Heyyyy, Bit of filler in the lead up the the final parts. I love this story so much but in writing it I have discovered writing with tension is not something I'm terribly good at so if anyone has any tips please feel free to share. Anyway enjoy! Thank you to everyone who has liked, followed, and reviewed it gives me butterflies every time I get a notification.
Honey, it's no secret that I've been losing my way
In the weirdest of moments and the stupidest of ways
But hey, I'm still young and it's gonna be okay
I got solipsism, baby, and I brought lemonade.
Let me down Easy - Gang of Youths
"Allison! Come in Allison, Over."
"Alli, we need you, Alli are you there? Over."
"Allison, Steve's really hurt! Max is driving us to set the centre of the tunnels on fire. We need you! Over."
Her eyes burned the first time she opened them, the world around her swam as she blinked slowly groaning at the pain that quickly moved through her. The dull ringing in her ears forced her hand up to check her left ear with a moan, her fingers coming away wet with blood. Slowly her vision cleared, and she pushed herself up with a pained cry, leaning on the charred wall she had hit and subsequently crumpled against.
Frowning at the wreckage that surrounded her, Allison tried to put the pieces together, her brain still reeling from being tossed across the room. What was once a sterile, white lab was now covered in the charred remains of the explosion. Black smoke curled into the air from the small fires that surrounded her, the desk that had stood in the corner had disintegrated, the white table tops were black and strewn across the room. Debris buried into the walls and fractured ceiling from the pressure of the explosion and in the very centre of the room, Allison spotted the remains of the three monsters that had tried to hunt her down.
She didn't know how the explosion had started but somehow, she was lucky enough to escape severe damage. She had been standing just a few meters from the Demodogs unarmed, she remembered the gun had run out of bullets long ago and she had discarded it in a rage. She'd been sure she was going to die when the entire room seemed to combust, she should be deep fried just like the dogs were. Her eyes found the back bench and she frowned in confusion, the gas couldn't have done this, could it? She had been so sure it wasn't working. Groaning again, Allison pushed herself to her feet, using the wall behind her for support. The damage her ankle had suffered earlier had intensified, she must've hurt it when she landed. Allison's entire left side throbbed like a fresh bruise, tentatively she touched her temple and drew her fingers back quickly with a hiss.
The blood on her fingers was fresh and she cursed, she remembered when Daniel was little, and he split his forehead on the flying fox at the playground down the road from there old house in Wakeford. The cut was barely a centimetre long but soaked the entire right side of his face in seconds. Carefully she used her sleeve to wipe down her face, bringing her cloth covered hand down to her neck where she could feel a few droplets travelling now that she was vertical. "Shit. I loved this jumper." She muttered to herself, rolling the once yellow sleeve up with a sigh.
"Allison! You need to tell us know what's going on? Daniel is freaking out! Steve's unconscious and we need you to meet us at the pumpkin patch, so we can help end this. Just… can you please tell us you're okay? Over."
Allison jumped in surprise at Lucas' voice, nearly collapsing when she put to much pressure on her left foot. Crying out in pain, Allison's hands pushed against the wall as her eyes zeroed in on the navy backpack protected behind an overturned lab desk. She hobbled over to it quickly, her jaw set and clutching her left side the pain in her body fell down the list of her worries. She ran over the kid's words with a worried frown, Steve was hurt? They were meant to stay at the Byers house how could he be hurt? Ripping the bag open she pulled out the somehow still intact walkie and pressed the button,
"Lucas? What's happened? Where is Steve? Are you all okay? Over." She forced out, shouldering the bag, and making her way toward the exit. It's silent on the end for all of three seconds before Lucas' relieved voice bursts through the black walkie.
"Alli! You're okay! We were starting to get worried. Over." Allison heard grunting and then a moment of silence as the walkie switched hands and Dustin shouted down the line.
"Alli! Are you okay? Over."
"I'm fine, Squirt. Are you all okay? What happened to Steve?" Allison pressed, using her back to push the door open, the hallway before her was dark and deserted, she decided to head back to the main lab, maybe she could meet up with Hopper and Eleven and regroup, Allison remembered Hopper telling her to stay away but she wondered if Hopper would stick with that when he sees her covered in blood and soot. Reaching the end of the hall, Allison leaned against the wall checking both directions before continuing. The cleanliness of this section had been a respite on the way up, now it freaked her out, she had just blown up a room; the white seemed wrong and even in the darkness was really hurting her eyes.
"Max's brother beat the crap out of him." Dustin supplied in a rushed voice, she heard Dustin yelling at someone to watch where they were going before he continued. "We patched him up and now we're on our way to the pumpkin patch, Alli we think if we set fire to the centre we'll be able to help the Chief and El by distracting the Demodogs. Where on our way now but we need your help. Over."
