Discoveries | TMR | Three

1:7

Despite Matt telling them all ten minutes, it took him forty to make his way from the garage to the training centre.

He needed that time to himself; to calm down. To gather his wits and bring his temper back down to a level he felt secure enough with. Every meeting is the same. If it's not Thomas and him, it's Nick and Maggie, and if it's not Nick and Maggie, it's Oscar, Adeline and whoever the fuck they decide to pick on.

Oddly enough, Adeline did not put up much of a fight this time around; not as much as she normally would, anyway. Still, the unrelenting need she has for an argument can get rather tiring for most, especially Matt or Nick, who are usually the ones to pick up the pieces. He tries to put the lingering thoughts to rest in his mind as he trudges from one end of the Harbour to the other.

One of the many perks of this place is the two storey building situated at the far end of the car park. Once used as a recreation centre, it has all Matt could ever wish for, and it is by far more intricate and complex than the man-made training room he had in the Warehouse. Multiple weights, barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells lined up along the right wall of the ground floor, a separate room with squash courts and another with a swimming pool - though that one remains unused due to the boated corpse floating in the centre of it.

A section of the first floor has been opened, with a rock climbing area that spans from the floor to the top ceiling. The second floor itself houses an entire row of gym equipment; rowing machines, bicycles, ellipticals - the only ones they can use. A miniature, and indoor, obstacle coarse, with rope climbing, monkey bars, car tyres screwed to the floor to hop in, arctic tyres split in half to create tunnels to crawl under.

Even after so many months, Matt is still in awe of the place. He, of course, still ensures that every teenager in this Harbour makes use of what they can outside; in the car park, where there are plenty abandoned cars, buses and one truck to manoeuvre over, around and under, to better prepare them for the harsh elements and obstacles they face in the Scorch.

It seems insignificant on the grand scheme of things; to make them all train until their limbs ache and feet are coated in blisters, but Matt feels it important that they have some semblance of training beneath their belt if they have a chance to ever dominate Wicked, and if he did not have his truck or his training, Matt would surely go batshit crazy without the presence of his two closest friends.

Brenda and Travis.

Everything he does now is to either solidify his chances of getting them back, or making sure Maggie does not spiral.

Matt can hear the hall echo with the sound of teenagers laughing, some grunting, and a horde of footsteps bounding around upstairs. He notices Oscar stood by the sidelines, watching in concentration as Rebecca and Harriett try their hardest to master the climbing wall. On the left, by the weights, are Frypan, Alby and Vince's youngest son, Olly, with the two Gladers spotting each other on the barbells, and Olly trying his hand at the kettlebells.

And on the mats, is Chuck... who is furiously attempting to overpower Nick in a friendly, and overtly giggly, fight.

He presumes the other three are upstairs, though Matt does not bother to check. Instead, he makes his way over to Oscar, clocking the way his eyes flicker to the left area of the room. Matt mirrors the glance, and he mirrors the boys stance; with parted feet and crossed arms, almost identically. "Your brother seems to be getting on good," he comments.

"He is," Oscar agrees. "Only sixteen and already he can lift more than weight than Fry."

"You should get him out on some runs with us."