Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.
Chapter 22: Edge of a Dream
A tall, well-dressed man with a shock of white hair stepped out from behind one of the control panels. After a moment of silence, he continued. "Well, don't just stand there. Come in and let me see you."
The kids looked at the man curiously. They had no idea who he was. That wasn't the case for El, though. She was frozen in fear.
"Hello, Eleven."
El opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
"El, who is that," Mike asked, his eyes darting suspiciously between her and the man. He had a feeling he already knew. If his gut was correct, he wanted to kill him.
"Oh, she's never mentioned me," the man replied, surprised yet cheerful. "Why, I'm her-"
"Papa," El whispered, the fear and anger rushing over her like waves.
That was all Mike needed to hear.
"You bastard!"
He lunged forward, ready to kill Brenner with his bare hands. His friends had just a bit more common sense than he had at the moment, however. They knew it would only end badly for him if he attacked such a dangerous, powerful man.
The group held Mike back, his arms flailing about as he tried to get past them and continued to shout curse words at Brenner – Brenner who, by the way, appeared to be completely bored with what was going on. He actually yawned and checked his watch as the kids finally got Mike under control.
Mike looked utterly defeated, but no less angry. "You're a fucking psycho, do you know that," he shouted, aiming to take one final shot at Brenner.
Brenner did actually begin to look a bit annoyed. "Are you quite finished, son?" His voice was low and quiet with a menacing undercurrent.
Mike glanced at his friends who shook their heads in a silent warning. He sighed loudly. "Yeah."
"Good," replied Brenner, cheering up instantly. "Well then, Eleven, come here. I want to get a better look at you."
"No."
The kids looked at El in surprise and amazement. She was amazed, too. For so long, she'd been terrified of Brenner – to be honest, she still was. But she had also done a lot of growing up in the year she'd been out of the lab.
Brenner laughed good-naturedly, but it was strained. He wasn't used to being told 'no.' "My, my…I see a lot has changed since you went away."
"Yes," she replied simply.
He began walking slowly towards the group. "Well, why don't you at least introduce me to your friends? I'd like to think that any friend of yours is a friend of mine."
Brenner was NOT their friend, but El didn't really see the harm in that. She glanced quickly at her friends, who shrugged and had other expressions of indifference on their faces.
El started down the line, pointing quickly at each friend. "Lucas, Dustin, Will, Max, and this is Mike."
Lucas and Dustin were stony-faced as they were introduced. Will suppressed a shiver. Even if El hadn't told them what had happened to her at the lab, Will still would have picked up on weird vibes. Of course, Max could always be counted upon to be fiery. She smiled and waved at Brenner merrily, then promptly turned her wave into a middle finger.
Mike, however…Brenner took careful notice of him. This boy was different. The way he was so protective of Eleven, willing to fight for her safety as evidenced by his dramatic little display earlier. The way they were carrying themselves – careful not to be too far away from each other. And of course, there was the fact that the two of them were holding hands.
He would have to file this information away in his head. It might be of use to him later.
"Well, kids, I'm so happy to meet you," Brenner said, walking along the line of them. He stopped deliberately in front of Mike, fixing him with a pointed stare. "It's always nice to have wonderful friends in our lives."
Mike knew what Brenner was doing. He was trying to flex, have a pissing match, and belittle him. But Brenner would have to try a little harder if he wanted to scare Mike.
Mike pissed right back.
"Oh, actually, I'm her boyfriend," he said, raising their joined hands in Brenner's face. See, he thought to himself. Suck on that, you smug bastard.
Brenner wasn't expecting Mike to actually push back like that. Once again, he smiled his brittle fake smile. "Well, well, you really have grown up, Eleven."
She didn't really know what to say to that, settling on a simple, "Thanks." Though it came out sounding a bit more like a question.
They all stood awkwardly in silence for a moment, broken only by the sudden clap of Brenner's hands. "Well, come in! Let me show you kids around. Eleven, I'm sure most everything in here is familiar to you, though it's changed a bit since you were here last."
"Yeah, like the giant hole in the wall," Max muttered quietly.
Brenner either heard Max and ignored her or didn't hear her at all. He continued.
"The area we're in now hasn't really changed much. It's always been a control area. Only now, we've got a glass wall around us." He laughed lightly, though the kids couldn't see what was so funny about that.
"The glass is six inches thick and bulletproof – totally impenetrable. Totally monster-proof," he said with another little laugh.
A shiver ran down their spines. "Monster-proof," Dustin asked warily.
"Oh yes," replied Brenner with a gleam in his eyes. "Our Eleven did quite a number last year – opening up a portal to another dimension and letting a murderous creature loose. It was all very traumatic. Some of my staff were killed by this thing."
If Brenner thought El's friends didn't know about what happened to her, he was wrong. If Brenner thought that El's friends were going to turn against her or blame her for opening the gate, he was also wrong.
El had been trying so hard not to let what happen last year bother her. Hopper and her friends had insisted that none of it had been her fault. But it was difficult to keep that at the forefront of her mind when the first father figure she ever had was reminding her of it.
