#event: greenie rescue

[avataroftheswarm]

"Humans are so quick to turn on people. Especially the ones who ended up the worst off. Funny that. But that's been his life the whole time, hasn't it?"

[firsthumandisaster]

| 🌱 | The sensation of falling, impossibly fast, like a bullet fired, was all Vash could feel for what felt like an eternity. Physical sensation in this place was a curious delayed reaction, both sharper than reality, and not real at all?

The firs thing he became of aware of was the ‘wind’, desert night cold air. His eye opened onto a fractured world. Disorienting and painful to witness. Unbalance and unsteady.

Abruptly, he stopped. No warning, no impact—just stillness so sudden he wondered if he was still ‘there’. He lay on sand, and in one direction—wreckage and fire, and The Big Fall—terrible in its details, the pain he immediately felt of that time. In another direction—grass as far as the eye could see. Yet another direction— Roots, bold and dark and covered in the great purple blooms he had glimpsed moments before he woke in this place.

He would start with the green—it called to him in a way he thought must mean something. Each step made the sand beneath his feet shatter like glass breaking. Deeper with each step—as if keeping him out of that place. The sky fractured and changed, sunset red-orange one moment, midnight stars the next. The greenery changed in sharp contrasts, too, that would have made him feel sick if he’d had the ability.

Vash began to sprint, the sand beneath his feel turned to the green expanse—the shattering of each step turning to old blood and dead grass, sinking beneath his weight and threatening to swallow him—

With a desperate cry, Vash’s hand caught on the edge of a platform, and everything changed again—

The ship. The SEEDs ship. The recreation room? flora everywhere, even hiding the ceiling, somehow, as if enclosed in a sphere of it.

“Vash?” His voice echoed uncertainty into the silence. “Vash!!”

He’d wonder later about calling out his own name, and knowing that it wasn’t himself he was looking for—not exactly, anyway…

Vash looked down at himself, seeing himself as he had been in recent months. Except the red of his coat was dark, saturated with his power, almost purple-black in color. Lines marked his skin in a way he’d never seen before. Not quite like Greenie’s, not softly curved and deliberate, but jagged like lightning burning lines of blue-purple-black in his hand. A glance at his bangs showed his hair was nearly black as before. So even that appeared on him, here. Barely a touch of blond left in his hair though—that was a curiosity for another time.

Vash started pacing the sphere, looking into the greenery, trying to find any sign of the young Vash, or a way out. Was this a trap?

“Vash! Where are you? Are you here?”

@fortheloveofpeaceandpeople

[insilentruin]

The Knife on a stealth mission— || Rescue Nico Operation underway

@nicholas-wolfwood

| 🗡️ 🗡️ 🗡️ | Some time after ensuring Punk was going to be taken care of and given proper medical attention, Knives contemplated the city. He was steadier than before, having let his power settle and rest while he considered his options.

The Wolfwood the puppet had taken was a hostage that none of them could afford to leave in their hands, right? His brother was in no shape to rescue him. His other brother was already in preparations for taking on the puppet and freeing this world’s Vash from the other Knives’s control. Of all the insane stunts he would pull…. But that was for him to worry about, not Knives. He had to move quickly—

Navigating the city was simpler than he’d anticipated. The tower was an easy landmark to navigate to. Getting inside was… not as simple. But, finding a discrete location to stab a hole through had been simple enough. Moving through the facility, it was unsettlingly quiet. There were barely any humans, not surprising, but enlightening. There was little in the way of guard detail. That meant Nai was confident enough in the few he did have in the place, and his own power, to keep people out. His mistake, then.

He stopped and listened often, had killed and hidden one human already, and ignored his usual impulses to just cut a path through the place to find what he wanted. That was something this Nai would do, something hw would have done as well, in the past. But in his current state, he had little chance against this more formidable version of himself. That was a crisis he would stow away in his head to have another time. Caution and stealth would have to do.

Two more dead and hidden. He hoped with chagrin that they would not be missed at their stations anytime soon. He saw much of the facility, both below the tower and sneaking up into the tower. He had to be careful there… The elevator wasn’t exactly discreet, but it was the quickest and least invasive means to reaching the top.

It was there that he felt the pressure of the strange Plants his world possessed. He couldn't hear them like he could hear his sibling at home. But he felt their presence as he drew closer to them. An odd sensation that passed over him like wafts of wind--except not physical at all. If the Wolfwood of this world was kept anywhere, it must be here...somewhere.

Hidden, and waiting, he sensed Nai long before he saw him. He held rigidly still, as if by doing so, his power would go unnoticed in the wash of Nai's own--and the presence of the other Plants all throughout the tower's facilities. The glimpse he saw of him, he had to force down the rising panic and anger--he had the other Wolfwood. Which was advantageous that he found him! But in the clutches of Nai--that could not bode well at all... What if he didn't act now--and Wolfwood was slain--Logic dictated he would no longer be an object to hang over the others' heads but...But to act now.... Knives knew he did not stand a chance against a younger, stronger version of himself... The ideal outcome was saving him, of course, if he could, but going against Nai alone would get them both slaughtered--

He'd wonder later where that idealist thought had come from... it sounded a little bit too like Vash...

Knives did not have to wait long to find Nai was leaving Wolfwood in the facilities at the top of the tower--He'd made out some of their conversation, yet not all. He knew that it was not good for Wolfwood, if his loud protests had been anything. Fury burned inside him, and he clenched down of the power cracking in his hands and chest as blades tried to manifest in the wake of the anger. Not yet, he told himself. Not yet.

The splash of liquid had startled him, but he didn't have time to react before Nai was on his way out. Knives closed his eyes and pushed down on his anger, his power, making it as small as possible. Do not notice me, he thought, like a soft prayer. Another thing he would have no choice but to think about later.

A shuddering wave of pure energy caught Knives off guard--and it felt like Vash--the one they called Vet, the one who had that other presence that had genuinely tried to kill him in July... Something must have happened. He'd recognize that uncontrolled energy burst anywhere...

He had to act fast. If this July was about to have its destruction come upon it, he did not want to see if he could live through it a second time. And he knew, Wolfwood would not.

Nai would be sufficiently distracted with that, and Knives moved silently along to the room he had taken Wolfwood to.

"Ah..!" Knives was looking at a tank--Nai had put Wolfwood into a tank? Had he already drowned? But... it seemed as if... he was still alive...By the time he'd gotten to him, he'd already given into needing to breathe, and he seemed in a sedated state-- Blades had begun to emerge from his left arm, painful and wild in the panic of seeing he might have been too late... By the time he'd gotten to him, he'd already given into needing to breathe, and he seemed in a sedated state-- It was a special substance... Something he had seen used before, William Conrad had used it for attempting to work with the Plants in some exploratory work...

Knives shook his head--no, this was no time to speculate. Breathable or not, Wolfwood would not remain in that tank. Touching the glass-- there was a wash energy that permeated the fluid and the glass of the tank, and by proxy, he felt the echoes of Wolfwood's fear and trauma. An ability he admittedly used to ignore and/or quash because he had no need for sympathy for the feelings of others.

But his emotions infected Knives and ignited his anger. He remembered his own Wolfwood. His Punisher. The one that had... started to be more than a tool to be used. And that made him angrier.

The largest blade he produced heated with blue-white light and drew back, aiming for the tank somewhere above Wolfwood's head, penetrating with a sharp sizzle of energy and the sound of the liquid vaporizing as it came into contact with the flashburn heat. Blue-yellow lightning danced along his arm and blades. He thought another strand or two of hair were turning black, but he didn’t care. Slowly, the heated blade melted the glass, cracks began to spider from the places were the liquid cooled the glass too quickly. The Plant drew back, the liquid began to flood from the slice he made. Slow enough not to be a shock to Wolfwood, but enough that the glass stopped cracking as it cooled. He cut more points into the glass, letting it flow faster. Once it was low enough for Wolfwood to touch the bottom of the tank, he shattered the section in the middle of the slices he made. He was splattered with the liquid but he paid it no mind as he stepped forward to catch Wolfwood from toppling out of the tank. He was pliant and sedated, and something about that continued to fizzle in his smoldering rage.

