DISCLAIMER: I ONLY OWN BELLE AND A FEW OTHERS

Newt POV:

"Newt!" A voice called from though the door pulling me from my thoughts as my cries turned into shaky sobs.

I'd been crying on my own for the rest of the night.

"Go away!" I shouted

"Newt, it's Minho!" He shouted.

"I don't care," I sobbed

"Thomas is awake!" He called

"Tommy's awake?"

"Yeah, now open the door you Slinthead!"

I crawled away from the door stood up shakily and opened the door revealing Minho who had a smile plastered on his face but the small bags under his eyes showed how he was really feeling. "Dude, you look like klunk."

I smiled. "I could say the same for you."

He snorted and led me through to the room where Tommy was always moved during the day. Chuck told me he wanted to call a Gathering and I automatically needed to see him to understand why the hell the bloody idiot would do that.

When I walked in he looked as if he were in another world.

The Changing better not have made him go crazy like Gally, it's not like he wasn't already. I couldn't help but think about the time he had said he heard Teresa talking to him in his bloody head.

The next thing I noticed that unlike Alby, Gally, Ben and Nelson he looked barely sick like the Changing was just a cold that he quickly brushed off.

I walked over to the bed and sat down. "Tommy," I said in awe but I couldn't help but feel angry. He could've get himself killed. "You barely look sick."

Tommy nodded. "I feel a little queasy, but other than that, I'm fine. Thought it'd be worse."

Bloody idiot I thought to myself as I shook my head as I felt my face turn into a mixture of both anger and awe. "What you did was half brave and half bloody stupid. It seems like you're pretty good at that." I shook my head again. "I know why you did it. What memories came back? Anything that'll help?"

"We need to call a Gathering," he said shifting his position. "Before I start forgetting some of the stuff."

"Yeah Chuck told me - we'll do it. But why? What did you figure out?

"It's a test Newt," He told me. "The whole thing is a test." I couldn't help but wonder how he was so fine, he went though the buggin' Changing and he's acting like it's nothing. Did he not feel any of the pain? I could hear him scream as if he was being tortured but now he's fine.

Nobody's fine after the Changing.

My mind ran over what he had said a thousand times.

A test?

I thought as one word popped into my mind and it sent a shiver down my spine.

"Like an experiment."

Tommy shook his head. "No, you don't get it. They're weeding us out, seeing if we'll give up." Like I did. I quickly shook the thought out of my head. "Finding the best of us. Throwing variables at us, trying to make us quit. Testing our ability to hope and fight. Sending Teresa down here and shutting everything down was only the last part, one more final analysis. Now it's time for the last test. To escape."

My mind quickly processed what he was saying but I just got more confused that I had started. "What do you mean? You know a way out?"

"Yeah. Call a Gathering. Now."

I quickly did what he had said and called a Gathering. Tommy tried to convince me to let Teresa into the Gathering.

I refused.

As the meeting started Tommy explained what he had seen during the Changing including one of the most heartbreaking thing I'd ever heard.

"I can't remember anything about my family or what happened to them. But after we were taken, we spent years learning in special schools, living somewhat normal lives until they were finally able to finance enough to build the Maze. All our names are just stupid nicknames they made up - like Alby for Albert Einstein, Newt for Isaac Newton and me - Thomas. As in Edison."

I felt my heart drop. We didn't even know our real names. I should have expected it to be honest I mean who would call their kid Newt.

As Tommy was talking I couldn't help but think what my real name might have been.

Sadly all the names I thought of never felt right. They probably never would.

Tommy talked about the Code until he said the last think I ever expected him to say.

"It was hidden in the wall movements of the Maze for a reason. I should know - I was there when the Creators did it."

The room fell silent and I'm sure my floor hit the floor. "What are you talking about?"

He explained to us about him being used to Creators he then told everyone that him and Teresa were telepathic. Tommy also said that the only way to escape was though the Griever Hole using the Code to disable the Grievers. Which led to Alby confessing to burning the Maps and him accused Thomas of being a spy. Thomas then said that someone should sacrifice themselves to the Grievers. He also said who the poor kid should be. Him.

The room erupted in arguments as I decided he had said enough stood up as calmly as I could but internally I was screaming.

I kicked Tommy out of the Gathering and then after what felt like an eternity convinced the Keepers that Tommy was telling the truth and we should all go off the Griever hole.

All except Alby.

I then found Tommy and Teresa cuddled up on the bench. I gave him an update and then we all started to convince the Gladers.

