A Bit Mad
pairing -newt x fem!reader
summary - you were just looking for aris. you really weren't planning on falling on some cute british guy. or on breaking out of WCKD at his side.
warnings - kinda sarcastic!reader, cursing, lots of running and chasing, guns
a/n - somehow the little blurb idea I had about reader falling onto newt from the vents turned into this thing, so I guess I'm doing the whole scorch trials now?
wordcount - 6k
The first thing you noticed when you woke up was that Aris was gone.
The vent above his bunk was wide open, the metal grate barely hanging on, swinging slightly as if mocking you.
You groaned, running a hand down your face. “Seriously?”
You weren’t surprised. Annoyed? Yes. Surprised? Not even a little. This wasn’t the first time Aris had taken it upon himself to go sneaking around, and if you had to guess, it wouldn’t be the last.
Still, he could’ve at least woken you up first. You would have gone with him. You always did.
Swinging your legs over the side of your bed, you sighed and stretched. The facility was dead silent, the only sound being the faint hum of the dim overhead lights and the occasional creak echoing through the vent shaft.
You glanced at the opening again, debating.
Go back to sleep and let the dumbass get himself into whatever ridiculous mess he was about to stumble into?
Or…
You exhaled.
“Dammit, Aris.”
Climbing onto his bed, you grabbed the edge of the vent and hoisted yourself up. It was a tight fit, but not unbearable. By now you had spent enough time in small spaces that it didn’t bother you anymore.
You started forward, moving on your hands and knees, the metal creaking softly beneath you.
And that was when everything went wrong.
One second, you were crawling over a vent opening—another room’s, from the looks of it. The next, the panel gave out, and suddenly you were falling.
There was a muffled oof beneath you as you landed, and before you could process what just happened, you realized—
You had landed on someone.
A very solid, very warm someone.
Your brain barely had time to catch up before the person beneath you let out a sharp breath.
“What the bloody—”
You jerked upright—well, as upright as you could manage while straddling a very confused blond boy and trying not to hit your head on the still swinging vent cover above you.
The low light in the room was just enough for you to make out his wide, startled eyes. His face was barely a few inches from yours, and even in the dark, you could see the way his ears were turning red.
Oh.
Well, this was…awkward.
You opened your mouth to say something—anything—when he suddenly made a strangled noise, hands hovering awkwardly in the air, as if unsure whether to push you off or just accept his fate.
“I—” he stammered, blinking rapidly. “Did you—did you just fall from the vent?”
You huffed, still recovering from your own shock. “No, I meant to drop in unannounced.”
The boy blinked again. Then, to your complete and utter disbelief, he laughed.
It was quiet, barely more than a breath, but it was there.
“I—” he exhaled, shaking his head as if trying to wake himself up from a particularly strange dream. “Well, that’s one way to meet someone.”
It was then that you realized neither of you had moved.
You were still on top of him.
You inhaled sharply and scrambled off him to the foot of the bed, your entire body now alight with embarrassment.
“Sorry,” you muttered quickly, not quite sure what to do with yourself.
“No, no, you’re good,” the boy said, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. His hair was a mess from sleep, but somehow, that only made him look even more unfairly attractive.
He looked up at you again, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “So…who are you, exactly? And why are you falling from the ceiling?”
You hesitated. “I, uh—I was looking for someone.”
His brows rose. “In the vents?”
“Yes,” you deadpanned. “Because that’s the logical place to look for someone.”
Another chuckle. “Right. And who, exactly, were you looking for?”
“My friend. Aris.”
He tilted his head slightly, considering the name. “And you thought you’d find them in here?”
You shrugged. “Well not specifically here in this room. Falling on you wasn’t exactly my plan. I don’t know where he went. But sneaking off is kind of his thing, and usually, I go with him, so…” You gestured vaguely to the open vent above you. “I went looking.”
Newt hummed, eyes flicking toward the ceiling. “In the middle of the night?”
