Variables → Group B [AU]

37 → "LET HER GO"

37 → "LET HER GO"

INSTINCTIVELY, ADELINE BIT down on the hand that was clasped over her mouth. The person pulled back their hand, giving Adeline some time to spin around and jab them in the gut. There was a cry of pain, and Adeline went to pull out her machete, when she was suddenly shoved into the wall behind her, dropping the machete in the process. The person had pinned her to the brick wall by her shoulders. Adeline went to scream, when a hand clasped over her mouth once more. She would've tried to escape if she hadn't realized that she didn't need to fight.

"Adeline, slim it!" Minho snapped. "We aren't going to hurt you."

"Bloody hell." Newt muttered, bending over, hands on his knees. "Never underestimate a girl."

Minho let his hand that was clamped over her mouth, drop to his side, stepping away from her. Adeline stared at the two boys in disbelief, before she retrieved the machete from the ground.

"Sorry if I scared you." Newt apologized from her left. Adeline turned to him.

"I'm sorry I elbowed you in the stomach." Adeline apologised. "I thought you were a group of Cranks trying to kidnap me."

"What are you doing wondering the streets of this Crank infested city, anyway?" Minho quizzed. Adeline craned her neck to meet his gaze. Adeline told them; leaving out Teresa and the whole betrayal idea. She was sure it wasn't the best idea to tell them, because they would go off running to Thomas about Teresa.

"Speaking of which, I need to go and find Esther and my group." Adeline stated.

"You're not going back out into those streets on your own." Newt disagreed with her. Adeline threw him a look of frustration.

"I have to." Adeline argued, "I need to find my friends."

"Not unless you're planning fighting off Cranks." Minho snapped. Adeline went to argue when Minho continued. "If you want to go out there and get yourself killed by them psychos, go ahead. We can't stop you. You were always stubborn like that."

Adeline slid the machete into the belt loop of her pants, before she crossed her arms over her chest. "My friend could be dead. I heard her screams before you —" Adeline pointed at Newt " — dragged me into the alleyway. I could've found her by now and you're preventing me from finding her."

"No —"

"Let her go." Newt suddenly interrupted. Minho glared at the tall, blonde boy. Newt looked pained at those words, but he didn't take them back. "Let her go find Group B."

"Newt —"

"She's not going to bloody listen to us, Minho!" Newt snapped. "What use is it fighting her?"

"Are you actually hearing what you're saying?" Minho quizzed. "What is buggin' wrong with you? You're the last person I'd think who would easily let her go out there alone."

Newt had turned away from Minho as he had said those words, and hadn't bothered to say anything else. Adeline let her arms drop loosely at their sides, glancing at the both of them. As she did so, Newt met her gaze, and a certain memory came to mind in a moment, as if Newt just glancing at her had unlocked a memory in her mind;

Adeline laid on her back. Above her, she saw Newt kneeling down beside her. He held her hand, and she squeezed back.

"Newt." was all she could say before she was pulled into unconsciousness.

"Adeline." Newt begged.

Adeline turned away as the memory passed, as had Newt. Adeline wondered in that moment if she'd been close to Newt; it was the feeling she got in her stomach when she had that memory of him. Adeline sighed.

"I have to go find Esther." Adeline stated. "I have to find my Group. I'm grateful that you're worried, because, let's be honest, you could've both just saw me in that street and not bothered to do anything, but you didn't. But I need to go find my friends."

Before they could stop her, Adeline turned on her heels and stepped back out into the seemingly empty street. Adeline didn't turn back.

—

Adeline had been wondering the streets for no more than two hours. She'd gotten lost a few times, forgetting the streets she'd turned down. At one point she'd had turned down a street and found a group of people standing around a fire, laughing their wicked laughs and screaming, their words filled with lunacy. Adeline turned away and ran before they could sense her presence.

Dusk crept up on her, and Adeline worried because she had no torch light nor did she feel safe at all roaming the streets of this city. Every street and every alleyway looked almost the same as she wondered around. But, as she was wondering down an alleyway, she heard winces. Before her were trash cans that were scattered on the ground, their contents littered on the ground. The winces came from behind a still upright trash can to the right side of the alleyway. Adeline slowly made her way down the alleyway, machete drawn before her. If the person, or crank, was a threat, she was armed enough to fight back.

The person behind the trash can came into view as Adeline approached it. Adeline's heart pounded in her chest, attempting not to freak out or give away the fact she was there. By the time Adeline had approached the trash can, the person behind it became suddenly quiet, as if the person knew she was there. Adeline looked around the side of the trash can, and when she did, dropped to her knees before the person.

It was Esther.