Newt slumped on Teresa's shoulders, the back of his neck growing hot. He felt too close to her. It was... uncomfortable. Newt's knee was on fire and kept having a prickling sensation. His temples throbbed, blocking most quiet sounds from his ears.
"Come on you two. Can't you go a little faster?!" Ben yelled at them.
Before Newt could reply, Teresa yelled, "We're going as fast as we shucking can! So slim it!"
Ben had been hushed, for now. Newt didn't want help anymore, he looked weak and childish. He let go of Teresa, almost tumbling over, but grabbing onto a tree before doing so.
"Why'd you let go?" Teresa asked, putting his arm back around her shoulder.
Newt didn't want to hurt her, even if she had hurt them worse. He decided to lie.
"My bloody left leg fell asleep and I wanted to rub it awake, but I forgot my knee was messed up," Newt lied.
Teresa just nodded and looked forward. Alby stood directly behind Rachel and Ben, keeping his eye on the other teens. Newt guessed that he was trying to be the leader. It was who he was back in the Glade; it would make sense. Trixie walked behind Alby, taking in the beautiful green with awe. The younger boys, Matthew and Chuck, talked on and on about all sorts of things. WICKED, the Flare, the Maze, and Grievers were only some of the subjects they talked about. They seemed eager or maybe nervous about something.
Newt just looked away, taking in the green with awe as well. He hadn't seen much green since the Maze; everywhere else just had very little or none at all. He thought back to the garden in WICKED. How had they been able to make such a beautiful scenery like that? Was it even real?
"We're here!" Rachael called out, hurting Newt's eardrums.
Newt leaned on his left foot to see past the teenagers in front. What lie in front of Newt's eyes was different than anything he ever saw. Being at Denver made him think every city was big and brilliant, but this one was small and young. It looked like it had just recently been built.
"Welcome to Xenos, shuck heads," Ben introduced.
xXxXx
Alby stared at the village. This was what he had seen in the distance! The buildings were a dark beige and several markings on them. Some of the markings were just common tree lines, the others were knife carvings clearly. They were carved into looking like mountains, and the sun rising above them.
Wonder who carved it, Alby thought.
He saw Rachael and Ben starting to walk in, and he quickly followed behind, hearing the others follow him. He heard Newt's grunts from behind and fell back to help.
"Why are you turning around?" Trixie asked him.
"I'm gonna help Newt," Alby replied.
Trixie nodded and ran up to catch up with Matthew and Chuck. Teresa and Newt were walking slower than the rest of them, but they made it up to Alby and stopped.
"Teresa, I'll get this shank. You go catch up," Alby commanded her.
Teresa didn't let go.
"Listen, I got this," Teresa replied.
Alby saw Newt roll his eyes.
"Just let me walk," Newt protested.
Alby and Teresa ignored him. Teresa glared into Alby's eyes,trying to make him change his mind. But Alby knew how to face off boys, so a girl would never work.
"Fine,"Teresa muttered.
Alby took Teresa's place and wrapped Newt's arm around him. Teresa walked away, digging her feet into the grass.
"Why are you so friendly with her now?" Alby asked him.
"Long story," Newt said.
Newt was somewhat grunting on each step they took.
"You have plenty of time to tell me," Alby assured him.
There was a grumble from Newt and then an "okay".
"After the maze,we were taken by these people in black suits. They took us into this van and drove us to this nice,little building. They fed us, clothed us, and we slept," Newt started.
"I don't wanna know the whole shuck story Newtie, just why you trust Teresa all of a sudden. I've never liked the girl," Alby interrupted.
Newt looked away. "Well, while we were in the bloody desert,Teresa decided to go betrayer on us so –" Newt was interrupted by Alby.
"Another betrayer?! I'm gonna shucking kill her."
"What the bloody hell?! You didn't let me finish. She said she did it to protect Thomas, but most of us are uncomfortable around her... Especially Minho," Newt concluded.
Alby groaned.
"Can I walk now?" Newt complained.
"No, not until we find out what's wrong with your knee," Alby said sternly.
Newt groaned and muttered, "When I'm better again, I'm gonna kill the shuckface."
Alby grinned.
xXxXx
Trixie kept looking in the sky, hoping she'd see Jack.
Jack, Liana, Matthew, and Trixie had grown up together like a family. Though Jack and Liana were Doctor Janson's children, Matthew had never really like them. None of them really liked him, but Liana had tried to convince them he was a good human being with many mistakes. She was never able to.
Trixie wished she had spent more time with Liana before she – Trixie stopped thinking about it and focused on her brother ahead of her. He was tall, making him very gawky, and somewhat handsome. He had a Gregory haircut that was a bronze color, it shone in the sunlight.
Trixie's own hair was a dull black, but her friends said that her olive colored eyes sparkled and shimmered.
The village was silent though some giggles were heard from around them.
"There aren't any Cranks here, right?" Newt asked from behind.
"Nah! Once in a while we see one, but they ain't past the Gone yet," Ben replied.
Trixie never had liked Ben. He had to be her patient for about week, and then he escaped the WICKED quarters. Not like she was worried or anything. The boy could take care of himself. He had fine hands that could build almost anything if they knew the right steps.
Rachel had been Matthew's first patient, yet she didn't approve much of him. What Trixie meant was, you'd want someone younger than you giving you a shot? Trixie agreed with the blonde, but still thought she could've been nicer to her younger brother.
Trixie was snapped back to reality when she felt someone tugging her arm.
"Trix! Trix! Can ya hear me?" Matthew asked, pulling at her arm.
