[Chapter 10] ✙ Party of the Living Cranks

As far as she could remember, Eden had always hated loud noises.

Whenever Ximena would raise her voice at Lotte for pulling some unnecessary prank on a poor unsuspecting Glenner, whenever they'd hold bonfire parties near the Decision Tree, or whenever the thunder and lightning roared in the skies, Eden would always find herself either flinching up with tension or covering her hands over her ears from the loud noise. Even more so if she saw a person suddenly raise a hand over their head.

Marie would often question it, curious as to why her friend was so sensitive to practically every sound and movement anyone or anything made. But much to Eden's dismay, she could never form a proper answer for the blonde.

She just did.

Eventually, Marie came up with her own theories as to why Eden was such a nervous wreck. And while she never shared her speculations on the matter, Eden would often hear her mumbling about how she'd 'beat the klank outta anyone who had hurt her.'

Eden herself had considered getting exposure therapy if she somehow made it out of the maze, but she never imagined it'd be under... these extreme circumstances.

With the drumming beat of some low techno music hammering against her skull, she shifted her body to the side, barely brushing shoulders with a girl who wore too-much black eyeshadow as she swayed to the beat. Everyone at the party seemed to be on some kind of high, and Eden had little to no doubt that the strangely coloured drinks in their hands had everything to do with it.

She clasped her hands before her chest, vividly recalling Jorge's words from barely an hour ago as he took their bags and snuck them into the Zone A building through a secret back entrance.

"I need to go look for Marcus. I heard rumours that he cut ties with the Right Arm and started making deals with WICKED instead, but at the time, I really didn't wanna believe it. I should've known that son of a bitch would do anything for money.

"You kids need to head into that party and blend in. Those WICKED soldiers will probably leave you alone since you're in Marcus's domain anyways. Once you're in, split up and start looking for your friend and Brenda. If my guesses are correct, they're probably in there somewhere. After you find both of them, take the backdoor out and meet me on the second floor of the building. That's where Marcus lives. Oh, and don't drink anything. We don't know what poison that jackass spiked his drinks with."

If Eden were being completely honest, she saw a bit of merit in Marcus's decision to side with WICKED. As terrible as it was for her and the others, it was important to remember that Marcus, much like the other soon-to-be Cranks that occupied the Zone A building, were just survivors of the terrifying Solar Storms that ravaged the earth. They had little to no power in their current circumstances, let alone the environment. And from what they've seen so far, WICKED was clearly the leading organization in this post-apocalyptic society with their advanced mode of transportation and technology; playing their side of the game would surely provide many more apparent benefits than working with some unknown rebellion group. It would be near impossible for any sane person to choose not to side with WICKED.

But to Eden, Aris and the Gladers, WICKED symbolized three-years of pain and suffering, the loss of several innocent lives, and the mark of certain death.

Eden shook her head, swiftly drawing her mind out of such thoughts. There was no way she'd accept death that easily. There were still things she wanted to- No, needed to accomplish.

She promised.

With a renewed sense of conviction, she inhaled a sharp breath and continued her search through the facility. Without her backpack or jacket, she felt a little uncomfortable and exposed to the infected, but she did her best to seem confident enough so that she'd blend in with the crowd.

Averting her gaze away from a couple sloppily making out in the corner, Eden caught sight of a small room to her right that seemed rowdier than the rest of the facility. Thinking that Thomas and Brenda might be in there, she weaved through the crowd and gingerly pushed aside the beaded curtains only to jump back at the sound of a guttural roar.

A fully-turned Crank stood at the centre of the room, chained-up and held back by its arms as the surrounded crowd cheered with ecstasy. They watched as a man wearing a chest pack taunted the creature, circling it just outside its range before pulling out a gun and putting the mindless creature out of its misery.

Eden's eyes sewed shut as her hands flew to her mouth, barely holding back a whimper that threatened to escape her throat. She quickly turned on her heel, attempting to outrun her racing heart after witnessing that horrific image only to collide head-first into the bare chest of a stranger.

