Secrets // Steve Harrington

Chapter Twenty-Two - The Monster

Word Count: 4,717 words. 

Warnings: None.

"We can't leave them," I argued. "They're kids."

"We know that," Nancy told me, gesturing to the hall, "but they can't go anywhere. What are they going to do?"

"Wander into the woods and get themselves killed to start," I tried. "God knows what they'll try to do. You know how headstrong Mike is and I can't... I can't leave Eleven."

Nancy sighed. "We need you to beat this thing. The monster – "

"There are plenty of monster from that place. I've been there, I've seen them. Killing this one won't change that."

Jonathon took a small step forward. "But we can stop it from killing others. We can change that."

I hesitated, peaking through the slightly open door to the hall. Eleven sat with a towel wrapped around her, Mike and the boys by her side. They would be fine by themselves for a while, I knew that. I only worried that Brenner would come for her or that they would go investigating. I couldn't lose her again. I didn't have the memory of why, of when I had promised to protect her, but I knew that I had and even at the young age that I was then, I meant to keep it.

"We need you Lia," Nancy urged, turning my attention back to her.

I shook my head. "I don't even know how to use these powers. They only happen when I'm really angry or upset. I can't willingly use them to kill this thing."

"Then we'll set traps as a failsafe," Byers added. "It'll give you the time to try and remember."

Sighing, I sent one last glance to the small girl in the hall before nodding. "I'm going to regret this."

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Third Person POV

"Look here Hopper," Brenner began, taking a seat in front of the Police Chief.

Unlike the room that he had talked to Joyce in, this one didn't have a table, only two chairs facing each other. They had tied the officer to his chair before letting the doctor in.

"I just need some information from you and then you will be free to go."

Hopper knew what the information was going to be. Where they were. Where Eleven and Thalia were hiding. "And what information would that be?" he asked regardless of knowing the doctor's answer.

Brenner took a deep breath. "Eleven is important to us. She is one of the strongest that we have had – "

"Strongest lab rat?" he posed in response, face curling into a grimace. "Use the name doc since that's what they were."

Brenner knew that he was going to be hard to get through to, but he also knew that he cared for his girls. Despite not having known them long, he was kind to them and so he hoped that a choice might be made.

"She is important and we can afford to waste the time searching for her," the silver-haired man continued, "but Two is dangerous. She has the ability to tear this town to the ground if given the chance."

"I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about," Jim told him, leaning forward. "I don't know someone called Two."

Brenner smiled, following the Chief and leaning closer. "You're a practical man Mr. Hopper, I know that from your file, but I am also a practical man and I think that we can agree on a few things."