“Come now,” he muttered, brusquely, checking his eyes and signs of life. “Get that shit out of your lungs—“ Kneeling, he play the human across his leg, encouraging him to cough the liquid out and get air into his lungs.

[teenz-stories]

Teen-Z: Forever Young #2: I'm On A Yacht! (Part 1)

Pinky walks to the set. She hears laughter and her friends speaking. As she comes to the room she spots Kid playing Chromax-Keys game. All Pinky’s friends stare at Kid's phone.

Belze-Bob: That clown is chasing you!

Alvin: Bro! Look behind yourself!

Greeny: She groans as soon as clown offscreen kills Kid’s game model You lost one heart!

Cody: grunts I will wait for someone to rescue me. He then notices writing „Game Over” Or maybe not?  He puts his phone away Cool game anyway.

Alvin: You should had last much longer than that.

Cody: I ain’t an amateur. Plus. He smirks If you wanna try. He gives Luvboy his phone There. I allow you to play one round now.

Seconds later Nerd walks to the room where everyone are in now. Mermaid looks at Wiccy with hope in her eyes.

Mermaid: And? Any informations why me and Luvboy weirdly transformed out of nowhere?

Wiccy: clenches her hands together laughing nervously Nooo. But! I will definitely find something.

Alvin: This takes already too long. Even for your preferences.

Wiccy: looks politely at Luvboy Because we are dealing with something brand new.

Short time later Greeny notices Pinky. Both besties hug each other.

Pinky: breaks the hug So. You spoke with that girl who’s grandpa owns a yacht?

Greeny: nods Uma agreed to give it for a night. Party starts at 7 PM.She’s very very chill. She will get along with all of us. Then her phone buzzes Oh! I gotta go!

As Greeny leaves,Mermaid notices Pinky wears exactly what Mermaid recommended.

Mermaid: My! She whistles My fashion advice made you irresistible!

Pinky: blushes Aw,shucks. It’s nothing.

Mermaid: smiles gently You plan to wear something special?

Pinky: Well. I got something in my mind. How about you?

Mermaid: smiles confidently Elegant style,nothing special. Fact that we have a yacht event isn’t an excuse to not dress like a proper lady.

Pinky: nods Wise words! I will myself search for cool outfit to shine tonight!

Mermaid: That’s great! See you there!

[avataroftheswarm]

Hovering Worms make short work of scattering, motes of glowing green darting through the city at top speed. They won't be hanging around to see what happens between the two Plants.

The Hive watches, the Zazie-esque form quick to react to the shift, reaching for Audrey where shes still plugged into the computers. No time to waste being gentle about it and she said to pull her out if they had to. Well, now was the time.

She's summarily yanked away from her connection, bundled into a mass of Worms as they force open the door that had been keeping more security out. The Worms spread through the facility had already converged outside when no more threats had presented themselves and it's into this mass that the girl is taken.

They need to get out. Now. No time is wasted on attempts at communication, only action, picking her up and flying out and away while they still have a chance, before the two Plants destroyed each other and everything around them.

Outside the city, on the edge between city and desert, are sandworms peering above the sand. They wait, watching as the Worms dart around all the people Zazie finds themself desiring to save, trying to lead them toward the faster transport away from the disaster approaching.

@nicholas-wolfwood @cakotopia @threadsandwings @firsthumandisaster @fortheloveofpeaceandpeople @insilentruin @glvtted

[firsthumandisaster]

| 🌌 | Diablo's struggle with the slowly expanding energy continued moment by moment. Greenie's prone form now lay on the ground, Diablo bent over him and radiating enough power to make anyone not used to it stagger. Those familiar with the Knives not causing all of this mayhem would recognize it similarly to the pressure of his power, but not controlled.

But-- The light pulsed and dimmed, stuttering for a moment. But just a moment... Diablo drew in a breath as if he were drowning, and a pained growl escaped, sounding not like Vash at all, but something otherworldly, distorted and monstrous.

" N̸̡̛͇͈̬̭͖̥͉͕̬͉͖̜̟̰̮͖̘͑̓̋̄̈͋̊a̵̢̨̱̭̞̩̯̺̤̮̲̻̥̣͑̒͊̑̅͆̄͒͂̀͗̚͜͝ͅͅa̷̡͙̠̠͖̜͖͉̱̭̱̻̪̪͆͑͛̒̈́̃͠á̸̞͇̫͙̜̜̫̟̗̐͗̊͐͆͛̊̑͗̈́͆̕̚͜͝͝ä̷͚̩͓̹̘̟́͑̉̇ͅą̴͙̹̝̦̲̬̙̈́͋͐̚̚͠ḭ̶̗̺͚̤̖͋͂́͑͆̏̍̋͐̽̆̋̎̽̏͒͜͝͠͠i̸͈̜͝i̸̢͉͓̳͙̭̘̹͓̘̮̦͑ǐ̶̢̦͖͉̝̞͍̦̳͔̱̳̻̤̄̎̒̃͂̈̌̌̋͂̆̽̌͒̓̎i̴̘̗̩̺̣͚̻̎͛̀̈̽̒͌̚ "

Nai, or Knives, had done this. The twisted one. The one that threatened all of them--not just his own planet... He must be stopped.

The only other power Diablo sensed that was strong and close must be him. With a jerky, uncontrolled sort of motion, the winged creature turned toward the source of the power. Somewhere here, in July.

But.... it could not move away from Greenie--Greenie was its purpose.... The roots still held it, and its feathers had tangled with the roots, too.

Breaking away now would... would be utterly fatal to it... to Vash... to all of them....

[insilentruin]

The surges all but die out. When this man destroyed the labs, all electricity in the room had been shut off quite suddenly. Something to show a gesture of good will even if it's not acknowledged. So neither him or the hostage getting rescued would get caught off guard by flying sparks or get electrocuted. Despite how short the amount of time had passed since the tower first started acting out, it had gained more control over itself in new ways. The passage of electricity through the extensive wiring systems travels in waves, to and fro. Breathing. Unknowingly the actions to get the Punisher to trust this intruder is enough to appeal to the tower itself, actively beginning to assist the two of them. At cross roads, the lights flicker in a pattern to direct attention to a path that would be easier to move an injured man through. Opening the doors before they could even reach for the button, granting them a clear passage. Even sealing off doors behind them to block any pursuers. Progress is only halted briefly, and there is a little scramble to stall and hope those eldritch blades aren't used haphazardly. The next door refused to budge when approached and was unresponsive to being manually opened. An overhead speaker for the intercom speaker turns on, instead of trying to growl or pushing meaningless static as it tried, there is something that could be understood in it. Wh-̷a̷̱͛-ai-ai̴̙̪̣͐-̶̪̉̿t̴̰̹̀ Amb- u. ṣ̷͕̽͊̇h̵̭̄̄͜͝.̷̝̒̀̈́͘.̴̢̧̬̊͠.̶͉̮̹́̓͂" It's something cut together from various clips of bad quality audio on the security feeds in Knives's own voice. Just the little that had been caught by surveillance and spliced together on the fly. From behind the door a distant alarm sounded and the thundering of multiple pairs of boots run past, unaware of the intruder and escapee behind it. Ultimately the path shown should lead directly back to where the intruder entered in the first place.

A last message to send them off. The intercom nearest gives them a message. Leave. City. Find. The Beast. Safe. That voice is cut from the little snippets of footage of a younger more feminine voice, albeit, in the same low quality and static grain. It is the voice of the person in control right now, or close to it with advice that should point in the right direction.

| 🗡 | Knives had noticed the way the tower seemed to be in possession of a presence in the systems on the way in. He thought it had moved on once he found Wolfwood... Once he saw the way the facility lights and doors seemed to be guiding him once more, he was somewhat surprised. And grateful just now for it, given the complicated mess roiling in his chest and head from this whole ordeal. Perhaps that he was taking Wolfwood from this place without any form of sinister monologues or posturing helped. That was an uncomfortable realization for him to come to about himself. That he would have done such things... But... not now. Not anymore, maybe.

The voice that was him--and not him startled him and a frazzle of energy danced on his skin in reaction. Pale blue eyes darted around them, but didn't find anything. The door did not yield, but he heard the commotion...

