chapter six , the monster

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"Kennedy!"

Jonathan Byers was running through the woods, looking for any sign of Kennedy Theroux and Nancy Wheeler. Anxiety and fear flooded his bones as he realized whatever was in the woods might've found the girls.

"Nancy!" He shouted. He looked around, no sign of them. "Where are you!?"

Kennedy had realized what just happened.

Mike was right. There was an alternate dimension. A Vale of Shadows of sorts.

And Kennedy had just walked right into it.

"Jonathan!" Nancy screamed, running. "Jonathan!"

"Jonathan!" Kennedy yelled as she looked around. They could hear him, but they couldn't see him. "Jonathan, we're right here!"  She screamed as she looked around.

Nancy ran, pulling Kennedy along. "Jonathan, where are you!?" The two girls stopped, out of breath as they looked around.

"Nancy," Kennedy mumbled. "Nancy we need to find another portal."

The brunette frowned. "What!?"

"Another thing like what we just found! If we listen to Jonathan maybe we can find the door!" Kennedy explained as she waved the golf club around. "Jonathan! Where are you!?"

"I'm right here! Nancy! Kennedy!" Jonathan could hear his screams, but he couldn't find them. Where the hell did they go? "Just follow my voice!"

Kennedy wrapped her hand in Nancy's, tugging the girl along. They stumbled through the woods, listening. Jonathan shouted for them both. Nancy gasped as she grabbed onto the Theroux. The creature snarled as it snapped its head in their direction. The two girls yelled as they began to run.

"Nancy, run!" The Wheeler slipped behind a slime filled tree, breathing heavily. The girls had no idea that Jonathan had stumbled onto another entrance into wherever they were, but he had. Nancy tilted her head to see Kennedy standing in the open, golf club in hand.

Kennedy clenched her jaw as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Was this a dumb idea? Yes. But was it the only idea Kennedy had to protect Nancy and Jonathan? Also yes.

"Hey, assface!" The creature growled as it turned in Kennedys direction. "Come and get me!"

Nancy gasped as the creature ran at the auburn-haired girl. Kennedy swung her golf club, causing the creature to fall a few feet back. Kennedy screamed, letting out all of her emotions. The creature jumped at her again, and she slammed the golf club into its head.

Jonathan could hear Kennedys screams as he kneeled in front of a tree with an open stump. "Nancy! Kennedy! Follow my voice!"

It was across the clearing. Nancy could see the portal. The only thing between her and it? Kennedy and the monster.

Kennedy looked over in realization. Kennedy clenched her jaw as she looked at the monster, which stood up. "Nancy, go!" The Wheeler sprinted as Kennedy swung her golf club again. The monster this time tackled Kennedy to the ground, the only thing keeping it away being the golf club in Kennedys hands.

Jonathan kneeled closer to the tree. He couldn't tell what he was looking at, much less hearing from inside the tree. Suddenly, a hand jumped out at him. Jonathan jumped back "Jonathan!" Nancy's voice came from the tree.

"Nancy!" He grabbed hold of the girls arm, pulling as hard as he good. His feet rested on either side of the tree, pushing hard. Nancy yelled and groaned as she pulled herself out of the hellish place she came from, falling into Jonathan with loud sobs.

"Kennedy!" Nancy screamed as she turned back to the tree. "No!"  The tree began today stitch itself together, the door to wherever Kennedy was disappearing once again. Nancy pushed herself off the ground, running to the tree. "Kennedy!" She slammed her hands onto the tree, hoping it would open back up. She screamed and cried for the Theroux while Jonathan tried to understand what the hell just happened.

The Theroux girl screamed as the creature snarled. She pushed her golf club further into its face, feeling it's saliva drip to her cheek. This was it. Kennedy was going to die and she'd never find Will or Barb. She'd never get to tell Jonathan how she feels, and she'd never be able to tell Lucas, Dustin, and Mike about the portals to the Upside Down.

Jonathan and Nancy ran through the woods. They'd screamed as loud as they could for their friend. Her screams surrounded them. Where were they coming from?

Kennedy let out a final scream and kicked her leg out. The monster flew back and the auburn-haired girl widened her eyes in surprise. How the hell did she do that? Breathing heavily, Kennedy scrambled to her feet and began to ran in the direction of Jonathan and Nancy's screams.

