Chaos ensued within minutes. Screams and bombs filled the air as people ran away from being shot at. Minho and Y/n gripped each others' hands tightly as they ran back towards camp, coming across Frypan and Newt as the four ducked behind some barrels.

''Where's Thomas?'' Minho yelled over all the noise, receiving no response. His eyes quickly fell on Harriet, who was holding up a bunch of ammo. ''Harriet!''

The four ran over, unsure of what else to do. Y/n could hear her heart beating in her ears, her breaths ragged as her eyes remained on the scene. Fires had burst out and multiple WICKED soldiers were shooting people left and right.

They came to a stop next to Vince's truck. The man was on top with a massive weapon Y/n didn't know the name of as Harriet passed him over ammo. ''How can we help?'' Frypan yelled.

''You need to cover us!'' Harriet said.

''Ammo!'' Vince yelled as he used his shotgun one last time before passing it down to Minho. ''Hey! Do you know how to use this thing?'' Minho reloaded the weapon in response. ''Cover me!'' Vince said as he returned to his own weapon.

Newt and Frypan picked out a weapon each, quickly starting to shoot. Y/n took the rifle Harriet handed her, pressing it to her shoulder and kneeling down next to Minho, trying her best to aim at the WICKED soldiers trying to approach them.

''Holy fuck, there's so many of them!'' Y/n yelled out as she reloaded the rifle. ''How did they even find us!?''

''No use in asking now, just keep shooting!'' Harried said as she herself shot down two soldiers. The soldiers, in return, were using their launchers, trying to hit the Gladers and the others with the electrifying bullets. One grazed right past Y/n's ear, causing her to jerk to the side, hitting her head in Minho's leg.

''Vince, hurry up!'' Newt yelled as he reloaded. ''There's too many of them!''

Shoot. Reload. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Reload. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Reload. It was a never ending process, Y/n's shoulder starting to ache from the butt of the weapon that kept hitting it.

''I'm out!'' Frypan yelled, holding up his pistol.

Shooting one last time, Y/n's weapon clicked. ''Me too! Fuck!'' She quickly ducked down, avoiding another shot and trying to find ammo to reload with. In that moment, one of the soldiers threw a bomb right under Vince's feet. It exploded, sending out electric shocks to everyone.

Y/n's body stiffened. She dropped her rifle on the ground, feeling the pain and stress in the muscles across her whole body. Her face hit the ground, her eyes unable to blink and they remained on Minho and Harriet, watching their bodies laying helplessly on the ground, occasionally twitching. Her eyes closed, but she could hear the advancing soldiers.

She was roughly picked up by two pairs of hands. Her head hung down and her feet dragged behind, causing her knees to ache. She was too weak to try and move, so she stayed still, letting the soldiers bring her wherever they needed to.

Was that it? Was escaping from the Maze, from WICKED and from the Scorch all for nothing? They went through all of that just to end right back in WICKED's clutches, just to become their lab rats again? To be strung up and drained out of their blood for a cure that might not even exist?

She was dropped down and she finally had enough strengt to stand on her knees. Her eyes opened slowly and she moved them around, seeing Minho and Newt on either side of her. There were multiple other people held down as well, but she could see they were divided — most of the young people on her sides. The immunes.

Her breath hitched. Thomas wasn't there. Neither were Brenda and Jorge. She hoped he wasn't dumb enough to try and come to rescue them.

''You okay?'' Minho asked quietly.

Y/n nodded nodded. ''You?'' He nodded as well.

She heard footsteps coming closer and suddenly Newt's head was pushed down, a soldier standing behind him with a device, similar to the one Brenda had used back then, scanning his neck. ''A5,'' the soldier said, then moved on. The rough and cold fingers pushed her hair away, pulling her collar down from the back and choking her slightly. There was a beep before the man spoke again. ''A24,'' the man said before he moved on to Minho, doing the same thing to him. ''A7.''

A helicopter landed in front of them, out coming none other than Janson. At that moment, despite being basically at the door of death, Y/n wanted nothing more than to spit in Janson's face. ''How many did we get?'' he asked as he started walking closer to the captured, looking them through.

''All of them,'' mother soldier said, ticking something off. ''Give or take.''

''Give or take what?'' Janson asked.

''Well, they lost a few.''

Janson stopped right in front of Y/n. Their eyes met. It was like a competition, each of them daring the other to blink. His cold eyes made her blood boil and she almost jumped at him for the smirk that found it's place on his face. He didn't say anything, breaking the eye contact and turning around to face the solider again. ''Where's Thomas?''

''Right here.''

Y/n closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Of course. Of course Thomas was dumb enough to come back for them.

The soldiers shoved him to the front, bringing him right in front of Janson, who put a hand on his shoulder. ''Thomas,'' he said, right before he punched him in the stomach, sending him to the ground. The soldiers picked him up and put him in line next to Minho.

Y/n leaned slightly forward, looking at Thomas. ''You might be the dumbest shank I've ever met, Thomas,'' she whispered, quickly looking forward in case Janson was looking at them.

''Why didn't you run?'' Minho asked, agreeing with Y/n. He didn't dare look at Thomas, but he shook his head in disapproval.

''I'm tired of running.''

It didn't take long for a Berg to appear above them, it's light illuminating all the captured people. Y/n squinted her eyes, watching as it descended right in front of them, sending sand in her eyes and her hair flying back. The door opened and four soldiers walked out, Ava Paige and her pristine clothes right behind them.