As El hung her head in embarrassment, she felt Mike squeeze her hand. She looked up, warmth spreading through her as he mouthed, "NOT your fault."
Others, however, were less subtle.
"Some of your staff were killed? Tragic," Max said with an eye roll. She'd had quite enough of his bullshit.
Brenner narrowed his eyes. "Young lady, is this a joke to you?"
"YOU are," she shot back.
"Max," El whispered. "Quiet."
"Why should I be quiet," Max asked. "What's he going to do to me? Shave my head and turn me into a lab rat, too?"
Brenner moved so quickly that Max had no time to react. He was suddenly right in front of her, standing so close that she had to look up sharply to see his face.
"You have no idea what you're talking about," he hissed. "I don't know what you heard, but I assure you, it's a lie."
Max wasn't deterred. "Oh, so you DIDN'T deprive El of a normal life for all those years? You DIDN'T give her a number for her name, use her, or abuse her?"
"We treat our patients with the utmost respect, something you could learn a thing or two about," Brenner replied.
"Okay, guys! Let's just calm down," Lucas interrupted nervously. He instinctively reached out and grabbed Max's hand. "It's not worth it. Remember that we're here for El."
Max nodded at him, grateful for his support. But it also reminded her of the reason they were there.
"Look, you shouldn't have to worry about monsters and other weird shit getting loose for much longer," she said with a sigh. "That's why we're here today. So, spare El the extra guilt."
Brenner looked at her curiously. "Elaborate please."
"You know there's an angry mob upstairs, right? You must." Max looked to Brenner for confirmation. His only acknowledgement was to raise an eyebrow. "Okay, then. They're ALL products of the other dimension. I mean, they didn't originate there or anything. But they've ingested some sort of parasite or slug that's connecting them all."
"And get this," Dustin interrupted, "The slugs and their hosts are all being controlled by a shadow monster in the other dimension. If we don't close the gate, the shadow monster is going to take over the whole world and make us his minions."
There was silence as Brenner processed this new information. "Well, that is interesting indeed," he said quietly. At the same time, he grabbed a notepad and pen and began scribbling furiously. "And you figured this out when exactly?"
Dustin shrugged. "This morning, I guess." He chuckled nervously after a moment. "It all came together so fast that it doesn't even feel like it happened in the same day."
"I completely understand, son," Brenner replied. "I must say, I'm proud of you kids. You really put your heads together and did good work. I wish I could say the same about some of my staff."
"So…does this mean I can close the gate," El asked warily.
Brenner looked at her and sighed regretfully. "I'm sorry, Eleven, I can't let you do that."
Mike sputtered in surprise. "Uh, why the hell not," he asked.
"Well son, if you must know," Brenner began, "Eleven's little accident actually made for some interesting aftereffects that need further study."
"Further study," Mike replied aggressively. "Fuck that!"
"Um, what I think Mike is trying to say," Will interjected, "Is that he's confused about why you'd want to keep this portal open when so many dangerous things happened because of it."
Leave it to Will to try and smooth things over.
Brenner's face perked up immediately. "I understand that. Really, I do. But think of all the discoveries we can make. Think of all the connections we can make with other people around the world if we find even more portal openings."
Lucas frowned. "I still don't get it, though. People are getting possessed and taken away from their families. Some of your staff is currently being killed upstairs. Are you still going to go and say 'but…discoveries?'"
"By shutting things down and closing the gate, we can put an end to the danger and violence," Dustin continued. "Can't you do your research in a more humane way?"
"Kids, there's something you have to understand," Brenner said after a moment. "Quite simply, there are some sacrifices in life that need to be made. It's never easy to make those choices, but it must be done nonetheless."
Mike was dumbfounded. "So, let me get this straight," he said, "You would rather keep a dangerous portal open and put the entire town of Hawkins at risk instead of being the hero and letting El close it?"
Brenner didn't miss a beat. "Yes, I believe I would."
"Jesus christ, you really are a sick fuck," Mike spat. "But I guess I'm not surprised considering how poorly you treated El."
Max wanted to throw something; she was so angry. "I'm not surprised either," she added. Thanks to you, my brother is possessed by whatever the hell is on the other side of the gate. He's upstairs right now with that big-ass group. At this point, he might even be dead."
Brenner put a hand to his chest dramatically. "My dear, I am so sorry."
"Save it, scum," Max replied. "That's the least of what happened to Billy. Up until yesterday, I thought he was dead. His body was found floating in the pool last year. Imagine my surprise when I saw Billy across the street from my house yesterday morning. But you know what we found out later," she asked, motioning to the group. "We found out he really was still alive and that SOMEBODY used a look-alike dummy to fool us into thinking he was dead."
"What? Who would do something like that," Brenner asked.
Max looked at her friends and snorted. "Somebody give this guy an Oscar…am I right?" Turning back to Brenner, this time it was her that got in his face. "Don't lie to me. I know it was you. This has you written all over it."
