READ ME FIRST! I've gotten a few reviews/messages mentioning how Dani having a cellphone doesn't make sense in the 80's. If you had read the very first AN in chapter one, you'd have seen where I mentioned that some things would make an appearance in this story that weren't necessarily from the 80's (for example, Razr cellphones and some music selections). I'm a texting girl and I need my characters to be able to text too. I'm sorry if you don't like the fact that some of these individuals have Razr cellphones, but it had to be done.

Also this is where some scenes you might recognize get thrown all out of whack. Not gonna lie, I forgot the order and just slipped them in with how I thought they could work. Just please go with the flow and enjoy!

Ready or Not

Ready or not
Here I come
You can't hide.

Dani wakes slowly, but the smell of cigarette smoke jolts her into sitting up. Though she's tired, she glances around wildly until she realizes the source. Billy. Billy who's sitting on the window sill and smoking a cig by the opened window.

"Jeez," she mumbles, falling back on her pillows and tugging her blanket up over her head. "Open the window wider."

He chuckles. "Did you know you talk in your sleep?" She freezes. "I though I'd wake up to you cuddling me, but no. I wake up to you moaning my name."

Hearing the amusement in his voice, Dani whips the blanket off her face. "Fuck off. I did not."

"You totally did. Oh, Billy. Don't stop. Harder," he moans, mimicking a female's cries of pleasure.

As he laughs a little louder, Dani whips one of her smaller pillows at him. "Will you shut up! My dad is going to hear you."

Billy takes a drag and then blows the smoke out the window. "Don't worry about that. Your dad's not even here."

"What?" She frowns. "Did he already leave for work?"

"Nah. He didn't even come home." Dani blinks once and then twice, and practically falls out of bed in her haste to get to the bedroom door. "I'm a light sleeper, Lewis. I'd have known if he came home."

But Dani doesn't pay him any attention as she rushes down the hallway to her father's room, her chest clenching painfully at the sight of her father's bed that has yet to be slept in. Not coming home was not like Nathan Lewis.

Rushing back to her room, Billy is still smoking his cigarette as Dani lunges for her phone. "This isn't like him," she mumbles as she goes through her missed calls list and text messages. "He'd have said something if he wasn't coming home."

"Maybe daddy got a piece of ass last night and didn't want to tell his baby girl."

"One," Dani grimaces, "never to refer to my dad as daddy ever again. And two," she then glares at him, "you saw that monster just as I did last night. The gate to the Upside Down was supposed to be closed, but if a monster is here in Hawkins and wreaking havoc then that means someone's messing with the gate again. And if someone is messing with the gate again, then there's a good chance these people know about my and Eleven's powers. If they wish to get to us, who do you think they're going to go after first?"

Billy's arrogant little smirk instantly vanishes. "Shit."

"Exactly." Billy stubs out his cigarette just as Dani tries her dad's phone again. Straight to voicemail. "Goddammit."

"Try the police station," Billy suggests as he gathers his clothes from the previous night.

Without a care in the world, Billy shoves the sweat pants down to his ankles and Dani quickly averts her gaze. She can feel her face heat up and wills it away as she waits for someone at the police station to pick up, but Billy's quiet laughter lets her know he sees it either way.

Flo, the elderly secretary, finally picks up after the sixth ring. "Hawkins Police Station. How may I help you?"

"Florence?" Dani gulps. "This is Danielle Lewis. I was just wondering if my dad Nathan Lewis came into work this morning or if you know if he's on some sort of call?"

"Oh you poor thing, you haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" Dani's panic stricken expression meets Billy's stoic expression.

"Chief Hopper and Deputy Lewis went rogue."

Eyes widening, Dani starts pacing her room. "What do you mean they went rogue?!"

"Well they attacked the Mayor, sweetheart. They illegally apprehended a suspect and accused the Mayor of some very slanderous things."

"No. That's bullshit."

"My thoughts exactly." And wait, what? Flo is on.. her side? "If you ask me this town is just full to the brim with secrets and the higher ups got scared when presented with whatever the Chief and your dad had on them. I'm sure they're fine, wherever they are, but you need to take care of yourself until all this is sorted out."

Stunned, all Dani can do is nod. Then realizing Flo can't see her, she stammers, "O-Okay. I'll, uh, I'll behave myself until this gets squared away."

"Well alright, sweetheart. You take care now."

As Dani flips her phone closed, she stares up at Billy in disbelief. "If it's not one thing, it's another."

