Maze Runner: The Subject Experiment

43 ✿ Sacrifice

Months had gone by, every day longer. The test subjects were disappearing at a rapid rate. Newt and Moira had no idea whether they were alive or dead. They were two of the few left. Now Minho was gone too.

One thing they did know was that the ones who had been taken had had their memories wiped. George had heard the doctors testing him discussing the procedure. They called it the "swipe". George was the first to disappear. That seemed like years ago.

Moira and Newt sat hopelessly in room A4 - A12. They hadn't been able to find much joy since Minho had gone. Moira sat  on a bed fidgeting, nervously chewing her lips. Newt paced the floor in front of her.

"Newt?" she called out softly.

"Hmm?" He continued pacing.

"Do you think they've wiped Minho's memory yet? I mean do you...do you think he's forgotten us?" Her voice slightly trembled at the thought.

"I don't know," was all Newt could muster.

"They took him just days before when he planned to escape."

"Well I guess that's out the bloody window," grumbled Newt, kicking dust on the floor, scuffing his shoes.

"What if we're next. What if-Newt I'm scared..."

Newt spun around, attention snapping towards Moira. He noticed tears welling in her eyes. She truly was afraid. He had to stay strong for her. He rushed to her, squatting so he was at the same height. He took her hands in his. She broke down. Sobs filling her lungs as she pushed words out.

"What if they take you away? What if they take me away?"

"I won't let them."

"I don't want to forget you Newt. I don't want you to forget me."

"Shhh." Newt held her close. "I won't ever forget you."

"Of course you will, you won't be able to stop it no matter how much you think you can."

Newt wiped her tears away with his thumb and stared into her eyes with fierce determination.

"Then it doesn't matter, we'll still find each other."

"How?"

"Because we were meant to be with each other."

Moira shook her head. He still wasn't understanding what she was trying to say.

"Newt, we won't even be the same people any more. Think about it, memories...experiences, they're what shape you as a person. Without our memories we'll be blank slates. We'll be completely different versions of ourselves. The people we are now might as well have died as soon as they did the swipe."

Newt broke away, lifting a hand to his brow. Then, looking back at her he declared, "I know we'll find each other."

"How?"

"Because every bloody version of me would love any version of you," he said, gripping Moira and almost shaking her in reassurance.

Moira looked away again, feeling fresh tears begin to surface.

"We'll have to meet all over again. We'll forget everything we've been through, Newt-

"Lucky me, I get to meet you all over again," quipped Newt, trying to lighten the mood. Moira knew he was trying to be strong. But she had to make sure he knew the facts, the possibility that they could never see each other again and even if they did, they might be strangers to each other.

"Newt-"

"I know. What do you want me to say?" he said softly, comforting her.

Her tears had stopped but she couldn't bring herself to look up from the floor.

Newt hugged her close.

"I'm sorry. I know you're scared, but we've just got to be brave for now. It's what Minho would have wanted."

Suddenly, two guards burst through the door, flinging it wide open, their heavy boots clunking against the hard floor.

"A3. With us, now."

A3. Moira's subject ID.

A million thoughts fled through Newt's brain. Moira turned white - and she was pale to begin with.

"We said now, move it!" ordered a guard, aiming his gun at Moira.

"No, no, no, no, please..." breathed Moira, as though she were talking to fate itself. She started praying.

The guards advanced.

Then Newt stood in the way, between the guards and subject A3.

"You're not taking her."

"Subject A5 stand aside."

"No."

The air was thick with tension. Moira froze. It seemed to her that the only part of her body capable of moving was her racing heart. What was Newt doing?

"Move!" yelled a guard, pointing a gun in his face.

"No." His brown eyes were full of fiery defiance, his expression stern and immovable.

"You're not going to fire that gun, because we're valuable to W.I.C.K.E.D." Newt stated calmly.

The guard laughed. "She's valuable, A5, not you. You're not immune."

"Well, W.I.C.K.E.D. won't want to lose their control subject now will they?"

"Plenty more where you came from, kid, now move away from the girl."

"Not a bloody chance."

The guards looked back at each other. This kid was brave.

"Newt, stop this," breathed Moira finally. "Please-"

"No. If they want you they're going to have to shoot me."

Finally a guard gave in.

"Fine, kid, if you want it so badly you can go instead. But your little friend only has so many days before she's in there with you."

"In where? Where are you taking us?"

The guards didn't answer. They took Newt by the arms and began dragging him to the door.

"NO!" Moira tried desperately to hold on to him.

"I won't forget you I promise. I'll find you Moira," he said firmly before he was torn from her grasp.

It had only been minutes. Now Newt was gone too. Moira was truly alone.