SHIIIIIT! I'm so sorry! I don't know what went wrong but I promise this is the 9th chapter.

You waited long enough so I decided to post this chapter. I had situations as usual that prevented me from writing and I had plans with the story but I'm trying to divide the chapter so they could be a bit shorter and frequently posted. With that said, enjoy!


Chapter 9: Confrontation and Discovery

Hawkins, Indiana, USA

30th June 1985

Billy felt his heart going still in terror at the sight of Donald Pierce.

"Well, howdy!" greeted the said asshole with a wide gold-tooth smile and that stupid southern drawl, slamming the jeep's door while the vehicle's lights shone upon him.

"Shit!" Billy swore under his breath, his heart now beating harshly against his ribcage. 'How the hell did he find me?!' he thought in panic.

Billy made sure to stay hidden at Skull Rock for the remainder of the day, smoking a cig after a cig and high on alert for the "bad men" while sweating like a damn pig out of stress and fear (something he'll never admit to anyone). As soon as the night arrived and started to turn pitch black, he raced with his Camaro straight back to Liberty Motel. Other than that brief shit they had with the manager Billy thought they were in the clear.

"Billy!" he quickly glanced at Gabriela's pale and sweaty face in the backseat through an opened window, "Billy don't!" she shook her head at him.

"Don't what!?" he hissed.

"Whatever your planning-"

"I'm thinking woman!"

"Now now now, what do we have here, hmm?" Donald Pierce said to them, strutting forward with his hands behind his back, just like earlier today (minus the sunglasses). "Quite a contradiction, isn't it?"

Billy was a few feet away from the Camaro. He didn't know whether he should jump inside and take off (but that would mean leaving Laura behind) or try to take on this asshole and yell for Gabriela to get the kid and get out (she's wounded you idiot and the bastard has a gun!). He did have a crowbar in the trunk but again, too far away.

Billy stared inside the car and locked eyes with Gabriela, who still shook her head frantically. Fear was clear in her eyes like the day. And he didn't know the state of her wound. He needed to do something. Form a plan.

He didn't have one. So, stalling will do for now.

Billy took in a deep breath, pushed down the dread that swirled inside him, squared up, and went forward to meet Pierce, standing in front of the Camaro. He heard a horrified "Oh no!" whisper from it which meant they were in deep shit now. Her and the kid.

'And where the fuck was the kid?!' he thought again in panic.

"Now I gotta say Billy boy, I'm disappointed! Really, I am!" Pierce tutted disapprovingly like Billy had some chewing gum on him and he refused to share with the class. He resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder. Instead, he focused on the bastard in front of him.

Slowly, they meet at the spot where the pink-blue neon light of the motel shone upon them, shadows casting on their faces.

"Turn around asshole," Billy warned with clenched fists, in an attempt to buy some time. He thought it was inappropriate that crickets chirped in the background over the sound of the working vehicles.

Pierce was unimpressed. "Turn around? Asshole?! My my, what bravado! Wonder where it was today. Lost it somewhere?" He cocked his head sideways. "I believe we had a deal boy. If you see them-"

"We had no deal and I saw no one," Billy stated flatly.

Pierce chuckled. "…Then who's that in your car?" He pointed with the black-gloved right hand at the Camaro.

Billy said nothing, trying to glare down the asshole. Sadly it…didn't work.

"So, you meet Gabriela. Meet her and the girl although it's quite odd she isn't here. It's funny, the little one is like a damn koala bear, never leaves her side." Pierce commented lightly while rubbing his right hand. "Quite feisty when separated."

Billy frowned. "My memory is a funny thing, Donald. Sometimes I forget things." he lied. If he gets close enough maybe he can-

Wait, why is Pierce the only one who…oh fuck!

Pierce chuckled. "It is a funny thing. Because like I said, we had an unspoken agreement. You know, with you taking my card-"

"Again, I didn't agree to shit," Billy growled, clenching his fists and glancing subtly at the darkness of the nearby trees where the other bad men could be. He watched the movies; it was a perfect spot for an ambush!

Pierce mocks gasp, sticking out his lower lips. The son of a bitch even put a hand on his chest like he was shocked. "Oh my. And here I thought you were going to call me! Now that hurts."

"Why don't you come closer, and I'll show you some hurt." Billy threatened. "Unless you are only brave with a gun on you and your goons beside you, pussy."

Pierce smirked. "You know boy, if you weren't some damn fucking rude, I would have liked ya. Matter of fact, I'm willing to offer you a deal." He spread out his hands like ya businessman in a commercial.

Billy frowned. "What deal?"

Okay, an opportunity to form some plan while doing this staling shit. Billy again resisted glancing at the Camaro and the motel. The receptionist could see this at any moment and come out. Or worse she could call the cops. For all he knew, they did work for these bastards!

Pierce blinked and began to walk in circles around Billy. Billy kept an eye on him.

"Well, I'll bet they offered you some cash in exchange for help. Now, with all due disrespect, you don't seem like a fella who helps people out of the goodness of your heart." Pierce stated, jerking his head at the blue muscle car.

Harrington's words echoed in his mind. 'It means you are not the guy who fights for others, you only fight for yourself.'

"You'd be surprised," Billy replied through clenched teeth while shifting in Pierce's direction, his body tense and ready for a fight! As he turned, he saw from afar Gabriela glaring hatefully at Pierce. She probably wished she had her gun on her.

Pierce smirked. "And yet I bet you took the money, right?" Billy remained silent. "Or did they say they're gonna give it to you when you drive them off to…Canada?" Billy's eyes widened in surprise. "Yeah, I've figured they think they would be safe there from us." Pierce stopped as he snorted. "As if they would really be safe."

"What, drug cartels not interested in Canada?" Billy shot back.

Pierce turned his head at him in disbelief. "Drug cartels? The hell you're on- …Wait. Heh. You think I'm with some cholos south of the border? Hrph! Hahahaha!" Pierce laughed. Laughed at him, as if Billy was the biggest fucking moron.

Billy was enraged by this. "I think you're some fucking monster who works for those fucking ch-cholos, when you're not some head of fucking security-" Billy growled, taking a step forward.

"Now now boy," Pierce pulled back his short military coat, hand resting on a gun. "You forgetting something?"

Billy stopped, eyeing the gun warily now. Pierce no longer smiled.

"Shame. You do remind me of someone I know." Pierce stared at him like a wolf. "Now boy, how about you step aside, accept the deal I give ya, and walk away, hm? You don't want to end up like that family that didn't know what was best for the-"

"RAARGH!"

Suddenly, Billy heard something, a sound like a boomerang, whizzing past his head and hitting Pierce straight in his head!

*SMACK

Billy was stunned, watching Pierce who was even more stunned than him, wobble in surprise for a moment before he fell to the ground with a harsh thud, face first. Bewildered, he turns around, just in time to catch another something thrown at him, making him flinch back. His right hand stung as he caught the object.

Billy glanced above and saw, to his own surprise, it was the kid who stood on the balcony, standing in the shadows provided by the roof above and glaring down at him.

Billy gaped at her, glanced at the something, which turned out to be a leg from a chair, somehow cut off, turned his head at the Camaro, watched by the shocked Gabriela, then at Laura again and delicately yelled:

"The hell's wrong with you, huh?!" The kid had the audacity to raise her fucking eyebrows at him. "Why throw-? How did you get that-? How did you throw that-? The fuck did I do?!" Billy demanded.

"Were you going to take his offer?" Laura asked him as if she asked what was for dinner tonight. He noticed she was still in her red T-shirt and black pajamas and her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Billy throws his hands in frustration and then he realized he is still holding the leg; he throws it off on the ground. He glanced back at Pierce lying down and at the running cars.

"Billy!" he heard Gabriela yell.

This does not look good. Not good enough for the cops. He had to act, fast.

Wait! Pierces gun! It'll make for better protection than a crowbar.

As he quickly approaches Pierce and kneels down, patting him down, searching for the gun and anything else.

"Damn kids throwing stuff at me, I don't need this shit." He muttered, trying to turn him over. "What the hell is my life turning into-"

*CLICK

Billy stopped. He knows that sound. All too well.

He slowly turns his head to see Laura had somehow gotten down and managed to sneak up on him while pointing Gabriela's revolver at him. Neon light illuminated her, making it look like she was a mirage of sorts.

"Laura!" Billy heard Gabriela shout from the car and heard her struggling to move the front seat and open the door.

