Steve stood in the observation room, watching as El stepped up the ladder attached to the tank, her eyes meeting his. He gave her a small wave, and she smiled back. She looked down where Hopper was standing below her. Steve could tell that they exchanged words, but he didn't know what. Eventually El made her way into the water, slaying back and floating, hopefully ready to unlock the memories that were hidden so deep in her mind. The lid covered his view of her as it lowered, yet Steve didn't pull his gaze from it.
He promised that he would be there every step of the way. So he would be.
Behind him, machines began wiring, and a paper began printing, revealing brain scans, scans that Steve had no doubt would be studied when this was all over. Brenner may disguise these tests as trying to help El, trying to save Hawkins, but Steve knew the truth. He would still study El as much as he could. He would still get as much information from her as he could before she left.
Steve's hand traveled once again to his neck, to the device that may have been studying Steve, too. Steve didn't really know, and he knew that he could do nothing about it.
He didn't even notice Hopper come up beside him until his hand was on Steve's shoulder, and Steve jumped momentarily before relaxed.
"Oh. Hey. How is she?"
Hopper sighed, running his hand over his face. "She's…hanging in there. Scared, but I think that she'll be okay."
Steve nodded, shivering in the cold air of the lab, "I hate that she's going through this. All of this. She deserves better."
"You both do, kid, you both do."
"Steven, Chief, why don't you come see?" Owens said, and Steve reluctantly followed, making sure to keep an eye on where the guards were, and if they were planning on taking him back to the cell. Steve had been very clear on his intentions, luckily Brenner had allowed them to stay, but Steve didn't want to let his guard down for a second.
He knew that he couldn't do much against their guns anymore. But he still needed to protect everyone when he could.
Owens pointed out to a few of the screens showing graphs and lines that Steve didn't understand.
"See, that jump in brain activity? It means that she's actively in a memory."
"So, it's working?" Hopper asked, and Doctor Owens sighed.
"Yes, but we'll see how long she'll be able to go. These memories have been hard on her, we don't want to push her too hard."
"We'll push her as far as she needs." Brenner said, walking in, and Steve's attention turned to him.
"How far are you willing to go? Until she dies?"
"I have faith in her abilities, Nineteen, and you should, too."
Steve made his hands into fists, rage building in his stomach, but Hopper held him back.
"Don't bother, Harrington. There's no use arguing."
And Steve was once again glad that Hopper was here. Steve wasn't used to containing anger yet or thinking logically under pressure. His body usually adjusted, but now that his powers were gone, there was nothing stopping him from being controlled by his emotions. He felt like he was young again, wanting to lash out, fists flying whenever he was angry, temperamental and unrestrained. And that was the last thing that he should be right now.
They were still prisoners. They were lucky to be able to be here to support El. And Steve shouldn't be so eager to forget his place. If he got mad, threw a punch…it was back in a cell for him.
If Hopper hadn't been there to stop him, Steve knew that things would've been a whole lot worse.
"How are her vital signs?" Brenner asked, walking past them, and Owens looked back to the screen, Hopper giving Steve a knowing glance.
"Good, she's doing quite well."
"You need a jacket, kid?" Hopper said quietly, and Steve shook his head. "You're shivering."
"I'm just…angry. And cold. But I'm not asking for anything from these guys."
"Tell me about it, kid, if it weren't for El I would've fought back a million times. But, I can't leave her, and I don't want them to hurt her."
"Hey, when was the last time you two have eaten?" Owens interrupted, turning back to them, "El will be at least an hour or so. And, don't worry, you don't have to leave this room."
"I could eat. But please, no more of those tuna sandwiches." Hopper said gruffly, and Steve frowned at the reminder. He still hadn't eaten since coming here, and the unfamiliar pangs in his stomach reminded him of that, but he would hate tuna sandwiches for the rest of his life. He remembered Robin having a panic attack once they were safe because of one, and Steve felt like the same thing would happen to him, especially now.
Robin. He wondered how she was doing, if Dustin had managed to contact her. Was she okay? Did she know what happened to Steve yet? How was she handling it?
"Nineteen? Why don't you sit down, you're looking a little pale."
Steve looked up to see Brenner looking at him with concern, and Steve scowled, turning away from his gaze. His eyes flitted around the room, searching for Hopper, and the older man was talking to Owens across the room. How long had Steve been lost in thought for?
"Nineteen, I promise I won't hurt you. You can rest."
"Stop acting like you care." Steve said, turning back to him, his hands in a fist once again. "Stop acting like you care about what happens to me. I know you don't. You're the one who drowned me, who shot Tom, ordered your men to shoot Robin, who put El through more horrors than anyone should live through! I know that you don't care at all! I'm just your little guinea pig, and don't try to act like it's any different!"
"I care about you. I do. But, sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better. Aren't you thankful for your powers?"
Steve hated that he was. He was thankful for them. But he still hated how he got them, he hated the man that gave them to him.
"Don't act like what you did was right. It wasn't." Steve said, ignoring Brenner's comment, "I still have scars, Robin has scars, and El has scars and never got to have a childhood. You're the only one to blame for that."
