REDEMPTION.
[ chapter four ]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

AS GALLY LOWERS A LADDER INTO THE SEWERAGE SYSTEM, Evelyn sits with her back against the wall while staring at her reflection in the blade of her knife, noticing her tired eyes and cold expression. If he was here right now, Minho would teasing her for looking at herself and would most likely give her a majorly over exaggeration of what she looks like by dancing around stupidly in front of her.

Thomas kneels down in front of her, gently lowering the knife, causing her to raise her head and meet his eyes.

"Yes?" She hums.

"You sure you're okay with this?" He asks quietly, looking over his shoulder at Gally, who's watching the pair talk, "You don't have to come with us. You can stay with Fry."

Rolling her eyes, Evelyn stands up, shoving her knife into her waistband and patting his shoulder, "If you think I'm missing the opportunity to get inside those walls, you're wrong," She glances across the room, noticing Newt sat on a box, fixing his shoes, "Goldie, come on," She calls, causing him to rise and make his way over.

As Gally begins to go down, Frypan says, "Gally, take care of these three. And, please, don't let Eve do anything irrational."

Gally chuckles lowly, nodding, stepping down, "Yeah. I know."

Thomas' hand rests on Evelyn's lower back while she waits for Gally to reach the bottom of the ladder, and once he has, she follows after him quickly, Thomas and Newt directly behind her.

The sewers are almost pitch black until Gally flicks on a torch, illuminating the grimy brick walls and dirty water flowing past their feet.

Newt grimaces, "This is gross."

"Yeah, this is great," Thomas mutters sarcastically, his teeth grinding. Eve rolls her eyes, but bites back a tease.

Suddenly, Gally flicks a switch stuck to the wall, and the sewer in front of them is immediately lit up by hundreds of bulbs strung along the dirty walls, allowing him to turn off his torch and he begins to move forward once more.

"Stay with me," He says, "We got a ways to go."

Evelyn swallows thickly, refraining from asking him questions about his new life here. It's best to save the interrogation for a time when she's not as anxious.

After nearly an hour of walking through the sewers, the group finally break out onto a bustling street within the walls. Evelyn pauses for a moment, surprised by all the smart looking people, and the bright white lights revealing their perfect clothes. Thomas pushes her forward gently, following her through the crowd that had just gotten off a train.

They part from the main crowd, walking through the slightly emptier streets before jogging up a staircase, the view at the top causing Evelyn, Thomas and Newt to stop and stare in awe.

It's beautiful, and incredible. Skyscrapers are packed together, breaking though the stars of the night's sky and a train travels along the tracks beside them. There's no dirt or grime anywhere, and the projected screens on the side of the buildings advertise WCKD. This must be what the world looked like before Eve was thrown onto that train years ago.

Gally stops beside them, smiling gently at their faces before looking back out over the city.

"This is a long way from the Glade," Newt breaths.

Evelyn pushes her lips up into a line, her hands forming fists in her jacket pockets. The list of things she would do to get back to the Glade with everyone is endless.

"Fifteen minutes to mandatory curfew," a Voice radiates loudly throughout the city, "Please proceed home in an orderly fashion. Remember, this is for your safety. Thank you for your compliance."

Gally straightens up, "Yeah, we better get off these streets. And I know it's hard, but act like you've seen it before." He begins to walk away quickly.

Evelyn bites her lip, turning to glance over at Newt and Thomas, who are already looking over at her with open mouths.

She smiles, "Who thought we'd be here, huh?"

Newt hums, stepping past her, "Definitely not me."

The group sprint across the road, slamming their backs against a glass window as a police car flies past with their sirens blaring.

"They've definitely upped security," Gally says, "I'm guessing you shanks have something to do with that," He watches as Eve tilts her head slightly. He chuckles lowly, turning and breaking off into a run again, "Let's get outta here."

They end up at the wall, bright streetlights illuminating their path. Gally skids to a stop at the concrete wall, holding out his palms.

"Right, Newt, you're up," He whispers, helping the blonde boy up and over onto the ledge. He looks at Thomas, "You—"

He shakes his head, jumping up and gripping the edge of the concrete wall, "I got it."

Gally rolls his jaw before looking around for Evelyn. He furrows his brows at her absence, snapping his head up at the ledge to see Evelyn running a hand through her hair from beside Newt. Gally smirks slightly before pouncing up and over himself.

"Independent as ever, Evelyn," He mutters.

Only a few minutes later, and a lot of sneaking and climbing, the group come to a stop on a balcony on the wall hundreds of metres from the ground below.

"Here we go," Gally breaths, pointing into the city ahead at the tallest skyscraper which as the company's name plastered on every side, "If WCKD has Minho, that's where they'll be keeping him," He pulls an object out from under a price of tarp, revealing the telescope to the other three.

Evelyn rests on the yellow bar of the balcony, looking down at the streets as WCKD guards patrol them with guns in hand.

"Lawrence has been trying to find a way in for years," Gally explains, squinting into the telescope to make sure it's set up perfectly, "The place is crawling with soldiers. They got surveillance everywhere. Scanners on every floor."

Newt rubs his palm anxiously, "Sounds like a bloody fortress."

"Yeah," Thomas mumbles from behind Eve, "I thought you said you had a way in."

Gally nods, "I might."

"You might?" Thomas snaps, "What the hell do you mean might?"

Swallowing thickly, Gally steps back, leaving room from Thomas to stand in front of the telescope, "Take a look."

With furrowed brows, Thomas lowers his eyes to the telescope, looking through the leans and suddenly his face drops and he moves back.

