1. Blood red letter day.

Hawkins, Wheeler Home

It had been a nerve wracking and, in the end, anticlimatic last 3 months in Hawkins. At least that's what Jonathan Byers seemed to think. Ever since Vecna had breached through from the Upside Down into reality itself the town had half emptied out, been surrounded by the military and had been braced for invasion. However that had never come. Not one Demogorgon, Demodog or anything else had come through. Not only that but Vecna himself seemed to have gone radio silent. Will wasn't sensing much of anything lately. As if all of that wasn't strange enough the portals had recently begun to close! It had started slowly 2 weeks before but now all but 3 of the portals had closed altogether. Considering the effort that Vecna had gone to in the first place to create those portals this was staggering.

Jonathan grimaced as he went down to the basement. How the hell did I let Will talk me into staying here? Then again he knew having old socks and pizza in the air wasn't so bad as the state of their old house right now. It was in pieces thanks to one of the breaches. There was also the small matter of his little brother's hopeless crush which Jonathan had figured out. Hopeless right now because the object of said crush had no clue whatsoever about it, Jonathan had no doubt about that.

He was just about to straighten out his bedroll when he heard a car horn from outside. Figuring Argyle had come to pick him up to meet with the others he got a double shock when he went outside and found Steve Harrington instead...and dressed in a deputy's uniform.

"What the...?"

"Yeah I know," Steve preempted. "Hopper's idea and I went with it. He needed more men besides Powell and Callahan, I needed another job. It's a step up from babysitter!"

Jonathan couldn't help but chuckle at that. This Steve was a radical change from the one he'd nearly beaten to a pulp 3 years back. "For what it's worth, it looks good on you."

"Well I guess that's a start. Speaking of Hopper though he needs your help. I was sent to come get you."

"What for? I thought he'd want me downtown with everyone else helping with the clear up."

Steve shook his head. "He's short of a guy that can photograph given he left with most of everyone else 3 months back. Now he's gone guess who's the best shutterbug in town?"

Jonathan sighed. "Fine. I'll go get my camera. Anything else I need to bring?"

Steve winced. "According to Hop...a strong stomach."

Woods south of Hawkins near Lovers Lake

Hopper was waiting grim faced for the 2 of them to pull up. He was looking, and feeling, especially grim today even for him. A grey haired man in a US army officer's uniform in his 50's stood next to him. Colonel Clarence Gilroy was a Vietnam veteran like Hopper and was the officer in charge of the blockade around Hawkins. Luckily both men got along well. Even more fortunately Gilroy was a straight shooter kind, no nonsense and was not corruptible which didn't bode well for the government faction that had sent Sullivan and his team after El back west.

"Hope your boys are as tough as you say, Chief," Gilroy remarked as Steve and Jonathan got out of the car. "I've had 2 troopers throwing up already."
"I came close too," Hopper admitted.

Gilroy nodded in understanding and started ahead down the path. "I'll make sure you're cleared."
"Sorry for this first day on the job Steve," Hopper apologised.

"We've seen a lot of strange shit the last 3 years, it can't be that bad...can it?" Steve and Jonathan saw Hopper grimace when he asked that.

"Just what are we dealing with?" Jonathan finally spoke up.

"Mass murder...no make that mass slaughter," Hopper motioned for them to follow him.

Both Jonathan and Steve were thinking that Vecna had finally made his move and were expecting a few more unfortunate brain victims or something. They were not expecting 20 or so! Nor were they expecting the state of a lot of the bodies.

"Son of a..." Even the tough Steve blanched when he saw.

"Holy..." Jonathan didn't fare so well and threw up into a bush.

The scene was hideous. There was a small camp, or what had once been a camp, with bodies in various states of dismemberment and there was blood everywhere. In fact a lot of trees and bushes were literally coated in it.

"I thought I'd seen it all in Nam," Gilroy appeared again at Hopper's side. "Guess it shows how much I knew."
"Tell me about it. I thought I had it bad in Siberia," Hopper saw the army had brought in their own forensic people along with trackers and pathfinders. "You found much of anything Colonel?"

"A lot but it's confusing to say the least," Gilroy showed Hopper several sets of footprints. Well at least they were some kind of footprints anyway.
"What the hell made that, a giant turkey or something?" Hopper gaped at the prints in front of him. One set looked like a giant bird had made them and the other two looked like they belonged to a walking tree given they were spherical and were three times the size of Hopper's own feet.

"I've no goddamned idea and neither have my pathfinders," Gilroy admitted. "What's even more bizarre is we have no idea where they came from or where they went after. These tracks start at the edge of the camp, they obviously attacked it but then they just stop. No sign of how they left."
"No sign of a truck backed in or anything?" Steve joined them while Jonathan snapped away with his camera while they tried to get their minds off the gore around them.

