Chapter 51 – The One We're Guarding Against… Is You!
Hawkins Lab, First Floor
The ceiling lights buzzed faintly, casting the hallway in sterile white.
Bob slipped a heavy pair of pliers into his backpack and jogged a few steps to catch up with the others.
"The front entrance—both locks are busted," he reported.
Hopper gave a curt nod.
They'd been inside for a while now, but still weren't far from the main entrance.
Following Father Gideon's instructions, they had smashed the locks along the way and cleared the debris.
If they needed to retreat, the path behind them was wide open.
---
Fourth Floor Laboratory
Dr. Brenner paced, weighing his options.
The guards at his disposal were few, and the intruders—armed police officers.
Confronting them head-on risked too many casualties.
And if more chaos erupted inside the lab, his own safety could no longer be guaranteed.
No, brute force wasn't the answer. Divide and isolate—that was safer.
Brenner crossed the room and keyed commands into his terminal.
---
First Floor
Officer Karp carefully pushed a door open.
He clipped the lock with his pliers, then cautiously leaned in to check the room.
But the moment the mechanism broke, the electronic lock's indicator light blinked red.
The door should have sealed automatically—yet it didn't.
In the lab upstairs, Brenner frowned.
Impossible. His system was linked to every lock in the building. There shouldn't be a single door he couldn't control.
He ran a check on several other points. All locks functioned perfectly—except the one near the entrance.
It didn't take him long to understand.
"Damn it. These men really are cops…"
---
The group pressed on until they reached a stairwell landing.
Hopper suddenly raised his hand, signaling a stop. His expression hardened.
Everyone followed his gaze.
At the corner, a black cat stood rigid, fur bristling, hissing low at a door by the stairwell.
"Respect the instincts of cats and dogs," Hopper muttered under his breath.
Normally, he might have gone closer, curious. But Father Gideon's repeated warnings echoed in his mind.
He chose caution.
---
Laboratory, Fourth Floor
"How is there still a cat in here? I ordered them all cleared out!" Brenner slammed a fist on the desk.
After the lock plan failed, he had decided on a bolder move—unleashing the creatures below.
Once-human guards, corrupted by the liquid shadows, twisted into beings of unnatural strength.
The doors had kept them contained. Until now.
Brenner disengaged the electronic lock, expecting the ambush to fall on the intruders at the stairwell.
But that damned cat had spoiled it, forcing Hopper's team on alert.
"Fine," Brenner hissed. "We'll do this another way."
He opened the door remotely.
---
First Floor
The door creaked. A figure stood just inside, dressed in a lab uniform, back turned to the officers.
"Hey, you alright in there?" Bob called out.
The man didn't respond. Bob started forward.
But Hopper's arm shot out, blocking him.
"Rule number one—when someone's acting strange, keep your distance!"
Bob froze, remembering the priest's exact words.
Still, the man looked human. Harmless, even. "He doesn't have a weapon," Bob whispered. "We could question him."
Hopper only tugged him backward.
And then the figure turned.
Dark veins marbled his face, his eyes utterly lifeless.
Bang.
With a casual shove, the thing's palm dented the iron door behind it.
A bead of cold sweat slid down Bob's forehead. He silently thanked Hopper for stopping him.
The creature lunged.
Guns flashed from holsters as the officers opened fire.
"Controlled bursts!" Hopper barked. "Alternate fire! Conserve ammo!"
The words echoed like another rule drilled into them.
Hopper fired first, testing.
One magazine was enough for him to learn:
Bullets tore through its flesh—
but headshots, heartshots, none of it mattered.
This thing wouldn't die like a man.
When the second magazine was fired, Hopper changed his aim.
This time, he targeted the creature's joints.
Moments later, the monster collapsed, unable to move.
Without hesitation, Hopper followed protocol—
and finished it off.
---
Fourth Floor, Laboratory
"What—impossible!" Brenner's face twisted in disbelief.
If he hadn't confirmed these men were from the Hawkins Police Department, he would have sworn they were a special ops unit.
Their vigilance, their coordination, the way they executed procedures step by step…
Too professional.
These couldn't be the lazy rookies of Hawkins, could they?
Back when the lab was first established, Brenner had briefly considered liaising with local law enforcement.
But their combat ability had been laughable—and secrecy always served him better.
So he never did.
And as he predicted, all these years, they never once discovered his hidden facility.
---
First Floor
The Hawkins officers poured holy water onto the fallen creature.
Its corrupted form sizzled, then dissolved, cleansed into nothing.
Then they placed a protective charm at the door leading underground.
The men exchanged uneasy glances. A monster that shrugged off bullets had been wiped out with nothing more than blessed water.
They were shaken—and once again in awe of the mysterious priest behind their rules.
Who exactly was he? And what had happened to their world?
Following the safety code, they pushed forward.
Again and again, dangers cropped up.
Again and again, they neutralized them—without losing a single man.
For the first time, the officers understood the full weight of those rules.
And their respect for the priest deepened.
---
At last, they reached the fourth floor.
Armed guards bristled before them.
But Hopper didn't flinch—he simply motioned Eleven forward.
With only a few sharp tilts of her head, the guards collapsed like dominoes.
"Eat now!" Hopper pressed a lunchbox into her hands, timing it perfectly.
After everything they had just survived, he no longer doubted a word of Father Gideon's advice.
---
Brenner's Laboratory
Inside, Dr. Brenner sat slumped in his chair. His hair was disheveled, his eyes burning with resentment.
Hopper arched a brow. That hatred in his face—palpable.
"Don't think you can just walk in here and take my lab," Brenner rasped, voice raw, his left hand reaching beneath the desk.
But before he could act, pain exploded in his gut—Hopper's boot driving him backward.
As Brenner hit the floor, Hopper glanced under the desk.
A hidden switch.
Whatever it triggered, it couldn't be good.
Thankfully, he remembered Father Gideon's most important rule: strike first when facing the leader.
He hauled Brenner up and bound him to the chair.
The scientist writhed, teeth grinding.
"Why?!" Brenner spat.
"How do you know my methods so well?!"
"You're supposed to be undisciplined, useless rookies!"
Hopper's jaw tightened.
Sure, Hawkins PD had a lousy reputation. But he'd be damned if he admitted that here.
So instead, he leaned in close, voice brimming with swagger:
"The one we've been guarding against… is you."
Brenner's teeth clenched harder. He fought the ropes, thrashing against the chair.
"Enough talk." Hopper pulled a cloth-wrapped bundle from his coat.
Inside was a radio—its casing bound with a wooden cross.
He set it on the table, flipped the switch.
A voice crackled through the static.
"Dr. Martin Brenner?"
Brenner's brow furrowed. Young voice. Unfamiliar.
Before he could reply, the voice continued:
"I'd like to discuss… a partnership."
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