[Chapter 12] ✙ Lesson Number Four

"Harriet...?"

The words got past Eden's lips in a whisper as she felt her legs nearly give out once more. She didn't expect to see that face, albeit ever again. After witnessing first-hand how horrifying the Cranks were with Winston and their escape from the shopping mall, she had long resigned herself to the idea that Harriet and Sonya must've perished at the hands of the Scorch's many perils. Perhaps they were mauled to death by those flared-up creatures; perhaps they encountered another group of survivors who were less than sensible compared to the likes of Jorge.

Either way, all Eden could hope and pray for every night was that her friends didn't suffer in their final moments of life.

So never did she imagine, she'd find them here. Alive at that.

"Harriet...!" Eden spoke again, her voice trembling with joy and disbelief as she stumbled past Newt and Minho. "Harriet!" With an outstretched hand, she took another staggering step forward only for her knees to buckle from the strange mixture of pressure and relief that flooded her system. Before she could even register the sudden imbalance in her body, Harriet instinctively extended her arms, catching the raven-haired girl snug in her chest with an equally shell-shocked expression.

"It's really you, right...?" Clinging onto her friend's brown aviator jacket, Eden craned her neck, trying her best to refrain her vision from blurring up with tears. "You're okay?"

"Yeah," Harriet assured her with a sniffle, gently running a hand through Eden's tangled hair. "It's really me."

With those words, the tears quickly gushed forth, flowing down Eden's cheeks faster than her already erratically beating heart. She began to mumble incoherent things, choking on her sobs as Harriet reeled her head back in so she could weep against her chest.

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, their other ambusher, the shorter girl with bright blonde hair also removed her mask with wide eyes. Revealing herself to be none other than Sonya.

"Harriet?" Aris's voice sounded from the side, having come out of his hiding spot despite Teresa and Frypan's protests. "And Sonya too?"

"Aris!" Both girls gasped in recognition, the blonde running forward to wrap her arms around him.

"You're lucky we didn't shoot your asses," She teased. "Are you both okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Aris replied with a heavy breath, his stormy-grey eyes darted between the two girls as they pulled apart. "How...?" His voice trailed off, looking as if he were struggling to find the right words to say in such a situation.

Luckily, he didn't have to; considering Minho had plenty to say regarding these... odd developments.

"Uhh, what's happening here?" He cocked an eyebrow at the four.

Aris looked to Eden for a brief moment, smiling wryly as he watched her bawl her eyes out against Harriet. "We were in the maze together," He explained, turning back to face the Gladers with a bright beam.

As if to prove his point and show they meant no threat, Harriet raised her hand from Eden's head to her mouth, giving a sharp whistle towards the mountain ranges. "We're clear, guys!" She shouted. "Come on out!"

"Copy that!" A voice hollered back. And soon, several figures emerged from beyond the chasms, each carrying a sniper rifle and dressed head to toe in camouflage. "Stand down! We're clear!" One informed the rest of their comrades.

Harriet scanned the group of unfamiliar faces, chuckling slightly at their relieved yet skeptical expressions as they stared up in amazement. She then turned her attention down to Eden, who has since stopped mumbling incomprehensible words and resorted to crying her heart out.

Unlike the late Marie or even Sonya, Harriet was never really the type to indulge Eden and her timid personality. Instead, she'd often chastise her, telling her than she needed to toughen up and stop letting every little thing shake the foundations of her emotional state.

But just this once, she thought it'd be okay to spoil her just a little.

So she wrapped a hand around the raven-haired girl's head, holding her as tightly as possible while whispering words of reassurance. Just like that day, mere weeks ago, when she saw her stumble out of the Medical Ward after her tears had dried up from crying.

+ + +

"Back it up, Joe!" Sonya instructed, leading the group through the inner cavern, which had been previously blocked off by the nose of a truck. But as her voice's command, the ignition of the old vehicle roared to life as the headlights flickered on.

"Backing up!" The man sitting inside nodded, slowly inching the truck backwards to reveal the path further up the mountains. A few men congregate to the side of the road, eyeing the newcomers with suspicion. One of them turned to Harriet with an inquisitive look.

"We're taking them to base," She explained, trying her best to seem tough and put-together despite Eden sticking to her side like a little lost puppy.

