"What the blood shuck is going on out there?!" Newt demanded the second the trio got back inside the safety of the Glade.

"It sounded awful! It sounded like it was all collapsing!" Teresa added.

"Yep. Pretty much!" Alex answered, popping her P. Teresa's mouth opened in shock.

Gally came shoving his way through the crowd, "What the hell you done now, Thomas?" He demanded.

"We saw something, a new passage. It could be a way out!" Thomas answered, still very much out of breath. The crowd burst into excited chatter. Newt had motioned them to follow him, the rest of the crowd following behind Newt and the Runner trio.

"Alby needs to hear this too, He's up, but still pretty tired, and grouchy. Come on." Newt explained over his shoulder.

Chuck was bounding around beside them, "Really? A way out??"

Alex smiled at him, "It's true, Chuckles. We found a door."

"Something I'd never seen before." Minho said seriously, he couldn't believe he'd never seen that section before..

"I think it might be where the Grievers go during the day. I got my hands covered in griever goop!" Alex added.

"Wait! Whoa, whoa, whoa... You found the Grievers' home? And you want us to go in?" Chuck stopped dead, horror struck. Alex stopped and turned to look at him, the rest of the crowd did too.

"Well, their way in could be our way out!" Alex explained, gently, she knew he was terrified of the maze and who wouldn't be scared of grievers?!

Gally scoffed as he shoved one last kid out of his way to get right in her and Thomas's face, "Yeah, or there could be a dozen Grievers on the side. The thing is, Thomas doesn't know what he's done! An' Alex is going right along with it, as usual!"

Wouldn't you be a bit happier if someone said there might be a possibility of freedom?

Thomas on the other hand, had his anger flare up and he was right up in Gally's face, poking him in the chest, "Yeah, at least we're doing something, Gally. I mean, what have you done? Aside from hide behind these walls all the time?"

"Let me tell you something, Greenie. You've been here a month ONE month, all right? I've been here 2 years!" Gally was shaking with anger, the veins in his neck popping. Alex could see his fists balling, and the tension in his shoulders tightened. Thomas didn't look any better, he was right up in Gally's face.

"Yeah, you've been here 2 years and you're STILL here, Gally! What does that tell you? Maybe you should be doing things a differently."

Gally went to punch Thomas. Alex saw it coming. She threw herself at Gally just as his fist came around. He missed Thomas's face by inches. She slammed her shoulder into Gally causing them both to fall. Alex rolled off and came up standing, fighting stance ready. Gally was absolutely livid now. He scrambled to his feet. His eyes were pure hatred. He tried coming at her, but she ducked and just like in the pit a few months before, she sidestepped and brought her knee right into his stomach. But unlike last time, she had months of training and running, she was a lot stronger and more confident in her abilities. She knocked the wind out of him, and he stayed down, gasping for air.

"Gally, as your second in command, and someone who can take you down, I'm telling you this once. Don't ever try that again."

Gally slowly got to his feet, "I remember Thomas. And you. So did everyone else who got stung. What does that tell us? You shouldn't be trusted! You did this!" He hissed.

Alex crossed her arms, getting very tired of hearing the same thing over and over.

"Gally, I knew half of you before the maze. We were friends! Did you know that? We hung out! But you don't see me blaming you for all this klunk! Pull your head out of the sand! We might've found a way out and you want to whine about seeing someone in your memories? Grow the shuck up!"

The Gladers, while listening to the arguments, had subconsciously moved to the side they believed in. And a majority of the keepers were standing behind Alex. They believed in her, Thomas and Minho. She hadn't been here long, but since she arrived, she lit a fire in them, giving them a new hope. And if Minho and Newt, two of the original Gladers believed in her (and Thomas) then that was good enough for them. Gally wasn't going to back down from a fight that easily, unfortunately. He was too stubborn and set in his ways.

"How do we know you haven't been sent up to lead us to our deaths? Huh? This is our home!" Gally was now trying to reason with the Gladers.

"Yes, and a lovely home it is too, with killer death monsters to tell us when it's bedtime." Alex scoffed.

Minho snorted, "legit though. Are they supposed to be like our pets?"

"Nah, I got a dog. Don't need no poison shooting biomechanical hunk of junk!" Alex rolled her eyes. "They're more like jailers."

"Hey guys...?" A quiet voice said. Everyone was too busy arguing to hear it though.

"YOU WERE IN MY MEMORIES! I KNOW YOU HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS! DON'T TRUST THEM!" Gally shouted, he was being held back by a few of his builder crew.

"AND YOU WERE IN MINE SLINT HEAD! AND WE WERE FRIENDS! MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T TRUST YOU!" Alex screamed back.