He slowly raised his hands. "Whoa, whoa, easy now girl." Billy defended, now genuinely concerned. "No need for…that." He pointed at the revolver.

He resisted the urge to see if the manager emerged from her office to see this entire commotion. How the hell she didn't-

"Were you going to take his offer?" Laura demands again in a now deadly cold tone. Too cold coming from such a small child. What happened to her…?

"I…um…" he was at a loss for words.

Honestly, Billy has been doing this whole shit for money, going around Hawkins and making sure they had everything for the trip. He has risked his life, he realizes, dealing with…well he didn't know what the fuck he was dealing with at all, but he dealt it for a lot of cash.

Although, that wasn't the real reason was it? What Harrington said to him earlier today rattled him more than he cared to admit. Matter of fact, he's been thinking about those words while hiding at Skull Rock. He could have stayed there, hiding while everything else went to shit around him.

And yet…he returned. It made him think of his mother. Made him think of what his life could have been if he did something. Something more. Something now.

Like standing up to Neil or being a better…person he guessed, for Max and Susan. Helping these two felt like a start, even though he knows them for like a day. And this kid in front of him…was hurt. He didn't know in what way, but the pain was there, and he knew the feeling.

'It means you are not the guy who fights for others, you only fight for yourself.'

"No." Billy was surprised by himself at how firm his answer was. He looked Laura dead in the eyes. "No. I was not going to accept it. I swear." He put a hand on his chest and meant it.

Laura didn't react at first. She watched him coolly for a few tense moments, looking deep into his eyes, evaluating if what he said was true. Then she lowered the gun, making Billy relax and lower his arms. Thank God!

Then she pointed it again.

"Eeh…?" What the? Why…?

A groan behind him makes him turn around sharply.

Ah. Not at him. At the asshole who moaned, stirring up from his object-thrown-to-his-face-knockout.

"Ww-what the-?" the bastard tried to whisper but Billy, oh but Billy wanted payback for the insults at Starcourt. "What just happened…?" Pierce whispered. Then he had a split second of clarity to see Billy's foot coming at him.

"This happened!" Billy yelled as he rushed in and with a swift kick in the face, knocked him out once again.

*TWACK

The impact of it gave him immense satisfaction and brought a smile to his face as Pierce's head meet the pavement.

"Damn, that felt good!" Billy exclaimed. He quickly crouched again, removed Pierce's coat, and saw the gun in Pierce's holster. Billy hesitated for a moment before removing the gun from the holster.

He turned his head at Laura who was still pointing the revolver at Pierce. "Come on. We have to go." Laura didn't respond, still glaring at Pierce, with that inner rage inside her that reminded him of Max. Max too sometimes glared at him like that.

"Hey," Billy raised his voice, making her look at him, "we have to go, otherwise lard-ass will see this shit and call the cops and we will be in trouble."

He held eye contact with her, the same way he does with Max. This finally snapped her out and with a firm nod, she rushed back to the Camaro followed along by Billy.

Billy took the driver's seat and put the gun in the driver's door interior while the kid…just jumped over the open window in the backseat with Gabriela, landing right alongside her.

"Okay, not gonna comment on it. Now, hold on!"

Billy hit the gas pedal, and with a *SCREECH* of tires off they were, traveling at law-breaking speed, practically flying off the Liberty parking lot.

It wasn't long before they were on the road he felt Gabriela grab the passenger headrest, pull herself closer and yell "We have to get out here!" right in his ear!

"Yeah, no shit!" he snapped back, not looking at her. The dark green forest swirled past them at a swift speed. "Look I didn't know what kinda sick cartel shit this is-"

"Cartel shit?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"-but you're gonna walk me through this because I'm pretty sure I just painted a huge fucking target on my back!"

"You painted a target on our back whenyou decided to help us," Gabriela replied harshly.

The warm summer wind that rushed in through the opened windows didn't help smother the silence.

"I am sorry Billy, but we-" Gabriela wanted to apologize but Billy waved it off.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. How you're feeling?" he asked, concerned. "The wound is okay?"

"Yes. For now." She replied. Still, Billy could see she was in a bad shape.

"Good." He nodded.

"Transigen." He heard Laura say.

"Yeah, I know. Bastard gave me his card and everything." He stated-

"No, Billy its Transigen! I-It's all Transigen." Gabriela stated in a grave voice.

"Okay, what the hell does this Transigen does? I don't even know about those guys."

"Pharmaceutics. Biochemistry." Laura provides the answer.

"What kid, you're a science experiment or something?" Billy took a sarcastic shot in the dark.

More silence. Billy didn't like that. "What?" he asked.

"You're, um ho-how do you say it, right on the money," Gabriela answered.

Billy blinked. "…Wow, um okay, assuming this is all real; what the fuck you got yourself into Hargrove?!" he muttered, gripping the wheel while frantically checking for threats even though he was currently driving at 85 mph. "Now what?"

"As we planned, C-Canada," Gabriela replied as they passed Hawkins Road.

"Yeah, well there's a problem," Billy says while passing by an intersection. "I doubt they will forget about me because-Oh shiiit!" Billy suddenly slammed on the brakes, making the Camaro-

*SCREEECH

-screech like some fucking monster and lurch all three of them forward. He saw Laura hold Gabriela in the back view mirror.

"Dios Mio! Why did you stop?!" Gabriela demanded once she regained her bearings. "Why-…oh no," she whispered. Laura came forward and growled when she saw the reason.

On the straight narrow road ahead of them that led just outside of Hawkins's limits were shining lights from several black jeeps, all positioned in a way that they formed a roadblock, preventing them from leaving. He could see several people standing in the front. And he could also see they were armed to the teeth.

"Oh shit! How the hell are these guys?!" he asked, his heartbeat getting quicker. This problem was getting bigger and bigger.

"Reavers." Laura answered promptly with her teeth barred.

"Billy." Gabriela tapped his shoulder frantically while the kid still growled.

"The hell? Reavers? How the fuck do know where here-"

Gabriela yelled. "BILLY! We have to-"

"YEAH! I know! I know!" Billy snapped back, pulling the car in reverse, quickly turning in around 180 style, and speeding off.

"How do they know where we are?" Billy repeats, frustrated. "I mean, they can't be that good."

"Where did you meet him?" Gabriela asked.

"What?" Billy replied, confused.

"Where did you meet Pierce?" Gabriela asked again, with noticeable anger in her voice that made her slightly terrifying, even if she was wounded.

Billy fumbled. "A-t, at, at Starcourt. At the parking lot. What does this-"

"They put a tracker on your car." Laura piped in.

Billy did turn around at Laura. "What?!" he exclaimed, seeing her staring at the floor, searching for something.

"Watch the road!" Gabriela snapped at him making him re-focus.

"We have to remove it," Laura continued calmly.

"They put what on my car?!" he repeats incredulously.

"Billy, we have to remove it, otherwise, we can't escape!" Gabriela explained.

"Well, I can't just stop here," he smacked the wheel and pointed at the road, "they're gonna catch on to us goddammit!"

"There! Turn there." Laura came close to his left, pointing at the intersection they passed. Was there something on her wrist?

Billy turned the wheel as they went left, he didn't question why. He put two and two together as they passed the hedgerows, and the road has gotten narrow.

"When I was in Starcourt buying stuff for the trip, on the parking lot, they probably… oh those assholes!" He smacked the wheel in anger. "If I ever get a chance…I'll…" Billy trailed off when something came into view. A large, multi-story building that he heard about from the guys back in school.

As they passed through a gate, with an empty guard station and rusty barbed fence, a giant cube-like structure, which itself looked like a cross symbol for hospitals, manifested and stood imposingly in front of them. Billy could see on the roof several satellite dishes and a radio tower. Signs of small decay appeared all over them, marking them and the building as abandoned. And with a whole lot of ghost stories surrounding it.

Hawkins National Laboratory.

They stopped near a large flagpole in the parking lot leading right near the front entrance. Billy, Gabriela, and Laura stared at it.

"What is this place?" Gabriela asked with an odd tone in her voice.

"It's called Hawkins National Laboratory. Was that is. Abandoned. Declared off-limits by the government." Billy replied, weirded out by the cube-shaped building. He knew about the whole incident with leaking chemicals that resulted in the death of that missing Holland girl and the Radio Shack guy. The entire area was surrounded by the dark forest.

"Do you know anything else?" Gabriela questioned further. Billy could also practically sense Laura glaring at it.

