𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 - festering illusions

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 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃 the perfect word for her new look; bitchin'.

 The young girl who had appeared before them with a frock of delicate and bouncy curls and wonderfully soft doe-eyes, and of course, her cute little overalls, now stood with a hesitant smile tugging at her lips.

 Her hair had been slicked back, gel keeping it flat atop her skull; though a stand or two did try to escape and pointed high into the air. Her eyes were now surrounded with black make-up, courtesy of Dottie, of course. It had been applied haphazardly, and dark dust still clung atop Eleven's cheeks — a remnant of Dottie's work.

 Her lips had been stained a deep and dark shade of wine; another decision from Dottie. Eleven, however, had swiftly scrubbed it away whilst smacking her lips together.

 Gone were the overalls and jacket that had swamped her like a blanket, now she stood uncertainly with a pair of One's old jeans covering her legs and one of Kali's abandoned jackets shielding her arms; they all hung off of her but she was at least comfortable, and now she certainly looked the part.

 Everyone had gathered within the room, watching as Dottie worked her magic and when Eleven had been revealed to them, One simply couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't mocking, just plain amusement; the look suited her, who would have thought?

 El gave them a little twirl, her hand clasped within Funshine's as he spun her; there was a grin on her lips as she did her best as to not trip over her own shoes; converses that had been heaved over a long pair of mismatched socks.

 There was just one thing left.

 "I think you need an accessory, hm?" One pondered thoughtfully, though her fingers had already inched towards her neck, deftly undoing the clasp to one of her own necklaces. In all honesty, even if Eleven did participate in their... escapades, One knew that the girl cared too much for her friends, even Hopper, to remain with them forever — the necklace was more so a gift for the girl to remember them by.

 One pried the necklace from her collar and wiggled her finger as a means to get Eleven to turn her back. The chain dangled delicately above Eleven's collar bones and the small charm hanging from the silver glinted; a tiny little star.

 "Perfect." One concluded, spinning her sister once more. She cast her eyes over her shoulder, awaiting approval from the others.

 Axel stuck up his pale thumb, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. Kali almost grinned and Funshine had, of course, given his own compliments as well. Dottie strode forth, a tube of lipstick still dangling between her two fingers.

 She popped the pink gum in her mouth, "Bitchin'"

 Eleven nodded, "Bitchin'"

 Something had been itching at One the entire time she'd been watching her group of misfits get ready to leave. Mick and Axel flew back and forth, filling up the van with supplies, and Funshine had easily swapped the vehicle's plates.

 Eleven had taken a seat beside One, watching as her older sister kicked her legs back and forth, dangling them over the edge of the stairs. One's nerves had picked up, and though she trusted Kali and the others to keep Eleven safe, she couldn't quite trust them to let Eleven make her own choices. They were all so set in their ways.

 "Can you promise me something before you go, El?" One muttered, her eyes focused on Kali who paced the floor below. In her hands was the torn article written about Ray Caroll, and Kali's eyes certainly held no intrigue or interest in the article,  just utter rage directed at the man printed on the page.

 "Mhm." Eleven nodded, her fingers holding tightly to the small star that dangled atop her old shirt. Confusion was evident by the way she blinked and the way her smile faltered and curled down.

 "When you find Ray, I want you to promise me that you'll listen to his story first." Upon watching Eleven's lips part in haste, likely to oppose, One ploughed onwards, her voice far less sweet than Eleven had gotten used to, "El, some time ago when I was out on one of these little trips, I found one of the men that was responsible for carrying out my tests, he'd hit me, electrocuted me, bruised and bloodied me to the point where my face and body were black and blue. I still have the scars, and I will for the rest of my life..."

 Eleven inhaled sharply, yet One did not disguise her words or make them any less true, "I wanted to do the same things to him. I did do the same to him." Her mind flashed then, peeks of blood, trembling fingers and a gut full of utter rage... But when that billowing fire of anger had died down into nothing but flickering embers, guilt had moved in.

 One forced herself to breathe, electing to ignore the way her fingers trembled as she curled them around a loose thread of her jeans. She reached for Eleven's hand, "I hurt him with my powers. I broke his bones, I bruised his face, and then I snapped his neck with my own two hands."

 Her stomach churned, and One kept her eyes dutifully away from Eleven's, "I had been so blinded by anger, and so hurt that somebody could have ever looked at me, a child, and do the things that he did... You know what broke me out of that?" Her laugh was broken and the taste of salt invaded her senses as a tear that had managed to worm its way from her lashes slipped onto her tongue, "I heard a sob, a gut-wrenching cry from behind me... and as I turned to look, standing there was a little girl. She hadn't been any older than six. It was his daughter, and I had stolen her father from her in the most brutal way possible. She didn't have a mother. I made her an orphan."

