Season Three Inspired Oneshots~

~22~

The first time El gained the ability to enter the void again was a frigid day in January of 1986, that was the day she saw Hopper.

After Nancy let Joyce know, the mission to find him was put into action. But by fear, El didn't go into the void again. Nor did she use her powers.

Because after months of having no power at all she feared losing them again. She didn't want to lose them forever.

It was an average evening in February. El had said goodnight to Joyce, Will, and Jonathan, and had gone to her room to go to bed.

However instead of drifting into a dream she wouldn't remember tomorrow she was pulled into the black of the void.

She had seemingly forgotten just how dark the void was. Just how empty it was. Her feet cold against the floor. If you could even call it a floor.

The void was just so empty. She could never tell if it really was a floor. She couldn't tell if there was ever an end to the empty space, if it was like a box.

A shiver danced down her spine as a figure came into view, he was faced away from her, however he was talking. His voice getting louder and more clear with every single second, every step she took.

As she walked towards him his figure began to gain colour, instead of being a shadow. The sight caused her eyes to widen, her breath to get rapid.

Although he was faced away, she could recognize that figure anywhere, and he was speaking to nobody but her.

A tall man, in a sleek black suit, with silver hair. He had a radio, similar to her walkie, that he was speaking into.

"Eleven? Are you here?" his voice was quiet and calm yet deafening. He was trying to reach her. Somehow, someway, he made sure she entered the void instead of having a dream of any sort.

At that moment, she understood what Will meant.

About the freezing feeling, not such as temperature, but frozen in mobility. El was stuck, standing in her place behind him.

"I know you're here." his voice was more commanding, he knew she was there, she wasn't fooling him.

That just scared her more. He wasn't just doing with this a radio, and he wasn't just doing this randomly. This had to be planned. He had to be preparing this.

"If you want this to end, I advise you show yourself, so we may prepare a meeting. That way you just might be able to save your friends. Just maybe." his voice was cold.

A smirk grew on his face as she walked to face him, tears burning in her eyes as she saw him. Her papa, standing in front of her. Alive.

It couldn't be happening. It wasn't real. It couldn't be. Because, why would he be alive? How?

"Hello, Eleven." his shallow greeting only frightened her more, he didn't address her by any other name, just another one of his freaks. Another one of his numbers.

She wanted to tell herself this wasn't real. That this was just like what Kali had done back in the warehouse. But she knew that wasn't the case. This was real. Or, as real as the void got.

"Why didn't you look for me? Why didn't you think? You thought you could just go on with a normal life, like nothing ever happened? Look at what you've become. Reduced down to this. I'm disappointed."

"You lose your powers, and you know only I am capable of helping; yet you don't reach out, and just stay quiet. Why, Eleven?" He leant down so he was eye to eye with her.

"I-I was scared. I thought you were de-gone." she always had a hunch he wasn't dead, but thinking he was out of her life was sensible enough.

He scoffed. "You really think that? How foolish. Well, here's what's going to happen."