We Didn't Start the Fire - Book 1 (Newt x OC) (Maze Runner)

Chapter 18 - Out

They were all silent, unable to see anything before the other side of the wall where the code had been opened. They slowly stepped out, lights turning on in the large hallway. Newt came up to Plune's side, interlacing his fingers with hers. "Living in a forest makes even a big hallway feel small," she muttered to herself, feeling Newt squeeze her hand before they started walking down the hallway. They eventually came to a door, a small sign above it reading EXIT.

"Seriously?" Frypan let out. Thomas stepped forwards and turned the handle, pushing the door open. Plune gasped as the next room had alarms going off, bodies laying on the ground along with broken glass. As they made it into the larger part of the room, they realized it had been a lab, some of the screens still working.

"What happened here?" Chuck asked, but no one answered him. Minho, Newt, and Plune went over to one set of screens, the boys looking at the camera that showed the Glade while Plune focused on the brain scans on the screen under it.

"So they were watching us," Newt said. "This whole time."

"And watching how we reacted," she said, pointing out the scans of their brains. They all turned as a voice came through the room, finding Thomas turning on a recorded video.

"Hello," a woman in a white suit greeted. "My name is Dr. Ava Paige. I'm Director of Operations of the World Catastrophe Killzone Department."

"The letters on the supplies," Plune said quietly.

"If you're watching this, that means you've successfully completed the maze trials. I wish I could be there in person to congratulate you... but circumstances seem to have prevented it." They notected the panic of the lab workers behind her as the alarms went off in the video. "I'm sure by now, you must 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. You won't remember, but the sun has scorched our world." Images of explosions and fire filled the screen. "Billions of lives lost to fire, famine, suffering on a global scale. The fallout was unimaginable."

"Solar flares," Plune muttered, grimacing as her brain pushed her bits of information that she had trouble comprehending.

"What came after was worse," Ava continued. "We called it the Flare. A deadly virus that attacks the brain. It is violent, unpredictable, incurable." Videos of a man who had the Flare played on the screen, his veins black as he thrashed against his restraints. "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. All in an effort to understand what makes them different. What makes you different. You may not realize it, but you're very important. Unfortunately, your trials have only just begun. As you'll no doubt soon discover, not everyone agrees without methods." Men with guns came in the video behind her, shooting the other people in the room. Plune looked around, seeing their bodies and blood littered across the floor. "Progress is slow. People are scared. It may be too late for us, for me, but not for you. The outside world awaits. Remember..." she pulled out a gun and held it to her head, "WICKED is good." There was a gunshot and the video ended. Chuck wrapped his arms around Plune, burying his head in her stomach as they all looked at Ava's body laying in her office. They turned as another alarm went off and a door opened.

"Is it over?" Chuck asked, pulling away slightly from Plune.

"She said we were important. Well what are we supposed to do now?" Everyone looked at Plune who looked at Thomas.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But let's get out of here."

"No," a voice said and they all turned to see Gally standing where they had come in from.

"Gally?" Plune let out, about to go forwards, but Teresa stopped her.

"Don't. He's been stung," she said and they all noticed the discoloration of his veins and the crazed look in his eyes.
He sniffed and shook his head. "We can't leave." They noticed the gun in his shaking hands.

"We did," Thomas tried. "Gally, we're out. We're free."

"Free?" He let out a raspy sob. "You think we're free out there. No. No, there's no escape from this place." He raised his gun, pointing it at them.

"Gally, we can talk about this," Plune tried. "Just put the gun down, alright?"

"No," he cried, shaking his head.

"Gally, listen to me. You're not thinking straight. You're not. Now we can help you. Just put down the gun," Thomas said, stepping next to Plune.

"I belong to the maze."

"No. We're out. We don't belong to them or in there," she said, tears coming to her own eyes. "Put down the gun, Gally."

"We all do."

"No!" Plune screamed, watching as Minho threw his spear, lodging it in one of Gally's lungs. "No, no, no," she cried, running over and lowering him to the ground as he gasped and coughed. His gun clattered to the floor and his body went still.

"Thomas," Chuck let out and Plune turned in time to see Thomas catch him as he fell, a pool of blood forming on the young boy's shirt.

"Shit, shit," Thomas let out. "Hey, look at me, look at me, look at me. Chuck, look at me, alright?"

"It's okay," Chuck tried to tell him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small wooden figure he had carved, putting it in Thomas' hand. "No. No, Chuck. You're gonna give it to them yourself, remember? I told you that."

"Take it." Thomas let a tear slip down his cheek as he listened and Chuck turned his head. "Plune," he whimpered and she rushed over, taking his hand.

"I'm here," she smiled through the tears welling in her eyes. "I'm right here."

"Can you tell me a story? Please?"

She sniffed and nodded. "Once there a was a boy who lived in a village. He wasn't the biggest or the strongest or even the smartest, but he had the biggest heart." She sniffed, trying to hold in her tears as Chuck stared up at her. "One day, the village was attacked and that boy saved his friends."

"How?" he interrupted, making her chuckle sadly.

"By giving his life up for theirs. But his friends... His family," she corrected herself, "never forgot. And they remembered him-"

"What did they do?"

"What did Ruby do?" she asked him.

"Sh- She honored her brother by helping others," he coughed.

"That's right," she smiled down at him. "So the boy's family honored him by doing their best and remembering the ones they loved, saying, 'Thank you to Chuck, for his love and sacrifice. May his spirit live on."

"Thank... Thank you," Chuck smiled before his chest went still and his grip on Thomas and Plune's hands loosened. A shuddering breath left her body as tears streamed down her face.

"Chuck? Hey. Hey, Chuck, come on," Thomas said, shaking his body. "Come on, wake up." Thomas leant down, crying into his stomach. Newt leant down, putting his arms around Plune as she continued to hold Chuck's hand and cry. Thomas and Plune didn't notice a door open or the men coming through. They pulled her away from Newt, two grabbing her arms and pulling her out of the room as she fought back, eyes staying on Gally and Chuck's bodies as long as they could. She looked up at the sky as she felt the sun, sliding with the sand under her feet. The men let her go and Newt and Minho helped pull her into the helicopter they were all sitting in.

"You guys alright?" one of the men asked, pulling off his mask he used to protect him from the sand. "Don't worry. You're safe now." They looked out the windows as they took off, seeing the maze as they flew above it, the Glade in the center. "Relax, kid. Everything's gonna change." Plune nuzzled her head into Newt's neck as everyone stayed quiet, their losses settling in and bodies starting to ache. They knew everything was going to change, but a part of them knew that it might not be for the better.

I didn't have time to edit this yet, but I hope you all enjoyed! Thank you so much for reading this book! it was one of my favorites to write. I am currently working on the sequel, so that will hopefully be up soon-ish. I'll post an update when it is. Thank you all again! Let me know if you have any theories for the Scorch Trials!