𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 - freedom

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 𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 through these tests too many times to count; a device would be slipped onto her skull while a million wires spilled from it and wrapped around her skin like greedy vines. Her brainwaves, her heartbeat, her blood flow; all of it was measured.

 The worst part wasn't being strapped to the chair while her wrists grew raw and bloody, no, it was the electrical current that would be sent from the tips of her toes, her fingertips, and the side of her stomach whenever she disobeyed... whenever she didn't 'dance' for them.

 The pain was gruesome but 001 could withstand it. Her stubbornness made her. It was those looks, the looks of utter intrigue as though she were an insect beneath a magnifying glass, or an animal stuck in a cage... though to be honest, she was an animal stuck in a cage; only she was bound by woven shackles.

 The tests, as the doctors would call them, were meant to pinpoint what exactly happened whenever her hands flooded with crimson mist, or whenever her eyes glowed like a torch in the woods. Her heartbeat would increase, her blood flow raising rapidly and her brainwaves grew haywire. Extreme pain, stimulation, fear or anger. Those were the primary starting points for her abilities.

 With each bubble of rage came a ball of energy swirling around her fingertips, with a mere wave of fear, her eyes would be overtaken with crimson.

 001 Sat silently in her chair, hands bare of their usual woven binding. The device strapped to her head felt almost weightless today, and the chill it always sent through her skin had warmed. 001's buzzed head slowly teetered to the side, almost dazed looking eyes glancing at the doctor staring down at his clipboard with furrowed brows.

 She knew why, of course. There was nothing there, no hint of her power, no sliver of red crawling from the calloused tips of her wiggling fingers. Her eyes were their standard deep-brown, almost endlessly so; no hint of that ominous crimson in sight.

 It had been that way for months now.

 These tests had increased rapidly, what had once been an occurrence every Thursday - or so 001 had been told - now happened three times a week. Their bewilderment and lust were not well hidden.

 You see, whilst 001 kept herself quiet - scarcely making a peep even when her skin burned as volts of electricity singed her flesh - she was smart and frighteningly observant. It hadn't really been on purpose at first; it had merely been the day after a night of fitful sleep and flashes of a face that would never care for her.

 She had been pushed into the metal chair, shuffling uncomfortably as the doctors bound her wrists to the chair and readied their weapons just in case she retaliated - as she had done so many times before.

 Her fatigue and hopelessness had seemed to weaken her, pushing her abilities towards the very back of her mind. 001 could still sense them, and call out to them if she had truly wished to... But those doctors had stared at her with something she had never quite seen before. Panic. Not the kind of fearful panic they'd display when she'd lash out, no, this was a desperate panic.

 Their whispers hadn't been quiet and she'd easily caught their mutterings.

 'There's no trace of her power. She's useless.' One of them had hissed, flapping his clipboard in the air. They'd glanced at her over their shoulders and swiftly went back to whispering back and forth.

 It was then that 001 had put her plan in motion. If there was no crimson to be seen, no energy that could force them all to their knees... why would they carry a gun? Why would they constantly keep a heavy eye on such a weakened disappointment? Well, they wouldn't, would they?

 To the doctors, it seemed as though the constellation of magnificent scarlet was slowly diminishing, a gas parting into the air and hiding within the wind... and slowly, but very surely, they began to lower their guard.

 They began to underestimate her, when in reality they should have feared her more than ever before.

 The year 1980 was certainly a memorable one, indeed. Hawkins laboratory still remained as reclusive and ominous as it always had done; residents of the diminutive town barely tossed it a look, let alone wasted their thoughts on the place any longer. With years of nothing, not a peep from the place, the people grew disinterested, just as they always did.

 If only they knew what was being kept behind closed doors.

 001 had suffered for her failures; with each test that passed her by without any significant change... well, she'd be forced into darkness with a peculiar drug pulsating in her veins, weakening her until she could do little more than loll her head to one side and drool down her own chin.

 But now, she was ready.

