The Glade was still for a second. No one moved. Gally was frozen, his eyes wide and mouth clamped shut. Every muscle in his body tense and wound up. He stood staring at the three of us.

"I dare you." I hissed at Gally. "Please. Please I dare you. Try it."

Gally moved. And then chaos erupted. His builders jumped toward and the guys who were in on the mutiny broke from the crowd.

A few guys tried to lung at me, but I turned towards them grabbing one around the waist and twisting making him flip. As I twisted, I slammed my boot into the other guys face. I heard a crunch. The guy I grabbed, ha landed with a loud omph on his back, knocking the wind out of him. I landed in a kneeling position.

"Stay down." I hissed. "It makes this easier."

I spun around as another guy tried to grab me. Ducking my head in the process I used one knife in my hand and cut the calf if the guy- it wasn't deep, he could still walk, but it was enough to make him crumble.

Standing up, I held both knifes up and ready. Teresa had taken out two guys, Newt had knocked a guy out, same Fry. Winston had a guy held tight, a huge butcher knife held to his throat. Minho had stepped up his machete held at the back of Gally's neck.

"Enough." I roared.

The Gladers all settled. The Builders were rolling and groaning on the ground. Minho slowly walked around to the front of Gally. Minho's dark eyes flashed dangerously.

"It's over." He hissed. Slowly he backed up, to stand beside me. Still holding his knife.

"Winnie, let the idiot go. He's not worth it."

"Fine." He grumbled and moved his knife from his neck and shoved him away. Winston, Fry, Newt, Jeff and Clint stepped forwards and around the guys on the ground and came to join our group. I whistled loudly, and Chuck came running from the Deadheads. He stood behind us.

"You're all full of surprises, aren't you?" sneered Gally.

"You don't have to come with us, but we are leaving. Anyone else who wants to come, now is your last chance." Thomas called.

"Don't listen to him, he's just trying to scare you-" Gally tried to calm the crowd of Gladers.

Thomas cut him off, "No! We're not TRYING to scare you. You're already scared. I'm scared. Tess is scared! Doubt Jessie is scared, nothing scares her."

I growled, and narrowed my eyes.

"But I'd rather risk my life out there than live the rest of it in here!" He continued. I nodded sharply in agreement.

"We don't belong here. This isn't our home. We were put here. We were sent here. At least, out there we have a choice. We can make it out of here. I know that. Jessie knows that, she followed the Grievers, it's our way out."

"Even Alby knew that, in the end. His last words were: Get out." I added, gravely.

"Wait...you saw Alby?"

"I tried. I tried to get him back. His last words were get them out. So here I am. Offering you a one time chance. Come now or stay and die."

Phil hesitated and then came over. In the end I counted 45 Gladers who joined our group. Only leaving Gally, and his builders.

"I'm sorry, Gally, it's over." Thomas said sadly. 

I saw the fear behind Gally's stone exterior. I wasn't sure if it was the possibility of him being controlled, or if his fear was from his memories...or he was just a coward. I growled and tried one more time
As much as I hated the guy, I didn't want anyone left behind, this was a horrible place and anyone who stayed was guaranteed a gory and gruesome death.

"Gally...Just come with us." I called.

"Good luck against the Grievers." he sneered at them and turned away, he walked away, followed by his group of guys.

"Harold, last chance. You stay you die. I'll do my best not to knock you out. Again."

I could see the struggle. I saw him glance at Gally's retreating back. Then he turned and slunk sheepishly into the group.

"That's what I thought." I muttered.

The crowd of Gladers waited by the door for a second, organizing weapons. Thomas and Newt had it under control. Minho turned to me, grabbing my hips and pulling me closer to have a quiet conversation. He leaned his forehead on mine and gently rubbed his nose up mine.

"Baby. Have I told you, your sweet badass moves are a real turn on?" Minho growled.

"I've figured it out." I purred. Slidding my hands up into the back of his hair, weaving my fingers into his hair.

"Jess..." He started. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Giving me another reason to keep going. For challenging me..for trust me with your secrets and heart."

"Minho. This better not be a fucken goodbye!" I pulled my face away and glared at him.

