PART 2: The Earthquake
"Oh God, I'm so screwed when my dad sees the car," Mike groans.
After the immediate rush had passed, he started thinking about the damage Troy and his goons did to his car. He knows his dad will never trust him with a car until he ships him off to college. He'll probably get an even older car or he'll be riding a bike until he's 30.
"It doesn't look that bad, really," Will tries to be supportive. Mike gives him a look through the rear-view mirror. Eleven is sitting directly behind Mike with Will in the middle. Max sits on Lucas's lap near the passenger side door. Dustin was first to call shotgun. Mike shakes his head distractedly as he continues driving.
"Where are we even going?" Max asks.
"I'm dropping everyone off at home," Mike responds assuredly. The whole car makes a collective cacophony of disapproving sounds. No way! and Oh, come on! "Do you guys have a better plan? I have an old, and now, beat-up car and no place to host a party. I think the night is over!"
"Who said anything about a party? I need to get my equipment," Dustin responds seriously.
"What equipment? What are you talking about?" the car is silent as Mike interrogates Dustin.
"The earthquake," Dustin turns around to everyone sitting behind him. No one responds as they avoid his gaze. "Come on—you all felt it. This is the phenomena I've been studying for weeks—months. That was just the start. There's bound to be more."
"I don't think soil collections are going to be useful right now," Will interrupts thinking of his last conversation with Dustin.
"Who said anything about soil collection? I'm thinking we go to the source," Dustin's mouth trips over the s- sound.
"The source! Dustin, we just got laughed out of a party of high schoolers. Do you even know what you're talking about?" Mike answers annoyed.
"Yes, I know what I'm talking about! We can all be in grave danger!"
"Look man, I know I felt something happen and it was pretty weird, but I'm pretty sure it passed," Lucas adds.
"Exactly Lucas! There's no need to get all geeky on something that doesn't exist," Mike says.
"Well, I'm with Dustin. I know earthquakes. I'm from California," she says in a tone that shows she is the one to be trusted. "They don't tend to just be solo events. Also, why would they even be happening in a place like Hawkins?" Max counters them.
"Thank you, Max," Dustin smiles. Max, who quickly readjusted to being with them, pats him on the shoulder. "All in favor of getting some answers, say aye!" he says too confidently. Max chomps her teeth together awkwardly. Dustin realizes he may have taken it too far.
"I want to know too," Will inserts seriously. Eleven stares at him curiously. "The earthquake was just—I have a weird feeling about it."
"What are you saying?" Mike probes him through the mirror. Will is quiet.
"What do you mean?" Eleven asks him gently.
"I don't know. I can't really explain it, but I think we should check it out." The car is silent now for a different reason.
"The gate is closed. That's all over," Lucas, the voice of reason, says breaking the silence on a tense topic. Once he mentions the gate, it all becomes very real.
"I don't—I'm not saying it's that, but—"
"Mike, we should check it out," Eleven decides. She is going with her gut, or more importantly Will's gut.
"What are we going to do if we actually find something?" Max asks.
"It can be dangerous," Mike makes eye contact with El's reflection in the mirror.
"El, you never got your powers back, right?" Dustin asks. More silence. Eleven feels uncomfortable as they all look at her. She would be their only way of defeating whatever it is, if it was something that needs defeating.
"No," she says curtly. There is an even longer pause.
"Look guys, I never said there would be fighting involved. I'm thinking we should just find out the source of the earthquake to warn others before it happens again."
"What if it was just a normal earthquake? Don't you think they'll have professionals looking into it?" Lucas asks.
"Do you actually trust our government? Or whatever organization they have to look into it? They cover things up all the time. They probably wouldn't even tell us. They'll keep it out of the big newspapers and forget it ever happened," Max states logically. Lucas stays quiet.
"UGH! Fine, Dustin, you win," Mike groans. "Where are we going?"
"We'll need some equipment from back at my house first," Dustin smiles. "And then, the Quarry."
~A.N. Earthquakes in Hawkins? Seems fishy to me. I don't know how this idea first came to mind for me, but it will find it's grounding in what we are very familiar with from Stranger Things: the Upside Down and the Gate TEASER!
~A.N. I love writing Eleven and Will. They're precious and I would love to see their brother-sister relationship in Season 4. I assume it will be there but too soon to tell. Leave a comment on what relationship you're excited to see in S4. :)