THE MIND FLAYER, sixth chapter.
Warnings/ english isn’t my first language, typical ST violence, kissing, monster killing and nothing more.
Pairing/ Steve Harrington x Maddison Hopper.
Words/ 9,8k. (the longest one, sorry)
Previous chapter, D’ARTAGNAN.
Next chapter, STARCOURT MALL.
Steve looks at me and nods before gathering the kids. “We’re going to the lab, but everyone’s going to listen to me, okay?” he says. Dustin tilts his head slightly, Lucas frowns, and Max looks at me. “Yeah, nope,” Max says, and Steve frowns.
“We’re going to listen to her, just like you,” Max says, pointing at me, and I smile before nodding. Steve huffs and looks at me. “Let’s go to the lab,” I giggle, and Steve nods. “That’s what I said…” he whispers as we all start walking.
When we’re almost there, we hear voices, and Steve steps in front of everyone. “Who’s there?” a man’s voice asks. Wait, that sounded like… Jonathan?
When we emerge from the woods, we see Nancy and Jonathan at the gates of the lab. “Nancy?” I ask, frowning. “Jonathan,” Dustin says as we all approach them.
“What are you doing here?” I ask them, “We’re looking for Mike and Will,” Nancy says before looking at Steve and then back at me.
Dustin tenses up next to me. “They’re not there, are they?” he asks, and I swallow hard. “We’re not sure,” Nancy says before looking at Jonathan and then at Dustin.
“Why?” Jonathan asks, and just in time, we hear the monsters screeching, and we all look in the direction of the noise. It was inside the lab, where the lights started flickering slightly until they all came back on completely.
“The power’s back,” Nancy says, and Jonathan runs to the security booth to open the gates so he can get in. He presses the button a couple of times, but nothing happens.
“Let me try,” Dustin says as he goes over to Jonathan and pulls him aside to start pressing the button much faster. “Dustin,” I call to him, but he keeps trying. “Son of a bitch! You know what…” he complains until the gate opens. “Hey! I got it!” Dustin chuckles.
Suddenly, there's a scream and alarms. "Let's go," Jonathan says as he gets into the car. I go to his window while Nancy gets in to join him. "If anything happens, everyone to your house," I tell him, putting my hand on his arm.
Jona looks at my hand and then at me before nodding. "My house, yes," he repeats, squeezing my hand before I step away from the car and they get in. I sigh and watch the car drive away. At the same time, I feel a presence to my left. Steve.
He puts his hand on my waist and pulls me close before kissing my head. "Everything will be okay," he whispers as the kids run around and I nod.
After a while, they come back, but this time in my dad's truck. "Dad?!" I yell, and he brakes in front of us. "Let's go!" he says, and I get in the passenger seat while the rest of us get in the back.
“What the hell were you doing there?!” Jim asks me, and I look at the back of the car, specifically at Dustin. I shake my head and look at my dad. “When we get there, we’ll tell you everything,” I say, and he shakes his head.
At the Byers' house, my dad left Will unconscious on the couch. Jonathan stayed by his side, and Nancy too, mostly to support Jona.
My dad was on the phone, trying to get help and report the situation. Many people had died in the lab, and more were likely to die if this wasn't brought under control.
The kids were in the kitchen, all sitting around the table. Steve and I were behind them, leaning against the counter. Even though I'd love for him to be hugging me right now, I kept my distance for my dad's sake; we already have enough problems without adding another one.
Suddenly, Jim hung up the phone and sighed. "They didn't believe you, did they?" Dustin asked, and my dad looked at him. "We'll see," he replied, and I ran my hands over my face. "We'll see?" Mike asked incredulously.
"We can't just sit here while those things are loose!" Mike said to my dad, agitated. “We stay here and wait for help,” my father said firmly, ending the conversation, before turning to go find Joyce.
Bob, Joyce's current partner, had died. When they thought they had managed to escape the lab, one of those things jumped on him, and no one could do anything.
After that, we all remained silent, waiting for the supposed help. I sighed before going to the living room, where Jonathan was. Nancy saw me and gave me a half-smile, which I returned before sitting down next to Jona on the floor, next to the couch. Next to Will.
Jonathan looked at me and then back at Will. I went over to him, put my arm around his, and rested my head on his shoulder while looking at Will. “I can't wait for this to be over…” I said, and Jona made a noise of affirmation before resting his head on mine.
In the distance, in the kitchen, I could hear the kids talking about Bob. He was the founder of the first AV store in Hawkins. Mr. Clarke, the kids' teacher, learned everything from him. Then they go on about how they need to do something. I close my eyes and give Jonathan a light squeeze, which he returns.
After a while, someone touches my shoulder. When I open my eyes, I see Max. "We need you," she says, and I nod before placing a kiss on Jona's head and standing up.
When I turn around, I see Steve watching from the kitchen, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. When he notices me watching him, he looks away and heads to Will's room, the way the redhead had gone.
There, Mike tells me that the demo-dogs (that's what they called what Dart is) are an army. They all answer to a higher mind, all connected like the tunnels they had discovered earlier. All these creatures, the demogorgons and the demo-dogs, answer to the Mind Flayer.
Now, the shadow monster is inside Will and is a spy. That's why they had to make him inconsistent. Even though we knew it wasn't really Will, it was trying to act like him and sabotage us.
The kids gathered everyone together to talk about what they discovered. Dustin grabs a D&D manual and sighs. "The Mind Flayer," he says, and Jim sighs. "What the hell is that?" my dad asks. “It’s a monster from an unknown dimension. It’s so ancient that it doesn’t even know its true home,” Dustin explains.
Nancy frowns and sighs, trying to understand what they’re saying. Steve is next to me with his hands on his hips, trying to keep up with Dustin. Jim listens wearily.
“Okay, it enslaves races from other dimensions by taking their brains using its highly developed sonic powers,” Dustin finishes explaining with a grin, and Jim shakes his head.
“Oh, my God, none of this is real. This is a kids’ game,” he says wearily. Dustin shakes his head, “No, it’s a manual. And it’s not for kids. And unless you know something that we don’t, this is the best metaphor—” Dustin continues, but Lucas interrupts him, “Analogy,” he corrects him.
