002 - Stranger Things

Chapter Five: Escape

Nellie sat in the rainbow room, her mind focused on the task at hand as she practised moving each disc down into her desired number. However, today was different and it had a different vibe. She felt out of place and uneasy about the day as if something bad was going to happen, she just ignored it though deciding not to act upon it. It wasn't like she was able to do anything if she didn't know what was going to go wrong anyway.

Soon 001 came over and smiled, taking a seat beside her. "What number do you want?"

002 sighed in frustration, "I'm attempting to get four but it keeps going to six!"

He shrugged and looked at her, "you need to clear your mind first you know." he told her some advice and then watched as she tried it again, this time getting four.

002 rolled her eyes, "you're never gonna let me live that down are you." she muttered.

He shook his head, "absolutely not. This just proves that I'm that little bit wiser than you."

"Okay, smarter yes but wiser no way! I have more logic.." she grinned and then looked over to the door as Dr Brenner walked over to them both.

He walked in his usual quick strides with the look on his face that told you that he meant business. Nellie turned to Henry with a worried look. 'What if he knows??' She spoke through her mind, Henry picking up on it straight away. This was something they'd figured out they were able to do between one another and it definitely worked in their favour. 'He doesn't know about that, Dr Owens promised he wouldn't say anything to him and he's a man of his words.' Nellie just took a deep breath and then smiled.

"002, 001 how are you both feeling today?" Brenner asked, his eyes narrowing slightly or at least they were in Nellie's vision but she was sure she was making it up.

They both nodded in unison. "We are good," Henry replied for them both because he knew Nellie would end up cracking. She was always like that, never able to live with guilt for a long period of time. Instead, she just nodded to show she agreed with him.

Dr Brenner grinned and then picked up a brown board from one of the tables, "Great, 002 are you up for some more lessons? I think just a one-to-one today."

In all honesty, Nellie didn't want to do any more lessons because she hated them, they always have her headaches from the constant nose bleeds but she wasn't prepared to say no. Although he'd asked it as if it was a choice it wasn't and if you refused you would get punished and the last time that had happened she'd ended up in the room with the locked-up Demogorgon all night. It hadn't been as dangerous as it had been in a cage but just looking at the creature gave you nightmares, not to mention the noise of the cage-rattling. She didn't sleep at all that night, worried it would somehow get out.

Henry had been in a similar situation but unlike most, he hadn't been scared at all. He was strange like that and always liked the creatures. Nellie didn't understand why but she was aware of how different he was and she wasn't going to hate him for it. Alright she followed her morals, she always stood with the statement her mother had told her and that was that 'all people are different'

Nellie looked at Henry with an uneasy glance and he gave her the same back because he always knew whenever she tried to do her powers something either happened or she grew exhausted easily and sometimes often passed out. However, she followed Papa out of the room and into the room where tests were run.

When entering the room, she took a seat on the chair in front of the desk and looked up at him. "What will be doing papa?" She asked

Dr Brenner grinned, "changing the shape of this plank of wood into anything I ask. For example a horse or a lion." he explained, gesturing towards a plank of wood that he set on the table before them.

Nellie nodded and then looked at the plank of wood, her eyes widening in focus as she began to think about a giraffe, which was what Dr Brenner had asked for. Quite a random one considering there were far more common animals but she knew what one was so there was no name in it. She continued to focus, her eyes growing redder and redder the more she concentrated. It always took time to get her mind set on the task at hand though so it took a while but eventually the wood plank turned into the shape of a giraffe, standing tall.

Shocked that she'd actually been able to do it, she grinned and then turned to Dr Brenner, "Papa you should have given me a harder one."

"I apologise 002 but that was remarkable, no one has ever been able to form this animal before." He praised her and then stood up. "We will do a harder task tomorrow. For now, I must speak to the nurse about another child."

Nellie raised her brow out of curiosity but decided not to ask and instead just nodded in agreement and then headed off back to the rainbow room for the rest of the afternoon.

When night had finally fallen she had been lying awake in her room when suddenly out of nowhere where she heard a noise and saw her door start to open. It was an understatement to say she wasn't a tad bit frightened but eventually, she figured out who it was when a hand had been placed over her mouth to silence her. The wavy blonde hair gave it away, it was Henry.

"Shh it's only me... I've cracked it..." he whispered, pointing to the piece of paper in his hands which contained an image that looked somewhat like a map but not any old map, a map of the whole Hawkins laboratory.

"Huh?" She asked in confusion whilst pointing to her lit candle that had been on the bedside table next to her bed. what had he cracked? Because as far as she knew they already were aware that they were in some laboratory.

"The escape!" He exasperated, covering his mouth when he'd realised how loud he'd said it but luckily no one else had heard as 001 and 002's rooms were the last on the end of the corridor.

Nellie's eyes widened, "are you mad? If we leave here they are bound to find us!.." she whispered back, knowing full well they'd never get away with it.

Henry rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "Fine if you don't wanna come with me don't but I'm leaving right now and you won't see me again..."

"Fine go I'm going back to sleep..." She mumbled, turning away not actually expecting him to leave or anything.

"I will." He said and then walked to the door, he was always a boy of his words and always did as he said he would, whether that was good or bad but she would soon learn that.

Hearing the door creak open, she quickly turned back in his direction. "Hey. Wait..you can't go alone I'm the brains I'm more knowledgable of the real world and you're just a kid." She said, deciding that she had to because he needed her rather than the fact that she was actually going because she knew she'd miss him terribly.

"Or would you miss me?" Henry asked with a smirk.

"As if. I just think you need me there because we promised to stay together always and I'm not someone who goes back or breaks their promises alright?" She told him. Though, she obviously would have if she'd had stayed and anyway she'd rather not be left alone there he was the only reason that made being at Hawkins Laboratory bearable.

"Okay then come on!" He said, and held out his hand. She smiled and then took it. "If we get caught though it's your fault as it was before and I hope this plan is better than the last one."

He rolled his eyes, "of course this one was thought through properly! Now come on if we hurry we will miss the guards, I'm taking you to a room you've never seen before. A room that is beyond our restrictions." He said smugly, almost seeming proud of himself.

Nellie followed after him and the two-headed through the halls quietly, avoiding any possible scenarios that would implement them from getting caught and punished. Being punished was a frightening thing but if it meant escaping then she was willing to take the risk, as was Henry. They longed to leave the place to start fresh and use their abilities how they wanted to. They didn't need some man forcing them to control it or in his case use them for profit.

Escaping would mean a new beginning, escaping would mean freedom and that's what they wanted most in life and so without any time to lose that's what they had done. They had escaped the solitary confinement, managed to get out into the real world and now all they had to do was not get caught. Easy right? Little did they know that it wouldn't be as straightforward as they had expected it to be.