ᵒⁿᵉ 𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐎𝐖𝐍 ⁿᵉʷᵗᵐᵃˢ (ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉᵗᵉᵈ)

Falling Slowly

NEWT POV

"Gally?" Teresa asks, sitting in a chair across from us.  

"Here's how this is gonna go. We're gonna ask you some questions, and you're gonna tell us exactly what we need to know. We'll start off simple. Where's Minho?"

She looks to Thomas and I grab his hand, glaring at her. "You guys don't seriously think..." 

"Don't look at him." Gally says and I smile a little bit. Thomas notices and laughs slightly.

"I love you so much." He whispers, nose pressed against my cheek.

"Why are you looking at him? Look at me. He's not gonna help you. Now, we know you have Minho in the building. Where?"

"He's with the others in holding. Sublevel three." She says.

"How many others? I can make that work." Gally asks, thinking.

"No. No, you guys don't understand. The whole level's restricted. You can't get in without a thumbprint ID." Teresa says, chuckling in a way that makes me want to punch her. Not that I don't always want to punch her.

"That's why you're gonna come with us." Thomas says and I grab his hand tighter.

"Well, I don't know." Gally says, grabbing a scalpel off the table. "We don't necessarily need her. Right? Not all of her. We just need her finger." 

"Gally, back off." Thomas says, sighing. 

"What, are you squeamish?" He asks, playing with the weapon in his hand. "I guarantee you she's done a lot worse to Minho."

"That's not the plan. Back off." Thomas says. 

"It won't make a difference. Do whatever you want to me. You still won't get through the front door. The sensors will pick you up at the..." Teresa starts.

"We know. We're tagged. Property of WICKED." Thomas says. "You're gonna help us with that, too."

I lean against a wall as Thomas let's Teresa remove his tag. Stitches pull at my skin. I'm breathing heavily, though I've only walked a few yards. Aris sits next to me.

"Hey." He says.

"Hi." I respond, not taking my eyes off Thomas. I can't let her hurt him. 

"He's fine." Aris says. "Teresa wouldn't hurt him with us here."

I know he's right, but I don't move my eyes. I sigh. 

"You okay?" He asks me.

"Fine." I say sharply. 

"Thomas is right." Aris says. 

"I know." I think. "About what?"

Aris laughs. "We can cure you."

"No. No, you can't." I say. "He has false hope."

"He has hope because he loves you." Aris says and I feel his eyes on me. "It's not false hope. People will do anything for the people they love."

"People will try to do anything for the people they love." I correct. "They can't do anything. It's not humanly possible."

"You're chock full of sunshine, aren't you?" Aris asks sarcastically. "What, do you want to die?"

"I don't want to hurt Thomas more!" I cry, tearing my eyes off of Thomas to look at the boy next to me. "I can't." I say quieter. "I can't hurt him more."

"It will hurt him less if he feels like he's doing something." Aris says. "Trust me."

I lick my lips anxiously. "Maybe." I say. "But he can't really do anything and I want him to know that."

We walk into the building with Teresa, dressed as WICKED soldiers. 

Gally tells us to stop and he does something with the electric system. I take off my helmet, panting. Teresa's eyes graze me and I look away. I desperately want to hold Thomas's hand, but I can't. 

We reach the level and we check all the cells, releasing a bunch of children.

"He's not here." I report. 

"Someone's moved him up to the medical wing." Teresa says. "Thomas, that's on the other side of the building."

"I'm not leaving without him." Thomas says.

"I'm coming with you." I say.

"Newt, no, you're not." Thomas says. "You have to stay here, wait with Gally for the serum." 

"You can't do this on your own." I say. "Minho comes first, remember?"

He puts his hand on my cheek. "Are you sure?" 

"Just go." Gally says. "We're wasting time. I'll get the serum. We'll meet you out back."

I kiss Thomas quickly. "I'll be fine. Let's go."

We stand in the elevator with Teresa when Janson gets in on the last minute. I risk grabbing Thomas's hand behind Janson's back. I need him.

"You're working late." Janson says to Teresa. "See, that's what I like about you, Teresa. No matter how bleak things get, you just... Well, you never give up. Times like this, you need a friend that you can count on." 

"I'll bear that in mind." She says. 

"There is one thing you should know. One friend to another." Janson says. "Thomas is here." My heart drops. "A surveillance picked him up outside the walls. Ava didn't want you to know, but there is a chance that he may try to contact you, and if he does, I'd like to think that I'd be your first call." 

"Are you going to kill him?" She asks. 

"Would that be a problem?" 

"This is me." Teresa says and we get off and I release Thomas's hand reluctantly. 

We reach a hallway when Teresa stops us.

"Thomas, you have to listen to me. Getting that serum won't save Newt. It might buy him some time, but..." She says, shaking her head. I know she's right.

"Just ignore her." I tell him, even though she's right. "She's trying to get inside your head." 

"Thomas, listen. You know what's going on out there. People are dying. The world is dying. There's something about your blood I don't understand." She says. "If you let me run some tests... I promise I can protect you."

"Yeah? Like you protected Minho?" Thomas says, taking out a gun.

"What are you doing?" Teresa asks.

"How many people is it gonna take? How many more people do they have to round up, torture, kill? Huh? When the hell does it stop?" Thomas shouts.

"It stops when we find a cure." Teresa says calmly.

"THERE IS NO GODDAMN CURE!" He shouts.

Janson walks up suddenly behind us, holding a gun pointed at Thomas. My heart starts beating faster.

"Don't waste your breath, Teresa. He made his choice long ago." Janson says.

"Drop it, kid!" A soldier says.

Thomas grabs Teresa and points the gun at her neck.

"Back up. Tell them to back off. Tell them to back off!" He shouts.

"Hey, Thomas, come on. It's me. I've known you longer than you can remember. You're not gonna shoot her." Janson says gently.

"You don't think so?" Thomas asks, breathing heavily.

"Okay. Go on then. Shoot her. Prove me wrong. Shoot her." Janson says.

Then, Teresa jumps out of his arms, shoves us into the hallway and press a button, a shield dropping.

'Your story better be good." We hear Janson say as we run. 

"I just did you a favor. Doors are sealed. They can't get out. Janson, I need them alive."