Hoppers Cabin, evening time.
Danny POV.
It takes a couple of minutes for Eleven to calm down from whatever occurred within her mindscape. Fear still etched on her face as fireworks go off in the distance while she tries to explain what happened. "He said he as building something… that it was all for me."
Beside her, Max glances around at everyone in question, "building something? Is he talking about the Flayed?"
"He must be." Nancy and I answering simultaneously.
Lucas paces and sighs, "so, he's building an army, just like we thought."
"Yeah, but he's not building this army to spread." Mike points out.
Will understand his train of thought, "he's building it to stop Eleven."
"Because she closed the gate last year… he wants to make sure she can't do it again."
Mike agrees with me, "the Mindflayer now knows she's the only thing that can stop him… but if she's out if the way-"
"Game over." Lucky finished.
"I won't let that happen," putting a hand on my little sister's shoulder and squeezing it in comfort. "You beat him once; you can do it again. We got your back sis."
"He also said he was gonna kill all of you." Her voice shaky, brown eyes meeting mine in worry.
Max scoffs, "yeah, well... that's nice."
"We're stronger than he thinks," aspiring to provide some form of hope for everyone, instead it brings silence, which is quickly filled with a screeching sound. What was that? It didn't sound like any kind of firework to me…
"Do you guys hear that?" Nancy asks hearing it too and shuffling towards the window to glance outside.
"It's just the fireworks." Jon shrugs it off, making me shake my head, it can't be…?
The Wheeler girl turns El, "Billy… when he told you this, it was here in this room?" Eleven nods in response, bringing Nancy's gaze to my own.
"I need my gun from the car. Nance, grab Hoppers gun from under his bed, it's locked and loaded already. Everyone else, find something to use as a weapon asap." The orders falling from my lips naturally as I head for the door, the couple and party heading it and complying.
Outside, I rapidly race down the steps and open the wagons door, pulling out my Remington 870 and the box of shells, stuffing a handful in my back pockets and leaving the rest there for later, if we make out of here alive. Fluttering and rustling noises draw me away from the car to the open road, where I immediately notice the nightmarish monster a few hundred yards away. Behind me, everyone else exits the house to jog along the path, getting a look at the large creature ripping out trees and screeching in threat coming this way.
"Get inside and get ready. We need to block off windows and doors. Let's go." Waving everyone back into the cabin and helping Jon position the couch in front of the door right away. All of us working in sync to do as I said, even if the chairs, cabinets and benches won't do much for protection.
With it as good as it'll ever get, we gather in the center of the lodgings and stand together. Nancy and I both holding shot guns and standing at the front of everyone. "Get away from the windows." She commands, cocking the gun and holding it against her leg at the ready.
It's as if time slows down, every sound and movement more prominent, the clanging of dishes and glassware alerting us how close that thing is. Dust falls from the ceiling and lights blink, our pants and breaths loud as we anticipate what's to come. "It's close." Will mutters, small home shaking in stress.
"Where'd it go?" Lil Red wonders when nothing happens.
Screeeeeeeaaak, a fleshy tentacle crashes through the wall, lunging for us wildly, everyone gasping and breaking apart to avoid it. It searches the room for its prey, slithering in the air in front of Eleven, Max, Lucas and Will. I'm incapable of making a clear shot, holding off as Jon cuts into it with an axe. He gets two good hits in, until it thrashes around and knocks him into the wall with a grunt. When it hovers over him in attack mode, both Nancy and I aim, her emptying the barrel first, myself picking up when she goes to reload.
The teethed tentacle wails in pain, trying to avoid the bullets, but can't with the Wheeler girl and I working in sync. However there comes a point when she doesn't load fast enough, the snakelike limb advancing on her, my fingers failing at getting the rounds in my own gun at this point. Goddammit. Luckily, just before it gets Nancy, Eleven halts it in place, hand out and nose bleeding as she pulls it with her mind. It fights against her, shuddering and shaking, but she's stronger, ripping its mouth off with fury. It squeals and retreats, by passing Max who voices my thoughts, "Holy shit."
A brief pause if all we get, another tentacle breaking I side and going straight for El, who once again grabs it with her mind. More glass shatters, a second limb flies at my little sister, her fast reflexes catching it too, now battling two. On each side of her Eleven holds the barking and shrieking leeches away, arms out wide and panting. The strain of using her powers obvious as she yells angrily, both heads shredding from their limbs, howls echoing as they pull out of the house again. My little sister breaths heavily, dropping her arms momentarily and waiting for the next attack.
Unexpectedly, it comes from ever top of her, the fleshy arm lunging and getting ahold of Elevens leg, knocking her down and dragging her up and off the floor. Mike reacts fast, attaching onto El's arms and refusing to let the monster haul her from him. Most of the party jump in as well, anchoring the supernatural girl in place.
Instead of helping, I aim for creature, pumping four rounds into it, higher and away from my siblings' leg, where its ugly hellish head is. Soon realizing the leech like thing is its tongue clamped onto El. Fuckkkk. "Let her go you son of a bitch!" My hands moving faster than ever before to load the gun again and hearing Jon frantically yell at Nancy to shoot too. By the time she empties her weapon, I'm loaded and taking aim at his teethed face again. If you can call it that, shooting it until empty, which give Lucas enough time to jump on a chair and chop at the tongue holding El. With Nancy and I both unloading into it, and four good swings from Lucky, it rips from the main body, little sister falling onto Mike and the others.
"El? El, are you okay?" I hear him ask while putting in the last three rounds from my back pocket and aiming at the nightmarish creature. In the midst of firing my last round, Eleven screams in pain, my eyes leaving the enemy to find her slowly standing up and raising her arms at the beast.
"AHHHHHH!!!" With a mighty roar, the supernatural teen grasps the monstrosity with her powers as it screeches in protest, but it doesn't distract El from focusing enough to rip its head in half… then the rest of its body, which leaves it falling and weak.
"Go, go, go!" Nancy commands, everything chaotic as the party rushes from the cabin to the car, myself last and grabbing my bag by the door. Everyone shouts in panic as the monster barks in pain, trying to put itself back together as we climb into the wagon, where I hop into the box with Will and Lucas. With everyone safely inside, the Wheeler girl floors it out of there, dirt flying up behind us as we leave the Flayed flesh in our dust.
Eleven groans in pain, so I abandon the shot gun to lean over the seat to get a look at her leg. "Max, raise her pant leg up." Little Red doing it and hissing at the wound. "She needs first aid right away. Nancy, take us to Bradley's. Straight through till Pine and swing a right. It'll be on your left."
"Right."
"You're going to be alright Enchantress. We'll fix you up," turning her chin to look her in the face, "you were incredible back there sis."
El attempts a smile, but comes out as more of a wince, "thanks big Sis."
"Always."
Upon our arrival at the store, Nancy breaks the window with a brick for entry and leading the way inside. "Get her to the pharmacy area, I'll meet you guys there," parting from them and walking to the household items isle to grab a cloth and bowl to fill with water. When I return, I grab soap and bottle of distilled water before rounding the right section to find Mike on the radio, "Dustin? Dustin?" Only static coming through as I jog over to kneel next to him and Eleven.
"What happened?"
"It was Dustin… I couldn't hear much, but he said something about Russians…"
"And the gate." El adds as I begin to pour water in the bowl to work on her injury. So, it is the Russians messing with the gate… which would mean they're the source. Fuck.
"Did he say anything about the others? Are they alright?"
Both teens shake their heads, "his battery must be low… barely anything came through."
"I will find him." El says.
"After you're patched up sis." Still in the midst of cleaning the hole in her leg before bandaging and wrapping it up. I'm nearly done when the remaining party returns, Mike filling them in on Dustin.
As soon as Eleven's leg is good to go, we move to the frozen food section where she uses the hum of the freezers to tune us out and enter the other realm. While she searches for Daring, Lucas pops open a new coke, sipping from it and sighing in content. It starts a ridiculous argument between him and Mike, which earns head shakes and eye rolls from the rest of us. El getting frustrated too as she rips off her blindfold and shoots the pair a glare, both apologizing immediately.