Aris glanced around at the crowds of people. "Wait, so, how did you guys get here?" He asked curiously.

"The Right Arm got us out," Sonya replied, her words immediately piquing Thomas's interests as he stepped to the front of the group.

"Wait. The Right Arm?" His brows furrowed. "Do you know where they are?"

Hearing his question, Harriet and Sonya exchanged a knowing look. The former of the two then reached for the back door of the truck, tugging it open with a firm yank. "Hop in," She said, a mysterious smile pulling at her lips.

+ + +

Riding in two separate SUVs, Harriet and Sonya took the group further up the mountains until they finally arrived on the outskirts of what they could only presume to be the Right Arm's base.

As Eden climbed out of the backseat of the car, she couldn't help but gawk at the beautiful view that panned out before her eyes. Situated under a towering cliff, the sunlight drew a soft shadow across the various tents set up within the vicinity as people bustled about. Some were crowded by the food tent, gulping down on the latest batch of stew while others were busy carrying boxes supplies from place to place.

"They've been planning this for over a year now," Harriet said, drawing Eden out of her thoughts as she began to make her way down a slight incline. "This is all for us."

"You guys are lucky you found us when you did. We're moving out at first light." Sonya chimed in, playfully nudging Aris in the arm before noticing a passing figure. "Hey, Luth!" She called out with a wave. "Where's Vince?"

A boy around the same age as Thomas turned around, gesturing a dusty brown tent further back. "Somewhere over there, I think," He then turned his attention towards the incoming group. "Nice to meet you guys, the name's Luth." He introduced himself with a bright grin. "If you need anything, feel free to ask. If Vince lets you stay, that is." And with a final salute, he was off.

Watching as the stranger's figure drew further and further away, Minho was quick to notice how sparse the numbers were in this supposed 'resistance group.' "I thought the Right Arm was supposed to be an army," He questioned out loud.

"Yeah, we were," Before either of the girls could respond, a deep voice asserted themselves into the conversation, drawing everyone's attention towards the brown tent Luth had pointed towards earlier.

A tall, burly man, presumably the Vince that boy had mentioned earlier, stepped out into the late afternoon sun, dressed in a darker aviator jacket similar to that of Harriet's. He had dirty blond hair that reached just past his ears as well as a goatee beard. Several other men followed behind, the sight of rifles over their shoulders making Eden shudder.

"This is all that's left of us. Lots of good people died getting us this far." Vince continued, gesturing at the lack of people within their spacious camp before turning to study the group with an air of caution. "Who are they?" He asked the two girls who moved to stand beside him.

"They're Immunes," Harriet informed. "Caught 'em coming up the mountain."

"Did you check 'em?"

"We know these two, Eden and Aris." Sonya glanced over, briefly pointing towards the two Glenners of the group. "We trust them."

"Well, I don't," Vince grumbled under his breath. "Check 'em."

At his order, the men that previously stood behind shuffled forth, quickly surrounding the group as they began patting each of them down for possible Crank bites or infections. As Eden reached her arm out for them to assess, a loud heave from the side swiftly drew her attention. She snapped her head around, letting out a sharp gasp in terror once she saw Brenda's sickly complexion. Her lips were purple and she was covered head to toe in sweat. A darkened vein extended up from her neck, bulging out of her paling skin like it had a mind of its own.

"Hey, boss..." The man checking her seemed to have noticed as well. Slowly letting go of Eden, he began to approach Brenda only to jump back in surprise when her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed forward.

"Brenda! Brenda!" Jorge exclaimed, dropping to his knees as he scrambled to cradle the wheezing girl in his arms.

"Oh my gosh!" Eden was the next to crouch down. With trembling hands, she reached for Brenda's wrist. It didn't take long for her to locate the olive-skinned girl's erratic pulse, causing her features to distort into pure horror.

"What's going on?" Vince questioned.

"Brenda? Brenda, talk to me," Jorge pleaded. However, all that slipped past Brenda's lips was a repeated apology as her breathing slowly grew shallow.

Taking a knee beside the wheezing girl, Vince gently reached for Jorge's shoulder in concern. "What's going on with her?"

"I don't know," Jorge shook his head. "Brenda, are you alright? Brenda?"

