AN: This is a Fanfiction about the movie with Thomas Brodie Sangster and Luke Kleintank called Phantom Halo (short-movie-version: My Left Hand Man). I will mix Maze Runner and Phantom Halo in this one, for I need Thomas from Maze Runner played by Dylan O'Brien here...I wouldn't call it a full fledged crossover though. I merely put Thomas (Maze Runner) into the story outline of Phantom Halo...Maze Runner itself is not mentioned. Plus: Newt and Samuel (both portrayed by Thomas Brodie Sangster) will be kind of mixed to one person...
Enjoy, Your Meka
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Chapter 1: "To be, or not to be: that is the question."
Thomas was sick of it.
Each night he heard the shouting next door. And each night Thomas felt different about it.
In the beginning he had been surprised. He had hoped it was just a coincidence, that on his first night in this new neighbourhood a fight had occurred and that it was a one time thing. Nothing serious. Just a couple fight or something.
Then he had actually gotten annoyed by the loud noises. For some time he had even thought, that he understood the pre-owner, that had wisely chosen to move out. He had also considered following that example but...had decided against it. Because as time passed, he began to notice things.
For example that these fights over there weren't caused by a couple.
One of the voices in the building, that was merely a few yards away, was always ever present in the fighting. When it resonated behind the walls, so loud that it even reached Thomas in his room, it sounded so aggressive. It was as if it was hunting the other two voices, one very small, the other more mature. That booming, raw and angry voice always led the quarrel, trying to stab the other sounds, that tried to stand against it with sharp and insulting knives.
And the other two voices...they both sounded male...younger than that other voice...and they were always on the defensive...so Thomas came to a conclusion.
Not a couple fight. A family fight...
One father and two sons...
And that...that assumption made Thomas worried and after some time left him feeling sick.
He never heard everything, only catching snippets of the things "discussed". Although, now more and more often, he caught himself in the act of listening as carefully as he could, having abandoned the thought of sleep nights ago, trying to understand as much as possible.
He heard accusations, insults and everything of that kind.
And Thomas wondered, he really wanted to know, what kind of father would treat his children like this.
Thomas would lay in his bed and listen. Listen to that younger voice, that was so shrill and shaky in it's defense, so cautious and still not able to doge the words from that roaring voice.
Listen to that older voice that still sounded so young but still so used up, exhausted, angry. Trying its best to hold it's ground against the way more aged voice that was even more angry.
Thoma's pupils would watch the shadows pulsing and dancing behind the curtains, the dark silhouettes reaching even his room, ghosting over his own walls and body. The warm light gave the figures a weird glow, like that of fire. The shadows would throw their arms around and would sink in on themselves, wanting to hide, to disappear. The shouting accompanying their act like horrible music.
And at some point Thomas couldn't watch that theatre anymore. Because what seemed to be a simple dispute on stage, revealed to be a roaring inferno behind the curtains.
And Thomas wanted to help calm the flames. He just didn't know how.
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Thomas noticed that the brothers always left early in the morning. Making their way into the heart of the city.
They were always together. Smiling to one another but their eyes always glassy and hiding something behind them. The big brother wore casual clothing, often a hat and always that brown leather jacket.
The younger brother on the other hand often wore something that appeared to be a costume like those from a medieval festival or a theatre play. At the same time attracting attention but still discreet. At his side he always carried a wooden suitcase, that was way to big to look normal and not draw eyes to it.
Thomas hadn't yet talked to them. He thought it was weird if he would walk up on them when they were leaving their house in the morning and as equally awkward in the evening when they returned.
But as one day that younger brother stood outside the house, working on the old car, Thomas saw his chance.
He left his apartment and casually walked up to the drive way, stopping in front of the iron grid that blocked the way to the house, interlacing his fingers with it. His weight made the towering grid rattle, making the skinny boy in front of the car spin around startled.
When he saw Thomas, question rose on his face, a frown building. He grabbed a piece of cloth and wiped his hands then turned around fully, away from the motor of the car, facing Thomas that still stood behind the mesh of steal.
"Can I help you?", his dark brown eyes that made such a beautiful contrast between his blond hair narrowed. There was mistrust in his voice.
As Thomas caught the emotion laced in his tone, he eyed the grid again, making a guess why it was there.
"Just wanted to say "hello"," Thomas casually answered "just moved in over there and wanted to meet my neighbours." With that statement Thomas shortly twisted his upper body to point into the direction of his apartment, then turned back around.
The boy didn't let go of the wary look in his eyes or on his face but he came closer.
"Why want to move in here? Nasty area actually." Thomas liked his accent. Liked the way his voice rose and dipped at always the right time.
Thomas shrugged at the boy's question.
"Guess I wanted something new, get away from family and stuff." Thomas chose to hide a lot behind that sentence.
The blond boy got even closer, the cloth with which he had wiped his hands earlier was now twisted around his slim fingers, the appendages absentmindedly playing with it.
He stood casual behind the grid, weight on his left leg, still eyeing Thomas but because of Thomas' last statement there seemed to be a change in the boys eyes. Thomas wasn't sure but it appeared to him like a twisted form of sympathy.
"Chose the wrong area then. As soon a you think you are free, you are stuck here."
Thomas let his eyebrows rise. That sounded deep...hurt...dark. The boy saw the surprise on his face and bit his lip, turning away from the metal boundary, away from Thomas.
Thomas saw that the boy wanted to give some consolation, wanted to make what he had said undone and then disappear into that house that had begun to seem like a threat to Thomas.
Think, Thomas, think.
"Well, might as well make some friends if you are stuck, maybe they can help."
The sentence was somehow cautious, Thomas wasn't sure if he was overstepping any boundaries. The invisible ones, not the braided metal in front of him that he could touch. Because those, the invisible ones, the insubstantial ones, were the ones that were way easier to cross but much more dangerous.
The slender boy paused on his way back to the car, an apology already on his tongue that he would've given Thomas with no regards, only to be able to escape that awkward situation. But it died right there in his mouth.
He stood there for a few seconds, back turned to Thomas, chewing on his lip, playing with that cloth in his hands. Although the boy's front was hidden from Thomas, he could see the gears turning nonetheless.
Then, the blond turned around, shoes crunching on the pavement.
"Who are you again?" there was something light in his voice. For the first time he sounded friendly, not completely on the defense. He stepped out of the shadow of the looming building behind him and took slow but determined steps in the direction of Thomas.
Thomas couldn't help but smile.
"Thomas." he offered, waving his hand lazily that wasn't intertwined with the metal strands.
"Samuel." the blond gave a curt nod of approval, a crooked smile forming. The cloth in his hands wasn't crumpled up anymore but rested unfolded in his pale, slender hands.
Little did Thomas know...misery would ascend upon them.
AN at the end: originally I wanted to make this a OneShot but I think it's easier with more chapters.
Plus: if you haven't seen the movie (Phantom Halo), I really recommend it!