“Yes,” you said, dead serious. “Because that’s the best time for a casual vent stroll.”
He snorted, shaking his head. “You’re a bit mad, aren’t you?”
“I fell through a vent and landed on you. I think we established that already.”
Newt exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, guess we did.”
Another silence settled between you, and for the first time since you dropped in—literally—you let yourself take in your surroundings. The room looked exactly like yours, filled with several bunks. The only difference being that almost each of the bunks was occupied by sleeping figures. It smelled faintly of sweat and metal—nothing surprising, considering the circumstances.
These had to be the new arrivals. You’d heard about them earlier in the day but hadn’t paid them much mind. You and Aris kept to yourselves for the most part, sticking to what little familiarity you had left.
But now you were here, in a room full of strangers, talking to one of them like this was a completely normal way to meet someone.
Newt shifted slightly, drawing your attention back to him. His expression had softened a little, his curiosity still apparent. “So… you’re from another group, then?”
“Yeah.”
“And how long have you been here?”
You hesitated. “Long enough.”
Newt’s gaze lingered on yours for a beat longer than expected, like he wanted to press for more but decided against it.
Instead, he pushed himself up into a sitting position and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. “And this is your thing, then?”
You blinked. “What?”
“Dropping in on poor blokes unannounced.”
You rolled your eyes. “No. Just thought I’d give it a try tonight.”
“Well, lucky me, then,” he said, another quiet laugh pushing past his lips.
You huffed, shaking your head, but before you could say anything else, a muffled groan came from one of the other bunks, and you both froze.
Newt’s head snapped toward the noise, his entire body going still. A boy shifted slightly in his sleep, then fell silent again.
Still, it was a reminder—you weren’t supposed to be here.
You exhaled. “Alright, well, this has been great. Truly. But I should probably get going before someone else wakes up and thinks I’m trying to murder you or something.”
Newt turned back to you, one brow raised. “And how exactly do you plan on leaving?”
You pointed up. He followed your gaze to the still-open vent.
Then, with something close to amusement, he looked back at you. “You’re joking.”
You sighed. “No, I’m not joking. That’s how I got in, so that’s how I’m getting out.”
Newt blinked at you. “You do realize you just fell through the bloody thing, right?”
“Yes,” you said flatly. “And now I’m going back up. Hopefully without the falling part this time.”
He let out an incredulous laugh, rubbing a hand down his face. “You really are mad, I swear.”
“Maybe.” You adjusted your position on the bed, glancing at the headboard. “Now, if you could just—”
Before you could even finish, Newt sighed and got on his knees. “Yeah, yeah. Here.”
He shuffled closer and, hesitantly, placed a steadying hand on your waist as you climbed up. You ignored the way your breath hitched slightly at the contact, focusing instead on gripping the vent’s edge and hoisting yourself up.
With a little effort, you managed to wriggle back into the cramped space, your elbows scraping against the cool metal.
Once you were secure, you glanced down at him.
Newt was still looking up at you, arms crossed, head tilted.
“Well,” he said, smirking slightly. “Try not to drop in again, yeah?”
You narrowed your eyes. “No promises.”
He huffed, shaking his head but you caught the smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
You started crawling forward but hesitated just before disappearing from view. Something about him stuck with you—maybe the sarcasm, maybe the fact that at first, he seemed almost more embarrassed about the whole situation than you were.
Or maybe it was just the way he looked at you, like he was already trying to figure you out.
Either way, you had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last time you saw him.
.・。.・゜✭・.
The cafeteria was buzzing with quiet conversation, the dull clatter of trays and silverware filling the space as the Gladers sat at their table.
Newt wasn’t eating much—none of them were, really. Something about this place still felt…off.
Jansen stood at the front of the room, calling out names, escorting kids through those large metal doors, promising them safety.
No matter how much he wanted to and tried to push that nagging feeling away, Newt didn’t fully trust him.
