not worth your life

Part 2: Betrayal

It was what they thought. That everything was over. But it wasn't what they thought.

The peace that had settled over the room was shattered when the door burst open, and Teresa stormed in, her face pale and her eyes filled with a mix of determination and regret. Thomas and Newt looked up, startled, as she stood there, breathing heavily, her hands clenched into fists.

"Teresa?" Thomas's voice was thick with confusion, a surge of anxiety rising in his chest. He hadn't expected to see her again, not after everything that had happened.

Newt's expression darkened, his body tensing. He shifted closer to Thomas, his instincts on high alert. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice colder than Thomas had ever heard it.

Teresa took a step forward, her gaze fixed on Thomas. "I had to come, Thomas. There's something you need to know."

"Spit it out," Newt snapped, his protective instincts flaring up. "What do you want?"

Teresa hesitated, a flicker of guilt crossing her face. "I didn't want it to be like this. I didn't want to betray you, but WICKED... they were never going to stop, not even for you, Newt. They still need the cure. They need you."

Thomas felt a chill run down his spine as the realization of her words sank in. "Teresa... no. You can't do this. Not after everything we've been through."

Teresa's eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Thomas. But WICKED found out that you were cured. They know that Newt is the key to ending the Flare once and for all. They'll do whatever it takes to get him back."

Newt's jaw clenched, anger and betrayal flashing in his eyes. "You sold us out."

"I didn't have a choice!" Teresa cried, desperation creeping into her voice. "If I didn't, they would have come for you both anyway. At least this way, I could try to protect you, to give you a chance."

"A chance for what?" Thomas demanded, his heart pounding in his chest. "To be their guinea pigs again? To let them use Newt until there's nothing left of him?"

Teresa's face crumpled, and she took another step forward, her voice breaking. "I didn't want this. But they're coming, Thomas. They're already on their way. Don't fight them, please... Maybe we can save the world with their help."

Newt stood up, placing himself between Thomas and Teresa, his eyes burning with a fierce protectiveness. "Save the world? You really think that's what WICKED is after?" His voice was laced with anger, his hands clenched into fists. "All they care about is their own control, their own power. They don't care about us—they never did."

Teresa's gaze dropped to the floor, her shoulders slumping as if the weight of her guilt was finally crashing down on her. "I know," she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. "But I thought... I thought if I could just give them what they wanted, maybe they'd leave you alone. Maybe they'd finally stop."

Thomas pushed himself up, his strength returning bit by bit. He moved beside Newt, his face pale but determined. "We're not going back, Teresa. We've come too far, lost too much. We're not letting them take Newt."

Before Teresa could respond, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway outside the room. The door was still open from when she'd burst in, and now, dark shadows loomed in the corridor, growing larger as the footsteps approached.

"They're here," Teresa said, her voice trembling. She looked at Thomas with pleading eyes. "Please, Thomas, don't fight them. I'm begging you."

The door slammed open fully, and WICKED soldiers stormed in, their weapons drawn, their faces hidden behind black masks. They moved with practiced precision, quickly surrounding the trio. One soldier grabbed Teresa, pulling her out of the way, while the others advanced on Thomas and Newt.

"Get down on the ground!" one of the soldiers barked, his voice cold and commanding.

But Thomas and Newt didn't move. They stood their ground, their eyes locked on the soldiers, their fists clenched. They had come too far to surrender now.

The first soldier lunged at Newt, but Newt was ready. He ducked under the soldier's arm and delivered a swift punch to his gut, causing the soldier to stumble back. Thomas quickly followed suit, using his newly regained strength to tackle another soldier to the ground.

The room erupted into chaos. The soldiers, though well-trained, hadn't expected such fierce resistance from two weakened boys. Thomas and Newt fought with everything they had, their movements fueled by desperation and the will to survive.

But they were outnumbered, and it wasn't long before the soldiers started gaining the upper hand. Newt took a hard hit to the side, causing him to stumble, and Thomas was grabbed from behind, his arms pinned to his sides.

"Let him go!" Thomas yelled, struggling against the soldier's grip.

But it was too late. The soldiers had overpowered them, forcing both Thomas and Newt to their knees. One soldier, taller and broader than the others, stepped forward, his voice dripping with authority. "Enough. We're taking the cure."

Newt glared up at him, defiance burning in his eyes. "You'll have to kill me first."

The soldier smirked, clearly unfazed by Newt's threat. "If that's what it takes."

But before the soldier could make a move, another voice cut through the tension. "Wait!"

Minho appeared at the door, flanked by a few more resistance fighters. He had managed to avoid capture during the earlier scuffle and had rallied what little support they had left. His face was bruised, and he was breathing heavily, but his eyes were full of fire.

"Back off!" Minho shouted, aiming his weapon at the soldiers. "I'm not letting you take them."

The soldiers hesitated, glancing at one another. The situation had quickly escalated beyond what they had anticipated. The taller soldier turned to Teresa, who was standing off to the side, her face a mask of conflict.

"You brought us here, Teresa," the soldier said, his tone accusatory. "Now finish it."

Teresa's hands shook as she looked from the soldier to Thomas and Newt. Her eyes were full of anguish. She had never wanted it to come to this, but now it seemed there was no turning back.

"Teresa..." Thomas's voice was soft, almost pleading. "You don't have to do this."

Tears streamed down her face as she looked at him, her heart torn in two. "I'm sorry, Thomas," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry."

She took a step toward him, but before she could do anything, the situation exploded. Minho fired his weapon, hitting one of the soldiers square in the chest. The room erupted into chaos once more as the resistance fighters clashed with the WICKED soldiers.

In the midst of the chaos, Teresa made her move. She rushed toward Newt, a syringe in her hand, clearly intending to take his blood—the key to the cure. But Newt saw her coming. With a swift motion, he knocked the syringe out of her hand, sending it clattering to the floor.

"No!" Newt shouted, his voice filled with rage and heartbreak. "You're not taking this from me!"

The fight continued to rage around them, but at that moment, it was just the two of them—Newt and Teresa, locked in a battle of wills.

Finally, with a pained expression, Teresa backed away, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I was trying to save you," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the noise.

"You can't save everyone," Newt replied, his voice cold and distant.

The noise of the battle echoed around them, but Teresa's focus was solely on Newt. Her eyes were red and puffy from the tears she'd shed, and her hands were trembling as she tried to make a decision she had never wanted to face.

"I was trying to save you," she repeated, more to herself than to Newt. Her voice cracked, betraying the deep well of guilt and sorrow within her.

Newt's gaze hardened, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. "You can't save me by handing me over to them."