Minho

Minho watched Alex swinging back and forth and twisting in circles, arms dangling over her head, lifeless. One by one they were all tied up and tossed over the edge to swing and twist. Minho felt his stomach drop as he was tossed over.

Man. I do not like heights. Nope. Nope. This is not okay.

Minho slowly opened his eyes once he had stopped swinging so wildly. He could see Alex if he twisted his head. Her eyes were still closed, and he could see the blood from her injured ear slowly running into her hair.

Shuck. I don't know what to do to make that stop! How do you help an internal ear injury? But man, even covered in blood and knocked out cold, she's hot.

His body twisted away from her. They hung for a while. Just waiting. Minho was tired, sore and frustrated.

Thomas with his curiosity and never thinking things through!

He was getting on his nerves now with the constant struggle to try to reach his toes.

"Good plan, Thomas. Just hear what the man has to say." Minho sassed.

He could hear distant moaning and screaming and fighting from underneath them. A rank smell was rising from the pit. He had a feeling he knew what was at the bottom. But he desperately hoped he was wrong.

"Really turned out great for us." Minho continued needling Thomas. "You feeling brave now? You and your dumb shank questions! Always getting us into trouble!"

"Shut up, Minho." Thomas rolled his eyes. "I never said jack about me being brave. I'm sick of hearing people's voices. Yours included."

Minho snickered. "Slinthead, even when you try to be mean, it's just freaking hilarious."

"Oh shut up Minho!" Thomas snapped.

"Ya? What are you gonna do about it shank? Even struck by lightning I can still kick your pony lovin' butt!"

"Ya? Come here and let's see! Alex isn't here to fight for you! Come on!" Thomas tried to swing a fist, but it just made him twist in a circle.

Minho snorted and watched Thomas twist, folding his arms.

"You look like an idiot, shank! Are you really that stupid or did you stop and ask for directions?" Minho sassed.

"Look, we can still fix this!" Thomas tried to reason with him, as he tried to reach for his feet.

"Dude! You can not unshuck what has already been shucked!" Minho huffed, throwing his hands around. "We're literally hanging over a shuck crank pit!"

Newt huffed in frustration "Stop you two!" He yelled over their argument.

There was a loud gasp from behind him. Minho tried twisting his body, he could hear struggling, and then yelling turning into panic. Alex had woken up.

"Hey, hey! Alex! You're okay. Just hanging upside down over a black pit of doom, with angry hungry cranks at the bottom!" Minho explained.

"Wow dude. Way to calm her down!" Newt complained exasperated.

"How would you explain it then? Definitely not a vacation at some dream spa!"

"Alex!" Newt called, reaching his arm out, trying to grab her.

Uh! This.is.so.frustrating. Turn around! No, not that way. Uh shuck.

He could hear her panicked breathing. Newt couldn't reach her and Minho kept twisting in the opposite direction. He could catch glimpses of her. He saw Teresa had grabbed hold of her hand and pulled herself to Alex, and wrapped her in a hug. Both girls clung to each other.

Thomas, still ignoring everyone muttered to himself, "Maybe I can reach the rope."

"Enjoying the view?" Said an accepted voice. Jorge sauntered into the room, he seemed bored. The unexpected voice caused everyone to startle, and the girls lost their grin on each other.

Does he hang all his guests over a put full of cranks? Slint head is shucken crazy! Jacked in the head.

"What the hell do you want?" Minho snapped.

"That is the question." He walked around the pit, looking at each one of them. His eyes lingered on Alex.

"My men want to sell you back to WICKED. Life has them to think...small." He kept walking. Minho couldn't see him, he was on the other side now, in front of Frypan and Aris.

"I'm not like that. Something tells me that you're not either."

"Is the blood rushing to my head or is this guy not making any sense?" Minho asked the general group.

"Blood is absolutely rushing to my head and leaking out my shuck ear... And this shank definitely does not make any sense." Alex agreed. Jorge ignored their comments.

"Tell me what you know about the Right Arm." He asked, his eyes narrowed.

"I thought you said they were ghosts, unless my other ear isn't working now." Alex asked, her voice dripping in sass. He walked over to stand in front of Alex, his eyes searching her upside down face.

"I happen to believe in ghosts."

"Well aren't you the superstitious one." Alex said, rolling her eyes.

Minho had to admire how she handled every situation she was thrown into. She just woke up from being out cold upside down dangling over a pit of doom and she was ready to sass out anyone. If he hadn't just seen her panic, he wouldn't have known she was freaking out inside. His respect for her grew even more. Her snark and sass always made his day, but when she stood up to anyone in a position of power who abused it made his heart swell with pride.

"Yes...Especially when I hear them chattering on the airwaves. You tell me what you know, and we can make a deal." Jorge continued talking, walking back over to his starting point. He stood beside the lever.

"We don't know much." Thomas said.

Jorge obviously did not like that answer. He pulled on the lever, making the ropes slack. It dropped them down a few feet, and made them all jerk. There was a collective scream of panic and terror.

