.* ﾟ

G A M E O F
S U R V I V A L

· 。ﾟ

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

𝐨𝐡, 𝐢 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧
𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧,
𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐨𝐡
𝐢 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧
𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬
𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐨𝐡 𝐧𝐨

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

chapter twenty-five
the real scorch

.·:*¨༺ ★ ༻¨*:·.

THE GIRL threw herself in the middle of two soldiers trying to bring them down to the ground. She was held back before doing so and was pushed back rather harshly against the truck's passenger window. "Ow!" Rosie exclaimed rubbing the back of her head as it was the first thing to make contact with the window. The girl huffed not thinking it through when she pulled her gun out and let bullets fire.

Jeremy turned his head as everyone on their knees could hear the several gunshots going off where the cars were stationed. Anxiety ran through his body hoping that she was safe and that it wasn't her the gunshots were fired to. Janson looked over to the distance wondering what was happening over there.

"Bring them over here." Janson stated

In a matter of seconds, Jessie was pulled up. Mara was pulled up. Samadhi was pulled up. The three were walked over to the front kneeling them in a line. Minho bit his lips anxious over Jessie's safety. The three girls looked at each other not knowing what was going to happen or what was Janson's intentions for bringing them up to the front.

"Where's Rosie?" Janson asked looking around and not being able to spot her even though she was already identified. The soldiers had registered her before Jeremy came to save her. The three girls stayed silent as they actually didn't know where she was. "Oh, no. She's going to miss the big surprise I have. Bring him out!"

Two soldiers walked towards the front dragging a boy with them. Maya's eyes widened immediately recognizing his face when they passed through. Jeremy swallowed hard recognizing him as well. The two soldiers reached the front and placed him in front of the three girls.

Jessie's eyes widened and spoke in a worried tone, "Malakai."

On his knees, a beat up and bruised, Malakai was barely functioning. "Jess," a short breath left his lips when he saw her.

"Oh, so you do know each other." Janson confirmed as Jess looked up at him in worry.

"Leave him alone." Jess spoke up trying to get up but being pulled back down by Mara, who was scared shitless. "He-he doesn't deserve this."

Mara shook her head trying to stop her friend from getting her and Malakai caught, "stop, don't say anything, Jessie."

Janson turned his head towards Mara asking her, "you surprised me, you know that?" Mara looked up at him in fear, "even after we sorted your memories back in, you disobeyed."

Jessie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Mara wasn't suppose to have her memories back. She's the one that has stated multiple times that the oldest memory she has was her arrival to the maze she was in. Samadhi started to shake her head in disbelief already starting to add things up.

"What's he talking about?" Jessie asked.

Two soldiers grabbed a hold of Mara pushing her head down to scan her. "You want to know what I'm talking about?" Janson asked as he grabbed the scanner from one of the soldiers, "Mara is subject F1. Jessie, do you want to fill the rest of us with that meaning?"

Jessie's eyes widened as she was one of the few who knew the meaning of that subject number. Samadhi didn't know what it meant so when Jessie explained, anger formed in Sam's chest.

"Subject 1's tend to recover their memories." Jessie explained, "and they're usually the ones who think differently. They believe that WICKED-"

"That WICKED is good." Janson finished for her.

"But I don't!" Mara stated quickly glaring at the man in front of her. "Stop making them think that I'm on your side! I'm not! I'm with them!"

Jessie asked, "why would you lie then?"

Mara shook her head, "because I didn't know what to do. This isn't what I wanted! I didn't call them! It wasn't me!"

"Then who was it?" Samadhi raised her voice.

"I don't know!" Mara yelled back.

As an argument brew between Samadhi and Mara, the three girls didn't see what was happening until the sound of a gunshot stopped their bickering. A scream left Jessie's lips when she saw Malakai's body fall to the ground. Horror was displayed on the three girls faces as his temple bled out onto the ground.

Jessie's sobs was overpowered by the sound of a plane landing. The doors opened and everyone already figured who was going to come out. Ava Paige walked out of the plane looking around to witness what had happened.

