Chapter Eighteen.              18
( that won't save us! ) ━━━━━━━━
↳ the making of a soldier ↲

❝ WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? PITY YOU LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING? ❞

↢ ❦ ↣

I'LL MAKE A MAN OUT OF YOU
disney mulan cast

let's get down to business, to defeat the huns
did they send me daughters when i asked for sons?
you're the saddest bunch i ever met
but you can bet before we're through
mister, i'll make a man out of you

tranquil as a forest, but on fire within
once you find your center, you are sure to win
you're a spineless, pale, pathetic lot
and you haven't got a clue
somehow i'll make a man out of you

~

(be a man) you must be swift as the cursing river
(be a man) with all the force of a great typhoon
(be a man) will all the strength of a raging fire
mysterious as the dark side of the moon
time is racing towards us, 'till the huns arrive
heed my every order, and you might survive

0:17 ─────⊙───── 3:21
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

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     BLOOD TRICKLED down her chin as she spit on the ground. Using her arm, the girl wiped away the blood before taking a second to catch her breath. Before she knew it, another blow to her body hit her causing her to fall forward to the ground. A weak groan left her trembling lips as she curled up into a ball.

     "Is that all you got?" The venomous tone questioned her. "Get up."

      "She needs a break." Frypan insisted motioning to the debilitated girl suffering in pain. "Let me at least bandage her knuckles."

     The girl glared at him making Frypan take steps back, "no. She doesn't need a bandage. She needs to get up again."

     "I'm bleeding!" Rosie exclaimed facing the tall girl. Rosie had bloody knuckles and a busted lip with bruises forming on her body.

     "So?"

      Rosie had tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "It's just—in the glade, Gally would make sure I didn't get too hurt. He'd make sure I'd get taken care off." Rosie explained sitting up and gripping her stomach feeling the pain the girl caused her.

     "Good thing I'm not Gally." Harriet stated crossing her arms staring down at the beat up girl. "Up."

     "But—"

     "On your feet." Harriet demands.

     "It hurts–" Rosie let out tears flowing down her face.

     Harriet felt sorry for Rosie. She really did. Rosie went through a lot of trauma in the hands of WCKD but they didn't have time to deal with it. Time was passing by like a blur and Rosie had to be ready when the time came. Harriet was hard on the girl because she had faith Rosie was stronger than she led on.

     "That doesn't matter Rosie. You think in the battlefield your opponent is gonna stop to check if you're alright? No." Harriet explains giving a glance to the three boys who looked worried for their friend. "Your boyfriends are keeping you soft. They're making you weak." Harriet added on. "Now get up."

     Rosie turned her head to see the worried faces of her three friends. Rosie struggled to her feet, legs trembling as she wiped her face with the back of her hand, smearing blood across her cheek. The earth seemed to spin for a moment, but she forced herself to stand tall, facing Harriet. She could feel the eyes of her friends on her—Frypan, Newt, and Thomas—all watching, hoping, but Harriet's words echoed louder than their concern. They make you weak.

Rosie hated that part of her that believed Harriet was right. She had come too far, survived too much, to be coddled now. If she didn't push herself to the brink, then what was the point of all the suffering she had endured? What was the point of surviving if she couldn't fight back?

Harriet's expression softened for the briefest moment, a flicker of respect in her eyes. "Good," she muttered under her breath. "Now hit me."

Rosie hesitated, her fists trembling at her sides. "I don't want to hurt you."

Harriet let out a loud laugh, stepping closer until she was right in Rosie's face. "I promise you, you're not going to hurt me. What are you expecting to do when you're fighting someone? If you don't hit back, you die. Now hit me."

Rosie's heart pounded in her chest as she clenched her fists tighter, her knuckles screaming in protest. She took a shaky breath, then lunged forward, throwing a punch with everything she had left. Harriet blocked it easily, but the force of the impact sent a shockwave through Rosie's arm.

"Again!" Harriet yelled, not giving her a moment to breathe. "Harder!"

Rosie growled, her frustration boiling over. She swung again, this time with more power, more anger. Harriet absorbed the hit, stepping back slightly. For a moment, Rosie saw a flash of approval in her eyes.

"Better," Harriet said, wiping a small trickle of blood from her lip. "But you're still holding back. You're fighting with fear. If you're going to survive, Rosie, you need to learn to fight with everything you've got. No one's going to save you out there."

Rosie's eyes flickered to her friends again, but this time, instead of seeing their worry, she saw their belief in her. She wasn't just fighting for herself anymore. She was fighting for them, for everything they'd lost, and everything they were still holding onto.