"You still have scars? I thought that your powers would have dealt with that, Nineteen, given your skin was immune to anything we could throw at it."
"My name is Steve, and no, I don't have physical scars, but I sure have a lot of trauma. All thanks to you."
Steve pushed his way past Brenner and stepped closer to the window, watching the people of the lab flit around like mice, scurrying on the floor in their pristine lab coats. He tried to keep his breathing steady. He hated Brenner. And he hated that he had to live under his control again. All Steve wanted to do was to grab El and Hopper and run.
But, he couldn't. The device in his neck stopped him from doing anything like that. Brenner was right. Escape was impossible.
He didn't know how long he stood there, staring, but eventually Hopper pulled him aside to eat some soup that Brenner's guards had brought. Steve, as he stared at the soup in front of him, found himself conflicted. He was worried that it was drugged, it seemed like something Brenner would do without hesitation, but he also needed to eat.
"Do you think it's drugged?" Steve asked under his breath, and Hopper shook his head.
"No, he still needs us if El doesn't succeed. It'll be okay."
So Steve began eating, and the pain in his stomach grew stronger, as if his body was begging for more food. He tried to eat slowly, taking each spoonful hesitantly, and savored the warmth that the soup gave him, a warmth that this time wouldn't go away. He could tell that Hopper was looking at him. Soon a heavy weight was placed on Steve's shoulders, and he looked up to see Hopper's jacket sitting on him like a blanket.
"Hopー"
"Keep it, kid. You need it more than me."
Steve didn't want to argue, so he slid his arms into the cloth, immediately thankful for the added warmth.
Then they waited. Hopper was silent, watching the tank and the graphs of Els' vitals, while Steve remained seated, trying not to think too much. Eventually his eyes became heavy, and, as much as he willed himself to stay awake, he soon fell asleep right where he sat, darkness surrounding him warmly.
Steve awoke to a shrill alarm, steady and unbroken, and he gasped, his eyes flying open.
Doctors and scientists were swarming around the tank that contained El, and Steve jumped to his feet, rushing to the glass, blood pounding in his ears.
"El? El!"
The people in lab coats were pulling her out of the tank, and Steve saw a steady trail of blood flowing out of her nose. Her eyes were closed, her body limp. Steve could hear Hopper's frantic words in his ears, but Steve couldn't register what he was saying. All he could focus on was El, El, who wasn't moving, who didn't appear to be breathing.
"Get her to the bed." Brenner said, opening the observatory's door so that El could be carried in, and Hopper didn't waste a second getting to her side.
"She's not breathing. Someone get me oxygen." Doctor Ownes stated, and Brenner handed him an oxygen mask. It was placed on her nose and mouth, no doubt forcing air into her lungs.
Steve pushed his way forward, putting his hand on her ankle, hoping that he would be able to heal her. He pushed out, willing himself to transfer his power into her, to heal her, but he felt nothing. That's when he felt like crying. He couldn't save her. He couldn't save her because of Brenner. Because of the device in his neck.
"Take this stupid thing out of my neck and let me save her!" Steve yelled, and Brenner looked at him with confusion. "I can save her!"
"You have the ability to heal, Nineteen?"
"Yes! How else do you think Robin and Tom survived? Now let me heal her!"
Brenner's gaze shifted from confusion to something too close to awe, and Steve looked away, feeling like he made a big, big mistake.
But before he could say another word, El shot awake, breathing heavily, and Hopper wrapped her in his arms.
"Just breath, El, just breath."
"Hop." El cried as she sobbed, and her hands were growing white under the pressure that she held him.
"You're okay, kid, you're okay."
Steve left his hand on her ankle, hoping that it would bring her some comfort, even if it couldn't heal her.
"Did you do it, Eleven?" Brenner asked, and Steve could hear footsteps come up behind him. "Did you unlock those memories?"
El nodded slowly, taking deep breaths before removing the oxygen mask, letting go of Hopper with something close to sadness in her eyes.
"Yes. I… I know how to stop him now. I know who he is."
"Was it as bad as you thought, kid?" Hopper asked, and she shook her head.
"No. It was bad, but…I didn't kill them. He did. But I banished him to the Upside Down. He's there."
Steve nodded, glad that El had come to the same conclusion the others had back in the Creel house. If they agreed, it meant that they were right. One was in the Upside Down.
But, knowing that didn't stop Steve from being afraid. He couldn't get Brenner's cold gaze out of his mind, no matter how much he thought about One.
Something wasn't right with what just happened. Did Brenner really not know that Steve could heal others? Did Steve just reveal something that Brenner didn't know?
"Good." Brenner said with a cold smile. "El, could you and the Chief join us downstairs? I will need you both to help us create a plan about what our next steps are. You have the key, Eleven, Now I need to point you towards the lock. Then we can begin to save Hawkins."
"But, what about Steve? Can't he come?" El asked, and it was at that moment that Steve felt strong hands grab his arms. A leg kicked his knee, sending him to the ground, and Steve cried out in pain and shock.
"Hey, hey! Leave him alone!" He heard Hopper say, but it didn't do anything. Nothing could've stopped the way his arms were restrained behind him, the needle that was pressed into his neck, or El's cries that followed him into darkness.