The Maze Runner -Flare In Flames- |Newt X Reader|

Thomas' POV

People are yelling as I fall out of my bunk. I place my hand on my head to make sure the wig is still on. "Up and at 'em boys." An intimidating man shouts. Suddenly, a guard grabs my forearm and injects me with the blue serum. "Not this again." I state as the guard does the same to the others. "You've got 5 minutes to dress and meet outside." The men around the room begin rummaging through suitcases to dress. Gally rubs his eyes, "What time is it?" I glace towards the window seeing nothing but darkness. "Too early." Minho complains pulling his suitcase out. Emmanuel hops out of bed with a genuine smile on his face. I pull my bag out from underneath my bed and take out my guard trainee outfit.

Once we're all outside, General Tucker Cunningham lifts his excessive megaphone. "You boys better get ready for the run of your life. Stay together behind me. Once you see the finish line, that's when it becomes a competition." He smirks, handing his megaphone to an assistant. He takes off his jacket, revealing his ginormous arms. Minho looks at me with a smirk. "Just like old times, huh Tommy." Minho gets in a running stance after slapping my back. I smile, thinking back to those walls. The grievers and the glade. "Just like old times." I repeat copying Minho's stance. "I'll try and keep up." Gally mentions behind us. "¿Qué dijo el gran hombre?" Emmanuel speaks gibberish behind us. Minho and I turn back to look at him. Gally glares with infuriation, "We-don't-understand-you!" Gally enunciates with extra mouth movement. Before we can say anymore, General Cunningham blows the whistle, signifying us to go. We start off at a light jog. Minho and I seem to be doing fine, but Gally and Emmanuel are struggling to keep up. "I was never the best runner." Gally mentions in a lower volume. "Don't talk. You'll waste energy." Minho manages to spit out. Back in the Maze, we ran in silence for hours at a time. I loved the exciting feeling of the air brushing against my face. I can tell my body is out of shape seeing as my legs are already starting to burn. I glance back to see the other two have fallen far behind while Minho and I have managed to keep up with the General.

Time has passed, but I'm not sure exactly how much. The sun is up while we continue to run down the streets of the city. People continue their everyday lives and some even stare as we move along. My body aches and my legs have gone numb at this point. This is just like the Maze, however its been almost 2 years since I've had to run like this. Minho is feeling it too. I noticed the lazy form he has while running. Even while we were in the Maze, we could take a break whenever we needed one. This is so much different. The General seems to be doing fine, but everyone else is starting to struggle. It makes me wonder how much preparation the other older men around us had. The big group at the start of the line has died off to less than half. "How much longer do you think-" I try to speak but only half of my question escapes my mouth. "Don't waste your breath. I could see this going on for hours." Minho's voice is raspy and desperate of water. At the thought, I notice how dry my throat has become. Without warning, I see a ribbon about half a mile ahead of us. "Keep pushing boys! You're almost there!" General Cunningham's encouragement throws me off. Minho slaps my shoulder and nods signaling me to pick up the pace just like he use to in the Maze. I look to the right of us when my heart stops. The only other guys up at the front are Pretty boy, Mullet, and Afro. As if signaled, Minho also notices the three of them. My legs burn like millions of fire ants are crawling up them, but I use the rest of my momentum to pick up the pace. The General runs to the side to watch who crosses the line first. My muscles are aching, but it feels like I'm not going any faster than before. The finish line is coming up as the five of us fight for 1st. "Come on Thomas." Minho huffs. "Let's cream these shanks." The finish line comes up fast and all five of us cross at the same time. Some people of the city are cheering and other guards begin congratulating. My ears are ringing and I feel the blood pumping all throughout my body. I watch sweat drip down Minho's face while he rests his hands on his head. "Congratulations gentlemen. Since you all crossed at the same time, you all earned the day off. Use it wisely. Your training will start back up in the morning." Minho and I exchange a glance of sweet victory as we move out of the way. One by one, other boys and men cross the finish line. Many begin throwing up as soon as they stop. A couple of the poor guys fall over to the side. I slowly start to gain my breath back when Gally and Emmanuel come into sight. The five of us and the General must have been at least half a mile ahead of everyone else. My breath is slowly coming back to me as I scan the crowd of exhausted members. It's then that I observe Pretty boy's posy glaring in our direction. "Who rained on their parade?" I mention keeping my eyes on the three guys. "They're probably pissed we shared the victory. Looks like we got a relaxing afternoon with shanks who aren't too fond of us." Minho places his hand on his head, securing the wig, as my eyes roll instinctively.