A//N: I was following along with the show as I wrote and I paused it at the perfect moment ^^^ Anyways, if you're wondering why Troy keeps using the same insult for reader, it's only to keep things neutral as possible, to not make any assumptions about you. That and Troy's got a tiny brain 😜

|| 𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐎𝐕 ||

"She was part of some study in college."

Becky, who had now properly introduced herself to the duo, was sitting at the kitchen table with Joyce and Hopper. Her sister Terry, still in the adjoining room.

"MK Ultra?" Hopper had remembered the name popping up several times on the many newspaper clippings and articles they had at their disposal.

"Yeah, that's the one." Becky said bleakly, taking a puff of her cigarette and then quickly exhaled.

"Was, uh, started in the '50s. By the time Terry got involved, it was supposed to be ramping down, but the drugs just got crazier. Messed her up good."

Hopper remained leaning back in his chair, a concentrated frown stuck in his features.

"This was the CIA that ran this?"

Becky smiled and softly chucked, motioning to the man slightly. "You and Terry would've gotten along. 'The Man,' with a big capital 'M'. They'd pay... you know, a couple hundred bucks to people like my sister, give 'em drugs, psychedelics. LSD, mostly."

As Becky spoke, Hopper and Joyce shared an equally concerned look.

"And then they'd strip her naked and put her in these isolation tanks."

Joyce frowned. "Isolation tanks?"

"Yeah. These big bathtubs, basically, filled with salt water, so you can float around in there." She made subtle swaying motions with her hand as she spoke. "You lose any sense of, uh... sense and feel nothing, see nothing. They wanted to expand the boundaries of the mind. Real hippie crap."

Joyce was still hanging onto every word with a genuine look of concern.

"I... I mean, it's not like they were forcing her to do any of this stuff. The thing is, though, is that she didn't know she was pregnant at the time."

"Jane." Joyce said in immediate understanding.

Becky nodded and took another puff of her cigarette.

Joyce sighed in amazement, before asking.

"Do you have any pictures of her?"

Becky gave the two an odd look.

"I don't think you guys understand. Terry miscarried in the third trimester."

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"She keeps all of this up. Been doing it for 12 years." Becky had just led the two into the untouched nursery at the end of the hallway. She took a seat on the arm of the chair in the corner of the room as Joyce and Hopper came in and examined everything with great curiosity.

"Terry, uh, pretends like Jane is real,"

Hopper approaches the hanging mobile and gives it a light touch sending it spinning slowly and triggering the mechanics so now it plays a haunting lullaby.

"like she's gonna come home someday."

The mobile continues playing the lullaby as Becky speaks, giving the atmosphere a chilling tone.

"Says she special. Born with 'abilities'"

《•••》

Eleven stood to her feet and before they could close the steel door, she threw it open in a fit of rage, her attention quickly shifting to one of the men doing this to her. In the very next instant, his back was thrown into the ceramic just behind him. His limp body slipped to the floor, leaving a large hole in the tile.

《•••》

"Abilities?" Joyce contorted her face in confusion and surprise.

Becky looked to Joyce as she exhaled the smoke that previously resided in her lungs.

《•••》

The second man spared a second to look before turning to her to try and restrain her.

Before he could even step foot in the room, he was dead on floor, his neck snapped. All with the flick of her head.

《•••》

"You read any Stephen King?" Becky quipped.

《•••》

The cat began snarling, and it quickly turned to whimpers of pain. Eleven was freely crying now as she looked between the frightened cat and Papa. She gave one final look at the cat before yanking the wires off her head in defeat.

《•••》

Hopper shifted uncomfortably and looked to Joyce who looked equally unsettled.

Becky chuckles.

"You guys look scared, actually."
She laughed once more before shaking her head slightly. "I mean, it's all make-believe,"

Joyce clears her throat uncomfortably, trying to regain her composure.

"What... what kind of abilities?"

Becky stares off into space as she recalls the claims made by her sister and begins listing them off casually.

"Telepathy, telekinesis..."

