the death cure
chapter fourteen

❛❛ save . . . thomas ❜❜

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The world felt empty for Poe. He never felt this lonely before, as if there was no one else in the world that mattered to him, as if there was no one and nothing else here in this world for him anymore.

It's a terrible feeling. To lose someone that was part of you, suddenly makes you feel that there was no one else to live for and you feel all alone.

Before Poe could finish this world, before he could slip away, before he goes after Newt. He had to do what Newt would've wanted. Save one of the people that meant to Newt.

How could Thomas be this dumb of going back and get himself into trouble again? Stupid, stupid, stupid as usual. Poe never understood how Newt can stand Thomas, he knew why he cared about him. Poe can't even stay in a room alone with Thomas for five minutes. Something about Thomas that annoyed him. Sometimes he feels this hint of hatred. It was always there, since the Glade, since Thomas arrived the Glade.

Now there's Poe too, going back, he must be stupid too. If Newt was here and Thomas had gone back, he leave after him and Poe would be begging him not to go.

Then I'm going where you're going, Poe would say anyways.

Whatever happens next, Poe will be ready. Somewhere in the other side, he was looking forward to it, wherever that is, is his safe haven and he knew he'll be waiting.

"Nick—" Poe began to murmur as he walked toward the WCKD building, the whole area was empty, not a single person in sight, every WCKD soldier had gone to battle against the army of Cranks, and the workers must've evacuated the building. "Winston . . . Alby . . . Chuck . . . Anton . . . Newt—"

It was something he says every night when he goes to sleep, like it was a prayer, as Newt did the same. He was the one that told him, back in the Scorch. It was that night he should've realized his feelings, or maybe it was that night in the Glade; when they both shared laughs for the first time. All of that seems so long ago.

He wanted to cry again, or maybe scream in anger instead. He felt tears burning behind his eyes, his throat building up again, he could've done all this differently, he should've tried harder, he felt he never did his best.

But he mustn't give up, not now at least.

He continued to say the names over and over as he walked toward the entrance of a building. As if the names were his only strength to keep going, and even to keep up his sanity. "Nick . . . Winston . . . Alby . . . Chuck . . . Anton . . . Newt" maybe they are his strength. Either he'll get killed, or lose himself to the Flare.

What would happened to him when he loses himself to the Flare? Will he die and his body live on? Or will he be insane for the rest of his life? His decaying body roaming around.

Poe shook his head, shaking off the thoughts, "Nick, Winston, Chuck, Anton, Newt—" the names he muttered out were in sync as he took each step forward, like he was counting his steps, but instead with names. "Nick. Winston. Chuck. Anton. Newt. Nick. Winston. Chuck. An—"

He stopped inside the building, the main floor, he only stopped because he saw something on the floor. Not something. Someone. There was a person lying on the floor.

Poe approached for a closer look, the closer he got, the more familiar the person was. Then he knew who it is . . . Ava Paige.

Dead. She's dead.

There was a small pool of blood around her, and a gun nearby. A wound on her chest. Her eyes closed.

Could Thomas have done this? Did he finally did it?

Then a sudden gasp escaped from the woman's mouth and at the same time, reached Poe's boot. He reacted with a small jump and instantly stepped back from her. She was reaching for him, her mouth agape, her wide eyes looking up at him, suddenly she let out a word... not a word, a name; "—Poe"

He hesitated. He didn't know what to do, but an urge made him to kneel down slowly, not too close to her, but close enough she could reach him. All he could think of was Thomas killing her. He almost felt sorry for her. "Thomas?" He asked, "Did Thomas do this?"

Her mouth gaped, barely offered an answer, she made these terrible sounds, like choking and small gasps. She shook her head very weakly in answer. "J—Jan—Janson"

Poe didn't need an explanation, Janson did this, he shot her instead. But where's Thomas? And Teresa?

"Where's Thomas?" He asked, "And Teresa?"

Ava could barely respond, instead she slowly reached into one of her pockets, she was trembling, she was so weak. So instead, Poe offered to help himself and reached for her pocket. He pulled out a card. Her ID card, he wondered how this could help him find Thomas and Teresa.

