The weeks and months after that escape attempt from Minho and Gally were tense. Jina had come away with so many bruises over her body and a pretty nasty one on her face and a split lip, she saw guards wince as she passed for the week after. Her body hurt so much, walking hurt. But no one let her have a break. She was back at the office the next day. Thomas had tried to talk to her about it, but she was too scared to talk about it and shied away from him and Teresa, she even shut him out of her mind connection. Tess's attitude was that of superiority, and a "well, I did tell you so."

Though they all said it was a dumb idea, Jina was the only one strapped to an electric chair and all Tess got was stand and watch. Aris had told her that Minho and Gally both got some harsh punishments. Strapped to a chair while some biomechanical monster slowly came at them with some kind of weapon over and over. She didn't see it, but it sounded awful.

Jina put her head down and worked, she didn't say much after that, hardly talking to anyone. She wouldn't even consider going to the meet ups now. Thomas and Aris both tried getting her to go. But she shook her head and closed the door on them. Apparently Minho had also slowly stopped coming.

Aris told her one night he kept asking if she was okay, he saw the video of her torture, but once he realized she wasn't coming he stopped. Said it wasn't worth it anymore. And he became a shell of a person. That's how Jina felt. A shell of a person.

The weeks after that, she flinched every time Randell was in the room or when she heard his voice. Her body would start to shake when he was around, her palms would get sweaty and her heart started to slam into her chest so hard it hurt. Aris would have to hold her hand tightly in his. She hid behind her hair and kept her head down, shrinking into Aris as often as possible. She hated how her body would react to the man, but that's what happened when a grown man tortures a child.

< • >

Jina was sitting at the the desk in Dr. Paige's office, transcribing the notes from the last meeting onto her computer when the Doctor came back in, pain behind her intelligent eyes. Jina glanced up and wanted to ask what was wrong. But after what happened to her, her trust in the people running this place was not the same. She hated being here, she knew Minho had a point when he said they were held here against their will. And how they were treated like lab rats and not humans. But Minho's plan wasn't very well thought out. He said he was patient, but he still rushed it.

Over the months since her last Chair experience, she had taken Randall's advice; Less night time sneaking and more working, more dedication to a cure and less boys. Start standing up for yourself instead of following the crowds. Listen to the truth and speak up and less night time gossip. So far no one had noticed what she was doing, the terrified shaking girl act was working. Jina had been slowly and carefully gathering information, keeping her eyes and ears open for any opportunity. Randell was sent to scare her, it just made her dig her heels in more, it brought out her stubborn defiant side. No one threatens her and the last of her family without consequences. 

They said she couldn't she said try me. 

Jina slowly closed the computer and looked at Dr. Paige as she went to her desk and sat down rather heavily.

"I wasn't going to ask ...but, is there something wrong?" She asked quietly. Going for the calm approach. There was a long stretch of silence. Jina got worried that maybe someone died. What if Newt caught the flair and died? What if Minho tried to escape again and got a worse punishment?

Dr. Paige looked around the room like she could find the answers. "Jina...." She began. "We're so close to starting the Maze A and B trials. You would know this better then anyone. We're so close to sending subjects into the maze. A few weeks- months at most!" She let out a small laugh. "You would know...how's your work with each group going?"

Jina shrugged, "fine."

Dr. Paige frowned, "you sound less then enthused."

"It's been...hard for me to get over some things, and some people aren't as...willing to help as before. And there are...secrets- things even you guys have been keep from us. Some of it just doesn't seem right. And... people could be a lot nicer. Like Dr Leavitt. And Randell and his head of security, Ramirez."

She felt good to get this off her chest, it had been eating away at her for a long time. Out of everyone here Dr. Paige and a nurse named Mary had been her favorites, they had seemed kind enough. Though she knew she had to be carful around Ava Paige, there was something untrustworthy about her, despite how she treated Jina.  

