No Choice | Peter Ballard x Reader

The Hawkins Massacre

Your head is spinning. Your legs are moving on their own as you head to the infirmary. Your brain is going haywire yet on autopilot at the same time. Your passing all these bodies and obvious blood splatters, and you feel like you're about to faint. You've grown your reflex towards seeing the most gruesome of sights throughout your career as a nurse, but this is all too much.

The laboratory's alarm is constantly blaring in your ears as you turn away from every single body; you can recognize each one of them too. You can't do this. You just can't, but your worry for Peter is the only instigation to keep going. You're completely exhausted when you reach the infirmary. There's sweat dripping down your forehead as you try to recollect yourself. You're so out of breath, but as you look up, you gag—muffling your mouth with your hands.

There is 002 sprawled on the gatch bed.

Each of his limbs are disgustingly distorted in different directions. You're going to throw up. You are actually going to throw up. Your mind is starting to numb and deaf itself from the continuous and ceaseless noises: the alarm, your breathing, and the flashbacks of the petrifying screams from the children. All you can smell is blood.

However, even if 002's limbs are abhorrently contorted, that's not what makes your skin crawl. It's the fact that 002's eyes are completely gone. You're horrified, and you can't seem to move your legs. You need to breathe but you can't. You can't. You're suffocating.

You collapse onto the ground and cover your ears with your hands. Your knees are touching your chest as you try to get yourself out of this panicked and overwhelmed state. You almost start sobbing, but your mind quickly focuses on something else.

Peter.

God, you hope he's okay.

Determination fills your veins as you shakily stand yourself up. Your head is still blazing your mind, but you're trudging through it as you slowly make your way outside the infirmary. You don't know exactly where you're going. Your eyes and brain can't seem to cooperate with each other right now, so you're loosely walking into any direction that seems right to you.

You stumble upon the Rainbow Room. There's some noise in there other than the blaring alarm, and you burst open the door to reveal your beloved Peter.

Except it wasn't him.

At least not the one you've grown to love.

His hair is slicked back. There's blood on his face and his uniform. 

Peter's eyes hold a crazy, psychotic feel that strikes fear in your heart. You can't recognize this man standing in front of you. His jaw is clenched, muscles extremely tensed.

You don't believe it. You can't. There's no way this is your Peter, especially since he's never told you that he's had powers.

He has his pale and long fingers in the air towards the levitating child. Recognizing the darkness of her hair, you realize it's 011. She's screaming in pain, you wince as you see the slight distortion of her limbs like they want to break apart on her. Peter is visibly shaking, putting all his effort into defeating this child in front of him.

You're utterly terrified. You feel like a deer caught in headlights as you're frozen in your spot. 

Suddenly, Peter's focus changes as he locks eye contact with you. His fierce, intense gaze loosens as his eyes widen. His posture slackens, and you feel a complete power shift in the air.

All you can see is 011's back as she screeches, sending her palms forward, and Peter goes launching back into the glass.

You choke out a scream as you feel your throat close in on itself. 

You run to 011.

"Eleven! Eleven, you've got to stop. Let him go," you tell her. You're standing right in front of her. Her eyes have blood streaking down them, and her focus is fixed on Peter.

You hear the flickering light panels as Peter groans—limbs thrashing out. Your feelings are completely blinding your rational thoughts right now, but you don't care.

"Please, Eleven. W-we can talk this through without any violence," you plead, but you're getting no reaction from 011.

You hear Peter cry out in pain. You turn to him, and you see his chest start developing a dim light. He's lashing out as best as he could with the strict hold from 011. Tears are gradually developing as you watch the man you love suffer. His eyes are sealed tight as he now starts screaming. The hole in his chest is getting bigger as more and more light produces from his matter. 

You turn back to 011.

"S-stop, you're hurting him! Please listen to me, Eleven!"

It's no use. The child is focused on ending Peter. Your breathing is irregular as you continue to plead for her to stop. You can't handle this. You don't want to hear him wail in pain anymore, but it doesn't seem like you can stop 011 as her lifted hand starts heavily shaking.

You can't think of anything, so you do what you've always been good at.

Run.

Run to Peter.

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841 words.