"S—save... Thomas" Ava swallowed weakly, "Save... Thomas"

Save Thomas. Janson have taken Thomas.

"Poe—" Ava uttered, her breaths was heaving fast, "I'm... sorry—" she took a long deep breath, "for everything— I'm sor—ry" then with her last breath out, she was gone.

There was a hint of sympathy for this woman. There wasn't a thought where he'd ever feel something for her. He really almost felt sorry for her.

She's dead. Ava Paige is dead.

But somehow, it wasn't over, he felt unsafe, maybe Ava Paige was never the person he should worry about for everyone's well-being. All this time.

Poe lifted the ID card, a photo of Ava and her name. He wasn't sure how this will help. Perhaps it's the building's access, an access to everything in the building. He shoved the card in his pocket, then he picked up the gun off the floor before getting up.

Where should he start? They could be in any floor, but he had a hunch though. He left to the elevators.

At the elevators, nothing happened when he pressed the buttons, the main power must've shut off and only emergency power was on. Now he knew what the card was for. He pulled out the card, swiped it down on the pad, the elevator was working, and it was coming down. It took a brief moment to reach his floor, he went in, used the card again before pressing one of the buttons. The hunch he had was the same floor where he found his friend. That's where he was going.

As he was going up, it was getting humid, but it was a fever he was getting, after everything he had gone through tonight, he can't control what he was having, his body was succumbing the Flare rather quickly...

Just a little more longer, he told himself, after talking to the Flare, as if the Flare was a living being inside his head. Just a little longer, please.

He took his jacket off, exposing his infected arm, it looked worse than the last time he saw it. The veins on his arm were thickening, pulsing, he can see it reaching onto his shoulder now.

Just a little more longer, he thought.

He was nervous what he'll about to confront, not nervous about dying at all. He was afraid of something terrible happens, that would be worse than him dying.

He drew his gun as he was two floors from where he was going, pointed at the door, he was being cautious. When the doors opened, there was no one there waiting. He stepped out cautiously, drew his gun left to right, but the halls were empty. He looked around to see if anyone was around, but none. He proceeded where Teresa had guided him, Thomas and Newt before. To the medical wing as what she called it.

When he reached the medical wing, the hallways were also empty. He began hearing faint noises couple of halls away, like the sounds of crashes and glass shattering. So he hurried towards the sounds, every turns he went around the corners, he shifted his aiming.

The Flare had decide to take an advantage on Poe, his head lighted and began to dizzy. He staggered while half jogging down a hallway before impacted against a wall.

"Not now— not now" he leaned against the wall, reached his head and squeezed his eyes shut. He slowly kept going toward another corner, he heard what it appears to be the sounds of struggle. Just over the corner, just to the left hallway.

Just as he reached around the corner, he saw someone standing halfway ahead, wielding a gun and pointing forward. It only took Poe a second to recognize the person; Janson. Poe raised the gun and pointed ahead at Janson. Just as the dizziness and lightness in his head had went away, almost focused, he pulled the trigger.

First shot, he missed, Janson reacted as he lowered down, drew the gun and shot at Poe, but he missed as well. Poe went forward, pulled the trigger again, and this time, he didn't miss, but barely. He hit Janson on the arm, but it was merely a graze.

Poe attempted to shoot again, but the gun was now empty. "Shit" he threw the gun at Janson as hard as he could, hitting him on the head. Janson had his guard but attempted to wave the gun around toward Poe, but the boy already lunged at Janson, and his gun blasted before dropping it.

Poe slammed him against the wall before he started throwing punches towards the head. He pushed everything to his fists, all that rage, as if letting the Flare to control him. He grabbed the man by his jacket then threw him down the floor.

With a quick glimpse around, he spotted Thomas and Teresa. Thomas helping Teresa up. "Go!" Poe yelled at them. "Get outta here!"

Teresa hesitated as Thomas pulled her. "Poe!" Teresa uttered in warning.

