I observed the scene unfolding below me from my perch with a curious and yet still concerned demeanor.
A little girl, dressed in a muddied and now somewhat torn dress was running for her life. Her pursuers, the faceless humanoid monsters, were practically crawling over each other to get at her. Clumsier than the alpha I had been made aware of. Weaker. More killable.
Still incredibly dangerous in such numbers.
I looked on as one began to pull ahead of the others. The girl looked over her shoulder again and spotted the over eager monstrosity. With a quick, swift flick of her head an audible snap could be heard emanating from the creature. It collapsed in a most ungraceful manner as the girl continued to do her best to stay ahead of the oncoming tide.
You might be wondering at this time why I am not aiding her. Why I am standing idly by while she flees from these monsters with no small amount of terror. The answer is simple. Logical. Cold.
This a perfect way to see what she is made of.
For instance, I see her power drains her as her running becomes more deranged and wobbly after her last aggressive action. I can't help but notice her stamina and will at this point as well, especially considering her young age. But then...
It is truly amazing what you can do when you have to.
This dimension is quite a detriment in and of itself by nature. The faintly toxic air, lack of any real warmth, and decay that seemed to encompasse everything. It certainly did not make my top ten list, or even top twenty for that matter.
And yet, she was enduring.
Being chased by the dark denizens of this twisted reality, but still enduring.
I cringed as I saw her make a turn into an alley that she could not possibly of known would see her cornered.
Despite my inaction thus far I was still ready to get involved when it became necessary.
After reaching the dead end and realizing her situation the girl turned to face the oncoming horde. As they started to fill the alley the girl, with a desperate look, lifted the alley's dumpster and flung it with surprising force at the ranks bloodthirsty abominations, incompacitating and injuring a few.
Impressive. I thought to myself, even as I saw her drop to one knee appearing dazed.
Yeah, I think it just became necessary.
There was a second reason I had waited this long to intervene if I was being absolutely honest with myself. One that I am not proud of.
I love making one hell of an entrance.
On that note I spread my wings and take off heading to finally help that curious little girl.
Eleven's P.O.V.
I knelt trying to clear the intense dizziness that threatened to overwhelm me. That last move cost me just as much as I thought it would. But what other choice did I have? I knew it was pointless against so many of the demogorgen's kin but I still had to try.
I still had to keep my promise.
Head still swimming I grabbed a nearby bent pipe, a tire iron I think I remember Dustin telling me, and stood up swaying a bit.
I pointed my weapon at them hoping against all odds they would at least hesitate.
They didn't. I was finished.
Tears streaming down my face and blood down to my lips images of my friends came to me unbidden. The images settled on one of them in particular. The one that had taught me what friends even were.
Mike.
I smiled even now, knowing my last thoughts would be of him. I couldn't have asked for anything more in this place.
The first one threw itself at me with reckless abandon and despite myself I swung the tire iron up to meet it as I braced for the impact.
As soon as the iron made contact the creature was sent flying back into the mass with its chest caved in. Dead.
All the creatures stopped as I looked on in complete shock. I couldn't have...
Just then something grey and with wings impacted the ground front of me putting itself between me and the demogorgens. It stood up. A person? I thought in wonder. A person with wings? I have never heard of such a thing before. Wings are meant for birds right?
The thing, or person looked back over its shoulder at me, its face featureless. Actually its, or his, I think it's a man, entire body appeared to be foggy and unclear, but then I was still pretty dizzy.
"Don't be afraid", he said. His voice was powerful and yet kind.
He turned back to face the demogorgens and I could see the space around his hands start to blur. My chasers shook off their hesitancy and charged towards my defender. I yelled for him to run but he stayed perfectly still. I saw three leap at him and my heart dropped.
There was a blur of motion, almost faster than you could blink, along with the sudden dropping of the three attackers' bodies. Each one fatally wounded in their own way. The man adjusted himself, still in the position where he had critically maimed the last one, and continued to fight the demogorgens. Well fight didn't seem like the right word. What was that word Mike had taught me when we briefly talked about that game, Dungeons and Dragons?
