The haunting moan and slow metal on metal came from down the dark corridor behind us. And the Grievers in front of us screamed. 

"Dammit!" Thomas cursed. 

"Run!" 

I grabbed Thomas's arm spinning around and we took off back down the hall. I had passed a hall a few yards back. I dragged Thomas with me until he had his feet under him. I let go and we ran. I was surprised ow fast he was. I was exhausted from running all morning, then caring Alby, but most runners still couldn't keep up. The Grievers screamed and gave chase. We had ran, turn after turn, away from the screaming, moaning and whirring. But as soon as I thought we had lost them, they turned up. Never giving us an actual break. My heart working overtime. Every muscle and joint screamed for sleep. By this point, I couldn't feel my feet. They were numb, but the pain was shooting through my legs. 

I was leading Thomas through the maze, he was blindly following me. At least one person trusts me. I thought bitterly. 

"Where are we going?" He asked. 

"Away." I panted. I could hardly get words out. 

"Good plan!" 

I had no extra energy to talk. I glanced beside me and I saw his head whipping back and forth. Out of the the hall we were going to pass came another Griever. 

"Down!" I screamed and tackled Thomas. We hit the stone and rolled, I came up onto my feet. He scrambled to his feet 

"Where the hell did that one come from?" 

"From Hell Thomas." I said dryly. 

He swiveled his head back and forth. We had one Griever in front of us and three behind us. I could see him working out a plan. He grabbed my arm and was pulling me backwards, away from the one griever and closer to the Grievers who had chased us down this hall. THey came around the corner. 

"Do you trust me?" Thomas asked.

"Do I have much of a choice?" 

"Good enough." He said, "Use the bow and piss of the the one in front of us-"

"Okay that I can do. But after that?" 

"Try and get it close enough to the others, piss it off, we go under."

"Got it." I pulled the bow off as we kept backing up. The Griever in front of us slowly advanced. The three behind us were charging head long down the hall. 

"Okay....Get ready!" Thomas yelled. I pulled back on the sting, the arrow ready to fly. 

"Ready?"

"Yes." I yelled back. 

He swiveled his head back and forth. 

"Ready...One...two...three!" 

I let the arrow go, It soared with a twang and the the Griever in the forehead. 

"Ha! Greivercorn!" I smiled evilly. But it slid off, that was what Minho called it. I felt the anger burn in my chest. The Griever reared back screaming. 

"It's pissed!" I yelled. 

"Wait...wait..." Thomas warned. 

It slammed back down onto all its legs, it screamed, thrashing it's long scorpion tail. It charged. Thomas was holding my wrist tightly. He was coiled tight, ready to run. He turned to look at the three monsters behind us, turning his back to the monster in front of us. He pulled and we both sprinted forwards. He dove to the side. I had slid another arrow out of the quiver and a knife as I sprinted.  Dropping to my knees, sliding under the Griever, I had sliced open the under belly of the Griever, spilling oil and ripping wires. I had to let go of the knife. I threw my body forwards, rolling a few times, coming up onto my knees again, spinning around I shot the arrow towards the Grievers, which all smashed into each other. Sharp legs flailed, scorpion claw tails tangled. Their legs ended up stabbing into each other. My arrow hit true. Into the Griever that was spilling oil, and sparking. The arrow hit it's side, causing more sparks. 

"Duck!" I screamed. 

I dove towards Thomas who had scrambled to his feet. I knocked him down as the Griever exploded. I covered my head as debris went everywhere. It took a minute for both Thomas and I to catch our breath, we both lay flat on the ground.

"Well...that worked." He said dryly.

It was such a ridiculous statement in such a ridiculous moment I laughed. I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes, hat leaded down my face, and my stomach hurt.  I couldn't stop. Thomas was looking at me like I had lost it. Maybe I had. Maybe I finally lost it. It wouldn't surprise me. It took me another minute to catch my breath.  Once I was quiet again, I pushed myself up onto my elbows, and looked at the damage. 

Two of the Grievers were nothing but spare parts. One had turned and ran, the other, looked crippled, but still very functional. And very very angry. 

"Well, I think it's time we go! We really pissed it off!" 

Thomas was already on his feet, and held a hand out. I took it and he yanked me to my feet. With a groan, we turned and ran back down the hall. The Griever finally untangled its self and screamed. 

"Dammit! We just can't catch a break!" 

"Welcome to my life Thomas." 

We took a corner and I skidded to a halt. I turned my head, getting my barings.   I grinned evilly. 