Allison sighed, leaning her mouth against the walkie she stopped in the dark hallway conflicted. The plan was a strong one, attack to draw attention. The dogs had a hive mind, the risk they were taking was huge. Hesitating Allison remembered her mission, Her Dad was still missing. She needed more time to track him down.
Her heart pounded, and guilt flooded through her at the realisation of what she had to do, Allison knew what her Father would want her to do but she still wavered. "It's my fault. Shit, shit, shit!" the walkie landed against her thigh as her hand fell to her side. She needed to help the kids, she needed to protect Daniel. If Steve was hurt, it meant they were unprotected and about to bring hundreds of demo-dogs to their location. Breathing deep, and pushing a hand through her matted hair, Allison pressed the button on the side of the walkie, her decision made.
"Give me directions, I'm coming."
Dustin gave her what she needed and told her to hurry, they were already on there way. Allison jogged to the stairs pushing the door open and making her way up. She decided to head up to the top floor considering it her best chance of finding what she needed. Out of breath and stumbling, Allison made it to the top floor, opening the door quietly she took in the crimson stains marking the wall opposite. A man sat slumped on the floor, his chest a mess of ripped flesh. Allison quickly averted her gaze with a choked sob when she saw what she thought was his stomach begin to slip from his middle, leaking a yellow liquid as it went.
Swallowing down the bile that rose in her throat, Allison continued as silently as she could. Her heart pounded in her chest as she made it into the first room and closed the door behind her with a relieved sigh. The office was furnished with neutral tans and browns, it was probably once clean and professional like all the other rooms in the building, but now everything was overturned or destroyed. Blood soaked patches of the beige carpet and Allison stepped over them slowly, never removing her eyes from the solid desk. Her view of behind obstructed, Allison circled it slowly freezing in her tracks at the sight before her.
A man in what was once a white lab coat lay motionless on the floor, his head leaning uncomfortably on the wall. He had been bitten in several places but none, Allison thought, were bad enough to kill him. Beside him was the bisected carcass of a Demodog, it's dark insides spilt from each end. The man's still hand clasped the handle of a large knife. Allison had never seen a blade like it before, the handle was dark and thick leading into a fat curved blade that rested in a puddle of blood. That was then she noticed the man's wrists. One clean slice across each, deep into the flesh. The disrupted arteries had long stopped pumping the man's life on to the floor. He killed himself.
Swallowing her tears, she realised she understood his decision. He knew he was going to die no matter what and had taken his life into his own hands. Kneeling down carefully Allison noted a large wooden stand that had been ripped from the wall beside him, he had his blade on display a plaque on the wood read,
You are one crazy son of a bitch.
From,
The guy who will never cross you again.
Gently she leaned over and closed the man's dark eyes with a compassionate sigh. Tugging the knife from his grip and wrapping her fingers around it securely she rose, swinging the blade to the side quickly. The biggest knife she had ever handled was a bread knife, but she felt comfortable with it in her hands and she moved forward with purpose, rifling through the desk and exhaling happily when she found what she was looking for. The car keys jangled from her fingers and she smiled triumphantly, pocketing them, and rushing to the exit.
She decided to use the elevator, the kids and Steve would be getting close to where they agreed to meet, and she didn't want them waiting in the open for her. Allison couldn't help but think of the man upstairs again and wondered if anyone else had made the same choice. Would her Father do something like that? She shook her head to expel the thought, no, her Dad was strong and smart, he would figure something else out before it got to that.
The lobby was dark and for that Allison was grateful, she averted her gaze from the pieces of Bob and rushed to the door, pushing it open and rushing to the car park. She sent a silent thank you to the man upstairs who had a tag attached to his key with the car's registration number and quickly tracked down a plain looking, brown station wagon, remarkably similar to her Dad's.
Turning back to the Lab one last time, Allison wavered. Despite the lies and the deceit and the pain he had caused her, despite his involvement in whatever happened to Eleven, Allison wanted to save him. She failed. "I'm so sorry Dad, I tried so h-h-ard." She sniffled, turning toward the car, she would not look back. "I hope you can forgive me."
The moment she leaves the gates of the lab behind her, her brother's staticky voice fills the car, "Alli, it's Daniel, where only a few minutes away. Over."
His hurried voice makes her jump, Allison pulls the walkie from her bag without taking her eyes off the road. It's dark ahead of her as she leaves the lights of the Lab behind her. The panic in Daniel's voice fortifies her choice to leave, his young voice sounding panicked and scared. She can feel her adrenaline coursing through her body and can't help but wonder how much more of this she can take. Adrenaline seems more like a one per capita type deal, she felt like she was on her fifth wind. "Daniel! Are you okay?" Allison replies, shaking her head at her own thoughts.
"You didn't say over. Over." Daniel replies.
"Over. Over." Allison says sarcastically, a small smile crawling onto her face for the first time in a while.
