The Maze Runner: One-Shots

Reunited (Minho)

Crap! Which way should you go? You knew that you'd just came from behind you, obviously, but to get back to the Glade, which way did you turn? Left, right, or straight?

You breathe in sharply and turn left. What if this was the wrong way? The Maze only for more complicated if you didn't know where you were, which is what exactly had happened to you. The doors were going to close any second now, and you were nowhere close to being out.

Your heart only beats faster and threatens to explode. Had Minho gotten out? You hoped so. If you were going down, there was no reason to take him down with you.

You keep running for what seems like an hour. You knew it probably wasn't, but it was long enough to know that the doors had closed on you. You were stuck here for the night. Dead. You were never getting back to the Glade.

You keep jogging, listening closely for any clicking or whirring of a Griever. You were satisfied when you heard nothing. You continued on in a new part of the Maze you'd never been before. Or was it just unrecognizable because it was so dark?

Continuing on, you realized that no, this wasn't somewhere you'd been before. And from the state of it, you didn't think Minho had either. Was this a whole new section, completely unexplored?

You keep listening for Grievers but continue on. You walk slowly, not daring to run. Who knew what was beyond? No one had ever been here before.

You come to a stop at a concrete wall. You wait for a minute before considering heading back. Could it really be just another dead end?

Suddenly a beeping sounds and the concrete wall slides to the side. The Maze was probably just changing again, it always did.

You walk through the now open passageway, cautious. It was narrow, but still wide enough for you to fit through.

Where on Earth were you going? You almost didn't want to know. But still, you continued onward, completely unknowing that this was the way out.

***

Minho sat at the lunch table, staring at his apple emotionlessly. It'd been a month since you were killed in the Maze. He could hardly eat, he hadn't went running since, and his sleeping schedule was nowhere near good.

A new Greenie had come up since. Thomas. He was curious, and it was near annoying for everyone except Chuck. He asked too many questions and didn't understand that everyone was trying to escape, the same as he was.

Minho glanced out of the corner of his eye at the wall full of names. He'd crossed yours off by himself, knowing that such an act may just help him move forward. It didn't.

Minho stood abruptly when Chuck started sending nervous glances towards Minho. Thomas was pointing towards your name and asking Chuck a question. Minho charged towards them, surprisingly a little angry.

"What's going on, Chuck?" Minho asks. Chuck reused to make strong eye contact with Minho and he stuttered.

"T-Thomas was asking about her."

Minho turned his attention to the new Greenie. He looked genuinely curious and Minho sighed. "She was my girlfriend. We came up in the box holding hands together. Pretty dang sure we were together before all of this klunk happened."

"Well, what happened to her?" Thomas leaned against the wall and Minho pushed a hand through his perfect hair.

"She was a Runner. Like me. I don't know exactly what happened, but one day, she didn't make it out of the Maze in time..." Minho pauses, tears welling up in his eyes. Chuck looked to the ground and pretended not to see his role model so hurt. "She's gone, okay? So stop asking 'bout her."

Minho stormed away and Thomas furrowed his eyebrows. Had he always been like this?

***
(3 years later)

The day all of the Gladers had dreamed about was here. They'd found the way out, and even though some of their dear friends were lost in the process, they'd finally made it out. It was almost like a dream.

Minho stood towards the front of the group, staring at the ground. All he could think about was if you'd lived long enough to enjoy this victory with him.

They all entered WICKEDs headquarters with cautiousness. They'd endured far too much to trust that easily.

There were people...just working. As if nothing had happened, as if they hadn't put teenage kids through traumatizing situations.

Minho looked around with cold stares and untrusting eyes. He hated these people, they'd taken the only happiness he'd ever known from him. It wasn't fair.

Finally, someone noticed the battered group. Her hair was H/L and H/C, like yours had been, except maybe a little longer.

Minho looks to their eyes and sees that, in fact, it was you. He chuckled hatefully to himself. Was this really the time to be having a daydream? The time for his mind to be playing tricks on him? As if he could bring you back! It wasn't fair.

He closed his eyes tightly and tried to think of anything from but you. It didn't work. When he opened his eyes, you were still there, but only closer. He looked away, his shattered emotions rising to the surface.

"You're not real," he whispered to himself.

"Minho?" You say softly. You rush towards him and wrap your arms around him.

He stiffens and breathes in your scent. "It can't be you. I'm dreaming!" he shouts loud enough for all the shocked Gladers to hear.

You grip him tighter. "Minho, it's me. I'm real! I-I found a way out of the Maze that night. I survived. But WICKED wouldn't let me come back to help you, no matter how much I begged. They said it would ruin the test."

Minho shook his head. "No. Y-you're my mind playing with me. Make it stop!"

Newt puts a hand on his shoulder. "Hey," he says softly. "Minho, she's really here. I can see her, we all can."

Minho looked from his best friend to you. Your eyes were watering and he took in your every feature. "You survived?"

You nod and a euphoric smile spread over your lips. You pressed them to his and he held you tighter to him.

"I've missed you so much," you sob, yet somehow with a smile. "I've had to sit here behind these stupid screens and watch you, praying every day that you'd find the way out."

"And I...I thought you were dead, Y/N. I haven't been the same without you."

All the Galders are quiet, some slowly creeping away to venture their new surroundings. WICKED employees start to lead them away, but leave you and Minho to catch up.

Minho pulls away from the hug a little to look at you. "You're even more beautiful than I remember," he says shakily. He huffs. "Gosh I've missed you so much."

"Come on," you smile at him and take his hand. "Let's go."

You led him with you into a new world. It may have been a harder one than inside the Glade, but you were together. And that's all that mattered.