The Scholar & The Bard [Sequel to Bookworm & Toothless] (Stranger Things AU)

[44]

The alarms keep blaring, El rubbing her bracelet as Hopper had his gun up and ready, glancing everywhere and flinching at every body on the floor.

They headed down the stairs, when Hopper stops, causing her to hesitate, seeing a lot of blood on the stairway.

"Stay here."

Hopper walked further down, his finger at the trigger, ready to shoot when he stops.

"Oh, shit."

It was Owens, his leg nearly torn apart by the Demodogs.

It looks like he won't be moving any time soon.

He kneeled down, inspecting the wound, sighing at the big, bloody gash.

"Those suckers got you pretty good, huh? Well, if Jessica could survive the worst of their doings, so can you."

Owens opens his mouth, about to say something.

"It's okay, don't talk. Don't talk. I got you. I got you. I got you."

Owens glances up to see a teenage punk girl come up behind Hopper, her eyes staring impassively at him, as if she didn't trust him.

He noticed she was rubbing a necklace, the name JESSIE dangling from the chain.

"Oh, yeah, I've been meaning to tell you. This is Eleven. Eleven, Doc Owens. Doc Owens, Eleven."

Owens suddenly remembers Jessica rubbing a necklace that had the word ONCE dangling from the chain and if his Spanish was correct, it translates into eleven.

And from the files, he knows that the two were friends.

"She's been staying with me for about a year and she's about to save our asses. Maybe when this is all said and done, maybe you can help her out, too, you know? Maybe you could help her lead, like, a normal life. One where she's not poked and prodded and...treated like some kind of lab rat, you know?"

El hesitates before speaking up.

"And the Hernandez sisters, Gabriella and Jessica...is there a possible way to make them my...adoptive...siblings?" she asks, forcing her voice to not sound scared, glancing at Hopper at the last second who smiled at her and nods, looking back at Owens.

"That also means her fellow friends from way back then, before they were separated. As you probably heard the rumors of María and Alejandro Hernandez abusing their eldest for about, uh, four years, and currently she's staying at a friend's house to avoid being put in a group home. The youngest was believed to be killed in an accident that dealt with her being hit by a car, but that has been proven false tonight. So, it would help if the three can go back to having a normal life together, as a family, where they won't be able to be taken by any government assholes."

He looks up at Owens, shrugging.

"I don't know, just a thought."

He tightens the belt around the wound, to prevent more blood from spilling, Owens groaning in pain.

"But, uh...think about it," Hopper says, patting his shoulder as Owens nods.

Hopper hands him a pistol, just in case any Demodogs came.

"Don't go anywhere."

Owens chuckled as Hopper ventured downstairs, El following behind him, squeezing her necklace nervously.

X

The group was still walking through the tunnels, looking everywhere.

"God!" Lucas exclaimed.