Hope sat huddled in the cargo hold, she was shivering and trying hard to keep the tears from falling. She didn't see Sonya or Tim or Harvey or Aris for that matter. They were either lost in the crowd or they were rescued.

So Thomas and his gang got everyone but Minho. The one guy they were looking for. The bitterness rose up and roared in her chest. And where was Lanna and Vera? Janson had demanded all kinds of answers about Odin, but Hope knew nothing. He kept his details of his previous life to himself. She knew he was a Major in the army, he worked overseas and did various missions, that's all he said.

He was still with the Right Arm, that much she gathered from Janson's questioning and the guard captain. But again she knew nothing. Hope pulled her knees up to her chest, placed her forehead down and let the tears fall. She was alone and helpless. She was scared and hurting and it seemed like no one was coming for her.

Minho had come over and slid down the wall beside her. Hope turned her head away, she didn't want to talk. But apparently that didn't phase Minho because he started talking.

"How are you feeling now?"

Hope said nothing.

"Yeah, I feel that." He sighed. "Sucks being left behind. Rat Man is gonna be the shucken worst..."

Hope could feel her anger building. She tried to swallow the feeling down, but it kept leaking out the longer Minho talked.

"...wonder where they're taking us. Do ya think we'll be travelling by Berg from now on?"

She twisted back to face him, "Just shut up Minho." Hope finally snapped.

"Whoa Ace, I know we were left behind, but what's got your panties in a bunch?" He leaned back and held his hands up.

"It doesn't matter where they take us or how. There won't be another grand rescue attempt. Janson won't let that happen." She hissed. Swatting at more tears Hope went on, "And I'm pissed off because he thinks I'm some kind of special interest to your stupid elite group and I'm being picked on because of it. But they couldn't even bother to look for anyone else. Just you. Your name was the only one they were looking for. Not Sonya or Aris...not me or anyone from my group just you. Just His Majesty's friend, part of the Elite group of Mighty Gladers."

Minho sat blank faced looking at her. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the wall, facing outwards, he tipped his head back and closed his eyes with a small sigh.

"Mighty optimistic aren't ya, Ace?"

"Just leave me alone." She spat.

Minho rolled his head and peeked an eye open at her. "No."

"You've caused me enough grief, my life was fine before your group showed up."

"Was it though?"

"Yes! I wasn't tortured every day for information I don't know! I didn't get electrocuted if I took too long to answer a question. I wasn't forced into nightmares and my bodily fluids collected!"

"Ya alright...I'll give you that one."

Hope just scoffed. Minho gave her a small smirk. Hope frowned at him.

"Why are you smirking?"

"I find it funny."

"What's so funny?" Hope was feeling more irritated the longer he was talking.

"What's funny Ace, is that, Thomas and whoever else helped, 'cause obviously he had a lot of help, pulled off one of the greatest heists of all time! They literally stole a train car full of kids! And a Berg! Like come on! They stole a train car from WICKED!"

Hope had to admit, now that Minho said it, it was kind of awesome.

"And I know Thomas. He won't stop. They'll find another way. He won't leave us hanging." Minho said it with such conviction it was hard not to believe him.

"Us?" Hope asked, picking her chin off her knees.

Minho nodded. "Yeah. He has a bad hero complex. He's gotta save everyone. Including a nobody like you, Ace."

Hope just hummed. Placing her chin back down.

"I promise, if they come back, I'll come get you. I can't leave my cell mate hanging! Like you said before. We're in this together."

Hope looked at him. He had straightened up and leaned forwards slightly, his dark eyes were intense.

"I mean it Hope. We've been through a lot of klunk together. I'm not leaving that place without you."

Hope slowly unwound her arms and let her legs fall, so she was sitting cross legged. She slowly nodded. "Okay Mean-Hoe."

"Like I mean it! Like I pinky promise." He held his hand out, pinky out.

It was so rediculous. It made a small smile and a very small laugh was heard. Minho's smirk grew.

"You know you can't break a pinky promise! Those things are sacred!"

"I don't make pinky promises with just anybody about anything, Hope I- don't- even- know- your- last- name, Ace!"

"Poulter."

Minho ground and cocked his head.

"My last name. Hope Caroline Joanna Poulter."

Minho straighter up, and cocked his head the other way and a smile broke across his face, it wasn't a smirk, it was a genuine smile, showing his dimples and making his eyes crease and almost disappear.

