Piper barely slept a wink. The rescue mission seeped into her brain, trying to figure out the ways that this plan could collapse. In the beginning, she was prepared, even optimistic, about this plan, but waking up and getting closer to leaving, she wasn't so sure. She could never admit to Thomas that she started to have doubts, not with how close they were to get their friends back and also with how far they had come in six months.

The few that were going on this mission were setting up their trucks, getting all of the equipment they needed. Piper had her gun loaded and the truck packed with extra ammo and weapons for the others.

Piper  huffed a sigh. "This can't go wrong," she told herself.

Piper was loading the truck that she was planning to drive when Aurora came over. "Nervous?" she asked me.

"A little. It seems like now that the day is here..."

"I get it," she said. "I know you're ready to see your friends and boyfriend again."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Aris isn't my boyfriend."

Aurora chuckled. "Yeah, okay." She strolled away, getting more supplies for the truck.

Piper thought about Aris a lot while he was in WICKED's hands. She hoped he was okay and wondered if he thought about her as well. The idea that WICKED was messing with his brain to find clues for a cure for the Flare made her blood boil.

He's going to be okay. He has to be.

As soon as Piper finished loading the truck, Vince came around. "Okay, Newt, your group needs to head out! Harriet, Frypan, you as well! Where's Thomas?" He walked around, looking all over for Thomas.

"Piper," Gwyneth said from behind, making Piper turn around to face her. "Get any sleep last night?"

"Not at all."

"Same." She paused, then went on. "We're gonna get them back."

Piper looked at her friend and nodded. "Yeah, I hope so, Gwyn."

Thomas approached the girls, looking breathless already. "Okay, we're heading out. Jorge and Brenda left not too long ago."

They nodded and hopped inside the truck, with Piper driving again. Aurora jumped in the back, her gun strapped over her shoulder. "Alright, all set?"

"Yup," Gwyneth replied, loading her gun. "Now let's go rescue some sticks."

Piper started the truck, feeling my heart already pumping hard as she waited for Vince and Thomas to get prepared. Once they headed out of the camp in their truck, she hit the pedal and sped out of the camp to catch up with them.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't crash before we get to the train!" Aurora shouted.

"Duly noted!" Piper shouted back, getting closer to Vince and Thomas.

The drive to the train felt long, no matter how fast we were going. Over the hills and bumps, it was all familiar to her. It had been for the last six months and hopefully, it would be the last time she came driving around here.

All of a sudden, the train whistle echoed in the distance. The plan was officially in motion.

"Faster, Piper!" Aurora shouted from the back. "I'm ready to make this train rattle!"

Piper obliged and hit the gas again, her truck just behind Vince and Thomas'. Now going as fast as she could, her adrenaline was pumping at the same speed. She gripped the wheel tighter, not wanting to lose control of the truck, with her nails digging in the leather fabric so hard it began to hurt her hands.

When the train was in sight, Piper heard Thomas say something through the radio, but couldn't make out the words. Vince drove off and headed for the rear end of the train while she made her way toward the front.

"Don't get to the very front yet," Aurora ordered.

"Why?" Piper asked.

"Just don't," she barked.

Not wanting to cause any issues, Piper did as she was told. She slowed down when she got to the second cart, wondering what Aurora wanted to do. "What are you planning to do?" she questioned.

"Get closer!" Aurora yelled, standing up from her seat.

"What?"

"Get closer! There's a ladder right there!"

Piper got a bit closer, making her more nervous. "Just tell me what you're trying to do!" I shouted.

"I told you, rattling the train!" Then, she pushed herself off of the truck and onto the ladder. "Keep them busy, girls!"

Gwyneth chuckled, getting her gun ready. "That stick is crazy."

Piper then headed to the front, getting farther from the train this time. Gwyneth aimed her gun at the window with two men from WICKED. Piper caught a glimpse of Gwyneth firing at them, the bullets hitting the glass, not doing as much damage as she thought.

"Can you tell me what Aurora is doing now?" Piper asked Gwyneth.

"She's headin' for the front of the train now," she explained. "Maybe that's a good thing. Vince and Thomas need more time, probably."

All of a sudden, Piper heard a loud noise from above, seeing and feeling the wind blow faster. She looked up briefly and saw what was about to hover over them.

Not a damn Berg, Piper thought.

"Uh-oh," Gwyneth stated. "Looks like we've got more company."

Looking ahead, some WICKED soldiers were coming out, their guns pointed their way. They shot at them, the bullets not making it through the windshield, fortunately. Piper slightly ducked down, jerking the wheel a bit. Gwyneth took her gun and began to use it again. Piper turned to see Aurora right above the soldiers, doing her best to get their attention away from the girls.

"Thomas better hurry up!" Gwyneth yelled, shooting some more at the soldiers. She looked behind her for a brief second. "Looks like they're both on the train!"

"Good!" Piper yelled.

"Hey, you guys got company!" Thomas shouted from his radio.

"We're aware!" Piper yelled back.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"Shit!" she shouted. "I didn't know that's what he meant!"

"Go, Piper!" Gwyneth screamed.

Flashes of orange and grey came around them as Piper twisted and turned at every open space she could find. Eventually, the Berg ended up following Jorge and Brenda. "Where are we gonna go now?"

The static of the radio came back in. "You guys are on your own now. Don't die," Brenda said.

"Good luck," Thomas replied.

"You, too," Gwyneth added, then turning to me. "Now what?"

Piper headed away from the train, avoiding any more explosions. "Keep an eye on the train. When it stops, we'll know to head back."

"No, Piper, I think we need to go back to the camp," Gwyneth stated.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What? No, we've come this far, Gwyn. We can't just--"

"I get it, I really do, but all of them have it under control."

"We can't just leave them!" she protested.

"Piper! They'll be fine and they'll understand," she stated in a firm voice. "We might get caught up with another Berg and not come out alive."

Piper huffed a sigh, slamming on the brakes. She turned to see the train had stopped and the gunshots echoing from afar. She looked at Gwyneth, then shook her head. "Okay." With that, she hit the gas pedal and headed back to camp, hoping that Gwyneth was right about the choice they just made.

~~~~~~~

A/N: Wow, I actually finished a chapter?

I know this was long overdue and it was gonna be a lot longer, but I was having a hard time with this chapter and decided to wrap it up. So, here ya go, lol.

Song above is Rescue by John Paesano (from Death Cure of course).

Comment, vote, I've missed this story.

-A