"Here! Here!" Nancy shouted as she stumbled onto another tree stump. "Kennedy! We're right here!"

She ran. She could hear the monster snarling behind her but she never dared to look back. Kennedy kept her eyes on the tree in front of her. There was a door. This was her escape. Kennedy stumbled as she stood in front of the tree. She turned around, yelling as she threw the golf club.

Her eyes widened as the golf club went through the monsters shoulder. What the hell? How did that happen? Jonathan and Nancy's shouts caused the girl to kneel, crawling through another slimy portal in a tree.

Nancy grabbed onto Kennedys hand, her and Jonathan pulling the girl out as fast as they could. When Kennedys second arm came out, Jonathan grabbed it. Kennedy yelled as she broke through the portal, landing on the ground harshly. A cluster of arms wrapped around each other as Nancy cried wildly as Kennedy gasped for air.

"Holy shit!" Jonathan breathed out as he looked between the two girls. "What the hell just happened?"

Kennedy clutched onto the two tighter, her and Nancy covered in slime from the other dimension. Her eyes screwed shut as she tried to breathe. She was alive. They were alive.

༺❀༻

Kennedy climbed out of Jonathan's car, slamming it shut. Jonathan was taking Nancy home, dropping Kennedy off first. Nancy begged Kennedy to come with her, but Kennedy refused. She wanted to be home alone. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and wake up to find out this was all a dream.

Kennedy felt numb. The visions of the deer and whatever she and Nancy saw in the woods replaying in her mind over and over again. The creature. The snarling mouth with rows and rows of teeth.

What were the chances Will and Barb were still alive?

The Theroux reached the end of her driveway, pausing at the sight of white and blue vans surrounding her house. She looked around in confusion, slowing down. HAWKINS POWER AND LIGHT. Well, Kennedys house certainly didn't have any light problems, she thought as she looked at the people walking out of her house.

"El said you're connected to the bad men. Maybe you have powers like her!" Mike suggested as he moved his hands, gesturing toward the girl in the wig.

"I think I'd know if I have powers, Mike." Kennedy countered as she rolled her eyes.

Mike shook his head. "Would you?" The teenage girl frowned in confusion. "You weren't with her and the bad men, were you? So maybe you never learned how to use your powers!"

The thought crossed Kennedys head as she stood at the end of her long driveway. She stared at her house and the dozens of people coming in and out wearing police-like outfits, your typical electric guy clothing. This wasn't normal. This wasn't real.

Maybe Eleven was right. Kennedy was connected to the bad men.

And they were right here.

"Hey! Stop right there!"

Kennedy's eyes widened as she dropped her bag, making a run for it. Ten or more men came running after her as she ran across the street and back into the woods. She felt her ankle hurting again as she tried to lose the flashing lights and the shouting figures.

The woods towered over her like something she never experienced before. Like it was waiting to make her it's own again and take her away from Hawkins. Like it was going to send her back to that hellish world again.

Kennedy let out a cry of pain. Her ankle felt like it was splitting in two and she fell to the ground. Tears ran down her face as she could feel the flashlights all over her.

She turned around to see three men in SWAT team level uniforms. "No!" She shouted as she felt their hands grab her arms. She began to thrash around violently. "Get off! NO!"

A stinging sensation settled into her neck and Kennedy gasped. She snapped her head to see a fourth figure had snuck in and injected her with an unfamiliar liquid. The Theroux furrowed her brows together as she tried to fight. Her arms became heavy and her breathing slowed. The world began to spin. She had been drugged.

Kennedy tried her hardest to fight back, but it was no use. She mumbled and her words slurred as she was put onto a gurney, the men leading her out of the woods and towards an open van. She was strapped down, there was no escape.

There was a man inside she couldn't really focus on. Her vision was going in and out of focus and she felt exhaustion taking over her. The man leaned closer, smiling softly down at the teenage Theroux. "It's you. It's really you." He said in disbelief. Confusion surfaced Kennedy's mind but she was unable to move her face. She was unable to move anything. "You're finally home, Ten."

And suddenly, she was asleep.

