Ada and Gally led the three boys out of the grounds of the WCKD facility and onto the streets. They were quick in ducking behind a stone wall to avoid the screeching of cars already on the look out for them.

"I think- I think we might have pissed them off." Gally commented between uneven breaths.

"How close are we to the tunnels?"

Thomas didn't seem to have any time for his jokes, asking the important questions as he watched Newt in concern. The blonde was slumped against Minho, who was frowning at the boy's deteriorating condition.

"Twelve or so blocks." Ada replied, catching Thomas' attention, and he nodded stiffly.

Their eyes all turned to Newt when he let out a heaving cough, one that wracked his entire body. The girl moved towards him, helping him shift into more of a sitting position to try and make his coughing subside.

"How you doing, Newtie?" Minho asked, a fond smile on his lips as he watched the boy.

"Hmm, awful." The boy responded, sounding croaky but still witty. "I'm so glad to see you."

His hand lingered on Minho's shoulder, and the other boy stayed there for a moment, just watching the blonde. And then he moved, sidling over to Thomas and Gally.

Ada beamed at Newt, hoping somehow that her falsely happy mood could keep him feeling that way genuinely. It was most likely failing, considering that her smile was obviously forced.

"It won't be long until we find Brenda." She told the boy, who hummed in response, his eyes drooping slightly.

"Alright, Newt, up you get." Thomas coaxed, suddenly appearing beside him, and looking to Ada for help.

Together, they heaved him up from the ground, helping him to steady himself. Ada briefly glanced over to where Gally and Minho were talking; with the latter still looking confused by the former's presence.

As they all started into motion, intent on the tunnels where they would be meeting Brenda, there was a large explosion. Ada felt her knees buckle and she looked out to the buildings to her left; where there was now a cloud of flames and smoke erupting in the sky.

Gally looked horrified by it all, stopping dead in his tracks and letting his thoughts become consumed with the death of the city. Ada had to tug on his arm to get him moving again, knowing they didn't have the time to watch all the chaos ensue.

The rebels from Lawrence's group had begun to storm the city. WCKD had the resources and the soldiers to spare to fight back; but it didn't mean that they were going to have an easy fight. The people from outside the walls were angry. And rightly so.

They stopped briefly to talk to Brenda via walky-talky. Thomas tried to persuade her to leave, but she refused. She then swiftly told him they were coming for them in the Berg, and to find her near the tunnels. 

They decided to pick up the pace once again.

Newt staggered then, wobbling under Minho and Thomas' weight. The boys were forced to let him slump down on the ground behind a wall, coughing and spluttering, his forehead collecting sweat and the dark veins spreading more so over his skin.

"He's not gonna be able to move for much longer." Minho murmured to Ada under his breath.

"Should we go get the serum?" Ada questioned all of her friends, not caring that Newt now knew of her worry for him.

They were at the point where she couldn't think about Newt's pride, only his health.

"You guys go get it, and come meet me with Newt." Thomas said then, his eyes firmly focused on the girl.

She nodded, slightly reluctant to leave the blonde, but she agreed it was the best idea. Minho was the fastest runner, and if he was going to be racing through a battlefield, he'd need more protectors than Thomas and Newt just slipping past unnoticed. 

"Okay. We'll get it." She confirmed.

Minho's expression filled with something Ada couldn't quite read, and she watched as the boy pulled Newt to his chest in a hug, whispered something in his ear, and then kissed him lightly. The blonde let a smile grace his lips as he watched Minho in awe, not seeming to notice the tears in the other's eyes.

Gally clapped the boy on the shoulder, smiling gently, and muttering a small goodbye. Newt gave him a thankful smile, and it was easy to tell he was glad to see his old friend again.

Ada then took her turn to hug Newt. She made it quick - feeling like she was about to break down - and then reminded herself they were going to save him; he wasn't dying - not yet at least.

"See you later, Newtie." 

The girl got up with Minho and Gally, and turned away, ready to head to the Berg. That's when Newt cleared his throat to call out.

"I love you Ada!"

She could hear the smile in his voice as he said it - platonically (he already said it to Minho moments before but romantically) - and she felt her heart swelling. Spinning around quickly, she tightened her grip on her gun to distract herself from her overwhelming emotions.

"You said it first this time. I love you too, by the way."

He rolled his eyes playfully, chuckling, but then breaking off into a cough. He cleared his throat again, unable to stop smiling widely. "Don't get used to it, shank."

Since Newt was genuinely happy in that moment, Ada decided to leave for real. If she never saw him again, the amusement on his face would be the last thing she saw on him.

Minho's pace was quicker than Ada was used to. However, she knew the cost of why they were going so fast, and so she summoned up the strength to match his quick sprint.

He weaved in and out of the chaos; dodging bullets, and bodies, and fire everywhere. Ada had her gun raised as she ran after him, continuing to scan the area to ensure Minho was safe to carry on.

And then they saw it, in the distance. The Berg, and Brenda stood in front of it - twirling the small vial of serum between her fingers. Alarmingly, at that moment, Teresa's voice began to blare out across the streets.

Ada had to block Teresa from her mind as they reached Brenda. Minho's voice was echoing in her head, calling for the Serum, but Brenda didn't respond. Instead, she ran.

She was fast.

Ada had seen some fast Runners in her time - Minho possibly being one of the most notable - but she was sure that Brenda was faster. Minho took off straight after her, barely catching up to her heels, and for a moment Gally and Ada only stared at one another.

Neither of them were as fast as the others, and they certainly didn't have as quick of reactions, because it took them a few long seconds to begin running again. It felt ridiculous: running all the way to the Berg, only to be heading in the direction they just came from as soon as they got there.

