Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

—

His eyes shot open, revealing nothing but darkness.

Not a stark difference from when they were closed.

He felt his throat like it was being held tight, as if no air was aloud in.

He opened his mouth and let out a loud gasp, desperate for any type of oxygen flow.

Thankfully, it worked. The damp, thick air shot into his body and slapped his face as he sat up quickly, gasping, panting, trying anything to breathe like normal again.

Panic rose up in him when his thoughts started coming back, just as the oxygen did.

Where am I?

What am I doing here?

And why can't I remember anything?

The realization hit him like a load of bricks. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know what was happening. He couldn't see anything, hear anything, he could barely breath for Christ's sake, and all he could feel around him was grated metal and all he could smell was iron.

And the worst, most sickening realization that came to him…

Was that he didn't even remember his own name.

This only caused his panic to spike further. What the hell was happening.

But he needed to pull it together. Needed to figure out what was going on. Where he was.

As he continued to breath in sharp and ragged breaths, he felt around him with his calloused hands. Metal. Grated metal.

His fingers collided with something that felt like a wooden box, then a bag of sorts. A rope. A barrel. His confusion only heightened, his brows pinching together as he fought hard to try and make anything out of the situation.

He tried to remember something. Anything at all about what this place was, why he was there and what was happening..but nothing came to him. It was like everything, before this moment was completely wiped from his consciousness.

All of a sudden, the whole room- or whatever it was- jolted. He went falling onto his back again, his head smacking the metal. A pained groan escaped his lips, his hand shooting up to the spot on his head where the metal collided.

But before he could think another thought, the room jolted again. But this time, upwards.

The force threw him into the air shortly, then back onto the rough ground with a bang. He didn't even have time to cry out in pain again, because he could feel the entire room start to ascend rapidly through the air.

Okay. Now this is inane.

Was the only coherent thought he could think as the whizzing sound of the box passing through the air pierced his ears.

It's an elevator.

The realization dawned on him, and he quickly scrambled up onto his elbows, eyes darting around, trying to see anything at all. Any clue to if his predictions were correct.

Tiny flashes of light passed here and there as the elevator continued to rise. He could vaguely make out the wooden boxes he felt earlier surrounding him, and other supplies and bags. It only confused him more, and at the rapid pace the box was ascending, he could feel his head starting to spin.

He got up onto his knees and gripped the metal above him. He banged on it.

"HELLO?! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME!?" He shouted through the darkness, his voice rough and pained.

He didn't know why he was shouting. No one could hear him, there was no way. There was no one around for all he knew. It was just him, alone in this elevator shaft, shouting into the oblivion and panicking, with no sense of memory.

Then, a tiny red light came into view, illuminating his surroundings. He could make out the shaft around him a little more clearly now, and realized how tiny this little box he was trapped in was.

The light got brighter and brighter, and he realized that he was nearing the top.

He sank back down onto he ground quickly, preparing for the impact of the box with the ceiling.

In a flash, the box slammed into the top, coming to an abrupt halt. His body was lifted shortly into the air again before crashing back down, another groan of pain escaping his chapped lips.

He pushed himself onto his elbows again, his vision becoming less dizzy after the box finally stopped moving. He took in deep breaths, trying to maintain his last bit of sanity.

Suddenly, a sort of alarm blared out, startling him. His head whipped around, and the red light that illuminated his surroundings turned green.

Oh god. What now.

How could this nightmare get any worse?

As if on cue, the green light shut off with a loud bang, leaving him in total darkness again.

He swallowed, the eerie silence mixed with the pitch black surrounding him petrifying.

The only sounds echoing in the tiny, confining box were his shaky breaths. Waiting. Waiting for something to happen.

Then, a loud rumbling rang out overhead. He jumped again, then scrambled back on his hands, pressing his back up to the wall of the tiny metal box, fearing what might happen next.

This isn't happening.

He thought.

This has to be a dream.

But if it was a dream why didn't he remember anything at all?

No, this was definitely not a dream, but a nightmare. One that seemed too real and never seemed to end.

Then, a mechanical whirring sound began, and a blinding flash of white light seeped into his vision. The light brought a wave of heat, crashing over him and burning his already sweaty skin.

His heart rate spiked, and he brought his arm up in front of his eyes to shield them. He shut his eyes closed, but only for a moment. Once the light seemed to stop growing, he slowly opened his eyes and lowered his hand, looking up at the sight above him.

His heart stopped.

His eyes adjusted to the light, and figures started to come into his vision. Multiple figures, outlines of what looked to be..people.

That was the last thing he expected. He expected maybe sudden death, or something terrifying, not a gang of young men, staring down at him through the grated metal with smirks and chortles.

Well, maybe it was terrifying. Everything about this whole experience was terrifying.

His eyes scanned the group of chuckling boys, taking in each of their appearances. They were all different ages, heights, races and sizes. All under 21 at least. None of whom he recognized.

Then again, if he couldn't even recognize himself, how could he recognize anyone else? Nonetheless these boys, watching him like they were amused?

More and more of them started to flood into his vision, crowding around him at the bottom of the elevator box, and his confusion only grew.

Who are these guys? Why were they just staring at me?

He had the urge to say something but the words died in his throat, he could only stare up, eyes darting between different boys taking in their rugged appearances.

Then, suddenly, one of the boys, a more brawny one with tanned skin and black hair, jumped down onto the top of the box.

The box jumbled at the force, and he held onto the floor to keep steady. The boys from above shouted the boy on.

"Get him Chance!"

"Get him outta there."

The boy, Chance by assumption, leaned down over the grate and opened the top, jumping down into the box with him.

He stared up at him, wide eyed, confused and weary, still cowering up against the wall of the box.

Chance crouched down and got up in his face, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lip.

"Day one greenie."

He furrowed his brows at the unfamiliar word.

"Rise and shine."

With that, Chance grabbed him by the color of his shirt, and lifted him up.

His breath hitched and he struggled for a moment before getting heaved up and out of the box by the stronger boy, plopping down on his back on the grass above.

He didn't even have time to think before he got surrounded by a circle of the boys, entrapping him like some sort of animal.

He scrambled up on his elbows and looked around frantically. He tried to make out the scenery around him, but the boys were blocking his view of anything but the sun in the blue sky above and the grass beneath him.

He looked up at the faces of the boys as they all chuckled and started making small comments and remarks.

"Oh, he's a slopper for sure."

"Nah, he's a twig."

"He could give me some help in the kitchen."

"Let the slinthead breath, damn it."

His eyes darted around, trying to memorize the faces of the boys. One he noticed, was a short, curly brown haired kid, no younger than 17, chuckling with a toothy smile and nudging the boy next to him.

The boy next to him, caught his eye however.

The boy had scruffy brown hair, a little long in the back, hazel eyes that were gleaming in the beating sun, and an amused half-smile on his face as he stared down at him.

If he were in any other situation, he would have thought the boy was cute.

But that wasn't his greatest concern at the moment. Not even close.

He still had no idea where he was, what was happening, who any of these guys were- hell, he didn't even know who he was himself.

And the echoes of laughter and comments, the feeling of the sun burning his skin, and the confusion that lingered, scrambled up his mind in it's already dazed state.

He didn't know how much more if it he could take.

So, he did the only reasonable thing he could think to do.

He scrambled to his feet, pushed past the circle of boys, and started to run.

The group behind him all let out amused "ooo's", cheers, and laughs.

"WE GOT A RUNNER!!!" One of them shouted.

He had no idea where he was running. He didn't even know where he was. But all he knew was that he wasn't gonna lay on the ground helplessly and let those guys stare down at him and laugh like he was some minority.

But what was he to do now?

No idea. Just keep running.

The wind slapped his face, feeling cool on his sweaty skin. His feet pounded against the grass, and his breathing got rougher.

He started to get dizzy, he could hear his heart pounding in his ears, and he knew he couldn't run forever.

Then, in a flash, he tripped over his own foot, and went plummeting to the ground, tumbling over himself.

He heard the howls of laughs and shouts from the group of boys, now yards behind him, and he grunted as he rolled to a stop, face flat in the dirt.

The humiliation was almost too much to bear. Too much to the point where he debated just lying there and never getting up..but his curiosity and ongoing confusion got the better of him.

With all his muscles screaming from the run and fall, he slowly pushed himself up onto his knees and wiped the dirt from his face with the sleeve of his shirt. He could still hear the boys shouting and laughing from behind him, but all that was just background noise for him now.

He squinted his eyes again as he looked up, shakily getting to his feet.

When his eyes adjusted to the light, and he could finally take in his surroundings, his heart stopped.

Four, giant, ivy-covered stone walls surrounded the square of grass that he stood in, each one at least 100 feet high. Scattered around the grass were some rocks, patches of crops, some crude wooden buildings, even a pen full of farm animals. There was even a patch of trees, almost like a forest on one side.

He was confused beyond measure as he analyzed the location. It seemed like some sort of village, some sort of civilization. Except it was closed off from the beyond by those giant walls, trapping them in, confining them.

His mind was reeling as he spun around in his spot, mouth agape, trying to make sense of it all.

But none of it made sense.

He was so busy gawking at his surroundings, he didn't notice the two figures walking up behind him.

They latched onto his arms, quickly pulling his body away from his spot.

He yelped and struggled as he started to get dragged across the grass, the sounds of laughter from the group ringing out.

He looked up to see who had grabbed him. One was Chance, the muscular boy from earlier who pulled him from the box, and the other was a dark-skinned boy with a camouflage bandana, a similar physique as Chance's.

Chance had a small smirk on his face as they dragged him across the patch of grass, the group of boys hooting and cheering for him.

The other one however, had a more determined look on his face. "All of you, shut your holes and get back to work!!" He shouted, shutting up the other boys.

Thank god.

"I'll deal with the greenie." He said to them firmly, his expression unchanging as he and Chance continued to drag him, and he continued to struggle in their arms.

The boys murmured and nodded, and started to disperse.

"Let go of me!" He snarled, as he kicked and tried to break free from Chance and the others boys grasp. But it was fruitless. The other two boys were stronger than him.

Chance's grip tightened on his arm and he yanked him a little harder. He felt a muscle in his shoulder pull.

"Just cool it greenie, we're not gonna hurt you." Chance said coldly, in a tone that didn't convince him in the slightest.

"And why should I believe you? Huh?" He snapped, his frustration over the whole situation finally getting the better of him. "Who the hell even are you guys?? And what is this place??" He spat as he continued to struggle in their grasp.

Before he could get an answer, he was abruptly tossed into a little hole with sticks built up around it, almost like a little prison cell.

His back hit the dirt hard, and he grunted in pain. He looked up and saw Chance closing the little makeshift door.

His eyes widened and he leapt up onto his knees. "No-Wait-" He cried out, gripping the wood and yanking on it, failing to open it.

The bandana boy crouched down in front of it, face to face with mike behind the wood. "We'll give you a minute to gather your thoughts. Then we'll talk." he said calmly, a more approaching and less authoritative demeanor than the way he spoke to the group of boys earlier.

He wanted to protest, to tell him no and scream at him to let him out of this damn cell and tell him what the hell was happening..but he didn't. He just sighed heavily and slowly leaned back from the little door, sitting in the dirt, knees pressed to his chest, just..thinking.

The bandana boy nodded then stood up and walked away, leaving him alone, confused, and clueless.

He sat in the cell for a while, trying to recap what had just happened.

He woke up in an elevator with no memory of anything before then, couldn't even remember his own name, was seemingly trapped in a little village surrounded by these giant walls and populated by teenage boys.

What was this hell?

After a while of just sitting with his own scrambled thoughts, he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up and saw the same bandana boy from earlier crouch down in front of the little door, his face peeking through the wood.

"You ready to talk?" He asked softly. Almost like he cared. Something he hadn't heard from anyone here yet.

He looked up at him, wide eyed and baffled still. The kindness from the boy was unexpected and just made him more confused.

"You're not gonna run this time, right?" The bandana boy spoke again, resting his arm on the little trapdoor, a small smile on his his lips.

He didn't really think before shaking his head no.

The bandana boys smile grew, and in a swift movement, he opened the trap door and crouched down on the edge, his hand resting on the top of the wood to stabilize himself. "The name's Lucas." he introduced himself.

He took that to note. Lucas. Bandana boy.

He wanted to figure out anything he could about this place, especially the people, so he made a list in his mind and gave them nicknames.

Chance would be meathead, since he surely was one.

Lucas's voice snapped him out of his thoughts again. "Can you tell me anything about yourself?" He asked calmly. "Your name? Anything?"

He thought hard.

No. He couldn't remember shit. He knew this already, but he kept trying to convince himself that he was just not right in the head in that moment. But turns out, he's just not right in the head at all, apparently.

"No..I…" He croaked, voice broken. "I..I can't remember anything…" His heart rate quickened as he confirmed it aloud, his anxiety returning. "Why can't I remember anything?" He asked, looking up at Lucas. He hated how desperate he sounded, but it was how he felt.

"Hey, it's okay.." Lucas said, voice steady, tilting his head to the side slightly. "Relax. You're good." He said comfortingly.

He took deep breaths, trying to steady his nerves, Lucas's words helping. He still was surprised by the kindness from the boy, but he wasn't complaining.

"It's normal. It happened to us all…" Lucas explained slowly.

This peaked his interest. He looked up at him again, curious.

"You'll remember your name in a day or two…" Lucas continued, an ominous tone in his voice. "It's the one thing they let us keep."

His heart sunk a little at his words.

What the hell was he talking about.

"I don't understand.." He muttered, brows pinched together. "What is this place..?" He asked, voice hoarse.

A small, pitiful smile appeared on Lucas's lips. He reached his hand out to him, an offering of help.

"Let me show you."

His heart rate spiked a little, and he debated taking his hand. He didn't know if he should trust anyone here yet. However, even though he had only spoken to him briefly… he felt like he could trust Lucas. He just had that gut feeling. The intuition.

So, hesitantly, he took his hand.

—

For the past hour, Lucas had been showing him around the glade. That's what it was called, so he was told.

The little civilization the boys had built overtime, all their jobs, how everything worked, how they stayed alive..it was all an insane amount of lore for him to take in. But nonetheless, he just followed Lucas as he showed him around, yapping on and on about life in the glade.

He still had questions. MANY questions, but he withheld them, just for now, to let Lucas fill him in.

The two boys trekked through the glade, the sun beating down on them harshly as Lucas spoke.

"We eat over there.." He said, pointing to a little kitchen area with makeshift tables and stools. "Sleep there…" He gestured to a patch of trees where hammocks hung on the branches and sleeping bags lay on the ground. "We grow our own food…" He nodded to a patch of crops where some boys were grazing. "And we build our own shelter." He finished as they walked past a crooked wood building.

He took it all in, analyzing the area, watching as the boys worked in the fields or in the kitchen, in the gardens and whatnot. His head was spinning just thinking about it. There was so much to take in.

"And whatever we need…" Lucas continued, turning to face him as he walked backwards. "The box provides." he pointed to the elevator shaft in the dead center of the glade, where he had arrived in earlier that day.

His brows furrowed in confusion. Lucas noticed and explained further. "It gets sent up once a month with fresh supplies for us to survive and a new greenie."

He looked at him, his confusion only rising at the word "greenie." He heard it many times directed at him now, but he still failed to see what it meant.

"This month that's you." Lucas smiled and nudged him. "Congratulations!"

His enthusiasm seemed out of place for the situation. His mind was still a hot mess, and a thousand questions still spun around. He couldn't stand it anymore.

"Sent up-?" He stammered, looking back at the box. "By who? Who put us here?" He asked quickly, looking back at Lucas,.

Lucas was silent for a beat, then sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "That we don't know dude. Probably never will."

This didn't help his case at all. Only caused more questions than answered.

His racing thoughts were interrupted however, when a voice called out to them.

"Hey, you alright Lucas?"

He turned his head to see who had interrupted his train of thought, and his heart damn near skipped a beat.

He recognized the boy from earlier. The one with brown hair and hazel eyes, who stood out to him because of his beauty.

And his smile. The one he was wearing right now as he approached them.

Damn it. What are you thinking? That's not important right now you idiot.

"Green-bean, meet Will." Lucas said, gesturing to the scruffy brown-haired boy that just walked up, a friendly half-smile on his face, his hazel eyes squinting through the sun. "When I'm not around he's in charge."

Will. He thought. The cute one.

Will looked at Lucas. "Good thing you're always around then." He said cleverly. The two smirked at each other, then the boys attention fell to him. Will stuck out his hand to shake.

His breath hitched for a second but he ignored it, attempting to act normal and not freak out over this boy. He took his hand and politely shook it.

"You made quite the dash earlier." Will commented as they shook hands, the gesture seeming to go on forever. "For a second there, I thought you could be a runner." Will smiled then raised his eyebrows. "Until you face planted, that is."

For the first time since he arrived here, a small smile tugged at his lips. He didn't know what a "runner" was, but he found Will's comment funny nonetheless, even if it was a jab at him. And he already took a liking to him right then and there.

His curiosity about what Will called him spiked his interest again. "What's a runner?" He asked as Will dropped his hand from the handshake. He felt a pang of disappointment at the loss of contact but quickly shut it down.

Lucas and Will looked at each other. Small smirks appeared on both their lips as they exchanged knowing glances.

He felt a little left out now, his mood dropping slightly.

Which was stupid. He thought.

"Come on..what is it..?" He spoke up again. He hated how dumb and pleading he sounded, but his curiosity got the better of him, like it always seemed to.

"Hey..do me a favor.." Lucas nudged Will and spoke into his ear lowly. "Go find Dustin."

Will nodded and smiled softly. He started to walk away and turned back to him for a moment. "Nice meeting you green-bean."

He could feel his cheeks start to warm up.

Jesus, was the hell was wrong with him? Get it together.

"Bye.." Was all he could muster out as he watched the boy walk away.

However, one thing that he noticed as he watched him leave, was that Will was walking with a slight limp.

Curiosity and questions flowed through his mind for the billionth time that day. Why did Will have a limp? Was he injured or something? He didn't really look injured or seem injured..

"Look I'm sorry to rush this-" Lucas's voice broke him out of his reeling questions as he placed a hand on his shoulder and started to guide him away. "You came up a little late and we've got a lot to do…" Lucas explained.

He wasn't really listening to Lucas's words. He kept looking back, watching as Will limped away from them. He couldn't tear his gaze away. He didn't know why.

Lucas looked over at him as the walked, and noticed how he was watching Will. A small, knowing smirk crept up on his face. "We've got something special planned tonight." he continued, placing his hand on his shoulder again to keep guiding him away, and attempting to get his attention away from Will. "You'll see."

He scolded himself internally as he looked back at Lucas and saw the knowing smirk on his face. Jesus, was he that obvious?

Thankfully, Lucas didn't press him, just led him to this makeshift tower made of wood and logs.

"Hope you're not afraid of heights." Lucas joked as he started climbing the latter and looked down at him.

He threw him a small smile, his joking tone lifting his spirits slightly. He started to climb up the tower after him, looking over the glade as he went.

The whole concept of it all still maddened him, and it was difficult to come to terms with. Even with Lucas's thorough explanations and stories, it still was so bizarre, and he still had so. Many. Damn. Questions.

The two made it to the top, leaning on the wooden railing, looking out over the glade. It was silent between them for a while, Lucas just letting him breath it all in.

His greatest question still lingered on the walls surrounding them. He wanted to ask about them, but he contained it. He felt like he asked too many questions already and didn't wanna be a burden. Besides, the peaceful silence between them was slightly calming, after the hectic events of the day and all the yap he listened to for the past hour. No offense to Lucas.

"This is all we got, y'know.." Lucas broke the silence with a calm, steady tone. He looked over at him. "We worked hard for it."

He could see that. The little civilization they built, it was nothing short of impressive. But he wasn't really in the mood to get all mushy in the moment. His thoughts still lingered on the giant walls. He noticed that in each wall, there was an opening. An opening that lead to something he couldn't really make out from this far away.

"If you just respect this place- and the other gladers here, you'll get by just fine-" Lucas started, but he interrupted him.

"What's out there?" He pointed to the opening in the north wall.

Lucas followed his gaze and his expression hardened slightly. He looked back at him, their eyes meeting. He then slid closer to him on the railing, and spoke to him in a lower tone. "We only have three rules here." He began.

He felt annoyed that he completely disregarded his question and started up a new topic, but he let it go quickly. Hearing the rules did spike his interest, though he hated to admit it. He leaned in and listened.

"First, you gotta do your part. No time for any lazy freeloaders, yeah?" Lucas said, his tone showing he wasn't messing around.

He nodded quickly in agreement. He didn't disagree with the statement, but he felt the overwhelming need to agree anyway, like he couldn't disagree with Lucas at all.

"Second, never harm another glader." Lucas continued firmly. "None of this will work out if we don't trust each other."

He nodded again. That made sense. It did make him wonder however if that rule was established because a fight had broken out before. Maybe that's what happened to Will, and that's why he had a limp?

Christ, why was he even thinking about that? Will has nothing to do with anything Lucas is talking about right now. get it together.

"And most importantly.." Lucas began, his voice even lower than before. He stared, his expression even more serious than before. "Never, go beyond those walls."

His words were almost threatening, and he hated to admit that it scared him a little, the low and dangerous tone in Lucas's voice. But the context of them was even more frightening. What was beyond the walls that made them forbidden to go past? The question sent chills down his spine, and he didn't even bother to ask. At least, not in the moment.

"You understand?" Lucas asked again.

He swallowed, then nodded. A small nod, but enough to be convincing.

"Hey Lucas!"

The voice from below caught both their attentions.

He looked down and saw someone standing at the bottom of the tower, waving up to them. It took a moment for him to recognize the boy.

