"Please, Tommy. Please."

With his heart falling into black abyss, Thomas pulled the trigger.

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NEWT'S POV

It missed. I heard the bullet whistle passed me, and I turned and saw a Crank from my gang jerk and fall to the ground. I whipped round.

All the Cranks and I were staring at Tommy. Tommy, with his eyes shut, on the ground. I looked back at the van, where the two people who Tommy had been with, staring at me and him, with desperation. There was movement behind me. My gang were picking up rocks, and as part of their gang, they were expecting me to do the same. Two of them grabbed me by my shoulders and shoved me to the side, so they could have a clear shot. In front of me, Tommy had now twisted onto his stomach and had pushed himself to his feet. Still with his eyes shut. Then he turned and ran, without looking back.

The head of my gang, raised an arm, and prepared to throw the stone- at Tommy.  I knew this Crank- and he had never missed. Not once.

No matter what happened to me, Tommy was still my friend, the friend who had held me back to stop me getting killed, when Alby sacrificed himself to the grievers, the friend who had fainted when he realized I wasn't immune and the friend who I had trusted with the note. I had to get Tommy out of here alive-whilst I was still sane.

I got to my feet. It was as if everything was turning in slow motion. Tommy still running towards the van, my gang leader's arm moving forwards.  With a strangled cry, I moved- not towards Tommy, but at my leader. He wasn't my leader anymore. The moment I knocked into him, was the moment I wouldn't be one of them anymore, the moment I wouldn't be safe and have a gang to protect me.

I crashed into him, and grabbed the stone and pushed it out of his hand. I was stronger than him, younger, fitter. I got off him, stood up with my fists raised, prepared to fight, and looked back at Tommy. He had almost reached the van door. My old gang had also raised their stones-they weren't aiming at Tommy now, he was forgotten, they were aiming at me. I was dead, and we all knew it-but saving Tommy had been worth it.

In desperation, I looked back at the van, the man wasn't looking at me, but the woman was. She gave me the tiniest of nods. I ran forward, just as the man yelled "Get in!". Tommy jumped right through the door and slammed it shut. Then the van started to move. I had to move fast. The gang were closing in around me. I jumped onto the roof, and hung on as hard as I could, kicking off my old allies who tried to scramble on. One threw a stone at me, but that missed and hit a member of a different gang, who retaliated.  They'd have a hard time getting me now.

We drove anyway, and things got a little quieter.

Good that.

The man turned in the front seat and glared at the woman. She shrugged and mouthed the words, He saved his life, and indicated her head to Tommy. It registered that the 'he' meant me. The man knew I was on the roof then.

I heard Tommy mumble the words, "What have I done?"

I grinned. You have no idea Tommy. You have no bloody idea.