26. Thunderstorm

Claiming the sky once again, the sun setted and the moon rose. The teens hid in an old scrap yard under and between metal containers, all crowing round the familiar scent of burning wood.

As Aris walked back to the group he threw more wood into the fire and took a seat next to Athena. "I thought we were supposed to be immune." Minho asked.

"Not all of us, I guess." Teresa replied. Newt once again noticed the anxiousness of Athena whenever the subject is mentioned.

"If Winston can get infected we should assume so can the rest of us." Newt pointed out.

Athena trying her best to ignore the conversation. Ignore the guilt she felt right now. Yes she didn't have Winston's files. The only two people in the files she had where one is dead, and the other was sat right next to her.

"I never thought that I would say it..." Frypan started as a tear fell down his cheek as he stared into the fire, "I miss the Glade." as that statement left his mouth, the other dawned in silence. All thinking of the truthfulness of that. They would be safe. They would be away from the world of chaos. Their friends would still be here.

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Walking through the scorching heat they trudged down yet another sand dune.

Another plain.

Another thousand miles.

Another sandstorm.

Emptying the last of his water, a single drop fell onto his dried out tongue. Frustration taking over his emotions, Minho threw the steel bottle onto the ground away from them.

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Play - Play with Fire by Sam Tinnesz ft. Yacht Money - on repeat

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As the cycle of daylight took place, day became night, once again. The inevitable.

Her back against his chest and his arm around her waist, Newt and Athena, much like the rest of the group, were getting the best sleep they could.

Shifting in his sleep Thomas opened his eyes to see a bright light in the distance. The light of a building. "Hey. Hey." He spoke in his scratched voice. "Get up." He said as he hit Newt on the leg causing him to jolt awake.

"What?" He asked in a panicked but still groggy voice.

"Newt, Athena get up. Come on, let's go. Frypan, Aris." he said as he went around the group waking them.

"Let me sleep!" Athena mumbled still curled up in a ball on the ground.

"I see something." Thomas explained.

"Come on, love. Up ya get." Newt said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

"Woah, what is it?" Minho asked as he looked at the source of light.

"You see that?" Thomas asked. "It's lights"

"We made it." Minho replied.

Suddenly a crack of lightning sounded from behind them. Thunder erupting through the skies. Coming closer and closer.

"Let's go. We gotta go. Come on." Thomas ushered the group. Picking up their bags the group started their journey trying to outrun mother nature.

"Hurry!""Go! Run!"

Shouts of encouragement sounded through the group as they came up to the building. Lighting striking above and around them. "We're getting closer." Minho reassured.

As the group kept running they came up to stranded cars, the metal attracting the lightning, as they ran past. "Get inside go!"

Hitting the ground beside him and Athena, Minho looked up at the eye of the storm "Oh, shit" as they kept running almost at the door a strike hit the car beside Minho causing him to fly to the ground taking Athena down with him.

Falling on top of her she fell on her wrist first as she landed on her stomach and Minho on top of her back to back. A ringing sounding through her ears, Athena tried to move but MInho wouldn't budge. He was knocked out cold from shock. Smoke coming off his body.

"Minho!"

"Thea!" The group shouted as they ran over to the pair.

"Come help them!" Thomas shouted as he tried to pull Minho off her.

"Come on, him up then Thea can move." Newt ordered him and Frypan lifted Minho up and started to drag him inside. Aris pulled Athena off the ground with her good arm and rushed her inside.

"Come on, get in!" Teresa shouted as she ran through the door. The rest following.

"Put him down." Thomas said as the group stood in darkness.

"Watch his head." Athena warned.

"Who's got a light?" The shine of a light revealed the unconscious body of Minho lying on the ground. "Minho!" Thomas shouted as he shook Minho's body.

"Minho?" Newt asked his voice filled with worry.

"Minho!" Athena shouted as tears brimmed her eyes.

"Come on, Minho." Frypan pleaded.

Getting no response the groups worry only increased. "Come on, man." Newt begged.

Silence dawning over the group, was interrupted by a groan of pain from Minho, the group exhaling of worry.

"There he is." Aris confirmed.

"Esta va a ser la muerte de mi." Athena mumbled as he sat on the ground after previously crouching.

"Would have to agree with you Thea." Minho agreed which caused the group to look at him. "What happened?"

"I think you got struck by lightning. And Athena, involuntarily broke your fall." Thomas answered which caused a few chuckles through the group.

"Your welcome by the way." She replied as she sat by his head.

"Oh." he breathed out calmly. "Thanks"

Chuckling at his calmness the group pulled him up to his feet, "Nice and slow." Newt said as they rested his weight between Thomas and Frypan. "You alright." He asked as he put a hand on Athena's chin and checked her face for injuries.

