"Gally?" Thomas' eyes were hard to read, but his voice was quiet as he questioned the boy who had seemingly come back from the dead.

Newt glanced to Frypan, but the boy was fixated on Gally, one of his closest friends from the Glade. For a moment, Thomas was frozen to the spot. 

Florence knew that none of her friends would feel the same way about it, but she was sort of glad to see Gally. It made her feel guilty; he killed Chuck of course. 

But it wasn't his fault. He was stung. WCKD had him wrapped around their finger.

And back in the Glade, he was their family. No matter who much they argued or disagreed, Gally only did what he thought was best for the Glade, and it was the same for them.

Having Gally and not Chuck was better than having no Gally and no Chuck.

And then, Thomas pounced.

He punched Gally square in the face, knocking him to the floor. Grabbing a hold of his shirt, Thomas went to punch him again, but Newt had raced to his side, his hand on the boy's arm.

Florence would've gone to help, but she knew that if anyone were to stop Thomas from going ballistic, it would be Newt.

"Stop." He warned, eyes somehow on Thomas instead of his old friend returned from the dead.

"He killed Chuck."

Florence heard a shaky sigh from beside her, and moved to squeeze Frypan's hand reassuringly. A number of guards swarmed Thomas, Newt and Gally, their guns directed on them threateningly, but Florence knew that they wouldn't be the ones to deter Thomas.

"Yeah, I know, I remember. I was there too, all right? But I also remember that he was stung and half out of his mind." He paused as Thomas continued to seethe. "Just calm down. All right?"

And after a pause, Thomas had let go of Gally and moved away. Newt moved with him, carefully watching Thomas to try and gain understanding of how he was feeling.

Gally lifted himself up onto his feet, rubbing his jaw with his fingers. "Kinda had that coming." He agreed, glancing to the rest of them now, nerves still present just slightly in his stance. "Anybody else? Fry? Newt?"

He paused again and Florence's stomach flipped as she felt his stare on her. It was a funny feeling, seeing him again after all this time. "Florence?"

And her guilty eyes glanced away to the ground, not replying. None of them did; far too in shock to say a word in that moment.

"Do you know this guy?" Jorge asked. 

No, Thomas just punches random people, she thought sarcastically.

It was then that Florence remembered both Jorge and Brenda had no idea who Gally was or what was going on. Despite that, the question was still very stupid considering what had just happened.

"He was an old friend." He replied, still staring at Gally in confusion. "H-how?" Newt stammered as he continued, finally asking what they all wanted to do since seeing him. "How is this possible? We watched you die."

"No, you left me to die." He corrected, his eyes suddenly growing cold, and Florence felt the guilt return for another reason.

In her defence - not that she could use one in that moment particularly - they didn't know he wasn't dead.

"And if we hadn't found you when we did, you'd be dead right now. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Minho." Florence spoke up, gaining Gally's focus again. This time she didn't look away, feeling the need to fidget under his stare but refraining. "WCKD has him here. We're looking for a way in, to get to him."

She watched Gally's expression change, and his feet shifted. "I can help with that." Feeling her heart leap, she was instantly hooked on whatever plan he had. "Follow me."

Gally began to wander away just as Thomas stubbornly declared, "I'm not going anywhere with you."

Florence knew how angry Thomas was with him, but now was not the time for him to let his feelings get in the way of saving their friend. 

Gally didn't seem bothered by his words, replying, "Suit yourself. But I can get you through those walls." And as he spoke, it became obvious why he wasn't bothered. His eyes shifted to the girl, knowing there was no way she'd let the opportunity to save Minho pass her by.

"Thomas," She looked to her brother, already knowing there was no possible way for her to lose the argument. "Think about who this is for."

"After the Maze, I got picked up by a group headed to the city. They realized I was immune, patched me up, and they brought me here to Lawrence." Gally began to explain his story as he led the group through the community set up in the highway.

As soon as they had set off, Florence jogged up catch up to Gally, practically berating him in an attempt to coax the explanation out of him. It worked immediately.

"This group's been at war with WCKD ever since they took control of the city. But WCKD can't hide behind those walls forever. The day's gonna come, and they're gonna pay for what they've done."

The girl found herself chuckling at Gally's promise. She couldn't help but love the idea of it. 

The boy took them down a slope and around a corner before stopping them just outside a room. Florence could guess that Lawrence was inside, and Gally looked a little nervous about introducing them.

"Listen, uh, he doesn't get a lot of visitors. So, let me do the talking. All right?" That was simple enough. "And try not to stare." He added at the end, moving through the doorway.

Stare at what?

Gally took them down a set of stairs, finally taking the gun from across his chest and placing it down on a table, moving across the cluttered room towards a man seemingly enchanted by a cluster full of rose bushes.

"Gally, glad to see you made it back." Gally nodded curtly, and Florence made the connection that the man was essentially his boss. "Jasper told me what happened."

"It was a slaughter. There's nothing we could do against those guns."

Florence watched the man in intrigue; how he picked up a scarlet rose and lifted it to his face to smell it. "No, but they can only poke the hornet's nest so long before they get stung."

It was then that she noticed the man was lacking a nose. Instead, his face dipped inwards, two holes for nostrils where his nose would usually be.

"Now, who are these people? Why are they here?"

But Florence didn't let his face distract her from his importance. He seemed like an impatient man, one that would not agree to help them out quickly; much like Jorge she supposed.