《•••》

A shrill shriek erupts from Eleven's throat and Lucas Sinclair is thrown back into the air. His body slides a few feet on the ground until it crashes into a nearby piece scrap metal knocking him unconscious.

《•••》

"You know, shit you can do with your mind. That's why the big, bad Man stole Jane away."

《•••》

"Papa!" She screamed her throat raw as the men dragged her away, yet as always Papa did nothing.

《•••》

"Her baby's a weapon, off fighting the commies. You know, the doctor's all say it's a coping mechanism. You know, to deal with the guilt. Hell, she even believes that she still could have done something. Shortly before she got, you know pretty bad, she started muttering about, uh, something about how there was more she could have done."

Becky frowned as she recalled the memory and seeing her sister so frantic.

Hopper frowned at this, silently encouraging her to continue.

Becky shrugged.

"According to Terry, there was another woman like her. You know, who was pregnant during all the experiments. I don't know what happened, or if it was even true, but she seemed pretty convinced. Said this woman had her baby and even got him out somehow."

Hopper perked up at this, recalling the many mentions of the "missing experiment" and wondered if there was any connection.

"Are you saying there was another kid?"

"According to Terry. You couldn't convince her otherwise if you had tried." A sympathetic smile crossed Becky's face as she recalled the memory.

"She would go on about all the whispers she'd claimed to have heard. Apparently the woman had her baby but got away before they could take 'em, and only the child supposedly survived. This baby by the way, who was supposed to have some sorta," Becky's face scrunched up in distaste as she told the made up stories of her sister, clearly uncomfortable with the idea and she made big gestures with her hands.

"'untapped potential for the greater good'. Some real messed up pseudoscience shit and when he supposedly 'got away' the big, bad Man did not like it. So he killed the woman, and they were comin' for Jane next. And the rest, well," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, do you think there is any chance she could have been telling the truth?"

Becky only gave her a look.

"About having had Jane, at least. Or even the other woman?" Joyce stammered.

"Well, as far the possibility of another woman being pregnant during all that isn't exactly impossible given it happened to Terry so I never really ruled that possibility out I guess, but as far as Jane? There is no birth certificate, nothing from the hospital. Doctors and nurses all confirm that she miscarried."

Hopper who had very seriously been contemplating all this finely spoke up.

"Yeah, but that could've been covered up. Right?"

Becky smiled and shook her head.

"Like I said, you and Terry would've gotten along."

|| 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕 ||

"El!"

"Eleven!"

"Eleven!"

"El!"

"El!"

Dustin, Mike and I had been wandering around the woods by Mirkwood for almost an half and hour now. My fingers were beginning to hurt from the brisk icy air. I was clutching the handles of my bike as I walked it through the woods.

"El?" I called desperately.

No answer, of course.

I stiffen when I hear a twig snap in the distance. Thankfully, I wasn't the only one who heard it.

"Hey, stop. Do you hear that?" Mike said lowering his voice.

"What?" Dustin asked quietly.

We were all standing still, until Mike began turning around, attempting to project his voice as far as he could.

"El!"

Nothing.

"El?"

"Shit." I began backing away on instinct when I see the all too familiar pair of bullies quickly approaching us.

They looked mad. Troy, specifically. He had his hood over his head as he charged up the small hill into view.

"Hey, there, Frogface. Toothless. And who could forget this little freak." Troy hissed, whipping out his pocket knife.

"Shit! Run, guys, run!" Dustin shouted, throwing his bike to the ground.

"Run! Come on!"

I quickly followed suit and the three of us dashed off into the woods. I was going as fast as my legs could possibly carry me.

Never stopping, I spared a glance behind me only to lock eyes with Troy. The look in his eyes terrified me. "You're dead, Henderson!"

I whipped my head forward and I put everything I had into going faster.

"Run, Y/n, come on!" Dustin yelled.

Soon enough, I felt my legs turn to led and my lungs were bone dry. Mike was now in lead.

We made it to the quarry when Dustin began slowing down and let out a gasp of pain.

"Cramp!" He exclaimed, clutching his side.

"Just keep going!" Mike called over his shoulder.

