~ Grinning slightly, I placed one hand over his and used the other to cushion my head. "G'night Newt."~

"Shuck it!"

Opening my eyes to the new day, I sleepily turned to what was the matter. I blinked, the blurred figure coming into focus. Newt. He was smirking down at me from where he stood as he said, "Mornin'".

Still a bit drowsy, I sat up, rubbing my eyes and stretching a bit in an effort to wake myself up. Groaning slightly as the urge to just pull Newt back down to act as my pillow and fall asleep took hold, I shook my head, running me hands though my- Aw, not again… My hair, was one big knot. Again. The mop of brown-blonde hair atop my head tangled and well, stuck. "Shuck my life," I mumbled, getting to my feet and fishing around the room for the one or two brushes we had on hand.

"Looking for somethin'," Newt said. I could tell he was smirking just but the way he sounded, he probably had the shuckin' brush the whole time anyways.

He did, in fact, have the brush, but he gave it to me without the prolonged 'come and get it' I usually receive.

"Thanks," I muttered softly, beginning the task of running the brush through my tangled mess of hair. Which hurt by the way.

Laughing, Newt took the brush away, kissing my cheek from where he stood slightly behind me. He wrapped and arm around my waist from behind, pulling me with him until the backs of my knees hit the cot and I was forced to sit, Newt sitting behind me. "What are you-" I began just as he started running the brush through my hair, much gentler than I had been, working out the knots.

"Stop moving your head."

"Well, what am I supposed to do?"

"Stare at the bloody walls for all I care, but I gonna get this knot out if you keep moving your shuck head like that."

I sighed as though it were such a big deal, slouching, but sittling mostly still, that was before Newt poked my back where I was… slightly…. Ticklish, prompting mw to sit up the 'correct' way.

"What was that all about anyway?"

"What?"

"The loud 'shuck it' that I awoke to?"

"Oh… that… Yeah," He started, "I uh…"

"You…" I prompted, but he didn't say a word, "Newt, what's up? You're acting weird…" I began, pushing his hands from my hair so I cpuld look him in the eyes. "You can tell me. I ain't gpnna run away."

"I know…Where'd you go anyways?"

I rolled my eyes, "You know what I mean. Now spill."

He shook his head, his gaze slipping from mine to the floor.

"Was it your leg, 'cause you know that-"

"I know, MaC…" he whispered, lifting his gaze from the floor and lifting a hand to cup the side of my face, and stroke my cheek with his thumb. I was blushing pretty good now I think. "Now, you gonna let me finish of walk around with this knot in your hair all day?"

I smirked sitting back in the position he wanted me, running his finger as well as the brush through my hair. I'm telling you… I could do that again… but it was over quick, Newt dropping the brush and running his fingers through my hair one last time before, quite rudely shoving me off the cot onto my feet.

"I gotta go," He said, "Greenie's gotta get the klunk scared outta him 'fore the tour."

"Ah, ah, ah. You ain't getting' rid of me so easily. I'm comin with." He opened his mouth to argue, but I beat him to it. "Alby will just have to slim it and deal."

He smiled sideways at me. "Well, I can't say no to that."

"Nope," I agreed, putting my hands on my hips and smirking once more.

"Let's go then," He said, offering his arm.

"Ah," I smirked tilting my head towards him. "Such a gentleman."

He rolled his eyes at me, slinging his arm around my shoulders instead, "Come on ya bloody show pony."

"Where the hell could he have gone?" I muttered as we searched around for the newbie. Newt shrugged in response, carefully stepping around another set of gladers sleeping in the grassy area of the glade.

Newt was the first to catch sight of him, Grabbing hold of my arm and tugging me along with him towards the kid. I suppose there are nicer ways to wake someone, but Newt's method worked just fine, roughly shaking the newbie until his eyes opened. "Shh, Greenie. Don't wanna be wakin' Chuckie, now, do we?"

"C'mon, got somethin' to show ya 'fore the others wake up," I told him.

The newbie looked between the two of us before replying, "Okay." To be honest I was a bit surprised, I was expecting more of a 'Why should I?' response, but hey, if the kid was gonna be easy, then our job is all that much easier.

"Just follow us," Newt said, "Oh, and stay close."

Beginning our trek towards the west wall, Newt and I were careful not to step on anybody, our newbie however, was not so successful in that department, earning dirty look from both of us as well as the victim of the stepping.

Once clear of the lawn area and onto the cobblestone courtyard, I broke into a run. Newt was close on my heels and the newbie behind him. The light was dim, just the first few rays of sunlight lighting out way. I slowed down as we approached the wall, the massive structure looming overhead as the little tell-tale light of the beetle blades scurried over the ivy.

"What are those?" The newbie whispered rather loudly and most likely to Newt. It wasn't really whispering at all really, I could hear him and I was standing four feet or so away.

"When you bloody need to know, you'll know, Greenie," Newt said sharply.

"Well, it's kids stupid to send me to a place where nothing makes sense and then not answer my questions," The newbie said, pausing for a moment before launching a sarcasm filled, "Shank," to the end.

