"Ah, but it's true. Your mother was my sister." Janson sneered. 

"Gross! Thomas, your related to a Rat!" Minho snarked, "I guess your mom got all the good genetics, he just got the psycho ones." 

Janson didn't like that. And when he doesn't like something I'm the target. I instinctively curled up waiting for the blow. And it came. His foot connected hard with my ribs. I cried in pain, as best I could through the gag. 

"Minho shut up!" Thomas cried, his eyes never left my curled up form. 

Minho shut his mouth, wincing at the pain he had caused. All eyes were on me, curled up, dishevelled, dirty, bloody, bruised, tied up and gaged. I was a beaten down dog, 

"Charlie, I'm sorry!" Thomas cried. 

He finally threw off the guard and dove towards me. Janson, for some reason allowed it to happen. Thomas slid on his knees in front of me,  ripping the gag from my mouth. 

"Tommy!" I cried. 

"Charlie! I thought you were dead! I'm so sorry!" 

He wrapped his arms around me. I couldn't hug him back. My hands were still tied, but I leaned into him. I leaned into his chest, placing my forehead on his shoulder and cried. Thomas wrapped his arms around me tightly. I gasped in pain. 

"What? What did I hurt?" He gasped, letting go quickly. 

"Everything. Everything hurts." I whispered. 

He took my face gently in his hands and looked at me, fully and up close. I could see the heart break in his eyes. I knew I looked terrible. But to see his heart break meant I looked even worse. 

"As much as I love happy reunions, I have some business to take care of." Janson said, like he was bored. He pulled out his communication device. "Bring her in."

The Berg that had been houvering a little ways away came closer and then lowered down, and opened the ramp. Standing at the top of the ramp outlined in the light was Ava Paige. She marched down the stares, like she owned the world. She came to a stop beside Janson. Her nose slightly in the air, and she looked around at the rows of kids, and then to Thomas and myself at Jansons's feet. Thomas still had his arms protectively around me, but the rope around my neck was still held by Janson, like I was some kind of dog. 

"Is this all of them?" She asked disappointed, like finding about 100 immune kids was a disappointment.

"Most of them." Janson reasured her,  "It'll be enough."

She sighed, "Start loading them in." and she waved a dismisive hand.

"Yes, ma'am." Janson nodded eagerly. I could see the twisted glee glinting in his crazed eyes.

"Okay, you heard. Let's go!"

"Get 'em on!" A guard yelled from the back.

I turned my head and watched in horror as the grabbed a kid from the back and started pulling them towards the Berg.

"Hello, Thomas. I'm glad you're safe." 

My eyes flew back to Ava Paige. She was looking down at Thomas with mild interest. My eyes slid to the movement behind her, out stepped a dark haired girl. She looked slightly troubled and guilty. 

"What the hell?" Minho asked.

"Teresa?" Newt asked, hurt clear in his voice

"Wait, what's going on?" Frypan called

"She's with them." I rasped. My voice was so sore and dry I'm surprised they heard. But I saw all their eyes go wide in shock and then hurt from the betrayal. 

"Since when?" Newt asked.

"Teresa's always had an evolved appreciation of the greater good. Once we restored her memories, it was only a matter of time." Janson almost cooed, he motioned for Teresa to come over beside him, she stepped up 

"Liar! She always had her memories. Even in the Glade." I said and narrowed my eyes at her. S

he could pretend to be the guilty helpless girl. But she was the one who called. She brought Janson to these kids. She knew what was happening the whole time. She was just as bad. Janson yanked the rope around my neck so hard I was ripped from Thomas's grip. I fell backwards with a strangled cry. Janson grabbed my hair and pulled me up, while I struggled and cried, and gasped for air.

"Prove it." Teresa hissed at me. But then looked at Thomas who had scrambled to his feet, looking murderous.

"I'm sorry!" She cried, tears forming in her eyes.

"ARE NOT!" I cried. Janson yanked my hair making me collapse to the ground, on my knees, my tied hands trying desperately to loosen his death grip on my hair.

"She's right. This is all just a means to an end. You used to understand that, Thomas." Ava said, trying to get some control over this situation. She tried reasoning with Thomas. But he wasn't paying attention. He was watching me struggle weakly against Janson. 