 "I didn't think —" She cleared her throat "— I didn't think to check if that monster had changed his ways. I didn't think someone like that could have even a slither of good in their heart. But he did. He had left the lab ten years prior, he found himself a wife, worked as an art teacher and had a baby girl. He then lost his wife to cancer, and never got to say goodbye to his child. Because of me."

 That final word shattered, cracking midway through as One ducked her head. Strands of chopped raven locks clung to the tears slithering down her cheeks. She felt arms curl around her middle holding her tight, and without a beat, she leaned her head atop Elevens.

 "Promise me, El. Promise that you'll be better than me. If he's still the same monster that he was, get rid of him, do whatever you want... but if he's changed, if he's trying to be good, let him go because whilst you'll never feel guilty for him, you'll feel guilt for those who loved him." She parted herself from Eleven. "As horrible as it may sound. I still don't feel sorry for the man I killed. I feel guilty because I took that little girl's father, and now she's all alone. We both know how that feels."

 "I... I Promise." Eleven vowed, wiping her eyes of the tears that had fallen.

 "I just don't want you to ever feel this way, okay?"

 "Okay."

 One ruffled her sister's hair, delighting in the way the hairs all stuck up pointing to and fro like signposts. Eleven had swatted at her, hastily slicking her locks back down. Kali had glanced up at them at some point, watching the tears roll down her sister's cheeks... Her eyes had narrowed and yet when One glanced down, Kali only cocked her head.

 "They're almost ready to go." One said, and with a small huff, she arose from her seat, readjusting the waistband of her jeans before holding a helping hand out for Eleven. "Go on down, Kali is very impatient."

 That was very much an understatement, to say the least.

 "Just remember what I said, everything I told you. Alright?"

 Eleven sniffed, willing the tears that had lingered upon her lashes to disappear. She scrubbed at her cheeks, leaving them a furious pink as she lowered herself down the stairs, "I will. Promise."

 One watched them all gather, and watched the way Kali's fingers dug into that article once more. This heist, mission, murder spree... whatever they deemed it, One knew that Kali would take the reigns and place them around Eleven. El had been told she had a choice, but did she really? Would Kali listen if Eleven told her no?

 She brushed the thought away; while Kali was certainly powerful, Eleven could handle herself. It was easy to forget when the girl flashed those wide honey-flecked eyes, or when her curls bobbled atop her head, but she was far more than just a little girl.

 "Alright," One breathed airly, her elbows planted upon the railing while her chin rested in the palm of her hands, cheeks squishing, "Make it back in one piece, losers."

 She saluted with a quick grin, and while Eleven waved happily, Axel flashed his middle finger. He truly was a delight. A beacon of light for them all.

 One made her way back to the bedroom she, along with El, now occupied. The lights from the neon signs flushed her face with a bright blue, her arms a fushia pink. Her fingers drew out, reaching for the notebook she'd been sketching within; led still lined her fingers.

 She threw herself atop her bed, a cushion fell to the side and a blanket twisted around her legs, yet still, the pencil continued to carve against the page. She added some further detail; an extra coil in the girl's hair, another line around her glistening eyes... Then, she tore the page out.

 Like all of the others, One filed the drawing away in an old and rickety desk; it looked about ready to break apart.

 The drawer was stuffed to the brim with papers; each and every one held the very same drawing, the exact same girl. Some had been traced in ink; blue, red or black, while others out of pencil or charcoal. Their muse remained one and the same.

 A shaky exhale pushed through her lips as she slammed the drawer shut once more, hardly flinching against the loud BANG. Months had passed since that day and yet One could still perfectly picture the little girl's face. Each and every detail. Every solemn tear that dusted her cheeks, and the horrific sound of her cry that echoed inside of One's head whenever she was rendered all alone.

 They had been gone for three hours, and One heard them all arrive with mingled voices echoing throughout the old warehouse. She couldn't quite make out any of the words, but it was evident that things hadn't gone quite to plan.

 She moved to leave, gathering her jacket that had been abandoned on her bed, but before One could even slide her arms into the cool leather, Eleven trudged through the door with her head hung low.

 The gel smeared over her head had begun to weaken, and a small and slick curl hung over her eyebrow. When she peered up, One could see the traces of salted tears that had tumbled down the girl's cheeks, dragging her eye-makeup with them. Her eyes were red, her lips plump as they migrated into a heavy frown.