"What happened?"

She goes on to explain what Flo had told her and Billy huffs. "Well fuck."

"You're telling me." It's Dani's turn to get dressed, she gathering an outfit to change into in the bathroom since Billy didn't seem to be budging any time soon. Pulling on a white short sleeved peasant blouse and a pair of loose fitted cuffed jeans with holes in the knees, Dani then exited and quickly threw on a pair of Converse and a pair of sunglasses. "Well lets get going, Hargrove. We need to get your car and find out where the hell the kids are."

"Fine. And on the way you can tell me exactly what type of dream you were having that involved those breathy moans that left me aching this morning."

"Jesus Christ. Shut up."

- X -

After having picked up Billy's car, the two teens quickly exchanged cell numbers and split up. Billy went to go see if the local mechanic could fix his windows and dents, and Dani spent her time calling around to see where the kids were at. Not one parent knew where their child was and some households, like the Byers', just didn't even answer.

Dani checked the arcade and even drove out to the mall, but there was no sight of any child she knew. And all the while she'd been looking for the kids, she kept calling her dad's phone. He still wasn't answering and that only added to Dani's building anxiety.

Around four that afternoon Dani finally gets a call from Eleven, the timid girl telling her to come to Will's house. And after receiving directions to Will's place, Dani quickly forwards them to Billy to let him know where everyone was.

She's just exited her car when the crunching of gravel can be heard down the driveway. Looking over her shoulder she sees a familiar blue Camaro slowly pull up and she waits for Billy to join her.

"See you got your car fixed."

"Yep." Billy twirls his keys in hand, slightly smirking.

Dani absentmindedly nods, she leading them up the porch. But before they can even knock, the front door opens with a bang to reveal the kids all crowded around it.

"What the shit is he doing here?" Mike Wheeler immediately snarls, glaring at Billy.

Billy tenses and Dani rolls her eyes. "Knock it off, Wheeler. We're here to help. You know damn well I told him everything last night."

"Help? Help!? How's he going to help? He gonna threaten Lucas' life again?"

"Listen here, you little shit-"

"For fuck's sake," Dani shouts, turning to glare at both Billy and Mike. "We got bigger problems than whatever the fuck happened in your past. None of you like each other, I get it. But stow the bullshit and concentrate on what's going on in the present. There's a goddamn MONSTER in town that attacked us last night and my dad is MISSING, and I don't even FUCKIN' KNOW IF HE'S ALIVE OR NOT! So stop being little bitches and work together until we either die or close whatever gate's been opened now."

Mike, Lucas, and Eleven are staring at Dani in shock, Max is staring in awe, and Billy's smirking.

"My mom's missing too," Will's meek voice pierces the following silence. "Maybe El can do something to find them?"

Dani shakily exhales, she pressing the palms of her hands to her eyes when she feels tears threatening to form. Nodding, she steps towards the door and looks at Mike. "Sorry for yelling."

He rolls his eyes. "It's fine. You're right though. We got bigger problems than your neanderthal boyfriend."

"He's not-" But Billy's snort cuts her off and she groans. "Whatever. Can we just get on with whatever you guys are doing?"

As Dani enters with Billy at her back, Max fist bumps her and Eleven hugs her. "Sister."

"Sister," Dani's lips then twitch as she greets the younger girl.

The further they walk into the house, Billy steps as close as he can so he can murmur into her ear. "So that's the girl who can move shit with her mind?"

"Yeah. That's Eleven."

She notices Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler are there as well, the two teens tensing when they see Billy. Sighing softly, she directs her friend to the opposite side of the room. By the looks of it, Billy really did a number on this group to have them so wary of him.

"Dani?" Eleven quietly addresses her. "Do you have a picture of your dad I can use?"

"Oh, umm.. would a picture on my phone work?"

"Yes."

Dani pulls her phone out, she clicking through the pics on her phone until she finds one of her dad. "Here."

Eleven takes the cellphone with careful hands, she then accepting a picture of Joyce Byers from Jonathan. Max hands her a blindfold, and with a reassuring grin towards the room's occupants Eleven then disappears into the bathroom.

Five minutes later, after sitting through the most awkward silence ever, she exits while wiping a bit blood from her nose. Mike immediately rushes to her side and Max rolls her eyes. Eleven smiles softly. "They're fine. They're in the woods doing.. I don't know what. But they're okay," she says.

