Fight or Flight – Part 2
The party gathered around the superpower that was Eleven. Eventually after Mike let her go and spoke to her, "I never gave up on you, I called you every night for …" He started but Eleven butted in, "For 365 days, I know. I heard." And Mike looked perplexed, "Why didn't you answer, to let me know you were okay?" He asked her and Hopper cut in this time, "Because I wouldn't let her." He advised and he stared at Eleven, "Where have you been?" He asked her, voice stern. "You've been hiding her?" Mike rounded on Hopper now. He started yelling at Hopper and shoving him as much as he could but Jim Hopper being the big man that he is did not budge at Mike's attempts. "Let's talk, alone." Hopper told Mike and pushed him into Will's bedroom and closed the door.
The rest of the party could hear yelling from Mike's part then Hopper's booming voice was heard before it was silence. El hugged the rest of the party in greeting. She ignored Max and went straight to Hope. She pointed at Hope's arm and Hope reluctantly showed her the scar. El sighed then pulled Hope over to the sedated Will who was on the couch again. Joyce hurries over to Eleven, Hope and Will and hugs Eleven quickly before talking. "He's not doing well." Joyce informed Eleven sadly. She nodded, "I know, I… I saw, I also saw you, in the void." She turned her head to Hope who had been watching El since she had come into the house, Eleven, seemed to take notice of the stares and took hold of Hope's hand. Hope yanked her hand away like Eleven had burnt her skin suddenly causing Joyce and El to frown. "Close it, do it now." Hope told Eleven through gritted teeth but to Hope it was more of a warning. She had felt the darkness grow stronger in her the minute Eleven had walked through the house. The darkness could sense Eleven was here to destroy it and even though Hope was trying desperately to not let it take over her completely she could feel it pushing through when she was close to Will and now when she was close to Eleven. She got up without another word and grabbed Hopper's cigarettes and lighter from the table and walked out of the house onto the porch.
Hope sat on the porch steps and lit one of Hopper's Marlboro's with a shaky hand. She did not know how long she had been outside before she heard Dustin's small voice. She was on her second cigarette and pacing up and down the front garden when she heard him call her from the front door. "Hope, we have a plan." He told her, walking out onto the porch so he could see her more clearly. "I can't come in there." Hope warned her brother who seemed to understand. "They're taking Will to burn the mind flayer out of him with heat because we know the mind flayer doesn't like heat!" Dustin told her and she nodded slowly. "And what about the gate?" She asked Dustin who nodded, "El and Hopper are going to the lab to close it." He told her and she nodded again. She stubbed the end of her cigarette out onto the lawn.
Hopper and El came out of the house and he motioned for Hope to throw him his box of smokes. She did as she was told, and she watched them walk to the truck. Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan then came out of the house holding some old heaters and lots of blankets. Jonathan was carrying Will. "We'll see you." Jonathan called to Hope who nodded. Hopefully if they got the shadow out of Will it will get out of Hope too. This was their mindset.
They drove away and once they were out of the house Hope went back inside.
"You okay?" Steve asked her and she shook her head. Dustin eyed her wearily. He motioned for her to sit on the couch and she did. Max sat down next to Hope and watched her carefully.
Hope watched as Dustin tried to push the dead demo-dog into the Byer's fridge. "It's not going to fit!" Steve complained to Dustin who frowned at Steve while holding the slimy interdimensional creature. "This is a ground-breaking scientific discovery. We cannot just bury it like some common mammal! It's not a dog!" Dustin informed Steve who helped take some stuff out of the freezer to make room for the creature. "Fine, you're explaining this to Mrs Byers, got it?" Steve told him with a pointed finger and Dustin sighed and nodded.
Hope's gaze flickered over to Mike and Lucas. Mike was pacing around like a mad man.
"Mike, would you just stop?" Lucas asked him, his tone was laced with annoyance.
"You weren't in there, there is hundreds of those dogs in the lab." Mike told Lucas. Mike was also annoyed. "The chief will take care of her." Lucas reminded Mike. Dustin scoffed this time. "Like she needs protection." "Wait so the demo-dogs they have a hive mind, right?" Dustin spoke again, looking at the rest of the party, seriously. Mike and Lucas nodded. "When they ran away from the bus, they were called away. What if we get their attention, draw them away from the lab?" Dustin added. "Clear a path to the gate." Lucas ended and Dustin nodded, grinning at Lucas.
