Thomas came to a stop. The torturous jogging halted. He peeked around the corner we were glued next too, taking a quick glance before flipping back around to us. He gulped, tightening his grip on the spear he was holding.

"Is it a griever?" Chuck asked with a fearful doe eyed look.

"Yeah." Thomas whispered, his ribs expanding and falling rapidly.

"Shit." Chuck groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. I was surprised that he cursed. He almost never cursed. Although with everything we'd been through I couldn't blame him. Just overnight he had looked like he had aged a year or two. But those soft eyes still remained the same old Chuck. Still childish and warm.

"Take this Chuck." Minho handed the boy the presumed key. Our way out. "Stay behind us." Chuck turned the key over, his shoulders hunched over.

"You're gonna be with me, okay." I messed up his hair, putting an arm around his shoulder. Butterflies fluttered in my own stomach. They swarmed around, bumping into ribs and organs. I couldn't show anything I felt. Even if I wanted to piss myself. I had to put on a good face for Chuck. "You know I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." I muttered in his ear.

"As long as you let me protect you too." He whispered back. Chuck really was a sweet kid. I had to protect him. No matter what. He was the last bit of innocence we carried with us. My last glimmer of hope.

"Just think of how sick we'll look when we tell this story to Oprah."

"Yeah." Chuck's smile reassured not only me but himself. His shoulders straightened out as he lifted his posture. We had made it. This was it. The sweat stained on all our shirts and skin only showed our grittiness. How we clung to the idea of freedom. The war we had been put through would be over. After one final battle.

"Once we're through it'll activate and the door will open." Thomas gestured at the key, he seemed so confident yet frightened. Showing the true form of courage. "Alright we stay close, we stick together, we get through this. We get out now or we die trying."

"That was beautiful." I joked, hoping that teasing him would ease my nerves. "You should really be a motivational speaker after this."

"You're really joking right now?" Newt hissed, poking me in the back.

"I saw an opportunity and I took it." I forced a smirk on my face, hoping my demeanor would follow. "Fuck off Amphibaboy."

"Oh that is really classy y/n." Newt scoffed, continuing to bicker with me back and forth until Thomas interrupted.

"Alright." He pulled our attention away from our quarrel. "Let's go!" Thomas exclaimed, piercing the sky with his spear. We turned the corner, all of us charging full speed into the nest of grievers.

My body screamed at me to turn back. To cower away back into Gally's arms. But still I ran. Thinking of Zart. About his mangled body. I had to avenge him. Avenge all of them.

"I'm gonna fucking kill this Griever fuck!" I shouted, fighting my winded lungs. The creature galloped toward us. Showing no signs of stopping. I wielded my knife with me. My special one. If I had it with me I was safe. Everything was going to be fine. Everything.

The Griever roared, spraying spit on us. Boys screamed, not caring to wipe it off. We got closer and closer and closer. Until we met.

People in the front jammed their spears towards the monster. It slipped to the left, narrowly falling off of the cliff like platform we were on to avoid us. The griever took it's claws, stabbing them back in the stone to regain it's footing. Boys took advantage of it's disposition, attacking with their toothpick like spears.

"Push it!" Thomas yelled, digging his spear into it's eye. The creature let out an agonizing shriek, curling up it's faithful tail. It swung the barbed appendage making us all duck. It took the claw that was affixed at the end of the tail and grabbed a boy, flinging him over the edge.

"Holy fuck!" I blurted, the boy's cries shocking me still. Then I heard Chuck. How he let out a scream. It snapped me back, making me realize where I was. The key had been hit out of his grasp and was now on its descent toward the platforms edge.

"The key!" Chuck moved quickly, darting after the rolling object. He slid out for it, arms extended.

"Hey watch out for the edge!" I called out, chasing after him. He had caught it but was now teetering dangerously.

"Ahhh!" Chuck yelped. "Pull me up! Pull me up! Pull me up!" I grabbed him by his backpack, yanking him back to the surface. When we turned back I saw that the boy's had succeeded in shoving the griever into the abyss. Our triumph was short lived.

BOOM

A new griever sank it's claw way to close for comfort to Chuck and I. Oh fuck! I pulled him to the other direction only to see another griever right in our faces.

"They're coming!" Chuck screamed, tugging me towards the group. "They're coming!"

"That's what she said!" I cried, my legs moving in a blur. We sprinted to the door. Leaving the others to deal with the monsters. Teresa met up with us, practically tripping and falling face first into the wall. We heard a little squeak and all of a sudden the door began to lift. Concrete moving with ease.

"It worked!" Chuck exclaimed, turning toward the boy's.

"Don't look back!" I ordered, jerking him through the new entrance. We sprinted until we met the dead end. A circular hollowed out hole waited for us. I went into the darkness. Red light illuminated the cavern. A combination popped up, taunting us.

"Fuck!" I kicked at the wall. "Stay here!" I demanded at Chuck and Teresa. Sucking in a deep breath I scurried back to the entrance, calling out. "Eyo what's the fuckin' code?!" Thomas looked over his shoulder, still jabbing with his spear. "There's eight numbers!" He muttered something to himself before shouting at Minho.

"Hey Minho! What's the sequence?!"

"What?!" Minho responded, busy fighting for his life. Come on hurry up. Hurry the fuck up! Don't let this be for nothing. Please.

"The sections of the maze, what's the sequence?!" Thomas dodged the grievers, who were now biting towards the boys.

"Seven!" Minho began to answer. Teresa started on the code, tapping on the screen. "One! Five! Two! Six! Four! Look out!" A griever fell from the ceiling out of nowhere, falling on Minho. Trapping him. Slobbering over him.

The only thing holding the two apart was twig of a spear. Seconds from snapping. That's when Victor did it. The second most incredibly stupid thing to do.

It was like watching the scene in slow motion. His hair blurring into a flame as he rushed forward. What I did was the first most stupid thing to do. Following him.

With one hand I took the back of his shirt, ripping the material as I snatched him backwards. Replacing him with me. I heard him land on the ground in a groan. Safe. Leaving me under a towering creature. Minho's fate in my hands.

"Fuck you!" Swinging my knife back I used it to strike the grievers skin. It dug into the flesh and I heard it whine. I took the knife back and the griever stilled, allowing Minho to slip away from underneath. It whimpered, hanging what it's looked like to be head. Scuttling away, not harming a hair on my head.

I stood there. Still. Blinking my eyes to make sure if that really just happened. Minho continued yelling the code while I looked up in awe at the different grievers. One neared me, making me yelp as it rubbed against me. Purring. Another took hold of my shirt, it's claws handling me ever so delicately.

It lifted me. In the air. As it crooned. Stretching it's arm and setting me in the very back of the cavern. Patting me on my hair. For once I was speechless. Completely stunned.

All I could hear was everyone's breathing, echoing against the walls. Waiting to see what the griever's would do next. They sat still. Looking at us in the same curiosity.

"Go away!" The words came out of me, making my voice hoarse. A griever turned it's head, tilting it. Confidence surged in my veins. "Yeah! You heard me, go away!"

It looked at me for a moment. Then, taking a moment to consult with it's friends, it nodded. Turning around slowly with it's comrades. Slumping down into the shadows. Teresa entered the code, causing all of the doors to close.

Leaving us in the darkness.