"Oh, yeah, what?" Trixie replied.
"We're goin' this way." Matthew pointed to where Rachel gestured the two.
"Oops, sorry. I was thinking 'bout stuff," she replied.
They followed, Newt and Alby not too far behind. Teresa walked in front of them, clearly looking frustrated and depressed. Trixie wanted to run up to her and ask what her problem was, but she held back, not wanting to usher a war between herself and Teresa.
Ben and Rachael soon stopped in front of a hut door. Rachael jumped up two steps, which creaked from her weight, and knocked twice in a deliberate pattern. The door swung open.
"Come in", a voice called out.
Ben walked in first, followed by Rachael. Teresa was hesitant but soon followed. Chuck and Matthew ran in at the same time, probably not thinking about what was inside.
"Need helping getting up the steps, Newtie?" Alby asked him.
Trixie turned around, only to see the boys going around her.
"I've bloody got it," Newt snapped back.
Newt let go of Alby and hobbled up the two steps at the doorway. When he reached the top he was gasping for air.
"Dumb shank, I could've helped ya!" Alby remarked.
"Yeah, but I got there," Newt grumbled.
Trixie giggled. It seemed like the two always fought, but maybe that was good thing. It would make them closer. She soon realized that the two boys had disappeared inside too. Trixie stepped up and walked inside.
xXxXx
Chuck squinted. He couldn't see much; just shadows outlined in shadows. He heard Matthew's heavy breathing beside him.
"Dude, just turn on the freaking lamp! I can't see my hands!" Chuck heard Ben spit out.
A lamp turned on, making Chuck shield his eyes. When he got used to the bright light and put his arms down, he saw a girl.
Her skin was dark and her hair was shaved almost to her scalp. Her lips were full and a dark red.
"Why are there other people here? They follow you or keepin' ya prisoners?" she asked Rachel.
Rachel grunted and said, "How many times do we need to tell you, we are too good of fighters to become imprisoned."
"It could happen," the girl retorted.
"Slim it, Harriet. This isn't about us," Ben snapped at her. "Have some friends who need some medical checking. If they got the Flare, we better know now. And Newt needs some help with the right knee." The girl, Harriet, glared at Ben.
"Now let me ask you this. Were you the one to hurt this so called Newt?" Harriet asked, looking like she might burst.
"I'm over here, I can hear everything you bloody say," Newt spoke up.
"Shut up!" Harriet replied.
"Yeah, it was self defense," Ben stated.
Harriet walked in front of Ben and stuck her finger into his chest.
"You got a nerve going back out there! The Flare speeds up when you're stressed! And there's no way I can slow the thing down!" Harriet spat.
Ben only growled, glaring at Harriet as she removed her finger.
"Okay ,I'll check Newt first, then the rest." Harriet relaxed.
Chuck watched Alby help Newt in front of Harriet.
"I got 'im from here," Harriet told Alby.
Alby helped Newt onto Harriet, and she put Newt in a chair. She crouched down and looked at his right knee. Feeling and poking it, making Newt wince. After minutes of poking and feeling, Harriet stood up and turned to the teenagers.
"His knee is dislocated. I'm gonna have to pop the sucker back in," Harriet told them.
Alby nodded, but Chuck closed his eyes. He was afraid that something bad would happen to Newt. He opened them back up, the intensity too hard for him to defy. Harriet had crouched back down by Newt's leg, putting one hand on the left side of his right knee and the other hand on the right side.
"Okay, this is gonna hurt like hell for ya. But more fun for me," Harriet noted.
"Wait wha–?" Newt started, but Harriet made a small twist and a snap was heard. Newt let out a wail.
"Hurt like hell?" Harriet asked him.
Newt only nodded, clenching onto his knee cap.
"Hey, just be glad it wasn't broken. It would've hurt even more," Harriet told him, standing back up. "Okay, I'll check the rest of ya'll for the Flare," Harriet said. "Who's first?"
No one spoke at first, but after a few heartbeats, Teresa spoke up.
"Me first. But I'm immune, not gonna change a bit."
"Well I'm still gonna check. WICKED could've gotten rid of the ability," Harriet retorted.
Harriet walked away into a dark corner and came back out with a small device. It looked kinda like a phone, but a lot bigger. It was black and had a little flashing red light.
"M'kay, stand there chica," Harriet instructed.
Teresa stood still, and Harriet pressed some buttons. A green glow appeared from the device and scanned Teresa. Teresa was squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her teeth. The device, after three complete scans, beeped twice and shut off.
"You're lucky. You're a Munie," Harriet told Teresa. The brunette girl only sighed with relief and sat on the wall.
"Okay, me next. If there's pain, I want it," Alby said.
Harriet did the same thing to Alby, but he didn't even flinch. Then the device beeped twice, just like Teresa's.
"I'm surprised you're a Munie. You act the most like a Crank in here," Harriet commented. "Besides Ben."
Ben let out a low growl. Alby only rolled his eyes, smirking at Teresa. Then Harriet did the same thing to Chuck and Matthew, the two boys were both immune as well. Then it came down to Newt.
"Don't even bother, I'm not immune. I've been acting shucking crazy," Newt told Harriet.
"Worth a try right?" Harriet asked him. The device scanned Newt, but this time there was four beeps.
"What the hell does that mean?" Alby asked.
"It means your friend here is right," Harriet replied. "He isn't immune. Worse than that, he has the Flare."
Newt muttered, "I shucking hate WICKED."
Thanks to Aurora Marie Williams for being the beta reader of this story!