INNOVATION -
CHAPTER THIRTY - FIVE

⚘ GOODBYE GLADE ⚘

Newt and Kalisa were only given 30 more minutes of peace before it was time to go.

They each grabbed their runner packs, which were stuffed to the brim with survival tools and first aid products. Kalisa had also tucked away several weapons. A dagger in her boot, a knife in her belt, two swords on her back, and a wooden spear in her hands. Once they were ready, they left the Homestead for the last time ever- and made their way to the North Door, where the rest of the traveling Gladers were gathering.

To Kalisa's relief it seemed as though most of the boys had decided to go. She saw many familiar faces; Chuck, Minho, Fry, Winston, Henry. But she also noticed several stubborn souls who chose to risk it back in the Glade.

As much as she wanted to force them all along with her, Kalisa knew there was no hope for them. Those boys had all made their decision. The Glade was all they had ever known- and maybe in some way dying here would be more comforting rather than in the Maze or wherever lay past. Those boys had made their choice, and now it was time to full-fill hers.

Kalisa turned her attention back to the group to see Thomas arriving with the last group of stragglers. He pushed his way through the crowd, stopping in front of Newt and Kalisa. A moment later Minho and Teresa joined them to speak together one last time before the adventure would begin.

"You shanks ready?" Minho greeted, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Somehow even now, he seemed confident and relaxed, though she supposed he did know the Maze better than any of them. "Thomas, this was all your idea, so it better work. If not, I'll kill ya before the Grievers can."

Thomas paled considerably despite the Runners joking tone. "So no pressure." Kalisa nudged his arm with a sarcastic grin. Now was not the time to doubt the plan.

Thomas nodded with a grimace, averting his gaze to Teresa. "You okay?" He questioned.

"I'm fine." Teresa lied. "Just anxious to get it over with."

"Amen sister." Minho shook his head. Kalisa almost laughed.

"I think it's time for a pep talk, what do you think?" Newt muttered down to her, scanning the boys around them.

"Blow 'em all away." Kalisa exhaled, watching as he stood straighter and called for everybody's attention.

When the group had died down, Newt spoke. "There are 42 of us. Make sure you've got your weapons. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot to buggin' say— you've all been told the plan. We're gonna fight our way through to the Griever Hole, and Tommy here's gonna punch in his little magic code and then we're gonna get payback on the Creators. Simple as that."

A bunch of blank and concerned faces stared at them. "Was that okay?" Newt whispered, picking up on the unease.

"Well- I guess it could have been a bit more... peppy?" Kalisa shrugged.

"Be my guest," Newt pulled her forward despite her protests. "Kalisa has something to say everyone." He called, gaining attention once again.

Someone in the crowd snorted, and Kalisa would bet on Minho's prized hair gel that it was Henry.

She threw Newt a look of betrayal, knowing there was no getting out of this now. When it came to hyping up small groups of people, she could handle it. But now, as she stood in front of the dozens of boys- and Teresa- all of her wise words vanished.

Kalisa scanned the crowd, searching for inspiration. She caught Minho's eye and he shot her a wink, obviously enjoying her displeasure.

"Be careful- and don't die." Kalisa eventually settled on. It was good enough, and besides- these boys didn't need her comfort or careful words. They were all prepared to take the leap of faith. Literally.

"Great. We're all bloody inspired." Newt dusted his hands off on his pants, joining Kalisa in front of the crowd once more. "You all know the plan. After two years of being treated like mice, tonight we're making a stand. Tonight we're taking the fight back to the Creators, no matter what we have to go through to get there. Tonight, the Grievers better be scared." The blonde made eye contact with every single Glader, his words echoing off the looming walls before them.

There was a cheer from the back of the crowd- then one from the front. And soon more followed. Kalisa found herself shouting along with the others, their voices blending together like smooth thunder. It was a battle call- if the Creators still didn't know they were coming, now they would.

But Kalisa didn't care. She didn't come this far to be beaten now. It was more than her life she was fighting for now- it was her friends as well.

Newt met her eyes and broke into a wide smile, almost looking crazed. His expression of anger and excitement mirrored her own as he thrust his weapon into the air and shouted, "Hear that Wicked! We're coming!"

And then, side by side, Newt and Kalisa charged into the Maze. Behind them, the Gladers followed, still roaring with whoops and shouts. Their footsteps pounded against the stone floor as they moved further within, running at a quick pace to reach their destination faster.

The sun was down now- and it wouldn't be long before the Grievers came out. But this time they wouldn't be hidden within the Homestead.

This time, they would be ready to fight.

༻✧༺

They ran in long strides, guided by nothing but their wits as they navigated through the darkness.