“Analogy? That’s what you’re worried about? Fine! An analogy for understanding whatever the hell this is,” Dustin finishes with a sigh. “Okay, so this mind-flame thing—” Nancy begins, but Dustin corrects her, “Flayer. Mind Flayer.” She sighs, “What does it want?” she asks.
“To conquer us, basically. It believes it’s the master race,” Dustin concludes. “Like the Germans?” Steve asks, and I look at him wide-eyed. “Uh, the Nazis?” I ask, and Steve looks at me before looking at Dustin. “Yeah, yeah, the Nazis,” he stammers, and I look ahead and see my dad run a hand over his face before giving Steve a less-than-gracious look.
“Uh… If the Nazis were from another dimension, totally. Uh, it views other races, like us, as inferior to itself,” Dustin continues, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Steve blush at what he said, and I smile slightly. “It wants to spread, take over other dimensions,” Mike continues, and I sigh. “We’re talking about the destruction of our world as we know it,” Lucas says, and I tense up slightly. “That’s great! That’s really great. Jesus…” Steve says before running a hand through his hair and sighing.
“Okay, so if this thing is like a brain that’s controlling everything, then if we kill it…” Nancy says, grabbing the manual and looking at it more closely. “We kill everything it controls,” Mike concludes. “We win,” Dustin says, nodding. “Theoretically,” Lucas sighs.
Jim walks over to Nancy and grabs the manual to get a better look. “Great. So how do you kill this thing? Shoot it with fireballs or something?” my dad says, and I sigh. “Dad, please…” I say, and he shakes his head. “No. No, no fireballs,” Dustin says, chuckling, making Jim stare at him.
“Uh, you summon an undead army, uh, because… because zombies, you know, they don't have brains and the mind flayer it likes brains,” Dustin stutters when he sees Jim's face. "It's just a game. It's a game," Dustin says nervously and I bite my lip slightly to keep from saying anything.
“What the hell are we doing here?” my father says angrily before closing the manual and dropping it on the table. “I thought we were waiting for your military backup,” Dustin says, frowning. “We are!” Jim says, his voice rising.
“What the hell are we doing here?” my father says angrily before closing the manual and dropping it on the table. “I thought we were waiting for your military backup,” Dustin says, frowning. “We are!” Jim says, his voice rising.
“Even if they come, how are they going to stop this? You can’t just shoot this with guns,” Mike says, agitated, and I close my eyes momentarily. “You don’t know that! We don’t know anything!” Jim says, but Mike continues. “We know it’s already killed everybody in that lab,” Mike continues. “We know the monsters are going to molt again,” Lucas adds, and I sigh.
Suddenly, I feel a hand on my waist and open my eyes. Steve. He was looking at me, his brows slightly furrowed, asking me, wordlessly, if I was okay. I nodded slightly and moved closer to him. If my father has something to say, he should say it.
Sure enough, Jim looks at Steve's hand before looking at me, but I avoid his gaze and pay attention to what the kids are saying. "We know that it's only a matter of time before those tunnels reach this town," Dustin concludes.
"You're right," Joyce says as she approaches us from the hallway. "We have to kill it," she continues, and Jim walks over to her. "I want to kill it," Joyce says, tears welling in her eyes. "Me too," my father assures her. "But how do we do that? We don't know exactly what we're dealing with here," Jim explains, and Mike shakes his head.
"No, but he does," he says, looking at Will and walking over to him. "If anyone knows how to destroy this thing, it's Will. He's connected to it. He'll know its weakness," Mike concludes, and most of them move into the living room. "I thought we couldn't trust him anymore. That he's a spy for the Mind Flayer now," Max says, frowning. “Yeah, but he can't spy if he doesn't know where he is” explains Mike and so we start a new plan.
So, Jim and Mike start taking everything out of the shed. Then, along with Steve, we start hanging black fabric so Will won't be able to spot us. I cut the pieces of tape while Steve arranges the fabric.
Suddenly, I hear something and turn my head toward the sound. I stay still and silent, trying to hear it again, but nothing. Until something touches my shoulder and I quickly move away.
"Whoa, whoa. It's me," Steve says, looking down at me from a few steps above, since he was on the ladder. He frowns. "Are you okay?" he says as he climbs down the ladder and comes over to me. I nod and then look back where I was before.
"Baby, hey. Look at me," Steve says, gently cupping my face in his hands and pulling me closer. I swallow hard, and he strokes my cheek, making me close my eyes and lean in at his touch.
I wrap my arms around his waist, bury my face in his neck, and hug him. Steve doesn't take long to wrap his arms around me, stroking my back and kissing my head. "I'm scared," I whisper, and Steve sighs softly. "Me too... but I promise nothing will happen to you while I'm here," Steve whispers back, and I trust his word; I have to.
"Did you—" my father says as he opens the shed door, but stops when he sees us. I don't move an inch, and I feel Steve tense up, but he doesn't move away. On the contrary, he places his hand on my head and gently strokes it, making me smile.
"Um... I need this to be ready for when I get back," Jim says firmly, and I let out a small sound, letting him know I heard him. "Okay..." my father says before I hear the door close.
Steve relaxes slightly, and I look at him. "Does my father scare you?" I ask him with a slight smile, and he smiles back gently before blushing. “Well, he’s the chief… yeah,” he says, a little nervously, and I giggle.
Steve places his hand on my cheek and brings our faces close until our noses touch. “I love it when you laugh,” he says softly, and I blush. “Steve…” I whisper, and he smiles.
“I don’t know what might happen today…” he begins, and I tense up. “But I want to,” he says, but stops and takes a breath. “I want you to be my girlfriend. I want to be able to show you off. I want that when people ask what we are, I can proudly say that I’m yours,” Steve says softly, and I feel my eyes welling up.
“I want to tell you that I love you,” Steve says quickly, and my mouth opens slightly in surprise. After everything we’ve been through and the time we’ve spent dating, I’ve fallen in love with him; I loved him too.
