Newt wandered around the penthouse while Annie collected items and took them back to her bedroom. There wasn't much for him to look at, even with the many rooms to explore. The entire space was an ode to neutrals - grey walls, white marble countertops, metal appliances, clear crystal chandeliers. It was all quite posh, but it made him feel hollow, and he wanted to roll his eyes at how naïve it seemed. How could people continue to live in such opulence while the world – the real world – was falling apart just outside their doors?
He looked out over the city from the floor-length windows in the living room as the sun was just coming up. From way up here, everything the light touched looked small and insignificant. Living this way could make any person feel powerful. It made sense to him then how Annie worked for WICKED, if this was her view on the world.
"I'm ready!"
Newt turned from the window and his eyes followed Annie as she came into the living room, puffing as she pulled a suitcase behind her. Her other hand clutched the handles of an oversized, monogrammed duffel bag.
He raised an eyebrow as he looked her over. "You're having me on, yeah?"
"What?" She set the bag down on top of the suitcase and looked at him blankly. "What's wrong?"
He gestured to her luggage. "You can't bring all that with us."
"Why? I can carry it."
He came away from the window and crossed over to her. "Because we're not going on a bloody holiday at the sea, Annie."
"I know, but -,"
"What do you even have in there?"
Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed the duffel bag and set it on the ground, unzipping the top. He let out a snort as his eyes scanned over the contents.
"No," he said as he pulled out a pair of shearling-lined slippers. "Definitely not," he added as he held up an electric toothbrush. "Oh, bloody hell." He tossed a hairdryer on the ground next to the luggage.
"Do you know what essentials means?" He asked, making air quotes. "Food, water, a torch, a change of clothes. What good are these –," he pulled out a pair of large, dangly earrings. "Going to do you out there?"
"They're vintage!" She protested.
"They're rubbish." He tossed them on the floor, then sat back on his heels and looked up at her.
"Do you have a backpack?" He asked. "You must, yeah? I mean, you have everything else."
"Can't I just use the suitcase?" She asked, glancing down at him. She put her foot out and spun one of the wheels with her toes. "It rolls."
She couldn't quite identify the look he gave her just then. All she knew was that suddenly she was in the foyer closet, pulling items off a high shelf.
"There should be one in here," she called out. "Just have to move -,"
She let out a startled shriek and the sound of boxes falling reached the living room.
"I'm okay!" She announced a moment later.
Newt took a deep breath and rubbed his face. "Good that," he replied halfheartedly.
This was a nightmare.
He knew he should have left as soon as he had woken up. He'd be halfway across the city by now, not standing in an overpriced living room wincing as another box fell. Yes, he could be on his way to Tommy, and Minho, and the others...
If only she hadn't saved his damned life.
"Alright?" He called out after it had been silent for a few moments.
"Fine!" Came her muffled reply.
He ran his hand through his hair and let out a resigned sigh. He knew deep down it wasn't her fault she grew up in privilege. If your lot in life could be chosen he sure as hell wouldn't have ended up as some megalomaniac corporation's guinea pig. But it was a burden he would now have to share.
A thought came into his head that it would probably be in their best interest if he treated her like a Greenie entering the Glade for the first time. Perhaps viewing her in the same way he had viewed Thomas and the others would help him have some much needed patience. As he waited, he wondered what job she would have had. Yesterday he would have said Med-jack, but today he was thinking Slopper.
She let out a triumphant sound and reappeared with a black backpack, tags still dangling from the straps.
Newt stretched out his arm toward her. "Give it here."
She handed it to him and he began to transfer select items from her other bags into the smaller one.
"There," he said a few minutes later, as he closed the flap and zipped it back up. "The essentials. Now you're ready."
He stood up and held the bag out. She took it with hesitation as she looked down at the pile of items he had left on the floor.
"You can always change your mind," he said, acknowledging her look of disappointment. Might be better for both of us, he thought.
She paused, looking around her apartment with glossy eyes. For a moment he thought she really was going to change her mind, when she suddenly slung the bag over her shoulder.
"No," she said with more conviction than she felt. "It's like you said. There won't be much left of the city in a few days, and, well... this isn't my home anymore."
"Good that." He gave a curt nod then picked up his own bag. "Right choice, I reckon."
He almost meant it.