"So… did you find him?" Mike's asks, important matter back at hand.
"He's at the movies."
All of us making haste now that we have a goal in mind. Lucas pushing a cart full of fireworks and stating what we're all wondering, "if he's so freaked out about the gate, why's he going to watch a movie?" His question rhetorical as he shakes his head in exasperation, "totally makes sense."
"No… the mall has to be the Russian base. It would explain why he's there. Plus, Steve pointed out the music in the broadcast was taped in Star court, so it all makes sense."
"So the gate is probably there… which means we can shut it again." Nance says.
"If not, we always have Lucas's fireworks." Max's sarcasm impressive, making me chuckle. Frankly I think the fireworks are great ammo... better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
Lucas plays off her words, "keep mocking my plan Max. Keep mocking it." The couple working together to steal fireworks, lifting the cart out and over the broken doorway. "I wanna hear you say it again, because you keep doubting me. You keep doubting me!"
"Ridiculous."
"Will?" Lucky looking to him for backup as they load the fireworks inside the box.
"We're going to prove them wrong, right?" Wisely stating and ending it there, as Mike and I carefully help El inside the car.
"Lucas, Max, squeeze in here. I'll hop in the back with Will and the fireworks." Shuffling places with the couple and loading up, pulling away from the curb a minute later.
Starcourt Mall, inside the bathroom outside the theater, sometimes after 9.
3rd Person POV.
Currently, Steve Harrington is amid flushing the toilet after emptying his stomach and running a hand through his hair.
In the stall next to him, Robin Buckley lays on her back staring up at the roof, legs propped on the wall as she takes a breath. "The ceiling stopped spinning for me. Is it still spinning for you?"
The brunet takes a moment to look up, huh, "Holy shit. No… you think we puked it all up?"
"Maybe. Ask me something… interrogate me."
He chuckles at her Russian accent, "Okay. Interrogate you, sure. Uhh, when was the last time you peed your pants?"
"Today." She admits, making him falter.
"What?"
"When the Russian doctor took out the bone saw."
Steve laughs, "oh my God."
"It was just a little bit though," laughing with him as she defends herself.
"Yeah... it's definitely still in your system." The almost nineteen-year-old gives another chuckle and rubs his eyes.
Robin laughs, "ohkay. All right. My turn."
"Okay. Hit me."
The female ice cream scooper takes a second to come up with something, deciding on the cliché, "have you ever been in love?"
"Yep. Nancy Wheeler. First semester, senior year." He reveals, imitating shooting a gun at his heart.
"Oh my God… she's such a priss." Robin grimacing in disappointment.
Steve hums, "turns out, not really."
Buckley scoffs in disbelief. "Are you still in love with Nancy?"
"No." Easier to admit than he thought it'd be.
"Why not?"
"I think it's because I found someone who's a little better for me."
"Danielle Newby?"
"Yeah… I mean I thought so."
Robin pauses, "what do you mean?"
"It's crazy… ever since Dustin's been home, he's been saying you gotta find your Suzy. You gotta find your Suzy."
"Wait… who's Suzy?"
"it's some girl from camp... I guess she is his girlfriend. To be honest with you, I'm not even 100% sure she's even real." Steve messing with his hair as he tries to figure out his feelings. "-that's not the point… I thought he was talking about Danny, but now I'm confused, because the girl that I like, she's someone I didn't even talk to in school." Across from him in the other stall, Robin instantly understands what he's getting at. "-I don't know why… maybe because Tommy.H would have made fun of me, or… I wouldn't be prom king." Shaking his head at himself in shame, "It's stupid. I mean, Dustin's right. It's all just a bunch of bullshit anyway. Because when I think about it, I should have been hanging out with this girl the whole time."
"Steve… let me stop you there. I know where you're going with this."
"-hear me out Robin."
"-but,"
"-this girl, she's hilarious. She's so funny. I feel like this summer I have laughed harder than I have laughed in a long time… and she's smart. Way smarter than me. She can crack top secret Russian codes and honestly, she's like no one I've ever met," Robin Buckley doesn't know what to say, instead tucking her head into her knees and letting her coworker go on. "Robin?" Knocking on the stall when she doesn't reply, "-did you just OD in there?"
She sighs, "no… I am still alive." At that, Steve decides to slide under the stall to join her. "The floors are disgusting," she says whilst he sits up.
"Yeah well… I already got a bunch of blood and puke on my shirt, so," waving off her words and raising his eyebrow at her. "What do you think?"
"About?" She returns the look.
"This girl." He says as if obvious.
"She sounds awesome."
"She is awesome. And what about the guy?"
"I think he's on drugs and not thinking straight."
"Really? Because I think he's thinking a lot more clearly than usual."
Robin shakes her head, "he's not… he doesn't even know this girl. And if he did know her, really know her, I don't think he'd even want to be her friend."
Steve denies her claim, "that's not true. No way is that true."
"Listen to me Steve, it shocked me to my core, but I like you. I really like you… but I'm not like your other friends, and I'm not like Nancy Wheeler."
"Robin, that's exactly why I like you."
With a scoff, she asks "do you remember what I said about Click's class? About me being jealous and like, obsessed?"
He nods, "yeah."
"It isn't because I had a crush on you… it's because she wouldn't stop staring at you."
Harrington hesitates in confusion, "Mrs. Click?"
A laugh escapes her, "Tammy Thompson. I wanted her to look at me, but she couldn't pull her eyes away from you, and your stupid hair." Still confused, Steve waits for her to explain. "-I didn't understand, because you would get bagel crumbs all over the floor, and you asked dumb questions. You were a douchebag and you didn't even like her, so I would go home, and just scream into my pillow."
"But Tammy Thompson's a girl."
"Steve." She breaths, giving him another moment to comprehend.
"Yeah?" A pause. "Oh."
"Oh."
"Holy shit."
"Yeah… holy shit." She repeats as things fall quiet. When he doesn't say anything, she leans forward, "Steve? Did you OD over there?"
"No… I uh... I'm just thinking… I mean, yeah. Tammy Thompson, she's cute and all… but, I mean, she's a total dud."
His female counterpart is appalled, "she's not."
"She wants to be a singer. She wants to move to Nashville and shit."
"She has dreams," Robin defending her crush.
"She can't even hold a tune."
"Who are you to judge?" Her question rhetorical as she doesn't give a chance to reply, "you can't even sort your own shit out."
"What?"
"You say you like me when it's obvious your true feelings are for Danielle Newby."
"I uh- "
"It's fine. For the record, I fully believe the drugs played a part in all of it... but mostly, I think you miss her and are projecting what you feel for her, onto me."
Steve furrows his brow, "I'm lost."
"Okay, hear me out. It's basically been a month since you've spent any real time with her, right?" He nods. "So, during this time we've been working together, you've come to notice Newby and I have some stuff in common. Like myself, she doesn't give a damn about the popularity charts. She's also smart and witty too. Funny as well from what I've gathered, so really, it makes sense why you would think of me like that."
"Right… right, right, right. So, you're saying I'm an idiot in need of time with his real crush?"
"Exactly. A lovesick idiot."
"I'm not."
"Really? Because over the last 48 hours in that shithole, you constantly sulked and pouted any time Dustin mentioned Danielle."
"Shut up, I did not. Anyway, let's get back to this Tammy thing. As I was saying, she can't hold a tune." The brunet singing a few lines of a song and butchering it.
Robin smacks his arm, "she doesn't sound like that. You should like a Muppet."
"She sounds like a Muppet." Now impersonating Kermit, the frog, his co-worker joining in and both of them breaking out into laughter.
Suddenly, the bathroom door slams open, Dustin Henderson and Erica Sinclair standing in the doorway wearing frustrated expressions. "What the hell?" The curly haired teen says angrily at that the pair wandered off, but they ignore him, continuing to laugh.
