Liam closed the notebook with a slow but firm motion after finishing everything it contained. The dry sound of the pages coming together broke the silence of the place. In addition to everything else, he had also found important information about several Hydra bases and the names of Hydra agents infiltrated in key positions. That discovery made his expression grow more serious, his eyes hardening slightly.
He already had clear plans on how to use that information in the future to get rid of a nuisance that could eventually become a problem—even for him. He didn't like leaving loose ends. He preferred to eliminate problems before they grew, rather than allowing them to linger, plotting how to interfere with his goals.
Liam lifted his gaze from the notebook and looked directly at Eleven before speaking.
"How much information is left to extract?" he asked in a calm tone, clearly focused on what mattered.
Eleven thought for a moment before answering. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she mentally calculated how much was still left to review.
"There's still more… I'll need a few more hours," she said quietly.
The exhaustion was obvious in her posture, in the way her shoulders drooped slightly and her breathing was heavier than normal.
"Mmm, then let's get out of here," Liam said. "It's time to rest. Tomorrow I need you to gather everyone involved in what happened here so we can talk about what they'll have to do."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over everyone present, noticing the accumulated exhaustion on each face. It was four in the morning, and for all of them it had been a long, difficult day filled with tension and danger.
At this, Steve, Jonathan, and Nancy reacted almost at the same time, exchanging confused looks.
"Why would we need to meet?" Steve asked, scratching the back of his neck while frowning. "I thought everything was over—for now."
Nancy looked at Steve and nodded in agreement, still processing what they had just heard.
"Yeah. You said those monsters wouldn't be coming back for a while."
Jonathan, standing beside her, nodded as well, sharing the same doubts, though he remained silent.
"The problem doesn't come from the monsters on the other side," Liam said, his gaze slowly sliding toward the unconscious Hydra member lying on the floor.
Seeing that, the three of them seemed to understand the situation a little better, though unease and unanswered questions were still evident on their faces.
"They won't let us live in peace," Eleven said, her voice filled with fear and uncertainty.
At that moment, she was the only one besides Liam who truly understood what Hydra was capable of. And now, seeing that Liam—despite knowing all of that—already had clear ideas on how to deal with them, she couldn't help but trust him as her only option.
Knowing that Eleven had read the mind of the unconscious Russian soldier, they had no choice but to believe her and accept what Liam said. The silence that followed was heavy, filled with uncomfortable thoughts.
"What will the members of that organization do?" Nancy asked, still wanting to know more, her voice tense.
Liam raised a hand to stop her before she could continue and spoke firmly.
"We'll talk about that tomorrow when everyone is gathered. I just need you to organize the meeting, bring everyone, and choose an isolated location."
His words caused an immediate silence in the room. No one dared to say anything else.
"Let's get out of here. You need to rest for tomorrow. Come on, Carrie."
With that, Liam took Carrie's hand naturally and headed toward the exit, guiding her forward with determination.
Steve bent down to lift the unconscious Hydra member before leaving with the others, adjusting his grip so he wouldn't drop him.
Once outside, Liam asked Steve for his phone number so he could contact him the next day about the meeting location and time. Then, using his new ability on the Hydra agent, he made sure to keep him asleep. He carefully controlled the dream, shaping it so it seemed as if he had managed to capture Eleven and kill everyone else, ensuring the man wouldn't realize it was all just a dream.
At present, Liam and Carrie were at the meeting place, which turned out to be Joyce Byers' house. The atmosphere was tense and silent, broken only by the faint creaking of the wooden house and the nervous breathing of those present. Everyone was gathered in the living room, some seated, others standing, all with restless, exhausted expressions.
"Alright," Liam said seriously. "As you already know, this isn't over yet. The organization that Russian soldier belonged to is the problem we need to talk about."
He stood straight, arms relaxed, but his firm gaze swept over everyone, making sure they were paying attention.
"First, I'll introduce myself and my girlfriend. My name is Liam Kennedy, and this is my girlfriend, Carrie White. As you already know, we're not normal people. We have certain abilities, and we're here to help—as long as you allow us to."
Carrie, standing beside him, nodded slightly, confirming everything Liam had said. Her expression was calm, but there was a dangerous coldness in her eyes, as if she were already prepared for anything that might happen.
"Now we can continue," Liam went on. "The unconscious soldier over there belongs to a very dangerous organization with global influence. You could say they represent exactly what their name means—Hydra, the mythological monster with many heads that grow back when one is cut off."