On their way out Annie left a brief note for her mom on the foyer table. She assumed she had already left the city, but didn't want her to be worried in case she came back. Her feelings weren't hurt that her mom hadn't come home to look for her. Their relationship had always been more akin to roommates living parallel lives than a loving mother-daughter bond. Besides, there were more important things unfolding in their world.
She looked back over her apartment. She got déjà vu as she recalled leaving the WICKED building in a similar fashion only a few nights ago. She wondered if this building would burn to the ground as soon as she stepped outside too.
"Come on," Newt called. He was already halfway down the hallway and waved her over with impatience.
She shut the door and jogged to catch up with him. At the end of the hall they found that, luckily, the elevators were still working. She pressed the down button and waited for the metal box to appear. As the door opened, she noticed Newt hesitate and then shuffle in quickly and move to the back corner. He remained there, silent and rigid, until they reached the first floor, relaxing only when the doors opened again. He pushed past Annie and stepped out first.
The lobby was no longer empty. People had set up camp there, lounging on the floor or in the comfortable leather chairs. A television was on in the corner, broadcasting static. A woman sat in front, holding a crying baby to her breast. She looked like she hadn't washed in days. No one said anything to them as they crossed the space to the front door which was now just an empty metal frame. Annie wondered if the squatters would travel upstairs and find a way to get into her apartment. She did not recognize any of them, and shuddered as she thought about a stranger sleeping in her bed, or going through her things. She should have made Newt let her take more with them.
Outside the building, the chaos had already died down. The rebels had sought shelter around the city, and only some milled about in the streets as the early sun cast its golden glow upon the buildings. The city itself was in shambles. Annie forced herself to keep her eyes down and not gawk. Familiar shops and cafes were almost unrecognizable, with their facades torn down and their insides looted. Trash and debris covered the streets.
She glanced at Newt. He was staring blankly ahead as he walked at her side, showing no signs of concern at the scene before him. His indifference annoyed her, and she wondered what he could have been through to make this seem normal to him. She hoped she had made the right choice in going with him, this strange boy she hardly knew.
They did not speak beyond her telling him where to turn or which alley to go down. It grated on her sanguine personality; she wanted to talk about music, sports, the weather, whatever. Anything that would get her mind off what she was leaving behind, or what she was getting herself into.
Newt himself had to stop regularly to rest. Whatever she had given him the other night had helped, but just enough. The pain would go from a dull ache in his chest to a pulsing beast of a thing, threatening to take his breath away. He'd clench his jaw, close his eyes, and take deep, slow breaths through his nose as Annie hovered nearby. She was polite enough not to remind him she had warned him he wasn't ready to go. Instead, she'd just offer him water, but he would wave her off and tell her he was fine.
She was secretly glad for the reprieves even though she felt awful for the pain he was in. She wasn't used to walking this far. Once she had moved to the city, she took the subway or a cab anywhere she wanted to go. She could feel blisters forming on her feet, and she wiggled her toes to keep them from going numb. The boots she wore had been a gift from her father, a bribe to get her to go hiking with him in the mountains. She had never taken him up on it; once she had become a teenager, it stopped being cool to hang out with her parents. She regretted that now.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she ran into something. It was Newt.
He had stopped in the middle of a brick-lined alley, and even from behind she could tell he was not well. His hair stuck to the back of his sweat-soaked neck and he put out a shaky hand, trying to steady himself against the wall. His other hand clutched his chest, his breathing ragged.
She rounded on him. "Newt?"
He looked up at her weakly. The color had drained from his face, and he seemed unable to focus his eyes anywhere.
"I'm fine," he said.
"Bullshit." She put her hand on his shoulder and leveled her eyes on his. "There's a cafe across the street," she said. "We're going to go over there and you're going to sit down."
He said nothing, just nodded. She squeezed his shoulder and readjusted her backpack before turning around and going back out the alley. She turned around to make sure he was following. His gait was unsteady, but there he was, faltering behind her.
The cafe was a coffee shop she frequented during the week when she was working. Usually it was full of young students doing homework or people in suits reading newspapers. Today, the dining room was empty. Part of the front wall was missing, and they easily slipped inside, under a smiling mermaid logo that looked down at them impassively.
She directed Newt toward a table in the back, and he slumped down into a wooden chair. Annie folded her arms and leaned on the back of the chair across from him, eyeing him with concern.