"Well, what do we have here?" She peered up, briefly making eye contact with a young man with dark hair and blood-shot eyes. "Are you lost, baby girl?"

Eden wrinkled her nose at the repulsive scent the man emitted. "N-No, I'm okay," Keeping one hand over her nose and mouth, she used the other to push against the man's chest, making a conscious effort to shove him away only for his grip to tighten around her waist.

"Really?" He purred, running a hand up and down her sides with a dazed-out look. "You look like you're about to cry, which is understandable."

"I'm alright, really."

Ignoring her words of assurance, the man continued. "Being a Crank is scary," He hummed, firmly pulling her further into the crowd of dancing people. "But this party here, it's our last chance to live like we want, so you mine as well enjoy it, right?" He turned to her with a crooked grin. "So whaddya say, baby girl? Wanna be my date? I'll show you how to have a good time."

Eden's brows furrowed as she contemplated on what to do. In the man's drugged-up state, she could probably shove him away and make a run for it, but there was a part of her that really didn't want to hurt a sick, much less dying individual. And by doing so, she ran the risk of causing a considerable amount of commotion, which very much didn't match-up with Jorge's instructions on blend-in.

And of course, there was always the possibility of being scratched or bitten.

Just as she began considering the option of 'playing along and sneaking away when given the chance,' a familiar voice halted her train of thought.

"Sorry to break it to you, mate. But she's already got one."

Eden spun around, eyes widening when she spotted Newt standing not far behind her with a hardened gaze. He paced forward, swiftly wrapping an arm around the Asian girl's shoulder while the other swatted at the man's clammy hands like it was an irritating fly.

Once again, Eden felt her cheeks warm up as she studied at the side of his face.

"Well, well, aren't you a pretty boy?" The ill man mused. "Are you her boyfriend or something?" He questioned.

"Huh?! N-No, it's nothing like-"

"Yeah, I am," Newt replied, cutting off her honest response as he pulled her closer against himself. "You got a problem with that?"

Eden's dark brown eyes rounded with surprise.

"No, not at all," The man scoffed, raising his hands in a defensive position as he took a step back. "I just can't really see it. You two together that is," He chuckled, menacing gaze sweeping across the two with the hint of skepticism. "Prove it," He finally said after a moment of thought.

"W-What?" Eden stuttered.

"Go on, don't be shy," He opened his palms as if offering the two space for a grand performance. "I'm always down for a display of passionate young love."

Eden pressed her lips together. The man didn't believe them; it was obvious. But before she could think too much on how they'd wiggle their way out of their situation, a gentle hand on her forearm had her mind going blank.

Newt pulled her close, circling both arms around her waist as his eyes reflected nothing but her astounded expression etched onto her features. He leaned in close, close enough that their foreheads were touching as Eden to recoil out of instinct.

"Just... play along, alright?" He whispered, his hand quivering ever-so-slightly as he reached up to brush a strand of loose hair out of her face.

Holding back the urge to gasp for air, Eden nodded. She could feel the man's gaze digging into her, but what seemed much more concerning was how quickly her heart was racing at the edge of her throat. It was as if, at any moment, it would lunge out and take off on its own.

Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, Newt gingerly presses his lips to her.

The kiss was soft and chaste, nothing like the show-stopping, firework sparking ones from the stories. But to Eden, it was more than enough. Newt treated her like glass, ghosting over her lips as if she would break and shatter upon any unnecessary pressure. And she made sure to reciprocated his motions by gently wrapping her arms around his neck.

After what felt like an eternity, they pulled apart. "Is he gone?" Newt asked in a whisper, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers as he attempted to regulate his breathing.

Eden didn't respond. Instead, she simply stared at him with a wide-eyed expression as if she was still attempting to process what had just happened.

"Um... Eden?"

"H-Huh? Oh, right!" Feeling a sudden surge of blood rise to her cheeks, Eden peeked over his shoulder to see that the man had since disappeared into the crowd of party-goers. "Y-Yeah, he's done- I mean, gone," She stammered, briefly making eye contact with the blond before averting her gaze away.

