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"WARDEN, BEAUTIFUL PRISON YOU GOT HERE. HOW ABOUT THIS? HUH?" MURRAY REHEARSED HIS LINES AS HE STOOD AHEAD OF JOYCE AND YURI. The two adults had managed to dress Yuri like Murray and have Murray do the same, going to the prison themselves. Now Murray had to act like Yuri. Given his rehearsal. "How about that? Huh?" Murray pulled the gun out, Joyce rolling her eyes as Yuri flinched a little. "Huh!" He jolted the gun forwards towards no one, Joyce groaning. "That's what I thought, yeah. Warden." Murray chuckled confidently, holding his hand out to the air ahead of him. "Nice to meet you. Uh, I'm Yuri, of course, but allow me to introduce you to my very-" Murray tried to pull the gun out, dropping it instead. "Shit-" "Murray!" Joyce muffled, the man quick to pull her mouth muffle off.

"What?" He asked, Joyce inhaling deeply. "Can you please stop playing with that thing?" She asked, terrified that he may fail again and accidentally shoot someone. "Will you please stop trying to talking to me and stay in character?" Murray shot back, Joyce huffing. "Remember, you are frightened, scared, confused." He reminded as if he was the woman's drama teacher, her nodding. "Yes, I am frightened, scared, and-" "Okay, all right. Good." He missed her sarcasm, putting her mouth muffle back on. The two halted when the door opened, the warden arriving. "Yuri Ismaylov." He greeted, Murray putting on smile as he walked forward. The two laughed together, Yuri rolling his eyes as he started to struggle through his restraints. "At last, we meet." The Russian spoke, ignoring Yuri as Murray nodded. "Comrade Major." Murray bowed lightly, watching the man nod to Yuri.

"This is the Bauman spy?" He asked, walking past Murray. Yuri struggled more, Joyce doing the same to make it not look as if she was calm. "He looks different." The Russian turned to Murray, the fake smile on his face never faltering. "Uglier in person, I know. He also shaved his beard to disguise himself." Murray partly told the truth, the comrade staring between them both. "Cheeky bastard." Murray laughed, slapping Yuri. "Silence, American scum! Enough from you. Enough!" Murray yelled, Yuri moaning in pain as Murray laughed towards the comrade. "Now, this one. This one I would recognise a continent away." Joyce tensed when the comrade stepped in front of her, scanning her outfit. "She was more beautiful in her uniform, but still, quite striking, isn't she?" He asked Murray, the man holding her shoulders. "Yes, very pleasing to the eyes, comrade. But not so pleasing to the ears, I'm afraid." Murray joked along.

Taking off her mouth muffle, Murray begged she had a degree in acting- "Where is Hopper? Where is the boy? What have you done with them, you vile commie pig?" Murray flinched back a little as Joyce yelled at the comrade, him sighing. "As I said," Murray put the mouth muffle back on Joyce. "unpleasant." He spoke, watching the comrade's tongue poke the inside of his cheek in distaste. "They don't know where Subject Seven is?" He asked, his biggest hope being they'd know where he is. Murray halted, shaking his head quickly. "I questioned them and they said they have no idea where he may be." Murray shrugged, watching the comrade sigh shakily. "They haven't seen him. He was last spotted near Ohio, close to Kentucky. That was a year ago." The comrade spoke softly, Murray nodding. At least they knew now he was near Hawkins. Well, not far from it. "I was never able to find him anywhere." Murray shrugged, Joyce remembering the two states.

"But I must say. The other American. What did you do with him? I don't know why, but I imagine him on a rack," The comrade watched Murray as he spoke. "in the cold, stretched thin, birds pecking his eyeballs. Am I... close?" Murray grinned, wheezing laughing as Yuri did that much. "I have heard stories of Yuri Ismaylov, the Peanut Butter Smuggler." Murray's smile faltered a little at the name they had given 'him'. "And you... you are not the Yuri I have heard of." He continued, Joyce looking between the two. "I am... I am not?" Murray asked, petrified. "No. No." The comrade stepped forward. "The Yuri I was told of had a screw loose. And you... have many screws loose!" The comrade laughed, Murray gradually doing the same.

