Chapter Twenty Seven
Promise
Piper reached over to Steve's hand and grasped it as tightly as she could as she watched the Mind Flayer chase after them. Thankfully Jonathan was driving faster than it could move, but that didn't stop her heart from pounding in her chest as she watched it. Beside her Robin was squeezed in and she could feel the girl slightly shaking with fear, her eyes glued towards the same monstrous figure behind them. Piper looked towards her for a moment, before reaching over and grabbing her hand as well. She knew what Robin was going through, she'd been through it herself last year. Robin's blue eyes shot down towards her. She tried to give a small smile but Piper saw past it and could see the fear clear in her eye's.
"We're gonna be ok." Piper spoke softly, but even as the words left her lips she didn't believe a single word. Robin couldn't find any words so she just nodded her head before turning her gaze back out the back window.
As the three sat huddled together in the back of Joyce Byers' station wagon, the soft sound of static came through the walkie in Steve's lap before Dustin's voice sounded through clearly. But along with his voice came another that wasn't recognizable at all to anyone in the car, well, anyone besides Robin and Steve. It was a girls voice.
"Suzie." Steve and Robin spoke in unison.
"Who in the hell is Suzie?" Piper spoke with confusion clear on her face.
"Dustin's girlfriend." Steve clarified. "She's supposed to know the code for the password into where Hop and Joyce are."
"Oh." Piper nodded her head, still not understanding what was going on. And that confusion became even more clear as all of a sudden Dustin was singing with the girl, known as Suzie, through the walkie system.
Everyone's eyes shot around to each other in confusion, and making sure with the other's they were all hearing the same thing. It was almost humorous with the situation that was going on as the Mind Flayer let out another shriek. Piper couldn't help but jump slightly. The singing cut off and everyone was met with silence before Suzie's voice spoke out through the system.
"Planck's constant is 6.62607004" She spoke and Piper could just imagine the smile on the girls face as she heard her voice.
"Any one else confused about what just happened?" Lucas spoke from the bench in front of Piper.
Everyone made a noise of agreeance and nodded their head as Jonathan pressed harder on the gas pedal. Piper sat up and for the first time since getting in the car looked towards the front, she counted how many people were in the car before her heart sank deep into her stomach.
"Where is El." She whispered lowly, but enough for Robin and Steve beside her to hear that she had said something.
"What?" Steve looked down towards her.
"Where the fuck is El!" She screamed and rocketed her body to sit up more in the back seat of the car. There wasn't much room, but she sat up to look around the car. "Where the fuck is my sister!"
"She must be with Max and Mike." Lucas spoke.
"And no one thought to put her in the car?!" Piper screamed louder "I thought you all got in the car!?"
"Piper calm down." Steve reached forward to gently touch her shoulder, causing Piper to whip around towards him. Her face was red with anger as she stared towards him with wide eyes. Her eyes filling with unshed tears and Steve didn't know if it was from anger or fear for her sister.
"Calm!? You want me to calm down!? I promised my Uncle that I would keep her safe and now she's not with me and you want me to be calm?!"
"The Mind Flayer is chasing us, isn't that more safe for her to not be here?" Nancy spoke from the front seat of the car, turning in her seat to face towards Piper.
There was a moment of silence before Lucas spoke up. "Uh...guys...it's slowing down."
"Maybe it's worn out? Chasing us for too long?" Will spoke turning around in his seat to look out the back. Piper and everyone else beside her shifted to watch as the Mind Flayer began to slow down, no longer giving chase to the car.
"No. I don't think so." Piper shook her head. Her eyes widened as she saw it turn and head back towards the direction of the Star Court Mall. "Turn the car around! Now!"
Piper screamed loudly as Jonathan whipped the car around quickly and speeding back towards the direction they had come from. Piper closed her eyes and silently prayed to any god or being listening that El would be safe. I failed her. I failed her. Piper felt like her chest was gonna cave in and she knew that feeling wouldn't let up till her sister was back in her sights.
"Mike is gonna keep her safe, Piper." Steve tried to speak reassuring beside his friend.
"I won't forgive myself if something happens to her and I wasn't there to stop it." She shook her head. "Billy's there. And my guess he's the reason why that thing is turning around."
Piper took a few deep breaths to calm herself the closer and closer Jonathan got to the mall. They thankfully weren't too far since it was only moments before the Mall came back into her sights. She didn't even wait for the car to come to a complete stop as Jonathan pulled into the front parking lot of the mall. Steve and Robin were quick behind her as Piper stumbled towards the front. But she paused when something caught her eye. It was Billy's car, and it was empty.