 Her blood was clean, her mind was clear, and her powers were more than ready to free her from her chains. There was no doubt in her mind that today was the day she'd either leave the laboratory or die trying. If those guards and doctors that only 'wanted the best for her' and 'wanted to keep her safe' stood in her way, then they too would die trying.

 She couldn't stomach the thought of one more dreadful night in the damned hell-hole.

 The time for her tests came around again and 001 found herself slumped in the very same metal chair that would send a harsh chill through her skin and bones; it was electrifying. Her hairs were on end, standing at attention as the doctor before her tutted and shook his head at her lack of results.

 He had risen from his stool with a flourish of his strikingly-white lab coat; not a stain to be seen. She was utterly silent as he left the room. She didn't move when the door handle slid back into place. 001 could hear her own deep breaths and she could feel her heart hammering away.

 But there was no time to overthink, no time to ponder the 'what ifs', it was time to act, and it was time for her freedom.

 With the utmost silence, 001 teetered to her feet, wobbling only slightly as she tore the headpiece from her buzzed skull. A hand drifted over the prickly hairs that had never been permitted to grow longer than an inch or two; she had always wondered what she'd look like with hair.

 By now, after so many months of the same song and dance, 001 knew there would be but one armed guard standing at attention on the other side of the door; just one single man with a finger on the trigger.

 She found that her hands were trembling by her side as she twisted them. Her fingers wiggled and with a single harsh jolt of her digits, that familiar and almost comforting sliver of red began to spew from her palms.

 She tiptoed forth, and the slippers on her feet made no sound at all as she hastened behind the door. right hand curled around the handle and she winced at the shrill creak that sounded out as she pulled it towards her.

 As though he was but a puppet on a string, the guard lurched forth with his gun held high. His calloused finger hovered over the trigger, and yet before he could make a single shot that would lower her to the ground and render 001 useless, she cocked her head and threw her right hand forward, tightening her hand into a fist. The gun in his grasp was swarmed in the ever-vibrant red and with another movement of 001's fist, the weapon was thrown back and into the guard's face, a resounding crack of a broken nose echoing down the empty hall.

 Dropping her hand, she started to sprint, her slippered feet smacking against the ground with her weighty steps. One by one startled heads turned towards her; more guards drawing their weapons. She lifted her hand and threw it to the right, a guard was tossed into the others, the lot of them crashing to the ground like bowling pins to a strike.

 It felt as though she had been running for hours as she continued forth, dodging and harming anyone that came after her... until she heard a clamorous and almost erratic banging. She twisted her head and caught sight of a door with a rather vibrant rainbow painted upon it. It looked so incredibly out of place.

 The door shook with urgency and the sound of it swelled as the sirens began to ring. In all honesty, 001 had waited a moment, truly believing that the force in which the door was rattling would send it off its hinges.

 A look was tossed over her shoulder; she could simply ignore it and run with all her might... but who on earth would be causing such a ruckus? 001 Had always been led to believe that she was the one and only child in the facility. She believed that everybody else belonged to the cluster of men and women dressed in those sickening white coats.

 The coast was clear, and in a moment of weakness and curiosity, 001 flicked her wrist and watched with trepidation as the rainbow-painted door curled open. The metal creaked and bent as though somebody had taken a battering ram to it.

 There was a girl peering through the gap 001 had made; her eyes were wide, her bronze skin covered in a sheen of sweat from her attempts at slamming the door down with her own might. She didn't look to be much older or younger than 001 herself.

 The girl's chest heaved, wheezing breaths sputtering from her lips as she swiftly slipped through the crack in the demolished door. Then, the girl swallowed, "You've made a lot of noise for an escape."

 001 almost laughed, in such a situation the girl before her had deemed it necessary to criticise her technique, despite being the one who had been assaulting a door. 001 would have voiced such a thought, had her stomach not twisted as the siren shrieked louder and louder.

 She caught a sly glimpse of the girl's wrist that was scarcely covered by her gown. There were three numbers branded onto her skin; 008. It was enough to make 001 recoil. Eight of them. There had to be at least eight of them in the facility; all without hopes of escape, all who had been kept a secret from her.