 One felt herself swallow; staring at the girl and the state she was in... Either remorse had been the catalyst for her sorrow, or Kali's anger. For once, she hoped it was the latter. Her voice was as smooth as buttercream, sweetness shining through as she pushed her hair behind a studded ear, "What happened?"

 "I didn't kill him." Eleven shifted on the spot. Her shoelace had come undone, hanging there limply. It felt like muscle memory for One to crouch down, her fingers swiftly tying them into a neat bow, all while her eyes remained on her sisters, imploring for her to expand. The pride in her eyes glittered, and it was the one thing that stopped Eleven from buckling, "He had two children... I was angry, but then I remembered what you said. Being alone... they didn't deserve that. I didn't kill him, I couldn't."

 "Okay, that's okay." One breathed as she stood to her full height, barely taller than the girl in front of her. Her hands curled around her sister, wrapping her in a hug. She was proud. "You did so good, I'm proud of you," She leaned back and smoothed a few stray hairs on the young girl's head, "Is that what has you upset? Or did Kali say something to you?"

 "She was angry." Eleven cleared her throat and leaned her head on her sister's shoulder "I — I stopped her from killing him"

 Angry. That was the very best way to describe Kali in a situation such as that. One had experienced it before, just weeks after she'd murdered that man and branded his little girl an orphan. They'd found one of the nurses that had pumped drugs into their veins, rendering them as nothing but limp rag-dolls when they hadn't followed instructions as perfectly as Papa had wanted.

 One had spared her; the woman had moved on and tried bettering herself. She worked in a hospital, caring for young and sick children; never causing them any harm as she nursed them back to health... Kali had been furious. She had screamed and yelled until her voice had grown hoarse, and her throat raw.

 They will never change!

 They're the same monsters that took our childhoods from us!

 They'll always find somebody else to hurt!

 But no matter what Kali spouted, One stood her ground. It had been the first time they'd truly argued until their faces grew pink. Kali had tried to stroll forth anyway, a gun in hand as the barrel pressed against the woman's forehead.

 The woman had sobbed and pleaded and pointed her fingers towards the 'thank you' cards she'd gathered from the children she had cared for... One had forced Kali out of the apartment, crimson glossing her sister's body when she had refused. They hadn't spoken for three weeks after that.

 One sighed, her head pressing closer to Eleven as she clumsily guided them to her bed, "Kali had never been able to understand that they can change. She's hurt, and she has every right to be angry, but she... Kali can't let them go. That's just who she is." Her fingers pinched Eleven's side, only a light squeeze, a tickle that made her giggle, "She'll cool off... And for what it's worth, I think you did the right thing."

 Eleven smiled, it was tight, and it didn't reach her eyes... But she tried.

 There was a light knock at the door, and when One looked up, meeting Kali's eyes, her brow climbed higher. Kali had no look of guilt nor remorse for what she'd tried to get Eleven to do; she didn't even look apologetic for growing harsh with their sister.

 Her arms were folded across her chest, lips thinned into a line. She gestured to the bed, "May I sit?"

 Eleven nodded stiffly, moving to sit in the chair opposite the bed. She fiddled with her fingers, eyes glued to her nails as she felt Kali brush her by. The bed squeaked in protest as Kali took her place and threw her eyes towards One.

 One remained stoic; it was easy enough for her to argue with Kali, to brush off her anger with an eye roll or wave of the hand. But Eleven was new to everything; she wasn't used to Kali's rage, she wasn't used to seeking out the people who had harmed her... She had made her choice; Kali couldn't blame her for that.

 "She told you what happened?" Kali directed to the sister by her side.

 "She did."

 Taking the hint, Kali got to the point of her visit, "I was once just like you, you know that? But that's why I'm hard on you because I see in you my past mistakes."

 Eleven furrowed her brows and shook her head, "They were kids."

 "Does that excuse the man's sins? Were we not also children?"

 One contained her scoff; things were different. They had been hurt by those people, yes, but how did seeking them out, only to kill them and devoid some children or wife, husband, brother or sister of their loved one make things any better?

 "I remember the day I came to the rainbow room and you were gone." Kali continued on. Her voice was even and her fingers remained clasped atop her knee, "So, when my gifts were strong enough, and I had help —" She turned to One, a hesitant hand finding her forearm, "— We used them to escape. We ran, as far away as we could. It was there, far away, that we found a place to hide. A family. A home."