"Much better. I'm fine, it's Steve who's looking a little rough. Dustin patched him up, he's okay, I think. Over."
Allison sighs, concern for her friend swirling in her stomach. "I'm nearly there. Explain everything to me in a minute. Over."
The drive to the pumpkin patch was only a few minutes but it felt like forever, her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as she hit a hard-left into a paddock and spotting what she thought was Billy's car parked up ahead. Skidding to a stop the brunette pushed herself from the car with a small grunt, her right hand gripping her left side as she rushed over the other car, the kids unloading and grabbing supplies from the boot of the Camaro.
"Allison!" Daniel shouted, dropping his bag to the floor and launching himself at his sister in relief, his small arms wrapping around her torso tightly. Allison grunts in pain but squeezes back just as tight, resting her chin on her brother's sandy head. "You're hurt!" He exclaims loudly drawing a concerned look from the others.
"I'm fine, I'll get patched up once this is all done. What's going on?" Allison forced a grim smile, "What are we doing here? What happened to Steve?" She asks watching her friend pull himself from the back seat and rest against the inside of the door with a grimace.
"We think that if we set fire to the centre of the tunnels we can distract the Demodogs long enough for Eleven to close the gate. We were all talking at Will's house when Billy turned up looking for Max. Steve got in a fight with him, Billy was gonna hurt Lucas and Steve stopped him but it… it didn't go well." Daniel rushed out, leading his sister over to the blue car hurriedly.
"Shit. Are you okay, Kiddo? Billy didn't touch you, did he?" Allison asks her brother concerned, her eyes running over his face for injuries. Daniel shook his head, a sigh of relief escaping his sister's lips. "What happened at the lab? Where's Dad?" Daniel frowns, glancing over Allison's shoulder to the car hoping to spot Richard.
"I couldn't find him, but Hopper wouldn't let me go to the lower levels so maybe he had some luck." Allison smiled reassuringly. "We don't need to worry about Dad," Allison tried to settle her worried brother, and herself. "He knows what he's doing." Allison glances up the Camaro watching Dustin walk to the boot. Steve tumbling out not long after.
"We are not going down there right now! Hey, I made myself clear!" She hears Steve shout, a concerning slur in his speech that makes her want to stick her fingers in his mouth to check that all his teeth are still in place. That's probably not a normal thought to have, Allison, muses to herself. "Hey, there is no chance we are going down that hole, this ends right now!" Steve roars, ripping Dustin's bag from his hands and throwing it back into the boot. Dustin watches his friend with sorrowful eyes through his blue goggles but stands firm.
"Steve!" the curly haired boy bellows back through his bandana, "You're upset I get it, but the bottom line is, a party member requires assistance and it is our duty to provide that assistance." Steve sighs watching the boy with a frustrated frown as he moves back to the boot and grabs a bag. His nailed bat pokes from the top, the shiny nails glinting in the moonlight. "Now, I know you promised Nance you would keep us safe, so, keep us safe."
Sighing again and with a shake of his head, the older boy takes the bag from Dustin. Accepting a scarf and goggles next. "Steve!" He jolted at his name, the sweet-sounding voice is familiar and soothing, and he would've relaxed if he wasn't busy trying to stop his shitheads from trying to kill themselves. Allison is finally close enough to see the damage Billy had bestowed upon her friend and she winces in sympathy. "Jesus Christ, I leave you alone for an hour and I come back to you looking like a gremlin after midnight," Allison exclaims, examining the colourful band-aids placed all over his face. Her fingers gently probe his bruised under-eye and he winces.
"Alli?"
"Hey Harrington, heard you got yourself into some trouble?" She murmurs gently, His hair is a mess, falling into his eyes so she pushes it all from his face carefully, arranging it back into some semblance of his normalcy. she's surprised it's so soft after the chemical baths and long weekend it had endured. Allison had caught sight of herself in the mirrored glass in the elevator down, she looked like she had been brutally murdered and then resurrected in the Lazarus Pit, she also felt that description wasn't too far off how she felt on in the inside too, meanwhile despite the bruising, Steve still looked and smelled great, the bastard.
"I'm glad you're okay, Alli," Dustin speaks up from beside her, handing her a scarf similar to his and a pair of red goggles. "You too, Squirt." She returns with a comforting smile. He passes Daniel his bag and slams the boot the two heading toward the hole and leaving the older teens to follow.
"What's going on? Did you find your Dad?" Steve asks tying his red scarf over his face gently then helping Allison with hers. Avoiding her worried blue gaze as his bruised face inched closer. "I guess the kids radioed you while I was out."
Allison thanked him when he had covered her mouth securely and placed her goggles on, careful to avoid the cut in her hairline. Steve picked his bag up off the floor and swung it over his shoulder, the two hurrying to join the others. "I'll tell you about it all later, yeah they said Billy beat the shit outta ya, Harrington. I hope you gave as good as you got." Steve huffed a laugh and shook his head miserably.