"Is this all of them?" Ava Paige asked

"Most of them." Janson replied. "It'll be enough."

"Start loading them in," she walks down the plane

"Yes ma'am. ok you heard her. Get them on!"

"Chancellor, we found this girl." A soldier informed, "she's not tagged."

Janson payed attention to the soldier and looked over at the short girl who was scared for her life. She was in search for her sister but couldn't find her. Instead WICKED found her.

"Help me!" Mariana cried as two soldiers appeared with her. "Jeremy!" She cried out for the boy who could feel his eyes starting to become watery.

"Let her go!" Jeremy yelled trying to stand up to help Mariana. A guard a few feet away from him grabbed the end of his gun and hit Jeremy square in the jaw causing a flow of blood to leave his mouth.

Dr. Paige walked closely to analyze Mariana raising an eyebrow at her. "You're okay. I haven't seen you before, sweetie. What's your name?"

Soldiers were holding Mariana down on her knees watching Dr. Paige crouch down to her level and got close to her. The doctor used a finger to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear that covered her face. Mariana didn't respond rather she let tears flow down her face.

"Remove your hands," Dr. Paige ordered the two soldiers, "she's just a kid. She's no harm, right sweetie?"

Mariana nodded begging the men to release the harsh grip on her wrists. "But she tried to-" One of the soldiers tried to speak but was cut off.

"Let go of the child." Dr. Paige demanded as she watched them take their hands off her. "Are you alright sweetie? Did they hurt you?" The woman's hand came up to Mariana's cheek rubbing it trying to comfort the young girl.

Mariana shook her head as Ava smiled. "Good, now can you tell me your name? Preferably your full name? Where'd you come from?"

The girl glanced towards the rest of the Right Arm who were on their knees. Her eyes found Jeremy who started to shake his head knowing her too well. The gladers watched Mariana move swiftly pulling something out of her right pocket and launching forward. Dr. Paige felt herself land rather harshly on the ground and threatened by a knife on her neck.

The soldiers behind her grabbed her pulling her away from Ava who was rushed up by another soldier as she tried to recompose herself. Another one of the soldiers took their gun out taking the safety switch off and pointing it at Mariana.

"No!" Protests left people's mouths as they watched the gun get close to Mariana who could hear her own heart beat loudly. "Let her go! She's just a girl!"

Ava Paige felt her chest sting and the woman brought her hand up to her neck and away noticing dainty blotches of blood on her fingers. "Are you alright, doctor?"

"I'm fine!" Ava stated pursing her lips accepting the napkin to clean her neck. "Tell me your name, young lady."

"Oh, I'm not sweetie anymore?" Mariana asked tilting her head to the side.

Minho and Newt gave each other a knowing look and finally seeing the resemblance between Rosie and her sister. They had similar body motions especially with the head tilts and sarcastic responses. The girl could feel the gun pointed to her forehead now. She showed no fear. No form of terror. Just like her sister.

"You look too calm for a person who has a gun pointed at their head." Janson stated.

Mariana looked up at the man as she shrugged her shoulders, "I've had plenty of guns pointed at me before. This ain't my first rodeo, old man."

"Tell me your name, child." Ava repeated herself.

A little scoff left the girl's lips, "what makes you think I'm going to give you such valuable information?"

"You have a gun pointed at your head." Janson stated

"And?" Mariana asked nonchalant, "I told you before, this ain't my first time."

"If she's not going to be compliant then get rid of her." Ava Paige demanded, "there's a reason I haven't seen you before. You child are not worth my attention. We'll just use you as another example of disobedience."

Mariana's eyes widened as now she was feeling scared. The tactic she was using did not go the way she thought it would. The doctor turned around as the soldier raised his gun and pushing the gun against Mariana's forehead.

"Let go of her." A familiar voice turned everyone's attention to Rosie who had appeared with two soldiers side by side holding onto her.

