010 || Stranger Things X Male Reader

Chapter 00: 8 Minutes

8th of September, 1979

(National Laboratory of Hawkins)

"Ten, are you paying attention?" Papa inquires, a nonchalant brow raised. Though thoughts reverberate in your mind, you raise your eyes to glance up at him in a preoccupied manner. Children move around the room in their usual rhythms, as they had done in previous days. You had missed it earlier.

"Yes, Papa." You react, returning your gaze to the man; he smells like coffee and new plastic, a scent that is all too familiar in this location. "Are you willing to take some tests?" A warmness grows in your chest as he speaks, he raises a deceptive brow and smiles gently; but, you remain wary; you've always been like that, even after all these years knowing Papa; something has always been off about him.

Papa guides you around the corridors gently, watching and smiling as each individual passes by. Your attention is drawn to the mark on your wrist by a sharp irritation. 010 is a tattoo that will never come off. It helps people recognize you but also conceals something; you can sense it deep within your body.

"Dr. Ellison, number six." He nods softly downward, and the two people on the other side of the hall smile and wave at him. Six wears the same little gown as you and the other kids, and Dr. Ellison wears a coat identical to Papa's.

Papa walks you through the duo to your room, number 010, where you sleep and wake up. With a plastic table lies in the centre, a machine of some sort in the center. Through the wall, connecting to a plastic plug-in.

"Don't be concerned," he replies, his gaze falling on yours. "It's just a few tests." As Papa begins to place the gadget on your head, you close your eyes and take a seat across from him. Slow and steady breathing, as instructed. There's no need to be concerned.

Something doesn't feel quite right.

"Ten, I'd like you to locate Dr. Ellison, and Six, could you assist me?" He asks after you've answered the previous two. It was difficult enough to see the paper Papa had sketched on.

You try anyways, it's pitch black, but you have a feeling you're drifting through the corridors. Finding or following the auras of the two people. You have no idea what's going on, except that it can't be controlled. "Fall back and re-orient yourself if you can't find them." Papa adds, it's dead silent until you reach the metal 006 door.

Screaming and horrible shouting. You start mumbling to Papa involuntarily. "Something is wrong... yelling." A vision passes you by almost too quickly, yet you recognize the wall. It appears to be your wall, but it isn't. It's Six's.

"Monster." You mumble, and the facility's alarm goes off. "Ten?!" Papa inquires, leaping from his chair.

When you open your eyes, you hear horrible screaming, deafening screaming. You stand up and take a step forward, terrified.

"Ten!" Papa exclaims as a door flies by, slamming you in the head with its side as it redirects itself to slam into Papa.

You try to blink but can't; the blood continues to flow unabated. You try mumbling a plea, but it doesn't work before you pass out.

Brenner pulls himself along the corridor on his hands and knees, blood flowing down his face and landing on the tiled floor. Every open door has a dead child. The rainbow room is filled with shouts.

"Ten?" Brenner mumbles as he pushes the door open. He leans against the metal door frame, gasping. Everywhere, children are found dead. Only one person remains, 011. shattered glass sits alongside her. On the other side of the window, a break in the wall indicates something hit it hard.

As Brenner steps closer, he recognizes the non-moving figure on the other side of the window, it's Ten. To his seasoned eyes, it's almost unnatural, unreal.

"What have you done?"

Sorry if this seemed lazy I haven't written in forever.