DISTURBANCE!
CHAPTER SEVEN.
a fragile thing.

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THE MIND CAN BE A FRAGILE THING WHEN YOU STOP TO THINK ABOUT IT. Just one mental and/or physical thing can have it running circles to the temperature of a thousand scorching flames around you. It can be so strong- yet so week to the point it was almost humorous to some. This situation, however, was no laughing matter in the slightest.

Rita let out the softest of groans as her body swayed slightly in it's upside down state, the rest of her friends in the same position. Thick rope was tied taunt around their ankles, forcing their feet together as it held them all up like an animal in a butchers. They could practically feel the blood that used to be stored around their bodies rushing into the chambers of their minds, their heads all feeling heavy

"Good plan, Thomas. 'Just hear what the man has to say'. Really working out for us," Minho mocked weakly as his hands hung over his head like the rest.

"Oh, shut up, Minho." Thomas grunted in reply, finding the familiar mop of long-brown hair amongst the group. Thankfully, she was close enough for him to reach out and tenderly brush their fingertips together. The action caused a flinch out of the girl, the boy sending her a small smile of apology. "Sorry. Are you okay? You've been quite quiet- more so than usual."

Rita ignored his question, her eyes casting downwards to the deep depths of the black hole that would be their downfall- literally- if the ropes were to no longer support them. The mere thought made her stomach feel light with fear as it twisted and lurched. "I told you." She whispered quietly, the silence amongst the group allowing it to be heard. "I told you I had a bad feeling about this place."

Thomas felt guilty, for he knew she was right. If he had just stopped to listen and hear not only his girlfriend, but his friends out too . . . then maybe they all wouldn't be hanging upside down with nothing but ropes basically keeping them alive. "I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"They-They're gonna sell us back to WICKED, I know it." Rita's lips came with a tremble due to the fear of what highly awaited them. A sob tore through the quiet, hollow building as many Gladers watched their friend wail out. "I-oh god, we're going back. W-We can't go back, Tommy. You- You can't go back to them."

"Hey, baby, calm down." Thomas coaxed gently when he saw his girlfriend's breathing beginning to spiral, knowing that being held upside down could possibly put her more at risk. "They're not going to take us back, okay? I won't let them. We're going to be fine. I'll get us out of here, I promise."

"No. No, you don't understand." The girl with her hair hanging thickly over her face shook her head limply, feeling her head pound as she hang there helplessly. "H-He can't get us. J-Janson. H-He can't-"

"Enjoying the view?" A voice with more age to it spoke during the girl's panicking moment, a figure strutting into the teen's views slyly.

"What the hell do you want?" Thomas snapped harshly to the older man, feeling even more angered with the look he had placed on his face while his girlfriend let out choked sobs and whimpers. It hurt him, and all he wanted was to be untied and hold her.

Jorge laughed in response with little to no human remorse- the laugh maybe containing some form of enjoyment as he walked closer to them. "That is the question. My men went to sell you back to WICKED. Life has taught them to think small." The greying man found his gaze coming to the emotional girl in the group, his face remaining emotionless and stoic. "I'm not like that. Something tells me you're not either."

"Is the blood rushing through my head, or is this Shank not making any sense?" Minho groaned as he rolled his eyes while swinging, the older man currently calling the shots unamused as he glared at the former-Keeper.

"Tell me what you know about the Right Arm." Jorge's voice was low as he pointed his cane at Thomas after hitting it in the palm of his hand.

"I thought you said they were ghosts." Newt recalled, his regular fitting frown deepening as his dark blonde brows furrowed.

"I happen to believe in ghosts. Especially when I hear them chattering on the air waves." The man quickly replied, his cane coming to smooth across Thomas' shirt, forcing him to spin slightly. He walked over to a lever of some sort, many of the Gladers taking a guess that it had something to do with their ropes. "You tell me what you know, and maybe we can make a deal."

Thomas took a few moments to decipher on what to say back, his tongue running smoothly over his lips as he let out a small sigh. "We don't know much."

Jorge obviously didn't like that answer, for he never even showed the slightest bit of regret when he pulled the lever down. It creaked, all Gladers letting out grunts and cries as they were dropped further down slightly. Rita's cry was probably the loudest out of all of them, curling into herself as much as she could while a choked sob escaped her.

