{WARNING: The following content contains detailed violence that may be too intense and gruesome for certain audiences. Read at your own risk.}

Panicked, Newt suddenly sits up, pulling me up with him as we look at the tents engulfed in flames, people running and shouting.
"Wh-What's going on?!" I shout over the loud noises from the chaotic surroundings.
Before Newt can respond, the wind begins to roar above us, the air sweeping my hair all around as a beaming light flashes past us as it scans the ground.
In sync, Newt and I look straight above us, spotting one of several helicopters flying overhead.
"We need to get to the others!" Newt shouts, immediately getting to his feet and yanking me up with him by the arm. "Come on!"
I nod rapidly, sprinting alongside him in the direction of the flames.
Newt, holding my hand tightly, pulls me along as we rush past other members of the Right Arm, frantically looking around for the rest of our group.
"Newt! (y/n)!" Minho shouts from our left, waving us over as he and Fry jump up and down, trying their best to get our attention.
As soon as we spot the two boys, Newt calls, "This way!" Before running in their direction.
Nodding, I sprint behind as quickly as possible, shoving passed blurred figures as others charge about. "What's going on?!" I shout as we approach them.
"It's WICKED! They've somehow found us!" Frypan explains.
"But how?!" Newt exclaims.
"No shucking clue!" Minho shouts, getting shoved by a camper sprinting past.
"Well, what do we do, then?!" I shout back, tightly grasping onto Newt's arm in attempt to not get broken apart by the frantic individuals chaotically running around.
As Minho opens his mouth to share an idea, Vince suddenly shoves through the huddle of the four of us, sliding to a temporary stop in his tracks to turn towards us. "Can you kids shoot guns?!" He shouts.
The four of us exchange questioning glances before Minho nods, shouting back, "We can try!"
"Then come with me!" With that, the man charges towards his truck, Harriet already hopping into the bed, taking out ammo.
Vince, jumping with ease into the bed of the truck, too, gets behind a large gun that's balanced on a tripod of some sort. "Harriet, get them guns!" He orders as he begins to load the machine gun with the ammo.
I sprint after the boys towards the vehicle, running into the truck with a grunt when I attempt to slide to a stop in the sand. Looking up at Harriet, I wave towards myself. "Pass me a gun!" I order, and she tosses a shotgun to me in response.
I lean against the left- well, our left, the truck's right- back corner, crouching down and cocking the gun as I spot armed guards rushing out of a, now, landed helicopter in the distance, Minho standing behind me as he shoots a WICKED guard running in our direction.
I peek around the corner of the truck to see Newt crouched down on the other side, Frypan standing behind him.
"(y/n), twelve o'clock!" Minho shouts at me as he shoots at a different guard to our left.
Darting my eyes straight ahead of me, I quickly aim my gun at the man sprinting towards us with a Launcher, shooting him with a jolt from the gun. Blood splatters out of the man's shoulder as he flies back to the ground with a cry.
Jumping with a start as soon as Vince starts shooting his machine gun from the truck, I hear him screaming out, enraged and powerful.
As I aim at another guard charging towards us, I spot, in my peripherals to the left, another sneaking up from the side. "Minho, nine o'clock!"
Without a moment of hesitation, he aims to the left and shoots at the guard.
Suddenly, the electric clamp of a Launcher flies past my face, barely missing me; however, before I can shoot the man who shot at me myself, a bullet flies at the guard from the opposite side of the truck, hitting the man and causing him to fall flat to the ground with an agonized cry. I quickly glance to the right- our right- side of the truck, only to meet Newt's eyes as he smiles proudly, cocking his shotgun.
I nod slightly in thanks, and he nods in response.
"Reload!" Vince commands as Harriet scrambles to get more ammo.
Aiming carefully yet quickly, I take out a third, fourth, fifth guard.
"Keep fighting!" Harriet calls to us from the truck bed, reaching in the supplies beside her after reloading Vince's gun and taking out a pistol, scrunching up her face in concentration as she begins to fire at the WICKED members with great speed and precision.
Minho and I tag-team with ease, keeping an eye out for any other men and women attempting to sneak up on us and taking out the guards one-by-one, continuing to call out directions to one another.
After a clean headshot at one of the masked, armed men that was charging at us, I reload my shotgun quickly, cocking it and aiming at yet another guard, when, suddenly, Vince shouts, "LOOK OUT!"