"You're not fine Newt," she reprimanded. "So stop saying you are."
"I know," he said. He looked up at her miserably. "Can you ... can you look in the bag?"
They had decided before they left the apartment that Annie would be in charge of first aid. She had emptied her medicine cabinet and brought everything with them, unsure what they might need along the way.
She set her backpack on the chair and unzipped a side pocket, pulling out a bottle of generic pain medicine.
Newt eyed it with disappointment. "Got anything stronger?" He asked.
She rummaged for a moment then pulled out another bottle full of small white pills.
"Nexophan," she said as she popped the top off. "Only take one." She handed him the bottle.
He took it gratefully and obediently swallowed one tiny pill. Knowing relief would soon be on its way, he sunk further into the chair and gave her a half-hearted smile.
"Thanks," he said.
She picked the bottle up and put it back in her bag, then sat down. "We can take longer breaks if you need," she said. "I can't help you if you don't speak up."
"I know," he said again. He paused. "It's your fault you know," he said, as life came back into his face. "That bloody flat of yours made me soft."
She rolled her eyes. "It's not that nice."
"It had heated floors in the bathroom," he quipped.
She stood up and slung her backpack over her shoulder. "All right," she said, crossing her arms and looking down at him with disdain. "If you feel good enough to make fun of me, we can go."
She fought a smile as she turned around and then froze.
"Newt," she whispered.
He looked up and then stood up. A man was leaning on the counter in the cafe's front. His chin rested in his hands as he watched them.
They had not heard him come in; he must have been hiding out in back employee area before they got there. His greasy blonde hair was slicked back into a tight ponytail, making his face appear startlingly angular. A green t-shirt hung off his atrophied body, showing off black veins that spread up and down the length of his arms. He smiled at them.
"Let's go," Newt said. He placed his fingertips on the small of her back and directed her toward the front of the store. Once they came near the counter, the man straightened.
"Hey," he said, "How y'all doin'?"
Newt ignored him and continued to push Annie toward the entrance.
"Don't be rude now," the man said. "I asked y'all how y'all were doin'."
Newt stopped reluctantly. "Brilliant," he answered.
"Really? Don't look like it," he said. "In fact, unless my Crank eyes deceive me I saw the little lady give you a Nexie a minute ago. Now, you don't just take that stuff willy-nilly."
"He has a migraine," Annie interjected.
"Is that right?" The man asked. His eyes twinkled as he looked at the two of them. "Why y'all lyin' when I'm just tryin' to be friendly? Where I'm from we treat strangers with hospitality." He shook his head sadly. "I'm disappointed in y'all's manners."
"What do you want?" Newt asked.
"You slow boy?" The man slammed his hand on the counter, making them both jump. "Nexophan – now that there stuff is only available from a doctor. Now, y'all don't look like doctors. So where'd you get it?"
"You kidding mate?" Newt asked. "Entire city is klunked up. Just go outside, you can find whatever you want."
"Well, as you can see it's a little slow goin' for me." He held out his arms to show them the black lines. "So, goin' back to that 'hospitality' – I think it'd be mighty nice if y'all would be willin' to share with me."
"Why should we?" Annie asked.
His eyes darkened, and he leaned forward over the counter. "You wanna test me girl?" He asked. "I've been livin' outside this city for months, waitin' for my chance to get in. Suddenly, boom! -" he clapped his hands together "- There goes the wall. Now, my days may be endin' soon but that don't mean I wanna go out like some wild animal."
Annie realized then it was time to change tactics. Any form of distraction or intimidation was clearly not going to work; they were just wasting time. If he wanted to live like a human, she would treat him like one.
"Who are you?" She asked. She noticed he had a tag belonging to the coffee shop pinned haphazardly to his shirt, which read Samantha.
"Name's Cooper. Friends call me Coop."
"Well Cooper, I'm Annie. Now you know, Nexophan is for pain management. My friend here -" she pointed at Newt "- is in a lot of pain, so we need to save it for him. But I think I have something you might like."
She pulled her backpack off and opened the side pocket. Cooper peered over the counter as she handled various bottles. She found the one she was looking for and held it out. His eyes glowed as he licked his lips and reached a trembling hand across the counter.
"Give it," he whispered.
