I've never been so happy while plummeting to certain doom. I lean against the strong shoulder of my boyfriend- the word sends shivers of delight down my spine- and stare into the darkness above me. What would I give if we could always be this close? I wonder to myself. With his arm draped over my shoulder and my head resting on his chest...

"You think we're getting near the bottom?" Newt asks, stroking my dark chocolate hair.

I cringe. I don't want to think about where we're going. "I'm not sure. We've been going for ages. I don't really want to make it to the end."

"Yeah," Newt agrees. "Me either."

But our wishes go unfulfilled. With a jerking boom, the Box stops. I cover my ears as a screeching, grating sound of metal on metal bounces through the chamber. Light begins to spill into the Box as one of the walls slides open like a door. A few sparks fly and then it opens completely, filling my eyes with blinding light compared to the darkness of the Box.

A shield my eyes and look out, getting a strong sense of deja vu from the first time I came out of the Box. Newt squeezes my other hand.

When my eyes finally adjust, I see three figures standing front and center, as well as a fourth in the back of the room. Two woman, one with vibrant red hair and the other black haired, and a man. All wearing white lab coats over their clothes. The woman in the back has on a light gray pantsuit and her platinum hair pulled back in a tight bun behind her head.

"You've brought a friend," the dark women observes. She doesn't seem too happy about it, but I only entwine my fingers with Newt's tighter.

"What do you want from me?" I cast suspicious glances between the three doctors.

To my surprise, none of them speak. Instead, the woman in the back steps forward. "You were a mistake, Ada. You weren't meant to go into their Maze," she jabs a finger towards Newt, "but your brother earned our trust and snuck you into his."

"Why?" I still haven't left the Box but Newt and I are both on our feet.

"That is the question, isn't it?" The woman steps closer until she's almost inside the Box. "We weren't able to ask him unfortunately. He doesn't remember. It's too late now. Why don't you two come out? My friend would like to speak with you properly."

I don't want to move, but Newt makes me brave and together we step out into the room. It's filled with boxes of supplies and a single rolling surgery bed, the indentation of a body still melded into the mattress. As I explore my surroundings with my eyes, the doctors take their place all around us. There's no way for us to escape if we tried, but I know it will be best to go along with what they tell us to.

"I'm Chancellor Ava Paige," the blonde woman says as she leads us through a door and into an eerily familiar hallway. "Ada, your friend, he goes by Newt, correct?"

"Yes," Newt answers. "And her name is Addy."

"If you say so," Chancellor Paige complies.

"Where are you taking us?" I demand.

"Like I said," the Chancellor says, "I have a friend, Janson, who'd like to speak with you. Just to warn you, I'm not sure he's in a very good mood."

She leads us through a door into what looks like an interrogation room. "I'm afraid we only have one chair for you. We weren't expecting a second guest." Her words are bitter, but deep inside, further than I can see, the chancellor was trying her hardest not to care about the kids. "He'll be in shortly." With that, Ava Paige turns on her stiletto heels and shuts the door behind her.

I sigh and nod her head towards the chair. "You can sit," I say simply.

Newt shakes his blond mop. "You take. It wouldn't be gentlemanly of me to make you stand."

"You? A gentleman? When did this development occur?" I tease. Then more seriously I add, "You need to rest your foot."

Newt looks down at his bad leg and cringes. "You noticed?"

I shrug awkwardly. "It's not exactly hidden, no offense. I know what happened."

"You do?" Newt gasps. "Who told you?"

"No one. I had another memory where I was watching through the Beetle Blades and..." I trial off, tears pricking my eyes.

"Hey," Newt says, gently pulling me into a hug. "It's all in the past. Besides, you make me happier than ever."

I smile up at him. "You do the same for me."

Then, while he's off guard, I playfully shove him into the chair, but it backfires and he pulls me onto his lap.

"How's that for compromise?" Newt grins.

I gently smack his arm and he plants a kiss on my forehead. I close my eyes and lean into him. I know it's only been about an hour since we confessed our love to each other, but it feels like we've been dating forever. He makes me feel safe. I haven't had a single panic attack, even though I should be scared out of my wits. How am I so lucky?

Just as I'm guiding his lips towards mine, the door opens again, but this time it's far more aggressive. We're startled apart and I almost fall off, but Newt steadies me. A man with graying black hair and a grecian nose stands in the doorway. Anger is written across every one of his features.

"You just don't know how to stop causing problems, do you, Ada?" He hisses at me and begins pacing in front of the table. "You brought one of the subjects with you? You're a very naughty girl. Do you remember what we do to naughty girls?"

Newt wraps his arms around me protectively.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child!" I demand, my voice quivering. "If you have a point, get to it."