"Oh thank god," Dani sighs in relief. Then smiling at Eleven, she says, "You did good, kid. Thank you."

"That's good and all," Jonathan muses, "but now we need to find the flayed. You think you can do that, El?"

The girl in question nods. "Yes. I'll be right back."

Eleven disappears back into the bathroom and Mike groans, glaring at Jonathan. Seconds turn into long, excruciating minutes and Mike starts to pace the room. Max follows after him, the two entering another room where their voices are muffled. Whatever is going on, the conversation turns heated rather quickly.

Billy glares in the direction Max disappeared, his finger twitching every time Mike's voice gets raised, and Dani nudges him. "Calm down. She can take care of herself."

The rest of the group find themselves lingering around- Will, Nancy, Lucas, and Jonathan getting into a discussion about why Eleven can't easily find 'the flayed'.

Billy looks to Dani as if she can explain what's going on to him, but she shrugs back. "I'm just as clueless as you are, buddy."

Voices raise from the back room again and suddenly Max is reappearing with Mike trailing after her.

"Okay, can you guys settle an argument for us?" She asks. "Who do you think should decide El's limits? Mike or Eleven?" She wonders with just a little sass thrown in.

Mike bristles at her tone. "The way that you frame that is such bullshit!"

"It's not bullshit, Mike. This is your whole problem and it's also precisely the reason why she dumped your ass!"

Nancy's eyes widen. "El dumped you?"

"Yeah, because she is conspiring against me," Mike says, pointing at Max who shakes her head at him. "She's corrupting her!"

"Oh my god," Dani murmurs, scooting closer to Billy. "I'm so glad I'm not that age anymore." He stifles a smile and goes back to watching the tween drama unfold.

"I'm enlightening her," Max retorts. "The fact is, she's not yours. She's her own person, fully capable of making her own decisions."

"She's risking her life for no reason."

"For no reason?" Nancy asks incredulously. Dani cringes, as done everyone else. Well except Billy. He's too amused by what's going on. "Mike, the flayed are out there doing God knows what-"

He sneers at his sister just as Lucas says, "Killing, flaying.."

Will nods. "Transforming into monsters."

"And El's not stupid," Nancy picks back up. "She's knows her abilities better than any of us."

"Exactly, thank you," Max says.

"And she is her own person," Nancy continues.

"Exactly."

"With her own free will."

"Exactly."

"Oh my god, Max, if you say exactly one more time I'm gonna kick your ass," Billy threatens. Surprisingly, there's no heat behind his words, but they still do their job.

She glares at Billy before addressing her friends once more. "El has the saved the world twice and Mike still doesn't trust her."

"You wanna talk about trust, really?" Mike finally explodes. "After you made Eleven spy on us?"

Lucas frowns. "Wait, what?"

Whirling on his friend, Mike nods. "Oh, she didn't tell you this?"

"No."

"Your girlfriend used El's powers to spy on us!"

"His what?" Billy growls.

Max's eyes widen, Lucas gulps, and Dani panics. "Uhh.. so not the time, hot shot." And since they're seated on the couch together, she throws herself across Billy's lap to keep him in place. "Proceed," she flaps her hands at the children.

Max's eyes are still wide as she looks back towards her friends. Shaking her head clear, she quickly remembers what they were arguing about. "I did not make her. It was her idea. And why are we even talking about this, seriously?"

"Yeah. Who cares?" Will agrees.

"I care," Lucas retorts.

"Yeah. I guess girlfriends don't lie, they spy," Mike frowns

Dani scoffs. "Excuse you. Not all girlfriends spy." Billy chuckles at her offended expression, he nudging her off of him but keeping his hand on her thigh so she doesn't go too far.

"We were just joking around," Max finally defends herself.

"Would it've been so funny if I was taking a massive shit or something?"

"Gross!" Max exclaims just as Billy barks out a laugh. "You weren't."

"But what if I was?!"

Dani, Will, Nancy, and Jonathan appear one hundred percent done with this conversation already.

"I'm just trying to demonstrate how careless Max is with Eleven's powers. In fact, how careless all of you are," Mike argues. "You're treating her like some kind of machine when she's not a machine and I don't want her to die looking for the flayed when they've obviously vanished off the face of the Earth, so can we please just come up with a new plan because I love her and I can't lose her again!"

Mike, Nancy, and Max's eyes widen at what he's just confessed, Lucas and Will share small knowing grins, and Dani coos at him.