I smirked laughing shortly with Newt before he began speaking. "I like you, Greenie. Now shut it and let me show ya somethin'."

Newt and I stepped forward, digging out hands into the thick ivy and spreading several vines revealing a pitch-black window to the Greenie, who looked at it blankly before opening his mouth again. "What are we looking for?"

"Hold onto your undies, boy," Newt said, "One'll be comin along soon enough."

Minutes passed as I leant against the wall, sneaking occasional glances out the window, but taking most of the time to examine the boys in front of me. Newt had adapted a blank expression as he stood absolutely still, eyes fixed on the unchanging window. The newbie was decidedly less patient, shifting his wait from foot to foot, fidgeting, and sneaking glances at the both of us, unable to stand still.

Then, per usual, it changed. The eerie glaimmering light of the maze shone through the window, covering Newt in a spectrum of greens and blues. Still, he hadn't moved, calmly staring out the glass pane. The newbie grew still, focusing on the… well, you'll see…

"Out there's the Maze," Newt whispered, his eyes widened slightly still staring out into the distance. "Everything we do- our whole life, Greenie- revolves around the Maze. Every lovin' day we spend in honor of the Maze, tryin' to solve something that's not yet shown us it has a bloody solution, ya know?' My gaze shifted to the ground. A hair less than three years I've been here and we still ain't found a solution. Lately I've been wondering if there really is one. He continued, "And we want to show ya why it's not to be messed with. Show ya why you should never, never find your butt out there."

Newt stepped back, gesturing for the newvie to take a look. He did, his nose almost touching the glass. I heard the newbie's breath catch in his throat. He'd just go his first look at the monsters that were grievers. They were large bulbous creatures, the size a cow would be but with no real shape. Their arms, if you could call them that were made of metal, with saw blades and shears and who knows what those long poles were for… and they're fast too, twisting and lurching along the ground a few feet at a time. Then they see you… you're lucky to get away, if you get away. Lucky not to be killed, not to be stung. I was one of the first in the Maze, the first to discover these monstrous creatures and escape with my life. I didn't go out much anymore though, gave my position to another boy after Newt's… after Newt got his limp. That wasn't the only reason, though… I was tired of it- the frustration of never finding anything! Of the same patters day after day…

The newbie sucking in a huge breath of air ripped me from my thoughts. "What is that thing?'

"We call 'em grieves," I told him.

Newt looked at me for the briefest of seconds and I remembered…

I was in a tree, my favorite tree… In the Deadheads, it became much less appealing after the bodies were buried… too many memories. Newt was sitting in the cluster of branches just a few feet away. "What have you been up to?" He asked, suspicion in his eyes and an edge in his voice.

I laughed coldly, he thought I'd tell him?

He leaned backwards, slightly, "Fine, don't tell me, but I know you're up to something and I know you know something… and whatever it is, it ain't gonna do any good if you don't tell us."

I shook my head, staring into the distance, at the ivy-covered walls encasing us in the center of a gigantic maze of all thing. One that was filled with monsters and moving walls and traps of all sorts.

"Look, we've all seen you skulking around, hding in the shadows, watching everyone… never saying a word. I've seen you slip out into the Maze and come back just before closing all covered in sweat. I know you know something, and I'm not leaving until you tell me. We're sending people in later this week and whatever you know could help them. Besides, having you sneaking around scaring everybody isn't helping order none.

I snorted. "Order, its all about order…."

He stared. I rolled my eyes and turned away.

…. Ten Minutes Later...

He hadn't left. I wanted to get some sleep. I was planning on going into the Maze tomorrow, but that was becoming increasingly harder with his two eyes burning holes into me from behind. I groaned loudly, turning around to face him, glaring angrily as I did. He didn't budge. We went on like that for a while, saring at one another… until I caved. With a heave of air and a roll of my eyes, I began, "Those… beetles-"

"Beetle-blades."

I galred, "They have the word WICKED, written on their backs-"

"So?"

"SO, let me finish and you'll find out!" I snapped. "Out in the Maze, there are these plaques," I began gesturing the approximate size. "They say the same thing, cept WICKED is an acronym- World In Catastrophe Killzone Experiment Department…"

"That what it stand for?"

I nodded, "You guys already know how the walls move at night, inside the Maze just the same as out here… but Yesterday, I found something, scare the klunk out of me… There's these things…"

Grievers

The word popped into my head so suddenly, I fell out of the tree…. Straight onto my head.

The newbie looked at us strangely as Newt continued, "Nasty bugger, eh? Just be glad the Grievers only come out at night. Be thankful for these walls." Newt absent-mindedly looked out the window. "Now that you know what bloody lurks in the Maze, my friend. Now, you know this isn't joke time. You've been sent to the Glade, Greenie, and we'll be expectin' ya to do survive and help us do what we've been sent to do."

"And what that?"

Newt turned on him with a serious look about him that I've only seen once or twice before. "Find our way out, Greenie. Solve the buggin' Maze and find our way home."