WICKED is good

Chapter 18: Hard Choices

Thomas squeezed through the crowd, finding Minho and grabbing his arm. "What do we do?"
Minho looked at him with so much fear and terror, Thomas knew he had no clue.
"Try the Launcher," Newt said, his voice shaking. "That's all we have."
Minho nodded, raising his weapon and shooting the slowly approaching Grievers. They showed no signs that it affected them.
"We're dead," Minho stated.
"Probably not," Newt tried to assure him, though the terror in his voice was obvious. "The Right Arm still needs the Immunes. The Grievers will probably just take us back."
"That's very comforting, thanks."
That's when the panic set in. The Immunes started screaming in terror as the Grievers closed in. They grabbed one teenager after the other, absorbing them into their slime before crawling away. Thomas felt his heart beat pick and his breathing turn shallow.
Suddenly, loud bangs were heard nearby. Thomas quickly found the source of the noise: one of the Immunes was ramming his shoulder into a door, trying to open it. With a start, he realized it was Alby.
"Newt, Minho, look!" Thomas said, pushing toward him. The three reached Alby right as he burst the door open.
"Okay, everybody in!" Newt yelled, gesturing frantically to the now open door. He grabbed Alby's arm to get his attention. "Alby, go get everybody in there and out the window. Don't wait, just run."
Alby nodded and went inside, smashing the window and helping the others out.
Thomas herded the Immunes in, kicking at claws or tearing away the caught part of shirts. Occasionally, terrified yells rang out from when a Griever caught its prey and Thomas couldn't stop them in time.
"Okay," Minho said when the last Immune ran in. He kicked away a claw. "Let's—" suddenly, he fell to the floor, his ankle trapped in a claw he'd missed.
"Minho!" Newt yelled, diving forward and grabbed his hands.
"Newt, stop!" Minho exclaimed. Another Griever tucked into a ball, about to roll over Newt.
Faster than Thomas thought possible, he reached down and yanked Newt away, narrowly missing getting caught himself.
"Tommy stop!" Newt yelled angrily. Thomas didn't listen. He grabbed Newt and shoved him back into the room, slamming the door behind them.
Newt fell to the floor. He buried his head in his hands, muttering, "no, no, no."
Thomas crouched next to him. "Newt," he said gently. "We have to go."
Newt's head snapped up, his eyes full of angry tears. He opened his mouth to yell but Thomas looked at him pleasingly. They didn't have time to go back for Minho. They definitely didn't have time to argue.
"Come on," he stood up, offering Newt a hand. "It doesn't do Minho any good if we stay here and get caught."
Newt wiped at his eyes, nodding. He took Thomas' hand and pulled himself to his feet.
Alby joined them seconds later. "I got everybody out the window but there's more outside. They don't seem to be moving."
Thomas and Newt shared a confused look before climbing out. They saw a dozen Grievers making a loose ring around that side of the building. There was enough room for them to run through. As long as the Grievers weren't on. Thomas doubted that.
He, Newt, and Alby made it to the front, protectively blocking everybody from the monsters.
"We can make it," Alby said, starting forward. "They aren't on."
"Alby, wait!" Thomas exclaimed but it was too late. Just before Alby could make it through, the Griever on the right shot out a blade, blocking his path. The other surged in, engulfing Alby into his skin. It left with its captive, another taking its place a couple moments later.
Chuck found Thomas a few moments later, staring at the spot Alby disappeared. "I'm scared," he said, his lip quivering.
"I know," Thomas whispered. "Me too."
Newt materialized next to him, Sonya in hand. He looked at Thomas hopefully. "Please tell me you have an idea."
Thomas did. It was a terrible idea.
"The Griever will leave as soon as it takes somebody," he said. "Once it takes somebody, it'll give us enough room to escape."
   "Who's going to be willing to do that?" Newt asked.
Thomas opened his mouth, the words 'I'll go' on his lips when Chuck rushed forward.
   "Hurry, Thomas! Go!" Chuck yelled before sacrificing himself to the Griever.
"Chuck!" Thomas screamed, running forward. Newt was barely able to snag his shoulders and pull him back. "No! Chuck!"
"Tommy, stop!" Newt yelled, wrestling him to the ground and pinning him down.
"Let me go!"
Newt shook his head. "Chuck sacrificed himself for us! Are you going to let that go to waste or not?" There was anger in his voice but tears in his eyes.
Thomas stopped struggling. He shook his head slightly. Newt nodded, helping Thomas to his feet.
"Let's go," He said, rushing forward. That's when Thomas realized there was only a dozen Immunes left. How had they already lost so many?
   Thomas ran on.
The last of the Immunes ran between the two Grievers, finally free. That's when the shots rang out.
   A girl next to Thomas fell, convulsing from electricity, then a boy, but he didn't stop. He had to escape with at least Newt. Nothing else mattered to him anymore.
   "Sonya!" Newt cried, turning back as his sister fell to the floor.
   Thomas whirled around to help when a Griever rolled into view. Faster than he could respond its body rolled over Newt, capturing him up to the waist.
"Newt!" Thomas exclaimed, grabbing his friend's hands. He tried to pull but to no avail. He couldn't get him out.
Thomas felt tears well up in his eyes. He couldn't lose another friend. "Just hold on, Newt. We'll make it. Come on."
"Tommy," Newt said, his voice surprisingly steady. He stopped struggling. "You have to leave."
Thomas glanced back quickly. The guards were running at him with more Grievers close behind. He had a few seconds at most. He looked back at Newt, his voice cracking. "I can't."
Newt let go, making Thomas tighten his grip. "Go. It does no one any good if we're all taken. Please go, Tommy. You have to."
Thomas looked through tear filled eyes to see Newt urging him on with his eyes, giving a small nod of encouragement.
So with his heart falling into the black abyss, Thomas let go of Newt.
   He turned around and ran.