A door creaks open and Eleven enters the room, an expression of defeat etched into her features. They immediately know she didn't find what they were hoping she'd find. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Mike's quick to say. Fortunately no one calls him out on the lie even as Eleven looks as if she doesn't quite believe him.

"Well that wasn't awkward at all," Dani drawls. Mike turns his glare on her and she smiles innocently. "So would anyone care to fill me in on what the hell is going on? My dad and the Chief checked the gate. It's closed. So where the hell are these monsters coming from?"

"I don't think it's another gate," Will quietly muses. "If a gate was opened, where are the demodogs and demogorgons besides the one that Dani and Billy saw? There'd be numerous, not just one."

Everyone glances around at one another and Jonathan perks up. "What if it's not them, but it," he gulps. "We got that piece of the Mindflayer itself out of Will right before Eleven closed the gate, so where did it go if not back to the Upside Down?"

"We trapped it out here with us," Nancy realizes. Every kid in the room shift uncomfortably, fear evident in their expressions. "It's infecting people, like Doris Driscoll who complained about the rats acting oddly in her basement."

"So how do we tell who's infected and not?" Dani wonders. "We're pretty much screwed here."

"Not exactly," Will says. "He doesn't like it hot. If someone is infected they're going to thrive in the cold and get agitated in the heat. He will only activate himself if we put his host in danger, so we need to put the host in extreme heat and see what happens."

"Okay, but we can't just put someone next to a heater and hope for the best."

"We actually have a hunch," Max pipes up from next to Eleven, "about a lifeguard at the pool."

"Not gonna lie, I totally had Billy pegged as the monster," Lucas murmurs to Will. His whispering voice needs much work though and Billy glares at the tween when he hears them.

Dani snorts just as everyone starts tossing out clues to look for- an aversion to heat, drastic changes in temper and/or personality, and someone who's gone missing at random for hours on end.

No one can come up with any idea of who might be possessed other than the Driscoll lady who's currently in the hospital, and eventually Billy sighs. "You might have been on to something about it being a lifeguard. Heather's been acting.. weird."

Dani frowns, this being the first time she's heard that. "Weird how?"

He shrugs. "She was one of the good ones, always on time and picking up shifts here and there when the others were slacking. A couple days ago, though, she started coming and going as she pleased. We had a date-"

Max scoffs. "Typical."

"But I cancelled," he says through gritted teeth, nose flaring at his sister's interruption. "She didn't take that too well and her insistence became annoying. She even tried cornering me in the showers one day, but I brushed her off. She set her sights on Trent then and the two have been attached at the hip since then."

"I don't see how that's weird," Mike huffs.

"Their interactions were weird, dipshit." Billy rolls his eyes, annoyed at himself for being so willing to work with these idiots. "They would share looks and it was like.. it was like they were communicating with each other, but no words were spoken."

Silence falls over the group and then Lucas claps his hands, standing to his feet and appearing ready for action. "That sounds weird enough for me. So how are we doing this with that Heather girl?"

"We can't exactly hold her hostage and use heaters like we did with Will," Nancy reluctantly admits.

"No, but what about the sauna?" Everyone looks to Dani and she grins. "There's a sauna in the weight room at the pool. Surely that could work?"

For the first time of the day, Mike smiles. "That's perfect."

"Uh, no," Lucas huffs. "The pool is too crowded. We can't trap her in the sauna with people walking around. She'll scream and attract attention!"

"Then we wait for closing time," Billy drawls. "I can go in to pick up half a shift and I'll clear the showers so Dani can teleport you guys in."

"For the last time it's not teleporting!"

"She can teleport?" Jonathan quietly asks his brother.

Will muffles his laughter and Dani groans. "Whatever."

"It's more like a portal," Max muses. "She can move in and out of shadows."

"Oh. Cool."

"Well while you guys test Heather, Jonathan and I can go check on Driscoll in the hospital. If Heather's a no-go, then maybe we can get something out of the old lady. After you guys are done at the pool, you can meet us at the hospital."

"Great." Dani stands, clapping her hands together and glancing around at the room's occupants. "Now that we got a plan, who's hungry?"

- X -

As night falls, everyone in the Byers' home is on edge. Billy had left earlier to go pick up a shift at work and he said he'd text when the coast was clear. Everyone is having quiet conversations with one another, with the exception of Dani who opted to be by herself, but as her cell phone dings with a new text message all eyes are suddenly on her.