 "No matter what you think of me... I am not a monster. I'm a doctor."

I knew I would pay for it now and probably later, but I snorted and let out a harsh laugh.

"You lie just as bad as Teresa does." 

Janson used the back end of a gun and slammed it into my face. With a cry or pain I collapsed, I curled into a ball, hiding my head with my arms. There was loud cries of protests from the guys. They all started fighting against their guards.

"ENOUGH!  I swore an oath to find a cure! No matter the cost. I just need more time!" Ava cried desperately over the loud protests of the Gladers.

"More blood, you mean." A woman cried from the crowd. 

I lifted my head enough to see a middle aged woman pushing through the crowd. She stopped in the front, her eyes swept over me. She looked kind, I saw the sadness and pity.

"Hello, Mary. I hoped we'd meet again. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances." Ava said. She didn't sound sorry at all. 

"I'm sorry about a lot of things, too. But not this. At least my conscience is clear." Mary spat at Ava. I could see the anger and regret in her eyes. 

"So is mine." Ava's response was rash, I saw her wave a hand and in a split second Janson had raised a gun. I yelled out just as he pulled the trigger.

Bright red blossomed from her chest, gushing down the front of her shirt. She collapsed to her knees. A blond man shoved his way to the front crying for her.

"Mary? Mary? Mary!"

Mary collapsed in a heap, fresh blood stained the ground around her.

"Mary! Mary!" The man called. I could hear the desperation and sorrow in his cries.

"Get off me!" He screamed and threw a guard off, collapsing to his knees he pulled the lifeless body of Mary into his arms, crying and shaking her. 

"Mary? Mary? No!" 

I didn't know these people, and yet I could feel his heart break. This Mary was shot in cold blood. Ava and Janson just stood there watching almost bored of the situation.

"Come on, Janson." Ava said turning away from the heart breaking scene. "Load them up. Let's go." She glanced over her shoulder and waved a dismissive hand, "All these people. Get rid of them."

"Let's go. Let's go!" Janson yelled.

The gaurds started grabbing kids hauling them towards the Berg. A guard grabbed onto Thomas. Janson yanked on my rope.

"Tommy!" I screamed.

"Let go of me!" Thomas yelled fighting the guard.

"Sonya! Aris!" Someone cried.

Thomas managed to throw the solider off and reached into his jacket and pulled something.

"Get back!" He screamed.

Janson spun around, yanking me with him. I could feel the role burns and bruising around my neck.

"Everyone, stand back!" Thomas screamed again. He was flailing what looked like a homemade explosive in one hand the and detonator in the other.

"Stand back!" He cried again.

"Hold your fire!" Janson screamed at the WICKED guards. He had both hands out, trying to stop his men. It was chaos for a few minutes. WICKED soliders were raising and lowering guns in confusion. Some were letting go of the kids, kids were running out of the grasp of Soilders, Janson was screaming at the soliders and guards to stop and Thomas was screaming at everyone to back off.

"- Everyone, stand back!-"

"- Hold your fire!-"

"- Stand back. Let 'em go.-"

"- Thomas, put it down."

"- Let 'em all go!-"

I realized Janson wasn't holding the end of the rope, it was trailing along the ground. I grabbed the end and with every last but of energy I stumbled towards Thomas in the chaos. Thankfully Janson was to busy with the Soilders, Ava was panicking and Teresa was spinning in circles. I caught sight of Captain Magnus, his huge frame and tattooed arms were hard to miss. His face was still completely covered, but he was forcibly lowering some guards gun.

I stumbled into Thomas arms, he caught me, still holding onto the explosive and detonator.

"- You know I can't do that!" Thomas spat at Ava and Janson.

"Charlie! Dammit!" Janson hissed when he realized I wasn't beside him. He snarled at me. I was actually terrified of him and I pressed closer into Thomas, hiding my face.

"Thomas, please stop." Cried Teresa stepping forwards. Both her hands out, trying to plead with him. "I made a deal with them. They promised we'd be safe. All of us!"

"And I'm supposed to trust you now?" Thomas spat. "Look what they did to Charlie, and that was only what? Three weeks? You want me to come waltzing over to you when she looks like this?"

