I sat on the picnic table while Minho held a cloth to my bleeding head. I kept smacking his hands away, but he moved my hands away every time with a growled and narrowed eyes.

"For fuck sake, Jess! Would you let me take care of you!"

"I'm not dying. And it doesn't hurt. I'm fine!" I snapped back.

"I don't care. Just slim it woman! My badass girlfriend just ninjaed for her life and the shucken Greenie...can you just let me help!"

I made a protest, and only after I caught Winston's folded arms and a pointed look on his face, did I finally sit still with a huff and eye roll. Minho nodded in satisfaction and he cleaned me up.

Newt rolled his eyes as we bickered, but also had a small smile as he cleaned up the bite mark in Thomas's arm.

"-but...I don't get it. What did he mean I'm bad?" Thomas asked again.

"Shank was jacked. Who knows." Minho shrugged.

"The changing gives you memories ya shuck face. Memories from before all this. Maybe he saw you. Maybe he saw someone who looked like you. Maybe it's just jacked. Don't take what he says too seriously." I shrugged.

I frowned a bit, remembering what Gally said about seeing the Greenie in his memories. It couldn't be a coincidence. Minho caught my frown.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." I said quickly.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Later." I said under my breath. He just hummed.

"But ... he also said I was bad! And you were too!" Thomas said.

"Yeah...and again Greenie. Dude was pumped full of poison that brings back the shucken memories the people in charge erased. So who the shuck knows what the shank was talking about!"

Thomas was chewing his bottom lip and his eyebrows were pulled together.

I rolled my eyes, "I can't with this guy. He just can't accept an answer!" I huffed. I flinched when Minho pulled the gauze away to see how the bleeding was.

"Tommy." Newt said gently, "Ben wasn't thinkin' straight. You can't take what he says seriously."

Alby walked up, his face was set and it was somber, his body slouched slightly like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"We need a gathering."

Chuck came sprinting as fast as his little legs could take him. He skidded to a stop, he was huffing and puffing. He leaned over, his hands on his knees.

"Alby!" He managed to huff.

"What?" He barked.

Chuck was sucking air hard. He held up a finger for a second. Everyone was waiting for him to catch his breath. He finally stood up.

"He's not dead!"

"What?" I asked.

"Ben!" Chuck said, he looked at me with fear in his eyes. "He's not dead! The arrow missed his brain or something! Baggers went to move him, and he's still shucken alive! Jeff and Clint are with him!"

"Dammit!" We all cursed.

Alby turned and took off. I smacked Minho's hand away and took off after Alby. Minho, Newt and Winston were right behind me.

We crowded around the slammer door. I could hear Ben's wild screaming. Jeff, Clint and two baggers were inside. A few minutes later the door opened and Jeff and Clint and the baggers came out looking quite harassed.

"He's definitely still alive." Clint groaned, running a hand down his face.

"Clearly." I rolled my eyes.

Alby turned to me, "you said you saw this before?"

I nodded, crossing my arms. I ground my teeth together.

"Explain."

I growled. I remembered the girls who went through the changing but not fully and that one target who was half monster. They looked the same, acted the same but it couldn't be the same...but the similar experience.

"The Griever poising jacks the person. Clearly," I motioned to the slammer when Ben screamed like a caged animal. "It'll give you memories...but I was talking to Gally...we were thinking maybe the Creators could possibly implant fake memories."

"So you saying we have no idea if we can trust what he says?"

"Exactly what I'm saying. Ben was an idiot, he was rude and immature and I did not like the Shuckface one bit. I saved his ass too many times, but what he is saying right now?" I shrugged, and wrinkled my nose "I don't believe most of it."

"Well that's not helpful." Alby grumbled, rubbing his forehead.

"It is. He's jacked. He's not in his right mind and won't get better. I've seen it. I've dealt with it. More than once. A girl did something similar. She woke up half way through the changing. Went nuts on another girl. We tried to keep her in our jail for a few more days thinking she wasn't done The Changing..."

I shivered, remembering the incident. I looked past Alby, lost in my thoughts and memories for a moment. Someone gently nudge me and I shook my head.

"She only got worse." I said quietly.

"What...what happened to her?" Newt asked.

"I killed her." I said flatly. "She tried to eat another girl after she broke out of the jail. The other girl died later from the injuries."

The guys shucked in a breath.

"Shuck."

I shrugged. Alby was looking at me with a look I couldn't figure out. He shook his head and turned to the slammer door.

"Jessie, you're with me."