"Well. Then, Hope Caroline Joanna Poulter, I Minho, Keeper of the Runners part of the Night Gladers do solumly swear on this pinky promise to never leave you behind."

Hope couldn't help it. She smiled and laughed quietly, and wrapped a her pinky finger around his. Minho grined even bigger and nodded his head.

"It is done." He said with finality.

They both leaned back against the Berg wall and sat side by side in the cargo hold waiting for whatever was going to happen next. Hope's exhausted and still sore body started to petter out and slip into sleep. She felt gentle pressure on the side of her head, she peeled her eye kids open. Minho was forcing her head down onto his shoulder. She was so tired and sore she didn't fight it.

"Sleep Ace."

She hummed, "you too."

He wrapped his huge arm around hers and laced his fingers with hers, Hope felt her stomach flutter, but she was too sore and tired for much else. He laid his head ontop of hers and they both drifted off to sleep. Their bruised and battered bodies begging for a rest.

•°•

Oden held onto the thick cords that held the train car to the Berg. They just barley made it out of there. If Jorge hadn't shown up when he did, they would have all been done for. But he came just in time. And now they were on their way back to their temporary base.

He wasn't sure how to feel. He didn't let his emotions affect the mission or the team. But he had a deep sinking feeling. They knew the chances of all the kids were in one train car. And when they got there he was right. Four train cars full of kids. They only had the capacity to take one car.

Thomas went one way and Lanna went the other, banging on the train cars, calling for their family. But it wasn't going to work out. Odin had to make the final call. They had to pick one and go. He wasn't sure who was in the car.

He had to remind himself even if his Hope wasn't in the car, they saved an entire train car of kids. And that's something. They would just find another way to get the kids out.

He looked over at Lanna who gripped the cord so right her knuckles were white. Her face was pale. It was too windy to say anything, but he reached a huge tattooed arm out and pulled his girl into a tight hug. She has become quiet and sullen over the months. Hope and her had been inseparable since the day they found Lanna.

Lanna and Odin would stop at nothing to get her back. Lanna gripped him so tight, it was like she was trying to keep herself here and not fall apart. Odin encouraged her to get to know the Maze kids, but she was resentful of them. He understood. But he was also old enough to understand these were kids just trying to survive, they didn't mean to bring death and destruction. That was WICKED. Nothing good was safe if WICKED still stood.

The Berg finally touched down, it hovered in place until they had the cords and hooks undone. Jorge and the flight crew left to land the Berg. Vince Odin and the others climbed down. Oden was handed a set of metal cutters he got to work on the lock.

"Hurry papa!" Lanna insisted.

"I'm working as fast as I can."

The chain and lock finally fell to the ground and he shoved the skidding door open. Inside the car were rows and rows of kids. All with wide terrified eyes and beat up faces. Thomas, Newt Frypan and Lanna shoved their way inside. They all stopped dead. Odin heard a few muttered curses.

"You're safe now kids." Odin reasured the kids, he held up the metal cutters, "I'm going to get those chains off. We have medical aid, food and water waiting for you. Your safe."

A few of the kids relaxed a few started crying.

"Odin?" A horse voice called, "Lanna?"

The two of them straughted up and searched the faces.

"No way! Harvey?" Lanna shrieked.

She shoved her way through Newt and Thomas and flew at the boy. She pulled him into a tight hug.

"Where's mine?" Another sore voice asked.

Lanna spun around and Tim was sitting there. She yelped and flung herself at him too. Odin was working as fast as he could to removed the chains and cuffs. Vince and Frypan started to help. Half way down the train car two more familiar faces were found.

"Sonya!" Lanna cried. The girl gave her a small smile. Thomas had come over and crouched down infront of them.

"Sonya, Aris!" Thomas almost whispered it in disbelief.

"Hey, you guys okay?" Frypan also came over, he crouched down. Lanna turned and took hold of Harvey and Tim's hand. They sat opposite each other with the row in between them right in front of Sonya and Aris.

"Yeah, we're fine."

"Ya sure?" Lanna asked, eyeing up the bruises, "those look pretty nasty!"

Harvey gave her a thin lipped small smile. Lanna squeezed his hand gently.

"It's okay. You guys are safe. All right? Just hang on. Thomas nodded.

"Odin! I need the bolt cutters." He turned back to Sonya and Aris, "It's good to see you!"