"Not much. Just some ghost stories from the guys at school and I once saw it far away-Wait a damn minute, we don't have time for this! The tracker!" he snapped. Billy was about to leave the car, only for Laura without a word to jump from the car, crouch down, and crawl right below it.

"Bu-Laura!" Gabriela exclaimed.

"The hell are you doing kid?!" Billy snapped as he heard her messing with something down there. He tried to leave the car. "We gotta- Jesus!"

Laura emerged right to his side, scaring the hell out of him. In her hand was a small, simple black box. Gabriela and Billy stared at it.

"Mija..that…?"

"That's the...?"

"The tracker." Laura nodded.

"How did you…? Nevermind! Now throw that away so we can get out of-"

*BEEP

Laura, Gabriela, and Billy snapped their eyes at the small box. A small red light flashed on it.

*BEEP *BEEP

"Why is it beeping?" he asked, suddenly very tense.

Laura's eyes widened. Suddenly she ran off, in the direction of the entrance.

*BEEP *BEEP *BEEP

"Kid! Hey! What are doing?" Billy yelled at her as he left the car. "Why do you-". His eyes widened as he realized what it was as well. "Hey! WAIT!" he yelled after her as his heart pumped with adrenaline.

*BEEP *BEEP *BEEP *BEEP

"LAURA!" Gabriela screamed while Billy ran after her, trying in vain to stop Laura as she ran towards the entrance whom he noticed was also barefoot. He could see the doors were locked and had a warning taped on them.

*BEEP *BEEP *BEEP *BEEP *BEEP

He also saw that that did not deter Laura from running. No, she just had to jump through the fucking glass on the side! *CRASH* "Jesus Christ! Come back here kid!" He came just a few feet in front of the entrance. "LAURA-"

*BOOOM

Light flashed before his eyes as a shockwave sent Billy flying to the ground and a fiery explosion engulfed the front entrance and blew the doors wide apart.

Billy was in a state of delirium for what felt like hours. Then the world came to shape once again as his vision cleared up. But the ears with ringing in a low pitch.

"LAURA!" he finally heard a sound as Gabriela yelled in anguish from the car, trying to push the front seat as Billy slowly got up on shaky legs with his ears ringing less. He turned around and saw fire, smoke, and black soot covering the front entrance and starting to slowly spread.

A fact came back to him as he realized that they put a bomb under his car. They actually put a fucking bomb on his car!

"They *huff* they tried…shit! Laura!" Billy was prepared to go in before the fire consumed the place but stopped as he heard a sound of an engine revving in the distance. A car engine. Getting closer.

Swiftly turning his head, he saw Pierce's Jeep Cherokee entering the parking lot and going full speed at the Camaro with a hysteric Gabriela still inside who tried to leave the car.

"Mierda!" "SHIT!" they swore in panic.

Billy didn't think as he started to run.

Fast, faster as if he was training for a basketball game, his legs burned, and his heart raced as Pierce got closer and closer.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shiit!" He somehow managed to jump inside it and hit the gas while yelled at by a distressed Gabriela. The jeep was closing in.

"GO! GO! GO-!"

Billy just had enough time to move his car in reverse so Pierce could hit it at the front and not the back-

*CRASH-THUUUMM

The jeep hit the left side of the Camaro, the force sending it spiraling in circles. Billy clenched the steering wheel, letting out, "SHIIIIT!" while Gabriela screamed in the back, holding on for dear life. They stopped a moment later as the Camaro hit the large steel flagpole in the back, leaving them shaken.

Billy somehow managed to regain his bearings. He heard faintly, "Oh, you're dead now boy!" which meant Pierce was out of his car and was heading towards them.

The gun he took from Pierce! He has to-

"BILLY LOOK OUT!"

Billy had just enough time to see Pierce rush in and punch him through the opened window. *BAM* Billy felt the painful blow in his cheek throwing him backward, only for Pierce to continue by grabbing him by the hair and throat.

"Suppose you are justified for that kick; I did say some mean things to ya." Pierce snarled in his ear as Billy felt his neck arteries being squeezed and desperately gasped for air.

"Lo dejó ir! ¡Déjalo ir, cabrón!" Gabriela screeched at Pierce.

Billy grabbed Pierce by the arms and tried to fight him off. He tried punching, scratching, and kicking as he felt his airways being closed and the scalp of his blonde hair pulled back. That didn't help him much as Pierce viciously drags him out of the car and throws him to the ground.

"You little shit! You should have taken that deal, but no! You have to play the big boy!" he sneered at him as he retrieved back his gun. "And I'll deal with you in a minute, cariña."

"Ah c-crap…", Billy rubbed his throat as he tried to catch air as he got up.

The pain in his scalp pulsed as Billy saw Pierce standing beside his car with the left front dented and the back surely damaged, putting the gun back in his coat. Billy could see he had a bleeding cut on his lips, thanks to the jeep's headlights behind him illuminating the deserted parking lot. The blood flowed over Pierce's chin as the bastard started to slowly approach him. Billy got his bearings straight before standing ready for a fight. Then he heard something else. Sound of more engines getting closer and closer. Which was then followed by the white lights of the several black jeeps entering the abandoned place, just like Pierce's.

"Fuck," Billy swore, glancing nervously at the vehicles. The same ones that had armed men inside. Bad men. Reavers.

Pierce spits blood on the ground. "You know, I truly wish you called me Billy. But then I remember," Billy turned his head to glare at him,"…no momma to teach you manners." Pierce whispered through blood-stained lips.

Billy had enough!

With a rush of rage and adrenaline, he rushed and swung his fist with a roar…only for that gold-toothed motherfucker to catch it and throw him over his shoulder on the ground. Billy groaned as pain flashed in his back, along with a slight headache. As he rolled over and got up, he heard Pierce sigh in disappointment. "I gotta say Billy boy, all those muscles and no talent. No skill. Goodness gracious, where is this country heading towards?"

Billy straightened his back and then glared at him. "You…!"

"Billy, Billy stop!" he heard Gabriela's pained shouts. Billy also saw the jeeps (six of them, same as Pierce's) surround them. As the men left the vehicles with weapons in their hands Billy did stop. They surrounded Billy and started to point their weapons at him. Guns, shotguns, and rifles cocking loudly and ensuring any resistance was stopped. It was surreal. He could see they wore regular clothes but had that tactical military gear draped over them. Like in the movies.

Reavers. That's what Laura called them. And every single one of them looked strong, with rough faces, some bearded with long hair, some clean-shaved with short hair and covered with scars, and others with tattoos on their necks and arms. Some white guys, some black guys, he even saw a few Asians. What made them the same was the fact that all had the promise of pain and death in their eyes. Like Neil did. Except Neil wouldn't stop so low to kill him.

He didn't what do to. He's…oh shit, he's as good as dead!

No! Billy didn't give a shit! He was a fighter! We won't show these bastards he's afraid.

'I'm not gonna let you.' Billy thought fiercely as he clenched his fists. His breathing got harsher and tried to furiously think of anything.

The Reavers took it as a sign and prepared to shoot him.

*CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*

"Ah ah ah! Now hold on boys!" Pierce stopped them with a gesture of his hands. "I wanna see what Billy Boy here can do. Come on, you gotta have something in our sleeve, hmm?"

Twenty-five. He counted twenty-five Reavers as they lowered their weapons, and he turned around in a full circle and then settled back his glare on Donald Pierce. Pierce just stood there with a smile and beckoned him with open arms. "Well?"

Billy didn't know if he could win or not. Nevertheless, he cracked his neck and charged at the bastard, betting on his rage to help him. It helped with Harrington.

"No Billy! No!" he heard Gabriela yell as he crossed the short distance between himself and Pierce. And Billy went all out.

He swung his left fist at him, and Pierce blocked with his right easily. Billy didn't put that much power into it because he wanted to grab Pierce by the shoulders and knee him in the groin. However, a strong left punch in the gut stopped Billy, knocking him out of breath. "Hrgh!"

As Billy held his stomach, making him back away, Pierce stared him down with disappointment. "Really? Come on boy, you're supposed to be a bit tougher than that." He heard some Reavers chuckle in amusement.

Billy glared at them all as he took a deep breath, put up his arms, and went again. This time he managed to throw more punches. But every single time it was blocked, swatted, and thrown back at him. A punch to the face was thrown back at him with a left hook making his right cheek sting and back away. Billy proceeds with a kick in the stomach which Pierce swats away and returns with the kick in the ribs. Billy growled in pain as he decided to throw himself at Pierce, hoping to tackle him to the ground. But Pierce just took it, letting Billy grab him by the waist and push him back as he put his fists together, raised them over his head, and slammed Billy back down stomach first right near the Camaro.

