The mute [Maze runner Minho X OC]

Chapter three

"Come on, come on!" Piper crawled out of the vent after Minho, her heart pounding. She could hear the sound of hurried footsteps behind them as more of the Gladers followed. Minho reached back, offering his hand, and she grabbed it, pulling herself out of the narrow tunnel. They didn't have much time.

"Okay, let's go," Minho muttered, his voice tight, urgency written all over his face.

Aris was the last to crawl out. He hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the vent before turning to them. "You guys go ahead," he said quietly, his voice laced with something Piper couldn't quite place. "There's something I gotta do."

"What are you talking about?" Piper asked, her brow furrowed as she stopped in her tracks.

"Trust me, it's important," Aris insisted, his expression hardening. "You guys wanna get outta here, right? Just go."

Piper exchanged a look with Minho, but before she could argue further, Aris was already crawling back into the vent. Winston immediately held his hand up. "I'll go with him," he said, already moving toward the vent's entrance.

Thomas nodded quickly. "Okay, Winston, go! Go!" He motioned for the rest of them to move, and without another word, they sprinted in the other direction, leaving Winston and Aris behind.

"Are you sure we can trust this kid?" Minho yelled ahead to Thomas as he ran beside Piper. His eyes flickered with uncertainty, but Piper understood why. Aris had always been a bit of a mystery, and his sudden decision to split off felt off to her too.

"You don't want to know where we'd be without him," Thomas replied, his voice steady but with a hint of something darker. He rounded a corner, and the group stopped abruptly as Minho's voice cut through the tension.

"Ah, ah!" Minho hissed, and they froze. Piper's heart skipped a beat. She looked up, and there—standing in front of them—was a woman in a lab coat. Her expression was unreadable, her eyes scanning them with cold detachment.

"What are you kids doing out?" she asked, her tone flat, but something about her seemed... wrong.

Before anyone could react, the alarm blared, cutting through the silence like a knife. Piper's stomach dropped. The woman just stood there, seemingly unaffected, her eyes locked on them.

"Get us to our friend!" Thomas demanded, his voice hoarse, as he grabbed the woman's arms. His grip was firm, urgent, and Piper could feel the tension in the air. Whatever was happening, they didn't have time to figure it out—they had to move.

The woman hesitated for a fraction of a second, but then, with a sigh, she started walking down the hallway. Thomas and Newt took the lead, with Minho and Piper right behind them. Frypan and Jack trailed last, but Piper kept her focus ahead, trying to ignore the adrenaline-fueled rush surging through her.

Suddenly, they rounded a corner, and the sound of shouting echoed through the hallway. "Freeze! Stay where you are!" A voice bellowed, followed by the unmistakable sound of gunshots. Piper's heart stuttered in her chest. Why were they shooting at them?

"They've spotted us!" Minho called out, his voice tense. "They're in L-3!"

Piper noticed Minho stop abruptly next to her, his eyes narrowing as he took in the situation. "Minho!" Thomas called out, his voice rising. "What the hell are you doing?" The boy sprinted forward as Piper followed him, trying to catch up. ''Piper! Minho!'' 

Without a word, Minho darted forward, rushing straight toward one of the guards. Piper silently gasped, almost too stunned to move. She had no time to process what was happening before Minho collided with the guard.