Alex was shaken awake. "Shuck off." She muttered, smacking the hand away. The hand came back

"ALEX! COME ON GET UP!" Thomas was shaking her. There was urgency in his voice and actions. Making Alex jump to her feet before her eyes and brain were fully awake, she had her knife out trying to find the danger. When there wasn't any immediate threat she lowered her knife, confused. The pounding headache and dizzy spell didn't help.

Why the shuck did he wake us up?

"THOMAS! YOU BETTER HAVE A BLOODY GOOD REASON FOR WAKING ME UP!" She rounded on him, her fist clenched.

"Ya! Look! Look!" he yelled over the wind. He was pointing towards the Mountains.

"Newt, get up. Come on, let's go. Teresa...Frypan, Aris." He called the others. Alex turned in the direction he pointed.

"I see something." Minho stated.

"What is it? What..." Newt mumbled half asleep.

"You see that?" Thomas yelled, he was bouncing on his toes. Alex saw. In the distance, before the mountains, was..

"It's lights." She whispered. "Ha! It's lights!' she said again, but louder. And then she was laughing "IT'S LIGHTS! We made it! Minho we made it!" She jumped into his arms. He wrapped her up and spun her around, laughing too.

"We sure did, Sunshine!" He leaned down to kiss her.

Before their lips made contact there was a loud BOOM. Alex jerked away, her eyes wide.

"The shuck was that?" Her voice quivered.

The wind was ripping at them. It picked up pretty fast. There was another loud boom. It felt like the ground shook with the noise. Everyone looked to the sky. The clouds were dark and thick. The rumble of thunder grew closer, the Gladers were frozen in place. They had only ever seen one storm before, and that was nothing compared to what they saw now. The wind grew stronger, causing Alex to stumble a little. Then came the bright flashes of electricity. It shot straight down into the dry ground, exploding earth everywhere.

"WE GOTTA GO!" Screamed Alex.

Thomas was already trying to push people towards the lights they saw.

"LETS GO! LETS GO! WE GOTTA MOVE!" He yelled.

Thomas grabbed Teresa's hand and pulled her with him. Alex grabbed her pack and they were running.

Again.

Running for their lives. This time it was Mother Nature they were fleeing from.

"COME ON!"

"LET'S GO! MOVE MOVE! GO GO!"

Alex couldn't figure out who was yelling. But she assumed everyone was. The storm quickly gained on them. The wind made it hard to run. Alex kept stumbling sideways.

"Hurry!"

"Go!"

"Run!"

Alex could see Thomas and Teresa just ahead of her. Newt was beside her. She felt a hand grab hers. To she glanced sideways, it was Minho.

Where are Fry and Aris? Shuck here comes the lightning!

She could feel her hair stand up and then a bright white flash. It hit the ground just behind her throwing her forward onto her stomach, ripping her hand out of Minho's. The wind knocked out of her. She struggled to her hands and knees, gasping for air.

Someone grabbed her backpack and picked her up. She kept running, her diaphragm still struggling to get air back into her lungs.

"Keep bloody moving! Come on!" Newt had her hand in his now.

"Let's go!" Someone yelled.

The wind was now blowing not only the layer of sand and dust, but now solid objects were flying towards them. Something solid whizzed past Alex and she ducked just in time but she lost her grip on Newt.

Alex was running as fast as she could. The gale force wind was pushing her in every direction. She saw another flash of lightning hit the ground. It rained solid dirt chunks and sand onto them. The thunder boomed, causing the ground to shake, and the sizzling electric lighting made craters and explosions every time. It was hard to see. And it was hard to hear. She could just make out a tall kid in front of her.

Thomas...Frypan maybe?

"We're getting closer!"

Definitely Tommy.

Lightning hit something metal, blasting it apart. Alex dove out of the way of something heavy that flew in her detection. She missed the major flying metal, but a stray piece of debris sliced her forehead. She collided with something solid, soft and squishy.

"OUCH!"

"Uhg! I'M SORRY TES! COME ON KEEP GOING!"

Alex helped her up and pushed her forward. Running right behind her. She saw Frypan out of the corner of her eye. They were closer to the building now. Alex was wildly looking around for Newt and Minho. She had lost them at the beginning of the chaos. She slowed down to try to look around.

SHUCK. No no no! He better be here. WHERE THE SHUCK IS HE?!

