Newt's POV:
Tagging along with Thomas to his training session was proving to be a good idea – as I'm now realising, I am completely fucked.
Watching Y/n and Thomas make their shots time and time again, turned into a massive wake up call that said if I didn't improve my aim immediately, I am going to die.
And, as I should have guessed but nevertheless hoped wouldn't happen, I couldn't improve in that time span. And then the next day rolled around.
I couldn't tell how Y/n was feeling, but, you never really can anyway.
Thomas seemed slightly anxious – his leg bounced up and down so consistently I thought it might snap in half.
Jorge had never looked so unresponsive. The man just stared off into the distance, probably at nothing in particular.
Brenda, however, looked irritated beyond recognition. She didn't seem pleased that we had to do this today, and she mostly appeared angry that no one had told her this was happening.
Vince looked like he may cry. I couldn't tell what it was – but I've never seen him like this. So upset and miserable.
I have a really awful feeling about this.
"Are you okay?"
I turned my head slowly, meeting Y/n's slightly concerned eyes.
She didn't appear frightened, or cautious of the situation. She seemed confused, almost.
Just the sight of her made me smile. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, she was wearing my coat that I lent her and she's also wearing the boots I never see her without.
At least Y/n doesn't look like she may throw up.
"I'm fine, love. Are you?"
Her eyes lost the concern they held before slightly as she nodded.
"I'm okay. Just waiting for these idiots to get going. I don't understand the hold up." She shrugged, looking over her shoulder at Jorge.
"He looks distracted."
She was right. He did look distracted.
There had to be a reason for that – a reason for why Vince looked like he had been kissed by death but is somehow still walking among the living. And why Jorge looks like pitching himself off the cliff would be a better option than staying here.
"Y/n...what happened on that trip?"
She stilled, and broke our eye contact by looking down at her feet. There was something she hadn't mentioned, something that neither her or Thomas had brought up at the meeting.
Something they clearly didn't want to discuss.
"What do you mean? You know what happened, we went through it all when we returned."
Y/n still wasn't meeting my eyes. She was lying.
"Love, is there something you're not telling me?"
She feigned confusion. "We went through it all. I told you this. We know how Wicked are transporting the kids and maybe where they're going-"
"No, I know. You told us about that. I mean, is there anything you haven't told us? Anything happen that you haven't told me about?"
Y/n looked up at me then. She watched my eyes, searched my face for any anger or betrayal, and when she found nothing but sincerity, she spoke.
"There were a few complications when we arrived...and just before we left."
Complications?
My brows furrowed. "Complications?"
Y/n took a deep breath in.
"They knew who I was. And they didn't like that, understandably."
She watched as my face morphed into horror. "But it all ended up fine. They got on with it, and gave us what we needed anyway."
I moved forward now, reaching out for her hand.
"Did they hurt you?"
She didn't answer.
"Hey! Time to go!"
Jorge called out to the group, ushering the others into the truck that Harriet had pulled up. She looked much less tired than the rest of us.
I turned to Y/n, begging her with my eyes to say something. To tell me that they didn't hurt her, and that she's okay and always will be.
"No. They didn't, I'm fine."
And then she turned and walked to the truck.
--
The drive was long – well, only about two hours, but it felt never ending.
It was rather quiet on the journey, so much so in fact it felt weird to break the silence and speak. So, instead I sat quietly next to Y/n as Jorge and Vince whispered about directions.
I wasn't even aware that we had specific directions to head to – I figured we would drive until we found something promising. But apparently Jorge had already scoped out a large building that he was sure would have resources we needed.
I usually trust Jorge, but this felt fucking stupid.
However, I bit my tongue and waited out the drive. When we finally arrived, the silence had somehow gotten heavier.
It felt so much more painful to speak, which is weird, as most of the people in camp usually have a problem where they can't shut up.
Clearly, I know my friends very well.
"Why is it so fucking hot in here?" Thomas asked, wrapping his jacket around his waist and tying the two sleeves together.
To be fair to him, it was significantly hotter in here than it was outside. The building was absolutely boiling.
It was dark, and in it, surprisingly, was a lot of clutter. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot.
Broken and smashed TVs were stacked high, lamp shades coated in dust sat in the corners and rotting books covered the floors. I was shocked any of us could even walk around in here.
Our flashlights barely covered a few feet in front of us, meaning that anything lurking around the corner we wouldn't be aware of until it's too late.
"Right." Jorge started, turning to the group with a gun in his hand. "We have our weapons for a reason – use them if necessary, okay? Stay together, pick up anything you think we'll need and meet back at the entrance in three hours."
Vince stepped forward, and for the first time in a few days, the man addressed the group. "Harriet, Y/n and Newt, you're with me. The rest of you go with Jorge."