He continued running but he let out a groan.

"Keep going!"

Troy was right on our heels, just when we thought we might lose him we saw his goon round the corner in front us.

This is it. We're trapped.

We all shared the same thought and picked up the closest thing to ourselves and held them up as weapons.

Dustin grabbed a rather sharp stick and Mike grabbed a large stone.

With little to no options left I decided to take a page out of Dustin's book. Only there were no more sticks so I grabbed a nearby tree branch.

It was thin and relatively small for a branch but it would have to work nonetheless. Instinctively, I grab it by both hands and snap it half using my leg. Casting aside the weaker piece, left me with a now very sharp make shift spear.

I grasped the "spear" with both hands and held it out in front of myself protectively.

"Stay back." I seethe.

Troy didn't listen and stepped closer.

"I SAID STAY BACK!"

I saw him flinch. I smiled very slightly to myself, proud that I had intimated him for once.

They began circling us like vultures.

"Don't come any closer!" Mike yelled.

I had an eye on Troy who was just as focused on me. I didn't trust him enough to look away.

Yet, upon hearing a grunt and the clatter of the stone, I was worried Mike or Dustin got hurt and out of instinct I looked.

"Nice throw, numbnuts."

Mike had thrown the stone but missed-

I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and I collapsed to the ground.

"Y/n!?"

I groaned and I tried sitting up but my vision was blurry and moving seemed like an impossible feat. I groan in pain and I seemed to drift in and out of consciousness, unable to do anything.

I thought I heard my name called a few times and I could have sworn that I felt a pair of hands trying to shake me awake. I only groaned and put all my energy into opening my eyes but then I saw it.

The rock that hit me. It was slightly larger than my fist and and it was it had a few splatters of blood. The sight weakened me and I groaned and rolled over on my side. My left arm became a pillow for my bleeding head.

The next thing I heard was yelling. I could tell it was from Dustin.

"YOU SON OF BITCH!"

He then let out and a fierce scream and then I heard the sound of scuffling.

I wanted to do something, but I was still too dizzy.

"Get off! Get off me! Don't hurt him!"

I gathered all the strength I could muster and looked up to my brother. That bastard. He had my brother.

He was holding my brother hostage with his knife to his throat.

"G-Get away from-!" I began to stand up only for my knees to buckle and I tripped over my own two feet and stumbled to the ground once more.

This time I could feel the sting of the gravel digging into my palms and all the blood rush to my head.

It was too much for me and I couldn't stop my self from slipping into unconsciousness.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"Dentist's office opens in five!"

'What?'

My limbs felt like they were made of lead, even my eyelids were heavy. They felt impossible to open.

I made out distorted shouts.

"Four!"

Whatever is happening I know it's bad.

"Three!"

'Come on, wake up!'

"Two!"

My eyes began to flutter open.

"Mike!"

I made out Mike's figuring standing on a ledge. Why was he looking like he was gonna-

Shit.

'What the hell? No! No, you idiot, no!'

Putting everything I had I sat up, my vision slowly but surely returning as well as my strength.

"Mike-!" I said weakly.

"One!"

But it was too late. In once swift motion he stepped off the ledge and disappeared.

"Mike!" I cried out.

Three boys looked shocked, and ran to the ledge.

'No. No! No he- No! What the hell happened?! How did everything go so wrong so quickly?'

I choked on a sob, which made my head throb. But I didn't care.

Now I really felt nauseous.

I placed both my hands over my mouth and the familair sting returned to my eyes.

"Holy shit." Dustin said.

I sniffled and looked to the boys. Why weren't they freaking out more?

That's when I heard it. It was Mike.

It was distant, but it was Mike.

I wanted to say something but I was till in shock. I didn't know where to begin.

'Is it Mike? Is he okay? Why did he jump? Why aren't you guys freaking out?'

I wanted to say all those thing but nothing came out.

My heart leapt when I heard him shriek and for a second I thought he might be falling again but then...

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!"

I couldn't believe what happened next. But sure enough, there he was.

Floating upside down, up and over the cliff before landing safely on the ground behind me.

