Tears flood my vision, but I coerce myself to smile, clutching his hand tightly as if I could anchor him here with me "we'll have that life, Newt" I whisper, my voice trembling "we'll find a way out of this, and we'll have everything we dreamed of, a home, peace, together", his fingers squeeze mine gently, and he huffs a soft, almost wistful laugh "still so stubborn," he teases, his chest rising and falling unevenly "but I don't think... I'll make it that far", "don't say that," I snap, my voice breaking "you will make it, Newt, you have to. We're so close, you can hold on a little longer, for me", his dark, glassy gaze finds mine, and I notice the pain there, but also something softer-a quiet resignation that makes my chest tighten "Rose" he says faintly, his tone soothing despite the weight of his words "if things were different... I'd have taken you away from all of this, found a quiet place where we could be safe, a place where you could finally breathe, where the nightmares couldn't reach us", "stop," I plead, shaking my head as tears spill down my cheeks "we can still have that, Newt. Don't give up now, please", he reaches up, his hand trembling as it brushes my cheek, his touch light and fleeting "you've always been my light," he whispers, his voice cracking "even in the darkest moments, you made me believe there was something worth fighting for; worth living for, but I can't-", his voice catches, and he pauses to inhale shakily, as if willing himself to steady "you'll have that life, Rose" he continues, his tone filled with quiet determination "even if I can't be there to see it, you'll live, you'll be happy and I'll always be with you. Just... Not in the way we wanted", Thomas remains silent for a moment as I sob softly, crouching beside Newt, his gaze steely, to stubborn to accept the inevitable "come on, Newt, we have to get you up and-" Thomas barely gets a chance to finish before Newt jerks away from us, his breaths are ragged, and his face is contorted with pain, not just physical but something deeper, something raw and broken "enough!" Newt roars lividly, his voice cracking with desperation, the sound has Thomas freezing, even as the chaos of the city rages on around us. His fists clench at his sides, trembling "why can't you just bloody listen? I'm done! I'm a goner, Tommy! Don't you get it? You lot are wasting time on me when you could be saving yourselves!", Newt's words hang in the air, sharp and jagged, cutting through the tension that has gripped us all, for a moment, everything stops, the world narrowing to the sound of his labored breaths and the fire in his gaze, my heart pounds painfully in my chest, and I feel the weight of his outburst hit me like a physical blow "Newt" I whisper dulcetly. Barely able to choke the words out, but he's not finished, his gaze is wide, almost frantic, as his voice shakes with an intensity that burns through the cold, merciless reality we're stuck in "Rose," he says again, his voice desperate, cracking like fragile glass "I need you to listen, I'm not... I'm not gonna make it, but you-" He gasps for air, his body trembling with the effort "you will, I know it", he turns his attention to Thomas "you need to promise me something, Tommy, promise me you will protect her" he begs, motioning his head to me. "Promise me that you'll be there for her, please, Tommy, please", Thomas stares at him, his face a mask of pain and disbelief, but there's a brief spark of understanding, a realization that Newt's demand is one he can't ignore, the silence stretches, heavy and suffocating, as Newt's hand weakly reaches for Thomas's arm, his grip barely there but desperate nonetheless, his dark, fevered gaze flicker with an unbearable intensity as he pleads again, each word jagged and hoarse "you have to, Tommy" Newt gasps out "you'll make sure she survives... Make sure she has that life... The one we dreamed about". My breath catches in my throat and my heart breaks, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably, I want to scream at him, to tell him that we are going to live, that everything will resolve in our favor, but I can't deny the pain in his expression, the hollow realization that his time is running out, Thomas remains silent for a long moment, his gaze hard and conflicted, the weight of Newt's request hanging between them, the internal struggle within Thomas is displayed all over his features, from the clench in his jaw muscles to his conflicted expression. Finally, he turns his head towards me, his voice thick with emotion, barely above a whisper "I promise" he vows, his words full of the same raw determination that has carried him through everything as he turns his attention back to Newt "I'll protect her, no matter what" he places a hand on Newt's shoulder "I'll get her through this, I'll keep her safe, and I'll make sure she has that life, the one you wanted for her", Newt nods faintly, the smallest hint of relief crossing his face as if he can finally let go of the burden that's been tearing at him. He weakly lifts his hand towards Thomas's, giving it a squeeze before his other hand reaches towards my own, I immediately wrap my fingers through his, before I can question his actions, he brings his hands together, causing mine and Thomas's to intertwine, the heaviness of the situation hits me like a punch, the subtle, but undeniable gravity of Newt and his words weigh heavily on both me and Thomas, in other instances, my chest would have fluttered at Thomas's touch, but in this moment, it's just a cruel reminder that Newt has given me away to keep me happy.
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The Extirpated
FanfictionWICKED promised it was the end. No more tests. No more lies. But SHE knows well the statement could never be true. The Scorch was only the beginning. The group will witness horrors that will dominate over the towering Maze Walls. They will endure so...