"Okay! Okay, all right." Thomas gave in. His hands up in defense, "They're in the mountains. And they attacked WICKED. They got out a bunch of kids. That's it. That's all we know." Thomas said quickly.

It was like Minho's brain needed the jolting drop to shake something loose:

"I stay as a double agent. Always have been. I'm part of a resistance group."

Ronin breathed one last set of instructions, "get into the scorch, make it to the building by the city under the mountains, tell 'em CR sent you. And you're trying to get to the Right Arm. It will be hard, but you're a leader, kid. A soldier. You always were. You can do it. Got it?"

"Holy shuck!" He breathed out, smacking his forehead. "HEY! JORGE! I'M SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU CR SENT US! HE TOLD US TO COME TO THE WEARHOUSE BY THE CITY UNDER THE MOUNTAINS AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO THE RIGHT ARM" Minho yelled at Jorge and his body twisted again.

Seriously, am I the only one who keeps twisting? Why am I the only one moving?

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jorge freeze and look at him. His face was frozen and his eyes wide, then narrowed and flicked back to Alex. And then to Thomas. Minho couldn't figure out what he was thinking, and that frustrated him. Jorge opened his mouth to say something, but clamped it shut and looked over his shoulder. The big ugly guy, Barkley, who knocked out Alex came stomping up to Jorge.

He was eyeing him suspiciously, "What's going on?"

Jorge looked him over and smiled cooly, then back to the hanging Gladers. Minho recognized the look, he was full of mischief, whether it was for their benefit or his... he really hoped that Captain Ronin gave him good information. And he really hoped that this was the right building by the mountains!

"Me and my new friends were just... getting acquainted. We're done now." He left without a backwards glance at them or at his man.

"Hey, wait. You're not gonna help us?" Thomas yelled after him.

"Don't worry, hermano. We'll get you back to where you belong." He said as he waved a hand and laughed. "Hang tight!"

"Okay, one." Minho held up a finger, "That was an awful dad joke. I'm almost impressed. And two." He held up another finger, "That doesn't sound promising" he said drily.

"Nope. I agree." Alex agreed.

__________________

Alex

"We gotta get out of here!" Thomas informed them, as he tried to reach the rope that was tied around his feet.

Alex laughed. "Tommy, what would we do without you? Seriously. I'm so glad we have you to point out THE SHUCKIN OBVIOUS!"

"Tommy, would you bloody cut that out? If you do manage to untie the rope, what will you do? Drop to your death and be eaten." Newt scolded him as he tried to reach his feet again.

He fell back in a huff. Alex was watching Minho twist around again when she saw him slowly swing in front of the lever. She gasped.

"Okay. Guys! I got it!" She called.

"I'm going to push Tes to you, Minho, and then you're going to push her over to the lever thing. Tes, grab onto the railing, get yourself some slack, untie yourself and pull us over and do the same. Got it?" Tes looked frightened, but nodded her head slowly.

"You got this Tes. Remember what I told Chuck? Can you be brave?" Tes gulped and nodded.

"Ok, ready?"

"Yes." She squeaked out.

"Minho, ready?"

"Yeah." He nodded, arms out, ready to catch her. Alex gave Tes a shove in Minho's direction.

"Gotcha." He caught her in a hug. He turned her around so she was facing the lever.

"Okay. One, two, here we go." Minho took a deep breath, bracing.

"Ready?"

Teresa nodded.

"Three."

And with a grunt he pushed her. She swung towards the railing and lever...but she was about a foot too far and swung back towards the middle of the pit.

"Oh, shuck." Frypan muttered.

"Come on, Minho. Push her harder!" Newt called.

"Seriously? You think I'm not? You get struck by shuck lightning, then hang upside down for who knows how long. Jeez, you bunch of slint heads." Minho snapped.

He got Teresa back into position and pushed her again.

"Shuck it!"

"This is it. You got this, guys!" Alex encouraged them.

Her head was really hurting, definitely been upside down for too long.

"One..." Minho counted.

"Two..." Alex and Frypan joined in.

"Three!" Everyone called.

Minho yelled as he shoved her. This time Teresa grabbed onto the railing.

"YES!" Everyone cheered.

She pulled herself and wrapped her arm around the railing, she reached her other one for the lever. As she reached she slipped. The Gladers all gasped.

"Tes! Be careful!" Alex called.

Teresa managed to hold onto the railing. She pulled the lever. Everyone dropped at least 10 feet. Alex shrieked as her stomach was left behind. Her head was now pounding while her stomach was feeling sick. Teresa was sitting on the edge, trying to untie the rope.

"Teresa, hurry!" Thomas called. Alex looked at Minho, and held a hand out to Thomas.

"Seriously, what is with his Captain Obvious remarks? Like what would we ever do without his input?" She asked Minho seriously.

