"Mike," Nancy called desperately, scrambling to the edge of the cell. Instead of a solid wall, she found the same bars that blocked their exit. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out her little brother, curled into a ball in the back corner. At the sound of his name, his head perked up and he made his way towards Nancy and Jonathan.
"They took her," he said. "They took El. I don't know what they're planning on doing to her."
Nancy took her little brother's hand and squeezed it in hers. Her other hand found Jonathan's. "I'm sure that El is going to be just fine," she reassured, speaking both to her brother and to Jonathan. "They need her."
But as soon as she said that, a heart wrenching scream echoed through the dark hallways. It wasn't long or loud, but it was enough to tell them that it was El. Mike stiffened, gripping Nancy's hand tighter.
"Stop," El cried, her voice ragged and distant. "Please, stop."
Mike sniffled. "We have to do something," he begged, tears streaming down his face. Next to her, Nancy could feel Jonathan's heavy breathing as he listened to the sounds of his little sister's anguish.
"There's nothing that we can do," Nancy said, her own throat tight. She intertwined her fingers with Mike's and pulled Jonathan close to her. He buried his face in her shoulder.
Another wave of screams wracked their ears. Nancy wished she could somehow block the boys' ears so they didn't have to hear El's suffering anymore. Mike wrenched his hand from hers and scrambled to the door. "El," he screamed. "El, I'm here!"
"Mike," came the desperate, shrieking reply.
The boy clung to the bars, trying to force himself to the other side. "I'm here," he repeated, his cries breaking down into sobs. He crumpled to the floor of the cell, cradling his head in his hands.
Jonathan shuddered under Nancy's arms. She stroked his hair while calling out for Mike. "Come back," she pleaded, tears starting to fill her own eyes. "Mike, there's nothing we can do."
But Mike stayed slumped on the floor, his shoulders shaking. He pounded the floor with this fist, sending a dull metallic thud around the cells. Every breath he took seemed to trigger a convulsion across his entire body.
Finally, the distant screams came to a stop. Nancy looked up, not ready to believe that it was over. However, as the silent seconds ticked on, it seemed that Aleksandr had finally had his fill.
Jonathan sat up straight, still clutching Nancy's hand. "Is it done?" he asked, voice husky.
"It's done," she breathed.
She glanced towards Mike, still collapsed on the floor. "El," he murmured, barely understandable. "El."
Nancy had never seen her brother in a state like this. It was painful to look at, like she was intruding on a personal moment. "Mike," she called out again. "Please come back over here. It's over."
Slowly, the boy lifted himself up off the ground. He stood, shaky and unstable, and walked back to join the others.
Before he could reach them, though, the door to his cell was flung open. Standing in the frame was Aleksandr and a broken looking El. Her lip was bleeding, her eyes were dull, and everything about her screamed pain.
"You bastard," Mike shrieked, throwing himself towards Aleksandr. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you for what you did." He threw his fists against the man's chest, much the same way that he had when Hopper had revealed that he had kept El hidden. Except this time, there was no embrace.
The General let out a soft snort. "Adorable attempt," he conceded. "But that's all for now. Da svidaniya, Americans." He shoved El's back, throwing her into the cell.
Once the door was firmly shut, Mike rushed to her side. He sank to his knees, crying out in anguish. "Are you OK?" he whispered, pulling her onto her side. "What did he do to you?"
"Hurt," was all she could manage.
Jonathan pressed his face up to the bars separating their cells. "El, I'm here, too," he called. "Take it easy."
"Jonathan," El breathed. She took a deep inhale, then let it out. Soon, she appeared to be fast asleep.
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This one was hard to write. It's always difficult when characters you care about go through hard things, but this was especially sad. Especially seeing Mike's perspective. As always, it would be amazing if you could drop a quick review! Thanks for all the support!