As Billy groaned in pain and rolled on the pavement he heard Pierce and those armed bastards beginning to laugh at him.

"Hahahahaha! Well, boys, I guess Indiana kids don't know how to throw it down. It's genetics after all." Billy raised his head; he saw Pierce flanked by two of them approaching, all looking down on him. "If there's something wrong with the bitch then there's something wrong with the pup-"

"RAAARGH!"

Billy roared as he got up and swung his right arm in a blind rage. Pierce ducked easily, caught the arm, and twisted it, making Billy yell in pain. Pierce then proceeds to slam his face down on the hood of his Camaro. Billy's head ached as tried to stop him, only for several heavy punches on his back, his side, and in the kidneys to take him down.

*BAM *BAM *BAM

Gabriela's desperate shouts echoed across the parking lot, "Stop Pierce! Stop it! He has nothing to do with you!"

Billy couldn't do anything as he fell down on the ground with a groan, pain pulsing everywhere. He felt helpless. In the same way Neil makes him helpless. And he hated it.

Pierce ignored him. "Now, forgive my manners Gabriela, but I gotta say it's so nice to see you too! Say how's the kid these days, hmm?" he greeted her as he leaned on the Camaro and glanced inside. One Reaver came on the other side to point his gun at her. "You know, we never tested her for explosions." He stated, jerking his head at the destroyed entrance.

"Vete al infierno, la concha de tu madre!" Billy heard her curse, betting she was glaring at him with pure hatred.

The fucker chuckled. "I'll deal with you in a moment sweetheart, got to teach this little son of a bitch some manners. Hehe."

The constant insults, the feeling of Neil-like beatdown, calling his mom degrading names. That. That got Billy to snap out of his pain and with an angry yell he got up and swung his fist again at Pierce, catching him off guard.

"RAAARGH!" *SMACK*

He felt a deep satisfaction as his fist connected to the fucker head to the side, muscles, and bones vibrating at the force. The sonova bitch stumbled as Billy went for another.

However, this time he was stopped by the Reavers. Two of them grabbed him by the arms, punched him several in the stomach making him grunt in pain, and threw him down on the ground. All this made him even angrier, despite the pain.

"Urgh! You sons of bitch-"

*CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*

Billy stopped his resistance as several mean-looking barrels pointed at his face, the men behind the rifles watching him with unflinching cold glares.

He heard Pierce laugh. "Hahahaha, hrm, hrm, now that's," Pierce appeared in his view, rubbing his cheek, "what I call rage." He smiled, the dark red blood oozing through his teeth, making him look like a demon. "You got heart boy."

Billy bared his teeth in defiance. "Why don't you come closer, and I'll rip yours out of your chest fuck-*STOMP*-ughrh!" he groaned in pain as Pierce stomped on the face. Somehow it did not break his nose, but it sure cut his lips as he felt the sting.

"And that's for the kick. Now we're even." Pierce sniffed, putting the gun away in the coat and wiping his bloody lip. Then he glanced at the men. "Get her," he ordered several men nearby him to go forward and get…the kid. Some looked reluctant, but three of them went, with one taking out a pair of small, oddly shaped handcuffs.

Billy was completely pinned down, powerless to do anything as he watched armed men surround the Camaro with Gabriela glaring back and a few enter the abandoned building in order to capture the kid. If she's even alive.

Self-loathing hit him in full force. He…felt like a total failure. Here he was, trying to do the right thing for once after a long time, and in that, he failed. Now they're gonna-

From the dark, empty building, a man screamed in terror.


Eleven took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

Finally, she managed to regain her strength, after earlier repeated attempts to find her potential brother or sister or both left her exhausted and disappointed…and secretly deeply afraid.

She did not find any of them, alive or dead. This…Eleven didn't know what to think of this, because she always found whomever she was searching for, no matter where they were. She could find Kali in Chicago. She could find that man with a funny accent and a funny hat in a place called Rus-sia as Hopper explained it to her. She found Will in the Upside Down, Eleven couldn't understand how it wasn't possible to find anyone in the photograph!

Well not all of them, she was stopped just before the smallest girl in the picture and the woman beside her because she was so tired.

However, right now as she held the yellow Walkman, with tiny bloody fingerprints (her heart clenched painfully at the sight of it), sitting in a meditative pose on the floor of Byers's house, with Will, Lucas, Dustin, Max, and Mike watching her, she was prepared.

Eleven is going to find someone. Someone like her. Whosi…-Who's being hunted like she was. And Eleven will help them. Help them escape and find them a home, with her and Hopper.

She just hoped they were safe.

"Are you ready?" Mike asked her, locking eyes with him.

Eleven nodded firmly.

"Okay, we're here then." Will assured her along with the chorus of 'yeah' and nods followed and with it, Eleven picked up Jonathan's old bandana on her right, covered her eyes with it, tied it, closed her eyes, took the Walkman, and held it in her hands.

Breathe. In and out.

Eleven could feel the world around her starting to disappear in a wisp of smoke. The sound of TV static, the breathing of her friends, and the crickets that chirped outside slowly faded away.

When complete silence descended upon her, Eleven opened her eyes. Shallow water beneath her feet and the dark, hollow expanse of the Void greeted her. Pitch blackness with no sound, other than her light breathing.

She began to focus, searching. As she made her first steps, feet splashing in the mirrored water, a pull that emitted from the Walkman started to guide her. Left. Right. Left again. Right. Then straight ahead. As she went further in that direction, the pull got stronger. Then she started to hear a sound and stopped as she listened.

It was oddly familiar. Machine-like rumbling in the distance. She realized it was the sound of running vehicles. She began to approach it.

As she neared, Eleven heard more noises. Grunting, shouting, and yelling. A struggle. People. And then a multitude of laughs. Cruel laughs. The kind that mocked you, like that mouth breather made when the boys sneaked her into the school for Will's memorial.

Eleven quickened her pace.

"I hear something." She said to them as she walked.

"Hear what El?" Mike asked her.

"I hear…cars. And I hear…people." She answered as she steadily approached the source.

"People?" Will wondered.

"There are…yelling and…laughing…the way a mouth breather laughs," Eleven explained getting closer.

"A mouth breather laugh?" Max was confused.

"El, you mean like Troy?" Lucas questioned.

"Yes."

"Okay, um that doesn't sound good," Dustin stated the obvious. No, it did not sound good.

Eleven then sees in the distance a group of people standing in a large circle. With cars parked around, still running, their lights illuminating their surroundings. Eleven could see a large, plain grey area with white lines and a large steel pole bean. A parking lot. Where?

As she came closer, she saw numerous men, dressed in weird clothing. They wore regular clothes such as shirts, T-shirts, pants, and jeans. But had black accessories on their forearms, knees, and upper body. Eleven would think they were funny, wearing those roller skates things that she saw once in Starcourt…if it weren't for their weapons.

Guns, rifles, shotguns. She knew that. Bad men.

"I see them. Bad men."

"Okay, what are they doing?" Will asked, sounding tense.

"They are standing in a circle…with guns."

"Oh crap!" Dustin exclaims.

"Vete al infierno, la concha de tu madre!" Eleven jumped as she heard a woman growl in a different language with an accent.

"I hear a woman. Um, what does madre mean?" she asked.

"Madre?!" Lucas exclaimed.

"It's Spanish El, it means mother," Max explained.

The next thing Eleven heard was spoken in an odd accent. "I'll deal with you in a moment sweetheart, got to teach this little son of a bitch some manners. Hehe." Whoever spoke it…their voice sounded revolting to her ears. She tried to find the source.

"RAAARGH!" *SMACK*

A yell and the sound of someone getting hit recaught her attention. She saw a group of people converge near a blue damaged car that was different from the others…and was crashed in the back by the steel pool bean. And it looked familiar.

"Urgh! You sons of bitch-"

*CLICK *CLICK *CLICK

The sound of guns clicking resonated as a line of people cleared and gave Eleven a perfect view to see who it was. And then the gaped in shock when she saw it was…

"Billy?" she whispered in surprise.

"Billy?!" Eleven heard Max loudly exclaim. "What do you mean Billy?"

"El, what do you mean Billy? Is he…?" Lucas asked.