༺❀༻

"Levels are stable. Blood pressure normal."

Bright lights were in Kennedys face when she became conscious. She squinted tightly and went to rub her eyes.

Her arms were tied down.

Alarms blared through Kennedys head as she tries to sit up. She couldn't. She was tied down to a metal doctor chair, strapped everywhere. She was also in different clothing. A hospital gown. She was clean and her hair was washed. There was something around her ankle where the blackened bruise was. Some ointment and some wrap.

Kennedy pulled against the restraints, looking around the empty white room. "Hey! Let me out of here!"

Silence was deafening. For once Kennedy wished she was with Steve Harrington listening to his horrible singing. She wished she had gone off with Nancy and Jonathan. She grunted as she tugged, feeling a stinging on her arm. She slowly turned her body, pausing as she looked at her left wrist. 010.

The metal door finally opened, and a man walked in. It was the man from before, Kennedy recalled. He had white hair and he was wearing a black suit. His hair was slicked back and he had a strange aura toward him. Something Kennedy was unfamiliar with.

"Hello, Kennedy." His tone was soft, almost kind. Kennedy said nothing  as he stood on her left, looking around at all of the machines and liquids and other objects in the room. "You must have a lot of questions, but I thought I'd introduce myself first."

"I just want to go home."

The man clenched his jaw. He didn't like that. He sighed as he looked at the girl. "That's what you don't understand. That place was never your home." Kennedy frowned as the man began to pace the room, sometimes leaving her sight. "My name is Dr. Martin Brenner. But you were supposed to call me Papa." Kennedy felt chills run down her spine. "And your name wasn't Kennedy." Dr. Brenner stared down at Kennedy. "It was Ten."

Kennedy felt her stomach sink. She struggled to pull on her restraints once more. "But your grandfather, he wasn't very good at keeping his word. So, he stole you from me. From your home." Kennedy looked around the room. She was in a laboratory. The room was white tiles except for the mirror next to the door. "He broke his promise to us. He lied." Dr. Brenner sighed, running his hand over his face. "He told me you were dead. That nobody should be as strong as you." Kennedy flinched as Dr. Brenner stepped closer, "And yet, here you are. In front of me. My sweet darling Ten."

"What are you talking about?" She hissed, glaring the old man down. "My grandpa died!"

"He died because he was a lying traitor." Dr. Brenner snapped, causing Kennedy to freeze. He stood up straight, brushing off his suit. "I thought you were dead. My darling number Ten. Forever lost to the world that simply wasn't ready. I grieved you for years, hoping you'd come back." Kennedy was silent. The man paced. Nothing made sense anymore. Kennedy didn't understand. "And then I realized, I had to avenge the daughter I lost. So, when the next child came along, he became Ten. Then there was Eleven" He fell silent, his hand resting on the table Kennedy was on.

Kennedy tried to avoid his gaze, but there was no use. Dr. Brenner continued to talk. "Your parents were part of my program. Testing things. Trying to create something more powerful than human." Kennedy thought about Eleven, the girl with superpowers. "You were the subject for a substance I haven't had successful results with since. Something stronger, more powerful."

"I'm not strong," Kennedy whispered softly.

She flinched as his hand grazed her cheek. "That's where you're wrong. You just never learned." He crooned as he looked at the teenage girl. "But here? Here you can be powerful. Stronger than before." Kennedy looked at the wall in front of her, wondering what the hell she was dragged into.  She felt a tear roll down her cheek as Dr. Brenner turned away from her. He began approaching the door. "All we need to do is trigger your powers."

Her eyes widened as he began to exit the room. "No, wait! Please! Don't leave me here!" She pleaded as she tried to pull against the restraints. She grunted and tugged, before letting out a loud scream. Her limbs burned as her skin dug into the leather straps. She fell back, breathing heavily.

Did anybody know she was gone? How long would it be until they did? Would Nancy and Jonathan just think she was taken by the creature in the woods? Kennedy had no idea.

But they did.

Nancy and Jonathan drove to pick up Kennedy that morning. Nancy sat up straight in the passenger seat. "Jonathan, look."

