𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑 , thomas ¹

𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏, truth

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑.
[ chapter seventeen ]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

VERY SLOWLY, the group of Gladers, that's now sized down to only a few because of the previous fight, trudge cautiously through the bright hallway, the end unclear. Thomas glances over at Evelyn, his hand held out slightly to ensure she stays behind him at all times.

The girl's eyes scan every little detail in the boring walkway, making sure she doesn't miss a single thing, incase they're somehow thrown back into the Glade. The whole place seems empty - not a sign of any humans or animals, just concrete walls and flicking lights.

Finally, Thomas brings them to a stop in front of a small side door, a sign above it reading 'Exit', causing Eve to roll her eyes and the boys around to grumble in annoyance. Why would such a big place have such a petty exit?

"Seriously?" Fry screws his face up.

Without hesitation, Evelyn steps forward, her hand extended for the handle to pull the door open but she's dragged back, the boy holding her wrist taking her place in front, "I'll go first." Thomas says to her, warily gripping the metal handle.

She throws her arms up in the air, "Really? Wow. Sorry, Dad. But I can handle a door just fine." She snaps back angrily, making Minho nudge her roughly, telling her to keep her voice hushed - they still still aren't out of the clear yet.

The door swings open to a room, revealing several limp bodies and blood splatters scattered along the floor, a quiet gasp leaving Chuck's lips and Eve pulls the small boy into her side with her hand resting protectively on his shoulder.

Everyone follows Thomas inside, their heads whipping back and forth as more and more dead people are unveiled by the light. As they pass through another door way, this time having to tread carefully over tiny shards of glass sprayed onto the floor from a shattered window. The room they enter is much larger than the last, computers and technology planted in every direction with even more people thrown against them. Office chairs are knocked over, and the glass from smashed computer screen's litters the floor.

The group split up to go investigate different parts and Thomas makes sure that Eve and Chuck are directly behind him - where he can keep them safe if need be. If Evelyn could hear his protective thoughts right now, he knew she would kill him for setting her up as such a useless person - which she isn't in the slightest.

"So they were watching us." Newt nods sadly towards are screen in front of him that shows different sections of the destroyed Glade, "This whole time."

Thomas slips his running harness off, throwing it carelessly to the already messy floor. Evelyn let's her hand drop Chuck's shoulder as she wanders over to another computer, her fingers skimming the smooth keyboard while she tries to make sense of all the small symbols and numbers.

The screen directly above her flashes on, revealing a pale elderly woman in all white. Eve jumps back in surprise, her arms flying behind her back in protest - proving she didn't touch a thing. The Gladers start to slowly crowd round, their steps slow and curious as the background of the video becomes more clear - showing a fight scene breaking out.

"Hello. My name is Dr. Ava Paige." The woman addresses, smiling lovingly into the camera, "I'm director of operations of the World Catastrophe Killzone Department. If you're watching this, that means you've successfully completed the Maze Trails. I wish I could be there in person to congratulate you... but circumstances seem to have prevented it."

She takes a long breath, more and more chaos unfolding over her shoulders, "I'm sure by now you just all be very confused, angry, frightened. I can only assure you that everything that's happened to you... everything we've done to you, it was all done for a reason."

Thomas can sense the anger in Evelyn rising so he discreetly slips his hand into hers, no emotion visible on both their faces as they keep their eyes focussed on the screen.

"You won't remember but the sun has scorched our world." An image shows up of a desert wasteland, "Billions of lives lost to fire, famine." Now short clips of houses and settlements burning to ashes, "Suffering on a global scale. The fallout was unimaginable." A few pictures of burned human remains flash up, "What came after was worse. We called it the Flare." She shows them a video of some sort of parasite under a microscope, "A deadly virus that attacks the brain. It is violent, unpredictable..." A disturbing recording shows of a diseased man struggling against restraints on a bed, black liquid seeping from his darkened lips, "...incurable."

Once again, it shows her sat in her office chair, several workers behind her being shot and murdered in cold blood, "Or so we thought. In time, a new generation emerged that could survive the virus. Suddenly, there was a reason to hope for a cure. But finding it would not be easy. The young would have to be tested, even sacrificed... inside harsh environments where their brain activity could be studied..."

Evelyn's jaw tenses at the realisation that they were the sacrifices and the tests. They were the lab rats for something they didn't even know about.

"...all in effort to understand what makes them different... what's makes you different." She licks her lips, "You may not realise it, but you're very important. Unfortunately, your trails have only just begun. As you'll no doubt soon discover, not everyone agrees with our methods. Progress is slow. People are scared. It may be too late for us, for me." Men dressed in black run into the room behind her, their machine guns firing at a rapid pace, causing Thomas' hand to tighten around Eve's, "...but not for you. The outside world awaits. Remember..." She pulls a revolver from under her desk, pressing the barrel against her temple and flicking the safety is off, "...Wicked is good."

Ava pulls the trigger, causing Evelyn to release Thomas' fingers and snap around, pressing Chuck carefully into her stomach, protecting him from the sight of all the blood. The dark haired boy, who's now been claimed as the leader, pushed through the group, trudging over to the limp body of the doctor they'd just watched supposedly kill herself.

A large door to the right of them slides open, revealing a ramp up to another door, "Is it over?" Chuck questions, moving away from Evelyn to get a better sight of it.

Newt shrugs, his hand scratching anxiously at the back of his neck, "She said we were important." He hesitates, moving his gaze over to Thomas, "Well... what are we supposed to do now?"

The boy shakes his head gently, his watery eyes looking over to Evelyn's scratched face for support, the concern now evident on her face as she tries to think of a suitable plan, "I don't know." She replies quietly, almost in a whisper.

He licks his lips, turning back to the ramp to freedom, a flash of hope shivering down his spine, "Let's get out of here."

"No."