Hey everybody! I'm finally back! Sorry for the super late update, but I was having some amount of writer's block. :(. But I'm back now with another chapter! (It's 2016, I last updated last year. Gasp.) Sorry that the chapter's kinda short, but I got to a good stopping point and I decided to just quit there.

In this chapter, I've transitioned from the world of my prequel to the world of the actual book, and I've changed up the story a little bit, but I'm keeping all the major events, don't worry. I'm kind of experimenting with what might have happened if the characters had the personalities that I've built in this fanfic, and since I've cut out one of the major characters, I'm gonna have to change the plot line a little.

I'd like to thank again everyone who reviewed my fanfic. It means a lot to me to read your reviews.

Sorry for the long author's note :)

-Plerfstacks :)

Chapter 11

Anna tried her best to get the Greenie assigned to a job, but the kid was sort of incompetent in most of the skills required for many of the available jobs. When the Council met about a week or so after he'd arrived, they had to make him a Slopper, because they knew that he wasn't going to be able to do anything else. Anna felt bad about it, but she ended up voting for that option as well, simply because she wanted what was best for the Glade. Chuck seemed okay with his assignment, but Anna could tell that he was a little disappointed.

The good news, however, was that Chuck and Mark seemed to have become good friends, and since they had the same job, they got to hang out a lot. While Newt still wasn't the biggest fan of Mark, Anna had decided that he wasn't a bad kid. He just needed to have something to do.

Minho had been getting discouraged lately about how little they were accomplishing out in the Maze. Every night he would vent about it to Anna, and she would try her best to convince him that the Runners really were doing something, and that they just needed to have a positive attitude. Anna didn't know where all this optimism came from, though, because she wasn't an optimistic person in general. Her pep talks seemed to be helping at least a little, however, because Minho had somewhat cheered up and resumed providing his snark to anyone present.

"We really do need a new Runner, Anna," he was saying to her one night. "We're one short, because…" His eyes flickered over to Newt, who was pointedly looking in the other direction.

"Yeah," she said, cutting him off. "I'll find someone. Don't worry."

"Cool," he replied, nodding. "Sounds good."

Anna looked far and wide for a new Runner, but everyone she asked refused bluntly. They all seemed to have an excuse, like, Oh, Anna, I would absolutely love to go risk my life every day out in the Maze, but I can't. I'm busy lifting this heavy log, see?

She eventually decided just to tell Minho to suck it up. Nobody wanted to be a Runner, and she couldn't make them. Minho wasn't happy about this, but he kept his trap shut about it, despite the fact that he obviously wanted to complain.

The month almost flew by with no tragic deaths, no Griever accidents, no Slicers cutting each other up by mistake, no kitchen fires, and no work for Clint and Jeff. However, about two days before the next Greenie would arrive, a Builder named Ben wandered a little too close to the Maze. Anna didn't see it, but all she could figure was that he'd done pretty much what Gally had done earlier. Gotten up close and personal with a shuck Griever and gotten himself Stung. He was given the Grief Serum, and he was still in the process of the Changing a few days later when the deafening siren that signaled a new Greenie began to ring throughout the Glade.

Anna took her position beside the Box and waited for it to open. When it had, she jumped inside and faced the kid sitting inside, who was staring at her wide-eyed, his body pressed up against the wall.

"Hey, Greenie," she said. "Welcome to the Glade."

The kid stood up shakily and allowed the Builders to yank him and Anna up onto the grass.

"What's going on?" he asked, glancing around like a cornered animal. "Why don't I remember anything?"

"Don't ask questions, Greenie," Anna told him. "Just listen."

He stared at her; the expression on his face making it clear that he was annoyed with her but still wanted information.

"Okay," he muttered.

"None of us remember a shuck thing, Greenie. We all get what you're feeling. You'll find out everything you need to know soon, so I'm not gonna tell you all of it now. It's too much to take in." The kid nodded. Anna turned, addressing the crowd. "Everyone get back to work!" she yelled. The mass of Gladers dispersed, leaving Anna and Newt standing with the Greenie.

"What's your name, Greenie?" Newt asked.

"Thomas," he answered, still looking confused and scared.

"Newt," he replied. Then he turned to face Anna. "Should we get Chuck?" he asked. Anna nodded. Newt walked off.

"Listen, Greenie," Anna said. "All you need to know right now is that you need to stick with Chuck, alright? He's a good kid; he'll tell you all you need to know. Oh, and I'm Anna, by the way."

Thomas nodded.

"Are you in charge?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "I'm in charge, Newt's my second. You can ask us if you need help."

