There was a collective intake of breath and then everything froze. My mind, my heart, my lungs, even my hearing; everything froze.

What could I have possibly done that would make these guys, the ones I counted as friends...as brothers, want to kill me?

"That was the biggest bloody klunk to drop Tommy. You better start explaining!" Newt's eyes were narrowed.

"The shuck you talking about Shank?" Minho growled.

I finally unfrozen, everything came crashing back at once, like I slammed back into my body from an out of body experience.

"Tommy...?" I whispered.

I raised my wide terrified eyes to his. He didn't look worried, or scared. His were steady and unwavering.

"Like I said, the three of us worked for the Creators - against our will though. They would make us, especially you, Char, do something and if you hesitated or refused they would torture you...or someone close to you. He was manipulative...sneaky and cruel-"

"Who?"

"Our uncle." He said.

"Okay, fine...But. What did I DO?"

Thomas finally hung his head. He took a breath.

"He made you look over lists of kids, pick the ones for this...trail or experiment, the others were...disposed of. Many of the kids here...were taken...you were the one who found out where they were living or hiding...you came up with many of the horrible situations that happened inside the maze, Gally said last night their variables and how the changing would work...how the Grievers would work, their poisoning..."

I blinked a few times trying to process everything he just said.

"So...I sentenced everyone to death or a life of trauma and misery?"

"Against your will. And we didn't find out what was really going on until much later. I told you he was manipulative. You and Gally came up with an idea to escape. It didn't work and everyone who tried was punished...you and Gally more severely than the rest."

I was too shocked and terrified to react.

"Well time to kick the psycho murder up now." Teresa said.

Drawing Thomas's attention. His eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched.

"Don't be so high and mighty, Teresa." Thomas snapped.

Her eyes brows raised.

"We made this shuck place. We came up with the idea of this place and the maze. We helped send these guys here. And you were the leak that got us caught when we tried to escape the Creators. There was something else too, right before I was sent up, but I don't know what it was..." Thomas's voice was full of venom.

"If we worked with them, why would they send us here?" Teresa asked, challenging him. She flung her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms with a sniff of superiority.

"I don't know." Thomas confessed, "doesn't really matter much. We're here now."

Thomas hung his head, I felt the fight leave, the defiance was replaced by guilt and shame. Sometimes sharing this mind link sucked, having my own emotions to deal with and then having someone else's piled on top. I felt heavy. And it was getting harder to breath.

"He's right." Newt cut in. His voice was sharp and it took the attention away from Teresa and Thomas.

"It doesn't matter." Newt repeated forcefully, "Any of it. Because the people we were before the maze don't even exist anymore."

He had looked hard at me, he reached forward and grabbed my cold shaking hand.

"Love, These Creators took care of that. Who we used to be is dead and gone. What does matter is who we are now, and what we do...
right now."

He squeezed my hand and took Thomas hand in his other hand. He was looking back and forth between the two of us. I could feel the shame and guilt seeping through Thomas's and my mind link, doubling what I already felt.

"You went into the maze and you found a way out. Despite the Creators making it buggen' impossible! You changed their bloody variables. Because that's who you really are! Stubborn, loyal, intelligent, kind, willing to do the bloody hard stuff and you stand up for what's right.

"Yeah, but...that doesn't help Gally it Zart or Fred or Ben or Jax or baby Bean!" I cried.

Tears filling my eyes.

"I know, Love." He said quietly, sadly squeezing my hand, "But I know that if they were here, they would all be telling you the exact same thing; Pick your ass up, Tiger and finish what you started. Because if we do nothing...then that means Zart, Fred, Jax, Ben and Bean, possibly ....Gally, they died for nothing, and I can't have that."

I stiffled a sob with a chuckle. It was a weird mix of emotions. I knew Newt was right.

I could almost see Fred, Jax and Ben standing arms crossed eyes narrowed glarring at me, but then a smirk slid across their faces. "Get up Tiger. Let's finish this, Run fast! Run safe! Run for us!"

With a huge effort I took a deep breath and wiped the tears away my determination coming back. I looked back up to Newt's big brown eyes. I nodded.

"You right Newt."

"I know Love. I usually am." He smirked at me, making me chuckle.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Thomas asked.

"Run fast. Get out." Minho shrugged.

"Great plan. Simple and consice." I sassed.

He grinned at me.

"We find other Keepers who want to leave this shucked place and they talk to their Gladers and we grab weapons and leave. We leave as soon as we can. Two hours max. Meet by the buggen' doors."

I slowly looked at the guys around me, Frypan, Jeff, Vinny, Clint and Chuck, taking in each of their determined faces.

"You guys ...still trust me...even after all the klunk Tommy said about me?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes." Vinny said without hesitation.

"I worked side by side with you for a while. I know who you are. I agree with Newt."

"You were one of the only person who was nice to me." Chuck said nodding, making his curls bounce.

Frypan, Jeff and

Clint nodded, "I'd half nelson another nasty Glader for you any day Charlie. You've lived with us for a year, you've proven who you really are. Hardships will either show your worst side or bring out your best."

I smiled at them all. My broken heart felt a bit less shattered.

"Thank you."

"All right!" Thomas said slapping his hands together, "let's get the show in the road "

"Let's blow this popsicle stand!" Minho said standing up and stretching.

"Let's be like a tree and...leaf." Vinny said dryly.

Minho paused and slowly turned towards him.

"That ..that was probably the...." He said slowly, his face pulled into a frown, "BEST DAD JOKE I HAVE HEARD IN SO LONG!"

Vinny grinned and high fived Minho to the groans of others. But it made me smile.