     Rosie squared up, her knuckles stinging, but she could almost hear Gally's steady voice cutting through the fog of pain and exhaustion. He was right there, standing beside her in the corner of her vision, his arms crossed and that familiar smirk on his face.

     "Remember what I taught you," Gally's voice echoed in her mind, calm and commanding. "Keep your stance tight. Don't let her see you hesitate. You're quicker than her, Rosie. Use it."

     Rosie blinked the sweat out of her eyes, focusing on Harriet's movements as they circled each other. Harriet was trying to predict her next move, but Rosie wasn't going to let her. She tightened her fists, feeling Gally's presence behind her, guiding her.

     "Fake left, then go low. Take her off guard."

     Rosie feinted a left jab, and when Harriet shifted to block, she dropped low, driving her shoulder into Harriet's midsection just like Gally taught her. Harriet grunted, stumbling back a step, but Rosie didn't stop.

     "Now, swing wide, keep your hips loose!" Gally's voice instructed sharply, and Rosie obeyed without thinking. She pivoted on her heel, her body moving on instinct, and swung her arm in a wide arc. Her fist connected with Harriet's ribs, knocking the wind out of her.

     Harriet straightened up, eyes flashing with a mix of surprise and something that looked almost like pride. Rosie's chest heaved, her pulse racing, but Gally's voice continued to guide her.

     "Back off for a second. Make her come to you. She'll rush in, thinking you're tired. That's when you take her down."

     Rosie nodded slightly, backing up a step, letting Harriet think she was worn out. Just like Gally predicted, Harriet came at her with a fierce right hook, her frustration showing in the force of the punch. But Rosie was ready. She ducked under it, twisted her hips, and threw a hard uppercut that connected with Harriet's jaw.

     The impact echoed in Rosie's ears, and Harriet staggered back, falling to the ground with a grunt. Rosie stood over her, panting, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel Gally's presence behind her, like a shadow of strength, urging her on.

      "Finish it, baby," Gally's voice whispered, but this time it was softer, almost gentle. "You've got this."

     But as Rosie raised her fist, ready to strike again, she paused. Harriet looked up at her, not with anger or fear, but with something that felt like respect. Rosie lowered her hand, stepping back.

     "I told you." Harriet said, smiling despite the blood on her lip. "You don't need them to coddle you."

     Rosie blinked, and Gally's presence faded, leaving her alone with the heavy silence of victory. She looked over at her friends, their worried faces now replaced with cautious relief. Harriet reminded her of Gally and Vince. They used to push her further during training but the difference between them was that Harriet gave no fucks if she was actually hurt. Harriet preferred to beat the shit out of Rosie over letting her get babied by her friends. Maybe Harriet was right. Maybe she was stronger than she'd ever given herself credit for.

     Rosie offered her hand which Harriet accepted as Rosie pulled her up with the strength she had left. The sound of clapping took their attention as the two girls noticed Jeremy walking over to them.

     "That was a nice round. Didn't think you had it in you this early." Jeremy told Rosie who stayed quiet not knowing what to say to that comment. No one believed she was ready to fight the way she did but she had surprised everyone. "You think I can steal you away for a few minutes?"

     Rosie glanced over to her friends who seemed to be waiting for her but Rosie nodded to the boy. "Yeah, I need to rinse my hands off though."

     "I'll walk you then." Jeremy suggested as the two headed to the sink.

     The walk was silent. Rosie was too focused on the pain she was feeling and Jeremy didn't know how to form the sentence he wanted to say. The approached the post as Jeremy took a seat at one of the benches and Rosie turned the sink on to wash off the blood and dirt on her hands and arms.

     "What did you want?" Rosie asks focused on the water not looking behind her.

     "How are you feeling?" Jeremy asks looking at Rosie's back.

     The girl rolled her eyes. She was tired of everybody asking her the same damn questions. How are you? How are you feeling? Are you okay? It made her feel weaker than she was. They were treating her like a kid.

     "I'm fine." Rosie mutters with an aggravated tone rinsing off the dried blood on her cheek and stopped the bottom lip from bleeding more. "Is that why you stole me away? To ask if I'm fine?"

     "No." Jeremy shook his head, "I wanted to talk to you about something that's been in my head a lot."

     "What is it?" Rosie asked turning around to face him, her body leaning on the sink.

