Marooned | Maze Runner | Minho

57. 𝒦𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒸𝓊𝓂.

The crowd cheered as vehicles excited the main garage into the streets. The first truck had speakers attached to it and was blasting music, the vans that followed had speeches prepared. Children had decorated the vans, they used colorful paint to scribble on the floats—it was almost like a parade.

Viya's group was towards the back, they were the second last vehicle. A gruff looking man sat at the front, a mic in his hand. Viya felt awkward on display for all these people, her job was literally to look intimidating. Gally sat on her right, his feet dangled off the edge as he leaned back.

As the van in front of them finished their speech, the grey haired man began to speak up. His voice boomed over the crowds, echoing off of the walls. He yelled about the injustice they faced and how they wouldn't give up. They would clear their streets of cranks and create a safe, flare-free community. The crowd ate up every word, cheering as he continued to talk. Viya met the eyes of a small girl who was sitting on her fathers shoulders. Viya waved at the girl, she watched as her face lit up with joy.

Soon the speech was over, and the van behind them was starting to talk. Their speakers must've been louder than theirs, because for whatever reason her ears were being filled with noise.

A shadow came over Viya. Usually she wouldn't have paid any notice to it, must've been a cloud. But as she looked up at the yellowed sky, it was in fact, not a cloud.

Bergs loomed overhead, their propellers hurling wind at the crowd below.

At first she thought they'd pass over, continuing on their journey not paying any attention to the scum that sat outside of their walls. The others seemed to think so too, nobody seemed concerned over them.

Well, before the bombs started to drop.

In a blink fire had started to rain down. The van came to an abrupt stop, almost sending Viya onto the ground. The girl looked around in shock, just to see the same little girl from earlier sprawled onto the ground, her eyes devoid of all life.

Another bomb dropped on the building next to them, sending rumble their way. Viya flopped onto the floor, her head smacking against the concrete.

Fires raged all around her as terrified screams sounded all around. Bodies littered the street, people who couldn't get away in time or people who hadn't seen it coming.

Viya's head throbbed as she got to her feet, her clothes were torn and her limbs felt weak. Her ears blocked out all sound besides the loud ringing in her ears.
Rhea was shielding Piper to Viya's right. Viya could see the tears streaming down both of their faces. Piper was stuck under the rumble, yet Rhea refused to leave her.

Just then, more destruction was dropped from above, sending Rhea flying.

Viya stumbled to her feet, she had to find shelter, she had to get to safety.

She wobbled towards an alleyway, blindly following wherever her legs took her.

The bombs seemed to drop for hours, just when she'd think it'd be over, another handful would drop. Some were way off in the distance, while others sounded like they were happening right beside her.

—

"Viya!" Gally yelled as he stumbled into the alleyway.

The girl was sitting half conscious in the alleyway, she could just make out Gally's face as he came into focus. She shifted her head up slightly, yet her body seemed to weigh one thousand tons.

Viya touched her forehead, shocked to see blood on her fingers.

Gally grabbed her elbow, "We gotta get out of here, they're gone for now, but they might come back."

Viya murmured something not even she could dissect.

Gally carried her through the demolished street, she tried to ignore the bodies, yet they forced her to look.

The utopia that once existed was long gone. Any hope of a flourishing community had been flushed down the drain. Every building had been affected, windows were shattered and entire walls had disappeared.

WCKD had destroyed everything Viya had thought she had found. It was like they had purposely ripped her happiness away from her. They couldn't allow them to be happy, they had to destroy it.

And that fact made Viya's blood boil.

—---------------

"How did the mission go, Janson?" Ava asked calmly.

"Those heathens didn't even see it coming." The man replied.

The pair sat in Dr.Paige's office. Ava sat in her mighty chair on one side, Janson on the other.

"Do you think we'll have to do a second sweep, or have they learned their lesson?"
"Oh they learned." Janson said smugly. "Their Rally was so loud that by the time they heard the Bergs it was too late. It'll definitely shut them down for a while, and if they try again, they'll know what to expect."

"Did all the main bases get hit?" Ava asked as she folded her hands on the table.

"Definitely." Janson assured, "I'm also fairly positive that any subjects they were harboring are dead."
"Did you see A12?"

"I did not see Viya, but if she was at the Rally–which she probably was–I'm confident she had been...dealt with."
"I sometimes regret not letting the grievers get that girl," Ava confessed, "She just keeps causing problems."
"Well as long as she doesn't come back to haunt us." Janson joked.

Ava laughed in her response as she closed her folder.

"How is Minho doing? He's getting transferred in a month." Ava Paige asked curiously.

"The reports say that he is doing good. Though his aggression levels are very high."
"That is to be expected for someone like him." She commented.

"You're right about that."

Ava paused before she spoke again, "Thank you for agreeing to the mission, Janson. Lord knows what would've gone wrong if you weren't there."
"I know how to keep 'em in check." He boasted.

"Don't think I don't know it." Ava said with a smirk. "Without you and me, this place would be in shambles."
"We see eye to eye, Doctor."