Ava straighten up and crossed her legs, and gave Jina a sincere look of concern. "I don't know if you'll believe this, but I've struggled with these very things myself. I could offer you excuses- but I'm guessing that's not what you want to hear."

Jina shook her head, "Even the fact that you call us subjects. I mean we're human, just like you, not a bunch of mice." Her voice had grown stronger and more firm. Jina turned away from the computer and was looking the Doctor dead in the eyes now.

Ava nodded slowly, "I think...it boils down to two things, Jina. First, even though everything we're doing at the moment is leading to the end of the Maze Trials, that doesn't mean our Psyches haven't been looking for opportunities to seek out Killzone patterns. Every second of every day matters- as I'm sure you understand. Just in our time here this morning, how many people out there have caught the Flare? How many have died?"

"So your solution is...to what? Take it out on kids?" Jina snapped. She knew it wasn't the smartest thing to say, they had taken her in, given her food and shelter and a life of work that means something. But, her experience in The Chair not so long ago was still very fresh- and if they did that just for a killzone pattern...it made her blood hot.

Anger flashed across Ava's face. "This is a harsh and brutal virus, Jina, and it needs to be dealt with by a harsh and brutal will. If you would just...stop thinking about how hard things are for you. You have no idea..." She faltered and a look of something like regret flickered across her face. "I'm sorry. The truth ..is too hard to talk about."

"No. Let's talk about it." Jina insisted rather harshly herself. "I've been strapped to a chair on many occasions because other people need to be taught a lesson. How does forgetting my real name help with this Killzone blueprint? How does trying to make me forget I have an actual brother help? Enough people out there have lost their family, why do you want me to forget the only family I have left?"

Jina knew she had struck a cord with the doctor. She saw her hands clench and her jaw muscle flexed. "It was not my decision. I'm not the Chancellor."

"You're right. You're not. But what aren't you tell me? What's actually going on? Every day I get up and I work hard. I go out there and make that maze one day closer to 'test subject ready' I work on more then one maze. I keep your secrets. I don't tell group A what group B is doing and vise versa. I don't even mention the other mazes I've been helping with. I don't tell them I know your planning on sending them all in- including your elites. I know a lot more the you give me credit for and yet I still go out there and work and keep your damn secrets, and I'm thrown into a chair. I work and I do it well! I proved to you I'm not one to throw it away and run to Canada! We all know the steaks!"

Ava nodded, "your right Jina. And I'm sorry."

"That's just it though...because we've had to grow up fast, I think we deserve to be treated like adults. Not like babies, not like mice in a cage, and not like idiots. Why can't we be treated like partners and not like...well...subjects. The others, Alby, Newt, Minho, Sonya, Harriet, they would be more cooperative if you were honest and showed us a bit more respect."

Doctor Paige mulled over what she had said and leaned forwards. Clasping her hands together and placed her chin on them for a moment before speaking. "Look, I told you it boiled down to two things. First, some of these episodes you call harsh have been well planned out by our Psyches. There are ways to stimulate brain waves before we get to the big test. Okay?"

Jina clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes. Not okay, she thought. Not okay at all, and it made her dig her heels in and want to finish her own personal project she had started. Dr Paige kept talking.

"And secondly. These people are survivors. I know you were young. Terribly young- you probably don't remember what the world was like... The world is a place of horror and death and madness. By nature...by definition, anyone who's survived those first waves of sheer terror had to be a little hardened. Tougher than normal. That's what helped them survive. The weak? They will either die or soon will. It's a harsh reality, but it's survival of the fittest, Jina. Are you tough enough...harsh enough to do what needs to be done?" 

Jine wanted to get up and punch her face, but she restrained herself and forced a thin lipped smile, "I guess we'll see."

She got up and by the door she heard the Doctor mutter, "You're right. We will see." A shiver ran down her spin and she left Dr Paige's office.

< • >

It was that night there was a loud bang on the door, making Jina jump. This wasn't Doctor Mary bringing her supper or Thomas asking yet again if she wanted to sneak off or Aris asking if she wanted to study. She yanked the door open and the captain of the guard, Ramirez stood there. Behind him stood Aris and Rachel. Jina looked at them confused. 

