"You go find the others!" Thomas shouted to me but I shook my head.
"I have to find my dad and Brenda!" I told him but he had different plans.
"I'll get them, you just find the others!" Thomas shouted over the explosions and I nodded, knowing that he was perfectly capable of doing it. That didn't mean I wasn't worried about them.
I rushed down to the camp, people were screaming as the bombs came down and WICKED soldiers were dropped from the helicopters. The soldiers had big launchers that shot out clamps that would then send electric currents through its victims.
People dropped and seized and the soldiers would either leave them or pull them off somewhere. I pulled out my knives but I wasn't trying to find a fight, I was trying to find Minho.
As I ran, I spotted Mary on the floor, her hands in the air as the guard came out of the smoke. There was nothing I could do for her, but then again, there was nothing I could do for anyone.
Suddenly, I heard someone loading up a gun behind me. I turned to see a WICKED soldier, his finger over the trigger and ready to shoot. I stood there in shock, not being able to do anything. Then, he made a grunting sound as he fell to the floor.
"(Y/n)?!"
"Aris!?" I ran up to the boy who held a thick metal pipe in his hand. Behind him was Sonya with a gun in her hand, covering the boy from behind.
"Thank god!" He said, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me away from the sight of any soldiers. Me, Aris, and Sonya all ducked behind some barrels and I watched as our rapid breaths came out in steam. It was cold, but I wasn't cold anymore and sweat was building up. I was going to take off my jacket but that wouldn't have been smart.
"How the hell did this happen?" Sonya asked and for a second, I thought about pretending I didn't know. They trusted us and we brought a traitor to their camp. But I knew she was going to find out, there was no point in lying because then she would have been even more mad at me then she would have been if I told the truth.
"Teresa, it was Teresa. She called WICKED." I told her and both of them were shocked, and I could see the rage build up in the girl.
"She what?" Sonya exclaimed.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" Aris said it more as a statement then a question.
"I wish I knew." I said and yet another bomb struck the ground, making it shake. Aris covered me from the falling debris. I looked back up at the three of them.
"I have to find the others." I told them and the two looked at each other, hesitant. Then they both looked around at all the chaos and the answer seemed more clear to them.
"Okay, but we have to wait for an opening." Sonya finally said and she looked around the edge of the barrels.
"I saw them near the trucks." Aris told us and I nodded, doing what Sonya was doing.
It wasn't long until my eyes found them. Minho, Newt, and Fry were all running, avoiding the bullets and going through the crowds of frantic people. I turned around to the other two.
"I found them." I shouted over the loud noise and they nodded.
"Let's move-" Sonya was suddenly cut off by the clamps that broke skin and sent waves of electricity pulsing through her. Then I saw the soldier running towards me and Aris. The boy screamed, reaching out for Sonya as I wrapped my arms around his waist.
"Go!" Sonya shouted as the electricity took everything out of her.
"Sonya!" Aris yelled but I pulled him away and out from behind the barrels.
"We have to go Aris!" I yelled, pulling him onto the battle felid.
"NO!" The boy screamed, not fighting me much anymore. "SONYA!"
"MOVE ARIS!" I shouted and his fighting finally stopped so I released him and the two of us began running. I turned for a split second and watched as Sonya's limp body was dragged against the dirt. Then, suddenly, I was forced to the ground and hit my head with a loud thump against the dirt ground.
I looked up to find Aris taking the fire of clamps meant for me. He fell to the floor, twitching and seizing. I tried reaching for him, but I didn't have time before I had to dodge the clamps aimed for me. I quickly got to my feet and made a run for it, knowing if I looked back, the fear rising up inside of me would build even more. I wanted to help him, but I couldn't do anything if I were caught too.
I pushed through the screaming crowds, Minho and the others in sight. I didn't see Thomas, I didn't know where he was and that worried me. The group of three were with Vince and Harriet, whom of which where trying to load up a giant gun. Minho turned, looking around at the destruction, then his eyes laid on me.
"(Y/N)!" He shouted and I limped over to him, the pain of the wound in I'm leg eating at me after reopening it. He came running, hugging me quickly and leading me over to the others.
"Where's Tommy?" Newt shouted, obviously knowing I was the last one with him.
"We split up, he went looking for my dad and Brenda!" I shouted back and Harriet looked over at me.
"Have you seen Sonya and Aris?" She asked and I felt this awful feeling in my stomach just by remembering their twitching bodies. Obviously, the girl took my silence as an answer cause I could see the hurt in Harriet's face.
"How can we help?" Minho asked and Vince didn't even hesitate, looking at me directly.
"You know how to shoot?" He asked and I froze. I could shoot, I was an excellent shot, but I couldn't. Every time I held a gun I shake, sweat, hyperventilate. I couldn't, but I had to.
"I can." Minho said, taking the gun from Vince and then loaded it, the shell flying out.
"No you can't." I said so only he could hear me and Minho shrugged.
"Nah, but I'll figure it out." He said with a smile, winking at me and I nodded. He knew I could shoot, but he knew that at the same time I couldn't. He figured all of me out in two days. Besides, what use would I have been if I just froze over the trigger?