He was the same curly haired one from earlier, the one with the toothy smile who was chuckling and nudging Will was he came out of the box.

"Hey Dustin." Lucas called back, wearing a smile now, his serious demeanor now gone at the presence of Dustin. "Where you been dude? Didn't I send Will for you a while ago?" He chuckled.

Dustin shrugged. "You know Will takes forever to get anywhere." Dustin chuckled back flatly, his toothy smile appearing.

He looked over and saw Lucas's smile drop a bit at the mention of Will 'taking forever.' It was clear that Dustin was mentioning the boys limp, and for some reason, it seemed to strike a nerve in Lucas.

His brows furrowed as he analyzed the look on his face. He wondered if there was something more to the cute boys limp than what he first thought.

—

The sound of cicadas chirped over the glade as the afternoon sun started to lower in the sky.

He was standing next to Dustin, leaning back against a tree, lost in his own thoughts as Dustin spoke to him, like he had been for the past few hours.

He wasn't really listening. Really, everything the curly-haired boy was saying to him was going in one ear and out the other. Which made him feel a little guilty, since Dustin came to be a very sweet guy.

But he couldn't tear his eyes away from the opening in the giant wall. It had been on his mind since Lucas warned him not to go past them, and that it was a strict rule not to. He still wondered why that was, and pondered what would happen if a glader did decide to go out there.

"It's basically the same story for us all…" Dustin smiled as he set up his sleeping bag for him, tying it tightly to the tree he was leaning on. "We wake up in the box, Lucas gives us the tour, then, well, here we are." Dustin turned his back for a moment to gather up some blankets, and he took this opportunity to make an escape.

He pushed himself off the tree and started to make his way over to one of the giant walls, trying to keep a low profile as he went, even though the glade was bustling with boys.

"Don't worry..you're already do a lot better than I did." Dustin continued, unaware that he had left him. "I clunked my pants three times before they got me out of the pit.." Dustin turned his head and saw that he was already half way across the glade, making his descent on the wall. "Shit…" The boy muttered, pushing past the sleeping bags and jogging to catch up.

As he got closer to the wall, he peered through the opening, trying to make out what could be passed it. From his view, it just looked like more ivy covered walls.

"Dude-" Heard Dustin's voice say from behind as he finally caught up. "Where are you going??" He panted, pushing his shoulder slightly.

He nudged the boy off. "I just wanna see.." He said, taking a closer took beyond the opening.

"Yeah well.." Dustin continued as they walked closer. "You can look all you want but you better not even think about going in there." He scolded, trying to sound authoritative but failing.

He furrowed his brows. "Why not? What's through there?" He asked stubbornly, not tearing his eyes away from the walls beyond.

Dustin stepped in front of him to stop him. "I don't know. Okay?" He said firmly. "All I know is what I've been told. That we're not supposed to leave."

They both turned their heads to the opening, and as if on cue, two boys came jogging out.

His eyes widened slightly at the sight.

Wait, what?

His confusion only heightened at this revelation. Two boys just came jogging out of the wall with these weird vests on, and Dustin and all the other gladers didn't even seemed fazed by it.

The two boys passed by them, and one of them, a tall, older one with crazy brown hair smiled at Dustin. "Hey Dustin." He greeted, not stopping his jog. "New greenie, huh?" He nodded to him. "How does it feel to be promoted."

Dustin smiled back at him proudly. "Feels great Steve." He said, watching in admiration as the two boys jogged off.

Okay, he needed answers now.

"Wait a second-" He said, nudging Dustin. "I thought no one was allowed to leave-?"

Dustin sighed. "I said we're not allowed to leave. It's different for them, they're runners. That rule doesn't apply." Dustin explained, gesturing towards Steve and the other guy jogging towards the deadheads. "They know more about the maze than anyone.."

The first word that caught his attention was "runner." It was the third time he heard that term, and he still had no clue what it meant. But his interest in that particular reference was overruled when he caught something particular the boy said.

"They know more about the maze than anyone."

"The maze."

Maze.

What..maze?

He looked down at the shorter boy, eyes wide. "Wait-maze?" He stammered, his voice echoing his thoughts. "What maze-?"

"Huh?" Dustin looked up at him, furrowing his brows.

"You-you just said maze." He confirmed again, pressing for some type of context.

"I-I did?" Dustin asked again, feigning obliviousness. He had to admit, he was pretty good at it, but he wasn't convinced in the slightest.

In fact, he was pissed. He wanted to know more than anything what the hell was out there, and no one would tell him a thing.

Well, if that was the case, then he was gonna figure it out himself.

He immediately started walking closer to the opening, dying to figure out anything, anything at all.

Dustin protested quickly, like he assumed he would, but he ignored him. "hey-wait- what are you doing-?" He grabbed his arm.

He shook him off. "I'm just gonna take a look, alright?" he snapped back a little harsher than he meant to.

"I told you, you can't." Dustin told him firmly. "No one leaves, and especially not right now. It's not safe." He warned.

Dustin's words only piqued his curiosity.

Not safe?

He took a few steps closer, ignoring all of Dustin's warnings. He didn't care. He needed to know what was out there. Why it wasn't safe, why they couldn't leave except for the so called "runners." And why Dustin called it a maze. He stepped closer and closer. Nothing new came into his view except more walls and ivy.

Then, suddenly..

"HEY!!"

He whipped his head quickly to the side to see Chance, the meathead from earlier, place his hands on him and give him a hard shove.

He flew back threw the air and landed on the ground hard, a pained groan escaping his lips as his head hit the dirt.

He quickly propped himself up on his elbows, ignoring the pain surging through his head and back. He looked up to see the meathead standing over him.

Chance raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. "You're really pushing it huh greenie?" He taunted, his voice breathy but dangerous.

Anger surged through him and he raised his legs and kicked him hard in the shins. "Get away from me!" He shouted and scrambled to his feet.

"Ouch! Hey! Easy-easy-easy-" Chance exclaimed, backing away and extending his hands out in surrender.

The other gladers close by seemed to notice the commotion, dropping whatever they were doing and coming running over in a flash.

As more boys started to approach, trying to calm him down, he snapped. "hey what the hell is wrong with you guys!?" He shouted angrily, all the pent up frustration from the day bleeding through in this moment of weakness.

"Hey- Just calm down, okay?"

He recognized the voice immediately.

He looked up and saw him. Will. Slowing to a stop as he limped over, stretching out his hand as if to contain him.

He couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart, and a hint of comfort at his gentle words. But the anger and annoyance was too much for even the cute boys words to override.

"No-" He stammered, looking over at Lucas now, who had come running up next to Will. "No- I've had enough alright?? Why won't you tell me what's out there?!" He spat, gesturing to the opening behind him.

"We're just trying to protect you man." Lucas said firmly, holding his hand out to calm him as well. His words didn't have the same comforting effect as Will's, which only made things worse.

"Yeah, it's for your own good." Another glader he hadn't spoke to spoke up.

He hated that no one was coming to his defense. But He understood why. He barely knew anything and they knew everything. He just sounded crazy to them, probably.

"You guys can't just keep me here!!" He spat, his anger overcoming him once again.

"We can't let you leave-"

"Why not?!"

Then, as if on cue, he heard it.

A loud, menacing rumble. Or a type of growl.

He froze. The hairs on his neck stood up straight.

Then, he felt it. A large gust of hot air that almost knocked him off his feet.

He turned around, facing the opening where the gust of wind and growl had come from.

He stared in shock.

"What the hell…" He muttered.

Then came a jolt, and the sound of mechanical whirring.

The walls.. they started to move.

He stared up in absolute shock and confusion, his mouth agape as he watched the walls start to slide together, the sounds of gears turning and metal scraping on metal piercing through the air.

After a few more agonizing seconds of the sounds of the walls sliding together, they finally sealed, closing off the opening, entrapping them in the glade.

He stood frozen. Still it absolute shock. The other boys started to disperse, letting out short chuckles or huffs at his stunned appearance. He could only just stand there, trying to process what he just witnessed.

Then, he heard a cold voice in his ear. "Next time, I'm gonna let you leave."

He turned his head to see Chance, staring him down dangerously before turning and sauntering away.

He didn't have time to dwell on the meatheads threat. He was too preoccupied with trying to wrap his head around the walls fucking closing in on them.

He then felt a hand on his shoulder, startling him a little.

Lucas spoke him into his ear, a smirk plastered on his face. "Welcome to the glade."

—

Night fell over the glade, the sound of laughter and cheers echoing through the darkness, smiling faces illuminated by the fire the boys had started.

It was all a party, a celebration, for none other than the new greenie himself, who still, didn't member his name.

There was dinner, drinking, shouting, and a wrestling circle. All a little too overwhelming for him.

He still had so many thoughts and questions running through his already wracked brain, and he couldn't party and celebrate and pretend he was happy to be here when a war was going on in his head.

So, he snuck away from the chaos of the celebration, and sat himself down against a log, facing towards the north wall.

He watched it closely, remembering how the walls had closed shut earlier that day. Remembered the gust of wind and the growling.

It gnawed at him. Ate away at the corners of his mind as he tried to make sense of it all.

Was this his life now?

I mean, he didn't exactly know what his life was like before this..or if he even had one.

It confused him to no end. He was so frustrated with everything.

He just wanted answers, damn it. Was it that hard to give them?

He clenched his fists in his lap and bit the inside of his cheek as his mind spiraled. He took a deep breath, trying to contain it when-

"Hey."

He looked up. It was him.

Will.

Staring down at him, a jar of some kind of drink in his hand, and a small half smile on his lips.

The tension in his body immediately subsided, and he let out a long breath he didn't know he was holding. He unclenched his fists and stared back up a him, admiring the cute boy from this angle.

There was a beat of comfortable silence before Will spoke. "Mind if I sit?" he asked softly, gesturing to the spot next to him.

His heart rate quickened slightly at the question, but he quickly ignored it and scooted over. "Yeah- yeah go ahead.." He mumbled, trying not to sound too excited.

Will's half smile grew to a full smile, and he sat down next to him, leaning back against the log as well. He sighed and took a sip of his drink.

He wondered what it was, but didn't care to know in the moment. The look of it didn't exactly have his mouth watering.

He admired Will from this angle. His side profile was beautiful. The perfect curve of his nose, his sharp jawline, the freckle close to his lip, the was his hair fell perfectly over his forehead, the perfect hazel color of his eyes..

Jesus Christ. Get it together.

"You had hell of a first day, huh greenie?" Will spoke up, breaking the silence and glancing over at him, meeting his eyes with another slight smirk.

The sight made his heart flutter. "Yeah..you could say that." He replied, his voice hollow.

Will could sense the turmoil behind his words, noticing immediately how the days events took a toll on him. Feeling sympathetic, he held out his drink to him. "Here. Drink this." He offered.

He furrowed his brows at the offering. He wanted to say "fuck no" and refuse to drink whatever mystery juice was in that damn jar. But for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to say no to Will. Hopefully that wouldn't become a habit.

He reluctantly took the jar from him, throwing him a nervous yet curious look. He stared down at the murky brown liquid, and he almost gagged just at the sight. Slowly, he brought the jar up to his lips and took a sip.

The moment the vile, sour flavor hit his tongue, he leaned forward and spit it out onto the grass. "Oh my god!" He exclaimed through ragged coughs and gags, trying to get the flavor out of his mouth.

Will just laughed beside him, the sound making his chest flutter. Maybe this moment wasn't so bad if it made Will laugh.

What the hell are you thinking? Shut up.

"Oh my god-" He continued to gag and spit. "What the hell is that-?" He asked, wiping his mouth and handing the jar back to Will.

Will took the jar back with a chuckle. He turned it around in his hand, examining it. "Y'know…I don't even know." He said bluntly, still smirking.

He stared at the boy with a concerned look. How could he just drink that shit and not know what's in it? The thought was both concerning and endearing to him.

"It's Chance's recipe.." Will spoke, turning his head behind him.

His stomach dropped at the mention of Chance. He barely knew the guy but his experiences with him after just one day in the glade already made him dislike him. He followed Will's gaze to Chance, who was fighting with a younger boy in the wrestling circle, getting cheered on by the other gladers. He narrowed his eyes at him and his stupid cocky smile.

"It's sacred or something.." Will continued to speak about Chance's special concoction as he watched him with a soft smile.

He caught onto this almost immediately. He watched Will's face as he watched Chance. There was a hint of something behind his eyes. Admiration? Or..no. That couldn't be right.

It just couldn't.

He was mistaken. he clenched his fists, trying not to let his newfound jealousy overtake him. He didn't even know why he was jealous, but he was. "Yeah well, he's still an asshole so…" He grumbled bitterly and turned back around, sinking back against the log.

Will turned back to him, his expression softening just slightly. He could understand why he wasn't a fan of Chance. They hadn't exactly gotten off on the best foot. But nonetheless, he felt to defend him. Chance was one of his good friends. "He's not the asshole you think he is y'know.." He said softly after a beat, a small, amused half-smile sill lingering.

His heart clenched at the soft tone of Will's defending words. He wanted to snap at him and say "yes is is" but then again, what did he know? Maybe Will was right. It didn't seem like it, but just like with Lucas, he felt he could trust him. "Yeah yeah.." He muttered, running a hand through his black curls, trying to give in but still sounding grumpy. "Sure he isn't."

Will let out a short breathy laugh at his stubbornness, turning his head away again.

He couldn't help but feel proud that he had made Will laugh like that, and a small smile appeared on his own face.

He noticed the only two times he smiled today, Will was present.

Why did that even matter?

"He saved your life today." Will spoke up again, still defending Chance. "You do realize that right?" He looked over at him. His expression wasn't cold, just genuine. And his tone wasn't harsh and scolding, but soft. He always seemed to be soft.

He ignored the flutters in his stomach. "Yeah..yeah I know." He mumbled back, not fully convinced but wanting to comply.

"Trust me…" Will began, taking a sip of his drink and swallowing it without even flinching. "The maze is a dangerous place."

He noticed the serious switch in the boys voice, and the way his expression hardened a little as he spoke of the maze. He put together that it was a maze behind those walls, after hearing it confirmed by two glade members now.

He wondered if Will was speaking from experience. If he had ever been in the maze. Ever seen it. He fought the urge to ask. Instead, he asked another question that lingered in his mind since he saw the walls close.

"We're stuck here..aren't we?"

His somber words hung in the air, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. Will stared ahead, expression stoic.

"For now." He said, after a while. He looked over at him, catching his grim expression. "But…" Will started, shifting so he was facing him, and his arm rested on the log.

He did the same, shifting so he was facing Will and followed his pointed finger.

"See those guys by the fire?" Will asked.

He spotted a group of tall, brawny boys, eating silently by the fire. He nodded.

"Those are the runners." Will continued, his gaze flickering back to him. "The guy in the middle- Lucas- you know him…" A small smile appeared on his lips. "..he's the keeper of the runners."

He took in this new information, listening intently to Will's words. Lucas was a runner. The keeper of them, for that matter. Whatever the hell that meant.

"Every morning.." Will started again, pointing to the now closed wall. "..Those doors open, and they run the maze." He explained. "Mapping it. Memorizing it, trying to find a way out."

The puzzle pieces started to fit together. The Runners, including Lucas, would go out into the maze everyday, navigating it, trying to find an end. It seemed pretty straightforward, but so many questions still racked his mind. he focused on one for now, not wanting to overwhelm will with his thoughts. "How long have they been looking..?" He asked lowly as he looked back at Will, fearing the answer.

The look that crossed Will's face told him what he already predicted. He wasn't gonna like it.

"Three years."

Any spark of hope that had ignited in Mike upon hearing of a possible way out died then and there. He sunk back against the log, a deep sigh passing through his lips.

That was it. he was screwed. They were screwed. He was gonna spend the rest of his life here.

He couldn't help but feel confused too. Three years of running through a maze, and there wasn't a single trace of a way out? That didn't seem plausible in the slightest. He voiced his concern. "And they haven't found anything..?"

Will chuckled, though there was a somber undertone behind it. "It's a lot easier said than done."

His heart clenched at his words.

Of course it was easier said than done. Why would he even think it wasn't.

There was a bit of silence, before Will scooted closer to him, their shoulders now touching. He shivered a bit at the contact.

"Listen." Will said softly, pointing a finger up to nothing.

He stayed silent, his ears on high alert. Over the chaos from the party behind them, he could faintly hear the sounds of stone shifting. His heart dropped a little.

"Hear that?" Will asked, looking at him with a small smirk that made his breath hitch.

He nodded.

"It's the maze…" Will told him like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Maybe it was. "..Changing. It changes every night."

So many thoughts ran through his head at this. One thought was how close he and Will's faces were to each other, but he quickly shut that one down.

How could the maze be changing?

"How is that even possible.." he murmured, looking back at the giant wall.

"We can ask the people who put us here if we ever meet the bastards." Will chuckled bitterly.

Another small smile appeared on his lips as well. A silence fell over them again, and he spent the moment to admire Will's side profile again.

Will took a sip of his drink, swallowed, then spoke again. "Listen the truth is.." He began, tone softer again. "The runners are the only people who actually know what's out there." He nodded towards the wall. "They're the strongest, and fastest of us all. And good thing they are, because if they don't make it back before those doors close.." He paused. "Then they're stuck out there for the night."

The thought of being alone in a maze after nightfall was enough to make him grimace. But it was Will's next words that really got to him.

"And no one's ever survived a night in the maze." He said ominously, staring ahead at the wall, expression stoic.

His heart dropped to his feet. He stared at Will for a long time, waiting for him to say anything. Give him any sort of context. But he didn't. So he pressed on. "What happens to them..?" He asked, his voice low, dreading the answer.

Will took another sip of his drink and swallowed before answering, voice as cold as he had ever heard it. "We call them grievers."

The name had a sick edge to it that made his stomach churn.

"Of course no one's ever actually..seen one and lived to tell about it." Will continued quickly, glancing over to see his concerned expression. He paused again. "But they're out there."

A thick, tense silence fell over them.

He didn't even know what to think. Well, he did. He was scared shitless. He wanted to know more about these grievers. How could Will just drop that on him and expect him to be normal.

The same thought he had conjured up earlier, also still lingered in his mind. The question of Will had been in the maze or not. Will wasn't a runner..but he seemed to be familiar with the maze. Just the way he spoke about it..it seemed like was speaking from his memories. Maybe even like he was hiding something. But he didn't want to press him. Not now. There's was already too much going on and so much his head could handle.

"Whelp-" Will said, suddenly patting his shoulder and jumbling him from his trance. "That's enough questions for one night yeah?" He asked, turning to face him.

He looked at the boy, admired his features for a split second then nodded shortly in agreement, even though he wanted more than anything right now to ask more questions. Maybe just talk to Will for a little longer. It was different then talking to Lucas or Dustin.

With Will it felt like he was being spoken to like an actual person, like someone who was worth talking with. Not some broken new thing to be lectured.

"Come on now-" Will spoke again, starting to stand up. He hooked his arm under his and started to pull him up off the ground. "You're supposed to be the guest of honor. This is all for you-let me show you around-"

He wanted to protest, to just sit against the log and sulk until bedtime, but, again, he couldn't bring himself to say no to Will.

Jesus, maybe it was becoming a habit.

So, he let him pull him up and lead him back over to the party, their intense talk now over.

Will and him weaved through the crowd of boys as will started to give him a breakdown on the boys in the glade and their jobs. "Those are the builders-" He said, pointing to a lot of buff-looking boys. "..Very good with their hands but not a lot going on upstairs.." Will smirked at tapped his temple

He smiled at him again, his playful attitude just plain endearing.

"And then we've got the slicers-" Will explained, pointing to a group of rowdy boys. "And then the med-jacks-" Will told as two boys passed in front of them "Hey Will." They both said in unison, friendly smiles on their faces. Will nodded to them and smiled back politely.

He felt a pang of jealousy at this. Again, he didn't know why. It was a strange and foreign feeling.

"They spend most of their time bandaging up the slicers.." Will got close to his ear and chuckled under his breath.

His breath hitched at the closeness, feeling Will's breath hot against his ear. He let out a breathy laugh, trying to keep his cool.

"Soon enough you'll find your job." Will explained as he stopped in place and watched the wrestling match between Chance and another boy, a small smile on his face. "It usually takes a greenie a week or two to figure it out.."

The options of jobs in the glade rotated through his mind. No offense to Will or anything, but not one of them sounded appealing to him. Except one.

"What If I wanna be a runner?" He asked shortly, no hesitancy in his words.

It was true. Although the idea of being a runner scared him, it also excited him. interested him. He wanted to know everything about the maze beyond those walls. And he wanted to help find a way out.

Will stared at him in disbelief and scoffed. "Did you not hear a word I told you back there?" His tone suddenly became defensive.

His heart dropped a little bit. "What-?"

"Look no one wants to be a runner." Will snapped firmly. This clearly was a sensitive topic to him, and he wasn't sure why. "It's not all fun and games if that's what you're thinking."

His mood dropped a little. He felt guilty for even asking, even though he knew he shouldn't. "I'm sorry I-"

"Besides-" Will cut him off, avoiding his gaze now. "You cant just become a runner. you have to be chosen."

He furrowed his brows. "Chosen?" He asked. "Chosen by who-"

he felt his knees buckle beneath him as someone collided with, sending him stumbling forward. Will caught him before he fell.

"Easy." He said, voice soft again.

his heart fluttered at Will's tone of voice, and the way held onto him now, but he shook off the thought, straightening up. "Thanks.." he huffed, reluctantly stepping away from the comfort of his grasp. He turned around to see what hit him.