 One looked back to Kali only to find that both of them had growing tears within their eyes. Remembering their past was never a happy thing, it was filled with so much pain and heartbreak. But they always had each other.

 Eleven felt the familiar sting of tears too; her head filled with images of Mike and Dustin and Lucas. Hopper. She missed him. She missed watching old westerns as she cuddled up to his side, the plates he'd stack with Eggo's and candy. They'd eat until they passed out. That was her family, and she'd left them behind.

 "They couldn't help us." Kali blinked and it was like her tears had vanished into thin air, "So, eventually we lost them too. I decided to play the part, to stop hiding, and so did Red — for a while. We both used our gifts against those that had hurt us, you're now faced with the same choice, Jane."

 But that wasn't true, and One knew it. In Kali's eyes, there were two choices laid out for Eleven; the choice to stay with her newfound sisters and their cluster of oddballs downstairs while they rounded up those who haunted their dreams, or she could be on her merry way. She could find her little friends, her policeman. Those were the choices Kali had left her.

 One would always have her arms wide open; whether Eleven decided to stay, or whether she decided to go back to Hopper, make amends, and be with her friends. No matter what she chose to do, One wouldn't fault her and she'd always be there.

 Eleven didn't have to choose to do the things they did. Yes, Kali, One and even the others... they were all victims in all different ways; but just because they were victims, didn't mean they couldn't become monsters.

 There was no excuse for what they did, call it revenge, or cleansing the earth of those wretched lab workers; every life they took made them more monstrous themselves, and yet sometimes, even One couldn't stop herself. It was like a switch inside of her, one second she'd be just fine, able to reel herself in, and then the next? Her hands would be flooded with crimson and a body would be lying at her feet.

 "You can go back into hiding and hope they don't find you. Fight, and face them again." Kali didn't relent.

 "Fight who?" Eleven spoke, fatigue in her tone and her voice wobbled.

 "The man who calls himself our father."

 The room shifted on its axis, tension flooding like a tidal wave... and that switch inside One threatened to topple over. Her eyes glowed momentarily as rage seared past her skin; she only knew from the way that Eleven blinked at her that it'd happened.

 Eleven's teeth ground together, her jaw tight as she leaned forward, "Papa is dead."

 Then, as though all their nightmares had been laid out like a deck of cards, Doctor Brenner — Papa, stood before them. That menacing grin was on his face; the very one that would twist like a Cheshire cat. He always smiled like that when something went the very way he planned.

 It made One sick to her stomach, and she could see Eleven's face drain of all colour. Crescent moons were carved into her palms from the pressure of One's curled fingers. Blood was drawn, and she was sure she could almost smell it. Everything he'd done to her played out like a movie; all the beatings, even the praise he would give her after she gave in to his wishes made her want to retch.

 "That man tonight disagreed" The illusion of Brenner whispered, and as if his words had smacked her, Eleven whipped around on the chair, coming face to face with the monster of her nightmares. She looked utterly terrified.

 Eleven stood, her voice quivering, "You're not real."

 "Kali. Stop it." One whispered, her eyes glued on the illusion; it was cruel to force any of them to see the very man who had taken them, harmed them and experimented on them; One knew that Kali could often take things too far... But this?

 Keeping her eyes on the illusion that was tormenting the Eleven, Kali simply ignored her.

 "All this time? And you haven't looked for me? Why? Because you thought I was dead? Or because you were afraid of what you might find?" Brenner stepped forward, that familiar smug look on his face, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked prim and polished, but all of them could remember a time when he'd shed his jacket and gotten blood on his pristine, white sleeves.

 Eleven stepped forwards, her eyes glassy, "Go away."

 "You have to confront your pain, you have a wound Eleven, a terrible wound" Papa proceeded to walk forth, backing Eleven into the chair. She slumped with a light thud, "And it's festering."

 Kali had gotten to her feet now, just barely rocking in place as a droplet of wine-red blood dribbled to gloss her top lip, a dash peeked into her mouth. One watched her, the way her eyes were narrowed, the way her hands had tightened into balled fists; this wasn't going to be good.

 "You've made your point, Kal, come on. That's enough." One pinched her sister's leg, and yet Kali didn't falter, and her illusion hadn't so much as flickered.

 Another beat passed and Eleven whimpered as Brenner towered over her, hands finding the arms of the chair she coward in. It was when Eleven's eyes clamped shut and tears spilled down her cheeks like a rushing waterfall, clustering at her quivering chin, and dripping to knees Eleven had pulled to her chest did One stand.