Before Poe turned, he was pulled backwards by Janson, yanked him around until being thrown to the wall. His body ached terribly by the impact. He was yanked again and thrown into a room through a broken window.

On the floor, growing weak, the Flare was weakening him. He saw Janson picking up the gun off the floor. Poe quickly got up. His arms stung as his arms pressed down the tiny glasses on the floor. He saw Janson pointing his gun at Thomas and Teresa, they were both heard running down the hall and Thomas yelling Teresa's name. Janson pulled the trigger, few times until Poe charged at him again.

He had him on the floor, punched him again few times until Janson started throwing punches and pushed the boy off. It was his turn to have the boy down and threw a few punches until Poe reached a shard glass then stabbed Janson on the shoulder.

The man yelled in pain as he fell off of Poe. Poe scrambled away from Janson. Poe was in the hall where Thomas and Teresa were, but they're both gone now.

When he got on his feet, he turned only to see Janson already up on his feet, and a gun pointing at the boy. Janson was holding and pressed the wound on his shoulder where Poe had stabbed him, that same arm that was wielding the weapon.

Poe halted.

Janson expressed a grimace look. "You look terrible, Mr. Allan. You're succumbing the virus quickly. Why are you still fighting? You'll be losing yourself in an hour... or maybe less"

Poe offered no response. Instead, there was a sharp pain in his arm, the Flare was attacking him again. He groaned in pain and fell to his knees.

"Poor Poe," Janson taunted, "I should put you out of your misery"

Then Poe would get what he wanted. Before Janson went on, Poe saw something behind him, behind him was the lab, in the lab, through the windows, it was the missiles, missiles hit the building and then there was a massive explosion.

The lab and the ceiling exploded. He felt the blast throwing him down the floor and even Janson was thrown down.

Poe took the opportunity to run, he sprang up barely despite the lightness in his head, he was staggering while running down the hall. When he reached the end, Teresa was there, she yanked him into the corner when Janson started shooting. Just two shots and both missed Poe by inches.

"Come on" Teresa grabbed Poe's arm as they both ran until she ushered him into a lab where he had found Anton.

He found Thomas on the floor, sitting back against a table, his arm holding around his abdominal where it was all bloodied. Both Teresa and Poe rushed to him. Thomas got hit by Janson and he was slowly bleeding out. "Teresa" Thomas whispered weakly.

"I'm here" she comforted. "We're gonna get you out of here. We need to move quickly before Janson finds us"

"You gotta go" Thomas said, "You both have to get out of here"

"No" Teresa retorted, "Not without you"

Thomas shifted his glance to Poe, "Go, please, get her out of here"

Poe briefly hesitated. What would Newt do? It was obvious. He shook his head, "What she said"

He was cut off by the sound of an intense pressure at the entrance. They knew it was Janson.

"Hide, hide" Poe urged Thomas and Teresa. Thomas tried to move quickly, he went two tables down and hid behind while Teresa and Poe separated, hiding and moving desk to desk.

"I admit, Teresa, you had me fooled" Janson spoke, he was approaching to the middle of the lab slowly and cautiously as he kept his gun up. "I thought we were friends"

He heard glasses clinking and clattering nearby, Janson moved to the sound. Poe took a chance to move to the another desk, he planned to get around Janson without being noticed.

"Maybe it's just in your nature to betray the people closest to you" Janson was taunting Teresa. Poe moved, only he bumped against a table and something metal fell off. Janson swung around and shot where the sounds were. "Come on—" he walked around to where Poe moved from. "Let's not prolong this... we both know there's no way outta here"

Poe moved around the corner of the desk before Janson reached the aisle where Poe was and he immediately halted behind the desk. Keeping silent and still.

"Let's not make this any more painful than it needs to be"

Poe moved again slowly and quietly. He saw Teresa at his right, she was going to move as well. Poe hid under the desk.

"Thomas" Janson called in a taunting tone. "Poe . . . Teresa"

Poe moved down behind the desks, he heard Janson nearby about two desks down. He scrambled down until reaching the end toward the exit. Around the corner of the table, he saw Thomas just next to Poe's desk and Teresa ahead. She was peering down at both boys. Three of them were getting close to the exit and hopefully able to sprint out. Poe can just grab Thomas and Teresa will follow.