The man, Janson, sneers. "Now's not the time for sass, don't you think? Seems like we need another chair. I'll have someone bring one in. Might as well take advantage of our unexpected visitor, wouldn't you agree?"

He presses a few buttons on a handheld device and soon, the door opens again. The red haired woman from earlier comes in, pushing an armed chair and a wheeled computer-like thing.

"Thank you, Dr. Wright," Janson says. He then addresses Newt saying, "Please take a seat."

Newt doesn't move so Janson sighs. The man opens the door and waves in someone from outside. Four heavyset guards waltz in and pull Newt and I apart. Two of the men grasp the fighting Newt and strap his arms and legs into the strange chair. The others cuff me to the original metal chair and turn it to face Newt. We both struggle against them but neither of us are any match to the security guards.

"Very good," Janson says. "Now, Ada, shall we start with the questions?"

I squirm in my chair and shout, "What are you doing to us? Let us go!"

Janson laughs. "Don't worry. We'll let you go soon enough if you cooperate. Where was I?" His almost friendly tone melts away and he leans in close to my face whispering, "Why did he do it?"

"Why did who do what?" I ask, moving my head away from his as best I can.

"Wrong answer," Janson says while snapping to Dr. Wright. She flicks a switch on her strange machine and tiny bolts of electricity dance all over Newt's chair and along his body. He screams in pain but only has to endure it for a few seconds before the woman turns it off.

"Don't hurt him!" I shriek, throwing all my body weight towards Newt. The heavy chair keeps me in place and my efforts are futile.

"I won't," Janson promises, "so long as you cooperate. I'll ask again, why did he do it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I scream, desperately trying to understand so they'll stop hurting Newt.

Again, electricity leaps all over Newt and he screams, pushing away from his bonds.

"Stop it!" I beg, tears dripping down my face.

Janson ignores my pleas and asks again, "Why did he do it? Why did your brother put you in the wrong Maze? What's his plan?" Janson's voice intensifies with every word.

"I don't know!" I cry. "I don't remember! Just please don't hurt Newt!"

My boyfriend contracts in pain and breathes shallow and unevenly. Against my wishes, Janson nods to the woman again and she flicks the switch, her pale face void of expression. As the tiny lightening covers Newt, he spasms uncontrollably and falls unconscious as it stops.

"Please!" I sob. "Please! I don't know! Please stop this!"

Janson grins maliciously at my pain. "I know that's not true. I've been watching you. You've been getting memories back. Your brother didn't give you a full dosage of the Swipe, I suspect. What do you say, Ada? You ready to comply? All I need is an answer and you won't have to watch him die anymore."

I sob and wrack my mind for any sort of answers. Why, Tommy? I think to myself. Why, why, why, why, why, why, why?! Then I realize, I don't have to keep the thought to myself. We have telepathy! How could I be so stupid?! He has to remember. Please let him remember.

Janson taps his foot impatiently and starts moving his hand to tell the doctor to give Newt another shock, but I intervene. "Wait! I'm thinking!"

Janson raises an eyebrow, but let's me think. Tommy! I scream to him. Quickly! Newt's in danger! You have to tell me, why did you switch my Maze?

I wait, gasping for breath. Telepathy gives me a headache but I'd do anything for Newt. Finally, Tommy's voice hits my head. Addy! What are you talking about? What do you mean Newt is in danger? Please, not so loud. I'm kind of in the middle of something. He sends a mental image of the Gladers inside the Homestead with Grievers all around them.

Please, Tommy, I beg. You have to remember! I don't envy his situation, but right now, my focus is all on Newt.

Alright, Tommy says. I have an idea. You're just going to have to hold on for a while. Then he sends an picture into my mind of him stabbing himself with a Griever stinger.

"No!" I yell aloud. This can't be happening! It can't! I can't lose both of them!

"No?" Janson asks, raising an eyebrow and lifting his hand, not waving it just yet.

My heart pounds and my breathing is labored. "Can't... breath." Though I hate panic attacks, maybe they'll go easy on us because of it. "Please... don't... hurt," I gasp, choking the words between desperate breaths.

Janson crinkles his nose. "Ah, I'd forgotten. Prone to panic attacks. How inconvenient. No problem, we'll continue this tomorrow." Janson orders the guards to take us to our room and then he himself leaves, looking utterly disappointed and angry.

The guards unshackle me and pull me to my feet, dragging me along. My legs have turned into jelly from the lack of oxygen. Two other guards do the same to Newt. We're dragged down the hallway and thrown, unnecessarily roughly, into a small room that I'm surprised to recognize as my brother's old room. They slam the door behind us and I try to calm myself down, but I've already lost so much oxygen that my vision blurs and the world turns black.