FORGE OF OAK, Thomas ✓

028

(Mark if you need a visual ^ very handsome I know I know.)

When they made it to the mountains they all hopped out of the vehicle. They were tents, large ones, supplies everywhere, people, everywhere.

"They've been planning this for over a year now." Harriet said, guiding them. "This is all for us."

"You're lucky you found us when you did; we're moving out at first light. Where's Vince?" Sonya asked. A gear clicked in Thalias head.

Vince.

**

"Vinceee.." Thalia groaned. "Please tell Anna that Mark is a good guy? We rescued him! He's good!" She pleaded.

"Give Anna some time, Thal. Obviously she doesn't trust Mark, we rescued him from WICKED. Who knows what he could have up his sleeve. Hell, even Mary barely trusts him."

"But I love him!" She said.

Vince smiled, "I know bug. It's okay, she'll warm up to him. Just like we did you."

**

"Who's Vince?" Thomas asked, pulling Thalia out of her thoughts and continuing to walk with the group.

"He's the one who gets to decide if you stay." Harriet replied.

"I thought the right arm was supposed to be an army?" Minho asked.

"Yeah, we were." A man says and Thalia instantly recognizes him as the man from her memory—Vince.

Of course she's hiding in the back of the group so she can't really see him that well.

"This is all that's left of us." He said, walking up to them. "A lot of good people died getting us this far."

"Who are they?" Vince asked Harriet.

"They're immunes. Coming up the mountain." Harriet replied, Thalia felt sweat building up on her face.

"You check em?"

"I know Aris and Florence. I trust them." Harriet replied, walking to stand next to vince.

"Well I don't, check em." Vince said and Brenda fell to the floor, gasping.

"Brenda! Brenda," Jorge said, kneeling down to her.

"What's going on?" Thalia asked, looking at her. It reminded her of Winston.

If Thalia had gotten bit, why wasn't she doing that too?

Vince pulled up Brenda's bandage; seeing the bite. "Oh shit!" He said, pulling out his gun and stepping back from her. "Crank! We got a crank."

"No no no wait wait wait!" Thalia yelled, running in front of Brenda. "Listen listen, okay look, this just happened okay she's not dangerous yet!"

"You shouldn't have brought her he-..." Vince stopped talking quickly, looking at Thalia as she stood in front of Brenda protectively.

"What?" Thalia asked, looking around at all the Right arm people and noticing they stopped as well.

"Thal?" Vince mumbled, quickly pulling her into a hug.

"I'm sorry.. huh?" Thalia asked, confused on why or how he knew her.

She remembered him, but only vaguely. She remembered his face, his smile, his name. But how they met, how he gained that sense of security.

But then it snapped.

**

"No, no! Don't touch me!" Thalia yelled, refusing the older man to even come near her. She was huddled in a corner, crying for hours.

"Look, Thal, I'm sorry about Anna. I know she meant a lot, bug.." Vince attempted comfort.

Anna had been killed by WICKED. They slaughtered her, tortured her as a warning.

Thalia had locked herself in her room for at least a week.

"Bug, come on. You can't stay here forever." Vince pleaded, trying to be gentle.

Thalia sniffed, for a 15 year old, she was allowed to cry over her mother's death. One that wasn't deserved.

"What if I get Mark to set up a date between you two where you just shoot arrows and eat the last box of my secret stash of Twinkies?" He asked; a slight smile on his face when he saw Thalias eyes light up slightly.

"You would do that?" She asked, hugging him tightly.

"Of course, bug."

**

"Vince," she breathed out, pulling him into a tight hug. They both sat there for a moment, tears falling at one point.

"Do you.. do you remember Mark?" Vince asked when they pulled away.

"No, everyone keeps asking me about him.. who is he?" She asked carefully.

"That would be me," Thalia quickly turned to see whoever spoke, then she saw him. Mark. From the memory.

"You look exactly like how you did in my memory." She muttered, pointing at him. He chuckled, a handsome smile.

"Well, thank you." Mark walked over to her.

"Okay what the hell is going on?" Frypan yelled, "don't forget Brenda is passed out over here!"

"Hey! What's going on?" A woman walked over.

"She's infected, there's nothing we can do for her." Vince said to the woman.

"No, but he can." She said, looking at Thomas. "Hello, Thomas."

"What?" Vince asked.

"You know me?" Thomas asked, confusion spread across his face.

"Interesting. Makes sense they put you in the maze." The woman said, then walked over to Brenda. "Though I must admit, I was worried they would kill you after what you did."

"What I did?" Thomas asked.

"The first time we spoke, you said you couldn't take it anymore. Watching your friends die one by one, the last time we spoke, you gave me the coordinates of every WICKED compound, trial, and lab."

"He was our source." Vince said, and Thalia nodded. Some memories coming back, yet still nothing of Mark.

"We couldn't have pulled all this off without him. Take her to the tent. Get these guys some warm clothes, and Thalia, great to see you back here dear." The woman grabbed Thomas' attention, "I need to get some blood from you." And then she took him way.

"Well, we have some catching up to do." Mark said, looking at Thalia with a smile.

She smiled back, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they began walking.

(Is this confusing? I hope it's not confusing. It took me so long to figure out how to write this. I'm so mf tired.)