My Number One (001/Henry Creel/Vecna x Reader)

Chances

"So, where is this gate?" I asked.

Mr Ballard sighed. "It's here."

He looked up slowly to the ceiling, and I followed his gaze. A luminescent crack spanned along it, and it was slightly moving, as if made out of a wobbly material.

"That's it?" I asked.

"Yes." Mr Ballard paused, the looked at me. "Twelve, this world is almost identical to the normal world, and in the normal world, this was my home. This was where a grew up. This was my bedroom. This was where I killed my family."

My mouth dropped open at the last sentence. What did he just say? When was his list of victims going to end?! "You killed your family?!"

Mr Ballard noticed the horror on my face and grabbed both my arms, seemingly afraid I was going to leave, even though I wouldn't know where to go. "Yes, but they deserved it!"

I looked disgusted. "Like the children at the lab deserved it?"

"Yes! Exactly!"

I shook my head. "I would do anything to have a family and a house like this, and you ruined yours."

Mr Ballard looked disgusted now. "You don't know anything about the real world, Twelve. Not all families are good. And, if you really want a family and a house like this, we can have one. We can live here. Together."

"I barely accepted the fact that you killed those test subjects, and I was the one they bullied, and I had days to process it in my head after Eleven told me. This is something else. You're a psychopath."

He was still holding my arms, and now he gripped them harder. "No! The fact that you didn't know my family should make it easier to understand. You'll never know how terrible they were—not just to me, but to everyone! The world is a better place without them."

"What are you going to tell me next, though? That you killed my mum?!"

"No, of course not!"

"That you're gonna take out the whole planet one by one?!"

"I shouldn't have told you," he whispered. "Now you're never going to come back to me."

I wasn't sure if I would, but in that moment, I was afraid he would never let me leave if I said so. I paused, and shook my head. "No, of course I will."

"Why would you come back after hearing that?"

I paused again. "...Because that's how strong my love is for you."

He didn't look convinced, but hopeful.

"Stronger than what I have for Eleven," I lied. "Stronger than what I have for freedom."

He stared at me for a few moments, deciding whether to believe me or not. "Okay," he whispered.

He stood up on the bed now, and held his hands down to help me up too. I took them, and we stood facing each other, so close. We were silent for a few seconds, just breathing, before he said in a quiet voice, "As I told you, the real world is almost identical to this one. When you go through this gate, you'll be in this house, only in the world you're used to. Its address is Moorhead Street, and the address you left Eleven at is Maple Street, both in Hawkins Indiana. Remember those names so you can find your way back and forth."

"Why don't you come, too?"

"I tried it the day after Eleven banished me, and when I reentered the real world after hours of walking to find a gate, I lost the power that I had gained whilst being here. This is all I've ever wanted except for you. I'm not losing it."

I nodded, looking into his eyes.

In that moment, I realised I hadn't been lying when I told him my love for him was stronger than what I had for Eleven's, or freedom. It was true.

How strong did your love have to be for someone to stand before them like this, appreciating every detail in their face, wanting to sink into their eyes, after finding out that they're a mass murderer?

I realised Eleven was probably friends with me because she had no other choice. Every other child in the lab hated her, whether it be out of jealousy, or to gain approval from the ones who were jealous. Our bond had become so strong because we had no one else. I would still have chosen her out of everyone else, but I wasn't convinced it went both ways. I felt she had always wanted to be friends with them, and if they came to her one day and apologised, saying they'd like to restart, she'd be happy, and happily forget everything they'd done to her. She wouldn't just be happy that the bullying would be over, but also that she'd get to hang out with her bullies. She'd probably swap me for them in a heartbeat. She wanted to be popular.

Mr Ballard had chosen me, with the option of anyone. Unbeknownst to us, he and sat from the sidelines, probably for years, analysing us all, and decided I was the best. What made that thought even better was that none of us were trying. He had watched us all in our natural state, none of us performing to impress him—we didn't even realise he was there half of the time. He really, truly thought me the best companion out of all of that lab. And, now he had the whole world to choose from, yet he still chose me. If he could watch me, and send a Demogorgon in to fetch me, then he could do it to anyone. I was his first choice.

To even consider loving Mr Ballard more than my best and only companion during years of captivity, I must've really loved him.

"While you're gone," Mr Ballard said suddenly, "don't do this to anyone else."

Then, he kissed me again, and I still didn't know the word for it.

He helped me reach up to the ceiling, and I clawed my way through the gap into the real world.

*

I fell though and  landed on the same bed I had just been on, in the same room I had just been in, except this time it wasn't covered in slime, and the room wasn't dark and foggy. I could see it clearer now. It was beautifully decorated, furnished with a dark oak bed, dresser and wardrobe, and deep red velvet curtains.

I made my way out onto the street, and it was back to normal, not foggy and strange. I almost felt as if I could breathe better, but that could've just been because my nerves were calmed now that I was away from Mr Ballard.

The road was quiet asides from one car coming down it. I had no clue how to get to Maple Street, so I stood in the road to stop it.

A girl about my age pulled the brakes and rolled her window down. "Excuse me?" she yelled, annoyance on her face.

I moved slowly towards her driver window. "Do you know how to get to Maple Street?"

She stared at me for a moment, looking uncertain. "Yeah, that's where I live."

My heart lifted, and I smiled to show it. "Can you take me there?"

"Umm," she said. "Yeah, I guess."

After riding in Walter's car, the brothel owner, I felt far more familiar with the concept of them. I walked around to the passenger side and hopped in. "Thank you," I said, still smiling. This worked out well! What were the chances?

"No problem," said the girl, seeming to warm up to me a little. "I like your cardigan, I actually have the same one."

I was still wearing the pretty pink cardigan Mike had stolen from his sister for me, but on top of the stripper outfit Walter had given me. I had been about to remove the cardigan before I stepped on stage to perform my first stripper dance, but, of course, I had been whisked off into the Upside Down before I had the chance. "Oh, really?" I said. "Great minds think alike!" I had heard Papa use that phrase many a time, and I hoped I was using it correctly.

The girl laughed lightly. "Yeah, I was actually going to wear it today, but I couldn't find it."

"That would've been funny if we both wore the same one," I said.

"Yeah." The girl looked at me as she put both hands on the wheel to set off. "My name's Nancy, by the way. Nice to meet you."