Just as Teresa was crawling quickly toward the boys, only to be met with Janson, catching her. She gasped sharply as she started to scramble backwards "No, no" Janson approached her.

"I think you have something of mine" Janson remarked. Poe peered up over the desk and saw Teresa standing up. She slowly raised a small vial. Janson shook his head, "Not that. Where is he?"

Poe had to do something quickly, he and Thomas had to do something. He moved down and looked over toward where Thomas was.

"Just take it" Teresa urged, "Leave him alone"

"What is it with you two? You think he's so special. He's a lab rat. He was born with a gift. He never had to fight for it, he never earned it. He doesn't deserve it"

"Maybe" Teresa sort of agreed. "But it's his"

"What about you, Thomas?" Janson called loudly. "What do you have to say? Don't you have enough blood on your hands already? You might not have been able to shoot her. But I can"

Both Thomas and Poe exchanged nods. Poe didn't need to know what Thomas was planning, whatever it was, he was ready.

"Okay, fine. Have it your way"

Thomas stood up, so did Poe, Thomas grabbed a heavy object. "Janson!" He yelled. Janson looked around at Thomas, the boy threw the object toward him, instead he ducked and hit the glass instead. Behind the glass were two Cranks.

Thomas stumbled backwards and fell. Janson turned to both boys. Aimed his weapon at Thomas, "Missed, you little shit"

Glass was starting to crack. "Did I?" Thomas asked.

Janson shifted his head around, looking back, the glass was cracking more and began to frail. "Oh shit" Janson muttered. Poe took the chance and lunged at Janson. He shoved the man hard toward the glass and crashed through.

The Cranks have him. Let them have him.

"Teresa" Poe said, "Come on" they both rushed to Thomas. "Let's go, we gotta go"

Both Poe and Teresa helped Thomas up. They dragged him to the entrance. Leaving Janson to the Cranks as he screamed.

"Teresa, go" Poe urged her, "I got him, lead us the way"

Teresa let Thomas go and Poe had him. "Okay, come on, this way" she lead them both down the hall. The building was falling apart, slowly falling apart and it won't last until it collapses, or burns down.

Few turns later, Teresa went through a door, leading them both to the stairs. They were about to go downstairs until the fire ablaze from the floor beneath them. They came to an abrupt halt.

"Come on, this way" Teresa went upstairs instead and Poe followed with Thomas.

They climbed up until they reached the top floor, they went through the door and found themselves on the roof of the building. It was fire everywhere in every edge of the corners, beneath the platform they were standing on.

They looked around for a way out, but there was no way. Teresa glanced back at the boys, "Let's get back inside" she rushed around them but fire reached the top floor and it ablaze out of the door.

Trapped. They were trapped on top of the building.

"Here, here" Poe told Teresa as he pulled Thomas's arm off his shoulders, "Take him"

She took Thomas's arm and Poe rushed across the roof, hoping for a way out, a way to get both Thomas and Teresa out.

It can't be over. This is not it. This isn't how it should be.

Not them. Not Teresa. Not Thomas.

Flames were dancing all over the WCKD building, as much as it deserves to be taken down, perhaps this is how he should go too. To die in the amidst of WCKD.

But not with Teresa and Thomas. They should've get out of this alive. He glanced back, he saw them together on the ground, Teresa comforting Thomas. Poe remembered how he felt towards them together once or twice back in the Scorch, he remembered the feeling, but that same feeling didn't came back at all. He felt almost nothing, but rather hopelessness, he felt a strong sympathy for them both. Mostly for Teresa.

Poe gazed away. "I'm sorry" he murmured, thinking about Newt. "I'm sorry"

I'll sleep til you sleep, Newt said before. But he had gone to sleep first, breaking his first promise for Poe.

Now I'll sleep. Poe thought.

But then, he heard a familiar sound. He immediately knew what that sound was... a Berg.

And he was right.