Janson's lips formed into a smile as a quick idea came into his mind. "Rosalie! Nice of you to finally join us!" He greeted. "I was wondering what had happened to you."

Rosie avoided his eyes as she wondered around to look at the scene in front of her eyes. Behind the man laid a lifeless body, a body of someone she knew. Her eyes widened as she screamed at Janson.

"What did you do!?" Rosie screamed realizing that body belonged to Kai, the boy that helped them escape the facility. "No! What did you do!? Kai! Malakai!"

Rosie screamed and screamed his name hoping somehow that he'd get up and still be alive. But the boy never moved. He laid face down with a hole in his bleeding temple. Rosie tried to pull away from the tight grips of the soldiers but they wouldn't budge.

"How could you!?" Rosie yelled as another friend was dead. Another person gone because of WICKED.

Sobs left Jessie's lips as Mara held her in her arms. Malakai meant everything to her. They were best friends. They were what Frypan and Winston were to each other. Platonic Soulmates.

"Hello Rosie." Ava Paige walked up to her analyzing her entire state. "How have you been feeling? Hm?"

Tears were stained on Rosie's cheeks as she shook her head replying back to her, "murderer."

The doctor smiled as she let that comment pass by and not taking much importance to it. "It's a miracle that you're still standing. You shouldn't even be alive right now." Dr. Paige informed her.

Her focus moved to someone else when a soldier pushed Thomas forward. "Hello Thomas." Ava greeted coldly. Thomas didn't respond as he was still quite astonished that Ava Paige was real. He'd seen her in screens but never in person. Teresa showed up with nerves consuming all of her. "Glad you're safe."

The gladers eyes widened in confusion. "What the hell?" Frypan questioned in disbelief as he faced her. "Teresa?"

"Wait," Newt spoke, "what's going on?"

"She's with them." Thomas cleared up.

Minho parted his lips in surprise as he turned to look at Thomas, "since when?"

Janson smiled walking over to the group. "Oh, Teresa's always had an evolved appreciation of the greater good. Unlike Mara. Once we restored her memories, it was only in the matter of time."

A look of betrayal was carved into the guys faces. Rosie let out a scoff as she had been right the whole time to not trust her. But no one ever payed attention to her gut. They insisted that Teresa wasn't any harm.

"Rosie was right." Newt mumbled.

Teresa looked between the gladers as she tried to clear herself, "I'm sorry. I had no choice. This is the only way. We have to find a cure."

Thomas rolled his eyes as Ava spoke, "She's right. This is all just a means to an end. You used to understand that Thomas. No matter what you think of me. I am not a monster. I am a doctor. I swore an oath to find a cure. No matter the cost. I just need more time."

Everyone remained quiet not knowing what to say as they were consumed with betrayal. They had been safe a half an hour ago and now they're getting sent back for more trials.

"More blood." Mary cut the silence.

"Hello Mary." Ava responded, "I hope we meet again. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances."

"I'm sorry about a lot of things too. But not this. At least my conscious is clear." Mary spoke trying to get some sense into Ava's head.

"So is mine." Ava Paige stated.

Screams and gasps came out of people's mouths when another gunshot went off. This time it went inside Mary's stomach. Rosie's eyes widened as she tried to get out of soldier's grips but couldn't. "Mary! Mary! Mary! Get off me! Mary!" Vincent yelling to help her holding her in his arms. "NO!"

"Come on, Janson. Load them up." Ava turned around ignoring the woman bleeding out to death. "Let's go. All these people get rid of them! Let's go! Let's go!"

Soldiers started rushing the children inside and in the mix of those kids was Mariana who tried to escape.

"Sonya! Aris!" Harriet screamed.

Thomas shut his eyes closed for a split second before deciding to do what he had planned. The boy pushed away the soldier who had a hold of him and before anyone could think he was going to do, Thomas pulled out a bomb.

"Get back! Get back!" Thomas screamed causing people to stand back while Janson turned to try and stop him.

