Minho makes it out alive, but his survival comes at an unbearable emotional price. The rescue effort fractures the core leadership that held the Gladers together since day one. As Thomas and Gally fight through WCKD defenses to locate Minho's cell, Newt’s physical condition deteriorates rapidly under the influence of the Flare virus.
Newt’s infection forces a horrific confrontation. In Dashner's literary canon, Newt begs Thomas to pull the trigger out of mercy on the streets of Denver, wanting to die before the virus strips away his remaining humanity. In the movie, the confrontation happens right in the burning streets of the Last City. Fully consumed by the Flare, Newt attacks Thomas in a manic haze, ultimately stabbing himself in the chest during their desperate struggle.
Minho arrives on the scene moments after Newt dies. He witnesses his oldest friend lying lifeless on the asphalt, an image that permanently shatters the triumph of his own liberation. Minutes later, Teresa makes her own redemptive sacrifice. She helps Thomas escape to an extraction berg atop WCKD headquarters before the burning skyscraper collapses underneath her, killing her instantly.