Gally and Ada could barely see Brenda and Minho ahead of them, despite the fact they were going at their quickest speed too. Weaving through the battlefield still raging around them didn't get any easier, and Ada found herself wincing at every gunshot she heard being fired.

Ada realised they had reached Thomas and Newt when she saw that Brenda and Minho had both stopped. But something felt off. Something felt really really off.

Thomas had begun to walk away. It was without a word, and with no turning back to any of them, and it was with purpose.

She couldn't see Newt anywhere.

Ahead of her, she could see that Minho had dropped to his knees, not making a single sound. She didn't stop until she reached her friend's side, feeling the breath being knocked out of her chest as she reached the awful conclusion.

Newt was dead.

And this was real. Completely, utterly, and heart wrenchingly real.

Ada wasn't being torn away from Newt's body, so she was able to confirm his dead figure to be well and truly dead. Hands dropping from Newt's wrist, she felt the tears welling in her eyes and blurring her vision, and the presence of Minho beside her.

Minho was still on his knees, face void of all emotion, staring at the boy he loved more than anything in the world. The boy who was the beating heart of their group, that kept them all going when it seemed hope had been lost. The boy who had fought through the most unimaginable feats, only to die now. 

That's when Minho crumbed.

Clinging on to Newt's shirt, Minho collapsed into tears. He leaned forwards to cry into his chest, to cry over everything he lost in that moment. He had been away from him for six months, and only a few hours later, Newt was dead.

Ada could do nothing but wrap her arms around the boy, letting herself cry gently as she tried desperately to reassure Minho of his own despair. She knew how much they would need each other now; and she wasn't going to let Minho go, now that they had lost their dear friend.

"We'll have a burial, Minho, I promise." She whispered soothingly, unable to speak louder due to her wobbling voice.

"It's not fair." He choked out between sobs, wiping his eyes furiously but then letting himself fall victim to his tears all over again. "He deserved to live."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." She tried her best to speak reassuringly to him, but she could feel herself beginning to cry again, and it was becoming too hard.

When she broke away from the boy - to allow him to hug Newt once again - she could feel a hand resting on her shoulder. Looking up absently, she let Gally help her to her feet and speak to her in a low voice about carrying Newt back to the Berg so they could bury him at the Safe Haven.

It took a long few minutes for them all to compose themselves, and then to decide to move back to the Berg. Out of respect - and sheer shock - Gally and Frypan carried Newt in silence whilst Ada squeezed Minho's hand tightly.

Ahead, she could see Brenda's fist still closed around the Serum, holding back sobs as her body trembled with upset. As the Berg came into view, Jorge's head lifted hopefully, and then dropped back down as he dejectedly saw Newt's lifeless figure.

No one said a thing when they carried Newt onto the Berg and settled him down carefully. Gally and Frypan begun talking about his burial and Minho simply stared at the lifeless blonde boy he was madly in love with; and that wasn't going to vanish quickly.

But they had to continue.

It wasn't over yet. They hadn't left the city, WCKD were still active - to Ada's knowledge at least - and they needed to get to the Safe Haven. But there was one small thing.

They were missing someone.

"We have to find Thomas." Ada's voice shook considerably, but she managed to speak without sobbing.

This didn't mean that tears weren't running down her face.

"But the city's in ruins-"

"-Ada's right." Minho cut in, firmly. "We're not leaving anyone behind. No one, at all. We save Thomas, or I'm not coming."

Ada didn't have to repeat his last sentence for everyone to know that she felt the same. She let her arm hug the boy to her side, her face squishing against his shoulder as he hugged her back.

"Okay. We go back for Thomas." Brenda agreed, looking between the pair with a hidden expression of heartbreak for their loss.

It took Jorge less than a second to start up the Berg. As they started into action, Ada slumped down at the side of the ship, squeezing her eyes shut.

The ride in the Berg was silent. Every person on board was heartbroken, miserable, and distraught. Nothing would be the same without Newt.

"There!" The silence was broken by Gally's shout to Jorge, indicating that he had spotted Thomas and Teresa. 

Ada leapt up from where she was sat, letting her eyes draw to where Gally was pointing. The rooftop of the WCKD building, where Teresa was helping along a limping Thomas; his hands over a wound on his side.

"He's hurt." The girl mumbled, letting Brenda know she had to get the medical supplies ready.

Jorge dipped down towards the building, slowly lowering them closer and closer to the edge to allow Teresa and Thomas to get on. The entire building was caught on fire, smoke rising high enough to reach where they were in the Berg.

Ada leaned towards the edge of the Berg, next to Vince, throwing her hands out just like him to show they would help their transfer onto the ship. As she was closer now, the girl could see just how much pain Thomas was in, his winces and splutters evident in all the chaos.

Ada could feel Minho next to her, the tears not yet dry on his face, shouting for his best friend to climb on. Then, Teresa had pushed Thomas forwards, and onto the edge of the ship.

Minho and Ada pulled him up onto the safety of the Berg, with the girl immediately inspecting the damage of his wound. He was clearly drowsy, his eyelids threatening to droop closed.

"Jorge! Move closer again!" The girl yelled out, in an attempt to allow Teresa to climb onto the Berg too.

It seemed it was too late.

Ada watched on in horror as Teresa crumbled with the building's collapse, being engulfed into the flames and the rubble. She could vaguely hear Thomas' cries of anguish in her mind, but everything was a blur.

And then the Berg tilted up into the sky, heading towards the Safe Haven; which would never quite feel whole thanks to the death of the blonde boy who was lying peacefully in the back of the Berg.

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It's safe to say that I am now terrified to see what you'll all say about Newt dying! I love my baby Newt, but I can't stop writing things that break my heart - it's an addiction. Please don't send me threats, even as a joke, my mental health is too weak to take that sdfskdffjds

One more chapter to come, I can't believe it's almost over already </3