A/N: I am having fun writing this, I know slow burns are painful but I'm going to use one chapter per next two seasons, just to show how 000 is contributing to friendships, action, and humor.
TW: Murder, Gore, and making fun of middle schoolers.
011
I started dragging Zero to the door way, the only way out of this place.
The smell of the dead experiments and guards flooding my senses making me want to puke.
I shuddered when I saw Two on the floor limbs broken and popped eyes staring directly in to mine blood slowly falling out of his eye sockets and mouth.
I couldn't hold it in any more, I turned away from Zeros collapsed body and threw up on the floor, my sight blacking in and out my head spinning.
I blinked and sat up pulling myself together, I took a deep breath then stood back up dreading my journey out of the building.
But I still picked Zero up from under their arms and dragged them out of the rainbow room then down the hall to the elevator we aren't typically allowed in.
I noticed that I didn't have the key card to get in so I dropped Zero their head landing with a loud thump on the floor.
"Sorry!" I exclaimed, I jumped over Zero and ran to the closest dead orderly I reluctantly dug through the headless orderly's pockets until I found a key card.
I ran back to the elevator and swiped it on the black pad next to the door.
It opened, and I used my powers to slide Zero in to the elevator.
A soft groans erupted from their throat and they moved their arms to cover their head.
"Zero! Wake up!" I shook Zero until they stirred from their sleep more and blinked at me.
Zero moved their hand to the back of their head, the injury from the chair leaving a stain of blood on their hand.
"Where is Henry?" They looked up in fear reaching for my shoulders and pulling me closer.
"Henry?" I furrowed my brows confused.
"One, where is One?" Zero let out and exasperated sigh and explained.
I felt guilty and a tear slipped down my face landing on their hand.
Their eyes widened and for the first time I think in their whole life, a tear trickled down their face and they let me go running their hand through their long unwashed hair, breathing heavily.
I turned and pressed the 'lobby' button, the doors slide shut and we started going down.
I looked back at Zero whom was sobbing quietly and then using their hand catching the tears and looking at them awkwardly as though they didn't know what was happening.
"You'll be okay it's just some tears, emotions are good." I smiled and kneeled down next to them pushing the hair out of their face.
"I'm leaking." Zero shuddered while wiping more tears out of their eyes.
Their breath hitched and they started breathing through their nose stoping the crying but looking at me worried. "Why am I leaking?" They asked again.
"No you are crying have you never cried?" I was holding back laughter my smile growing.
"No I don't understand why one would." They slowly stood and reached their hand down to me helping me up.
The door dinged open and we walked out, it looked so normal down here.
Almost as though children weren't being experimented on and tortured above, well not anymore.
"Come on Eleven we need to run because their will be a guard out side in front of the gate, and I'm assuming that you don't want me to kill him." Zero raised an eyebrow and held my shoulder.
"Only if needed." I mumbled and we finally opened the front doors sneaking through the parking lot and to the front gate when a man was eating chips and reading a magazine.
"Shit we will have to teleport."
Zero grumbled clearly agitated.
"Teleport? You can do that?" I exclaimed quietly.
"I haven't in years because of the chip Dr.Brenner put in my neck so I couldn't escape. " Zero explained in a low whisper their voice was gravely and deep due to the crying.
"I could take it out." I offered adjusting myself on the gravel to reach a hand out and touch their knee for balance.
"Okay but we need to be fast." They smirked slightly turning around they lifted the hair draping over their neck and thrilling it around their neck.
They brought a long finger to a bump in their skin.
"Pull that bump out?" I inquired sympathy lacing my voice.
"Yes." They said putting their arm in front of their mouth and lightly biting it.
I stared at the bump while lifting my hand, I took a deep breath and channeled my energy to rip it out quickly.
They tensed and bit in to their arm holding back a scream, when the chip fell on to the floor with a light pink against the asphalt.
They stood and then grabbed me shoving me into their chest, they were cold, Zero felt like a dead body I couldn't even here a heart beat and I was pressing my ear against their chest.
Black smoke took over our whole body's and then fell off of us in an instant and we were in the forest.
I pulled away and looked around I couldn't see the lab but I saw a smaller more welcoming building.
"We are going to sneak into the back door and grab some food then run out we are going to need the food to rejuvenate our powers." Zero smiled and took my hand walking us to the door that had one light illuminating the dumpster and the paved floor roaches crawling up the walls and past our feet.
We approached the door and Zero used their power to open it from the inside.
"Ladies first." They smirked while holding the door open for me, and as soon as I walked through they followed close behind.
Our feet pitter pattering on the tilted floor as we crossed to the metal table in the middle of the room.
Voices from through the door where persistent as Zero grabbed the plate of food the smell of grease and salt potent as Zero lifted a weird tan stick and lifted it to their nose, they licked it then their eyebrows rose and they nodded as they consumed it in one swift bite.
"Here its good try it." Zero picked another one and brought it to my lips I parted my lips and bit it slowly while taking it from Zeros hand with my middle and pointer finger.
It was so delicious I wanted to cry I shoved the thing in my mouth and reached for more.
My hunger hitting me like a brick I kept on shoving the food in my mouth unable to stop.
When Zero reached in my way and grabbed a few I snapped out of it and apologized.
"It's fine keep eating, you clearly need it." They chuckled lightly as they placed the plate on the table and picked me up setting me on the chair.
I smiled at them and ate until the plate was practically licked clean.
"Hey who are you kids!" A large man yelled from the door way as he reached for a bat next to the door and held it defensively.
"Eleven!" Zero exclaimed while picking me up and tucking me under their arm like a bag, they ran to the back door and the man followed after us. Zero kicked the door open and ran into the forest the man yelling for us to 'stop' and 'come back'.
Zero turned to run near the road, they flipped me around in their arms and carried me bridal style.
The man eventually stopped following us and went back to the building.
"Ouch, god damnit I keep on getting cuts on my feet." Zero complained, they ran up the slope between the road and the forest, when we emerged out of the tree line some lights almost hit us as screams came from them.
We were blinded and Zero almost tripped, the lights skidded to the side revealing three boys around my age.
"Holy shit." One with a lisp spoke as the rain fell around us all to stunned to move.
༻ ☠︎ ༺
000
We had been sleeping in a dank, dark basement for the past few hours, or Eleven has she had passed out her head resting on my lap as I held her and stroked her buzzed head gently, I drew patterns on her.
She let out a small groan and fussed about adjusting herself.
Poor thing, I was leaning against the wall as we hid under a table with a large blanket on it blankets and pillows surrounding us.
I tried closing my eyes and then I held my hand on Elevens head wanting to watch the whole memory of Henry in his last moments.
I entered her mind and found it, it was still fresh in her mind.
Almost placed out in the open on a pedestal, she knew I was going to want to see it.
I paced up to it and melted in to it.
Even hours later I was still analyzing the memory over and over.
There is no way he is dead, right?
Sure he was in massive pain but he couldn't have just dissipated from existence.
It looked as though he was sucked in to the wall—
"H-hey how did you both sleep?" I irritating little boy asked me he stared at me with wide eyes when I looked at him.
"Just fine." I put on a faux smile and cheery demeanor that made him relax his shoulders and intense his hand that had been gripping the blanket to lift it up, his knuckle had already turned a pale white his face around the same color.
I shook Eleven gently and she hid her face from the light by turning around and burrowing her face into my stomach.
"Wake up sleepy head." I grinned as she looked up at me blinking her sleep glazed eyes.
"Good morning." She yawned while sitting up and stretching.
"Good morning Zero." She smiled at me, as though she had no worries in that little head of hers. As though nothing was wrong and we were safe with no dangers in our future.
Poor idiotic creature had no clue, that we were probably going to die at any moment from Dr. Brenner.
The only reason I knew he was alive was because I could sense his overwhelming insanity from here, I could practically hear him pacing and ordering the remaining people around to gather up and get ready to find us.
"Sleep good?" I groaned while I crawled out from under the table and stood tall stretching my back, it popped multiple times.
"Yes." Eleven grinned and hugged me.
A genuine hug from the little girl to make me feel more comfortable, it was obvious she was getting better at sensing emotions.
Even though I rarely displayed emotions.
We continued through the day, the young boy put a wig on Eleven and gave her a dress, she handed me a dress as well.
I hate dresses.
Mine was black and floated around my legs and it was tight around my waist and chest, this was worse then the hospital gown.
When Eleven put on the cute little pink dress I could help but squeeze her cheeks and shake her face in adoration.
I helped her put on some make up with the boy, I had learned how to do make up with Dr. Ivanov when she used to sit on my lap and I would help her get ready before she left my isolated room only to come back hours later for me to ruin the makeup I had artistically put there.
I used eyeliner to make a wing and I made a little design around it my inner corner longer then one normally would, I used the black eyeshadow to make it fade and then stood straight back up to see the boy and Eleven playing with the wig, giggling and talking in falsetto high pitched voices.
We went to the Hawkins middle school.
Wow, Hawkins has certainly grown since I had last been out of a laboratory.
