A Griever. Thomas said a Griever. A.. meaning one. I frowned, how could there only be one. Something was definitely off. I glanced at Teresa, she looked back at me with the same skeptical look.

"Well we knew we were going to have to fight. Bloody creators weren't going to let us waltz out of here!" Newt remarked.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. I pulled an arrow out of my quiver. Teresa was already knocking her bow. I nodded once at her.

"Sisters?" I asked, and grasped the back of her neck as she let go of her bow with one hand and did the same to me. Pulling me closer she placed her forehead on mine.

"Sisters."

We let go and in unison we spun around the corner raised our bows pulled the string back and released the arrows as the Griever hinged it's mouth open and screamed at us. The arrows slammed into the back of it's mouth and they burried half way in its mechanic brain. It sparked, a leg spazzed, the tail trashed. It collapsed and slid over the side of the edge and fell I to the darkness.

We nodded to each other and turned around. Every single Glader stood staring at us with mouth open, except a few, they had smug smirks.

"Well. I guess that's that settled that matter." Thomas said in awe.

"Did you underestimate our abilities?" I scoffed.

"Well, it's just still crazy that yo-"

There was a haunting moan and loud thuds of metal on stone.

"Oh come on!" I cried, turning around.

Over the sides of the drop off came more Grievers. Crawling up the sides like spiders. Once they clawed their way up, they let out a loud ear splitting scream. Thomas and Newt ushered everyone back around the corner. Minho grabbed my arm and Teresa's and pulled us with the rest back around the corner.

"There's more of those bloody things!" Newt cried.

"Yes." I rolled my eyes, "Clearly. Want a gold star for having eyes and stating the obvious?"

"Seriously Jess? The attitude is not helping!" Thomas whispered urgently.

"Sure it is."

Newt rounded on Minho, "this is your bloody fault!"

"How in the hell did you come up with that?" Minho gasped.

"You two are horrible influences on each other and she's gotten worse!"

"She's always been terrible!" Thomas grumbled.

"Fact. I have always been a Badass Queen."

"Yeas sister! Be the queen!" Winston catcalled.

I smirked. It was Minho's turn to round on me. "You trying to steal my throan and crown?"

"Pfft. Please I don't need to steal it when I already have my own thrown and I look better in a crown."

"Do not!"

"Oh Sweetie, bless your heart." I sighed softly, patting his chest.

"Enough you three!" Frypan scolded, trying to keep his smirk to himself.

"Yes. About those buggen' Grievers..." Newt said, casting a nervous eye at the corner.

"We gotta get past them."

"Good job Thomas. Brilliant plan. Get past them. Why didn't I think of that?" I paused and frowned, "though not your dumbest idea..."

"Why are you the way that you are?"

"Oh, easy answer. Mind controled, manipulation, some solid PTSD, trauma, jagged edges and a huge lack of trust in others."

Thomas and Newt sighed in exhaspiration, Newt punched the bridge of his nose. I just rolled my eyes and pulled out the cylinders. The one with the number seven was beeping almost constantly, the number was flashing wildly. But the other one, number four was quiet and did flash red. Frowning I put the other one back into my bag. We just needed one.

"Baby Shank! Front and centre!" I called, and pointed to the floor in front of me.

Chuck pushed his way towards me. He looked up at me with his big brown eyes full of terror but also full of trust. He was trusting me to get him out.

Take care of him.

Her voice whispered in my head again. I shivered and tried to shove that down and ignore it for now.

I handed Chuck the cylinder. "You keep this safe. You're in charge of getting this to the solid wall at the end of the bridge. You run and you don't look back."

"Stick with me." Teresa said.

Chuck gulped but looked determined. I grabbed his shoulders and made him look at me. I looked him dead in the eye for a moment.

"Tess and I will get you there."

"I know Jessie. I trust you." His voice was squeaky and higher pitched.

"A horrible desicion, really, to trust me."

Chuck's lip twitched into a small smile. And I smirked down at him.

"Once we're through, it will activate and the door will open." Thomas instructed the two.

"Jessie...will you stick with Chuck?" Minho had stepped closer to me, his eyes boring into mine, his jaw was clenched.

"Depends on what you mean by stick with him..." I narrowed my eyes. And crossed my arms. "I'm not backing down from a fight Minho. Tess and I are your best hope to get through this shucken mess."

He deflated. "Remember my fight is your battle. And your battle is my fight. We do this together, side by side."

"Okay Jess. I know you got this...I'm just...I can't lose you."

"You won't." I leaned in and kissed him quick.

Thomas turned to the rest of the Gladers, he thumped his spear on the ground, getting their attention. "We stay close, we stay together...we got this. We get out now... or we die trying. Ready?"

The Gladers all thumped their spears on the stone. I led the Gladers around the corner. I was yanked backwards, the group froze. Standing on the walk way was a whole herd of Grievers. They weren't moving, the mechanical hum was loud in the stone hall.

I could feel the instant panic, all the resolve was crumbling. The Gladers packed in tightly.

"What are they waiting for?"