She walked over to Janson, looking over the captured. ''Is this all of them?''

''Most of them,'' Janson answered. ''It'll be enough.''

Ava Paige nodded. ''Start loading them.''

Janson gave out the order and soldiers started dragging people towards the Berg. Y/n's breath hitched as Ava Paige approached her and her friends, but she didn't let her fear show. She looked at her eyes, much like she'd done with Janson.

Thomas was the first one to be picked up, stopping in front of Ava Paige. ''Hello, Thomas.'' Thomas didn't respond.

Another solider appeared, this time with Teresa in front of him. She wasn't struggling. In fact, Ava Paige reached out a hand and Teresa walked right next to her. ''I'm glad you're safe.''

All Gladers stood up on their own, looking at Teresa in betrayal. ''What the hell?'' Frypan said. ''Teresa?''

''Wait, what's going on?'' Newt asked.

''It was you?'' Y/n called out, meeting eyes with Teresa. ''You called them?''

''She's with them,'' Thomas proclaimed, causing everyone to look at him.

''Since when?'' Minho asked.

''Oh, Teresa's always had an evolved appreciation. of the greater good,'' Janson said as he stood next to Teresa and Ava Paige. ''Once we restored her memories, it was only a matter of time.''

Y/n's eyes widened. She took a step forward, Minho's hand quickly catching her elbow. ''You had your memories back? You had them back this whole time?'' She questioned, but didn't move further — more for Minho's sake than her own. ''How dare you. How dare you, you fucking piece of—''

''You wouldn't understand, Y/n, you don't know what it's like,'' Teresa argued back, taking a step forward as well. ''You never had to see your mother go crazy. You didn't have to see her gouge her own eyes out. Do you even remember, what it was like? You used to work for them as well.''

''I know that, I have my memories back, too.'' Y/n said and she noticed Janson and Ava Paige share widened looks, but she ignored them. ''You've always been an ass-licker, haven't you?''

''Hey, watch your mouth,'' Janson pointed a finger at her and suddenly a soldier pointed their gun up at Y/n. Minho tried to move, but she quickly put her arm out in front of him to stop him.

''I'm sorry, okay?'' Teresa said, looking at Y/n then at the others. ''I had no choice. This is the only way.'' Her eyes fell on Y/n again. ''We have to find a cure.''

''She's right,'' Ava Paige butted it. ''This is all just a means to an end. You used to understand that, both of you.'' Her eyes fell on Y/n and 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.'' The Gladers turned around, seeing Mary stand up.

''Hello, Mary,'' Ava Paige greeted her. ''I hoped we'd meet again. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances.''

''I'm sorry about a lot of things, too,'' Mary said and shook her head. ''But not this. At least my conscience is clear.''

''So is mine.''

There was a gunshot and Mary's eyes widened. A scream. Mary fell on the ground and Vince immediately rushed over, trying to help her in any way. But as Y/n watched her limp body, Y/n knew it was over. Mary was gone. She suddenly remembered their conversation earlier, how she had something to tell her. Was it important? It didn't matter now, because she was probably never going to find out.

''Come on, Janson,'' Ava Paige said as Janson put away his gun. Vince continued to scream as Ava Paige ordered the soldiers to continue loading up the immunes and to get rid of the non-immunes. Sonya and Aris were taken ahead, and as they tried to push Thomas after, he suddenly elbowed the soldier behind him and whipped out the bomb he'd gotten from Jorge earlier.

He yelled, threatening the soldiers he was going to set it off if they didn't get back. Janson quickly ran back, telling everyone to stand back as Thomas demanded for the immunes to be let go.

''Thomas, put it down,'' Janson said.

''Let 'em all go!''

''You know I can't do that!'' Ava Paige yelled at him.

''Thomas, please stop,'' Teresa pleaded. ''I made a deal with them. They promised we'd be safe. All of us.''

''And I'm supposed to trust you now?'' Thomas questioned, not putting the bomb down.

''It's true, it was her only condition,'' Ava Paige added.

''Shut up!''

''Everything can go back to the way it was.'' Ava Paige took a step back. ''Thomas, do you really want all of to die?''

''Listen to her, Thomas. Think about what you're doing.''

Y/n was the first one to take a step forward. She noticed Ava Paige's, Janson's and Teresa's eyes all falling on her as she stood next to Thomas, keeping her head up. ''You bitches are not known to keep promises,'' Y/n said, putting a hand on Thomas's shoulder. ''I'd rather go down with Thomas than become another of your little pets again.''

Minho was the next one to join, quickly taking her hand in his and intertwining their fingers. Newt and Frypan went over to Thomas' other side, nodding as well. ''We're with you, Thomas,'' Newt said.

Teresa shook her head. ''No.''

''Don't.'' Ava Paige took a step back.

''Do it, Thomas,'' Minho nodded and he squeezed Y/n's hand so hard she thought her fingernails would pop out.

''We're ready,'' Frypan added.''

The moment felt longer than it was. Y/n thought she'd had a good life. Short and shitty, but Minho and her friends made up for everything they'd had to go through. Despite everything, she was happy she was able to meet them and hoped that maybe in another life, they would be able to meet again, this time in more peaceful conditions.

She gave Minho's hand one last squeeze and closed her eyes. Yeah, it was definitely a good life.

''We're not going back there,'' Thomas said.

''Thomas?''

''It's the only way.''

''Thomas!''