Any more and the entire Scorch was going to hear how loud and erratic her heartbeat was.

"Right, good," Newt inhaled a shaky breath as he slowly backed away. "Let's uhh... get outta this area," He suggested. "Just in case he comes back."

Eden nodded wordlessly.

Taking her head, Newt began leading Eden out of the dance floor and towards a quieter part of the building.

Despite being thrown back and forth between the overflowing crowd, Eden found herself unable to concentrate in the slightest. As one hand focused on grasping hold Newt's so they wouldn't be separated again, the other could only reach up to touch her lips as that previous little gesture looped through her mind like a broken film reel.

What was that?! Did that even count as a first kiss? What was she supposed to say now? Was she the only one freaking out like this? Should she bring it up? But he did it just to help her out of a sticky situation. So what if he just wanted to ignore it? It's just a kiss, right? A kiss isn't that big of a deal. It's just a simple act of osculation; in which a chemical reaction takes place in the brain that releases a bunch of hormones called oxytocin, and-

"Um, sorry 'bout that," Before she knew it, they had already made their way out of the sea of people as they now stood in a comparatively less crowded corner of the party. "I had to do it so he would... you know," He murmured, making a bunch of barely coherent gestures towards the dance floor.

Taken aback by the uncharacteristic amount of nerves in his tone, Eden quickly shook her head. "N-No, it's fine," She assured, habitually reaching up to cup her palms against her burning face. "I understand."

"Still, that was... uhh..." Newt stammered as he shuffled in his spot. As he moved in and out of a small ray of light that shone through the crooked ceiling of the building, Eden managed to catch sight of his cheeks, noticing that they were also tinged a bright shade of red. "Was that your first...?"

She nodded, feeling her face flare up even more if that were possible. "What about you?"

"Yeah, me too," Awkwardly scratching the back of his head, Newt huffed. "Well, I hope it wasn't too bad of an experience," He joked.

"I... I didn't mind it."

Newt looked to her, eyes round.

"N-Not like that!" As she finally processed what she had managed to blurt out, Eden immediately began to panic, waving her hands frantically as she attempted to back paddle the conversation. "I meant it like... Well, erm, the circumstances weren't ideal, but the... the kiss itself was fine. Like it felt good, you did a good job. Oh, but I wasn't expecting it to be bad or anything, but... But like..." Realizing that she had been doing nothing but babbling nonsense, she quickly turned away and buried her face in her hands with a muffled apology.

Upon seeing her practically collapse into a blithering mess, Newt couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, causing Eden to nearly jump out of her skin from embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," She squeaked, still too afraid to lift her face and meet his gaze. "You must think I'm weird, or creepy, or-"

"Hey, hey, it's fine, really," Before she could get too ahead of herself with assumptions, Newt cut her off with another laugh. "I'm just kinda glad to know I wasn't the only one that felt nervous."

Eden flinched. Slowly peeling her hands away from her face, she peeked over her shoulder at the blond. "You were nervous?" She asked in a slight mixture of astonishment and disbelief.

"Yeah, of course," He affirmed. "I mean I've never done that before, as far as I can remember. Granted, that only means three years, but... But it was just to get that creep to lay off, right?" He asked, casting Eden an indecipherable look.

Her eyes grew wide. "Right," She said after a moment of stillness. "Right, of course," She clasped her hands before her chest. "Thank you very much."

Newt's jaw clenched slightly at her response, allowing a small silence to draw out between them before speaking again. "So, any news on Tommy?"

"I haven't seen him nor Brenda," Eden informed, her brows furrowing in distress and worry. Is Jorge 100% sure they're in here?"

"We can only keep looking," Reaching up to ruffle his hair, Newt heaved a sigh as he glanced around at the sea of people the spanned out before them. "Look, I know Jorge said to spread out and cover more ground. But just... Stay where I can see you, okay? And try not to get involved with the crowd unless you see them in there."

Eden nodded in understanding, mentally scolding herself as she felt her face grew warm once again.

+ + +

She met his gaze. And without fail, just as the many times before, they'd both look away for a few seconds before connecting once more.

