Marooned | Maze Runner | Minho

70. 𝑅𝑒𝓈𝒸𝓊𝑒𝒹.

Viya entered the building through the underground parking lot, she blended into the crowd of WCKD employees who entered the building to start their work days. She would've preferred to have done her job at night, to use the darkness as her aide, but her plan would only make sense in the daytime, so she'd just have to hope it would all go smoothly.

She held her launcher tightly, trying her best to observe the posture of the other guards around her.

She had obtained a launcher and a keycard on her way to the building. She had pulled an unsuspecting woman off the street, knocked her out and took anything useful she had on her. Viya's name was 'Kathrine' now, well according to her keycard she was.

She turned the corner sharply into a desolate area. She was looking for an open computer so she could look Minho up and find any information on him.

She eventually found an empty front desk, whoever worked there was nowhere to be found.

Viya quickly jumped behind the desk, the computer turned on and luckily didn't need a password. She remembered using a computer in her youth, but it had been years since then. She fiddled with the mouse for a while before she found the WCKD company database. She typed Minho's name into the search bar. The screen took hours to load before a single result showed up. Viya's eyes lit up when she saw Minho's face.

She clicked into his profile, waiting five seconds for it to load.

'Minho–A7-The Leader' it read.

Viya glanced through the information, her eyes locking on the sentence that said he was being held on the eighth floor, also known as experiments.

Viya's heart sank, the name alone sent shivers down her spine. That had to be the worst floor for him to be on.

The girl soon moved on, she didn't have time to dwell on bad news, Minho needed her.

Viya followed the crowd to the elevators, she mentally laid out the map of the building in her head. All of her days in the maze made it easy for her to recall the layout. She entered the metal box and clicked the button to the eighth floor. The machine soon began to shoot upwards and chimed open as she reached her destination.

Viya looked around the hallway, she saw no one in either direction. Viya stepped out into the cold grey hallway that screamed 'WCKD'. Somehow WCKD managed to use the same mundane color of grey everywhere, in the maze, every compound, every facility, and now here. All the same. It was almost eerie, and it made Viya instantly unsettled.

She did her best to shake her fearful thoughts away as she walked down the one hallway, all she had to do was find Minho and then she'd be safe. She had walked through her plan a million times in her head, but now that she had to do it, she became unsure of herself.

Being unsure was weird for Viya, she lived off of confidence, she never second guessed herself in the maze or the scorch, everything had always been instinct, yet now, her instinct was gone and had been replaced by sharp fear.

–

Viya swiped her keycard against the pad, she held her breath until the door opened, relieved that it worked. She stepped into the room, there was a desk in the middle of the room that was surrounded by cell doors that no doubt held innocent kids. Viya glanced at the doors, which one was Minho in? The two men at the front desk looked up at her as she entered. Viya ignored the knot in her stomach as she walked up to the desk.

"I'm here to escort A7 to the med-wing." She said, trying to hide her nervousness.

The taller man typed something into the computer, "I don't see any requests for him."

"It was a direct order, it's quite urgent, they must've not had time to issue one." Viya lied.

"Hm." He said suspiciously. "Don't tell anybody I let you do this."

The man stepped out from behind the desk, he swiped his keycard and the cell door swung open.

Viya peeked her head in and her stomach dropped as her eyes trailed over to Minho.

He laid motionless on the bed, his face pale and his eyes heavy. His body looked frail and weak, Viya noticed the bruises on his arm where they had taken blood from. Her heart broke into a million pieces.

She stepped into the cell and grabbed Minho by the arm. The boy didn't protest. He stood up wobbly, his body limp and let Viya take him out of the cell.

She swiped her keycard and quickly exited the room. She kept side-glancing Minho as they walked, the boy seemed completely unaware that it was her. She'd have to keep it that way for a little while longer.

Viya entered the elevator alongside Minho, she pressed the 'P' button. The parking garage should be empty now, it was already the middle of the work day. She wondered if Minho was aware enough to notice that they weren't going to the med-wing.

As the elevator doors opened, Viya almost immediately pulled Minho out of the elevator and into a storage closet she remembered passing.
Minho looked around, his eyes still dull.

How could she get him to snap back into reality? What drugs had WCKD given him? Was he going to be mad at her?

Viya's thoughts exploded in her head, she had actually retrieved him, and it was easy. How was she going to get him out of the building? How mad was Lawrence going to be? Would the gladers be mad? How would–

Viya was brought back to reality when Minho slammed her against the wall, he pressed his forearm against her neck. Viya gasped for air as Minho stared down at her.

Panic flowed through her, for a second she questioned why he was doing it, but she remembered the mask and uniform she wore she understood.

"M-minho." She choked out.

She tried to use her one hand to push his arm away, but he only pressed harder. In a final moment of desperation she used her other hand to pull off her mask. She only wiggled off half of it, but that was enough for Minho to realize it was her.

He took a step back, "Viya?" He asked hoarsely.

The girl nodded as she rubbed her neck.

"What are you doing here?" Minho asked in bewilderment.

"Saving your stupid ass." She said scratchley.

Minho stared at the girl wide eyed, "I'm sorry I didn't–"
"It's all good." Viya interrupted, "Would've done the same thing myself."

Minho stepped towards the girl, "Why'd you come for me?" He asked quietly.

"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because you hate me?"

"Maybe I did." Viya said with a shrug.

Minho stared at Viya, yet the silence was not awkward, but comforting.

"We should get going." Viya said, breaking the silence.

Minho nodded, "What's the plan?"