Her stomach fills with dread as she reads it aloud. "Pool's closing. The showers and weight room have been cleared. We're stuck cleaning up the outside so make your move now."

"There's our cue," Nancy mutters.

Everyone's shuffling to either side of the room and Dani heads towards the other two teens her age. "Yeah. Um, Nancy? Jonathan? If it's not too much trouble, can one of you guys drop my car off at my house before heading to the hospital?"

Jonathan nods. "I can. Just give me directions."

As Dani hands over her keys, she lists off her address to Jonathan who mentions he knows where that's at. Smiling in thanks, Dani then turns towards the gathered kids. "Okay so who's first?"

"Me." Eleven steps forward. Mike tries to protest, but his friends are quick to swat him and shut him up.

With no other protests, Dani shrugs. "Okay. Give me your hand." As the girls clasp hands, Dani closes her eyes and concentrates. The lights in the room flicker before dimming, and one particular spot on the wall seems to darken immensely. Opening her eyes, Dani smiles down at Eleven. "Lets go."

Dani and Eleven walk through the wall, only to reappear in the shower room at the pool.

"Stay hidden in this last stall," Dani murmurs. "I'll be right back with Mike."

When Dani reappears in the Byers' living room, Jonathan and Nancy are staring at her in awe. She grins at them and then offers Mike her hand. One by one, Dani transfers each kid into the showers at the pool all the way across town.

Appearing with Max last, she stumbles straight into the arms of Billy as she lets go of her powers.

"You're bleeding," he tells her.

"I'm fine. It's just the power use." She wipes the blood away with the back of her hand, she then paying attention to the kids standing around. "So what's next?"

"We creep into the weight room, set up a dummy in the sauna with an attached walkie to it, and goad Heather into following it in there as we hide. When she's in the sauna or close enough, El can throw her in and we lock her in."

Dani nods at Mike. "Good. Lets get to work."

Billy actually does most of the heavy lifting, he huffing and shoving the kids out of the way when they take too long to get something done. Dani can't help but smile at him and manages to avoid Max's curious gaze, she quickly making herself useful by clearing a path for when Heather eventually appeared. Then by the time they string up the dummy and tape a walkie talkie to it, Dani and Lucas readjust the lighting in the room to make it harder to notice that's it a dummy and not an actual person waiting in the sauna.

"Okay so how do we know where Heather's at?" Billy asks. "I can't exactly go out there if she's to believe she's alone. I even parked my car around the block so she wouldn't know I was still here."

"I got it." Eleven moves to the side of the room, she sitting on the ground with her back against the wall. Mike hands her a blindfold and after having everyone go quiet she concentrates on mentally finding Heather's location. "She's in the locker room. Putting on.. fresh clothes."

"That's our cue to hide then." There's a storage closet off to the side that everyone crams into, Billy pulling Dani in with him to settle in the very back. "Okay. Now that everyone's in, Eleven's going to lure Heather this way." Mike looks between everyone, making sure they understand the plan. When he sets his sights on Dani, his lips purse before offering up the walkie talkie. "You talk. Girls hate it when other girls have what they want, right?"

"Uhh.. yes?"

"Then Heather should get pissed if you goad her by mentioning how she was rejected by Billy."

Dani rolls her eyes and hands suddenly grasp her by the hips. Being pulled back, she finds herself pressed against Billy's front. "I like this plan," he muses.

"Of course you do. Don't go getting a big head, Hargrove," she then replies by accepting the walkie talkie from Mike.

"Which head?"

All the kids groan in disgust and Dani snorts in amusement. "Either one." Then focusing back on the kids, she grimaces. "Don't take what I say to heart. If I gotta piss off Heather, I gotta.. well I got say some stuff that's not nice or true."

"If you start moaning, I'm out of here." Max crosses her arms over her chest frowning.

"Don't worry. I'm not taking it that far."

"Okay. Everyone be quiet now." Mike huddles close to Eleven, he quietly reassuring her before her blindfold goes back on.

Silence stretches on and soon enough there's a loud bang somewhere outside. "Pool is closed!" Heather tries opening a door, but having been locked it's no use.

"Showtime," Billy murmurs.

Holding the walkie up to her mouth, Dani sighs before pressing the button. "Hea-ther," she singsongs. A few seconds pass before she does it again. "Hea-ther."

"Who's there?" She singsongs back.

Dani chuckles over the walkie, she having to blindly swat at one of the kids who starts snickering. In the silence they can hear a shower curtain getting forcefully shoved aside and then nothing. "Heather. Come and get me, you little slut."

"You think this is funny, do you?" Heather says, voice holding a hint of anger at being jerked around.

Dani laughs some more. "Obviously. Now come and find me."

"If I find you, it is your funeral."

"Come and get me. Come on." Dani nods at Mike and he whispers something to Eleven, a door swinging shut to guide Heather where they want. The door to the weight room finally opens and the kids shift anxiously. "You didn't think I was going to let the fact that you hit on Billy slide, did you?" She tuts through the walkie, gulping when Billy's hands slide forward, resting on her lower abdomen. "Shame on you for thinking you could corner him alone when he was already with me."

"Danielle Lewis?" Heather muses, chuckling herself. "I don't know what he even sees in you."

"Easy. I don't put out on the first date."

"Bitch." A few moments of silence pass yet again and then, "Got you."

As Heather cackles, Dani rolls her eyes. "Come and get me, you deranged whore." The sauna door can be heard opening and Eleven whips off her blindfold. Slowly creeping out, Eleven positions herself far away enough just in case. They can hear the dummy being manhandled and one last time, Dani says, "Hey. Behind you."

"Hi," Eleven suddenly muses. She then grunts and the sound of Heather yelping can be heard.

Everyone rushes out of the closet then, Eleven waving her arm and slamming the sauna door shut. Mike and Lucas rush forward, wrapping a chain through the door handle and around some steel pipes to secure it shut as Heather starts shouting and banging from the inside.

"Holy shit." Billy saunters up behind the wall of kids, staring as Heather loses her shit inside the sauna. Will turns up the heat, steam billowing behind Heather in the room as she glares through the window. She hits either side of the window, slamming her hands against the door and rattling the chain holding it shut. "She supposed to be that strong?"

"Only if she's possessed," Mike answers.

"Get me out of here!" Heather shouts, glaring. She's already starting to drip with sweat as she eyes up each and everyone staring at her. "Let me out." When no one moves, she tries a different tactic. "You kids.. you think that this is funny?" Heather pants as Mike and Lucas share an uneasy look. "You kids think this is some kind of sick prank, huh?" She sneers at them all. "You little assholes think this is funny?"

"Oohh. That's definitely not her," Billy drawls. "Heather isn't this hostile."

Heather's gaze then lands on Billy. "Open.. the door. Open the door, Billy. Open THE GODDAMN DOOR!" Eleven and Max jerk in fear as her fists pound against the inside of the door, each hit being more aggressive than the last.

Again no one moves and Heather disappears from sight. They can hear her palms slapping against the ground or walls, her screams resonating from within.

Will walks up to the thermostat. "We're at two twenty," he informs them.

All of a sudden Heather starts sobbing and Dani cautiously walks forward with Billy at her side. "It's not my fault. It's not my fault," she pleads. Dani and Billy frown at one another before peering in through the window only to find Heather huddled on the ground and crying. Pieces of the wall seemed to have crumbled from where she lashed out. "I promise it's not my fault, guys."

"What's not your fault, Heather?"

"I've done things.. bad things," she cries as she rocks herself back and forth. "I didn't mean to." Surprisingly, Dani's heart aches for the girl. "He made me do it," she then murmurs.

"Who made you do it?" Dani finds herself asking.

"I don't know. He's- he's like a shadow." The fear etched into Heather's features makes Dani's own fear build. "Like a giant shadow. Please, guys. It's not me."

"What did he make you do?" Billy then asks.

Heather seems to snap, she rolling onto her side in her grief. "It's not my fault! Please! Please believe me it's not my fault."

Dani glances over her shoulders and all the kids are staring at her. "I don't know, guys. I don't feel comfortable with this anymore."

"It's a trick," Mike adamantly says. "It has to be."

Billy takes the lead then, urging Heather to tell them what's going on. She continues to whimper and cry, pleading for them to take her side. Will suddenly tenses and Dani does a double take, her stomach rolling as he shivers while touching the back of his neck.

"I feel him." Mike immediately glances down at his friend. "He's activated."

"Dani. Billy, get away from the door."

"What?" Dani asks.

Mike looks to her and screams, "Get away from the door!"

Glass shatters and Billy practically tackles Dani to the side as Heather shoves part of her upper body through the window in a rage. "Let me out, you assholes! Let me out! I'll fuckin' cut you!"

