𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘- TMR, Minho

013, 𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐚'𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞..𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬?

The sun beat down on the Scorch, turning the barren wasteland into a furnace. The group moved slowly across the cracked ground, the silence only broken by their footsteps. Lila led the way, her eyes scanning the endless horizon for any sign of danger, while Minho walked just behind her, glancing at her every so often. His usual cocky attitude was still there, but today, he was more quiet than usual.

Newt, catching on to the silence, smirked. "You're staring, mate."

Minho gave him a side-eye. "I'm not staring."

"Yeah, right. Watching her back again?" Newt teased, his sarcasm cutting through the tension in the air.

Minho rolled his eyes, grumbling something under his breath. But before he could shoot back a remark, Thomas spoke up from the middle of the group.

"We need to find shelter before dark," Thomas said, his voice echoing over the desolate landscape. "Cranks are worse at night."

Minho scoffed. "No kidding, Thomas."

Lila didn't even glance back at them as she pressed forward. "There's some buildings up ahead," she pointed out. "We'll hole up there for the night."

The others followed her lead, trudging across the Scorch with weary determination. The ruins of a crumbled city loomed in the distance, offering at least some hope of shelter, even if it meant risking another Crank attack.

As they moved closer, Minho fell into step beside Lila. "You sure about this, Firecracker?"

Lila spared him a glance. "You scared, Minho?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Scared? Please. I just wanted to make sure you weren't leading us straight into a death trap."

"We're already in a death trap."

"Fair point."

The rest of the group trailed behind them, watching as Lila and Minho's banter faded into the background. Brenda exchanged a glance with Thomas, while Newt stayed close to the front, eyes sharp and alert. Teresa, walking at the back, remained quiet, her gaze sweeping over the others as if she was trying to figure out her place in the group.

Lila noticed Teresa's quiet demeanor and, in a rare moment of sympathy, decided to give her a chance. After all, Teresa hadn't done anything to betray them yet, and everyone deserved a shot, right? Even if Lila wasn't exactly the warm and fuzzy type.

As they reached the ruins, Lila slowed her pace, falling back slightly so that she was walking beside Teresa. "You doing okay?" she asked, her voice casual but carrying a hint of genuine curiosity.

Teresa blinked, clearly surprised that Lila was addressing her. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Lila shrugged, her eyes forward as they navigated through the crumbling remains of the city. "It's just... you've been pretty quiet. Figured I'd check in."

Teresa hesitated, glancing around at the others. "I'm just trying to figure things out. This whole situation... it's a lot."

"No kidding," Lila replied, her voice softening just a fraction. "But, you know, we've all been through the wringer. If you need to talk, I'm not as much of a hard-ass as I seem."

Teresa smiled, a small but sincere expression of gratitude. "Thanks, Lila. I appreciate that."

Lila gave her a quick nod, not wanting to dwell too long on the moment. She wasn't exactly used to playing the role of 'friendly team member,' but something about Teresa's quiet presence made her feel like she should at least try.

As they entered the city ruins, the group moved carefully through the shattered remains of buildings, their footsteps echoing through the hollow streets. The wind howled through broken windows, carrying with it the eerie feeling that they weren't alone.

"Stay sharp," Thomas whispered, his eyes scanning the shadows.

They found a building that looked relatively intact, the walls still standing and the roof not entirely collapsed. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep them out of the open for the night.

"Here's good," Brenda said, relieved as they stepped inside.

The group settled into the building, each of them finding a spot to rest or keep watch. Lila leaned against a wall, wiping sweat from her brow as she caught her breath. The heat had taken its toll on all of them, and the exhaustion was starting to show.

Newt, ever the sarcastic one, wandered over and stood next to her. "You didn't get yourself killed today. Impressive."

Lila smirked, giving him a side-eye. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Newt grinned. "Anytime."

Minho, who had been lingering nearby, snorted at their exchange. "Maybe if you two didn't stand around chatting, we'd actually survive."

Lila rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smirk tugging at her lips. "Oh, please. Like you weren't the one nearly getting yourself killed back there."

Minho chuckled, his trademark cockiness slipping back into place. "Hey, I saved your life, didn't I?"

"By almost dying in the process," Lila shot back.

"Details."

As the group settled in for the night, Teresa approached Lila once more, this time with a more serious expression. "About earlier... I just wanted to say thanks for checking in. It means a lot."

Lila shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "Don't mention it. Just trying to be less of a jerk, I guess."

Teresa smiled, though it was still tinged with uncertainty. "I know we haven't exactly gotten to know each other, but I hope that can change. I want to help, however I can."

Lila nodded slowly, considering Teresa's words. "Well, we're all in this together now. We'll figure it out."

The two shared a brief moment of understanding before they returned to their respective places in the group. Lila wasn't sure what to make of Teresa yet, but at least for now, she was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

As night fell, the building was eerily quiet, save for the occasional gust of wind rattling through the ruins. Lila lay on her back, staring up at the cracked ceiling, her mind spinning with thoughts of what lay ahead. The Scorch was unforgiving, and WCKD was still out there, hunting them down.

But even with the weight of the world on her shoulders, she couldn't help but feel like, maybe, just maybe, she'd found a group worth fighting for.