“You don’t have to say anything, I just want you to know. Maybe it’s too soon, but—” Steve starts, but I interrupt him by kissing him. He stays still for a few seconds before I move closer and kiss him back.
I pull away slightly and smile. “I want to be your girlfriend, Steve,” I say softly, and he smiles. Before I can say anything else, he kisses me again, and I let him. His lips were soft and warm; this kiss wasn’t like the last one. This kiss was much hungrier and more needy.
I step away from him and take a breath. Steve gives me a sly smile, and I giggle. “I love you too, Steve,” I say, and Steve raises his eyebrows slightly and smiles. I give him a peck on the lips before taking a step back. “We have to keep going with this, or my dad will kill us,” I say as I grab the tape again, and Steve nods foolishly before taking the fabric.
Once the shed is completely covered, they do the same with the column in the middle of the room and with a chair. Then Jona brings Will in and sits him there, but then ties him completely to the chair so he can't move.
Mike and Lucas position spotlights in Will's direction so they don't slightly blind him and make it harder for him to see where we are. Next to me, Joyce pulls out a syringe and a vial. I tense up, and Steve takes my hand and strokes it with his thumb.
Jim comes in and looks at me for a few seconds before turning to Joyce. “All right, you ready?” He asks, and she nods, “Yeah.” Jonathan glances at Steve for a few seconds before looking back at Will. Steve looks at me before placing a kiss on my cheek. I look at Jona before looking at Steve. “Go,” I whisper, and he leaves the shed.
Jonathan takes Steve’s place to my left, but we stay in the darker part, where it would be difficult for Will to see us. Mike positions himself to my right, and Joyce sighs nervously. Jim looks at all of us before grabbing the bleach bottle and putting some on a rag. My father sighs before holding it near Will’s nose, instantly waking him up.
Will looks around and at each of us. He starts pacing, trying to free himself from the ropes. “What? What is this? Why am I tied up?” he asks, and Joyce moves closer until she's kneeling in front of him.
“Will, we just want to talk to you. We’re not going to hurt you,” she says, and Will looks at her before looking around. “Where am I?” he asks, and Jim stands next to Joyce, making Will look at him.
“You recognize this?” my father asks, showing him the drawing Will made of the giant shadow in the sky. The boy just looks at Jim, making him sigh. “Do you recognize this?” he insists, holding the drawing closer, and Will shakes his head.
“Hey. We want to help you. But to do that, we have to understand how to kill it,” Joyce says gently, but Will's breathing gets faster. “Why am I tied up?” he shouts, starting to move, and Joyce backs away a little.
“Why am I tied up?” Will screams at Joyce again, and my father places his hand on the boy's shoulder to pull him away from his mother. "Why am I tied up? Why am I tied up?" Will starts screaming and thrashing desperately, causing Jim to grab him.
At the same time, the lights begin to flicker, and I place my hands on Mike's shoulders, pressing his back against my chest to keep him close.
"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" Will screams, and the lights flicker faster. Jonathan places a hand on my left shoulder and squeezes it gently to calm me down as well.
Will continues screaming, and I feel my eyes welling up with tears. Watching the loving, peaceful child disappear, giving way to that horrendous thing that was controlling him. My father holds him to stop him from thrashing so much, and Joyce runs her hands over her face in despair. Gradually, Will's screams subside, and the lights stop flickering. Joyce looks at him again and Jim lets go.
“Do you know what March 22nd is?” Joyce asks in a calm voice, and Will just stares at her, his breath ragged. “It’s your birthday. Your birthday,” she says, and Will catches his breath as he looks at her intently.
“When you turned eight, I gave you that huge box of crayons. Do you remember that?” Joyce asks, a hint of hope in her voice. “It was 120 colors. And all your friends got you Star Wars toys, but all you wanted to do was draw with all your new colors,” she tells him with a smile on her face.
“And you drew this big spaceship, but it wasn’t from a movie. It was your spaceship. A rainbow ship is what you called it,” Joyce tells him, and I smile slightly. I remember his birthday, I remember that drawing. The excitement he felt was beautiful. It was Will, one of my kids.
“And you must have used every color in the box. I took that with me to Melvald’s and I put it up and I told everyone who came in, ‘My son drew this.’ And you were so embarrassed. But I was so proud,” Joyce continues before chuckling. I smile before the story ends and Mike drops his head onto my shoulder while still looking at Will.
“I was so, so proud,” she says as her voice cracks. Jonathan next to me sighs, “Do you remember the day Dad left?” he asks while looking nervously at Will, and the boy looks at him, making me swallow hard; I remembered that day.
Jonathan squeezes my shoulder before going to Joyce’s side and standing in front of Will. “We stayed up all night building Castle Byers just the way you drew it. And it took so long because you were so bad at hammering,” he says, and I smile at the same time as Joyce, and Jonathan chuckles slightly.
“You’d miss the nail every time. We had to call Maddy to help us because you said I was terrible at decorating,” Jona says with a smile, and I bite my lip slightly, trying not to cry.
“And then it started raining, but we stayed out there anyway. The three of us were sick for a week after that,” he says, and Jim looks at me with a half-smile. He remembered it too.
“But we just had to finish it, didn’t we? We just had to,” Jonathan says, and Will’s eyebrows furrow slightly before returning to his previous expression, a more normal one, but one that wasn’t Will at all.
“Do you remember the first day we met?” Mike asks him as he moves forward, but without letting go of me, making me approach too, and Will looks at both of us.
“It was… It was the first day of kindergarten. I knew nobody. I had no friends and… I just felt so alone and so scared, but…” Mike stammers as tears stream down his face and I gently stroke his shoulders.
“I saw you in the swings and you were alone, too. You were just swinging by yourself,” Mike continues, but pauses to catch his breath. “And I just walked up to you and I asked if you wanted to be my friend. And you said yes,” he continues before smiling slightly. “You said yes. It was the best thing I’ve ever done,” Mike concludes.
Will looks at Mike before looking at me, as if he’s waiting for me to say something. Joyce looks at me and smiles slightly before nodding.