One of the boys Chance had been wrestling was helped to his feet by another boy, and muttered a small, "Sorry" to him. He looked up and met Chance's gaze.

The meathead was standing in the middle of the wrestling circle, a small, amused smirk on his lips as he realized the boy he totaled probably just slammed into him.

He clenched his fists and tried to play it cool, even though he wanted nothing more than to march over and smack that stupid smug smirk off his face.

Will looked between the two, sensing the tension and sighing. This wasn't gonna end well, and he was sure of it.

"What do you say, greenie?" Chance's voice rang out. All the boys turned to look. "Wanna see what you're made of?"

His stomach churned as Chance challenged him. He had no interesting in wrestling, or whatever the hell this was, but if it meant he got to push the meathead around a bit, he didn't mind.

"Greenie, greenie, greenie, greenie!!" The group of gladers started to chant and cheer for him, hyping him up and encouraging him.

He glanced at Will in the crowd, who was wearing weary smile.

That was all it took.

He stepped into the ring, and cheers erupted around him. He took deep breaths, vowing to himself that he would nail this meathead at any clean shot he got.

"Allright greenie, the rules are simple…" Chance began to explain as he walked around the circle and the cheers died down. "I try to push you out of the circle, you try and last for more than five seconds."

The boys burst into laughter, and he felt his cheeks heat up. He circled around across from Chance, trying to ignore the laughs.

"Ready?" Chance asked, standing rigid in his spot.

Before he had time to even reply, Chance lunged forward and shoved him hard, sending him falling back into a group of gladers, who caught him and tossed him back into the circle.

Before he could even get back to his proper footing after the ambush, Chance grabbed him swiftly and sent him falling to the ground.

The gladers "ooo'ed" and laughed as he face planted into the sand.

He quickly propped himself up and looked back at Chance, who was grinning wickedly as he stared down at him. "Come on greenie. We're not done yet." he taunted as he stepped back.

He quickly pushed the pain he felt in his ribs from the impact on the ground aside and stood up, adjusting his shirt and fixing his hair as they began to circle again. "Stop calling me that." He muttered. He was sick of hearing that stupid nickname, especially from a dick like Chance.

"Stop calling you greenie?" Chance raised his eyebrows. "What do you want me to call you then? Shank?" He continued to taunt.

The boys erupted into howls of laughter, and he felt like the butt of the joke.

What the hell does shank even mean?

Anger rose in him, and he lunged at Chance. They collided in a tangle of fists and elbows, pushing against one another. But, it wasn't enough, because Chance got a good grip on him and yanked him hard, sending him tumbling into the sand once again, the familiar sounds of laughs and heckles echoing around him.

"You know what?" Chance spoke with a wicked smile as he stood up again shakily. "I think I've settled on shank."

He couldn't take it anymore. He needed to shut the asshole up. He didn't care if Will said he wasn't one..he was to him. And that might be the only thing he and Will would ever disagree on.

He pushed himself up and slammed himself into Chance. Chance started pushing back immediately, and he executed his plan. He shifted his weight to the side, and just as he planned, Chance fell over from his own force. The crowd of gladers exclaimed in shock and cheered for him as Chance lay on the ground.

He looked around, panting, proud that was actually able to take him down. He found Lucas's face in the crowd, who nodded approvingly. His eyes then fell on Will, who was clearly trying to to laugh as he covered his mouth with his hand. He could see in his eyes however that he was grinning, and that was enough validation for him.

Feeling confident, he strode around Chance's body on the ground. "Not bad for a greenie huh-?" He started, believing it was his turn to taunt.

However is gloating was cut short when he felt something hard collide with his ankles, knocking his feet out from under him and sending him straight to the ground.

His head smacked the ground with a crack that could probably be heard hundreds of miles into the maze. The crowd gasped and "ooo'ed," and Mike cried out in pain.

There was a slight ringing in his left ear, and his vision blurred at the edges. But amidst the daze…amidst the pain…something else came to his mind.

A word.

Just one word.

Mike.

A name.

His name.

Mike.

Holy shit.

His name is Mike.

"Mike.." he whispered under his breath as he lay on the ground, eyes wide. The gladers furrowed their brows and looked around, confused.

Mike then scrambled to his feet. "Mike..Mike.." He muttered. He looked around at the boys around him, this new revelation hitting him like a load of bricks. "I-I remember my name!" He shouted. "I-I'm Mike!!"

There was a beat of silence.

"MIKE!!" Lucas shouted, and everyone erupted into cheers, starting to surround him and pat him on the back and congratulate him. The moment felt surreal. Probably the most happy and relieved he had felt here since he first met Will.

What a stupid thought.

Speaking of Will, he felt a hand on his shoulder amongst many, and the boy stepped in front of him with a proud smile.

"Welcome home, Mike."

Mike liked the way his name sounded, coming from Will's lips.

And he liked finally being able to be called for who he really was. Not greenie or shank or slinthead.

Mike.

—

Chapter Text

—

Mike wasn't fully asleep in his hammock.

He hadn't really slept at all throughout the first night there in the glade.

Even though his spirits were lifted after remembering his name, and getting warm welcomes and congratulations from the guys, he still felt a hallowing pang in his chest, and something gnawing at the corners of his mind.

He spent most of the night staring up at the stars through the trees, recapping the day, replaying the events behind his eyes.

He remembered waking up in the box, no memory, feeling petrified. He remembers being lifted out of the box by Chance, and being laughed at by the group of gladers. He remembered seeing Will for the first time, the way it made his heart flutter.

Shut up.

He remembered his embarrassing trip to the grass as he attempted to run away. He remembered getting dragged off and put into the slammer by Chance and Lucas. He remembered Lucas talking to him and showing him around. He remembered interacting with Will formally for the first time. The way he smiled and joked with him, shook his hand..

Shut up.

He remembered Dustin happily chatting with him. He remembered trying to see beyond the walls and getting nailed by Chance. He remembered the growl and gust of wind before the walls shut closed. He remembered the celebration bonfire..where he and Will had their first real conversation. A deep one about the maze. He remembered the way Will looked in the darkness, with the orange light from the fire illuminating his features..

Get a grip.

He remembered wrestling Chance in the circle. How Will watched and tried not to laugh as they fought, and Mike pushed him to the ground. He smiled softly at the memory.

That's enough.

He remembered getting knocked to the ground by Chance, the impact of his skull hitting the ground knocking some sense into him, making him remember his name finally. It felt like the best moment in his life. What he knew of it, that was. And most of all, he remembered Will's charming smile, and his words to him.

"Welcome home, Mike."

Jesus Christ. What was wrong with him? Why did Will keep finding a way to appear in every single memory he recalled? And why did it make his heart flutter every time he pictures him smiling face, those pretty hazel doe eyes…

He groaned softly and rubbed his hands over his face

Get. A. Grip.

There are way bigger things to dwell on right now than the cute boy with a mysterious limp. Like figuring out how to be chosen to become a runner, what the grievers were that Will mentioned last night, what kind of dangers laid beyond the maze, and how he could-

He felt a hand on his shoulder, startling him, cutting off his thoughts. His eyes shot open and he scrambled up quickly, before another hand got clamped over his mouth, preventing him from yelping in surprise.

He looked up, wide eyed, and the panic that had started just seconds ago subsided quickly, when he saw through the dim morning light that it was just Lucas.

He held a finger to his lip and was whispering "Shh.." as he slowly lowered his hand from Mike's mouth.

Mike looked around, noticing none of the other gladers were awake. Just the two of them. He looked back at him, brows furrowed in confusion. "What-"

Lucas cut him off. "Shh." He whispered quickly. "Follow me." he said lowly and under his breath, nodding behind him. "I gotta show you something." With that Lucas started to walk away.

Mike, with no better ideas in mind, scrambled out of his hammock and quickly followed Lucas, weaving through the trees and hanging, sleeping boys in hammocks. As they got to the edge of the sleeping area, the passed by a certain glader's hammock.

Will.

Mile felt weird for slowing his pace just for a moment to watch him, but he couldn't help it. He lay on his stomach in the hammock, his cheek pressed against the fabric, his long eyelashes resting on his under eyes.

Mike stared for a second. He just looked so peaceful like that. So pretty.

Oh shut up.

He then noticed something…off about Will's appearance, which made him stop in his tracks. The closer he peered at the boys face, he noticed his eyes seemed to be..darting back and forth under his eyelids, as if he was..looking around with his eyes closed. Searching for something. He noticed little twitches in the muscles in his face every now and then, and his brows pinched together in concern and confusion.

"Mike!" Lucas's hushed but commanding whisper broke him from his thoughts.

He snapped up quickly and turned his attention back to Lucas, who was already multiple feet ahead of him. He huffed and tried to push down the strange discovery he just made and jogged up to Lucas. "Sorry.." He muttered as the two started to make their way across the glade.

The sun was barely visible over the walls yet, but there was enough light to see where they were going, the sky a grim blue color, and the sound of crickets chirping and early morning birds tweeting around them.

"So..where are we going..?" Mike asked, running a hand through his messy black curls as he walked side by side with Lucas, letting him lead him to the far corner of the south wall.

Lucas sighed. "There's just something you have to do." He told him, glancing over and meeting his eye. "It's kind of tradition."

Mike swallowed at that, interested in what he was gonna have to do.

"As peaceful as it is here now.." Lucas began to tell as they trekked through the grass. "It wasn't always like that…"

Mike's heart dropped a little at his ominous tone of voice, and the implication behind his words.

"We had dark days, Mike." Lucas continued solemnly. "We lost a lot of boys to fear. To panic.." He stopped in his tracks to look over the glade, and Mike did too, registering his words. Lucas turned to him. "But we've come far since then. Established order, made peace."

Mike failed to see why Lucas was telling him all this. He already heard the whole run-down and backstory of the glade yesterday. Why was this important? He turned to him and voiced his thoughts. "Why are you telling me all this?" He asked, voice low.

Lucas stared at him for a moment as he tried to think of how to say it. "Because you're not like the others."

Mike was taken aback a little.

"You're curious." Lucas added. "But, you're one of us now.." Mike watched as Lucas pulled a thick knife from the sheath of his belt, his breath hitching slightly as the blade glinted in the morning light. He took Mike's hand gently and placed the knife in his palm. "You need to know what that means."

Mike stared down at the blade in his hand, his mind racing with possible meanings. He looked up at Lucas, who grinned at him softly before patting him on the back and gesturing behind them.

Mike turned around and looked up. A small area of one of the stone walls was covered in names. Names that were engraved, probably using the same knife he was holding in that very moment. He recognized some of the names.

Dustin. Chance. Steve. Will. Lucas himself.

Some of the carvings looked fresh, and others looked old and eroded, like they had been there for a long time. Probably had.

Mike also noticed that some of the names had lines struck through them, almost as if to 'cross them out.' His brows again furrowed.

"What happened to them..?" He asked, pointing to one of the struck-out names reading "Eddie." He already had an idea in his mind but didn't want it to be true.

Lucas followed his finger to Eddie's name. Something flashed across his face. A twitch. A muscle spasm. Like seeing the name struck a nerve. "Like I said, Mike.." He said, tone somber. "Dark days."

Mike's stomach churned, knowing exactly what Lucas was implying. He hoped that when he carved his name, it would never have to be crossed out.

After pushing down the dark thoughts, he found a blank spot on the wall, relatively close to a certain gladers name. He raised the blade and dug it into the stone, placing another hand on the wall for stability, and began to scrape the blade through the stone.

It took a few minutes to get the carvings deep enough, and Mike's knuckles were turning white as he gripped the handle of the knife. Finally, he slowly stepped back and admired his name, jaggedly engraved into the wall amongst the other gladers.

This was really it. He was really one of them now.

Lucas patted him on the shoulder and Mike handed him back the knife. "Well done." Lucas said, nodding his head in approval as he stuck the knife back in his belt.

Mike nodded back shortly, eyes scanning over the name's again. Neither of them moved for a moment. Neither of them spoke. Just took in the situation as it was.

Mike's gazed wondered away, and he was about to ask if they could go now, when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

A pop of color.

Orange, he thought.

He turned his head fully in that direction, and sure enough, peeking out from behind the vines covering the wall beside them, there was a hint of orange splattered onto the wall.

Mike took a step closer, squinting his eyes at the spot. The closer he got, more color seemed to appear through the cracks in the leaves.

Lucas watched closely as Mike approached the wall. He knew that Mike would find them at some point. Like he said earlier, Mike was curious. And perceptive. And he couldn't try and hide this from him.

Mike stopped in front of the wall, his curiosity getting the best of him. He reached out, and slowly, pushed away the ivy.

His eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.

It was a mural. A breathtaking, colorful swirl of oranges and purples and yellows. Hints of red here and there, and even splashes of blue. It was a gorgeous tangle of abstract art, so out of place for somewhere like the glade.

However, Mike wasn't complaining. In fact, he was in awe.

"Oh yeah." Lucas said nonchalantly as he walked up next to Mike, placing his hands on his hips and squinting up at the mural, a proud smile on his face. "Will makes those."

Mike's stomach leapt into his throat.

Will? Will made this? Made the mural?

Mike had no idea Will had the ability to create something so extraordinary, and in such a grim place too. But then again, he didn't doubt it at all. Of course Will could make something like this. He was all around perfect, so it seemed.

"Really..?" Mike croaked, his voice strained slightly as he ran his calloused fingers across the smooth, dry paint.

"Yeah." Lucas chuckled, pushing back some vines to reveal more of the captivating mural. "He's pretty talented."

Mike nodded quickly in agreement and slowly stepped back to look at the mural from a wider angle. Jesus, it was the most beautiful sight he had seen since he arrived in this god forsaken place…except for maybe Will himself, of course.

"There's a lot more of 'em...scattered around. Hidden behind the ivy." Lucas told him as he also admired the alluring mural. "Chance makes the paint for him with herbs and flowers from the garden." He explained.

Mike's stomach twisted into uncomfortable knots at the mention of Chance again. Every time his name was brought up he felt his blood boil.

However, to hear that Chance was doing something kind for Will, like making paint for him to use to conjure up these beautiful creations of his, raised his spirits, just the tiniest bit.

But that flicker gratefulness burned out as a wave of jealousy crashed over him.

He wanted to be the one to do something kind like that for Will. Not some meathead like Chance.

But Mike didn't have the energy to reply with something snarky, like he usual would. "That's..that's really cool." He managed to say, succeeding at keeping his voice relatively steady.

"Yeah…it is." Lucas agreed with a heavy sigh. "I mean, it helps him. Y'know? Gives him something to do ever since…" Lucas trailed off, his voice getting quiet and meek, and his eyes widening slightly.

Mike caught this immediately, and to say his heart skipped a beat was a damn understatement. It full on stopped.

Mike whipped his head to face Lucas, eyes widening further as he saw the look of regret and panic on Lucas's face.

God, just by that look Mike knew he shouldn't say a word. Should just forget that Lucas had said anything.

But he just couldn't.

"Since what..?" He asked, voice low and concerned as he stared Lucas down, praying for an answer and not a shut down.

Lucas bit his lip and stared at the ground beneath them, clutching his runner vest and staying silent.

"Lucas.." Mike pressed. He took a step closer, his voice firmer. "Since what."

Mike could see the inner turmoil in Lucas's expression. The way his brows creased together, the way his knuckles gripped the straps of his vest and his lips parted, a quick breath escaping them. He finally looked up and met Mike's determined eyes.

"You know how Will has that limp?" He began, tone serious.

Mike swallowed. He didn't like the direction this was going. He just nodded silently, eyes still locked onto Lucas's.

"Well…Will used to be…" Lucas sighed and looked away. "He used to be a runner."

Mike's eyes widened and he raised his eyebrows.

Will? A runner? That didn't seem right. Will looked too short to be a runner. And no offense to him at all, he didn't exactly have the same build as other runners like Lucas or Steve.

Lucas could see the confusion on Mike's face and he quickly spoke again. "I know it sounds unbelievable, but trust me. Before.." He trailed off again, his eye twitching slightly. He then started back up. "Before he got injured, he used to be the fastest runner in the damn maze. Hell, he could beat everyone and anyone in a race. Even me. Even Steve. Even Chance."

Mike was taken aback at this information. Will could barely get around now, hobbling around on his bad foot. Mike tried to picture him, speeding past all the other gladers including Lucas, and darting through the maze and navigating it with Steve. It was hard to picture. The Will he knew just seemed so different. He wondered what could have happened to change that.

"What..what happened to him..?" He asked, voice cautious yet curious.

Mike could see it again. The twitch in Lucas's eye.

"He tripped. While running. " Lucas said calmly. "Foot got tangled in some vines and- he twisted it. Bad. It hasn't fully healed since so…he was revoked from being a runner.." He explained, his voice laced with sadness and pity, and something else Mike couldn't place.

Mike listened, feeling a deep sense of sympathy for Will. Now that he knew the reason why Will had a limp, all he wanted to do was just pull the boy into a hug the next time he saw him.

However, Mike had a deep, terrible gut feeling, that Lucas wasn't telling him the full truth. That there was something he was hiding.

However, for once, Mike decided to let it go. He wasn't gonna let his curiosity overcome him, especially if it involved Will's privacy. He didn't want to overstep. At least not at the moment.

"That's awful." Mike finally spoke, voicing his sympathy for Will, and pushing down any other dangerous thoughts that lingered.

"Yeah..it was really hard for him." Lucas sighed and adjusted his bandana as they started walking away from the walls, Mike taking one last glance over his shoulder at the colorful mural.

He knew he would definitely be coming back to visit it sooner or later.

"His bad foot restricted him from doing pretty much any other job in the glade as well, except for gardening and crop harvesting. Neither his strong suit." Lucas let out a breathy chuckle, though there was a dark undertone behind it. "So, he continues to be second in command- taking my place as first in command when I go into the maze. He'll walk around and make sure everyone is doing their part and everything is going smoothly- then he'll go and paint for hours until dark." Lucas gushed with a small smile.

Mike caught the hint of admiration in Lucas's tone, and he couldn't help feel the same way for Will. He had gone through something hard, but still managed to pick himself back up and find a new purpose in the glade.

The more he heard about Will, the more he came to like him. He already adored him for his beauty, his smile, his playful demeanor, the way he treated Mike like a real person, and now he admired him for his talent and strength.

God, this boy was just perfect, wasn't he?

The morning sun just started to gleam over the walls as he and Lucas walked back to the sleeping area, the grass rustling beneath their boots.

"Over the course of the week, we'll have you on trial. You'll work different jobs in the glade until you find the one that fits you best." Lucas explained, adjusting his runner vest.

Despite Lucas's words, Mike knew for a fact what job he wanted already. He knew for sure. But that idea was already turned down by Will. And who was he to go against Will's word? Not him. At least..for now.

"Sounds good." Mike said flatly as they approached the hammocks. The other boys started to stir, sitting up in their hammocks and stretching, rubbing their eyes and getting ready for the day.

Mike's eyes naturally scanned the area for a certain someone. It was becoming a habit of his and he wasn't really sure why.

He finally spotted him, sitting on the edge of his hammock. Will. He stopped in his tracks for a moment. His heart fluttered a bit and he fought the urge to smile just at seeing the boy and his messy morning hair.

However, as he actually took in Will's appearance more closely, his stomach dropped and his grin faltered.

Will didn't look so good.

He was shaking slightly, taking deep breaths, and running his hands over his face repeatedly.

Mike's protective instincts kicked in immediately. Seeing Will like that, and not knowing why, physically pained him.

He glanced over at Lucas, who was standing next to him, his expression matching his own. But there was something else there too. Something..knowing.

He shook off the thoughts and refocused on Will. He had to do something. He needed to comfort him, and needed to figure out what was wrong.

He was about to take a step forward when someone else stepped into his view, making him stop.

Chance. His stomach lurched and his face hardened.

He watched as Chance slowly and carefully approached the hammock. He stared at Will, who hadn't noticed his presence yet, for a moment before sitting down next to him. Will didn't even flinch or look up. Just continued to bury his face in his palms.

"Hey…" Chance placed a hand on Will's back gently. His voice was soft and quiet, but loud enough for Mike to hear. "You okay..?"

Will finally dropped his hands from his face, but didn't look up. Just stared at his feet and rested his arms over his knees. "Fine…" He murmured, voice hoarse and broken.

Chance began to soothingly rub will's back, and leaned in a little closer, trying to get Will to meet his gaze. "Bull." He spoke. It wasn't mad or snappy, but rather pained. He placed his other hand on Will's knee. "What happened?"

Mike almost seethed. Chance's hands on Will like that. It set something off in him and he had to bit the inside of his cheek to contain himself.

There was a beat of silence before Will spoke again, his voice low and hushed. But Mike couldn't hear him. Damn it.

He watched as Chance and Will talked, both their voices too quiet to make out now. Chance continued to rub Will's back and rest his hand on his knee.

Mike tried not to let it anger him. It was really, really stupid to be fed up about something like this. It was confusing and frustrating at the same time. Why couldn't he figure out his own feelings? Why did he have to be this way?

Will was getting comforted. For whatever reason, and Mike should be glad. He should be thankful. But it was Chance giving him that comfort. And although he only knew both the boys for a day, he already set his priorities straight. He liked one, and hated the other.

He looked over at Lucas to see his reaction. At first glance, Lucas didn't seem very bothered. Like this was a normal occurrence. But there was a flicker of something else that Mike picked up on. He was good at picking up little things.

A flash of concern, which made sense. But also a frown. But it wasn't a concerned frown…could it be..

No. That was silly.

Mike nudged Lucas. "Hey.." he said quietly. Lucas tore his gaze from Will and Chance and locked eyes with Mike.

"Huh?" He responded quickly.