"Woah, whoah! Okay! Okay, alright!" Thomas was quick to retract, his hands waving out for the older man to stop. Noticing they weren't moving down any further, the former-Runner stole a glance at his shivering girlfriend and felt his heart break at the sight. "They're hiding in the mountains. And they attacked WICKED. They got out a bunch of kids. That's it. That's all we know."

Jorge took in the information, slowly walking away from the lever and closer to Thomas. He licked his lips once, his mouth opening as a small intake of breath for starting a sentence came but found no words coming when a new, gruff voice came out and approached. "Yo, Jorge." The man who had had a good hold on Rita from before walked forward, smirking when his eyes caught sight of the familiar brunette being strung up. "What's going on?"

The greying man adverted his eyes from the teens to give the new presence in the room his attention, his voice standing on that fine edge of unbothered. "Me and my new friends were just getting acquainted. We're done now." He looked down at the unclaimed leader of he group, who looked back at him after glaring at the other man.

"Hey, wait." Thomas held his hands up slightly, gesturing to himself and all his other friends. "You're not gonna help us?" He questioned.

"Don't worry, hermano." Even in her upset state, Rita could tell Jorge's words were not meant to be reassuring to the group as he smirked with a breath of laughter. "We'll get you back to where you belong. Hang tight." He called over his shoulder as he walked away, leaving the scruffy man alone with them.

He seemed almost suspicious with the way his breathing substituted for grunts, his eyes wandering back over to where Rita was. His sly smile became fox-like, slowly passing her as he walked away. "Maybe, if you're lucky, we can keep your little ass around." He poked the brunette in the stomach with his grubby fingers, a throaty laugh escaping in entertainment as the teen flinched and made a noise of discomfort. "I'm sure Janson wouldn't mind losing one of his lab rats."

Lab rats. Rita hated how that was a word now used to describe her and her friends. It putting a label on them, reminding her that, in WICKED's eyes, they were nothing more than subjects to be tested on. They weren't children to them . . . they were lives that were worth wasting.

And, with the way Jorge had them, it seemed as though all her friends would be reminded of that once more when they would soon be back in their grasp . . . and she would soon have to face Janson, her uncle, once more.

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Grunts escaped all the strung up friends as they all managed to conjure up a plan between of passing one member around until they reached the lever, hopefully giving them that change of escape. At first, it was Rita who was up for the passing around considering she was smaller than the raven-haired girl a few ropes away from her . . . yet she was unresponsive to their voices.

It all seemed to drone out for the young girl as all the boys passed Teresa around one by one, muttering hushed words around the teen's ears until Minho gave her the last and final push to allow her to grab the bar close to the lever after a couple of failed attempts. Many sounds of success escaped the Gladers as Thomas told the girl to hurry, his girlfriend still yet to speak on their glint of hope. Heck, the only thing to get a reaction out of Rita was a small gasp tearing out of her plump lips when the lever was pulled and she dropped down a decent amount.

Looking over, Rita saw Teresa struggling out of her ropes once the knots became undone. As the blue-eyed girl set herself up on her feet, a small twitch of the lips appeared in the brunette's face. With none of Jorge's henchmen in sight, it actually seemed like an escape was possible. It actually seemed like they could slip away and continue on with their search for the Right Arm . . . yet trouble always seemed to lurk around every crevice/corner for the Gladers.

"Good evening!" With her blood running cold, Rita froze up and became a stiff figure hanging upside down when she recognised the familiar voice. At first, the young female wanted to deny it all. No, no it can't be. It's my cruel imagination. She mused, trying to keep the optimism that had been so hard to keep in the Scorch up. Sadly, the world seemed to give her its best shot as an illuminated blue light peered through the open parts of the building, the whirring of a helicopter coming closer. "This is the World Catastrophe Killzone Experiment Department. We have your compound completely surrounded."

"No," Was all the teenage girl could seem to conjure up as her hands came to rest on her head, hiding her face from view as she seemed to cower. "no, no, no, no!"

"Rita, baby, calm down. We're gonna get out of here." Hearing her voiced troubles laced with panic, the former-Runner consoled with his hands held upfront in an act of trying to reach out for her. Unfortunately, all he could manage was the brush of skin on skin for merely a second. "You're going to be safe, I promise."

