real names!" Alex was angry, just looking at the screen.

"What is The Hurculeas trails?" He asked again, staring at the screen.

"No idea." Alex whispered back.

It was unnerving, more questions than answers. She shivered. She reached for Minho's hand, needing his comfort. She jumped when there was a loud female voice echoing around the room.

THE SHUCK IS GOING ON?!

"Hello. My name is Doctor Ava Paige." Alex spun around. There on a giant screen in the middle of the room, a video was playing. The scattered Gladers came towards the screen. The woman on the screen was middle aged, with white blond hair, pulled back into a tight perfect bun. She was sitting at a desk, talking into a camera.

"I'm Director of Operations of the World Catastrophe Killzone Department." Alex was hit with a hard sense of Deja Vu.

"Minho...that's her! She was in my memories! She was one of the people who was at the table, agreeing to torture if we were caught...she was also in the memory of me drawing the Grievers!" She whispered urgently. His eyes were wide as saucers, his mouth open. They both turned to listen to the recording.

"If you're watching this, that means you have successfully completed the Maze Trials."

Alex snorted, and muttered, "successfully? She has a very different definition of success than me." Newt gave her a sharp look.

"I wish I could be there in person to congratulate you...but circumstances seem to have prevented it." The men and women in white coats were pulling files and stacking things in boxes and walking around urgently.

"I'm sure by now, you must all be very confused... angry, frightened."

"Understatement of the shucken year! She tops you Min!" Alex muttered again. Newt glared at her again "shh!"

"I can only assure you, that everything that's happened to you...everything we've done to you...it was all done for a reason." Minho was stiff and he was squeezing her hand.

"Minho..Min, you're hurting." She whimpered. He released her hand, "shuck sorry Sunshine! How can she sit there so calmly talking about 'everything they have done to us'" he growled the last part.

"I don't know Love." Alex answered honestly, "we knew they were shucked up."

Dr. Ava Page kept talking, "You won't remember..."

"Wonder who's shuck fault that was?" Alex gummed through clenched teeth.

"But the Sun has scorched our world. Billions of lives lost to fire...famine..."

The screen flicked to images of a burning world, burnt bodies in piles. Alex shuddered.

"Suffering on a global scale. The fallout was unimaginable. What came after was worse. We called it the Flare. A deadly virus that attacks the brain."

A picture of a brain covered in black, microscopic organisms eating the tissue and flesh of the healthy part of the brain, flashed on the screen. A few of the Gladers were heard groaning or gaging.

"It is violent... unpredictable... incurable."

The pictures switched to a hospital operating room, with something that resembled a human, strapped to a table, with green sickly skin, black ropy veins, black eyes, screaming and trashing. While doctors stood around observing and taking notes.

Alex's breathing quickened, she backed up a step. Eyes flashing around. Panic. Minho spun towards her and grabbed her shoulders pulling her into his strong chest, into a tight hug, knowing she was starting to panic when she saw the screen

"It looks like him! Its him!" She panted.

"It's not him Alex. Different person. You're okay. I'm right here." He didn't let go, instead he held her tight as they watched the video with the rest of the silent Gaders The video switched back to the woman at a desk.

"Or so we thought. In time, a new generation emerged that could survive the virus. Suddenly, there was a reason to hope for a cure. But finding it would not be easy. The young would have to be tested, even sacrificed... inside harsh environments...where their brain activity could be studied. All in an effort to understand. what makes them different...what makes you different. You may not realize it...but you're very important. Unfortunately, your trials have only just begun."

The people behind her were frantic now, a few of them were screaming. People in black and masks burst through the doors, shooting anything and everything that moved. People were dropping, blood splattering everywhere.

"As you will no doubt soon discover, not everyone agrees with our methods. Progress is slow, people are scared. It may be too late for us...for me...but not for you."

She had pulled a small pistol out.

"The outside world awaits." She held the pistol up to her temple.

"Remember... Wicked is good."

She pulled the trigger. Alex yelled and buried her face into Minho's chest for a moment. She took a second to get herself together and pulled away.

"Is it over?" Minho asked hopeful.

"She said we were important." Newt stuttered. Everyone was still trying to process what they just heard.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Chuck asked.

"I don't know." Thomas answered, he had walked over to a corner, seeing a woman's body laying on the floor, he was pretty pale.

"Let's get out of here." Alex suggested.

There was a beep that made everyone flinch and swing around ready to fight. But it was a door that slowly slid open. Revealing bright harsh sun. Everyone took a few steps to freedom.

"NO!"