I ran over to Harriet, offering her my help and she gladly accepted. I held the heavy ammunition while Vince started building the gun. I glanced over at Newt and Minho and watched as they indeed figured it out. Maybe they knew how to shoot better then I thought they did.
Vince was finally done assembling the gun,WICKED guards were being shot, it seemed as though this was going to work. That was until I heard a voice that I could never forget. It was quiet and muffled by the chaos but I heard it.
"You can't help them!" The voice said and I walked out from the side of the car. I looked directly at my father kneeling next to Brenda and Thomas. At least they were all okay so far, but what did he mean by that?
"Vince hurry! There's too many of them!" Newt shouted and I turned to see the soldiers closing in on us, but we were holding them off. Then I saw a guard duck, from what I assumed was our line of fire. I looked back and my eyes caught Brenda's and I could hear her shout.
"(Y/N)!" She called and that's when my dad saw me. But that was also when I felt my body tense up and pain radiate through my entire body. I collapsed to the ground, convulsing from the electricity. I didn't know where it came from, but I felt my limp body seize as a guard took me by the collar of my leather jacket and pull me against the dirt.
I wanted to look back to my father, get one good look before he disappeared from my sight, but he was already gone before I got the chance.
"A5." The soldier said as he scanned the back of Newt's neck and moved on to the next in the row of kneeling prisoners. I had a gun to my head and forced to my knees as well. I was in between Vince and Mary and there were others behind us. WICKED had separated the Immunes from the non Immunes which meant I was separated from Minho. I looked over Mary with a heavy guilt in my eyes.
"Are you alright?" She asked and I shook my head.
"I'm so sorry." I told her and she seemed to already know what I was talking about. Maybe she knew of Teresa's betrayal, or maybe it was just a speculation. Maybe she didn't know it was Teresa and thought I was just saying sorry because I could.
"Let's just try to get out of here alive." Vince whispered to us both.
I took a deep breath, looking around for any way to get out of this. There was nothing. There were no openings. I continued to watch as the necks of my friends were being scanned. It was the chips in their necks they were scanning for, probably counting the amount of kids they were able to steal away from freedom.
"How many did we get?" I heard a familiar voice ask one of the men who was holding a tablet. The man who owned the voice was tall and older, his hair grey but his stance strong. I only knew him as Janson, head of WICKED's security. I knew him as the man who snatched away Brenda's brother George right in front of her with no remorse.
"All of them give or take." The man with the tablet responded, which got a side eye from the man.
"Give or take what?" He asked, looking around at the rows of Immunes and the innocent people forced on their knees.
"Well, they lost a few." The tablet man told him and by the way Janson walked, he seemed to not have cared. I have expressed my hatred for Marcus, but this man is ten times worse.
"I have a question." I said aloud and Janson turned to face me slowly. Everyone looked at me, including my friends,Vince, and Mary. Janson scoffed with a smile of amusement. He walked towards me and made a hand movement that was followed by the guards forcing me to my feet and pushing me forward slightly. He stood taller then me, but I felt invincible even though I wasn't. Like Teresa had told me, I was expendable to them. "Do you remember me?"
Janson laughed in my face while the tension in the air left everyone silent. "Do I remember you?" He repeated.
"Do. You. Remember. Me?" I asked again, more aggressively and even though he laughed, he seemed to be going through his memories.
"No." He said slowly. "I don't think I do."
"Well then let me paint you a picture." I said. "How about after you stole a little boy from his crying sister? Do remember that?"
"(Y/n)..." Vince warned.
"How about the girl standing next to the sister, glaring as you as you laughed. Laughed."
"I don't remember." Janson said again and I felt my face turn red with anger.
"I'm not surprised. You've probably done this so many times that seeing crying children and stealing them from their families is something your used to. Maybe you enjoy it."
Janson pulled out his gun, obviously done with me and what I had to say about him. He put the barrel against my head and the cold metal send shivers down my spine. I never looked away from the man however, knowing that he would shoot.
"NO!" Minho shouted, trying to get up but was sent straight back down into the dirt. The others fought too but I stayed perfectly still.
"Ready to prove my point?" I asked and Janson laughed once again, his finger going over the trigger.
"Wait!" A voice exclaimed and we all turned and watched as Thomas came into view. "Wait, just wait. Leave her alone, she has nothing to do with this."
Janson forced me back down to the ground and pushed me back and my face hit the ground hard. I felt Vince and Mary pull me back to my knees and I looked at them.
"Sorry." I said and they both nodded.
Janson walked over to Thomas and I watched helplessly as the man sent his fist right into the boy's stomach. Thomas knelt over in pain and I fought to get up but was eventually forced back to my knees.
"Get him in line." Janson instructed and the soldiers pulled the boy over. He was put next to Minho and I watched as Thomas and Newt looked at each other, both relieved to see the other okay.
"Okay." Janson said, walking up to the man with the tablet. "Bring her in."