Jonathan stomped on the breaks, pausing at the sight of Kennedy's bag and flashlight. They didn't notice the tire tracks (or didn't think anything of it), but they noticed the skid marks of foot prints. They looked in the direction of the woods, realizing what they think happened. The monster from the woods has found her. So, the two drove into town to get supplies. They also called the authorities, reporting Kennedy missing.

Dustin and Mike biked to the Theroux house that day too. After there was a huge fight that resulted in Lucas going to find Will on his own while Dustin and Mike went to find Eleven and Will, they tried to get Kennedy's help.

Dustin and Mike stared down at the backpack. "What do you think happened?" Asked Dustin, looking at Kennedy's things and the skidded footprints Nancy and Jonathan found.

"Look," Mike and Dustin walked up the dirt driveway, looking at the tire tracks everywhere. They were in the driveway, in the yard, and Kennedy's front door was broken. "What if it was the bad men?"

"Meaning they found Kennedy?" Dustin asked in worry as he looked at the youngest Wheeler. Mike shrugged, the two of them looking at the tire tracks.

The police came soon after, however, there was no sign of Jim Hopper. He was with Joyce, talking to a woman who was connected to Hawkins Lab.

So, in Kennedy's luck, the entire town knew Kennedy Theroux was missing by lunch. But nobody knew where the hell she was.

༺❀༻

Nancy never wished she had Kennedy by her side more than at this moment.

She stared up at the movie theater sign, reading STARRING NANCY THE SLUT WHEELER spray painted onto the building. Tears brimmed her eyes as she stared up in disbelief. If Kennedy was here, the Theroux would kick the ass of whoever did it.

But it didn't take much for Nancy to figure it out.

Tommy Hagan, Carol Perkins, a redhead named Nicole, and Steve Harrington were spray painting the side of the building. Nancy stormed forward with tears in her eyes. Carol smiled wickedly. "Aw, hey there, princess!"

"Uh-oh! She looks upset." Tommy teased. Nancy stopped walking in front of Steve. He had an unreadable look on his face, but Nancy didn't care. She snarled as she slapped the Harrington boy across the face.

"What is wrong with you?" She snapped.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Steve shot back. Nancy shook her head in confusion. "I was worried about you. I can't believe that I was actually worried about you." Steve scoffed as he looked away.

Nancy threw her hand up, "What are you talking about?"

"I wouldn't lie if I were you." Carol hummed as she stepped forward. "You don't want to be known as the lying slut now, do you?"

Jonathan Byers came around the corner, walking into the conversation. "Speak of the devil." Tommy chimed as he hopped off the step. Tommy had just spraypainted BYERS IS A PERV on the building.

Nancy rolled her eyes. "You came by last night?"

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Does she get a prize?"

"Look, I don't know what you think you saw, but it wasn't like that." Nancy said honestly. Jonathan had spent the night at Nancy's, but they barely spoke. Nancy had let Jonathan sleep in her bed but they were on the separate sides. What the hell did Steve see?

Steve looked over Nancy's head at the Byers boy. "What, you just let him into your room to... study?"

"Or for another pervy photo session?"

The group laughed, and Nancy rolled her eyes. "We were just,"

"You were just what? Finish that sentence." Steve told the brunette. Nancy didn't know what to say. She couldn't say Jonathan and her had just dealt with a monster in the woods with Kennedy. Steve stepped closer, his eyes darkening and his voice getting lower. "Finish the sentence." Nancy didn't look at Steve. She couldn't make up a lie he would believe, and she couldn't tell the truth either. "Go to hell, Nancy."

Steve turned away from the Wheeler. "Come on, Nancy, let's just leave. We have to find Kennedy," Jonathan called out, trying to get Nancy away from Kennedy's group of asshole friends.

"You know what, Byers? I'm actually kind of impressed." Steve turned back, starting to shove Jonathan. "I mean, you got Nancy Wheeler and you got Kennedy Theroux? I always took you for a queer, but I guess you're just a little screw-up like your father." Shove. Shove. Shove. Jonathan and Nancy kept walking. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, that house is full of screw-ups. You know, I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. A bunch of screw-ups in your family."

Nancy turned to see Jonathan had stopped walking. "Jonathan, leave it." She sneered through gritted teeth.