She hovered the bottle above his open hand. "It's yours. Just don't drink it all at once Cooper. It's stronger than what you're used to." She set it down on his palm.
He took the top off the bottle, tipped it back, and drank. He gave a shaky laugh as he wiped his mouth and set the empty bottle down on the counter.
A slow smile spread over his face. "Thank you kindly Miss," he said.
"Let's go," Newt muttered from behind Annie. He gave her a light push, and they walked out of the coffee shop, leaving Cooper behind.
Out on the street, Annie laughed shakily as they put distance between themselves and the shop.
"That was … wow ... uh ..." She couldn't find the words, and she looked at Newt for help.
"That was bloody stupid," Newt said.
"What? Why?" She slowed down and grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop.
He looked at her like she was an idiot for even needing an explanation. "Because you can't just bribe everyone we meet with free drugs," he said.
"I didn't," she protested. "He was suffering Newt."
He knocked her hand away and stared down at her, eyes flickering with contempt.
"We're all suffering," he said. "Get it through your thick head. If you think you can save the world, stop. It's a waste of time to hope."
Annie held back a few paces as he turned and continued on. Newt was wrong. Hope was all any of them had left. Hope had brought him back to this world, what was keeping him alive now as he sought his friends.
She wondered if he regretted her choice to bring him back. Perhaps seeing Cooper had reminded him of what he truly was underneath. But as he walked on, alive and steady, she did not regret what she had done. Everything had to be for a greater purpose now. Otherwise, what was the point?
It was later in the day than they had planned. The sun was overhead, and they had cut through a man-made park to sit together under the shade of a maple tree. The area was deserted. No one cared to sit in parks and look at the flowers while there was an entire city to loot.
"We need to figure out what the hell we're going to do once we get out of here," Newt said as he leaned against the rough trunk of the tree.
Annie looked at him with surprise. "I thought you had a plan."
"It was never my plan," he said. "Vince showed us where we were going, had a boat all lined up and everything. But that's kind of out of the question now, yeah?"
"Do you even know where it is?" Annie asked. "Where he wanted to go?"
"I could find it if I had a map ..." He leaned forward as he looked out over the meticulously manicured landscape. "We'll need a car too, if we can manage, to get us to the coast. Maybe we can nick one."
She blinked at him. "You want to steal a car?"
"More like borrow," he said.
"And when are you planning on bringing it back?" She asked.
He raised his eyebrows and smirked as he bit into his apple. The tart juice flooded his mouth as he leaned back again and looked up through the crown of the tree, chewing.
He had been in the Glade so long he had grown tired of trees, and grass, and flowers. Every day he had to work the land by the sweat of his brow, watching as other Gladers took over the mantle of Runner. New plants and vegetables popping up through the tilled soil only reminded him that time continued on, reminded him of how long he had been there. He had grown to resent the color green.
"I was a Track-hoe you know," he said suddenly.
"A what?"
"A Track-hoe, a, uh, a gardener." He said. "In the Glade. We all had jobs. That was mine."
She leaned back on her elbows. "Did you like it?" She asked.
"Better than being a Slicer or a Bagger," he said.
"I don't know what that means."
"Well, Slicers worked with animals."
"Aw," she interjected. "That's cute."
He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "No, like livestock."
"Oh," she said. Her face fell. "Yeah, that makes more sense."
"Yeah. Baggers took care of anyone who … died in the Glade."
"Oh," she said. She picked at the blades of grass. "Did that … happen a lot?"
He looked at her. "You should know."
"I don't," she said. "I knew about the tests and trials but … I never could get myself to watch the monitors." She brushed her hand on her shirt and tiny pieces of grass fell back to the ground. "I wanted to help people. I didn't need to know the details of the means."
"Did they tell you the tests would help?" He asked.
"They did, but I never really got it. Like, was it really helping, or did they just like the feeling of playing God on a bunch of scared kids?" Newt nodded, and she went on.
"Anyway, I helped with the general medical stuff. If someone got hurt, the Creators would come to my team and ask for help. We'd package up supplies, you know, whatever we thought was needed, and they'd send them in." She waved a hand at his leg. "That's how I knew who you were."
She said it so nonchalantly she surprised herself. She felt her cheeks grow hot, and she looked away from him and picked at the grass again. She hadn't meant to let on that she knew how he got his limp. That she knew his secret.