"Guys!" The voice said again.

Alex shook her head, the anger draining from her. She was tired for yelling at this thick skulled bully.

"Seriously Gal? You have done nothing, not even once tried to help find a way out, and you're upset Tommy and I actually bloody did something?! Why aren't you yelling at Minho? He's helping find a way out, he has been for the last 2 years..."

"Hey! Don't bring me into this!" Minho held his hands up.

"Sorry babe, just making a shucken point. But this potato nosed buffoon can't seem to understand anything! You were here finding a way out for two years and as soon as there is a way out he's upset. Why wasn't he like this with you for two years. Just because I'm a chick and Thomas is new. He's being the shuckiest shuck faced shuck there ever was!"

"True." Minho nodded.

"GUYS!" the sweet voice yelled, finally catching their attention. Every head swiveled in her direction. It was the first time Teresa raised her voice.

"Yeah Tes?" Thomas asked.

"The sun is setting, didn't those wall doors close yesterday at this time?" She was pointing at the open walls, confusion on her face. "Do they close at different times on different days?"

Minho looked at his watch "Oh Shuck!" His eyes wide as he looked up to meet Alex and Newt's. "She's right, while this slint head" he gestured at Gally, "was spewing shuckin nonsense, again, we didn't realize the doors didn't close..."

Everyone spun around to face the doors, with horrified expressions. Alex stood staring at the entrance to the maze along with everyone else.

Why would the doors not close? What's the point in that?

And then it hit her.

The creators are letting the Grievers in!

Before she could get her thoughts vocalized, there was an inhuman scream from deep in the maze. Gladers started yelling, and everyone was moving, but nothing was happening, no one was going anywhere. It was panicked chaos. Alex needed their attention...she lifted her fingers to her mouth and let a loud sharp whistle out.

"SLIM IT! LISTEN UP!" The Gladers settled enough to listen, someone was taking charge. She looked around at the terrified faces looking at her.

I need to protect these boys! They are looking at me to get home. They trust me! I need to get them home!

"OK. I think we have an hour, maybe two before those Grievers make it here. We need to do everything we can to be ready. Chuck. Matt. Go to the homestead, take the rest of the sloppers and start barricading everything. Builders, take extra boards and nail up windows. Fry, Tes. Get as much of the food into the homestead. Thomas, get Alby, bring him to the homestead. Jeff. Clint. Make sure you're ready, can you pack some first aid bags? Hand them out to The Keepers. Everyone else, find a place to help and go! Newt, Minho.. I need to talk to you!"

Everyone stood still, staring at her.

"GO!"

Like a switch was flicked, everyone jumped into action. Minho and Newt walked over. She lowered her voice to make sure no one could listen, they leaned in. "Ok, we need as many weapons as we can carry, we need to arm as many Gladers as we can. I'm sure they can handle a knife or spear. Protect the homestead, that'll be ground zero, base camp..."

They headed over to the Map room. Minho unlocked the trap door and they walked down the stairs. Minho flipped the light on. Newt grabbed an arm full of spears and headed back out the door. Leaving Minho and Alex alone.

Alex went straight to the wall of knives. She started adding knives into her chest holster and slipped a knife into her boot. She strapped a machete to her hip. She turned to the archery section and grabbed a quiver full of arrows. Hesitated and grabbed a second one. She turned to grab a few spears but her wrist was caught by a large warm hand. She looked up and was pulled into a kiss. She melted, her knees weak, her eyes fluttered shut. Minho broke the kiss and looked into her eyes with a hand on her cheek.

"Alex. I love you!" His eyes held all the unsaid words and emotions. Alex smirked, despite the serious situation, "I know" she teased, "I'm irresistible." She winked. Minho chuckled. Alex's smile slipped, her hands slipped up into the back of his hair.

"I love you too Minho. I know this might be our...hey, Min...use that shuck brain and come back to me, stay with me! Don't leave me hanging." She kissed him roughly, one more time. All her unsaid words into that one kiss. Minho kissed her back immediately, also trying to convey all the unsaid things into their quick but passionate kiss. He pulled back with a sad sigh, he used a finger to draw an X over his heart.

"We need to hurry, we're running out of time."

Alex nodded and Minho stuffed all the knives he could into his belt, and they both grabbed as many spears as they could and headed back out.

As they ran, they could hear the screeching of the Grievers coming closer. Alex stood by the entrance, trying to see anything. It was black. Minho grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the homestead. Frypan was there at the door to let them in.

"Fry, where's Tommy, Newt and Alby?"

"Upstairs, waiting for you." He replied.

Alex nodded. She laid the spears up against the wall, and made her way through the crowd of scared boys. As she walked, she handed out knives from her belt and holster. She saw a flash of black hair.