Another path then--Once things became familiar, he was more confident that he was indeed not being led into a trap or other. He hid here for a time before, while trying to find the human he now carried without detection. He found something that had not been there before, however, and that was a hole that he guessed was made by Nai or the young Vash, or his own brother. The energy was definitely 'Plant', but otherwise he didn't dwell on it. It was a good exit point that would shave off time getting out of the city.

The final farewell from the help he had received did make Knives frown, unsure, but they clearly were still trying to help. He had no way of knowing if they could see him, so he nodded, and said, "I know what coming--" a not so subtly chill of fear danced down Knives's spine in memory of his own July, "Get out while YOU can. And--thank you got his sake."

The words felt strange in his mouth, but it was the right sentiment, and he gave Wolfwood a not particularly good warning, before dropping from the hole and into the city.

[ultraintrovertedgryffindor]

Omg I have an angsty request that I’m sure is going to rip my heart out and light it on fire. It’s a super long and specific request so sorry if I get carried away:

Okay so reader had an unspoken thing in the glade with Gally but then he “died” so over the course of the events of scorch trials she got closer with newt and they start their own unspoken thing. But then in the death cure, newt (realizing he has the flare) starts encouraging her to reconcile with gally because he knows that he’s gonna die and gally will take care of her? But she’s confused on who she loves but kinda clings to what she has with newt because he needs her. And she’s just heart b r o k e n over newt dying but gally helps put her pieces back together in the safe haven and eventually they have their fluffy first time together?

Thanks!

*Fanfare* *Triumphant Music* I finally finished this one! Sorry it took a while, I really wanted this to be perfect. But I think I'm quite happy with how this one turned out! I hope you like it too, sweet Anon. Btw, I know you wanted smut, but I just didn't think it would fit with this one. Sorry, maybe on the next one!