"We need to get into WCKD." Thomas spoke up, due to lack of the rest of them talking. "Gally said you can get us through the walls."

Lawrence glanced up from the roses, first to Thomas and then to Gally. "Gally should know better than to make promises that he can't keep." Florence felt her heart thud to the floor.

He can't be serious.  

"Besides, that wall is only half your problem. Getting inside WCKD is impossible."

It all seemed to be heading downhill now, and fast.

Lawrence reached for the IV drip he was connected to, hobbling a few steps closer to them, his face slightly more illuminated than the shadows previously cast on him.

"There might be a way now. But it doesn't work without Thomas."

Thomas shifted from besides Gally, glancing to him in utter confusion, Florence's mind matching how he looked.

What the hell is Gally talking about?

"Is that so?" Lawrence challenged, his voice more intimidating than curious. "Do you know what I am, Thomas?" As he stepped closer towards him, he became fully visible in the light.

He's a Crank. 

Well, almost.

Florence could see the black veins on the side of his face, creeping up to his head but not getting any further. She looked to the IV drip, and the blue liquid inside it. Whatever it was, it was stopping the Flare from spreading.

"I am a businessman." I was expecting him to say Crank. "Which means that I don't take unnecessary risks. Why should I trust you?"

"Cause I can help you. You see, if you can get me through those walls, I can get you what you need."

"What is it that you think I need?"

"Time." Florence crept forwards, just the tiniest bit from where she was hanging back with the others, just watching Gally, Thomas and Lawrence converse. "Every last drop."

It's like she was entranced by the blue liquid. Obviously it wasn't a cure, but it was sure close to one. And if they were to try and develop a cure - with whatever medical skills Florence retained from the Glade - it'd be useful to know what it was made from.

"Is that what I need?"

"WCKD has something we both want."

"I'll tell you what." Is that all it took for Thomas to convince him? "Two can go for now. The rest stay down here with me. Just a little insurance to make sure you find your way back. We have a deal?"

Thomas paused as Lawrence held out his hand to him, taking a second to glance back to his sister, Newt, Frypan and the others crowded behind him. Giving him approving expressions in return, he took Lawrence's hand to shake on it.

"Gally, show them the way."

Gally led them back up the stairs they had come from, and through to another room. He stopped at what seemed to be a manhole, opening it and then hauling a ladder down it. He positioned himself on the edge of it, ready to climb down the ladder when Frypan stopped him.

"Gally, take care of these two." He glanced to Thomas and Newt, and Florence felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

You've got to be kidding.

"I'm sorry, when did we decide that these two were going?" Her face settled into a frown. "What about me?"

Newt and Thomas exchanged glances and turned back to her, supposedly sympathetic. Thomas went to put his hand on her shoulder, but already knowing what he was going to say, she roughly shoved him away.

"Flo-"

"-No, Thomas." She could feel everyone's concerned eyes on her but she felt too angry to focus on them. "Minho was my-" She cut herself off.

My what? My boyfriend? 

Because we sure as hell never had that conversation.

"I can only take two of you-" Gally began awkwardly, not looking at her, but she interrupted him before he could stutter out an apology.

"-This is shucking ridiculous." Her voice was on the edge of angry tears. And with that, she stormed out of the room.

She could feel that feeling of rage returning - like before she cut her hair - but this time she didn't have much hair to cut. She resorted instead to pacing back and forth, letting her mind run through all the happy memories she had.

It only made it worse.

"Florence!" Newt's voice called after her, the boy jogging to catch her up.

"Minho means more to me than anything else in the world. I need to be just as involved in saving him as the rest of you." Her voice was wobbling with every word now, tears filling her eyes.

"I know, I know." He replied soothingly, pulling her into a hug.

She buried her face in his chest, letting herself sob. She was drained. She was angry, upset, tired, dehydrated, lost. All she wanted was Minho.

As she pulled away, her hand latched onto his arm, and her mind ran through the things she could say to persuade Newt to let her come through the passage as well.

But before she could go to speak, Newt had let out a hiss of pain and retracted his arm from her grasp. That's when she knew something was wrong.

Grabbing his wrist, she ignored his protests, and pulled up the sleeve covering his arm. She then dropped it immediately.

He was infected.

A dark purple infection was swelling on his arm, the veins crawling down towards his hand and up to his shoulder. It was not visible in any other places yet, meaning the rest of him was fine for the moment.

It wasn't too long ago; they had some time.

"Newt," She exhaled, her anger having vanished. She could feel nerves creeping in already.

That's another way to calm myself down, find out my friend has the Flare!

"Don't say anything." Her eyebrows furrowed together before he continued to explain. "I'll tell the others when I'm ready. I don't want them knowing yet."

Her heartstrings tugged but she knew it was not her place to let everyone know. She could feel tears pricking at her eyes for him now.

What if Newt died before we got Minho back? No. No, he's not going to die.

"Of course I won't say anything." She replied, and Newt's expression flooded with relief.

"But you need to promise me that you'll tell them soon." She said firmly, and watched as he sighed and then nodded begrudgingly.

Everything would change now, of course it would. But Newt would hold out as long as possible to make sure everyone's focus was on getting Minho back instead of him.

"Just let me come with you guys." She asked quietly, to avoid her voice cracking.

He bit his lip anxiously, and paused for a moment, debating it. But then instantly his face washed of doubt and he nodded, pulling the girl into his arms for another hug.

"Of course."