"You find yourselves, through no fault of your own . . . in possession of WICKED property." Janson's voice continued to mock her almost, the girl basically muttering every word under the sun in an act of drowning it all out. "Return them to us unharmed and we'll consider this a simple misunderstanding."

"Thomas," Teresa was quick to bound over to the fellow couple first after untying herself, using a simple pole left to the side of the wall and extending it to the boy. "come on."

The teen was quick to decline, showing no sign of reaching out as he shook his head. "No. Rita first." He ordered, nodding his head in the fellow female's direction.

Before Teresa could been digest the words, the girlfriend of the boy spoke for the first time after a decent while of passed time. "No!" She was quick- too quick- to decline, her friends and boyfriend shooting her looks of confusion. She gulped. "No, do Thomas first . . . please." Her green eyes connected with the ocean blue ones of Teresa, plead pouring through them and drowning in the other's irises.

"Or you can resist . . . and every last one of you will die." A shiver ran through the spine of the spoken man's niece, her boyfriend quick to leap up to his feet and take the pole from his friend while she helped the other tied up boys. "It won't be long before the Flare wipes out the rest of us. The hope of a cure lies in your hands. The choice is yours."

"Don't listen to it." Thomas murmured whilst his hands worked on untying the ropes around his girlfriend's feet, running one hand through her hair quickly. Meanwhile, the teen just relieved herself of deeper up breaths. I can't help it. She thought, her eyes wide with the dreaded words that lurked. Not when his words are partially true.

After helping the rest of their friends, the Gladers were all free from their binds and jittery on their feet as they made a break for where they had first entered. Thomas led the pack, his hand tightly clutching onto Rita's. "Okay. Let's go, let's go."

A gun cocking stopped them all in their swift tracks, seeing the man that had interrupted Jorge whilst talking to them all. He had a sickening look on his face, one that showed he was not here for just a chat.

"W-We don't mean to cause any harm or trouble to you." The female brunette broke out weakly in a whimper-like tone, her fingers tightening around the former-Runner's grey jacket as her body was shielded by his ever so slightly. "We just want peace. W-We want to find home."

The mucky faced man chuckled cynically, every wave of the weapon he weld causing an unhealthy thump of the heart in the teen's chest. "Is that so, pretty girl? He raised a walkie talkie up to his mouth, speaking through with a hint of a victory smirk. "Janson, I got 'em for ya- including that girl you wanted. I'm bringing 'em down. Don't shoot. Come on. Let's go." No one moved. "I said let's go!"

A source surging determination came from Thomas to fight at the mention of Janson wanting his girlfriend back in his, very much, evil grasp, causing him to act fast. The teenage boy fought desperately to wrangle the gun off of the older man's teasing hands, yet his attempt was put to a dreaded fail when he was pushed away and found a gun directed to his chest.

"You little bastard!" The older man sneered with a deep anger, spit being seen shooting out of his mouth vaguely. Things took a turn when his weapon moved from its aimed target, landing on another. Rita's breath halted at the action once its nozzle stopped at her, her feet becoming frozen solid. "I should kill this girl of yours first and make you watch! Sure, Janson may not have the girl he wanted but, with the rest of you, the he and the company will survive." He smirked, the gun clicking in preparation. "Say goodbye, pretty girl."

A loud gunshot ringing through the building made all the young teens flinch, jumping back at the sound they had heard so much of in their life but still weren't used to. Thomas turned to his girlfriend immediately after, his honey-brown eyes scanning over her body for any sign of a hit. When no splatter of crimson appeared on the girl, everyone turned slowly to watch as the man's body feel to expose who had fired the life-saving shot: Brenda.

She stared at the lifeless body before her, lifting her head to nod for the group to follow her. "Come on." She uttered quietly, no feet moving as everyone suspiciously eyed her due to what happened the last time they had done such a thing. "Come on! Let's go!" She repeated, more urgent and louder this time.

Thomas dragged his girlfriend with him as he followed Brenda up upon flights of stairs as his friend's thudding footsteps came from behind. They met up with Jorge at the top, the group of Gladers only now taking notice to the music blasting through the warehouse speakers. What the hell?