We meet back up with the other little boys who ogled and blabbered about things that did not catch my interest at all, until they started talking about where to find another boy called Will.
Their was a teacher who told us all to sit down so we did. The bleachers were hard and wooden and some how holding up all of these children even though it looked like it could snap in half at any second.
They continued talking about the lost boy Will and that we should all pray for him. My sleeve was tickling my arm so I lifted it slightly itching my arm flashing the uniform '000' on my wrist.
"Woah you have a tattoo?" The boy with a lisp whispered in to my ear the other boys hearing him leaned in curiously.
"Yes it is my name," I reached for Elevens arm and showed them her brand "and that is hers, we were branded with them when we first got into Dr.Brenner laboratory." I explained quietly continuing to stare ahead of me at the principal giving a boring speech.
"So you and Eleven went to the place were you got powers at the same time?" The irritating boys eyes widened with inquisitiveness.
I let out a exasperated sigh and rolled my eyes then turned to look at them all.
"No I was put the when I was four, so ten years ago, I was taken from my home with my friend who also had powers and together we had been practicing together. Then when we went to the lab it took three years for more children to show up, I was moved around to different labs across the world. Eleven was taken from her home and put in the lab some time when I was gone." I whispered quickly before turning around and plopping back into my seat.
They all looked flabbergasted by the quick description of a life time of traumatic memories.
"Who was your friend? Where are they now?" Lisp-o asked.
I want to kill my self, why are kids so curious?
"He is dead, he died helping me and Eleven escape." I monotoned the lie a sweet one, Eleven quickly looked at me about to open her mouth but then closed it remembering my friendship with him.
"Oh I'm sorry." The irritating boy spoke in a quiet tone become infected awkward and shy, his mind wanted to know more but he didn't want to offend me.
"His number was One, he was very kind and smart, and it's okay to ask things, either way I'll still be able to hear your mind asking it." I smirked at their widened eyes. "Also we have no idea what this whole 'Will' thing is about but as long as we stay hidden from Dr.Brenner we will help you." I smiled and Eleven grinned a spark of joy piercing her heart as she looked at me and the malodorous boys that were beaming back at us.
༻ ☠︎ ༺
We stood in the Hawkins middle school hall way, Dr.Brenner and some left over orderlies dressed in oddly normal clothes compared to the all white aesthetic that they usually wore.
Dr.Brenner was speaking to us about coming back and how everything would be okay when I got feed up with his mind pounding speech I finally moved to the front of the group of irritating children that had blocked my path from protecting Eleven.
When I finally plowed through the middle schoolers and got to Eleven I placed a hand on her head and could feel her shaking in fear.
"If you try to manipulate any one here it might as well be me Dr.Brenner." I confidently smirked as I pushed Eleven behind me.
"I'm not manipulating you—" He started.
"Bullshit, Dr.Brenner your the reason I learned how to be a master manipulator." I opened my arms and spread my fingers out and the shadows of the room swirled and conjoined with my hands as it slowly traveled up my arms.
"Now Zero lets not do anything rash."Dr.Brenner tried to wave his hand discreetly but it was obvious when all of the orderlies pulled guns out of their coats.
"Rash? Like kidnapping children and experimenting on them?"
I smirked as he furrowed his brows and squinted his eyes trying to seem intimidating.
"Kill the children Zero and Eleven joined then sedate them." Dr.Brenner ordered the orderlies behind him, he glared at me one more time before turning and walking past them and down the hall.
I heard the little ones behind me whimper and whisper in fear.
"Run into the classroom to the right." I turned my head looking behind me, they all nodded and ran in there with out arguing.
"Close the door behind you little ones." I heard the door quickly slam behind them their terrified hollering echoing from behind the walls.
The intoxicating smell of fear floating through the air like a fine mist.
I could feel that the orderlies who ahead of me were hesitating to move, remembering the mangled corpses that I had left in my wake not less then a week before.
I used that fear to influence the little voices inside all of their heads to get louder the voices deeper, trickles of sweat now spread down their faces.
One finally broke and started running, and with that mans heavy foot steps thudding down the hall way it set off a chain reaction, the rest of the orderlies started sprinting for safety.
I smirked and with a flick of my wrist they could not move, the shadows on the floor forming into hands and gripping all of their ankles.
They all tripped and clawed the floor as they were slowly dragged toward me.
I had the first coward get thrown to my feet by the black smoke, it helped position him so I could let my eyes burn into his.
He kneeled before me and I smirked wider, I know that killing people is wrong but the high I gain from it is better then any drug you could do.