And neither did Thomas, apparently.
“I know exactly what we saw.,” Thomas muttered, leaning in closer.
Newt shot him a look. “I thought we agreed to keep this low, Thomas.”
Thomas ignored him. “I’m telling you, something’s wrong. There were bodies—”
“Alright, alright,” Minho hissed, cutting him off. He glanced around, making sure no one was listening. “You really think talking about this here is a good idea?”
Thomas exhaled sharply, lowering his voice further. “I’m just saying, something is wrong. We need to get out of here.”
Newt sighed, rubbing his temples.
Frypan frowned, shifting in his seat. “Wait, back up. You said we. Who the hell did you go sneaking around with?”
Thomas glanced over at another table. “Aris.”
Newt, who had been taking a sip of water, nearly choked. He coughed, setting his cup down with a clatter as his brain caught up.
My friend. Aris.
He snapped his head up, following Thomas’ gaze as he pointed the boy out across the cafeteria.
And there you were. Sitting beside Aris, picking at your food, looking completely unbothered. And then, as if you could feel him staring, you turned.
Your eyes met his, and for a second, Newt just…froze.
Then, to his complete disbelief—
You smiled. And waved.
Minho, who had definitely not missed any of that, smirked. “Uh…what the shuck was that?”
Newt blinked, still caught somewhere between confusion and disbelief. “What?”
“That,” Frypan said, pointing between you and Newt. “Why is some random girl over there smiling at you like she knows you?”
Newt felt warmth creeping up his neck, the tips of his ears surely burning by now. He scrambled for a response, but all that came out was a useless, “I—she—”
Minho leaned in, eyes glinting with amusement. “You already got a girlfriend we don’t know about, Newt?”
Newt scowled, willing his heartbeat to slow. “Don’t be stupid.”
Frypan raised an eyebrow. “She seemed pretty happy to see you. You sure you don’t know her?”
Newt opened his mouth, then closed it. Technically, know was a strong word. He’d met you—though in the strangest, most unfortunate way possible.
His silence only made things worse. Minho grinned, leaning back in his chair with an all-too-pleased expression. “Huh. Interesting.”
Newt groaned. “Look, she—” He cut himself off, shook his head. There was no way he was going to explain that story. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It kinda does,” Minho teased. “Because now I wanna know why some girl we’ve never seen before is all smiley at your sorry face.”
Newt gritted his teeth, forcing himself to not look in your direction again. “Okay. But back to what Thomas was talking about.” He exhaled, trying to get the conversation back on track. “Until we know anything for certain, we should just keep our heads down and try not to draw any attention to ourselves, alright?”
And of course, just as he finished that sentence—
Thomas pushed back from the table and stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor.
Newt frowned. “What is he doing?”
Minho didn’t even hesitate. “I think he’s drawing attention to himself.”
Newt exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face as Thomas stormed off.
Brilliant. Just bloody brilliant.
.・。.・゜✭・.
They were thrown back into the room, the heavy metal door slamming shut behind them.
Newt barely had time to turn before he rounded on Thomas. “What the hell was that about?” His voice was low, sharp. Thomas exhaled, still visibly tense. “You don’t really think they were just going to let you through?”
“No, of course I didn’t.” Thomas shook his head, jaw tight. “I’m going to find out what’s on the other side of that door.”
Newt let out a humorless laugh. “Alright.”
“Newt, they’re hiding something. Okay, these people are not who they say they are.”
“No, Thomas, you don’t know that.” Newt took a step closer, frustration bleeding into his tone. “The only thing we do know is that they helped rescue us from WCKD. They gave us new clothes, they gave us food, they gave us a proper bed.” His voice dipped slightly, quieter now. “Some of us haven’t had that in a long time.”
Thomas opened his mouth, trying to get a word in. “Yeah, but you—”
Newt cut him off, voice thick with something unreadable. “Some of us a lot longer than others.”
