When We're Older- The Maze Runner (Newt)

when we're older

   I ran to catch up with them, following beside Gally as we started to move through the city. The sirens of police cars echoed off the skyscrapers, trapping us within the walls of the city. I wasn't claustrophobic, but the way I felt, with the sweat dripping down my body inside of the uniform, I wanted nothing more than to be out of this city with the cure, and to give it to Newt.

   "How much farther to the tunnels?" I murmured to Gally as I glanced behind me at my friends who struggled to hold up Newt, who was trying so hard. He looked drained, half dead almost. The dark colored veins were starting to climb up his neck, and his hair became more damp with sweat every second. The beautiful brown eyes that I lost myself in countless times during a day were beginning to darken, the black of his pupils drowning out the color.

   Gally followed my gaze, turning his head back to me. "Not much farther. It's only a couple of blocks. We can—"

   A loud explosion interrupted him before he could finish the sentence, causing all of our heads to duck down in reflex as the ground beneath us began to quake. A harsh breath left my lips as I turned my head in the direction of the chaos, seeing a giant ball of fire tear open the entrance to the city. We all stopped in our tracks as debris came raining down, too far away to reach us.

   "Oh shit," I mumbled, facing Gally. "That wasn't a part of the plan, was it?"

   He shook his head, staring at the destruction with disappointment, maybe betrayal. "They were supposed to take down WICKED, not the whole damn city..."

   Heavy breaths of exhaustion occupied the silence around us until Thomas dared to speak, patting Gally on the shoulder at an attempt of sympathy. "Gally, c'mon."

   He started moving along again, carrying Newt's arm over one shoulder while Minho carried the other. As they moved past me, Newt and I locked eyes, and I knew that we both had the same thought. If cranks from the city outside fought their way in, then that means WICKED would have to fight back. We didn't have time to be stopped again.

   But we continued to run, the fear of losing our friend or being captured again weighed on our chests as people started to fight their way through the crack in the wall. The sound of screams reverberated through the city, creating a chill up my spine as Gally took his place in front again, leading us carefully as he held the launcher tighter in his hands now. I did the same, checking if my gun was loaded in my holster.

   Turning another corner, Gally kept low as we followed, not having any idea where we were going, but knowing that we just had to follow him a little longer. I refrained myself from looking behind at Newt—to save myself the anxiety that would come with it. I could hear his exhausted grunts, and that was enough to tear a permanent hole in my heart; he didn't deserve this.

   "The tunnels are right up ahead." Gally shouted back to us as we turned another corner, going between two buildings. "Shit..."

   Just as I was about to ask what happened, he dropped to his knees, hiding behind another set of trees and plants. "Stay low, stay low!" He ordered, fear laced in his voice.

   I jolted my head up to see police cars spread across the street barricading the road behind it as they blocked our way to the tunnels. I dropped down to my knees next to Gally, watching and reaching my arms out for Newt to take as Thomas and Minho carefully lowered him onto the ground. He reached out as well, and I wrapped my limb around his neck, pulling him close as he coughed once again and wiped at his mouth.

   I turned my head toward Gally, who was peering over the slab of concrete we hid behind, watching as the sound of guns getting ready to shoot caught my attention. He quietly groaned and relaxed, muttering a curse as I shook my head in confusion.