“Do you remember the first time I babysat you?” I ask him, and I feel tears quickly trickle down my cheeks. “You wanted to teach me to draw as well as you do, you even lent me used your Star Wars pencil, the one you don’t lend to anyone,” I say, my voice cracking slightly.
“When you realized I didn’t have a future in that, you said it was okay. You said I was good at other things, like being your friend…” I say, pausing briefly. “The next time I babysat for you, you brought all your friends. You told them I was the coolest teenager in the world. That when you grew up you wanted to have the same confidence I showed…” I say before wiping away my tears.
“Will, baby… if you’re in there, just please talk to us,” Joyce says, and Will sobs softly. “Please, honey, please, can you do that for me? Please, I love you so much,” she says, trying not to cry, and Will tries to say something, but then his face turns serious. “Let me go,” he says, and I subtly shake my head, and Mike places his hand on mine.
Joyce sighs, and Jim looks at Will with a furrowed brow, making me look where my father was looking. Will is tapping his fingers lightly against the chair, as if he were writing Morse code.
So, we all left the shed and went inside the house. My dad grabbed a piece of paper and a pen to write down the code. “What happened?” Dustin asked. “I think he’s talking, just not with words,” Jim sighed before completing the code.
“H-E-R-E,” Jim spelled. “Will’s still in there. He’s talking to us,” I said, and my dad nodded. Then Jonathan looked for the radio and the cassette of Will’s favorite song, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
Jonathan took that and a couple of other things back to the shed to ask Will questions and try to get him to talk. This time, I stayed inside the house with the rest of the kids; I couldn’t see Will like that.
Little by little, we spelled out the word. “CLOSE GATE?” I read, and Nancy next to me sighed. Suddenly, the phone rang. “Shit!” Dustin says before hanging up, but they ring again, so I rip the phone off the wall and smash it on the floor.
“Do you think he heard that?” Max asks. “It’s just a phone. It could be anywhere. Right?” Steve says, but he’s interrupted by the sound of monsters screeching in the distance. “That’s not good,” Dustin says, and I shake my head.
Then Jonathan comes in carrying an unconscious Will, followed by Joyce and Mike, and shortly after, my dad comes in with a shotgun. “Hey! Get away from the windows!” Jim tells the kids who were watching what was happening outside.
Jim looks at me and hands me the shotgun. I get ready with the shotgun held high, my dad to my right with the rifle, and Steve to my left with the nail-studded bat. We were all facing the door, waiting for the demo dogs.
“Where are they?” Max asks, and beside him, Lucas prepares the slingshot. At another time, I would laugh, but now, every little bit helps. We hear the monsters growling, getting closer.
Suddenly, we hear one to the left, and we all turn around. “What are they doing?” I ask as we watch the plants outside sway. We hear monsters groaning again, this time to the right, making us look at the door once more.
Suddenly, we hear a strange noise outside, and we all prepare to attack. But then, a demo dog enters through the window, but it seems to be dead. “Holy shit,” Dustin says as Jim approaches the demo dog. “Is it dead?” Max asks, and my dad nudges the thing with his foot, but nothing. “Yes, it’s dead,” I confirm, but before I can say anything else, we hear the door creak.
We all look at the door and see the lock unlock. My dad and I step in front of it and aim at the door. Slowly, the door opens and we see Eleven.
We immediately lower our weapons, and I let out the breath we'd been holding. She was wearing light jeans, a t-shirt, and a black jacket. Her hair was styled with some kind of gel, making it look messy, and she had a little smudged black eyeliner.
Mike is the first to approach her and hug her. They both cry, and I smile slightly; now she doesn't have to hide anymore.
"Is that…" Max says, and the kids nod. "I never gave up on you. I called every night. Every night for—" Mike starts, but Eleven interrupts her. "353 days. I heard," she says. Mike frowns slightly. "Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?" he asks, but before she can answer, my father speaks.
"Because I wouldn't let her," Jim says, and Mike looks at him with a furrowed brow. "The hell is this? Where have you been?" My dad asks Eleven as he approaches her, “Where have you been?” she demands, and he hugs her.
“You’ve been hiding her. You’ve been hiding her this whole time!” Mike yells, and I go over to Eleven, and she hugs me. As my dad grabs Mike by the collar of his shirt and stops him, Jim says firmly, “Let’s talk. Alone.” “Dad,” I warn him, and Jim nods. “I won’t kill him,” he says, and I sigh as I continue hugging Eleven.
When the two of them leave, I separate from Eleven. Dustin and Lucas approach her and hug her. “We missed you,” Lucas says, and I smile. “I missed you, too,” she replies. “We talked about you pretty much every day,” Dustin says, and Eleven looks at him with her head slightly tilted.
She looks at Dustin’s mouth. “Teeth,” she says, and Dustin frowns. “What?” He asks, “You have teeth,” she tells him, and Dustin smiles, making me laugh. “Oh. You like these pearls?” he says before purring, and Eleven is surprised.
“Eleven?” Max says as she approaches, but Eleven’s smile fades. “Hey. Um, I’m Max. I’ve heard a lot about you,” the redhead says, extending her hand, but Eleven walks past her, ignoring her. I frown, and Max glances at me briefly before looking down at the floor.
Eleven goes over to Joyce and hugs her. “Hey, sweetheart,” Joyce greets her and wipes the girl’s tears. “Can I see him?” she asks, and Joyce sighs before going to Will’s room to see him.
After a few seconds, they return, but they go to the kitchen, and I follow them. Eleven was looking at the message Will gave us in Morse code. “You opened this gate before, right?” Joyce asks, and the girl nods. “Do you think if we got you back there, that you could close it?” Joyce asks her and Eleven looks at her before looking at me and sighing.
"It's not like it was before. It's grown. A lot. And, I mean, that's considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs" Jim says about the gate before sighing. “Demo-dogs,” Dustin corrects him and my father furrows his eyebrows. “I'm sorry, what?” Jim says.
Dustin swallows, "I said, uh, Demo-dogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass—" he says but my father interrupts him. “How is this important right now?” Jim asks, "It's not. I'm sorry," Dustin says before looking back at the table.
