As they reached the intersection, Mike chanced a quick glance to the right and could hear more soldiers were approaching from that direction. They seemed to still be far down the hall, and the next exit was only a few doors away. He decided the risk was worth it, knowing the first rounds of soldiers had already come from the direction of the gym, and took a hard right down the corridor.

Almost as soon as they passed the first classroom door, he knew it had been a mistake. Agents were rounding the corner at the far end and would reach them well before they made it to the outside door. The firefight was also moving quickly down another hallway off to their right and they were pinned in again. Seizing on the confusion, he decided hiding rather than running might be their best option. Ripping open the door to one of the science classrooms, he led the others inside, Lucas quickly shutting the door behind them. They ran to the back of the room and laid El down on one of the lab tables.

Mustering whatever strength she had left, El forced her eyes open and looked up at Mike. He held her hands in his own, and quietly reassured her it was going to be alright. They would be going home soon, and she could have all the Eggos she wanted, and they'd go to the SnowBall together.

"Promise?" she whispered

"I promise," he confirmed.

She let a small smile drift across her lips, wanting so badly to believe him. She knew he wasn't lying, just to make her feel better, but he might have been lying to himself, disastrously overestimating their chances. There was only one way out of this that she could see. It wasn't a decision she made lightly, and in the end she wasn't even sure she was strong enough to pull it off, but she had to try all the same. If it kept the people she cared about safe - if it kept Mike safe - it was a sacrifice she was ready to make.

As she expected, the demogorgon came crashing through the door moments later, the lights overhead flickering to punctuate its fury. The boys pulled out the wrist-rocket; a futile effort but one that bought time for her to take a deep breath and climb down from the table. She flung the creature as hard as she could, pinning it to the wall at the front of the room. Her eyes were a burning red as she marched slowly forward, shutting out the sounds around her, shrinking the world to just the two of them; predator and prey.

Mike stepped forward, realizing what she was about to do and attempted to stop her. She threw him back across the room, harder than she intended, but desperate to keep him out of harms way. She could feel him struggling against her grasp, but she held tight to him. She came to a stop just feet from the demogorgon, who flailed desperately at her, fighting to break free. Hoping it wouldn't shatter her resolve, El chanced one last look back at the boy who had come to mean everything to her, watching her now with desperate tears in his eyes.

"Goodbye Mike," she sadly whispered. She held his gaze a moment, before turning back and letting the rage fill her again. "No more," she snarled as she reached out and began to tear at the creature that had haunted her since the day she had found it in the void.

"Not like this," Mike muttered to himself, slumped at the back of the room. Heartbreak tore through him as he watched the end beginning to unfold. He twisted again, struggling against her grip, still pinning him to the cabinet. In spite of the effort tearing the demogorgon apart, she still dedicated enough strength to keep him out of harms way. As the cloud of debris began to swirl around her, he could feel her grip loosen. He gave another twist hard to one side, trying to break free.

To have El hold him until the very end, pinned safely against the cabinets, go to Chapter 5

To have Mike overcome her grip and break free, go to Chapter 7