"Do you know what's wrong?" Mike asked curiously, looking back over at Chance and Will. He needed to know, and he wondered if Lucas did.

Lucas swallowed, his eyes also returning to the two boys on the hammock. He sighed heavily. "It's nothing I'm sure."

There it was. Mike could tell right away that Lucas was lying through his teeth. But before he could protest and demand an answer, Lucas gripped his shoulder and started to lead him away.

"Come on." He said lowly as he guided him. "Let's get some breakfast. Don't worry about it." His tone of voice was a little low, with an almost dangerous undertone. Almost a warning for Mike to drop the topic.

And Mike obeyed. Even though it took everything in him not to shake Lucas and demand to know what was going on with Will. He just took one last glance over his shoulder at Will and Chance, still talking quietly, before sighing and shaking his head, tearing his attention to Lucas's suggestion to get some breakfast.

This conversation might be over for now, but it sure as hell would be continuing later. Mark his words. He wanted to, no, NEEDED to know what was wrong with Will. But he decided that right now wasn't the time.

So, he reluctantly followed Lucas to the makeshift kitchen in the glade, trying to not let his thoughts eat away at his mind.

—

It was half past noon and Mike was already convinced the universe was out to get him.

The sun was beating down on him so brutally he might as well have been in an oven. He was being forced to do some gardening bullshit he wasn't even interested in, and Dustin was talking his ears off, rambling on and on about nonsense that was going in one ear and out the other.

He felt bad for tuning Dustin out, but his mind was too preoccupied to hear about gossip in the glade or fresh tomatoes plants, or whatever the hell he was going on about.

Earlier that day, after breakfast, Mike had asked Lucas about being a runner again, and it didn't go over well to say the least.

Who knew wanting to become a runner was such a touchy subject? To both Lucas and Will. Was Steve like that too? Or any of the other runners? He wasn't sure.

But in the grand scheme of things, it didn't seem like Mike was gonna become a runner anytime soon, or maybe ever.

It frustrated him to know end. All he wanted to do was go beyond the walls and explore the so called maze he had heard so much about, but was never allowed to see. He didn't care about the "Grievers" that lurked in there. He didn't care about all the dangerous situations one could end up in if you get trapped in there. He just wanted to see it, damn it. And he wanted to contribute to the cause of trying to find a way out.

On another note, his thoughts kept drifting back to a certain shaggy-haired, hazel eyed glader. He didn't know whether to be concerned for the boy, after seeing him so shaken this morning, or to just admire him.

Why not both? Mike could multitask.

As he pretended to dig a useless hole, he looked for a few seconds at a time, watching every now and then as Will was painting.

He hadn't seen Will actually paint until now, and he was totally and completely captivated by him.

He was painting a new mural by the south wall, close enough to the garden to where Mike could spectate. From a distance, Mike could make out an image of flowers, sky, and birds that Will was creating.

He watched in awe as Will sat on a wooden stool that someone had made, leaning close to the wall, fingers moving across the stone with practiced ease. The look of concentration on his face as he blended the colors together with his palm, his furrowed brows and slightly parted lips. The paint coating his hands and smudged onto his cheeks, arms, and clothes.

He was a mess. But he was beautiful.

Mike is suddenly snapped out of his daydreaming as Dustin snaps his fingers in front of his face.

Mike jumped and turned towards Dustin, who had a disapproving look on his face as he shook his head.

Mike blushed and smiled sheepishly. "Heh…sorry…" He stammered, then cleared his throat. "What were you saying?" He asked, feigning nonchalance and getting back to digging his hole.

Dustin raised his eyebrows at him then shook his head and went back to weeding the plants. "Dude..what's your deal? You've been in la la land all day." He commented, no real annoyance in his tone.

Jesus. Was he really that damn obvious? The blush on his cheeks spread. "What are you talking about..?" He chuckled nervously, pretending to be oblivious to the fact he was caught fantasizing.

Dustin stared at him, an unamused look in his eyes. "Your total obliviousness just blows my mind." He sighed.

Mike chuckled softly at Dustin's words, thankful that Dustin didn't continue to press him, just make a harmless jab at him. He went back to digging his hole, trying everything in his power not to glance over at Will again.

But of course, he did. How could he not?

But as soon as he looked up and locked eyes on the target, his smile dropped.

Because Will, was now, not alone.

"Hey there, Picasso." Chance smirked as he approached Will sitting on the stool he made for him. He reached out and ruffled his hair affectionately with his free hand, the other holding a little stone bowl of freshly made paint.

Will jerked away immediately. "Hey!" He retorted, even though he wore a smile. "I told you to stop doing that." He looked up at Chance with a sparkle in his eye.

Chance ignored his protest and stretched out the bowl of paint to him. "I figured you could use more blue." He said, still wearing that soft smirk.

Will took it gratefully and smiled up at him. "I do. Thanks." He said sweetly.

Chance stood there, hands in his pockets, watching as Will set the bowl aside and wiped off his paint stained hands with a rag. He then looked up at the mural, admiring it.

And then there was Mike, watching from afar, with steam blowing from his ears.

He was so laser focused on the interaction between Chance and Will, he didn't even hear Lucas call out to him.

"Mike!" He shouted as he jogged up, just having returned from the maze after a short run. He stopped beside him, a puzzled look forming on his face as Mike ignored him and seemed distracted by something. He followed his gaze to Chance, who was playfully nudging Will as he coated a brush with the blue paint Chance had made for him, smiling softly.

Lucas looked between the two boys and Mike, who's grip on his shovel was so tight his knuckles were turning white. His jaw was clenched and it seemed like he was even breathing a little heavier.

"You just gonna stand here and fume?" Lucas said, punching Mike in the shoulder lightly to snap him out of it, a small smirk on his lips.

Mike jumped a little bit, turning his head to face Lucas, a little embarrassed at being caught, but still holding onto the anger. He looked back at Chance and Will. "Have they always been so close?" He asked bluntly through gritted teeth, no hesitation.

"Who? Will and Chance?" Lucas asked, nodding towards the two boys. He knew that Mike meant them, but he tried to pretend like it was no big deal.

"Yeah." Mike muttered bitterly. "Have they?" He demanded.

Lucas raised his eyebrows at Mike's tone, his smirk growing wider. "I mean yeah, I guess." He replied, looking ahead at Chance, who now had a hand on Will's shoulder as he watched him add strokes of blue to the mural. "They're pretty tight."

Mike's anger only flared up more. "Really?" He grumbled. "How sweet." He spat sarcastically before ripping his gaze away from the two boys and going back to angrily digging his hole.

Lucas wanted to laugh so badly at Mike's obvious jealousy, but he didn't. Mainly because he wasn't exactly a stranger to the way Mike was feeling.

Dustin watched in amusement as Mike dug his whole, each slam of the shovel into the ground showing his internal conflict. He shook his head and peaked up a woven basket. "Hey Mike."

Mike looked up, huffing and panting, ears red. "What?" He spat, a little harsher than intended.

"Wanna make yourself a little more useful-" He tossed the basket to Mike, who quickly dropped his shovel and caught it against his chest, stumbling back a bit. "Go dig us up some more fertilizer."

Being assigned to dig up the fertilizer was practically an insult to Mike. He narrowed his eyes and Dustin, who was smiling cheekily at him. He looked over at Lucas who was trying to hold back a smile. He glared at them both then rolled his eyes, turning on his heels. "Sure. Whatever. Fine! Sounds awesome.." He grumbled sarcastically as he positioned the basket under his arm and picked up his shovel again. "I'd just love to dig up the fertilizer.."

As he walked away from the garden, he could hear Lucas and Dustin chuckling behind him, but he tuned them out. He took one last glance at Will at the wall, who was standing on the stool now, arms stretched above his head to reach the top of the mural. Chance watched him with a chuckle and a head shake.

Mike quickly looked away before his anger tipped over.

He made his way into the dead heads, not even fully sure where to go to get the fertilizer. He grumbled to himself as he trekked through the wooded thicket. "Just get the fertilizer Mike..sure guys..can't help in any other way…?"

As he made his way through, searching for the alleged fertilizer, something caught his attention.

Across the tiny stream to the left of him, was some kind of small structure.

Mike's brows pinched together, and he turned fully to face it. He could barely make out what it was from this position. He had to get closer.

He stepped through the shallow stream, the water splashing under his boots. He used his shovel to push himself up the small hill, getting closer and closer to the structure.

When he finally got close enough, he crouched down in front of it to get a better look, and to try and make out what it was.

It was like some mini fort of sorts- a bunch of sticks and bark meshed together. At the top there was the skull of some kind of animal, and carved on a slab of wood under it, was the name "Eddie."

Mike recognized the name from the wall. It was one of the one's that had been crossed out. And Mike knew what that meant.

Was this..a grave?

No, that couldn't be it. But then again..as Mike looked down at the ground surrounding it..there were bones. Small bones..bones of animals. Nonetheless, it still freaked him out.

His heart rate spiked and he stood up quickly. What the hell did this mean?

Honestly, Mike didn't want to know. The bones, the name, the skull…it was a little too freaky, even for him. Maybe later he'd ask Lucas or Will or Dustin about it. But for right now, he decided to let it go, and just focus on the almighty task of finding the fertilizer.

He sighed and turned around, ready to resume his mission. As he looked up ahead of him however, he saw a person standing a few feet in front of him.

Naturally he jumped and stumble back a little, not expecting anyone else to be out her with him. "Jesus.." He muttered as he regained his balance and took a deep breath. "Scared the shit out of me dude.."

He looked up again to see who it was exactly that startled him. He recognized the brawny figure and the head of spiky brown hair immediately. It was Steve, one of the runners. He was even wearing his vest.

Mike realized he had never really directly had a conversation with Steve. He spoke to him briefly this morning at breakfast as he sat with Lucas and him and the other two runners, but he seemed kind of..off then. Maybe this was a better opportunity to get to know the guy more.

"Hey..Steve right?" Mike took a step closer. "I don't think we…" Mike's voice faded into nothing but a lump in his throat as he finally got a good look at Steve.

And when he did, his stomach churned.

Steve was breathing heavily. His cheekbones were sunken and sallow. His hair was sweaty and stuck to his forehead. His skin was almost tinted blue in some places, and veins were bulging out of his neck.

Mike swallowed hard, and so many emotions rose up in him. Concern, fear, confusion. How did he even approach this? Steve looked sick. More than sick, he look terminally ill.

"Are you..are you okay..?" He asked cautiously, taking another step closer, his common sense not present at the moment.

Steve twitched. That was all it took. Just a twitch, before he lunged at him in a flash, taking Mike straight to the ground before he even hand time to think.

Mike let out a yelp of surprise, then a cry of pain as his head smacked the ground. he felt Steve's weight on top of him, and he was sent into a full blown panic.

Steve's knees pressed into his thighs, keeping him from sitting up, and his hands scrambled for his arms. Mike squirmed and kicked beneath him.

"GET THE HELL OFF ME WHAT ARE YOU DOING-?!" Mike shouted as he struggled, his fear and confusion at its peak.

Steve finally got a good grasp on Mike's wrists and pinned them to either side of his head. The look on Steve's face was petrifying. Gritted teeth, panting…it was like he wasn't even human anymore. "IT-ITS YOUR FAULT!!" Steve spluttered.

Mike's stomach dropped and his mind raced with questions.

His fault? What the hell was his fault?

"ARE YOU CRAZY WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU-" Mike shouted frantically before being cut off by the sharp pain of Steve's nails digging into his wrists. He let out a pained yelp and struggled again, one of his arms finally yanking free from his grasp.

He felt around him for anything to help him in this moment as Steve continued to pin him down, eyes wide and bulging with something inhumane. Finally, Mike's shaking hand hit something hard. He turned his head quickly to the side, seeing he grasped the skull of a small animal that was lying near the supposed grave.

That would work. Yeah. That would do just fine.

He quickly grasped onto it, and without a second thought, bashed it against the side of Steve's head.

Steve grunted in pain and Immediately rolled to the side, far enough to where Mike could push him off. And he did just that.

As soon as he was free from Steve's weight, he scrambled to his feet, heart racing, and began to ran. Faster than he ever had since he arrived in the glade.

"HELP!!" He shouted as he plummeted through the woods, his face smacking against lose branches and leaves with sharp stings, but being in too much of a panicked state to care. "SOMEONE HELP!!"

He could hear Steve's grunts and footsteps growing closer, and he felt like his heart was about to explode out of his chest.

"HELP!! SOMEONE!!" He screamed again, his voice raw and rough. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the glade started to come into view again. He quickened his pace as he barrelled through the tree line and into the grass. "HEY!! HELP!!"

His screams echoed through the glade, and all the boys nearby heard. They turned their heads towards the commotion, and their eyes widened as they saw Mike get tackled by Steve once more. They all dropped whatever they were doing and came running

Will, who was sitting on his stool, cleaning paint off his hands, saw what was going on and thought fast. He jumped up and as quickly as he could with his bad foot, hobbled over to the gardening area, grabbed one of the shovels from the ground, and made his way over.

Mike was wrestling with Steve on the ground again, the two rolling over multiple times before Steve finally pinned him down. The other gladers shouts got louder as they approached, and Mike struggled under Steve's weight.

The gladers began to crowd around the scene, watching as Steve clasped his hands over Mike's throat. Mike gasped and grabbed onto Steve's shoulders, trying to push him off but failing. He could feel his airways closing up, oxygen escaping his grasp.

This was it.

But then…

"HEY!!" Will's voice rang out.

Steve looked up for a split second, but Will didn't waste it. With gritted teeth and all his strength, he swung the shovel and sent the blade straight into Steve's head with a smack and a grunt.

Steve's whole body jerked, then collapsed on the ground beside Mike. Everything seemed to move in a blur after that.

Mike scrambled back on his hands, and other gladers, including Chance, who had just run up, dove to the ground to hold Steve down.

Shouts echoed all around, and Mike's mind was buzzing as he panted and gasped for air, still reeling from the whole event.

Will noticed Mike's panicked state, and how no one was coming to his aid, and immediately dropped the shovel and knelt down beside Mike, grabbing his shoulders. "Hey hey hey..calm down.." He said soothingly, even though he too, was confused and frightened beyond measure. "You're okay…"

At the sound of Will's gentle, comforting voice, and the feeling of his hands on his shoulders, grounding him, Mike's breathing slowed a little.

"There you go." Will spoke calmly, even though his voice shook slightly. "Just breathe."

The two were lost in each other for a moment before a shout of agony from Steve tore them away from their connection.

They were reminded then of the situation at hand, Mike stood up qucikly brushing himself off, still panting from the whole ordeal but feeling a little more calm now thanks to Will's words.

Speaking of Will, he noticed how he was struggling to stand up, wincing a little as he put weight on his bad foot. Mike didn't even think before he was already grabbing onto Will's arms to steady him and pull him to his feet carefully.

"JESUS WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!" Chance's voice suddenly yelled out to Mike amidst the chaos that still surrounded. He was pinning Steve down by one of his arms, 3 other gladers holding the other limbs down as Steve thrashed about.

"I DON'T KNOW-" Mike panted. "HE JUST ATTACKED ME!" He exclaimed, memories of the moment where Steve lunged onto him filling his mind again, sending him into another short panic.

Will picked up on this and placed a hand on Mike's shoulder, for a small ounce of comfort, as they watched Steve struggle under the boys' weight.

"What the hell is going on?!" A familiar, strong, voice called out.

The gladers made way for Lucas, who stepped into the circle, expression stern and concerned. He stared down at Steve, his eyes widening slightly. He licked his lips, and his brows pinched together. A beat of silence. Then..

"Lift his shirt." He spoke, his voice low with authority.

A flicker of confusion etched across Mike's face at Lucas's demand. Why would they need to do that?

No one else seemed fazed by the question. In fact, they obeyed immediately.

One of the gladers holding down Steve's leg reached over and yanked up Steve's shirt so his stomach was exposed.

The sight made Mike gag.

There was a wound the size of a golf ball on Steve's left abdomen that looked like it was rotting from the inside out. The surrounding skin was discolored and clammy, and black and blue veins sprouted from the pulsing hole.

All the gladers winced, some letting out gasps and "oo's." Mike felt his breakfast start to rise up his throat but he swallowed it down.

Lucas's face remained stoic and determined as he analyzed the wound. "He's been stung." He stated firmly.

Mike's ears perked up. Stung? The hell did that mean?

Whatever it meant, it didn't sound or look good.

"In the middle of the day?" Chance asked lowly, looking up at Lucas and meeting his eyes.

"Please.." Steve whimpered on the ground as he stopped thrashing. "Please just help.."

Mike's heart clenched in his chest at the raw pleading tone in Steve's voice, a hint of disparity seeping through his violent form.

Lucas bit his lip, the gears turning in his mind. Clearly Steve's words took a toll on him too. "Alright." He huffed. "Put him in the pit."

Steve's face hardened and he gritted his teeth. His heavy breathing returned again, and he thrashed about. "NO-NO-NO!!" He shouted.

"Come on- help them out- get him in the pit!" Lucas commanded. Some more gladers rushed to help Chance and the others pull Steve to his feet, latching onto him with a tight grip. Steve shouted protests and kicked and squirmed in their arms as they started to drag him away to the pit, Lucas leading the way.

Mike stood rigid in his spot, watching the scene unfold with his mouth agape in shock. The other gladers who hadn't jumped in to help started to slowly disperse, getting back to whatever they were doing prior to the incident.

Mike didn't understand. How could everyone be so normal about what just happened?? Was this a reoccurring thing or something?? The thought both confused and terrified him.

"Hey."

Mike turned to see Will, standing next to him, a concerned look on his face. "You alright?" He asked softly.

Mike's heart fluttered. He sighed and rubbed his wrists where Steve's nails had punctured the skin earlier. "Yeah, yeah..I'm okay.." He responded with a sigh.

Will's eyes fell to Mike's hands rubbing at his wrists. He reached out and gently gripped his arm and held it up for him to see. Sure enough, five bloody nail wounds were carved into Mike's fragile pale skin. Concern rose in him. "Come on." He said quickly and firmly, tugging on Mike's arm, starting to lead him towards one of the rickety wooden awnings.

Mike didn't protest at all. He let Will hold onto his arm and lead him to the awning, his scrambled thoughts about the traumatizing event he just witnessed slowly fading as he felt Will's touch.

Will sat Mike down under the awning and started rummaging through some boxes for medical supplies. "The med-jacks should be busy with Steve…" He said as he pulled out a bottle of some kind of liquid. "But I'll fill in just fine." He smiled softly at Mike, attempting to lift his spirits just a little bit.

Mike's breath hitched a little at Will's playful words and small smile. He threw a soft smile back. Will was making it really hard to focus on anything but him right now. Not what just happened to him, the unanswered questions that were still up in the air..nope, just Will.

Will in his oversized brown tank top, his beige jacket tied around his waist. The paint from the mural earlier still staining his skin on his arms and cheeks. It was absolutely endearing.

Get a grip.

Will finally gathered up all the supplies he needed and took a seat next to Mike on the homemade wooden bench. Mike was a little surprised to see how much Will knew about this kind of stuff, considering the fact he wasn't a med-jack.

"You seem to know what you're doing." He spoke with a breathy chuckle, watching as Will unscrewed the cap to a makeshift bottle.

Will looked up at him with those pretty doe eyes and smiled softly. "I've spent my fair share of times over here." He joked lightly, though there was a dark undertone in his words that mike picked up on pretty quickly.

He didn't press him though, not thinking it was the greatest concern at the moment, but knowing damn well he would be thinking about it later.

Will poured some of the liquid onto a rag. "Hold out your hand." He instructed gently but authoritatively.

Mike immediately stuck out his arm, showing the bloody nail indents from Steve.

"This might sting.." Will said carefully as he pressed the damp rag onto the wound.

Mike felt it right away and winced. He shut his eyes closed and bit his lip, the wounds stinging and throbbing like hell.

"Hold that there." Will instructed again. Mike did as he was told, using his other hand to firmly hold the rag in place on his wrist, even though the pain was searing.

He tried to distract himself by watching Will as he unraveled a roll of bandage. Will measured it out, then bit down on the end and ripped it with his teeth.

Mike's stomach did a back flip. His cheeks grew hot. Jesus Christ he was whipped.

"You can move it now." Will said, his voice gentle as he nodded to the rag. Mike snapped out of his trance and quickly moved the rag away from the wounds. Will reached out and began to wrap his wrist with the bandage with careful precision. Mike watched in admiration..taking in Will's features as he focused on making the bandage not too loose but not too tight on his wrist.

Once he finished, he leaned back. "Is that good?" He asked. The softness in his tone made Mike's heart skip a beat.

"Yeah.." He murmured, voice hoarse as stretched and turned his wrist, the wounds less painful now that they were taken care of. "It's good." He turned to meet Will's eyes. "Thanks."

Will smiled softly at him. "No need to thank me." He responded calmly. "Other arm."

The same process was repeated, Mike holding the rag down on his wounds on his other wrist as Will prepared the bandage. Silence fell over them, and it was slightly tense. Unanswered questions hung in the air and lingered in Mike's mind as his thoughts started to drift back to what just happened to him not too long ago.

He remembered the putrefying wound on Steve's stomach, the inhumane way he was acting, the way Lucas stated that "He had been stung."

Mike didn't want to berate anyone with questions right away..but he decided enough time had passed. He needed answers.

"Will?" He spoke up, voice raw from from all the screaming he put on earlier.

"Hm?" Will hummed, not lifting his gaze from the unraveling bandage in his hands.

Mike took a deep breath. "What…" He started, not sure how to say it. "What happened to him..? To Steve?" He held his breath and waited for an answer, watching Will's face closely.