Piper searched around the mall hoping for any sign of her sister, Mike, Max or even Billy. She turned the corner towards the center courtyard of the mall and stopped at the sight in front of her. It was her sister laying on the floor and Billy beside her. A million things were going through her mind as she watched the Mind Flayer descend from the broken skylight of the mall and towards El.
"Get that thing away from her!" Piper screamed as she grabbed the gun tucked into her shorts from earlier and quickly starting to fire towards the Mind Flayer. Catching it's attention as it screamed in pain and whipped it's arms around knocking down wall, structures and railing in the mall.
Piper moved along the side of the courtyard as she shot towards the Mind Flayer, moment later Lucas and the rest of the gang shooting the fireworks from the car towards the Mind Flayer. The fireworks stolen from the convenience store earlier were already a part of the plan. She watched in amazement as rockets of fireworks were aimed towards the Mind Flayer and exploding as they landed against it's back and sides. She pointed and aimed the gun towards the center head of the Mind Flayer, keeping her concentration just liked she did back at the cabin. For a moment she looked away towards where El was and could see her crawling away from Billy, and the Mind Flayer in general. Piper saw a small moment of hope before Billy started towards her again.
"No!" Piper screamed before moving towards Billy, throwing the gun to the side, and her legs pushing her closer and closer towards them.
But as she grew closer one of the Mind Flayer's arms came down, smacking her back against the wall beside her. She gasped painfully as the wind was knocked out of her lungs. Her head ringing slightly from the impact and the sound of the fireworks around her. The world has a slightly haze around it as she tried to move back onto her feet. She stumbled before falling back into the rubble of the mall. Piper looked up and could see Billy hovering over El. She was close. Piper closed her eyes for a moment before moving to stand again, gripping to the wall beside her for support.
"El!" Piper screamed. As she screamed Billy's head wiped around towards her. His face covered in black veins, his blonde curls matted to his face. But she could see his eyes and knew that he was there. Make him come back. "El! Make him come back!" Piper screamed once more over the shriek of the Mind Flayer.
Piper watched with baited breath as Billy's head turned back towards El. She couldn't hear them and she took that as her chance to move. I have to get to her. I have to. Push past the pain girl. She repeated to herself over and over. Her vision was slightly hazy as she moved around the side of the courtyard. The explosion of the fireworks above suddenly were gone and all she could hear was the loud shrieks and screamed of the Mind Flayer. Piper stopped for a moment and watched as it reared back, gaining its strength back from the blows and hits before. And then it was like everything was moving in slow motion.
Piper turned her head back towards El, continuing to move towards her, and saw Billy standing in front of her. This is my chance. Move faster! Piper bit down on her lower lip as she stumbled beside El. El jumped slightly as Piper stumbled and landed down beside her. El looked towards her older sister and saw her lip was cracked and stained with blood, along with blood falling down the side of her head.
"Piper." El whispered, but Piper quickly shook her head.
"Go! Go!" Piper pushed on El and looked over past her shoulder to see Mike and Max hovering in the door way of a shop. Piper rose her hand and pointed towards Mike, causing El's eyes to draw towards the direction she was pointing in. "Go. Now!"
El looked between the Mind Flayer and Piper and slowly started to scoot back. El expected Piper to move with her, but saw that Piper moved to block her away from the Mind Flayer, using herself as a shield. El shook her head and opened her mouth to protest, but Piper shook her head.
"Go" She spoke once more, before turning around to look over her shoulder.
Piper's frame started to shake slightly with fear as she nearly came face to face with the monster before her. She moved slightly onto her knees and watched as the mouth opened up and slowly the tentacle came out towards them. Piper opened her mouth to scream and waited for the pain of the sharp teeth sinking into her skin. But she instead was met with nothing, as Billy stepped in front of her and grabbed at it, raising both hands up.
"Billy!" Piper screamed in shock and fear as she watched him struggle, pushing back more on the Mind Flayer.
Piper used the little strength she has left to stand from the mall floor and towards Billy, looking over her shoulder only once to see El farther away and safe. Piper wrapped her arms around her boyfriends waist and pulled him as hard as she could down. Both their bodies smacking against the hard ceramic floor beneath them. She whimpered slightly and looked down towards him, for only a moment, before she felt a sharp pain through her side. Piper gasped and looked down to see one of the tentacles in her side. Another stabbed her on the other side causing her to scream louder, before she ripped away from Billy and thrown across the courtyard.
Piper was able to feel the impact as she landed against the stairs, she screamed loudly as she felt the pain shoot up her back and the blood on her lips as she coughed slightly. Her head lulled to the side and she watched as the Mind Flayer collapsed to the ground of the Star court. But none of that mattered to Piper as her eyes connected with Billy's as he moved towards her.
