The old clock in the Byers' kitchen strikes midnight as the group prepares to split up. Dustin, Lucas, Max and Mike will stay at the house under Steve's supervision, in case more Demodogs attack. Hopper and Eleven will go to Hawkins Lab, while Jonathan, Nancy, Ms. Byers and Faye will take Will to Hopper's cabin in the woods. There, they can wake the monster without fear of it recognising where it is. And then Faye can destroy it.
The house is a hub of activity as people rush back and forth, making preparations and gathering supplies. Faye takes the opportunity to slip away to the back porch and sits on the bottom step, grateful for a few minutes of solitude. Her fingers grip the edge of the wood and she exhales deeply, trying to clear her head.
She knows what she has to do, she just hasn't quite figured out how to do it. Up until now, she's relied mostly on instinct when it comes to her powers - they seem to just kick in whenever the situation calls for it. But somehow she doesn't think that's going to be enough with the monster. It's strong, and it's angry, and it knows Faye is a threat - so it'll take a hell of a lot more than a couple of mind tricks to fight it off.
Faye remembers when Eleven killed the Demogorgon last year… how she nearly died in the process. And that was considering El had been using her powers all her life. Faye has only known about hers for what, a week? This thought sends a cold stab of doubt through her heart. One week? Is that really all it's been? Even if Kali was right and her powers have been there all along, Faye doesn't have nearly the same level of control that El does.
Panic begins to set in as Faye wonders whether this has all been a mistake. What the hell was she thinking saying she could take on the monster?! What basis does she have for that? So she's read a few people's minds - big whoop. That doesn't involve any real effort, she just touches them and it happens. Manipulating minds, okay sure - that requires concentration and skill. But it still doesn't equate to forcing the consciousness of an evil, otherworldly entity out of a human body. Just attempting something like that could kill her.
Strangely, Faye isn't frightened by this. She waits for the fear to set in, but it never comes. And then she realises - what scares her most isn't her own death, it's the death of someone she loves. In this case, Will. She already thought he was dead once before, and it's without a doubt the most pain and despair she's ever felt in her life. If Faye had the choice of dying, or having to go through that again, there's no question as to which she would choose.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter whether she can defeat the monster or not. She has to try. For Will.
"Hey."
Someone sits on the step beside her. Faye doesn't need to look up to know it's Mike. "How's it going in there?"
"I think everyone's about ready." He turns to her. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
Faye shrugs. "I hope so…"
Had it been anyone else, Faye would have said "Yeah, definitely. Sure I'm sure." But this is Mike. She can't lie to him, and even if she tried he'd see straight through her.
There's a pause before Mike speaks again. "Just be careful okay, I can't lose you again. You or El."
"You won't lose us," Faye promises. It occurs to her that she said virtually the same thing to El on the bus and Faye smiles - they are twins, after all. Checking that no-one is around, Faye leans into Mike's shoulder and he rests his chin on top of her head. Neither of them are prone to showing affection (particularly in public), but right now they're both scared and they need each other. Mike's scent is reassuring and familiar and Faye wishes she could stay like this for a few more minutes, but then the backdoor opens and they break apart.
"It's time Faye," Nancy announces. The twins get to their feet and head inside.
"By the way," says Mike as they climb the steps. "If you ever make me think you're dead again, I'll kill you."
Faye raises her eyebrows. "Because that's not counter-intuitive."
Mike is giving her his 'I'm not messing around' face so Faye rolls her eyes and throws her hands up in resignation. "Okay fine, if you ever think I'm dead again, you have permission to kill me."
"I wasn't asking for permission," Mike scoffs.
"Well tough, you got it."
The two continue bickering as they follow Nancy through the house and out onto the front porch where the others are waiting. Everyone has gathered to see the groups off and Faye takes it in turns to hug those who will be staying behind. Even Steve, despite the fact she hardly knows him.
"Go kick some monster ass!" grins Dustin.
"You can do it," Max echoes.
"We're all behind you," encourages Lucas.
"Knock 'em dead, kid. Literally," Steve nudges.
She saves Mike for last, squeezing him as tightly as she can. Mike returns the gesture, turning at the last minute to whisper in her ear. "Bring him home."
Faye tells them to be careful for the hundredth time before walking over to Jonathan's car, where he, Nancy and Ms. Byers are waiting. Faye can see Will lying unconscious on the backseat, his head cradled in Ms. Byers' lap.