Will paused his movements momentarily and bit the inside of his cheek, trying to think of a way to explain it to him. He resumed his unraveling after a beat. "It's called the changing." He spoke, his voice low. "It's what happens when someone gets stung."

Unfortunately, Will's short and ominous answer only confused and concerned Mike more. "Stung..?" He muttered under his breath. "Stung- stung by what? What do you mean?" He pressed, leaning a little closer to him, expecting an answer greater than that.

Will ripped the bandage with his teeth again and scooted closer to Mike. He hesitated for a moment then spoke again, voice calm and steady. "By a Griever." He gently tugged the rag off of Mike's wrist and reached over to wrap the bandage around it.

Mike's thoughts were crossed between the proximity of him and Will in this moment, and Will's short word answers to his burning questions.

Stung. By a griever. Grievers could sting. That was new information to him.

And if you if you get stung, you turn out like Steve.

A shiver ran down Mike's back at the thought. He had never seen a griever. Only heard little things about them in the 24 hours he'd been in the glade. But with this new revelation, he knew he never wanted to get close to one.

"So they sting?" Mike asked, just to confirm he heard it correctly as he intently watched Will tighten the bandage around his wounds.

Will nodded and finished wrapping his wrist, giving it one final tug, causing Mike to wince slightly.

Will's expression softened and he looked up at Mike with sympathy. "Sorry." He said gently.

"It's okay.." Mike mumbled in response, completely encapsulated by Will's features this close to his. The hazel color of his eyes. The length of his eyelashes. His soft pink lips. His hair falling perfectly over his brows…

Snap out of it.

Mike cleared his throat and looked away. "So these grievers…" He began, continuing his question from earlier. "They can sting you and then..you go through the changing?" He asked, recapping what Will told him aloud.

Will nodded his head and leaned back. "Yeah." He responded quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. They sat in tense silence for a moment before Will started to pack up the medical supplies.

Mike looked over again, watching as he did so. He could sense the inner turmoil coursing through Will. He could just see it in the way his face was hardened, and his shoulders were tensed up as he moved.

"Will?" Mike spoke up again. He didn't know why he needed to keep saying his name. It was just the two of them. Surely, Will wouldn't think Mike was talking to anyone else.

But then again, maybe Mike just liked saying his name.

"Yeah?" Will quipped as he closed one of the medical boxes, not looking up to meet mikes gaze.

Mike stayed silent for a moment, dreading asking the question. He had a feeling he was gonna get an answer that he didn't like.

"What's gonna happen to him?"

Will paused his movements and stared at the ground, his face becoming even more stoic, if even possible. He finally looked up to catch Mike's eyes.

"You'll see."

—

Hours later, as the sun was starting to set, and the afternoon shifted into evening, Mike awoke to the sound of commotion coming from the north wall.

After his talk with Will, and the whole wound-cleaning spiel, Will had told him to get some rest. So, of course, Mike headed straight to the hammocks and sunk into his, letting his eyes flutter closed.

Obviously, Mike would always do anything Will asked him to do, but he wasn't opposed to the idea of taking a long, much needed nap. Especially after the events of today.

It was hard first to drift into sleep. Images of Steve, that lethal glint in his eye, the feeling of his nails digging into Mike's skin, the look of his wound from the griever sting…it all kept flashing back to him like a poorly made slideshow.

However, he calmed his thoughts by thinking about Will. What a weird way to cope. But it was valid to him. Will was really the only person in the glade he had met so far that made him feel safe. Warm. Comforted. He just had that about him. A natural good vibe. Which sounded cliche in Mike's head, but nothing else had ever been more true.

Eventually he was able to doze off. And it was incredible, to say the least. First good sleep he had gotten since he arrived in the Glade. But of course, it just had to be ruined.

Mike groaned and opened his eyes, sitting up in his hammock, his muscles screaming. He stretched and cracked his neck, then rubbed his eyes, taking his sweet time, in no hurry whatsoever to get up.

However, as the commotion that had awaken him in the first place grew louder, his natural curiously returned to him. He quickly slid out of his hammock, scanning the area, eyes falling to the north wall.

In front of the opening, a large group of gladers stood, holding giant stick-like poles. Walking towards them, was Lucas, holding a struggling Steve, who's hands were tied behind his head.

Jesus Christ. What did he miss.

Mike wasted no time, immediately darting across the grass, crossing over to the north wall to see what the hell was going on. He slowed to a stop a few feet behind the group as Steve got guided into the circle by Lucas.

Mike's eyes scanned the ground of gladers as he panted hard from his run, searching for one in particular.

He spotted him, at the top of the circle, standing next to Chance, clutching his pole, jaw clenched, watching Steve, his face unreadable.

Mike's mind spun. What the hell was happening?

Mike watched as Lucas guided Steve into the middle of the circle, then stopped. Lucas reached into his belt and pulled a knife out of it's sheath and raised it to Steve's neck.

Mike's heart stopped. For a second there he thought Lucas might have slit Steve's throat on the spot.

But no, Lucas used the knife to cut through the rope that was tying up Steve's hands, snapping it in one swift movement. As the rope broke, Steve fell to his knees with a cry of pain. Lucas quickly stepped back and joined the circle, and got handed a pole by another glader.

Mike stood rigid in his spot, not sure what to do. Should he say something? He wasn't sure. He was overwhelmed with concern and confusion.

Steve coughed, and a vile black liquid poured from his mouth and onto the gravel. Mike's stomach churned and his face drained of color.

"Please…" He heard Steve whisper. "Please..don't do this…"

Steve looked back at the gladers surrounding him. "Please..wait..Chance..Lucas…Will…"

The mechanical whirring sound of the walls starting to close boomed overhead. Steve's eyes widened.

"POLES!!" Lucas shouted. All the boys in the circle followed his command and adjusted the poles in their hands so they were pointing directly at Steve. Steve scrambled to his feet.

"No-No-wait-please-" He spluttered, the black liquid still oozing from his mouth.

Mike watched in horror as the maze doors started to close, and the circle of gladers started to close in on Steve, slowly pushing him back into the maze with their poles.

Steve shouted, screamed, pleaded and cried, but no one stopped. No one reacted. They just continued to poke at him with their sticks until he had no choice but to stumble back through the maze doors.

Mike's heart raced as he watched the maze doors slowly close in on Steve, threatening to crush him. With nothing left to do, Steve stumbled back until he was fully inside the maze. He let out one final scream of agony as the maze doors shut, cutting off his sounds, and shutting him off from the rest of the world.

It was silent after that. Mike was in too much shock to even react. He just stood their, eyes wide, panting slightly, his mind a mess.

The circle of boys started to spread apart, becoming less of a circle and more of a clump. No one said a word. They all held onto their poles and stared numbly at the ground, including Will. Mike watched him closely. He had never seen him look so..sullen.

All of a sudden, Lucas's deep voice cut through the silence.

"He belongs to the maze now."

Chapter Text

—

Night settled over the glade, along with an eerie, tense, stillness.

No one had spoken many words since the banishing of Steve. No one felt the need to. There was nothing to be said.

Steve was gone. Banished to the maze after being stung. He was alone out there, suffering, and no one seemed to care. Everyone just silently milled to their hammocks and fell into slumber, acting as if the whole ordeal never happened.

Mike couldn't understand how anyone could sleep right now. He thought that maybe Steve could be alive. That he was some how surviving through the gruesome realities of the maze. That when the doors opened the next morning, he would walk through them, unscathed.

But no one else seemed to share his hope. He didn't blame them. It was a childish thought, really.

Mike sat in his hammock, watching from afar as a torch lit up the dark corner of the glade, where the wall of names was.

Will, Lucas, and a few other gladers were there, watching as Chance struck through Steve's name on the wall, the sound of stone cracking echoing across the glade.

Mike fiddled with his fingers as he watched the solemn scene unfold. The way they could just cross Steve's name off like that, and act as if he never even existed, tugged at his heartstrings.

He glanced over at Dustin, who was lying in his hammock, staring at the night sky.

A question bit at his tongue. He knew the answer already, but he wanted to hear Dustin's confirmation.

"Do you think he'll make it..?" He asked quietly, breaking the tense silence in the night air. "Steve, I mean…"

Dustin glanced over at him. The expression on his face made it clear he was thinking hard about his answer. He then sighed, and pushed his curls from his face. "No.."

Mike's heart dropped a little bit at his blunt answer.

"No one survives a night in the maze.." Dustin continued, his tone deadpan. "We just gotta forget about him."

Something about those words made Mike's frustration flare up a bit. Just forget about him?

How could they just forget about him? He was a human being too. Their friend. And they practically forced him into death and were expected to move on like it never happened.

He clenched his fists in his lap and bit his tongue. Maybe he just didn't understand. That could be it. He had only been there for 2 nights after all. Only known these people for so long, only understood the glade and the maze for a short bit of time. But something about the whole situation rubbed him the wrong way.

He let out a heavy sigh, knowing that he should just forget about it like Dustin said. Forget about it and get some sleep. He adjusted his position so that he was laying down in his hammock. He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take over.

—

The next morning, Mike woke up at the crack of dawn, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dim morning light.

The only sounds were faint crickets and birds chirping. He knew it was far earlier than wake up call. He debated closing his eyes and just going back to sleep for an hour or two before he heard faint muffled voices in the distance, and the sound of the doors to the maze sliding open.

His curiosity spiked, and he quickly sat up in his hammock, his eyes following the sound.

Across the glade, at the north wall, he saw what looked to be Lucas and another runner, talking to another glader in front of the open doors leading into the maze. Mike recognized the brunette haired boy immediately. It was Will. He was standing with his arms crossed, looking a little tense as he spoke to Lucas. Mike wasn't entirely sure who the other runner was. Maybe Patrick was his name? He couldn't quite recall.

He watched as Lucas patted Will on the shoulder, then turned around and darted into the maze with Patrick, leaving Will standing there alone, looking nervous as he bit his lip and watched them go as well.

Mike furrowed his brows. He knew the runners usually left early in the morning to run the maze, but this was earlier than he expected. He thought they usually left after breakfast, but the sun was barely visible over the walls.

He pushed down the thoughts for now, his ongoing grogginess keeping him from being too curious at the moment. He decided to question Will about it later.

—

It was half past noon, the sun was beating down on the glade, and everyone was in a bad mood.

Word seemed to spread around that Lucas and Patrick had left to run the maze suspiciously early that morning, which caused many speculations among the gladers. One theory however, was the most reasonable.

Lucas and Patrick believe that Steve is still alive and are searching for him as they speak.

Mike didn't know much about what went down in the Maze. But from what he had been told numerous times, is that "nobody survives a night in the maze."

Maybe it was just him being selfish, but he thought it was a little pointless to go looking for Steve in a labyrinth like the maze. It seemed like a hopeless mission. And with all the talk of grievers, and Steve being stung in broad daylight the day prior, he thought no one would have the balls to return to the maze, let alone turn it over looking for someone who was most likely already dead.

However, it was Lucas. So of course, he would.

Dustin had dragged Mike along to the garden again, ranting on about different plant types and certain bugs that effected them as he dug in the dirt. As per usual, Mike was tuning him out. He pretended to be weeding one of the plants as his eyes kept drifting back to the maze walls. Patrick and Lucas still hadn't returned and it had been hours. It started to worry him just a tad bit. He knew he should trust them, that they knew what they were doing, but he couldn't help but feel concerned for them.

Dustin paused his ranting, noticing Mike's unfocused expression. He followed his gaze to the maze walls. He could tell what Mike was thinking and spoke on it. "They're gonna make it out Mike." He reassured him firmly.

Mike glanced at him shortly, then back at the walls. "How can you be so sure though?" He asked.

"Because Lucas knows what he's doing. He knows the maze better than any of us." Dustin explained as he continued to dig his hole. "To underestimate him would be a mistake."

Mike let out a short scoff. Underestimate him? He wasn't underestimating him. He was just concerned for his friend.

"I'm not underestimating him-" He argued defensively. "I just don't understand what he's doing."

"Him and Patrick are going to retrace Steve's footsteps before sundown- see if they can find anything. That's what Will told me." He grunted as he dug his hole, dirt staining his hands and cheeks. "Now are you gonna help or-?"

"Wait so they're gonna go back to where Steve was just stung and-" Mike cut him off swiftly, even more confused now. But Dustin cut him off right back.

"-Like I said, Lucas knows what he's doing." Dustin shot, looking up at Mike. "They're gonna make it out. And they're gonna be fine. Alright?"

Mike huffed in frustration, his eyes trailing back to the wall, then back at the plants in front of him. "I just don't feel good about this.." He grumbled, going back to bitterly weeding the plants.

Dustin rolled his eyes but Mike ignored him. His thoughts were too preoccupied with worries. What if Lucas didn't make it? Could Dustin really be so sure he knew what he was doing?

He needed something ( or someone ) to take his mind off things. To make him forget about the whole "Lucas and Patrick scavenging the maze for Steve" dilemma. His gaze found it's way to the west wall, where a certain glader sat on his stool.

Usually Will was leaning close to the wall, paintbrush in hand, painting soft, swift strokes of color on the murky gray walls, adding life to them, captivating everyone with his creation. But today, Will sat, back against the wall as he stared at the entrance to the maze, his brows pinched together and his jaw clenched.

Will's weary expression only made Mike's stomach churn more. Could it be that Will was also nervous that Lucas and Patrick would not make it back before the walls closed? That something might happen to them? That one of them would get stung just like Steve?

Suddenly, a loud rumbling overhead jumbled him from his thoughts. The brutal light from the sun was now being covered by dark clouds, closing in on the once blue sky. The wind picked up, and all the gladers raised their heads to acknowledge the oncoming storm.

Dustin sighed heavily as he glanced up the changing sky. "We should take cover." He said as he stood up, wiping the dirt off his hands

Mike did not protest that idea. He stood up as well, brushing the grass off his pants and following Dustin to one of the wooden awnings near the hammocks. Many other gladers who were working in the fields did the same, taking cover under the trees in the forest or under the awnings or in the homestead.

Shortly after, the rain began, pouring down over the glade. The gladers stood under the awnings and watched it come down. The storm seemed to set a somber mood over the glade, even more than before. Everyone seemed to be thinking the same, grim thoughts as they kept their eyes on the entrance to the maze. Lucas and Patrick were still unheard of. And it had everyone on edge.

Mike's eyes searched for a certain brunette glader, wondering where he was in all of this. He spotted him under one of the awnings near the hammocks. He was standing, leaning against the wood, arms crossed and eyes locked on the maze doors. His expression was the same as earlier, except he looked even more tense now, like he was getting worse at hiding his nerves.

He observed as Will would bring his hand up to his mouth every now and then and chew on his nails. Mike assumed it was a nervous habit and found it slightly endearing.

However, his small smile dropped into a frown when he saw none other than Chance approach Will. He slowly walked up beside, reached out, and gently took Wills hand and moved it away from his mouth. He didn't say anything but it was clear that this wasn't the first time Chance had to make the boy stop biting at his nails.

A bit of jealousy flared up in Mike at the gesture. He knew he had no right to be jealous, that it was probably just a friendly, platonic gesture. But it still made him clench his fists at his sides as he watched the two boys interact.

"They should be back by now.." Mike heard Will say to Chance as he tapped his fingers on his arm. "What if they don't make it..?" He asked, his tone shaky and his eyes still locked on the doors.

Chance looked down at Will. "Hey. They're gonna make it." He said calmly, placing a hand on his shoulder for comfort.

Will stared at the doors for a second longer, before tearing his gaze away to look up at Chance. "And if they don't?" He pressed, his expression stoic, but his voice betraying him.

Chance stared down at him. "They're gonna make it." He said softly but firmly.

The two held eye contact for a moment before Will looked back at the doors and bit his lip. Chance watched him with a worried expression. He seemed to be more concerned about how Will was taking this than the fact Patrick and Lucas were still MIA in the maze.

—

Hours had passed. The sun was brimming over the horizon. The glade was damp and dripping from the storm now passed.

And Lucas and Patrick were still in the maze.

All the gladers and crowded around the doors, waiting in tense, eerie silence, for any kind of sign that they would be coming soon. But as the minutes ticked by, it seemed more and more helpless.

Will, Chance, Mike, and Dustin stood at the front of the crowd. Will was tapping his foot and rubbing his arms, fighting the urge to bite at his nails. Dustin had his hands on his hips, eyes locked on the maze ahead. Chance was crouched to the ground, for no specific reason, expression stoic. And Mike? Mike was a confused and nervous wreck.

The tension grew thicker as they heard the walls shift slightly, everyone freezing momentarily. Murmured voices started to sound out, which only triggered Mike's need to speak up. "Can't we- can't we send someone after them-?" He asked, looking over at Will, his voice shaky.

"It's against the rules." Chance spoke up from his low position, eyes locked on the maze. "If they don't make it back, they don't make it back."

Mike had the urge to scoff and snap back at Chance for his blunt words, but Will spoke up before he could.

"We can't risk losing anyone else." He said, glancing at Mike. The solemn tone of his voice, and the look on his face showed that Will really wanted to send someone after them, but deep down, knew it wasn't possible.

Mike huffed in frustration again, looking back at the entrance, praying for just a sign that Lucas and Patrick were at least alive.

However, the sound of guttural growling, and the gust of hot wind blowing from deep from the maze and into their faces, made him lose almost all hope. The doors shifted, and started to close.

Panic immediately set out over the group. "Oh no.." Dustin and many others mumbled as the doors started to slide closed.

No. This couldn't be happening. There was no way. Mike kept his eyes locked on the maze, still waiting for any kind of sign.

And it seemed pointless, until..

He spotted a figure emerging around the corner, grunting and holding somebody else up. Mike's eyes widened. "THERE!" He shouted, pointing deep into the maze.

The gladers followed his finger and gasped, and started shouting ad cheering. Will's eyes widened and he uncrossed his arms as he took in the sight before him. It was Lucas. And he was holding up and unconscious Patrick. His face fell.

"No..wait- something's wrong!" He called out over the group.

The gladers furrowed their brows and took a better look, realizing that Patrick was hurt, and Lucas was struggling to drag him to safety.

Everything seemed to move in a blur after that.

The gladers stayed put in their spots, but shouted encouragements to Lucas as he attempted to lug Patrick's limp body to the exit.

"LUCAS YOU GOTTA LEAVE HIM!!"

"LUCAS YOU CAN DO IT MAN!!"

"THE DOORS ARE GONNA CLOSE!!"

"He's not gonna make it…" Will said, voice shaky as he watched the scene unfold. It sounded more like a realization than a declaration.

Mike looked between Will and Lucas, who was now dragging Patrick by the leg towards the exit. Will was right. He wasn't going to make it. No way in hell.

But Mike couldn't just let that happen. He couldn't just let the doors close on them. Especially not Lucas. He couldn't let him be locked out there alone with an injured Patrick, left dead for the grievers. Lucas had been a true friend to him since the moment he arrived in the glade. He wasn't just gonna stand there and watch as he was practically sentenced to his death.

He wasn't gonna do that again. Not after Steve.

Without pausing to think twice, Mike took a deep breath, and propelled forward towards the maze.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion.

Will watched, wide eyed, as Mike lunged towards the closing walls. He reached out and attempted to grab his hand, pull him back, but he missed, and Mike launched himself between the stone.

"MIKE NO!!" Will shouted, voice broken.

But it was too late. Mike was already squeezing himself between the closing walls.

He gripped onto the sides of the stone and pushed himself through, grunting,panting, and on the brink of passing out.

The doors pressed against his body, the pressure building, and with one final grunt of strength, Mike pushed himself out, and went tumbling onto the ground.

And there he was.

Trapped.

In the maze.

He scrambled up into his elbows, panting and taking in the scene around him. He looked forward, and saw Lucas, on his knees, breathing heavily as well, next to Patrick's lifeless body.

"Good job." He spoke breathlessly.

"You just killed yourself."

Mike's brows pinched together in confusion. Still in a panic, he pathetically mumbled, "W-what-?"

Lucas suddenly punched the hard ground with his fist. "DAMN IT!" He shouted. He punched it over and over again, and Mike watched with wide eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa-" Mike said, scrambling onto his hands and knees, crawling towards Lucas in attempt to get him to stop smashing his fists into the concrete floors. "Just calm down-"

However, Lucas wasn't having it.

He swiftly grabbed Mike by the collar of his shirt, dragged him up and off the ground and pinned him against one of the ivy covered walls.

"What are you playing at?! Huh?!" He shouted, his jaw clenched. Mike's heart stopped. He had never seen Lucas so angry before. He pushed him further against the wall. "You got a death wish or something?!"

Mike was confused, shocked, and scared all at once. "What-?" He stammered, cowering in Lucas's grip. "No- I- I didn't-"

Lucas pushed him again, his breath constricting in his throat. "What is it?? Huh?? You ran in here to impress someone?? is that it?" He spat, his tone laced with something Mike couldn't quite place.

Mike's brows furrowed in confusion. "Impress someone-? What?! No! I just- I wanted to help!" He defended, voice shaky.

Lucas glared at him, his eyes narrow and mean, like he was considering if Mike was telling the truth or not. He was panting, his fingers still clutched around the collar of mikes shirt. He pushed him further against the wall threateningly, and Mike flinched.

Upon seeing Mike flinch, Lucas's expression softened just a bit. His breathing started to slow, and after a second more, he began to let go of Mike's shirt, letting him fall limp against the wall.

Mike let out a sharp breathe he didn't know he was holding as he slumped against the ivy. His heart was still pounding and his breathing was shaky from the unexpected Lucas attack. He rubbed his collar bone where Lucas had gripped him and caught his breath, his mind still reeling from everything that had happened in the past five minutes.