Over 5.2k words, so strap in for a long one y'all

Possible Trigger Warning: Self Harm

~~~~~~~~~~

During your time in the Glade, you were practically attached at the hip with Gally.

He was your best friend, your first go to whenever you had any issues, and you were the same to him.

After his supposed death, you felt a void in your soul. You took on a nihilistic attitude, nothing in life making sense anymore. You didn't care about what happened to you or around you, you wished you had died with Gally, the idea of it being welcomed with open arms.

The thought of dying brought no anxiety, no dread. Even the thought of dying painfully didn't scare you, you wanted it. Everyday you thought about that spear going through Gally's chest, wanting to feel what he must've felt. You wanted to feel the same pain and fear, you wanted to feel like you were dying too.

No rational side of you could explain why you felt this way. Perhaps, if you felt the same pain he felt, maybe it would give some sort of closure. Maybe it would make you feel like you were still close to him, even in death.

It wasn't too long before you decided to act on those feelings. You had been only a knife to your chest, right where your heart was, hyping yourself up to push the blade into your skin.

You didn't want to kill yourself, no. You wanted your death to be natural, not forced. You'd suffer your own existence until your time eventually came like it did for everyone else. But Newt didn't know this when he happened upon you that night, just a couple centimeters of a blade shredding its way into your skin.

Newt panicked, immediately stopping your from hurting yourself, his heart racing at the thought of being too late. But thankfully, he wasn't.

You tried to seem somewhat normal, but the laughter bubbling from your chest couldn't be withheld, making Newt fear that you had lost your mind. He wasn't too far off...

He knew how much Gally's death impacted you, he knew you were in pain every second of every day, but he never thought you'd go so far as hurting yourself. He just silently patched you up, fearing anything he would say from a good place would only upset you further.

Eventually, you explained why you had done what you did. It obviously didn't sit right with Newt. He wasn't particularly close with Gally back in the Glade, but he knew well enough that he wouldn't want you to be living with this mindset.

After a while in the Scorch, you stuck by Newt the most and you started to get better. You felt so empty after Gally's death, leaving a hole in your heart. Newt helped lead you out of that void, trying his best to fit that empty space. But you knew nobody could replace Gally, not even Newt. You knew that space could never be filled, but just seeing Newt try to be that person for you, it was too endearing not to pull at what heartstrings you had left.

Then the complications happened, so much time spent believing that Gally was dead came crashing down as he stood in front of you all, very much not dead.

You thought it had to be a dream, could he really be here?

It was strange. You thought you'd run to him, leap into his arms and kiss all over his face, but you didn't. You stood next to your friends awkwardly as he took off his gas mask. To think you'd be more outwardly happy that someone you cared about was still alive. But you couldn't help the guilt that you felt when Gally said that they left him to die. Sure, it might've not been specifically directed to you, but you felt the sharp sting of his words resonate through you. It almost felt like a strong invisible force hit your funny bone, the volt of uncomfortable aching pain spreading throughout your entire body and leaving you in a breathless agony.

For Gally, he was overjoyed to see you alive and well. He so badly wanted to go to you, feel you in his arms again. But he knew he couldn't, how could he after how he treated everyone back in the Glade?

He didn't remember a lot, but he knew he killed Chuck. The blurry memories of that day, he saw it every night in his dreams. He remembered the sound of the gunshot, the sudden pain in his chest and not being able to breathe. He saw Chuck laying beside him, his expressionless eyes trained on the ceiling, unmoving. His chest wasn't rising and falling like it should've been, blood seeping through his layers of clothing. The most purest soul Gally ever met was dead, and it was his fault.

Gally couldn't even bring himself to look in your direction, he was too disgusted with himself.

Thomas punching Gally wasn't a big shock, he knew he deserved it. But Newt quickly came to his rescue, stopping Thomas from acting out irrationally. But a part of Gally didn't want the Greenie to be stopped. Being punched wasn't something he enjoyed, but Gally would willingly endure whatever punishment that would be inflicted and he'd accept that he deserved it. But nothing he could do or say would bring Chuck back...

When Gally did finally force himself to look at you, he wish he hadn't. You looked indifferent, which never happened with you. He instantly thought that you hated him as much as Thomas did, but then again, he deserved it.

It was really tough for Gally to keep a conversation with everyone while he took them to see Lawrence, especially when he noticed how close you stuck by Newt. But, he supposed it was only natural to find another person to be close to when you've lost someone else, he still couldn't help the feeling of jealousy that bubbled up in his chest. He hated how good you and Newt looked together, you seemed...happy.

At the moment, you weren't even close to happy; you were confused, and angry.

It sounded terrible, but a part of you was angry that Gally was actually still alive. You had to go through the mourning process, and you hadn't even finished it and now all of a sudden, he was alive all this time. It put your emotions on haywire, the most you felt was confusion, and if someone would've told you what you were experiencing was some sort of a twisted dream, you would believe them. But your feet were too sore and sunburn too irritating for this all to be a dream.

You sensed Newt's eyes trained on you, you knew he was probably worried, but you couldn't decide what for. Was he worried that you'd go back to Gally? Was he worried you'd replace him now that he was still alive? Knowing Newt, he probably just wanted to talk to you, but even then, you would have no idea what to say. What do people feel or say in situations like this? You were certain not everyone has to go through the loss of a loved one just to find out that they weren't gone, right?

It was late, and you were exhausted, as was everyone else; but you stayed awake, attempting to sleep only causing you to toss and turn, and eventually giving up. But someone else was awake, you were shocked to see that it was Newt. "What're doing awake?" He asked, taking a seat next to you.

"Could ask you the same thing." You replied, only getting a look from Newt in response. "Couldn't sleep." You sighed, caving in to his concerned expression.

"I know it's not my place," Newt started, wringing his hands together nervously, "but, you haven't said a word to Gally." You knew he was going to bring that up, you had that feeling as soon as he saw you were still awake. "I know it was a shock, to all of us. But I thought it'd effect you the most, to be quite honest. You two were pretty close..."

You shrugged weakly, shaking your head. "I don't know what to tell you. Was I supposed to react a certain way? Was I supposed to drop to my knees and burst into tears or something?"

Newt grimaced. "No...of course you're not supposed to act a certain way. It's just a bit strange to me that you haven't tried to speak to him at all."

"I don't even know what I'd say to him." You chuckled bitterly.

"I know you and Gally had something, something special. That sort of thing doesn't just go away. You were absolutely gutted after what happened, this is a chance to reconnect. You care about him, a lot."

"Hey, that doesn't change the way I feel about you. I care about you a lot too."

Newt smiled weakly. "I know, but I really think you should go and talk to him."

You could tell he was being sincere, but you couldn't understand why. You two had grown close over the past several months, so why would he want you to reconnect with someone you used to be even closer with? You weren't really given the time to think over it more before Newt was quickly encouraging you to speak with Gally, telling you where his room was, somehow knowing this conversation would happen and finding out beforehand.

Just a few moments later, you found yourself outside of Gally's door, fist extended out to hover over the worn wood, but you couldn't bring yourself to knock. Thinking back to how hard you tried to avoid Gally when he came back, what if he thought you hated him? What if he didn't want to talk to you?

But before you could chicken out, you forced yourself to knock on Gally's door without thinking, soon hearing the thud of footsteps nearing. With bated breath, you waited for the door to open, anxiety gripping your mind so intensely that it almost triggered your fight or flight response. But Gally's almost hopeful and shocked expression when he saw you waiting relaxed you a little bit. "...hi." Gally voiced, the nervous and confused tone to his voice not going unnoticed by you.

"Hi." You replied, your voice probably just as shaky and nervous as his.

"Uh, come in." He said quickly, moving out of the doorframe, his hands slightly shaking when he motioned you to enter his room.

Your heart was beating out of your chest, so fast and hard that you were worried Gally would be able to hear it. Your hands were shaking, as well as your legs as you walked into his room, it was a miracle you didn't collapse right then and there. You tried not to jump as you heard the click of his door closing, you tried to take deep calming breaths before Gally turned to face you, the two of you almost on complete opposite sides of the room just standing awkwardly.

You stared at Gally, your gaze running up and down his body but ultimately stopping to stare at his chest. Tears quickly came to your eyes as you saw how healthy he looked, like a spear wasn't embedded in his chest months ago. You couldn't stop the flow of whimpers that came from your throat, putting your hands up to cover your face in embarrassment. You felt your face start to burn as you felt Gally's arms wrap around you as soon as you started to cry, but his warmth comforting you only caused you to let out more tears.

You never thought you'd be in his arms again.

Gally stood there silently, holding you and just trying to soothe you as best he could. In the back of his mind, he was astonished that you even let him come near you, you had avoided him altogether up until this moment. But the whimpers he heard coming from you, seeing the tears spilling from your eyes, he instinctively went to hug you. He also couldn't ignore the guilt he felt, thinking that you were crying because of him. He hated it. But you hugged him back tightly, burying your face in his chest and trying to stifle your sobs.

"You're here..." You cried softly, "you're really here..."

Gally's lip trembled, tears of his own brimming his eyes at how much pain you must've been in thinking he was dead all this time, your voice giving away your feelings. He exhaled shakily, "I am here." He placed a kiss to the top of your head. "I'm here."

For a few minutes, you and Gally just held each other silently. You both needed this, understanding how badly you missed one another. Soon, you were able to calm yourself, but you still didn't pull away. Gally only pulled away slightly so he could see your face, frowning when he saw your eyes were puffy and tearstained. "I'm so sorry, Y/n."

You furrowed your brows, shaking your head. "What happened wasn't your fault, Gally." You said genuinely. No matter how much pain and anger you felt about what happened to Chuck, you never once blamed him. You knew W.C.K.D. killed him, and every other Glader who died. But Gally's frown told you everything you needed to know; he still blamed himself.

"I should've gone with you." He whispered, resting his forehead against yours. "How can you even stand the sight of me?"

"Because I know you never would've killed anyone if you weren't stung, especially Chuck."

Hearing Chuck's name out loud made tears brim Gally's eyes once more, tightening his fists in anger at himself. "Chuck deserved so much better...he wasn't supposed to die..." He cried, causing you to pull him back into your embrace, rubbing his back while trying to not to cry again.

"None of us deserved to get experimented on."

Eventually, you lead Gally to sit next to you on his bed, holding his hand. It felt so right to be sitting there with Gally, you missed him so much that you despised ever feeling even the slightest bit of anger when you first saw that Gally was alive. But one emotion did not go away, you still felt confused.

While sitting there with Gally, you couldn't help but think about Newt. He was so adamant about you reconciling with Gally, was he hoping that something would happen between you two? You truly cared a lot about Newt, and you knew he felt the same way, so you couldn't understand why he was acting this way.

You sighed softly when you started to feel sleepy, standing up slowly. "I should probably head back."

Gally quickly stood up with you. "Uh, you could stay here if you want?" He stammered, causing you to smile a little.

"That's okay. I already had a sleeping bag set up for me downstairs, so..."

Gally tried to hide his disappointed frown, choosing to walk up to you until you two were face to face. Maybe it was too soon, but ever since he saw you, Gally had the strongest urge to place his lips on yours. He missed your soft lips that he only had the privilege of feeling a few times back in the Glade before everything happened. He gently grabbed hold of your jaw, tilting your face up and leaning forward slowly.

You wanted him, you wanted him so bad. But before his lips could connect, Newt's face popped up in your mind and you couldn't, you forced yourself to turn away.

