Stronger Together

Chapter 19: The Old Friend and The Boss

I put a hand on the floor of the van as it turned.

It parked a moment later and the masked men got up from their seats. The one who attacked me grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up while one opened the door. He led me out.

Once he did, we saw Jorge punching a guy. The guy who held me glanced over at the other two. They took off towards the fight, leaving me and the attacker. He walked us to it but still holding me back. The masked men did the same to the group while Brenda reassured Jorge.

"Everybody, relax. We are on the same side here," the leader told us.

Thomas got his shirt out of the man's grip and turned around to face him as the attacker let go of my arm. And I rejoined the group.

"What do you mean 'same side'? Who the hell are you?"

Silence fell between us before the leader took off his mask and looked back to us.

"Hey Greenie," he spoke.

"Gally?" Thomas asked in the moment of  disbelief.

It spread throughout the group.

"No shit," I heard Frypan breathe.

Then, Thomas snapped out of it and  ran to the boy. And he punched him. The impact made him hit the floor and Thomas got on top of him. The group protested and the man readied their guns.

Newt and I shared a glance before running to Thomas. I saw his fist go up, ready to punch again. I did a hand gesture and captured it with my powers.

"It's alright. It's alright," the boy told his crew.

"Woah, woah, woah. Stop, stop, stop it." Newt said as he held Thomas's fist back and we knelt beside him, "stop."

"He killed Chunk," Thomas recalled.

"Yeah I know, I know. I remembered, I was there too, alright. I also remember that he was stung and half of his mind," the blonde boy mentioned.

"Y/N, imagine if someone killed Millie. How would you feel?" Thomas asked as he looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"That's not the point right now. Calming down is," I spoke as Newt looked around at the guys with guns in their hands.

"Calm down, alright," Newt said in a lower voice.

Thomas stepped back and I took back my powers once he did. Gally got to his feet.

"Kinda had that coming" he mentioned as he massaged his jaw, "anybody else? Fry? Newt?"

"You know this guy?" Jorge asked Frypan.

"He's an old friend," Frypan replied.

"How. H-how is this possible?" Newt questioned as shaking his head, "We watched you die."

"No, you left me to die" Gally corrected, "And if we hadn't found you like we did, you would be dead right now. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Minho. WICKED has him here. We're looking for a way in," Newt replied.

"I can help with that. Follow me."

"We are not going anywhere with on," Thomas said.

"Suit yourself but I can get you through those walls" Gally spoke.

-✨-

"After the maze, I got picked up by a group headed to the city. They realized I was immune. Patched me up. They brought me here. Lawrence," Gally explained as we followed him down a ramp, "This group has been at war with WICKED ever since they took control of the city. WICKED can't hide behind those walls forever. Day's going to come and they're going to pay for what they done."

He stopped and turned to us.

"Listen, uh. He doesn't get a lot of visitors so let me do the talking, alright. And try not to stare," he added before he continued walking.

We followed him into a room.

"Rose can be nose I suppose. Rose can be nose I suppose" a voice whispered.

We went down a flight of stairs, to a place where roses grew. We saw a figure in sunlight

"Gally," the figure announce as it leaned up from picking roses, "glad to see you back. Jasper told me what happened."

"There was a slaughter. There's nothing that we can do against those guns."

"No, but they can only poke the hornet's nest so long before they get stung. " the figure raised a rose to what appears his nose one was but the sunlight showed us that he had a missing nose.

He smelled it before bringing it down.

"Who are these people? Why're they here" Lawrence spoke.

"We need to get into WICKED. Gally said that you can get us through the walls," Thomas exclaimed as he stepped up where Gally stood.

The figure looked at Thomas for a moment, then returned to what he was doing.

"Gally should have known better than to make promises that he can't keep."

"Besides, the wall is only half your problem," he added as he took his IV hanger and wheeled it over to the other side, "Getting inside WICKED is impossible."

"There might be a way now," Gally spoke, "but it doesn't work without Thomas."

Thomas glanced at him, curiously. Then, he looked back when Lawrence started to speak
"Is that so? You know what I am? He asked as he started to walk towards us, "Thomas?"

Once he reached the light , it confirmed that he was a crank. He leaned closer to the brown haired boy.

"I am a businessman."

The crank leaned back.

"Which means I don't take unnecessary risks. Why should I trust you?" He questioned Thomas.

"So I can help you" the boy responded, referring to his condition.

"You see if you can get me through those walls, I can get you what you need" he added.

"And what is it that you think I need?" Lawrence spoke.

"Time." Thomas replied, "every last drop."

The crank turned away as he puffed.
"Is that what I need?"

"WICKED is something we both want," Thomas said.

"I'll tell you what," Lawrence told the boy, "three can go for now, the rest stay down here with me. A little reassurance that you will make your way back."

Thomas glanced back at the group then back at Lawrence.

"We have a deal?" The crank asked as I watched him offer his hands.

Thomas looked at it before taking it. The man smiled before speaking again.

"Gally, show them the way."