"And we all die, no." Steve stated bluntly, shaking his head at the absurd plan.
Mike ran over to a table and grabbed one of Will's drawings he had been drawing when he had episodes. "So, if this is some sort of map of the tunnels the chief was talking about earlier, this is the hub. We could lure the demo-dogs to the hub, we could burn it somehow because the mind flayer hates heat. He would send his army away and leave a clear path for El and Hopper at the gate.
"And we all die!" Steve commented again, shaking his. "Guys, we're staying here, we're not doing any of this plan alright. I was told to keep you shitheads safe and that's what I'm going to do!" Steve ended the conversation. The boys frowned at him.
There was a revving of an engine heard. Hope snapped her head to the window. Max copied Hope but actually got onto her knees and peered out of the window. "Shit, it's my brother." Max stated and she looked at Hope. "How did he find us?" Lucas cried out, coming to the window to have a look too. He eyed Hope out who frowned at him. "I didn't tell him anything." She swore and Lucas turned his head back to the window. "He can't know I'm here." Max reminded Hope who nodded and got up from the couch. She walked over to the front door and opened it slowly. Steve stood behind her, but Hope shook her head at him. "If he's been tormenting you all this time do you really think he's going to be pleased to see you here? Let me talk to him." She told him, holding out her hand to stop him from moving and Steve frowned a little but nodded anyway and stood back.
She stepped out onto the porch to see Billy stepping out of the car and lighting a cigarette. "Am I dreaming or is that you Henderson?" He asked, casually but Hope could hear the confusion in his voice. He took a drag of his cigarette and breathed in the smoke. "What are you doing here?" Hope asked him, just as casually as he had spoken to her before. She added a perfect, sweet smile. She walked over to him and he smirked at her, handing her the smoke and she took it and inhaled. "I could ask you the same thing, sweetheart." He said, and he leaned against the Camaro. He licked his bottom lip and stared at Hope through his dark lashes, and Hope watched him, warily. She could not tell what mood he was in. Hell, she hardly knew the guy.
"Weren't we meeting for a date?" He asked her through an inhale of smoke of a new cigarette he just lit while Hope smoked his previous one. She darted her eyes to the house then back to him. "Shit." She said, she had forgotten about it. "Mrs Byers asked me to babysit the kids while she was running some errands." Hope quickly informed Billy who was eyeing Hope's outfit out. "I was going to come meet you when she got back." She added and Billy frowned this time. "I was supposed to fetch you from your house." He reminded her and she threw the end of her cigarette to the ground and stomped it out with her foot. She knew Steve was listening and she hated the fact he would probably question her about this conversation later. "I'm actually here looking for my sister, Max, you know the red head you met the other day, bit of bitch?" He told her and Hope's eyes darted quickly back to the house again before they went back to Billy. She hoped he had not noticed. "I haven't seen her today." She lied. He stared back at her and inhaled some smoke again.
Billy opened his mouth to speak but Hope felt the pain before he could even say anything. "Not now." She moaned before her hand flew to her scar to try and stop the pain that was being inflicted. She knew at this moment that Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan were trying to get the mind flayer out of Will.
She stumbled forward, losing her balance, she fell into Billy. He caught her swiftly and stared at her, puzzled. His one hand on her waist trying to get her to balance and the other one holding onto her left arm, where the scar was interacting with the exorcism happening to Will. Her entire body seemed to be spasming. "HEY!" Steve called out from the front porch where he had been watching the interaction. He ran over to the two and Billy stared him down. "What the hell are you doing here Harrington?" Billy growled at him and Steve frowned. "What did you do to her?" Steve yelled, grabbing Hope by both of her arms, and yanking her away from Billy. "Bring her inside Steve!" Dustin yelled. They had been watching from the window in the lounge, but he was now standing at the open front door. Max was standing next to Dustin and Billy frowned at her.
Steve dragged Hope up the porch steps and into the lounge. She was writhing. Steve plopped her onto the couch with difficulty. Billy had followed Steve into the house and was staring at Hope. Max saw the worry in his eye, but just as quickly as the worry had entered him it left him, and he immediately rounded on Max. "We're leaving." He went to grab her arm to drag her out of the house, but she stepped back. "No!" Max cried and Billy glared at her. He tried again. "What the fuck Max!" Billy cried out in frustration and Max stared over him at Hope. "Dustin!" Max called out to him, grabbing the sedative syringe from the kitchen counter, and throwing the syringe that had been used on Will to Dustin. He caught it swiftly and jabbed what was left of the sedative into his sisters' arm, without thinking. Hope stilled.
