After the Death Cure ( The Maze Runner )

Chapter 42

"I guess we'll go-"

"Wait," Thomas says as he sticks his hand out towards me.

"Wha-"

"Shh."

"Thom-"

"Slim it, Kenzie." I put my hands up in surrender as Thomas creeps his way closer to the wall. I hear a crack come from the city, and Thomas jumps back. "There's Cranks hiding in there. At least two hundred of them."

"I'll call for back up. Minho, come with me." Minho nods, and we both run towards the soldiers that line up. It only takes about eight minutes, since were running this time. "Melissa, there are Cranks hiding around everywhere. We need you guys to come into the city with us."

"How many?"

"Let's say...two hundred. Just in case."

"Ok, I'll get them together."

"Thanks. Come on, Minho."

"You sure Melissa doesn't need any help?" He quietly asks me.

"No- sure, fine." I turn, and head back to the Gladers. "Melissa and Minho will be here in a minute with two hundred soldiers. Is that ok?" I ask Thomas.

"You're the leader."

"Oh...No. No, I'm not. I'm helping you. Don't make me in charge of this."

"I might have to-"

"No. You're gonna need to suck it up at some point..." I catch my tongue. Why am I so stupid!? He nods once at me, and faces the other direction. I rub my face as I try to find the words to apologize. "Look, Thomas, I-"

"No, it's fine. You spoke your mind. You tend to do that a lot. More than you should, actually. But I get it. That's who you are..."

My mind goes back to when I said something similar like that to Newt. I clench my fist out of anger towards myself. I almost can't wait to get in there with those Cranks. Minho and Melissa make it back with two hundred troops about half an hour later.

"Ok," I say too quietly, "Let's go."

We slowly make our way into the city. I whip out my bow, and place an arrow in it. I spin around slowly, and try to find a Crank. None are out. I glance at Thomas, who's been staring at me, apparently hurt by what I said. "Where are they?"

He shrugs, and looks at the floor. I furrow my eyebrows at him. How childish. Why don't you help me, Thomas? I look back into my scope. "There's one!" I shoot him, and he falls out of the tower which he stood in. There are barely any windows in it. I watch as his body drops to the ground. I hear it hit, and his bones breaking beneath him. A glass shard flies through the air, and lands next to me. I hear the soldiers shooting behind me. Finding targets whenever they fly.

I spot another Crank. I aim, and shoot. More glass flies through the air. My heart skips a beat every time they land near me. I hear the thump...thump of the glass hitting and sticking into the ground.

Half an hour.

Thirty minutes of near death fighting. It finally ends. I lower my bow, and take a look around.

Everyone scans the area slowly as we wait for any attacks. We stand patiently for maybe five minutes before I call for the soldiers to leave. The Gladers and I then head to the city, where we see the cured people. "We're with WICKED. You guys got any weapons on you?" They all lift their hands. "Alright, well...follow us!" We turn and head back to the Bergs. All of the Gladers stand on the outside of the group, in order to protect everyone from any surviving Cranks.

"You're a good leader. No wonder they picked you..." Thomas wispers next to me.

"Well, you were picked too, ya know?"

"Yeah," he snickers, "By you."

"No, I mean...in the Scorch Trials. Your name was everywhere."

"I saw. But all they wanted was my brain."

"You're a true leader, Thomas. Not me. Yeah, I may know how, but I am not leader."

"I guess so..."

The conversation ends. There's nothing else really to say. I wish we were closer friends. So I wouldn't hurt his feelings with everything I say. That's why Newt doesn't get upset with me all of the time. He understands what I mean. He understands me.