"There are people holding him down. He's…hurt." Eleven stated, her voice full of worry.

She could there were ugly purple bruises on his cheeks, arms, and neck as well as dirt on his white sleeveless shirt. And yet despite it, he was still defiant, betting he would struggle against the two bad men that held him down if it weren't for several bad men who stood before him and pointed their weapons at his face.

She heard someone laugh as they approached. "Hahahaha, hrm, hrm, now that's, what I call rage."

A blonde-haired man appeared before her, carrying a gun. He was of average height, wearing a long, green coat. What made him stand out was a tattoo on his neck, a skull with two knives (swords) crossed beneath it. He looked down at Billy, rubbing his cheek, He smiled at him, a cut on his lip bleed, the dark red blood making him look like a Demogorgon. "You got heart boy."

Billy growled at the man, barring his teeth. "Why don't you come closer, and I'll rip yours out of your chest fuck-*STOMP*-ughrh!"

Eleven jumped back in shock as the man suddenly stomped on Billy's face.

"Eleven? What's going on?" Max asked her.

"There's a man with an odd accent. He's hurting Billy!" She said, distressed by the sight.

"Oh shit!" Dustin swore.

"Eleven, can you tell us where are they?" Will asked her.

"And that's for the kick. Now we're even." The cruel man continued, unaware of Eleven standing near him. He put the gun in his coat and glanced at the men near him. "Get her." He flatly ordered.

For a moment Eleven jumped, thinking they were talking about her. But as the men passed her, one of them holding a pair of handcuffs, small ones, she knew instantly they were talking about the one whom they chased. Her-

Eleven stopped as she turned around and found out where the bad men were heading. A painfully familiar building materialized in front of her in full view. Its front door where blown apart, with black soot, smoke, and a small fire in little patches spread around.

"The lab…" she whispered. "There at the lab." The bad men watched with anticipation as the blond man stood in front of them.

"What?!"

"Oh crap!"

"We have to-"

"AAAAAAARGH!"

Eleven jumped as she heard a man scream. In terror.

She turned back and saw flashes in the windows. Along with the sound of gunfire.


*BANG *BANG *CRACK *CRASH "AAAAARHG!"

Billy somehow managed to turn his head in the direction of the laboratory, just in time to see a window being shattered by gunfire, its glass raining down on the ground in sprinkles. He noticed that the others were doing the same thing, watching with alertness. And that…that was full grown man's scream. Screaming in pain. He heard panicked, "Stay away! Stay away!"

*BANG *BANG *BANG

The screams continued, along with several gunshots as Billy saw flashes in the windows at the floor above. He felt the arms pinning him down loosen up and go away.

"AAARH-ugrh!" echoed the final scream as he saw a splash of…something sprayed on one of the window glasses, just one floor above the entrance.

Silence. Dead silence.

"Well, damn." He heard Pierce mutter like he expected that to happen, moving closer to stand in front of all of them with hands on his hips.

"Was that really necessary sir? Only sending in three…" one Reaver with a five o'clock shadow and an odd, checkered scarf at his side asked, only to trail off when Pierce gave him a death glare.

'What the hell is going on?!' Billy thought in complete fucking bewilderment as he rolled over to see better. Was there someone else in there? He thought the place was abandoned.

Those two assholes who held him down joined the rest to watch the derelict building. And waited.

Until she emerged from the shadows.


"I see…her." Eleven breathed out as she saw her sister emerge from the dreaded building.

"Her? So is a girl." "Woah!" "What does she look like?"

Illuminated by the lights of the vehicles and standing before her was a pale-skinned black-haired girl dressed in a red shirt and black pajamas with bare feet. She was small, smaller than Eleven, tiny almost, just barely reaching Eleven's shoulder. And on her face…were sprinkles of red blood. And yet her expression was cold. Emotionless. Except for her eyes. She had green eyes that were watching the bad men with…murderous intent. Did…did she?

"She…" Eleven tried to continue but trailed off when she noticed the girl carrying something in her arms.


Laura appeared before them, calmly walking through the blown-up door, illuminated by the lights from flashlights and running vehicles, holding something in her arms. She went to stand in front of them, her face eerily calm. On her face were red sprinkles…is that blood?

"That a girl! Hey baby!" Pierce greeted her cheerfully, even waving his hand at her like he's her cool uncle and not acknowledging the fact that the air was so tense you could cut right through it. And she…did she just…

Nothing happened for a while until Laura throws that something at them, sailing through the air, rolling down on the ground, and stopping a few feet in front of them. Everyone watched it as it finally stopped, its expression frozen in terror.

Because that something…was a decapitated human fucking head.


Eleven was speechless. Her mouth did not make a sound as she felt her heart starting to beat with panic and fear. Because the girl threw that something that landed and rolled right near her feet. It was…

"A head," Eleven whispered, unable to take her eyes off it.

"Um, what?" Mike asked. "A head…"

"It's a head." She breathed in shock. "A head. She…cut someone's head off!"

"…What?!" Eleven heard everyone yell in horror.


"What the fuck?" Billy whispered in terror. That's head. That's a human fucking head! "What the fuck?!"

"Laura." Pierce sighed as if Laura threw food on the floor and not a human fucking head!


Laura. That was the name of her sister. The same sister that killed those bad men, even cutting one's head off. This... shocked her. Eleven too killed bad men gruesomely when they were cornered in the school. But this…scared her.

Laura then held out another thing in her left hand. A pair of those oddly shaped handcuffs. The exact same ones the bad men had. She started to march forward.


"Laura! Honey, you wanna stay where you are, hm?" Pierce says to her, backing away along with the rest of the bad men who trained their weapons at her, guns clicking loudly.

*CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*

Billy realized they were all afraid of her, including Pierce. Because she killed a man. Men. Plural.

Laura ignored Pierce, still marching forward.

"There's no need to get angry honey!" Pierce insisted in vain while the Reaver with an odd scarf pointed his gun.

"Stay where you are mutant-"

"Command!" Pierce snapped at him, signaling with his gloved hand and eyes fixed on Laura. "Stop."

"But she's-" the man protested.

Laura still marched forward.


Both Billy and Eleven in the Void watched as this little girl marched closer and closer to the armed men, making them take steps back, weapons trained on her. This did not scare her.

"Laura! Laura. Laura." Pierce still insisted, waving his finger at her, like she was a dog.

Then they both heard it.

*SNIIIIIKT

Their eyes widened and jaws dropped as from Laura's fists two white claws emerged from her knuckles in each hand.

He heard Pierce with increased panic say, "No. No. Nooo. No! N-MOVE!"

Two men were pushed by Pierce forward to Laura, who proceeded to throw handcuffs at the Reaver's head to her left and then stab the right one in the groin. As the man doubled over in pain, Laura slashed at his throat, the blood colouring the ground. The left man got his bearings together…only for Laura to stab him in the stomach and slash his throat the same way as the right one. The death grip on his hands caused him to fire around wildly-

*BANG *BANG *BANG

-making everyone either back away or take cover while Laura started to run.

Pierce tried to give orders. "MOVE-"

"Open fire!"

*BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG* *BANG

Laura ran back to the lab at unbelievable speed while the bad men opened fire at her, the bullets hitting the building, but not her.

Pierce flinched from the fire. "STOP SHOOTING!" he shouted at them. "She heals! Move!" he pushed the rest of the men, ten of them forward inside the place. "The rest of you go around the Lab and cut her off! NOW!


Eleven ripped the bandana off, returning to the real world and meeting the worried faces of her friends and boyfriend while the TV hummed in the background. Her breathing was harsh as she stared at the picture and ignored the anxious questions of her friends. What she just witnessed…that…they need to…!

It was Mike who snapped her out.

"El, are you okay?" Mike, like the rest, came forward, putting his comforting hands on her shoulders.

"El?" Max came to her side. "What happened? Is…Billy okay?" she asked her, sounding conflicted.

"Eleven?" Mike asked again, urgency clear in his voice.

Eleven couldn't shake off those images. Laura, her sister, the smallest one in the photo, throwing a cut-off head, claws emerging from her knuckles, killing people. And it was all happening right now.

Lights suddenly flashed through the windows, illuminating the living room and making everyone but Eleven turn around and watch. Lucas stood up to see who it was. "It's Hopper! And Mrs. Byers." He informed them. Eleven snapped her head up.

"We-We, um…!" Will apprehensively stammered, not sure what to do.