Just as I lower my gun to spot a small device flying at us, Newt, out of instinct, drops his gun and dives at me to be a human shield just as the strange metal object lands on the ground, lighting up.
"NO!" Vince shouts.
Suddenly, the contraptions bursting with electric impulses.
Crying out in agony as my body begins to convulse, electric bolts dancing along my body and shooting unbearable pain throughout my limbs, I squeeze my eyes shut, fiery torment darting through my veins as I collapse to the cold, dirt-packed ground.
Newt sinks to his knees and collapses beside me, shouting out in torture along with the others.
The pain in my nervous system is so agonizing that if feels as if someone forced a red-hot burning metal rod down my spine, and the heat spread through my nerves throughout my body within that mere instant the illuminating and searing metal shot down my spinal cord.
The pain, growing overwhelming, causes me to slowly slip from consciousness as I jolt and convulse against my will.
Before my eyes close, I see Newt weakly reach for me before passing out himself.
Everything goes black.
• • •
"We need to put her down." I say as sternly as possible, voice trembling slightly, causing my own heart to stop.
Annie's pale, freckle-covered face falls in utter terror. "N-No! NO! (Y/N), NO! PLEASE, NO!" She screams, her green irises now a pale, deathly shade of grey, eyes bloodshot as she lashes.
Harriet, like always, is shocked by my authoritative attitude at such a horrific time, and she hesitantly nods as she, Susan, Cleo, and Sonya struggle to pin her down.
"You heard her, girls... Let's get her to the Cell." Harriet says.
"NO, STOP! PLEASE, DON'T!" Annie screams frantically as she lashes while the girls lift her from the ground, carrying her to the makeshift prison at the eastern side of the Heart.
Helen, the head of the Gardeners, purses her lips as she watches with her brows pulled in together. "She got stung in the day...?" She asks.
Staring ahead with my jaw clenched, I nod. "Yeah..."
"I thought the Grievers only come out at night?" She asks.
I turn to look at the Newbie, Rachel, who's still struggling to steady her breathing after having nearly been killed by Annie as Eleanor comfortingly pats her back in concern.
"Normally, yes, but I feel things are changing..." I mumble as I lock my eyes on the Newbie.
"How so?" Helen asks worriedly.
I shrug. "I... I don't know." Clearing my throat and standing a little taller, I look to Eleanor. "El, take Rachel to the Kitchen, get her some water and then take her to the Shelter to rest a bit. Don't leave until I come to get you two." I order.
She nods, putting an arm over Rachel's shoulders. "Come on." She says softly, leading her off.
Helen looks to me in worry. "Are you going to reroute tomorrow?"
I shake my head. "No one is running Annie's route tomorrow. No one is running it the rest of this week."
"But shouldn't you find out where the Griever is?"
"We can't risk losing anyone else." I say, but cowardice is the greater reason for me not to follow Annie's route. "Now, get back to work. I've got matters to handle..." With that, I turn on my heels, striding in the direction of the Cell, where Susan and Harriet are standing outside of it, arms folded as they mutter to one another. Billie and Catherine crouch outside the prison, leaning in as closely as possible in order to safely examine the crazed girl.
As I approach the Cell, I can hear Annie's faint sobs from within the prison, and a deep ache pierces my heart.
It takes everything in my power to not start crying myself. "Billie, Cat? How's it looking?"
With a small frown tugging on the corners of her lips, Billie turns her eyes towards me. "She's undoubtedly been stung."
Cat nods, her blonde hair falling into her face. "There's a patch of blood on the back of her shirt, so, while Susan, Harriet, Cleo, and Sonya were holding her still, I lifted the back of her shirt to get a solid confirmation. The veiny wound is definitely a sting."
"Though her appearance and psyche alone make that very obvious." Billie clarifies, her dark brown, sad eyes hiding behind her coal black, curly hair.
Clenching my jaw, I nod slightly. "Go check on the Newbie. She's with El; either in the Kitchen or in the Shelter."
With my order, the two Medics somberly rise to their feet, unable to glance back at Annie before they jog off.
I avert my eyes to Harriet and Susan. "You two have binding?"
Susan nods, lifting the roping.
"And I've got your spear." Harriet says, voice weak as she hands me the wooden weapon.
Taking it in my hands, I nod slowly, biting my lip. "Alright. Let's go."
Susan opens the wooden gated door of the Cell, and Harriet drags Annie out, who does not fight. She just cries weakly, limp in Harriet's arms.