 In an almost childish bout of guilt, 001 thought about turning back and tearing each of the doors into pieces until every last experiment followed behind her to their freedom. The sound of clattering footsteps grounded her.

 They were coming, and they were incredibly close.

 "Come with me." The words sounded foreign from 001's lips. Her voice was hoarse from weeks of keeping up her indignant silence.

 She held a hand out, but the girl before simply brushed by and glared down the hallway that was steadily filling with guards, guns and crackling electricity. 008's nose began to bleed, yet 001 couldn't see what had prompted it to do so. Her own upper lip was stained with dried red, but it was easy enough to know why.

 But then, as 001's lips parted in question, the guards halted their movements. Their weapons were lowered and they all reached out in front of them as though trailing a hand down an invisible wall.

 008's jaw ticked, "Let's go."

 Their feet slammed against the ground as 001 abandoned her curiosity and instead, focused her mind and gut on the freedom that awaited them. The corridors twisted, and with every turn they were beginning to lose hope... Then, as they curled around yet another bend in their maze, a little green light blinked at them, beckoning them closer.

 A former fire exit that had likely been locked in place to keep 001, and the others, trapped inside.

 Both of the girls could hear people outside yelling, screaming for them to run back to their rooms like the obedient little lab rats they should have been; but that wasn't them any longer.

 001 stepped forth, her shaking hands were planted against the chilling metal door, ignoring the bangs from the other side, ignoring the yells of the guards and the irritating lights that shined down above them.

 Her hands twitched and brought the crimson power inside of her, alive. The mist began to crawl from the very tips of her fingers, spreading over the door like ice on a road in the midst of a chilling December. She kept the door solidified, no man nor woman would break through her hold.

 008 grabbed her wrist, watching as a red droplet slipped from 001's nose, "We have no other choice than the front gate. You'll have to get us through them - " She nodded at the door and the banging continued, "- get us to the gate and get the gate open. I can create an illusion; make them think they're trapped, we'll have a head start to get away."

 A bead of sweat trickled down 001's temple; they needed to move as quickly as possible before they exhausted themselves and rendered themselves useless, "Okay," she breathed, wiggling her fingers to build her powers further, "Now!"

 The door flew back with a burst of crimson stuttering around it, the harsh clang as it hit the ground hurt their ears, yet the girls persisted onwards. They raced as quickly as they could, dodging and weaving through guards, bursts of red striking some in the chest or tripping them up in their path.

 When the gate was finally within their sights and all hope had begun to prosper, a sharp burst of pain splintered through 001's shoulder. She hadn't felt anything like it before. Electricity had permeated her skin countless times, singing her hair as it left behind permanent marks; but never had those batons that crackle ever felt as painful as this.

 001 stumbled, her hand pressed against her new wound. A bullet had torn through her flesh and the warm and wet sensation of blood spilling down her arm would have sent her vision spinning if it were not for 008 who pushed her forwards.

 But there was no use. Guards had surrounded them, cornering them as though they were wild animals. Electricity crackles atop the batons, guns were raised, and 001 felt the hairs on the very back of her neck stand on end when she looked up at one of the windows. Papa stared back.

 She had never seen such disappointment on his face... nor the fear he tried so desperately to hide.

 The sight of him alone was enough to send rage through her blood and bones. Suddenly all of her pain was washed out, replaced with nothing but utter anger and remorse for the life she'd led, or rather, for the life that had been stolen from her.

 It all happened so very quickly. Rage, grief, pain and guilt all swam within her until suddenly she fell forwards. Her knees scraped against the concrete, the skin of her palms became torn, and her shoulder throbbed endlessly.

 Her eyes were closed. But even so, she could feel the power burst from her skin like a raging wildfire. 001 heard their screams, their bodies slumping to the ground... and she could smell the blood.

 A hand clamped on her unwounded shoulder, snapping her out of the haze that had taken ahold of her. Her eyes cracked open, and the mist that had crawled over the ground receded, fleeing back to her with haste.