Before the tension could thicken further, there was a sharp metallic creak above them. The vent cover flew open.
Newt barely had time to step back before a figure dropped down into the room.
Aris.
“Hey, Thomas,” he said, straightening up as if he hadn’t just appeared out of nowhere.
Newt blinked, then scoffed. “What the…”
Aris ignored him, turning to Thomas. “You get it, right?”
Thomas didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, let’s go.” He turned to Newt and the others. “Alright, look—maybe you guys are right. Maybe I’m just being paranoid. But I gotta find out for sure. Just cover for me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Before anyone could argue, Thomas climbed up into the vent after Aris. And before Newt could even begin to process what had just happened—
Another figure appeared at the vent opening.
You.
Newt stiffened. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
You offered the group of boys a bright smile, trying not to laugh at their confused faces as they stared up at you, then glanced back at Newt, a small smirk pulling at your lips.
“Sorry, not dropping in this time. I’d tell you not to miss me too much, but we both know that’s going to be difficult,” you teased before vanishing into the shaft after Thomas and Aris.
Newt just stood there. Still. Silent. His brain was short-circuiting.
Frypan, clapped him on his shoulder and snorted. “Yeah. No way you’re living this down.”
Newt groaned, dragging a hand down his face. He was so done with this night.
.・。.・゜✭・.
The vent cover slammed open, and three figures dropped down into the room in quick succession. Thomas hit the ground first, his breathing ragged, panic evident in his every move. Aris followed, looking shaken. You were last, landing lightly but with a tense expression.
Newt immediately stood from where he had been sitting, brows furrowing. “Thomas!”
“We got to go.” Thomas barely looked at him as he rushed toward one of the beds, yanking a blanket off in one swift motion.
Minho frowned. “What’s up?”
“We got to go. Right now!” Thomas’ voice was urgent, frantic. He yanked the blanket tight and dragged it toward the door.
Newt stepped forward. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“What do you mean we got to go?” Frypan added, looking from Thomas to Aris to you.
Thomas didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed Newt’s arm, tugging him toward the door. “They’re coming. Come on, we got to go.”
Newt pulled his arm free, frustrated. “Thomas, just slow down and—”
“They’re coming for us!” Thomas cut him off, looping the sheet around the door handles and pulling it tight.
Newt exchanged a tense glance with the others before turning to Aris. “What happened out there?”
Aris just shook his head, not even sure where to start.
Minho looked at Thomas. “Can you just calm down and talk to us?”
Thomas exhaled sharply, hands shaking as he turned back to them. Finally, his eyes met Newt’s.
“She’s still alive.”
“Teresa?” Newt asked, though something told him that wasn’t it.
Thomas shook his head. His next words were barely above a whisper.
“Ava.”
The room went silent.
Newt stared at him, unblinking. “Ava?”
Minho took a step closer. “Would you just turn around and talk to us?”
Thomas swallowed hard, his voice tight with barely contained frustration. “It’s WCKD. It’s still WCKD. It’s always been WCKD.”
Newt felt the weight of those words settle over all of them.
“Thomas.” His voice was low now, steady despite the anxiety clawing at his chest. “What did you see?”
Thomas shook his head again, not answering.
Then—
A distant click. A shadow shifting under the door.
Thomas’s head snapped up, and just like that—
“Come on, come on, come on,” he whispered, already moving toward the vent.
No one argued.
Minho climbed up first, pulling himself inside before reaching back for the next person. Frypan followed, muttering curses under his breath. Then you went, moving quickly through the tight space. Aris was right behind you, already scrambling forward.
Newt was the last to go. He hesitated, looking back once—at the room, at the door, at the supposed safety they had been given.
Then, he turned, grabbed the edge of the vent, and pulled himself inside.
.・。.・゜✭・.
The group dropped down one by one from the vent into a dimly lit hallway, landing as quietly as they could manage. Thomas was the first to go, crouching as he scanned the area before motioning the others down.
