#stra

Henry Creel x F!Reader Part 2!

Tag list: @joostkleinn @cannibalcoyote @edb954 @luxyash @aiyuhh

The brown door swings open, hitting the wall behind it and causing a loud bang. A dent appears on the forest green-coloured walls of the small entrance of the house. Shuffling feet ruffle the printed carpet as muffled shouts echo from behind the intruder. The intruder is not listening anymore, not after finding out an old friend was personally connected to the monster they’ve been hunting. The same monster who tortured his own kid, Jane.

​

“How do you know him?” his large hands hold your collar, almost lifting you off the ground. His coffee-stained breath harshly blows onto your cowering face. He shoves you against the wall again, waiting for a reply. “I asked you, how do you know him?”

​

Through your strained eyes, you see a few kids attempt to pry him off of you with no success. His large figure overpowers them all. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking abo-.”

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“DON’T. Don’t you play games with me.” he switches his hands to one hand holding you off the ground; you could hear the seams of your collar rip. The next second, you hear a click right by your ear.

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“WOAh, woah! Okay! Okay, Hopper. Slow down.” The fear on Steve’s face made you fear for your own safety. Did he really put a gun beside your head?

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“She knows something, and she didn’t even think to say anything to us. Nothing at all.” Hopper barked, his eyes still daggering into your own.

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The lump goes down your parched throat as beads of sweat drip down your (H/C) sideburns. Your eyes twitch between the unfamiliar young faces and Hoppers’. Were you going to die at the hands of an old friend?

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A cold breeze sweeps in from the night into your home, brushing your bare feet. The skies appeared to twinkle like usual; it was pretty out in the country. There was peace, there was quiet, and there was an escape from Hawkins. Yet, it was still close in case of an emergency. You didn’t want to work at the lab after the accident for your own safety. So, you chose to live in a small white house. Its floors creaked with every small footstep, the wood had chipped white paint, and the area smelled of manure. The last owners had left their furniture thankfully, your wallet thanked you for that one. It provided the comfort you needed, the comfort you missed.

Your teary eyes and raspy voice beg at Hopper as you lay a hand on Hopper's arm, “I-I can explain,” you gasp for air. “Just-just let me go.”

​

Your knees crash against the brown wood tiles from his release.

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—-----------

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*KIEEEEEEEEEE*

The black stove kettle goes off in the kitchen, its steam nearly burning your arm. The boys sat at the small brown table while you and Hopper stood, you assumed he was guarding in case you were going to run.

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“Does anyone want tea?” you ask, turning around to find blank faces. It’s not like you were going to poison them. “Ok then…”

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The tea bag stains its colour into the plain hot water, the smell of sweet tea makes you hum in pleasure. This would do wonders for a throbbing throat. You turn on your heels before taking a seat at the table. “So, what do you want to know?” you say, sipping your tea to cure the raspy voice.

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Dustin pulls out a brown-coloured book in front of her, slamming it onto the table. “We know you worked with Henry, so tell us what happened before that tea ended up being your last.”

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But you don’t hear his threats. You stare blankly at the familiar book, your eyes pruned of their joyous attitude as it’s replaced with distraught. The vanished throat pain reemerges, forbidding words to come out. It had been stashed away, it was supposed to be gone, it was a part of the past.

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Memories of you and him flood your mind as your hands trace the edges of the book held nightly. The book sat perfectly on your (S/C) palms as it did before.

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”Your strategy has significantly improved the work of the children, Dr.(L/N). Your work is satisfactory.”

​

“Thank you, Dr. Brenner.”

​

The man's heels clicked away into the well-lit hallway as you pack up your station. Dr. Brenner had come in after your session with one of the children to talk about their progress in cognitive functioning. These sessions had become routine in the small room you were assigned to practice in. Most rooms had been sickly white, so you decided to add some hand-drawn coloured figures of cute animals and shapes to make the tiny ones feel a little safe.

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While packing your bag, you notice a certain brown journal missing from your bookbag. Panic shoots through your heart as you frantically search your bag and behind the seats. You would be in big trouble if another doctor had ratted you out for documenting what goes on in the lab without consent.