“I can do it” Eleven says and I tense up. “You're not hearing me,” Jim tells him. "I'm hearing you. I can do it" Eleven insists and I sigh. "Even if El can, there's still another problem. If the brain dies, the body dies," Mike says worriedly. “I thought that was the whole point,” Max says, frowning.
“It is, but if we’re really right about this… I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the mind-flying army…” Mike says, and I close my eyes. “Will’s a part of that army,” I say before running a hand over my face. “Closing the gate will kill him,” Mike concludes.
So we all went to the room where Will was unconscious, and Joyce frowns. “He likes it cold,” she says, and my father looks at her. “What?” he asks. “It’s what Will kept saying to me. He likes it cold,” she says before closing the window.
I frown and nod. “If this is a virus, and Will’s the host, then we need to make the host uninhabitable,” I say, looking at Will. “So if he likes it cold…” Jonathan says. “We need to burn it out of him,” Joyce says decisively.
“We have to do it somewhere he doesn’t know this time,” Mike says. “Yeah, somewhere far away,” Dustin adds, and I nod. Jim looks at me and then at Eleven. “The cabin,” I say, and my dad nods.
So we split up. Jonathan, Nancy, and Joyce go with Will to get that thing out of him. Meanwhile, my dad and Eleven get ready to close the gate.
I went out onto the porch and there they were. I went over to Eleven and hugged her. “Please come back,” I said, and she nodded. “Sisters?” she asked, and I smiled. “Sisters,” I confirmed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jim watching us, so I looked at him.
Eleven got into the truck, and Jim came over to me. I hugged him and heard him sigh before he stepped back slightly. “You have to come back,” I said as I felt my eyes well up with tears. “I can’t lose you, too,” I said before tears streamed down my cheeks.
My dad wiped my tears and kissed my forehead. “I promise we’ll come back,” he said, and I nodded repeatedly. Jim looked over my shoulder and sighed. I turned and saw Steve. “Take care of her,” my dad said, and he nodded. “With my life,” Steve said. Jim placed one last kiss on my head before leaving with Eleven.
When we went back inside, Dustin said we should "keep" the demo-dog for "future research." So now Steve had the thing wrapped in a blanket and was holding it. Meanwhile, Dustin was making room in the refrigerator. I mean, he was tearing things up all over the floor without a care in the world.
"All right. It should fit now," Dustin said, and I frowned. "Is this really necessary?" Steve asked, and I shook my head. "Dustin—" I started, but the kid interrupted me. "Yes, it is, okay? This is a groundbreaking scientific discovery. We can't just bury it like a common mammal, okay! It's not a dog," Dustin said, and I tilted my head slightly.
"Actually, it is. It's just not a common dog…" I said, and Dustin looked at me intently. "All right, all right," Steve said as he came closer. "But you're explaining this to Mrs. Byers, all right?" He says this as he puts the demo-dog in the refrigerator.
Let's just say they struggle a bit and push it in as best they can before slamming the door shut. Basically, whoever opens the door is going to have some weird, slimy thing on top of them. I watch the scene with disgust and go to the living room, where the rest of the kids are.
Lucas and Max are picking up the broken glass, and Mike is pacing back and forth. "Mike, would you stop already?" Lucas asks him, and I sigh. "You weren't in there, okay, Lucas?" Mike says as he stops to look at him. "That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs," Mike continues, and even though I wasn't there either, I did see them, just like Lucas.
"Demo-dogs!" Dustin yells from the kitchen, correcting him and making Mike roll his eyes. "The chief will take care of her," Lucas explains, and I know it's true, but I also wouldn't like the idea of losing my dad; I don't know if I could bear it.
“Like she needs protection,” Max says, and she has a point. Eleven is a girl with powers, powers that allow her to defend herself well. Both for herself and for us.
“Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game. Bottom line, you execute it. All right?” Steve says, approaching us, and I frown at his metaphor. “Okay, first of all, it isn’t some stupid sport game. And second, we’re not even in the game. We’re on the bench,” Steve says with a slight sigh.
“So my point is…” Steve begins, and we all look at him curiously. “Right, yeah, we’re on the bench, so, uh, there’s nothing we can do,” my boyfriend says. Yes, now I can call him my boyfriend. “That’s not entirely true,” Dustin says.
I frown and look at Dustin. “I mean, these Demo-dogs, they have hive minds. When they run away from the bus, they were called away,” he explains, and Lucas nods. “So, if we get their attention…” Lucas says. “Maybe we can draw them from the lab,” Max says, and I shake my head. “And clear a path to the gate,” Mike adds.
“Yeah, and then we all die,” Steve says, shaking his head. “That’s one point of view,” Dustin says, and I sigh. Steve looks at him. “No, that’s not a point of view, man. That’s a fact,” he tells the kid. Mike looks around and nods. “I got it!” he says before searching through the drawings hanging around the house.
Mike stops before entering the kitchen and points to a drawing. “This is where the chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel. So…” he says before going into another room and pointing to another drawing. “Here, right here. This is like a hub. So you got all the tunnels feeding in here. Maybe if we set it on fire—” Mike says, but Steve interrupts him.
“Oh, yeah? That’s a no,” Steve says, but Dustin speaks up before he can say anything else. “The mind flayer would call away his army,” Dustin adds. “They’d all come to stop us,” Lucas says, nodding, as if this were the best plan in the world. “Guys,” Steve calls, but they keep planning.
“We circle back to the exit. By the time they realize we’re gone—” Mike adds, but Max interrupts him. “Eleven would be at the gate,” she says. “Hey! Hey! This isn’t happening!” Steve says, clapping his hands to get their attention. Mike looks at me and comes over. “Maddison,” he pleads, and Steve comes over to me, shaking his head.
“Sonny, this is a really bad idea,” Steve tells me, but Lucas stands next to Mike. “Maddy, come on. We have to make sure Hopper and Eleven are okay,” Lucas says, and I sigh. “No. I promised I’d keep your shitheads safe, and that’s exactly what I plan on,” Steve says, looking at the kids.
