Different | The Maze Runner / Newt ¹ ✓

{4.5}

Disclaimer:

I do not own The Maze Runner or Ki Hong Lee, unfortunately.

-✼-

The rest of the battle was a blur that seemed to pass forever. All around me, Gladers fought with equal amounts of ferocity and determination, hacking and stabbing away at the Grievers surrounding us. It was an extremely draining job. I was sure that if it hadn't been for the adrenaline rush still coursing through my veins, I would have collapsed long ago.

Somehow I found myself beside Minho. He held a long blade in his hand that was covered in gunk and slime. His gaze caught mine for a second we nodded in sync, a moment of understanding passing between us. It was as good of an apology I was going to get in a time like that.

Minho looked terrible, in all honesty. His jet black hair was smooshed down on top of his head from how much he was moving. Cuts and slices covered most of his skin, along with smudges of dirt and machine oil. His chest heaved with panting breaths and he bounced on the balls of his feet.

I wasn't sure I was much better. My ponytail was in knots and a disarray of loose strands stuck to my face, which was shining with sweat. I felt as if all the moisture had been sucked out of my throat and mouth- I needed water and quickly. My shirt was shredded in the back like diagonal stripes. The skin on my legs that had been torn open burned like it was on fire, and many more cuts littered the rest of my body. My heart never ceased to thud in my ribcage.

Two Grievers surged toward us with screeches of machinery, mouths open wide as their many metal arms flailed about. Minho and I instinctively moved so we were back-to-back. We both had our weapons held out protectively in front of us, waiting patiently for the monsters to make the first moves.

The one in front of Minho whirled forward with a squealing, burping cry from deep in its throat. Minho shouted, "Duck!" and I did; he slashed his sword horizontally in front of him and sliced the monster's bubbly skin wide open. It screamed and stood on its hind legs like a horse, front arms moving spastically.

Minho's eyes went wide and he put his free hand on my back, pushing me along with him to the right. "Go, go!"

I did as I was told and sprinted to the side just as the Griever landed on the spot we had previously been standing. Its legs hit the concrete with a loud clank.

"Wait, don't move," I ordered breathlessly, holding an arm in front of Minho's chest when he started forward. "Watch."

The Griever that had been in front of me had also started to run forward just after Minho stabbed its ally. The momentum was too great for it to stop, and its legs flailed around in a useless attempt to grip onto the ground. It slammed into the other Griever with a scream, sending them both rolling backwards on top of one another.

Minho's jaw slightly dropped. "Well, that works, too."

The two Grievers were immobile, a mess of tangled appendages and oozing flesh. Blood from both of them pooled out onto the concrete. A leg twitched, but it was impossible to see which one it belonged to. Some of the random assortments of instruments had gotten caught in the others' bodies. It was almost safe to say that they had killed each other, or would soon enough.

I turned to the chaos around me. Blood was everywhere- on the walls, on the ground, on clothes, and on people and Grievers alike. Fierce cries and shouts and screams echoed in the air. Some kid was trying to lasso a Griever with a vine. There was an entire arm laying on the ground amid a plethora of flesh and crimson liquid. Another boy was off vomiting to the side.