Lucas took a few steps back, his breathing continuing to slow. The bitterness in his expression started to fade, replaced by something more weary. Scared. Upset. He pressed his back against the opposite wall and began to slide down it.

Mike watched him closely. He wanted to say something. He had so many questions. What was going to happen now?

But he stayed silent, just catching his breath, as he watched Lucas cover his face with his hands.

—

The maze doors closed with a loud crack. The crowd of gladers went completely silent. Completely still.

It was the most silent it had ever been. Nobody knew how to react. Lucas and Patrick were just locked out of the glade, stuck in the maze, and Mike, the greenie, ran in there after them.

They were dead.

Will stood right in front of the wall, his hands still gripping at the stone. The second he saw Mike start to run between the closing doors, he launched after him, but it was too late. The slot was too small and Mike was already squeezing halfway through. And now he was gone.

And so was Lucas.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. His stomach fell to his feet and he felt a hollow pain form in the back of his throat.

They were gone. Mike and Lucas both.

They were stuck out there. In the maze.

And no one ever survived a night in the maze.

Mike and Lucas were going to die.

And Will didn't even get to say goodbye.

He stood frozen in place. His nails slowly clawing at the stone subconsciously.

"No.." He muttered under his breath.

His eyes stung with tears. His throat burned.

The others watched from behind, their hearts going out to him. This revelation was difficult for everybody to grasp, but everyone knew how close Lucas and Will were. And almost everyone had picked up on the tension between him and Mike. They all stood silently, no one knowing what to say or what to make of this horrifying situation.

"No.." Will muttered again, his fists clenching against the wall. Tears welled up in his eyes, his vision blurring. He didn't want to cry. He hated crying in front of other people. Especially the other gladers, who were supposed to look up to him. They used to, anyway.

Chance, who had been standing frigid and in shock behind him, picked up the quiet and broken sound of Will's voice. His attention immediately snapped to him, his heart shattering. He stepped forward slowly. "Will-"

"DAMN IT!!" Will suddenly shouted, slamming his fist into the stone. All the gladers jumped back in shock, including Chance, their eyes going wide.

Will continued to punch the wall, each swing more powerful than the one before. "DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT!!" He cried out, his voice broken and rough. Every collision with his knuckles onto the stone sent a shooting, raw pain through his fist, but he didn't care. He was already in too much emotional pain- what was a little more? He could feel blood already trickling down his fingers as Chance stepped forward again.

"WILL! Whoa whoa hey! Stop!" Chance protested, grabbing Will's hand and shoulder, forcing him away from the wall. "Calm down okay? Just calm down-" Chance spoke to him more softly, trying his best to get the boy to relax, even a little bit. He couldn't take seeing him hurt himself like that.

"They're trapped in there! They're not gonna make it-" Will stuttered, his voice raw and pained. He looked up at Chance, tears streaming down his face now.

Chance's heart sunk to his feet. The thought sickened him. But what was worse was how terrified Will was. "No..we don't- we don't know that-" He tried to cover softly, even though he wasn't sure himself. He still gripped onto Will's shoulder to ground him, and held onto his hand, the blood from his knuckles now leaking onto his own.

"Did I lose them both-? Did I just lose them both-?!" Will started to cry harder, his voice barely anything but a crack.

Chance's heart broke for the millionth time upon hearing those words.

Did I lose them both.

He pulled Will against his chest quickly, embracing him. "Shh..shh…" He whispered. He cupped the back of Will's head and wrapped his arm around him, holding him close. Will held into him tight and cried into his shoulder, shaking like crazy. "You're okay..it's okay.."

Will didn't feel okay. He felt like the world was crashing down on him. Like he was being stabbed by a thousand knives. Like his heart was going to shut down at any given moment due to how fast it was beating. He sobbed into Chance's shoulder, holding onto him tight for any sense of grounding. He didn't care anymore if the other gladers were watching him breakdown. It hurt to much to suppress this time.

"Did I lose him..did I lose him.." He continued to sob, his voice shaky and panicked.

"No..no..you didn't lose him..shh..it's okay." Chance comforted, running his fingers through his hair to relax him. He rested his chin on top of his head and pulled him impossibly closer. He just wanted to shield him from this. From everything. From the stares of the other gladers. From the situation unfolding.

He glanced up at the crowd of boys, watching with mixed expressions. Some shocked, others pitiful, and some exchanging glances. He hated how they were watching this. And he knew Will did too.

He shot a threatening glare at all of them, a warning to give them some space and not make a scene.

The gladers picked up on his silent demand, and started to turn and hurry away, speaking in hushed, nervous voices and returning to the homestead.

Once the boys were a fair distance away, Chance pulled back slightly to look at Will. His face was splotchy and red, his cheeks glistening with tears. But even so he still managed to look beautiful. Even in the midst of a panic attack.

He gently took hold of Will's hands, which were still shaking in his. "Hey. Just breathe." He said softly, running his thumbs over the back of his hands. "Breathe."

Will sniffled and choked on a sob and tried to follow Chance's words. Just breathe. He took a deep, shaky breath, his heart rate starting to slow. He couldn't get the thought out of his mind that he just lost one of his closest friends, and someone that he grew so attached to over the course of two days.

Chance squeezed his hands. The blood from Will's right knuckles spilled onto his but he didn't care. "That's good. Just keep breathing. You're okay." He comforted softly.

Will continued to inhale slowly, starting to calm down, but the guilt started to creep up in him. Why did he have to be this way? Why was he the only one so upset about this? Why did he have to cry and breakdown in front of everyone? Why did he have to make a scene? He was just pathetic. Weak.

"I'm sorry-" Will croaked, letting go of Chance's hand to wipe his tears

Chance's expression softened once more. "Hey. No. You have nothing to be sorry for." He said firmly, taking his hand in his again. "Just relax…"

Will's heart fluttered a little bit, but he pushed down the feelings. Now was not the time to be thinking about that. He took another deep, shaky breath, his heart rate slowing to a normal speed.

"There. You're okay." Chance comforted. He stepped closer and wrapped Will in another gentle hug, just to keep him calm.

Will returned the embrace, burying his face in the crook of Chance's neck and sighing heavily. He melted into his arms, the feeling of his arms around him soothing him.

They stayed like that for a minute, Chance just letting Will collect himself. They finally pulled away, but still held onto each other. Will stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact, expression numb.

"Hey.." Chance said softly. "Look at me."

Will looked up at him, and his heart skipped a beat. God, those eyes. Soft, hazel and round, like a deer. They were still rimmed red, and glazed with sorrow.

"We don't know what's gonna happen." Chance said firmly, squeezing his shoulder. "Lucas is strong. He knows the maze better than anyone else. And he and Mike will protect each other." He told him. "We can't assume that they won't make it. We can't lose that hope."

Will's expression changed, lighting up with a tinge of hope. He knew Chance was right. Lucas did know the maze better than all the other runners. He and Mike had a decent chance at survival, if he thought about it. But it still didn't stop the worry. The pain.

"All I'm saying..is don't freak out. Don't beat yourself up." Chance continued, running his thumb over Will's blood stained knuckles. "And don't lose hope. Okay?" He looked him in the eyes. "We'll figure this out together."

Will stared back at him and nodded, sniffling again and wiping his face once more. He wanted to have hope like Chance suggested, but it was hard to, given everything that was happening. "Okay." He croaked, his voice rough.

Chance nodded and squeezed his shoulder once more for confirmation that they would get through this together. His attention then shifted from Will's tear stained face to his knuckles, painted red. His heart clenched at the sight, the memory of Will smashing his fist into the wall flashing in his mind. He gently took his hand in his and held it up, running his thumb over his fingers gently, examining the damage.

Will winced a little, the raw skin stinging. His cheeks heated up a bit as he remembered what he did. Punched the wall like some kind of toddler throwing a temper tantrum. Everyone probably thought he was some kind of over reactive baby-

"Let's get this fixed up, yeah?" Chance's soft and caring voice cut through his thoughts, his thumb still caressing his fingers.

Will blinked, looking up at him. "Yeah." He said quietly, tugging his injured hand away and rubbing it with the other.

Chance's heart clenched with a little bit of hurt as Will pulled his hand away, but he didn't say anything about it. He cleared his throat. "Come on.." He said, placing his hand on Will's shoulder and starting to guide him away from the walls to the med-jack shed.

—

"Just hold it there." Chance instructed softly as he pressed a damp rag to Will's knuckles.

Will put his hand on it and held it down. "I know." He spoke quietly, his voice scratchy and raw from all the crying from earlier.

Will sat on a makeshift cot in the med-jack shed, Chance next to him, attempting to help clean up his wounds from his breakdown. Jeff and Clint were usually the ones to help, as they were the med-jacks, but they were nowhere to be seen.

It wasn't a big deal. Will had spent a fair bit of time cooped up in the shed. He had seen Jeff and Clint work at other gladers who had cut themselves slicing, or runners who had pulled a muscle while in the maze. He knew enough about what to do in a situation like this, without Chance's help. But he knew Chance wanted to help. So he let him.

They weren't talking much, which Will didn't mind. He didn't feel like making conversation, even with Chance, while Lucas and Mike could potentially be getting mauled by a griever as they spoke. The thought made him sick to his stomach, the dread and worry easing into his mind again, no matter how hard he tried to push it down.

Chance rummaged in one of the wooden boxes full of medical supplies, trying to locate the bandages. He had no idea where to look. Will watched him in amusement. He thought after all the times Chance had to be in here too, for nicking himself while building, that he'd be little bit more educated in this field, but clearly not. He wanted to crack a lame joke, a playful dig at how clueless Chance was, but he was too exhausted to.

Chance huffed and smirked as he finally pulled out a white roll of bandages. "Ah-hah!" He said as he stood up and strode back to the cot. "Got 'em." He smirked as he sat down next to Will again and started to unravel the cloth.

Will wanted to laugh at how dorky Chance was currently acting. He knew he was just trying to lighten his mood, but right now, everything just seemed to dim.

Chance looked up at Will, expecting a soft smile, but his expression remained stoic. Numb. his chest ached with pain, and his smirk slowly dropped. He tried to to let it bother him so much. He didn't want Will to see that he hated seeing him like that.

"How's it lookin?" He spoke up as he continued to unroll the bandage, nodding towards Will's hand, the rag still covering it.

Will sat up a bit and lifted the rag slowly. The blood was mostly absorbed, but the bones of his knuckles and fingers were scraped up and raw, red and scabbing. Will winced a little at the sight.

Chance swallowed, the sight not pleasant in the slightest. "Does it hurt a lot?" He asked, voice low.

Will shook his head. "Not much." He mumbled, tone vacant.

Chance looked up at him, knowing he wasn't telling the full truth. But he didn't press him. Will was already exhausted. He didn't need to wear him out more than he already was.

"Ready for bandage?" He asked as he finished unraveling the correct length of cloth.

Will nodded, his eyes focused on the ground, as they had been for the past ten minutes. Chance wanted to see those eyes again, but it seemed as if Will would rather look at a decaying body right now than him.

He grunted as he attempted to tear the bandage from the roll, the material a lot more difficult to work with than he anticipated. Will watched from the corner of his eye, biting back a smirk.

"Use your teeth." Will spoke up.

Chance stopped and blinked. "What?"

"Tear it." Will said again, his voice hoarse. "With your teeth."

Chance felt stupid for not understanding at first. "Oh..yeah..right. I knew that." He chuckled dryly, trying to hide his embarrassment, but the red in his cheeks said it all.

Will had to bite his cheek to keep himself from smiling at how oblivious Chance was. Will didn't exactly notice in the moment, but Chance was achieving his goal. He was lightening Will's mood.

Chance put the end of the bandage in his mouth, like Will had told him to do, and tore it off with ease. Will watched against his will, his heart skipping a beat. But he quickly looked away and back at the ground, scolding himself internally for feeling that way. He and Chance weren't a thing. They were just friends. Nothing more.

"Let me see." Chance said softly nodding to Will's hand, holding out the bandage.

Will snapped out of his thoughts as Chance addressed his hand. He put the bloodied rag down next to him then held out his hand. He decided to let Chance at least TRY to wrap his injuries. See what happened.

Chance began to silently wrap the cloth around Will's battered knuckles, struggling on how to make it tight, or wrap it comfortably. He huffed in frustration, changing the direction and starting over multiple times.

It was amusing and slightly endearing at first to see Chance struggle so much with something so simple, but Will, as he usually did, got tired of it. "You're not even doing it right." He grumbled. He took the cloth from chance's grip and started to unravel it off his hand. Chance hesitated for a moment before pulling his hands away and letting Will take the lead.

He chuckled softly in slight embarrassment. "Sorry." He ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "It's usually you who's patching me up."

"It's fine." Will said back, eyes locked onto his hand as he re-wrapped it himself with practiced precision.

Chance watched in slight awe. Will always made everything look so easy. Whether it was painting, drawing, or just wrapping a simple bandage. That was one of those many, mesmerizing qualities about him.

Will finished wrapping it, and secured it tightly in place. He clenched and unclenched his fists to make sure it was comfortable.

"Does that feel okay?" Chance asked, leaning slightly closer.

Will's heart skipped a beat. "Fine." He croaked back. , letting his hand fall into his lap.

Chance studied his expression from the side. He could see the inner turmoil behind those soft, sad eyes. Will was still worried about Lucas and Mike. And Chance didn't blame him. He's was worried as hell too. But he did his best not to show it. For Will's sake. That's one thing Chance had always been really good at- suppressing his own emotions for the sake of other's well-beings.

"Hey.." He spoke up. "Try not to think about it."

Will's shoulders tensed up at Chance's words. How was he not supposed to think about the fact that his best friends could be stung, or dead, or injured somewhere in that maze. "I'm trying." He replied, voice tight.

Chance sighed. "I know." He placed his hand over Will's. "But remember what I said..don't lose hope. Okay?" He gently encouraged. "This isn't over yet. Not for them."

Will finally glanced up from the floor, meeting Chance's eyes. He wanted to believe him. To agree. A small part of him did. But the doubt and sense of helplessness was strong. "I just wish I did something." Will admitted, looking away again.

Chance's brows furrowed. "Done something-?" He squeezed Will's hand. "Will, there was nothing you could've done. The doors were closing-and Lucas- as selfless as he is, wasn't gonna let Patrick go. And then Mike just..made a dumb decision." He said firmly. "But none of that could've been predicted."

Will processed his words. He knew he was right. But he couldn't help but feel like he was responsible for it. He should've made a greater attempt to stop Mike from running into the maze. He should've ran in there as soon as he saw Lucas struggling and helped him drag Patrick out. He could have done something, ANYTHING to prevent it. But he didn't do anything. He just stood there. He had been useless, like he had been ever since-

"Hey." Chance nudged him, breaking him from his trance. "I know that look. You're still doubting."

Will looked up at him, caught red handed. He sighed heavily. "You know me." He said with a breathy, dry chuckle.

Chance smiled sadly, Will's confirmation that he had been doubting tugging at his heart strings. "Just try and get some rest okay?" He said softly,not knowing what else to say to make Will feel better. "Go right to sleep after dinner."

"I will." Will agreed, the idea of an early bedtime not sounding too bad. After the anxiety and stress of the day, he needed to lie down, let his body relax for once, and try not to worry about what was happening behind the maze walls.

—

Will tried not to let it happen.

These things came naturally at times, but other times, he could control them.

Decide what he wanted to see, and when he wanted to see it.

When they came on their own, he loathed them. They made his brain hurt, caused splitting pains in his temples and behind his eyes.

But when he wanted them to happen, he closed his eyes and let the power take over, and used them as an advantage.

And that's what he was doing now.

He knew he shouldn't- that it wasn't good for him. And that he might see something he really, didn't want to see. Or he might see something that wasn't even real. But nonetheless, his curiosity and ongoing worry got the better of him.

He lay back in his hammock, staring at the starry night sky. All the other gladers were asleep. The night was peaceful and quiet.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Focus. Breath.

Breath. Focus.

The air seemed to thicken around him.

The buzzing and ringing started to echo in his ears.

Flashes of blue, white, a black began to cloud his vision. Swirls of dust, sparks of electricity.

It was working. He was almost there.

Focus. Breathe.

Breathe. Focus.

The flashes grew more intense, brighter, quicker, more frantic.

The air got thicker, the pressure building. His head started to pound, but ignored it, pushing through, keeping his eyes shut tight.

His heart leapt into his throat as he started to hear the faint sound of voices amidst the ringing and buzzing.

Not much like voices, more like shouts. Screams.

Amidst flashes of light and puffs of dust and blue, Will began to see something.

He focused harder, that splitting pain starting to erupt behind his eyes, but he ignored it.

He could see them.

Lucas and Mike.

And they were alive.

A huge wave of relief crashed over him. He felt as if a thousand boulders were just lifted from his back.

But that feeling of triumph quickly faded when more images flashes into his view.

They were running. Running from something.

The looks on their faces. Terrified. Shouting at the other.

More pictures flashed like a stop-motion.

And Will saw it.

A griever.

A giant, bulking hunk of metal and flesh, covered in mucus and mechanical appendages sprouting from all sides.

And it was on the move.

Chasing after Mike and Lucas.

Will's stomach dropped to his feet. He felt a wave of nausea hit him. Panic rose up and his heart rate spiked.

Another image flashed through, one that made his head split.

Mike and Lucas jumping through the air from wall to wall to get away from the griever.

He had to keep watching. Had to keep the vision going. He needed to see what would happen. If they would escape Outrun the griever. If they would live.

He pushed himself harder and harder- put all the pressure into his mind- let the images continue to plague his vision even though he felt like he was about to explode-

BANG.

A blinding white light cracked his vision, and a loud ringing echoed in his ears.

He sat up quickly, gasping, his sight blurry, dizzy and spotty with white.

A strike of agony hit straight through his brain, so sharp it knocked the wind out of him. He continued to gasp for air as he almost fell out of his hammock, the world around him spinning.

He could feel the blood starting to trickle from his nose, dripping onto his lip and chin, staining it red.

He laid limp, hanging over the side of his hammock as he breathed heavily and waited for his vision to finally still, the blood dripping from his chin onto the grass below.

No matter how many times he would have these reactions after using his true sight, he'd still do it.

It didn't used to be this bad. The visions used to be easy to conjure, and wouldn't have any side effects.

But he abused that fact back then.

When he was a runner.

But the more he used his true sight, the more visions he conjured, the worse it all got.

With the true sight came nightmares. Terrifying images of things Will didn't understand nor want to. Unwanted visions plagued him as well, at random times during the day when he didn't want them.

The more he used his powers, the stronger, and more dangerous for him they became, and it nearly destroyed him.

After a particular incident, which was driven by the exhaustion of overworking himself with visions, he quit being a runner. Not like he had a choice. His foot was wrecked, and he still has a limp. But he told himself sometimes, that it was better that way. That at least now he didn't have to run the maze every day, give himself headaches and nosebleeds and practical seizures just to see the right ways to go. Just to be a little useful for once in his goddamn life.

The taste of iron in his mouth snapped him out of his trance. He opened his eyes slowly, licking his lips to rid them of the blood. His vision was finally back to normal. No more spinning, no more white dots, just the glade at night. His head still pounded, but not as badly as minutes before, where it felt like he was being stabbed over and over again.

He sat up, body shaking slightly as he reached up and wiped the blood from his chin and lip, still taking deep breaths to steady himself. He look around to see if any other gladers were awake and had witnessed it. Nada.

The memories of the vision started to come back to him in that moment. Lucas and Mike running from the griever. Scared half to death. Screaming. Shouting. Jumping from wall to wall.

He shut his eyes hard and tried to block it all out. On one hand, seeing Mike and Lucas alive gave him hope. But on the other hand, they were being actively hunted by a deadly monster.

He didn't know how he was supposed to sleep now, after seeing what he had seen. The images haunted him like a ghost from his past. Kept popping up when he tried to think of anything else. Anything to take the pain away. But nothing was working. Nothing was helping.

He slowly slipped out of his hammock, his feet hitting the cold, dewy grass. He shivered slightly as the chilly night air slapped his clammy skin, wrapping his arms around himself. He weaved his way through the trees, dodging hammocks and sleeping bags, finally making it to a certain gladers hammock, in a more secluded area.

Still trembling, Will approached Chance's hammock slowly, stopping front of it. He stared down at his sleeping figure. He was laying on his back, eyes closed, looking peaceful and content. His heat ached. He debated just sucking it up and going back to his hammock, feeling like a burden for wanting to wake him up.

But he simply just couldn't go back to sleep after what just happened to him. No way in hell. At least not alone.

And he knew, deep down, that Chance wouldn't mind at all.

He reached forward and placed a hand on Chance's shoulder, shaking him gently. "Chance?" He whispered softly. "Chance? Its me." He repeated, his whisper a little louder than before.

Chance began to stir a few moments later. He shifted slightly, his eyes slowly fluttering open as he grunted. As soon as he was able to make out who was standing over him, his eyes widened fully and he sat up quickly. "Will." He stated, his voice low and quiet, careful not to wake the other gladers. He rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing awake? Are you okay?" He looked so concerned already, Will's heart jumped.

"I'm…I just.." Will stumbled over his words as he rubbed his arms. How was he supposed to explain this to him?

Will's expression hardened a little bit. His brows pinched together. He knew that look. The way Will was rubbing his arms. The way his hair was sticking to his forehead. The way he was trembling. The way his upper lip was stained red.

"Will." He spoke, his tone firm. "Did you have another vision? Or a nightmare?"

Will swallowed. He stared down at Chance, a silent understanding between them.