Everyone spun around. Standing on the other side of the room was... "Gally?" Alex gasped and stepped towards him.

"Don't. He's been stung." Teresa warned. Gally dropped a Griever stinger, confirming Teresa's theory. Alex stopped and only then noticed the black veins creeping up his neck. His eyes were red and he was crying.

"We can't leave." He raised a gun and pointed it at Alex, straight at her heart.

Where the blood hell did he get a gun from?!

"We did. Gally, we're out. We're free." Alex tried to reason, holding her hand out, trying to calm him.

"FREE?" Gally's chest was heaving "You think we're free out there? No. No, there's no escape from this place!"

"Gally, listen to Alex. You're not thinking straight. You're not." Thomas added, also slowly stepping forward trying to reason with him. "Now, we can help you."

Why is it always Tommy and I doing this? We are always the ones who get attacked by these crazies!

"Just put down the gun." Alex pleaded. She was trying hard not to panic, Gally was turning into Ben.. and Chris. How do you reason with someone who was turning into a monster?

"I belong to the maze." Gally cried.

"Just put down the gun." Alex pleaded again. She felt movement behind her, but didn't dare to look away though.

"We belong to the maze. We all do." Sobbed Gally. She could see his hand shaking, the gun kept switching between Thomas and herself. He was crying harder.

Alex was shoved to the floor as a spear whistled over her, at the same time the gun went off. Alex scrambled to sit up. Gally had a spear sticking out of his chest. He collapsed to his knees, gasping for air. His broken eyes found Alex's for a second. A tear fell down his cheek, and then he fell forward, his eyes empty now.

Minho crouched beside her. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you? I had to get you out of the way. You were in line of the gun!" Alex just nodded her head.

"Alex? Thomas?" Said a small voice. Alex's head spun around.

"Chuck?" She whispered, confused.

"Oh, shuck! Shuck!" Thomas yelled as Chuck collapsed. Thomas caught him, and helped him to the floor. Alex scrambled over to Chuck on her knees.

"Look at me, look at me! Chuck!" Alex called. She saw the bullet wound in his chest. The blood was bubbling up and gushing. Alex pressed her hands over the wound, putting pressure.

"Oh, shuck! Chuck, look at me, all right?" Thomas called, his voice breaking.

"I got you, buddy. Just hang on. It's okay." Alex was saying. Her head knew this was a wound she couldn't deal with without a proper medical room and supplies. But her heart wouldn't listen.

"Thomas, Thomas... Alex..Alex.?"

"Ya, ya Chuckles. We are here! We're here buddy!" Alex's voice was raw. It was hard to see, her eyes were watering. Chuck was coughing, blood trickled over his chin. His shaky hands pulled out a small carved piece of wood. Alex remembered it from the fire night. He held it out towards Alex.

"No, Chuck. You're gonna give it to them yourself. Remember? I told you that. We are going to find your mom! I crossed my heart! I pinky promised!" Alex sobbed. She had stopped trying to apply pressure to his wound, his blood was all over her and the floor now.

"Take...it" he wheezed. Coughing again, splattering Thomas and Alex. "No. Chucky, I can't! I made you a promise!"

"Please..Alex..Please!"

Alex took the little carving in her hand and held it tight, bringing it up to her chest. She looked up at Thomas who was crying. Chuck rolled his head to look at Thomas, "Thank you. For being my friend." His voice was quiet. He gasped for air, and then started coughing, chocking on his own blood. Alex choked on a sob. He looked back at Alex. A ghost of a smile on his chubby little child face.

"Thank..you. I love...yo..."

"No! Chuck? CHUCK! I love you too! Chuckles? Chucky? No! I promised! I crossed my heart!" Alex was yelled, shaking him with one hand. "CHUCK!" She screamed.

His eyes were vacant. All his happy bubbly life was gone. His childhood was violently ripped away.

"Chuck. Chuck? Hey. Hey, Chuck, come on! Come on, wake up! Damn it!" Thomas yelled, trying to shake him awake.

"We made it. COME ON CHUCK! WE MADE IT. WERE OUT! I CROSSED MY HEART!" Alex sobbed. She lay her forehead on his chest. Holding the little wood figure to her chest. She let out a gut wrenching scream, deep from inside her broken heart.

"Alex!" An urgent voice said behind her.

There was commotion around the two kneeling kids on the floor trying to wake up the youngest Glader.

"Chuck! Get up, Chuck! Come on!" Thomas was crying.

"I promised you Chuck! We made it! I promised!" Alex sobbed.

"ALEX!"