“Steve—” I say, but he keeps talking. “We’re staying here. On the bench. And we’re waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand?” Steve says, and the kids look at me. “This isn’t a stupid sports game,” Mike complains. “I said does everybody understand that?” Steve says firmly, but before I can say anything, we hear an engine outside the house.
Max and Lucas look out the window, and the redhead shakes her head. “It’s my brother,” she says, and I curse. “He can’t know I’m here. He’ll kill me. He’ll kill us,” she says, scared, and Steve sighs beside me. “Steve,” I say, and he kisses my forehead before leaving. “Shit,” I whisper.
From the window, we see Billy get out of the car with a cigarette in his mouth. “Am I dreaming, or is that you, Harrington?” Billy smirks. Steve was standing with his hands on his hips. “Yeah, it’s me. Don’t cream your pants,” the dark-haired man replies, and Billy takes off his leather jacket and throws it inside the car.
Steve approaches Billy, and the blond man smiles. “What are you doing here, amigo?” he asks Steve as he walks over to him as well. “I could ask you the same thing, amigo,” Steve says as he pulls up in front of Billy and crosses his arms.
“Looking for my stepsister. A little bird told me she was here,” Billy says in a more serious tone as his smile fades. Steve raises his eyebrows. “Huh, that’s weird. I don’t know her,” he replies, shaking his head. Billy tilts his head slightly. “Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch,” he describes her.
“Doesn’t ring a bell. Sorry, buddy,” Steve says, making Billy nod and take the cigarette out of his mouth. “You know, I don’t know, this…” Billy says before clicking his tongue and taking a step closer to Steve. “This whole situation, Harrington, I don’t know. It’s giving me the heebie-jeebies,” he says before clenching his jaw.
Steve frowns. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” the dark-haired boy asks as Billy takes another drag on his cigarette. “My 13-year-old sister goes missing all day. And then I find her with you in a stranger’s house. And you lie to me about it,” Billy says, starting to get angry, and I swallow. Steve chuckles, trying to hide his lie. “When, were you dropped too much as a child, or what?” Steve says, and Billy runs his tongue between his teeth as he smirks.
“I don’t know what you don’t understand about what I just said. She’s not here,” Steve says firmly, and Billy laughs before pointing his cigarette at the window where we were looking. “Then who is that?” the blond boy asks seriously, and Steve looks in our direction, making everyone back away from the window.
“Shit! Did he see us?” Dustin asks, and I curse. “Of course he saw us,” I say with a sigh, gesturing for them to move away from the window. But by the time they do, Billy bursts through the door and slams it shut.
“Billy,” I say, stepping in front of the kids. He smiles at me. “Hey, princess,” Billy says, smiling as he approaches. “You’re the only person in town I like, so please move aside. I don’t want to ruin your pretty face. Not this way,” he says, winking at me and standing right in front of me. I put my hand on his chest, stopping him.
Billy smirks and runs his tongue over his teeth. “There are kids watching us. I didn’t think you were that kind of girl,” he says, looking at my hand on his chest. His shirt was open, so my hand was touching his bare chest.
I pull my hand away and take a step back, but Billy grabs my waist and pushes me to the side. “Lucas Sinclair. What a surprise,” he says as he approaches the kids and looks at Max. “I thought I told you to stay away from him, Max,” he says. “Billy, go away,” Max pleads, but he shakes his head. “You disobeyed me. And you know what happens when you disobey me,” Billy says before his jaw clenches.
Max tenses and takes a step back, pulling Lucas away with her. “Billy…” she says. “I break things,” Billy says as he growls and grabs Lucas by his clothes, slamming him against the wall. “Stop! Billy! Stop!” Max yells. I run over and try to separate them, but Billy pushes Lucas against the wall, grabs me by the neck, and pulls me closer. “I told you not to interfere, princess,” Billy says before shoving me against the wall.
Dustin approaches me in a flash and slowly moves my head to examine my neck. At the same time, Billy grabs Lucas again and slams him against the wall. “Get off me, you—” Lucas starts, but Billy interrupts him. “Since Maxine won’t listen to me, maybe you will. You stay away from her,” Billy says firmly.
“Stay away from her! You hear me?” he yells before slamming his fist into the wall next to Lucas’s head, making the kid even more terrified. “Billy!” I say as I stand up just as Lucas tries to break free. “I said get off me!” the kid yells, punching Billy in the crotch, making Billy release him and grunt in pain.
I gasp in surprise as I step in front of the other kids. “You’re so dead, Sinclair! You’re dead,” Billy says, but before he can do anything, Steve appears. “No. You are,” he says before punching him, but all Billy does is laugh, even though his nose is bleeding. At that moment, I grab Lucas and put him behind me, with the rest of the kids.
“Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh? I’ve been waiting to meet this King Steve. Everybody’s been telling me so much about,” Billy says as he approaches Steve. “Get out,” Steve says firmly, pushing him away with two fingers. Billy stares at him before trying to hit him, but Steve dodges and hits the blond boy instead.
“Yes! Kick his ass, Steve!” Dustin yells as I swallow hard, worried. This is going to end very badly. “Get him!” Mike yells at the same time as Steve hits Billy again, and the blond boy just laughs while grabbing a plate. “Steve!” I warn him, but Billy smashes the plate over his head before he can do anything.
Steve staggers, and I move the kids away while Billy punches Steve. The dark-haired boy backs away again, and Billy throws things on the floor before grabbing Steve by his clothes. “No one tells me what to do!” Billy yells before growling and shoving Steve to the floor. “Whoo! Get up!” Billy chuckles and gets on top of him, starting to punch him.
The kids start screaming in desperation as I look around the house, searching for something to stop Billy. That's when I spot the syringe Joyce used to inject Will to knock him unconscious. I grab the bottle and fill the syringe before sneaking up behind Billy and injecting him.
Billy stops, stands up, and looks at me. He sees the syringe stuck in his neck and pulls it out while groaning. Billy starts to approach me, and I back away, signaling the kids to leave. “The hell is this?” Billy asks as he continues to approach me, but before he can get any closer, he falls to the ground and laughs.
