Mike turned and looked behind him, because it didn't make sense. That the Demogorgon could be beaten by Lucas. That the Demogorgon could be defeated by something so simple as a wrist rocket, when even guns hadn't fazed it.

And then, El walked by him. El, who was his best friend. El, who was pretty, and brave, and sad, and joyful, and innocent, and wise beyond anything he had known, and who was marching, with red, burning eyes, towards the monster.

No.

No.

Even if she had the power to destroy it, Mike knew it would destroy her in return. There was no way that her power, no matter how strong, could bring her out of this unharmed. And he couldn't –

If she –

He couldn't even think –

"El!" He yelled, dashing forward to pull her back, before being thrown harshly into the wall behind him. El had thrown him.

El had never hurt him. El had never let him get hurt. El, who would only have harmed him if there was no other choice.

Mike couldn't help her. He couldn't save her, like she had saved him. He felt his muscles relax, and his hands fall away from his face. As she reached her hand out to the creature, which was pinned to the blackboard, he watched. Even as the tears ran down his face, and the light got too bright look at, he still kept his eyes on El, because she needed to know that even if he couldn't save her, he would still be there for her until the very last second. And it hurt, it hurt so bad to watch the Demogorgon tear her apart, but he did anyway.

Then there was a terrible noise, and the light flashed bright, and he turned away. Just for a second.

When he opened his eyes, El was gone.

Mike let out a strangled scream, scrambling to his feet.

"El!"

He had betrayed her. He had looked away, and now she had disappeared to god knows where, and maybe the last thing she saw was him looking at the ground, instead of at her. Maybe the last thing she saw was him letting her down.

"El!"

Maybe she had seen him and given up. Maybe it was his fault that El, perfect, wonderful El, was gone.

She had disappeared. He knew that she had disappeared, because she wasn't dead, she couldn't be dead.

"El!"

He had been so, so, wrong.

He'd thought he could let her leave him, but he couldn't.

"El!"

He'd promised that they could go to the Snow Ball.

He'd promised –

"EL!"

He'd promised that she would be okay.