"Not exactly suitable terrain for one," Gilroy shot that down. "Besides we've found no tyre tracks. Just doesn't make sense."
"Jesus Christ..." Jonathan had to hold his stomach again when he nearly tripped over a severed pair of legs.

"Gilroy smiled grimly. "No son, I don't think he had much to do with rest of him's over here by the way."

"I know it's just my first day but ID on these guys is going to be tough," Steve observed.

Hopper shook his head. "No it's not, I know these jokers or at least most of them. They're that nutjob militia group that tried to get past the blockade a week or so ago. They had that so called 'reporter' Bob Ayers with them."

Hopper's voice was dripping with sarcasm that no one missed. Ayers had been the one behind the reports linking the disaster with the Hellfire club and the fact that it was supposedly Satanic. Ayers had arrogantly thought that an offer of free publicity would get Hopper on board and him and his new friends through the blockade. How wrong he'd been.

"You threatening to shoot him through the head if he ever came back sure made my day then," Gilroy smirked. "How about I make yours now?"
"You don't mean...?" Hopper's question went unanswered as the Colonel motioned them over to the edge of the camp where they found 3 more bodies. These weren't so much butchered, they'd been killed a little more surgically, and one of the bodies was indeed Ayers.

"Son of a bitch," Hopper whistled. "All stabbed at close range?"
"Yes but not with a knife according to the docs, something much bigger." Gilroy was even more amazed now.

"A sword?" Jonathan asked with raised eyebrows as Gilroy nodded in reply. "Who uses swords now when you've got guns?"

Hopper was in full police mode now carefully looking over the ground nearby. "We've got more tracks here, they look human this time."

"We knew about those too and they're why I chose to inform you," Gilroy took them up out of the camp to the top of the small hill nearby. "That's where we tracked them back to."
"Shit!" Hopper cursed as Gilroy pointed to the still open Upside Down portal a short distance away.

Jonathan quickly finished his picture taking and all 3 headed back to their cars glad to be away from the gory scene. Gilroy was going to have his men take the bodies away and keep them informed if anything came up. Hopper promised the same in return.

"I'll fast track developing these given the situation," Jonathan promised.
"Get in with me. I'll take you down the station so you can do it there," Hopper asked. "Steve, go downtown and find everyone else. Tell them we need a 'town meeting' tonight. We'll have it at Mike's place."
Steve nodded. "Chief, I'm half scared to say this shit but..."

"Tell me. I can half guess what you're going to say."

"I don't think this is him if you know what I mean. If it was he'd be gloating in our faces about it by now. That and those monsters don't wear boots do they? So either he's got some help or..."
Hopper nodded in agreement and dread. "Yeah that's what I was afraid of. Hence the meeting. Damn it I do miss the days of coffee and contemplation!"

"I'll give them a heads up," Steve reached for his own car's radio as Hopper and Jonathan headed for Hopper's vehicle. "Paladin this is King, do you read?"

Wheeler Home, several hours later

"Mike? You home yet?" Will Byers had arrived back early from helping with the clear up downtown and was peering into Mike's room. He saw that he'd beaten Mike home but allowed himself a small smile when he realised one of Mike's posters above his bed was gone...and replaced by the painting he'd given him on the way home from NINA.

He headed back down to the basement where he'd temporarily moved in with Jonathan deciding to wait there. It was not to be a quiet wait however as he felt the back of his neck feeling a wave of total panic...

Ten minutes after Mike and most of the others were arriving back themselves. The only exceptions were Lucas who had almost camped in the hospital watching over the still comatose Max and Erica by his side.

"Wonder what this is all about?" Nancy ventured.
Mike shrugged. "No idea but Steve said it was important. He sounded shook up when he called. Where's Will?"

"He went ahead again on his own," Dustin replied as Hopper's group was pulling up outside. "He's been doing that a lot lately."

"He'll be down in the basement again I bet," Mike grinned as he opened the door and promptly lost his smile. "WILL!"

Their friend was lying face down at the foot of the stairs with paper strewn around him.

El reached Will first who was slowly coming around.

"It was him, wasn't it?" She hugged her shaking brother as he got up slowly. "Was he after you now?"

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry," Will found himself hugged from 2 sides as Joyce reached him. "Easy, I'm ok," Will had regained his feet. "And no he wasn't. I think he was...scared! Scared and hurting!"
"WHAT?!" Everyone was beyond taken aback as El guided Will to a seat.

"I felt it, he was in agony," Will couldn't help shaking a little. "And he was afraid. I didn't think he could be scared of anything but he was!"

Mike then noticed that there was a paper on the floor where Will had fallen. His eyes went wide on picking it up and the reason was plain to see. The word HELP, in Will's handwriting, was written on it over and over again...

Hawkins Lab

No one knew it yet but many of the answers to the party's new questions could be found in the abandoned lab on the edge of town where so much of the horror of the Upside Down had started so long ago. It was not abandoned anymore now, new tenants had moved in and they were not the governmental kind.

