In the Scorch (Newt x reader)

Two

When we made it to the door of Teresa's room, the other Gladers close behind us, Tommy's hand was already on the knob. Tommy looked to us, a finger hovering over his lips. He turned the knob, opening to door. Tommy moved into the room and we all piled in after him, looking around. Teresa wasn't anywhere in the room. Tommy stepped further into the room, looking around with a frown on his face.

From the bathroom, there was a sound of a sink running, and Tommy paused, a small smile coming onto his face. We all waited in silence, waiting for Teresa so we could tell her what happened and make sure she was safe. When the bathroom door opened, though, instead of Teresa coming out, a boy with shaggy brown hair and pale skin walked out instead. He looked to us, then screamed, scrambling back. Tommy stalked forward, grabbing at the boy's shirt, pulling him close.

"Who are you?"

"W-what? Who are you? Why are you in my room?" The boy's eyes flickered to us and I frowned in concern.

"I'll repeat myself, who are you?!" Tommy growled, pulling the boy closer to him.

"M-my name is A-Aris." The boy stuttered, trying to pull away. I wheeled myself forward as Tommy spoke again.

"Alright, Aris, what have you done with Teresa?"

"Who?" I placed an arm on Tommy. He looked back at my briefly.

"Tommy, he might really not know where she is, and this probably isn't the best way to introduce ourselves. I'm sure she is okay. WICKED still needs her, they need all of us." Tommy sighed, letting Aris go. I looked to Aris, hearing Newt's faint steps coming up behind me.

"I'm (y/n). I'm sorry for the scare Tommy and the rest of us probably gave you. This is just supposed to be our friend, Teresa's room, but now you're here. Tommy was very close to her, which is why he got so upset. We won't hurt you, I promise." I smiled at Aris as he moved to sit down on his bed, but the smile fell when he looked up at me, tears in his eyes.

"I had someone that I was really close to as well. Her name was Rachel. She was my best friend through the Maze, even though I wasn't there very long. They blamed Rachel for everything, and one of the other girls, Beth, stabbed Rachel right before we escaped." I rolled forward, patting Aris on the shoulder the best I could from my chair.

"I'm so sorry, Aris." I briefly thought back to Chuck, how Teresa would've ended up the same way as Aris if Chuck hadn't sacrificed himself. I took my hand away from him as he looked up at me. "I can't imagine what it's like losing your partner." Aris looked at me, wide-eyes.

"How did you-" I smiled.

"I remember a bit." I turned slightly in my chair, pointing behind me at Newt who, as I had suspected, had moved to be beside my chair again. "I'm super close with Newt, and he's my partner. I did lose someone else though, a boy from our Maze named Ben. He was Banished to the Maze." Aris frowned at me.

"You were in a Maze too?" I nodded, pointing to the Gladers.

"With them, all the boys. I was the only girl until Teresa came up." Aris nodded, a look I couldn't read crossed his face as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"I was the only boy in my Maze. The girls, they-"

"Guys, the bodies they're gone!" Frypan's shout made me jump as I turned, looking at him in the doorway with Dan by his side.

"Bodies?" Aris asked, but no one answered. Most of the Gladers went running out. I felt Newt grip the handles of my wheelchair, but I stopped him as I watched the other Gladers leave, something peeking from their shirt collars.

"Wait, Newt, stop. Sit in front of me." Newt came into my line of sight.

"What's wrong?" I turned him as he knelt at my side, pulling slightly at his neck of his shirt to show words in black ink written on the back of his neck. I let out a small gasp. "What are you doing? Why did you gasp? Do I got something on me?"

"There's a tattoo on your neck." I breathed out a confused sigh, running my fingers over the words on his neck. Newt reached back, fingers over mine.

"What? What does it say?"

"Property of WICKED. Group A, Subject A5. The Glue." My voice was quiet. I let go of Newt's shirt. Newt turned to look at me, hand still against his neck.

"The glue? What in the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" I shrugged.

"I mean, you do well at holding people together."

"And what about the WICKED thing. I thought we escaped them." I whipped around to face Aris. I had already forgotten he was there.

"Wouldn't we like to hope." Aris shifted on the bed.

"Do I have one?" Newt got up from in front of me.

"Here, let me check." I watched Newt, his limp seeming to be worse as he went to Aris. Aris turned on the bed. Newt grabbed at the shirt collar, pulling it down some. From here I could see the black lettering.

"Property of WICKED. Group B, Subject B1. The Partner." Newt let go of Aris' shirt collar and Aris looked back at us, rubbing his neck.

"This is weird. What does it all mean?" Before Newt or I could answer, someone burst into the room.

"We've been looking for you shanks! What are you-" Minho's voice died looking at us. "What's wrong?"

"Come here." I waved Minho to me.

"Why?" Minho questioned, but still came to me, kneeling. I turned him, gently pulling back his shirt collar some.

"What the shuck are you doing? Newt-"

"Property of WICKED. Group A, Subject A7. The Leader."

"What?" Minho turned, making me let go of his shirt. "What are you... what?"

"We have these tattoos on our necks, the back of them." Minho pointed at Newt.

"What are you?"

"The Glue." Minho pointed at Aris. "His says Group B, but he is The Partner." Minho pointed to me and I swallowed, scared to ask what my tattoo even said.

"Minho, you said you'd come back, not chit-chat." Jeff said, the other Gladers behind him. Minho stood.

"We found something out."

"Is it a way out of this place?"

"Well no, but it's weird. Come here." Jeff walked over and Minho turned him around, pulling down the back of his shirt collar. Jeff looked at me with a confused pout, but I looked to Minho, waiting. "Property of WICKED. Group A, Subject A14. The Healer."

"What?" Jeff turned, pulling himself from Minho.

"We all have tattoos on our necks, on the back of them and-" before Minho could finish explaining, the Gladers were all calling out for someone to read their tattoos. As people rushed around, Newt came to sit by me. I looked to him.

"You reckon I have one?" My voice was quiet. Newt nodded.

"I mean, every other shank has one, I guess you would too. Do you want me to check?" I hesitated, then nodded, feeling curiosity gnaw at me. Newt scoot to sit behind my chair. I felt his fingers sift through my hair, then my shirt collar brush against my skin as it was pulled down.

"What does it say?" Newt was quiet. From the corner of my eye, I saw Aris shift to look at my neck with Newt. Newt's lack in answer was unnerving to me

"Property of WICKED. Group A, Subject A4. The Accident and Sacrificer."

Original Publish Date: January 2, 2017