𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓸𝓼𝓽 - ᴀ ᴍᴀᴢᴇ ʀᴜɴɴᴇʀ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄ

Chapter Twenty Three - Newt

I can't take my eyes off her. I can't. Addy catches me looking and looks away with a shy blush creeping over her face in perfect complement to her smile. Her reaction is as though we're still in the flirting state. I break out into a grin, I can't help it.

"What?" she laughs. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

"I love you. You're so beautiful. I love you. Did I say that already?" My mouth moves without my consent.

Addy cocks her head to the side, studying my face. "How are you so happy? We're headed back to the people who caused all our pain. We're in a literal cell, half starved to death. Did you even eat anything yet?"
"I'm with you. That's all that matters." I could get used to the ecstasy that being with her brings. Somehow, I've escaped the pit of quick sand and begun floating.

"Newt," she smiles, scooting over to me and curling her body into mine, "eat something please."

The hunger that once clawed up my belly has vanished, but I do to make her appeased. Addy swallows the last drops of her water and tosses the bottle down, frowning at it. I offer up my own, she needs it more than I, but she declines and forces me to drink it even after my protesting.

Even after the liquid, a fierce headache has taken residence in the back of my head. I suppose it'll take more than a bit of water to rid myself of the dehydration that set in.

Within what feels like a few moments, Addy's head falls against my shoulder as she fades into the depths of sleep. I hug her tight to me while we fly to wherever they intend to take us. Nowhere good, I assume, but at least I'll have her and the others with me. I won't let them be taken from me ever again.

---

"Move!" The soldier shouts.

"No," I argue back. "Either take us all, or take none. We won't be seperated!"

The Berg landed a few minutes prior, but even after opening our cell and pointing some sort of gun in our faces, I refused to budge and the Gladers around me shuffled uneasily in exhausted support.

A giant building loomed just beyond the Berg's doors, but I knew it was more than that. Just another prison dressed up to look like our safe haven. I wouldn't be buying that again.

"Newt," Thomas sighs and presses a hand on my shoulder, "it'll be ok. We'll be ok."

I turn to him, my face incredulous. "What do you mean? It's WICKED. It most definitely is not going to be alright!"

"Listen, man," Minho cuts in, turned to face one of the soldiers, "just tell us where you're taking us this time and what's going down. We're sick of being left in the dark, alright?"

"I don't recall that being the bargain." Ratman's voice is dry and emotionless, but pitched dangerously low.

My sister swallows and quietly leers at Janson. "I don't recall ever being included in the formation of any bargains. How about this-"

"No." Janson glowers. "I'm in charge here. No more bargaining. You're either going to do as you're told, or face the consequences. I thought we'd beaten you all into shape, but I can see there's still some forging to do. Unfortunately for you, that requires fire."

At his words, the soldiers tighten in around us, prodding our backs with the barrels of their guns. Addy stumbles beside me after a hard shove and I snap around to face the man behind it, shoving him in the chest harder than I'd thought possible for someone of my stature. He doesn't seem pleased and refuses to take it, kicking me in the back of the knee on my bad leg.

I stumble and nearly fall, but Addy keeps me upright and urgently whispers, "We have to let them think they've won. Thomas will get us out of here. We need the Cure first. We need them to give it to us."

She's right, though I want nothing more than to attack the soldier until he no longer resembles anything humanoid. Where the sudden surge of anger came from, I have no idea, but I have no choice save to bury it deep in my chest.

We march with little defiance left and allow ourselves to be led into the facility, guards right on our flank at every side. Get the Cure, get out. That's all we have left to do. Get the Cure and get out. Then perhaps we'll finally be rid of this bloody torture once and for all.

* A/N And with that abrupt cut-off, we conclude the second installment in the series! I do hope you've enjoyed! Thank you so much to everyone who's stuck with me and Addy thus far!

Any ideas for the third book's title? Would you read it if I did write a third book? Please comment and let me know, I love comments so so much. Side note, I find it very funny that this one ended up with the exact same number of chapters as the first one did, but that may just be me.

Thanks again, my loves! To you, I owe the world!*