“Alright, come on, come on!” he urged in a hushed voice, hurrying them along.
Just as they started moving, Aris hesitated, then took a step in the opposite direction. “You guys go ahead,” he said, glancing down the hall. “There’s something I need to do.”
Thomas frowned, stepping toward him. “What are you talking about?”
You looked at Aris, alarmed. He couldn’t just run off alone—not now.
“Trust me,” Aris insisted. “It’s important. You guys wanna get out of here, right? Just go!”
Winston glanced at Thomas, then back at Aris. “I’ll go with him.”
You opened your mouth to protest, ready to go with Aris too, but he turned to you before you could.
“Stick with them,” he said, voice firm but not unkind. “I’ll be fine.”
You didn’t like it. Not one bit. But after a brief pause, you gave a reluctant nod, stepping back as Aris and Winston turned and disappeared down the hallway.
No time to dwell on it. Thomas ushered the rest of you forward, and you ran. Rounding a corner at full speed, you almost crashed into a woman in a lab coat. She stopped short, eyes wide.
“What are you kids doing out?” she demanded.
None of you answered. No one had time to come up with an excuse, because before you could so much as open your mouth—
The alarms blared.
The piercing sound shot through the halls like a siren of impending doom.
Without thinking, you lunged forward, grabbing the doctor by the arm. She let out a startled noise, but Thomas was right there with you, helping you pull her along as the rest of the group took off running.
You weaved through corridors, feet pounding against the floor. Every turn looked the same, but there was no time to think, just run.
Then you rounded another corner—
And froze.
A soldier stood at the far end of the hallway, gun already raised.
“Freeze!” he barked. “Stay where you are!”
The click of the trigger sent adrenaline surging through your veins. Then—gunfire.
You barely had time to react before someone grabbed you, yanking you behind the wall just as bullets struck the floor where you had been standing. You stumbled but felt Newt’s hands steadying you before he pushed you back, shielding you as the group ducked for cover.
“Go, go, go!” Thomas hissed.
Everyone turned to run back the way they came—except Minho.
He stopped short, glancing between the corner and the rest of you.
“Minho!” Newt snapped.
But the boy had already made up his mind.
Without a second thought, he pivoted, sprinted straight for the corner—and launched himself at the soldier. His foot connected solidly with the man’s chest, sending him flying back onto the floor with a stunned grunt.
You gawked.
“That was awesome!” you blurted out, breathless.
“Shit, Minho,” Newt muttered, half impressed, half exasperated.
Thomas didn’t waste time. He rushed forward, grabbing the soldier’s gun before looking back at all of you. “Come on, let’s go!”
.・。.・゜✭・.
Reaching a room with several scientists inside, you barely had time to catch your breath before Thomas grabbed the doctor and shoved her forward.
“Open it,” he ordered, voice low but urgent.
The woman hesitated but had no choice, pressing her ID to the scanner. The door slid open.
“Dr. Crawford, are you here to—”
The scientist’s words died in his throat as Thomas shoved the doctor the rest of the way in, barging in after her with the gun raised.
“Where is she?” Thomas demanded, his voice sharp, desperate. “Where is she?!”
The scientists all flinched, hands half-raised in surrender, but none of them answered fast enough.
Your eyes darted around the room before landing on something in the corner—movement behind a curtain.
“Thomas!” you called, motioning toward it.
Thomas’s gaze snapped to you before following where you were pointing. Without hesitation, he thrust the gun into Minho’s hands and ran toward the curtain. You watched as he yanked it open, revealing a girl lying on a hospital bed, looking pale but slowly waking up.
“Teresa,” Thomas breathed, stepping closer and touching her shoulder gently. “Come on, we need to go.”
While he focused on her, Minho turned his glare back on the scientists, keeping the gun trained on them.
“Get down. All of you,” he ordered.
As they hesitantly obeyed, you and Newt wasted no time. You lunged for a nearby supply cart, grabbing some bandages while Newt stepped in front of one of the scientists.
