˚ ༘✶₊˚.                         ⊹ ˚ .  SECOND ACT
❪       TWENTY-EIGHT    ♥︎    ₊˚༢࿐
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          "𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆?" , the four words were softly spoken but still made her head spin. Newt crouched down in front of her, holding a cup of water with a sour expression. His blue eyes scanned hers with worry, reaching forward to brush a piece of blonde hair away from her face, "Here, drink this."

     Mae shook her head, pushing the cup away and trying her hardest to sit up only for another headache to form. Her eyes burned and her throat felt scratchy, but the girl continued to refuse her friend's beverage until she was sitting up enough to look around. Thomas was still unconscious in the corner, Teresa fussing over him as Minho continued to tell her to relax.

     Brenda sat idly on the other side of the couch Mae was laying on, twirling a knife in her hand as she avoided the blonde's presence like the plague. She was staring at Jorge, who — up until this moment — was circling a man in a chair, the same man who had given them that fowl drink. He was tied down, bloody.

     She noticed Teddy pacing, tugging at his hair. She smiled softly at him, lips chapped and eyes still unfocused. The little boy smiled back, even giving a wave before continuing his pace near Frypan who looked like he wanted to wack him over the head in annoyance.

     "I'm not asking," Newt responds, shoving the cup against her lips. She reluctantly lets him, feeling the cold water ice her body and soften her hoarse throat as the liquid spilled from the sides of her mouth, "I should throw you to a Griever for being so shucking reckless."

     "How did you find us?" She quickly cuts, her eyebrows furrowing on her smooth skin as she calculates his every move, "Was anyone hurt?"

     Newt shakes his head, "Nah. Minho's too stupid to die," He reminds. The Runner nods in agreement, turning back to his conversation.

     Thomas stirred awake with a heavy breath of panic, his eyes going wide as Teresa leaned over him with a relieving soft smile. He paused, a slight smile on his lips at her presence before his eyes tore away from her blue ones for another shade. His eyes lock with Mae from behind her, and he releases a breath he didn't know he was holding.

     Minho's face popped between their gaze with an amused grin, practically hanging over Teresa's shoulder now as he says, "Welcome back, you ugly shank," He greets cheerfully.

     Thomas licks his lips in faked annoyance, sitting up slow with a soft grunt. His eyes landed on Brenda and the memories of the club surfaced. He had danced with them, he remembered the way his hands touched and tugged on them with the sole intention of curiosity — well, he knew that was his case for Brenda, but Mae on the other hand. . .

     His eyes slowly shift back to the blonde, who was avoiding his gaze with bright pink blush along her nose as she spoke to Teddy. He remembers feeling so uncontrolled with Mae beside him, dancing against his body and making him feel all kinds of things he couldn't explain. The thought alone made him shift.

     He had kissed her.

     What was worse? He told her he loved her.

     "I suggest that you talk! You son of a bitch!"

     A sharp punch of Jorge's fist causes Mae to flinch at the loud impact, the man in the chair not reacting much to the force. It made him angrier as he cussed and screamed.

     "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to leave my house," The man in the chair replies smoothly.

     "Looks like you've been having fun," Newt comments to Thomas, looking up at him from the chair he was sitting back in, Mae on the chair beside him. The blonde boy's eyes shift between them, knowing more than he leads on.

      "Look. I don't enjoy hurting you," Jorge comments, lazily raising his bloody knuckles to Teddy, "Especially not in front of my hermanito here. Okay? Where is the Right Arm, Marcus?"

     Thomas frowns, "Wait. This is Marcus?"

     Marcus gives a giggle, "Kid catches on quick. Are you the brains of the operation?"

     "No, I am," Teddy says seriously.

     "Great, that's reliable," Marcus dragged.

     "He's got us this far," Mae defends.

     Jorge grabs the man by the hair, "I know you know where they're hiding. You tell me and I'll make you a deal. You can come with us."

     Marcus looked amused, "I burned that bridge a long time ago. Besides, I make my own deals. You're the one who taught me never to miss an opportunity," He gives an uncontrollable mad giggle.

     "What's he talking about?" Newt pressed.

     "I'm talking about supply and demand," He continues, "WICKED wants all the immunes they can get. I help provide that for them. So, I lure the kids in. They get drunk, they have a good time. And then, later, WICKED comes in... and they separate the wheat from the chaff."

     Mae felt anger rise in her chest. The feeling was familiar to her now. Red hot anger made her hands shake and her face heat up to the point she could breathe. It made her chest heave. One there was a time when Mae never felt such a feeling. But, like always, Gally was right.

     It was bound to happen in a world like this.

     "How many?" She seethed, standing up and rounding the chair, "How many innocent children seeking shelter did you lurker to their deaths?"

     Marcus hummed, "A few dozen a month."

