The Gladers from the Isle (ABANDONED)

Phase Two

"Hi," Ben said, looking nervously at the large group of students in the girls' dormitory. "Is Mal here?"

Jay pulled the door wider and Mal waved awkwardly, forcing her lips into a smile. Ben's face lit up: a picture of pure enchanted happiness. "For the first time, I understand the difference between pretty and beautiful." Mal couldn't help her chuckle. The others shared awkward glances. "Would you like to go on a ride with me later?"

"I..." Mal looked at Evie, who nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, sure, whatever."

Ben smiled. "Cool. I'll pick you up in a couple of hours. I love you!" He walked off and Mal quickly shut the door. She looked at her friends.

"Okay, that was way too fast."

"Well, you dug a hole," Minho responded, making his way to the door. "Have a nice date!"

"Hang on, we can't just leave this," Newt said.

"Why not?" Minho responded.

"Yeah, it's not your problem," Mal said.

"But do you even know what to do on a date?" Thomas asked. Mal stayed silent. Of course she didn't.

~

The King had come to a conclusion that WCKD would not take any more children from the Isle of the Lost, and the chancellor was authorised to continue to find a cure with Teresa's help. Although, at this point, there was very little she could do.

Chancellor Ava Paige walked into the WCKD building and made her way into the lift. When she checked her watch, she realised she was already three minutes late for her next meeting. She tutted.
The silver doors slid open and she made her way across the bright hallway, glancing at the pictures that were placed in chronological order: displaying WCKD's success in separating the infected and finding out what the Flare virus was. There was even the certificate that authorised the Department to use test subjects - immune and otherwise - from King Adam Beast himself.

She opened the door into one of the meeting rooms to see that Janson was sitting next to the empty chair at the head of the table. A young woman sitting next to him was talking passionately. No one batted an eye at the chancellor's late arrival.
"Prince Ben's coronation is fast-approaching. How will the boy react once he finds out we have been using children his age as test subjects?"

"He doesn't need to know. Surely, we can continue our studies under King Adam's authority."

The Chancellor walked around the table and settled into her chair. "I'm afraid that's no longer possible."

"Whyever not?" Janson asked.

"The king..." Everyone was still and silent as they waited for Ava Paige to finish her sentence. And then a thought struck her mind: if they could find a cure using their next trial, it wouldn't matter what the king had said. "The king has approved of the Scorch Trial. Once we have found a cure, it will not matter what the royals say."

"Surely this isn't legal?" The young woman protested. "We cannot withhold information from the crown!"

"And once hundreds more get infected from the Flare as the virus spreads through Auradon, yes, I can see why the royals are more important," Janson responded sarcastically.

"But they're children: surely the Scorch Trial is much too dangerous!" A man on the other side of the table lamented.

"We must remember why we started this," the Chancellor began. She sat forward, her grey-eyed gaze cold. "To find a cure: to save lives. Do not let petty details get in the way of that. We start Phase Two tomorrow."

~

When Ben knocked on the girls' dormitory door for the second time, the boys - after offering advice - had already returned to their dormitory. Teresa was scrolling through her phone on her bed and Evie was doing Mal's make-up. "Are you ready?" Evie asked, grinning widely.

"Yeah... I guess." She took a breath before standing up and walking to the door.

Ben had two helmets beneath his arms striped in Auradon's bright colours. Teresa absentmindedly wished her good luck from where she laid on her bed, her eyes glued to her phone. An idea sparked her mind.

"Evie, can you ask your mirror how to find a cure for the Flare?"

She looked down as she packed her make-up into a blue bag. "Oh... it was confiscated."

"What?" Teresa dramatically dropped her phone onto the bed.

"Chad told my chemistry professor that I was using it to find answers. I got into a lot of trouble." She placed her make-up bag onto her bed and opened her schoolbag to find her homework.

"But you already know the answers!"

"I know..."

"We have to get it back."

"Why are you so set on finding a cure: WCKD are already working on it?"

"I, well, I don't want to die."

Evie scoffed, turning her nose up. "Don't you think I can't tell a lie from a hundred yards?"

Teresa's shoulders dropped. "But I don't want to die."

"That may be, but that's not why you want to find a cure." Teresa stayed silent. "Are you trying to impress someone?"

A notification pinged on Teresa's phone. It was from the chancellor. She returned to being absorbed into her phone as she read the message.

Dear Teresa,

I am very grateful for your help to us thus far, but unfortunately it has not been enough. We are going to start Phase Two.
You will be contacted when we need you.

Sincerely,
Chancellor Ava Paige

~

"Who have you chosen as the first four subjects in Phase Two?" Janson asked the Chancellor as they walked through the corridor toward the room where the Scorch Trial was being organised.

"Aris,"

"Of course."

"Sonya."

Janson smiled. "Interesting."

"Harriet."

"Okay."

"And Brenda."