𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐀 - TMR, Gally ¹

𝟢𝟥𝟦，𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

CH. THIRTY - FOUR
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When Newt mentioned she had to go train with Minho in the first week, she thought it would be all fun and jokes and basically what it always is with Minho.

Ha, no.

"You're lucky," he says once she starts complaining again. "The boys I train get something heavy on their back as they do the push-ups."

She gasps. Jumps up. "Well, if they get something on their back, I want something on my back."

"You're already struggling to do twenty push-ups, Greenette!"

"I don't give a shit. They get something on their back, I get that, too."

With a sigh, he takes a block of wood. Holding it up, he raises an eyebrow. "This good for the feminist?"

She nods in satisfaction. "Yes."

"Well, I'm glad you at least stand up for yourself." Minho motions for her to start doing the push-ups again. Halfway through, he lies the heavy object on her back, which for sure adds something to the challenge.

Push-ups aren't her thing at all. Her arms burn, her heart stings when she does something her body doesn't like, and sweat's soaking her clothes already.

"What's push-ups gonna give me while we run?"

"Trust me, if you ever reunite with a Griever, you want all your muscles to be strong. Not just your legs," he says, slightly more serious. "But perhaps we should move on to the actual running now."

An automatic eye roll. "Yeah, that seems like an awesome idea."

They're been training since seven thirty, which was two hours ago, and all they did was the basic fitness exercises as Minho explained how they work inside the Maze.

"Four laps around the Glade. You've got to tap my shoulder after each round, or it won't count. Get back here as fast as you can." He holds up a stopwatch. "Let's go, Greenette!"

Alright. No count from one to three or anything.

She nods, then has vanished while thinking through a great tactic. If she goes on maximum speed now, she'll be tired before she even hit two laps. But if she doesn't, she might get a bad time.

Eventually, she the first lap a bit slower, the next one fast, the other one slow again, and the next one as fast as she can.

By the time she has reached Minho, she wants to fall down and just drown in the cool grass.

"Hm. Not bad." He looks up from the stopwatch. "Do it again."

"Sorry?"

"Do it again," he says. "The Maze isn't gonna wait for you to catch your breath. Neither are the Grievers."

She throws her hands in the air. "This is my first training! Can we take it easy?"

"No," Minho replies, now more serious than she has probably ever seen him. "You either want to be a Runner so badly that you'll push yourself to your limits, or you basically have a death wish and want to go out there just because you can. And we do expect you to draw your maps perfectly and figure out a few things on your own."

"Haven't you figured everything out already?" A groan. "I'm doing this so the others won't lose hope, not 'cause I'm so desperate to find a way out."

"Well, then you're lazy, lying piece of crap," he states. "Four laps. Right now."

❀

After a freezing shower, she's standing inside Gally's hut. Excess water is still wetting her shirt and her pants stick around her skin from how sloppily she dried off, yet she gives him a pointed look.