A few minutes later, when calmed, the Scoop Troop exits the bathroom together when a movie lets out, the four of them attempting to blend into the crowd to make an escape. Sadly, their plan doesn't work, the Russians easily spotting them and chasing the group from the theater, to further inside the mall. Quick thinking by sliding down the elevator arm gives them a head start in running away, ultimately making it back to the food court where they duck down inside Great Cookie to hide from the armed men.
Starcourt Mall, upper level, 9:56 p.m.
Danny POV.
Nancy's heavy foot gets us to the mall in record time, where we enter from the front and running into a pair of Russians with guns. Eleven easily smashes them together and cracking bones that'll leave them either paralyzed or dead. Then all eight of us take the stairs up to the next floor, where we quietly make our way towards the food court, skillfully knocking out another guard before overlooking the balcony.
Down below, four men with automatic guns close in on one of the fast-food chains, their weapons raised for attack. El steps forward, lifting her hand and focusing on the red convertible, it's alarm instantly going off as she begins to grasp it with her mind. It draws the Russian attention, their eyes finding us above just as she forces the car to flip upwards and outwards towards them. The heavy steel crushing all four fiercely, blood splattering and staining the white linoleum flooring as tables, bodies and chairs are discarded from impact.
"What the hell would we do without you lil sis." An honest to God question I've asked myself multiple times over the last two years. As the car comes to a full stop, the people we've been in search of rise from behind The Great Cookie counter, my eyes zeroing on Steve, his dark brown ones meeting mine right away. An obvious sigh of relief leaves him when he realizes they're finally safe. The others start to move for the escalator, so I break contact and follow, last to join in on the mini celebration. They're okay. He's okay… Steve's okay.
"You flung that thing like a hot wheel!" Dustin exclaims, running over to hug El and Mike, while Erica approaches her brother.
"Lucas?"
"What are you doing here?" He asks, still surprised she's mixed up in all this.
Immediately she points to the three older teens, "ask them, it's their fault."
"True. Yeah… it's absolutely our fault."
I raise my eyebrows at Steve, who stands next to his co-worker, "you thought involving another kid was the answer to the transmission?" He takes a good look at my face now that we're closer, eyes lingering on the bandaged appendage.
"We needed someone small enough to go in the vent… also I don't understand what happened to that car." Robin says, before he can say anything about my injuries.
"El has superpowers." Dustin answers easily for everyone, motioning to my little sister who's being held up by Mike still.
"I'm sorry?"
"Superpowers. She threw it with her mind." Steve explained. "C'mon, catch up." He tells Buckley.
Erica motions to Eleven, "that's El?"
"It sure is." Daring tells her.
"So, you guys cracked the code?"
Steve nods, "Robin did."
"So it was the Russians and they have a base here, at the mall, right?" Wanting to know if I'm right.
"Yep. There's an elevator that drops you hundreds of feet down. It's freaking insane." The curly haired teen confirms. He and the others begin to tell us what went on down there, but instead of listening, I catch sight of El wandering away and follow her to check in, noticing the girl cover her ears in distress.
"Sis?" Barely reaching out on time to catch her as she falls, the both of us crashing to the floor. My back and ribs too sore, unable to bare her weight on top of my own, shit. "Eleven? El?" Forcing myself to push through the pain and shifting to turn her face to mine, "Sis, talk to me."
"My leg." She groans, "my leg big Sis." Again, I shift, wincing in removing her bandage, the wound gaping and repulsive. Fuck, fuck. Things suddenly get worst as something slithers under her skin, making all of us gasp in shock.
"What the fuck is that." Dustin asks what we're all wondering, my stomach churning uncomfortably as the thing wiggles inside her another time. Eleven screams in pain, Mike doing his best to soothe her, but I'm doubtful anything other than removing whatever's in there will help.
I take a deep breath, gathering my wits to figure out the next step from here. "Okay… okay," turning to Jon, "-I need to you find me a knife, burn it to kill any germs… rubber gloves and something for El to bite on too."
Jonathan quickly gets to his feet, "I'll be back in two minutes." The Byers teen jogging off to get the items.
"Sis." My voice bringing her gaze to mine, "I'm going to help, but it's going to hurt so fucking bad, so I'm apologizing now, okay? I'm sorry. So, so, so sorry for what's about to happen," squeezing her hands and nodding to Mike and Max, "I need you two to be her support. She's going to need it more than ever."
Little Red takes one of Elevens hands from me, "you got this El."
"Keep her talking, keep her awake. No matter what, she cannot pass out." Mike seems to understand the seriousness in my tone, the lanky teen sliding Elevens upper body into his lap to brace her.
"You know, it's not that bad…" Robin starts rambling nervously, "the goalie on my soccer team, Beth Wildfire, this other girl slid into her leg and like her whole bone came out of her knee." Not helping.
"Robin, you're not helping." Steve stating my exact thought, making me chuckle, even if this is the most stressful situation, I've ever been in. I'll take a steel stool to my back over this shit any day, breathing deeply and trying steady the hands I'll be using any minute from now to cut into El's leg. A hand settles on my back, a small action made to comfort me that works right away. I relish in the warmth it offers, brown spheres opening to find the guy who holds my heart hovering.
"Steve… thank you." All shaking gone just in time for Jonathan to return, where he sits on the other side of El, passing me gloves first and then the knife when I'm ready.
J turns to her next, holding out a wooden spatula, "you're going to want to bite on this..."
"Jesus Christ." Dustin says.
I shoot him a look, before gazing at Eleven, "you need to stay as still as possible Lil Sis."
"Okay." She says, but it comes out as a whimper. Oh Eleven...
"Holy shit. Holy shit." Daring can't help himself as I positioned the utensil to my little sibling's leg…
"Do it." Mike says, his arms wrapped around her.
With a last another glance at Steve and then Eleven, the sharp steel pierces flesh, bringing a scream to her lips, muffled by the spoon. The knife cuts easily, almost making me gag, but I keep it together for her and finishing slicing a large enough hole to fit my fingers in. Everyone is on edge, trying to keep their composures as the teenage girl sobs, hand lowering the weapon and glancing at El who's doing amazing considering this entire situation. Ugh, can I even do this?
I have to, "I'm sorry for this Sis," tears forming at the corner of my eyes as I slip my fingers into the bite wound in search of the living thing.
Eleven's yelling intensifies, pain and absolute discomfort evident, until finally having enough and spitting the spoon out. "Please stop. Stop it Danny-bear." That's all she needs to say for me to back off, hands raised away from her leg. "I can do it," pushing herself into sitting position and lifting her hand out towards the cut. With eyes closed, she focuses of extracting whatever is in her leg, but it seems to clamp on tightly to her, forcing the supernatural girl to amp up her power. Everything shakes and trembles around us, the glass window of Scoops shattering as El wails, rapidly succeeding in ripping the teething worm from herself and launching it across the room, where it slides and begins to scurry off.
It is at that exact moment Jim Hopper grandly appears, crushing it, with Joyce and Murray Bauman coming to a stop behind him. Finally, a slight sigh of relief escaping me, hopefully Hop can call in a Calvary. A little help from Steve gets me to my feet, and it also gives me a chance to shoot him a small smile, "everything is shit right now, but I'm glad you're alive." Around us, the group moves to meet up with the newcomers, while we stare at each other.
"Here I was thinking I had it bad with the Russians, but dammit Danny, the hell happened to your face? And why are you moving like you got hit by a car?"
He noticed, "do you want a list for the face part?" Joking of course, unfortunately not getting the reaction I wanted. "If I had been hit by a car, I doubt I'd be moving at all."
"You're not answering my questions as usual. You always do that... joke to change the subject."
"I just think we can wait to go over our near-death experiences later. All I really want to do right now is kiss you and thank whatever God there is, that you escaped serious torture and death by Russian invaders… how the hell did you and Robin get out of the binds and escape anyway? Did Dustin save you guys?"
"Wait… how do you know that?"