 "I said you've made your damn point." That switch inside of her teetered; it couldn't quite choose where to land and so it remained halfway. One was still well aware of all of her actions, and yet even still she chose to alight her eyes with that ominous shade of crimson and she willed her hands to become coated within scarlet whisps.

 Before Kali could so much as utter a word, One had planted her wriggling fingers at her sister's temple. A wave of jittering energy shot from her fingertips, jolting through her head. There was a yell of pain, a gasp and suddenly Kali stumbled backwards, her back colliding with the bed. Her nails dug into her temples, trying to find any means to ease the throbbing sensation ricocheting through her skull.

 In a burst of glimmering red smoke, the illusion of Papa had evaporated. Eleven had shuddered, a sob of utter relief leaving her chapped lips.

 One and Kali's eyes met once more; the clouded crimson had faded, replaced by a deep brown that had once been so very warm and inviting, now they were as bitter as black coffee as she stared Kali down.

 Kali struggled to stand, her head still pounding furiously. She stumbled and her vision swam momentarily. Her eyes were filled with betrayal, even hurt and yet One could not find it within her to care; Kali had brought the image of their abuser back to life with no regard for any of them; a headache and a broken illusion was more than a kindness in One's eyes.

 One swallowed, shoving that tiny little sliver of guilt that had threatened to crawl up her throat; Kali did not deserve her guilt, not for what she'd just pulled. Thus One gripped her forearm, steadying her sister, "I told you to stop."

 Her fingers unfurled, freeing Kali. She didn't cast a look over her shoulder, nor did she say another word to Kali as she fell to her knees, scooping Eleven into a hug. The young girl hiccuped, a hoarse cry making her chest quiver., "It's alright, it's alright. He wasn't real."

 Eleven's hands clawed at her.

 "This isn't a prison, Jane." Kali muttered. Her hands were still at her temples, clutching tightly while ignoring the blood drying below her nose. She said no more, catching the look One tossed her way with ease; Leave.

 The remaining sisters stewed within the solemn silence; Eleven continued to sniffle, her tears slowly drying up as they fell from her flushed cheeks and onto One's shoulder, seeping into her shirt. The hand on her back trailed up and down, leaving behind a comforting warmth until One finally pulled back.

 One planted her hands ever so gently upon Eleve's pink cheeks, her thumbs swiping the sensitive skin beneath her doe-eyes. She brushed the final tears away, "El," she whispered, taking a breath, "If you want to leave... I won't stop you, and I won't let Kali stop you either. Just — just do whatever will make you happy, okay?"

 Eleven peered down at her, relishing in the warmth resting upon her cheeks. She felt grounded. Cared for. She felt... safe, "I —" she paused, twirling the words around her tongue until she landed upon the right ones, "I want you to come with me."

 One blinked. She hadn't quite expected that response. Just a few days, barely bordering on a handful and yet she had come to care for Eleven so very quickly; it felt as though they'd known each other for years. This was her sister; despite the lack of blood they shared, despite the years between them, and despite the way they'd led their lives. Even if that number hadn't been branded upon both their wrists... they'd still be sisters.

 For a moment, One was somewhat bewildered by the tugging sensation on her heart; it hammered faster with longing... she could finally get out. That temptation to harm those who had done her wrong would always be there when Kali was around; One just wanted... what did she want?

 A home where she would finally feel warm and safe. A family. Her eyes found Eleven's at that thought, watching as the girl stared with hope in those big brown eyes. One felt the corners of her lips twitch.

 But then there was Kali.

 No matter their differences, One and Kali would forever be important to one another; they wouldn't have made it so far without each other. They were sisters too.

 She was conflicted, on the one hand, she would up and leave with Eleven at a moment's notice; she'd keep her safe and help the young girl protect her friends. She could find a home, finally... but she had been with Kali for so very long, and they had gone through so much together. They knew each other unlike anybody else would ever be able to.

 One breathed a sumptuous sigh, her forehead finding Eleven's knee as she finally tore her hands from the girl's flustered cheeks, "I'd love to, El. I would. But Kali... I've been with her for years, and even though we might fight or disagree on her questionable actions, I still love her, she's still my sister."

 "Okay." Eleven's eyes fell to the ground, welling up once more. Before any stray tears could escape, she brushed her arm against her cheeks, a hand finding its place upon One's shoulder. She understood; One and Kali had escaped together, they had grown together.

 Her head touched the back of the chair as she revelled in the silence between them. Then, as they always would, memories of her friends, of Mike and Hopper... they all came tumbling back like an icy tidal wave crashing against the rocks.

