REDEMPTION.
[ chapter eight ]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

THOMAS WAS TRYING NOT TO WORRY ABOUT EVE, but as Teresa led them through the large WCKD building, he couldn't help up glance over at his girlfriend every now and again, wishing more than anything that he could see what face she pulling behind her mask. He can only guess that she's angry; angry at every guard around them and at Newt's situation but most pissed off at the traitor walking between them.

Thomas will never understand how people actually believed he wanted Teresa. Even after all the days he spent gawking at Eve in the Glade and even before.

The four of them turn a corner and stop in front of an elevator. Thomas slams his finger against the button before stepping back to wait, but only a moment later he's pressing the button several more times eagerly.

"Come on, come on, come on," He rushes.

Finally, the doors slid open, and they all step inside. The three suites in guards outfits line up against the back wall, while Teresa stands calmly in front of them, her hand shoved into her long coat pockets. But, as the door begin to close again, an arm slides through the gap, causing them to pop back open again.

Evelyn jaw clenches inside the mask at the sight of the man who steps inside. Trying not to move her body in case it catches his unwanted attention, she tightens her grip on her gun slowly.

Thomas' mind is running with a million thoughts, and his palms curl around his gun harder as well as he remembers the image of Janson's fist slamming into Eve's nose months ago at the Right Arm. If he had been so happy to do that to her in the open, he hated to know what Janson had specifically done to her behind closed doors.

As the doors shut, and the elevator begins to move, Janson glances over at Teresa, "You're working late."

She hums softly.

"That's what I like about you, Teresa," He hums, "No matter how bleak things get, you just. . . well, you never give up. Times like this, you need a friend that you can count on."

She swallows, nodding, "I'll bare that in mind."

"There is one thing you should know," He sighs, "One friend to another," He turns his body to look at her, "Thomas is here."

Thomas and Newt exchange a glance form either side of Evelyn, but she's too busy burning holes into the man in front of her to react to his words.

Teresa meets Janson's eyes.

"A surveillance picked him up outside the walls," Janson explains, "Ava didn't want you to know, but there is a chance that he may try to contact you, and if he does. . . well, I'd like to think that I'd be your first call."

Teresa's eyebrows cinch closer together, "Are you going to kill him?"

He shrugs, "Would that be a problem?"

The elevator dings open, and Teresa is quick to step out with Newt and Thomas following close behind. During her own exit, Evelyn slams her shoulder in Janson's, nearly sending him tumbling but before he can say anything she's already around the corner and out of his sight.

"Thomas, you have to listen to me," Teresa breathes, "Getting that serum won't save Newt. It might buy him some time, but—"

Before Evelyn can shut her up, Newt beats her to it, slamming his palm into the girl's back harshly while spitting, "Just ignore her. She's trying to get inside your head."

Teresa ignores him, "Thomas, listen. You know what's going on out there. People are dying. The world is dying. There's something about your blood that I don't understand."

He stops at a glass door, "Open it."

Sighing, she does as instructed before continuing, "If you let me run some tests. I promise I can protect you."

Pulling the mask from his face, Thomas whirls around and begins to back her out of the doors, "Yeah? Like you protected Minho?"

Newt jumps to his side, grabbing his shoulder, "What are you doing?"

Thomas shrugs him off roughly, "How many people is it gonna take? How many more people do they have to round up, torture, kill? Huh? When the hell does it stop?"

She stares up at him, "It stops when we find a cure."

"There is no goddamn cure!" He snaps.

"Don't waste your breath, Teresa," Janson rounds the corner, his gun raised into the air, "He made his choice long ago."

Evelyn steps forward slightly, joining Thomas' side as they both raise their own guns.

"Drop it, kid," A voice calls from their side, and they watch as guards run at them from every direction.

Rolling his jaw, Thomas wraps his arm around Teresa's chest, pulling her against his chest and resting the barrel of his pistol against her temple while she gasps in surprise.

"Back up. Tell them to back off. Tell them to back off!" Thomas yells, his shouts directed at Janson, who creeps closer.

"Hey, Thomas, come on," He says gently, "It's me. I've known you longer than you can remember. You're not gonna shoot her."

"You don't think so?" He spits, his hand shaking.

"Okay," Janson taunts, lowering his gun, "Go on then. Shoot her. Prove me wrong. Shoot her."

Before Thomas can do anything, his body is thrown backwards, and instinctively his hand shoots out to grab Evelyn's wrist as the three of them are shoved through the doors. Teresa slams her palm against the emergency fire door, which slide in front of them. Janson fires a few shots at the glass, but not a single one breaks through as he runs up to the door, slamming his fist against it as an alarm begins to blare through the building.

Evelyn throws her own mask off, running a hand through her hair as she meets Janson's eyes, and he curses lowly in realisation.

"Eve, come on. We gotta go," Thomas calls, grabbing her hand and pulling her away from Janson's view into a brightly lit corridor.

As the three of them walk through the halls, doctors and nurses stare as they pass and some even running at the sound of the sirens ringing overhead. They keep their heads low and eyes trained on the ground, trying not to give anyone a good glimpse of their faces.

Hearing the sound of distant shouts, Eve grabs Newt's and Thomas' arms before pushing them gently into a nearby dark room, sliding against the wall and hiding from the window as armed guards rush past.

"KEEP THE GIRL ALIVE!" Janson's voice rings through the speakers, sending shivers down Evelyn's back as she sucks in a deep breath.

Thomas hasn't failed to notice how she hasn't spoken a single word since their interaction with Janson, when usually she'd be spitting snarky comments or grumbling insults at the guards passing. He glances over at her now, noticing her small flinch to Janson's voice blasting into their ears.

Then she's up again, motioning silently for the two boys to follow closely as she steps back out into the now cleared out hallway, walking quickly past each window and peering round each corner before turning.

Suddenly, Thomas comes to a stop, causing Eve and Newt to glance back at him as he stares at the other end of the hallway. With flared nostrils, he reveals his pistol and raises it shoot at Ava Paige. Noticing Janson to his right, Evelyn jumps forward in an instant and drags him out of the way of a bullet as more guards rush in their direction.

The three of them begin to sprint as sparks fly off the walls from Janson's bullets. 

"MINHO? MINHO!" Thomas yells, clocking his gun.

Evelyn's head whips back and forth, looking frantically through each doorway and windows they pass. She's the first to react as guard dashes out in front of them, and shoots the man directly into his chest before running round a corner to continue her search without reacting to the shaking man on the floor.

"MINHO!" Thomas shouts, following her closely but as they come to an intersection, Eve takes the busiest route, causing him to skid to a stop, "Eve?"

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authors note.
meh chapter