"Nah, it's a I love you so much, and I would seriously burn the world down if something happened to you."

"Okay..." I said quietly, still suspicious. He smirked at me. His hands held the back of my neck, he tilted my head up. And his face lowered to mine. His lips just brushed mine.

"I love you Jess."

"I love you too, Minho."

He pulled away just a bit, so he could look into my eyes with his dark and intense eyes.

"When we get out...Jess...do you..do you wanna..." He cleared his throat, I raised an eyebrow but I kept quiet. "I can't do any of this without you. I need you Jess. All the time. I need you beside me; I want to beside me, and over me, and under me and beside me! I just need you. Your the only one who gets me, who fully understands me. I wanna grow old with you."

"Yes."

"What?"

"I said yes Minho. I'll absolutely be there, as your girlfriend life partner, wife whatever title you wanna use, but it's you. Always."

He titled my head all the way up, his eyes were sparkling with pure joy at the moment. He smiled to big and pure his eyes squinted into half moons, and his dimples showed. He made me smile too. Even though we were about to run head long into almost certain death, I was happy and content.

He pressed his lips to mine, gently at first. My eyes fluttered closed. I inhaled sharply and he took the opportunity to deepen our kiss, by sliding his tongue into my mouth and pulling me even closer at the same time.

I held him as close and tightly as I could. Everything around us fell away. The nervous chatter of the Gladers faded away, it was just us, it was just Minho and the affect he had on me, I felt safe and content. I couldn't believe he managed to bust all my walls down, he managed to get me to open up and trust. I had changed a lot in the last few months, all because of this young man held tight in my arms.

There was a loud throat clear beside us. Minho slowly pulled away with a small growl if annoyance. Standing by our shoulders was Newt and Winston.

"Sorry to break this up-"

"-you are not!"

"You're right we aren't."

"But ya know JayJay, you've come a long way, refusing to have any kinda physical touch in public and now your making out with your boy in the middle of a crowd."

I rolled my eyes.

"What do you guys want?"

"Someone should give a pep talk." Winston suggested.

"Okay? And? How is that my problem?" Minho asked

"Because somebody should give a speech." Winston repeated and gave Minho a pointed look.

Minho rolled his eyes. But being someone who doesn't back down from being in the spotlight, he straightened up. I watched in ammusment. Winston leaned over and whispered.

"This auta be good."

"Listen up ya shanks!" He bellowed, he put his hands on hips, puffed his chest out and looked at the guys.

"Be careful." he said as dryly as possible, "don't die."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes.  It was such a Minho thing to say.

Newt rolled his eyes. "Great, we're all bloody inspired!"

Minho looked at him, crossed his arms. "You wanna do better? Floors yours." He stepped back beside me with a look of smugness on his face.

"I loved it. I thought it summed everything up nicely." I whispered to Minho.

"Thank you." He shrugged, with a small smirk. Newt banged the butt of his spear on the ground. All eyes turned to Newt.

"After more than 2 years of being treated like mice...no more! NO SHUCKEN MORE! Tonight we're making a stand! Right now we are taking the fight back to the creators! No matter what we have to go through to get there! This ends NOW! And they better be scared!" 

Minho let out a loud battle cry, which was followed by the others cheering, and yelling. The noise grew so loud it sounded like a whole army, ready to fight to the death. And not 45 scared teenagers. The sound bounced off the walls getting louder and louder crichendoing in a sound like thunder.

I watched, silent, my eyes flicking over each face. I knew the wild fire in them would die soon enough. As soon as we got inside the maze and the Grievers showed up, the courage would waver and it would be up to pure raw determination and strength of will.

Teresa slid up, "how long will this last?" She whispered in my ear.

I shook my head. "Not long." I muttered.

"INTO THE MAZE! WE RUN!" Thomas cried. He was standing facing the etrence of the maze. His first raised in the air.

He hesitated for the briefest of seconds and then with Newt beside him they charged into the maze. The Gladers ran in after. Teresa and I exchanged glances with Teresa and she shrugged and raced off. I looked over at Minho. He gave me nod and we took off after the group of Gladers.