“Hands out,” he said, voice firm.
The scientist hesitated, but when you shot him a glare and held up the makeshift restraints, he complied. You quickly tied his wrists, moving to the next one as Newt did the same.
“Guys!” Frypan’s voice rang out from the doorway, panicked. “They’re coming! Where do we go?”
Your heart lurched.
Newt sprang into action. “Fry, move!”
He shoved a heavy lab table forward, slamming it against the door just as the first impact hit from the other side. Soldiers were ramming into it, trying to break through.
Minho cursed, yanking you and Newt back behind him as he aimed the gun at the door.
“Alright, we gotta get out of here!” he barked.
Your eyes darted around, heart pounding. There had to be another way—
Then you spotted it. The glass separating this room from the next.
Without thinking, you grabbed a chair. “Stand back!” you shouted before hurling it at the glass. It hit with a loud thud but didn’t break.
Newt caught on immediately. He rushed to your side, grabbed another chair, and together, you slammed them into the glass again.
Crack.
A spiderweb of fractures spread across the surface.
Once more and it shattered. The glass rained down in sharp shards, and you coughed as dust and particles filled the air.
“Go!” Thomas shouted. He was already helping Teresa toward the low divider.
Newt was the first to climb over. He turned, reaching back for you. You grabbed his hands, letting him pull you up and over before dropping down onto the other side.
One by one, the others followed.
Minho was last, tossing the gun back to Thomas before leaping over.
“Let’s go!” Thomas yelled. “Stay behind me!”
You sprinted after him, your breath ragged as you bolted into the next hallway. A soldier appeared right in front of you, raising his gun.
For a split second, your body froze in terror. But Thomas didn’t. Before the soldier could react, the boy pulled the trigger.
A bolt of electricity shot forward, striking the man. He convulsed violently, eyes wide with shock, before collapsing onto the floor, twitching.
Your breath caught, but there was no time to process it. Because at the end of the hall—
The exit.
“There it is!” Thomas shouted, his voice sharp.
You pushed yourself harder, legs burning as you sprinted toward it. Thomas reached the door first, yanking a stolen keycard from his pocket and swiping it against the panel.
Nothing.
He swiped it again.
Still nothing.
“Shit, come on! No, no, no, no!” he hissed, slamming his hand against the reader in frustration.
“Thomas,” a slow, deliberate voice cut through the panic.
You turned sharply at the sound of the familiar voice. Jansen.
He approached with a small army of soldiers at his back, their weapons already raised.
Thomas instinctively stepped in front of all of you, raising his gun and aiming it directly at Jansen’s head. You weren’t sure if the shake in his hands was from adrenaline or fear.
“Open the door, Jansen!” he barked.
Jansen’s expression didn’t shift. He just sighed, almost like he was disappointed. “You really don’t want me to.”
“Open the door!”
Jansen took another step forward, hands raised, like he was trying to calm a wild animal.
“Listen to me,” he continued, voice smooth, calculated. “I’m trying to save your life. The Maze was one thing, but you kids wouldn’t last a day out in the Scorch.”
Thomas’s grip on the gun tightened, but Jansen kept talking.
“If the elements don’t kill you, the Cranks will.” His voice dipped lower, gaze steady. “You have to believe me. I only want what’s best for you.”
A cold, sinking feeling settled in your stomach.
Thomas didn’t move. He just stared at Jansen, breathing hard. “Yeah, let me guess.” His voice dripped with bitterness. “WCKD is good?”
Jansen’s hands slowly dropped to his sides. There it was.
“You’re not getting through that door, Thomas,” he said, finality in his tone.
But then—
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The door’s keypad lit up. The locks disengaged. The heavy metal doors slid up, revealing two familiar faces waiting on the other side.
“Hey, guys,” Aris greeted, completely unfazed.
Frypan didn’t hesitate. “Come on!” He started ushering everyone through.