Max, next to me, grabs the bat with nails and threatens him. “From here on out, you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?” Max says firmly. “Screw you,” Billy mutters, and Max swings the bat between his legs without touching him, making Billy look down at his crotch and all the kids fall silent. “Say you understand! Say it! Say it!” Max yells at him. “I understand,” Billy mumbles. “What?” the redhead mocks. “I understand,” the blond repeats louder, and Max throws the bat against his side.
The kids all fall silent and look at Max with great respect; they know what she's capable of.
Max grabs Billy's car keys and looks at us. “Let's get out of here,” she says, and I run to the kitchen and open the freezer to get a package of frozen peas and a bag of ice for Steve. Meanwhile, I hear the boys trying to lift Steve to take him to the car.
So we ended up like this. Max was driving since no one knew how to treat a couple of wounds, and I had to take care of Steve. Dustin was in the passenger seat, and Mike and Lucas were beside me, each with a gas can.
Steve was unconscious in my lap, and I had the bag of frozen peas against his head as we approached the area where my dad had dug a hole to get down into the tunnels.
Steve moved slightly, groaning in pain as he tried to touch his face, but I stopped him. “No, baby. Don’t touch it,” I said, taking his hand and stroking it very gently. Steve looked at me, and I felt my stomach churn. “It’s okay. You put up a good fight,” Dustin said from the front seat, and I looked at him to tell him to be quiet.
“What’s going on?” Steve asked, and Max looked at him over his shoulder. “Steve,” I said, and he sighed. “Oh, my god,” he groaned. “Just relax. She’s driven before,” Dustin says, and Mike frowns. “Yeah, in a parking lot,” he complains, and I frown too. “That’s not what you guys said,” I say, worried. I glance at Max, and she shakes her head.
By the time we arrive, Steve is fully awake. Everyone gets out of the car, and when I do, I help Steve out. “Hey, it’s okay,” I say as he stretches.
While the kids start putting on bandanas to cover their airways and goggles, Mike and Lucas each grab a gas can, and Dustin gets the rope ready, tying it to the car’s bumper. I move away from Steve and put on a bandana, making my boyfriend shake his head.
“We are not going down there right now. I made myself clear,” Steve says, but Dustin stops him. “Steve, you’re upset, I get it. But the bottom line is, a party member requires assistance, and it is our duty to provide that assistance,” the kid says, and Steve sighs. “Now, I know you promised that you would keep us safe. So, keep us safe,” Dustin says as he hands him a backpack with things for him and his bat.
So, Steve is the first to go down, then the kids, and finally me. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s this way,” Mike says as he looks at a map they made. This could end very badly. “You’re pretty sure, or you’re certain?” Dustin asks him, and Steve next to me sighs. “I’m 100% sure. Just follow me and you’ll know,” Mike says as he looks at us before turning around and starting to walk, but Steve stops him.
“I don’t think so. Any of you die down here, I’m getting the blame. From here on out, I’m leading the way. Come on, let’s go,” he says, grabbing the map the kids made and starting to walk, but not before giving me one last look, and I nod.
We continue along the path, but I see Dustin staring at something on the tunnel wall. “Dustin?” I call to him. “What the hell?” he mumbles before that thing releases some kind of gas, causing him to fall and start screaming. “Dustin!” I yell as I run to him and hear the others coming up behind me.
Steve gets ahead of me and kneels beside him. “What happened?” Steve asks, and Dustin is still yelling. “It’s in my mouth! Some got inside my mouth! Shit!” the kid yells before he starts coughing and spitting. Then he sits down and looks at us. “I’m okay,” Dustin says, and I let out the breath I’d been holding.
“You serious?” Max asks, sighing, and Steve, standing next to him, shakes his head. “Very funny, man,” he complains. “Dustin, you need to calm down,” I tell him. “Jesus, what an idiot,” Lucas says before turning around and continuing on, as do the rest of us. I look at Dustin and signal him, “Come on!” I say, and he hurries along.
We continue along the road until Steve stops. “All right, Wheeler. I think we found your hub,” he says, and we all look around. “Let’s drench it,” Mike says, and everyone starts filling the place with gas.
Then, we all lined up at an exit and Steve grabbed his lighter. “You guys ready?” Steve asked, and we all nodded. “Yeah,” Mike replied. “Ready,” Lucas and Max said in unison. “Light her up,” Dustin said.
Steve sighed. “I am in such a deep shit,” he said before lighting the lighter and throwing it toward the center, starting a large flame. “Let’s go! Let’s go!” I said as I gently pushed the kids to start running, and they did. Steve placed his hand on my lower back as we ran after the kids.
As we ran, one of those tentacles grabbed Mike’s leg and pulled him to the ground. “Help! Help!” he started yelling. I knelt beside him and tried to pull him free until Steve arrived. “Everybody back!” he yelled before starting to hit the tentacle with the spiked bat until it released Mike.
Suddenly, a Demo-dog appeared, but not just any Demo-dog. It was Dart, and we recognized him by the yellow markings on his butt. “Dart,” Dustin said, taking a step forward, and I shook my head. “Dustin—” I started, but he interrupted me. “Trust me,” Dustin said, and I sighed.
“Hey. It’s me, it’s me. It’s just your friend, it’s Dustin,” Dustin said, pulling down his bandana and taking off his glasses. “You remember me, right?” he asked, crouching down in front of Dart. “Will you let us pass?” he asked, and the Demo-dog growled, making me anxiously grab Steve’s arm.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry about the storm cellar. That was a pretty douchey thing to do,” Dustin said, and Dart moved a little closer before making a strange noise. “You hungry? Yeah?” Dustin said, taking off his backpack and pulling out a snack. “I’ve got your favorite. See? Nougat,” Dustin says as he shows him the bar, before taking off the wrapper and placing a piece in front of him.
“Look at that. Yummy. Here, all right?” Dustin says as he watches Dart eat, gesturing for us to pass quietly, which we do. Dustin leaves the rest of the bar for Dart before following us and moving away from Dart, continuing on our way.
