Free (Maze Runner fanfic Newtmas Newt x Thomas)

Chapter 26

After talking to every building he could find, Minho had somehow hooked himself a job waiting tables. It got them money, and they really needed to eat now. Some others got into 'fast food' which was Minho's job without the tables, one got into a bank, a couple in some offices, and the rest were still looking.

It was surprisingly how easily the jobs were going, and they would be rich soon enough since they only planned on getting a place with one bedroom and then buying excessive mattresses or sofas since they were used to things like that from the glade.

He walked back late one day from work, still wondering how Newt was handling himself or if he'd gone. He hadn't looked at the light for a couple of days, last time he did it had been flickering between red and orange so he put it away and hadn't got it out since. Was he gone yet? Minho felt like he was already assuming him dead, even though if he was gone he wouldn't be dead. Would he? Maybe he let them tear him apart, end himself before he could be belittled to that state.

In a bittersweet way, Minho almost hoped he did, because death was a more dignified fate than those... things. Plus, he proved he much preferred death barely a month ago with Thomas. Both ways were horrible ways to go, but at least it meant he'd gone.

Most of the others were there, eating dinner in a circle with an extra person than there should've been. "Hey, Minho! Look who decided to come join us." Alex called, leaning forward to grab him some dinner.

Minho looked up and was so surprised that he stopped walking, the person giving him a grin in response to it. "Thomas."

Earlier

Black and blue, Thomas had trekked his way towards the city that he knew the others had headed to.

Choosing to stay, Thomas was surprised by how few people were collected together, but he was told some had been taken by the darkness. One girl in particular had been pleased to see him, being his only defence to all the others girls who tried to attack him when they first met because none of them had seen a boy (that wasn't a WICKED employee) to their memory.

Until the age of twelve, all the boys and these girls had lived together quite happily. The one who remembered, Teresa, was probably the only girl's name any of the boys would probably recognise, and Thomas for these girls if they could remember. Once divided, they were the only two who could switch between groups, but it didn't mean he got to know any of them; he simply recognised them from classes, or like with the duck mask, out in the playground.

They and Thomas were planning to go to the new section any day now, even while his heart was weighed down with guilt and regret. To try and cheer him up, Teresa convinced him to sneak around with her like they had done as kids, trying to find out more of where they were going.

The labs was their first target, seeing a few people inside messing with equipment while dressed up in strange suits. One took off their helmet and shook their head to fix their hair. "We should get this to one of the subjects downstairs." They said, taking off their gloves next.

"I'm pretty sure it's fine, better than the last one which just wears off."

"Maybe we should call it Light 2.0" They both laughed. "Creative, right? Or maybe illuminati!" They laughed again and disappeared into a back room, leaving the 'illuminati' on the table.

Teresa began to back away before they were discovered, but Thomas was staying put. "What are you doing?" She hissed at him. "We've got to go!"

"Wear off..? What do they mean it wears off!?"

"Ssh! Keep your voice down you idiot!" She grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him away from the lab. "What are you talking about? It doesn't matter to us."