El followed Scott as the group trecked through the woods that surrounded the lab. It was February 15th and the cold air made El tense up even more.
All she could think about was getting Mike back and ending all of this. But her gut kept telling her that it was far from over. The dark red sky seemed to confirm it.
"We're here." Scott whispered as they came up to the back gate.
"Timothy, you and your team will take the perimeter. Alison, take your team and cover the east part of the lab while Jack takes the west. Be quiet and quick." Scott orded the agents.
They all nodded and quickly split apart.
Everyone else took cover behind bushes and trees.
"You all remember the plan?" Scott asked.
They nodded.
"Good, now Peters will most likely be towards the center of the lab and there's a high chance that Mike will be near him, if not with him." Scott said.
"So, we stay together at first right?" Steve asked, his fingers twitching around his gun.
"We only split up if we need to. If we all get to Peters first, then we will have a better chance of getting everyone out safely." Scott answered.
The group mumbled agreement before falling silent.
Their short silence was interrupted by gunshots and screams.
Scotts walkie talkie made a static sound that caused her to jump.
She lowered the volume and held it up to her ear.
"All- Cle- ... Its- .. Okay-... Over." A voice said.
She turned it off and looked at the group, "Lets go." She said.
El buzzed with anticipation as they snuck through the back gate.
She almost screamed when they rounded the corner and ran into the agents.
Dustin patted her shoulder.
"Sorry." She whispered.
The agents flanked the group as they entered the lab.
"How many did we loose?" Scott asked one of them.
"24." He answered.
El bit her lip.
They silently walked through the maze of the lab. The lights kept flickering slowly.
"Didnt they shut the power off?" El asked Jonathan.
He shrugged, "I dont think it matters, since we're dealing with the Upside Down." He answered.
They rounded the corner and were enveloped in complete chaos.
Jonathan pulled El and Dustin into a room as the gunshots went off. Nancy, Max and Lucas quickly followed.
They hid under the tables as the screams echoed through the halls.
El covered her ears as the screams rattled the room.
After what seemed like hours the sound died down.
The door busted open and Hopper came in, dragging Steve.
Scott locked the door behind him.
"Oh my god!" Nancy whsipered, crawling over to where Hopper layed him.
"He was shot in the shoulder." Hopper said as he took out his first aid kid.
He fumbled inside until he found bandages. He ripped of Steve's sleeve.
El crawled over.
"We have to get the bullet out." Hopper muttered, sweat dripping down his face.
"I can do it." El whispered.
"Are you sure?" Scott asked as she came over, her voice shaking.
El nodded.
She placed her shaking hand over the bloody wound and closed her eyes.
Thank god hes unconscious.. She thought as she located the bullet.
A moment later she felt it in her hand. She opened her eyes and dropped it on the floor.
Hopper quickly stitched up the hole and wraped it up in thick layers of guase.
"That should hold until... yeah.." Hopper said, wiping his bloody hands on his jeans.
"We need to get going.." Scott said, her voice quiet.
"I'll stay with him.." Nancy said.
Scott nodded.
"Give him these if he wakes up and stay quiet." Hopper said, giving Nancy pain killers.
El hugged her.
"We're getting him back." She whispered.
Nancy gave a sad smile, "I know." She said.
Scott slowly opened the door and walked out, her gun in her hand.
El followed her and gasped as she saw the bodies. Guards and agents covered the floor.
Scott stared at them, her blood boiling.
"Lets go." She said, leading them down a dark hallway.
El's breathing quickened at the sight of all the blood and bodies.
Mad grabbed her hand, giving her a reassuring look.
El went frigid as a clap of thunder made the building shake. Dust and rubble fell from the ceiling.
Screams quickly followed.
Hopper rushed forward, his gun up.
Scott and Jonathan followed him to the end of the hallway.
"Oh my god.." Scott gasped.
El ran forward so she could see.
There was a giant hole in the wall that crashed through multiple other rooms.
El's breath caught in her throat as she walked through them.
Gun shots echoed through the facility, constantly followed by screams.
As she walked through the destroyed room she kept thinking about how many will die tonight. How many families will be hurt. When will it stop.
She lost it as she stumbled into the final room.
She stared at a large chair connected to a machine. El reached out and touched the straps on the arms of the chair. Her hands shook as she saw the cracked tube that was stained red.
Max came up behind her, followed by Dustin and Lucas.
She turned to face Scott.
"They... What did they do?" She cried, her lip trembling.
Scott stared in shock at the chair. She just shook her head, tears in her eyes.
Max hugged El from behind.
"We need to find him.." El whimpered.
"We are..." Scott said, stepping towards El, "But we can't break now. We need to stay strong.. and.. and focused.. You can do it.. He needs us right now.. And we nees him..." She said.
El wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and nodded.
Another clap of thunder made the ground shake.
"We're running out of time!" Hopper yelled as one of the walls crumpled.
"Come on!" Scott yelled as she ran out of the room.
They sprinted through the hallways, fear running through their veins.
"Watch out!" Jonathan yelled as part of the ceiling caved in. He pushed Scott out of the way as it crashed to the ground. He screamed as it landed on his leg.
"No!" Scott screamed.
"Keep going!" Jonathan yelled.
Dustin and Max stayed back to help him as the rest of them ran.
El grabbed Lucas' hand as they sprinted through the crumpling hallways.
"Go go go!" He yelled as the the ground gave out beneath them as they ran past.
Hopper took the lead.
He stopped at the end of the hallway and shot at two of the guards.
More guards starting running from all directions.
"Split up!" Scott yelled.
El pulled Lucas down one of the hallways. She snapped the guards necks as he shot at them.
The lab continued to crumple as the thunder grew louder.
El caught sight of the sky and saw a shadow of the monster.
"Go!" Lucas screamed, pushing her forward.
She sprinted through the maze, her heart racing.
El reached out to Mike. She felt a small flicker but it was enough to find him.
"This way!" She yelled, pointing to the right.
The pair raced down the hallway, jumping over holes and ducking away from falling rubble.
El felt herself growing weaker as they ran, tasting blood.
She heard yelling and turned to see guards following them. Lucas pulled her out of the way.
"Keep going!" He yelled as he loaded his gun.
"No, they'll kill you!" El cried, pulling on his arm.
"It'll just make things worse for them if they do." Lucas said. He smiled at her before ducking back out to face the guards.
"If you die, I'll kill you!" She yelled before running down the hallway.
El sprinted down the hallways, feeling like she's been running forever and that it would never stop.
She could still hear the gunshots.
How many? She thought as she slowed down, her breathing uneven and raspy.
"Mike?" She whispered, pushing herself forward.
The only response she got was a loud crack of thunder. She covered her ears, her face hot.
"Mike?" She said louder as she neared the end of the hallway.
She closed her eyes as she stepped over a body.
"I know you're here!" She yelled, hot tears in her eyes.
She stopped as she turned the corner.
Right before her stood a big black door. Her door.
"No... please.. no.." She whimpered.
She stepped forward and placed her hand against it, the cold metal making her shake.
She slid to her knees, visibly crying.
El pressed her forehead against the door.
"Mike?" She whispered.
T n T