Chance grew even more concerned, if humanly possible. He reached up and grabbed Will's hand and carefully pulled him down to sit next to him on the edge of his hammock. "What happened?" He asked, voice stern as he leaned in.

Will stayed silent, biting the inside of his cheek as he stared at the grass beneath them. He didn't even know where to start.

Chance caught on with what his silence implied. He rubbed his hands over his face. "Will…please don't tell me you conjured it."

Will's lips stayed sealed, only proving Chance's theory.

His expression hardened even more and he clenched his jaw and fists. "Will, Jesus Christ- I told you not to do that!" He scolded in a hushed voice, running a hand through his hair. "You know how horrible they are for you!"

"I know.." Will replied quietly, his tone laced with guilt and regret.

"Then why did you do it Will? Why?" Chance pressed. Strangely, he sounded more hurt than angry.

Will didn't say anything for a beat. He then looked up at him. "I had to see them."

Chance's expression shifted. "See them..?" He asked, voice a little softer now.

"Mike and Lucas." Will continued, his voice gravelly. "I needed to know if they were alive."

Chance's whole demeanor changed at that. His body relaxed and he unclenched his jaw. His expression softened, though it still wore a hint of concern, and he sat back a bit. Of course. Will put himself at risk to make sure someone else was okay. Did he expect anything less from him?

"And they are." Will continued quickly. "Well…from what I saw." He looked away again.

Chance's stomach dropped. "From what you saw..?" He pressed quietly, leaning close again. "What did you see..?" He hated asking. He felt like he was encouraging Will to continue conjuring visions. But he couldn't help it. He needed to know exactly what he witnessed.

Will stared at the ground, his eyes tired and traumatized. "I saw them. Lucas and Mike. Running from a griever." He told, his voice rough and strained.

Chance swallowed hard, his heart rate quickening slightly. "Are…are you sure that's what you saw..?" He asked softly, placing a hand on Will's shoulder for comfort.

"Positive." Will responded, tone cold.

Chance thought for a moment. "But y'know..Will..it..it might not be real." He said, staring at him intently. "You know sometimes you overwork yourself, and your brain just..shows you stuff that isn't actually happening in response. It short circuits..malfunctions.."

Will considered the thought. What Chance was saying was absolutely true. Sometimes when Will would focus too hard on his powers, on his visions, other random things that weren't real or weren't really happening would flash through his mind. But as much as he hated to admit it, he knew damn well, just by the feeling he had in his gut, that what he saw was real this time.

"No." Will shook his head. "It was real. I know it was." His voice shook as he spoke, the worry and fear creeping back up on him.

Chance's expression softened even more, sensing his panic. "Hey..it's okay." He snaked his arm around Will's shoulder and pulled him into a side hug. "Just breathe."

Will leaned into him for comfort, doing as he said and taking deep breathes. He blinked back tears and swallowed the lump in his throat. He wasn't going to cry. Not again. He wasn't gonna be vulnerable and pathetic anymore.

"I'm sorry." Chance spoke softly, rubbing his shoulder.

Will looked up at him and furrowed his brows. "Sorry-?" He questioned. "Why are you sorry..? It was my fault. My dumb decision to conjure the vision-"

Chance interrupted him swiftly. "I meant I'm sorry that it happened. I know how terrifying those visions and nightmares are." He said in a low, caring voice.

Will stared up at him, not sure what to say to that, but one thing was for certain; his heart was beating out of his chest.

"Thank you." He finally said, leaning into him even more. "For being here."

Chance looked down at him. "Always."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, just sitting on the edge of Chance's hammock, listening to the crickets chirp and each others soft breathing as Chance continued to rub smooth, comforting circles on Will's shoulder.

Suddenly, Will spoke up, his voice soft and hoarse. "Chance?"

"Yeah?" He responded, looking down at him.

"Can I…" Will trailed off at first, nervous and a little ashamed to ask this question."Can I sleep with you tonight..?"

Chance's heart skipped a beat. He blinked. "Of course." He replied softly, no hesitation.

Will looked up at him and flashed him a small grateful smile. Chance's cheeks warmed up. It was the first time all day he had seen Will smile.

They moved without words, shifting so they were both laying down in Chance's hammock. Will turned to his side, and Chance wrapped his arm around Will's middle and held him close to his chest.

Will felt butterflies in his stomach as Chance wrapped his arms around him and held him close, keeping him warm and feeling safe.

They never had to discuss this. It wasn't the first time they had slept together like this. Whenever Will had a nightmare, he'd end up here. Pretty much every night after the incident, this is where he'd be. Cuddled up with Chance. His best friend, or something more.

"Just rest." Chance whispered. "Don't worry about anything else."

Will let his eyes flutter closed as he relaxed in Chance's arms. With Chance's presence, the bad thoughts seemed to disappear. The worries for Lucas and Mike. The images of the griever hunting them down. They all simply vanished from his consciousnesses, letting him finally succumb to a peaceful sleep.

And Chance waited until Will's breathing had steadied, and his body had gone completely lax in his arms, before pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

He was so far gone for this boy.

—

Chapter Text

—

Will woke up earlier than anyone. Just as the sun started to beam over the tip of the walls. His head was still pounding from the vision he conjured the night before, and images of it still flashed through his mind.

Thankfully, he was able to sleep a little, comforted by the weight of Chance holding onto him, but now, he was wide awake, and all the nerves came crawling back.

He slowly squeezed his way out of Chance's arms, his grip around him tighter than he had expected, and slid off the hammock. He crept his way through the trees, dodging hammocks filled with sleeping boys, and made his way into the grass area of the glade.

He crossed it in a flash, only one thing on his mind. Being at the walls right when they opened, just in case, somehow, Lucas and Mike and Patrick made it through the night.

After seeing them alive in his vision, he was filled with hope, despite the state he saw them in. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, Mike and Lucas were able to outrun that griever. Make it to a safe spot. Somehow, survive the night. Even though no one ever had before.

He stopped in his tracks as he made it to the north doors. He knew it'd be a few minutes until they opened for real, but he wanted to get their extra early. Just in case.

As his eyes scanned over the stone, he picked up on a faint tinge of red liquid, dried up and staining. It was so doubt his blood, from the punches he threw the day prior during his breakdown. A flash of embarrassment coursed through him at the memory of his crash out. They was he punched the wall like some toddler, the way he sobbed in Chance's arms..and the way all the gladers watched.

He hated that he let show such a raw, vulnerable side of himself. He was supposed to be second in command. Someone the gladers looked up to. Someone who stayed calm and collected in situations as such. But he didn't do that. He embarrassed himself. He let himself cry and yell and hurt himself-

"Will."

The sound of Dustin's voice snapped Will out of his thoughts. He quickly turned around, meeting the eyes of his friend. "Oh..hey Dustin." He acknowledged him quietly. He crossed his arms and turned back to face the wall, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Dustin walked up next to him and chuckled dryly. "And here I thought I'd be the first up, camping out by the doors." He looked up at him. "But clearly not."

Will ignored Dustin's sarcastic comment, his eyes locked on the small crack between the two large doors. He just wanted them to open. Open so he could see if they were alive or not.

Dustin took the hint that Will didn't want to talk and took a few steps back and plopped down onto the grass, sighing deeply, preparing to wait, just like Will.

As the minutes ticked by, and the sky grew lighter with the first rays of morning sun, more gladers began to wake, and mill around by the wall. Will waited anxiously, biting his nails out of habit.

He felt a hand on his shoulder suddenly, breaking him from his trance. He looked up and saw Chance staring down at him with a soft expression. He gently took his hand and pulled it away from his mouth, preventing him from continuing with his habit.

Will sighed and crossed his arms again, looking back at the wall with resignation. Chance kept his hand on his shoulder for a few more silent moments. "Sleep okay?" He asked softly.

Will looked up at him again, then back at the wall. "Fine." He responded shortly.

Chance could sense how much Will was worrying and squeezed his shoulder. "Hey. It's gonna be okay."

Will sighed and kept his eyes ahead. "I hope so." He muttered.

Chance let his hand drop from Will's shoulder, realizing Will wasn't in a talking mood, and needed to be alone. He took a few steps back, giving him some space.

Will felt a tinge if disappointment as chance moved away from him. He wanted to tell him to stay. That he could, and didn't mind, because he was Chance. Because he was his best friend. But he didn't.

A few more minutes passed, time seeming to go by agonizingly slow. Will had just turned away from the maze, starting to pace, when he heard it. That low rumble and shifting of the doors.

He snapped around quickly, uncrossing his arms, watching as the massive doors started to shift. All the gladers who were waiting's attentions also turned towards the wall, and Dustin scrambled to his feet and pulled up beside Will.

They all waited in anticipation as he maze started to come into view. Will bit his lip so hard he thought it might draw blood as he peered down the maze, scanning for any sign of life.

But as the doors shifted to a stop, and there was no glimpse, no sound, so slight hint that there was anyone present, his shoulders dropped and he let out a shaky exhale.

The rest of the gladers sighed as well, already giving up and starting to walk away from the doors. "Told ya Dustin." One of them, Andy, said to Dustin. "They're not coming back."

Will's heart stung at Andy's harsh words, and he glanced over at Dustin, who was clearly effected by them too.

Will felt a hand on his shoulder again. Chance. "Come on." He spoke gently. "Let's talk..yeah..?" He asked.

Will knew what he meant by "Let's talk." Now that Lucas was dead, and Patrick too, they'd have to figure out who'd be first in command. Who'd be fill in runners. Who'd do this and who'd take over that. But Will didn't wanna do that. Not now. It was way too soon. He already accepted the fact Lucas and Mike and Patrick were gone, but he didn't wanna face that.

However, he put on a brave face, too exhausted to make a scene again. he swallowed the lump in his throat and blinked back tears, nodding slowly and turning to walk away with Chance.

Every step was painful, feeling like a betrayal. He looked back one last time at the maze, for one last possible glimpse of hope.

And that's when he saw it.

He might have been imagining it. But just nearing around the corner, deep into the maze, a silhouette emerged. His heart skipped a beat. He stopped in his tracks and his eyes went wide.

"No way.." He murmured, standing up straighter and turning back around. Dustin, who had started to leave as well turned around in an instant, and Chance stopped to look too, their expressions mirroring Will's.

As the figure came closer into view, they finally were able to make them out.

Mike and Lucas, on either side of Patrick, holding his up and grunting as they stumbled towards the exit.

"YEAH!!" Dustin exclaimed, throwing his arms up in triumph. This caught all the gladers attention, all of them whipping around and taking in the sight before them, their eyes widening and cheers erupting.

Will felt like he could cry in relief. There Lucas and Mike were. Alive. They were okay. They managed to escape that griever, survive a night in the maze, and still bring back an injured Patrick.

Wait a minute…Patrick was injured.

His face fell at the realization. The way Patrick was limp in their arms, the blood stain on his shirt…this couldn't be could.

The other gladers seemed to notice this as well, their cheers subsiding and their faces turning to concern as Lucas and Mike staggered to the glade.

On instinct, Chance surged forward to Mike's side, helping him support Patrick's weight. Will went for Lucas's side, evening it out, even if he wasn't that strong.

"On the ground..on the ground.." Lucas instructed through gritted teeth as they lowered Patrick to the ground and lay him out on his back with heavy sighs of relief.

The gladers crowded around, already bombarding Mike and Lucas with questions about Patrick, how they survived, what happened, and everything.

But Will's mind was elsewhere. As soon as they lay Patrick down he turned to Lucas and threw his arms around him, holding him close. "I thought lost you..." He whispered into the crook of his neck.

Lucas was taken aback slightly by the sudden hug, but quickly melted into it, wrapping his arms around Will and hugging him back tightly. He closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. "I know..I'm sorry."

The gladers went silent at that, watching the hug between Lucas and Will. Everyone knew Will and Lucas shared a bond deeper than anyone, and they all knew what it was rooted from..except for Mike at least.

Who, speaking of which, was watching from the other side, panting slightly still from the exhaustion of dragging Patrick through the maze, with a tinge of jealousy and slight curiosity. It seemed there was more to Will and Lucas's friendship than he originally thought.

Suddenly, Dustin spoke up, breaking the tense silence. "You..you guys saw a griever..?" He asked, his voice shaky as he pointed to a spot on Patrick's shirt.

There was a blackened, swollen, bloody wound on Patrick's chest that made all the gladers grimace. A griever sting. Clear as day.

Lucas pulled away slightly from his hug with Will, blinking back tears and composing himself quickly. "We didn't just see one.." he said ominously, looking over at Mike.

"He killed one."

—

The homestead bustled with the sound of arguing voices, gladers rushing in last minute and taking their seats, and shouts and complaints. Lucas called an emergency mandatory meeting after he, Mike, and Patrick returned from the glade.

Patrick was in the med-jack shed now, tied down, his fate undecided. He had been stung by a griever while in the maze, and had been unresponsive since.

The gladers erupted into panic at this, and the 3 in command, Lucas, Chance, and Will, decided it was best to call this meeting and sort things out.

Chance stood at the front, arms crossed, waiting not-so patiently for the gladers to settle down. Behind him, leaning against a wood beam, was Will, biting at his nails, as usual. Lucas was leaning on one of the wood rails, looking nervous, and Mike, shamefully, sat on a stump behind them. He was in big trouble and he knew it.

The voices of the rowdy gladers became too much for Lucas, who was stressed enough as is, and shouted over them. "Enough!"

The boys hushed into silence immediately, shifting on the benches and straightening up, ready to hear what was to be said.

Chance took a deep breath, his eyes scanning over the group before speaking. "Things are changing." He stated bluntly, tone cold but honest. "There's no denying that."

The gladers hummed and nodded in agreement. Will shot a glance back at Mike on the stump. Mike's heart skipped a beat when he locked eyes with him. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since Mike returned from the maze. He thought maybe Will was mad at him. That he hated him for stupidly running into the maze on a whim. But the look Will was giving him now was more pitiful than resentful.

Mike's cheeks flushed and he averted his eyes, suddenly becoming very interested in the floor. He didn't know if his blush was from Will looking at him, or from the guilt that still lingered. Whatever. That didn't matter right now.

"First, Steve gets stung in broad daylight…" Chance continued his speech, breaking Mike from his thoughts. His words mentioning Steve caused all the gladers to tense slightly. "..And now Patrick." He finished, tone stern.

He looked back at Mike suddenly, his eyes narrow and cold. Mike's stomach fell to his feet.

"And out greenie here, has taken it upon himself, to run into the maze." He pointed at Mike accusingly. "Which is a clear violation of our rules here."

Mike looked away in shame, knowing that Chance was somewhat right. Going into the maze was against the rules, and it was a dumb impulse on his part.

"But.." Will suddenly spoke up, his voice quiet but firm. "He saved Patrick's life."

Mike felt a pang of gratefulness as Will stood up for him, pointing out that he did, in fact, help Patrick to safety.

Chance looked at Will, his expression softening momentarily then hardening again. "Did he?" He asked with a raised brow.

Will clenched his jaw and looked away, knowing that Chance had a point. Patrick was alive, but barely, and probably wouldn't last very long.

"For three years, we have co-existed with these things.." Chance continued his rant, his voice raising slightly. "And now, you've killed one of them." He turned to Mike, pure disdain in his eyes. Mike swallowed hard. Chance paused to let the words sink in, then spoke again. "Who knows what that could mean for us?"

The gladers went silent, taking Chance's words into consideration. Mike hated how right Chance was. He didn't know much about the grievers, or the maze, but after spending one night there, just narrowly escaping a griever and somehow killing it, he knew it wasn't gonna end well.

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" Will spoke up again, cocking his head to the side.

Chance threw his hands up and huffed in frustration. "He has to be punished."

That sent an uproar amongst the gladers, some calling in agreement, and others arguing that it was unfair, considering the fact that Mike killed a griever and helped save Patrick.

Mike huffed and rolled his eyes. He had a feeling Chance only wanted this because he had something against Mike. He swore Chance had it out for him since the very first day in the glade, and he couldn't figure out why.

"Lucas!" Will called out over the chaos, the boys quieting down at the sound of his voice. Lucas perked up. "You were in the maze with him. What do you think?"

They all turned their heads to Lucas, the first in command, the most respected glader and runner, to see what he would say. He straightened up off the rail,crossed his arms and stared at Will. "I think..that in all the time we've been here..no one has EVER..killed a griever before."

His words hung in the air, ringing a great truth. Lucas continued. "When I turned tail and ran.." He looked over at Mike, his expression unwavering. "This dumb shank stayed behind to help Patrick."

The gladers expression's changed, some in shock, and others nodding in approval.

"Look, I don't know if he's brave, or stupid." Lucas said. Mike huffed a small laugh, grateful nonetheless that Lucas was taking his side. "But whatever it is, we need more of it."

Mike perked up at this, looking up at Lucas and meeting his eyes.

"I say we make him a runner."

Chaos immediately erupted. Most of the gladers interjected with disapproval, shouting that it was too quick, and others, including Dustin, started to cheer. Dustin attempted to start a chant for Mike but no one joined him, so it fizzled out.

Mike's eyes went wide at Lucas's words. A runner. That's what he had been pulled to do since he arrived here. And even after finally going into the maze, seeing that griever and having a near death experience, he still felt a deep desire to go back. To keep exploring the maze and learn everything about it. Maybe help find a way out. But it seemed impossible. Until now.

Mike's eyes trailed to Chance, who was staring at Lucas in disbelief and annoyance. Of course. He then looked over at Will, whom to his surprise, was smirking slightly, as if he liked the idea of Mike being a runner.

Mike's stomach did a flip at the sight of Will smiling like that. It made this moment even more surreal to him.

Suddenly, Chance's loud and authoritative tone broke through the shouts. "If you all wanna throw the newbie a parade that's fine!" He called out. The boys hushed. "But if there's one thing I know about the maze…it's that you don't just throw people in there..especially when they're not ready, or can't handle it." He said, his tone a little more gentle as his eyes trailed over to Will, something knowing behind them.

Will swallowed and looked down, avoiding eye contact with anyone as if he was embarrassed. Ashamed. Mike's brows furrowed. What could Chance have meant by that?

He remembered what Lucas had told him. That Will used to be one of the best runners. But he got injured, restricting him from ever going into the maze again. It seemed simple enough in the grand scheme of things, but Mike couldn't help but realize there was something deeper to it. He didn't know if Lucas was just not telling him something, or was lying to him completely. But the tension was clear. Something was up. And it had to do with Will.

"You all know the rules." Chance continued, his voice a little lower now, his eyes scanning over the boys. "They're the only thing that have ever held us together. And we can't have people breaking them with no consequence." He said, glaring at Lucas who rolled his eyes subtly.

Another tense silence fell over the homestead, all the gladers lost in conflicting thoughts, dawning on Chance's words. Even Mike, who agreed that Chance had a point, but was still upset with the idea of being punished.

Finally, Will spoke up. "You're right." He said, nodding to Chance. "Mike broke the rules."

"Thank you!" Chance muttered sarcastically under his breathe. Lucas huffed and the gladers murmured, to themselves, either agreeing or disagreeing.

Mike's stomach dropped as Will agreed with Chance. He had expected Will to stick up for him, but maybe not. Any hope that he had that Will wasn't mad at him fizzled out.

"He should be punished." Will continued, looking over at Mike. Mike's heart skipped. Chance nodded in approval. "One night in the pit and no food."

The gladers began to clamor again, but Chance's groan silenced them. "Oh come on Will! One night in the pit and no food? You seriously think that's gonna stop him from going into the maze?" He argued.

"No." Will said bluntly, shrugging and looking back at Chance. "And we can't just have non-runners running into the maze whenever they feel like it." He gestured at Mike and he dropped his head in shame.

"So let's just make this official." He turned around, fully facing Mike now. "Starting from tomorrow, you're a runner." He told him, his tone firm.

The gladers erupted into discourse again, but all their shouts were like white noise to Mike.

Did Will seriously just make him a runner? Was this actually happening?

He glanced over at Lucas, who was nodding and grinning slightly.

Chance however, looked as if Will just committed the biggest betrayal of the century. His mouth hung open, and he stared at him in disbelief.

Will looked back at him, his expression unchanging, remaining serious. Stoic.

Eventually, Chance scoffed. "Wow." He spat, then started to walk away.

Will reached out and grabbed his hand to stop him. "Chance-"

Chance ripped his arm away. "No." He shot, then pushed past the rest of the gladers and swiftly exited the homestead.

Mike watched the altercation with a tinge of annoyance at Chance for being so damn stubborn and snapping at Will like that, and pity for Will, who was just pushed away by him.

He felt a little bit guilty, seeing how Will watched him go, his expression softening slightly. He didn't wanna be the cause of a rift between Will and Chance.

"Hey Will." He spoke up softly, but loud enough for Will to hear him over the interluding voices of the gladers.

Will looked back at him. "Yeah?"

Mike paused for a moment. "Thank you."

Will stared at him for a long moment, his eyes showing so many different emotions. He didn't say anything, just nodded slightly and turned away.

—

After Lucas dismissed the meeting, Will immediately went to find Chance. He needed to talk to him. Clear things up. He hated when Chance was upset with him, and the way he rejected him earlier effected him more than he cared to admit.

He found him in his usual spot that he went to to sulk. He sat, back against the largest tree in the glade, using a sharp blade to carve out pencils for Will. He had been doing this a while, ever since Will discovered his artistic ability.

Chance would carve pencils for him, and make "lead" with graphite clay. he would make paints for him with herbs and flowers, and even made him a tiny red sketchbook.

Will approached him slowly, stopping in front of him and crossing his arms over his chest. Chance knew he was there but refused to look up at him.

Will sighed. "Are you mad at me?"