"Come on. Things are changing. You get supper with the other subjects tonight."

Jina opened and closed her mouth and looked at Aris who shrugged. She followed down the hall. She saw another guard escorting Thomas and Teresa. Her head vibrated and she felt Thomas connect.

"Any idea what's going on?" Thomas asked as they passed. He glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Zero! All I know is supper with the others." Jina answered, "where are you going?"

"Maze A guys. You?"

"I guess to the girls for supper..."

They were led down different corridors and now Ramirez led them into a cafeteria and threw the doors wide open. This was the place the girls had been eating for years. Jina remembered the place well, she had eaten here for four years before she was transplanted. When the doors swung shut, all the stainless steel serving locations and long plastic tables and cookie cutter chairs, the chatter,  the place went silent. Every eye turned to look at them.

"Listen up!" Ramirez's voice echoed through the quiet. "this is Aris, Rachel and Jina. Many of you have heard about them, they've been considered the elite candidates for years."

"He's giving us a death sentence!" She screamed at Aris and Rachel. Who looked just as shocked and horrified as she felt.

"Be nice to them, they've worked hard- especially Jina. The Maze Trials are starting real soon, as your aware. There's still a lot to be done...but from now one these three will be considered liaisons between you subjects and the WICKED personnel overseeing the trial preparations. We will be assigning a entrance schedule to the maze within the week. In the mean time, take some time and get to know Aris and Rachel. Most of you already know Jina. Prepare yourselves mentally, and emotionally.. physically. And get excited for some fun changes. Now...back to your meals."

"Well isn't he Mr sunshine." Aris rolled his eyes.

She gulped. Many of the eyes were still staring at the three of them like they were aliens or some kind of new threat. Before they could say anything though, Sonya and Harriet were walking towards them.

"Well look who the bloody cops hauled in!" Sonya grinned and pulled Jina into a hug. As soon as she did the cafeteria went back to its loud chatter.

"It's good to see you outside the Room." Harriet nodded solemnly.

"Welcome to society, Blondies. Now...come sit and tell us what the finch is going on! Last time we talked was months ago. You don't come around to the hang outs anymore!"

Jina shook her head. Aris hooked her arm and dragged her off after Sonya and Harriet. 

It was the start of a new era. From that point on they were fully integrated in with the other subjects; all meals, classes and recreational time was with them. Aris and Rachel were fully with group B. Thomas and Teresa were fully with group A. 

Jina however bounced back and forth between the two groups. She was never allowed to say what was truly going on, just that her schedule was different. And she hated it. She would get looks from different people, rumors started and she knew most of the guys didn't trust her. 

Minho especially, he didn't talked to her at all, hardly looked at her when she was with Group A. She could feel her heart breaking the longer he refused to talk to her. She had asked Ava if she could just switch full time to Group B. But she refused saying this is what she wanted, so she should get used to it. Being ignored by her brother and sent daggers wasn't what she wanted. Teresa making everything a coemption wasn't what she wanted. Rumors of her being a trader wasn't what she wanted. But she clamped her jaw and lifted her chin. 

"Just keep going...keep up what you started. Everything will be fine." she repeated to herself.

< • >

One evening she was waiting in the doctor's office as always, for the Lab tech to take her blood sample. (Just because she was an elite candidate, didn't excuse her from pokes and needles constantly. She was tested just as much as the others, despite what others thought) However it was a rare occurrence that no one was in the room with her. She was truly alone. No assistances or nurses. She was truly alone.

The poke mark on her arm kept bleeding. This new lab tech was young, she seemed maybe only a few years older than Jina and didn't seem to know what she was doing. She had jabbed the needle into her arm without much care. Jina tossed the small bloody cotton ball and needed a new one.

She glanced at the door and got up. She opened a few cupboards and the drawers. Nothing. No band aids and no cotton balls. In the last drawer and found a box of Kleenex and sitting beside the box was a research tablet.