"I dunno!"

"Gally said one kid a night..."

"Yeah look how great that worked out for ya. Ten kids gone. And last I checked. Ten was more then one."

"Dammit Jessie!"

Winston was eyeing up the Grievers, "I don't wanna point out the obvious-'

"Then don't."

Winston flicked his eyes to me for a second and continued, "but this is not good."

"Really? How could you tell?" Minho rolled his eyes. He was sweating, and I saw the tremor in his hand, but he was trying, he was trying hard.

"Well you see those big machines that look like they could kill us?" I snarled, "well there are a lot of them and they are kind of in our way."

"Ya don't say?"

"Yep."

"Would you all shut up? I'm trying to figure out how to do this!" Thomas cried.

"Do I get bonus points if I care?"

"Jessie!" Thomas cried.

"What? We shove them off the cliff, kill them maime them, disable them whatever. Clear a path we get throught the door. Simple."

"It's not." Thomas protested.

"Whatever dude. You do you." I turned to Teresa and nodded my head, while the others turned to Thomas again.

"Come on," I mumbled to Teresa, "let's leave the idiots to plan things."

She chuckled and we walked away, down the middle of the bridge, towards the waiting Grievers.

"This would be a cool way to die." I noted.

"If I'm going to go out, it'll be in a blaze of glory." Teresa nodded.

"Amen sister."

I pulled my bow off and took an arrow and held it between my teeth and had another one nocked and ready. Just as I was pulling the string back I heard a frustrated yell.

"Fuck sakes! You're gonna be the death of me, woman." Minho cried. I took the arrow my from between my teeth and nocked it.

"Yep. Probably. But you like to live dangerously." I yelled back as I let go of the string. Teresa chuckled, and let go of her string. The Grievers reared back as the arrows struck them. I had another one ready when I called over my shoulder.

"You guys got a plan? Or still working on it? Thomas did you get a diagram and coloured markers?"

"Dammit Jessie!" Thomas cursed again.

"You love me Thomas. But these Grievers are pissed now. You better get Chuck to the door, cuz here they cooooome!" I yelled.

Teresa and I had shot a few more arrows into the eyes of the monsters. They had reared back screaming and started to charge. I heard a loud growel and then a loud voice.

"Chuck, stay beside the girls, they will get you to the door!"

The Grievers were closing in Teresa and I were running out of arrows, but we were making good use of them, blinding them, making them spark and shirt circuit. Minho came rushing past me, screaming a battle cry, charging the monster. A speer gripped tight in his hand and his machete in the other. Newt and Thomas close behind. There was a moment hesitation and then the rest of the Gladers rushed past screaming in loud defiance.

It was quiet for a split second and then the wild crash of battle filled the air. The screaming of Gladers mixing with the animalistic cries and machine noises mixed together with the clashing of metal on metal. The noise echoed off the walls, making it louder, doubling the noise until it felt like it was inside of me, part of me.

I had seen blood, and death, I had seen violence. But this was new. This was different, this wasn't just slip in and out a clean cut death. This was messy and dirty and violent. For the first time, I felt sick.

The sounds of boys screaming in fear and pain, the smell of sweet metallic blood, motor oil and burning rubber from the sparking wires made my head feel dizzy.

And then in the midst of the chaos around me I saw Her. She stood in the middle of the chaos, her little hands by her sides as she looked around at the carnage. Then her big brown eyes looked at me, searching my face, and then they slid past me to what was behind me. I lowered my bow, I was out of arrows anyways.

"That's him. Isn't it?" Her sweet little voice said. Even through the chaos I could hear her, like all other noise was gone.

I couldn't talk, my throat stuck, I felt a lump forming, so I just nodded.

"Keep him safe."

Again all I could do was nod.

"Jessie?!"

My hearing clicked back on and it was deafening, the noise of battle. Teresa had screamed my name. I shook my head and blinked hard. The little girl was gone.

"Now's out chance. We're both out."

I nodded. And grabbed Chuck and yanked him between Teresa and me. "Don't let go and you do as we say!"

Teresa grabbed Chuck's other hand and I pulled out a long machete.

"Now!" I screamed and took off down the middle.

The screams of pain and fear were enough to make me want to curl in the fetal position. Boys were doing their best to push the monsters away from the middle, trying to make a clear path. I put my head down and I ran, pulling Chuck behind me, I almost lost him, his hand was sweaty. I had to veer hard to the left to avoid a wild Griever leg. Throwing my knife up, I deflected it away. But as I went to shrug it off the metal slid and sliced my arm. I hissed as the sharp sting exploded in my arm, making me almost drop the knife.

"Keep going!" I yelled at Chuck and Teresa.

I had to let go of Chuck's hand as a Griever jumped in our way. Using one knife to block I slid another one from my hip. I slashed and stabbed. I was so angry, furious doesn't even break the surface. I could see Teresa and Chuck make it around this Griever only to have to duck another one, he was still clipped with part of it and he fell forwards. I watched horror struck as the key fell from his hands. He scrambled after it as Teresa scrambled after him. Chuck dove as the key was kicked by a Glader. I growled, and spun away from this Griever and chased after Teresa and Chuck.