You tried not to look at Gally's face, knowing that he'd probably look like a kicked puppy. You couldn't, it would be too painful. "It's Newt." Gally frowned, taking a step back.

Your eyes widened, finally taking a glance over to him to indeed see that his expression was one of disappointment and sadness. "I never said-"

"You didn't have to." Gally interrupted. "I see the way you look at him...it's how you used to look at me." You stayed silent, a feeling of guilt washing over you. "I don't blame you, Y/n, for finding someone else. I'd never expect you to grieve over me forever, that's too selfish."

Hearing this, you had a terrifying thought that you needed to voice out loud. "Did you ever find someone else?" You asked nervously, afraid of his answer.

"No..." He smiled weakly, "No one that could ever compare to you."

You hated that you felt relieved, you were the one who seemed to be selfish. But, you couldn't just drop what you had with Newt now that Gally's still alive. You couldn't say anything else, what could you say to that?

"You should get some sleep." Gally said, opening his door and motioning you to get out.

"Gally..." You whispered.

"Please. Just...we have a busy day tomorrow."

You sighed. You couldn't argue with him.

Newt watched you walk back downstairs, getting into your sleeping bag with a very prominent frown. Doesn't seem like it went well, he thought. He felt relieved and frustrated at the same time. Newt really cared for you, he could even go as far as saying he loved you, but he needed you and Gally to get back together, or become friends again at least.

It wasn't too long ago that Newt found out he had the Flare. He saw the black and purple veins slowly travelling up his arm, and the pain, the pain was the worst part. You had already gotten close to him, so he was heartbroken to know that you'd just lose another person you cared for. After Gally, he knew you wouldn't be able to handle another loss. So when Gally showed up out of the blue, it was like a miracle, Newt's prayers had been answered.

Newt felt jealousy, of course, he wanted to stay with you. He didn't want Gally to take you from him, but what use would he be when he was dead or a Crank? He tried not to be angry with you, it wasn't your fault how you were feeling, but he needed to know you'd be okay when he was gone.

Newt did try talking to you about it, but you always changed the subject or simply didn't answer him. Before you all knew it, it was time to start planning Minho's rescue mission. Thomas didn't want to use Teresa, and hearing that only made Newt's anger bubble to the surface.

It wasn't like Newt to lash out like that, he was always so calm and relaxed. Maybe the stress finally got to him, maybe it was something else...

You immediately followed after Newt when he stormed out after yelling at Thomas, not knowing that Gally's sad eyes were following you. You couldn't think of anything else, you just had to know that Newt was okay.

You found Newt on the roof, sitting on the ledge. "Newt?" You asked, concerned. "Are you okay...?" You stepped closer captiously, finally taking a seat next to him.

Newt only smiled bitterly. "No...no, not really."

You sighed, looking out to the horizon, trying to find the right words to say. "We all thought Teresa was our friend...it's okay to be angry."

Newt shook his head. "It's not that."

You furrowed your brows. "Then, why did you lash out at Thomas?"

Newt bit his lip to keep it from trembling. He never wanted you to find out this way. He didn't even want you to know. But after that scene he made, he knew there was no point in hiding it anymore.

Tears came to your eyes as Newt lifted up his jacket sleeve, revealing his discolored arm. You knew what it was immediately, seeing it on every Crank you came across. "No..." You whispered. "No."

"I know I probably shouldn't have kept it from you, but I was scared. I still am."

"We'll fix it!" You quickly said, it sounding more like a plead. "We'll find another cure!"

Newt only gave you a weak smile. "I don't think that's a possibility right now, love. Besides, Minho needs us."

"No, you're not allowed to give up like that, Newt. We'll find something to help you. If Brenda was cured, so can you. Teresa might-"

"Please, Y/n." Newt voiced sharply. "Please...just stop. I don't need false hope."

Before you could say anything else, you heard the roof access door open, Thomas walking up to the two of you. "Y/n, can I, uh, talk to Newt? Alone?"

You looked to Newt, who nodded, signaling for you to leave. You stood up, speed walking inside and down the stairs. The tears kept falling, blurring your vision, and you had no idea what to do. Newt was dying, and there was nothing that you could do about it, and it didn't seem like he was too eager to try and find a cure. You hoped Thomas could talk some sense into him. But in that moment, your feet subconsciously took you to Gally's little apartment. You stood in front of the door in tears, wishing that you didn't feel the urge to find comfort in him when Newt was sick. But, you knocked on the door, quickly placing yourself in Gally's arms as soon as he was in front of you.

Gally didn't know what was wrong, he barely got a good look at your face before you threw yourself at him. But the way you were shaking and whimpering, he knew you were crying, and he didn't have the heart to pull away from you. He walked backwards and shut his door, leading you to sit down on his bed with him. He just held you as you cried, leaning his head down on top of yours until you calmed down. He finally spoke when your cries were just quiet sniffles. "What happened?"

You exhaled a shaky breath, lifting your head to look at Gally. "Newt has the Flare..."

"W-What...?" Had Gally heard that right? Could his mind be playing tricks on him? He just assumed everyone that was in the Glade was immune, that's why they were there, right? But you repeated what you had said, confirming what Gally thought he heard. "I...I'm so sorry..." That's all Gally could say. He wasn't very well spoken in these types of situations, all he could do was bring you back into another hug.

You finally understood why Newt was pushing you to get close to Gally again; he wanted you to be close to someone when he died.

Yet another situation that had you confused. You knew you loved Gally, you always had, he was your best friend. But now you had Newt, he helped you through everything while in the Scorch, helped you try to overcome your grieve and probably saved your life multiple times. How could you possibly make a decision like this?

You and Gally never put a label on what you had in the Glade, and nobody asked either, not even Alby. You both just knew that you cared for one another, that you'd do anything for the other. But as time went on, you felt guilty knowing what you'd ultimately choose. It was always going to be a lose lose for you.

Newt needed you, and you couldn't leave him when he needed you the most.

Gally, deep down, knew what your decision was going to be. You had a big heart. You never would leave anyone behind, even if they were infected. Back in the Glade, Gally wouldn't have hesitated in sacrificing the few to save the many, but you were never like that. You cared about everyone, especially the people who were closest to you. You never were going to give up on Newt, you couldn't now. You would spend as much time with him as possible, what little time he might've had left. And you did, until he took his final breath.

You felt like you were a glass vase that had been shattered, and every time you tried to pick up the pieces, the glass would just cut deeper and deeper into your skin. It felt like life didn't want you to be put back together. Nothing felt real. Everything that happened in the Last City felt like a fever dream. You hoped that one day you'd wake up and you'd be back in the Glade, everyone was still alive. Maybe if you could go back in time, maybe you could save everyone, maybe you could've convinced Gally to listen to Thomas, maybe you could've held off Newt a bit longer in time for Brenda to give him the cure.

A lot of maybe's, a lot of hopes and prayers, never answered.

Now in the Safe Haven, you felt anything but safe.

You didn't talk to anyone for awhile, not even Gally. You had nothing to say, and you were afraid of breaking down in front of everyone. So, you isolated yourself. And then a couple weeks later, you finally felt everything bubble to the surface.

Sitting down somewhere along the coastline, not too close to the water, but close enough that you could feel the salty breeze of the waves hit you gently as the evening cooled when the sun started to go set.

You tucked yourself up into a ball, your knees as close as you could get them to your chest and your arms wrapped tightly around them. And, you cried. And cried. And cried. And cried. The ugly kind of crying. Your tears weren't coming out one eye at a time in a perfectly straight line down your face like in the movies, you weren't making quiet sniffles or whimpers, you were full on sobbing. Tears came out of your eyes so fast that you could barely make out the sun on the horizon, your shirt sleeves were most definitely covered in snot and whatever salty tears it had the chance to catch. Your throat felt like it was being torn apart by how intense your sobs were. The sobs sounded more like you were having a coughing fit, one of those phlegmy hacking coughs that made you feel like you were going to vomit.

You knew you most likely weren't far enough away from the camp to quiet your weeping, and you knew you were just embarrassing yourself, arranging for yourself to be completely humiliated the next morning when you had to face everybody. But in the moment, you couldn't care less. You loss someone so important to you, it felt like losing Gally all over again. But you knew this time, it was final. No surprise resurrections this time. You felt completely, and utterly, alone.

But you never were.

You felt so dissociated and detached from yourself, the wails of grief too much for your body to handle. You couldn't feel anything around you, not the warmth of the sand, not the slight chill breeze, not even Gally's arms wrapped around you tightly. You didn't realize until you passed out from exhaustion, waking up the next morning in a bed that wasn't yours, and a hut that wasn't yours.

Your vision was still a little bit blurry, all the tears from the night previous crusting to the creases around your eyes, making it a bit of a challenge opening them all the way. But, your other sense were intact enough to tell you that bacon and eggs were next to you on a bedside table. You hadn't eaten the day before, so it was mostly a primal reaction to quickly take the plate and gobble up the food.

You still had to rely on context clues to figure out where you were in the camp. As much as your eyes irritated you, they could now finally work once you were wide awake. You probably should've known immediately who's hut it was, but seeing that familiar grey knitted hoodie settled ungracefully over the backrest of a chair, you knew it was Gally's.

You blushed quickly after that realization. How did he know where you were, and how much did he see? The thought of him seeing you in such a state made you cringe. But what was more horrifying was that Gally was right outside the room, waiting for you to wake up. "Hey..." He voiced, his eyebrows knitted in concern, eyes full of sadness.

You had to look away, the heat rushing to your face making you feel like you were going to pass out again. "Hi." You croaked, your vocal cords still sore and raw.

Gally shifted his weight nervously, taking a step closer to you. "I'm sorry, for bringing you here...I was afraid you were going to hurt yourself." You snapped you gaze back to him in confusion, him quickly blushing, scratching the back of his head. "Uh, Newt told me about what you did to yourself after...after the Maze."

You self-consciously rubbed the spot on your chest where a big scar still remained. "I wasn't trying to...you know, kill myself or anything."

"Forgive me if I don't believe you." He said softly, taking a seat on the bed next to you.

You sighed, crossing your arms. "I just...I didn't know what I was thinking."

Gally gently grabbed ahold of your hand, making you uncross your arms, letting his warm hand take yours. "I'm so sorry, Y/n. Newt should be here with the rest of us. He was a good person."

You nodded as tears came to your eyes again, burning enough to make you whimper, and you leaned your head against Gally's shoulder. "I miss him so much." You cried.

Eventually, you and Gally became close again. He was always there for you. Whenever you had nightmares, whenever you were lonely, whenever you needed anything, Gally would always be there. You started to feel your relationship had almost gotten back to the point where it was in the Glade, it had been almost a year, but you still felt it was too early to be moving on. A part of you didn't want to move on, but you knew that's not what Newt wanted either.

You didn't read the note Newt wrote to you when Thomas first gave it to you. The grief was still too near, and you didn't know if you could handle it. But a couple months after your breakdown, you finally read it. Newt loved you, he had always loved you. And he wanted you to be happy, he didn't want you to be sad that he was gone, even though he knew it would be impossible. But he knew you would be okay, he knew Gally would protect you no matter what. Reading his note was part of the reason you knew it would be okay to be with Gally, it just took you some time.

One day, you and Gally were taking a break from working, just sitting near the forest tree line, and you did it; you kissed him, and you couldn't stop, you didn't want to stop. And you didn't, and neither did Gally.

After that, it was almost impossible to spend any time away from each other.

You never thought you'd smile again, but Gally always found a way. He made you so happy, and it made you cry one night when you finally realized that you were happy, and you knew somewhere out there, it made Newt happy.