"Woah! Woah! Hold your fires!"

"Stand back! Everyone stand back!"

Janson repeated himself as the soldiers kept their weapons pointing at Thomas. "Hold your fire!"

"Stay back! Let them go!" Thomas demanded pointing at the kids they were loading.

"Thomas, put it down." Janson replied

The boy shook his head yelling once again, "Let them all go!"

"You know I can't do that!" Ava Paige raised her voice trying to stop him from ruining everything.

Teresa intervened trying to get some sense into Thomas' head. "Thomas please stop! I made a deal with them they promised! They promised we'd be safe! All of us!"

"You call this safe!?" Rosie yelled still in hold by two soldiers as she yelled for them to let her go, "get off me! Teresa they killed my friend!"

"Rosie-" Teresa had no time to say something to Rosie before being cut off by Thomas.

"I'm suppose to trust you now?" Thomas questioned the blue eyed girl.

"It's true it was her only condition!" Dr. Paige insisted

"Shut up!" Thomas yelled before adding on, "I should have believed her! I'm sorry, Rosie!"

The boy had turned to look at the girl being held on by two soldiers. Rosie shook her head replying, "it's okay."

Ava turned his attention back to her as she tried to convince him to surrender. "Everything can go back to the way it was. Thomas, do you really want all of them to die?"

"Listen to her Thomas. Think about what you're doing."

Minho, Newt, and Frypan walk to their friend reassuring him that they stand by him. "We're with you Thomas." Newt told him.

Thomas looked surprised but reassured none the less. The boy turned to look over at Rosie for the last confirmation he needed. He knew the girl had gone through a lot and maybe this ending he was going to give them wasn't what none of them deserved. But Rosie nodded giving him the permission that she'd rather die on this field than to ever go back to that place.

"No." Teresa let out the moment Rosie nodded.

"Don't." Paige demanded.

"Do it Thomas." Minho reassured again.

"We're ready." Frypan added.

Thomas looked back to Ava, Janson, and Teresa as he shook his head telling them, "We're not going back there."

"Thomas!"

"It's the only way." Thomas concluded.

"Thomas!" Ava yelled before being interrupted by the sound of a car horn.

Grabbing everyone's attention, Thomas stopped himself from pushing the button as they all watched the car appear out of nowhere. Whoever drove that truck crashed themselves into one of the helicopters. The moment the helicopter tilted down and breaking, the commotion caused whirling blades to fly through out the entire campsite. The two soldiers holding onto Rosie pushed themselves down to the ground dodging the blades with her.

This was what everyone needed. A distraction.

"We got to move, this way!" Vince yelled from afar.

"Get her out of here!" Janson yelled covering Ava Paige back inside the plane.

Rosie struggled to get out of the soldiers grips as they had her down on the ground. She jerked and squirmed around getting up on her feet before being able to use her elbow and hit one of the soldiers releasing his grip on her. Rosie used her foot to kick the other soldier away from her. Her eyes roamed around trying to figure out where to go as she sees Jorge being the one to get out of the truck that smashed into the helicopter.

"Get out of here! Go! Go!" Rosie could hear Minho from a distance as she headed towards his voice. "Go!"

"Be careful, Minho!" Newt responded

"Run Thomas, get out of here!" Minho yelled. Rosie searched for the boys feeling she was getting farther away from them until she heard him again. "Rosie! This way!" Minho yelled.

Rosie turned around spotting Minho who struggled to use the shotgun. It was jammed. Rosie rushed towards him trying to help him before anyone else could try to hurt him. Minho looked up and his eyes widened to see what was happening.

"NO!" Minho yelled seeing it before anyone else could. The boy tried to fix the gun but was too late all he could do was scream to warn her. "Rosie, watch out!"

And before Minho could run to help her, soldiers appeared in front of him. One tazing him and causing him to fall to the ground. Thomas screamed for his friend as he ran to try and help him.

