The mute [Maze runner Minho X OC]

Prologue: The scorch Trials

Piper gazed out of the helicopter window, taking in the sprawling landscape beneath her as they sped forward into the unknown. Minho's head rested on her shoulder, his quiet snores a rare moment of peace after everything they'd been through. Across from her, Newt was also staring out the window, lost in thought beside Thomas. Piper gave his knee a gentle tap, and Newt turned to her, a small smile breaking through his fatigue as he took in the sight of Minho fast asleep.

The helicopter jolted as it landed, and shouts erupted outside, startling everyone awake. Before they could gather their bearings, the Gladers were ushered out of the helicopter and herded toward a nearby building. Minho and Piper led the way, but Piper kept glancing back, making sure the others were keeping up—especially Newt, who struggled to keep pace with his limp.

Once inside, the heavy door slammed shut behind them, sealing them off from the chaos outside. Minho reached out, grabbing Piper's arm and pulling her close in a protective gesture as they were guided into a large room.

"Hurry up! Get inside!" A voice barked from behind as the door closed. Thomas immediately started pounding on it. "Hey! Let us out!"

Just then, the lights blinked on, illuminating a long table covered in food—heaps of chicken, rice, fresh fruit, cookies, and jugs of water.

"Dibs on the rice!" Frypan called, already moving toward the spread. The others scrambled to the table, jostling and shoving as they piled food onto their plates and began eating ravenously. Piper nudged Minho aside to scoop up a spoonful of rice, stuffing it into her mouth with a grin.

"This is a thousand times better than Frypan's slop!" Winston mumbled through a mouthful of chicken, earning laughs from the others. Teresa tossed a handful of rice at him, and in seconds, the entire table erupted into a playful food fight.

"Not the rice! Anything but the rice!" Frypan grabbed the bowl protectively, hugging it to his chest, while Piper lobbed a handful of grapes across the table, hitting both Minho and Newt. Minho shot her a mischievous look.

"Oh, you're in for it now," he warned, gathering a handful of rice and darting after her as she tried to flee.

Newt, laughing, joined in, helping corner Piper until Minho playfully smeared rice over her face. She shielded herself, laughing helplessly as the others watched, momentarily forgetting the harsh world they had just left behind.

After the chaos settled, they sat together in a circle, picking over the remaining food.

"I don't know who these guys are," Frypan said, nodding appreciatively at the spread, "but they sure know how to cook."

"But who are they?" Teresa questioned, leaning her head on her hand as she sat on a stack of flour bags. "We don't know anything about them."

"We know they're not with WICKED," Newt pointed out, looking up at her. "And that's good enough for me."

Minho, lounging comfortably on the table with Piper draped across him, shrugged. "You all think too much. We're free. Enjoy it." He gave Piper a smile and leaned forward, giving her a quick, affectionate peck on the lips.

"Ugh, get a room," Teresa groaned, tossing a pillow at them.

Minho caught it, laughing. "If we had a room, we would."

"Gross," Teresa muttered with a playful roll of her eyes, but her smile softened. For now, they were safe, sharing a moment of warmth and comfort—a small reprieve before facing whatever came next.

About an hour later, the heavy door creaked open, and all the Gladers sprang to their feet as a man entered the room. Instinctively, they moved closer to the door, Minho keeping a firm grip on Piper's hand as they followed the others.

"You kids doing all right?" The man asked with a calm but assessing gaze. "Sorry about the fuss. We had ourselves a bit of a swarm."

"Who are you?" Thomas asked, his voice steady but wary.

The man's eyes flicked over the group, a slight smile curving his lips. "I'm the reason you're all still alive. And it's my intention to keep it that way. Now, come with me—we'll get you kids squared away."

They followed him down a narrow hallway, glancing at each other uncertainly as they moved. Minho and Piper walked just behind Thomas, keeping their eyes on the man who was leading them. "You can call me Mr. Janson," he said over his shoulder. "I run this place. For us, it's a sanctuary, safe from the horrors of the outside world. You can think of it as a way station, a home between homes."

He pointed upward as sparks of electricity flashed overhead, mingling with the remnants of scorched beams. "Watch yourselves," he warned as they ducked under the cracked ceiling.

Thomas broke the silence, the edge of hope in his voice unmistakable. "Does that mean... you're taking us home?"

Janson glanced back at them, an unreadable expression crossing his face. "A home of sorts," he replied carefully. "Unfortunately, there wouldn't be much left of wherever you came from. But we do have a place for you—a refuge, outside the Scorch, where WICKED will never find you again." He smiled, but it was a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "How does that sound?"

Piper caught Newt's eye and discreetly signed, ''Too good to be true.'' Minho nodded, voicing the suspicion that hung thick in the air. "Why are you helping us?"

Janson's gaze softened just a bit. "Let's just say the world out there is in a rather precarious situation. We're all hanging on by a very thin thread. The fact that you kids can survive the Flare virus... makes you humanity's best hope. But it also makes you a target, as I'm sure you've noticed." Piper raised her eyebrows, signing sarcastically to the others, ''Only a bit.'' Newt let out a dry chuckle, nodding in agreement.

Janson paused, gesturing to a large door at the end of the hall. "Beyond this door lies the beginning of your new lives. But first..." He pulled the door open, and a gust of clean, cool air filled the hallway. "Let's do something about that smell."

The Gladers exchanged relieved smiles and filed through, each of them eager to wash away the grime of the Maze—and the painful memories they carried with it.

So, the food fight is from a deleted scene from the movies and I liked it so much that I decided to include it, as it was one of the fun scene's of the movies. This book will go off more off movies but I have some scenes planned from the book to put in there, so not to worry! If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a vote, comment and add this book to your reading lists!

-X Violet's-library