We walk in silence towards the Woods, legs beginning to feel as heavy as lead.
I watch my feet as I tread through the leaves and greenery, leading the way deep in the Woods, walking past tree after tree.
Although the walk itself is of decent length, it feels terribly short, and I feel that we have arrived to our destination much too soon.
We approach the Sting Tree, and I stop in my tracks, staring at the blood-stained bark along the wide trunk of the tree.
Harriet and Susan act without needing my orders, used to the steps of handling a crazed friend.
I watch them in silence.
Harriet leans Annie against the tree, but, just as she releases her, Annie's eyes flash with maddened rage, and, suddenly, she cries in, both, anger and fear, tackling Harriet to the ground. "YOU LET RACHEL GET AWAY! IT'S HER YOU SHOULD BE TYING TO THIS TREE!"
"Annie!" Susan shrieks, running to her and grabbing Annie around the waist, using all of her strength to pry her off of Harriet.
I charge at the three of them. "ANNIE!" I snap, holding the spear in front of her throat just as Susan manages to hold her upright. "KEEP FIGHTING, AND YOU WON'T GET TO SAY ANY FINAL WORDS!"
Staring at me in terror, Annie immediately stops lashing, her long, red, curly hair falling into her face, and, panting, Harriet gets to her feet.
Susan drags Annie back to the Sting Tree, leaning her against it as Annie sobs, tears rolling down her face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She whimpers over and over.
Catching her breath, Harriet grabs the rope, and, with Susan's help, they tie Annie tightly to the tree.
Once they've finished, Harriet and Susan stand beside me, staring at Annie, who's pale face is wet with sweat and tears.
"Go check on the Newbie." I order Susan.
Without a single protest, Susan somberly walks off.
Harriet, already aware of what my next order is, cuts me off before I can speak. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you? I can do it, you know?"
I shake my head, eyes locked onto Annie as they get glossy. "As the leader, it's my burden to carry. If there's to be blood on anyone's hands, it's going to be mine..."
"But there's already so much blood on yours-"
"Go, Harriet." I command, sternly raising my voice. "Go."
Looking to Annie, her lip quivers. "Goodbye, old friend." Before she can break down, she turns on her heels and runs off.
I stab the makeshift spear into the ground, using it to support my weight as the tears finally begin to leave my eyes. "I'm so sorry, Annie..." I choke out.
Annie cries weakly, staring at me as the tears roll down her own pale cheeks, her veins growing visible as they darken in her face.
"I wish I could undo this... I wish that I could go back and stop myself from assigning you that route... I wish I could take back making you a Mapper in the first place..." I sniffle, wiping my eyes with my hoodie sleeve, yanking the spear out of the ground. "I wish I could save you, but there's nothing I can do. The Warping has already started... I have to stop it before you are ravenous beyond control."
Hiccuping weakly, Annie nods slowly. "It's... It's okay... I know..."
I break a sob, holding onto the spear with both hands, so tightly that my knuckles turn white, and aiming the wooden weapon at Annie's chest. "D-Do you want to say any last words?" I sniffle.
Pondering for a moment as she struggles to steady her breathing, Annie nods. "Yes... I just... Don't let their last memories of me be like this, (y/n)...and- and don't blame yourself for this... You're my best friend, and I know that you'll blame yourself, so don't... You couldn't control it."
I nod, another pang of pain piercing my heart. Annie using her last words to comfort the very person that's about to take her life causes me to cry even harder, the tears completely blurring my vision. "Are you ready?" I choke out.
She nods slowly. "I'm- I'm ready..." She sniffles.
I nod, licking my dry lips just as my salty sears roll onto them. Taking a deep, stuttered breath, I pull back the weapon to get some momentum, but, before I can go in for the kill, Annie speaks up.
"(y/n)..." She whispers weakly.
Blinking the tears out of my eyes as they flow down my face, I struggle to steady my sobs as I shift my eyes to hers.
In a soft, broken voice, she whispers, almost inaudibly, "Get them out of here..."
With trembling hands and eyes squeeze shut, I suddenly ram the spear into Annie's chest as hard as I can, hearing the wood impaling her, breaking through skin and bone. However, the worst part of it all is that I hear Annie let out a choked, agonized cry and take in several rapid gasps for air like a fish out of water.
Squeezing the spear tighter, I scream as I twist the spear with everything I've got, trying to put her out of her misery as quickly as possible.
