Alex felt like she stood at the entrance to the maze for hours. She didn't move, and refused to come sit down for supper. She was too anxious. Teresa eventually brought her a plate, making her eat at least a few bites and stood with her.

"It's getting late Tes...they should be back!" Alex said in a strained voice, "The last time he was this late I thought I lost him forever!"

Teresa didn't say anything but grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "They will be back. He's never let you down before, right?"

Alex nodded, still staring down the dark corridor. Finally from the gloom came the shapes of the boys! They were running like their life depended on it. She turned around to yell at Newt. Turning back she heard yelling from the boys. She strained her ears. They were yelling something and it sounded urgent.

No shuck Alex. Jeeze, you have been hanging around Thomas too long, dumb questions and stating the obvious!

Her anxiety skyrocketed. Gally, Newt, Frypan Winston, Chuck and Matt came to wait at the entrance with the girls. The Runners were half way down the corridor when Alex could finally make out what they were screaming.

"THEY'RE COMING!"

"DAMMIT!" Alex cursed and turned around.

"Chuck! Matt! Go to the council hall now. Start barricading it!"

"Winston go with them!" Newt ordered, "grab whoever along the way! Get inside now!"

Gally turned around and yelled "Get the others. Tell them to go to the forest. GO HIDE NOW!"

His builders ran off to find Gladers.

"Well so much for a shuckin' plan!" Newt muttered.

"Ha. Newt when do our plans ever work out?" Alex asked.

She turned to Teresa, "Tes, you and Fry go get Jeff and get Alby, all right? I'll meet you at the Hall, grab anyone you meet!"

Teresa and Frypan nodded and took off. Minho and Thomas sprinted into the Glade, skidding to a stop, they both bent over hands on their knees.

"They. Are. Coming." Thomas huffed in between his breathing.

"So you mentioned." Alex replied drily. They heard the screaming of the Grievers, Alex turned to look back down the corridor, and the first Griever was seen scrambling towards them.

"ALL RIGHT! EVERYONE HIDE!" Alex screamed.

"Minho, come on, let's grab every weapon we can! I hulled them all out of the cellar, but we didn't have time to hand them out properly!"

Minho stood up and jogged after her. Newt ran after them. They found the pile of weapons, it looked like a few people had grabbed some. Good! Minho strapped some knives to his belt, grabbed a few spears, Newt did the same. Newt pulled Alex into a hug

"Please be careful tonight! And don't take on any of those things by yourself! Minho. Watch her!" He clapped his friend on the shoulder, Minho did the same, they looked at each other for a second.

"Do I need to give you two a minute?" Alex asked with a small smirk. The boys looked at her, both rolled their eyes.

"Is this really a time for your sarcasm?" Newt asked.

"It's my anger and sarcasm or I curl up and cry. Pick one."

Minho stepped over to her, and pulled her into a hug. She instantly wrapped her arms around his waist, even with the screaming of the oncoming monsters she felt safe. She and Minho could face anything as long as they were together.

"I can't say it's gonna be ok, but we will do this together. As Alby once said, if you ain't scared you ain't human. Now let's go kick some Griever ass!" His voice was strained, he was exhausted from sprinting back, but he had fight in him, and that fueled the fire in Alex.

"THEY'RE HERE!! RUN!" The scream ripped through the Glade.

Minho pulled her back into his chest and kissed her. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the screaming for a moment. It was just her and Minho. But like all their moments together, was interrupted when the Grievers stormed the Glade.

"Come on! Run! RUN! STAY DOWN! Follow me! We can run beside the Deadheads and take a few out if we keep running!" Alex took off running, not even bothering to see if Newt and Minho were following. As she ran she shot arrow after arrow.

Tonight there was a whole group of the monsters. They weren't here to take one kid. They were here to destroy them all.

What happened to only one kid per night? The shuck creators aren't even playing their own game!

The Grievers were destroying everything in their wake, knocking over fire torches, ripping the smaller buildings apart, cutting up the earth. The grass slowly caught fire.