"I see," he said after a moment.
It was quiet for several minutes. Unable to take the awkwardness anymore, Annie dusted grass and crumbs off her lap and stood up. She held out her hand to him.
"Want to go find a car to borrow?" She asked.
He took her hand, and she helped him up. He paused for a moment, and then said, "I'm sorry, for what I said earlier. I don't think it's a waste of time, you know, to hope. I just haven't had a reason to in awhile."
They continued to head toward the city limits. Annie had pointed out several promising looking cars, but each one had something wrong with it. The first was a manual, the second had one of its headlights smashed out, and the third had a bumper sticker with an incredibly racist message on it.
They were growing frustrated in their lack of success and had almost decided just to continue on foot when Newt spotted a light blue Jeep on the side of the road. Its cover was off, and he jogged over to look inside.
"We're in luck," he said. He turned around and showed her his hand, which was holding a pair of keys.
Annie gave a triumphant cheer, then stopped herself. Someone had been forced to leave their car behind with the keys still inside. It could have even been someone she knew. She didn't want to think about what would cause someone to run off in such a hurry.
"You'll have to drive," she said as she walked to the passenger side door. "I never learned."
They got inside and Newt turned the key in the ignition. The engine sputtered and then started up. A red line showed that there was over half a tank of gas left. He looked down at the gearshift and pulled the lever back.
"Bloody hell!" Newt said as the car moved in reverse. He slammed on the brake and both of them lurched forward in their seats. Annie looked over as he clumsily moved the gearshift into drive. They went forward this time, and he narrowly avoided a fire hydrant as he drove off the sidewalk and back onto the road.
"Sorry," he said with a sheepish grin. "I don't really know how to drive either."
"What!" She looked at him with wide eyes. He shrugged and then swerved to avoid a block of concrete sitting in the road.
Annie put her seat belt on and sat back, arms crossed over her stomach. After a few choice swear words, Newt got the hang of it, and soon was cruising straight down the road. He found it was easier with no other cars and no traffic laws to obey.
The sun was setting once they made it to the end of the city. Newt looked at the clock in the dashboard with disappointment. He had hoped they would make it out before nightfall. He had wagered Annie would be the one to slow them down, but it had been him, not asking for help sooner when he had needed it. The Nexophan was still coursing through his system, making the pain in his chest more manageable. Compared to earlier, he felt great.
Stalled cars dotted the road leading out of the city. He drove slowly, turning the Jeep this way and that to avoid hitting anything. Bonfires were popping up off the sides of the road, and people huddled around their calming light. At the end of the road, just before the gaping hole in the wall, was a small group of people sitting on top of cars. The sound of their laughter reached the pair, and Newt slowed down to pass them.
Someone appeared at Annie's window, making the two of them jump.
"Well now, it's the doctor and her skinny friend with the headache!"
It was Cooper. He leaned on the door frame and smiled, watching them through half-shut eyes. His blonde hair hung limply on his thin shoulders.
"I'm feelin' much better," he said woozily. "Luís!" He called out, waving another man over. "This is who I was tellin' you about!"
The other man, Luís, was much larger than Cooper. He had no black veins marring his arms, but that did not make him any less intimidating. He jumped out of the bed of a pickup truck and strode over. He stopped next to Cooper and eyed them keenly.
"It's the Nex … Nexo … Nexophan girl," Cooper said, words slurring together.
"You two," Luís said abruptly. "Get out of the car."
Annie's hands were trembling as she unbuckled her seatbelt, but Newt put his hand over to stop her.
"Don't get out of the car Annie," he said.
The man let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't have all day," he said.
Newt turned to undo his buckle and glanced in the backseat. His bag was sitting on the floor, and inside was Annie's gun. He thought about grabbing for it, but didn't know what this man would do if he did. Maybe he had his own gun, and would shoot them before Newt even got the chance.
With some reluctance he turned back around and hopped out of the driver's side door, crossing the front of the Jeep until he stood near the two men. Luís straightened, holding his shaved head high while Cooper swayed nearby.
"My friend Coop tells me you hooked him up earlier," he said.
Newt looked at Cooper. "You believed him? Your friend is jacked out of his mind. You think we did that?"
Luís smirked. "I don't care who did it. If you want to get through on my road, you have to pay the toll, comprende?"