"I've been trying to find you guys for the last two days... I came by the mall the other night and your car was here, but you guys weren't. After more radio silence, Eleven used her power to find you guys."
"She can do that?"
"Yeah… there's actually a long story behind it all, but basically as long as she has a picture or knows what you look like, she can spy on you."
Steve appears completely flabbergasted, "so she can look in on what someone's doing at any time?"
"Yup… anyway, she checked in a couple of times, first finding you in an elevator all together, then a steel corridor and so forth. We never could figure out exactly where you were."
My love processes the wild information, taking it in stride, "so she can hear everything being said too?"
I nod, "the last thing she told me was that you were bloody and tied up to a chair with Robin in a metal room… after that, we got caught up with the Mindflayer, until Dustin radioed in, which is when she found him at the theater, which is what lead us here in time for her to save you guys."
"Shit… what would we do without her, huh?"
A genuine laugh leaves my lips, "I've asked myself that a lot lately… Steve?"
"Yeah Danny?"
"You going to kiss me or leave me hanging?" The brunet chuckles and closes the space between us, about to duck down to meet my mouth when Hopper interrupts.
"Danielle, get over here!"
"Leave you hanging it is." Steve mutters and I snort.
"To be continued?" Locking eyes with him as we shuffle towards everyone.
He sighs, "do we have a choice?"
"Afraid not, Sugar."
The petname brings a smirk to his mouth, "say that again." I giggle, about to comply when the Chief clears his throat loudly. Right, turning from Steve and meeting the older man's eyes as he sits next to my little sister who leans into him.
"I want to say you get use to that, but you don't. It's pretty annoying." Dustin quipped, "they get all mushy without noticing." At that I lightly smack him in the back of the head while scooting past him to sit beside Hop. "Shit, was that necessary?"
"Lucky that's all you got." Steve says backing me up and winking when he catches my gaze.
"Anyway, as I was saying," Mike speaks up, "-the Mindlfayer built this monster in Hawkins, to stop El, to kill her and pave a way into our world."
Nancy picks up where he stopped, "it almost did. That was just one tiny piece of it."
Hopper shifts to me, "how big is this thing?"
"Big… thirty feet tall at least. Ugly as hell, with teeth and tentacles." Picturing it's disgusting and deformed flesh, grimacing now.
"Yeah… it sort of destroyed your cabin." Lucas tells the Chief. Right… forgot about that. "-sorry." A half-heartedly made apology by him to the cop.
"Okay... so just to be clear, this big fleshy spider thing that hurt El, it's some kind of gigantic… weapon?" My crush queried slowly.
Nancy nods, "yes."
"But instead of screws and metal, this Mindflayer made this weapon with melted people?" Robin asks in clarification.
"What?" The twist of info shocking Steve. "This monster is made from people?" His eyes sliding from Robin to Nancy and then to myself.
"Uh, huh… we're not sure how many people have been absorbed into it, but yeah... screwed up, right?" He doesn't know what to say, frowning rather than replying.
"Are we sure this thing is still out there? Still alive?" Joyce inquiries from the other side of Eleven.
Max the one to answer her, "El beat the shit out of is, but yeah, it's still alive."
"But if we close the gate again-"
"-we cut the brain off from the body." She continued for Will.
"-and kill it…" Lucas finishing in saying what we all know, "theoretically."
"Yooo-hooo!" Murray Bowman hollered, jean-short clad legs racing our way as he waves papers around in the air. I forgot he was here. At his arrival, he waves Jim over while laying the loose-leaf papers on a table. I follow the Chief, leaning over to get a glimpse at a sketched blueprint, Joyce joining us too. "Okay, this is what Alexei called the hub. Now the hub takes us to the vault room."
"Okay, where's the gate?" Hop wanting to get straight to the point.
The investigator points at a room on the map, "right here… I don't know the scale on this, but I think it's fairly close to the vault room… maybe fifty feet or so."
"More like 500." Erica corrects, strolling closer and raising an eyebrow sassily at Murray, "what, you're just gonna waltz in there like it's commie Disneyland or something?" A laugh bubbles from my chest while Hopper's eyes widen, completely lost on what to do.
Bauman on the other hand, gives the ten-year old a blank expression, "I'm sorry, who are you?"
"Erica Sinclair. Who are you?" Damn this girl has got fire… she'd make an excellent addition to the party.
"Murray… Bauman," absolutely flabbergasted this kid is giving him lip.
"Listen Mr. Bunman." I snort. "-I'm not trying tell you how to do things, but I've been down in that shithole for 24 hours." Looking to the rest of us now, "with all due respect, you do what this man tells you, you're all gonna die."
He scoffs, "I'm sorry, why is this four-year old speaking to me?" Weak insult buddy.
"Um, I'm ten, you bald bastard." This time I turned away to hide my loud snicker while Lucas berates his younger sibling. "Just the facts." She tells him, which technically isn't wrong. Upon returning sight to them, I catch Steve's eyes, an automatic smile tugging at my lips when he shakes his head at my previous actions. Always find laughter in the worst time, it shows there's a little light left in the world… as long as it's not at anyone's expense, Dad ingrained that in me. Or he tried to, I still fail more than I'd like to admit out loud.
Dustin steps forward, drawing my attention from the good looking brunet, "she's right. You're all gonna die, but you don't have to." He says, pushing past the youngest and stopping in front of the paranoid forty-year-old. "Sorry, may I?" Reaching for the maps.
"Please." Murray allows it, Daring taking the sheets and sitting at a table with Erica.
The teen pointing to the sketch and looking up at the Chief, "okay, you see this room here? It's a storage facility," circling a room on the sheet. "There's a hatch in here that feeds into their underground ventilation system," drawing a path to another point on the map, "that will lead you to the base of the weapon. It's a bit of a maze down there, but between me and Erica, we can show you the way."
"You can show us the way?" Hopper's evident displeasure about that idea written on his face.
Dustin raises his hand all non-chalant, "don't worry. Your guys can do all the fighting and the dangerous hero shit, and we'll just be your… navigators." Yeah, right Daring.
"No." Hop says. Told you. "Nope." shaking his head this time and ending it there, trudging away towards one of the Russian bodies, where he begins to remove the automatic weapon from it.
"You really believed he'd let you guys go back in there?" Shooting the curly haired teen a look of utter astonishment. "Hop won't risk any more lives. Not if he can help it D," leaving on that and trekking over to the Chief of police. "We need to get Eleven out of here," stating the biggest concern and glancing at the girl I'm worried about.
Hopper agrees immediately, "that's the plan kid. Bauman and I will deal with the weapon, you get Jane out of Hawkins. Bring her to Murray's."
"Okay, that's feasible… but you going blind, isn't."
"It's not ideal, but what choice do I have?"
"Only one. Grab all the Russians radios, we're going to need them." The two of us doing so before walking up to the original party. "Hey, D, heads up," tossing him the walkie and coming to a stop by Erica. "You can navigate from Cerebro. You'll be away from danger there too."
The Henderson teen snaps his fingers, "knew Science camp would pay off in the long run."
"What the hell would the world do without nerds, am I right?"
He grins widely, "pretty much go to shit at this rate."
"Newby." Hop says reminding me about our serious predicament.
"You want us to navigate, no problem," Dustin tells the older man, "-but we need a head start… and a car."
The Chief of police purses his lips, but ultimately has no choice but to give up the keys to his ride, handing them to me. Wait... those aren't for the truck. "Get going now, 14.158 for frequency. The rest of you will be going to Murray's in Illinois, so let's get to it."
On that order, everyone begins to disperse and prepare for departure, myself shuffling towards Steve who stands with Robin. "Think you can handle another few hours babysitting?" Lifting the keys and jingling them at my crush, "comes with a really cool ride. James Bond kind of stuff."
"Let me guess, you're not coming with us?"
I shake my head, surprisingly unable to muster a smile for him, "El needs me… this one's up to you Daddy Steve."