"TOMMY!"

A hand grabbed her upper arm and pulled. She screamed and ripped it out of their grasp. The hand grabbed her again harder this time. She screamed louder, throwing them off, scrambling back to Chuck, hoping his eyes would spring open and laugh at the hilarious prank he just pulled. He didn't.

"Chuck!" She pleaded. Nothing. Her heart was broken. And there was no fixing it. No amount of glue was going to piece that together. Two hands grabbed her this time.

"We can't just leave him there!" she screamed. She grabbed the arm who was trying to pull her away from her baby brother. She threw them. She actually threw them. She threw the grown man across the room and he landed with a crash. She had thrown him through a window.

"CHUCK!"

This time a voice spoke right beside her.

"Alex. Hey, Alex. We need to go! They are trying to help us get out. Come on!"

Minho held her bloody face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. She didn't say anything, but let him drag her away from Chuck's lifeless body. She kept her eyes on him until she couldn't see him anymore. The outside hit her like a brick wall. The sun was bright, hot and harsh. Sand that was everywhere was scratchy, coarse and stung the skin when it was whipped around. Alex stumbled when her feet hit the sand. She would have fallen, but Minho and someone in black with a bandanna kept her on her feet. The guy in black was pushing them towards 2 huge helicopters. Alex's legs weren't working, her limbs were numb. She felt like she was in a daze.

Where did these guys come from? Why are they here? Did they shoot the Creators? Could they have saved Chuck? Or Gally?

Minho made it to the helicopter first, but waited for Alex, he helped her up, Newt grabbed her hand and also helped her up. Teresa was already on the helicopter, along with Winston and Frypan. Minho climbed on and everyone scrambled to the back and clumped together. Thomas was the last one on. Another guy with a big black gun strapped to his chest climbed inside and slammed the door shut. He knocked on the pilot's window and made a twisting motion with his hand. The helicopter took off, rising into the air, following behind another big black helicopter.

The man pulled his helmet off and his bandanna down, looking at Alex and the other Gladers "you kids all right? Don't worry, you're safe now. Everything is going to change!" He hollered over the noise of the helicopter blades. As they got higher into the air everyone peered out the window. What Alex saw made her jaw hit the floor. It was The Maze, from a bird's eye perspective. From up in the sky the Glade seemed so small. She could make out all the buildings. Everything was still smoking. And the maze itself was huge. So complicated, all the walls and twists and turns. From up in the sky, there really was no way out. Alex sat back down, wincing at the stinging pain in her back. Her body hurt. Her head was pounding. And her heart was broken. They had made it out...but at what cost?

Was it worth it?

Another few tears leaked out of her clamped eyelids.

Strong arms pulled her over, and she could feel some readjusting their sitting position. Minho was now sitting behind her. He slowly unbuckled her holster and rolled her shirt up to see the wound on her back. "You shuckin saved my life, Alex. You and that Superhuman strength. I owe you my life!" He whispered.

"Just don't die, Shuck Face. I couldn't live in this world long without you. I'd drift too far out and never find my way home." She replied quietly, she brought her knees up to her chest.

Alex hissed as Minho cleaned her back with the few basic supplies in the first aid kit the man in black gave him. Teresa crawled over and held her hand. Newt scootched closer. Same with Frypan. Winston had laid his head on the window still looking at the birds eye view of everything. Thomas was staring wide eyed at nothing. When Minho was done cleaning as best he could, he put a bandage over it and rolled her shirt back down. Then gently pulled her back so she was leaning on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and laid his forehead on top of her head.

"We're out...we're free. I owe you a sunset date, Sunshine." He whispered into her hair.

Despite her heartache and grief, she smiled.

WICKED facility:

She sat down at a long board meeting table, wiping the remnants of fake blood off her forehead. "I think it's safe to say the Maze Trials were a complete success. I wasn't expecting so many survivors, but...the more the merrier. Thomas continues to surprise and impress. And for now, they seem to have taken the bait. It's too soon to say...but they could be the key to everything. So let's move forward. It's time now to begin Phase Two."

One young doctor raised his hand, "Ma'am, what about Subject A0?" He inquired

"Excellent question Dr. Prior. Subject A0, while being a mistake, sent to the wrong maze, has surprised us with remarkable kill zone patterns. Her Serum injection seems to have been a positive result to the other subjects in their kill zone patterns. However the antidote seems to be wearing off, so we will need to monitor that closely. But all in all, everything is going remarkably well."

Dr. Prior pursed his lips and nodded, marking something on his clipboard.