16
21st December, 1985
The Loser Club felt Eleven's hold break.
Beverly immediately went for the door, but it opened before she took three steps. They all got their weapons ready again, but it was only Eleven. Tear tracks were all over her face, along with a massive smile.
`Eleven, what is going on? How could you use your powers… on…'
Beverly's voice trailed off as Eleven led a boy in, holding his hand like she wasn't ever going to let it go. A boy that was more or less an exact copy of Richie. `Is that-'
`Yeah. This is Mike.'
0
Eleven knew she probably should have let go of Mike, but she wasn't quite ready to. And she could tell he wasn't willing either.
`Two years,' he had whispered into her hair. Two years. And she thought her own four months had been hard.
The Losers in the hallway were looking beyond shocked. Then Bill came forward, knife stowed in his pocket.
`Hi. I'm B-B-Bill Denbrough.' He shook Mike's hand cheerfully, as did the rest of the Losers. Apart from Eddie, who still hadn't lowered his own carving knife.
Richie was the last one. Eleven began grinning all over again at the look on Mike's face. However, Richie's expression was sceptical. Eyebrow raised, he looked Mike up and down, clicking his tongue dissaprovingly.
`You're a pretty ugly geezer, then,' he said in his Cockney voice.
There was a silence. Then Richie burst out laughing, hi-fived Mike and looked out of the door.
`Hey! You lot, out there! You can come in.'
0
Will looked at the house. `Hey, look- Mike's saying we can come in.'
`Is he wearing glasses?'
`What is up with that Hawaiian shirt?'
`Guys, it doesn't matter! Come on!' Will led the way down the street, by that point half dragging Holly along. She was scraping the toes of her shoes across the ground, ruining them. `I swear you don't act this difficult with Mike,' he muttered at her grumpily.
They stood in the doorway, orange light spilling out of it, and saw that Mike did indeed have glasses, a hawaiian shirt and no Eleven.
`We thought you two would still be sucking face,' commented Dustin.
`Friends,' Mike said grandly,`I thought you should be the first to know- me and Eleven shall be newlyweds by next dawn.'
`What?'
`I am also happy to say that Eleven and I are starting a family-'
`Mouthbreather,' Eleven growled at him, coming forward with…
Another Mike.
`Wow,' Dustin said, impressed. `You missed him so much you made a clone.'
0
Once the Mike/Richie mess was sorted, everyone started to introduce themselves. Holly was snuggled up on a pillow for the first time in eleven days.
`What's your name?' Asked Max, shaking Beverly's hand.
`Beverly. Cool hair, by the way.'
`Thanks.'
Those two are gonna be friends, thought Mike decisively. Richie came forward. It was still a little hard not to get immediately confused, like jet-lag.
`You lot need anything to eat?' He asked cheerily, extending his hand towards the sparkling kitchen. `We've got loads.'
There was a stunned silence, broken only by the sounds of rumbling bellies.
Then footsteps were charging into the kitchen, along with words like If I find any pudding I will consider it proof God exists, Do you have any sausages? and Tinned tuna, I swear to God this is the best day of my life.
Eleven tilted her head up to look at Mike, who still stood next to her. His stomach was growling as loud as any of the others.
`You're not hungry?' She asked curiously.
`I'd rather talk to you.'
There was a crash from the kitchen. `Found the pudding,' Dustin called in a very small, sheepish voice.
`I'll make you Eggos. All of them have Eggos in case I come over.'
`That'd be nice.' Mike smiled from ear to ear as Eleven sat him down at the table and heated up two Eggos, floated them out of the toaster, put squirty cream on them and topped it off with some maple syrup.
`Here.' She handed Mike the plate, a knife and a fork.
`Thanks. How long have you been here?'
`Four months. Mike, why are you all so hungry?'
The sounds of chewing and rapturous exclaimations filled the kitchen. Will ate ravenously out of a tin.
`We travelled here on foot from Hawkins.' Mike scooped a little cream off with his fork. `Walked for eleven days and hitch hiked the last way.' He wasn't prepared to share Eleven with Kali just yet. `This Eggo is amazing.'
Pride shone from Eleven's eyes. It was rapidly eclipsed by a sad expression. `You shouldn't ever be hungry, Mike.'
Five minutes later, the AV club was sitting in the living room with the Losers, exchanging information whilst being stuffed to the gills.
`A clown tuh-tried to kill us last sum-m-mer,' explained Bill, with the sage expression of a weary veteran. He was seated on Mr Tozier's chair. `Only it wasn't exactly a c-c-clown. It just liked being one. And i-i-it calls itself Puh- Pennywise.'
`PennyRiddle,' Mike said quietly.
`Yeah, that's what it said. How do you know that?' The last sentence was spoken warily; Bill half expected Mike to explode into a horrifying clown.
`Holly got hit by a car. It should have killed her, but didn't. None of us know why. But I think it was so something could give her a- prophecy.'
`Like a prophet.'
`Yeah, like she was a prophet. She said we needed Eleven, me and Richie all together on Christmas Eve. And she said PennyRiddle.'
`The clown can turn into this… stuff,' Eleven said, lifting her head off her knees slightly. `I saw in Hogwarts. Pennywise and… Tom Riddle.'
They all looked to the four-year-old.
`Not finished,' Holly murmered.
`What?' Asked Beverly, who seemed to have taken quite a shine to the toddler.
`Funny tortoise not finished. I woke up.' Holly turned over again and her breathing became more even and longer.
`Okay, just getting this straight,' called Ben, who'd been taking notes. `The turtle has visited all of us. The turtle is really called the Maturin. He's like Pennywise's nemesis,' he explained for the benefit of the Hawkins kids. `Anyway, so the Maturin has visited us and tried to bring us together. So that means we aren't strong enough alone.'
`Yes,' Eleven said quietly, chin sinking back down. `I'm not strong enough alone.'
`Your powers aren't enough to defeat it?' Asked Mike incredulously, fear shooting through him. If PennyRiddle was worse than a demogorgon…
`It's not powers, it's energy. I need a person like me, from the lab.'
Lucas and Dustin whacked each other simutaneously. `Are you mad at each other?' Eleven asked nervously, eyeballing Lucas in particular.
`No,' he explained, grinning widely. `But there's a surprise for you outside.'
0
Lucas pointed Eleven to the yellow van.
`Thank you,' she said, still a little apprehensive.
`Eleven, I just want to say, I'm sorry for how I treated you. You're a good person. And thank you for getting me and Will out of the Upside Down.'
He stopped talking, bobbed his head at her then walked back inside. Blinking a little with surprise, Eleven started to walk to the yellow van.
An orange stub kept on lighting up and going out. Fire. Remember, don't touch it, she thought to herself. Eleven got closer, and saw a girl with a headband leaning against the van. As Eleven got closer, she dropped the cigarette and stamped it out.
`Who are you?' She asked suspiciously. `Listen, kid, just turn round and go away.'
Eleven stared at her intensely. The contents of the girl's pockets lifted up into the air and hovered there. The girl didn't break eye contact as she slammed her fist on the side of the van. There were yells of shock and swear words from inside that not even the Trashmouth used on a regular basis.
`What?' Snarled a girl with an indian accent and purple hair, sticking her head out of the window. `Who's there-' And then she caught sight of Eleven. Kali gave a slight intake of breath, and climbed out of the van to speak to her properly.
When they were both alone, Kali started to speak, her tone tender and careful. `I remember you.'
`I don't remember you.' Although the words were rude, Eleven said them calmly and logically.
`It's okay. You were very young. About the same age as that little girl. Eleven, were you happy with those kids?'
`I was. Very happy.'
`And do you want to stay with them?' Kali asked. Her expression and voice were gentle; she genuinely cared about Eleven's choice.
`Of course I want to stay with them.'
`But with me, you could be among people just like you. There was a mass breakout from the lab, shortly after I left. Nine subjects escaped. You were left behind. Experimented on, tortured. With me, you could get revenge.'
`Papa's still alive. But he won't be able to find me. Mike can keep me hidden-'
`Right under their noses in Hawkins? Eleven, do you really believe that?'
Eleven stuck her chin out and tilted her head up. `Mike can do anything.'
0
The yellow van sped away. Dottie was driving, mounting curbs and skidding round corners.
`They'll be fine. I'll get them when the coast is clear.' Kali was expressionless as she turned away, headed for Richie's house. Eleven wondered how she kept her emotions locked inside; if Eleven got emotional, everyone ran for cover; admittedly, with good reason. Kali rapped businesslike on the door.
`Step back,' Eleven warned her, seeing Mike H peek out of the curtains.
`Why- AH!' There was an unpleasant crack. Kali clamped her hands over her nose as Mike H desperately said `Sorry, sorry, sorry,' over and over again, hands up in surrender.
Kali looked up, an awful lot of blood leaking from her nostrils. `Accidents happen,' she forced out, despite pain and annoyance being written all over her face. `I don't think it's broken.'
Mike H sheepishly stepped out of the doorway. Kali and Eleven walked into the living room, where everyone waited.
`Damn,' Richie said, impressed. `We've got My Pet Monster on the team.'
Eddie threw his inhaler at him, and Richie immediately went on the defensive, hands up. `What? It's just 'cause of the purple hair…'
After sending a deadly glare at Richie, Kali stood at the front of the room, and clapped her hands for silence, nose still bloody.
`Eleven says you need me to defeat this thing. If I'm to help you all need to tell me what you know. Now.'
So they did. Ben acted as secretary, scribbling down everything, including the fears.
Kali nodded as they spoke. `Okay. This thing has killed over a hundred kids in the last year?'
`Yes. Starting with my little brother.'
`And it's coming for all of you?'
`Yeah.'
`Fine. Let's take the son of a bitch down.'
And the kids and Kali planned how best to kill PennyRiddle once and for all.