And Alby.

I ended up telling him that we were going to go to a fresh paradise away from the destruction of the world, he agreed but I could see it in his eyes that he knew I was lying and had no idea what lay in store for us when we finally escaped from the Maze.

The next few hours were chaos and I couldn't help but feel useless. I had to make sure everyone was working and doing their part to get out of here while I was just standing around doing nothing.

We stood outside the West Door after everyone was rounded up I began to talk. "There are forty-one of us." I said pulling my rucksack into my shoulder and pulling out a pole with barbed wire at the end. It looked deadly but what difference would it make against a Griever. "Make sure you've got your weapons. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot I've got to buggin' say - you've all been told the plan. We're gonna fight our way through to the Griever Hole, and Tommy here's gonna punch in his little magic cide and then we're gonna get payback on the Creators. Simple as that."

I looked around at all the people in the crowd as my gaze fell on Minho he spoke.

"Shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?" He asked.

"Go ahead," I said. He couldn't sat anything that would make a bad prep talk.

"Be careful, don't die."

I was wrong, worried faces flickered though the crowd. "Great. We're all bloody inspired." I pointed over my shoulder to the Maze. "You all know the plan. After two years of being treated like mice, tonight we're going to take a stand. Tonight we're taking the fight back to the Creators no matter what we have to go through to get there. Tonight the Grievers better be scared."

The Glader's erupted in roars and battle cries. I even saw Tommy join in.

I thrust my weapon in the air and yelled. "Hear that, Creators? We're coming?"

I then ran into the Maze hearing the echo and the screams of the Glader's who followed me. Minho effortlessly caught up with me.

I had been running for half an hour when we passed it. The place I had tried to commit suicide I slowed when I got there and as if sensing this Minho gave me a small push and I carried on running but soon I needed Minho to take over

After we'd been running for a full hour we reached the corridors that joined together to make a T when a quiet moan ripped through the air as horror drifted along Minho face.

"Did you hear that?" He asked.

Tommy shook his head. Minho crept along the corridor and peeked his head around the corner Minho jerked his head back. "Oh no," he said through a moan. "Oh no."

The moans echoed again and I saw a few boys face's paled. I walked forward to the line with Alby as I heard Minho say. "There's at least a dozen of them. Maybe fifteen."

We finally made it to the line where I made another small speech as the rest of the Glader's surged forward. Tommy even suggested that a kid had already been taken but a loud noise behind us cut hit off, as more Griever's came down the corridor surrounding on both sides.

I drew a shaky breath as Tommy turned to me. "Got any ideas?"

"No," I replied, I couldn't help but notice the smallest of shakiness in my voice. "I don't understand what their bloody waitin' for."

"We shouldn't have come," Alby said his voice small as it echoed around the Maze corridors.

"Well, we'd be no better off in the Homestead. Hate to say it, but if one of us dies, that's better than all of us." I hoped he was right. I couldn't loose anyone else. Zart had been the final straw anything else would tip me over the edge.

We stayed silent for a while our eyes fixed on the Grievers. Until Alby spoke again his voice so small as if were a small child. My heart skipped a heart, he was a child his eyes fixed on me for a split second and mouthed something I couldn't catch. "Maybe I should..."

Alby walked over to the Cliff.

"Alby?" I said. "Get back here!"

He broke out into a run and jumped on one of the Grievers I ran forward but Tommy grabbed my arms as I struggled.

"Let go!" I yelled

"Are you nuts?" Tommy shouted. "There's nothing you can do!"

I watched as Grievers swarmed over Alby as he didn't scream probably not to scare any of the Glader's. I finally gave up collapsing backwards in defeat.

My best friend was dead.

I felt like screaming as loud as I could for the Creators to hear what happens when you kill a boy who was almost like a brother to everyone here.

But that would mean everyone else would loose hope, I couldn't feel responsible for that.

Tommy helped steady me to my feet as I stared at the spot where Alby disappeared, he was gone.

"I can't believe it," I whispered as tears threatened to spill. "I can't believe he just did that."

Tommy shook his head as Minho came over and squeezed my shoulder. "We can't waste when he did," Minho said turning to Tommy. Was he really talking about this? "We'll fight 'em if we have to, make a path to the Cliff for you and Teresa. Get in the Hole and do your thing." He was actually talking about this, our leader, one of his best friends just died and he's acting like it never happened.. "We'll keep it them off until you scream for us to follow."

