The Overcomer, Stranger Things

The subject and the scientist

When Gwen woke up her vision was blurred and her ears were buzzing. The Byers girl slowly blinked her eyes open as she shook her head. When she tried to move the blond realized that her wrists and feet were bound to a chair. When the buzz finally faded, she heard a familiar, kind voice speaking to her.

"Gwen? Gwen, baby can you hear me?" Joyce asked softly. The girl's eyes widened when she looked behind her to see that her mother was tied up to the other side of the chair. Of course, she gets trapped with her mom. Not Hopper, Steve, or someone she isn't mad at right now. Just her luck.

"Yes," Gwen huffed as she rolled her eyes, making Joyce give her a disapproving look.

"Hey, what's with the attitude?" she asked, making her daughter give her an incredulous look.

"Out of all the people to get incarcerated with, I get you," Gwen threw her head back in exasperation. "This is just the cherry on top of a banner day!" she shouted sarcastically, causing Joyce to give the girl an offended look.

"Hey! You're not exactly being a walk in the park either--"

"Oh, please, spare me the details of your thoughts on me right now! I already have a pretty decent guesstimate," Gwen retorted, as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh, well, since you know everything I guess you would--" Joyce paused mid-comeback when she heard a sniffle come from behind her. "Are you crying?"

"No," Gwen hiccuped before retorting, "that's your job!"

"Angel--" Joyce started before Gwen interrupted her again.

"Don't call me that."

"Darling--"

"Shut up."

"Sweetheart--"

"What do you want from me?" Gwen blew up, not even able to look at her mother. If her hands weren't bound to a chair she would've thrown them in the air. "Do you think I made this up, too? With my crazy fantasies and my messed up head?"

"Honey, no, I--"

"Stop," Gwen cried out as tears trickled down her face. "Please just stop talking." Joyce reluctantly closed her mouth, swallowing the lump in her throat, as she allowed her daughter to continue.

"It hurts. It hurts whenever I talk to you or look at you. It physically hurts because I know you don't believe in me," Gwen admitted, further shattering her mother's heart. The pair sat in silence for a few seconds as Gwen had said everything she needed to and Joyce was trying to figure out how to fix the mess she made. However, the quiet didn't last long as a booming voice came through the speaker in the corner of the room.

"But we do," a heavily accented voice filled the Byer's ears before a door to the side opened. Joyce Byer's eyes filled with rage as she looked up to see an all too familiar scientist enter the room.

"Brenner," she growled as the man stepped toward the pair.

Gwen furrowed her eyebrows as her blue orbs landed on a tall, classy-looking man with silver hair, who was smiling ominously at her. Joyce looked back and forth between Brenner and her daughter as the older man walked toward them. The overprotective mother felt her anger turn to fear when she realized the scientist's eyes were solely on her daughter. Brenner bent down to Gwen's height as the 8-year-old stared at him curiously.

"We've been waiting for you a long time, Gwen."

"You have?" Gwen questioned, confusion and wonder written all over her face.

"Of course!" Brenner exclaimed as though it were obvious. "You're a very special girl," he bopped the girl's nose playfully, making Joyce lunge toward him.