There was another crashing BOOM. Alex threw her hands over her ears. Eyes frantically searching for him.

"MINHO?" She screamed as loud as she could. But the wind ripped her voice away. Out of the sand and dust came 2 tall figures. One was limping and the other was pushing from behind.

Thank Chuckles above!

"MINHO! NEWT!"

Alex struggled towards them. Alex reached a hand out to Minho, he grabbed it and squeezed, not letting her go. Alex couldn't hear him, his mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear anything. His face was twisted in terror.

A rod of lightning flew down from the sky towards them. The electricity was so bright Alex's eye burnt, she felt the ground exploding as she was thrown sideways, her hand ripped out of Minho's again. Alex landed hard, smacking her head. She struggled to get up. Her head was dizzy. Alex stumbled, the wind making it extremely hard to stay balanced, her spinning head didn't help. Her world was tilting. Her brain yelled at her to run, and she listened, but her feet were having trouble following orders. She staggered towards the bright lights, she kept tripping, landing on her knees. Lightning was flashing everywhere. The ground was exploding. She felt the first large splashes of rain.

There was a blaze of light, Alex caught a glimpse of Minho. Her eyes stung. She could hear the sizzling of electricity, she saw the flash.

"MIIINHHOOO!"

She tried to reach him. She tried so hard. She wasn't fast enough. The lighting hit. Causing Minho to fly even further away from her. Alex was flung in another direction. She hit the hard ground with a thud. She cried in pain. Her ears were ringing, and she felt something sticky. She pushed herself up, her head was spinning even worse now. Her stomach heaved, but she had nothing to throw up. Lightning struck again, illuminating her surroundings. She saw a smoking heap. The heap was the same color as Minho's jacket.

Weird. That jacket looks familiar! Same with that pack...why is it smoking? Minho...? MINHO!! He's not getting up!

She struggled to her feet, the wind trying to push her back over, telling her to stay down.

"Minho! Minho!" She mumbled over and over. She stumbled and staggered over, she dropped to her knees beside him, Thomas and Aris showed up out of nowhere.

"GET INSIDE! GO!" Thomas yelled at her. She could hardly hear him.

"Oh, shi-..." He started, looking at her, his eyes were wide. She tried focusing on his face, everything was spinning.

"Minho! Come on! Help him!"

"Come on, GET HIM UP! COME ON! KEEP GOING! KEEP GOING!"

Aris and Thomas grabbed him, throwing an arm around their shoulders. Alex got up, Newt came out of the storm and grabbed her arm.

He was yelling at her, she could only guess at this point, what he was actually saying. She saw Frypan and Teresa holding a door open. Thomas and Aris dragged Minho inside.

"Put him down." Thomas said.

"Tommy! Watch his head." Alex warned.

"Who's got a light?" Thomas demanded.

"Minho! MINHO?"

Alex fell down beside him. His clothes were still smoking. His eyes were closed. He wasn't moving. She leaned over his face, she couldn't feel his breathing. Panic flooded her. Cold fear gripped her heart.

No! Minho. I can't lose you! Don't you shucken dare! Please! You can't die on me! Not now!

She leaned over placing her hand on his heart. Trying to hear and feel. Nothing. Her own heart stopped. Her brain fully shut off and her training kicked in. Alex climbed on top of him, straddling him, "DON'T YOU SHUCKING DIE ON ME!" She screamed.

She felt a surge of adrenaline, and Alex immediately started pushed on his chest. She was pumping his heart, trying to get it to beat on its own. She leaned forward and took a deep breath and pushed all the air from her lungs into his. She sat up and took a deep breath, leaned forward for a second time pushed all her air into his lungs. Alex continued to push on his chest. Tears formed, threatening to fall, and her hands were shaking.

"Come on, come on!" Newt was muttering

"Minho?"

"Minho!"

"Come on, Minho."

"Come on, man!"

Everyone was muttering and yelling over her shoulder.

"MINHO! SHUCK! Come on! Please wake up!" Alex choked back a sob, but she continued pushing on his chest, pumping his heart and breathing for him.

A thumb.

It was subtle. She almost missed it. She felt a second thump.

She sat up slowly. Daring to hope. It had been a few minutes of her working on his heart.

She was struggling to keep it together.

He gasped. And then he gasped again. Alex slid off him onto the ground beside him, as he moaned quietly. Alex couldn't hold her emotions back anymore and she sobbed. She flung herself at him. She laid her head on his chest.