Chance clenched his jaw and slashed the blade harder against the wood, carving out uneven chunks. "I'm not mad." He mumbled, eyes locked on the grass.

Will fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Well, you're clearly upset."

"Why do you think I'm upset?" Chance spat suddenly, looking up at him, shavings flying from the stick at the quick cut.

Will was taken aback slightly. He swallowed hard. He knew exactly why Chance was upset. He slowly sat down next to him, leaning his back against the trunk of the tree as well.

They sat in silence for a moment, Chance continuing his assault on the wood, no longer caring about how it turned out, but rather unleashing his frustration on it. "I just don't get why you made him a runner."

Will stared ahead, the gears turning in his mind. To be honest, he didn't really know either. He had a general idea, but he tried not to let that consume him. "It just feels right." He spoke. He knew his excuse was lame, but he didn't know what else to say. His feelings were too complicated to express, even to Chance, who always tried to understand.

Chance looked over at him meeting his eyes. "It just..felt right?"He asked, unamused. "Don't tell me you've been having visions about him."

Will winced slightly at the mention of his visions. He knew Chance was only saying that to overreact, but he wasn't far off. "Well.." He started, voice a low mumble. "Not exactly."

Chance's expression changed completely. His eyes softened, sensing the inner turmoil within Will. He set down his blade and wood and turned fully to Will, his demeanor more serious and gentle now. "What do you mean by that?"'

Will sighed and twiddled with his fingers. Of course Chance would press him. He should've never said anything. "It's hard to explain-"

"I'll listen." Chance interrupted him, voice soft but firm.

Will looked up at him. "I know you will…" He murmured. "It's just..it's confusing. I don't really understand it myself.."

Chance listened intently, waiting to hear Will elaborate further.

Will took a deep breathe. "I don't know..It's not..It's not really..deliberate visions..y'know..?" He began to open up. "It's more of like..a feeling."

Chance nodded. "A feeling? Like how?" He pressed softly.

Will thought hard. "I don't know it's like..it's just one of those gut feelings. It's like a pull. That Mike was made to be a runner. That..it's important that he is..for whatever reason.." Will trailed off, looking away. "I know it sounds stupid but.."

Chance shook his head. "No. That's not stupid.."

Will looked back at him. "So..that's why. That's why I made him a runner. It just felt like something that had to be done. Something important."

Chance nodded slowly, his eyes trailing to the grass as he processed Will's words. They hung in the air, making it thick with tension. Will could tell that Chance was still a little upset about everything, but a little more understanding now.

"Hey." Will spoke, tone soft as he nudged Chance's thigh with his own. "Can you trust me on this? Please?"

Chance looked up at him again, his expression gentle, but laced with lingering resentfulness. "I'll always trust you."

Will nodded slightly at his response and looked away.

The tension between them had lightened, but was clearly still present.

And Will knew that this wouldn't be the end of it.

The two boys sat there, trying to pretend like they weren't drowning in silence.

—

It was around noon, and the air was think and warm and murky. The type of heat that makes your hair stick to your forehead, and your skin clammy and wet.

Mike followed Lucas through a swampy area of the woods, dodging swooping vines and stepping over mossy logs. After the meeting, Lucas told Mike he had to show him something. Something that was important for him to see now that he was officially a runner.

He still couldn't believe that was his reality now. He was finally a runner. The position he felt a strange connection to since the moment he arrived here.

He still didn't know why he felt this way, but nonetheless, he was practically shaking in anticipation to finally learn more about the maze.

He was also extremely grateful for Will, who appointed him as a runner in the first place, even though he seemed indifferent to the idea.

He hoped that Will wasn't mad at him. He did seem a little upset after the meeting. He didn't say a word to Mike, just immediately left to find Chance, which made his blood boil slightly.

However he pushed his feelings down for now, trying to focus on whatever Lucas was about to show him. Speaking of which, he felt like they'd been trekking through the forest forever.

"Are we almost there..?" Mike panted as he stopped over a fallen branch and wiped his forehead, the heat getting to him.

"Almost." Lucas said to him as he ducked and weaved through a patch of vines. "Keep up greenie."

Mike huffed at the nickname and picked up his pace, continuing to follow Lucas through the never ending thicket.

Finally, they advanced upon a small hut built out of sticks and woods. Despite the rugged outer appearance, it seemed to be standing strong.

Mike furrowed his brows at the sight. What could be in this little shack, so deep into the woods that had anything to do with being a runner?

"Come on." Lucas huffed, stepping down and opening the door.

Mike took a deep breathe and followed after him, entering the shack through the door, preparing to take in whatever was behind it.

His eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, and he examined the sight before him. In the middle of the room there was a large rounded table of sorts, covered by a large sheet. Perched up around the walls were papers with notes, sketches of the maze, and barrels with the initials VCNA on them.

Mike narrowed his eyes, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. What stood out to him the most were the initials. VCNA. He had seen them around before- on supply boxes and equipment in the glade. Lucas told him the first day that whoever, or whatever VCNA was, were the ones that put them there, and were sending them the supplies through the box.

He didn't fully understand it, but he never questioned him further. Maybe this would be a good time to. He was about to speak up when Lucas beat him to it.

"Look at this." He said, gesturing for Mike to come over to the round table in the middle of the room.

Mike slowly and reluctantly approached the table, curious as to what secrets hid beneath it. Lucas reached out and took hold of the sheet, then ripped it off, revealing something that made Mike's eyes widen in surprise.

It was a model of the maze. A whole map of it, so it seemed. With the glade in the middle…and the complex labyrinth of walls surrounding it.

"This is the maze." Lucas told him, placing his hands on the edge and scanning over the impressive model. "All of it."

Mike's ears perked up. "All of it…?" He murmured, looking up at Lucas. "I thought you were still mapping it."

Lucas stared at the model, his jaw clenching. He let out a heavy sigh. "There's nothing left to map."

Mike's stomach dropped at this revelation. So they already mapped the whole maze? Then what the hell were they still doing there? They hadn't found a way out? It was all so confusing to him, but he let Lucas continue.

"I've ran every inch of it myself. Every cycle, every pattern…" He trailed off, looking up at Mike, expression stern. "If there was a way out, we would have found it by now."

A huge wash of disappointment and hopelessness washed over Mike. "If there was a way out, they would have found it by now." The words hit hard. So they had been searching all this time, already mapped the whole maze, but there was no way out..?

He thought maybe that he could help find the way out. Be the one to save everyone from this hell that was the glade. But that dream quickly slipped away, like a prized possession slips through a hole in a pocket.

"Why.." Mike started, voice low. "Why haven't you told anyone this..?" He looked up at him, questioning.

Lucas sighed and stood up straighter. "It was Will's call." He explained, circling around the table. "People needed to believe we had a chance of getting out.."

"Of course it was Will's call," Mike though to himself. He always seemed to do whatever was best for the gladers, even if that meant lying to them just to give them hope. He nodded slightly crossing his arms. He still had so many questions.

"So.." He started. "If you think there's no way out..and you already mapped the whole maze.." He looked up at him. "Why did you want me to be a runner?" He pressed.

Lucas thought for a moment, the gears turning in his head. "What you did last night was something I've never seen before." He told him, voice laced with sincerity, and almost admiration. "Like I said at the meeting, you're not like the others. You're brave, gutsy, and loyal. And you were willing to stay behind and help Patrick even when you didn't know him. And you killed that damn griever with your quick thinking." He explained to him. "We need more people like you out there in the maze. Someone who's willing."

Mike took in his words, not expecting to receive so much praise from Lucas. He didn't think his actions were heroic. He just did what he thought anyone would do. But nonetheless, he would take the compliments any day.

"Does that make sense..?" Lucas asked again.

Mike nodded. "Yeah..I get it." He said, crossing his arms and straightening up. "Thank you." He meant it. He felt a little more confident now, knowing that he was needed.

"Don't thank me, man." Lucas said, patting his shoulder. "Just keep doing what you're doing."

Mike flashes him a small smile. "Wasn't planning on changing." He joked lightly.

The two both chuckled softly, the tension from earlier wearing off now. They both stood in silence for a moment, Mike's eyes still raking over the model of the maze, trying to memorize every detail.

After a few moments, Lucas took a deep breathe and spoke up. "There's something else I need to show you." He said, his serious tone a drastic difference from the playful attitude he just possessed.

Mike's stomach dropped to his feet at the sternness in Lucas's voice, and the narrowing of his eyes. He swallowed hard. "Okay." He said quietly, bracing himself for whatever he was about to hear.

Lucas gave a nod then stepped back. He crouched down and peered under the table before reaching far under it, grabbing onto something, and swiftly sliding it out from underneath.

It was a wooden crate with the initials VCNA on it again, as usual, but that wasn't what this was about. Lucas rummaged through it and Mike peered over his shoulder, trying to get a look at what Lucas was hiding.

Finally, Lucas stood up, holding a few stacks of paper to his chest, concealing them. He turned to Mike, his expression hard as stone. "This is some serious shit. And you can't talk about it with anyone who isn't a runner. Got it?" Lucas pressed him.

Mike swallowed and nodded his head, his curiosity peaking. "I promise. I won't." He responded quickly and firmly. He looked at the papers hidden against his chest. "What are those..?"

Lucas sighed and hesitated, then lead him over to another table in the corner of the hut. One Mike was beside him, waiting patiently for the reveal, he took a deep breathe and set down the stack of papers.

Mike's eyes quickly roamed over the paper, trying to make out what was written on it. To him, it just looked like a jumble of repeating numbers, smudged over the paper with charcoal. Lucas let him look at it, not explaining just yet what they meant.

Six. Four. Eight. Three.

Mike's brows furrowed. It was such a random combination, and he couldn't make a guess on whatever the hell they may infer. He slid that paper to the side, getting a look at the one under it.

This one was much different. It was a depiction of swirls, lightning, deep black holes, faces, eyes..and those damn numbers again. His stomach lurched. Something in his gut told him whatever these drawings were..whatever the numbers meant..it wasn't good.

He continued to shuffle through the numerous drawings, each one more eerie and disturbing than the last. he recognized patterns that followed through all of them. The same repeating numbers. The holes. The eyes. And the same quote, "VCNA is good." Just reading it send chills down his spine.

He slowly looked up at Lucas, his expression confused and disturbed. "What the hell are these..?" He mumbled. "What do they mean?"

Lucas took a deep breathe and leaned against the wall, preparing to tell Mike one of the biggest secrets that hide here. "We don't know..not exactly." He tells him, his tone deadpan and somber.

Mike's brows furrowed. "What do you mean 'you don't know?'" He pressed, his voice raising slightly in irritation. "Where did these even come from??"

Lucas clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. He ran his hand over his face as he spoke. "It's hard to explain. Just bare with me."

"I'm listening." Mike said, trying to contain his frustration at Lucas's doddling to tell him the truth.

Lucas sighed hard. Eyes locked on the floor, arms crossed, he finally spoke. "They're from Will's visions."

Mike's stomach dropped, and his brain short circuited. Visions?? What the hell did he mean visions?? Will was having visions?? His eyes widened in confusion, shock, and concern. "Wait-what-"

Lucas cut him off. "We don't know why he gets them. Or what exactly they mean…" He explained, trying to keep his voice steady. "But ever since her arrived here three-ish years ago, a few months after me, he'd get these visions. He could see things that were currently happening. He could see into the maze."

Mike was in total shock now. All he could do was listen for the full explanation.

"That's the real reason he was a runner." Lucas told him, meeting his eyes finally. "It was never because he was fast. It was because he already knew where to go without trying. He could see where everything was, he knew the right ways to go, and he helped map the majority of the maze."

Mike listened in disbelief. So Lucas lied to him. He knew it. Will was a runner because he somehow, had these crazy visions that helped direct them and map the maze. It was such a crazy revelation, and he didn't know how to react.

"But…the visions…they got worse overtime." Lucas said again, his voice more sullen.

Mike felt a pang in his chest. "Got worse..?"

Lucas took a deep breathe, trying to maintain his composure. "These visions..at first..would come only when he wanted them too. And they would only be of the maze, and we would use them to our advantage..however.." He paused. "The more he used them on his own…they started to come..unannounced. Unwanted."

Mike's heart sunk. So Will was plagued with unwanted visions..?

"And they started to not just be of the maze but..other..things that he couldn't explain." Lucas told, voice shaking slightly. "Those numbers. Unrecognizable faces. Eyes staring at him. A distinct voice repeating those same words over and over again-'

"VCNA is good." Mike finished for him, catching on.

Lucas looked up at him. "Yeah. But that wasn't even the worst of it. The worst part of the visions were the way they made him feel." He spoke like it hurt him internally. Probably did. "They were painful. Really painful. Gave him nosebleeds, splitting headaches, made him go blind or deaf for seconds at a time..and they started to become more frequent the more he pushed himself."

Mike felt like the walls were crashing in on him. He imagined Will, the kind soul he was, having to endure such pain, just for the sake of trying to find a way out the maze. It was sickening and unfair, and filled him with so much rage.

"And..one day he um.." Lucas paused. "I already told you this part but…he hurt his foot. And couldn't run anymore. Which was probably for the best, because the visions were really harming him."

Mike remained silent for a moment, processing all the information Lucas just dumped on him. An immense amount of worry for Will lingered within him. He took a shaky breathe and looked up at Lucas. "Will..does he..does he still get the visions."

Lucas bit the inside of his cheek and looked down at the floor, eyes cold. "Sometimes. But they're not as bad as they used to be. And sometimes he can still conjure them on his own. But he rarely does that anymore."

Mike's chest tightened upon hearing that Will still got visions sometimes. "That's horrible." He said, his voice slightly shaky. "And- you never found out what it all meant-? Or how he got them or-?"

"No." Lucas shook his head. "We haven't been able to piece it all together.." He mumbled, looking back down at all the drawings on the table. "But..they have to mean something."

Mike nodded in agreement, his eyes also scanning over the drawings. He thought if he squinted hard enough, maybe he could catch something, a clue of sort, something that Lucas and the other runners might've missed…but the eerie drawings were just as vague as they appeared to be.

"Maybe you can help us out. We've been trying to decipher them forever but..they just don't make any sense." Lucas grumbled.

Mike gulped. If Lucas and the other runners, or even Will himself, couldn't figure out what the numbers an sayings meant, then how could he?

He only just arrived here a few days ago. He only just became a runner. He was only just figuring out who he was.

How was he going to spend god knows how long, living like this?

However, he felt a great determination start to build up within him. The need to figure out what Will's cryptic visions meant, to find out how to get out of the maze..

His fists clenched over the table as the commitment settled in.

He was gonna figure this out. Not just for the gladers, who had been trapped here for way longer than him, but for Will..whom he knew, most likely, had been suffering the most out of all of them.

He wanted nothing more than to keep him safe. And he was going to do whatever it took to accomplish that.

—

A hollow darkness fell over the sky, casting a calm, yet tense mood amongst the glade.

Mike was walking side by side with Chance, of all people, being lead to his sleeping spot for the night. The pit, as Will commanded.

He knew he deserved this punishment- for breaking the rules and running into the maze. But damn, the thought that Will had been the one to make the call on the punishment hurt a little bit. And the fact that Chance was the one escorting him there made him grit his teeth.

He lead the way, his expression stern as he held a torch out in front of them, illuminating their path to the pit.

A thick tension hung between the two of them, that had been present since the very first day. Mike wasn't all too sure why Chance seemed to dislike him so much.

He knew why he hated Chance. He hated how close he was with Will. The way he acted like they were dating or something. Which they weren't. There was no way. And Lucas said they were just friends. But Mike still couldn't help but feel jealous.

Why did Chance get to be the one that Will payed attention to? The one that got to be so close to him? He didn't deserve him. He was a big asshole with shit for brains- why did Will like him so much? The questions nagged at his brain even though he tried to ignore them.

The silence between Chance and Mike now was deafening, and Mike couldn't stand it. And he needed to know why Chance had a bone to pick with him.

"What is your problem with me?" Mike spoke up out of the blue, his tone cold.

Chance didn't look his way. He kept his eyes ahead and his expression stoic. "Everything started going wrong the minute you showed up." He said bitterly. "First Steve, then Patrick..and now the whole griever thing."

Mike stayed silent. he hated to admit Chance had a point. Things did start to go haywire when he arrived. But that wasn't his fault. It was all just a coincidence. Right?

"And now Will is-" Chance started again but stopped himself quickly, swallowing hard.

Mike perked up at his. He looked over at Chance and furrowed his brows. "What?" He pressed quickly, concern in his tone. "Will's what??"

Chance bit his tongue and stayed silent, not daring to reveal to Mike about Will's visions coming back ever since Mike came. They stopped in front of the pit and Chance opened the stick door, gesturing for Mike to get inside.

Mike huffed in frustration, pissed that Chance wouldn't just tell him what was going on, leaving him worried now. But he knew arguing with him would be pointless. He was stubborn as hell and didn't have the energy to reason with him. He just clenched his jaw and slid down into the pit, getting flashbacks to his first day here when Lucas and Chance trapped him in here.

As he settled down in the dirt, Chance tied the knot around the door to prevent him from escaping. Mike had the urge to speak up, to press Chance on Will's condition, and to keep arguing, but he held back.

Chance tied the knot hard then stood up, grabbing the torch. He gave Mike one last glare before turning and walking away, the glow from the torch slowly fading out until it became nothing but a blink in the distance.

Mike sighed heavily and slumped down onto the dirt. His stomach growled and his mouth was parched. He was already craving some food or water, but he knew that the second part of his punishment was to be deprived from both those things. He knew the next day, going back into the maze with Lucas would be hell, especially with no food or water in his system the day prior.

But there was nothing he could do about it. And he was exhausted. So, he just closed his eyes, and tried to succumb to sleep, at least for a little while.

About an hour later, Mike had just been starting to doze off when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He sat up quickly, alarmed. "Hello?? Who is that?" He asked aloud.

The flame from a torch came into view, casting a bit of dim light, just enough so Mike could make out who it was.

"It's just me." Dustin said as he set down the torch, carrying other things in his arms.

Mike sighed in relief, thankful that it was just Dustin, and not Chance or anyone else. Sorry Dustin.." He mumbled.

"Here.." Dustin said as he pulled out a tin bottle and extended it to Mike through the whole in the grated wood door. Mike's eyes widened and he scooted forward, taking the bottle. "You'll run better on a full stomach." He then proceeded to hand him a towel, filled with food.

Mike sat back down in the dirt, opening up the rag to find a decent sized slice of bread and some fresh fruits. He sighed in relief and thankfulness, and quickly took a bite from the bread, the starchy, slightly sweet flavor never tasting better. "Thanks Dustin." He said, looking up at him through the door.

Dustin nodded at him and flashed him a small smile as he sat down in front of the door. Mike continued to eat, a comfortable silence falling over them. In the middle of taking a big bite of bread, he looked up and saw Dustin examining something in his hand. His curiosity peaked. "Hey, watcha got there?" He asked, mouth full of bread.

Dustin smiled proudly and leaned forward, showing what he was holding through the holes in the door. Mike leaned forward as well, getting a good look at it. It was a small wood carving of a little ma of sorts.

A soft, amused smile spread on Mike's face. "That came out pretty good." He said softly, leaning back again and popping a grape into his mouth.

Dustin stared at the carving in his hand for a few more moments. "It's for my parents." He told him.

Mike looked up from the food in his lap, his eyes widening slightly. "Wait.." he said, choking down his food. "You remember your parents..?"

Dustin shook his head. "No.." he mumbled. "But I mean, I know I must have them…and wherever they are I'm sure they miss me but.." He trailed off. "I can't miss them cause I can't remember them."

Mike listened intently to Dustin's words. They hit hard. He realized he never really thought about his own parents. Where they were, if they were alive, if they missed him..it all seemed like a foreign concept. And he was a little shocked to see Dustin thinking about his own so deeply. He felt a little guilty he never thought of it before.

After a few moments of silent understanding, Dustin looked down at him, a different expression crossing his face. "Do you think you and Lucas will find anything soon?" He asked, a bit of hopefulness in his tone.

Mike swallowed. He wanted to tell him the truth. That there was little to no hope of finding anything useful in the maze anymore. That they had already done all they could, and there was nothing left to discover. But he couldn't. He wanted to respect Will's call to make sure the gladers still had hope of an escape, especially Dustin.

"I..I don't know for sure.." Mike said softly. "But- there's a way out, Dustin. And Lucas and I are gonna find it." He told him firmly, voice laced with determination.

Dustin swallowed, processing his words. He looked like he was trying to believe it, but deep down, Mike knew he was doubting.

Suddenly, Dustin reached into the pit and held out the carving to him. "Here." He said. Mike was taken aback slightly at the offering. This was supposed to be for Dustin's parents. Why was he giving it to him?

Nonetheless, he hesitantly took it, a questioning look in his eyes.

Dustin sighed. "I can't remember them anyway." He said. "But maybe, if you find a way out, you can give it to them for me."

Mike's heart broke at Dustin's words. He really thought he wasn't gonna make it out.

Dustin sighed and stood up slowly. "I'm gonna get some sleep.." He mumbled and started to grab his lantern to leave.

"Wait-Dustin." Mike said, sitting up, getting close to the door.

Dustin knelt down in front of it. "Yeah…?"

Mike reached through the holes in the door and gently took Dustin's wrist. He placed the wood carving into his hand and closed his fist over it tightly. He looked into Dustin's eyes with immense determination. "You're give it to them yourself. We're gonna get out of here. All of us."

Dustin's expression softened, and Mike could swear through the dim light, he saw tears well up in his eyes. "Promise?" He croaked.

Mike took a deep breathe, and squeezed his friends hand.

"Promise."

—