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"YOU WAIT FOR THE BUZZER." HOPPER LISTENED TO THE RULES, UNAWARE OF JOYCE AND MURRAY WATCHING HIM FROM ABOVE. "You wait. You move before the buzzer... you will be shot." The guard spoke, Dmitri inhaling sharply. From what he's been told about this monster from Hopper, he was petrified. "Is that understood?" The guard asked, no one answering. "Is that understood?" He seethed out, gaining scattered agreements from everyone. "I'd wish you luck..." The guard scoffed, scanning down the line of prisoners before him. "but it won't help you." He dropped the key to the weapon stash ahead of the prisoners so they could 'arm' themselves, the guards leaving the pit. "Let us hope your prayers have been heard, American." Dmitri muttered, the two next to one another. Every prisoner whipped their eyesight to the door next to them, the Demogorgon snarling.

Joyce whimpered as she watched the man, the Demogorgon pounding on the door.

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ORDERLY PUT ON CHESS PIECE FORWARD, EL DOING THE SAME. The two were in the Rainbow Room, Seven doing his extra training with Dr Brenner. The two repeated their actions, Orderly sighing. "Try not to show any emotion as I speak, okay?" He asked, El staring at him. "Just keep playing the game if you understand." He ordered, watching El place a piece forward. "Two is still in the infirmary recovering." Orderly began, moving a piece forward. "He's being watched now, but once he is released, he and the others are gonna attempt to kill you and your brother." He spoke, El inhaling sharply. "Both of you. Right here, in this room. And Papa will allow it to happen." Orderly continued, El's heart rate increasing on the machine. "In fact, he wants it to happen. Seven will fight back of course. He's been planning it for some time."

El's breathing went ragged, Orderly noticing. "Stay calm. Focus on the game." He insisted, watching El move another piece forward. "Now, your brother's surge will make the other subject's plan difficult so they'll plan to go for you first. Papa knows that." He spoke, scanning the board. "There's a reason why Two and the others were able to escape their room last night. And why Seven was pre-occupied. Why the security cameras were turned off. Why Papa punished Two today." Orderly continued, El signaling her signalling her understanding as she placed another piece forward. "They don't even realize it but he is moving them like pieces on this board here. Driving them to do exactly what he wants, which is..." El paid no attention to her strategy, watching Orderly take her piece and replace it with his own. "Why?" She asked, Orderly staying still.

"You frighten him. With Seven's power, he knows you two are more powerful than the others. And he also knows he can't control you two." El watched Orderly scan the board. "That's all he wants. Control. Seven's 'extra training' isn't for him, it's for Papa. So he can control." Orderly spoke, El squeezing her lips shut. "I saw all this happening. That's why I wanted to help the two of you, but I only made thing worse." The man looked down, El staring at him. "Helping us... made Papa hurt you and Seven." She spoke, now realising the reason why she saw the two being punished the night before. "I managed to get to your brother first. To tell him. And it is why you both must escape." Orderly spoke, El looking at the board. "Today. But they are watching us. Closely." El followed Orderly's glance to the security camera. "If you both want to make it out of here, you must do exactly as I say. Do you understand?" He asked the girl, El looking back to him.

Checkmating the man, she looked up at him again. "Why do you still help?" She asked, Orderly offering her a kind smile. "Because I believe in the two of you. It is time you are both free from this Hell." He took something from his pocket, El realising it was his keycard when she grabbed it as Orderly hummed.

"I've already informed your brother, you both need to listen carefully."

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"...SEEING THIS?" SEB PERKED UP AT DUSTIN'S VOICE, THE GROUP WATCHING NANCY PLACE HER HAND FORWARD INTO THE NEWFOUND LIGHT. Erica, Dusting and Lucas had stolen Holly's light toy, using it to contact the group in Nancy's room. "Holy shit!" Erica cheered, Dustin's laughter echoing as the two hugged. Seb smiled lightly, Dustin yelling in the room to reach them. "We're not moving it, but we're gonna unplug it, stand by." He spoke, looking to Lucas. "Yank it." The boy did as told, Seb keeping his eyes on where Nancy's hand was. "Okay, try it now." Dustin ordered, Nancy sharing a glance with Seb. "Okay. Uhm..." Seb and the others watched Nancy write an 'H' on the board. "Hi! That worked!" Dustin yelled, the group cheering as Seb smiled. "Hi!" Eddie spoke, overly glad this was working. "Okay. Um.." The girl wrote letters, the three confused.

