Steve awoke to a blinding pain in his head, a constant throbbing that wouldn't go away. It reminded him of the days after he fought Billy Hargrove, of the lonely mornings when he woke up with the same pain, over and over again. But, it wasn't Billy this time.

Steve groaned, trying to right his body from where it had been laid down on a hard bed, and a gentle hand touched his shoulder, helping him up.

"Take it easy, kid."

He opened his eyes weakly, and Hopper's face came into view, the older man's smile strained but there.

"Hopper?" Steve winced as he spoke, his throat hurt for reasons he didn't know, and he sat up against a white wall, groaning. Why did everything hurt?

But the air around him was cold, a soothing sensation to his aching bones. Steve counted it as a win.

"You're okay, just take it slow. I don't know what Brenner did to you, but you've been out for a few hours."

"Brenner?"

Then everything came back to him. Officer Powell took him back to the station, where Brenner was already waiting. A big truck that Steve was put into. Brenner's voice, cold and calm, words that Steve, thinking back, couldn't grasp. A needle. And now here.

"I think he drugged me or something..." Steve managed to say, running his hands through his hair, hair that he half expected not to be there, and Hopper nodded.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. Your pupils are a bit dilated."

"Oh. I thought my powers would deal with that. And the pain." He groaned again, rubbing his hands on his temples, hoping to ease the pressure that had built. "At least I still have my hair. It's still long, right? I'm not hallucinating?"

Hopper frowned as he spoke, and Steve was sure that he was frowning, too. There was nothing to smile about right now.

"No, your hair is still there. My question is why aren't you healing? Whatever drug he gave you, it's definitely messing with your powers."

Steve knew that Hopper was right, but he didn't have the energy to think about what Brenner could've done to him to make Steve feel this sick. He decided to think about something else, something that he needed to know.

"What…what are you doing here? Is El okay?"

Although it didn't seem possible, Hopper's frown deepened. "I don't know. I haven't seen her in days."

"What?" Fear rooted itself in Steve's chest, and he sat straighter, looking at Hopper with concern.

Hopper took a deep breath. "We went to Owens for help, and he took us right to Brenner, that little snake. Brenner locked me in here, took El, and I've been here ever since. Brenner hasn't even come to visit until he threw you in here, looking as smug as always."

Steve sighed. "Great. Just great."

Hopper stepped away from Steve and sat back against the wall, and Steve took that moment to look around from where he sat on the bed. Much like his cell when he first got his powers, the room they were in only contained the bed, a small desk, and a small window pointing towards the white hallways. It looked a lot like the lab that Steve, Robin, and Tom had destroyed, but it couldn't be the same base. How many locations did Brenner have at his disposal?

"How's everybody in Hawkins?" Hopper asked, bringing Steve out of his thoughts, "Everyone okay?"

Steve looked to the floor, at his feet that still had shoes on them. He didn't know why that detail made him frown with confusion. He reached up to touch his hair, his mind feeling more clear that before, and all of it was still there. His hair was greasy and no doubt a mess, but it was there. Something wasn't right with this picture.

"Steve?"

"Everyone okay, at least, last time I checked." Steve finally said, "Two more kids died, three total, and we nearly lost Max, too. One's cursing kids and killing them."

"And Max is cursed, too?"

"Yeah."

"What about the others?"

That's what Steve liked about Hopper. He was down to business. He had no time for messing around. Steve could really use that right now.

"When I was there last, Eddie, Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan were going to go scout out a gate to the Upside Down, we think One's in his house in the other dimension. His name is Henry Creel, apparently, a kid who killed his mom and sister quite some time ago. The other kids were with the police, but I was too busy getting interrogated to watch over them."

Hopper's eyebrows furrowed. "What? Interrogated? Why you?"

Steve managed a small laugh, wincing at the pain that made an appearance in his neck. He rubbed it, and continued. "They think I'm a murderer. Brenner managed to convince Powell that I'm crazy, that I'm violent without realizing it. That I'm killing all of the kids."

"Steve…if I was there…"

"Don't. I know. None of this would've happened, but it's not your fault. It's Brenner's."