One Griever came running towards the trees, Alex shot arrow after arrow, taking both eyes out, one to it's neck and another to its chest, all arrows hitting the gears and mechanisms inside the blubbery goopy skin. The final arrow sliced through its forehead into the mechanical parts in its head. It sparked, twitched weird and it came crashing down. It came skidding towards her. Minho knocked her out of the way just in time. He pulled her up and they kept running.

Alex could hear the mixture of Grievers screaming and human screams. She shuddered. She forced her mind to block it out. If she listened, she would freeze. If she froze she couldn't help anyone. She couldn't afford to freeze. Not now. They skidded to a stop, looking around, they had to run through the fields to get to the Homestead or council hall.

"Okay, we need to run!"

"COME ON COME ON!!"

"DOWN! HIDE!"

Alex crouched down with Minho beside her, hiding in the corn. Alex looked around, "where's Newt?" Alex whispered.

Minho spun his head around, "SHUCK! He was right behind me!"

Alex's heart jumped into her throat, thinking the worst. She was about to go back, when Minho pulled her back and clamped a hand over her mouth. His eyes wide with terror. They heard the whirring of a Griever right beside them, an arm came shooting out towards them. Alex screamed and they dived to the side narrowly avoiding the grabber arm. The arm shot backwards and then straight down. Grabbing Zart.

"HEEEEELP!"

Alex dove for him. She tried to grab his hands, "NOOOO ZAAART! NOO!" He was gone before her hand was fully outstretched.

"Come on Alex! We gotta keep movin'!" Minho called.

He grabbed Alex's arm and pulled her forward. They stumbled through the field, a Griever chasing them. The sounds of screaming filled the air. Smoke from the fires obscured their vision. Another Griever cut them off at the end of the field, they had to scramble to a stop, Minho threw his arms out, like he was trying to protect her. However, with a Griever coming behind them too, it wasn't going to do much.

"MINHO! BEHIND US!"

He looked over his shoulder, "wait...wait...to the side-"

"-Got it-

"-On my call-"

"-Got it!"

They waited for another second, waiting until the last possible secot.

"NOW!"

They both dove out of the way. Except they dove in different directions. And now they were separated. The Grievers smashed into each other, stabbing each other with their extended deadly appendages.

Fear and anxiety were crashing into Alex in waves. She felt like buckets of ice were being poured into her veins. Her limbs were numb. Her mouth was dry. And her stomach was heaving. She saw boys being dragged away screaming. There were boys laying on the ground. She had no clue who they were, and she was too scared to look closely at their faces. The metallic smell of blood hung in the air, mixing with motor oil and smoke. Alex could almost taste it.

Cries and screams from machines and humans. Something shifted inside Alex. Something significant. Something dark. There was some kind of line and she had crossed it. She didn't know what it was, but she knew she was never going to be the same. Her breathing was coming in short gasps, she stood alone in the middle of what once used to be her home, watching the carnage around her. Watching as her family was literally ripped apart.

She didn't know who to help first. She gripped her bow, and nocked an arrow and ran headlong into the smoke, hoping she would make it to the homestead or council hall next to it. Praying Minho was there. She had to jump over a body, and she almost threw up seeing the boy's insides sitting beside him on the ground. She deliberately didn't look at his face, not now. She couldn't. She heard her name.

"Alex! ALEX! HELP!"

She turned and saw Pedro, he was sitting on the ground, holding his head which was gushing blood. She ran over to him, slinging her bow over her shoulder and pulled him up. She wrapped his arm around her and took most of his weight, pulling him towards the homestead. There was a whirring noise behind her, and she knew there was a Griever giving chase. She pulled out her machete. She had to drop Pedro on the ground.

She spun round to face the monster, the tail came swinging towards her. She slashed at it, knocking it out of the way. Alex had to jump as some other appendage came flying for her legs. She had to roll to avoid being sliced, she heard Pedro scream, the claw tail had grabbed onto his leg and was pulling him.

"NOOOOOO!!!"

She flung herself forwards and grabbed his arms. She screamed as she pulled. The monster screamed and released him, she pulled him closer, and looked around to see why he was released. There was a spear sticking out of its body, quickly followed by another one. She pulled Pedro up, and threw an arm around her shoulders. Minho, Newt and Frypan came running, each gripping another spear.