"S, T, U... Stupid?" Erica asked, Nancy adding more. "Oh, stuck. They're stuck in the Upside Down." Lucas spoke, Dustin confused. "Uh, you can't get back through Watergate?" He yelled up, Seb confused. "Watergate?" He muttered, Steve gulping. "What's that?" He asked, Robin sighing. "'Cause it's in water and it's a gate." She spoke as if he was dumb, aiming it towards Steve. Seb was just confused, bless his soul. "Oh." Nancy spoke, Eddie shrugging. "That's cute." He added, Nancy thinking of how to say no. "Uh, 'no', uhm..." She wrote on the board again. "Is that a six?" He asked, Erica scoffing. "No, 'G.'" She spoke, scowling at the boy next to her. Lucas tilted his head, watching Nancy add more letters. "Guar?" Dustin asked, Seb hearing his confusion faintly. "Guarded." Erica spoke, Lucas nodding. "Okay, Watergate's guarded?" Dustin asked, Seb nodding.

"Perfect. Yes." Steve spoke, Dustin nodding. "We think we have a theory that can help with that." Dustin informed, Seb letting out a breath of relief. "Yes." Robin spoke, smiling as Eddie hummed. "Genius child." He spoke, Dustin humming. "We think that Watergate isn't the only gate. That there's a gate at every murder site." Dustin spoke, the group only hearing the last two words. "Does anybody understand what he's talking about?" Nancy asked, Seb shaking his head. "Nope." He spoke, everyone agreeing. Nancy sighed, drawing a question mark on the board. "Okay. Seriously?" Dustin started to get agitated, looking up as Erica flinched lightly. "How many times do I have to right on the money before you guys just trust me?!" Seb flinched at the boy's sudden tone. "Jesus Christ. This kid's gotta get his ego in check." Steve spoke, Eddie leaning forward.

"It's his tone, right?" He asked, Seb looking between the two. "Okay. So... how far is your trailer?" Nancy asked Eddie, him answering unsettlingly quick. "Seven miles." He spoke, Seb's eyes widening. That was far. "Nancy. I know your house here is like, weirdly, creepily frozen in time and shit, but haven't you always had bikes?" Robin asked, Seb holding his hand up. "I can't ride bikes." He spoke shyly, Steve staring at the back of his head. "You can come with mine." He patted the boy's shoulder.

☆

"SO, ANYTHING?" KAREN ASKED, POWELL WALKING OUT OF THE ROOM WITH MAX AND CALLAHAN. The girl immediately put her headphones on, staring at the floor. "Nope. She's sticking to her story. They just went for a late night swim." He informed the parents, Dustin's mother sighing. "Nancy showed up at some point..." He continued, Max noticing Dustin beckon her over rather aggressively. "No!" The girl mouthed harshly, Dustin ignoring her protests. "Come on!" He mouthed back, Max scoffing as she followed Dustin. "Pretty much all she told us. She stuck to her guns." Powell informed, Callahan sighing. "Honestly, shouldn't have gone with her first. She was, like, kinda mean." He let out, Powell ignoring him. "We'll find your daughter, Mrs. Wheeler. Don't worry." He assured, Callahan making himself known again.

"One of these little brats is gonna squeal. I just know it. Where are they?" He asked, another officer nodding. "Upstairs. Moping." He spoke, Callahan nodding. "Oh, little pigs." He spoke, walking upstairs to gather either Dustin or Lucas. "Oh, little pigs." He drawled out, knocking on the door lightly. "Let Officer Callahan in-" The man let himself in, hearing clattering and barking outside the newly opened window. "Let's go." Lucas urged the four, grabbing bikes as Erica ran with a knife to slash the tyres of the car. "No! No!" Callahan yelled, the parents rushing out of the front door, each child grabbing a bike as they ignored the yells, cycling away...

the group on the other side doing the same.

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sorry for being so like out of it- sixth form is so draining idk when i'll upload next but i am trying my best so pls bare with me!!

[2244 words!]

Hope you enjoyed!!!

Byeee!