He opened the door and jumped in. Minho tried to protest, but ignored it and followed without hesitation. The Slammer was cool and dark and it took a second for my eyes to adjust. Huddled in the corner was Ben. Now he had a huge bloody bandage over his face. Somehow the guy was still able to move and function.

It blew my mind what the Griever poising could do to someone. It was like he didn't feel pain, until he was fully dead.

"Ben." Alby said.

His voice was demanding and harsh. All the kindness or exhaustion he showed earlier was gone. His eyes were cold and his face was set. I never really liked Alby, nor did I dislike him, we didn't interact much. But at the moment I respected him. He was a good leader. He did the hard stuff when he had to.

I stood beside him. My hands clasped behind my back, and my feet planted. All my senses were on high alert. I watched as Ben's head slowly twisted to look.

His one visible eye narrowed and he hissed.

"She's bad Alby! Why did you bring her? She's bad! Bad bad bad!"

"Why'd you try kill the Greenie?" Alby asked, ignoring Ben's question.

"He's bad! He's bad bad bad! He wants to bring us home! He did this to us!"

"Did what?"

"THIS!" he screamed, spit flying from his mouth.

I narrowed my eyes and clenched my jaw.

"Did you try to kill the Greenie?"

"Yes! He's bad!"

"So you said. You remember Jessie?"

"I saw her! I saw her! She was there! She was bad! She killed for them! And they didn't want her because she was bad! She was bad bad bad!"

"Who is they?" Alby asked.

I hadn't moved, I stayed perfectly still. My training kicked in. People could say whatever they wanted to me and about me, but it was me who chooses to react. I stayed still, and I waited and watched. Gathering all the information I could.

"They...they is them! Them...them them them...she killed for them...he was with them..."

"Ben your not making sense!"

Ben just screamed. I saw his arm twitch. I moved as he lunged without warning at Alby. I got in front of Alby first and sent my foot into his stomach, Ben crashed back into the wall and slid down into a heap. Alby backed away, his eyes wide. I stood in front of Alby, facing Ben, body coiled and ready for him to get back up.

"You're bad!" He cackled from the crumpled heap.

"Jessie! Come on." Alby called, he sounded shaken. Alby knocked on the Slammer door and it was opened. Someone helped heave Alby up. I slowly backed up, my eyes on Ben the whole time. Once I was at the door I turned and hoped up quick and agile as a cat. The slammer door creaked shut and it was locked.

"Someone stays round the clock." Alby demanded of the baggers. He turned to the few guys standing around still.

"We need a keepers Gathering." Alby sighed. He ran a hand down his face. "Now, Newt, Minho, Winston? Go round the others up. Jessie. I want a word."

Minho caught my eye and I could see the worry in his eyes. I just gave him a nod, letting him know I was fine. I would break down in our room if I needed to. But now it was time to have a face of stone and to shove all emotions deep down. Alby turned and walked towards the Gathering hut. I followed silently.

"I know we don't talk. Ever." He started.

"I'm not very social."

"I gathered." He rolled his eyes. "And we butt heads-"

"Whaaat?" I gasped, "No! We're the best of buddies!"

He snorted, and I smirked.

"I'm not dumb, and I can see the...skull set you have. You're obviously different from the rest...not just 'cause you 're a shucken she bean. There's something else."

I just hummed. Waiting for him to either explain his thinking or ask his question.

"I don't know how the shuck you got here-"

"Same." I interupted, "and if I had my way..I wouldn't have come in the first place."

"Whether it was intentional by the creators or not...I'll never know. And I've stopped trying to figure out what the shuck is going on...but you're here now." He said with a nodd.

We had reached the council room, and he pulled the door open and held it for me. Walking into the room, the door banged shut and he sunk into the nearest chair. For the first time, he looked weary, he looked tired and lost. He looked like the 19 year old kid he was.

"Jessie, I don't know what the shuck is going on. I don't know why you're here, and I don't know what to think or believe. But is there any truth to what Ben was raving about?"

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I sat down on the table and put my feet on the chair. Leaning forward, my elbows on my knees I looked him dead in the eyes.

"I was taken as a child, as an 8year old child, I was given over to... Them. I placed in a secret program and trained, tortured, manipulated, assaulted physically, mentally and sexually, I had my mind taken over by someone who called himself The Handler. I was trained as an assassin. By who? I don't know. Why? No clue. By 15 I was a full graduate of the program. I would have my mind taken over, like a robot, and sent out on missions. Given a target and told to kill them. If not, or if The Handler didn't like what he saw I was...punished. I wasn't as compliant as they wanted me to be, I didn't like being told what to do, I didn't want to be doing what I was doing. That's all I know."