The nickname working to achieve what I couldn't, a grin pulling on his mouth now, "to be continued?" he asked as Robin repeats the name under her breath with a laugh.
"No," my answer catching him off guard.
"What?"
"Robin?" Attention shifting to her and waiting for the girl to look at me.
"Yeah?"
"I'm usually not so forward when it comes to PDA, but in ten seconds I'm going to kiss Steve. I'm giving you the chance to hightail it out of here."
"Duly noted. I'll be with the kiddos," half saluting and half waving as she moved towards the party, who're talking at the center of the court.
When my eyes land on Steve again, he's closer than a few moments ago, needing to tilt my head back to meet his dark brown orbs, "not much else to say… other than be careful, Sugar." Up close like this his black eye looks worst and split lip is slightly swollen, "no more hits to the face, promise?"
I feel his chest vibrate as he hummed, peering down at me, "can you promise the same?"
"With my crap luck in the last couple of days, probably not. How about we just promise to get back to one another as soon as possible?"
"That I can do…" trailing off as he leans down, a hand resting on my neck and the other wrapping around my waist, pulling me into him. Familiar warmth resonates through every cold corner of my body and easily I give in, forgetting about the current chaos. Our mouths seemingly fitting together, tongues twisting perfectly and melting into the motion. In his taste I get lost, entirely intoxicated by how incredible he is at kissing and the number of feelings it dredges up inside of me; love, excitement, comfort, tenderness, lust… a deep craving that has me questioning if I'll ever be able to satisfy it.
Pity this must come to an end, the sad thought occurring just as he pulls away from me, both of us taking a second to catch our breaths while resting foreheads together. "Come find me when this is all over Steve Harrington… I'm done wasting time running around. You and me, we're official from here on out, okay?"
"Are you asking me to be your boyfriend Danielle Newby?"
I chuckled, stepping back a little, even if I don't want to, "I am. Well, if was more of a statement, but yeah, I'm yours if you'll have me," wholeheartedly meaning it.
A genuine laugh springs from his chest as he closes the space again, this time putting both hands on my face and holding eye contact steadily. "You and me, babe," planting a much slower and sweeter kiss on my lips.
Unfortunately, our little moment is ruined when Dustin groans, "are you two done yet? The world is literally at stake right now." He's got a point, forcing myself to let go of Steve and squeezing his hand, releasing it to join Eleven. "Scoop Troops, let's head out." The four of them looking at us a last time, soon making their way for the front entrance to head for Weathertop.
"They'll be alright. Priority is to get you guys somewhere safe." Hopper says, putting a hand on mine and El's shoulder and guiding us to sit down for a moment.
"My battery is low… but it will recharge." My little sibling tells us.
Jim tucks her into his side, "I know if will, Kid."
"I can fight," her tone serious.
"Better than any of us."
"Without a doubt," chiming in with Hop.
"-but right now, I need you safe… this thing is after you. It's not after me. Do you understand?" The father pushing El's hair from her face and getting her to look at him. "I need you to understand." She's nods, finally accepting what he's saying.
"Hey. We should probably go." Mike cutting in, making The Chief sigh, until Eleven hugs him eagerly for a few seconds, both releasing one another with a smile. The lanky teen then stepping in to help the girl from her perch and guiding her towards the others with Max's aid.
Hopper calls out the Wheeler boy, who spins around to look at the cop, "be careful," entrusting him with his daughter's safety. The boy nodding and turning to help Max with El again. The party presently climbing the shutdown escalator while I turned to the older man, giving him an encouraging grin, "try not to get caught by the Russians, okay? If anyone can bullshit their way through a commie base, it's you Chief."
He laughs and shakes his head at me, "let's hope you're right about that kid… keep Jane safe, I'll see you on the other side." At that we hugged, myself mumbling a promise to ensure Eleven's safety and saluting as I backed away, quickly catching up to the others.
Together, the eight of us journey through the silent mall to the front doors, where we exit the empty mall for the Wagon. In doing so, I open the hatch for El, Mike going in first and letting her lay on his lap, myself climbing in last and closing up. When everyone's inside, Nancy turns the key, ignition rumbling, yet not starting. She tries again, becoming frustrated, "are you serious? Come on!" Continuing to try, but only getting more spluttering.
"Didn't your mom just buy this car?" Lucky asks.
"Yes! I'm sure it's fine," another try, only to fail again.
"Did you leave the lights on?" Will inquires.
"No!"
"Do we have gas?"
"Yes!" The petit brunette getting mad and holding the key, engine groaning in displeasure.
Jonathan reaches out to stop his girlfriend, "whoa, whoa. Just stop it and pop the hood." The couple leaving the vehicle to check out the problem. While doing it, a familiar engine revs and I search the parking for the blue Camaro, finding it right away. Fuck, not now.
BANG, "back in the mall!" Nancy hands smacking on the window and pulling open the hatch for us.
"Be careful." Mike tells me as I helped my little sister from the car, the brunet exiting and taking Eleven's other side until were safely in the shopping center.
"Lil Red, take my place." Max quickly listening and wrapping the injured teens arm around her shoulders. Free from holding El, I quickly dig through my satchel for the radio and turning it on, "Scoops Troop, do you copy?" Nothing. "Hopper, do you copy?" Still nothing. What's the fucking point of walkies if you only have them turned on when convenient? "UGH!"
Nancy slows down a few steps to walk beside me, "they aren't answering?"
"Not currently… they probably haven't made it to Weathertop yet and the Chief must already be in the elevator. We'll have to try again in a couple minutes." For now, "let's go back to the food court, it's a good base. We'll be able to see Billy coming from every direction and there's plenty of escape routes."
"Okay... okay. How far is this place from here?"
I think about it for a moment, "fifteen minutes, give or take."
"So, they should almost be there. We only need to hold out for half hour… hopefully." The Wheeler girl muttering the last part. Hopefully, my fingers tapping the communication device and left hand reaching back for the gun hidden there. I really don't want to shoot Billy Hargrove again… please don't let it come to that.
Upon arriving to the center of the mall, I return to calling for help, static still the only thing coming through after another ten minutes. "Goddammit," giving up and helping the others in trying to flip the car, straining to turn it over and failing as it hardly budged
"Let me try." Eleven offers.
Mike sighs, "El…"
"I can do it." None of us want to refuse her, all moving around and away as she limped closer while raising her land. We stand behind her as the car starts to creak as she focuses in moving it with her mind… only to give out as exhaustion overwhelms her. Shit. Max, Mike and I scamper forward to ensure she doesn't fall, the supernatural teen lowering her head in discouragement, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sis. You've done enough, let us handle this," resting my hand on her shoulder and motioning to a bench. "Rest. I know exactly how we'll do this."
"Physics," Mike says already knowing my train of thought.
I nod, "we need to find things to use as leverage."
"Easy enough, we're in a mall," he points out while bringing Eleven to a bench with the Redhead, "we got this El."
Max agrees, "we'll be out of here in no time." When I told them to be her support, they really took the job seriously… actually I think they'd both be like this without asking anyway.
Again, we gather with the rest of the party and explain our next step, every member scattering to find strong enough items to push under the car to maneuver it using all our bodyweights. Soon enough, that's happening, car groaning as we forced it to roll back go its tires with steel dividers for line ups and block offs. "Physics." Mike chimes as we climbed down to get what we need, myself automatically strolling around the convertible to its driver side.
I lean over the door to pull the latch under the steering wheel, hood clicking open just as Nancy asks, "how do we get it open?"
"Just like that," Jon says, meeting my eyes and nodding.
"What is she doing?" Lil Red voices behind me, so I glance over to see Eleven digging through a trash bin. Both Max and Mike leaving the rest of us to inquire about the supernatural teen's actions. I let them be, deciding to focus on getting everyone out of here.
"You got the wire?" Moving to join the couple as Jonathan is in the process of removing it. "Good, we need to leave as soon as possible. We've already been here too long." The second those words leave my mouth, a pounding sound echoes around us. The slight shaking of glass above drawing attention above, where a shadow creeps along ominously. Too late, skylight cracking as the weight bears down upon it, Mike's shout for his sister ringing out as the glass ceiling starts to in.
