Rogue | Group B → The Maze Runner¹

i.nine

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● [ ix . one year and ten months ]

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DANICA AND Rogue ran side by side, their breaths synchronised to the rhythm of their steps. Danica's dark skin glistened with sweat, and her hair bounced with each stride. They panted in unison as they made their way back to the Glen, having found nothing but Creepers. 

Recently, they had been encountering more and more of them, scurrying through the Maze. The small creatures seemed to be everywhere, their beady eyes and red beam startling them as they turned each corner. Though, Rogue derived a pleasure from crushing the Creepers beneath the vines as she cut them.

The twisting, thick greenery had become their guideposts, each vine a familiar marker in the ever-shifting Maze. As they didn't map the Maze as much anymore, they relied on the vines to navigate. Rogue's arms ached after hours of cutting, her biceps strained from the monotonous routine of pushing each vine aside.

'Fuck!' Danica exclaimed, halting her run. Rogue stopped beside her, watching the Creeper scuttle between the brick. 'Creepy buggers, they are. Why are there so many?'
Rogue shrugged. 'Don't know. But we have twenty-eight minutes to get back, we should probably hurry.'
'It's fine, Ro. We're only a mile away.'

No matter how far they were from the Glen, Rogue was always conscious of the time. The echoes of her feet thumped against the cobblestone as she turned back to look at Danica. 'Kick those vines aside for me, will you? My legs hurt.'
'Sure,' Danica replied.

Half a mile away. 5:43. The swoosh of the leaves brushing the stone floor became all Rogue could focus on as her eyes stung with sweat and her hair stuck to her neck. The rhythmic swish, swish, swish filled the air, a familiar backdrop to their hurried steps. But then, she heard a different sound. A crack.

She stopped abruptly, her heart skipping a beat. Before she could turn around, she heard Danica swear in pain. Rogue spun, her eyes widening as she saw Danica clutching at her ankle, squeezing her eyes shut. Panic shot through Rogue's body as her eyes met the swollen bone. Hurriedly, and without a thought in her mind, Rogue grasped Danica's arms, gently assisting to level her partner. 'Danica—'
'I'm fine, Rogue. Really.'

Rogue had a hard time believing her, particularly after watching Danica limp forwards, grasping the wall. 'You're not fine.' Rogue tried to keep her voice steady.
Danica groaned. 'How long do we have?'
'Fifteen minutes.'
'And how far?'
'Half a mile.'

Danica sunk to the floor, her head in her hands. Rogue knelt beside her, carefully assessing the injury. Danica's ankle had already swelled, the skin turning an alarming shade of purple. Every time Danica attempted to move, a wince of pain crossed her face, her teeth gritted against the agony.