𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐑, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿

41. okay, time to be serious

"I'm impressed." Jorge spoke up, "You guys almost lasted the whole day." Bea snickers as a response, giving a look to Nancy.

Vivian's motorcycle could be heard and seen as she drove side by side with the truck, a little figure hiding infront of her. Bea quickly blinks her eyes, taking a double-take. "Excuse me, why is there and why would you think bringing my little sister, Prim.. is a good idea?" Bea grumbled, narrowing her eyes at Vivian and her little sister, Prim who happened to snuck into a coat.

"Wait, what?"

"Oh no.. no way.."

"And I thought I finally had peace."

"Alright, who's gonna babysit her?"

Everyone fell silent at the statement, glancing around nervously. Not Bea though, she looks annoyed, and maybe scared and worried for her little sister. Vicky scoffs from the front, moving her body to turn around and met their eyes of annoyed and frustration.

"Why'd you let her come anyway, you do know how dangerous this mission is." Nancy said, narrowing her eyes at Prim.

Unfazed, Vicky raised her eyebrows, glancing at Bea and Thomas with an annoyed look. "She's such a snitch! She's like this, 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦." Vicky said highly, her voice pitchy, mimicking Prim's voice. Nancy laughs quietly at her attempt, looking at Newt. However, Vicky still looks unimpressed, raising her eyebrows for explanation.

"Blame him. It's his fault." Bea deadpanned, nervous at Vicky's facial expression, sitting down properly next to Nancy.

"Y-yeah, t-totally, it's my fault." Thomas agreed, nodding nervously. He thinks of something to add. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway?" He asked, noticing Jorge and Brenda's sharing looks.

"We came to save your ass." Vicky said fanciful.

Thomas hides his smile, shaking his head, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to bring you guys into this." He roll his eyes at the redhead girl as they exchanged small smile.

"Because he's a wuss," Bea mocks, grumbling as she adjusted her jacket, throwing her brother a look from behind.

"Hey, don't get your hopes up." Jorge reminded, Vivian was a little ahead of them but still near. "That checkpoint back there, that was the City's last defense. If that was overrun, chances are the city is, too."

"Yeah, unless they figured out some other way to keep the Cranks out." Newt spoke up, looking out the window. Following his gaze, seeing many buildings, skyscrapers. Walls surrounded them.

"The walls are so huge." Nancy said amazed. "It's probably for keeping the rebels out." Bea reminded. Nancy's lips perked down, nodding in agreement.

Jorge told Vicky to warn Vivian, Vicky understand instantly, picking up her walkie-talkie, connecting the line with her mother. She whistles, once double-checking that Vivian's connected. Vivian understood as both her and Jorge stopped the truck and motorcycle.

"Funny," Newt commented once we all get out, taking a better look at the City. "Spent three years trapped behind walls, trying to break out, and now we wanna break back in." "Yeah, it's hilarious." Frypan agreed sarcastically. "Ironic, isn't it?" Nancy joined in, putting hands on her hips.

"Jorge, Vivian. How do we get in?" Thomas questions. "Don't look at me, hermano. Those walls are new. I guess that's WICKED' answers for everything." Jorge shrugged.

Vivian joined the rest, explaining some things she knows about the Last City to Thomas and Newt, Frypan listening with Brenda. Prim running towards them as well, Bea hid behind Nancy as response, jokingly getting away from Prim. Vicky ruffled Prim's hair as Nancy smiled genuinely sweet at the the young girl. She held a special place in their hearts.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Bea scolded Prim, tapping her little shoulder. "You can't come with us, Prim. It's too dangerous. And a certain redhead named Vicky too." Bea shot Vicky a glare. Vicky rose her arms quickly as defense, "Hey, you can't blame me! I love Mary, I really do. But her job boring me sometimes."

"Yeah, what Vicky said. And, I want to hold your hand." Prim said with a little sass. Bea huff a little, but didn't fight back. Bea didn't show it, she didn't really show much love affection towards her loved ones: her brother and sister. But I'm telling you, she did show them, she just didn't really mind about it. So that's why she just lets Prim hold her hand that easily, while she continued on having conversations with her girls.

"You really think Minho's in there?" Vicky asks, looking at Bea and Nancy. They stared at her but didn't say anything, unsure of their words choices. "So that's probably where Thèrèse lives now, huh?" Bea frowns, looking ahead at the cities.

"Girls," Vivian called, catching their attentions. "Yes, mother?" Vicky answers politely. "Come on, let's get moving." Vivian said, nodding her head towards the others and the truck, signalling the girls that they had got in. Nancy, Bea and Vicky nods in reassurance, holding a tiny thumbs up. "Well, we should get going now." Vicky said simply, getting in the truck.

Prim couldn't help but disconnected her warmth with her older sister, Bea frowns at the dismissed of comfort but let Prim runs off anyway, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead before watching her little sister giving a hug to Thomas as he ruffled her hair, then ran towards Vivian.

The group had settled in the truck, well almost everyone - Newt, stayed behind, staring off into the city. Nancy froze halfway of sitting on her seat, searching for her brother worriedly. "Newt?" She catches his attention as Newt throw a glance at her, "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" Nancy began to walk towards him, putting a comforting hand on his back. Newt let out a sigh, "Do- you, Do you really think he's in there? What if we can't save him in time?" He asked, voice cracking slightly. "Oh Newt, that's such nonsense. Of course we'll save him in time. We're a 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮, right? Besides, I'm with you. And I need you with me now." Nancy said firmly, but reassuring.

Newt nodded, rethinking her words. "You know, they're gonna be there too." He reminded, mentioning Thèrèse and Teresa. Nancy shot him a look, nodding slightly, "I.. know." Her voice whispers.

Nancy only thought about Thèrèse and Teresa a couple of times, she couldn't help it but try to understand their points of view. Trying to understand what could've make Thèrèse and Teresa turned their back on them and joined WICKED. Nancy had only knew Teresa for a couple of weeks and they did make a healthy friendship, just not close enough. But Thèrèse, Nancy couldn't help but feel she had known her since birth.

Thèrèse was always the quiet one, very disciplined and hard-working. No play, just study and works. Only talks when needed, if the conversation was unnecessary, then she kept herself unbothered. She's very determined and strong, very brave to takes the risks. That's why her bond friendship with the Gladers are unnoticeable.

Nancy was friends with her for a couple of weeks too since WICKED, but makes a very huge bonding friendship with her, so strong. And what added to her overthinking was, she keeps getting back memories of her past; Newt, Sonya, Tommy, Teresa, Vicky and Minho. She didn't met Frypan yet at that time but who she did met was: Alby.

Not only she had gotten back memories with Vicky. But she keeps getting memories about Beatrice and Thèrèse. How they met her on the train, it explains a lot since Thomas and Bea are siblings, Thèrèse, usually sticks by her father's side.

Then it hits her suddenly, all those memories made her realized; Nancy hadn't only know Bea and Thèrèse for a couple of weeks since the facility, but she had known them since kids! The very first time they met, making such wonderful girlhoods together through thick and thin, only for WICKED to split them up into mazes. For Bea and Thèrèse, they're still together, just getting their memories erased and freshing a new start. But for Vicky and Nancy, it's game over. It felt like they were strangers again, whose laughs them both could recognize anywhere.

- "𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳,
𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦
𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦."