Stranger Things: Rebuilding

Chapter 44 of my Stranger Things story, enjoy.

Reviews

Boris Yeltsin: Yeah well...he's not done yet.
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)
JaynetheFawn: Thanks and yeah, things are gearing up for that, but it's good to have such help. Luckily for Mike yeah and glad you liked it. Yup, that's the moment that I was waiting for to bring it in :)

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Stranger Things or its characters.

Confrontation

The group was still stuck in the argument, something which made some of the people present, namely Robin and Steve, who had an outside view, wonder just how some people, like Ted, couldn't see the danger they were dealing with and was stuck in a very self-absorbed anger that made him act like he was the one in the right here.

"Am I the only one seeing sense here." Ted was growling. "Michael, I am trying to do what's best for you, but-"

"Bullshit dad. That's a lie and you know it." Mike snapped. "You've never wanted what's best for me."

"Language Michael!" Ted snapped. "You cannot honestly think you can make something of your life like this. You need to toughen up and make something with yourself, get a real future and career."

"Dude, that's not-" Steve tried to intervene.

But Ted clearly wasn't listening and the others were growing more uncomfortable and outraged on Mike's behalf. Mike meanwhile was trying to get himself to calm down, he couldn't let his father get to him like this.

"Dad, you are being ridiculous, I don't need to take on some sport, which I hate by the way, to make something of myself." He insisted. "I don't even want to-"

Ted scoffed. "No, of course you don't, you'd rather struggle to make a living just to pursue your pointless-"

"Oh shut the hell up dad, you know absolutely fuck all about us!"

Everyone froze, it hadn't been Mike who said that, but Nancy.

Ted's face waged war with the emotions of shock and outrage, but before he could vocalize it, Nancy continued.

"You don't actually care about what Mike wants or about his future. You just want us all to do what you want." She berated him. "This isn't about Mike's future, it's about you being so disappointed at the fact you never made anything of yourself and now you're trying to force Mike down a path he doesn't want to go down, just to make yourself feel better and get some reflected glory!"

The boys and Max stared at Nancy in shock, Jonathan stood nearby, worried he might have to intervene while Steve and Robin glanced over at Hopper, wondering why he wasn't intervening yet. Karen looked close to tears, yet even she couldn't deny her eldest child's words.

"Nancy…" Ted gasped, then growled. "How dare you talk to me like that. After all the care I gave you, Michael, Holly and-"

Nancy however spat her bombshell. "Dad, stop lying. You don't care about us, stop pretending you do."

A stony cold silence followed Nancy's words, even Ted's anger drained out of him at that outburst. It was finally broken when a strange beeping came from Hopper's pocket. At once a worried look came over his face as he pulled out a radio device and checked it.

"Chief…"

"It's El...I gave her a watch with a tracker in it, she's activated it." He revealed. "This has to be where Eric Gibson is being held. El must have planned this, I have to go."

He paused and looked around, glaring at Ted.

"I think you should all go now and I think you especially Mr. Wheeler, need to cool off and take a serious think about yourself." He warned.

Ted looked like he was about to protest being singled out like this. But Hopper ignored him and instead got into his cruiser and began driving to the location El's signal was broadcasting from.

XXXXX

The building clearly hadn't been used in a while, it was dusty, there appeared to be nothing inside but bare rooms with peeling paint on the walls. She paused for a moment, approaching a door directly across from the entrance, she was sure she'd heard something.

'Guards...two at least...Too late to do anything about it now…' She thought to herself.

Hoping they wouldn't be too much to handle, El stepped through the door and entered another large, empty room, light only by the street lights through the windows.

'It's almost ten, I need to hurry or Eric will be…' She thought fearfully. 'Wait, that's…?'

She saw him, Eric was there, lying on the floor, he wasn't restrained, but he didn't need to be, he was clearly in a very bad way. El rushed over to him, setting the bag down beside him as she knelt down.

"Eric, hold on, I'm here, just, just hold on." She said frantically, hoping he could hear her.

She went to unzip the bag when it happened.

"Finally, you are here, you have done well, Eleven."

She turned to see the man standing there and froze, fear and terror seizing her hard in it's terrible grip, a chill filling her completely as she stared at him, then, unbidden, the trembling word fell from her lips.

"Papa."

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.