 The guards were all silent as 001 stumbled to her feet. Not a sound, no words, no angry yells for the girls to scurry back into the lab. Utter silence. Their chests were still. Blood steadily grew in shallow puddles around their bodies.

 They were all dead.

 "We have to go!" There was a tremor within 008's voice, and yet the determination for a better life was still front and centre. "Now!"

 001 exhaled through her nose and a majority of her weight was hoisted onto 008 who in turn, curled an arm around her waist. They picked up their feet, walking, then jogging, and then sprinting. Blood continued to trickle down 001's arm, dripping off her fingertips before mingling with the stones and gravel that crunched beneath her slippered feet.

 The gate finally crawled closer and 001 could have buckled in relief; she'd be able to stop and rest. Her arm was burning and the fire was slowly spreading towards her fingertips, yet even despite the pain, a ball of chaotic red energy began to bubble within her palm. She forced her hand forth, launching the energy towards their escape.

 The gate was ripped in two, crashing against the ground, sparks illuminating as metal scraped against the concrete.

 001 heaved herself forth, her legs almost tangled with each other, blood dribbled to the ground and her chest wheezed as she forced oxygen into her lungs. 008 did her best to drag her forwards, to keep a majority of 001's weight on herself, but even she began to stumble as blood seeped from her nose.

 But they didn't halt. They couldn't.

 Twigs and leaves splintered and crunched beneath their hurried steps. Blood mixed with dirt, and their warm breaths came out in heavy puffs, migrating into the sky like bundles of smoke.

 Upon catching 001 tossing look after look behind them, 008 shifted, "They can only see a dense forest."

 001 barely registered her own nod as the pair gradually came to a halt. 008 leant a heavy hand against a stout tree, panting with her eyes clamped shut, blood trickling down her lips all while 001 lowered herself to the dirt, back planted against a pine trunk.

 Her fingers reached higher, towards her wound before they were blanketed with a crimson cloak, she began to grit her teeth, wincing at the pressure as the energy crawled its way into her shoulder, grasping the bullet with greedy little hands. Tears began spilling from her eyes, crystal clear as they toppled down her flushed cheeks. Sweat rolled down her forehead and blood was still dribbling from her nose as she jerked her left hand; the bullet was forced free, parting from her flesh as it tumbled to the forest floor. Leaves clung to the remnants of blood.

 Whilst the pain pulsated and blood continued to flow, 001 let out a breezy laugh that was all breath and relief. She was beyond tired, and almost longed for that uncomfortable cot in her room back in the laboratory, yet she smiled with her red-tinted teeth on show, "We did it, we're out".

 Shaking her head with a small laugh of her own 008 stepped over to the girl, her smile raising the apples of her cheeks even higher, "We did it." she repeated, hands falling to her knees as she laughed freely and earnestly for the first time.

 "Thank you," 001 panted, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face. "For helping me. I'm not sure I would have made it if you hadn't come with me" 001 spoke earnestly, her breathing still uneven as her chest heaved and her heart thudded. There was a soft smile painted on her plump lips; a foreign look for her.

 "We'd be dead if you hadn't killed those guards in the courtyard, I should be thanking you."

 With a large exhale, 001 began to tie a piece of her gown she had torn off around her shoulder, hoping it would slow the bleeding - or at least catch the falling liquid. She didn't relish in killing all of those people, but she did what she did to survive, and she would again if the time came, "Let's agree to disagree then."

 As 008 opened her mouth to reply, the sound of numerous heavy footsteps and crunching leaves began to grow louder. She pivoted, noticing that the illusion had begun to swiftly fade. There hadn't even been time for a beat to pass before 008 crouched down, slipped her hand around her companions and tugged her to her feet, "We have to leave, are you ready?".

 A committed nod was all 001 offered as her digits tightened around 008's. The girls spared a look at one another, promptly ignoring the dirt and blood marring one another's skin. Then, for the final time that day, they ran, and they didn't look back.

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09-11-2019

edit: 04-06-2022

𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙤𝙩𝙚, 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙!