0 0 1 ━ [ 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 ]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟺𝟺: 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚎 𝙽𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑

It had taken Steve a couple minutes after watching One vanish through the portal to process what he was supposed to do next. He was still reeling from what One had told him. She loved him. And he hadn't even gotten to say it back! But he would. He would do whatever it took to get to her to let her know that he loved her too.

It took another couple minutes for Steve to hobble to the door down the hallway where Hopper was still being held. Now that James was gone, Steve assumed Hopper was no longer under his control, but he still peered cautiously around the door frame just to be safe.

Hopper was sitting on the floor of the cell with his head in his hands when a noise alerted him to a new presence and he jumped to his feet and pointed his gun straight at the source.

"Hey man, it's me! It's Steve!" Steve's hands shot up in the air in defense, which he instantly regretted. His muscles were still cramped from the several electric shocks he had received.

"Harrington?" Hopper squinted to get a better look before placing his gun back in its holster. "What are you doing here? Are Sarah and El with you? I thought I heard them."

"It's a long story that we don't have time for right now," Steve answered. "Do you have a way out of there?"

Hopper brandished a key from his pocket and passed it to Steve through the bars.

"James was behind all of this."

"I know," Steve said right as the lock clicked open and dropped into Steve's hands.

"He wouldn't let me out of here," Hopper continued as he pushed the squeaky cell door open. "Even after he left. I didn't even realize I had control over my body again until you showed up."

Steve couldn't help but glance down at Dr. Brenner's body lying on the floor of the cell and he felt a bead of sweat building on his brow. The dark pool of blood around Brenner's head formed a grotesque halo and his one good eye stared wide open at the ceiling above.

Hopper followed Steve's glance and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder but Steve instinctively flinched at his touch. "It was James, I promise. It wasn't me."