Whatever It Takes | TDC fix-it fic |

Alby

"Get them out."
   That's what Alby decided his last words were going to be. If he was going to die, he at least wanted Newt and the others to leave this place once and for all.
   The Griever pulled him away from his friends and Alby knew that was the last time he would see them. He hoped they wouldn't try to follow him. That would just get themselves killed.
   As he was carried away into the Maze, the Griever carrying him bashed Alby's head against the floor.
Everything went black.

When Alby woke again, he was surprised to find himself alive, in a moving car. He was lying down on a stretcher in the back of the vehicle. Every bump they hit made the older boy feel nauseous. Lying backwards didn't help.
   Alby sat up to find he was still wearing his dirty clothes from the Glade, which stood out in the spotless white room. On the doors in the back "WCKD" was printed in large black letters.
Anger flared up inside him. These were the same shanks that put Alby and his friends in the Maze. Now they've taken him from his friends and we're bringing him who knows where.
   He had to get out.
   Alby got up and walked over to the doors, ignoring the pounding headache in his skull. He shook the handles but they wouldn't budge. He tried pounding and kicking but that didn't help either.
   He had just decided to try ramming it with the stretcher, when he was flung to the side. The car tipped over and Alby fell, hitting his head on the wall. He nearly blacked out but forced himself to stay awake as the car over again and again. He put his hands over his head and curled up into a ball in an effort to protect himself.
   Eventually, the car stopped spinning. Alby carefully stood up and dusted himself off as he assessed the damage. Nothing was broken, though he'd have some nasty bruises for weeks. He might've gotten a concussion but there was nothing to do for that now.
   Suddenly, there were voices outside, approaching the overturned car. Mixed in the with the screams of victory was laughter, too crazy and loud to be sane. The group ran up and started pounding on the walls and the doors swung open with a loud bang.
Alby squinted as bright light poured in. He didn't remember the sun being so blinding in the Glade. He also felt heat searing his skin, immediately making him sweat. He wondered how far WCKD had taken him.
   The older boy attempted to shade his eyes, trying to get a look at his attackers. Frustratingly, all he could make out were the silhouettes of dozens of scrawny people. All of them were carrying sticks, knives, and large rocks, prepared to fight anybody who threatened them.
Alby knew he was done for. Despite their small size, he knew he couldn't beat so many if they turned out to be hostile, which seemed likely. He squeezed his fists together, ready to go down fighting.
   One especially scrawny person from the group came forward. He carried a long dagger. "Who're you and what are you doing with in this car with WCKD?"
   Alby kept his expression firm. "My name is Alby. I don't know where WCKD was taking me. They took me against my will."
   The scrawny one looked at him cautiously, picking his teeth with the dagger and cutting up his lips in the process. "Does that mean you're apart of their experiment? Or are you a crank, like us?"
   Alby went with the safe answer. "One of you. I wanted nothing to do with those shanks. I'm glad to be rid of them."
   Scrawny shared a glance with the rest of his crew. They all nodded. "Alright, Alby. You seem to be telling the truth. You're with us now."
   "I don't need to join your little crew," Alby said before wishing he could bite back his words. He probably shouldn't aggravate the cranks.
   Thankfully, Scrawny laughed. "Take a look around the world idiot." He gestured to the wasteland behind him. "If you don't stick with a group you won't get food. Plus, you'll be overrun by other cranks who aren't as nice."
   Alby wanted to protest but decided against it. Until he could figure out where his friends were, he should stay with the group. At least until he understood how the world worked. All the time in the Glade didn't prepare him for what he was facing now.
   "So are you in?" Scrawny asked, pointing his bloody knife at Alby. "Or should we just eat you now?"
   Alby stepped out of the car. "I'm in."