With a raised brow, Vince then shifted his attention to Eden, his sharp gaze drilling into her as if he were trying to pry the answer out of her forcefully. But Eden promptly avoided his gaze as her hands dropped to her sides.

These symptoms...

She had her suspicions, but...

Frowning at the lack of a concrete response, Vince leaned back a little as he studied the girl from head to toe, with the messy wrappings around her left calf quickly piquing his interests.

"What the hell?" He murmured, tilting his head slightly as he moved to yank down the bandage, revealing the swollen and bloodied outline of what could only be a Crank bite.

"Shit!" With that discovery, the near vicinity quickly descended into chaos as Vince scrambled to his feet, pulling out a gun without even a moment's hesitation. "Crank! We got a Crank!" He hollered.

"No!" Jorge immediately attempted to shield Brenda with his own body only for Vince's men to drag him to his feet. Eden too, felt a firm grip on her forearm as Harriet yanked her away with her jaw clenched.

"Get away from her!" She shouted over Jorge's desperate screams.

"Wait, wait!" Pushing past the crowd, Thomas quickly positioned himself before Brenda, holding a hand out as if to ease Vince back from jumping the gun. "This just happened, okay? She's not dangerous yet." He tried to explain.

"Well, you shouldn't have brought her here!" Vince snapped back. "We let Cranks in here now, safe haven doesn't last a week! Now, step back!"

"I understand, okay? I understand," Thomas swallowed hard, the gears visibly turned in his head as he pondered how to diffuse the situation. "Just listen. Please. I told her that you could help. There's got to be something you can do."

There was a brief moment as Vince's gaze flickered between Brenda and Thomas. He slowly began to nod. "Yeah, there is," Reaching a hand up, he cocked his gun. "I can put her out of her misery."

With those words, Jorge instantly began thrashing in the arms of Vince's men, his guttural screams falling short to the blond man's ears as he carefully stabilized his gun. He was just about to pull the trigger when-

"Vince! That's enough!" A feminine voice rang throughout the area, startling nearly everyone as a middle-aged woman with long dark hair and a black coat pushed past the crowd, racing towards them with a small stagger to her steps. "Let him go," She instructed, pointing at the men holding onto Jorge. "Let him go!" She repeated herself when they didn't budge, prompting them to do as told, allowing Jorge to collapse by Brenda's side as he hurried to grab hold of her once more.

"She's infected, Mary," Vince stated, not bothering to lift his gaze nor gun from the infected girl. "There's nothing we can do for her."

"No, but he can," The woman named Mary spoke, a look of recognition washing over her features as she cracked a faint smile. "Hello, Thomas."

The Gladers exchange a curious look amongst themselves.

Thomas's brows furrowed, digging through his shallow memory for an ounce of this woman's involvement. But when he came up dry, he pressed his lips together. "You know me?"

"Interesting," Mary hummed in thought, her eyes narrowing slightly. "It makes sense they'd put you in the maze." She said as she moved to kneel beside Brenda, feeling around for her pulse, much like Eden had mere moments ago. "Though I must admit, I was worried they'd kill you after what you did."

"What I did?" Thomas only grew more confused.

"The first time we spoke, you said you couldn't take it anymore. Watching your friends die, one by one," Mary recounted, a distant look shadowing her eyes as she stared up at the brown-haired boy. "The last time we spoke, you gave me the coordinates of every WICKED compound, trial and lab."

Eden stared at Thomas's backside with wide eyes.

"He was our source," Vince uttered in realization.

Mary nodded. "We couldn't have pulled all this off without him," She said, lips pursing slightly as gently laid Brenda's arm at her side. " Take her to the tent," She ordered Vince's men before looking at the other teenagers. "And get these guys some warm clothes," She added courteously.

+ + +

After retrieving fresh new clothes and a pair of gloves from the supplies tent, Eden then made her way towards the "changing tent." Or as Sonya described, one of the many places the Right Arm stored their spare supplies.

She reached a hand forward, gingerly peeling aside the flap of the tent only to come face to face with Minho, who was just about to take off his navy-blue t-shirt.

"Huh...?"

It took Eden a second to fully process what she was looking at. But as soon as the sight registered through her mind, she immediately let out a loud shriek as the tent flap slipped through her fingers, draping down with a light sway.

"I-I'm so sorry!" She screamed, quickly turning around to bury her face in her free hand as the other clutched her new clothes flush against her chest.