"Holy shit," Dani breathes in horrified awe.

Heather is livid and her voice is most definitely not her own. Billy rushes her back towards the kids just as Heather grabs the steel pipe they had shoved through handle, she then pushing on the door and putting pressure on the chains. Lucas, armed with a slingshot, manages to get off one shot that hits her on the cheek, she then flying back with a pained grunt.

"We need to leave. We need to leave now!" Max says.

Just as Heather starts groaning again from inside the sauna, the lights start flickering. Everyone glances up, then at Dani, and she shakes her head. "It's not me."

There's a guttural growl that has everyone tensing and suddenly Heather is throwing herself at the door. The door dents every time she hits it and Eleven bravely pushes everyone behind her. The sauna door then practically blows off it's hinges and Heather stands before Eleven, panting and heaving and covered in black veins.

As Eleven and Heather stare at one another, Eleven slowly raises her right hand and with it levitates a bar and weights from the bench press. Then with a shout, Eleven flings it at Heather who catches it. But in doing so, Eleven is able to pin Heather to the wall by the neck with the bar.

The lights continue to flicker as Eleven adds more power behind her mental hold, she choking Heather to the point where the weights on the bar are digging into the brick wall. Slowly but surely Heather pushes it off as Eleven screams, and then Heather's throwing the bar back at Eleven.

Falling to protect herself, Eleven is momentarily distracted and then screams out in pain as Heather lunges forward and grasps the young girl by the back of the hair. The kids yell in shock and anger, and Heather glances up at everyone with a little grin. As she keeps her gaze locked with Mike, she grabs Eleven by the neck, chokes her, and then lifts her as if she weighs nothing.

Eleven is crying and struggling to breathe, and everyone is frozen in shock. Her eyes rolling into the back of her head is what spurs Dani into motion. "Fuck this." Grabbing a steel pipe, Dani then rushes forward and hits Heather across the back of the head. "Go to hell, you piece of shit!" Dani goes to hit her again, but Heather turns around and catches the pipe with a single hand.

Tilting her head with a feral grin, Heather then rips the pipe from Dani and backhands the girl across the room. She lands with a pained grunt and flinches when hands attempt to help her up. "That was so fuckin' stupid," Billy seethes at her.

"I didn't' see you doing jack shit," she growls back. "I had to do something."

"Out, out, out!" Lucas whisper shouts, distracting them from their annoyance. "We need to get out."

Dani blinks at him and then slowly nods, she grabbing Lucas' wrist. Briefly concentrating, she finds herself in Billy's car when her eyes open once more. "Stay here."

The shadows envelop Dani and she finds herself back in the weight room. Both Eleven and Heather are screaming, but the younger girl has the possessed girl levitating up in the air.

"You next." Dani grabs onto Max and Will, her stomach rolling as she pulls two through the shadows and towards safety. She grabs onto Billy since Mike is currently behind Eleven, but just as she grabs onto Billy she makes the mistake of glancing at Heather- Heather who's staring at her with a creepy look in her eye.

"You've used too much," Billy tells her. "Your nose is bleeding."

"I don't care."

She drops Billy off and returns to the weight room just in time to see Eleven send Heather through the brick wall with a shout of anguish. Dani gulps at the show of power and Eleven sobs as she falls into Mike's waiting arms. This thing- the Mindflayer or whatever- is more than Eleven is capable of handling and it scares her. Even Mike looks terrified as he wraps his arms a little tighter around Eleven when Dani walks up to them.

"Come on. We need to go." Dani crouches and grabs onto both of them, her head aching as she gathers the shadows once more. She sluggishly blinks as the parking lot comes into view and then without warning she turns to the side and barfs. Then when she's finally got it all under control, as she's on hands on knees, Dani's arms give out and she falls flat on her face.

Everything has gone dark.


Author's Note: Did you guys see Heather being the main Flayed coming or not?

Also.. thank you, thank you, thank you for the kind reviews! :) It really makes me feel better knowing people are reading and excited for the next upcoming chapter. I recently finished chapter 9 and y'all.. let me tell you something. A scene in particular caught me off guard. It was not planned WHATSOEVER, but the song for that chapter inspired me to do it.

FYI there's a Spotify playlist for this story titled "Dani&Billy" under the username "melissawtf". I added the songs in order to coincide with the chapters so yeah.. enjoy it if you can find it.