Quiet is Violent {Newt | The Maze Runner}

19. You or I

Tasha had made it to the the open doors of the Maze in time to hear Newt yell, "What the hell's going on out there?" As Thomas and Minho made their way back, not stopping as they walked from the gates, breath coming in short sharp pants. The rest of the Gladers follow, swarming about like confused bees, some lagging behind while a select few crowd about the two returning Runners.

"What have you done now, Thomas?" Growled Gally, anger and accusation in his voice as Minho stalked back to the Gathering hut. Thomas picked up his pace, ignoring Gally to join Minho, who had begun power walking across the Glade.

"We found something." Thomas said, his voice intense and serious, but his tone betraying his thinly veiled excitement. "A new passage; we think it could be a way out." He panted. Tasha almost froze up, but forced herself to keep moving, or else she would be left at the back of the pack.

"Really?" Newt's voice was filled with the sort of hope that Tasha hadn't heard in years, and she allowed herself a slight smile, it wasn't even the smile, it was barely alluded to it, but around a crowd this big, it was her equivalent of laughing and jazz hands, so Minho smiled back at her before answering Newt.

"It's true." He sounded tired but speculative, less serious and sombre than he had always been, the tiny butterfly of hope that had sprung up in Tasha's chest began fluttering more insistently, bouncing against her ribs and filling her with unidentifiable positivity and nausea. Maybe the change wasn't all bad. "It opened a door, something I had never seen before." Minho informed the gathered Gladers. "I think it must be where the Grievers go during the day." Tasha stopped dead, her whole body going cold at his words.

"Wait, woah, woah, woah... are you saying you found the Griever's home?" Chuck asked, voicing Tasha's fears as he worked to catch up the second in command and the two runners. passing the female runner as he did so. "And you want us to go in?" He sounded doubtful. Tasha sprinted to join the small party up ahead, and could see the grin on Minho's face, but could only smile weakly in return.

"Their way in could be our way out, Chuck." Thomas reasoned, his voice cautiously optimistic. Tasha watched and waited for the others, carefully gauging their reactions to temper her own.

"Yeah, or there could be a dozen Grievers on the other side," Gally cut in, his anger stifling the happiness of the others that had begun to worm it's way through Tasha's uncertainty. She could almost feel all of her hairs stand on end as he spoke, his whole attitude annoying her, putting her on edge.  "the truth is; Thomas doesn't know what he's done. As usual." Gally spat. Tasha and Thomas span at almost the exact same time to face Gally, Tasha taking a stance behind the Runner, joined by Newt and Minho as backup for Thomas, all glaring at the Builder in mutual anger and frustration at Gally's continued disapproval of the newest Runner.

"Hey, well at least I did something, Gally." Thomas hissed, "What have you done, huh? Aside from hide behind these walls all the time?" Tasha could hear the sting in Thomas's words and felt Newt flinch beside her. It was a low shot, even for Thomas, but all of them remained angry at the Keeper of the Builders.

"Let me tell you something, Greenie," Gally snarled, poking Thomas in the chest with three fingers, hardly seeming phased by his comment, or, perhaps, even more riled up.  "You've been here three days. I've been here three years."