ACT I SCENE XVIII
DIONYSIACUS

   CASSANDRA STARTED awake to the sound of screaming. She looked around wildly to regain her bearings and took comfort in knowing that she was in the Homestead. With a feeling of deja vu, she buried her head underneath her pillow in a vain attempt to block out the screams. It was no use. She then groaned out loud before opening her eyes. The first thing she saw was Minho. Shirtless. Sitting on a chair by the drawers mending his shirt. His muscles rippled with every move he made.

He looked up at her and she froze in the act of staring. He gave her a saucy grin. "Whatcha lookin' at?" he asked with an amused tone.

"Um." Her heart skipped a beat. "Why are you naked?"

"Like what you see?" he asked.

"No."

"Then why are you looking at me like that?" he asked with a wide smirk.

"Like what?"

"Like you wanna plant one on me."

She threw her pillow at his face just as she felt a rush of heat to her cheeks. "Shut up."

He guffawed at her reaction before tossing the pillow back at her. "Come on, don't forget about the Gathering. It's gonna start soon."

Grousing to herself about his stupid smug face, she threw the covers aside and got out of bed. Alby continued to scream from the room next door and she side-eyed Minho suspiciously as he put his shirt back on. He continued to chuckle at her expense. Exiting the room, she came face-to-face with Thomas who seemed to be skulking near Alby's room. He started when he saw her.

"I—uh—" he stammered.

"Changing," she informed with a nonchalant wave in Alby's general direction, then proceeded to leave. He went after her, bouncing down the stairs enthusiastically after having his curiosity sated.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"To the bathroom, stop following me," she responded.

"Are you gonna be at the Gathering?" He stopped at the bottom of the steps leading to the outhouse.

"Yes, now good bye." She shut the door in his face. After quickly brushing her teeth and washing herself up, she emerged back into the Glade and jogged towards the Council room. She opened the door to find that everyone was already gathered there, even Thomas. He sat in the middle of the room facing the entire Council like he was sat on trial. She took a seat on the very last chair of the semi circle near the door next to Minho who threw her a sly wink.

"Right, now that everyone's finally here." Newt threw a dirty look at her. "In place of our leader, sick in bed, I declare this Gathering begun."

"I have something to say." Gally stood up. "This slinthead comes up the Box, acting all scared and confused. Few days later, he's running through the Maze with Grievers, acting like he owns the place. That's shucking bullcrap."

Cassandra frowned in thought. The boy had a point and she suddenly felt that she could relate to it. After all, she had come up to the Maze under unusual circumstances herself.

"I think it was all an act," Gally continued, "How could he have done what he did out there in just a few days if he was really clueless? You all remember what it was like coming out of the Box. I ain't buyin' it."

Newt sighed. "And what're you tryin' to say, Gally? How 'bout having a bloody point?"

"I think he's a spy. For them." The burly boy flicked his glare to Thomas, who shifted agitatedly in his seat. He continued to keep his silence for the time being though.

"What?! You're smokin' cow klunk!" Frypan exclaimed.

"Really, Fry?" Gally raised his eyebrows challengingly. "You sayin' this shank magically knew all about the Maze? I've gone through the Changing, I've seen things none of you could ever imagine seeing!"

"What exactly did you see?" Winston asked evenly.

"I saw him." The Builder pointed to the boy in question. "He was with them. Working for them. Isn't that right, Cassandra?"

He turned to address her but she merely stared back like a deer caught in headlights.

"We all know Cass' story," Frypan quickly replied for her. "That still don't make him some kinda spy. Dude, that's jacked up."

"Which part of all this is normal, Fry?" Gally shot back. "Does that slinthead look normal to you?"

"Finished, Captain Gally?" Newt asked scathingly.

"No, I'm not," Gally retorted. "If you'd stop jumping the gun for one second, Newt, and actually think, you'll see it too. There's nothing right about that shank. When Cassandra came up the Box recognising everyone, you were all ready to throw her in the Slammer when she hadn't even done anything. Now you're treating this shuckface like a hero? You and I both know that's not right. Are you just gonna sit there and ignore the warnings? You better think long and hard before you let him run around out there again."

Exhaling heavily, Gally lowered himself back into his seat as a sign that he was done. With a look of utter relief, Newt quickly called for a next speaker. Minho immediately stood up, surprising a few people including Cassandra. She looked up at him in curiosity at what he had to say.

"I was out there, I saw what he did," he started, looking at the other Keepers resolutely. "The shank has guts, I'll tell you that. He stayed strong out there while I turned into a panty wearin' chicken. I'm gonna make this simple so here's my recommendation...I nominate this shank to replace me as Keeper of the Runners."