Anna didn't know what else to say, so she and the Greenie stood in silence until Newt returned with Chuck. Chuck seemed to have it under control, so Anna and Newt left them alone and went to go do their other work.

"Ya know, I think that kid's scared of you," Newt told her, smirking slightly as they wandered toward the others. Anna shoved him playfully.

"He is not," she said. "I'm not scary." Newt just laughed. "I think he'll be good friends with Chuck," Anna added a few moments later.

"Yeah," Newt agreed.

The next day, something unexpected happened. Anna was minding her own business with Newt around noon, and suddenly the deafening siren that signified a new Greenie began to ring through the air. Both Anna and Newt jumped, startled, and looked frantically around to see what the deal was. When they both came to the conclusion that they were somehow getting a new Greenie the day after one showed up, they ran over to the Box and waited for it to open up. When the heavy metal doors opened and revealed the inside of the Box, Anna did a double take. She jumped inside to get a closer look, and she couldn't really comprehend what she was seeing.

"Newt," she called up. "Come on in here with me." He glanced down at her and obeyed, swinging his legs over the edge and landing with an awkward thunk.

"It's a girl," Newt said in awe. The Gladers began to murmur amongst themselves, and some of what they said didn't bear repeating, and even the Greenie seemed full of interest in this new girl. Anna rolled her eyes. Honestly, sometimes all you needed to do to get a bunch of guys' undivided attention was throw a girl into their midst. Anna was glad that she'd thought to establish a leadership role for herself early on.

"Shut up," Anna said loudly, shaking herself out of her moody thoughts. "I think she's dead."

The girl was sprawled limply on the floor of the Box, her black hair spilling all over the floor and onto her face. She didn't seem to be breathing at all. Anna wondered why they'd send a dead girl to the Glade. Suddenly and without warning, the dead girl sat up, her eyelids opening to reveal blue eyes almost as vivid as Newt's, but with a hollow, dead look in them.

"Everything is going to change," the girl said ominously, her face gaunt. Then she fell back onto the floor, her bright blue eyes shutting again. Her arm stuck straight out into the air, and Anna noticed for the first time that she was holding something in her fist.

Newt, who seemed to have noticed this as well, reached down and grabbed it before she could, unfolding it and reading it aloud.

"She's the last one. Ever," he read. The crowd fell silent. After a moment, the boys exploded in questions, and Anna had to yell at them again to get them to shut up.

"She's the last one," said Thomas, his eyes locked upon the girl's face. "There won't be any more."

"You don't say," sneered Gally.

"Shut your hole, both of you," Anna snapped. "And someone get her out of the shuck Box."

Once the girl had been transported out of the Box and onto the grass, Anna grabbed the edge of the Box and hauled herself up into the Glade, with Newt following behind her.

"Someone get Clint and Jeff," she ordered. One of the Gladers ran off in the direction of the Homestead and returned a few moments later with both of them in tow.

"What is it?" Jeff asked.

"Get her to the Homestead," Anna instructed them. They nodded, picked her up more roughly than was intended, and carried her off. "Be careful!" Anna yelled after them. She then looked back to the Gladers.

"Alright, get back to work," she growled at them. "All of you." Apparently sensing that she meant business, the Gladers obeyed her command and filed off.

"Not you," she said as Newt made to walk away. He gave her a half-smile.

"What's wrong?" he asked when she didn't return it.

"What do you mean, what's wrong?" she sighed. "The last Greenie ever just showed up in the Box, and she's a girl." Newt gave her a wry grin.

"I see what it is," he smirked. "You're jealous." Anna glanced at him, startled.

"I am not," she protested. "I'm just concerned for the Glade and the order with which we run things."

"Mmhmm."

"Look, Newt, I am not jealous!" she cried, now thoroughly angry with him.

"Alright, alright," he said, holding up his hands to placate her. Anna sighed resignedly.

"I'm sorry," she told him. "It's just that I'm worried. You're the only one in the Glade who I'm not worried about."

"Why's that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You saw how those boys were looking at her. You heard what they said. There's a reason that I had to be in charge of you shanks from the get-go. If I wasn't, they'd take advantage of me. I had to establish power. And as to why I'm not worried about you, I'll just say that I'd be very angry if you fell into the same shuck trap as everyone else." Newt seemed to get her point.

"Okay," he said. "But, love, you do know that I would never betray you like that. You're the only one. I promise."

Anna felt her anger and worry melt away at his words, and she smiled at him, reaching up to stroke his hair. Newt pulled her forward and kissed her, and Anna knew then that she had nothing to feel jealous about. She already had all she ever wanted.