A click resounded through the room, and a familiar voice spoke up. "I thought I taught you to call me Papa, Nineteen."

Steve shot to his feet, his fist bared, and watched as Brenner entered the room. The older man's hands were behind his back, a small smile on his face, and Steve snarled. Brenner raised one of his hands, and gestured to the two people who came up behind him, each of them holding a gun.

"Don't try anything, Nineteen. I'm just here to chat."

"Don't call him that." Hopper said, also getting to his feet. "He isn't your experiment."

"I would advise you, Chief, to not get mixed up in affairs that aren't your own."

"But, it's true." Steve said, anger coursing through his veins, "My name is Steve Harrington. Not Nineteen. vI think that I've told you that enough already, Brenner."

"Isn't that what your wrist still says? Nineteen?"

"What do you want, Brenner? Let El and Hopper go." Steve said sternly, ignoring the comment, but all Brenner did was chuckle.

"It's not that simple. Eleven asked for help, and I'm providing it. And, we're getting close to finding the answers. That is why you're here, Nineteen. You're going to help. Both of you are."

Steve scoffed, anger flooding his body, making his fists shake, "I'm not helping you with anything!"

"Oh, Nineteen, you won't be helping me. You'll be helping Eleven, and, thus, by helping save humanity. This threat you're facing, if undefeated, may lead to the destruction of Hawkins, and possibly the world."

Steve didn't know what to say to that, and reluctantly chose to let Brenner continue uninterrupted.

"But, before you help her unlock the memories, there is something you both must know."

Steve turned his gaze from Brenner to the two guards standing behind him, their guns held in front of them like a shield. If Steve charged ahead, he may be able to knock them out before they could fire. And, even if they did, the bullets wouldn't hurt him. But Hopper would have to help too. Steve had no clue what Brenner might have up his sleeve, so Hopper would have to distract Brenner as Steve charged.

But, there was no way that Steve could tell Hopper this plan. All he could do was hope that he understood. Steve gave Hopper a pointed look, slightly tipping his head in the direction of the guards. Hopper gave him a small nod in response, and Steve braced himself.

"Nineteen, truthfully, escape is impossible for you this time." Brenner continued, his eyes meeting Steve's once again, "Feel the right side of your neck."

Steve felt confusion and fear build in his stomach. Some part of him wanted to charge, to attack, to escape, but Brenner sounded so confident. So sure. What if Brenner actually did something to Steve?

While still being ready to run, Steve put his hand to his neck cautiously, tracing the skin from the left side of his neck to the right. As his finger got closer to the top of his neck, close to his ear, Steve frowned, feeling a small cylindrical object under his fingertips. It was something under his skin, right near the top of his neck, like a pill capsule. He inhaled sharply, feeling it move around his skin, and felt like he was going to puke.

What was that? What did Brenner do to him?

"What did you do to him?" Hopper demanded, no doubt seeing the shocked expression that Steve felt form on his face, echoing Steve's worried thoughts, and Brenner gestured to Steve.

"That device is called Soteria. It's a tracker, a tool that weakens whoever it's attached to, making the host lose its strength. No matter what you do, or where you go, we'll be able to track you. It also inhibits your abilities, which is something you've probably already noticed, Nineteen."

And Steve had noticed. He woke up with a splitting headache. He felt cold. He felt sick. He couldn't stop being afraid. He felt frigid fear seep into his bones. He felt weak.

He was powerless.

He didn't have his powers. He was being tracked. If what everything Brenner said was true, and Steve felt that it was, escape really did was impossible. What were they going to do?

Steve felt tears burn at the back of his eyes, from fear, shock, or sadness he didn't know. But he forced himself to meet Brenner's gaze, unwilling to show the man how much this device, this new barrier, scared him.

"Where's. El." Steve managed to say, his voice weak and shaky and Brenner smiled, as if happy that Steve knew that he was subdued.

"She's regaining her memories of One, just as the Chief requested. But she's hit a roadblock. Something in her memories that she doesn't want to explore."

"Then don't make her do it." Hopper said, stepping forward, and Brenner's guards responded by raising their guns.