Eden knew better. She was supposed to be focused on the task at hand - locating Thomas and Brenda through the astronomical amount of people the flooded the Zone A building. And she had been doing just that, albeit sticking to the outskirts of the dance floor to avoid a similar run-in with another drunken or drugged up soon-to-be Crank. But there was a part of her that kept winning out against the logical side of her brain, drowning out her rationale with the thumping music that blasted through her ears. It urged her to inch towards him, to get a closer look. To try and spot his face whenever she scanned the room in search of their missing comrades. And to even find some poor excuse to bump into or talk to him.

Was this what it felt like to have a crush?

Whenever she and Marie would discuss potential romances once they escaped the Maze, the blonde would always describe it as something thrilling and exciting. But...

'But it was just to get that creep to lay off, right?'

She didn't realize a crush could be this nerve-wracking, and for the lack of a better term, soul-crushing.

Eden heaved a sigh.

The smarter half of her knew she shouldn't have expected anything from that encounter. After all, they had only met a mere three and a half days ago at best. Was it even possible for someone to develop feelings for another within that short amount of time? Eden herself had no way of knowing, seeing as she had little to no frame of reference when it came to these things, with Aris and Rachel being the only romantic-ish relationship that came to mind. But they seemed to be in a different boat entirely, seeing as they seemed to share a form of connection that began way back before their first meeting in the Maze.

Tucking a lock of hair behind her ears, Eden skimmed the crowd again only to catch sight of Newt.

However, this time he wasn't looking back at her.

Instead, he was standing by the bar - a place Eden had made a conscious effort to avoid, and seemed to be in the midst of a conversation with a blonde woman wearing a green dress. He seemed troubled, almost distressed. And upon taking a closer look, it was easy to see why.

Wrapped in the woman's thin and lavishly decorated fingers - was a glass cup filled to the brim with that odd, greenish-brown liquid. She kept nudging the glass in his direction, urging the blond to drink it as a slightly unhinged smile curled upon her lips.

Eden knew she had to do something. From where she stood, Newt resembled that of a cornered dog, with his gaze continuously flickering between the woman and the glass. He looked as if he were about to reach out and accept the questionable drink at any moment, all for the sake of 'blending in.'

She needed to step in and diffuse the situation, just as he did for her.

But how?

Unlike Newt, she wasn't nearly as good as talking to people, much less asserting herself into a conversation without making a huge commotion like she did back at Jorge's warehouse. If only she had a point of reference-

Her eyes widened.

Thinking back on it... She rested a hand against her chin. Whenever someone talked bad about me in the Glen, Marie would always intervene before their comments got too out of hand. If I remember correctly, what she did was...

Sucking in a harsh breath to steel her nerves, Eden puffed out her chest and brisked towards the bar.

"Newt~!" With a sing-song voice, she latched herself onto the blond's arm with a light giggle. Her pitch was a little high and unnatural, but she continued the act nevertheless. "So this is where you've been. I was looking all over for you~."

"Eden?" New's eyes were practically following out of its sockets, completely taken aback by the raven-haired girl's... odd behaviour.

"Come on! Let's go dance," Ignoring his look of astonishment and concern, Eden began her clumsy attempt to drag him away only for the woman to stop them.

"Not so fast, handsome," She hummed, snaking a hand up Newt's other arm to rest on his shoulder. "I made this drink specially for you. Shouldn't you at least have a little sip?" She batted her eyelashes, gently wiggling the drink in front of the blond's face.

Newt's jaw visibly clenched. He peered down, briefly exchanged a glance with Eden. One she immediately recognized as 'I'm going to take it.'

She flinched.

Before Newt could even reach out to take the cup, Eden moved quicker. Lunging forth, she snatched it out of the woman's hand in one swift motion, accidentally spilling some of its contents as it landed on the ground with a barely audible splash.

"H-He's already had a lot to drink," She interjected, giving the woman the best smile she could muster at the moment, hoping that it would somehow mask the quivering in her voice. "I'll take this one." Then, without another word, she brought the cup to her lips and threw her head back.