~~~~~~~~~~

Cries in Español

[cheri-translates]

Can you list every single thing Gavin has named so far, Chinese and English names? Sparky, Pearly, Greenie... I really can't keep track of them all!

Motorcycle: Sparky / 小黑 (“Little Black”)

Drone: Sparky Jr. / 小小黑 (“Little Little Black”)

Roomba: 小小小黑 (“Little Little Little Black”)

Succulent: Greenie / 小绿 (“Little Green”)

It’s confirmed in Gardening Date that he often buys succulents, so they are probably given names too before their inevitable, tragic demise

Ball cactus: Thorny / 小刺 (“Little Spikes”). When it grows bigger, Gavin calls it 大刺 (“Big Spikes”)

The flowers on the windowsill in Mini House: 小粉 (”Little Pink”)，小红 (”Little Red”)，小黄 (“Little Yellow”)

Pigeon: Pearly / 小白 (“Little White”)

A random hedgehog he posted on Weibo: 小小刺 ​(“Little Little Spikes”)

Search and rescue dog from S2: 小灰 (“Little Grey”)

-

Random angst with references made to his 2020 Birthday Event:

Gavin’s name in Chinese is 白起 (“Bai Qi”), but his mother used to call him 小起 (“Xiao Qi”, which would sound something like “Little Gav”). So the reason why he attaches 小 to everything could be because it channels memories of his mother hnGHNGH

[mostlysignssomeportents]

One of the very last events I attended before the lockdown was a thing in Silicon Valley attended by many old friends, but the best moment of all was the chance to hang out with Kim Stanley Robinson, a friend and inspiration.

That's when Stan told me he had just finished a book that might be his last-ever novel, The Ministry For the Future, and that his future work would be nonfiction, starting with his long-planned book about the Sierras.

I was stricken. Robinson's novels are a lifeline for me.

The first Robinson novel I read may just be my favorite: Pacific Edge, a green utopian novel about a successful transition to a post-climate-emergency, just and stable world. Re-reading it is a vacation from all my anxieties, still.

https://memex.craphound.com/2015/01/15/pacific-edge-the-most-uplifting-novel-in-my-library/

My first novel, DOWN AND OUT IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM, wouldn't exist without Pacific Edge. That was the book that taught me that small disputes over beloved local treasures could be as dramatic as (and microcosms for) global conflicts.

I have been both dreading and anticipating MINISTRY FOR THE FUTURE, not wanting to read my last KSR novel but also wanting so badly to read this one, because it's the book in which he imagines the end of capitalism.

You've heard the phrase, "It is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism," variously attributed to Frederic Jameson and Slavoj Žižek. As the author of a couple of postcapitalist novels, I have a real appreciation for the details of that truism.

It's actually not all that hard to imagine a postcapitalist society - but imagining the actual END of capitalism, the euthanasia of the rentier, the reversal of the doctrine of virtuous selfishness, the abandonment of the idea that some are born to rule, that is damned hard.

And while PACIFIC EDGE is my favorite KSR novel, my favorite KSR series is the string of books that starts with 2012's 2312 - a string of books that really leans hard into imagining the actual end of capitalism.

xhttps://memex.craphound.com/2015/01/15/pacific-edge-the-most-uplifting-novel-in-my-library/

2312 is set 300 years into postcapitalism. It's a novel of solar-system-scale civilization, riven by its own problems and contradictions, filled with tech marvels, a tale of natural wonders that showcase Robinson's incredible, John-Muir-grade genius for pastoral writing.

2312 was followed up by Aurora, one of the best space-exploration novels ever written, about the arrival of the first-ever generation ship at its destination world, and the hasty retreat it is required to stage.

https://memex.craphound.com/2015/11/02/kim-stanley-robinsons-aurora-space-is-bigger-than-you-think/

The book provoked a vitriolic reaction from science fiction's great reactionaries! I love a book that enrages the right people, and I was delighted to publish Robinson's rebuttal to their peevish complaints.

https://boingboing.net/2015/11/16/our-generation-ships-will-sink.html

From there, we move on to New York 2140, a novel of a pivotal moment in the transformation of capitalism and its relationship to the climate emergency.

https://memex.craphound.com/2017/03/18/new-york-2140-kim-stanley-robinson-dreams-vivid-about-weathering-climate-crisis/

These are like an artilleryman rangfinding a mortar, first overshooting his target and then walking his fire back, drawing closer to his bullseye. For Robinson, bullseye is the moment at which our society is transformed into one that can survive the coming emergencies.

It's telling that the 2312 books never got there. It is so fucking hard to imagine the end of capitalism.

But that is what The Ministry For the Future Does.

Sort of.

It's a novel about a specialized UN agency, chartered through the Paris Climate Agreement to represent unborn generations and the natural world in legal proceedings related to climate devastation.

Talking about this book, Robinson has described it as a kind of futuristic documentary, told in many voices, as a way of describing a phenomenon as vast as this global transformation.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/10/14/final_ver2/#ksr

Like many docs, it follows a couple of main characters, but weaves in dozens of other voices, some of whom we hear from only once or twice, recounting pivotal moments in which a moment calves away from our reality as we know it - moments of shear, giddy and terrifying.

Robinson is so good at this stuff. This is the book that he has been practicing for all his life. The vignettes are superb little jewels, mostly illuminating flashbulb moments in the lives of strangers met fleetingly.

But some of the most powerful moments don't even have characters: there's a transcript of the openng a fictional congress of global climate remediation groups after the crisis that is just an alphabetical list of countries and their associated projects.

This literally made me burst into tears of joy, bursting with hope at the thought that we could, as a species, spawn so many evocative and hopeful projects to save our world, our species, and our nonhuman cohabitants.

Robinson's versatility is on glorious display here: from long lists of hypothetical ecological projects, he veers into closely told moments of human endeavor in the natural world, showcasing his pastoralism with scenes so vivid you could reach out and touch them.

But all that said, the most interesting thing about this book is the stuff that Robinson couldn't or wouldn't put on the page. Robinson's hypothetical scenario for the end of capitalism is a baroque scheme of global cryptocurrency money-creation tied to carbon drawdown.

His technocrats trick capitalism into spending itself out of existence in a plan that is by turns brainy and daffy (as all blockchainism tends to be), with some pretty epic handwaving (especially when it comes to the breakup of tech monopolies).

But all of that would fail were it not for acts of absolutely brutal, ruthless terrorism. Robinson's transformation isn't merely about the carrots of double-bluff get-rich-quick schemes, it's heavily dependent on the stick of terror.

The aviation industry isn't (just) replaced by airships and rail because it's better and cleaner - but also because parties unknown use drones to bring down every private jet in the sky, and then commercial liners, until the aviation industry seizes up and dies.

And the world doesn't abandon beef because vegans win the moral argument or because greenies win the practical one - the decisive factor is drones that dart an unknowable plurality of the world's cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

There's more - pitiless, remorseless, anonymous. And while Robinson gets up close and personal with one traumatized individual who engages in an ecologically motivated, short-lived (and nonlethal) kidnapping, we never meet any of the terrorists or their victims.

The terror that begets the transition is recounted in the dry language of an encyclopedia entry, not dramatized like the pivotal moments of so many other characters.

It's a very telling omission.

My 2019 novella "Radicalized" is about an online community of men who, after watching their most treasured family members die slow, painful, preventable deaths because of insurance company fuckery, become suicide bombers who murder health execs.

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2019/05/who-says-violence-doesnt-solve-anything-a-review-of-radicalized-four-tales-of-our-present-moment-by-cory-doctorow.html

Writing that story was an intensely uncomfortable experience (and, judging from reader comments, it can be uncomfortable to read, too).

It's one thing to recognize that a systemic problem might not be solved without grotesque, mass violence, and another to put yourself in the shoes of either the perpetrators or the victims.

Robinson's end of capitalism is, superficially, a story of a transition, not a spasm, not a capital-T Terror. The lives we inhabit in this novel are people who are engaged in struggle, but not mass-murder.