After a minute, a bright white spotlight shined down on the giant group. Out of the smoke came a giant berg that sent a cloud of dirt flying as it began landing. When the berg was completely on the ground, the hatch door opened to show a group of soldiers. I didn't understand their importance until they parted ways to show a women in full white with bright red lipstick. She stood out as someone important, and of course I knew who she was, who didn't? Chancellor Ava Paige, the head of WICKED and their whole operation. I never got to meet her because she normally had Janson do all the dirty work. I was surprised she even showed up in the first place.
She walked towards everyone with her soldiers marching side by side with her. She looked at everyone and I couldn't tell what her take of it all was.
"Is this all of them?" Ava asked Janson as he walked over to her.
"Most of them." He responded and she sighed. "It'll be enough." Janson told her but she still gave him a glare.
"Start loading them up." Ava ordered and the soldiers responded by forcing some Immunes to their feet and forcing them to the berg.
Ava paced around all of the kneeling people and her eyes caught Thomas. She motioned for him to stand and the boy was forced to his feet. Newt wanted to get up too, I saw it in his face. He didn't want Thomas to be alone, even though there were a lot of people surrounding him.
"Hello Thomas." She said and I could just feel the eye roll he gave her. In the corner of my eye, I saw Teresa slowly make her way over to the women. Everyone stared at her, including me, but Teresa couldn't even look me in the eye much less anyone else. Well, Thomas as an exception, that is. Ava Paige turned to look at her and then extended her arm out for Teresa. The girl didn't hesitate to come forward anymore, she knew she had the protection of WICKED.
"I'm glad your safe." Ava told her and Teresa nodded with guilt. Then, the other boys stood so I did too.
"What the hell?" Minho said aloud.
"Teresa?" Fry said with confusion but the girl just looked at Thomas.
"This was all her." I told them.
"She's with them." Thomas said coldly as he stared into her soul.
"Since when?" Newt asked with hurt and I felt bad. I caught Minho looking at me and all I wanted was to hold his hand so that mine didn't feel so empty and cold. I wanted to be next to him because I knew that this was a low blow, having his friend that he thought he could trust betray him.
"Teresa has always had a deep appreciation of our cause." Janson said and thats when the girl looked at me. Her attempt to relate to me with our mothers was the only thing we had in common, but you didn't see me going around and calling WICKED. "When we restored her memories, it was only a matter of time."
"I'm sorry." She said, looking over at Minho, Newt, and Fry. She then looked back over to Thomas who was dead faced. He didn't care about her excuses but she was going to give them to him anyway.
"I had no choice. This is the only way. We have to find a cure." She told him but he shook his head, his fists clenched in anger.
"She's right." Ava spoke. "This is all just a means to an end. You used to understand that Thomas. No matter what you think of me, I am not a monster. I'm a doctor. I swore an oath to find a cure. No matter the cost. I just need more time."
"More blood." A voice spoke up next to me, and I watched as Mary pushed her way through to be in Ava's vision. The women was not surprised to see her.
"Hello Mary." Ava said sadly and Mary stared her down. "I hoped we'd met again. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances."
"I'm sorry about a lot of things too. But not this." Mary said loudly. "At least my conscience is clear."
"So is mine." Ava said quietly and then, I watched as Janson pulled out his gun, pulling the trigger and letting the bullet fly.
"NO!" Vince screamed as Mary fell to the floor with her blood seeping through her shirt. Vince caught Mary as she took her last breath. I sat there, wide eyed in shock as the women died almost instantly. I know I felt some of her blood spray on my face.
"Janson." Ava said without even a second thought on the events that just took place. "Load them up. All these people, get rid of them."
I felt the tight grip on my shoulder but I fought against it along with the others. I looked over to see Aris and Sonya being dragged into the Berg. It was only a matter of time before they took the others too, and who knows what they're going to do with us, the non immunes. I made the assumption that they were going to kill us. With the Right Arm being their biggest threat, the best way to eliminate it would be to eliminate the people part of it. Me included. But the thing that scared me most was what they were planning to do to Minho and the others once they were with WICKED.
"NO! GET OFF OF ME!" I shouted as I reached for my knife which was in its holster on my thigh. "NO!"
"Sonya! Aris!" Harriet shouted but the guards let her go no further than she already had. I looked over to Thomas who was being pushed along as well, but to my surprise, he seemed to be cooperating. That was, until he reached into his coat pocket and then ripped it out, elbowing the soldier and waving around a device.
"GET BACK!" The boy screamed as he showed off the object in his hand. I ripped myself from the grasp of the soldier and stared at the thing in the boy's hand.
"EVERYONE STAND BACK!" He screamed but I did the opposite. The guards all aimed their launchers at the boy but Janson quickly stopped them.
"Stand down!" He screamed at them and they followed orders.
"Stand back!" Thomas said once again and now Ava and Teresa came closer once again.
I looked at the device in his hand, it made a weird electrical screech. After a moment though, I began noticing familiar things about it. It's shape, it's color, it's design. I knew what it was because I helped design it.
That was one of my father's bombs, and Thomas was waving it around like a sparkler on the Forth of July.