Eden did her best not to cringe as the gasoline-scented fluid trickled down her inflamed throat, leaving a fire-like burn in its wake. It had a malty taste, thick and somewhat creamy. After making sure to finish every last drop, she leaned forward to shove the glass back into the woman's hands. She could feel Newt's gaze on her, a look of horror and disbelief painted across his face. But that didn't matter right now.

"Thank you very much. That was delicious," She said, finding that her voice was a little raspier thanks to the keen burn that lodged itself into the back of her throat. Nevertheless, she grabbed onto Newt's arm once more and began dragging him away from the bar. "We'll be on our way."

I... I actually did it!

As they walked away from the woman, those words seemed to be the only thing that went through Eden's head in her chaotic state of mind. Despite it being the most embarrassing performance she had ever put on in her entire life, she still couldn't believe she had actually managed to pull it off, much less with that much success.

But her moment of celebration was soon cut short as she felt Newt grab both her shoulders, spinning her around to face him.

"Did you drink it?" He shouted over the blasting music. "Did you actually drink the bloody thing?!"

"H-Huh?" Eden blinked a few times, somewhat confused by his outburst of urgency and emotion. "S-Sorry, I had to-"

"Spit it out," Newt firmly shook her by shoulders, as if he were trying to force the liquid out that way. "Spit it out right now! Hurry!"

Eden blinked, subconsciously taking note of how close their faces were. "I-I can't," She murmured. "I already swallowed it."

"Why would you-" His breath grew ragged as he studied her, searching for any signs of distress. "Eden, what if that drink was poisoned?!"

"It's alright, I already considered that possibility," She assured bluntly, earning a justifiably confused look from the blond as she took a small step back. "My body actually has a very high tolerance against various drugs and poisons," She explained, pressing a hand against her chest with a small smile. "Of course, that doesn't mean I'm completely immune to its effects. It just means they'd have a lesser effect on me compared to other people. But that means it'd still be better if I drank it instead, right?"

Newt's brows knitted together. He opened his mouth, about to argue against that logic when-

"Thomas!"

Both of them turned their heads towards the sound of that voice, frantically searching for its source when Newt managed to catch a glimpse of Teresa crouching over a limp body on the ground.

"Teresa!" He called out, Eden following close behind with a hand clasped before her chest.

Fighting through the crowd, they quickly realized upon arrival that the body curled onto his side was none other than Thomas himself.

"What the..." The blond muttered.

"Shuck, man," Minho was the next to show up, peering down at Thomas's unconscious figure with his nose scrunched. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know," Teresa shook her head, pulling the boy over so he could rest his head on her knees. "He was already like this when I found him."

"Here, let me take a look," Eden dropped her knees, leaning over to see if she could find anything immediately note-worthy.

"Well, that's one down," Minho huffed, running a hand through his hair. "Anyone find the girl?"

"You were sayin'?" Frypan cleared his throat, squeezing past a dancing couple with Brenda's arm slung over his shoulder. The shorter girl looked completely out of it, uttering barely coherent words as she stumbled around with Frypan's support.

"I... I can't believe he..." Her voice trailed off as she gave a breathy chuckle. "Just because I'm not 'her.' Ridiculous..."

"Look who I found wandering around," The stocky boy announced, gesturing Brenda.

"Hey, guys. I saw Jorge- Woah," Emerging from another body of people, Aris's eyes widened at the scene before him. "What happened?"

"I can't tell," Eden said, pulling her hand back from checking Thomas's pulse. "His pulse is unstable, but I can't see anything. It's too dark in here," She informed, looking up towards the boys.

"Do you think they drank the weird klunk everyone else is drinking?" Minho suggested.

Newt cast a glance towards Eden before sighing. "Whatever it is, let's just get them out of here."

"Oh, about that," Swiftly recomposing himself, Aris piped up once again. "I ran into Jorge a little earlier. He was wandering around the backroom where we came from," He paused for a moment, hesitating slightly before continuing. "Last thing I saw, he was dragging some guy in a purple suit up the stairs."