"TES!" She called, Teresa turned and relief flooded the girl's face, she made her way over and gave Alex a hug.

"Come on, Minho and I are going up stairs, come with."

Alex grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs. Minho pushed his and Newt's bedroom door open. Alex and Minho slid down the wall onto the floor and Teresa made her way over to sit with Thomas.

"Ok now that we are finally all here...we need to figure out what we're going to do." Newt said solemnly, looking around the room. All eyes looked to Alby, who was staring at the opposite wall. When he didn't say anything Newt sighed and continued.

"Well, I don't know...I'm close to just saying shuck it all. Supplies cut, crops aren't doing so well, bloody walls moving during the day, doors not closing..." he paused, collecting his thoughts, "But. We can't give up! We all know that! It seems to me that those bloody creators are messing with us again. Throwing another challenge at us!"

Alex nodded, she agreed. "It's true, we don't know what game they are playing. But one thing I know...we won't go down easily. We survive tonight. We figure out tomorrow. Ya?" Heads all nodded, except, Alex noticed, Alby's who sighed and looked at the floor.

"Hey, Alby? Wanna put an idea in or something?" She encouraged him to participate in the discussion.

"Huh? Ya...ya good that...." He mumbled.

"Mmm hmm." Alex hummed thinking. "Well, if someone or a few people can maybe study the maps. See if there is something in there we missed. A giant maze, moving walls that are a pattern...something major in those maps. We're just not seeing it!"

"We can try see if that metal key works again." Thomas's volunteered.

Alex nodded. "If we focus our efforts on those we can get the shuck out of here!" Alex said, thinking out loud. Minho wrinkled his forehead thinking. He bit his lower lip in concentration. He ran a hand through his hair.

Shuck that's so hot!

He turned his head, and winked slyly at Alex, as if he could read her mind. He stood up and began to pace.

"Ya, I agree. We gotta stop with the boo hoos and put our big girl panties on and DO something."

"Excuse me? Big girl what now?" Alex raised an eyebrow and Teresa looked shocked. "You heard me. When the tough get going, look out cuz our Glad Warrior is on her way. With her big girl panties on, bow in hand, ready to kick some shuck butt!" He stopped in front of her, looking down at her, he held out his hand, she accepted and he pulled her up. "You have the respect from the Gladers and the knowledge of weapons and fighting. Seems like this is where you shine, Sunshine. We need your warrior ninja skills to lead us."

Alex smiled up at him. She loved how much he accepted her, dirty hands, weapons and all. He didn't shove her into a corner, instead he took out a knife and stood beside her. He didn't try and change her, he accepted and encouraged her. Her heart swelled. She really loved this young man.

She heard a scoff from behind Minho, she looked over his shoulder to see Alby rolling his eyes.

"Got a problem there Admiral Alby?" She asked, her frustration with him flashed. He has been a different person since waking up. He lifted his head and looked at her, she folded her arms, not breaking eye contact.

"Whatever. Do what you want." He finally said.

"What?" Thomas asked, a little miffed.

Alby deflated and put his head in his hands, "I don't know, you guys know I'm messed up...since the changing...I shouldn't be in charge! Newt, Alex, you take over. I'm stepping down "

"Oh Bloody- '' Newt started but Alby cut him off, angry all of a sudden, as he stood up.

"NO NEWT!" He bellowed, "I can't, not anymore." He paused, and sat back down. He ran a hand over his face. "Hey, how about I go work on the maps? Put me in charge of that."

"Works for me!" Minho said with a shrug.

Alby stood up again, "know what? I'll start right now! Ya..ya I'll start right now!" He got up and walked to the door.

"Alby! Not now! The Grievers are almost here! Can't you bloody hear 'em?" Newt tried to reason.

Alby turned around "You shuck faces are the ones who wanted me to do something! Don't stop now!" And he opened the door and was gone.

"He's not going to get there in time!" Newt panicked.

Alex was already out the door when Minho grabbed her hand, she turned to face him, already knowing what he was going to try and do. She kissed him before he could say anything.

"I'll be fine, babe. I'll make sure Alby gets to the Map room. He will probably be safer than us. And I'll make it back." She gently pulled her hand free and headed down the hall, she turned around, "Don't go back on that Ninja Warrior speech now! Keep 'em safe until I get back!" She winked, and drew an X over her heart.

"Actually, what I was gonna say is..be careful. Don't be a martyr!" He called after her, while mirroring her action. He gave her a proud smirk. She turned around, and leapt down the stairs to catch up with Alby. She caught up to him at the front door, she just nodded at him and followed him out.