Chapter 11

"El, as hard as it is for you to hear, if you go to Alaska, you'll put yourself and Hopper in danger."

El glared at Dustin. She felt Mike put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. She knew he agreed with his friend. She felt her fury boiling inside her. She spun around to Mike, causing him to take a step back.

"I suppose you agree," she snapped.

Mike sighed, then shook his head. "He has a point, but, El…" He stepped towards her and took her hand. "I will support whatever decision you make."

"Even if it's the wrong one?" Lucas raised his eyebrows at Mike, but he made sure he was standing behind the sofa.

El looked at everyone in turn. The familiarity of Mike's basement did nothing to soothe her. Everything felt wrong and everyone seemed to be against her.

"Do you all agree with Dustin?" she asked. She tried to keep her voice even. No one said anything and then Max stood up.

"I am 100% behind you El, and I hope you know that and if you don't, well, you should. I've never had a friend like you, someone I can count on." She looked at Lucas and smiled. "Someone who's not a boy." Lucas shrugged. "But as much as I hate to admit this, Dustin does have a point." El went to speak, but Max crossed the room and held her arms. "Think about it. We split up, but you stay here and guide whoever goes to Alaska. You're getting your powers back you said, so you can see if they move him, or if the others get into danger." She released her grip. "Think about it."

"We don't have time to think about it," Dustin said.

El blinked back the tears that were threatening. Her fury had dissolved and now she felt overwhelmed, and scared.

"One thing you've all forgotten" Will said. He was sitting on the beaten- up old sofa. "They'll be looking out for all of us at the airport, not just El."

It was a quiet for a moment. Upstairs they heard the front door- bell. The decision not to say anything to Mrs Wheeler about her daughter had been Mike's decision, but a visitor was worrying.

They all listened and then heard footsteps and then the door to the basement was opened.

"Mike!" Mrs Wheeler called shrilly. "Steve, is here to see you, and he's brought a friend." Mrs Wheeler said 'Steve' through clenched teeth.

Steve walked down the stairs with a look of tired resignation on his face. Robin followed behind.

"Jeez Steve. She really doesn't like you, does she?" Robin found it funny. Steve was used to it. He shrugged.

"You kids should know that this is the end of the road for me." He perched on the edge of the sofa. "I came here because Jonathan asked me to check up on you, but this is not my gig anymore."

"Where is he?" Will asked.

"He went back to see if he could find that dude, Mr, Whatshisname. Try and force some information out of him."

"You mean David Henley?" Mike said. Steve nodded.

"Wasn't it all fake though? That office set-up?" Max frowned remembering when Nancy and Jonathan had gone back to speak to him again. "The whole place was under construction. No offices there at all."

Steve shrugged. "He figured he must be hiding out somewhere." He glanced at Will. "He just wants to find Joyce."

"At least we know she's safe." Mike looked at Will.

Everyone looked at Will.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you more," El said. She had tried to find her and Nancy, but it was dark and blurry. She felt her powers returning; it felt as if her blood was fizzing with electricity, and that was a good sign. But it was far from easy to get the clear pictures she was used to getting. She offered Will a small smile and was relieved when he smiled back.

"Can we get back to business." Dustin said. "Will's right. None of us will make it through the airport."

"Driving?" Max suggested.

"That'll take us nearly 3 days," Mike said.

"Are we still talking Alaska?" Robin asked. She flopped down on the sofa next to Will.

Dustin nodded. "We're thinking we should split up. Some of us go to Alaska to find Hopper. Then we'll have a team here, being our eyes." He looked at Will. "And we find Joyce and Nancy."

"So, we drive to Toronto and then fly from there."

"Genius" Dustin said.

"Well, good luck guys." Steve unfolded his arms and looked around the assembled group. He really needed to stop hanging out with kids. "Robin, if you need a lift…" He trailed off.

"You can't leave," she said. He looked at her and didn't like the twinkle in her eye. He had noticed, since Robin had been embroiled with the Russians and the Mind Flayer and facing almost certain death, she had thrived. Normal life, according to her, could wait. He felt his stomach muscles clenching as he waited for the blow. "These guys need you."

"And your car." Lucas said.

"It's true, Steve. We need you." Dustin walked over to him and clapped him on the back.

"We have money," Mike said.

Steve felt his resolve crumbling. He sighed. He hated Robin at that moment. And Dustin. He looked around. He hated them all. He sat on the edge of the sofa.

"Me and Steve will go," Robin said.

Steve stood back up. "Hang on, hang on."

"We don't have time to hang on, Steve." Dustin said. "I'll go too."

"No!" Robin and Steve both said together.

Dustin shook his head. "I'm hurt," he said. "After everything we've been through." He looked directly at Steve. "We make a good team" he said. "And besides, if Hopper's drugged up and disorientated, he will need to see a familiar face. He might not trust you guys."

Steve and Robin glanced at each other. Steve hated to admit it, but he really did quite like Dustin. Not that he wanted to spend as much time with him as he currently was. The bottom line was, he didn't want to even go to Alaska, so what did it matter if Dustin was there, or not? He sighed and shrugged.

"Fine." He said. "Dustin can come."

Robin grimaced, but she had to admit, he was a smart kid. Steve was good for brawn and pretty to look at, but he wasn't much use when it came to problem solving. She shrugged.

"Fine." She said.

"Maybe more of us should go." Lucas said. "Safety in numbers."

Robin shook her head. "Quite the opposite," she said. "They'll be looking for a group of kids, so it's better if just the three of us go. We can be siblings…" She trailed off and looked at Dustin with a frown.

"Okay, so Steve and Robin and Dustin drive to Toronto. From there, they fly to Alaska." Mike looked around at everyone.

"Then, they wait to hear from us." Max looked at El. "In the meantime, El, your powers will be getting stronger and stronger and you can guide them."

"And then we just need to find Mrs Byers and Nancy," Mike said.