+ + +

As they ascended the staircase, the boys continued to alternate between who was carrying Thomas and Brenda while Teresa and Eden lagged behind, ready to catch or support anyone if they were to miss a step on the treacherous hike.

However, Eden was feeling a little... off.

With every step she took, her entire world seemed to shift a little. Her mouth and tongue felt numb, while a soothing warmth and calmness continued to spread throughout her body since ingesting that strange liquid. Her consciousness was alert yet tired - a rather odd combination.

Lifting her leg, she attempted to take the next step upwards only for her muscles to twitch out. Her foot slipped, and her body jerked backwards; the results would've been fatal if someone hadn't grabbed her by the arm in time, pulling her upright.

"Hey," It was Teresa. "Are you okay?"

It took Eden a few moments to process the question. "H-Huh? No, I'm alright," She murmured feebly. "Sorry- I mean, thank you. I-I don't know what I was thinking."

Teresa's icy blue eyes narrowed slightly, seeming especially concerned with the raven-haired girl's condition. Her speech was slurring and her steps had been growing increasingly unstable. She shifted her attention towards the boys who had also stopped in their tracks, noting that their former Second-in-Command seemed especially on edge.

Newt pressed his lips together. "Hey, Teresa. Do you mind giving her a hand?" He requested, trying to nudge his chin toward Eden while holding onto Brenda by the arm.

"Sure."

Eden blinked, watching as Teresa wrapped an arm around her shoulder, helping her gain a better footing before moving up. She didn't fight it. She knew better than to. But her mind couldn't help but kick into high gear as she wondered what sort of contents were in that drink for her of all people to be reacting this way.

Barely managing to climb his way up with Thomas over his shoulder, Minho let out a huge sigh of relief as he slumped against the wall for support. "Wow," He whistled. "Not gonna lie, this guy smells like shit right now."

Frypan raised an eyebrow. "Well, what did you expect he was gonna smell like? Fried chicken?"

"I was hoping so," The Asian boy shrugged, standing straight once more. "He already smells like fried plastic anyways, so fried chicken can't be too far of a stretch."

"Just keep movin'," Newt grumbled from behind.

As they stumbled down the messy and faintly Victorian-style hallway, the group soon found a half-open door at the very end. Thinking this is where they were supposed to go, Frypan carefully pushed it open.

Drawn by the sound of a creek, Jorge turned his head, his face brightening slightly when he spotted the familiar faces that filed in. "There you are," He hummed, resting a hand on his hip. "Took you kids long enough."

Minho rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sorry if it took a while to find two people in a million," He snarked.

The Hispanic man chuckled. He opened his mouth, about to say something when his face suddenly fell as he noticed Brenda slumped between Newt and Aris, an arm hooked over each of their shoulders for support.

"Brenda!" He rushed over, immediately taking the sleeping girl into his arms before glancing up at Thomas - who was also passed-out and being carried by Frypan and Minho. "What happened to them?"

"We don't know," Aris shook his head. "They were already like this when we found them," He explained.

"Ah, so that was Brenda," An unfamiliar voice sounded from further within the room, surprising the teens as they collectively peered around Jorge, finding a man that perfectly matched Aris's description from earlier.

Dressed in a purple suit and a lot of gold jewelry, the man was tied to a chair at the centre of the Victorian-style lounge. His skin was pale and his eyes were sunken in, lined with an excessive amount of eyeliner that made even the pandas look more awake.

"She looks so grown up, I almost didn't recognize her," He sputtered words past his bloodied lip, presumably a fist blow from Jorge when he knocked him out. "She and that boy drank some of the Fire Juice I offered. Price of Admission."

"Fire Juice?" Eden repeated in thought.

"What the hell was in that thing, Marcus?" Jorge spat, shooting the chair-bound man a venomous look.

Marcus hummed for a moment. "I don't remember," He finally said, throwing his head back in a drunken laugh. "I mixed that drink years ago, old friend. There's no way I'm gonna remember something like that."