•×•

Newt and Thomas led the group, for having a prominent limp, I was impressed how well Newt ran at the front leading the group. The other Gladers kept pace for a little, but soon the non runners slowed down and the group started to spread out. And Newt insisted he was fine, but slowed down to run at the back 'to make sure no one was left behind'.

I suspected his leg was bugging him, but I didn't say anything, and Minho sped up to run at the front with Thomas. Teresa and I kept to ourselves, running closer to the front, she had a look of concentration, I figured she was busy talking to Thomas with their telepathy thing. It would be kinda nice to have that, talk to someone totally private with no one being able to listen in.

Everyone ran in silence, the nerves of what they had to do next were rising. I glanced at the faces of the boys around me, they were all mixed with determination and fear, the fire from before, Newt's speech was wearing off. I glanced behind me and noticed Chuck was really far behind.

Look after him.

Her words bounced around my head, making me jump. I hadn't heard her voice in a long time. I glanced behind me and just about fell on my face, as I tripped over my feet. She was standing in the hallway, in the middle of the intersections we just passed. She stood with her pink pajamas stained with bright fresh blood, the knife still in her chest. Her big brown eyes dead and lifeless, but she was looking at me.

I felt a hand on my elbow. I looked to see who caught me, Teresa was giving me a weird look.

"You okay?"

I made a weird motion with my head, somewhere between a nod and a shack. Blinking and rubbing my eyes aggressively while still running, I looked back. She was gone, nothing was there.

"Water break!" Minho called from the front of the group.

I shoved my way through the crowd towards Minho. I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the group.

"Whoa whoa Jess- wait. What's wrong?"

"Hmm?"

"You're pale and look like you just saw a ghost."

I flinched. Minho frowned.

"Jess...?" He asked again, slightly more worried.

"I saw...her. She was just standing there, watching me."

"Jess... " Minho started gently. He pulled me into his arms, I grabbed his shirt and held on tight, and pressed my forehead into his chest. "She's not coming back to haunt you. That's...that's just the PTSD."

"How...how do I keep him safe? We're running head long into a tunnel that's ment for Grievers. I'm sure the damn Designers know we're coming. You know they won't let us just waltz in, it's gonna be a blood bath."

"We'll get him out Jess." Minho said quietly.

"Water break is over. Let's keep going!" Thomas called. "Come on Love birds."

"Fuck off Thomas." I snapped.

"Always so plesent."

"Don't push my patience. I'm not in the mood."

"Yeah, well ho-"

"Slim it." Minho snapped, narrowing his eyes at Thomas. Teresa came up and gave Thomas a rough shove in the arm and got him moving. Once all the Gladers were running again, I slowed down and made my way over to Chuck.

"Jessie." He huffed.

"Baby Shank." I nodded.

"How come," he huffed, "not breathing" he gasped, "so hard?"

"Shank...my job every day for three years was run these walls. From sun up to sun down I ran out here."

"It...all looks...the same!"

"Well one grey stone wall is a grey stone wall."

He was quiet, trying to focus on his breathing. I took a second and looked at jim. He was breathing really hard, his chubby face red, I could see the fear, but he was trying very hard to be brave. The fierce protectiveness faught its way up into my chest. I would do what ever it took to keep him safe. I wouldn't admit it, ever- but if I was going to describe his importance iny life, I'd say he was a brother. He was my little brother, and I'd be damned if something happened to him.

It took them another few hours. They had to slow down and they came to almost a crawl trying to get almost 50 people over and under and through the broken section of seven. The Gladers finally made it to the blades. The non runners were turning in circles, mouths open.

"Come on! Move! We're almost there!" Minho yelled from the front.

Teresa and I ushered all the Gladers through.

"Move your asses you slow pokes!" I growled.

But finally, finally they made it to the hall that led to the drop off bridge. Thomas and Minho slowed to a stop just before the last corner. Teresa, Newt Winston and I shoved our way to the front with Thomas and Minho for a last team meeting.

Thomas peeked around the corner and pulled his head back fast. The blood drained from his face.

"Is there a Griever?" Chuck piped up from the back.

"Yeah." Thomas breathed, "There's a Griever."