Cassandra's jaw dropped. Stunned silence settled over the Council to match the expressions on all their faces. Then Gally, of course it would have been Gally, stood up furiously. He pointed at Minho and started yelling with a vein throbbing on his forehead. "He should be kicked off the Council for saying something so stupid!"

"Gally, seriously, shut the bloody hell up!"

Then everyone was frantically clamouring over each other. Jackson and Winston were with Gally, disagreeing loudly from the other side. Frypan clapped his hands to drown them out as he supported Minho's suggestion. To Cassandra's utter dismay, a few of the others were nodding their heads in agreement as well. She bit her lip before reaching out to grab his arm. "Minho, have you lost your shucking mind?"

He turned to give her a small smirk. "Trust me, Cassie, I know what I'm doin'."

"I've never seen so many shanks actin' like tit-suckin' babies!" Newt exclaimed then threatened to disband the Council unless everyone started acting like proper adults again. "Come on, Minho, you gotta justify yourself."

"We left him out there to fend for himself," Minho said. "I'm the Keeper of the Runners but I lost all hope the moment those shuck Doors closed on us. But not Thomas though, the idiot kept trying to get us to do something to survive the night. If Cassie hadn't gone back to get him, it'd probably have been sheer luck for me to bump into him again. And it was thanks to that shank's shucking ideas that got us all through to the next morning."

She thought that he was laying it on real thick with the praise and found herself grumbling about it in her mind. "We get the point," Gally snapped. "Tommy here is a lucky shank."

Minho turned on him bitterly. "No, you worthless shuck, you don't get it! I've been here for two years and I haven't seen anything like it. For you to say anything..."

He stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning loudly in frustration. Cassandra watched him with interest; it was always a sight whenever Minho got riled up. The boy dropped his hand to his side and started again in a calmer voice.

"Gally...you're nothin' but a sissy who only asked to be a Runner 'cause Cassie got made one. You don't have a right to talk about things you don't understand. So shut your damn mouth."

The taller boy rose from his seat, eyes gleaming with rage. "Say one more thing like that and I'll break your neck!" he threatened, spittle flying as he spoke.

Minho looked away scornfully and laughed in disbelief. He raised his hand before shoving his palm right into Gally's face. It had enough force to send the boy toppling back into his chair, which tipped backwards and fell to the floor.

Gally crashed along with it; sprawled on his front against the hard ground. He scrambled to get up, his face a flaming red that reached all the way up to the tips of his ears. Minho walked over and planted his foot onto the boy's back to pin him down.

"I swear, Gally." He sneered. "Don't ever threaten me again, or I'll break your shuck neck. Right after I'm done with your arms and legs."

Cassandra wanted to feel bad for Gally but Minho looked so attractive asserting his dominance like that and she found herself smiling at it. Wait, where the heck did that thought come from?

Newt and Winston had gotten up to restrain the Runner. Gally sprung up immediately once Minho was off him and he glared at the boy with a burning hatred. He looked like he wanted to fight back but chose to back away towards the door instead, eyes darting around the room like a wild animal.

"Things are different now." He spat on the floor. "You shouldn't have done that, Minho. You shouldn't have done that. We're all going to be shucked now because none of you will see reason. You've landed in the palm of his hand! But I'm not going to let him. He's not going to trick me..."

He continued to ramble to himself and Cassandra could only look on in pity.

"Things are going to change. This, I promise," Gally repeated once more. "And then you'll all be sorry."

He finally left, leaving the room in a dumbfounded state. Clint raised his hand then and Newt tilted his chin up in the boy's direction. "Yeah, Clint?"

"Gally kinda has a point," he told everyone. "How can we really trust him? I mean, we have two Gladers with memories who are against him."

"I...I don't think he's that bad..." Cassandra spoke up. "Minho's right, he does have guts even though he's a shuck idiot. But that doesn't mean he should be a Keeper." She glanced sharply at Minho. "We can make him a Runner, like me. I think that's a good start."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Frypan quipped. "I'm up for it."

"Well, we're gonna have to throw him in the Slammer first for breakin' the rules. All those who agree, raise your hands," Newt suggested and everyone around the room held their palms up in the air. "It's decided then. Congratulations, Thomas."

The boy in question just stared back with his mouth open. Minho let out a boisterous laugh. "Aim high, hit low," he said and Cassandra sent him a dubious look.

"I have a question," Thomas voiced loudly with eyes set on Cassandra. "What changed?"

Everyone in the room turned to her and she almost lost her voice. She took a small shuddering breath. A brief flash of an obscure memory passed through her mind. "You saved my life. That's what changed."

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