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“Are you looking for this?”

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A sweet voice swiftly turns you around as your hope diminishes. You’re screwed now.

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“Oh, hi.” Your shoulders drop as an exhale escapes your lips. “Yes, that is mine. Thank you.” Your heels click against the white tiles as you walk over to the slender blonde man in the doorframe.

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His lips curve upwards into a gentle smile as he hands the book over. “Of course. Have a good night Ms. (L/N).” He says as his gaze lingers on you before he turns away.

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“Wait!” He stops in his tracks at your alarmed voice. “Yes, Ms. (L/N)?”

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Your voice quivers under your breath as you ask, “You didn’t read it right?”

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A small scoff is heard as he turns his head back to face you. “Now, why would I do that?” He walks away before you can answer.

​“(L/N),” Hopper's stern eyes meet your tranced ones. “I need you to tell me what you were doing in that lab.”

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You snap yourself back into reality. “I was working there after university to gain some experience. They paid well and had some really weird conditions, but didn’t require previous experience or an intense resume.” Your gaze falls upon the black engraving on the cover. “I just didn’t realize what it would come to."

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“That doesn't necessarily explain the relationship you had with Vecna-” Mike quickly corrects it to Henry upon seeing the confusion on your face, still waiting for an answer.

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“Well, apparently, they needed someone to take care of Henry. I was there attending to him after those men had hurt him for no reason. It was strictly business.”

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“That’s bullshit.” You swing your head towards the boy with long hair, Steve, as you heard. “You don’t write about someone you work with in your precious little diary for months.” Your breath fastens. “He was something more to you.” Steve walks over and pulls out a silver necklace from his pocket, handed by Robin. His hand dangles the chain for everyone to see.

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The dagger necklace wasn’t the only stabbing you, Hopper’s gaze was so intense you could feel an actual knife on your neck. There was no point in lying, they knew the truth.

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“Over time Henry and I...became close.” You search Hopper's eyes for any sign of anger before continuing. “He was kind at first. I only saw him getting beaten and helping those kids become their best. He was sweet and kind and never wanted to hurt the kids, unlike the others. He then asked me to meet him outside of work hours, late at night, around the compound. He would tell me stories of this story of a child and what he discovered in a cave that changed the course of his life.”

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“It was him.” The quiet boy with brown hair spoke. “Henry was in that cave.”

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“Somehow, I don’t find that difficult to believe,” you say, agreeing to his theory while sipping on your warm tea. You push out the chair with your legs and grab a notebook and a pen from the kitchen counter. “What do you guys know so far?” You question.

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“Why do you want to know?” Hopper asks, stepping closer.

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“If it’s true that Henry was the boy in his very detailed stories, then I might know his game plan. His stories did not only consist of the characters' origins but also the ending,” you explain, writing “Henry” at the top of the paper.

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Lucas speaks up, “She might know what he’s going to do and why he’s taking the kids. We can save Holly and the others.”

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Shock fills your face, you didn’t realize Henry was planning to take the children just as in the story. Guilt fills your eyes knowing his plan was being executed well into the story.

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“He said something about this entity calling the child, so Henry, to bring Hawkins closer to it.” you recite his words through the ink.

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“What do you mean, how is he gonna bring Hawkins to the Mind Flayer?” Mike questions. “The mind flayer is the big bad guy basically.” He explains to add on to the paper.

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You rip out a clear page from the notebook, turning it around to face the table. “In the story he told, there were three dimensions,” you draw two horizontal lines with equal spaces. “Hawkins…the grey world…and the lair of the monsters.”

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“I’m guessing the grey world is our version of the “Upside Down”. Hopper adds receiving confirmation from the boys.

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“In order to do that, the boy had to collect special children. Each one is a pillar of energy used to fight against the monsters.”

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“I saw them in front of these pillars. They looked so drained.” Will croaks out. From his saddened expression, you assumed he must have seen it firsthand.

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“Did Henry actually take children?” you asked, feeling more sick after seeing the confirmation through their silence.