Several figures were moving around in the basement where the main mothergate portal had once been. They all looked human from a distance and all were dressed in either dark robes or what looked like leather armour in black and red with hoods or cowls pulled over their faces. Most were chanting ominously in some unknown language around what had been the portal entrance. 2 others remained further away on the overlooking platform and were locked in conversation. Both of these were of the armoured variety and were dressed much more ornately, both having ornate leather jerkins with red sequins over their black armour. One had a female voice and the other male. The male, even more ominously, had sharp blades protruding from his elbows and his shoulders.

"I'm sorry about last night. I know we should have been more careful but you did say speed was of the essence." the female was saying apologetically.
"Forget it Chiara, what's done is done. You gave one of our new devices a good field test, that was a good bonus. Besides, even with this world's advanced weapons, they were still only plain rivvils weren't they?" The male's voice was mocking and chilling all at once.

Chiara chucked just as nastily. "You always know how to lift my spirits, Sedriss. They may have fire sticks and horseless chariots but yes indeed, they're still just filthy rivvils. Unfit for our world, this world or any world for that matter! They died screaming, it's a pity you weren't there to enjoy it with us!"

"There's always next time and there will soon be a next time! Our arrival here was an error but one we can turn to our advantage!"
Chiara nodded in agreement. "I did wonder why you were having us bring more crystals and equipment here. I thought you would have wanted to retreat and get home as soon as possible especially since we have to come through that poison realm on every journey we make."

"You know me better than that, Chiara. We need some results to take back with us. What has happened up to now will be seen as failure, you know that as well as I given our portal effort went somewhat awry. If we go back empty handed..."

"...I know. The Valshar will have our heads!" Chiara shuddered.

"Or feed us to his new friends. Still, with that in mind, I've ordered a blood ceremony from our Iblis. He should be able to point the Red Order to some promising candidates..."

"Promising candidates among rivvils? I just don't see it!" Chiara snorted.

"Now now, Chiara. Remember the Valshar's speech? There are diamonds in the rough everywhere and if we find some that will more than make up for this...mishap." Sedriss grinned under his cowl.

"Hard to believe that ugly thing the Iblis is interrogating is the one responsible for us being here," Chiara scoffed.

"Well he's one example of what the Valshar meant then isn't he?" Sedriss pointed out. "Ugly he might be but his hatred is exquisite. His screams I was able to enjoy when the Iblis took his blood! Speaking of which...it looks like they're ready!"

8 more black robed figures had entered the room and one was pouring out a vial of blood over the floor making the shape of a pentagram.

"We can proceed anytime dread lord."

Sedriss nodded. "Good...then show me what our new 'friend' feared the most, who are among his most deadly adversaries around here."

The cowled figures stood around the newly made pentagram making arcane gestures. Soon they all began to glow with foul green auras and the blood on the pentagram began to animate!

"I wonder what fierce warriors this realm has to offer!" Chiara licked her lips her under cowl.

A minute and more chanting later the pentagram had vanished and the blood had congealed and formed into 2 transparent images...of El and Will Byers!

Chiara had to work hard to stop her jaw slamming into the floor. "What? Is this some sort of joke?! Has your sorcery gone faulty or something?"
"No dread mistress," The Iblis, or head wizard, grovelled. "There was no fault with the spell or the blood in use. These are the images of the ones he truly fears."
"Your spell was supposed to reveal the deadliest of his enemies. This? 2 rivvils barely able to pick up a blade or even walk?" Chiara was incredulous.

"Don't be so quick to judge," Sedriss walked down to join them. "I had a brief conversation with our lich like friend too. He mentioned this one in depth." He pointed to El's unmoving image. "She was subjected to similar experimentation and has similar power to him. Remember how he killed off 5 of us on our arrival despite him being weakened, Chiara? Do not be so quick to judge a book by the cover."

Chiara did indeed remember their first encounter with Henry Creel and his psychokinetics when they'd breached the Upside Down. "So this girl can do the same? Interesting...but what of this one?"

"That I don't know," Sedriss studied Will's image intently before his face regained a smile. "But we can find out! Iblis, tell your inquisitors to try and get more information from our lich captive before he bleeds out altogether. Chiara, send some of the Red Order out to find out more information on this one. Who he is, who his friends are...everything."

Sedriss turned back to Will's image and his face gained a predatory grin. "As for you, well let's hope we meet soon. Something tells me we're going to have a lot of fun together...well at least I know that I am! Hahaha!"
His mocking cold laughter filled the whole lab as he pulled off his cowl and revealed that he wasn't human at all. Silver hair was not unheard of but humans didn't tend to have charcoal gray skin, red eyes and they certainly didn't have pointed ears. Sedriss studied Will for another minute before turning away. I hope he proves worthy of my time. Well if he doesn't my fortress back in the Underdark can always use another head on a pike outside...