"Hold on, why are you the one screaming?" Minho's footsteps drew close, but even Eden didn't dare to look back.

"I didn't see anything! I promise!"

"Yeah, I know. I had everything on." Minho stated the obvious as he poked his head out of the tent, raising an eyebrow at her cowering figure.

"A-And I didn't mean to do that!" She continued, her face reddening at the prospect of even mentioning such an indecent act. "It was an accident, I swear!"

Minho rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cause I'm gonna believe someone like you has the galls to peep on anyone in general."

Confused by what he meant, Eden slowly lifted her gaze, peering over her shoulder with a guarded look.

"Face it, doc," He stifled a laugh. "Someone like you would be too embarrassed to even look at a snake shedding its skin."

Eden couldn't tell if that was a compliment or an insult.

"Either way, I'm so sorry-" She suddenly froze, feeling a slight chill rattle down her spine as Minho's disapproving gaze fell upon her.

"R-Right," Recalling their 'lessons,' Eden gulped. "Erm, I, uh... offer my apologies?" She stared up sheepishly, looking like a student who had just cluelessly failed their exam, despite the teacher's added efforts and tutoring.

Minho breathed an exasperated sigh. "You know what? We'll work on that." He grumbled before turning on his heel and disappearing into the tent once more, leaving Eden to stand alone outside in awkward silence.

"Erm..." She pressed her lips together. "Should I come back later?"

"Nah, it's fine," He said. "Gimme a sec; I'll be done soon."

"U-Understood."

So for a while, Eden simply stood outside the supply tent, waiting for Minho to finish changing as she watched the Right Arm members rush around camp. She felt a small smile curling at the corners of her lips.

This view... It reminded her of the Glen, and that busy time every month when a newbie had just came up in the Cube. Marie would become super busy, much to the girl's dismay, organizing the Leaders of each group to claim their requested supplies while Ximena introduced the new girl to her new life and surroundings.

"Hey, doc," Her train of thought was suddenly broken, however, as Minho called out from within the tent. "Can I ask you something?"

Eden blinked, a little taken aback by the odd tension in his voice. Immediately, her mind jumped to the worst-case scenario as she began to wonder if she's somehow unknowingly betrayed his trust. "Y-Yes, of course," She stammered with a nod, despite knowing full-well he couldn't see her movements behind the flap. "Is something wrong?"

"I've been thinkin' about your... constant apology problem," Minho paused for a moment, clearly feeling a little awkward with his wording. "Look, this is gonna sound kinda weird, but..." He sighed. "Do you like yourself?"

Those words hit Eden like a truck.

She whipped her head around with wide eyes, stared directly at the dark green cloth as she attempted to gather her thoughts.

"I..." Remembering that Minho valued honesty and loyalty above all else, Eden replied accordingly. "I... don't," With her back facing the tent; her gaze flickered towards the ground.

Minho remained silent.

"I hate myself," She continued, head sinking between her shoulders as her grip subconsciously tightening around her new clothes. "I want to change. I want to be stronger, braver and smarter. I want to be more useful to everyone else around me."

"Okay," Minho hummed. "Do it, then."

"Huh?" Eden flinched, completely caught off guard by his straightforward response.

"Do it. Make that change in yourself," He said. "If you wanna be stronger, do some training. If you wanna be braver, start with looking people in the eye more often. If you wanna be smarter, study more." He stomped his foot, presumably trying to put his heavy-duty boots on. "And you're plenty useful as-is. I mean, I'm pretty sure would've kicked it in that thunderstorm if it weren't for you."

"T-That was-!"

"What I'm sayin' is," Interrupting Eden's attempts to protest, Minho cleared his throat. "I like you, doc. And I know your friends would tell you the same thing. But there's no point to any of it if you don't like who you are," He emphasized, causing her eyes round. "And I'll be honest, a lot of those points you brought up are things you gotta work on. So if they're really bothering you that much, I think you should do something about it. Make an effort to change." He paused for a moment as a thought came to mind. "But of course, you gotta know when to pull the breaks. No one can ever be completely satisfied with themselves. But hey, those imperfections are what makes us human, right?"

Eden didn't respond, instead opting to stare down at her feet with an expression that could only be described as astonishment.