"We don't have any money," Newt said.
"Money," he said, laughing derisively. "I don't want money. Money means nothing anymore in this shit hole." He crossed his arms and looked down at Newt. "I want Bliss. And I know you have some."
"It's gone," Newt said. "He took it from us." He pointed at Cooper, who was now spinning in slow circles.
"Why don't I believe you?" He asked. "First you tell me you didn't hook him up, now you're saying he emptied your stock."
He looked over at Annie, sitting in the Jeep, and his mouth twitched into a smile. "Maybe I can get a straight answer out of your girl."
He turned to move but Newt put his arm out, blocking him.
"Oh so that's how it's gonna be," he said. His eyes flicked down to Newt's outstretched arm and then back up to his face. He sighed. "I gotta go through you, to get to her?" He pushed Newt's arm out of the way, but he moved to stand in front of Luís.
"Stop. I'll give you what we have," he said.
Luís laughed at him. "Too late, pendejo."
The next thing Newt felt was two strong hands slamming into his chest, knocking him backward and causing his breath to catch in his throat. He clumsily tried to regain his footing as waves of fresh pain radiated through his body, making his vision to blur and Luís go in and out of focus.
The pain was excruciating. He thought he might blackout, and tried to concentrate on something, anything, to stop it from happening.
"Newt!" Annie yelled as she opened her door and rushed over to him.
Luís laughed at them, a deep deriding sound.
"You sure you want him protecting you princess?" He said. He laughed again and spat on the ground, then approached her with his hand out. "Give me the bag."
Annie looked at Newt. He was hunched over, coughing as he tried to catch his breath. Despite his state, he shook his head at her.
She took off the bag and handed it to Luís.
He snatched it from her greedily and unzipped every pocket, emptying the contents onto the street. Clothes, food, tampons, serums, pills, the photo of her and her mom – all of these fell onto the dirty concrete.
Luís toed through the pile and let out a low whistle. "Look at that," he said.
He crouched down and inspected the labels on the bottles. He held up the bottle of Nexophan, shaking it.
"What did you do princess, rob a pharmacy?" He asked.
She avoided his gaze and looked at Newt instead. His face was gleaming with sweat, eyes squeezed shut as he fought through the pain.
"Look at this," Luís said as he held up a serum injector. "This is official looking shit! What is a little thing like you doing with this?"
"I work in medicine," she said flatly.
"Yeah?" He asked, watching the metal tube as he tilted the liquid back and forth. "Where?"
At this Newt snapped his head up. "Are you going to let us through?" He asked. He tried to stand upright and coughed again. Annie put her hand out to steady him.
Luís stood up. "You can go," he said to Newt dismissively. "But your friend stays."
"Take what you want," Annie said, looking at Newt. "But I'm not going anywhere without him."
"Listen to her," Luís jeered. "I'm not going anywhere without him," he said in a high-pitched voice. "So loyal to her little boyfriend when there's a real man right in front of her."
He grabbed Annie's arm and pulled her to him, putting his face inches from hers. His hot breath smelled like stale cigarettes and liquor and she had to resist the urge to gag. Somewhere in the background she heard Cooper laugh.
"We could take the Bliss together," he said, holding a bottle up for her to see. "It makes everything feel better."
He ran his calloused fingertips down her arm and winked. "Everything."
The slap came so fast Annie hadn't even realized she had moved. She looked at her stinging hand as Luís took a step back, nostrils flaring as he blinked at her rapidly.
"Puta," he spat out. He put his hand to his cheek.
Adrenaline coursed through her body, and she looked over at Newt, whose mouth was hanging open.
Luís rounded on her, and she thought he might hit her, or worse. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. Instead, he laughed.
"You're crazy," he said. "Loca!" He laughed again and grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him.
"Go," he said suddenly. "You're not worth it." He pushed her away and took a step back. "Leave the good stuff."
She crouched down, tears welling up behind her eyelids as she collected the items he had poured out. With shaking hands she stuffed them back into her bag. Newt awkwardly knelt down beside her to help, still holding his chest. After a moment they both stood up and went back to the Jeep, hoping all the while that Luís wouldn't change his mind.
Newt started the engine, and Luís, Cooper, and the others parted to let them through.
"Don't come back!" Luís called out. "This city is mine now."
