Eleven's nights were always plagued with nightmares. Memories of the horrors at Hopkins Lab, the Demogrogan, the Battle of Starcourt, and losing Mike. She even dreamed of Hopper's final moments, even though she wasn't there to witness them. This night wasn't very different.
She woke up in the dark void which was the Upside-Down. "Eleven," Mike's voice echoed. Eleven tried to move out of her place, but she couldn't move. She reached her hand forward, trying to find which way his voice came from.
"Mike," Eleven called. She was then on a snowy mountain. She saw the Russian flag. It was standing on top of a dark building. She heard Mike crying for her one last time before she woke up.
Eleven shot up quickly. She was back in the room she shared with Will. It had been almost a year since the Battle of Starcourt. Eleven's powers still haven't come back, and she was beginning to think they'll never return. They were just one of the things she lost that dreadful night.
Will popped his head through the doorway. "You're finally awake," Will said. "We have to go. Our plane is leaving in two hours."
Eleven slowly climbed out of bed. The Byers clan was going to Hopkins for the summer. She had seen her Hopskins friends throughout the year and communicated with them. She was excited about the first normal summer she would ever experience, even if the two most important people to her would be absent.
Eleven got changed and grabbed her bag. It was Hopper's old rolling bag. She took most of his smaller possessions when they moved. She walked to the dining room, where everyone else was waiting for her.
"Is everyone ready to go?" Joyce asked.
"Yes," Eleven said.
"Then let's go," Joyce said.
The plane landed two hours later. Robin, Steve, Dustin, Nancy, Lucas, Erica, and Max were waiting. Jonathan ran into Nancy's waiting arms. They shared a lover's embrace and kissed. Will made a disgusted face as he reunited with his friends.
"I got the new D&D pack," Will said.
"Nice," Lucas said. Max turned her attention to Eleven.
"Have your powers come back yet?" Max asked.
"No," Eleven sighed.
"I'm sure they will eventually come back," Max said. "And maybe it's not the worst thing ever if they don't. Those powers kind of represent a bad part of your life. While they were super cool and got us out of a lot of trouble, they're tied to the lab. The lab is tied to the Upside-Down, which directly and indirectly caused the deaths of people close to you. Don't you agree?"
In all honesty, Eleven wasn't sure she did.
That night, Max spent the night with Eleven. They were renting out a cabin. Their house had already been sold, but they got this place for cheap. That night, Eleven had yet another dream.
She was back in the black void. She heard Mike calling for her. Then she was back on the mountain. She turned around, seeing a line of men. They were working on something in the snow. One of them looked up, revealing Jim Hopper.
"El, wake it," Max shouted. Eleven woke up, breathing heavily. The walls around her had cracked slightly. "Eleven, I think your powers have come back. I told you they would eventually."
"Dad," Eleven gasped out. "He's alive."