Change?

She never knew what she was like before the Maze, and whenever she tried to recall such information, nothing but the emptiness of a void stung at her chest.

Subconsciously or not, it was almost as if she herself wanted to forget.

Nevertheless, as far back as she could remember, Eden has always hated herself.

Perhaps it was her meek nature; perhaps it was her inability to find a cure to the Shade. Eden had always found herself rather... pathetic. Especially compared to Marie, who unlike her, always shone so brightly.

Marie was the person she aspired to be, but never had the courage to reach for.

After all, how could she expect to be anywhere close to that girl, when she could barely even look people in the eye when speaking?

So she never bothered trying.

But perhaps all this time, the only thing she needed was for someone to give her a little verbal push. Because upon hearing Minho's words, Eden felt something move within her chest. She pressed her free hand against it.

Could she really...?

"Plus, if you learn to stop looking down on yourself like you do now," Minho continued. "I'm sure your 'constant apologies' problem will fix itself; maybe even upgraded to a 'normal-amount of apologies' - which isn't as much of a problem."

"That brings us to lesson number four," At the sound of Minho's approaching footsteps, Eden snapped her head around just in time to see him throw open the tent flap with a wide grin. "Before you even think of goin' after that shank, learn to love yourself first," He then casually tossed something in her direction, which she fumbled to catch.

Once she managed to get a solid grasp on the object, Eden's eyes widened as she found herself holding a lightly-used hairbrush. Confused, she was about to look up at Minho only to feet a hand slam down on her head, gruffly ruffling her already messy hair with a hearty laugh.

"Now, stop worrying about that stuff and get this rat's nest sorted out," He chided. "I'm sure your friends are getting impatient."

Though she didn't really appreciate Minho's treatment of her supposed 'rat's nest,' Eden couldn't fight the urge as the corners of her lips began to tug upwards. "Yeah," She peered down at the hairbrush for a second before glancing up with a smile that shone like the setting sun behind her. "Thank you, Minho!"

+ + +

"... Then he threw me over his shoulder and paraded me around the Scorch like I was some kinda piñata," Aris said, huffing a wry sigh as Harriet and Sonya each broke into a series of laughter.

"Well, to be fair," Eden brought a hand to her lips, barely suppressing a giggle herself as she spoke. "You were the one who said something snarky to the supposed 'King of Sass.'" She pointed out.

Aris deadpanned at her. "Whose side are you on here?"

Eyes flickering upwards, Eden hummed in thought. "Whoever is in the right," She concluded cheekily, sending Harriet and Sonya through another fit.

"Ahh, you two," Sonya wheezed, gingerly reaching up to wipe away the tears that began to gather in her soft brown eyes. "I never imagined we'd be able to talk like this again, much less so soon."

Those words seemed to have flipped some unspoken switch as the previously joyous atmosphere quickly died down, replaced by a certain palpable tension that only grew with the silence.

Sonya covered her mouth, seemingly well-aware that she had unintentionally brought up a sensitive topic. She exchanged a momentary glance with Eden, who only pursed her lips in response.

"Eden, Aris," Harriet spoke as she stared directly into the campfire that crackled between them. "I'm... sorry. For leaving you two behind at the WICKED facility."

While Eden let out a barely audible 'huh' at her apology, Aris remained silent.

"Aris, you were kept in a different room," Harriet explained, subconsciously fidgeting with her fingers as she deliberately avoided the boy's gaze. Perhaps out of guilt. "It was already difficult enough trying to get a chance to talk to you. So I figured that communicating and coordinating an escape plan would be impossible. And Eden..." Her voice trailed off. "I... I didn't think you'd survive out in the Scorch."

"Harriet!" Sonya cast the brown-skinned girl a sharp glare.

"I'm not gonna lie to her," Harriet retorted calmly, though her slumped shoulder and darting eyes seemed to suggest otherwise. "I'm sorry you two," She finally said, the remorse heavy in her voice. "I gave up on both of you before even bothering to try. As your Second-in-Command, I failed you. I'm sorry."

"Well, if it's like that, then I should apologize too!" Sonya cut in, looking. "I'm the one who started sprouting klank about that facility in the first place. And I'm the one who suggested we should try and get out."