He kicked the back bumper as they passed and gave them a mocking salute, flipping them off. "Que te folle un Crank!" They heard him yell.
Once they were out of the city and far enough away that they could no longer see Luís or Cooper, Newt stopped the Jeep.
"What are you doing?" Annie asked.
He reached into his back pocket and pulled something out.
"I believe this is yours," he said, tossing the item into her lap. "You look like her you know. I should have seen it."
Annie looked down. It was the photograph of her and her mom. Newt must have picked it up from the pile. It was from the day they had announced her mom as the new Chancellor. Annie had been so proud of her that day, and their smiling faces beamed up at her from her lap.
She looked at Newt. His hands gripped the steering wheel, jaw set as he looked straight ahead. When Annie said nothing, he let off the brake, and they moved forward again. She put the photograph in her jacket pocket and looked out the open window, gazing off at nothing as he tore through the barren land.
It was late. Newt stopped the Jeep and turned off the engine. He kept his hands on the wheel, trying to maintain composure.
"Do you know how bloody lucky you are?" He asked, finally breaking the silence between them.
Annie did not respond. If Newt wanted to talk, she would let him. He turned toward her and held up his hand as he counted off.
"One, you're a 'munie. Two, Ava Paige is your mum. Three, you didn't have to go through the trials, because your mum is the bloody Chancellor. Four, you have all your memories. Five, you spent your nights in the most posh flat I have ever seen, while the rest of us shuck faces were stuck in a bloody maze. Stuck without hope. Without a reason to go on."
"Are you done?" Annie asked.
"Six," he continued, ignoring her. "You think you can do whatever the bloody hell you want, and you'll get away with it because you're Annie buggin' Paige and no one has ever told you no." He threw his hands up. "God, the privilege!"
"You make it sound so simple Newt," she said. "But you barely even know me."
He snorted obstinately, and she continued.
"I did not choose my parents. I did not choose my upbringing. You say I had privilege – so what? Does that make me a bad person? I worked for WICKED because I had the same vision as my mom. You want to malign her, but she wanted to help people. People like you."
"Oh thank you Annie," he scoffed. "So considerate of you. In case you forgot, up until yesterday the only thing your mum had ever done for me was torture my friends and use me as a control subject in her little games."
"Those 'little games' were all about finding a cure. It was all my mom ever wanted." She paused. "My father had the Flare you know. She was trying to save him too. When I started working there, I kept his name - Williams - not hers. I wanted to remember just what we were fighting for."
"And what are you fighting for now, huh? The trials are over Annie. You and your mum lost the fight. So why are you in this bloody car? Why did you bring me back?"
He stared hard at her, his dark eyes daring her to give him an answer.
"I just ... wanted to help. After everything ... it's not too late ..." She tried to articulate but the words wouldn't come out. He was making her nervous.
"Slim it," he said. "Every word out of your mouth is a lie." He slumped forward and rested his forehead on the steering wheel.
"I shouldn't have let you come," he murmured.
"What?" She had heard him, but his words surprised her.
"I knew better than to trust you. You said I could trust you, but I can't. I thought I could look past you working for WICKED, but knowing you're her daughter …"
"That's not fair," She interjected.
"No, it's not, is it?" He looked at her. "For once your mum being Chancellor doesn't get you everything you want. How does that make you feel, knowing life isn't fair? Some of us figured that out a long time ago. It's time you caught up."
He turned away from her and leaned his seat back as far as it could go. A moment later he heard the passenger side door open and Annie get out. For a second he thought about telling her to stay in the car, but decided against it. Let her get bloody eaten for all he cared. Served her right, the way she had hidden who she really was. How could he trust her now?
But in the darkness, alone for the first time in days, a small voice rebuked him. She had done nothing but help him since he met her. Why push her away now, for something she had no control over? He banished the thought away and looked up through the roof of the Jeep.
Above, the sky was a dull black expanse. He thought maybe if he could touch it, it would swallow him up and he wouldn't have to deal with this world anymore. WICKED had taken everything from him. His memories, his family, his friends. Now Annie had brought him back just to take from him all over again; to use him as her ticket to get out of a city where her very name put her in danger. He decided if she didn't come back by morning, he would continue on alone. Shuck it. He didn't need her. He looked up at the dark sky again. He didn't need anyone.