Exposed

➰9➰

The gladers looked around at the dark room in curiosity and wariness, unable to see much under the heavy blanket of shadows.

"Well, that isn't foreboding at all." Peter commented, though he was ignored in favour of everyone continuing to watch the scene.

"What should we do? Tommy, what's the plan?" Thomas gave Newt a helpless expression, not knowing what to say.

"Well, we followed you out here and now you're saying that you have NO plan?!" Newt began to get agitated, his shouts rising, as Thomas stuttered and mumble under his looks.

"Wow, NO leadership skills there, Mitch. You've definitely changed since then." Stan commented with a chuckle, getting a glare from Thomas.

"I hadn't had any real time to think!" He defended himself.

"Well, I, just- Wait! Hang on! Janson said something about a resistance, the right arm. Somewhere up in the mountains!"

"Really, Stiles? Mountain people?" Melissa asked him, incredulous looks on all of the adults' faces and an amused one on Vince's.

Newt gave him a disbelieving look. "People... in the mountains. Mountain people." He asked with disbelief and a faux-casual shrug. Sarcasm dripping from his every action.

Noah sent Newt an approving look, "I'm beginning to see who brings the logic and level-headed reason to this friendship."

Newt smiled and shoved Thomas jestingly, getting a playful growl from the other male, as he caught Newt's arm.

"What? You wanted to stay there?" He asked in challenge and Newt held up his hands in surrender, placing one on his shoulder.

"Okay. But we should gather supplies." Newt decided, attempting a smile at him.

Minho nodded and moved over to some empty cans, "Newt's right, guys, there were people here." He walked over to a light, seeing all the cables. "They had power. I wonder where they went."

"Why would they live in there, if the compound is right beside them?" Melissa asked, her question echoed by others from the pack. Though it stayed unanswered, the scorchers not actually knowing, but suspecting it had something to do with having infected people in their groups. It would explain a lot. Really, a lot.

Thomas nodded and the others began looking around, getting torches from the bags that they had grabbed before they left.

"Alright, Minho, you and I will find the generator. The rest of you can fan out and collect anything that looks useful. Food, clothes, anything we could possibly need."

Everyone nodded and went to do their individual jobs.

"Why do I have the feeling that something is about to go wrong?" Allison asked.

The gladers shared a glance, which the others quite obviously caught.

"Hermano*, you found some cranks?" Jorge asked. He, Brenda, Vince, Sonya, Harriet and Gally all gave them worried glances.

"It's how we lost our friend, Winston." Jorge nodded in understanding, with Vince reaching over to clap a hand on Newt and Minho's shoulders, not quite able to reach Thomas'- so giving him a small smile instead.

The boys turned back to the screen, with even Aris being a bit upset at the scary memory, and waited as the girl nodded that the next one was loading.