     Her eyes burned with hot tears, "Youngest?"

     He chuckled, pretending to think, "Uh. Thirteen."

     Chuck's youthful face crossed her mind. The fear in his eyes whenever danger stared him in the face. Then, blinded by anger, Mae raised her hand and slapped Marcus so hard across his face that his head turned to the side. The slam echoes sharply in the air, startling most.

     Only the Gladers reacted with such shock. Mae had never hurt anyone on purpose. Not even a bug. Newt leans forward in his seat with anticipation, eyes wide. Minho's arms uncrossed in surprise, Frypan looking concerned for her. Thomas and Teresa didn't seem as shocked. Still, she didn't look remorseful.

     Mae's face twisted at the sting of her palm, looking at Marcus in disgust as she stood in front of him. Jorge hummed in appreciation of her handy work, Brenda smirking to herself as Teddy hid his pride behind his bugged glasses.

     "Murderer," She spat.

     "Never claimed to be a saint, sweetheart. You need to crack a few bad eggs to get the golden one, right? It's called surviving. We all do it."

     Mae falters. She thinks of Jack. When Marcus sensed the shift he let out a mad giggle, knowing what he needed to know just by the guilt in her eyes. She felt subconscious under his stare, her lips quivering as she held back hot tears.

Jorge clenched his jaw, his calloused hand wrapping around her bicep and softly tugging the blonde behind his figure, away from the man in the chair who continued to laugh, "I changed my mind, hermano. I do enjoy hurting you."

     He raised his foot and slammed it into Marcus' chest, still tied to the chair Jorge jumps over and crouched down against Marcus' chest, his gun pointed to the man's temple.

"Talk! Talk!"

"Okay, alright! Jeez!" Marcus instantly switched, "But I'm not making any promises. These guys like to move around. They have an outpost in the mountains, but it's a long way away and with WICKED on your ass, you're never gonna make it."

     Jorge smiled, leaning forward, "You know what I think?" He asked, "Where's Bertha?"

"Not Bertha. . ."

❰❰ ୧ ⋅ ˚ ₊ ·┊ೃ ' 🌷

     "𝐖𝐇𝐘'𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐃𝐎 𝐈𝐓?" , the words made little Teddy turn his head at Thomas, who stiffly stood beside the boy as they loaded supplies in a rusted blue Chevrolet named 'Bertha'. Thomas looked uncomfortable even talking to the child, who stared back confused and frustrated, "Jump in front of me when we were escaping Barkley," He rephrased.

     "I don't know what you're talking about," The child eased, chin high as he repacked the bag Jorge had supplied him just to avoid eye contact.

     Thomas pinched his lips together, "You tried to jump in front of a bullet, Teddy. It's kind of hard to forget. I thought you hated me—"

     "I didn't do it for you," The boy cuts in firmly, pushing the glasses up his nose as he sighed in defeat, "Okay..." He swallowed thickly, "So, maybe I did it a little for you, but it was mostly for Mae. I— , I actually think you're kinda cool."

Thomas marveled, "Really?" He tries to hide his proud grin, only for it to be morphed into more confusion, "Then why have you been chewing me out since we've met."

Teddy huffed, "Because. . ." You remind me of my brother, "You're annoying," He said.

Thomas didn't know if he should feel humbled or frustrated that he was hearing this from a boy half his age but he said nothing, taking the insult with a grain of salt as he helped him load the trunk, "I don't think I'm that annoying."

"If you're not doing something that gets us almost dead, you're lookin' at Mae with those gross puppy eyes — which also almost gets us dead," He continued on, having no reason not to be blunt, "Give it a rest, dude, this is the apocalypse, not a dating show."

A genuine laugh bubbles out of Thomas, which he hid behind his hand as he looked down at Teddy, "No, I don't—"

"My god, you're oblivious," Teddy groaned, rubbing down his face and messing up his glasses, "While Mae's busy staring off into space she's too busy to notice you staring at her, which makes you too busy to notice Brenda staring at you, and I think everyone is too busy to notice Teresa staring at both you and Mae—"

"Teresa?" He repeats, looking over to the girl who was having a soft discussion with Mae.

The blonde girl says something that makes the brunette smile, face going red before her eyes fleet to Thomas. Teresa didn't expect him to already be staring back, so she quickly diverted her eyes away and continued her conversation.

"I don't like Teresa like that," He corrects.

"But you like Mae like that," Teddy reminds.

"Mae and I used to date," Thomas felt the need to justify, "Before the Maze. I don't know how long, or what happened but I know I feel comfortable around her. . ."

The conversation was left with an eye roll from Teddy and a frowning Thomas left standing.

The car ride was silent, the Gladers sitting mesmerized by the car as they tried to remember a time when they had sat in one. They didn't. With the windows down Mae's hair whipped and blew in her eyes as she watched the sceneries blend together from the backseat. Teddy sat curiously beside her, head subconsciously resting on her shoulder.