"What the fuck, Dustin?" Steve yelled at the boy who dropped the syringe on the floor. "She's in pain!" Dustin pointed out to Steve frantically. Steve pulled at his hair and stared at Hope who was now unconscious. "Doesn't mean you should just poke any old thing into her!" Billy called out from where he was still trying to get Max to leave. He was getting fed up now. Steve scoffed, "Yeah, you're one to talk!" Billy's head snapped to Steve. "What was that Stevie boy? Do I sense a little bit of jealousy, the fact that I'm hooking up with her, or wait…" Billy sneered at Steve, he was walking over to him "Do you actually like her or something?" He questioned and Steve frowned. Dustin looked up at Steve now, a questioning look in his eye too. Steve shook his head at Dustin then turned to Billy. "Why are you even here?" Steve asked, ignoring Billy's remark. The two started to bicker. "GUYS!" Mike yelled at the older teens who glared at him for interrupting them. "We still have to go to the tunnels!" Mike reminded Steve. Mike stared at Billy for a time that would have been deemed as creepy. He did not care that Billy was here, he actually was glad Billy was here because now they had a car.
"What?" Billy spat and Mike eyed Billy out cautiously first before he spoke. "You have a car. Can you take us to the pumpkin fields?" He asked hesitantly but once the words were out, he waited with bated breath as Billy scowled at him. Billy looked at the others who were all waiting for the reply. "We can help save Hope." Max chimed in this time and Billy's eyes fluttered to the unconscious girl on the couch. "Save her from what?" Billy asked, curiously. "We'll explain on the way!" Max informed Billy. "No, we won't." Steve retorted. He was glaring at Max who frowned at him. "We're not going anywhere. We're waiting here for the rest to get back." Steve scowled, putting his foot down. Billy sneered at Steve now and then turned his face to Max. "Fine, I'll take you shitheads there. You're all in the back though, I don't care how you fit, no fucking up the leather either." Billy pointed at Max and she smiled at Billy half-heartedly and then turned to Steve who was staring daggers at Billy.
"What about Hope?" Dustin asked, as Lucas, Mike and Max scurried around grabbing the goggles and bandanas and a map and anything else they may need for their adventure down the tunnels. Billy pushed passed Steve who was still glaring at the others running around, getting themselves ready. Billy put one arm underneath Hope's legs and another arm wrapped around her back and he hoisted her up. He threw one of Hope's arms around his neck and her head rested on his shoulder. "Ah come on!" Steve moaned. Billy started to walk to the door. "No man, we can't leave. I promised the chief I'd keep everyone safe." Steve called to Billy who turned back to look at him. Dustin watched the interaction with the two older teens. "Apparently this will keep everyone safe." Billy reminded Steve. "You can stay, or you can come." Dustin told Steve who frowned at the younger Henderson. Lucas, Mike, and Max were already out the door following Billy who was cradling Hope in his arms. Steve grabbed his bat, frowned one last time at Dustin and followed the others out the door.
"I know you're only helping them out because I said no." Steve said to Billy and Billy smirked back at him, not saying a thing. "Get in." Billy ordered the kids who scrambled into the car. Steve stayed back and attempted to push the front chair back again so he could climb in the front seat, but Billy shook his head. "Where's she supposed to go? Get in the back Harrington." Billy ordered Steve. The scowl on Steve's face looked like it was going to stay for the rest of the night while they were in the presence of Billy. Steve huffed and pushed the chair back and climbed in the back seat squeezing in with the others. Max climbed onto Lucas's lap and Dustin sat on Steve's to his annoyance. Mike sat in the middle. Billy placed the unconscious Hope on the front seat and watched her head flop to the side and the side of her forehead hit the window as he closed the door. He shook his head and he trudged over to the driver's seat.
Once he was in the seat and had started the car he turned to the back. "So, anyone going to give me directions?" He asked and Lucas quickly opened up the map. "Max?" Billy asked, and Max nodded and started to read the directions to Billy as he sped out of the Byer's garden.