Jorge scowled. Gesturing Aris to hold onto Brenda, his hands dropped to his sides to form clenched fists of tension. "Go put them in the backroom," He instructed, there are couches they can sleep on." And with that, he stalked towards Marcus, delivering a clean blow across his jaw.

+ + +

After hauling the two sleeping individuals into the tiny conference room in the back, the others had gone out to take a short break in the lounge while simultaneously making sure Jorge didn't end up killing Marcus in his fit of fury. Aris had noticed something off with Eden's behaviour, but he ended up joining them after Eden managed to convince him that she was just feeling a little overwhelmed by the party downstairs.

Newt knew better though.

"You need to rest," He hushed, watching as the raven-haired girl nearly stumbled over herself in her attempt to reach Thomas.

"I can't. Not now," She let out a shaky breath. "Not when people still need me."

"You look like you're about to roll over and die," He pointed out, trying his best to keep his voice down as not to alert the others. Just as he was about to say more, he saw Eden lean over to lift Thomas's shirt. "Woah, woah, woah!" He rushed over. "What are you doing?"

"Checking for rashes and poison spots, what else?" She cast him an estranged look. Perhaps it was the effects of that so-called 'Fire Juice,' but her actions and words seemed a lot bolder compared to her usual reserved and shy self.

"Don't worry; I won't die," Pushing the blond aside, Eden then turned around and reached for the corner of Brenda's shirt with the same professional-mindset. "I can't detect any traces of poison. My guess is that it's probably some kind of recreational drug, and the added mixture of alcohol is what made them ultimately pass out." She murmured, squinting slightly when she spotted what seemed to be a few black-ish veins under Brenda's skin. But after blinking a few times, they mysteriously vanished, leaving her a little confused.

"By the way, please don't tell Aris about the drink," She said, putting her fingers to Brenda's wrist as she felt around for a pulse. "I don't want him to worry."

Newt's lips weighed into an acute frown. "Of course, he would worry. He's already worrying. Why would you even say something like that?"

"Because I'm always such a burden on everyone," Eden replied as her brown eyes slowly glazed over with an indescribable look. "Because despite how I am, at the most crucial moments, I can never seem to do anything for anyone," She bit her bottom lip, her grip subconsciously tightening around Brenda's wrist. "I can't fight, I can't lead, I can barely even hold a proper conversation with people. I can only hide behind the people I care about the most, and pray to god that if they get hurt, I can somehow get there on time and bring them some kind of relief in their last moments of suffering."

As she shifted her attention to checking on Thomas's pulse, Newt's eyes flickered a downcast.

He felt as if he heard something he probably shouldn't have.

Author's Note

Someone wanted me to shed a little light on my thought process as I created Eden, so here we go.

Mine and Astra (my co-writer astrella-)'s main idea when tackling this topic was - What is it exactly that makes a character 'strong?' Is it physical strength? Is it 'badass-ary?' Is it how many people they can fight at a time? Or is it something else entirely? As much as I love a good kick-ass, witty character as the next person, there has always been something that didn't sit right with me when those kinds of characters are immediately labelled as strong because they 'have no fears,' or that they 'don't rely on other people.'

Eden is still a teenager. She gets squirmish around her crush, and will overthink literally anything and everything other people do. She is not a girly-girl per say, but neither is she a tomboy. She is just that - a normal girl. She isn't a natrual leader, and she isn't fast nor strong, often having to rely on other people just to get through the Maze let alone the Scorch. She is insecure and sees little to no value in herself other than being a portable first-aid kit that can only circumstantial save lives. But despite all that, she will flip into her 'clinical mode' and make a stand for her morals whenever she feels that the situation depends on it. 

Eden is someone who is at her best when she is helping others. She is afraid of many things, but she is willing to fight back those fears and stare death directly in the eye if it means she can protect someone she cares for. 

 Because in my opinion, a strong character is an average person who is going through an extraordinary circumstance. What makes them strong, however, is seeing how they react to those extreme circumstances that would make any lesser person snap and crumble.

And that is ultimately what Eden is built upon.

I'm honestly not the best at describing these kinds of things, but I hope this helped. This helped explain a thing or two.