Tension in the air grew as the Gladers frantically attempted to open the door blocking them from their perceived freedom, but it was no use. Apparently the person they'd stolen the key card from didn't have access to the outside world.
Thomas turns his head away from the door, prompting the rest of the kids to do the same. Rat man and a posse of guards were stomping down the hall, ready to shut down their chance at freedom once again.
Thomas let the key card drop from his hands, turning all his attention onto Janson as he gripped his launcher tightly. Mae watched as he ever so slightly moved toward the older man- holding his weapon as if he would fire at any moment. She knew he was being hot headed, and she worried what Ratman might do if he did decide to fire, so she leaned down and picked the card from the floor.
Minho's hand found her shoulder, and he watched as she tried desperately to slide the card through the monitor so they could escape, while the rest of the Gladers watched whatever was happening with Thomas.
"Open this door, Janson!" He demanded, his voice echoing throughout the hallway. Mae glanced up from the door for a moment to see Janson with his hands up, and the guards with their weapons and shields up in defense.
"You really don't want me to," Janson responded, shaking his head in an effort to calm the riled up teenagers.
Thomas had a similar look in his eyes as the time when they'd escaped the maze- determined, brave, and protective. Although this time, there was a glimmer that represented a fire Mae hadn't seen in him ever- he was angry. And she knew exactly how he was feeling.
Both the parties were moving closer to each other at this point, with the Gladers behind Thomas and the guards behind Janson. Not a very evenly matched battle.
"Open the god damn door!"
"Listen to me- I'm trying to save your life. The maze is one thing, but you kids won't last a day out in the Scorch. If the elements don't kill you, the cranks will." The older man tried to keep his cool. His voice was even and mature, unlike the younger boy, who had boiled past his breaking point.
Mae had stopped trying to open the door, and instead had her back pressed to it as she watched anxiously what was going to happen next. She hated how Thomas was always running straight into the face of danger, but she understood his fury.
"You have to believe me. I only want what's best for you," At those exact words, Mae knew precisely why Minho called him Rat man. He was a liar, and he stole everything from her and her friends.
Thomas and Janson were only a few feet away from each other by the point, and Thomas still had his launcher gripped firmly in his hands, aimed right for his enemy's head. His hands shook slightly and his breath was uneven, but he wasn't scared. He was filled with too much rage to stand still.
"Yeah let me guess. WICKED is good?" He dared breathlessly.
Those words again.
Janson's hands fell to his sides and his eyebrows creased slightly in confusion, but he quickly assessed himself as not to seem shocked. Mae's breath caught in her throat and as if on instinct, she glanced at her sister, who's eyes were glued to the people in front of them.
"You're not getting through that door, Thomas." Ratman said, as if he was talking to a toddler having a tantrum.
On cue, a subtle beeping sound emitted from the monitor on the door. Newt snapped his head around first, followed by the rest of the Gladers by the door, to see that the words had changed from 'denied' to 'accepted'.
Quickly, the door slid up revealing Aris and Winston, who stood anxiously. Their faces lit up slightly when they saw their friends waiting for them.
"Come on!" Winston grabbed Fry's shoulder, pulling him over to the other side of the door. The others followed suit, all except for Thomas, who was still standing as if frozen in place.
"Hurry!"
"Get over here Thomas!"
"Just leave them!"
The others called out words to coax their friend back to reality.
"Idiot," Mae said to no one under her breath. But really, she knew what he was feeling. That same feeling she'd felt when she saw a Griever for the first time, and Gally had to push her out of the way to save her from certain death.
But alas, it was a shame Gally wasn't here to drag Thomas away from Ratman.
Thomas started firing his launcher recklessly, missing every time, and Mae's concern for him grew. She glanced between her other friends, who were clearly not going to do anything but yell for him. She knew that if anything was going to be done at this point, she would have to do it herself.
Mae pushed past Newt and Frypan, ignoring the voices screaming for her to get back, picking up her pace into a jog as she stopped next to Thomas.
"Put that gun down and get your ass behind the door," She hissed in his ear, causing him to whip his head to his right to see her. He opened his mouth to say something, but Mae didn't want to hear it. She reached out and took the launcher from his hands, throwing it forward into the small crowd of guards to stall them for a moment. Then, she reached out and grabbed his hand, and turned him away from Janson.
To the sounds of their friends yelling for them to run, Mae and Thomas sprinted toward the door, which was now moving closed inch by inch.
Her legs were sore, and her feet ached with every step, but the adrenaline flowing through her veins was enough to keep Mae going.
As they got closer to their escape, they realized they would have to slide under the door if they were going to make it. Bracing herself for impact, Mae had to squeeze her eyes shut so she couldn't see the metal death trap nearing the ground.
"Slide, Mae!" Thomas's voice called over the other sounds that clouded her judgement.
"No shit!" She yelled back at the exact moment she leaned back on her heels, her body jerking backward at the sudden movement. The backs of her legs burned as she slipped in the space between the floor and the bottom of the door. In the burst of motion, her fingers stayed intertwined with Thomas's, who to her relief was right by her side. They finally stopped on their stomachs, their fingers just inches from the bottom of the door.
Once they were on the other side, the door finally reached the ground with a thud, leaving all the Gladers in shock and pure elation. Newt and Minho leaned down to help their friends up, and Mae could barely stand due to all the strength she'd just used to make it out of Janson's clutches.
"Holy shit," Minho exclaimed in awe.
"You alright?" Newt asked, glancing at both Thomas and Mae. The girl nodded, struggling slightly to take a breath. Thomas did the same, then looked over all the teenagers to make sure everyone had made it. Aris quickly moved forward and destroyed the monitor with the object he had in his hand, sparks flying as it became useless to those on the other side.
A bang on the door grabbed everyone's attention once again. Mae nearly flinched at the sound, leaning on Newt and Minho for support. Janson had his face up to the window, scowling in utter disgust. Thomas stared at him with his wide eyes for a moment, his lips slightly parted as he took a few deep breaths.
Janson had an odd expression on his face- his lips were turned up slightly, like a sick smile, and it was clear he would strangle Thomas if he could. His head was tilted just a bit, and he narrowed his eyes as he stared at the kids, who stared right back.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mae saw Winston dive toward a fallen guard, and he rummaged through his jacket until he found a small pistol. He stood back up and rejoined the group, the gun in his right hand. She glanced back to Janson, her chest aching with each intake of air.
He had his hands pressed to the glass now.
Mae's heart swelled with pride when she saw Thomas extend his middle finger right at Ratman's face, a parting gift, as the Gladers prepared for their next phase of the escape.
WOW. HELLO BESTIES! IT'S BEEN TOO LONG! BUT HERE, FINALLY IS AN UPDATE. YOU MAY NOTICE THERES BEEN SOME CHANGES. I CHANGED MAE'S FACE CLAIM! I felt that Anna wasn't really what I envisioned her as, so I hope you guys accept Willa! Thank you to all my frequent and new readers. I love you guys so much! Hope you liked the chapter and are ready for more :) also- DID ANYONE CATCH THE CHUCK REFERENCE? LMK IN THE COMMENTS.
xx nat