I'm so glad you guys like the story so far! It's only going to get more depressing so fasten your seatbelts. -An Unknown Stranger.
Eleven awoke with blurry vision and an immense headache. Through her unclear vision she could partially recognize the distinct white walls surrounding her and the bed she was strapped to. She was face up so that she stared at the ceiling. As her vision cleared she began to feel pain not only from her head but also her wrists.
The numbing of her body from the sedative weakened and she immediately wished it hadn't. She moved her wrists slightly and cried out in pain. Several needles embedded themselves, each going through a different part of her wrists that were strapped down.
"Help!" She screamed as she tried to free herself.
"Screaming will not help. No one can find you Eleven." An all too familiar voice spoke.
She turned her head quickly with eyes full of fear. She shook her head as tears fell down her cheeks. "You died..." she choked out.
He smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "I am very much alive my dear." Brenner sighed as he walked around her.
She noticed a woman by his side in a white lab coat holding a clipboard. "It took a long time to find you. Well not really I guess. We found you about a year after you closed the gate. We have patiently been observing you and those close to you." He smiled.
"Leave them out of this...I'm here." She begged. She still wondered why he was in no hurry to capture her after she closed the gate almost five years ago.
"That depends how well you cooperate." He smiled and looked to the men surrounding her.
One rolled in a cart with a metal box. The box held wires that connected to two metal disks and dials to measure voltage. She recognized the machine from her mother's visions years ago.
She shook in fear and began to try and free herself. "Your powers will not work. Those needles contain a serum to weaken you. It's best for you to cooperate Eleven." Brenner advised.
"Don't do this! Please!" She screamed.
Brenner looked to the man holding the disks and nodded. "Commence with the renewal." Brenner ordered.
The man turned up the dials and hovered the disks on each side of her head. Another man shoved a rubber piece in her mouth before giving a nod.
"No!" Her muffled screamed were cut short when he pressed the plates to the sides of her head.
The next thing she remembered was waking up in a cell. She was now in a grey jumpsuit and feeling a significant weight off her shoulders. She slowly reached up and felt the top of her head only to discover that it was significantly shorter. It measured to about three inches long, only a little longer than her old buzz cut.
She gripped her head and proceeded to press her forehead to the floor as she sobbed. After all these years of thinking she could escape her past, she found that she could not. She would have to relive it.
The memories of her life in the lab were vivid while she found others were foggy, the more recent ones to be exact. She couldn't remember what day it was or even what she had for breakfast. It was as if it had disappeared, it terrified her.
Lucas, Will, Dustin, and Max sat across from Mike as he sat in a chair with puffy eyes and a blank expression.
Hopper stood at the corner on the cabin with Joyce talking.
"I called Nancy and told her what happened. I figured I'd let him stay the night last night since it was so late. Apparently he told his mother he was having a sleepover with Dustin." Hopper scratched the back of his neck. "He hasn't slept all night. Neither of us have but...I just don't know where to start looking." Hopper's voice shook.
Joyce crossed her arms with a frown. "Where did you put the bodies?" She asked shakily.
"Outside, back behind the cabin." He scowled.
She nodded slowly.
"I am such an idiot. Of course they weren't gone for good. Where there's one roach there's two more." He shook his head.
"It's not your fault Hop." Joyce placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I keep telling him it's not his fault either. Hard not to think so when you could have been there to protect her." He frowned.
"She has shown that she can protect herself. She's probably on her way back as we speak." Joyce encouraged.
They grabbed her by her arms and dragged her down the halls. "Let me go!" She screamed.
If it weren't for the serum they weakened her with, she would have killed them and ran. But that was not the case, she was helpless, overcome with a numbness and fatigue that the serum had caused.
Soldiers slammed her down onto a metal table and began strapping her down. She felt the needles swiftly stab into her skin causing her to cry.
A man entered with a cart that held the same box. She immediately knew what it meant and begged for them to leave her alone.
Brenner entered with the woman that carried the clipboard. "This time give it a little longer. We need to speed up the process." Brenner ordered.
The man nodded and placed the metal plates on each side of her head. "Please...don't." She sobbed.
"This is for your own good, Eleven." Brenner replied firmly.
Another man shoved a rubber piece into her mouth. A strong electric current passed through her skull causing her to feel an unrelenting pain for several moments.
Once the machine was turned off she relaxed and stared up at the ceiling blankly. Brenner stepped forward and gripped her chin so she faced him. "What is your name?" He asked sternly.
"El...even." She replied weakly.