Alby sat with his eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"I was sent into the Glade alone for a month. I had Grievers chace me more than any other girl in our Glade. After awhile girls stopped wanting to be my Mapping partner, because I was too dangerous. Seems to be the same here now. So. Obviously...your Creators... my Designers don't want me around. Maybe that's why I was sent to the Meadow. They were hoping to get ride of me. And when that failed, maybe they brought me here hoping the same, that I die or something."

"You do seem to have a very stubborn way about you, trying to kill you seems...rather difficult... you don't like to do what you're supposed to do."

"Shuck no! I don't take orders...shuck, I hardly take suggestions."

He snorted at that comment, I saw his lip pull into a small smile.

"That was a lot to take in." He muttered finally.

"Sure is."

"I'm guessing Minho knows?"

I nodded, "Newt and Winston as well."

Alby nodded. He leaned back and crossed his arms and frowned at me.

"Let's keep this between us. The rest of the Gladers don't need to know the details of your past."

"Appreciated." I nodded once.

"You seem... Harsh isn't the right word. But you obviously know what your doing. What do you suggest?" He looked at me expectantly, like he actually wanted to hear my opinion and suggestion.

"I can kill him for you. Or we banish him."

"Well I'd prefer not to have a murder in the Glade."

"And what's the difference between me doing it quietly and having a big show and having all your Keepers involved in killing one of your own?"

Alby looked at me thoughtfully.

"I've done it before." I shrugged.

"We'll put it to the vote." He said firmly.

"You da boss, Admiral." I shrugged again.

"Next question."

"Shoot."

"What about this Greenie?"

I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"Not a fan?"

"No. Guy's an idiot. Questions everything, doesn't like the answers he's given, doesn't shut up and doesn't get the back the shuck off vibe."

Alby nodded with a hum.

"But in regards to what Ben said? No idea. Honestly." I frowned and sat up. "Though..." I started slowly. "Gally said he saw him too."

"Did he?"

I nodded, running a hand throughy tangled hair. I got up off the desk and walked up and down in front of the row of chairs.

"But..."I said slowly, "he said..nothing made sense, his memories weren't solid memories. More flashes, bits and pieces." I turned to look at Alby, my arms folded. "Mine were full situations, like watching a movie in my head. Gally said he only had glimpses and flashes... so he says. So what he saw and what actually happened could be very different! Or...they could all be implanted and it's all fake."

Alby rubbed his chin, "true. They can take our memories, wouldn't put it passed them to put fake ones back."

"Exactly." I nodded.

We were quiet for a moment.

"This has been helpful. Thank you Jessie for being honest."

"Doesn't help me or anyone if I lied. Though I'd like to keep my past experience quiet."

"Yes. Agreed. And I'd like you to stay for the Keepers meeting. You and Minho are... CoKeepers..." He smirked. I rolled my eyes. "You seem to have a head on your shoulders, your feelings don't interfere with your desigion making."

"Eww. What feelings?" I wrinkled my nose.

He chuckled quietly.

"You're all right, Admiral."

He nodded just as the door opened and the other keepers filed in. I slid into the shadows, and stayed. I caught Minho's eye and he smirked, and winked. I smirked back but stayed in the shadows leaning on a support pole.

Newt and Alby got the meeting started, and informed everyone of the situation. Jeff gave his story, Ben got free from his wrist bindings and slammed Jeff into the wall, knocking him out. Winston gave out story. Alby talked some more about order and rules.

"Okay, so what do we do now? He tried killing the Greenie and Jessie. We all saw it, Alby."

"That's the question isn't it Fry. What do we do?"

There was silence in the room. I watched as they all avoided eye contact with each other, no one wanted to be responsible for the suggestion. I silently rolled my eyes.

"Banishment or I'll deal with it myself." I said from the shadows. Almost everyone jumped, forgetting I was there. "He's only going to get worse, and he's tried to kill Greenie, and Alby."

"And you!" Winston said, "he tried to kill you and all you did was defend Thomas."

I shrugged, I wasn't worried about myself.

"Either I take it on and do it; you're all free of the guilt, I've had to do it back in my other maze, not my first time or we banish him to the mercy of the Maze as a whole." I gave them the ultimatum. "Those are your options."

"No." Minho said suddenly, his dark eyes locked onto me and didn't leave. "We're a group. We do things together, that's why we made this shuck council. If we're gonna do something, we banish him. Together. No one person does it alone and carries that burden."

"All right." Newt said standing up. "All in favor of banishment. Everyone's gotta buggen' vote."

It was unanimous.

Doors close tomorrow, Ben would be banished to the mercy of the Maze.