"We have to help her." Everyone snapped their eyes at her. "We have to go there."

"Um, go where?" Lucas asked, not sure if he heard right.

"The Lab," Eleven replied grimly.

"Go to the Lab?!" Mike couldn't believe it.

Lucas objected, apprehensive. "El, I don't think-"

"Hey! Billy's there!" Max protested hotly.

"Dude! We can't just go where there are guys with guns like that!" Dustin objected. "And since when do you care about him?!" he pointed out.

"I-Look just…!" Max fumbled for an answer.

Eleven suddenly stood up, making everyone go silent, and went to open the front door. She saw Hopper and Mrs. Byers who had just gotten out of their cars talking to each other. Both snapped their heads at her when they noticed her and grew alarmed when they probably saw her disturbed face.

"El? Honey what happened?" Hopper rushed to her along with Mrs. Byers; eyes full of worry.

"I found them." She explained, holding up the picture and the Walkman. She could sense the rest of the Party coming to stand on the porch.

"What?!" Hopper and Mrs exclaimed.

"I found her." Eleven showed them the smallest child. "Her name is Laura, and she is at the Lab-"

"The Lab?!" Mrs. Byers stammered.

"-with Billy-"

"Billy? Billy who? Hargrove?" Hopper was shocked.

"-and the bad men are there, and we need to go there now-" Eleven rambled in a rush.

"El." Mrs. Byers tried to tell her.

"-because they have guns, and they will-" Eleven continue to talk because she needed to tell them-

"EL!" Hopper yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders. "You said you found this Laura at the Lab?"

Eleven watched him like he was crazy. They don't have time for this!

"We have to go there." She stated with urgency in her voice. "Now!"

Hopper then looked at her like she was crazy. "Um, no! I will go there-"

"What?!" Eleven drew back in anger.

"El, sweetie, you just said-" Mrs. Byers tried to calm her down, but Eleven wasn't having it. She glared at Hopper, staring deep into his eyes.

"No! I. Am. Going. There. To. Save. Them." Eleven enun-ciated every word, firing back at Hopper, feeling a bit ashamed she interrupted Mrs. Byers. But there was no time to be polite.

Hopper stared at her for what seemed like hours. Then he said. "Okay." Eleven blinked in surprise but nodded, neverthe-less.

Mrs. Byers was not okay with this. "Jim, you can't be serious!" She protested as Eleven rushed to Hopper's car, followed by Hopper. He opened the door and reached into a compartment, pulling out a small revolver.

"Take this." Hopper presented Mrs. Byers the small revolver while Eleven settled herself in the passenger seat. "And stay with the kids." He pointed at her friends and boyfriend.

"Hey! We can-" Mike tried to protest.

"No, you can't!" Hopper snapped, pointing at Mike as he continued to talk with Mrs. Byers. "When the rest come, lock yourself up."

"…All right." Mrs. Byers nodded as she reluctantly took the gun. "Alright kids!" she addressed them. "Let's get inside, okay?"

"No! This is not okay! It's just like last time…" Eleven heard Mike continue his protesting as Hopper entered his car and turned it on.

"El," Hopper turned his head at her, "tell me everything that you saw. Everything," he demanded of her as he pulled out of the driveway and hit the gas. She nodded as she started to explain.

'I am coming…sister.' Eleven thought with determination and worry as they drove on the road. The same way eight months ago.


As a dozen Reavers rushed into the abandoned building that is the former Hawkins National Laboratory through its destroyed entrance, they stopped as they were met by an empty, dark entranceway. Searching through it with flashlights, the only thing that stood out was a fading HNL logo on the ground.

"Where the hell she could be?"

"Should we spread out?"

"No you idiot!" Snapped the one in charge. "You want to end up like those three stooges? I swear Pierce thinks we're just meat for the grinder."

The decapitated head of their comrade still burned in their minds.

"Stick together. And don't give her a chance to strike. You all saw the footage. Now move."

The Reavers went deeper through the darkened hallways of the Lab. They knew the design of the place and its purpose. Signs of decay and deterioration were obvious everywhere. With no one left to upkeep the place, it was quickly falling to ruin.

A skinny Reaver goes to a room to his left and finds…

"I found them." He announced.

They rushed into a large conference room that held three corpses of their fellow soldiers and showed the carnage. One lay on the floor next to the shattered window, one with his back on a wall, and the third… thrown on the conference table in the middle with his head missing. The entire room looked as if someone sprayed it with blood. Which actually did happen.

"Jesus fucking Christ!"

"See? Fucking monster! She'll pay for this." the leader growled. He then noticed something on the floor. "Look." He says, his rifle flashlight pointing it.

Bloody footprints. Small ones. Leading to a door on their right.

"Gotcha. Move." He takes a lead and enters the sideway staircase, ascending to the upper floor and followed by the rest.


Reavers were pushing in, moving around with professional restraint, checking corners, empty rooms, and everything while whispering their orders, better prepared than the idiots she killed yesterday. They were still thugs with sledgehammers, as Gabriela called them. Lured by the bloody tracks she left behind.

Said thugs rushed in one line, unaware she was hiding on the ceiling above the doorway to a long corridor, claws embedded in it.

"Clear. She's not here." whispered the Reaver in the front as she heard him check the room. Too quickly. Not better by much.

She waited. And counted as they passed beneath her.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine.

And then the tenth passed.

"RARGH!" she yelled as the Reaver turned his bearded head upwards and eyes flashed with fear. Next came shock as she plunged her claws into his meaty neck, the bone-like needles penetrating flesh and bone and naturally the vital parts, arteries, and spinal cord. He instantly died, life leaving his ugly eyes as she looked up and saw the rest of the Reavers pointing their guns at her.

"OPEN FIRE!"

*BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG

Quickly ducking sideways to the office room to her right as bullets whizzed past her and missed their mark, Laura swiftly scanned the empty office room for advantages.

"Move, move!" the leading Reaver ordered.

When the Reavers (nine left) entered the room, they only found desks and chairs. No sign of her.

"Where the hell did she go?!"

She didn't know it they knew the building had a suspended ceiling, which someone small like her could easily crawl through. Nevertheless, she took a risk. Laura was surprised to find it connected with the rest of the floor. Now for the remaining-

"She's in the goddamn ceiling!"

*BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG

Laura snarled in anger as bullets started to shred the ceiling. A few grazed her and another few managed to hit her. Familiar pain flared hot as metal projectiles found their target in her flesh. She pulled one bullet with her teeth from her right biceps but more found their way, to her arms, legs, and stomach. It was becoming too much for her. She had to crawl quickly to the hallway section in order to avoid more gunfire. If she's hit in the head…

She cut a tile out and jumped down and tried to clear the bullets. Flashlight cleared out of the darkness.

"Hey! The mutant is in the hallway!" yelled a rather skinny-looking Reaver, who had smoke grenades on his hip. An idea came to her.

Laura growled at him and quickly she dashed away from them as her healing kicked in and bullets left her body, shells clicking as she ran. She goes left to her side, a long hallway greeting her. She saw an intact fire extinguisher on the side. Perfect.

Skinny appeared a moment later, hatred clear on his face. "There you are! You little freak! I'm gonna-"

He didn't get to finish his words as a fire extinguisher flew at him. He predictably shoots it in panic and makes it explode. The white smoky foam filled the air and the hallway.

"Urgh!" *Cough *Cough "You little bitch! You-"

*SNIIIKT

"AAARGHG!" the Reaver screamed as Laura stabbed him in the kidneys, making him kneel down in pain.

He attempted in vain to point his rifle at her, but Laura quickly cut it in half and stabbed the bastard in the neck. As his limp body went down, she grabbed the grenades and waited for the others to appear. And so they did when the smoky foam went away.

"Fire! Fire! Open fire!" yelled the one in charge.

*BANG *BANG

As bullets flew at her, she retaliated by pulling the pins and throwing smoke grenades.

"Shit! She threw smoke bombs! Quickly get out of-"

Their (eight) eyesight was practically gone. Blinded.

Good.

Laura jumped through the smoke, throwing herself at the first Reaver she saw, and stabbed him in the eye. He screamed as she went to jump to another one-

*CHU-CHOOM

-only to be blown away as she was hit on the left side, shoulder, and face, by a shotgun. She felt the metal pellets in her cheek.

Sliding away from them and hitting the wall, Laura quickly got up on her feet and used her claws to pick up the pellets from her shoulder and check. She noticed the empty fire extinguisher on her right.