"No!" Chuck screamed. 

He flew a few feet and landed on his stomach. The key flew from his hands and rolled. Banging around and bouncing off a few Griever legs. One Glader accidentally kicked it, sending it in the direction of the cliff. Chuck cried again and scrambled after it. He managed to grab it, just as it went over the edge. Teresa grabbed his backpack. I threw myself down and skidded, grabbing Chuck  and together we pulled him up.

"That was close. Thanks guys!" Chuck gasped.

"Teresa go!" I ordered, hulling Chuck back to his feet and helped Teresa. I shoved them both towards the wall. Chuck held the cylinder tight in his hand and held it up above his head and ran towards it, Teresa right behind.

There was blood and Griever blubber everywhere. Blood and motor oil mixed together, human and Griever guts making the stone floor slick. I slid to a stop, and ducked as a Griever tail whipped towards me. I tried to move, but my foot tripped over something squishy. I yelped and I fell, landing with a small splash of warmth. My knives slid my grasp. I looked down, my hands were covered in red.  Bile rose in my throat. I staggered to my feet, hyperventilating.

I tried to wipe the blood off my hands. I had stopped, the dead blank eyes of Phil stared back at me. I took a step back, slipping again, over another dead body.  I didn't want to look, but I had to. I had to know if it was Minho or Winston or Newt or Thomas. Just as I flicked my eyes down to the face of the boy, there was a loud alarm and a red light flashed. I heard the grinding stone on stone, the doors were opening. The light inside flashed green. The doors wide open now.

"MINHO!" I screamed. I scrambled to my knees, trying to see through the Grievers and the remaining boys.

A hand grabbed my arm and hefted me to my feet.

"Winston?" I screamed, "thank shuck!"

"Come on JayJay!" He screamed back, pulling me towards the open door.

As I got my feet under me again I shook my head, and just about tripped over my own feet. I saw Her, again. She was crouched down beside Phil. She held his hand and was helping him sit up. Her baby face broke into a big smile at the Keeper of the Baggers.

"Jess! Come on!" Winston called.

I looked around. All the Gladers were running towards the open doors. I saw Thomas and Newt.

"MINHO?" I screamed, despritly trying to find him.

We made it through the big opening in the wall, and I finally saw him. He was breathing hard, his eyes wild, and a huge cut on his arm, but he was okay.

"MINHO!"

His head whipped in my direction, and I saw the instant relief.

"JESSIE! THANK SHUCK!" He grabbed me and pulled me from Winston's grip and into his chest.

"I saw Tess and Chuck, and didn't see you!"

"I'm okay...I'm...I'm in one piece."

He pulled away and nodded.

"Together this time."

"Together." I agreed. Using my foot to kick up a stray spear I caught it with a stone cold look of fury. "They've fucked with my family for long enough."

Together, with Winston, Thomas and Newt, we stood at the front of what was left of the Gladers and held off the on coming Grievers.

"Get that door closed!" Thomas screamed.

"8 numbers! Tom...it needs eight numbers!"

"MAZE SEQUENCE!" I yelled back.

"THE SEQUENCE! WHATS THE SEQUENCE OF THE MAZE?" Teresa screamed desperately.

A Griever had charged, I stepped closer and thrusted my spear up into its face, making it back off.

"Seven! One! Five! Two! Six! Four!"

He yelled back in between grunts and huffs. We were stabbing and pushing, trying to avoid the slicing legs and swinging tail. Winston was thrown backwards.

"WINSTON!" I yelled.

"Heads up!" Someone yelled.

I turned my head back to the fight as another Griever slid down the wall from above I tried stabbing it, but my spear snapped. And the Monster machine landed on top of Minho, knocking me to my back. My stomach dropped straight down and my heart stopped. I tried gasping for air, but my lungs couldn't work, not after that land.

"Minho!" A few people screamed at once

He lay on his back the Griever hovering over him trying to rip his face off with its razor sharp teeth. The only thing stopping it was Minho's spear held against the things neck and his brut strength. Bile rose in my throat, despite my lungs not working.

"Get- off- of- me!" He yelled in between his grunts.

"Jeff!" Newt screamed.

My eyes flicked up. Jeff had thrust his spear at the Griever. The Mechanical monster raised its head from Minho to Jeff.

Many things happened at once, it all happened in a span of a few seconds, but it felt like time had slowed down to a crawl.

Jeff had got too close to the monster as it lunged forward, just as I got to my feet. Thomas yanked Minho backwards and shoved him to Teresa. He gave the rest of the maze sequence to her, as she typed in those numbers, I had slid two knives from my holster, and shoved Jeff out of the way just as the Griever tail swung out, somehow hitting me in the back of the head, sending me forwards.

The door slammed shut, squishing the last Griever.

"JESSIE!"

The door slammed shut. And I was on the wrong side. I landed in a heap on the bloody maze floor as my world around me spun and started to dim to darkness.