Suddenly, the tunnel shakes, and we hear monsters growling in the background, right where we came from. “They’re coming,” Mike says, and everyone starts running faster. “Let’s go! Let’s go!” Steve shouts when we reach the place we came from. Steve gets into position and helps Max climb the rope. Then Lucas, Mike, and finally Dustin.
When I was about to climb, we see the shadows of the Demo-dogs, and Steve puts me behind him. When we see the things running toward us, we hear the kids screaming from above, but, as if we didn’t exist, the Demo-dogs run past us, and Steve grabs me by the waist, pulling me close.
Once everything is over, Steve cups my face in his hands. "Are you okay?" he asks, and I nod. He nods before positioning himself to help me out, and then he gets out himself.
Once we're upstairs, Billy's car headlights begin to intensify, illuminating us completely. "It's Eleven," Mike says before the light returns to normal.
Finally, Barb's parents learned the truth, or half-truth. The police told them she was dead, that it was from something she was exposed to near the lab before the fire. Because yes, the whole town was told there had been a huge fire due to various chemicals, and that's what killed her.
Now Eleven was officially part of our family, known as Jane Hopper. Although she'd most likely still keep as low-key as possible for at least a year, but one night doesn't kill anyone, right?
We're at home while I get Eleven ready for the Snow Ball. Jim let her go on one condition: that I be there helping Nancy as a chaperone. Obviously, I said yes.
"You look so pretty," I tell her as I finish applying some blush. She smiles and looks at herself in the mirror before nodding and looking back at me. "You're pretty, too," she says, and I smile before standing behind her in front of the mirror, so we can both see each other.
Seeing Eleven doing all these things reminded me of Sarah. It hurt, a lot. But at the same time, I was happy that she had found a family.
“Hey,” my dad said, knocking lightly on the door, and we both turned to look at them. Jim looked at us and sighed as he nodded. “I want you away from Mike,” he said, pointing at Eleven. “And I want you away from Steve,” he said, pointing at me, and I laughed. “Really?” I asked, and Eleven rolled her eyes.
“I’m being dead serious,” Jim said, and I shook my head, though with a small smile. I turned to Eleven. “How about a picture?” I said as I grabbed the camera, and she smiled.
I went over to Jim and gave him the camera. He sighed but took it anyway as we posed for the picture. Once the photo was developed, it was a beautiful memory. Jim smiled and took it. “I’m keeping this one,” he said, and I laughed.
When we arrived, Eleven went with the guys and I went with Nancy. “Hey,” I greeted her as I approached her, who was preparing the punch. “Maddy, hey,” she greeted me, and we both continued with the final preparations.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned around, finding Dustin. “Hey! You look so handsome,” I said, and he smiled broadly. “You look pretty, too,” he said before coming closer to me. “Steve, it’s outside,” Dustin murmured to me before going to join the guys, and I giggled.
I looked at Nancy, who was talking to Jonathan. “Guys, I’m going out for a minute, okay?” I said, and without waiting for an answer, I went outside to meet Steve. And so it was.
He was leaning against his car while waiting for me. When he saw me, he smiled and looked me up and down. “You… whoa,” he said, and I pushed him slightly while blushing. “Shut up,” I said, and Steve placed his hands on my waist. “Make me,” he whispers, and I kiss him.
The kiss is soft and hungry at the same time. His lips are so soft I could stay like this all night. His tongue touches the edge of my lips, and I let it in, but then I stop. “Come on, I was enjoying that,” Steve whines like a little kid, and I laugh.
“Don’t forget we’re out of school, Steve,” I say, and he sighs before stealing a kiss. I giggle softly and stroke his cheek. “I have to go back,” I say, and he nods. “Do you want me to pick you up today?” he asks, and I smile. “My dad’s going to kill me,” I say, and Steve shakes his head. “We’ll drop Eleven off at your house and then we’ll go,” he says, and I smile. “Maybe,” I say before giving him a peck and going back inside.
When I walk in, they’ve put on a romantic song, and everyone is dancing in pairs. Lucas with Max, Will with a girl, and Mike with Eleven. These last few moments made me smile broadly until I noticed Dustin was nowhere to be seen. I looked around and found him. He was sitting in the stands watching everyone else.
Without thinking twice, I went up to him; he was crying. “Hey,” I said softly, and he wiped his tears. “Hey,” he greeted me. “Wanna dance?” I asked, extending my hand. Dustin looked at me with raised eyebrows. “What?” he asked. “Come on. Let’s go,” I said, taking his hand and leading him to the others.
Dustin looked around and smiled. I giggled softly. “Here,” I said, placing his hands on my waist and mine on his shoulders. Dustin was still a little far away, and I smiled. “Closer,” I said, and he moved a little closer. I giggled again. “A little closer. Okay,” I said until we were at the perfect distance.
“Now feel the music. The rhythm. Start to move to it,” I tell him as we slowly begin to move, starting to dance. “Yeah. There,” I say when he does what I said. “Good?” Dustin asks. “That’s good. Yeah,” I say with a smile.
“You know, out of all my kids, you’re my favorite. You’ve always been my favorite,” I say gently, and he smiles widely. “Really?” he asks, and I nod. “Yeah,” I say before glancing at a group of girls who were watching us and rolling my eyes.
“Girls this age are dumb. But give them a few years and they’ll wise up. And, uh, you’re gonna drive them nuts,” I say with a gentle smile, and Dustin smiles too. “You think so?” he asks, and I nod. “Oh, I know so,” I say before we both chuckle.
Later, as we had arranged, Steve was waiting for us outside. “Hey, how was it?” Steve asks in general, and Dustin smiles broadly. “Amazing,” he says before smiling at me and getting into the car. Eleven smiles shyly and mimics Dustin. “Amazing,” she says before getting in.
Steve looks at me and raises an eyebrow. “What about you?” he asks, and I walk over to him. “Pretty good. I danced with Dustin,” I say quietly so the kid doesn’t hear, and Steve frowns slightly. “I’ll tell you later,” I say before placing a kiss on his lips.