"Minho! Shuck Minho! You died! Minho! Your heart stopped! It stopped! You died!"

She felt a soft hand on the back of her head. She lifted her head and met the most beautiful coffee brown eyes. Eyes that had life.

"Minho?" She whimpered.

"Ya...ya ..I'm okay."

"No! No! You died! Your heart stopped! It stopped! You died!" She choked on the last part. Ugly tears running down her face.

"It's working...it's working now." He said quietly, his voice was tired, he laid his head back down. He lifted an arm and pulled her close. She let him hold her for a moment. She could feel him tilt his head.

"What happened?"

"You were struck by lightning." Newt answered, awe in his voice. "And Alex bloody brought you back from the dead!"

"Struck by lightning? Oh." He was quiet for a moment. "Did I get any super powers?" He asked.

Alex couldn't help it, she laughed. She laughed or she would have cried some more.

"Ya Love. And I'll call you Flash from now on!"

Minho laughed. And it was the best sound she had ever heard. She raised her head from his chest. And kissed him.

She pulled away, "don't you ever shuckin do that to me again!"

He smirked at her and lifted a finger and drew an X over his heart. The heart that had stopped. The heart that was now beating on its own. She laughed and sobbed at the same time.

Alex had sat back and looked around making sure everyone else was ok. She held her face in her hands, getting herself under control. When she lifted her head, she saw everyone surrounding them looking at her funny.

"What?" She asked, confused. She felt Minho pulling her arm and she turned to look at him. His face was scrunched in confusion and concern.

"Alex. I asked you a few times if you're ok. Your ear and face are bleeding. Can you hear?"

She blinked at him. "What?" She raised her hand and it came away sticky.

"Oh it's just a bit of blood...I've had worse."

Minho looked at her funny again, he raised himself up onto his elbows, "Girl, you're shucken bleeding from your shuck ear!"

"Pfft. Please." She rolled her eyes.

Alex raised her other hand and held it over her none injured ear. All she heard was buzzing. Her eyes went wide. Newt crouched and placed a hand on her shoulder. She could see his lips moving.

She took her hand away, "what?"

"I said, I'm sure it will come back, it just needs to heal."

She nodded. "It better! But then again...I could pretend not to hear when I'm really just ignoring you." Alex smirked at Newt.

He rolled his eyes with a groan. "Are you always this sarcastic?"

"No. Sometimes I'm asleep." She grinned.

Minho snorted. Frypan chuckled. Newt rolled his eyes again.

"Carful Newt! You keep rolling your eyes, they might get stuck." Alex grinned.

Newt closed his eyes punched the bridge of his nose breathed heavily through it. He took another breathe and opened his eyes, looking at Minho.

"Minho, are you okay to get up?" Newt asked, holding out a hand. He helped Minho to his feet carefully. "There ya go." He slapped his back.

Thomas clapped him on the shoulder, "Man. You do like to live dangerously." Thomas said, "You okay?"

Minho nodded.

"Hey guys..." Teresa called, she had walked away from the group. Everyone but Alex looked over. Alex's head was pounding from standing up too fast. Frypan held her elbow just in case she fell over.

"I gotta ya Lil' Lady."

"Thanks Fry!"

"What's that smell?" Teresa wondered.

Alex finally looked over, as Newt held his flashlight up. Teresa screamed. A crank leaped at her screaming and gnashing its bloody teeth. Without thinking Alex had a knife in her hand and she threw it in a blink on a eye. The knife soref passed her and hit the Crank. The knife was buried to the hilt in its chest. The screaming Crank abruptly stopped and collapsed. It was joined by another screaming Crank. It also lunged at the group, but was jerked back with a shriek. That woke up the rest of the Cranks. They were surrounded by screaming Past Gone Cranks. Alex had another knife in her hands, ready to throw it. But they were surrounded.

All the Cranks were all screaming and clawing. Trying desperately to get to the group of Gladers. Yet they couldn't reach them. Each one was held back by a thick metal chain wrapped around a wrist, ankle, or neck; a few had the chains wrapped around their torso.

Teresa screamed and stumbled back, Thomas grabbed her and pulled her back into the safety of the group.

"STAY BACK! STAY BACK!" Thomas yelled to the group.

"No Shuck Tommy!" Alex muttered, "I was going to go introduce myself."

A light flipped on.

"You guys look like shit."