Eden's eyes shifted to Aris for a second, noticing an unreadable expression painted across his tightened features. Taking a deep breath, she decided to be the one to speak up.

"It's okay, Harriet," Holding her hands down at her lap, she gave the girl a reassuring smile. "I understand why you made that choice. Besides, I agree with you. I don't think I would've survived either," She confessed.

"What are you talking about?" Harriet was quick to protest as she sat up straighter. "Look at you; you're here now. You clearly made it."

Eden shook her head. "No, I only survived because of them," She turned her head, peering up at the Gladers who found themselves a gathering spot atop of a cliff that overlooked the entire Right Arm camp.

Her eyes crinkled as she recalled their four-day adventure together. It honestly felt much longer than that.

"I wouldn't have survived without Thomas agreeing to take me in during their escape," She said as she rubbed her hands together, grateful to have received some gloves for the cold evening in the mountains. "Or Newt caring for me whenever I fell behind, or Minho covering for me when I looked for the medical files, or Frypan giving me shares of his food whenever I got hungry. And of course, Aris," She glanced towards the boy with a grateful nod. "Who convinced me to escape in the first place.

"So please don't blame yourself, Harriet," She concluded, looking back at her old friend with a tranquil expression.

"Yeah," Aris finally chimed in, leaning back to stare up at the pinkening skies with a saddened smile. "It all worked out in the end, didn't it? So don't beat yourself up over it."

Upon hearing their words of reassurance, Harriet felt her lips quiver. Reaching forward, she slowly wrapped her arms around Eden and released a shaky breath.

"This time, I'll protect you properly," She whispered. "I promise."

For some reason, Eden felt that those words weren't exactly directed towards her.

+ + +

For just a little while longer, the Glenners talked; Eden and Aris describing their journey through the Scorch while Harriet and Sonya caught them up on their encounter and arrival to the Right Arm base.

As the sun slowly disappeared across the horizons, Eden spotted a familiar figure making his way across camp.

Thomas.

He seemed a bit lost, wandering about with his head snapping from left to right as if he were in search of something. The last time Eden remembered seeing him was when he was taken to the medical tent alongside Brenda. Did this mean Brenda was doing better?

"Eden?" Sonya cocked her head to the side, inching into the raven-haired girl's peripheral vision as she jumped from surprise. "You okay there?"

"Umm... Yeah," Eden paused, reaching up to brush a few strands of hair out of her face. "Sorry-I mean excuse me," She corrected herself. "I just need to go check on something really quickly."

After separating from her friends, Eden hurried off in the general direction where Thomas once was only to find him long gone. He had disappeared into the crowd somewhere during her conversation with Sonya.

Resolving to search for the medical tent instead, Eden began to gingerly weave through the rush of people headed for the dining tent, presumably to grab some dinner and tune in for the night. She was just about to tighten the black parka around her body when a sudden grip on her forearm yanked her backwards, forcing her to come face-to-face with the same middle-aged woman from earlier.

"You..." She murmured, face pale as if she's seen a ghost.

If Eden remembered correctly, Vince addressed her as 'Mary.'

"Um..." Eden gently tugged on her arm, attempting to reel it back against her chest with no avail. "Can I help you?" She finally asked, watching as a rollercoaster of emotion darted across Mary's hazel eyes. There was recognition, shock, confusion, and at last, realization.

"Oh, sorry," The woman slowly let go of Eden, allowing her to take a step back and create some distance between them. "I must've confused you with someone I know," She said, though her expression seemed to suggest otherwise. "You were with Thomas's group, correct?"

Eden nodded. "My name is Eden," She introduced herself.

"I see... Eden..." Mary repeated thoughtfully as an indecipherable look shadowed across her aged features. "I'm Mary. Mary Cooper."

"Right..." Eden couldn't help but shift in discomfort under Mary's gaze. For some reason, it felt as if she was studying her, observing her. Like there was something within Eden that the woman wanted, and she was determined to dig it out by any means.

"Um, Dr. Cooper? Is Brenda doing okay?" After summoning the courage she needed, Eden managed to voice her concerns out loud as she forced herself to meet the woman's probing eyes. "I got a little worried, so I came looking for her."

"Brenda?" Mary raised an eyebrow. "Ah, you mean the sick girl. She's doing fine. I gave her something that'd slow the virus spreading through her brain. It's not a cure, but it'll do for now."