"ALEX! You okay?" Minho asked as he grabbed her face, turning it to see if her face was okay.

"Ya. Pedro, not so much. We gotta get to the Homestead."

"Right. Come on!" He flung Pedro's other arm over his shoulders and together they ran. Newt and Frypan watching their backs.

They were almost there when a Griever appeared on their left. Newt threw another spear, making it back off. They met Thomas and Teresa running towards the Homestead, a Griever hot on their trail. Teresa broke off from the group when they reached the eating area by the kitchen

"TES! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!" Alex screamed. Teresa had grabbed a jar and a rag off the counter.

"Ha! Smart girl!" Alex called. Once she realized what she was doing.

Teresa stuffed most of the cloth into the jar. Lit the cloth from a fire on the ground and threw it at the Griever. When the jar hit its body, it exploded, setting the Griever on fire. Causing sparks and explosions from the wiring inside. The Griever screamed, and crumbled I to a head of smoking machine parts.

"What was in the jar?" Thomas yelled as they ran.

"Grease." Teresa called back.

"Nice!"

"You say that like you're surprised!" Alex shot back, "Girls are shuckin awesome, Tommy!"

The group made it to the council hall. Chuck opened the door allowing them in. Frypan helped lock and barricade it. Alex set Pedro down, and ripped a length of her shirt off and wrapped his head. They could hear a Griever approach. The group inside went quiet, trying to anticipate its moves. They could hear it creeping around the walls. The group stayed tightly packed in the center. Alex could hear the mechanical legs climbing onto the roof. Those who had weapons raised them ready to fight. Alex's hand automatically reached for Minho's, she intertwined their fingers, gripping his hand like a life line. He squeezed back. Their silent 'I love you'.

The roof exploded and it rained sticks, wood and debris. A metal claw reached in and ripped the supporting beam in the middle causing a section of the roof to collapse. Most of the Gladers made it out of the way in time.

Pedro and Alex were trapped under the roof. Minho had tried to pull her free, but the roof still landed on top of her. Everyone inside was yelling and coughing. The screaming of the Grievers didn't help the chaos. Alex's legs were trapped, and she could see Pedro stuck beside her. She tried wigging out, but it was too heavy.

I'm not going down like this, being squished by a shuckin roof!

She tried to push it off. It didn't budge. Pedro wasn't moving. She pushed again, this time yelling as she did. She managed to move the roof. It's like they say a mother has the strength to lift a car off her trapped child, Alex moved the roof off her Glader brother. Minho had come to help. Matt came and helped pull Pedro out, when he was clear, she dropped it back down. Minho wrapped her up into a hug.

"Shuck shuck shuck"

"I'm okay Minho. I'm okay."

The Griever claw came smashing inside again, grabbing at anything. It grabbed onto Gus. Before anyone could spring to grab him he was ripped out of the room screaming. Everyone backed up. The claw came smashing back into the room. It grabbed the closest kid, which was Chuck.

"CHUCK!" Alex screamed, she managed to grab his hand. Thomas was there in an instant holding onto his other hand. Alex grabbed his hand with her other one. Pulling with all the strength she had.

"DON'T LET GO CHUCK!" Thomas yelled

"No shit!" He yelled back.

Teresa and Minho came and grabbed onto him too, pulling against the Griever. He was slipping. They heard a guttural scream. Alby came running with a long kitchen knife. He hacked at the claw tail. Hitting it over and over and over, until part of it broke off. It finally let Chuck go. Alex pulled him away from the opening and into a bone crushing hug.

"Chuck! Are you hurt? I got you! You're okay." He shook his head, not able to say much.

"Thank you Alby" He managed to squeak out. There was silence for a second. Everyone was holding their breath. Alex looked up and saw a glint of metal.

"ALBY! Look out!!" She screamed, diving forward, at the same time Thomas had yelled "BEHIND YOU!"

A Griever tail had latched around Alby's waist, and yanked him backwards. Alex and Thomas both grabbed his arms, trying to pull him back from the clutches for the monster. He was slipping, Alex couldn't get a better grip on him without letting go, and she didn't dare. Alby looked straight into her eyes, and then into Thomas's.