       Jeremy stared at the girl noticing how different she was before the attack on the Right Arm and before she was sent to the maze. Everytime he is reunited she seems more and more closed off. She had walls up for sure. She wasn't talking to anyone about what happened in the basement or about any torture she endured. She wasn't saying anything. Rosie just told Vince that they hurt her and that she didn't want to talk about it.

     "When we get Mariana back, what are you going to do?" Jeremy asks.

     Rosie raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms confused, "what do you mean what am I gonna do? Imma make sure she stays safe."

     Jeremy shook his head, "no. I mean what punishment are you going to give her?"

     Rosie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Punishment? For what? For trying to help her friends?" Rosie questions him watching Jeremy stand up straight.

      The boy's demeanor changed into a darker tone. He took steps further towards her, "she killed my sister."

     Rosie let out a sigh rubbing her temple, "Jeremy, do you know how stupid you sound right now?" She asks looking up at him as he towered over her. She hated when men tried to use that tactic towering over her to gain control.

      "Mariana killed Maya."

      Rolling her eyes once again, she pointed at the boy, "you're fucking ridiculous, you know that? My sister didn't kill Maya. Maya was killed by WCKD."

     "She wouldn't have been dead if it weren't for Mariana." Jeremy stated. "Mariana was the reason Maya died on that field. Can you not register that in your head? Mariana didn't follow an order and because of that my sister followed her to keep her safe getting shot in the process!"

      "I am sorry for your loss, Jeremy. I really am. I feel bad about it too. She was my friend." Rosie explained frustrated about this conversation. "But it was not Mariana's fault. Your sister died saving her. There should be no blame on Mariana. That is what you two do. You are soldiers. You protect the kids. Maya died doing what she signed herself up to do. She saved lives."

     Jeremy shook his head in disbelief looking at Rosie like she was the bad guy. "How the hell can you live with yourself?" He asks. "You're not the girl I love."

     A manic laugh left Rosie's lips, "You know you're not the first person to tell me that?" Rosie explained. "All of you idiots fell in love with the idea of me not actually me."
    
     "You're a bitch." Jeremy retaliated in anger.

     Rosie's eyebrows went up in surprise, her lips curled up in amusement as well. "Oh, wow! You just found out?" She asked.

     Jeremy muttered something under his breath before shaking his head looking her up and down one last time before walking off.

     "What the hell was that about?" Newt asked walking over to where she was as he had heard the last bit of the argument.

     Rosie shrugged her shoulders, "nothing, he's just being a bitch."

     Newt was thrown aback with her comment but didn't say anything about it. "Oh well, lunch is ready. Thomas made me come ask you if you were planning on joining us."

     "Yeah let's go."

↢ ❦ ↣

The sun settled behind the mountains letting the moon shine bright. The group of friends sat around a small bonfire. They bonded one night without arguments or snarky remarks. Thomas watched all of them from afar enjoying each other's presence.

Rosie being the first to acknowledge his presence when she spotted him standing there like a wall. "Thomas!" Rosie exclaimed grabbing everyone's attention, all but Rosie knew how Thomas felt about enjoying a fun time. She hadn't seen him lash out and feel guilty about it. "Come here!"

"Rosie," Frypan shook his head trying to warn her speaking to her as softly and quietly as he could. "No."

Rosie had heard the boy causing her to furrow her eyebrows in confusion. "Why not?"

Everyone around stayed quiet not wanting to replay what had happened the last time they tried to invite Thomas to have fun. "He doesn't like it." Brenda murmurs quietly.

"What the fuck?" Rosie questions looking over at Thomas who hadn't moved from his spot. "Hey, loner, get your ass over here. Now." The girl demanded.

Thomas looked around the circle watching everyone's faces all wondering if he was going to yell at them or actually join them. The boy walked over surprising everyone. He sat down, feeling a bit awkward but surprisingly relieved to be among them for once. Rosie smiled contently as she scooted over to make space for him.

"Here. Drink some." Rosie handed the boy the liquor she was drinking from.

"What is it?" Thomas asked.

"Just drink." Rosie stated. "It'll do you some good."

Thomas did as he was told taking a long sip of the drink causing everyone the circle to cheer for him. "Ew, what is in this?" Thomas questioned coughing up the burning sensation in his throat.

Rosie laughed holding on to his shoulder, "whiskey."

Thomas wiped the taste of whiskey from his mouth, still coughing slightly as the others laughed. Rosie's hand lingered on his shoulder for just a moment before she pulled it away, but it was enough to make him glance at her, noticing the way her eyes sparkled under the moonlight.

"Ah, Thomas. Can't handle a little whiskey?" Mara teased, grinning as she poked at the fire with a stick.