    The Walls hung over their heads like a casket preparing to close over their dead bodies. Tucked away in the ivy, the Beetle Blades flashed their red lights blankly, watching their every move.

    Running into the Maze during the day was frightening for Kalisa. But this... was so much worse. The shadows seemed to reach out for her, the vines looked alive. Everything seemed to be on edge, as if the Maze too knew that its time of service would soon be complete.

    But she pushed herself onwards, keeping a steady pace next to Newt. The blonde boy's adrenaline had apparently worn off a couple miles back, for now he ran with a clenched jaw, fighting to hold the lead of the pack with his limp.

    The only sounds heard in the void of the labyrinth was their boots against the ground and the non-runners heavy breaths. Finally Newt slowed and looked to Minho, only able to make out his features thanks to the subtle glow from the grey ceiling. "You lead now."

    Minho simply nodded, not wanting to waste energy, and ran ahead, the rest of the boys following begrudgingly behind.

    Nobody was cheering now.

    Newt fell back towards the end of the train, and Kalisa found herself joining him, relieved to not be in the heat of the stress anymore. "You alright?" She panted, knowing she should save her breath.

    Newt gave a short nod. "You?"

    "I'm fine." Kalisa quipped, suddenly wishing she was back in the Homestead buried beneath her colorful quilt.

    But she had bigger things to worry about now. After what felt like hours, the group finally rolled to a stop.

    Kalisa and Newt pushed their way back to the front, where Minho, Thomas, and Teresa were standing with their backs pressed against the wall, a left turn right before them.

    "Do you hear that?" Minho whispered, looking back to them with a horror stricken expression.

    Kalisa strained her ears, dreading the idea of facing the Grievers. Thomas shook his head, not having heard anything just yet.

    Minho risked a quick peek past the left turn, before he suddenly pulled back, breathing heavy. "Oh no."

    That did nothing to soothe the panic Kalisa now faced. And as she listened hard again, she was able to pick up on what Minho had heard.

    Grievers. Plural.

    "There's at least a dozen of them. Maybe 15." The Runners voice came out strained. "They're just waiting for us!"

    Newt reached for Kalisa's hand, a chill going down his spine. It was ice cold, from fear and from the wind. She gave it a weak squeeze, wishing there was another universe where they didn't have to do this. "Well we knew we would have to fight." She stated plainly, trying her best to sound confident.

    But her words did nothing to comfort the others. Everyone was now frozen in the face of the battle- which was literally just around the corner. Kalisa felt it too- the sudden crawling of her skin as she imagined Wicked watching, waiting- controlling the Grievers behind their silver screens.

    Maybe they were enjoying this. Maybe this was all just another one of their tests. Another Variable to defeat.

    "Maybe they've already taken a kid back at the Glade. Maybe we can get past them." Thomas offered, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than anything. "Why else would they just be sitting,"-

    The boy trailed off, staring at something behind the group, rumbling from the way they had come.

    Kalisa heard it before she saw it. The all too recognizable sound of clicking and clanking. Mechanical whirls and a light beating. Slowly, the rest of their party turned around to face the Grievers- and were met with an awful sight.

    Before anyone could react, there was another roar of the monsters. Only this time, it came from the other alley next to them. A moment later was all it took for another cluster of Grievers to appear, officially blocking them in from all sides.

The monsters blubbered and grumbled, their skittering behavior sending unease throughout the entire group. The Grievers metal claws and pincers gleamed threateningly in the dim glow of their red and yellow lights. They stood firmly, clearly unwilling to let them pass, yet they didn't attack yet. They were waiting for something.

Thomas swallowed hard and faced the group. "Any ideas?"

"No." Newt's voice trembled, but he did his best to hide it. "I don't understand what they're bloody waitin' for."

"We shouldn't have come." Alby stated. Kalisa jumped, having almost forgotten he was there in the first place.

Thomas sighed, fed up. "Well, we'd be no better in the Homestead. Hate to say it, but if one of us dies, thats better than all of us."

Kalisa knew it was the truth, but somehow seeing the Grievers up close and personal made all of her previous confidence fade away. Could they have made a mistake? Was Thomas wrong about this whole thing?

    No.

    This was it. It had to be. Because Kalisa didn't know what she'd do if it wasn't.

    After a long beat of silence, Alby took a hesitant step forward. "Maybe I should..." He trailed off, taking several more steps towards the Cliff where the Grievers waited anxiously.

    "Alby?!" Newt called, appalled. "Get back here!"

    But Alby didn't listen. Instead, he took off at a run, charging straight for the monsters. Kalisa couldn't believe her eyes. She knew the Changing had scarred their unofficial leader, but she didn't think it was to the point of this.

