𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐆𝐄𝐌𝐒,, 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫

Chapter One: Welcome to Hawkins

   "Yes papa." The line of children replied. The tall man briefly nodded to himself before beginning to guide the group of children back to their play room. B7 entered the room looking around for an open play area. She spotted one of her brothers playing chess by himself. She wandered over, taking the small plastic seat before him.
"Darf ich mich zu Ihnen setzen?"
"Bitte" She smiled briefly before pulling the pieces back to their places.
"Hände oder Geist?"
"Geist." Both children placed their hands behind their backs. Their eyes met from across the small wooden table.
"Weiß geht zuerst." Her brother, B6, reminded. B7 telepathically moved her knight to the space c3. Seven and Six continued to move pieces around the board.

Just as B7 was about to take her brother's king with her rook, the door swung open. Men in heavy black bulletproof proof jackets berated the door.
"Everybody, hands up!" One of the men shouted. The children's hands flew up as fear racked their miniature bodies.
"They're just kids, Bruce." The man next to him semi-whispered.
"What are we gonna do?"

    They dragged the cuffed children to the back of a police truck, loading them in carefully.
"Wir können gehen." B6 looked down at his cuffs, slowly unhinging them with his powers. B7 shook her head, placing her hand on his forearm.
"Es wird uns nichts nützen." He nodded understandingly. As the last kid was placed on the bus, one of the men slammed the door shut.

    When they arrived at the station, each of the children were crammed into a room with a desk a light and two chairs. A tall, fat, old man entered the rooms individually. When he entered B7's room he huffed whilst tossing some papers onto the desk.
"Hey kiddo."
"Hallo." She mumbled
"What's your name?"
"B sieben." The man furrowed his brows, unable to understand her.
"Do you speak English?"
"Nicht sehr gut."
"Your name?"
"N-name." She replied holding out her arm. Tattooed into her forearm read 'B7'.
"How old are you?"
"zwölf." He stared back with confusion.
"Eine." She held up one finger.
"Ok, one."
"Zwei." She held up two fingers on the other hand.
"Two. Three?" She shook her head, no.
"Eine. Zwei." She pushed her hands next to each other combining the number of fingers.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand."
"O-one," she pointed at one finger. The man nodded allowing her to continue, "Two." She pushed her fingers together, "twell."
"You are twelve?"
"Ja." She nodded.
"Do you go to school?"
"W-w-what... school?" She stuttered.
"Do you know who your parents are?"
"Papa."
"No your parents."
"Papa." The man huffed , he stood up from the table.
"We'll have to do a dna test. The lab is being shut down and we need to know if there is any immediate family we can send you to." B7 nodded. He gently patted her shoulder, before leaving the room.

   Shortly after, a man in a white lab coat entered the room. He briefly explained to her that he was going to swab the insides of  both her cheeks. She nodded once more. He quickly swabbed the insides of her mouth and left. She waited, and waited for the fat old man to return. Eventually she dozed off, her head laid against the table whilst she sat in the chair.

Seven woke up to what she assumed was the next morning, the sound of clattering quite ominous. She looked around, observing the back of a large van. She also spotted B6 laying on the opposite bench. She tiredly rose up from bench, making her way to the van window.
"Wo bringen Sie uns hin?"
"Go back to bed kiddo, we'll be at your new home soon." Seven was too tired to argue so she sat back on the bench and watched over Six.

After what may or may not have been several hours, they pulled up to a two-story dark brick house. The lawn was spread with luscious green grass, that complimented the house's pops of white. On the porch sat a younger middle aged woman, who seemed to have noticed the van. B7 shook her brother awake, causing him to groan.
"Here." She whispered.
"Wo?" He questioned.
"H-home." Suddenly the back doors of the van flew open. One of the two men motioned the kids out the van. Seven immediately flinched from the newly found sun. She held up her hand in attempt to shield herself from the blinding light, but it had little effect.

The woman ran towards the children, embracing them in a comforting hug. Tears trickled down her face, and her hands grasped tightly onto the backs of their shirts.
"I can't believe you're here." She choked out. Seven and Six remained stiff in the woman's grasp, staring blankly ahead. A few more moments passed before she released the children. She was greeted by the men.
"Ms. Amy Ross?"
"That's me."
"If you could sign here on the dotted line, saying that we are releasing these children into your custody."
"Yes! Of course." Amy quickly signed her name and bid her goodbyes to the agents. Then, she ushered the kids inside the home.

The door swung open revealing bone-white walls paired with vibrant furniture. The kids stared in amazement.
"This is my home. Which is also now your home."
"Home." Seven stuttered.
"Yeah." Amy paused looking between the children, "my daughter, Dawn, lives here too. She's out with her friend Jonathan."
"Was ist ein Freund?" Six questioned. Amy stared at him with utter confusion. Seven takes account of her expression.
"H-he ask what a frien?"
"It's like- it's like having a bond with someone. Friends are very close and hang out a lot."
"Hang out?"
"Yeah, when you spend time with someone." The children nodded understandingly. Suddenly the door swung open, revealing a teenage girl standing next to a boy her age.
"Hey mom... and children?"
"These are Valerie's kids."
"Oh." The girl nodded, "What's your names?"
"Sechs."
"What?"
"He is B-six. I-I am B-seven."
"Oh. Well, I'm Dawn. This is my friend Jonathan." The boy next to her waved, causing Seven to confusedly do the same.
"Mom, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Yeah."

   Dawn and Amy ventured to the kitchen, leaving  Jonathan with the kids. Before they began their conversation, Dawn checked to make sure they were distracted. She spotted Jonathan making awkward conversation with them.
"Mom, why do they sound like that?"
"I think they don't know proper English. Seven seems to know a little but Six knows none."
"I thought you said they were Valerie's kids."
"They are. The DNA test matched with Valerie, but Valerie's been missing for twelve years."
"So her kids are here but she isn't?"
"I don't know. Maybe they were kidnapped or something."
"It just seems a little weird."
"This entire situation is weird, but we're the only thing they have left." Dawn nodded, looking over once more at Jonathan and the kids.

 

    Dawn and Amy made their way over to the kitchen. Jonathan awkwardly stood before the kids.
"Um, hi."
"Hallo." They both replied.
"Um... where are you guys from?" Six shrugged causing Jonathan's attention to turn towards Seven.
"I-I not know. I see sign 'Air-Zona' maybe."
"Arizona."
"Ja."
"What're you doing up here?"
"Lab shut down. Police." She nodded to herself assuringly.
"You lived in a lab?"
"Ja." Silence fell over the three before Seven spoke up once more.
"J-Jonathan?"
"Mhm?"
"Where is here?"
"This is Hawkins, Indiana."
"How far?"
"I don't know. Indiana's gotta be easily over a thousand miles from Arizona." Seven nodded along, turning to Six. Suddenly, Amy and Dawn re-emerged from the kitchen.

"So, are you kids hungry? There's a good diner down the street." Amy offered. Six and Seven nodded eagerly.