Endings and The Rig
AN: This could well be my darkest story. I hope you think that Mike redeems himself
Mike looked up.
It was starting to rain.
"Do either of you want to say anything?" Hopper said, he held his hat to his chest.
"I will." Holly said.
She took a deep breath.
"Nancy, I really didn't know you like Mike did, you were always studying… or off with some boyfriend or other… but…" Holly hung her head.
"...I loved you…"
"Dad… you always stayed up late to watch a movie with me, you never ate your share of popcorn…" She giggled.
"...and you always fell asleep… and then I fell asleep on you."
"M-Mom… you always gave the best hugs."
That's when Mike burst into tears.
Holly turned to him and hugged his middle. "It's ok Mikey, Mom knows…"
Hopper waited for the sobbing to abate, "You want me to finish?"
"No, I'll do it." Mike said, "My dad was kind of a Viking, so his son should give him a proper Viking funeral."
It had the intended effect. Mike didn't smile, but both Holly and Hopper laughed. The relief evident in their voice. This was the third time they'd done this today. First It was Will, his brother and his Mom, Then it was Lucas's entire family. That one had been hard enough…
But then… Mike lit a match.
He threw it into the pit where his Mom, Nancy, and his dad lay wrapped in a bedsheet.
There was enough lighter fluid soaked into the bedsheet and their clothes, to catch fire, and inevitably turn the bodies that were wrapped in it, into candles. They would not extinguish for some time.
Not even the rain would put them out.
Mike watched as his and Holly's remaining family went up in flames.
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"Just you and me tonight, kid." Hopper said.
Holly had cried herself to hadn't been able to help digging the last flame pit. Mike knew Steve still had feelings for Nancy, even after all these years. He didn't feel like drinking either, so he went to bed.
"I'm glad we didn't wait," Mike said.
"It wouldn't have been safe. That's why we burn them Mike."
"I know.' Mike was silent for a long time. He knew what Hopper's next question was going to be.
Mike took a swing of courage, and decided to ask him outright. "You want to know if El is still alive don't you?"
Hopper didn't look at him. He stared at the glass of amber fluid in his hands. "I know she dumped you a long time ago. You think she's burned that bridge. But…"
"She's still your daughter, I know… If you promise to watch over Holly, I'll take Dustin and Steve and we'll go down to her last known location. We could be a few weeks, but probably months… you know that right."
Hopper nodded. "... I have to know Mike… only way I can move on…"
Mike knew this had been coming for a long time. He owed Hopper at least the knowledge, one what or another. "Do you want me to bring her back?"
"Good luck with that… not unless she wants to… I just need to know."
"Well, we'll have good communications, so let's just say we'll cross that bridge when we come to it?"
"Yeah,.." Hopper trailed off. He couldn't look at Mike or his drink anymore.
"Guess The Rig is going to prove itself."
XXXXX
Mike, Dustin, and Lucas had rescued El.
El had totally and unselfishly tried to help finding Will. And then saved them. All of them. A few times.
He and El had fallen in love.
But… she had needed to "find herself" . She released Mike from his promise of being with her forever. That had been even worse than the year she was being hidden by Hopper. This time he knew she was alive, but she had gone away. Took Max with her to a Florida beach… or some place.
To keep himself busy Mike decided he wanted to rescue people. By the time he was eighteen he was a volunteer fireman, he moved on to tow truck and rescue operations. Don Melvald had a small towing company, and eventually pass it on. Mr. Melvald told him the courses he should take while he still could.
Mike and Dustin took them, the math was a little beyond Steve, but he had the muscle.
It wasn't long before Mike's and Lucas' dad invested heavily in the company.
And then Covid happened. A few variants later, and people started dying in larger numbers. Then Monkeypox started to get traction. People mostly ignored it because they were burnt out over Covid.
Then… then there was EA49.
It seemed to kill the scientists first. Probably because it was it had mutated in the labs. The one group of people who actually may have been able to work on a cure. After that, it was just a matter of time…
Humans were becoming extinct.
There was natural immunity for sure, but it became known that if you saw a dead body. In the street, at McDonalds, at the library… set it on fire as soon as possible.
Mike had been the one who set Mr. Clark on fire. At his request.
After that Mike lost his smile. He didn't think he'd ever smile again.
There was moral outrage on the news and social media of course. But after those people died of inaction and unvaxxed, or their own stupidity, who knew, the protests dropped off.
The Burning, as it was known, seemed to have an effect. Soon though, there were not enough people to burn the bodies that were piling up everywhere.
He knew that Nancy and Jonathan were steadfast in covering it, but they brought it home, and to their friends.
Mike didn't blame either of them.
XXXXX
The Rig.
That's what it was known as. Mike, Dustin, and Lucas were asked what they really needed to make the business a success.
The guys thought they were getting a standard Century M100 rotator rescue truck.
It was not.
It had all the extra options that were logical. It had a sleeper, but not one that most people would think of as a sleeper, this one was reinforced and with gun ports. Who ever rode shotgun, had a full communications console. All the windows were reinforced and bullet proof. It came with two cow catchers. One with large chrome rivets, the other mounted on the roof of the cab had spikes, they could be swapped with the rotator.
It was EF-5 rated. That meant that it…
Would. Not. Move from a tornado.
Mr. Sinclair had said that it was the safest place to be in the midwest. It would not float, so stay away from the coasts.
When they first saw it Dustin said. "Max would be proud."
"Mayfield?" Lucas asked incredulously.
"Rockatansky. Mad Max… get it?"
"Oh, The Road Warrior guy…"
"He wished he had something like this."
They had taken Steve on. They had made a good living, called out to other cities in Indiana, and even out of state.
The Rig was paid for and still hadn't been used for its intended purpose. Mr. Sinclair was the last surviving member of his family. He gave them a weird looking key, and a manual.
Mike, Dustin, and Steve memorized that manual.
XXXXX
"Ugh." Mike said, "My mouth tastes like a monkey's asshole."
Hopper laughed. "Pussy… it can get worse."
"Why are you ok?" Mike asked.
"Years and years of professional training… drinking… whatever."
"I'm not doing that again. Dustin, Steve, if I ever want to please threaten to hang me buy my nuts on the Rig."
Steve and Dustin looked at each other and smiled.
"Ah… shit. You'd guys would do it wouldn't you?"
XXXXX
"It all checks out." Steve said, but Dustin nodded in agreement.
"I'll get in the Spyder." He was referring to his Can-Am Spyder RT Limited. For the manoeuverability and scouting needed it was perfect.
"Guess we are ready."
"You don't know what's out there." Hopper said. "You have no idea how bad humans can get."
"Brenner," Mike said. "I know how bad scum can get."
Hopper nodded. "You don't need to call every hour, but at least every night or if something bad is going down… and if… "
"We know Hop," Dustin said.
XXXXX
"Welllll, shit… figures." Dustin said.