The name struck me. Destroy. Yes that was the word.
He was destroying them.
Everytime it looked as though one was about to catch him unawares or in an ill position suddenly one of his hands were there cleaving apart the nightmares with impossible ease. Sometimes his hands didn't even appear to touch the demogorgens as they nonetheless accumulated mortal wounds.
Soon there were very few of them. Maybe five. As four of them jumped and charged at him the fifth had leapt higher intent on getting past him.
Intent on getting to me.
Still too drained to use my powers I lifted the tire iron up again hoping for another miracle.
Just as the fifth was about to clear the winged man one of his wings suddenly snapped out, cleanly separating one half of the monster from the other as though his wings were razor blades. My miracle. The man didn't miss a beat either as he crushed the remaining offenders in a quick and brutal series of movements. Holding the last one by the throat he paused, as if studying it, before he spoke.
"Your hunt has come to an end. Now be no more." He then crushed its neck in one fierce squeeze, and let its body drop to the ground.
I stood there in awe and fear at the sight before me. My would be killers lay piled in front of the sudden intervener, already beginning to decay. The intervener still stood facing away from me, head bowed. But he could turn around at any moment. Did he mean me harm? Probably not. Why would he defend me then? Is he going to take me back to the bad place? I couldn't go back. The thought started to make me tremble and new tears began to form in my eyes.
He raised his head.
"I only mean you well," he said gently in that powerful, kind voice, "when I turn around you need not be afraid."
I kept silent. Not knowing what to say. As though sensing I was not going to answer he turned around and I was greeted to the sight of him. My mouth dropped open, my breath caught in my chest. For a few moments I could not believe what I was seeing.
He was indeed a man, but all his features were a little blurry. Like they were constantly shifting. His face, I had thought before to be my fear crazed imagination, was unrecognizable. His wings, also not somehow my imagination were folded in.
And he was grey. Not just one shade of it either. It shifted like the rest of his features.
Seeing my shock and lack of understanding he raised his hands in a gesture of peace.
"I know, I know." He began. "My appearance is...unexpected. But fear not for I am here to help you. I am a friend."
Friend. I had never seen this winged man before so I don't know how he could be my friend. He didn't seem to be anything like the bad men though so I allowed myself to relax a little. Finally, looking back at the fallen demogorgens, I managed to formulate a response.
"Thank you," I said, almost a whisper.
"No need to thank me little one" he said lowering his hands with a warm smile. "Could you tell me your name?"
Not seeing the harm I answered.
"E-Eleven"
"Eleven?", he seemed to roll that over in his mind before saying, "A most intriguing name indeed."
"In-intriguing?" I asked blankly.
He chuckled, but it wasn't in a nasty way, like he was making fun of me or anything.
"It means to be very interesting." He clarified.
To be very interesting...
A thought struck me. Why did he help me?
I pointed to the still decaying corpses behind him.
"Why?" I asked.
The man appeared puzzled at my question.
"How about we talk more when we are in a safer place?" He suggested ignoring my question. "I would be remiss if we didn't at least get you something to eat after everything that has just happened"
My stomach growled at the mere mention of food.
"Okay." I said.
He nodded and started walking with a purposeful stride in a seemingly random direction, and looked over his shoulder to signal me to follow him.
I hurried to keep up with him when another question, so obvious I was surprised I hadn't asked it yet, came to me.
A bit cautiously I asked. "Who are you?"
The man suddenly stopped and paused. I hope I didn't make him mad...
"Mortifer." He said with a faraway look, "You can call me Morty if you'd like."
"Mor-ty" I sounded out. He nodded confirmation. "You can call me El" I spoke.
He gave a smiling nod and continued walking.
I hope we get there soon. Where ever there is. My thoughts wander back to my friends. Back to Mike...
"I'm coming." I whisper. I don't know how but now I have a new strong friend to help me. Something like hope is flickering back into my heart. I will see him again.
"Promise." I say, barely a whisper.