Admit Defeat (TMR fic 2)

Chapter 15

"Ash, wake up." Even when I feel half-dead, I recognize that accent.

"Go boil your head," I growl, not bothering to open my eyes. I don't want to wake up, and I don't want to talk to Newt.

"There's food."

I crack my eyes open. "You're lying."

"Okay then," he says and drops a carrot on my face.

I'm instantly awake. "How?" Before he can answer I'm trying to scarf the carrot down.

He rolls his eyes. "Slow down or you'll choke. And we don't know. There's a dude out there and a pile of food."

I pause my eating. "He work with WICKED?" I wouldn't mind killing one of them.

"He won't say. But probably." Newt's clenching his jaw, and I know it's bothering him. He knows we're still in the game.

"Let's go chat, then," I say, swinging my legs out of bed and stumbling to the door.

"Okay, I'm concerned," Newt says, following on my heels. "You're more interested in this than the food, and-"

"Food isn't revenge," I answer before he finishes. "They want us to eat. That's what they expect." I am more than their expectations.

Most of the boys are still half asleep, but a few of them are in the main room, attacking a pile of food with impressive enthusiasm.

In one corner of the room is a desk, and a man sitting in a rolling chair. He's reading from a book, and I clench my fists as soon as I see his white lab coat.

He's definitely with WICKED.

I'm running, sprinting towards him. I want to get my hands on his throat and rip him to-

I slam into something invisible. My nose cracks as my weight throws me into the barrier. I stumble back from the rebound, collapsing from the unexpected pain. Tears and blood run down my face.

"Newt?" I say while holding my bleeding nose.

"Are you okay?" He's kneeling next to me, and through my blur of tears it looks like he's quite worried.

"There's an invisible wall."

He flicks my forehead. "No kidding. Are you okay?"

I shrug a bit. "It hurts. I think I've broken my nose, but hey. I was planning on trying for the 'ugliest Glader award' now that Gally is gone, anyway. He was unbeatable, but now I definitely have a chance."

Newt rolls his eyes. "Well, clearly it didn't jostle your brains any, you're as snappy as ever."

"Hey, look!" I point upwards. "It's not completely invisible now."

A small smudge of blood is floating in midair.

"Now I remember why we weren't talking," Newt grumbles.

I cuff the side of his head. "We weren't talking because we argued, not because I'm annoying. And besides, you brought me food. Didn't you figure out ages ago that bringing me food is how you win my loyalty?"

"So you're not mad anymore?"

"We'll see. You must not be if you came to get me without eating anything yourself."

He gapes at me. "How do you know I didn't eat?"

"Lucky guess." I hadn't actually known, but it fit his character, and his reaction just confirmed it.

He shakes his head, long hair whipping in his face. "Okay, let's at least have a truce and get you to stop bleeding. Then we can eat and figure out who this man is," reminded of the stranger, I glance up to see him still reading his book, completely ignoring us, "and then we can argue again."

I grin. "Sounds like a plan."