"Brenda! Hurry! We don't have much time! Let's go, let's go, let's go! Right this way!" The man skidded along the building until they came to a stop at two windows. He pushed them open, revealing a zipline which connected to a separate building on the other side. Rita, in instinct, took tentative steps back while Thomas smoothed her hair down and pressed a soothing kiss upon her paling forehead.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Frypan breathes out from beside his friends, his eyes wide in disbelief much like the rest of them. He was the only one to have voiced what they all were thinking.

"You kids wanna get to the Right Arm? I'll lead you to them. But you're gonna owe me." Jorge remained unaffected by what he was requesting from the young teens, tugging tight at the rope for durability. He then pushed himself from the platform, shouting as he screeched down the line. "Follow me!"

Everyone watched in shock as he landed safely on the other side so it seemed, Brenda grabbing the next rope on the zipline for the following person. "All right! Let's go! Come on!"

"Everyone, go!" Thomas followed suit as he hollered and gestured frantically for everyone to go. One by one, every boy went with a small cry, Teresa sliding down just after Aris but not telling Thomas to hurry and be careful.

Making sure no one got left behind, Rita turned to allow Brenda to go next, only to see her beginning to set off. Quickly, the long-haired girl grasped onto her arm. "Brenda, what are you doing? We-We need to go." She staggered, her hands beginning to shake as she held the girl.

The olive-skinned female stared at her for a short moment, before stepping away and losing the hold on her. "It's okay. I need to get something quickly, you guys go!" And with that, she was off once more.

"Rita," hearing her name, said girl turned to see Thomas tugging on a rope for her. Taking ahold of his girlfriend's hands, he guided them into what would take her to safety. "you have to go, baby."

"You first." The stubborn girl whispered out, her eyes wide as her mind was unable to grab ahold of what she was about to do to free herself from WICKED and her uncle. Yet, before she did any of that, she had to make sure that they didn't get ahold of him.

"I've got to go get Brenda. We can't leave her behind." Noticing how her eyes fell into a deep solemn, he grasped ahold of the girl's face gently as she held onto the rope. His smile was gentle, just the action causing a fuzzy feeling as if you were floating sky high to ignite. "Hey, I made a promise to keep you safe. I can only do that by being right by your side forever, right? I'll be right behind you and there in seconds before you know it."

"Okay . . . Okay, Tommy." Reluctantly, knowing guards must be closing in on them as they spoke, she gave in with a breath. She clutched the rope closer to her chest. "But now it's time for me to make a promise." Her boyfriend's eyebrows furrowed, tilting his head as a sweet, nostalgic confusion filled upon his face. "Promise me you'll be right behind me in one safe piece . . . please."

Thomas smiled, leaning down to place a fierce kiss onto the girl's lips. A fire ignited within them as their lips moulded together like two pieces of a perfect puzzle fitting together, holding each other as close as their bodies allowed. They pulled away softly, their lips brushing as he answered with two simple words which sealed the deal. "I Promise."

He guided the girl off of the ledge and stayed to watch as she slid down the zipline until Minho and Newt took her into their comforting arms. Looking back, Rita saw the distant figure of her boyfriend blow a short kiss in her direction before he was out of sight in search for Brenda.

The next passing moments seemed like hours to Rita, who stayed glued to her spot from where she had flown in from. Her palms sweated while her whole body shook as if in the great cold, the atmosphere feeling wrong around her without the simple, comforting presence of her boyfriend. "Where are they?" She fretted, biting her nail when she eyed the helicopter wearily.

"I don't know, hermana," Jorge answered with honesty, his gaze staring upon the building. "but they're running out of time."

"What? What do you mean?" Rita had risen from her crouched position as he turned her back only once from the scene, approaching the greying man with wide eyes. "W-Whats going to happen? Tell me, please!"

Just then . . . a loud, thundering explosion haunted her mind as it came from behind; the air hitting her back like an invisible bullet. Turning around swiftly, the young girl had turned just as the building surged up in flames and began to break in on itself with people inside . . . with Thomas inside.

It seemed as though when Rita's heart stopped for only a slow moment, her whole body did too as her legs became that of thin twigs. She collapsed onto her knees, the tears flowing easily and making the burning building blur before she could even register the salty lines watering down her cheeks.