"It's true. It was her only condition." Ava tried to reason again. She was quickly losing her grip on the situation.

"Shut up!" Thomas screamed. His arms had wrapped around me, supporting me.

"Everything can go back to the way it was." Teresa pleaded.

I whimpered. 

"I ... I don't want...to go back!" I whispered into his chest.

"Thomas..." Teresa tried again, "Do you really want all of them to die?"

"Listen to her, Thomas. Think about what you're doing." Ava cried.

"We're with you, Thomas." Minho said solumly.

Minho had shoved his solider off and came over beside Thomas and me. Thomas shifted, slowly moving me over into Minho's arms. Minho pulled me towards him, holding me closer to himself, litterly holding me up. My legs felt like collapsing. Newt also scrambled over, a hand on Thomas's shoulder and one on mine.

"Do it Tommy. Please. I can't go back! I can't." I whimpered. A tear slid down my cheek. Minho tightened his grip on me.

"I won't let that happen Tiger." He said gently.

"No!" Ava cried wildly.

Frypan and Chuck crowded around too.

"No! Don't." Teresa cried.

"Do it, Thomas." A blond girl struggled against a guard.

"We're ready." Minho nodded.

"We're not going back there." Thomas cried, holding the explosive out in front of himself. The group crowded around, closer.

"Thomas?" Teresa almost whimpered at him.

"Please Tommy! I can't go..." I whispered.

"It's the only way." Thomas repeated.

"Thomas!" Teresa cried.

"It's the only way." Thomas said, stealing himself.

I braced for it. I was ready. Death was welcomed. I would be away from Janson. Away from torture and constant fear. I would be able to see Gally, and our Bean and Alby, and Jeff, Clint, Vinny, Ben, Jax and Fred. I was ready. I would die beside Tommy and Newt, Minho, Fry and Chuck.

"Thomas!" Teresa cried.

I saw Thomas thumb move.

A loud wild scream cut through the chaos, accompanied with a long loud horn. Everyone froze for a moment. Over the hill came a huge black truck, horn screeching and a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair was screaming and whooping out the window. The truck came barrinlg towards us down the hill. As it picked up speed the man dove out the door. The truck hit a pile of boxes and flipped, slamming into the side of one of the helicopters.

It exploded. Sending metal parts everywhere. The helicopter tipped, the spinning blades came chopping towards us, cutting up the earth. Minho pushed me to the ground. Out of the way of the chopper blade.

There was instant chaos. Again. WICKED guards started shooting, and grabbing kids at random, pulling them towards the Burg. I caught a quick glance of Ava Paige being quickly escorted back into the safety of the burg.

I lost sight of Thomas and Minho. I saw Frypan helping Newt and Chuck up a hill. Trouble was there was a huge fire in-between us. I struggled to my knees, each breath sent a wave of pain through my body. My head was pounding making my cussion spin. I must have slammed my head again. My hands were still tied, the rope around my neck was still there.

That was goal number one. I clawed at the rope, I tried pulling and twisting. I cried in frustration and panic, but I couldn't get the knot. I tried to just struggle to my feet. Someone would be able to just cut me free. I got to my feet and took a few steps. I was jerked back with a strangled cry. I landed on my back. My tied hands went to my neck, trying to loosen the rope. I twisted around and saw Janson standing on the end of the rope.

"No!" I sobbed.

"Oh yes!" He cried, "you can't leave me that easily A3!"

His one shoulder was a bloody mess. He bent down and grabbed the end of the rope and wound it around his fist a few times. He yanked on it, making me struggle to my knees and then to my feet. Sobbing and chocking the whole time. His face was twisted in furry, I don't think he even felt the pain in his shoulder. He dragged me towards the Burg, I sobbed and cried, struggling desperately against him.

He pulled me up the ramp. And then stood at the top, watching the chaos. Two guards came storming up the ramp, dragging a limp boy between them.

"No! Please no!" I whispered.

They dropped him at Janson's feet, right in front of me. I grabbed onto Minho and pulled him towards me. As Ava and Teresa walked up behind us. I shuddered. I was back in the hands of Janson and WICKED. The Burg took off.

I watched through tears as Thomas was held back, I could hear him screaming.

I placed my forehead on Minho's chest and sobbed.

I had no hope. None at all.