The distinctive growling of the Mindflayer is eerie as we all move faster than ever before, diving behind the car for cover just when the roof shatters, giant monster raining down and crashing to the floor with a shriek. Inside, my heart beats erratically knowing my gun will be no help here… not to mention Eleven is on the other side of the mall, where I can't be any help to her. FUCK, taste of copper filling on my tongue as the bad habit I thought I rid myself of months ago returns, bottom lip between teeth as panic settles in. As that happens, one of the walkies go off, Dustin's voice sounding through, creature seeking out its noise and smashing it onto the ground with a roar. Still, Daring questions our safety, radio surviving, but none of us either able to respond as IT stomps around in search of El.
Beside me, Will pants hard, eyes closed tightly in fear, so instead of focusing on my own fright, I grab his hand in comfort and squeeze it. You're not alone, I'm here kid, hoping to convey the message as his brown orbs meet mine. A crash and small yelp rips my gaze from the younger teens, ELEVEN! Automatically shifting into fight mode and getting to my knees to peek over the car, needing to access the situation and find a way to get everyone out of here alive. The giant fleshy creature's back is turned to us while it snarls, body crashing into the Gap where it hovers, tentacles slithering from it to slide into the store.
What can I do?
How can I help them?
Vision scanning the area for ideas, Lucas having the same plan as he stands with his slingshot, aiming at the Mind flayer, but changing trajectory last second to bust a balloon. Immediately, that grabs the Mindflayers attention, a loud shriek echoing as it frantically attacks the spot where Lucky shot, allowing us the opportunity to escape through the shop unnoticed and into the back hallway up the stairway. My thoughts linger on Eleven as we run through the corridor, praying her Mike and Max got out of there unscathed too.
"Go, go, go." Jon shouts when we get outside, motioning for us to get into the vehicle while he runs to the hood to install the missing piece.
Like earlier, Billy's blue Camaro revs, the Hargrove boy still parked in wait for us. "Get in and get the car started," I tell Nancy, retrieving my gun and bringing it out in front of me. The Wheeler girl nods, slipping past me into the wagon as Jon finished up and joined her. More revving ensues as I raised the weapon, aiming for the driver, our ride spluttering in protest behind me as the screeching of tires brings on my first shot, Camaro inching closer by the second. Even after emptying the cartridge, nothing stops its impeding force, so I shut my eyes in resignation, pain and likely death only a couple moments away. What a shit way to die.
CRASH! Naturally snapping back up at the loud clash of metal and taking in the scene; Steve and Robin sit frozen in shock, a totaled yellow convertible hissing smoke that rises into the dark sky, time almost coming to a pause. I'm alive? Steve saved me… gaze finding his, relief flooding throughout every inch of me. Of course, before I can really catch my breath, screeching and growls fill the quiet night, Mindflayer crawling overtop of the mall and making its appearance for a third time this evening. For fuck sakes, quickly tucking the gun away again and ripping open the car door to get inside. "Come on," yelling at the pair of ice-cream slingers to move it. Gawking at the monster won't keep us alive.
Nancy honks as she spins the car around once I'm sitting, tail end coming to a halt beside Steve and Robin who rapidly hopped in too, Wheeler girl stepping on the gas and peeling out of the parking lot as the thirty-foot other worldly beast stays on our ass. "Holy shit! That thing is really made from people?" Buckley asked as it trails us relentlessly, all heads turned to watch in astonishment, other than the driver who keeps her focus on out running the large foe.
"Along with a shit load of chemicals." Lucas replies to Robin's question.
"God dammit. I didn't really believe how big it was… shit. Shit," my love running a hand through his hair stressfully.
Suddenly, the radio goes off, "Dusty-bun, you copy?" Suzy?
"I copy, Suzie-poo." Daring's voice coming through now. "It sounds much better now, thanks."
The pair in the box glance to each other, "Suzy."
"Ok, so listen. Do you know Planck's constant?" 6.62607004.
"Do you know the Earth orbits the sun?"
Dustin snickers, "okay, so I know it starts with two sixes, and then a… what is it?"
"Okay. Just let me be clear on this. I haven't heard from you in a week, and now you want a mathematical equation that you should know… so you can save the world?" Basically. Sounds dramatic and far too over written when you say it out loud.
"I will make it up to you as soon as possible?"
"You can make it up to me now."
"What?"
"I want to hear it." I giggle at that, knowing where this is going. Steve tilts his head to look at me, and somehow, during this completely insane situation, locking gazes brings a small smile to my lips while shooting him a playful wink. It earns a lop-sided grin, which eases a smidgen of fear and stress. Only a little though.
"-not right now."
"Yes, now Dusty-bun."
"Suzie-poo, this is urgent." I'm lost… does he need this number to save the world?
"Yes, yes, you're saving the world, I heard you the first time, but Ged is saving Earthsea and he's about to confront the shadow, so this is Suzie, signing off."
"Wait, wait, wait. Okay!" God, this is going to be priceless. Dustin Henderson begins to sing Camp Knowhere's theme song, his voice echoing throughout the car, and I can't help the wide smile that forms on my face. I'm glad I held out on saying anything about Planck's Constant, a quiet laugh leaving me when noticing Steve's expression, which is shock and utter embarrassment. Robin's face also showing the same feelings.
Unable to miss out in joining the fun, I start singing the words under my breath, Will shifting to me and shaking his head, "not you too Danny-bear."
"It's a catchy tune."
"I'm going to hold this against him forever," Lucky says from next to the Byers boy.
I laughed, "admit it, they vocalize excellently together. I heard a couple that sings together, stays together."
The brunet I'm so fond of instantly calls me out, "you're making that up, not a single person in history has said that."
"Technically I did, just now."
"Touché," Robin comments perfectly.
Soon, the couples singing comes to an end, "Planck's constant is 6.62607004," Suzy says, giving him what he required, price paid in song and years of ridicule.
"You just saved the world." She did more than that; we needed a lighthearted moment in all this devastation and potential death.
"Gosh, I miss you Dusty-bun."
"And I miss you more, Suzie-poo."
"I miss you more, multiplied by all the stars in the galaxy."
"No, I miss you, -" the curly haired teen cutting out there.
"To think he had the nerve to comment about us, huh?" remark directed at Steve.
He chuckles, "no kidding. What the hell was that?"
"Frankly there's no good answer to that question… it just was, what it was."
Robin agrees, "let's just leave it at that."
"It's turning around!" What? Refocusing out the window and seeing that Steve is right, the Mindflayers creature disappearing from vision as it backtracked. What could possibly distract him?
Eleven, "Nancy, we need to get back to the mall right away!"
"I'm on it," car tires squealing as the petit brunette twists the steering wheel in a 360, vehicle spinning around and taking off to catch up to the enemy. Eleven, please, please be okay.
How the hell did I forget about her?
What if Billy got her?
Max and Mike are no match for him, and without powers neither is Eleven.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
To prepare myself for what's to come, I reach under the seat to pull out the Remington and its box of shells, reloading 4 into the chamber and propping it up next to me. "She's okay… she's got to be okay, right?" Glancing around for any of them to reassure me.
"She's got her powers, she can handle that thing, like you said she did earlier."
"That's the thing, Sugar… Eleven is exhausted and injured to boot after everything. Since her heroic moment with you guys and the car earlier, she hasn't been able to use it."
His expression goes blank, "you're kidding."
Lucas shakes his head, "she's not."
"She's been in and out of the shadowland all week besides." Will points out.
"Shadowland?"
I nod at Robin, "it's kind of a mind space, realm of shadows sort of deal. Within it, Eleven can search for people and spy on them, even look through their memories."
"That's incredible."
Steve's brows furrow, "since when could she do the memory thing?"
"She did it once last year and gave it another attempt with Billy... though it did lead the Mindflayer to us," Lucas noting the serious flaw.
