Subject A250: The Flame (COMPLETED)

Thirty-Two: Storytime

A/N: Long chapter. Also this song is incredible (and sounds a LOT like Troye Sivan). Enjoy!!

Also I'm not going to update for a few days at least because I have a super important career-defining exam on Wednesday (yay). But after then I'll make sure to have something for you <3

"What happened to you?"

"Did they test you?"

"Where did you come from?"

"No, but seriously, are you the Safe Haven?"

Trace looked up at the incoming group, suddenly overwhelmed. Each of them had about twenty questions to ask, and she didn't even know how to begin answering them.

"Hey, slim it, alright? She'll answer your shuck questions; just give her some space."

Trace smiled at Minho, who gave her a smug smirk before settling down on the ground again. Newt sat on her other side, still staring at her as if she might disappear. Trace was familiar with that feeling; she'd experienced it with every person she'd laid eyes on during her first few days in the Glade.

"Thank you, Mint-Fro," she nodded, then gestured to the ground around her. "This is the Safe Haven," she said. "Look."

She held up the flimsy- now broken- flag marking the spot they'd all worked so hard to get to and waved it around with false enthusiasm. "This is it," she said. "Congratulations, we risked our lives to find a ribbon."

Some of them began to panic, wondering if they'd be sent here to die. Others simply didn't believe Trace, or began coming up with theories as to why they'd been sent here and what would happen next. They were all wrong.

"It's fine," Harriet exclaimed, stepping forward. Sonya was beside her, and Trace couldn't help but glance between her face and Newt's, comparing features. They were so alike. There they were, brother and sister with no knowledge of it. This was one of those times where she hated knowing more than they did.

"We still have half an hour," Harriet continued. "We just need to wait."

Just then, Chuck pushed through the group, reaching the front. "Trace," he smiled, walking over to her. "You're here!" He picked a spot between her and Minho, giving her a big hug before beginning his own onslaught of questions. "How did you get here? Why weren't you with the other girls? Did you see any Cranks?"

"Okay, Chuckie," Newt smiled. "Trace can't answer all your questions at once. Let her tell the story for herself."

Chuck nodded. "One more thing," he added. "Am I supposed to call you Ava now? The girls said you called yourself that, and Newt said it was your real name...so do I have to call you that now?"

Darn it. Of course the truth behind her name would unravel as the two groups met. However, Chuck's words implied something else...

"Call me Trace," she responded. "And does that mean you guys were talking about me? Why were you talking about me? What did you say? Who was talking about me?"

Sonya was the one who answered. "They thought you were dead when you weren't with us," she said. "We told them we hadn't seen you since we went through the Flat Trans, though to be completely honest, we thought you'd been killed as well."

Trace looked around the group and saw that each expression supported what Sonya had said; they all looked a little astounded to see Trace alive.

"Well, I'm here," she announced, holding her arms out as if she might curtsey. "Definitely not dead. Not even a little bit. Okay, maybe a little bit, deep down inside, but I'm here."