Gunshots and screams echoed through the room from the soldiers above being torn apart by the Demogorgon. Hopper turned away from the security cameras, the sight no less horrifying than it was years ago. He stalked towards the scientist, grabbing his collar, pushing him against the wall, “How do we get out of here?” Hopper yelled in his face.
The Russian whimpered, pointing shakily towards a door. Hopper threw him to Enzo, who grabbed onto the back of his collar, keeping him in place.
“Wait Jim,” Murray said, fumbling in his pocket, taking out a small gun, holding it out to him. Hopper took it, his grip tightening as he approached the door. He pushed it open slowly, using his foot to kick it open the rest of his way, his gun up and ready.
The first thing he saw was a Demogorgon strapped down onto a table, its chest open and splayed out. It looked dead.
Hopper turned away to keep from gagging and pushed past the curtains.
“Shit…” The curse left his lips as he entered the room. Two rows of tanks occupied the room, each one holding a Demogorgon.
“Oh, my god.” Joyce breathed out behind him. Her hand lifted to cover her mouth.
“Looks like they’ve been busy,” Hopper huffed, inspecting one of the tanks. They all looked dead, floating in whatever liquid the Russians had put them in. That was one less thing to worry about.
“What the hell is that?” Enzo spoke up, pointing at something over Hopper’s shoulder. Hopper looked over and froze. No way that thing was still alive, No way it actually was-
“The Mind Flayer,” Joyce muttered, the fear clear in her tone.
His head shook to gather his bearings, “We have to get out of here,” Jim panted, taking a step back.
A scream made him stop in his tracks.
“Someone is in there,” Murray whispered, horrified. His eyes were glued to the cage as another scream echoed through the room.
As Jim turned back around, a body slammed into the glass, another scream filling the room.
Jim stepped closer, trying to see the man's face as he banged against the glass, begging to be helped.
“Get that cage open,”
“What are you serious, don’t you know what's in there?”
“I’m perfectly aware of what that fucking thing is, just get the fucking cage open!” Jim yelled.
The screams continued, echoing through the chamber, slowly engraving itself in Hopper’s mind.
The first doors slid open, Jim shot the second one, trying and failing to break the glass.
“Get this fucking thing open!”
“I’m trying!” Murray yelled, panicked.
The man in the cage let out another scream, falling to his knees in the middle of the cell.
Jim’s jaw clenched at the sight, giving up on shooting, and just hitting the butt of the gun against the glass.
There was another scream, but this was different, not human.
The Mind Flayer.
Jim turned back at Joyce’s shriek, his heart thumping loudly in his ears when he saw the Demogorgans twitching in their pods.
The man’s arms were spread wide, his mouth open in a permanent scream, the Mind Flayer attaching itself to his chest.
“Murray!”
“I’m almost there!”
But it was too late.
The Mind Flayer absorbed into the man's body, leaving him limp on the ground.
It was deathly silent. The Demogorgans had stopped writhing.
The cell door slowly slid open.
Hopper didn’t waste time running to the man's side, turning him over.
“Come on, come on you better be alive.” He muttered, patting his face.
Joyce had run to his side, her hand rising to her mouth after a gasp.
“Billy…”
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