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

// Chapter 16 //

As soon as the elevator drop came to a halt, a loud crack sounded and a heavy metal door opened in front of them. The small crack in the door let in a fraction of bright light, enough to illuminate the small space they were in. Athena had done her best to keep stable during the fall, but people toppled in all directions and someone stumbled backwards into her chest, pressing her injured arm against her and sending fresh waves of white-hot pain throughout her limb.

Teresa made the first move to open the door, dousing them in the brighter light. Athena squinted but her eyes adjusted quickly and she followed the group out of the small enclosed space only to find herself in yet another corridor.

Dark pipes ran the distance of the wall which stretched seemingly for miles in both directions. Lights flickered on from one side, coming on one by one until the whole corridor was flooded in light.

Finally able to see, Newt headed straight for Athena as soon as he spotted her in the small crowd, going to pull her into a tight hug, but stopping himself as soon as he noticed the way she carefully cradled her arm against her body, her face contorted into a pained grimace despite her efforts not to show the agony she was in.

"What happened?" Newt asked.

"Stupid Griever." Athena winced.

"Here." Newt put down the spear that was in his hand and took of the holster for the machete that was tucked away on his back. He then moved to remove the white hoodie he had for as long as Athena could remember, leaving him only in his dark orange top.

"What are you doing?" Athena asked, sheathing the sword that she still held in her left hand.

"You'll see." He winked at her and folded the hoodie neatly then took her arm gently in his moving it so he could place the makeshift sling on her.

"Thank you," The girl blushed.

"Anytime," Newt gave her a loving smile, taking her hand in his warm one.

The chilling sound of creaking metal continued as they began to make their way down the corridor in the direction the lights were turning on. Some of the LEDs above them were flickering oddly, starting to give Athena a headache, or maybe it was from blood loss, but she pushed through it, knowing she had to focus. Who knew where they were heading?

The group walked for only a few minutes before they came across a door with a comically obvious sign above it stating 'EXIT'.

"Really?" Frypan scoffed and Athena furrowed her brows while Thomas opened the door.

The handle appeared to be rusted where it was attached to the door, but the handle itself was shiny and untouched by the weathering, likely replaced fairly recently. She watched as Thomas wrapped his hand around it, glancing back at the group for confirmation before pressing down the handle and swinging the door open with a shivering squeak.

Beyond the door was not a sight Athena expected to see. The first thing her eyes landed on was a body. Probably a doctor, from the long white lab coat that he donned. A splatter of dark blood was behind him on the wall, smudged down to where his head rested against it, his body slumped on the floor.

On the other side there was a large glass window, giving an insight into the room that lay beyond. Two metal tables had a further two more bodies, each on their own table. Each one was covered with a white sheet, red in some places from blood that had seeped through, staining the fabric. Apart from the lamps that each shone on their respective bodies, there was no other light, except from a faint glow that came from the weird cylindrical tubes at the back of the room that appeared to be filled with water.

A little further away was another body. This man was wearing darker clothes which looked like they were covered in mud and... sand? Blood was pooled around his head and a gun was still clasped loosely in his grip. Warily, Minho stepped up and kicked it away as though the man would suddenly aim and shoot him despite clearly being dead.