Newt didn’t hesitate to push you through, turning back to look at his friend. “Thomas, let’s go!”
But Thomas wasn’t done.
Without warning, he pulled the trigger, firing at the soldiers. You flinched at the deafening shots.
Click. The gun was empty.
“Shuck,” Thomas muttered before throwing the weapon to the ground and spinning on his heel, sprinting for the door.
It was already sliding shut again.
He wasn’t going to make it.
“Thomas!” you shouted along with the others.
At the last second, he dived forward, throwing himself into a slide. His body barely cleared the gap before the doors slammed shut with a heavy clang.
Minho and Newt reached down and grabbed his arm, helping haul him up alongside the others.
Heart still racing, you spotted a loose piece of metal on the ground. Without thinking, you snatched it up and swung, slamming it into the door’s keypad as hard as you could. Sparks flew. The screen flickered, then went dark.
Minho didn’t waste a second, grabbing a new weapon from a fallen soldier before turning to the rest of you.
“Let’s go!”
No one argued. With no time to catch your breath, you ran—out into the Scorch.
.・。.・゜✭・.
The air inside the abandoned building was stale, filled with dust and the lingering scent of decay. The storm outside still howled, wind rattling the shattered windows above, but at least in here, you were safe. For now.
You slung the backpack over one shoulder, stuffing more clothing inside as you wandered through the almost empty aisles. Most of the shelves had been picked clean, but you still managed to find a few useful things—jackets, gloves, even a somewhat clean looking water canteen.
As you rounded a corner, you nearly collided with someone.
Newt.
He had also changed into something more practical—a long-sleeved shirt with a thick, brown jacket over it. The sleeves were slightly too long, the collar a bit worn, but—
“Well, don’t you look dashing,” you teased, smirking as you leaned against the nearby counter.
Newt scoffed, but you didn’t miss the way his ears tinged pink. “Oh, shut up.”
You grinned. “No, really. Very rugged. Very—‘wandering lost soul in a post-apocalyptic wasteland’.”
That got a laugh out of him. He shook his head, rummaging through a pile of abandoned clothes. “Glad to know I’ve got a look going.”
“You should own it,” you replied, picking up a couple more items and shoving them into your bag. “Who knows, maybe we’ll run into some civilization, and you’ll charm them with your very fashionable dirt-and-despair aesthetic.”
Newt gave you a flat look. “You done?”
You hummed, pretending to think about it. “Yeah, I think so.”
As you continued your search, something caught your eye—a bundle of fabric buried under a pile of clothes. You pulled it free and unrolled it.
Bandanas.
A small smirk tugged at your lips as you turned to Newt and tossed one at him. He caught it with a frown, holding it up like it was some foreign object.
“What exactly do you expect me to do with this?” he asked.
You raised an eyebrow. “You do know how sand works, right?”
Newt blinked. “I—”
You gestured vaguely. “Wind blows, sand flies, it gets in your eyes, your nose, your mouth. That?” You pointed at the bandana in his hand. “Could help with that.”
Realization dawned, and he nodded slowly. “Ah. Right. Good thinking.”
He unfolded the fabric and awkwardly tied it around his face, covering his nose and mouth. When he turned back to you, standing there with only his eyes visible, you couldn't help it. You laughed.
“What?” he asked, voice slightly muffled.
“You look like you’re about to rob the place.”
Newt rolled his eyes and pulled the bandana down around his neck. “Well, if we’re going for the whole bandit thing, might as well go all in.”
You grinned. “Exactly. Now all you need is a cowboy hat and a dramatic backstory.”
Newt smirked, shaking his head. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And yet, you’re still standing here talking to me,” you shot back.
He opened his mouth, then closed it again, clearly having no good comeback. With a small chuckle, he grabbed a few more supplies and stuffed them into his own bag.
“Well,” he said, slinging the strap over his shoulder, “come on then, partner. Let’s see what else we can find before the others start wondering where we are.”