In confusion, Evelyn takes his spot, glancing through the magnifier and her eyes darken at the sight. Running her tongue over her teeth, she turns away, "You've gotta be fucking kidding me," She spits, "Teresa, the traitor?"

Gally shrugs, "I said I had a way in. I didn't say you were gonna like it."

Evelyn can feel Thomas' eyes on her, but she shakes her head without evening bothering to meet his gaze. She knows exactly why Gally thinks Teresa is the key to getting in. Because she has always had the strangest obsession with Thomas, and will most likely do anything to be his number one girl.

༒

"No," Thomas shakes his head, moving back over to the table where everyone is grouped around sharing their ideas at how to get into WCKD, "There's gotta be another way."

Gally throws his arms into the air, "Like what? You've seen the building. She is our only way in."

"You really think she's gonna help us?" Thomas raises a brow.

Leaning back on the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, Evelyn speaks up, "Oh, believe me, she will."

Gally hums in strong agreement, "I don't plan on asking her from permission."

"Am I missing something here?" Brenda mutters, scoffing slightly, "This is the same girl that betrayed us, correct? Same dick?"

Smirking, Gally nods, "I like her."

Brenda looks over at Thomas, watching as he paces slightly, hands on hips, "What's going on?"

"Yeah, Thomas, what is going on?" Evelyn spits, pushing off the wall and staring over at him as he meets her gaze for only a second before looking back down at the table in front.

Newt bites his lip, "What are you afraid your little girlfriend's gonna get hurt?" He snaps harshly, "Hmm? You may be with Evelyn, but that doesn't stop you from still having feelings for Teresa. This has obviously never been just about rescuing Minho. Has it?"

Eve feels like she should step in, and say something, but deep down she's been having the same thoughts. No matter how much she likes Thomas, that thought in the back of her crowded mind will always peak through. Teresa and him.

Thomas tilts his head, "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"Teresa," He snaps, straightening up, "She's the only reason that Minho's even missing in the first place. Now we finally have an opportunity to get him back," He begins to back Thomas up towards the wall, "And what? You don't want to because of. . . her? Because deep down inside you still care about her, don't you? You still want her, even though you have Eve. Just admit it."

Thomas' eyes widen, and flick over to the dark haired girl, who's watching with sad eyes. He opens his mouth to say something to her, but returns his attention back to the blonde in front of him, "Newt, I—"

"Don't lie to me!" Newt grasps ahold of Thomas' collar, slamming him back against the wall, "Don't lie to me!"

Evelyn watches silently, noticing as the rest of the occupants in the room flinch at his outburst.

In realisation, Newt swallows thickly, dropping his hands and stepping back slowly. He stammers, "Sorry," He turns to the rest of the group, his eyes lingering mainly on Evelyn's body, "I'm sorry," He's quick to rush out of the room, pulling at the sleeves of his jacket.

Evelyn is the first to step forward, heading directly after the blonde boy.

"Eve?" Thomas calls quietly.

"Let me talk to him," She answers.

"But—"

She doesn't bother to look at him, "Let me talk to him."

A moment later, and she's stepping out onto the outside roof of the crammed buildings, making her way over to Newt, who's perched on the edge, staring at the towering wall ahead. Silently, she lowers herself down beside him, turning her head to look over at him, noticing his small lip quivers.

"Thank you," She says.

His eyebrow furrow, "For what exactly?"

She looks down at her kicking legs, "Knocking some sense into him. I was planning on doing it, but he thinks I've changed since the Glade in a good way, and part of me wants him to still think that."

Newt chuckles lowly, "Believe me, Evelyn, Thomas is just happy that he has you. He doesn't care which version it is."

She purses her lips, taking in his words. The boy who just said that is the same boy that, only moments ago, said Thomas still had feelings for Teresa.

"So, you gonna tell me or do you want me call you out?" Eve speaks gently.

He sighs heavily, turning to her, "Figured you would be the first to work it out."

"Newt, you have never shouted at anyone like you just shouted at Thomas," She smiles, "Not even when you were in your hard patch in the Glade. Right from the start, you were the boy that I knew wouldn't ever attack me, or say stupid things. You aren't yourself. And there's only one possible reason—"

"The flare," He finishes, pulling up his sleeve to reveal his forearm which is littered with purple veins and bruises.

Sadly, Evelyn stares at it while biting her lip. She'd seen plenty of deadly wounds, but the flare would always be the most soul crushing. It eats away at it's owner slowly and painfully, until that person is no longer able to fight.

"Don't worry about me, Eve," He sighs, "We have to take saving Minho over saving me. It's impossible to bring me back from this, and you know it."

She shakes her head defiantly, "Don't say that. Hey, look at Gally. I mean. . . he was stung by a griever and had a knife lodged in his chest and he's alive and breathing perfectly. Most definitely not a crank."

He smiles at her attempt to lift his mood, "You should go speak to him, Eve."

Shrugging, she says, "I know. But, I'm talking to you right now, so stop trying to change the subject," She pats his shoulder, "Newt, we're going to try save you. Thomas isn't going to let you die, and you know how stubborn he is."

He nods, "I do. And I also know you're just as stubborn, if not more. But, Evelyn, please, go speak to Gally. Before all of this craziness is blown up and you won't be able to until later. And I'd like to see you two happy together again at least once before—"

She holds up a finger while standing, "Don't say it. I never want to hear those words leave your mouth ever. You hear me, Goldie?"

He looks over his shoulder at her, forcing a soft smile, "I'll try."

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WORD COUNT: 2215

the tiny smut scene is next, but please bare in mind it isn't massively detailed or long and i'm absolutely shite at writing smut

if you're a horny bastard who's wanting to read the next chapter purely for the smut, this is a forewarning that it's shite