"I'm fine, just hit my head a bit, and landed on my wrist. Apart from that I'm doing wonderfully." She replied sarcastically.

Rolling his eyes at her, he gave no reply and kissed her on the lips. After checking how bad her wrist was he wrapped an arm round her waist just to give her a bit more support.

"What's that smell?" Teresa asked as she walked a bit more forward then the group. Turning on her flashlight a Crank jumped towards her, causing Thomas to pull her back. As it tried to jump to the group again it stayed put as it struggled. Chains holding the monster back. "Behind you!"The group turned to see a Crank just like the other chained up trying to reach the group. And another. And another.

"Oh, shit. Oh my god." Thomas breathed out as they were surrounded. The room filled with tied up Cranks.

"I see you've met our guard dogs." An unknown woman's voice sounded through the room.

Turning to look at them, the woman flicked on a light in a hidden doorway and started to walk past the Cranks like it was nothing. "Stay back, stay back." Minho warned.

As the woman appeared in front of them, she had short brown hair and olive skin, similar to Athena's and brown eyes. She looked around the group inspecting each of them. "You guys look like shit." She spoke honestly.

"Can't lie, I've had better days." Athena replied, reading the woman's body language trying to see what she was up to.

Hearing Athena's comment the woman placed a smirk on her face as she looked at her. "Come on. Follow me." she said as she turned round and walked the way she came. "Unless you want to stay here with them." Gesturing to the Cranks around them.

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As she slid open a door the group walked into the dimly lit room, seeing about a hundred people living in the building. "Oh, my." Frypan said as he looked round the room.

"Come on, keep up." The short haired woman instructed. "Jorge wants to meet you."

"Who?" Newt mumbled to Athena as the two walked at the back on the group fingers entwined together.

"Who's Jorge?" Thomas asked as the group got to the top of a set of stairs.

"You'll see. No one's come out of the Scorch in a long time. You've just got him curios. And me, too"

Feeling a hand slightly gaze her butt over her Jeans, Athena tensed up and turned behind her to see random people following their group. As the grip on his hand got tighter Newt and Fry who was on the other side of Athena turned round to see the men piling up.

"Anybody else started to get a bad feeling about this place?" Newt asked as he pulled Athena in front of him and Frypan.

"Let's just hear him out. See what he has to say." Thomas replied.

"Yeah, because that always goes well." Athena bitterly replied.

Getting to the top of the final set of steps they walked into what seemed to be some form of an apartment. Walking towards the man the woman spoke up. "Jorge, they're here." she announced.

"Sh, sh, sh, quite." he whispered as he listened in on the radio. As the sounds became more static the man lost the line. "Damn it."

As he put down the headphones and stood up, more people started to surround the group, as the man turned to face them. "Do you ever feel like the whole world is against you?" he asked.

"All the time." Frypan whispered to Athena which caused her to nod her head in agreement with him.

"Three questions." the man said as he walked towards them. "Where did you come from? Where are you going? How can I profit?" he asked as he poured himself a drink.

None of them made a sound.

"Don't all answer at once."

"We're headed for the mountains." Thomas started. "Looking for the Right Arm." causing the men to laugh.

"You're looking for ghosts, you mean." Jorge replied. "Question number two." he said as he walked closer, "Where did you come from?"

"That's our business." Minho replied.

With a nod of Jorge's head the men grabbed the group restraining them from moving. Teresa grabbed a device and walked towards Thomas.

"Get off me!"

"Shut up, ya big baby." Brenda said as she used the device to scan Thomas' neck.

"What is that?" getting no reply, the men released them.

"You were right." she said looking at Jorge, passing him the device.

"Right about what? What is she talking about?" Thomas asked.

"I'm sorry, hermano" He started "Looks like you're tagged. You came from Wicked." he said causing all the strangers to look at them more angrily. "Which means you're very valuable."

As he said this the men started to walk closer to the group enclosing them a tight space. Going to grab for Thomas, Minho quickly kicked the guy back, causing all the men to pounce at once.

Managing to fight off her guy three more grabbed Athena at once holding her where she stood. Jorge turned towards Brenda, "Vas a tratar con ellas?" he asked which spiked Athena's interest.

"Si" Brenda replied and walked towards the group and pointed to the door, and the men started to drag the group that way.

"Estás con la bruja Wicked?" Athena shouted which caused Brenda and Jorge to look at eachother shocked.

"Leave the girl." Jorge commanded.

As the rest of the group shouted words of disagreement, the men shoved the group out of the room, Brenda following close behind and slamming the floor behind her.

Leaving Athena, Jorge, and the three men restraining her left in the room. 

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