Thomas rolled his eyes but couldn't help smirking. "I didn't say that. Just wasn't expecting it to taste like gasoline."

Newt laughed, leaning back on his hands, his voice warm and familiar. "You get used to it. After a few swigs, you won't even feel it."

Rosie took another sip from her drink before offering it back to Thomas. "Here, try again. You'll like it this time."

With a hesitant glance at her, Thomas took the bottle, but this time, his fingers brushed hers. It was a small, fleeting touch, but it sent a current through him. He raised the bottle to his lips, feeling her eyes on him as he drank, and this time, the burn didn't bother him as much.

"There you go," Rosie said with a proud smile. "Not so bad, right?"

He nodded, handing the bottle back. "Not so bad."

Jessie, sitting beside Mara, grinned mischievously. "So, you were are all together in the glade tell us about it. We've heard some stories, but I bet you've got some good ones you're holding back."

Frypan laughed, shaking his head. "Oh, man, where do we start?"

"Start with something funny," Brenda chimed in. "All we've heard are the serious, life-or-death ones."

Newt grinned, leaning forward. "Alright, alright. Remember that time Frypan tried to cook those lizards we caught, and it all went horribly wrong?"

Frypan groaned, covering his face with his hands. "Don't remind me."

Rosie chuckled, nudging Thomas with her shoulder. "Yeah, he thought he was going to be all fancy and make some gourmet meal out of them, but when he went to check on them, they had turned into charred rocks."

"Charred rocks," Newt echoed, laughing softly. "I remember that. The whole Glade stank for days."

Brenda leaned in, amused. "Wait, so you all actually ate it?"

Newt snorted. "No one ate it, except Gally, of course. He said it was 'extra crunchy.'"

Everyone burst into laughter, and even Thomas found himself relaxing, a smile spreading across his face. He hadn't been there for that day but their genuine smiles eased him. The tension that usually clung to him seemed to melt away as he listened to the others banter back and forth.

As the conversation flowed, Rosie shifted closer to Thomas, their shoulders now pressed together. She didn't say anything, but the warmth of her body next to his was comforting. He glanced down at her, and she looked up, catching his gaze for a moment longer than usual. Her lips curved into a soft smile, and for the first time in a long while, Thomas didn't feel the need to pull away.

"Do you remember that time Ben bet Minho he couldn't lift three crates by himself?" Rosie suddenly asked, breaking the moment but keeping her shoulder against his.

Newt chuckled. "Oh, I remember! Minho almost threw his back out!"

Frypan nodded, laughing. "Yeah, and we all stood around watching, not helping at all."

Rosie shook her head, smiling at the memory. "Ben and Zart were egging him on the whole time. Minho wouldn't give up just because Ben kept calling him weak."

Brenda leaned her head against Frypan's arm, her voice light and playful. "You were always the one to watch and laugh instead of helping, huh, Frypan?"

Frypan shrugged, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Hey, someone had to make sure no one did anything stupid."

Rosie laughed at them, and the sound of it made Thomas feel lighter than he had in days. The rest of the group continued sharing stories, their voices filling the night air with warmth and camaraderie, but Thomas felt like, for the first time in a while, he wasn't just an observer. He was part of the group, part of something good—even if just for this one night.

Rosie's fingers brushed against his again, this time lingering a little longer. He didn't pull away. Instead, he let her hand rest there, feeling the connection between them, silent but real. "Sorry." Rosie mumbled not realizing their hands were touching.

     "I don't mind." He spoke quietly.

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YALL I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO POST YESTERDAY.

tell me why I have the urge to make a twilight fanfic? specifically for one of the boys in the wolf pack. that specific boy is embry. the only thing that is bothering me is that i like to edit ideas and post them on TikTok but this man barely has any screen time. he has like maybe 5 minutes in total for the entire twilight saga. who knows. if i do, this would be the plot:

after an urgent call, talia florence (I still don't know the name quite yet) decides to take a trip to forks Washington to check up on her good friend bella swan. meeting up with bella at jacob's place, she meets a long haired boy who falls on his knees the moment he sees her. thinking the boy was a little weird, she brushes it off when he leaves unknowing that he had just imprinted on her.

it's a simple cute little story. i know twilight and the maze runner are like on the opposite ends of storytelling but let me know if anyone is interested or if anyone is still interested in the fall of Icarus (mattheo riddle) one that is still in the works.

I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter 🤭

let me know what you guys liked, anything shocking, what you would like to see in the upcoming chapters.

till then!

byeeeee!

- Carmela 💌