 Old westerns with Hopper. Counting down the days until she could see Mike once more. Dustin and that gap in his teeth. Lucas and his willingness to go off alone to protect his friends.

 She missed them. She missed them so much.

 Eleven had been so invested in her cascading memories that for a moment, she didn't even realise the room around her had been replaced by a vast expanse of inky-black.

 She broke out of her trance when One clasped her hand; warm fingers curling around her own.

 "We're in the void again?" One spoke rhetorically as she glanced around. There was nothing; no remnant of the room they had just been in; the neon light had been drowned by obsidian, the bed and desk and abandoned stool were gone, like a puff of smoke trailing into the fog-laden city. Then, even despite the vast and empty black landscape around them, a lightbulb flickered above One's head, "Maybe..."

 She paused for a moment. One's abilities had always been intricate; the doctors back within the blank walls of the lab had been frightened of them, never getting too close when her wiggling fingers were free. She could tap into the mind, warp their sight, their memories...

 So maybe, just maybe, that was how One was being dragged along on Eleven's odd little excursions. She might have been reaching out, only for Eleven to grab her and pull her in.

 One never finished her sentence, leaving Eleven to blink owlishly at her. The eldest of the siblings trailed forth, tugging gently at Eleven; there had to be a reason as to why they'd been tossed into a black hole.

 That reason became abundantly obvious as the girls took a further step.

 A man came into view. He was almost obnoxiously tall as he stood there in a pair of pale scrubs, his hands holding his head as a great sigh echoed throughout the expanse. The swift rise and fall of his chest was a tell-tale sign that he was tense. His hands fell, landing upon his hips as he stared somewhat blankly at the ground.

 "Hop," Eleven whispered, taking a tentative step closer to the scene.

 One had hardly heard the girl; her whisper had been so small and quiet that had the pair outside in the jostling wind, her mutterings would have been swallowed whole. The eldest of the sister stared onwards, a close eye on Eleven as she crept close, yet an eye remained on Hopper; the policeman who had taken her sister in without a second thought.

 A harsh beep echoed around them, grating against their ears as it spilled from the odd smattering of buttons behind Hopper; they all flashed like whirring police lights and the policeman spun on his heel.

 He pointed a calloused finger at a small screen atop the button-smothered desk. His voice echoed, seemingly carried for miles, "That's where I was. It's a damn graveyard."

 Another voice joined. This one was youthful and so very panicked, "I need to get through!" The boyish tone cried out, "I need to get through!"

 The sisters tilted towards the noise and there stood a young boy, hardly older nor younger than Eleven could be. He was scrambling, thrashing until an invisible force prevented him from moving any further. His face flared pink in frustration, "I need to warn them! It's a trap!"

 His arms drew into the air and waved wildly, his legs hastening to squeeze past whatever was preventing him. Eleven reached out, her fingers stretching as she ran. Water sloshed up her legs and the denim around her darkened miserably, "Mike!"

 One couldn't quite bring herself to move; whatever Eleven was seeing didn't make a single lick of sense to her... But whatever it was that caused this 'intimidating policeman' and the young boy that Eleven had gushed about to seem so scared and tired... One knew it couldn't have been good.

 Hawkins had a reputation, after all.

 "Mike!" Eleven cried once more, warm and salted tears tumbling down her plush cheeks as her head twisted and turned, "Where are you!"

 Finally, One advanced. She still had no idea what was transpiring, but the erratic cries from Eleven were enough for her legs to move on their own accord; water dashed up her thighs and yet she could hardly feel it as she tugged Eleven into her hold.

 Her arms twined around the girl's waist, holding her hands down as she tried to wriggle away, "El! Calm down!"

 The girl flailed in her arms, still screaming out the boy's name until a clamorous banging sound tolled out like a siren's call. The girls went motionless. The banging endured, but nothing was happening, they couldn't see anything.

 Another bang. And another.

 "El?" One muttered softly, finally allowing her hold to slacken, "I don't think that noise is coming from here. We need to go."

 In a wink, One's room appeared before them once more. No trace of Hopper and his defeated sighs, no scrambling screams from Mike... Voices erupted from below, hastened tones with orders being called out. They'd been discovered; Mick had been right, they should have waited,

 One brought her eyes to Eleven, her voice hushed, "Keep ahold of my hand, okay? We'll be just fine. I promise."

 Eleven only nodded, her eyes broadening with each yell and clatter that ricocheted from the lower level of the warehouse. Police hollered out, and Eleven had no doubt that weapons were hoisted in their hands. Her fingers constricted around her sisters, and One spared her a soft smile; it comforted her somewhat.