___________________________

An hour and a half later a group of Gladers were standing by the doors. Grim faces, nervous and tense.

More then half of the guys wanted to leave. A few opted to stay and take their chances. We all begged and pleaded, but in the end it was their choice. I helped distribute the weapons, and even more innovative ones were created in their desperation to be prepared for the Grievers. Wooden poles were carved into spears or wrapped in
barbwire; the knives were sharpened and fastened with twine to the ends of sturdy branches hacked from trees in the woods; chunks of broken glass were duct-taped to shovels. Slicers and Cooks handed out knives. Minho and Thomas brought up the weapons from a hidden basement cellar.

By the end of their given two hours, the Gladers had turned into a small army. A very pathetic, ill-prepared army, but a determined army.

So... about this code?

Yeah, we need Minho and Newt here for a quick meeting!

The four of them huddled off to the side quickly.

"Okay, Charlie and I have to be the ones to do it, punch in the code...or codes."  Thomas said, he ran a hand through his hair, shoving it out of his eyes.

"Yeah, that way if we get separated, we can be in contact and still help each other." I added, twisting the ring around my finger nervously.

"But we need backup in case something
happens to us....so Newt, Minho, that's where you two come in. You two know the words...you know the codes and the workings of the maze." Thomas's voice was bleak, but it didn't waver.

"If something happens and neither Charlie or I can get to the computer or whatever, punched into the computer, if we … well, you know...” he trailed off.

I didn’t want to think about all the bad things that might happen. We were willingly going to run into the maze full of Grievers, into a tunnel where Grievers go during the day.

"Not much to the buggen' plan, then." Newt agreed bleakly.

"Not much at all. Fight the Grievers, punch in the code, escape through the door. Then we deal with the Creators—whatever it takes." Minho nodded, crossing his arms.

"Six code words, possible maze pattern sequence...who knows how many Griever, and whatever else they'll throw at us." I added.

"Sounds right cheery!" Newt smiled, but it looked more like a grimice.

"Yeah .. well..." I shrugged.

The group was quiet for a moment, letting the realization of escape and what cost could be.

I took a deep shuddering breath. "Well, we ain't gonna escape standing here."

"Right. Come on. Let's rally the troops." Thomas added.

"All right! Listen up!" Thomas called.

"Hey! Slim it ya slintheads!" Minho bellowed.

There was quiet, every Glader turned to the four standing in front of them.

"Make sure you’ve got your weapons. Other than that...there isn’t a whole lot to say." Thomas said.

"You’ve all been told the plan. We’re
gonna fight our way through to the Griever Hole, and Tommy and Charlie here’s gonna punch in their little magic code and then we’re gonna get payback on the Creators. Simple as that.” Newt added grimly. His usually calm and peaceful face was set and tense.

I hardly heard Newt, having seen Alby sulking over to the side, away from the main group of the Gladers, alone. Alby picked at the string of his bow while he stared at the ground. A quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder. I felt a rush of worry that somehow Alby was unstable, that somehow he’d screw everything up.

Keep an eye on Alby. I know he's jacked from the changing... He didn't want to actually leave and I'm surprised he's actually here.

Yeah, seems odd. But hey, if he's coming with us, maybe he's not as jacked as we think.

Let's hope.

"Shouldn’t someone give a pep talk or something?" Minho asked, pulling Thomas and me from our conversation.

"Go ahead," Newt replied, stepping back and waving a hand for Minho to take over.

Minho nodded and faced the crowd, with his muscular arms folded, he looked around the crowd of Gladers. His lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes cold stone.

Oh, this is going to be a serious actual peo talk!

Doubt it.

"Be careful. Don't die." he said dryly.

There it is.

"Great. We’re all bloody inspired." Newt rolled his eyes.

Minho shrugged and stepped back.

Newt took his spot shaking his head. He then pointed over his shoulder, toward the Maze.

"You all know the plan. After two years of being treated like mice, tonight we’re making a stand. Tonight we’re taking the fight back to the Creators, no matter what we have to go through to get there. Tonight the Grievers better be scared.” Newt yelled.

Thomas sprung forwards now, I could see the fire in his eyes and nervous excitement in his tense body, but he trust a fist into the air and yelled, "We don't belong here. This place isn't our home. We were put here. We're trapped here. At least, out there we have a choice. We can make it out of here."

I yelled, throwing my fist into the air. Then someone else yelled. Soon shouts and battle calls broke out, rising in volume, filling the air like thunder.

I felt a trickle of courage inside, starting in the pit of my stomach. I wish Gally was here beside me. And Fred and Jax and Ben and Bean (as terrifying being a teen mom had sounded, my heart still broke thinking of losing Bean.) ..I wish they were all beside me.

As I lifted my fist with a yell of defiance, a tear slid down my cheek. I don't know what happened to Gally. He looked wild and deranged when he showed up...I doubt he would have made it. Especially after his wild claim of The Creators killing one person a night. I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle the sob that tried to break out.

Thomas had backed up, and stepped over beside me. He grabbed my hand and held it tight.

Newt was right. Tonight, they’d fight. I'd fight for freedom for those who never got to experience it. Tonight, they’d make their stand, once and for all. Thomas roared with the other Gladers, his voice loud right beside me. It gave me some strength. Minho came to stand on my other side. There wasn't anyone else I would rather make a stand with.

Newt thrust his weapon into the air and yelled, "Hear that, Creators! We’re coming!"

Thomas looked down at me, gave me an encouraging smile, squeezed my hand.

I looked up at Minho. He gave me a grim nod. "Run fast. Run safe."

The three of us turned and with a deep breath lead the Gladers into the Maze. For the last time.