The plot of The Scorch Trials takes place immediately after the previous installment , with Thomas ( O'Brien ) and his fellow Gladers battling the powerful World Catastrophe Killzone Department ( W.C.K.D. , or WICKED ) , while facing the perils of the Scorch , a desolate landscape filled with dangerous obstacles .
In Maze Runner : The Scorch Trials , Thomas and the Gladers run away from the World Catastrophe Killzone Department .