𝐃𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐈𝐀 - TMR, Gally ² / ³

𝟢𝟢𝟨，𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐬

In disgust, the WCKD employees stare at the body in front of them.

"This obviously did not come from an animal," Janson starts, taking a few steps around the table. "You see that? Eleven stabs."

"Another crank?"

"Maybe. It seems like the stabs weren't meant to kill. Or the killer isn't experienced. Just stabbed around a bit," he explains. "But obviously, eleven stabs kills."

"Why is this so important? Don't we pass dead Cranks more often?"

"Not like this," he says. There's a sigh. "Call Ava. Tell her there's been multiple deaths here. Threats going around. Yesterday, on our wall. Written in blood, 'YOU'LL ALL PAY'. Tell her we'll be moving to the city."

"The kids are still gone."

"Oh, we'll get those," he grins. "I've got a good helper by my side."

***

Calm, calm, calm, calm, calm— she's not calm at all.

No matter how much she tries to hide how much she just cried in the shower, or how upset she is, Jasper still notices something's wrong the second she enters the room to eat dinner.

"What happened, kid? Reunited with someone?"

She shakes her head. Without a word, the girl sits down. Starts pricking around her plate a bit.

The Crank must've been a worker for WCKD. She could see his badge, and he remembered her. He said things about how he watched her in the Glade. Her and Gally. Her and Camil. Her in the Maze—

"Tell me," Jasper speaks again. He lies a hand on her arm. "After that, I'll have better news for you."

Joan sniffs, which ends up being mixed with a cry. "I killed him."

"Who?"

"I don't know," she cries out.

"Well, you've killed before."

"It was brutal," it comes out as a whisper. "I acted out of impulse. Didn't even use the gun. Just started stabbing— out of anger, and pain, I guess. He mentioned what my friends would think if they saw me like this and then I got even angrier—" another cry.

He raises an eyebrow. "The point?"

"I only stopped stabbing at number eleven," she manages, having the urge to throw up. "And there was so much blood, and his whole face was mashed together, and I don't even know what organs I hit while stabbing but for sure a lot, and I meant to cure him but he made me angry, and—"

She cuts herself off when suddenly, her cheek is pressed against his leather jacket: Jasper is hugging her.

Tense, she pats his shoulder. But after a while, she gets comfortable and hugs him back, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. "I meant to save people. Well, threaten them into working for me, or us, but not kill them. I wanted to give him the serum too!"

He stops rubbing her back for a few seconds, humming. "And did he deserve to die?"

She has to think about that. It's kind of sad he likely got sent away by WCKD because he was infected, but he still worked for them. He watched her and her friends. Through what times? Had they seen her and Gally at the lake? Them 'checking out' if her wall was steady? The stupid jokes?

"He deserved it," she eventually realizes, tone lowered.

"Say it like you're actually convinced it is. As if it's a fact, which it might be."

"He deserved to die," Joan repeats. A flash of the doctor's bloody face makes her sink, yet she does feel a tad better. It's not like she killed the most innocence person alive. "Now tell me the good news."

"I got three Cranks that are ready to work for us. Already gave them the serum. They're in the basement, recovering before we'll place them in one of the rooms I cleaned. Beryn, Res, and Viktor. All around the age of twenty-five, maybe older?"

"Any useful skills?"

"Beryn was good with his fists. Strong guy. Res... hm, I barely noticed her creeping up behind me. She's like a shadow. And Viktor seemed to have a handmade bow. We could use some of those."

"Good. I'll bring them some food," she decides. "And give them a good deal."

"Be careful."

"Will be."

The girl takes the bowl with the salad they made out of some strange plants, and the meat they hunted on. Walking down the cracking stairs isn't very enjoyable, and once she's in front of the door, ready to knock, the nervousness starts to kick in.

"Who's there?" A raspy voice comes from inside.

With a big breath, she opens the door. The knife sits comfortably in her waistband, so there's nothing to worry about. "Your new leader."

She's face-to-face with three people who indeed are older and way taller than her. Beryn might be as tall as Gally, if not taller, with red beard and a buzz cut.

Res has scars all over her face. One of her eye just isn't... there, and Joan notices how unevenly her dark hair is cut.

Viktor seems a bit younger than the other two. Looks like Beryn, but seems more innocent in some way. Maybe a brother?

"You?" Res scoffs. A few darker veins on her neck betray she still hasn't fully recovered. "A little girl who barely makes it to five feet? Yeah, sure."

"Don't underestimate me," she says. Though she does wish that she would've made higher shoes after all. "I'm ready to kill all of you if you don't obey. Either I save you by giving you a serum against the Flare and you work for me, or you refuse and I kill you."

Since Jasper was the first one she approached, she didn't go too threatening on him. But it was actually his idea to handle it like this from now on.

"Clean clothes, swollen eyes, combed hair, barely any scars... it doesn't leave much of an impression." Beryn's eyes trail over her body. It makes her want to shrink. "Once punch from me and it's over for you."

"Is it? This is the idea. You help me defeat WCKD and follow every single order I get you, and I provide you of food, water, clothes, and a proper bed. Plus, I save you from turning into a monster I'm sure you don't want to be. How about that?"

"Ahw. So cute, yet scary... ready to die at such a young age."

"Poor little girl who's still waiting for her happy ending."

"A tragedy for—"

Before either one of them knows it, Joan has Res pressed against the wall, her knife below Res's chin. "Finish that, and I'll finish you."

But she starts laughing. Takes little gasps of air before snorting at Joan again, whose anger is rising, fast-paced.

She presses the knife up enough to draw blood. "I told you. Either work for me or die."

"I'd rather die than work for a little girl," that's Beryn.

Three seconds later, his wish has come true, and Joan stares down at his limp body with a shocked yet satisfied expression.

She forces a grin as she looks up at the other two. "Do we have a deal now?"