Thomas gave them a small smile. The two of them and Harvey looked quite beat up, more so then the other kids, sure they were all pale skittish and looked exhausted, but these three had some pretty nasty bruises.

Odin had come over and given the two boys a tight hug.

"It's good to see you, son." He said giving Harvey a hug and a gentle pat on the back.

Lanna got up and went over to Odin, "Papa she's not here."

"I know." He said quietly.

They both were quiet. There was no Hope. And Thomas, Newt and Frypan could clearly see there was no Minho. Lanna but her bottom lip trying not to cry. Odin gave her shoulder a squeeze. Odin had a job to do. He would help Lanna through this in a minute, but right now, these freshly rescued kids needed attention.

Odin and Vince led the kids out of the car, with the encouragement from Lanna, Thomas, Frypan and Newt. Harriet and Vera were now waiting outside anxiously. When they saw their people they shrieked and pulled them into hugs.

Odin ushered the few others who looked like they needed medic care to the medical tent while Vince took the others.

They were all seen by someone and patched up. And now, Harvey, Tim, Sonya and Aris sat in one tent, Aris and Harvey holding ice packs to their faces. Everyone else piled in, they wanted to hear. Odin sat down on a stool, Thomas knelt down leaning forwards.

"Are you kids okay?" Odin asked, his deep voice rumbled.

Sonya nodded, "Ya. We are now."

"You're safe here." Thomas added. Lanna tried hard not to scoff. But she did. She quickly covered it with a couhh. Odin glanced at her. Thomas said that a lot for a kid who brought hell raining down on them at the last Right Arm out post.

Brenda and Jorge ducked into the tent carrying trays with tea.

"Here, drink this." Harriet encouraged Sonya, passing a cup of tea to her.

"Took you guys long enough to rescue us." Aris said with a small forced chuckle. His eyes looked haunted. The others in the tent let out nervous laughter.

"It's good to see you, too, bud." Thomas said patting his knee.

"So what happened?" Odin asked, indicating the nasty bruises.

"I fought back. Tried to, anyway." Aris said.

"And I tried helping Hope."

"You saw her?" Lanna blurted, she took a step forwards.

Harvey nodded. "Twice actually. The second time was right before we left. I saw the guards dragging her in, half unconscious and dumolp her into a line. She could hardly stand and fell into a side in front of her who pushed her away. I tried to get there, but some spiky haired Asin kid for there first, he landed a solid punch to the face..."

"Minho?" Frypan questioned, his eyes wide.

Harvey nodded, "Ya..." he said slowly, "I think that's what Hope said his name was."

Sonya threw her hands over her mouth. "They took her right before we were thrown into holding rooms. Said the Director wanted to see her. She was dragged away."

"Why?" Odin asked sharply. "What does he want with her?"

Sonya let her hands fall into her lap. And shook her head.

"The four of us had a cell together. Aris Minho, Hope and I. It seemed Rat Man picked on Minho and Hope more then anyone."

"Ya...I wasn't used much." Tim said quietly. "That Minho kid helped me patch her leg up in the Berg and then we were split up girls and guys and then I never saw them again. I was in a different holding cell then Harvey and the rest of them."

Odin frowned.

"But why Hope?" Lanna spat, glaring at Thomas for a moment, "She has nothing to do with The Maze stuff."

"My best guess?" Sonya said quietly. "He's fascinated with her having no medical records and he still thinks she's Tommy's girlfriend."

Every eye went to Thomas who sat stunned.

"Well that's bull shit." Lanna spat.

"Ya. It is." Aris said quietly, "They used Minho more as well because he's your best friend."

Thomas opened and closed his mouth. The tent was silent and tense.

"You're lucky you found us at all." Sonya finally said breaking the silence.

"They had us on the move a lot." Tim added.

"Any idea where they were heading?" Odin asked.

All four of them shook their heads.

"All I know is they kept talking about a city."

"I didn't think there were any cities left." Frypan asked frowning.

"That's because there aren't. Not still standing, anyway." Brenda answered from the back, folding her arms.

"Not quite accurate, but close." Odin corrected.

"Okay, wait. What about Minho? And Hope?" Thomas held up a hand and looked imploryingly at the four of them. "Where were those two, you all ended up on the same car...where were they?"

"We lost Minho in the crowd when we left the holding rooms, and we were shoved into the car."

"We were some of the last to load, when Hope collapsed, I saw the guards haul them into the last train car."