 They barreled out of the room as quietly as their dirtied shoes allowed them. Eleven's eyes had clamped shut when a figure rounded the corner, only to hear One sigh it utter relief, "Kali."

 Kali, even despite the happenings earlier; the argument and the division, grabbed ahold of One's hand and towed her forth. They trailed onwards, scurrying across the balcony only for the police to spot them. Guns were drawn, aiming at the trio like red-painted targets but the girls scampered forth, finally colliding with Axel and the others.

 Their running never ceased. They spiralled down the metal stairs, wincing with every creak. Axel had his hands to his ears, and had his spiny mohawk not taken so long to tame, he'd have clawed at his hair, "Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. Jesus —"

 His lips slammed shut, a remnant of red swirling in his vision. One had a hand curled by her side, two fingers pointing out as a glimmering wisp of red twirled around her digits, "Shut up, Axel!"

 He mumbled something unintelligible.

 They had finally made it to the lower level; the door was well within their sights, but so were the glimmering and taunting lights spewing from the police officers torched. They shined like spotlights and Kali threw her arms out, willing her companions to freeze on the spot.

 They never needed instruction, and so One, Eleven and the others remained rooted where they were, watching as blood plunged from Kali's nose. They had no idea what illusion she was casting, but it was working. The police had made it to them, yet not once did they call out or aim their weapons.

 One tugged Eleven behind her as a police officer walked by, confusion swirling within his narrowed gaze. He had been but a hair from brushing past them. Her thumb swiped at Eleven's knuckles; an attempt at not only reassuring Eleven, but herself, too.

 The officers crept around the area, occasionally giving out an instruction or two; their lights shone in the group's faces but they didn't dare move as Kali worked her magic and kept them cloaked.

 They made their way past the group at a painful pace, yet the mere moment they were far enough, Kali clicked her fingers. All eyes fell on her and she began to race for the doorway. Axel followed swiftly behind, his gangly legs almost outpacing Kali. Mick and Dottie ran side by side and Funshine threw looks behind him, making sure that One and Eleven were still close by.

 Police were swarming the outside too; like a smattering of buzzing flies caught within a spider's web. They ran and they drew their guns but it wasn't enough for the group to give up. They sprinted onwards, panting and heaving as their chests stuttered, as their legs turned to jelly and threatened to buckle.

 It was all a mess. Axel had withdrawn his own gun, dispatching bullets in the direction of the police while the officers retaliated and showered their own shots down. The clinking of metal against the ground sounded like a fierce hail storm.

 After what felt like hours, the cluster of societal outcasts and misfits all slid to their knees beside the van that had gotten them caught. Bullets seeped through the metal, tearing it apart. Axel did his best to cover them, to protect them, but one man with a single gun wasn't enough to counter an entire group of trained officers that were intent on finishing their job. They stalked closer.

 "Kal, create a wall!" One cried out, her hand pushing down on Eleven's head as another storm of bullets trailed down like droplets of rain.

 Kali closed her eyes and concentrated with everything she could. This time, her companions could see exactly what she was constructing; her eyes slipped open, fluttering as blood began to drip down to her lips. The ground parted ways, as though an earthquake had begun to tear through the cement. A pillar erupted, and then another and another until a cluster of metal sheets were crawling their way towards the sky.

 The police officers had stumbled back, some marching onwards to touch the wall in utter bewilderment.

 As the wall continued to grow like a blossoming flower beneath a beaming sun, One jumped to her feet, and tore the rusted — and bullet-riddled — door open. She spun, cocking her head towards the shoddy little van, "Hurry the hell up." 

 Dottie was the first to jump into the back, taking One's hand to hoist herself in. Mick and Funshine took up the front, Kali too, got into the back of the van while Axel dove in beside her.

 One turned to see Eleven standing, completely unmoving.

 "Jane, get in," Kali stressed, blood still fell from her nose, fresh and a deep red as it coated her lips and drew to her teeth.

 But Eleven couldn't get in; her legs wouldn't move. Her heart was pounding and she almost felt the need to claw at her own chest as she finally peered up at her eldest sister. Kali didn't need her... But Hopper, Mike... They did. She'd heard their terror. Something was happening, and she wasn't there to stop it.

 Eleven shook her head, her throat already closing in upon itself as she struggled for words, "I — I can't." Her vision became glassy, and while she stared at Kali, Eleven couldn't bring herself to look at her other sister, "I have to go back. My friends... My friends are in danger."