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“The bad thing’s objective was to bring Hawkins in on itself, to spread its evilness.”

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“But how exactly did he explain it?” Lucas asks on behalf of the boys on the edge of their seats.

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You look around the room, sensing the tired yet eager nature. Would it be diminished through what you were gonna say next?

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Inhaling a breath, “To make the conquering process simple, they would have to send the monster army after the people themselves. Rather than take them back one by one to poison. The bad things accomplished this by smashing the two dimensions into each other.”

​

(Henry Creel x F!Reader) Part 1

Day 59:

The laboratory has a strange feeling to it. The extent to which sterilisation is enforced is crazy compared to the labs I’ve worked in before, and they don’t even disclose anything to the employees. Yet, no one questions…it’s simply blind faith. I’m following instructions and making solutions for calculations that I don’t even know what I’m solving for. The kids seem so out of place; they don’t act like other children, they have no self-expression, their vocabulary is small, and they look like they’re being trained as soldiers. I’m not sure, I don’t have access to them.

Day 2:

So, today Dr Brenner had a chat with me. I was thinking it had to do with what I spent most of my life studying, but no, he wants me to focus on medical assistance. We have so many doctors here, and he chose me. I’m sure it’s because I’m a woman, but wtv. He said to meet him near the playroom at 8 pm sharp. I guess I have to brush up on my medic aid.

Day 61:

He tortured someone.

He hurt one of the handymen.

His screams were so loud.

Dr Brenner interrogated him, but I couldn’t hear anything. I was called in shortly after and was handed Band-Aids and such. The doctor didn’t explain anything, but he looked at me, and I knew what I had to do.

He looked so innocent, I can not think of anything that could lead to a man being tortured, especially by his employer. I managed to clean his wounds and check his vitals before the Doctor returned and signalled me to leave. I honestly don’t know what to do. Was this a demonstration of what would happen if I strayed out of line?

Day 62:

Today, I was instructed to work with the cute little boys and girls by Dr Brenner. He wanted me to monitor their behaviour and make ways to encourage their progress. A background in psychology helped a lot. I noticed a familiar limping man in there. He didn’t say much, but I didn’t miss the sense of being watched. We made eye contact so often that I was amazed by how blue a person's eye colour could be.

“Who the hell wrote this book?”

“Ok, you’ve spent the last 20 minutes reading that dumb book while everyone here has been doing actual research. Like you could come help us, Robin.” The long-haired boy yells at the short-haired woman, and the younger children snicker to themselves amongst books as they watch the two older ones quarrelling.

“Steve, this diary contains so much information about this guy who was tortured at the lab. Eleven," Robin turns to look at the girl dressed in a wet suit. “Do you know anything about some guy who Dr Brenner tortured? Someone who worked for him, maybe?” “Yes, it’s Henry.”

The group sitting around boxes filled with dusty books and files look at each other in shock. For the past few hours, they’ve been digging around in the basement of Hawkins' laboratory with a goal of finding more about Vecna. Most of the files were redacted or missing, or did not have any information. The large books had words and math that would send Steve into a coma without the help of Vecna. So far, there was nothing they could find until Robin noticed a small out of place shoebox  under the bookshelves. The shoebox was white with faded but colourful designs, a regular shoebox that could’ve been found in the mall Steve and her seen multiple times in their old jobs. She opened the box, pulling out a brown journal. She yelped an “OW” from a sudden sting to the tips of her fingers. She carefully reaches back in and finds a small metal piece that has slipped out of the book and back into the shoebox. The culprit was a knife, or a dagger, Robin couldn’t decide. But it was the size of a tiny pendant, easy enough to slip under a shirt but oddly sharp enough to cut it as well. She laid the necklace back in the box, focusing her attention on the journal itself. Robin’s fingers caressed the edges of the front and back flaps, small black ridges and dents covered its surface. The beige pages crinkled under her touch, opening the book, the smell of vintage cook books filled her nose. Skimming through it looked like a regular diary, maybe a scientist's personal findings, the same ones as the rest. Robin gazed back at the shoebox, it was out of place compared to the other boxes. It was tucked away, hidden while the others were organised in a perfect manner. What other journal was in a branded shoebox? The chair screeches against the floor as she pulls it out. Brushing away the dust as she sits down to open the wrinkly journal.