Once they had arrived at the pumpkin fields, where Chief Hopper had dug the hole when he realized there were tunnels growing under Hawkins, the kids climbed out of the car from Billy's side. He pushed the seat back and turned to the kids. "I still have no idea what is going on here." He pointed out to Max who nodded and looked back at the others. "Thank you." Was all she said and then Mike spoke, "we need to get down there quickly." and shoved on his goggles and bandana and grabbed a torch from the bag that had been placed in the boot. The others followed suit and Billy watched as Steve lowered a rope down into the hole and climbed down, disappearing from view. Dustin followed not before he warned Billy that if his sister was not in two pieces when he got back up their would-be hell to pay, then Mike and Lucas and finally Max. Billy walked back to the car and got into the front seat, lighting one of his cigarettes and watching Hope. She was breathing at least. He could see the way her chest moved up and down.
Billy slowly reached over to Hope and moved a piece of hair that had been covering her face. He wrapped it around her ear and sighed. He got out the car again and paced for a while.
Hope's eyes shot open a few minutes into Billy's pacing. She panicked because she did not know where she was. Her hand found the handle to open the door and she shoved it open and fell out of the car. She yelped. "Woah, slow down!" Billy called, running over to her after hearing the car door open and hearing the thud and the small sound that came out of her mouth. She stared at him wide eyed as he held out his hand for her so she could use him to help pull herself up. She took his hand and her eyes flickered around them he could see she was trying to figure out where they were.
"Dustin…" She whispered, eyeing out the surroundings, her eyes adjusting to the darkness.
"Down there." Billy pointed to the hole in the ground. He was still holding her hand and he could feel that same magnetic pull he felt for her that night at the Halloween party. She was holding his hand and her other hand was resting on his chest, so she did not fall over again. His other hand was resting on her lower back. She pushed herself away from him with the hand that was on his chest and leaned against the car. Her hand free hand grabbed her sleeve of the leather jacket she had been wearing and pulled it up her arm and eyed out her scar. It was white. No veins, no blackness, she felt a sense of calm rush over her. She breathed out a breath she did not know she had been holding. She realized she was still holding Billy's hand. He was eyeing out her scar too. He pulled her arm towards him and he inspected it carefully. "Guess they didn't give you enough of that stuff, usually you have to use some sort of strong chemical to wake someone up from a sedative." He spoke slowly and Hope watched him, she was confused. "Oh yeah, your brother sedated you." He added and Hope frowned. "Why?" She croaked and Billy looked at her seriously, "Something about you being in pain?" He questioned and Hope nodded slowly, she understood even though Billy did not. "Why are you here?" Hope asked, her memory fuzzy. "I was looking for Max, then got dragged into this mess, whatever this mess is." He told her honestly, his voice was low, and he gestured his hand out towards the hole in the ground. He stared at her for a bit, analysing her, hoping she was okay. Their eyes locked and for a few minutes they just stared at each other. Hope could feel his warmth, she could feel the rough skin of his hand more prominently now that she had been holding it for far too long. Her butterflies arose from their slumber and her curious stare turned into a grin. He furrowed his brow and watched her carefully. She pulled him closer to her and their foreheads touched. She breathed deeply. "Thanks." She whispered to him and he nodded, her breath tickled his lips. He took her chin in his free hand and lifted her face so he could see her face better. He leaned down, ready to kiss her when there was a loud thud and Max's body hit the ground after being shoved back up the hole. She was pulling up Lucas. Hope pulled away from Billy who and turn his head in the direction of Max. The two teenagers rushed forwards to help the others up. "You're awake?" Max questioned when she saw Hope and Hope nodded back at her. Lucas was next and then Mike. "Wait!" Steve called from the bottom of the hole and the ground rumbled beneath them. "DUSTIN!" Hope called out in panic and stuck her head down the hole. Steve and Dustin were shielding themselves as a pack of demo-dogs rushed past them, they did not attack they were headed back home. Once there was silence Steve pushed Dustin back up and Hope grabbed his arm and pulled him up. Once he was on the ground, he helped pull Steve up.
"What the hell happened?" Hope cried out once everyone was up. She was interrupted however by the Camaro's lights beaming brightly. "What the fuck?" Billy cursed before running over to his car. The lights dimmed.
"She did it!" Mike breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the ground.