Eden's head perked up at that explanation. "You mean... the Bliss? You made the Bliss?"

Sensing the recognition in her tone, Mary narrowed her eyes. "Yes... that," She studied the raven-haired girl from head to toe once more. "How did you know?"

"Oh, I did a little studying by myself," She answered honestly. "I was a Medic back in my maze, so I have a little bit of an interest in science and medicine. When we were in the WICKED facility, I stole a binder containing-" Before she could even finish, Mary suddenly lunged forward to grab her by the shoulders, staring directly at her with widened eyes.

"You're a Medic?!"

Eden flinched. Her body had instinctively tensed up at Mary's abrupt movements, but she was a little confused that her occupation of all things was what triggered such a large reaction within the woman.

"Y-Yes, that's what I said," Eden recoiled. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Mary hesitated for a moment. Then without another word, she stepped back with an incomprehensible expression, giving back some of Eden's personal space. "No," She shook her head. "It's nothing.

"Brenda is going to be fine for now," She continued. "But you should know that it's not a permanent solution."

With her eyes flickering to the ground, Eden nodded. "The virus will eventually overwhelm the Succour injected into her bloodstream, and continue to progress towards her brain," She pressed her lips together, seemingly lost in thought before snapping her gaze upwards to stare directly at the woman. "Dr. Cooper, I have a request for you."

Mary stayed quiet as if urging her to continue.

"Please... Please take me on as an apprentice!" She shouted, causing a few people to look over in confusion.

"An apprentice?" Mary seemed taken aback.

"Y-Yes," Despite the flush of embarrassment that began to rise in her cheeks, Eden continued to speak. "Most of my knowledge in medicine are in-theory. I've never really had many opportunities for hands-on experience or practical application. And I... I want to fix that." She clutched her hands against her chest. "I want to be helpful to the Right Arm and my friends. I want to be able to do something if the situation were to require it. And I..." She bit her bottom lip. "I want to help find a permanent cure to the Flare!" She announced as the determination shimmer in her eyes like a starry sky.

Mary stilled.

It took a few seconds; but once her heat-of-the-moment declaration finally sunk into Eden's mind, she immediately began to panic. Perhaps Minho's words had hit her a bit too well.

"O-Of course," She averted her eyes to the side, feeling her cheeks burn with mortification. "I can always just help out here and there. Like an assistant or something. And if that's not okay either I'll just come by and watch you work," She quickly realized how creepy that sounds. "I-I mean observe your, erm, fruits of labour! Watch your skills on uh... full display!"

Watching as the young girl before her practically collapse into a bumbling mess, Mary couldn't help but chuckle as Eden buried her face in her hands.

"It's okay; I understand what you mean." She said, resting a reassuring hand on the raven-haired girl's shoulder as she peeked up from the depths of her palms.

"Dr. Cooper..."

"Mary is fine," She smiled courteously. "And I accept your apprenticeship, Eden."

For a moment there, Eden's mind turned blank as she simply stared at the woman with goggled eyes. But once the gears in her head began to turn, so did her lips.

"R-Really?! You really mean it?" Her expression brightened.

"Of course," Mary couldn't help but feel a little endeared by her earnest reaction. "But be prepared, because it won't be easy. I'm just providing you with the opportunity and resources, whether or not you'll be able to catch up is entirely up to you."

"I understand," Eden nodded curtly. "You won't regret this. I promise I'll do my... best..." Her voice suddenly trailed off, causing Mary to lift a brow in estrangement.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-No, not really," Eden murmured as she pressed her lips into a thin line. "I just... I hear something," She gently cupped her hands up around her ears, trying to differentiate the faint foreign sound over the chattering members of the Right Arm.

Sure enough, there it was. A consistent machine-like whirring noise, echoing throughout the mountains like the chilling prelude to a war symphony. It was creeping closer and closer, like a beast on the sprawling hunt for its prey.

"It sounds... like a propeller..."

"Up there!" Someone yelled.

"The propeller of... a helicopter..." Slowly turning her head, Eden's expression contorted into one of pure terror once she spotted the single Berg in the distant skies, accompanied by four large helicopters as they approached the camp at an alarming speed. Each of them possessed the acronyms WICKED, painted clear across their shiny metal bodies.