He nodded. "That's enough for today. Let her rest and we will continue tomorrow." Brenner informed those in the room.
They unstrapped her and pulled her up. They then loosely carried her back to her cell before tossing her in.
"Hello, earth to Mike." Dustin waved his hand.
Lucas shoved Dustin and shook his head.
"I had just seen her..." Mike whispered brokenly.
"She will kick their asses and come back. She's strong." Lucas said sternly.
Mike shook his head with pained tears running down his cheeks. "She's terrified of them..." he sniffled.
"She killed like ten of them." Max informed.
"If Brenner is alive she won't fight him. He manipulates her too much and has traumatized her." Mike argued.
"Brenner is dead." Will stated firmly.
Mike stood and approached Hopper quickly. They all watched him.
"What's the plan? Where are we looking first?" Mike asked him quickly.
"I don't know yet..." Hopper sighed.
He ran a hand through his hair. "You're the chief! Can't you check every fucking house if you wanted to?" He asked angrily.
"No I can't, because those things need-oh I don't know- warrants." Hopper shot back.
"Well I'm tired of standing around. I'm going to keep looking." Mike said as he grabbed his car keys. He left and made sure to slam the door on his way out.
Hopper pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Don't worry about him, he's emotional. I guess I would be too but I guess I have more hope than him." Dustin explained.
Before another word could be spoken the door was kicked open. Their eyes widened as Mike dragged a soldiers body into the cabin. "What the hell Mike?!" Hopper yelled.
Mike leaned the soldier against the couch. "He's still alive somehow, he was trying to leave." Mike informed.
The soldier weakly opened his eyes and began to cough painfully. The others surrounded him.
"Tell me where they took her or I'll kill you slowly." Mike threatened.
"Sh-She's as good as d-dead." He replied quietly.
Mike stood, grabbed a kitchen knife, and leaned back down. He pressed the knife to the soldiers chest and scowled. The others watched him nervously.
"Y-you can't do worse than that m-monster did to me." He spit.
Mike angrily shoved the knife deeply into the man. He yelled in pain until Mike pulled it away.
"Where is she?!" Mike asked angrily.
"I'm not telling. Her brain is already mush by now." He scowled.
Mike clenched his jaw and began to bring the knife forward. Hopper quickly grabbed his wrist. "You aren't a killer." Hopper stated firmly.
"No, he isn't, but she is. She will only continue to kill, hell she might even kill you. It's what she was made to do." The soldier explained sternly.
Mike stood and tossed the knife away. "You're wrong." He said before walking away.
Hopper stared at the soldier with a sternness. "You will tell me where my daughter is or you will rot in jail for the rest of your life." Hopper scowled.
"She will come to you." He sneered before quickly grabbing the knife and stabbing himself. They all stared in shock as his body relaxed and the life left his eyes.
"Damnit!" Mike yelled.
Hopper stood and looked to the floor. "She will come to you." What could that possibly mean.
Eleven pulled her knees to her chest as she sat in the corner of her cell. She closed to her and tried to focus on her memories. She refused to let Brenner take them away.
Her best memories consisted of Mike, Hopper, and her friends, while her worse were those of the lab and her interaction with the gate.
She worried about Mike and her father. She could only imagine how worried they currently were and what was going through their heads.
She wanted nothing more than to at least let them know what was alive. That may not be entirely true but nevertheless she knew it would keep Mike and Hopper from doing something reckless.
She looked to her wrists that were wrapped in gauze and noticed that her hands were shaking. She was afraid, not of death but not remembering. Losing herself would be truly frightening. Losing all memory of her Mike, her father, and her friends, was unthinkable.
She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on Mike. Even in her weak state she knew she had to somehow contact Mike. He was the one she always had a close connection with.
"Mike..." her voice cracked as she called for him.
Her hands continued to shake and sweat gathered at her brow. "Mike..." she cried.
Mike's eyes widened when he heard a clear, unmistakable, voice inside his head. "El?!" He replied with worry.
Everyone looked to him with confusion.
"What are you-"
"I heard her! She's in my head, I don't know how but-"
"Kid, slow down. El is powerful but not that powerful." Hopper frowned.
Mike approached him quickly with tearful eyes. "Her and I have a connection. You know that and you know I'm not crazy. El is alive." He stated firmly.
Hopper looked to the concerned eyes around the room. "What else is she telling you? Where is she?" Hopper asked worriedly.
Mike frowned. "She only said my name and now I don't feel her. I think she just wanted us to know she's alive." He explained.
Hopper nodded slowly. "We need to find where they took her then. Somehow..." he sighed.