"Side note, what's with all the fireworks?" Another question from my love, who reminds me of our load of illegal transactions.
It's like Lucas and I have the exact same thought, both of us turning to each other with excitement and stating, "THE FIREWORKS!"
"I have the lighters," reaching into the door and opening the package of Bic's. "Take one each, then when we get to the mall, we're going to need to find baskets or bins. We'll load those up and light that bastard to hell. It's our only chance to get Eleven, Max and Mike out of there."
"We need to cut some of these detonators shorter. We don't have the luxury of time with this thing." Lucky suggests, an excellent idea.
Before I can even say anything, Jon stretches his arm out to me, pocketknife in hand and knowing look on his face, "this is what you were going to ask for, right?"
I take it without hesitation, passing it to the back, "I figured you'd have it on you… old habits die hard, huh?"
"It's what's been keeping us alive at this point."
"You're not wrong."
"We're almost back, less than five minutes… I can see the Mindflayer up ahead, he hasn't made it there yet," Nancy says, foot pressing the gas harder, car picking up speed, Starcourts lights in the near distance. The Wheeler girls are the last words until arriving at the mall, where she rides the curb and slams on the breaks, tires grinding as we stopped rapidly. "Sorry," she mutters getting out, everyone copying her actions in a rush.
Outside of the car I remove my bag and pull out a box of pistol magazines, now reloading the small gun and tucking it at my waist again while Jon takes off for the mall's doors, Will on his heels. It only takes them half a minute to return with a few items to throw the fireworks in, the rest of the party loading up equal shares to toss at the monster. Already knowing my path leads elsewhere, I don't both getting my own basket ready, instead taking the shot gun and shuffling to the others at the hatch. "I'm going to go through the service halls, you guys stick to the original plan and hit from above."
Unsurprisingly, Steve falters, now looking up me, "what?"
"My instinct is telling me I'm needed more on the ground floor."
"-but"
"Steve.. trust me," my tone leaves him silent, yet his eyes show obvious discontent. "Aim smart," a final note for the entire party as I jogged away and towards the back gates, passing both totaled vehicles, finding no sign of Billy. Dammit, legs protesting as I forced them faster, hand pulling open the service door half a minute later, continuing to run down the empty back corridors, shot gun pointed down in front of me.
By the time I make it closer to the center of the mall, fireworks are going off in the distance, loud explosions and whirring noises easily distinguishable through walls. Upon turning the next corner, Max's unmoving body lays ahead of me. When reaching her, I kneel and lay the gun down, fingers touching at her throat for a pulse, finding one immediately. "Max?" Lightly shaking her shoulder a few times, the red headed teen coming to wearily.
"Danny?"
"Where's Eleven?"
Lil Red slowly glances around trying to gain her thoughts, eyes widening, "Billy!" That's all I need to hear, getting back to my feet with the 870 and rapidly continuing forward, almost tripping over Mike who's also unconscious on the floor.
Shit, barely catching myself and shifting to Max, "get him and catch up." Again, more non-stop running until coming to Scoops Ahoys back door and whipping it open, dodging through the backroom all the way to its opened gateway. FUCK, my stomach drops and heart skips, wide gaze zeroing in on the terrified teenage girl who looks up fearfully at the monstrous fleshy, tentacled, spider-limb creature that hovers, drooling and roaring… her defense is the Mindflayed mullet-haired teenager that stands between life and death. Thousands of teeth bared as its mouths opens with a mighty screech, another tongue like limb slithering from its throat and bearing down at El in-record speed.
I don't get a chance to lift my weapon up to protect Enchantress, however, something completely unexpected happens; Billy Hargrove dives to block the fleshy snake, hands grasping its mouthy head and holding it at bay with a yell. Eleven takes this time to scoot backwards on the floor, working on getting herself to safety, which is when I snapped into action, finger flicking the safety off just as Mike and Max come to a top behind me.
"I'm about to give you guys a chance to get her out of there. Don't hesitate," on that order I pumped my first shell into the barrel and raise the 870, bracing against my shoulder to aim and steady it, feet taking me close enough to shoot. With a deep breath, I unload all four shots into its large face and reload in rhythm without fear. Even when more tentacles emerge from its body in my peripherals, I focus on slipping the last shell in and pumping once more when pointing the ugly monster. "NOW!" Its attention focused on Billy and me, who have both come in the middle of its real target, my four rounds piercing flesh, yet not doing any real damage. That was never really the point anyway.
"DANNY!" Steve's voice easily coming through all the chaos, obvious warning in his tone and then a shocking pain bites into my thigh, one of the wormlike limbs gripping and wrapping around me. Dropping the Remington, I pulled out my handgun next, but lose the opportunity to get a shot as I'm pulled off my feet. "Oomph," chest hitting the floor momentarily and then lifted into the air upside down, leaving me a little disorientated.
Still, I'm able to catch a glimpse of Billy, who's about to me mauled by multiple tentacles as I'm raised a little higher, creature turning its main head to me and shrieking, before flinging me away like nothing. I hear a few more calls of my name as everything by passes me in a colorful blur, back impacting hard, shattering ringing out as breath is knocked out of my lungs for a fifth time this week... everything going black after that, my last thoughts on Eleven and Billy Hargrove.
Third POV:
The Party watches helplessly as Billy Hargrove is attacked by ten different Mindflayer tentacles, black blood seeping from his mouth as he's raised up to stare the creature straight on, suspended in place as it roars intensely. The teenager doesn't flinch, instead yelling back in battle, grunting as he's stabbed center chest by its main wormed tongue, the final hit being what it takes to silence him, monster releasing the teens body and standing at full height. Just when its about to continuing its pillaging, it starts to squeal and flail, large limbs smashing into a few walls and pillars, ultimately coming to its end, falling to the floor in an unmoving help.
Maxine let's go of Eleven, leaving the injured girl Mike and rushing to her dying brother's side, "Billy? Billy?" His beathing erratic and chest pumping to keep him alive. "Get up. Please, please, please get up Billy." Her pleas falling on deaf ears, as he coughs, more blooding leaking from his mouth.
"I'm sorry…" Those end up being the stepbrothers last words, a last exhale leaving him as his sister sobs and shakes his shoulders.
"Billy, wake up. Billy, please, get up," with no response, the Redhead cracks, a deep cry escaping her chest as she lowers her head. No stranger to loss, Eleven lowers herself next to Max and comforts the devastated girl.
Meanwhile, Steve Harrington takes two steps at a time down the escalator forgetting about everything and anyone else as he runs past the large dead monster and straight for the Gap. The large main window is scattered along the floor, making it easy for him to hop inside and jog over to the unmoving body a few meters in. "Shit. Danny?" The brunet sliding to a stop beside her, dropping to his knees to hover over his girlfriend, "come on baby, you're okay," gently cupping the blonde's chin and turning it to him. "Danny, hey. Danny, come on," his fingers lightly tapping her cheek, earning a flinch and groan from the unconscious deputy. Thank god, releasing a sigh of relief passing as he shifts to lay Danielle Newby's head on his lap, crackling of glass under feet alerting him to others' presence.
"Is she okay?'' Robin Buckley asks, maneuvering around mannequins and shelves of clothes tipped over in a mess, stopping beside her friend and sitting cross-legged, ignoring the glass poking into her thighs.
"I think so," blonde breathing normally from what he can tell, just out cold currently.
More footsteps sound, multiple this time as Nancy, the Byers, Mike and Eleven appearing, the last limping over to her sister and slowly lowering down, "Big Sis?"
"She hasn't woken up yet?" Nancy inquires, doing the same as the supernatural girl and taking Danny's hand. Steve shakes his head, worry evident as he rests a hand on her head, the other running through his own hair in stress. "She'll be okay… but with everything, I think it's important for her to get medical attention."
"So, we should call an ambulance?"