It was like he was snapped out of a dark dream. One moment he's screamed and begging for the life of the girl beneath him and the next he's able to control his body again. It was like at the warehouse, but different, this time Billy didn't feel the monster lingering in the back of his mind. It was gone. Billy looked down towards El and could see the relief in her eyes as she stared back up towards him.
"El." He whispered softly, the flashes of his mom and moments with Piper still in his mind. El nodded her head and caressed his face softly before he pulled away from lying above her.
Billy stood and looked towards the thing that had controlled his life for the past few weeks. No longer scared. Instead it was replaced with anger as he watched it scream in pain as each firework hit against it. From the corner of his eye, Billy was able to see Piper moved towards El behind him. He looked down towards her for a moment as she pushed her sister away. Billy knew he had to do everything in his power to help, now that he was free.
As he turned back towards the Mind Flayer Billy came face to face with it as it moved towards them. He didn't even know what he was doing, or what caused him to react how he did. But the moment Billy saw the mouth open up and the long tentacle move towards them, he reached forward. Using every bit of strength left in his body to keep it away from Piper and El behind him. He could hear the noise around him; the screaming, the calling, but he didn't waver his concentration. He could feel the strength of the Mind Flayer pushing back towards him. His head moved up and his eyes staring down the open mouth that seemed to move closer and closer towards his face.
Billy felt a weight wrap around his waist before he was pulled down towards the floor, his hands slipping away from the Mind Flayer and his back smacking hard against the mall floor. The air was knocked from his lungs as Piper feel on top of him. Billy groaned slightly as she moved to look down towards him. He felt a sense of relief as he stared back up towards her green eyes. The happiness in her gaze reflecting back. But the small moment of serene happiness only lasted for a seconds till her face twisted in pain and a terrorizing scream erupted from deep within her chest.
He looked down, looking for the source of her pain, before he saw the sharp tentacles of the Mind Flayer piercing her sides. Before Billy could even make a move to help her, she was ripped away from him and thrown towards the stairs of the courtyard. The ceramic steps crumbled slightly from the impact of her body. Billy payed no mind to the Mind Flayer behind him, collapsing to its death, as he moved quickly towards Piper. He could already feel the tears streaming down his cheeks as he crawled towards her, his body not seeming to move fast enough. Her body was bent at odd angles as she coughed up blood, her mouth opening and gasping for air as she stared towards him.
"Piper." He whimpered softly, his hands moving towards her before pulling away. He was afraid to touch her, afraid to cause more pain or damage. "Oh god."
"B-Billy..." She gasped and looked up towards him "El? W-Where's El?"
Billy looked up and saw El running towards him before she knelt down beside Piper. He watched as Piper's face relaxed as her eyes landed on El.
"We have to help her! We have to help her!" El spoke quickly in a sense of panic before her brown eyes turned towards Billy. "We have to help her."
Billy nodded his head and looked around to see everyone else running towards them. Their faces masked with shock and fear as they looked down towards Piper. Before Billy could even say anything towards them Piper let out a violent cough, causing his head to look back down towards her. The blood painted down her chin and down the side of her cheek.
"Hey...hold on for me baby. Hold on." Billy moved quickly and reached down to grasp her hand, turning over his shoulder to shout towards Jonathan. "Get help!"
Jonathan nodded his head, before grabbing Nancy and pulling her with him as he ran back towards the entrance of the mall. Piper squeezed Billy's hand with a small amount of strength pulling his attention back towards her.
"Why would you do that?" El cried
Piper gasped softly and moved her eyes towards El. "I-I promised...I promised." Piper groaned and closed her eyes tightly as she felt a pain rip through her body
"Shhh...shh...save your strength." Billy whispered as he gently moved the hair from her face. "I'm so sorry, Piper. Open your eyes...please...open your eyes."
Piper groaned before slowly opening her eyes to look towards him. "I-I love you, Billy."
"Don't do that." He shook his head. "Don't say goodbye."
Piper opened her mouth to speak again, but nothing came out. Around her everything started to slowly turn fuzzy. It was like she was slowly falling down a tunnel and everyone was moving farther and farther away. Around her she could her people talking, but it was muffled like it was deep beneath water. Eye lids...so heavy. She could feel her body shake again with another cough, the heavy feeling on her chest making it harder and harder to breath. Piper closed her eyes as everything around her slowly softened to silence.
AN: So...two to three chapters are left till the end. Please leave your thoughts, I kept editing this chapter and hope you enjoyed it. Please leave your thoughts, I really do like knowing what you guys are thinking. Like, dislike extc. Also would you guys be interested in a StevexOC story. Been kinda thinking about one and Steve holds a soft spot in my heart. Stay Safe!