"Thomas, it's your turn to trust me." 

"With that twisted smile, not sure if I like the idea." 

"We're gonna thomas the walls." 

"Were going to- what? Wait! Did you use my name as a verb?" He sputtered. 

I grabbed  his arm and yanked him down the corridor to the left. We had made it to section seven, which was in the middle of changing. I had an idea. 

"The walls! They're movie!" 

"Very observant!" 

"Wait! Are we gonna do what I think we're gonna do?!" He yelled, slight panic in his voice. 

"Dunno. What are you thinking we're gonna do?"

"You wanna lose it in the walls!"

"Close. Shut up and run! It's gaining!" 

We ran another hall. 

"Left!" 

He took the direction without hesitation, we ran side by side. The Griever came whipping around the corner. My lungs were screaming at me, my legs were jello. I just wanted to sit down and never get up.  The wall in front of was was closing.

"Dammit Jessie! This is the worst idea ever!"

I grinned at him with a twisted smile. 

"If we live through this...it's gonna be one helluva story!" He huffed. 

"Atta boy!" 

The Griever was closer, almost on us. Thomas got to the wall first. He stopped and screamed at the Griever, egging it on. 

"COME ON!" 

"Go!" I waved. 

Thomas turned and ran through the closing door. He skidded to a stop and turned. 

"Come on Jessie!" 

I had to duck as the tail came whipping around, trying to grab my head. I squeezed through the closing door. I shoved my way through, diving out as the door slammed shut. I screamed as pure white hot pain shot through my leg. I landed on the ground. I withered in pain. The doors had slammed shut on the Griever, effectively squishing it, but its claw had grabbed my leg before I made it. It's three sharp claws were stabbing into my leg, just above my knee in the fleshy part. 

I lay on my back trying hard not to throw up with the pain that made my stomach twist and turn. 

"Holly shit you guys are crazy!" 

My heart stopped and my head snapped in the direction of the voice I thought I wouldn't hear again. Minho materialized out of the gloom and shadows. He was dirty, sweaty, a few scrapes and a fresh bruise or two, but he was okay. I felt a wave of relief before I was hot with a wall of pure hot anger. It bubbled up and exploded out of my mouth. 

"YOU!" I shrieked. "YOU LEFT ME! YOU COWARD!" 

I tried to get up, only to have a wave of pain shoot through my body starting at my leg. I crumpled back down, withering and cursing in pain again. Thomas dropped to his knees beside me, he tried to pull the claw apart, which just made the pain intensify. 

"STOP!" I screamed. My back arched off the ground in pain. He stopped, holding his hands up. 

"I'm sorry! Sorry!" 

I was panting hard, trying to deal with the metal claw stabbing into my leg in three separate places. Minho came over and cautiously knelt down beside me. I narrowed my eyes at him, and growled. I was happy to see him alive and I wanted to throw myself into his arms, but I also wanted to punch is his stupid beautiful face. 

He looked up at Thomas, almost like he was waiting for him to tell him what to do. Thomas had his thinking face, his eyes glassy and far away, he was chewing his lip. His eyes darted up and down the Griever tail and claw. 

"Okay...I think Jessie, unfortunately, were just gonna have to pull it." He grimaced.  

"Fuck." I growled. "Just do it." 

Thomas and Minho took hold of the claw. They both glanced at me, I took a deep breath, preparing for the pain. I nodded. The guys looked at each other. Minho seemed to look to Thomas for leadership, waiting for the next instruction. 

  "On three." 

Minho nodded in understanding. 

"One...two...three." 

They both pulled. I screamed as they pulled. I felt the claw slowly being pulled out of everything in my leg. My head spun and my vision went black. 

•×•

I blinked my eyes open. It must have only been a minute or two only. I groaned in pain. 

"Oh thank shuck! Jessie!" Minho whispered in relief. He had my head in his lap. I felt my stomach twist in pain, I rolled over and threw up. There wasn't much, just the little bit of water and stomach bile. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and rolled back. 

Minho didn't say anything, he was avoiding my eyes, but I would see the guilt clear on his face, even with my fuzzy vision and looking at him upside down. I swiveled my head and saw Thomas holding something against my leg, trying to stanch the bleeding. With a wild groan of exhaustion I pushed myself to sit up. 

"Thomas...backpack. First aid kit." I panted, trying to keep the pain down. 

Thomas rummaged through the backpack and pulled the first aid kit out. I clamped my eyes tight and clenched my jaw as he tried to wrap it and clean the three holes in my leg. I growled. 