"Don't go forward you idiot, that's what she did last night to those recruits! Stick together!"

Her wounds healed, just in time to see through the smoke the Reaver who shot her coming closer. Laura picked up the empty extinguisher just in time for the shotgun-wielding Reaver to emerge and attempt to shoot her again.

But Laura was faster.

She threw the red, metal cylinder, right at his head. It made him throw his head back and shot at the ceiling. *CHU-CHOOM. Laura ran at him- SNIKT- slid down below him and stabbed him in the thighs. Then she lifted him, the adrenaline and the rage helping her a lot, and threw him on the floor.

"Aaargh! Fuck! Help-urgh!-" he stopped as Laura stabbed him in the back of the neck, ending his life.

"Stick together! Don't let her escape!"

*BANG *BANG

They were backing away from the increasing smoke covering the area.

Gabriela and Billy were outside. And she has to get out. She can't leave them.

A room to her right. A glass window. Easily breakable. She makes a run for it.


"Holy shit!" Billy whispered, ignoring the pain he felt all over his body in favor of staring at the two corpses lying in a growing red puddle of their own blood.

Laura just-, she just killed two men! With fucking knives coming out of her fists!

He glanced in shock at the decapitated head, its face staring at him and frozen in terror, forever.

She killed a lot of men! Like a fucking-

Gunfire echoed from inside the building. Gunfire and screams.

"Clean up called?" Pierce calmly asked the scarf guy, as if he asked the man about the fucking weather!

"They'll be here in five minutes."

"Remind me later to up our recruitment standard," Pierce coldly ordered as the carnage occurred inside the Lab. He wasn't even fazed by all this!

*BANG *BANG "AARGH!" *CHU-COOM *BANG "Urghh!"

Billy…he had to get out of here. He frantically searched for a way out here. This is too fucking much! He was way over his head!

Shots started to echo to the side of the building, making Pierce and the rest of the Reavers snap their heads toward it.

"There! Get in the jeeps! Move! Move!" Pierce ordered the remaining Reavers to follow him as he entered his own vehicle and left Billy and Gabriela behind, along with the rest.

They completely ignored them. As they moved with their jeeps to go around the building in order to intercept Laura, they gave them a perfect opportunity for an escape.

Billy didn't where he got the strength and willpower to stand up. But he didn't question it as he approached the Camaro on shaky legs with pain flaring everywhere. He watched in mute horror at the bodies and the head as he entered the car.

"We have- What are you doing Billy?" Gabriela demanded as Billy hit the gas and went in the opposite direction.

Billy ignored her, frantically looking for a way out.

"What are you doing? We can't just leave!" she was outraged but he was in too much pain to care.

"For fuck sake woman! You didn't tell me about this shit, what the fuck!?" he snapped back. "You didn't tell me she could fucking do that!" he looked back at her.

"We can't just leave her!" Gabriela pleaded with him; he could see the desperation in her eyes.

"Look, I-"

"Please!"

A sobbing ten-year-old Billy appeared in his mind. "Please Mom, don't do this. Please come home. Don't leave me!"

Pure adrenaline pumped in his veins. He gritted his teeth. Then yelled, "AAAH, what the hell am I doing?!" Billy turned the wheel and stopped the car, left the car, went around, opened the dented trunk, pulled out a crowbar, and entered the car again. "Jesus fucking Christ!" he swore, just to get it out of his system.

He started to follow the bastards, going around the Lab. He found them and saw they were positioned near an entrance with a balcony and a small wall.

He could see Hawkins Lab windows flashing with gunfire and the panicked scream of the Reavers. Then Billy saw a glass window on the upper floor suddenly explode. Then he realized that was Laura jumping through the glass window!

"Goddamn! Who the hell is this kid?!" he exclaimed. How the hell could she do that?

"My daughter!" Gabriela gravely answered with a hint of pride.

He saw Laura land down, rolling over the ground and standing up. Like she just came back from a walk and not a shootout.

And then Pierce shoots her with a fucking harpoon gun.

"What the hell?!" Billy swore in shock as the spear hit Laura in the stomach.

"Laura!"

"Aaaargh!" Hearing her scream in pain and go down actually enraged him. The Reavers moved in with handcuffs.

Billy wasn't gonna let that happen.

"Hold on!" he told Gabriela as he speeds up.

Pierce, the son of a bitch, notices him, eyes widening as he drops down the harpoon and rolls out of the way. The guy next to him wasn't so lucky as the blue car hit him in full force, the impact shuddering all over the car and themselves.

Billy didn't know how he managed to stop the car, but as he watched the Reaver's body fly through the air at the wall of the Lab and hit it, red blood smearing on it and a definitive crunch that solidified the man's death…makes him realize he killed a man.

"I-" he tried to say something, breathing heavily, but the Reavers didn't like that.

*BANG *BANG *BANG

Billy ducked as bullets ricocheted the Camaro, sparks, and metal flying everywhere. He reeved up the engine, hit the gas, and started to make circles. The Reavers ducked and jumped out of his way, as they tried to hit him. He looked up and saw Laura getting up, with a fucking harpoon spear sticking out of her stomach!

"Holy shit!" he exclaims as she pulls it out and cuts the metal wire with her goddamn claws. And made him miss the jeep that headed straight at them with Gabriela's late warning.

"Billy, MIRALO-!"

*THUD *CRASH

"A dammnit!" he swore as his beloved car was hit at the front right side and was sent spiraling for the second fucking time this evening!

This time the Camaro stops as he hit the brakes, the parking lot echoing with the sound of the screeching tires. Billy noticed they were around 20 feet away from the fight. Light suddenly flashed in his face as the Reaver pointed a gun to his face and he couldn't help but stare at the barrel.

He thoughts this was it.

*BANG

A bullet whizzed past his head making his ears ring and hit the Reaver right in the forehead. He dropped dead instantly. Billy gaped and stared in withdrawn shock. He looked back and saw Gabriela with the small revolver.

"Get down!" shouted Gabriela as she went to shoot through the broken window.

Billy didn't have to be told twice. He dropped down as gunfire flew in the air and flashed its deadly lights in the darkness of the night. A crowbar won't be enough. He needed to get out and get a gun.

*BANG *BANG *BANG

Billy left the vehicle, crawling out of it as he clutched the crowbar. He dropped to the ground and went to crouch around his car. He peaked his head and saw to fresh surprise and shock the kid moving like a death machine. She jumped and swatted one guy's shotgun with a kick, slashed at his stomach, and stabbed him in the eyes. Another tried to come at her, but she spun around like a damn ballerina, kicking him in the knees and stabbing him in the neck as he knelled over.

She just jumped and swirled around with those claws like a deadly tornado with blades. One large Reaver managed to sneak up behind her and kick her so hard that she went sailing through the air at the jeep. She hits the door and manages to regain her bearings when the same Reaver grab her by the throat and restrain her.

"Gotcha!" he yelled as Laura tried to stab him with her claw, but the Reaver grabbed her by the wrist.

Billy would have intervened because it was an unfair fight. If it weren't for the fact that from her feet more claws popped out-*SNIKT*- and stabbed the guy in the balls. The Reaver releases her, doubling down in pain and allowing Laura to jump at the guy's head like a squirrel, bringing him down, and then savagely stabbing him in the face.

Men were cut down and slaughtered by this skinny little girl. It was surreal.

Billy snaps out of it (he'll have time to process the insanity later) and rushes to a nearby empty jeep. That was still running. He jumps inside as he hears, "Goddamn it!"

Billy saw from afar Pierce trying to fix that fucking harpoon gun while the bad men fumbled around, trying to hit Laura and not each other.

*BANG *BANG *BANG

Billy watched as Laura avoided bullets, jumping over the cars to another side. He also saw another Reaver approaching his Camaro, with the rifle pointed at Gabriela.

*SCREEECH

The armed man looked like a deer caught in the headlights as Billy drove at him at full speed. The Reaver dashes away, but Billy manages to run over his ankle.

"AAAAH!" the man screams in pain as Billy stops the jeep and leaves it in order to continue fighting. And by fighting he means running at full speed at the guy with the crowbar raised over his head and yelling.

"RAARGH!" Billy screams as he brings the crowbar down at the struggling Reaver's head.

*SMACK

He wasn't sure if he just killed the man or not, but Billy doesn't question it. The adrenaline helped him ignore the feeling of current remorse for taking a life. Lives. Plural. Shit!

