Survive

Takeover

The sickening grin plastered on Janson's face never faltered as the man closed the gap between the gun and Cody's head.

"This is pointless, I'm going to die anyway, don't let it be the end of you too", the tortured boy's voice came out hoarse, evidence to the screams, and pain hid behind his blue eyes.

"Shut up Cody, it's not gonna happen. We promised each other things would be ok, maybe a different meaning back then but it's still true"

"I'm sorry Minho, just don't do what-"

The hilt of the gun hit Cody's head with a sickening crack before the boy fell limp in the guards' arms.

"As amusing as your reunion is, the time for fun is over and you have something I need Minho"

"If you're talking about making a cure the time for that is over"

"But this is about so much more than that my boy"

The sickening feeling that had rested in Minho's chest, as the group had easily snuck into the WCKD compound, threatened to explode. Anxiety crept like fire throughout his body until his frustration and fear burnt through any sense of logic.

Minho lunged forward, his arms connected with a guard's helmet as he swung wildly, all rationality lost. A sickening crunch sounded before the boy fell to the floor, legs sprawled underneath him.

"MINHO"

The cry came from behind him but the world seemed to slow down. Gunfire sprayed dangerously from a gun positioned on the hip of a guard walking slowly up behind the group of immunes. A gun all too familiar to one used by a certain member of the right arm. Meaning only one thing.

But before Minho could do anything the group fell to pieces; Robin dived into a door frame but others weren't so lucky. Three immunes crumpled to the floor, silent. Two more fell screaming in agony, writhing as blood threatened to spill from their many bullet wounds.

"Minho, I just want to talk", shouted the older man.

"As if Janson", Minho gasped out, still curled up on the floor.

"You are the ones that left me no choice"

When the gunfire had stopped, Minho didn't know. All he knew was that he had failed. That this was supposed to save people and once again he had succeeded in causing nothing but pain.

"Stop", came the Minho's weak voice. "If I come with you will you leave them alone"

"The time for heroics is over. I'm not in need of a cure anymore, I'm in need of experiments.
See, what you kids don't seem to understand is while you never needed WCKD, WCKD needed you. And unfortunately we grew to depend on the likes of you. The strong, the brave, the immune. Until we realised that maybe this world was never destined to survive, that maybe we were created purely to suffer and die when it became too much. But what Ava Paige discovered when she supported the operation on Subject A-2, Thomas, was that you kids are different. You can be harvested and that's exactly what I plan to do. You're not just subjects now, no, now you are my experiments."

"Janson, when do you learn? You can't control us"

"I NEED TO-", the man's outburst shattered silence that had fallen over the destroyed group.

Minho's gaze wavered as he twisted his throbbing head. Four bodies lay still, a girl knelt by one, her eyes plastered on the red liquid coating her hands as she attempted to stem blood flow that had stopped long ago. Robin stood ready to pounce, anger written across her face, Minho didn't understand what stopped her until he turned again to see the last two immunes who had tried to get to Cody were brutally shoved to the floor; one lay weakly struggling, the other given up and slipping further and further into the darkness.

"I need to", Janson repeated," I tried so hard, so damn hard to fight for a future, to fight for a life and look where it got me, hated, hardened and finished. Or that's what everyone else thought. Thomas said I could kill as many people as I wanted and I would never find my escape. Well here we are. Here is where his sacrifice has led us, but tomorrow is a new day and you, Minho, will be my prized possession. Because you boy, will never see the light again."

Minho...Min...You..Minho you there man?

The radio cackled. It lay a few feet away from Minho. It crackled again.

Minho we made it
Minho
Minho come on man

Minho reached out an arm.

Janson stepped forward. He whispered into the radio.

I'm sorry, it looks like it's my turn

No. No. We made it man. WE MADE IT.
MINHO

The radio crackled once more as it was crushed underneath Janson's boot.

"They'll be no escape for you boys this time- Bag 'em"

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Frypan stared into the radio as the crackle died out, evidence of the connection lost, evidence of the failed rescue attempt.

"NO", came a shout from behind him, Brenda ran forward, breath ragged, blood dripping from a cut on her head, mud coating her clothes. "We made it! Come on please, we made it." But the girl had shattered.

Frypan looked up. Jorge lay unconscious near the entrance, blood seeping through the cloths a med-jak had put over his wounds. A group of younger immunes had been slaughtered when Jorge's weapon had been taken, their bodies lying in a haphazard pile. No one had heard from Harriet's team, but they had responded with success after an agonising silence. And despite all this, the guards lay limp across the battle field, and their victory came hand in hand with their pain.

But of course, their happiness was never meant to be. Never.

"We have to go back in", Frypan's voice echoed in the deafening  silence that had rested upon the survivors.

"How? We have no one left, so much has been lost. I know we have been taught never to give up, but maybe the day has come and we are really worth nothing more than this pain", Brenda was finished, tired of fighting, her body ached and her heart was shattered yet again. She knew another loss would completely destroy her. "You know, maybe this is as far as any of us was meant to get. I'm sorry"

"Brenda, everyday we wake up with uncertainty hanging over our heads. Everyday we breath we are living, we have to fight for that, we have to give Minho and Robin and Cody and Niamh and Lily and Owen and so so many more, that chance. I mean what else is the safe haven for"

"There is no bloody safe haven Frypan. It's over. Fight all you want, but I'm done"

"You've been strong for so long Brenda"

"And it's long enough"