FLASHBACK

-'You're gonna do great, you've practiced a lot', El was telling Mike as he stretched, preparing himself to run some laps and win his school some merits.

The boy nodded and looked up at his girlfriend who was holding their half year old son in her arms, -'I'll win a medal for THIS little guy' he jumped to his feet and planted kisses all over the little boys' face, who giggled happily, -'Hey! Will I get a medal too?' El protested jokingly, -'I can win one for you too' he chuckled and kissed her deeply before taking Levi in his arms, -'I'm gonna ask the coach something and show him around ok? I'll bring him to you', El nodded and joined Max, Dustin, Will and Lucas on the bleachers.

-'Well hello there little lad!', Coach Diaz ruffled Levi's matt of black hair and chuckled, -'What's up Mike? Did you do your warming?', -'Yes sir, I was just wondering if it's better to run with maybe a sweatshirt, since it's a bit cold already or will it create too much resistance?', _'I thought you were the physics genius! With your legs the only way winter wear could slow you down is if you wore 100 thick bear skin coats and mittens to go with it. Don't worry', Mike nodded and rubbed his hands, -'It is freezing but when I start going it should get better', -'Alright then, the race starts in ten minutes. And hey, Wheels. Don't get intimidated by the other schools' guys. They're all buff and muscly and huge, your advantage is that you're light and you have long legs, remember, thats your forte. SPRINT. Don't just run. SPRINT and you'll be five steps ahead of them', -'Like a gazelle', -'You know it. Now return that little lad to his mum unless you wanna run with him on your shoulders'.

END OF FLASHBACK

Mike was looking absently at Hopper as he spoke, not really paying attention to his resport. If they had found his son, Hopper would be either over the moon because he was safe, or destroyed because he was dead. Mike gulped.

Dead.

His son couldn't be dead. He wouldn't be able to deal with such tremendous loss, even if it seemed like a plausible situation.

El listened to his father attentively, with tears prickling around her tear ducts.

Karen laid a hand over her son's bony shoulder while Ted pretended he wasn't registering such terrible news.

El's hand slithered across the blanket to firmly grasp her boyfriend's. He was so affected he hadn't talked in the two days since they left the hospital. How was he supposed to function at school?.

-'...So we have nothing. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. But Karen, Ted, El...Michael. I swear on my life and on everything I love, I will find him. This is affecting me as much as its affecting you', Joyce hadn't looked up once. Something about the Wheelers had always intimidated her even if she and Karen had been friends since middle school. Their money, and presence in society was impeccable and incomparable. Made Joyce feel like a little bug admist all this.

-'I was there with El when Levi was born you know? I held her hand, even if she was sedated. And I swear when I saw him, I had never seen anything so small and precious, and-', -'Stop' Mike spoke firmly, tears threatening to leave his eyes but his expression stern, -'Please stop. You're not making it easier'. Everyone turned to look at him. He hadn't slept in three days. He hadn't eaten a proper meal in a week. And it was showing. The young man was miserable.

-'Kid, I know you're angry but you gotta respect my wife okay? You fucking hear me?', -'Honestly Hop, I could give two shits. Right now ALL I CARE ABOUT! Is...is that MY son, HALF OF ME, is GOD KNOWS WHERE! And I don't know who he's with, dammit For no fucking reason at all' -'Don't yell at my dad, Mike come on', the boy rolled his eyes and let himself fall on the couch again, covering his lean body with blankets, -'Can You leave please, -'Honey we are just trying to help' Can you leave ' his tone was menacing. Hopper rememberd when Mike was nothing but a skinny, small boy who blushed and cried whenever someone said the wrong thing. Trauma had forged him away from that small boy.

Night time came. El was the only one staying by Mike's side. Down in the basement with her back resting against the couch. She decided she wanted to try going into the void again.

She gently grabbed Mike's hand that was dangling off the comfort of the sofa, trying to make the connection stronger and then held the pale green baby blanket.

Her surroundings went completely black. The echo of the silence deafening her somehow.

She heard a whimper. A weak one.

Levi was sitting on a doctor's check up table. A suited man approached him, and inyected something into his arm which made him scream. El frowned and tried not to hyperventilate. -'Whats that' she whispered, -'What the hell is that' she looked closer. A mark on his wrist. A series of numbers. A tattoo way too big for his extremely small arm.

012.