The thin foot long device had a shiny grey screen, ready to reveal a world of information to her. She knew she would need passwords, but this definitely was something she couldn't pass up. Especially after Randell had told her to speak the truth, dedicate yourself to the cure and don't go with the crowds- stand up for yourself. So she had been doing just that. Slowly here and there, collecting information about anything and everything. And here was a full tablet of information. She refused to think of the consequences if she was caught with this. She slid the device into the waist band if her pants and pulled her t shirt over the remaining part that stuck out. She was back in her seat before the tech came back and cleared her to go.

She was now back in her room staring at the device. She was scared to touch it. But after a moment she turned it on and started to dig though files. Memorizing as much as she could. Most of this she knew, but some of the information was making her feel even more sick about this place.

Something that stuck out to her was that all of the kids in WICKED had been tripped of their original name. All of them had their birth names changed. Their basic human identities were striped down and replaced. Something so horribly disgusting- stripping children of their identities and given new names, and a number. It made the bile in Jina's stomach swirl. She hated all of this.

She kept digging. And read how many times they had to reset Subject A2's mind. It took her a second to remember which kid A2 was. It was Thomas. The first time he meet Teresa apparently it didn't go so well and they reset his mind and tried again.

They also reset her mind. The week she was in the hospital. A sharp pain stabbed her, right behind the eyes and shot to the bass of her skull. She had not only been asking about Minho. But other things that were considered no no's. Randell had taken her and had her mind reset. That's why those scary masks on the bed were so familiar. She had been there before. She felt completely violated and terrified. They erased a whole week from her mind! Trying to force her to forget what was going on. If they could do that...want else were these people capable of?

The more she thought about it the more upset she became. Which wasn't helping. Her eyes burnt as she kept skimming files. She had hit a few dead ends, but after another try something caught her eye. Top secret, in big red letters.

"Interesting." She whispered. She clicked on it. Skimming over the words, her heart rate picked up and she felt really warm. Words about a virus. And it being man made. About it being released to the population, on purpose... Because the population was too big to feed.

She sat stunned. She didn't know what to do. Or how to handle this kind of information. She turned the device off and crawled into bed, and stared that the ceiling until sleep finally took her.

< • >

The next morning she felt like a zombie. And the only one who seemed to notice her detached self was Thomas. He pulled her aside in their health and fitness class and made her run laps beside him.

Spill. He demanded. 

What do you mean? Jina tried to avoid the question. She felt sick to her stomach all day. She couldn't even look Ava in the eye after what she read.

Don't play dumb. You look like you either want to cry, throw up or punch a wall. Maybe all three.

Jina chewed her lip for a second. Debating whether to tell him. He had always had her back, he had proved a few times he was starting to distrust the overseers of the trials. Ever since the Escape attempt he had been more stubborn with those in the authority position and asked more 'why' questions.

Fine.  Jina told him how she found the tablet and what she had read.

Wait. You're telling me WICKED is responsible for this whole shucken mess?!

Ya...that's what it sounds like. And I believe both our minds has been messed with.

Those mother fu-

Thomas! Teresa's cold voice cut though both their minds and made Jina flinch. They looked over. 

What? Thomas snapped back. He looked over, Teresa's was standing by the gym door her arms crossed and glaring at the two. 

You have been gazing into Jina's eyes for the past 5 minutes. Everyone is watching you two.

Jina looked around. No one was paying attention, only Minho was watching with his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. But as soon as he saw Jina looking he looked away, and went back to his weights.

You're making a fool of yourself. Teresa snapped. She was staring daggers at Jina, while talking to Thomas, yet she still kept Jina in on the connection.

Thomas rolled his eyes. He broke the connection and turned to Jina again. "We'll talk later, okay? But...your okay?" He asked quietly.

"No, Tommy. I'm not okay. I haven't been for a while." She whispered, shaking her head, with fresh tears in her eyes. She turned and walked away.

< • >