After the longest minute of my life, I hear her make a final, gurgled gasp for air before going silent, the spear shoving slightly towards me as her body slumps against it.
Unable to open my eyes, I cry out as I yank the spear back, hearing the weapon pull out of her flesh.
As I hold the spear upright, leaning onto it for support, I force myself to open my eyes, wheezing rapidly as I trail my eyes along the wooden weapon just as Annie's dark red blood slowly oozes down the spear, rolling in droplets over my hand. With wide eyes, I yelp as I toss the spear away from me before accidentally catching a glimpse of Annie's body slumped forward, a pool of blood on her shirt and roping and the dirt around her. Clasping my bloody hands over my mouth as I back away, I sob uncontrollably, collapsing to my knees.
I squeeze my eyes shut, letting out an agonized, enraged scream up at the sky, balling my fists,  before leaning over into the dirt and leaves, on my hands and knees.
"YOU'RE SICK! YOU'RE SO SICK!" I shout, cursing at the people who put us here as I pound my fists on the ground.
Sitting upright, I jab my finger at the sky. "HOW CAN YOU PUT US IN A PLACE LIKE THIS AND WATCH ALL THESE PEOPLE DIE?! HOW MUCH LONGER DOES THIS INSANITY HAVE TO TAKE PLACE! SCREW YOU! SCREW! YOU!" I scream before doubling over on the ground and wailing into my hands.
It is my responsibility to lead, meaning any losses are my responsibility. Mine and the monsters' who put us here for whatever reason.
In the end, the death of my best friend is my responsibility. It's my fault.
"Get her up." A voice orders, seeming to be distant.
I feel my arms get yanked upward, getting pulled to my feet as my eyes weakly flutter open, vision adjusting to the campground illuminated by the fires, two guards dragging my weak body over to a line of people.
Getting shoved to the floor, I fall to my knees in the dirt beside Frypan.
My brain finally registers what is going on, remembering WICKED's sudden attack on the Right Arm and an explosion of electricity causing me to black out.
Aris is pushed to his knees to the left of me, panting heavily. "Are you alright?" He whispers.
Nodding, I give him a reassuring glance. "I can't believe this is happening..."
I watch Sonya get shoved to the floor on the other side of Aris.
Turning to look to my right, I spot Newt between Harriet and Minho, on the other side of Fry.
I catch Newt's glance as he sighs in relief.
"Are you okay?" He mouths, staring at me with concern.
I nod. "Are you?"
He nods.
Looking around, my eyes widen when I spot Janson as he walks along the rows of people with some more guards, blinding lights from more helicopters above scanning over the ground.
Suddenly, someone grasps the hair on the back of my head tightly, causing me to yelp in pain as they shove my head forward, exposing the back of my neck.
"Hey!" I hear Newt shout. "Don't you bloody hurt her, you-" He's cut off by the sound of a thud, letting out a grunt of pain, which results in Minho cursing angrily before grunting in pain, too.
I can hear the sound of a handheld scanner beeping, and the guard releases my head. "B3." He calls out to another man who is typing our labels into a different handheld device.
I lift my head to see Newt holding his stomach and Minho doubled over, groaning. The other guard near them shakes off their right hand. He must have punched them.
The very thought of that makes my blood boil.
I can see Janson muttering angrily to a guard as he examines the groups. "Is this it?"
"We lost a few, but we've still got a lot." The man replies, not lifting his eyes as he types.
Breathing in through his nose, Janson's examines our group. "Where's Thomas?"
"I'm right here." Thomas's familiar voice calls, drawing attention to himself as he stands behind the rows of us escapees and holds his hands up in surrender. Another guard rushes to him, yanking his arms behind his back as the man shoves Thomas ahead, forcing the boy to his knees beside Minho.
How could Thomas give up so easily?!
Janson smirks. "Good thing that you've came to your senses." He purrs, slowly striding to Thomas before suddenly punching the boy in the stomach, causing him to double over.
"HEY, LAY OFF OF HIM, SHUCKFACE!" Minho shouts, causing a nearby guard to quickly grab ahold of him.
Janson massages the knuckles of his right hand, smirking as he continues down the line.
Scowling at the WICKED guards, I watch them force Minho's head forward, scanning his neck. "A7," the figure calls before forcing Newt's head down. "A5."
Suddenly, the wind begins to rise to a roar,