She makes eye contact with Newt in the passenger's seat, the boy giving a childish grin. She rolled her eyes softly, smiling back. Mae's attention shifts to Thomas behind her, who sat smushed between Frypan, Aris, and Teresa. Feeling her gaze, he looks at her, and she looks away.

"Newt says he saw you and Thomas macking before you both dropped like sloppers," Minho whispered into Mae's ear as he leaned over Teddy, "That was fast."

Mae's brows furrowed, turning to face him as their noses almost touched, "What are you on about." Her face heats up, not caring about the kiss, "What was fast."

"Nothin'." Minho defends far too quickly, and the conversation ended there.

     The car had rolled to a stop in front of a blocked-off highway, cars tipped over sideways in front of a small tunnel. The Gladers slide out of the car one by one, huddled behind Jorge as they waited for the older man's instructions.

"Well, I guess we're on foot," He says.

"Something doesn't feel right," Teddy muttered, eyes scanning the mountains.

They continue on, weaving themselves through the vehicles. A gunshot slams into the metal hood of a car right beside Thomas' hand. The Gladers instantly crouch down in instinct, Mae's arms wrapping around Teddy's head as she tried to scan the trees.

Together, they slide back against a red truck, huddled between Minho and Newt who bellowed for everyone to take cover. Mae's eyes quickly scanned for Thomas and the others, but the second a piece of her hair was seen, another shot slammed next to her, causing Mae to retreat back.

"Hey, is everyone okay up there?" Thomas bellowed from behind a car far down from where she was, "Mae? Teddy?"

"We're okay!" Teddy shouts back, finding his voice.

"It's fine!" Teresa adds, huddled beside Brenda, Aris, and Frypan.

"Anyone know where those bloody shots came from?"

Mae turned her head at Newt's words, eyes squinting against the sunny mountain top. There was nothing, but she knew deep in her bones that she was being watched.

"Everybody! Get set to sprint back to the truck! And hold your ears!" Jorge bellowed out. Mae had no reason to question him, he had gotten them this far. So, she cupped Teddy's ears and waited for his cue, "One...two—,"

A rifle cocks in the hands of a beautiful girl with her brown eyes narrowed into slits and her brown skin was smooth behind the bandana over her mouth. Her locs were pulled back from her face, her eyes squinted behind the scope of her gun as she pointed it straight at Thomas, "Drop it! Now!"

With another loud order from the girl, both Thomas and Jorge dropped whatever they were holding — and from what Mae could see, the girl wasn't alone.

There was a blonde girl, the same shade of blonde as Mae except straighter and well kept in a long braid. She wore a bandana of a lighter shade, which complimented her fair skin. She looked ruthless behind the rifle clenched in her fist.

Slowly, and at their command, the group had backed up together in front of them. They seemed to falter at the sight of Teddy — must've felt a swarm of guilt for shooting at a little boy who shook noticeably at the sight of their guns.

But it wasn't the only reason they seemed to falter.

"Aris?" The first girl removed her mask, revealing her smooth thick lips that tugged down into a confused frown.

"Oh, my god. Harriet?" Aris recognized, stepping forward.

Harriet met him halfway, throwing her arms over his shoulders and hugging him tightly, "My god. What the hell are you doing here?!"

Another girl, Sonya rejoiced with the boy. The three share relieved smiles. Mae couldn't help but mirror it. These were the girls Aris must've been in the Maze with like the other boys had explained the first night they came to WICKED. The coldness of the girls melted away when she saw him.

Mae wondered if that's what the boys felt with Mae when she was the only girl in the group. Protective, relieved. She got her answer when Minho's hand curled into her sleeve protectively, the feeling of family never faltering between her Gladers and her.

"Uh, what's happening?" Minho voiced.

"We were in the Maze together," Aris says.

Harriet gave a loud whistle, calling for the people in the mountains to show themselves. Mae's eyes widened in surprise when multiple figures came out from behind the rocks of the mountains, guns in their hands. It was like a fortress.

Sonya and Harriet lead them into the tunnel covered by the cars, trudging deeper into the tunnel until Mae's eyes adjusted to the other side. Trucks bigger than she has ever seen backed up from the other side, where other people seemed to stand firmly to watch them.

"We're taking them back to base," Harriet announced.

"How did you guys get here?" Aris asked.

"The Right Arm got us out."

Teddy's lips twitched up, "Peter. ." He muttered.

Mae squeezed his shoulder happily.

"Wait, wait," Thomas tried to wrap his head around it, "The Right Arm? Do you know where they are?"

In response, Harriet smiled, opening the door to another car, "Hop in."

( n/a: yes, I'm back on my mae train!
I love her, your honor— )