But right there on the page is Robinson's uncomfortable and only partially elided conviction that we're not in for a transition, but rather a bloodletting, a reckoning commensurate with the ecocidal crimes that led up to this moment.

MINISTRY is a book that, on first consideration, feels like a utopia - not merely for the beautiful descriptions of people, animals and environments finding a way through the emergencies, but for the emergencies resolution.

But on closer examination, MINISTRY represents the dark fears of one of our brightest, most hopeful writers, that the world can only be saved by means that are literally too terrible to contemplate up close.

It's an uncomfortable read. It's a brilliant book. If it indeed turns out to be Stan's last novel (oh please don't let it be Stan's last novel), it will be a fitting capstone. But the subtext of this book is that we are past the point of no return.

Not only will rescuing our planet entail sacrifices of species, habitats, and coastlines - it will also entail sacrifices of the moral convictions that make vast spectacles of bloodletting unthinkable.

[avataroftheswarm]

They hiss, a sound made by the rattle of hundreds of wings, and scuttle back a few more steps. They don't know what he can do, don't know if he can use that power of his to reach them too and they don't want to find out.

It didn't help that that giggle was creepy, worse then any depraved noise Legato's ever made.

"You're no higher being, you're a husk! And he's a monster!" They continue their retreat, wanting to flee but not wanting to take their eyes off of him for even a second. They knew how fast Knives was and had seen Vash do some truly extraordinary things. If he made a move they wanted to see it coming.

"What is it you're so scared of? Are you worried you're next?"

Such a strange reaction, coming from the swarm...! A mass of insects, given their own identity... really, the concept was so funny, now that he thought about it. Vash grinned, a wicked little giggle bubbling up from his throat.

"Don't you think it'd benefit the future of this planet if it's denizens didn't give into some irrational fear like this? Maybe it'd be better if he did take it from you... a blessing from a higher being~."

[avataroftheswarm]

The swarm keeps their place only through fear and sheer force of will as they watch Punk crumple into a bloody pile of meat and bones, that red red coat blending into the pool spreading far too fast for anything to have survived. Somehow, the husk of what had once been Greenhorn looks even emptier then ever as he helps Nico stand and the two turn to walk away from the mess of someone both the Plant and the swarm had called brother.

Nico looks paper white, barely standing. They understand fear and survival. Now they understand guilt too.

Had they not taken Vash's friends here, perhaps he wouldn't have come at all. Perhaps they wouldn't have had to learn and understand

LOSS.

They move without completely realizing it, straightening and striding with purpose around the corners separating them from the others, from the one who killed their second brother and just left him in a pile on the ground--!!!

Zazie rounds the last corner at a near run, every single Worm in their swarm vibrating in a swelling sound of pure insect rage. But they stop before nearing the other two, enough logic in the Hive itself to keep the little swarm from foolishly attacking the monster walking away from them. The swarm is only vaguely keeping their form together, mass shifting and flexing as whole insects peel themselves away from the whole and resettle, only one large, poison-green eye with hair thin slit left whole and unchanging, staring after the Plant and Nico.

They say nothing as the planet itself rumbles with the Hive's anger, only turning to drop next to Punk when they go, looking for anything, anything at all, that might be a sign of life in him. They don't think the medicine syringe they now hold clenched in a mostly solid fist can heal that which isn't living but it won't stop them from wasting a vial anyway. If not now, when would they even bother?

[firsthumandisaster]

Honestly just waiting for a Stampede!Knives to come trying to wreck Vet/Diablo’s shit for trying to ‘fix’ his masterpiece.

[insilentruin]

The set up was already in place, alarms are silenced, and the lack of guards are in part due to the interference from the spirit haunting this lost tech. Though, observers would be more accurate to describe it as a poltergeist than spirit based on the somewhat erratic episodes that started to happen through the complex network of systems.

Odd events become noticeable the closer to the labs that intruder gets. Lights are turning on and off in random patterns, doors are unlocked though would end up slammed shut after being passed through, and even security cameras would start twitching as they followed this stranger's movements.

Once reaching the Punisher, a surge travels through the room it seems to escalate exponentially. Static is piped through the comm system like a growl, and some light fixtures ended up blowing out because of a surge. Still, there were no alarms that were wailing as the tank is opened rather violently. This is a show of force that would attempt to discourage the intruder from making any decisions that could further harm the hostage. Whatever had gained control over the lost tech had conflicting opinions on the intruder's intentions.

Something's Off Here || AKA Knives Doesn't Like That

| 🗡⁉ | While not focused on hunting a stealthy path through the facility, Knives had noticed an oddness to the lights and doors. Knives had dismissed it as trivial, at first. It didn't matter--perhaps the over-zealous Nai had not made sure maintenance was done properly on this place. One more thing to be contemptuous of the Plant for.

Perhaps the suspicious lack of human presence was due to this... odd behavior of the building. No. What would possibly-- Knives shook his head. This was not the time.

The shock of finding Wolfwood in such a state had pushed aside the other things happening inside the room. His rage was a razor point while he carved the glass open to retrieve the mostly-unconscious Punisher.

If the lights blowing out had been anything more than a reaction to his own power flexing, he didn't realize it. Not now, anyway. His foucs was Wolfwood, choking on the substance he was encouraging him to cough out of his lungs. Still, a small part of his mind was wondering why there was no sort of alarm system, going from the tank's destruction.

[avataroftheswarm]

It was true that the rage had ebbed a bit but it had only really cooled and crystalized into something less volatile but stronger, sharper, more sure. The Worms outside had settled to be more obvious in their guard duty, keeping to perches where they could be seen clearly in all their agitation.

Zazie had four people they very specifically cared about to protect and two were hurt. Nothing was going to get to the other two. Not right now.

Heads turned toward Rook as he approached, the avian Worms side eyeing him while several of the smaller ones dropped from their higher perches to circle lower toward him. What did he need? The Hive was watching and listening.

The Worm he scooped into his hands stared up at him quietly, only buzzing its wings for a moment after he stopped talking. Could they help? Probably. Would the people that needed it accept it?

That was the problem.

The little Worm took off, circling around him a few times before landing on his shoulder, stinger carefully tucked back away from vulnerable skin. Zazie would come soon, when their siblings were safe again. Maybe they'd have company, maybe not. But they'd be back.

@avataroftheswarm

"If we do this Mi Hija, there may be no coming back from it. You understand that, don't you?"

"I know." Rayen clenched her fists, looking away. "I know but... haven't we made them part of our family? If they need help, how can we ignore that?"

Rook nodded, putting a hand on his granddaughter's shoulder.

"We can't."

***

The Rage of the worms outside had cooled somewhat, but it was clear that the Agitation remained. Rook took a moment before he approached them.

"I think... you can understand me, can't you? Or at least pass on a message right?" Carefully, Rook scooped one of the small flying worms into his hands from its perch on the clinic. "Rayen and I... We've made up our minds to help. If there are people dear to Zazie and the rest of you that need our help, they can be brought here, or I can be brought to them. We're willing to accept whatever consequences will come with that."

[nothingbutfangirlsmut]

The Trials of Emi

Pairing: A little Minho. A sprinkle of Frypan. Gally x Emi(OC)

Summary: Emi, her twin brother Thomas, and a small group of gladers had been rescued and taken to a safe haven. Or so it seemed. It doesn't take long for Thomas to realize something is wrong. What happens next is a true trial for all of them but Emi's trials began the moment she was ripped away from a dying Gally. Watching someone you love die right before your eyes truly takes a toll.

Finally meeting the right arm could have been the end but betrayal leads to even more chaos and loss. A new mission to rescue those taken from them leads them to a city. The last city. After Emi finally comes to terms with everything that's happened something unfolds that changes everything again. She will have to not only deal with helping her brother take down WCKD and save their friend but also deal with all the new problems in her head and her heart.

Rating: As of right now it’s at most PG13. Some strong language that’s about it but it could change.

(This is the 2nd part/book to my other story "The Maze trials: A Gally Fanfiction". This will cover the events of the scorch trails and the death cure.)

Chapter Nineteen

I stood next to the table helping Fry and Newt go through some supplies while Thomas had his tracker removed. I turned around when I heard Thomas almost shouting at Teresa. Gally was quick to step over to them.

"Everything ok over here?" He asked Thomas.