 One knew she'd leave eventually; Eleven wasn't like Kali. She didn't seek revenge, she didn't want to really hurt people... She just wanted answers, her friends and her policeman. The illusion Kali had crafted began to crumble, and while Eleven had made her choice... One hadn't.

 Her heart felt as though it was being torn in two, split right down the very middle as she glanced between her choked-up sisters; Kali, the girl she'd escaped with, the one she'd been through so much with... and Eleven, a little girl who had already stared at her as though she'd hung the stars herself.

 "Your mother sent you here for a reason, remember? We belong together" Kali implored, her purple hair flitting to and fro in the wind. A strand or two clung to the fresh blood still pouring from her nose. Through bleary eyes, Kali looked at her sisters, "All of us. There's nothing for you back there. They cannot save you, Jane."

 "No" Eleven breathed, her resolve solidifying completely as she heard Mike's yells echo in the back of her mind, as she envisioned Hopper with those dark circles... "But I can save them."

 With those parting words, Eleven tore away from her sisters and still, she didn't look at One, not even a peek. The pain festering within her chest was all too much. She knew that if she dared look back and meet her eyes, she'd crumble into a million little pieces.

 One hadn't yet moved, neither towards Eleven's retreating silhouette, nor to step inside the van.

 Kali continued to call out, but then her voice drew quiet as the illusion continued to flicker, threatening to topple completely. Her dark eyes slid to the sister by her side. She could see the hesitance to stay and to go, the guilt in One's eyes for letting Eleven leave all alone...

 "You want to leave with her," Kali said as though the words had been stuck in her throat in the form of pointed razors. They were choked out, and for the first time in a very long time, Kali felt her chest constrict painfully.

 "I don't —" One couldn't conclude her sentence. She didn't want to leave Kali, but watching Eleven leave... watching as she turned that corner and disappeared from her sight. Getting hit by one of those police officers' bullets might have hurt her less, "I don't know what to do."

 She met Kali's gaze. One's eyes were filled with desperation, widening as she practically implored Kali to choose for her, help her decide... To help give her a way out. One couldn't do it alone; she couldn't break away from Kali of her own volition; she needed to be set free.

 So Kali made the choice. There were tears gathering on her waterline, steadily dropping to her cheeks and rolling down her bronze skin; it was rare for Kali to cry. It was even rarer still for her to reach out for a hug, and yet she did. She hauled One close, arms coiled around one another as One tucked her head within Kali's neck.

 "Go." Kali whispered, even though her heart pleaded with her to say the very opposite, "She needs you... And while I do, too," She sniffed, vision becoming ever-more blurry, "You don't belong with us. You don't want this life, you've never wanted this."

 The illusion splintered, and Kali hastily pushed One away from her, "So go, keep her safe..." Kali looked to the side for a moment, contemplating her words before her voice hardened, "... And tell her that I'm sorry."

 One felt the tears on her face rolling like a tidal wave; it took everything within her not to sob as she watched Mick, Axel, Dottie and Fushine all give their nods of encouragement. This was her family, and it had been for so long. Her eyes were puffy, sore and raw as she reached up to clear her view. To get one last crystal clear look at her idiots, "I'm going to miss you, all of you."

 "We'll see each other again, I know we will." Kali breathed.

 But both girls knew that was just fanciful thinking, this was it, this was their final goodbye.

 The illusion finally wore off; false metal tumbled down but rather than crashing to the earth in a plume of smoke, it merely flitted through the ground and disappeared before their eyes. There was no use in arguing, or saying anything else. Everything that needed to be said, had been... and everything else was already known.

 So One grabbed Kali's hand, squeezing tight for what would likely be the last time. A tear dropped from her chin, soaking into the fabric of her shirt beside the old necklace Kali had gifted her, "Yeah, I'll see you again."

 Even amidst the night and the dark clouds swirling above their heads as they blocked out the moonlight, One could easily see the glimmer of tears that had already strolled down Axel's face. He had turned away, no longer able to stomach the scene. Dottie freely smiled, it was wobbly, but it was there. Mick waved, her lip trembling as it struggled to hold up her cigarette. Funshine cried like a baby... and Kali...

 Kali squeezed back, and then she let go and said something she'd never been able to before, "I love you."

 A pathetic sob tore from One's parted, swollen lips, "I love you. Bye, losers."

━━━━━━━

30-11-2019

edited version: 12-06-2022

i am so sorry this took FOREVER to be reposted... but uh... almost 8000 words. damn.