“Hey! I found it first!” The boy with the brown trench coat steals the leather book out of her hands as he ignores the annoyed look on Robin's face. Files and papers scattered all over the tables are pushed onto the ground. Dustin's hand reaches for a large, yellow-lit lamp and positions it above the book as he places it on the table.

To Him and I

The group reads the engraving without any idea of who this “I” is.

“How far have you read into the book?” A tall, slender, raven-haired boy asks Robin.

“Uhh, just a couple of entries really, but there isn’t much information. She brings up “

“She?” Eleven asks, interrupting Robin. “Who is this “she?”.

“Her name is not even mentioned; she mentioned she was a woman, and that’s really how far I’ve gotten. I think she could’ve had a personal tie to Vecna. It seems like psycho Brenner appointed her as his personal nurse.”

All eyes were on Eleven as she reached for the book, opening the pages to the first few pages. She skims the paper and follows the black cursive writing. The rest of the group looked at each other, wondering if she had any clue who “I” was.

“I thought she was dead.” She sighs in defeat. “I think it’s just an old journal; I doubt it has much.” Her fingers grab the rough edges to close it, but a brown hand slips in between the pages.

“I’m not gonna give up so easily. What are the chances out of all of these books that we manage to find something actually related to him?”

“This is so not worth our time, guys; it was probably written before Lucas was even born.” Steve groans at the idea of finding a reliable source. Finding one was difficult enough, but his time reading through the books was getting to his throbbing brain. “Is there at least a journal entry date?” He hopelessly asks.

Lucas flips to the end of the book, where the cursive comes to an abrupt stop. His eyes land on the top right corner, then they dart around the room. “This doesn’t make sense.” The dark-haired boy grabs the book only to have the same shocked face as the other boy.

Eleven catches his eyes and asks, “What is it, Mike?”

“It’s…the last entry…it was 2 years ago”

The group glanced at each other. Whoever wrote this book was alive. They had crucial information for the past couple of years and were the biggest connection to Vecna so far.

“She died, Mike. No one escaped that day other than me and Papa,. Henry would not show mercy to anyone else. It has to be a mistake. I saw her with Seven, on the ground,” she grimaced at the image of their twisted bodies. A thick silence filled the air, they didn’t know what to do with such information if Eleven was so sure about the writers death. They had one lead, one chance, and it’s already gone.

“We still need to try.”  All the heads looked at the boy in the trench coat.

Eleven spoke up. “Dustin, it’s not worth it. We can find-“

“What else are we gonna find, huh?” His quiet demeanour changes as his eyes fill with anger. “We’ve searched for hours on end and still come up with nothing. I don’t know what else we can go on, or what else we can do. I just want it to be over with, I want to be able to breathe without wondering if my friends are gonna die.” He looks up at his friends. “I can’t do it again.”

“Hey,” Dustin’s teary eyes meet Steve’s, “we’re gonna lead with this, kay?” He reassures the curly-haired boy with a gentle smile, receiving one back.

“I don’t remember much. She was one of the nice doctors, but she spent time with Henry a lot. She only worked there for a bit, but I would see them together in the rooms. Alone at times.”

“Do you remember her name by chance?” Eleven looks up to a questioning Mike.

Compania de stat Hidroelectrica oferă de departe cel mai bun preț la energie electrică de pe piață, atrăgând o cantitate uriașă de cereri din partea românilor, dar viitorul din spatele cifrelor este discutabil. Compania avertizează că prețurile ar putea crește, având ca efect incertitudinea promisiunilor făcute inițial.

În plină criză a schimbării furnizorilor de energie, oferta actuală a companiei de stat este cea mai competitivă de pe piață. Reprezentații producătorului de energie hidro avertizează că nu pot garanta menținerea actualelor prețuri. Mai ales că, în anumite situații, compania ar putea fi nevoită să cumpere energie de la alți producători.