"Yea, Yea we're done." Thomas nodded then walked over to Brenda.

Once all the trackers were removed we all suited up. Gally, Thomas, Newt, and I all had guard uniforms that Gally somehow got us. The four of us split up once we were in the city. Thomas and Gally followed Teresa into the main entrance. Newt and I went around through the garage. We met them at the back entrance. Newt and I walked quickly around the glass wall to stop with the others at a door. Teresa placed her thumb on a scanner. A beep sounded then the door unlocked. We quickly stepped inside the stairwell closing the door behind us.

"Hold on. Hold on. I can get in here." Gally said as he looked at a metal box on the wall.

"Stay there." Thomas said to Teresa.

"Throw me the walkie." He told Gally.

Gally was quick to toss the walkie behind him. Newt started coughing and doing a poor job of covering it up. He looked more pale. He was also sweating a bit.

"You okay?" I asked him softly.

"I'm fine, love" he gave me a thumbs up and a small pained smile.

I jumped slightly at the sound of Gally's drill against the metal of the box.

"Frypan, we're in, how you doing?" Thomas asked over the walkie.

There was a moment of pause before Fry answered.

"Yea, I'm getting there. Tell Minho hi for me." Fry's voice crackled.

"Hang in there, buddy." Thomas told him.

The metal box Gally was working on popped open. Gally looked it over then nodded.

"This'll work" he mumbled then got to work.

"Brenda what's your status?" Thomas asked over the walkie.

"Status is, I'm working on it." Her voice crackled sarcastically.

"Copy. Just make sure you're ready on your end." Thomas told her.

"Don't worry. You know I'm gonna be there." Her voice crackled softly.

Gally slammed what looked like a bomb of sorts into the box then closed the metal door.

"Alright, let's go." He said as he picked up his things.

We quickly moved down the stairs to sublevel 2. Teresa stopped outside a door then turned to face Thomas.

"This is it." She nodded to the door.

We all readied our weapons aiming them right at the door. Gally tapped lightly on the door. A few seconds passed then a guard swung the door open. Our guns were firing immediately taking down all five guards in the room. Once we rushed inside Gally slammed the door closed behind us. Each of us went to a door. I opened the door in front of me letting out 5 boys. They looked so young. The terrified looks on their faces made my heart break for them. I wish they never had to go through any of this but we were gonna make sure they never had to deal with it again.

Gally pulled one of the guards off the ground to their feet.

"The vault, how do I get in?" He asked harshly.

"You can't" the guard told him.

Gally tossed the man back to the ground so he could take a closer look at the vault door.

"Guys, this might take some time." He told us over his shoulder.

"Shit, he's not here. Where is he?" Thomas asked turning to Teresa.

Gally started drilling into the vault door as Teresa stepped over to the computer. She typed quickly on the keyboard before turning to Thomas.

"Someone's moved him up to the Medical wing. Thomas, that's on the other side of the building." She told him.

"Ok, take me to him. Right now." He ordered.

"Alright, I'm coming with you." Newt told Thomas.

"Newt, no, you're not. You have to stay here, wait with Gally and Emi for the serum." Thomas said with pleading eyes.

"You can't do this on your own. Minho comes first, remember?" Newt questioned.

Minho comes first? I'd never heard either of them say that.

"Just go. We're wasting time. I'll get the serum. We'll meet you out back." Gally told both the boys.

"I'll stay with Gally. You two go find Minho." I told them.

"Ok, fine. Let's go, come on." Thomas said as he grabbed Teresa's arm.

"Hey Greenie" Gally shouted as Thomas opened the door.

"Good luck" Gally said then turned back to the vault door.

Newt closed the door behind them leaving me and Gally with a bunch of terrified kids. I turned to the group that had huddled together behind me.

"You guys are going to be fine. We're gonna get you out of here. Just stay calm okay?" I told them softly.

Most of them nodded at me. I smiled at them then walked over to Gally.

"Anything I can do to help?" I asked him.

"Think you could hog tie them together?" Gally asked nodding to the two guards sitting against the wall.

I chuckled then nodded.

"With pleasure" I said as I turned to them.

I pulled some zip ties from my pocket as I walked over to the two men.

"We can do this the easy way, which is gonna be no fun at all, or we can do it the hard way and I can get a good workout and laugh in." I told the two men as I arched a brow at them.

Both men quietly held their wrists out to me making me pout slightly. Gally chuckled behind me. I grabbed the first man pulling him to his feet. I tied his wrists together behind his back then pointed for him to sit back down.

"Disappointing isn't it?" Gally asked.

"Extremely" I grumbled.

I quickly tied the man's ankles together then moved on to do it all again to the second man. Once they were both tied up I turned back to Gally just as he pulled the vault door open. I grabbed my bag from the floor as he did the same. We both worked quickly to fill both bags. We took every last drop they had. We sat our bags down then each of us drug a guard into the vault. Gally closed the door locking them inside.

"Let's go" I told the group of kids.

"Stay quiet and behind me." Gally told them as he led the way out of the door.

I waited till the whole group was following him then I took the rear. We jogged as quickly and as silently as we could back to the garage. Once we got to the door that opened into the garage a deafening alarm started.

"Stay low! Stay low!" Gally whisper shouted to the group.

We ran quickly until we got to the corner. We went around it to find a bus parked in the middle of the driving path. Brenda popped out of the door.

"Come on. Let's go." Brenda said motioning for us to come.

"Let's go, quickly. Front and back." Gally told the kids.

They started jogging to the bus then climbing through both the front and back door. Gally and I met Brenda at the front door.

"Wait, where's Thomas and Newt?" Brenda asked us.

My heart skipped a beat. They're not here?

"I was hoping he was with you. Wait!" Gally said grabbing Brenda's arm before she could run off.

"Stay here with the kids. Wait here, we'll find him. Just wait for us." Gally told her.

He grabbed my hand then started running down the garage. I pulled my hand from his so I could put my helmet back on. Gally did the same right before we ran around the corner. We stopped in our tracks when we saw the four guards. They turned towards us.

"What took you so long? Gear up!" One of them shouted at us.

The next second both of us had a gun in our hands.

"Let's move!" One of the guards shouted.

Gally and I were quick to follow them. Why not? We ran around the building towards the main entrance. We came around a corner just as three bodies landed in the fountain a few feet from us. You've got to be kidding. There's no way those boys were idiot enough to do something like that.

"Over there!" A guard shouted as we started to run towards the fountain.

The three boys slowly climbed out of the fountain as we neared them.

"You three don't move!" A guard shouted as he trained his weapon on them.

"Take it easy." The same guard told them.

"Don't even think about it!" Another guard shouted as one of the boys leaned for their weapon.

"Get on your knees with your hands in the air." The first guard ordered.

The boys did as they were told. Gally turned to one of the guards firing his gun. I moved faster than I ever had to follow his lead. Each of us taking down two men. We both tore our masks off.

"Gally?" Minho questioned in disbelief.

"Minho. You guys are nuts." Gally shook his head.

I ran straight to Minho wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Minho! I'm so glad you're ok." I told him cheerfully.

I turned to Thomas then shoved his shoulder.

"Stop doing all the fun things without me." I chided him.

He laughed then shook his head at me. I jogged to catch up with Gally who was already a few feet away. Shots started to ring out from every direction causing us to dive behind a small wall.

"How far are the tunnels?" Thomas asked breathlessly.

"Uh, maybe 12 blocks from here." Gally said slowly.

Newt started coughing again. He sounded even worse now. How was it escalating so fast?

"We can make it." Gally told Thomas.

"How long has he been like this?" Minho asked us quietly.

"He'll be okay. We just gotta get to Brenda. She's got the serum. Come on, let's go." Thomas said.

I stayed next to Gally as I watched Thomas help Newt to his feet. Thomas seemed to be the one clinging to the blonde for dear life. I could see the fear in his eyes.

"Why are you helping us Gally? I put a spear through your chest." Minho said softly.

"Yeah, nobody's perfect man." Gally shrugged.

Gally moved to help Thomas while I pulled a stunned Minho to his feet. We stayed to the shadows the best we could. We got a few blocks when an explosion in the distance caught our attention. We all stopped to watch the fire.

"We're suppose to take down WCKD not the whole damn city." Gally said in shock.

—