"My dear, I had nothing to do with it."
"Well of course YOU didn't. You probably directed someone else to do your bidding. But in any case, you couldn't have the reputation of the lab turn sour, even if it meant destroying a family in the process." Max finished. "As you said yourself, there are some sacrifices in life that need to be made, right?"
Brenner actually looked impressed. Whether he truly was or not, the kids couldn't be sure.
"You were listening," he said proudly. "Yes, indeed. You've hit the nail on the head. There have been some really hard decisions, but ultimately, I know it's for the good of us all."
Max stared at him blankly before bursting into laughter. "You fuck, you're a doctor. Aren't you supposed to be smart? That was sarcasm! And you want to talk about 'the good of us all?' You're so blinded by opportunity and science that you're failing to see what is truly best for us."
The hardened glare on Max's face disappeared and was replaced with sadness and fear. "If you don't let El close the gate, we all might die…including yourself. Or if we don't die, who knows what might happen to us? I don't want to find out and neither do my friends. I don't think you do either. Please," she finished.
Brenner stared her down icily before delivering his one-word response.
"No."
The kids opened their mouths to protest, only to silenced by a wave of Brenner's hand. "No," he repeated. "I will not reason with a bunch of stupid children."
El felt as though she'd been punched in the stomach. She had long ago realized that Dr. Brenner didn't have her best interests at heart and had smartly run away. But there was still a small part of her that wanted validation – that wanted him to tell her that she was intelligent and pretty, and that he was proud of her. Like a papa should, she thought. It looked like that wasn't going to happen.
She was sad. But most of all, she was furious.
"Not stupid."
Like earlier, El's friends looked at her in surprise. Brenner himself looked surprised, too, but he quickly plastered on a malicious smile.
"I'm sorry, Eleven. What was that?"
He didn't intend to make this easy on her. With a little extra prodding, Eleven would scamper right back into her own little corner and back under his control.
She clenched her fists in anger and repeated herself, this time louder.
"NOT STUPID."
Brenner let out a little chuckle, though he was far from amused. "Awww, look at you. Being all brave," he said mockingly. "You think you're so grown up…what, because you have new clothes and a boyfriend. Well, I've got news for you, Eleven." In one quick movement, he grabbed El's hair and pulled. She let out a shriek as her gaze was forced upward. "You are NOTHING without me."
The kids yelled loudly in protest, Mike being the loudest.
"Stop it! Let her go, you bastard!"
Brenner merely responded by pulling on El's hair even harder. "No more protests," he hissed at the group. "I don't think you want to know what happens if you keep shouting."
"I'm not afraid of you, you piece of shit," Mike yelled back. "Let her go now!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Brenner replied ominously. Still keeping a firm grip on El, he strode over to a drawer next to the control panel he'd first been by. El saw what was in the drawer before the others and she immediately began screaming. Brenner clamped his hand over her mouth to muffle her as he pulled the object out of the drawer.
To the kids' horror, it was a small handgun.
They froze and quieted immediately, save for El's whimpers behind Brenner's hand.
"I told you kids to be quiet," he said as he moved slowly towards the group, pointing the gun at them. "I despise anyone who tells me how to run my lab. It's MY lab, MY decisions. No one is going to stand in my way – especially not a group of little brats."
Brenner made eye contact with each of the kids, sizing them up. Eenie, meenie, miney, mo, he thought to himself playfully before his eyes settled on Mike. Yes. He'll be the first.
Mike could tell that some sort of decision had been made in Brenner's mind, and he felt his stomach plummet. He looked at El and saw that tears were falling from her wide, unblinking eyes. Putting a hand up to his cheek, he noted that he was crying, too.
I love you, El. I'm sorry.
"So, boyfriend, why don't we start with you? You talk too much. And I've had quite enough of your cheek," Brenner said. "But you did do one thing right. You brought Eleven home."
"This isn't her home," Mike replied, his voice thick with emotion. "This will NEVER be her home. Her home is with us, and always will be."
"Well, I hate to break it to you," Brenner sneered, "But you're wrong." He cocked the gun and took aim. "Now hush. It's time to say goodbye."
However, several things happened in the next moment.
A shot rang out, but it wasn't from Brenner's gun. Brenner fell to his knees, clutching the arm still holding the gun. This action freed up El, who quickly ran to Mike. They collapsed against each other in a crying heap, holding on for dear life. The other kids quickly surrounded them protectively, while also looking around to see who might have shot Brenner.
They didn't have to look far.
"Keep the hell away from my daughter, you asshole."
Hopper saves the day! I took a little inspiration from Molly Weasley and the classic "Not my daughter, you bitch," line. Not to worry. There's no way I would actually kill off Mike in any of my stories. The thought is just too painful.
Sorry for the late update. As I've mentioned, we're really getting into the nitty gritty of the story during these chapters. I'd rather post a quality chapter a little later than rush an update I'm not pleased with. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Please leave a review. I'll try to update a little sooner next time.