I lifted my hand from my side and ran my head through his sweaty hair, gross, I gripped his hair pulling his head up to look at me.
He whimpered in fear, his spiky hair poking out from between my fingers I slowly held on to his skull harder, His whimper turned into a low guttural groan.
I gripped hard blood squirting from where my finger tips were pressed against his head.
"Please— please don't kill me," He started, that made my tingle in excitement and I gripped harder feeling his skull on my fingers now. "PLEASE" He begged louder, tears falling out of his basil eyes.
That only made my blood lust grow, I fisted my hand cracking through his skull and smashing his brain.
I then tossed his limp body aside by the brain steam.
He landed with a pathetic thud.
I played with the other orderlies as well, letting them think they could escape but then flinging them back to me, I would bury my hand in their cheats ripping out their hearts, or an array of organs.
Blood splattering on me, painting the walls and decorating the floor.
Fuck Eleven and those kids are going to see this mess.
I summoned a portal in my hand to a black void and used it as a vacuum to clean the hall way as much as I possibly could.
Some blood still stained me and the walls but most of it was gone along with the tangled bodies.
Screaming came from the classroom that I had the children hide in, a bolt of panic and anxiety speared my body.
I ran to the door and kicked the door down, seeing it.
The Demogorgan growled and clicked slowly stomping towards the children, cornering them against the wall.
They used a slingshot to hit the merciless monster, not effecting its health at all it clicked almost amused.
Eleven stepped forwarded hand aiming at the beast.
She used her powers to slam it against the wall it started fading, just like how Henry did...
Eleven let out a loud scream as it was finally dissipating, but then something strange happened, she started turning in to a strange dust as well.
"Eleven!"I hollered, I sprinted to her reaching my hand out, my hand landed on her shoulder and then we both dissipated within a moment.
I opened my eyes and I was holding Eleven by the shoulder, the demogrogon was still there chittering.
I cocked my head and it folded inside out guts spilling out and on to the floor its inside out skin now flopping on to the floor.
I used my powers to smush it into a tiny ball of flesh then tossed it into the corner.
It was only then that I actually took in the world around us, it was dark and dusty, yet damp and alive at the same time.
Vines crawled everywhere the eye could see, dust floating through the air lazily.
"Eleven is this the upside down that the lisping boy talked about?" I inquired turning back to her.
"He is Dustin and yes this is the up-side down." She spaced out 'up' and 'side' her vastly small knowledge of words surprised me some times, I can't believe that asshole Dr.Brenner didn't teach the children how to speak.
"We need to leave do you remember how to get back?" I crouched down and held her shoulders.
"We need to go back through." Eleven pointed behind me and I turned my head looking at the tiny red glowing slit in the wall, it was a portal back through.
"So do I just rip it more open until we can step through?" I stroked Elevens chin, and she nodded letting her head relax into my hand.
I let my thumb go under her nose and wipe away the blood that had came out of it.
I stood and stepped in front of the slit, I squinted my eyes and put my pointer and middle finger together, I twisted them up to face the right wall, the slit opened accordingly.
It was big enough to get through now.
I took Elevens hand and helped her step through on to the desk I moved on to the other side, she jumped on to it then hopped down looking back at me as I slipped my foot through.
'Zero...' I heard something in my mind mutter dangerously.
'Hello?' I looked back in to the upside down curiously.
"Zero hurry now." Eleven tugged on my leg and I climbed through the portal completely.
I waved my hand again and it sewed itself shut.
"Where is everyone?" I mumbled seeing no one in the classroom.
"They left..." Eleven halted at where they were standing last tears beading the corner of her eyes.
༻ ☠︎ ༺
We had been hiding in the wood for months, the kind chief of police leaving food for us in a snow coated box.
One day he had waited for us to run out of the trees and greedily grab whatever was hiding in the box.
We thought he had left but he slowly stepped out and had slowly approached us as though we were feral animals.
he talked to us, then convinced us to go live in a cottage he owned in the forest.
He was kind and father-like, we lived there for a while, unlike eleven I didn't keep count I just excepted that we were alive and surviving.
Memories of Henry clouding my mind often, I would lock myself in my room and fantasize about if he had lived. What would I be doing right now if he was alive?
I started dissociating aggressively, leaving my dinners with Hopper and Eleven and going back to my mind strolling through the museum of my memory.
A/N: I hope you are enjoying the story! If you are feel free to spam comment and tell me what needs to be fixed or even if you just found something funny!
I'm distracting myself with these chapters about the earlier seasons so that I can watch Volume II and contribute it to the other chapters.
Have an amazing, however long it takes me to update <3
(Word count: 4134)