The medical room smelled like disinfectant and metal. I walked through slowly, watching Minho pounding away on a treadmill, his jaw tight with focus. Newt sat with a needle in his arm. Fry flinched as a doctor jabbed him with another shot.

Then my eyes found Thomas. He looked up at the same moment, meeting my stare across the room. For a second, the chaos faded- just us trying to figure out if we were really safe.

"Over here, Reyna"'a doctor led me to the very last table.

I sat down as she tied a band around my arm. Needle after needle slid into my skin, vial after vial filling with blood. My vision swam. By the time she finished and gave me two quick shots, I felt hollow.

I rubbed my arm, watching a guard lead Thomas down a hall.

"Reyna?"

A voice behind me made me turn. A guard stood there, stiff, unreadable.

"Yes?" I ask

"Come with me" he said

I hesitated, searching his face for a clue. Then I got up and followed.

He led me into a small room with nothing but a chair, a table, and a minor. One-way glass. A camera blinked above me.

Who's watching me?

I waited so long I started tapping my fingers against the table. Finally, the door opened.

"Reyna" Janson walked in, pulling up a chair. He smiled like we were old friends.

"Thank you for seeing me. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I was just hoping we might get a moment to chat in private, away from the others. I won't take up too much of your time. I really only have one question." He said

I didn't answer.

He leaned forward.
"What do you remember about WICKED?" He asks

I stared at him.

"You're not in trouble. We're just having a conversation. I'm just trying to understand." He said smoothly.

"Understand what?" I ask

"Whose side you're on" he said

I raised a brow.
"Really? You expect me to answer while im sitting in front of a one-way mirror, and a camera blinking over my head?" I ask

He chuckled.
"There's no one behind the glass. And the cameras are just precaution." He said

"Sure" I scoff

"Help me out, Reyna" he said

I leaned back.
"I remember tests. Classes. I don't know if i worked for them or if i was just a pawn, but then they sent me and my friends into the maze. I'm on their side- my friends" I said

His smile faltered.
"Tests, you say. Tests from Project Titan?" He said

My heart skipped.
"How do you know that?" I ask

"It was the only thing we found on your wicked file." His voice wavered- just barely, but I caught it.

My eyes flicked to the clipboard in his hand. The corner of the paper the WCKD letters peeked out, scratched and half ripped off.

He noticed my gaze and quickly turned it over, forcing a laugh.
"Looks bad, doesn't it? Picked this up on a supply run at a WCKD lab. Beggars can't be choosers" he said

I didn't buy it. Something about him was wrong.

"Well, that's all. Thank you." He stood, forcing the smile back on.
"The guard will escort you to the others" he added

"The others?" I ask

The cafeteria was buzzing when I walked in- tables packed with kids my age. Boys and girls. Survivors.

"Rey!" Minho waved me over, Thomas beside him.

"Perfect timing. Everyone here was in a maze too" he said

He tugged me into a seat. The boy across from us was in the middle of a story.

"Started shooting up the place. It was intense" he said, hands flying.

"They pulled us out of the maze and brought us here." Another added

"What about the rest? The other people left behind in the maze, what happened to them?" Newt asked

The boys face fell.
"I don't know. I guess WICKED still has them." He said

Neatly cursed under his breath.

"How long have you guys been here?" Newt then asked

"Not long. Just a day or two. That kid over there has been here the longest. Almost a week. His maze was nothing but girls." He said, pointing.

Minhos brows shot up.
"Really?" He asks

"I guess some guys have all the luck" another said with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. Typical.

Then the doors opened.

"Good evening gentlemen. Ladies. You all know how this works. If you hear your name called, please rise in an orderly fashion and join my colleagues behind me, where they will escort you to the eastern wing. Your new lives are about to begin." Jansons voice cut across the room.

He started rattling off names. Kids stood, shuffling toward the guards.

"Now now don't get discouraged, if I could take more, I would. There's always tomorrow, your time will come" Janson added

As his eyes swept the room, they lingered on me.

"He looks like a rat" I muttered to Thomas.

Thomas snorted.
"That's what you're thinking about?" He asked.

And I just shrug.

"Where are they going?" I asked the boy in front of me.

"Far from here. Lucky bastards" he says

"Some kind of farm. A safe place. They can only take in a couple people at a time" another added

But I wasn't listening anymore. My eyes had caught on a familiar figure behind the glass.

"Teresa?" I muttered

She walked quickly, flanked by guards.

"What the hell?" I shot up. Thomas did too.

"Hey, Teresa! Teresa!" We shoved forward but the guards stopped us.

"Back up" one barked, holding us at arms length.

"Where are they taking her?" I demanded

"They just have a few more tests to run. Don't worry, they'll be done with her soon." The guard said calmly.

"Is she ok?" Thomas asked

"She's fine" he replied

"Reyna"

I turned. Janson stood at the doorway, his smile back in place.

"The doctors need a few more tests. Something popped up in your results. Nothing serious- just precaution" he said

I narrowed my eyes.
"Precaution?" I ask

He nodded smoothly.

A guard reached for me. I pulled back.
"Can't i say goodbye?" I ask

"You'll be back with them soon" Janson assured me.

"So?" I say

His smile stiffened.
"Make it quick" he said, then walked off.

The guard waited by the door for me.

"Say bye?" Minho said, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Shut up, shut up" I muttered.

I moved through my friends fast, giving Minho, newt, frypan, Winston each a quick hug. Their confusion obviously on their face.

Then I hugged Thomas last. I leaned in close, my voice barely a whisper against his ear.

"If I'm not back by breakfast, something's wrong. They're not who they say they are" I said

Before he could respond, I pulled away and walked out without looking back.