"Get them out."

He was pulled out of their grip.

"NOOOOO!" Thomas yelled.

"ALBY!" She screamed, and bolted for the door, Thomas hot on her heels.

She ignored the people around her, yelling at her. She shook off a hand that tried to stop her. She flung the door open and sprinted after the Griever that had pulled her Alby from her. She couldn't lose him. He was her leader, her older brother...her proud Glader father figure. She couldn't lose him...She needed to apologize to him! She needed Alby!

She slowed down, and looked around. All the Grievers had disappeared, leaving carnage and destruction behind. Thomas had stopped beside her looking around, with wide eyes, and his mouth hanging open. The rest of the Gladers that were in the council hall had caught up to them. They also stopped and took a look around. Their crops were ripped apart, trampled and burning. The kitchen was barely standing, the Deadheads were smoking, fires all over the place, the Homestead was crumbling. Their "home" was destroyed.

"Where is everyone?" Newt asked, looking around.

"I don't know..."

"Are we the only ones left?"

"We should go look for everyone, the wounded.."

"Look there." Alex was pointing, coming through the cloud of dust and smoke was a group of people. The person in the lead was tall and broad. Gally and his goons. He stormed up to the group

"Gally, we thought-" Newt started but stopped short when a fist made contact with Thomas's face. Thomas dropped.

"Gally! What the-" Alex started but was also cut off when a fist made contact with the side of her face. Sending her flying to the side. Pain exploding threw her head. Her head felt like it was on fire. Her eyes wouldn't open. Both her hands holding her head. She screamed in pain. She bent over. Another spark of blinding white hot pain shot from her mind throughout her body, every nerve was on fire. The pain made her drop to the ground, screaming in pain, holding her head. She thrashed and screamed on the ground.

_____________________

Minho

Gally's fist made contact with Alex's face. Minho flew at Gally. He threw a punch and then a second one. He was pulled off by Frypan and Newt before he could throw a third one. He shook them off and spun back around to Alex and saw her clutching her head rolling on the ground, screaming in pain. He dropped to his knees, panicking. She did this same thing after the first griever attack. He didn't know what to do to help. It was eerily similar to the symptoms of The Changing, but it looked like it was coming from her head. She was clutching her head, thrashing her head back and forth. He gently picked her head up and placed it in his lap. He moved some stray hair from her face. She was burning up.

Shuck shuck! What do I do? SHUCK! Please don't die Alex, Please!

She let out another scream as her body started convulsing. He looked up in a panic, searching for some kind of answer. He saw Gally heitate for a moment, his eyes wide and his face paled when he saw Alex withering and screaming on the ground, clutching her head. But shook his head. He continued to yell the same thing about how it's their fault, and he saw them. Minho was so tired of the shanks' twisted logic.

This is not a home, definitely not a place I want to settle down and grow old. Shuck you Gally! Shuck this place and Shuck the creators. Shuck WICKED!

He watched as Newt tried to reason with him. He turned his head as he heard a small voice

"Thomas?"

It was Teresa, she was looking confused at Thomas, he looked up at her and then around at the group.

"Maybe he's right Tes, I really do need to remember..."

He stabbed himself in the leg with a Griever stinger. He dropped to the ground shaking, he lost consciousness and the screaming started.

"SOMEONE GET THE SERUM!" Teresa screamed, Chuck, Matt and Clint took off.

Gally turned around to his followers, "Lock the three of them up! If anyone protests, lock 'em up too."

Minho stood up in front of Alex who was still shaking and letting out cries of pain.

"Touch her and I'll break your arms!" He growled, all the veins popping out of his arms and neck. His eyes were dangerous.

The boys hesitated. No one wanted to cross him. He was intimidating on a regular day. And right now his girlfriend was vulnerable. He wouldn't hesitate to snap a few bones right now. He had gone through hell and now this devastation around him, he was hanging by a thread. He actually welcomed a fight.

Newt stepped over, and put a gentle hand on his arm, he leaned in, and said quietly in his ear, "She'll be safer in the slammer. If you want, go with her. I'll keep an eye on things up here. I'll grab what you need. Take care of my sister!" he said desperately.