Hold on Will she thinks Just a little longer
"Faye." Eleven appears behind her just as she is about to open the car door. "Don't let it trick you."
Faye frowns. "Trick me?"
"Like it did before, at the hospital," Eleven prompts and Faye understands. The monster is going to do everything in its power to throw Faye off, to make her doubt herself. But she isn't going to fall for that again.
"I won't."
Eleven smiles at her and the two girls embrace before Hopper's voice calls out. "El, come on. We gotta go."
They release each other and Faye slides into the backseat next to Ms. Byers, placing Will's cold legs over her lap. The engine hums to life and Jonathan speeds down the dirt road leading away from the house, Hopper's cruiser hot on his tail. At some point, Faye feels Ms. Byers take her hand and she grips it back.
As Nancy puts it, Hopper's cabin is actually "kinda nice." He's clearly put effort into making it a proper home for Eleven over the past year. Well hidden in a clutch of trees, it consists of a cosy living room and kitchen, a single bedroom and a bathroom; large enough to be comfortable, but compact enough to remain undetected by passersby. Not that it's likely anyone would venture this far into the woods - at least, Faye hopes they wouldn't. The last thing they need is any interruptions.
Faye, Nancy and Ms. Byers carry in the assortment of heaters and radiators they've brought with them, while Jonathan carries a still unconscious Will and lays him on the couch. Faye kneels beside him and places her hand over his, finding his skin ice cold. Uneasiness settles in her stomach; the heat was on full-blast in the car the entire journey, and he was wrapped in a thick blanket - he should have at least warmed up a little. The monster is clearly stronger than she thought…
"Now what?" says Nancy.
Ms. Byers turns to Faye. "What do you need? Tell us what to do and we'll do it."
The three adults look at her expectantly, awaiting Faye's instruction. She takes a deep breath and speaks in a clear, steady voice. "Turn on the heaters as high as they'll go. Close all the doors and windows and start a fire," she gestures to the hearth in the corner of the room.
"What about Will?" Jonathan asks.
Faye glances at Will's small form and narrows her eyes. They can't take any chances. "Tie him down and put him as close to the fire as you can."
With the seconds slipping away, the group gets to work transforming the cabin. Nancy begins piling wood into the fireplace; Ms. Byers secures each of the windows and bolts the front door; while Faye and Jonathan clear a path and push the bed from the adjacent room into the living area, as near to the hearth as they can without fear of the sheets catching fire. In need of something to tie Will down with, Jonathan rifles through the dusty kitchen drawers and cabinets until he finds a length of rope, which he uses to bind Will's wrists and ankles to the bed. When everything is ready, Ms. Byers looks to Faye for approval; she gives a single nod and they switch on the heaters as Nancy flicks a match into the fireplace. The flames ignite with a crack, sizzling to life and licking their way along the blocks of wood until a large fire is blazing. Now all they can do is wait for the monster to wake up.
It doesn't take long for the temperature in the cabin to rise from toasty, to uncomfortably hot, to scorching. Beads of sweat dot across Faye's forehead, gluing her hair to her face. She wipes them away periodically, but they stubbornly reappear as her body struggles to cope with the intense heat. Anything the group can get their hands on (old newspapers, cushions etc.) is used to fan themselves, but it has little effect. The cloying air is almost too hot to breathe.
Faye fights the temptation (desperation, even) to open a window or splash cold water over her face. She can't afford to lose focus or be caught off guard, even for a second. Her eyes never leave Will, straining for the slightest twitch or movement - but there's nothing. In an effort to cool down, she shrugs off the denim jacket Dottie gave her in Chicago and tosses it aside with disgust, making a note to burn it if they run out of firewood. She also carefully removes Will's sweater from around her waist, realising it has been there the entire time. Like she's been keeping a piece of him with her.
Just as this thought enters her mind, Will's eyes snap open.
He attempts to sit up before his arms catch on the restraints. "Wh-what's happening?!" Will cries, panic lacing his words. He tugs desperately at the ropes and Faye is reminded of an animal caught in a hunter's trap. Suddenly, his spine contorts violently and he lets out an agonized scream. "It hurts!"
Faye winces. She knows it isn't really Will, but it's horrible to watch nonetheless. It's still his body and his voice screaming out in pain.
"It hurts! It hurts! Let me go! Let me go!"
Will thrashes wildly, kicking his legs and banging his head against the pillow over and over again. He looks like he's been possessed by a demon, which technically isn't far from the truth. Unable to take any more, Faye steps forward.