"Jessie..?" Minho asked hesitantly.

"What?" I snapped. 

He hung his head, his shoulders slumped.

"I'm... sorry."

"Save it, Minho." I snapped. I clamped my eyes closed and swallowed hard. I felt the burning sting of tears. I opened my eyes and narrowed them, trying to keep my tears from falling. "Sorry only works when a mistake happens. Not when trust is broken. And you chewed me out yesterday for ditching you. Don't give me that crap. I said I lived through the night in the maze twice. And you still left! You left me with the Greenie and Alby! Fuck you Minho!"

My voice shook, and I hated how weak I sounded. I wanted to rage and scream. I wanted to throw fists. Instead my body shook with anger and hurt. My heart wanted him. I hated that I didn't want to be mad at him. I wanted to, but I was more thankful he was alive.

"I know." He said quietly, his head still down.

"I'm still really pissed off." I said, as my voice shook.

"You have every right to be made. I was shuck face coward."

"Shucken right you were! Greenie was braver than you at the moment."

"Hey! Don't bring me into this!"

"But she's right. You're the shuck faced Greenie! I'm the shucken vetrin and I ditched."

Thomas shrugged, turning back to my bloody leg. He tied the cloth off and I winced. He sat back and scooched back to lean against the wall on the other side of the hall. It was quiet in the area for now. We all needed to sit and catch our breath.

"So... where's Alby?" Minho asked.

"Vines."

He looked at me, his eyebrows pulled together, looking back and forth between Thomas and me.

"Greenie here, is quite the intelligent idiot." I grinned.

Thomas rolled his eyes. But he explained how we got Alby up the vines and the Griever. And then how we ran into the trio of Grievers and then how we escaped them and got here.

"Well shuck sakes. You guys are shucken crazy!" Minho looked back and forth between us.

"Ahh, but crazy people don't know their crazy. I know I'm crazy, therefore I am not crazy. Isn't that crazy?" I gave them a twisted smile.

Thomas frowned and pulled his eyebrows together trying to figure out what I just said. Minho snickered and shook his head.

I layed my head back against the wall, and closed my eyes, trying to find some energy deep inside me.

"Jess? How are you doing?" Minho asked me quietly.

He had turned towards me, his back to Thomas. I opened my eyes he was close, I could see his dark brown eyes sparkling in the moonlight. His eyebrows pulled together in a frown if concern. I could see the sweat marks in his temple and down his face. He was grimy and looked exhausted.

"Torn between fuck you and I'd fuck you." I said quietly.

"Well that's honest."

"I don't hold back Sparky."

"Appreciated." He nodded with a small smirk, "well...If I could choose I'd take the second option."

I snorted and rolled my eyes, "of course you would."

He gave me a cheeky smile.

"It's a shucken good thing I kinda like you, cuz I still wanna punch your stupid face."

"I know." He said quietly, looking away again, his entire body slumped. I could see in his eyes and body launguage how much he regretted his desigion, and how much shame and guilt he felt.

"Jessie-" he started.

But I grabbed his runners vest and pulled him closer and kissed him. He immediately wrapped me up in his arms and I finally sighed, sighing into the kiss. My hands tightened around him. I didn't want to admit how scared I was of loosing him, of never seeing him again. I lied to Thomas, I was afraid of something. I was terrified of losing Minho. He was my calm in my storm, my peace in the war around me. He was my home.

He kissed me back desperately, holding me tight like I would disappear into thin air. I slid my hands to his back, holding his shirt clenched in my fists, holding him like he would try and run again.

"Guys gross! Come in! Seriously?" Thomas whinned behind us.

Without pausing, still kissing Minho deeply I flipped Thomas off. I heard him scoff and mutter something. Minho smirked against my lips.

I pulled away suddenly. Minho's head whipped in the same direction and Thomas sat up straight.

"Shuck."

"Dammit!"

"Time to go!"

We all said at once. I grabbed Minho's vest, holding it tight in my fists.

"I'm not leaving, babe. I'm staying beside you." He reassured me, holding my face between his hands. "I've learned my shucken lesson. Never again. I'd rather die by Griever beside you then by myself."

"Aww that's so sweet."

"How's that leg?"

"Hurts like hell. But I'll be fine."

"There's my Savage." He grinned at me.

He stood up and helped pull me up. I cursed when I put weight on it. But I ground my teeth and hissed in pain.

The Griever let out a loud scream. It was closer. And it had friends.