Nodding, I made sure my pistol was secured on my hip and walked towards Vince. Behind me, a gun cocked and then came a voice.
"Do you think there will be cranks in this place? It looks big enough to have them hiding somewhere."
Y/n came to stand beside me, knife in hand.
"I think it's very possible," Jorge answered. "So, stay close and don't make any unnecessary noise."
Y/n nodded, and moved past Vince into a section of the building with no light, followed closely by the others.
I went to catch up with her. "Scared?"
She turned her head to me and rolled her eyes. "You wish, blondie."
I laughed. "Oh, I think you might be. You heard what Jorge said, we have weapons for a reason."
Y/n moved towards a pile of old clothes and crouched next to an old desk. "Sounds like you might be the one scared." She said, not turning her head and keeping her back to me.
"Oh, yeah, I'm totally shaking, can't you see?"
She looked up at me then and shot me smirk. "Yeah, but I figured it was just due to your old man disease."
I feigned offense and laughed, bending down next to her to give her a small shove.
"I don't know what you're talking about, I don't look past sixteen."
"More like past sixty-"
A scream. And then another.
And then a large bang.
And then the sound of a gunshot.
Y/n was on her feet in an instant, scrambling to the center of the room to find the noise.
Because whatever that was, I don't think it was supposed to happen.
Vince and Harriet were out of sight and Jorge was no where to be seen.
Panic was flooding through my system – Y/n... where the fuck did she go?
"Newt! Over here, dickhead!"
I went off running, my eyes catching sight of her as I sprinted around the corner.
It was the scene of something I couldn't exactly put my finger on.
Cranks, teenagers, adults, guns, knives - everything you could think of to go wrong was right in front of me shooting aimlessly.
Y/n was to the side, gunning down three cranks all at once, aiming perfectly as the bullet sliced through their neck and they fell to the ground.
Thomas was with Jorge, both firing into the crowd.
Frypan was armed with a shotgun, standing side by side with someone I don't recognise, both shooting at a crank coming straight for them.
In the end, they both missed so painfully, Y/n ended up shooting it from across the room.
Now, that was impressive.
Vince stood with Harriet, firing shot after shot into a crowd of cranks.
It was a bloodbath.
Scattered around the room, were other people defending themselves. People who I don't think I've ever seen before.
A few of which, didn't have good enough aim, and sadly were overcome by cranks. I watched in horror as they screamed and squirmed to get away, but sadly were left with the fact that that point in time will be the last time they ever take a breath.
Y/n moved slightly more into the middle, getting much more advantage over upcoming cranks then they did over her, and I watched with pure admiration of how she weaved through the crowd, making her shots perfectly.
She was difficult to look away from.
Almost as if she knew I was watching, she finished gunning down the crank before her, and turned her head to look at me.
Her smile – it was one I wish I could imprint in my brain forever. I don't think I've ever seen anything so mesmerising.
We were both stuck in this place where we couldn't move, only look at each other.
But then, from behind her, stood a boy.
He was young, and decently short. But the thing that stood out, was the large dagger he held in his right hand.
I didn't get to move, or the time to open my mouth and warn her.
That was, until, the boy had outstretched his arm, and plunged the knife right into her back.
I'm not sure if any sound came out of my throat, but I know for sure that in an instant I lifted my arm, and shot him right in the chest. Over and over and over.
And then I was rushing over to her, not in time to catch Y/n as she fell to her knees.
My surroundings were quiet, as I couldn't hear a thing going on around me, just that she was hurt.
Y/n started to fall forward. "No, no, no, Y/n please stay with me."
She didn't respond.
"No, no, shit. Fuck! Vince!" I was yelling now, yelling for someone to realise. To look up from what they were doing and help her.
But they were busy.
Cranks were showing up around corners and even though the others were still fighting them off, they still outnumbered us.
I turned Y/n around, placing my hand firmly on the wound.
"Y/n, you're going to be fine. You hear me? You're not allowed to die on me."
Her eyes were barely open, and her body was barely moving.
No. She doesn't get to die like this.
"Vince! Jorge! For fuck sake!"
My hand wrapped around hers and I felt for her pulse.
It was still there. It was slow, but it was still there. She is alive.
"Vince!" I called again, and this time, he turned his head.
Vince's face dropped.
"Love, you're going to be okay. Remember? We're going to grow old together, and irritate the hell out of each other, and live in some shitty house away from all of this. And we were going to be happy."
I didn't even realise I was crying until a tear fell from my face onto hers.
"Okay? So, you can't die. Because that wouldn't be possible if you died on me."
She didn't even open her eyes.
"Love?"
And that was when her hand slipped from mine, and landed on the floor.
-
A/N: i was listening to lana del rey while writing this so that definitely helped.
hope you liked this chapter, the next one will be out next week ;p
ty all for 22k ily <3