Minho shrugged. "We'd probably not ever know what's going on. We wouldn't know when the situation calls for urgency. Or when to run."

"Very true. Glad we keep him around."

"HEY! YOU TWO! CUT IT OUT! NOW IS NOT THE TIME." Newt yelled.

"Thanks Newt." Thomas said quietly.

"Newt. Slim it. Now is definitely the time. We're all just hanging out." Alex retorted, folding her arms as she twisted away from him.

"Ya Newt! We're all just hangin' around, killing time." Minho snorted, and tried to high five Alex.

"Guys? Shut up." Thomas pouted.

Teresa had pulled Frypan to the edge with a long pole, and they were working on getting Aris to the edge.

As Alex twisted around again, she saw a light flash through a broken part in the ceiling.

The storm stopped a little while ago, was that lighting? It can't be the sunrise...

There was another flash.

"Good evening!"

The voice Alex hated the most sending shivers down her spine when it spoke through a loudspeaker.

"This is the World in Catastrophe Killzone Experiment Department. We have your compound completely surrounded."

His voice sounded excited. And it made Alex feel sick. His voice made her feel a mixture of terror, rage and nausea.

"Rat Man?" Minho asked, shocked, "How did he find us?"

"Tes! In the wise words of Tommy: HURRY!" Alex yelped. Teresa ran to Thomas and started to pull him over to the edge.

The loud speaker broke through the frantic yelling, "You find yourselves, through no fault of your own... in possession of WICKED property. Return them to us unharmed and we'll consider this a simple misunderstanding."

Janson continued with his megaphone. Alex could hear panic from the warehouse, where the people were camped.

Did they even know what he was talking about? They are probably just trying to survive! And here these slint heads come and destroy your home! They really are just the worst!

Alex's burning rage bubbled up again.

Ruin all these innocent kids' lives, sacrifice a whole generation for some cure, and now they will rip these innocent people's home apart and probably kill a few in the meantime, all to get a few defiant kids! Those people probably lost everything already!

"-Or you can resist-"

"Newt!" Teresa called. He reached for the pole and was pulled to the edge to untie his feet.

"-and every last one of you will die. It won't be long before the Flare wipes out the rest of us-"

"Minho!" He was pulled to the side, he pulled himself up to sit. Alex was the last one hanging over the crank pit.

"-the hope of a cure lies in your hands. The choice is yours." Janson finished.

"He can't be serious? Threaten the people to be killed now by bombs and guns or later by the Flare! Dude has some shucked up ideals and morals!" Alex complained.

"When has anything WICKED done ever have good ideals?" Minho asked from the ledge.

Alex pointed at him, "True."

"Last but not least. Here. Grab on!" Teresa with the help of Minho pulled her over to the ledge. Minho pulled her to sit. Alex's head spun.

"Ooooowww. Not good." She moaned, holding her head. She slowly scooted back away from the edge, not trusting herself to stand quiet yet. Alex could hear the panicked people growing louder. She could also hear the helicopter blades. Thomas helped Teresa to her feet, Minho helped Alex.

"Okay. Let's go, let's go." Thomas led them to the door they saw Jorge leave through. Before they got there the door swung open. Everyone took a step backwards. The big ugly guy from earlier blocked their way.

"We're not trying to cause any trouble, okay?" Thomas pleaded.

Alex scoffed, "too late. I cause trouble everywhere I go." She muttered under her breath. Newt made a noise in the back of his throat, and Minho snorted, they obviously heard her.

"We just gotta get out of here." Thomas tried to push past him.

When has that ever worked? This guy does not look like he wants to let us leave quietly.

"Is that so?" He asked, he had an evil glint in his eyes, he raised a walkie talkie up and his mouth.

"Janson, I got 'em for ya. I'm bringing 'em down. Don't shoot us." He was looking directly at Alex.

"Shuck," she whispered.

He raised a gun and pointed it directly at Alex's face.

"A little kinky..." Alex cocked an eyebrow.

"You have no idea." He grinned evilly at her.

"Eww. Gross. I'll pass." Alex replied in disgust.

"Come on. Let's go."

No one moved, no one wanted to go back to WICKED. Honestly, she would rather have her brain splattered on the ground than back in Rat Man's clutches.

"I said let's go." The big guy growled.

"And I respectfully decline." Alex crossed her arms.

He motioned with the gun, to move. Alex kicked, and hit him in the stomach. He stumbled back. That sharp sudden movement made Alex dizzy and she stumbled back into Minho. Thomas jumped forward and pushed the gun up, making it go off.

"You little bastard!" He yelled.

Thomas put up a good struggle, but hanging by your feet for a few hours, makes you a little light headed, and the guy was stronger. He shoved Thomas back and cocked the gun, holding it at Thomas now.

BANG.

Teresa screamed, Alex flinched. She pulled Thomas back, ready to catch him when he fell. But he stood there with a confused face. There was no bloody bullet hole. Alex looked up and saw the guy drop. Standing behind him was-

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Was who??