"Get out."
Will looks at her and tries to sit up again. "Faye! Let me go, please let me go," he begs. "Why are you hurting me?"
Guilt flares in Faye's chest, but it's quickly replaced by anger. The monster is trying to manipulate her, playing on her affection for Will to get her to do what it wants.
"You're not Will," she spits through gritted teeth. "Get out!"
The monster doesn't give up. "Please, please! Faye please! Help me!"
"I SAID GET OUT OF HIM!"
Will stops struggling. The green drains from his irises as they blacken and glaze over into emptiness. Then without warning, his neck snaps backwards with a sickening crunch, and what looks back at them is plainly and horrifyingly inhuman. Unblinking eyes stare out of an unnaturally pale face, as if there's no blood beneath the surface. Faye shivers as the monster bares its teeth.
"You're too late" it snarls, and Ms. Byers shrieks at the deep, sinister voice coming out of Will's mouth. "He's already dead."
"Liar!" Faye bites. "You're a liar!"
Its mouth twists into a grin. "He died screaming for you, and you didn't save him."
Faye's body is wracked with spasms, her fingernails digging so hard into her palms they draw blood. The monster leans forward.
"You left him," it breathes, jet black eyes piercing her. "You left him for dead."
"NO!"
Faye's hand flies up and a blast of energy surges red-hot down her arm. The monster makes a strangled noise as its own fingers close around its neck, the veins in its throat pulsing furiously. Shaking from the strain, Faye throws all of her energy into squeezing as hard as she can - imagining it's her fingers around the monster's neck. It coughs and splutters as Faye forces it to asphyxiate itself, foam bubbling at the corner of its mouth.
"STOP! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!" Ms. Byers' voice cries. Faye looks up and gasps as she sees Will's face turning blue.
She instantly lets go, blood pouring from her nose. The monster sucks in a large gulp of air, then it turns to Faye and lets out a cruel, mocking laugh. Faye hardly registers it, still in shock as to what she has just done; she let her anger get the better of her, and it almost killed Will. Wiping the blood away, Faye steadies herself, refocusing her mind. She can't just attack like she did with the Demodogs - she has to get the monster out of Will's body.
"Put more wood on the fire," Faye demands. The others hesitate, whether out of fear or uncertainty Faye isn't sure, but she doesn't have the patience for either. "DO IT!"
Nancy grabs another log and tosses it into the flames. The monster hisses and writhes on the bed, and Faye seizes her chance while it's distracted. She jumps forward and grabs its face with both hands, ignoring the vicious snarls spewing from its mouth. Faye closes her eyes and blocks out everything around her; the heat, the screams, the arms trying to shove her away - concentrating only on infiltrating the monster's mind.
A stream of images flash into her vision, all of which are shrouded in a cold, grey fog that chills her to the bone. Faye realises with a start that she is seeing into the Upside Down. It's like Hawkins, but it's not; everything is damp and decayed, with no sign of life or warmth anywhere. The buildings are rusted and crumbling, as if no-one has set foot in them for centuries; and a thick layer of cloud hangs ominously overhead - one that would smother even the brightest sunlight. Everything - the arcade, the library, the movie theatre - is in ruins. The entire town is nothing but a toxic wasteland.
Suddenly, the vision shifts to the school field where Faye first saw the monster. A fierce lightning storm rages against a blood red sky, and a faceless black mass that looks like a giant spider looms over the school. And there, pinned to the ground underneath one of its sprawling legs, is Will.
"Will!"
The creature's head lifts and even though it doesn't have a face, Faye can feel its anger. The very air around her stings with it. Lightning explodes across the sky as it suddenly lunges at her, and Faye's head sears in pain as she is ripped back into reality. The force of it knocks her backwards and she just manages to grab the corner of the bedpost before hitting the floor. Something wet sticks to the front of her t-shirt and Faye glances down to see an alarmingly large pool of blood - her blood - collecting under her chin.
"It's not working!" Jonathan exclaims.
Faye pulls herself up and staggers to the head of the bed, feeling as if she could pass out any second. Her head is throbbing so badly she can hardly see straight, let alone use her powers again. Jonathan's right - it's not working. The monster is just too strong.
As if it can hear what she's thinking, the monster sneers at her. "He's mine."
And then Faye does something no-one expects. Not the monster, not Ms. Byers, Jonathan or Nancy - not even Faye herself.
She leans down and kisses Will.