The Implant Variable

Meeting of the Keepers

            Rachel collided into Minho with a low "oof," as he stopped abruptly, the girl having stumbled in a very uncoordinated fashion behind him for the last hundred feet or so before passing through the East Doors to the Glade. Grasping his shoulder to straighten herself, she heard the cause of his sudden braking; a younger voice was speaking out, just in front of the Asian man.

"Guys, guys," the kid addressed, grabbing all three of theirs' attention. Looking at the source of the noise, she noticed it was a boy, maybe twelve or thirteen, with bouncy curled hair that had a similar texture to her own, only much lighter in hue. "Gally found out you guys left." He spoke in a much more somber voice now, lacking any sort of excitement he'd had upon seeing Minho and Thomas' return. "He called a meeting of the Keepers," the boy continued, before pointing past the trio to a corner of the Glade. "Everyone's at Council Hall."

When Minho, Rachel, and Thomas were all silent, just looking in the direction the kid had pointed, the younger boy took the opportunity to press forward. "Who's she?" He asked, flicking his gaze to Rachel before looking to Thomas for an answer.

Minho didn't bother to reply, more worked up about the younger kid's first statement, already taking off in the direction of the shabby wood hut in the corner that he'd dictated. Thomas let out a short puff of a stressed breath, looking back at the brown-haired boy before nodding curtly. "I'll tell you later. Just... Don't tell anyone you saw her, okay, Chuck? Can you do that for me?"

Chuck nodded eagerly, and Rachel could tell that he really looked up to Thomas. Before she could even muster a smile for the sweet-seeming kid, Thomas had grabbed her shoulders, steering her hastily towards the hut Minho had jogged to a few seconds earlier.

"Stay here," he instructed, planting her just outside the makeshift door as he opened it to disappear inside.

"Wait," Rachel interrupted, making the boy stop and glance at her for a brief moment awaiting what she had to say. When she only gaped in response, he continued in, vanishing from view as he shut the door behind him.

Rachel mumbled to herself, not really the type to take orders, especially from those she didn't know nor really trust. What was so important that they were hiding from her? Why were they all so vague? It's not like she's never been in a Maze before. Hell, she escaped from hers, faster than these boys were on pace to. If anybody should be leading the show around here, it should be her.

Leaning forward to peek between the cracks of the sloppily-tied-together vertical bamboo poles that served as the door, she craned to get a taste of what was really going on in there. Pressing her ear to the door and glancing to the side instead, she listened in.

"Well it's nice of you to join us," a sarcastic voice she didn't recognize chimed in once Minho and Thomas entered, sounding accusatory as he continued. "You boys enjoy your little field trip?"
"What the hell, Gally?" Another person- definitely Minho, she identified- snipped back at the other guy. Gally, she reinforced, trying to associate voices with names to keep the conversation straight. "You think you can call a Keeper meeting without us?"

"Last time I checked, the Greenie wasn't a Keeper- you mind waiting outside?"

Rachel squinted as she peered through once more- Gally's tone contradicted his words, spewing nothing but distaste for whoever he was talking about, as if they weren't important enough to be in there with them. From her view, she could see Thomas shift uncomfortably from behind, before a hand flew defensively across his chest, as if to stop him from going anywhere. Minho's hand.