"But we must. It's the only way to discover how to defeat One."

"So, you knew about him." Steve said weakly, his knees shaking slightly. Hopper rushed to the side and helped Steve stay standing, wrapping a protective arm around Steve's shoulders. "You knew about One."

"Of course, I helped make him into who he is. But, he went rogue. And El is the only one who knows the full story. That is why it's crucial for her to unlock her memories. I'll be back to collect you both soon. In the meantime, get some rest, especially you, Nineteen."

Steve couldn't say a word as Brenner and the guards left, the heavy door slamming behind him. His vision began darkening, breathing was getting difficult, and it didn't take long for his knees to give out. Hopper caught him, and carefully carried him to the bed.

Hopper was silent, and Steve's thoughts managed to catch up to him.

He knew that going back to Brenner was going to be bad. He knew it. But, somehow, this was worse than he ever would've imagined. He thought that Brenner would cut off his hair, throw him back in a cage, run test after test and analysis after analysis, pocking and prodding him until there was nothing of Steve Harrington left.

But, now? Not having powers at all? Being completely useless for any escape, restrained by a device in his neck that would even track him? Would he be like that forever? And how was he supposed to protect the people he loved like this?

Steve, when he got his powers, hated them. He couldn't imagine life with them. And now he could barely stand the thought of living without them. He was barely holding it together knowing that they were as good as gone.

It was yet another thing that Brenner changed about him. Another thing that he had created.

"You okay?"

Steve managed a nod, ignoring the shaking in his limbs, and spoke up softly. "I…I think so. Just…shocked. Scared."

Hopper nodded. "I can't act like I understand, but…it's going to be okay. We'll just remove that device when we can. It can't be that hard to take out."

"But it's in my neck. How are we going to get it out? How are we going to escape?" Steve said, his voice raising in hysteria, and tears burned behind his eyes, "Those guards had guns. I'm not bulletproof anymore! How are we supposed to get out of here? How am I supposed to make sure you and El are okay?"

The older man sighed, sitting down beside Steve, patting Steve's knee awkwardly, in a fatherly gesture. "That's not your job, Steve. It isn't your job to protect us. I should've been protecting you."

"But一"

"Powers or not, you're a kid. You were a kid when you were taken by Brenner, and you're still a kid even now. I should've protected you. You shouldn't have to protect me, no matter what situation we're in. So, you not having your powers? It doesn't change anything for me. Don't let it bother you too much. We'll fix it. All of it."

Steve felt relieved by the words, as well as a bit confused. No one had really told him that before. He had always been the protector, but it was comforting to know that he didn't have to be a hero all of the time. Because, right now, Steve didn't feel like he could protect anyone. He didn't feel like a hero.

He didn't feel like anything but a burden. A broken man who couldn't even keep the one thing that kept him strong. A kid who lost everything.

He was glad that Dustin and the other kids weren't here. He would hate to let them see him so weak again. But this time, the weakness may be permanent.

"Thanks." Steve whispered, looking to the ground, and Hopper patted him on the back, as if he understood how much Steve was thankful.

"Anytime, kid. Now, about escape, I have an idea. Why don't we wait until we see El." Hopper said, giving him a sad smile. "Who knows, maybe, once she knows who One really is and how we can take him down, she'll help us get out of here. She's a smart girl. And then we'll be home free."

Steve nodded weakly, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Are you willing to wait?"

"I've waited this long, what's another few hours? I'll wake you when Brenner gets back."

Too emotionally and physically exhausted to argue, Steve let himself lay back onto the bed, his head resting on the tough pillow. He tried to stop thinking about his memories of a bed much like this, all of the pain he experienced, all of the loneliness, and the fear. Instead he brought his hand back to his neck, felt the device under his skin, and wondered how they were going to escape, if El was okay, and if everyone else was doing alright. He wondered if Robin knew that he was gone yet. He wondered how long he would go without seeing her again.

He wondered if he would be able to survive without his powers. He'd done it before, so he could again, right?

Sleep came faster than he expected, and all of his questions remained unanswered.