"I mean, your mom," Steve threw up his arm. "I'm not even surprised what happened to your brother."

"Steve, shut up!"

Jonathan stared at the ground. "I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell you, but the Byers, their family, it's a disgrace to the entire-" Steve shoved Jonathan again. This time, Jonathan whipped around and punched Steve square in the face. Steve fell into a pipe to the side while Carol, Tommy, and Nicole jumped back. Steve turned to Jonathan, and all hell broke loose.

The two wrestled before Steve got Jonathan on the ground. Nancy tried her hardest to stop them, but Tommy kept egging them on. Jonathan punched Steve in the face again as he stood up. Tommy moved to step in, but Steve shoved the Hagan boy out. Jonathan went to throw another punch, which Steve ducked. The Harrington hit Jonathan but was hit back right away.

"Jonathan, stop! Stop, you're gonna hurt him!"

Punch. Steve Harrington fell to the gravel. Nancy shouted in protest as the sounds of sirens filled the air. Jonathan couldn't think straight. He couldn't stop. He just kept hitting him. When the cop swerved into the alley Carol and Nicole made a run for it. Tommy and Nancy tried to get Jonathan off, but they couldn't.

The cop grabbed Jonathan, who elbowed him back. The two cops pried the Byers off of Steve. Nancy looked at Tommy and Steve as they stumbled up. "Kennedy is missing!" Nancy shouted with tears in her eyes. "And all you care about is spray painting the town and fighting Jonathan!?"

Steve stumbled, looking at the Wheeler with a shocked expression. "Kennedy's what?" Before Nancy could answer, one of the cops came towards Steve and Tommy. The two teenage boys made a run for it, and Nancy stayed back with Jonathan.

Meanwhile, Jim Hopper climbed into his car with Joyce. The two of them talk about finding Will and the woman, Terry, whose family had been searching for her daughter for twelve years.

"Hey, Chief, you there?"Officer Callahan's voice came through the radio. Hopper and Joyce shared looks. "Hey, Chief?"

Hopper grabbed the speaker, "Yeah, go ahead."

"Yeah, a fight broke out here and—"

"Cal, I don't have time for this." Hopper tried to interject.

"It's Jonathan Byers." Hopper and Joyce shared looks of shock. "And uh, there's something else. Something big."

A sinking feeling sunk into Joyce's stomach. Hopper clenched his jaw. "What is it?"

"Kennedy Theroux is missing."

What a freaking shit show.

༺❀༻

Kennedy looked at the window in front of her. Okay, it was actually a mirror, but she new Dr. Brenner and whoever he worked with were standing on the other side. A two-way mirror that she had seen in movies. They were watching her, waiting. She didn't do anything. She stared right back at her own reflection, blinking when her eyes burned.

Every part of her ached. She itched to get out of here, but she didn't know how. She hadn't seen any of the labs outside of this room and she had no idea what the securities were like and where the nearest exit was. What floor was she on? Where were the nearest stairs? What about the elevators?

Kennedy wanted to cry, but it was like she couldn't. There were no tears anymore. She felt nothing. Completely numb. Like the world could swallow her whole and she'd never bat an eye. She lost track of time. She counted to 2,579 before she started to lose count. That was a while ago.

The door finally opened again. But instead of Dr. Brenner, it was a set of doctors and nurses. All male. She watched as they brought in equipment and injections. Kennedy tensed up, the sound of an intercom causing her to look up.

"Don't be afraid, Kennedy. This is all apart of the process."

Like hell it is.

Kennedy struggled as she tried to pull away. "Get away from me!" She screamed as she craned her head away. The nurses began to hold her down as the doctors began preparing their utensils. She reached up to bite a nurse's arm, trying anything she could to get away.

Arms wrapped around her like vines. her burning throat screams. Her pale arms tugged against their grip. She wanted out. She wanted to get away. The needles in her skin caused her to screech out in pain. The man stood on the other side of a two-way mirror, watching as the girl flailed and pulled. Fingers wrapped around her wrists. Hands held down her legs. Leather burned into her skin. The beeping of machines echoed in her ears. Bright lights in her face and needles in her arm. She was going to die. These people were going to kill her.

Suddenly, she snapped.