A Berg hovered up to the building's level. Poe raised his hand up to cover his eyes from the light beaming and a harsh wind spiralling around as the flames became vicious.

"Teresa!" Poe shouted, he twisted around and rushed to her and Thomas. "Come on, let's go!" He grabbed Thomas, with Teresa's help, they dragged him across the landing pad.

The Berg shifted and the hatch opened. There was Vince, Minho, Brenda, and others at the hatch. Bark can be heard barking loudly over the shoutings.

Vince reached forward. Poe and Teresa had to get Thomas onto the Berg first. "Give me your hand!" Vince shouted, reaching forward.

"Get closer!" Teresa exclaimed.

"Jump!"

Poe pulled Thomas's arm over his head, trying to get the boy closer for Vince to reach. The Berg was struggling to get closer, unable to keep it steady. It was shaking left to right, back to forward. Minho was reaching forward as well with the support of others holding his legs. Thomas's hand reached Vince, but the Berg moved, breaking them apart.

There was an explosion near the building, the building's neighbour was hit, it was crumbling down quicker than the WCKD building.

Poe glanced up, seeing his friends, he lifted Thomas up on his feet, "Come on!" He urged. He saw that the Berg moving toward their way, Poe saw the chance, he quickly looked down to see how close he was to the edge. It was only a second before he pushed and threw Thomas to the Berg, and both Vince and Minho caught him before pulling him up. Poe almost fell over the edge, almost losing his balance until Teresa yanked him back.

"Poe!" Vince yelled. They all screamed his name, urging him.

"Hold on tight" Poe told Teresa as he gripped onto her hand as they both got up. He reached for Vince's hand.

While Teresa shifted her gaze around and saw the building's neighbour falling toward WCKD. Teresa made no hesitation, she yanked her hand off of Poe's then she pushed him toward the Berg, caught by Minho and Thomas. By the second Poe was off the building, the other building crashed, and the ground made a harsh jolt, causing her to fall down.

Minho pulled Poe into the threshold before Nico and Gally pulled him back. Thomas was heard calling Teresa's name.

Poe never knew Teresa never jumped until he turned to see her still on the building. She was looking at both Thomas and Poe mournfully. She could've made the jump after she pushed him. She could've made it. But the look on her face hinted she never intended to, or to get out.

The roof was crumbling down behind her, crumbling down towards her.

She took a last look at Poe before she fell.

Thomas screamed. An unearthly sound that somehow rose above everything else.

But Poe didn't.

He watched Teresa helplessly until she disappearing into the smoke and dust.

He couldn't believe what just happened. He felt his heart trembling, almost shattering, rather it fell with Teresa. There was a surge of cry awaiting in his throat.

But he was too exhausted to cry. He felt breathless, unable to breath anymore, he felt his body weighing down, he couldn't move because of an ache all over his body.

He couldn't move until he was pulled back by Gally and Nico. There was Bark, sniffing all over Poe, brushing his nose on Poe as the dog whimpered as if mourning with Poe.

Then Poe finally got up with the support from Leigh and Frypan while the rest were helping Thomas who was wounded.

Leigh guided him to one of the seats but he found Teo limping slowly to Poe. Both waited no response, instead Teo came forward and wrapped his arms around his grieving best friend to comfort him.

All Poe could think of was Anton's bulging eyes, Newt's face looking at Poe as he dies in his arms, and now Teresa's mournful look before she fell. WCKD took all of them away from him.

He felt defeated and finished. He had given up. All of this that happened tonight, felt it was all for nothing.

Teo sat him down on one of the seats, he sat beside his friend. Poe was truly exhausted and at the same time, traumatized. In front of him, on the floor, he found a body, covered by a black sheet, the body's hand exposed...

Newt.

Poe still couldn't move at all, instead he laid his head on Teo's shoulder with his arm still around his back.

Poe slowly closed his eyes. Now, I can finally sleep.

*****

Geez, Twenty One Pilot's Leave the City just started playing, my feelings are hurt now.
I am crushed.

Poe, baby, I'm so sorry that some cold-hearted hoe like me doing this to you...