The Beginning of the End // The Maze Runner // Newt

// Chapter 12 //

After asking Winston where she could find Minho, she made her way to the Map Room where she found him hunched over the intricate model of the Maze that had been built over many months of preparation way back at the start of the Glade, a piece that Athena marvelled over for ages at its intricacies and detail.

"You know, after yesterday I expected Gally to keep you locked up with the other two for the way you spoke to him, you shank." He scoffed, a smile on his face as he glanced over his shoulder at the visitor.

"Honestly, so did I." She laughed, walking inside to sit down on one of the chairs by the table.

"Have you seen Newt anywhere? He was supposed to meet me back here about 10 minutes ago, but nobody's seen him in ages."

"Yeah, he's asleep. He needed the rest. He did tell me that you're going to make a plan to get out of here, though, and I'm going to help."

"Great. There's not much we can do, but I heard Winston talking to Fry about the Banishing this evening. Of course, the Doors are no longer closing so a normal banishing wouldn't really work - they'd just walk back into the Glade and they might even be safer out there than in here considering what happened last night, so I don't exactly know what the plan is, but everyone's following Gally, whether they want to or not, it seems."

"I don't think we need to gather a whole army now. They need to see that the plan can work so we need to get Thomas and Teresa and then Thomas can give some rousing speech and convince most of the boys to come with us. I'm sure they'll see that what we're going to do is right and that we actually do have a chance of getting out otherwise we wouldn't be so insistent on trying." Minho nodded along to what Athena was saying.

"We need to have some protection against the Grievers. We have all the weapons right here," He gestured to the walls lined with spears and blades of all sorts, "So that's not too hard. We could pack bags and bundles and hide them in the Homestead and then Chuck can go and get them just before we leave."

"Yeah, nobody would suspect he's doing anything wrong. Just how do we get everything to the Homestead without Gally finding out? His cronies are everywhere."

"But we can't leave the Map Room open - anyone would be able to get in."

"Minho, I know how much you treasure this room, but it doesn't matter anymore. At least if it's open then whoever is left wouldn't need to worry about locks when trying to find something to protect themselves against the waves of invading Grievers. Until the break, we can leave it locked then give Chuck the key and have him bring the things we'll be needing and then whatever happens, happens. We won't be here so you won't be responsible for it anymore."

"Fine." The Keeper sighed, looking around the room he had spent so much time in over the years, organising, sorting, building in. Everything they had found, the Runner's Code that had been displayed on the wall since the start of the Runners. Handwritten by Minho himself, apparently.

RUNNER'S CODE:

- NEVER STOP RUNNING

- ALWAYS BE ALERT

- BRING BACK HOPE

Hope. Hope had been something that Minho hadn't felt in a long time, giving in to the idea that they would never escape the longer he stayed there, but Thomas' recklessness had triggered a spark. A spark which grew into a flame. A flame of that very same hope that he thought he would never feel again. A hope that they would be free.

"Do you know when the Banishing is going to happen?"

"Not yet. It can't be done too late, though. Around 4, maybe? That would give the boys plenty of time to do the Banishing and then barricade themselves securely before the Grievers even think of going on a night time stroll."