"I wish, once he got me over the head with the plate it was over."
"Jesus Christ."
"Yeah," Steve replied, rubbing the back of his head carefully. He squinted at her, zeroing in on the frightening amount of blood that coated her clothing. "You are covered in way more blood than I remember you being covered in before. Are you okay?" Allison nods, adjusting her hair to ensure the cut on her forehead was covered. She was worried if Steve saw it he would do something crazy, like leave her in the car.
"Yeah it's mostly other peoples," She evades.
"Mostly?"
"Yeah, mostly."
The pair had both stopped a few feet from the hole the party was now jumping into, locked in a stare-off that Allison was incapable of losing, she may have only known Steve Harrington for a week, but she knew him very well. He would throw her his best puppy-dog look and when that didn't work he'd huff and let her have her way. Sure enough, a second later his chocolate eyes widened as he ran them over her face in concern before looking away with a sigh. "Okay, let's go." Allison grinned at his back, tugging his bat lightly.
"I see the kids brought Annie Oakley."
"Who?" Steve frowned,
"The Bat."
Steve shook his head at the brunette, a small smile touching his lips underneath his scarf. "Its name is not Annie Oakley."
"Barbra Gordon?"
"No."
"Debby Harry?"
Steve breaths deep, pinching his nose lightly, wincing slightly when he realised his mistake.
"Sarah Jane Smith?"
"You watch Doctor Who?"
"Jane Fonda!" Allison cried in support.
"The lady in the spandex? My Mom has her videos." Steve frowns wondering if the girl beside him is mentally sound as he watches her tsk at him with a grin, her blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight even through her ridiculous goggles. He can't see her dimple but he knows it's there and he can't help himself from smiling, even in the worst moments she's able to keep him calm. He's noticing that's a pattern for them.
"Jane Fonda is one of the most feminist women alive, Steve. She's big time, dude. What do they teach you at school?" She rages her hands in the air. Steve smirks at the girl with a roll of his eyes and nudges her forward with his elbow. "Not the important things apparently, a list of the most bad-ass women in history hasn't made the cut yet."
The kids had already jumped into the hole and stood within sight, gathered around a crudely drawn map. Seeing them huddled together instantly sobers the mood between the pair. "Let me go down first and I'll help you down, you shouldn't be landing on your ankle," Steve says softly, pulling himself into the hole quickly before reaching up to her with determined eyes. If only he knew, Allison thinks as she sits on the edge and slides down carefully. Steve's hands grab her hips and guide her down, Allison sighs in relief when her feet touch the dirt, thankful he hands hadn't grabbed her a few inches higher.
Pulling her new knife from her backpack Allison turned to the kids who were still huddled together arguing. "Woah," Daniel says stunned, the glint of the moon on the metal catching his eye. "Where did you get that?" All five of them and Steve watched her stunned as she brought the knife up to the light.
"I borrowed it."
"You borrowed it?" Dustin scoffs, separating from the group and moving toward the left end of the tunnel. Allison looked around her with a gulp, the dark tunnel before her curved and frightening. "Holy shit." She whispered, wrapping an arm around Daniel's shoulders protectively, previous jokes dying on her lips.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's this way!" Mike shouts standing ahead of the others, his yellow gloves gripping a crudely drawn map tight.
"You're pretty sure or you're sure." Dust shouts back sarcastically.
"I'm 100% sure! Just follow me and you'll know!" Mike shouts back, exasperated, before turning away and heading forward only to be stopped quickly by Steve.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey, hey, hey! I don't think so, any of you little shits die down here, I'm getting the blame." Steve says strutting toward Mike, his flashlight directly the black-haired kids' eyes. "You got it, Dipshit?" Allison can imagine the eye roll Mike gives the older boy behind his goggles, but he says nothing.
Steve turns to them with an air of authority, "From here on out, I'm leading the way, c'mon let's go!" He orders, walking away quickly and forcing the others to follow. "A little hustle!" Steve's voice echoes through the tunnel and the kids rush to catch up.
"His authority is going to go straight to his head, isn't it?" Max grumbles, watching ahead as the boys sprint to follow the leader in all his red-scarfed glory. Allison snorts in amusement, "Kid, his sense of superiority is what he styles his hair with." Max bursts into laughter, Daniel joining in and earning a glance from Steve. Allison can see his forehead crinkled in confusion and grins behind her scarf.
Mike turned toward Allison waving the map around as he gestured. "We don't have time for jokes! Eleven only gets one shot at this, we need to move."
"Into the belly of the beast we go." Allison sighs, her smile falling away as silence falls over the group. Gripping her knife, a little harder she nudges Daniel and Max forward, checking behind her for any threats. Her long night just got much longer.