"You won't have to." Lucas says from the broken window, soldiers dressed to the nines in full gear crossing into the party's line of sight, weapons pointed at the deceased creature center of the court. Two of them branch off, one coming to a stop by Max and her brother's body, the other towards everyone else, nodding as he enters the Gap to scope out the situation.
"You kids, okay?"
"Our friend needs a paramedic," Jonathan tells him.
The soldier nods, "on the way already. Some of you should meet them out front, inform them to bring a stretcher for her."
Danny POV.
Muffled voices pull me from the darkness and warmth on both sides of me eases the panic attack that's slowly coming on due to confusion, what happened? The question repeating itself until recent memories resurfaced; Billy being attacked for defending Eleven. I want to sit up and find her, but every muscle protests, fogginess still amid clearing, however having enough strength to peak an eye open and finding the blurry form of the girl I'm stressing about right beside me. She's okay.
"-paramedic." J's familiar tone clear now.
"On the way already. Some of you should meet them out front, inform them to bring a stretcher for her." An unrecognizable one says. They're talking about me…
"That won't be necessary." My words coming out in a breathy whisper, multiples gasps igniting at once.
"Big sis!"
With a groan, I push onto my elbows, shoulder blades painfully abiding, "hey, hey, hey. Not so fast babe." Steve? A couple more blinks wipe away the remaining haze, head tilting back to find my love's face above mine.
"Hi."
He chuckles, "hi?"
"Sorry… I'm not functioning at 100% right now, try again later."
A few laughs echo around us, reminding me that we're currently not alone and things are a chaotic mess, "if she's joking around like normal, she's fine." Jon says.
"Are you Danny-bear?" Will asked, my eyes landing on the younger Byers.
"Just a few scrapes and bruises, nothing I can't handle."
Steve scoffs, "bullshit. You were thrown twenty feet through a glass window. You're lucky to be alive."
"Not to mention the bleeding bite would on your leg. It's soaked through your pants." Nancy chimed in, showing us her hand covered in blood from my thigh, "let's get going, it's going to take longer with you and El limping out of here."
Agreeing, I make a move to stand, but am stopped by my boyfriend, still feeling strange referring to him as that, in a good way though. "How about a piggyback?" He offered, motioning for me to climb onto him.
Nancy laughs, "good luck with that. Danny doesn't like anyone being in control other than her."
"What? That's not true."
"It is," J backing his girlfriend. "She hates when other people drive, prefers taking charge for things to go her own way and would rather crawl than be carried or pushed around in a wheelchair."
Why do I feel so attacked right now?
"She lets me drive all the time." Steve remarked, raising an eyebrow at the older Byers.
"Yeah, but you're the exception." Jon adds, Nancy and Will nodding.
"So…" My love trailing off to look at me again, "that means you won't refuse."
I glower at the slightly younger couple for throwing me under the bus, before sighing and shifting to get onto Steve's back. "Try not to grab the wound," wincing as putting weight on my leg hurts, yet not nearly as much as my back and ribs, which burn with every tiny movement. Fuck, I'm not even sure I could walk out of here without crying or passing out, slipping arms around his neck while he carefully slides his hands under my butt, resting at the upper thighs and standing steadily.
"You good?" He asked, dark brown orbs glancing over his shoulder.
"Mhm," laying my chin there to watch ahead of us while he starts to walk, everyone else already leading the way out of the Gap. Upon exiting, I lay eyes on Billy Hargrove, who's covered in black blood and unmoving, his little sister standing not too far away with Lucas, eyes red and freckled face marked with dry tear trails. "Hey Red," calling out when we're closer and waiting for her to look up at me. "I'm sorry we couldn't save him," wholeheartedly meaning every word. Quiet sadness weighing on my chest knowing I'll never hear that drawl again, but more so for the young teenage girl now dealing with grief.
Together, all ten of us trudge through the mall, our pace slow and steady, eventually arriving at the main doors, where blue and red lights flash continuously. When we step outside, we're surrounded by soldiers and medics, Steve waving one over and telling him I'm in need to attention. The man nods, motioning for us to follow him, as another, a woman guides Eleven and Mike to one nearby, my eyes not leaving her until I'm placed on the bench, vision blocked by Steve, Robin and the paramedic. "Miss, mind telling me what hurts?"
"I think it'd be easier to tell you what doesn't hurt… frankly, you should start with my leg," tugging at the ripped material to show him the teeth marks.
"Holy shit." The three of us raising our brows simultaneously in surprise at his language. "Pardon… I've just never seen something like this."
"Don't worry about it," letting him cut away the pant leg and tend to the wound. "Other than this, a few pain pills will do."
Steve shakes his head, "nope. You definitely need your ribs checked."
"Okay. You are first though."
Robin laughs, "she has a point. You did take some hits yourself Harrington."
"I'm going to need to stitch these, they're deep." I hummed in response as he sets to work, tuning out stinging pain from the disinfectant and needle by closing my eyes and resting back in wait.
"So, what do you think their going to chalk this up as?" The female Scoops employee wondered out loud.
Hmm, "probably some kind of freak accident as usual. They'll blame poor mall maintenance or the likes."
"You think?"
"Yeah, she's right. We'll have to sign a shit load of NDA's too." Steve informs her, knowing the process. Third time's a charm.
"What a nightmare… a completely, unbelievable, crazy and vivid one." Robin says, tone bordering exhaustion, like the rest of us I suppose.
It takes another fifteen minutes for the medic to finish with the thigh injury and glass removal from my palms and forearms, then moving on to examine my face next. There's nothing much he can do there, already set again after meeting the floor with it the previous night, so instead he re-bandages it, blues eyes scanning me for anything else. I sigh when Steve shoots me a serious expression, refusing to let it slide. "Fine," sliding from the bench for more room outside and grabbing a blanket in the midst of stepping to the pavement. Without warning to any of them or the rest of the party a few meters to the left, I removed my shirt and wrap the blanket around as a cape.
All three of my ambulance's occupants gawked, the paramedic being the first to comment, "miss… you're black and blue."
In glancing down, I understand what they're shocked about; both hips bruised from hitting the gurney at the hospital, a couple dark miscellaneous marks along my arms and torso too. The worst is my right-side ribs which took a large part of the impact from steel legs of a stool... speaking of, turning around and maneuvering the blanket again to show them my back, "this is the worst of it."
"Oh my God," Nancy's voice ringing out loudly, immediately feeling everyone's attention shift to me.
"That bad, huh? Does this mean sex is off the table, doc?" Instantly, the medic chokes in utter shock, everything suddenly becoming quiet. "What? Not a good time to make a joke?" Robin bursts out laughing, glad someone thinks I'm hilarious, gaze seeking out Steve who rubs his hand over his eyes.
"Completely inappropriate," Jon chimed in, his girlfriend shaking her head at me.
I can't help but grin, still wanting to lighten the mood, "it was a serious question." Kind of, winking at my boyfriend who finally gives in and laughs.
"You're an idiot Newby," his words make me snicker, "-I finally get to be the one to call you that for once."
"Just this one time," I tell him as the PM starts to press on my ribs, eyes observing me for any reaction. A few winces and hisses state the obvious, I'm beaten up and sore as hell, but still he prods some more while I watched Will get up and run towards the other side of the parking lot, where Joyce appeared.
Eleven follows at a slower pace, likely in search of Hopper who can't be far behind, myself planning on joining her too when this examination is done. Then something strange happens… she stops mid-way, arms wrapping around herself and head shaking back and forth. Again, without warning, I grab the medics hands pushing them away, and twisting around him to jog over to my little sister.
"Enchantress?" That's all I say to initiate a fierce hug, sobs shaking the small teens shoulders. "Eleven? El, what's wrong?" Honey orbs searching the area for what could be making her cry and meeting Joyce's eyes over top of her sons shoulder. The mother of two cries as well, immense sadness on her face as she shakes her head to convey a message... The Chief didn't make it back, now it's my turn to release a broken sob, head falling besides El's as I pulled her tighter to me. "I'm sorry Sis. Fuck. Fuck... I'm here... you have me always, Eleven."