I stared in shock.

We all did.

"Am I still unconscious?" I wondered aloud.

Naturally, Mike was just as confused as we were, he wore the same expression as I did when he made eye contact with me.

But then all my questions were answered when Mike's gaze shifting behind me.

There she was in all her glory.

Eleven.

She had abandoned the wig but remained in the same old dress and jacket Mike had given her. Only now they were covered in dirt, as was her face.

Her head was tilted down and she stormed up to the group.

A huge grin found it's way onto my face and an excited and relieved laugh left my mouth as she approached us.

James and Troy began stomping towards her when suddenly, without warning James was knocked back with incredible force.

I looked to El knowing it was her doing, then suddenly she flicked her head to the side and I heard a rather disgusting snap followed by Troy crying out in pain.

He clutched his right arm and dropped his knife in the process.

I felt an arm extend itself to me. It was Dustin, who was helping me stand up. I gladly took his arm and wobbled to my feet.

"She broke my arm! My arm!"

"Serves you right asshole," I spit.

Quite literally in fact. I spit in his direction making sure he caught the gesture.

He was too busy being afraid to retaliate and he looked to El, cowering.

"Go." She stated threateningly.

"Let's get of here! Let's go!" Troy screamed.

James was quick to follow. "Go!"

Dustin left my side and chased after them, taking the opportunity to taunt them which I rather enjoyed seeing.

"Yeah, that's right! You better run!"

Me and Mike look gleefully at one another.

"She's our friend and she's crazy! You come back here and she'll kill you! You hear me? She'll kill you, you sons of bitches! She'll kill you, you hear me?"

I looked to El happily when I noticed she looked rather pale. Suddenly she collapsed.

We all surrounded her, worriedly.

"El, you alright?" I asked.

"El?"

She made eye contact with Mike and began sobbing.

"Mike... I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What are you sorry for?"

She choked back another sob.

I frowned and hissed in pain slightly. My hand went to the back of my head, silently inspecting the wound as I listened to El.

"The gate... I opened it. I'm the monster."

My hand left my wound, and I felt another wave of dizziness wash over me and I knelt down on the ground. Not wanting to interrupt her but also avoiding the possibility of falling over.

"No. No, El, you're not the monster. You saved me. Do you understand? You saved me."

Mike pulled her up and into a hug. I smiled at the sight and leaned in joining hug.

Normally I would let them have their moment but given that Mike was almost just killed and things could have been a lot worse, I didn't care and went in for it. Dustin apparently had the same idea and I felt his arms wrap around me and Mike and El.

And we stayed like that for as long as we could.

In that moment we were just four friends who were lucky enough to have found each other.

And thank god we did.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Eventually of course, we got up and decided to grab out bikes and make our way to the gate.

And hopefully find Lucas and convince him to help.

I feel awful for letting him go alone.

Once again, Dustin helped me to my feet to which I thanked him for.

I gave a reassuring smile to my brother. But his face contorted in shock and worry as he looked at me.

"Y/n, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

I frowned, tracing my fingers around my cheeks in confusion.

Dustin seemed to think different about it and shook his head dismissing the thought.

I shrugged.

"I'll be fine. I'll have to be, finding Will and getting Lucas back is more important. Which is why we need to get moving. Come on, we better hurry if we want to get a head start. We still have to get our bikes back." I said, leading the way back from where we were chased.

I didn't want to show them how uncomfortable I was. I didn't want to show weakness so I trek on.

Despite the tingling sensation I felt throughout my entire body, and the sense of dizziness that had made it's return once more.

'I'm not and an idiot. I know that weird, unexplainable things have been happening to me but I honestly have no idea how to process all this so for now, all I can afford to worry about is Will.'

That's all that matters now.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

We eventually found our bikes and were currently returning from the woods through one of the park fences.

We were all walking our bikes across the patch of grass, save for El of course, when I felt the familiar sense of being watched returned for the second time today.

Only this time, it put me on edge and left me paranoid.

At the risk of worrying the group, I kept this to myself.

Oh, what a mistake that was.