Her body shielded her of the comforts her good friends, Minho and Newt, tried to provide as their arms wrapped around her in a tight hug, their heads resting on her shoulders. They didn't say anything as a murderous scream rose up louder and louder until it basically tore out all vocals from the girl's throat.

Most people find that when they scream it all out, they feel better . . . but Rita did not. Her head and mind felt weak as she doubled over, her friends tightening their hold on her as she thrashed to be let go of; to go for the impossible and save him.

"No! He was supposed to save us! He was supposed to save the world!" Rita screams in agony, the brief thought of her being in physical pain crossing the Glader's minds for a split second. Yet they knew the caring girl's skin was unharmed with their encounters . . . but her heart was breaking and hurting so much so that they feared that, if all was quiet, they would hear it.

The young girl's forehead came to rest on the rough wood of the platform they had travelled through to, her cries silencing until shaken sobs ghosted through her lips. Her voice was scratchy from her previous yelling, the attempted whispers being louder due to this. "It's all my fault I- oh god, it's my fault."

Newt rubbed her back as he shook his head, frowning at her words whilst his eyes still held their soft kindness. It didn't have the same affect as it did back in the Glade because, at that time, their was a bright sun of beaming hope shining down and within her. Now . . . there was just void; an empty one. "It's not your fault, Rita. It's no one's."

"I held him back. I-If I hadn't of been there . . . things would've been different." The girl lamented deeply, feeling herself get choked up more as Minho lifted her back up.

The two boys continued on with their words of fighting the guilt that weighed her down, all of which fell upon deaf ears as Rita turned her head slowly from the building . . . to Teresa. The other female of the group was already starting at her in worry, her beautiful ocean blue eyes glossed over from the occurrences. Things would've been different. She repeated to herself mentally, her eyes clouding with visions that flashed through her fragile mind.

"Hermana, don't give up hope." Jorge insisted, his head still held up firm. It was almost insulting to the brunette how unfazed he appeared to be with the burning building that Thomas and Brenda had been trapped in, most likely going down with it. Whether he kept the depressing thoughts to himself or not, Rita still found a feeling of frustration coursing through her veins at his detachment from the human emotion of loss. "I know Brenda, she knows that place well enough to get them out. She may be taking your friend to Marcus right as we speak."

"Boyfriend." Minho and Newt found themselves correcting the man in unison for their absent friend, knowing that's what he would've done if he were here. The pair wrapped an arm round the girl and handled her with care as if she were a fragile piece of china whilst lifting her up.

The older man just nodded in a form of uncaring acknowledgement, waving his hand forwards as he stomped further into the building to the unknown location for this Marcus fellow that awaited their arrival.

As they followed, Teresa found herself tightly knitted to Rita's side as the two girls of the group walked independently together. Her pink lips wore a tight line as her eyes shined with an emotion the brunette was far to hurt to place, her mind only fully taking notice of her when her hand reached out to brush over her shoulder. "Thomas is a fighter, Rita. He'll be okay."

The whisper from the girl made the opposite one stop from taking any further steps as the Gladers walked on. Teresa's face took a form of confusion as Rita looked at her with a deeper sadness than before with a different from the last. It as as if she were apologizing with only her eyes . . . to her?

And that's exactly what Rita did vocally as her shaken, hoarse whispers managed to force out. "I'm sorry."

Then, the girlfriend of the absent boy walked on with a sluggish feel to her normally bouncing steps Teresa used to see in the Glade. It was as if all colour, all soul, had been drained out of the female.

For, without Thomas by her side, Rita felt like she had failed. The girl had failed in making sure that, at the end of the day, it would be him standing with their group of friends . . . with Teresa. In the little hope fighting to stay alive in the back of her mind, that was what she truly saw and desired.

But now, it was starting to waste away . . . and so was Rita's hope that she and Thomas could really make it out on the other side with a Flare-free world together.

A U T H O R. N O T E
i finally updated the sign off gif for this book so i'm pretty glad about that. you know, cause my old one was just . . . yikes.

fun fact, i hate this chapter. i don't like my writing so i'm just gonna leave this here and hope the spelling mistakes aren't so bad and i haven't, accidentally, typed dong instead of don't.

thank you for reading this chapter, i hope you have a good day/night whenever you take the time out of your day to read this. thank you and ily all xx

GIF MADE BY ME !
━ R O S C O E O B R I E N