"Minho! Minho!" Thomas yelled before being stopped by Jorge and right before the three boys saw Rosie's current state. "Rosie!" Thomas screamed watching her look down at her body.

A small gasp left Rosie's lips stopping her from running as she stumbled backwards feeling a bullet tore through her stomach, her body convulsing in pain. Her hands came up to cover her wound as she could feel the blood gushing out.

"Newt," Rosie let out shakily and loud enough for Newt to start yelling trying to get out of Frypan's grip.

"Rosie!" Newt screamed pushing and pulling away, "Rosie!"

Thomas looked behind her to see who had done it and guilt started to form in his chest. That bullet wasn't meant for Rosie, it was meant for him. Janson couldn't get a good shot at him so instead he went for Rosie who had been distracted.

People around her tried so hard to rush to her, to help her but they couldn't. She was in the middle of the battlefield falling to her knees. Rosie looked down at her hands painted in red and the only thing running through her mind was Gally.

Her hands looked exactly the same when she left the boy behind. Her hands matched the same deep red color she had when her hands were trying to put pressure on Gally's chest. When she was trying to stop his bleeding.

Rosie had always been one of the bravest among them, but now she looked so small and helpless, her eyes pleading for mercy that she knew would never come. A quiet whimper left her lips as this time she couldn't cover her fear. She wanted one of the boys, one of the girls, anyone to come help her. But the only people she saw passing her was soldiers dragging Minho's unconscious body away.

Rosie could feel tears streaming down her face as she could see a figure standing in front of her. The girl let out a shaky breath blocking everyone's voices out. The girl looked up to see the person who had done it and wasn't shocked when she saw him.

"I told you, you were going to pay." Janson smiled before motioning with his hands pointing at her. "Take her." Janson stated

"Wait," a voice brought Rosie back as she could hear Teresa, "I didn't, I-you said they'd be safe! You said you weren't going to hurt them!"

Janson nodded, "and we haven't, Teresa."

Tears rolled down Teresa's cheeks as she pointed at Rosie, "she's bleeding out!"

"Rosie isn't part of the trials, Teresa. She isn't an immune. Technically, she doesn't count." Janson explained, "you didn't specify you wanted Rosie unharmed."

Janson smiled at Rosie. His smile was worrying. It held unspoken threats and malice. Rosie knew that smile well, she had seen it a million times before-because she smiled like that way too many times before.

"This is when you start paying the consequences, Rosie." Janson stated. "You aren't worth a thing."

Rosie let tears down her face as she could feel herself being pulled up by two soldiers. The girl watched her feet dangle as the boys were getting farther and farther away from her blurry sight. "No! Let her go!" She could hear the screams and yells from her friends getting farther and farther away from her. "She's going to die!"

"Help me!" Rosie let out cries as she didn't want to go back. "Please!"

But no one came.

Rosie let out a louder cry as a soldier had a hold of her as the plane lifted itself up from the ground. It's doors slowly closing and all Rosie could see was the boys standing in the distance with their faces twisted with worry and anger. They had never seen anything like this before. They had never imagined that they could be so powerless, so helpless in the face of such brutality. They shouted and screamed for her, but she knew there was nothing they could do.

The only thing the gladers could do was watch.

the end.

THIS WAS PART TWO OF
THE MAZE RUNNER SERIES

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE AUTHOR 🎤

- AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

- I finished the book wtf ??

- what are y'all thinking ???

- y'all wanna read the next book?

- what are your predictions?!

- what's happening to Rosie?

- who got taken? who didn't ??

- what's up with Mara ??

- where's mariana ?

- poor minho 😞

- Rosie calling for newt after she got shot 🥲

- Newt not being able to get to her ☹️

- me wondering where jeremy was at 🤔

- aaaaaahhhhh

- im so excited rosie gets to reunite w my fav soon

- guess who it is:

- me when the majority of y'all are ghost readers and I only get like 10 likes every chapter

- i hope you guys liked the second book! the third one is in the works!!

- make sure to read the thank you update for a sneak peak into the third book!!