Tommy looked at the groups of Grievers and nodded. How could he be agreeing with this? Alby might have been a little angry but he was a good person who didn't deserve this. "Hopefully they'll go dormant for a while. We should only need a minue or so to punch in the code."

"How can you guys be so heartless?" I asked disgusted and bitter, my eyes still fixed on the spot where the Griever's were actually feeding on Alby I felt like I was going to be sick as I saw a smear of red on one of the Griever's slimy body.

"Alby didn't wanna go back to his old life. He freaking sacrificed himself for us - and they aren't attacking us, so maybe it worked. We'd be heartless if we wasted it."

I shrugged and closed my eyes, if I spoke my voice would be broken, if I looked one more time at the Griever's I would scream.

"Listen up!" I heard Minho yell. "Number one priority is to protect Thomas and Teresa. Get them to the Cliff and the Hole so-"

My eyes snapped open as Minho was cut off as the sounds of the Grievers coming back to life echoed through the Maze. In unison they moved forward as I realised:

Alby sacrificed himself for nothing.

"Somehow I have to get through that!" Thomas said grabbing Minho's hand and nodding towards the Grievers.

I looked over at Minho but no words were exchanged. Maybe this was the end, maybe I'm finally allowed to die.

"They're coming!" Teresa yelled snapping me out of my thoughts. "We have to do something!"

'Stop feeling sorry for yourself and help them.' I thought as I opened my mouth as my words came out barely a whisper. "You lead. Make a bloody path for Tommy and the girl. Do it."

Minho nodded once, I was surprised he could hear as my voice was so quiet. He turned to the Gladers as determination was written over his face. "We head straight for the Cliff! Fight through the middle, push the shuckin' things towards the walls. What matters most is getting Thomas and Teresa to the Griever Hole!"

I had my eyes set on a Griever, it had a splash of red on it's skin, as I gripped my barbed pole. I was going to kill that thing.

"Ready!" Minho yelled but I didn't look at him I was too focused on the Griever. "Now!"

He charged and I was just behind him I could soon hear the sounds of the other Gladers behind me, I charged at the Griever as my pole made contact with the Grievers flesh, I continued to strike it again and again, anger pulsing though my veins as I ducked and dodged the Griever's arms until I felt myself be knocked to the ground I looked up and saw the place I was standing a second later a knife cut through it, I looked up and saw Nelson who quickly got to his feet and continued to strike at the thing, I got to my feet as we both struck it again and again until having enough grabbed my knife and stabbed it in the head. I looked at Nelson who had his mouth hanging open, we continued to work together killing two more Grievers as boys died around me soaking the ground in blood, the Griever we were currently fighting suddenly dropped but that didn't stop me as I stabbed it with my pole throwing curses every time until I was dragged away by Nelson.

"Newt, it's dead," He said softly as I looked around and saw everyone looking at me their mouths wide open. They'd probably never seen me like that. "It's over."

Without another word I ran over to the Griever Hole and jumped in as I landed I was Thomas, Teresa and Chuck standing there. I guess Tommy took Chuck with him.

Closely followed by me was Frypan then more and more until we were all down the Hole.

"The rest?" Tommy asked.

"Half of us," I answered my voice weak from exaction and anger. "Dead."

No one said a word, no one spoke for a while until Minho broke the silence but I didn't listen to what he had to say. Half of us dead. I should be one of them, I don't deserve to be here.

"Lets get out of here," I said. "Right now."

"Where'd we go?" Minho asked his eyes darting.

Tommy pointed down the long tunnel. "I heard the door open down that way."

"Well - lets go," Minho answered as he walked down the corridor. I nodded as I started to move the Gladers in the right direction until only me Tommy and Teresa were left.

"I'll go last," Tommy said.

I walked down the black tunnel followed by I think it was Chuck. Suddenly a shriek came from down the corridor. Were they falling?

We slowly made or way down as we found was a slide when it was my time I slide down and could hear someone come down straight after, the slide was slimy and smelt disgusting and I was so happy when we got out but as soon as I was out Chuck landed on my stomach as the wind was knocked out of me, I just got out the way and pulled Chuck away as Tommy and Teresa came flying out.

I looked away when Tommy was sick, wiping my hands on my pants realising they were covered in slime, that was when I saw them.

The Creators.

I saw Chuck whisper something to Minho that I couldn't quite catch but obviously Minho as he relied:

"The Creators," He then spat on the floor. "I'm gonna break your faces!" He screamed.

"What do we do?" Tommy asked his eyes darting around the room. "What are they waiting for?"