"But more Russian soldiers shouldn't be able to come," Mike said without thinking much. His voice sounded nervous, but he was clinging to the hope that everything was finally over.
Liam slowly shook his head.
"It's not that simple. Hydra has members all over the world, infiltrated in all kinds of places. And sooner or later, they'll come to kill all of you and take Eleven to experiment on her."
His tone remained firm and unembellished, like someone stating a truth that couldn't be softened.
"But why can't they just leave us alone? Why would they do that?" Joyce Byers asked. Her voice trembled slightly, and her hands clenched tightly, reflecting the fear beginning to take hold of her.
"Because you've already ruined their plans and destroyed one of their laboratories once—and now a second underground base," Liam said with absolute seriousness, never looking away from Joyce. "They won't forgive that. They'll kill everyone involved and their families."
Fear spread through the room. Some lowered their heads, others clenched their fists, and the atmosphere grew even heavier.
At that moment, Eleven stepped forward with the notebook where she had written everything she found in the Hydra agent's mind and handed it to Liam. Her face was pale, dark circles under her eyes—it was clear she hadn't slept and was far more worried than the others.
"Thanks. Did you finish searching his mind?" Liam asked as he carefully took the notebook.
"Yes. There's nothing new," Eleven nodded, her voice tired but resolute.
"Good. Carrie, kill him. We can't allow him to escape and send a message saying we've learned all that information," Liam added coldly, making the reason clear to everyone.
Without hesitating for even a second, Carrie moved swiftly. With a precise, dry motion, she snapped the Hydra agent's neck, ending his life before anyone could react.
"Done. We can deal with the body later. Let's continue," Liam said calmly, as if it were merely a necessary task and nothing extraordinary.
"Alright. Now I'll give you a choice. You can come with me along with your families, work for me, and I'll keep you alive against Hydra's threat. But you'll have to do your part as well. Each of you will contribute something. I'll use my resources so you can study or train in whatever you're best at, so in the future it won't just be me helping—you'll also be able to help deal with Hydra or similar organizations that will come after you to get to Eleven."
As he spoke, Liam carefully observed their reactions. Some seemed more willing to accept, their looks determined or curious, while others hesitated, trapped between fear and uncertainty.
"The other option is that you refuse my offer and live a normal life—until someone from Hydra shows up at your door threatening your family," Liam said seriously.
His voice was firm and cold, without direct threats, but clear enough that everyone understood he wasn't exaggerating. His eyes slowly passed over each of them, lingering slightly longer on the youngest.
"That won't be possible. They'll come no matter what," Eleven said, pointing with a trembling hand at the dead Hydra agent. "He had the names of everyone here and their families. They already had plans to lure me back if I ever escaped—killing one person and kidnapping another to force me into returning to a lab."
Pure fear filled Eleven's eyes, mixed with guilt and contained rage, as if she felt responsible for putting everyone in danger.
Everyone's faces turned pale. The silence fell heavily over the room. Joyce covered her mouth, Nancy pressed her lips together, and Jonathan lowered his gaze, trying to process what they had just heard.
"Couldn't we call the army to protect us?" Dustin asked desperately. His voice was higher than usual, his hands clenched tightly as he clung to the idea that there was still a safe way out.
"No," Liam replied. "Even if by some miracle they listened, there are factions in the military that experiment with the goal of creating super soldiers. They'd take Eleven, experiment on her, and leave the rest of you to your fate with Hydra."
His tone wasn't cruel—just realistic, like someone who had seen how that world truly worked.
Hearing that, Dustin lowered his head, defeated, while the others exchanged anguished looks.
"You have one week to decide," Liam said. "You can convince your families how serious this is, and if they don't believe you, just show them Eleven's powers. We'll meet here again next week. If no one wants to come, I'll take Eleven and her adoptive father with me, and I won't hesitate to leave you to your fate. So think carefully this week."
With that, Liam slowly stood up from where he had been sitting. His movement was calm but final, making it clear there would be no further discussion that night. He took Carrie's hand; she stood beside him with a serious expression, and together they left the house without looking back.
Everyone remained frozen, trapped in their thoughts after Liam and Carrie left. No one spoke for several seconds. Everything they had heard was too heavy, too overwhelming to fully process in that moment.
They knew the decision they would have to make wouldn't just change their lives.
It could determine whether they lived… or died.
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Top 100 completed. Chapter submitted.
Top 50 completed. Chapter submitted.
Top 25 incomplete. To be submitted when the goal is reached.