You grinned, adjusting your backpack. “After you, Sheriff.”
The two of you made your way back toward the others, weaving through darkened aisles and abandoned debris. When you reached the main floor of the building, you saw Frypan and Teresa rummaging through shelves, while Aris and Winston inspected a pile of canned goods they must have scrounged up.
"Find anything good?" Frypan asked, glancing up.
"Some clothes, a few supplies," you answered, patting your backpack.
Newt shrugged. "Could be worse."
You glanced around, realizing two people were still missing. "Where's Minho and Thomas?"
Teresa shook her head. "Not back yet."
As if on cue, the overhead lights suddenly flickered to life, buzzing loudly as they illuminated the vast, abandoned space. Everyone froze, glancing up in confusion.
"Did… did the power just turn on?" Aris murmured.
Before anyone could answer, the distant sound of pounding footsteps reached your ears—fast, frantic.
"RUN!"
Minho's voice.
You all turned just in time to see Minho and Thomas sprinting toward you at full speed, panic etched on their faces.
"What the hell—" Newt started, but then you saw it. A horde of them.
Pale, twitching figures, moving unnaturally fast, their limbs jerking as they scrambled over debris in pursuit of your friends. Bloodied, mindless, and fast.
Cranks.
"GO, GO!" Thomas shouted, pushing Minho forward as they barreled toward the group.
No one needed to be told twice. You all bolted, adrenaline flooding your veins as your feet pounded against the dusty floor.
The creatures shrieked, the sound sending ice through your spine.
Your breath came fast as you ran, weaving around overturned shelves, your backpack bouncing against your back. Newt was right beside you, limping but hot on your heels, his expression tense.
"They’re too bloody fast!" he shouted.
"Just keep moving!" you yelled back.
The group was ahead, dodging through broken glass and shattered displays, but the Cranks were gaining. You could feel them behind you, hear their gasping, ragged breaths.
Suddenly, Newt let out a strangled yell as something tackled him from the side.
Your heart lurched. "Newt!"
You skidded to a stop, spinning around as the Crank snarled and clawed at him, its grotesque, decayed face just inches from his own.
Without thinking, you kicked it hard in the side, sending it tumbling off of him. Newt scrambled back, gasping, as you grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet.
"Come on!" you urged.
But the delay had cost you both.
The others had already disappeared through a side exit, their shouts fading into the distance. You and Newt turned just in time to see another wave of Cranks pouring into the building, blocking your path to the rest of the group.
Shit.
"This way!" Newt grabbed your wrist, yanking you toward a different direction.
The two of you ran blindly, dodging fallen beams and overturned shelves, Cranks hot on your heels. Your lungs burned, your muscles screamed, but you couldn’t stop.
Up ahead, the building's shattered front wall revealed the desert beyond—endless sand dunes stretching beneath the darkening sky.
"Through there!" you panted.
Newt nodded, and together, you pushed forward, bursting through a broken doorway and stumbling into the open. The wind hit you immediately, thick with dust, the remains of the storm still raging in the distance.
"Over there!" Newt pointed to a massive, half-buried metal structure jutting out of the sand. It looked like a collapsed billboard or maybe a piece of an old building.
The two of you sprinted for it, the Cranks still close behind.
You threw yourself under the metal at the same time as Newt, hitting the ground hard and rolling onto your side. He landed next to you, both of you gasping for air.
The creatures shrieked, but they didn’t follow you into the sand. Instead, they stopped just outside the ruins, their twitching forms silhouetted against the dim light. They paced and snarled but didn’t step further.
Newt exhaled shakily, his forehead resting against his knees. "Bloody hell."
You let out a weak, breathless laugh. "Yeah. No kidding."
For a moment, you both just sat there, catching your breath, staring out at the wasteland stretching before you.
Separated from the others. Stranded in the middle of the Scorch. With no idea where to go next.
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