    When she had first met him, Alby was cool and collected, stern and straight forward. She learned to admire him, even respect all he did for the Gladers. And as she watched him get closer and closer to the metal creatures, she knew that even now, in the face of danger, Alby didn't waver. He truly was one hell of a leader.

    "Alby!" Newt screamed, only able to watch helplessly as Alby threw himself onto one of the Grievers. The blonde made a move to charge forward to aid his friend, but Thomas caught him around the arm and tugged him back.

    Up ahead, 6 more Grievers enclosed on Alby, their large, ugly bodies blocking the view of the boy. They could only hear the terrible sound of ripping flesh.

    "Let go!" Newt yelled, struggling to break free of Thomas's grasp. The sound of his voice pulled Kalisa out of her trance. Everything was happening so fast, and yet there was no time to really process it. She laid a gentle hand on Thomas's arm, letting him know he could release the boy.

    When freed Newt stumbled a couple steps before falling to his knees. Kalisa forced her eyes away from the gruesome scene up ahead, and instead knelt beside the boy she had grown to care for so deeply. His eyes were wide with shock and anguish, mouth slightly open yet no sound had yet to emerge. Kalisa didn't think before laying her hand on his shoulder, a lifeline to him, and a reminder to her that there was still something worth fighting for.

    He didn't move his eyes away from Alby. He didn't move anything come to think of it. Kalisa studied him carefully, half worried he had stopped breathing all together.

When the Grievers finally cleared away the only thing left of Alby was a large pile of blood. That was it. That was all that remained of the first Glader. If Kalisa's throat had been working, a strangled noise might've escaped her lips. But she found herself unable to produce a sound.

Her stomach twisted and her eyes prickled. But it was as if she were stuck in time. Like a rocket unable to launch. Deep down she knew she needed to keep a cap on her emotions, especially right now. But it was easier said than done.

Alby was gone, and they couldn't even mourn him. Not yet anyways. The battle still wasn't won.

"I can't believe it." Newt broke the silence first, voice sounding tight with emotion. "I can't believe he just did that."

Kalisa took a steady breath before climbing to her feet, pulling Newt up with her. She wanted to say something- anything to make this situation feel better. But no words could fix what had happened. Not everything was meant to be good in this world.

"We can't waste what he did." Minho stepped forward and squeezed Newt's shoulder, a harsh pain in his eyes. Minho and Newt had known Alby a lot longer than a lot of them. Kalisa couldn't imagine how they felt.

"We'll fight 'em if we have to, make a path to the Cliff for you and Teresa." Minho continued, turning to Thomas. "Get in the Hole and do your thing- we'll keep 'em off until you scream for us to follow."

Thomas nodded slowly, still hazed from the sudden death of their friend. "Hopefully they'll go dormant for a while. We should only need a minute or so to punch in the Code." He was looking off towards the three groups of Grievers who had yet to make a move towards them.

"How can you guys be so heartless?" Newt muttered, disgust lacing his tone.

"What do you want Newt?" Minho frowned. "Should we all dress up and have a funeral?"

Kalisa shot him a piercing glare, knowing he was right, but wishing he had laid off on the sarcasm. Minho seemed to pick up on her silent message because he sighed in defeat and continued, "Alby didn't wanna go back to his old life. He freaking sacrificed himself for us- and they aren't attacking so maybe it worked. We'd be heartless if we wasted it."

Newt just shrugged and squeezed his eyes shut. While Minho turned to address the rest of the Gladers, Kalisa stayed focused on the blonde. He hadn't re opened his eyes yet, and was now taking slow deep breaths.

"Newt?" Kalisa whispered, knowing he was grieving, but still concerned by his sudden pale complexion. She was reaching out to gently touch his shoulder when his eyes snapped open and glanced at her coolly, "Don't."

The harshness of his voice surprised the girl, and she quickly retracted her hand. He seemed to recognize the blow because his gaze softened, but before he could get a word out there was a crack of energy through the air, followed by the Grievers roaring to life again.

The groups of the monsters seemed to have noticed them once more. Spikes were poking out of their blubbery skin, their bodies vibrating with anticipation of the attack as they moved forward all at once, pincers and stingers pointed straight for them.

In that moment, as much as Kalisa wished it wasn't true, she knew that lives would be lost. If one sacrifice wasn't enough- how many would be?

Too many. It took all of her strength to not turn and run back the way they had come.

Guys I started watching The Witcher and it's sooooo good! Def recommend, but it is pretty mature so keep that in mind. Anyways- sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger, but don't worry, I'm working on the next part now. Originally this chapter and the next were gonna be combined, but I had a feeling it would be way too long so I separated them. Thanks for reading, and also, I wanted to start asking chapter questions so here: favorite Maze Runner quote? Happy reading!

4/4/24

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