"They've probably revved the Grievers back up," I said. "They're probably coming right-"

A loud, slow beeping sound that echoed through the chamber cut me off.

"What now?" Chuckie asked. I found myself looking at Tommy who just shrugged his shoulders.

The beeping stopped as the door slid open I waited for a Griever to come rolling though the door killing everything is saw, but instead was something very different as I felt my mouth drop open at the sight of a grown up woman, ordinary woman with shoulder length and dark eyes and someone else who was under a hood. The woman whoever she was stopped a few metres in fromt of us.

"Welcome back," She said finally. "Over two years and so few dead. Amazing."

"Excuse me?" I asked disgusted as images of all the people we'd lost flicked though my mind.

She scanned us until her gaze fell on me and I suddenly felt so small under her gaze. "Everything has gone according to plan, Mr Newton." I flinched after what she had told me. "Although we expected a few more a few more of you to give up along the way."

She looked at the person next to her as she pulled off his hood, I had to blink a few times as I registered he was really there.

Gally there was really there. Another figure stepped out from behind him and stood on the other side of the woman.

"What is he doing here?" Minho shouted.

"You're safe now," The woman spoke. "Please, be at ease"

"At ease?" Minho barked. "Who are you, telling to be at ease? We wanna see the police, the mayor, the president. Somebody!"

She narrowed her eyes at Minho. "You have no idea what you're talking about boy. I'd expect more maturity from someone who's passed the Maze Trials."

Minho was about to speak again but I elbowed him in the gut knowing it wouldn't end well.

"Gally?" I asked as softly as possible. "What's going on?"

The woman nodded proudly. "One day you'll all be grateful for what we've done for you. I can only promise this, trust your minds to accept it. If you don't, then the whole thing was a mistake. Dark times, Mr Newton, Dark times." she paused and pulled the hood off the boy who was standing almost directly in front of me. My eyes widened. "There is, of course one more Variable."

"Andrew?" I heard Nelson say from next to me. Andrew stood there rigid his eyes fixed on me as if I were the devil.

I heard Tommy's voice but I couldn't focus on what he was saying I was just watching Andrew.

Suddenly Andrew pulled his hand out and pulled out a knife I felt my mouth drop open as he threw the knife until once again I was knocked to the ground, I looked up and saw Nelson once again on top of me but his eyes showed pain rolled him off e gently and saw a knife buried in his side, a cried ripped though my throat as Nelson gasped breathlessly another cry echoed but it did not come from me it came from Tommy I looked and saw he was clutching a body.

Chuck.

I cried louder than I ever have before I turned back to Nelson, his eyes were watering in tears as blood started to creep out of his mouth. He opened his mouth.

"Alby...always...lov..." He was cut off as his eyes rolled back into his head and his body fell limp.

"No!" I screamed. "Stay awake, Nelson! Stay the shuck awake!"

I looked up and saw Tommy had jumped on Gally punching him again and again and my body ached as I saw Chuckie's body lying lifeless on the floor.

"NO!"

I think the woman spoke before the gunshots started, I looked up as men and woman ran through the door, one of them helped me to my feet as two others tackled the woman to the ground I looked away as the gun shot echoed though the room. Andrew too was tackled but I didn't see what happened to him as I was pushed out the door and was dragged onto a bus, rain poured down on us as I saw on the bus, I curled up in a tight ball, soon I heard the footsteps of the other Gladers but as the bus came to life and ran over a bump I got out of the ball and saw Noah, one of the youngest who I was surprised to have made it gave me a gentle smile.

"It's ok, we're free now," He said softly. I just nodded before looking back out the window.

We arrived at a building where we were given food and drink, as we settled down for bed I walked into the bathroom and saw there was a mirror in there. I then saw I had sandy blonde hair that swept just above dark brown eyes which were red and blood shot, my skin was un naturally pale which made the bruises from when Alby had attempted to choke me stand out dramatically.

Alby.

I watched as a tear rolled down my cheek. I walked back into the dorm room and settled myself in bed, I was bottom bunk under Frypan.

I looked around and thought back to what Noah had said about us being safe.

But if we were safe why didn't I feel that way.

My eye lids slid shut into another sleepless night.

It took me FOREVER to write this chapter! The epilogue will be up soon so look out for that and then sequel! Which should be posted in a few days! I hope you all liked this chapter, I know it involved a lot of the quotes from the book so sorry if that got a little boring! Review if you love or hate this story until next chapter! Byee!