Ccerere uriașe de contracte, dar producția Hidroelectrica nu va face față

Reprezentanții companiei susțin că sunt copleșiți de interesul manifestat de clienți în ultimele săptămâni, însă capacitatea de producție nu este suficientă pentru a acoperi întreg consumul casnic din România. Potrivit datelor oficiale, în anul 2024 producția companiei a fost de 13.860 GWh, iar consumul total al consumatorilor casnici a depășit 13.900 GWh.

În acest context, Hidroelectrica admite că nu poate furniza energie tuturor consumatorilor exclusiv din propria sa producție. Există perioade ale anului în care nivelul producției scade sub necesarul populației, obligând compania să facă achiziții externe. Situația este agravată de faptul că Hidroelectrica are obligații și față de clienții industriali, consumul acestora fiind mai ridicat decât al celor casnici.

Oficialii companiei atrag atenția că nu pot aprecia cu exactitate numărul maxim de consumatori pe care îi pot susține. Totul depinde de consumul mediu al clienților, care poate varia semnificativ în funcție de sezon și alte factori. În plus, există riscul ca, în cazul unor migrări masive, să fie nevoie de reevaluarea ofertelor comerciale.

Număr dublu de solicitări zilnice pentru contracte față de 2024

Interesul românilor pentru ofertele Hidroelectrica a depășit orice așteptare. Karoly Borbely, directorul general al companiei, a declarat pentru HotNews că în această perioadă se primesc între 10.000 și 11.000 de cereri pe zi. Acest volum este de dublu față de numărul de contracte pe care Hidroelectrica îl încheia, în medie, într-o lună întreagă în 2024.

Compania a confirmat că solicitările provin preponderent de la clienți casnici, al căror număr este semnificativ mai mare decât cel al cererilor din partea consumatorilor industriali. Pentru a acoperi cererea neobișnuită, programul punctului de relații cu clienții din București a fost extins. În paralel, echipele companiei monitorizează exact fluxul de solicitări venite prin portalurile digitale de contractare.

CITEȘTE ȘI: Cum vor arăta facturile de la 1 iulie, când schema de plafonare expiră. Clienții de la Hidroelectrica vor resimți cele mai mari creșteri

Hidroelectrica poate prelua noi clienți, însă nu se știe cât timp

Deși în prezent Hidroelectrica oferă cel mai bun tarif de pe piață, compania recunoaște că nu poate garanta menținerea acestui avantaj. În momentul în care producția proprie nu va mai putea acoperi cererea, Hidroelectrica va apela la achiziții de energie din alte surse.

Aceste achiziții vor influența direct prețul final oferit consumatorilor, deci tarifele ar putea crește în viitor. Riscul apariției unor momente în care energia necesară devine insuficientă este real, fiind deja luat în calcul. Însă, în ciuda acestor riscuri, Hidroelectrica asigură că, în prezent, are suficiente resurse pentru a prelua noi clienți.

Noile capacități de producție ar putea reduce prețurile pe termen mediu

Totuși, în ciuda incertitudinii privind menținerea celui mai mic tarif, managementul Hidroelectrica mizează pe apariția unor noi capacități de producție în perioada următoare. Odată intrate în funcțiune, există șansa ca oferta generală de energie să crească, putând duce la reducerea prețurilor în ansamblul pieței.

Totodată, liberalizarea completă a pieței va intensifica competiția dintre furnizori. În timp, concurența între companii ar putea atrage scăderi de preț, însă momentan nu există garanții ferme în acest sens. În plus, orice evoluție depinde de contextul economic real și de modul în care ceilalți furnizori își ajustează strategiile comerciale la condițiile din piață.

Oficialii companiei avertizează că în prezent nu pot promite cel mai mic preț pe viitor. O parte din producție se bazează pe resurse proprii, iar achizițiile externe sunt limitate. Așadar, situația rămâne deschisă și dependentă strict de evoluțiile din piața energetică autohtonă.