A scream echoed throughout the room and the lights around began to burst. Nurses and doctors ducked quickly, some shouting in pain. Dr. Brenner stood up straight as he watched from the other side of the mirror. Kennedy snapped her head up, and a smile etched onto his face as he realized they didn't have to do a thing. She just needed a final push.

A doctor's eyes widened in fear as he looked at the teenage girl. Her eyes. They weren't hazel anymore. They were yellow. She bared her teeth, which were now fangs and he looked at her hands. They were balled into fists, blood dripping onto the table. She had claws.

What the hell?

Kennedy let out a growl as she tugged on the leather. SNAP. SNAP. SNAP. The doctor screamed as the teenage girl lunged at him swinging her claws through his throat.

Nurses ran for the door, but it was no use. Kennedy Theroux grabbed them by their throats, slashed through their chests, and threw them into the equipment. She was animalistic. Her mind rushed as the world around her changed. She could see. Kennedy always had a decent vision, but this was different. She could see everything. Her hearing. She could hear the sounds of rushing staff on the other side of the door. She could hear the heartbeats of all the people in this room. She could smell the blood dripping from her hands as she snarled.

She wasn't human anymore.

A nurse lunged at the girl from behind. Kennedy whipped around, grabbing his wrist which held an injection. She growled, breaking the mans arm and shoving the needle into his throat. The man fell to the ground, and silence filled the room. Kennedy slowly turned around, staring at herself in the mirror.

Blood was everywhere.

Kennedy's blood-stained face stared at her reflection. Dr. Brenner stood on the other side in amazement. For a moment, he wanted to congratulate her. His smile soon fell as she raised her fist, colliding it with the mirror. His security began dragging him off, knowing it would only be a matter of time until the mirror no longer withstood her strength.

"Don't hurt her! I want her alive!"

The glass shattered and Dr. Brenner stumbled. He watched as a figure leaped into the hall, swinging her claws through the air. He was rushed out of there, the screams of his employees becoming silent as the door closed.

They swung their weapons but were unsuccessful. Kennedy slashed through them like they were nothing, slamming heads into the ground and kicking unconscious bodies into walls. Her hospital gown was stained with blood and was cut up from the glass.

She had to get out of here.

Kennedy snapped her head to an elevator. She could hear another hoard of men coming, this time with tranquilizer darts. They were coming from behind, but she had enough time to make it to the elevator.

Glass cut her feet as she ran. The elevator opened as she heard shouts. She threw herself inside, leaning against the back wall as ten to fifteen men rounded the corner. They shouted as they aimed their guns, shooting their darts. Kennedy ducked and slid out of the way, hiding behind the closing elevator.

Kennedy sighed as she felt her eyes turn hazel. She looked at her hands. She had nails again. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she thought about what she did. All of her animal instincts sank into her like the secret it was. She just killed people. She just became a monster. Kennedy breathed heavily as she waited for the elevator door to open. She didn't know what would be on the other side, but she didn't care.

Hawkins lab swarmed with men trying to find the girl. Many of them waited outside the elevator, waiting for it to open. When it did, they fired their tranquilizer darts before shouting.

"She's not here!"

The elevator was empty.

The five men stepped into the elevator, looking for any sign of the teenage girl. One of them spun around as the elevator made a sound, and the doors began to close. They watched as a figure slipped through. Kennedy jumped from the ceiling and through the closing doors. They shouted in protest, but the teenage girl gave a gentle smile and waved.

The elevator door closed and Kennedy could hear more men coming. How was she able to do that? The auburn-haired girl whipped her head around as she ran to the exit. She growled as a guard tried to stop her, and she flung him back.

Gunshots rang through the air, and Kennedy ran. Her bloodied feet carried her as fast as they could. She looked down into the grass, scrunching her nose at the sight of a drain pipe. She ducked flying bullets as she crawled inside, rocks digging at her feet.

On the other side of the building, Lucas Sinclair watches from afar as military cars begin to speed out of the laboratory. Through his binoculars, he sees multiple white and blue vans. HAWKINS POWER AND LIGHT. Lucas had been seeing them all over town, and only now did he realize those vans weren't for a power and light company at all. It was for the lab. The bad men.

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