He crouched down and tore a gun from the man's hip, just like Pierces. He takes it into his hands and prepared to fire. The gunfire echoed as Pierce yelled over it, "For fuck sake, someone shoot that sonova bitch!"

*BANG *BANG *BANG

"Shit!" Billy ran back to the jeep, avoiding bullets and taking cover behind it. "Okay, like Neil taught you! Safety off, check!"

*BANG *BANG *BANG

Car glass was shattered, and it rained over him.

"Okay! Aim!" Billy was about to emerge with the gun and shoot the bastards (God he didn't believe this shit!) but more bullets forced him back.

*BANG *BANG *BANG

Over the storm of a gunfight, he heard Gabriela's small revolver firing back, which made him snap back.

He's not fucking Rambo! He's never been in a gunfight before. He needed to get at the Camaro, get the kid, and get the hell out!

Billy took a quick breath. Then he stood up and started to run back to the car.

*BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," he stammered as bullets passed by him, "fuck, fuckfuckfuckfuck!"

He jumps over the hood and gets inside.

"You okay?" he asks Gabriela.

"Yes-LOOK OUT!" she yells.

He sees several Reavers approaching. He hits the gas and turns left, "Get down!" searching for Laura while those bastards fire at the car.

The windshield cracked in spiderwebs making Billy get down as he decided to make wild circles around, hearing swearing, yelling, and panicked shouts. He can't be sure if he's going to crash. In the madness of his actions, he worries if he's going to hit the kid. Then it clicks.

Laura can heal. That's what Pierce said, that's what he saw!

And the Lab is surrounded by a forest. An escape route.

*BANG *BANG

So a plan forms. A good one as Billy liked to think he was smarter than the average person.

He looks up and sees Laura doing her acrobatic shit, jumping, and rolling in mid-air and then landing on a guy and killing him.

"Hold on!" he announces as he speeds up at Laura who avoids further gunfire by fucking cartwheeling because of course.

"Wh-what are you-?!" Gabriela tried to ask him about this insanity.

"She can heal, right? Then she's gonna be-HOONK-fine!" he warned Laura and saw her snap her head at them.

Laura suddenly crouched and jumped. The Camaro hit her in the arm, but it did not stop her from rolling over the hood and stabbing in order to compose herself. Billy held eye contact with the now blood-drenched Laura. Then Billy steps on the gas as bullets hit his car, hitting another jeep on the way-*THUM*-as Laura climbed on the roof, and practically flew from the parking lot…into the forest.

"This is stupid!" Gabriela screeched as Laura crawled into the Camaro. "Laura, mija are you- Watch it!" she screeched as Billy turns right in order to avoid a tree.

"Hold her kid!" he told her as he drove through. Forest was dense but just wide enough for a car to pass through.

"We are going to crash!" she yelled as Laura held her from falling.

"No, we will not! Plus, it's not like they're going to follow us!"

As soon as Billy uttered those words, he saw three jeeps following them through the rear-view mirror.

"Oh come on!"

"Focus on the-just focus!"

Billy did just that, avoiding and swerving every tree, always just an inch missing for a crash. Somehow, a part of this area was starting to get familiar.

Then they heard a horn sound in the distance. A train.

Wait. Hawkins has a railroad that passed at its side. Okay. More crazy plans. Great.

"Okay, I have an idea but it's crazy!" Billy simply threw that out.

"Look, ju-just do it!" Gabriela snapped, definitely not feeling good.

Billy didn't respond, he focused.

They left the forest and landed on the road. Billy goes left and tries to get as fast as possible to the train tracks.

"Are they following us?" he asked Laura as he see a long freight train approaching.

"Yes."

"OK. Come you old son of a bitch!" he tapped the dashboard. "You're beaten up but still going strong." He encouraged.

He saw from afar the train coming to his left. Billy speeds up, faster and faster.

"Hold. On!"

The train tracks were a hundred feet away. And the train was getting closer. Eighty feet. Sixty. Forty and…

"WHOOOO!" Billy hollers as the Camaro flies over the tracks, barely avoiding the train by an inch. They land on the other side and stop.

They look back and see the passing train dividing them from the Reavers. The jeeps screech to a halt.

"Whoo! Okay, let's get out of here!" Billy shouts over the train as they leave and go…somewhere.

"Holy shit! That's…I don't!" he tries to say something, but the adrenaline is making him shiver. "I…were are okay I guess. Are you…" Billy trails off as he looks back and sees Laura holding an alarmingly pale Gabriela. "Oh shit! Are you alright?" he asked in panic.

"I *huff* the adr-adrenaline *huff* is wearing off…" she stuttered, exhaustion clear as day, "…di-d you b-uy the med-icine?"

The one she asked him to buy at the apothecary. "Yeah, I-I did."

"Go-od…" Gabriela nodded, "ju-st get me…"

Laura suddenly pointed at something.

Billy saw just in time a scooter in their direction.

"Oh fuck!" he swears just in time to avoid it. He didn't see how it was, but you they were fine. "Who the hell drives this time at night?"

"You nearly hit that person," Laura spoke to him, holding Gabriela.

"Yeah, well kid I had enough of hitting people for tonight!"

"D-o you *huff* know wh-ere we can hi-de?" Gabriela asked in a stutter.

Billy racked his supposedly smart brain. He doubted Skull Rock was the right one. You only went there for private making out sessions or relaxing with a bag of…ah.

"Actually. Yeah. There's, there's this guy that has a house on the lake. Reefer Rick."

"Is this Reefer Rick trustworthy?" Laura inquired with narrowed eyes.

"Um, he's actually in prison right now for selling pot. But!" he pointed with his finger. "I know where he keeps the keys. We can lay low there."

"Good." Laura nodded.

"Just…hold on a little longer. Okay?" he said to Gabriela, worry temporally replacing the pain he himself felt.

"O-okay."

Billy kept his eyes on the road, the sound of the engine and laboured breathing accompanying him into the night.


"And this guy, he had a skull tattoo on his neck?" Hopper asked her as they neared the Lab.

"Yes," Eleven replied, holding the picture. She noticed he was tense, angry, and angrier when she mentioned the blonde-haired man.

"Pierce!" Hopper growled to himself, clenching the steering wheel.

"You know him?" she asked, surprised by his response.

"Yeah. Sadly, I know him." He said with disgust in his voice. "So, what happened next?"

"He ordered the bad men near to get her, Laura, and they entered the lab so they can capture her. But…" Eleven trailed off, recalling how Laura did it.

"But…"

"She killed them." She simply replies, internally still disturbed by how it all happened.

"Wh-killed them? How?" Hopper asked in shock. "She can do the same things you can?"

Eleven shook her head. "With knives."

Hopper blinked. "Knives."

"Coming out of her fists." She could still hear the sniiiikt sound.

"I…" Hopper was at the loss for words. "Okay, this kid, Laura, killed the bad men with knives coming out of her fists." He stated, not believing what he just heard.

"Yes." Eleven nods.

"Alright. I have a ton more questions. But we'll save them for later because where are…"

"…Here."

They approached the parking lot of the former Hawkins National Laboratory, the building itself still dread-ful looking. And were greeted by an ugly sight.

The parking lot was covered with tire marks…and blood. Scattered on the ground and smeared on the walls. On the first floor, they saw a smashed window with white smoke coming out of it. And bullet marks too. It looked like…

"Jesus!" Hopper exclaims as he looks around. "Looks like there was a fight here. You think they're still here?" he asked her, not knowing if it was about Laura, Billy or the bad men with guns.

"I don't know." Eleven replies, disturbed by the whole thing.

Here, nearly eight months ago, Eleven saw the carnage that the Mind Flayer caused, killing people and threatening to destroy everything. She fought the Mind Flayer in the depths of the Gate while Hopper held off those Demodogs, using all of her strength and rage, defeating it and closing the Gate. Ugly memories as well flooded her mind. The tests, experiments, and punishments. Ugly memories, bad memories.

Nevertheless, she pushes them away and leaves the car. She stared at the Lab, determination filling her being.

"Okay." She hears Hopper getting out and grabbing his weapon. "Just like last time, I do the heavy lifting and you save your strength. Okay?" he says with a shotgun in his arms.

"Okay," Eleven says as she takes a step forward. She hears a crunch and stops to see what it was.

Eleven crouches down and picks it up a small metallic ball.

"A…peeble." She states, holding it up for Hopper.

"A pellet. From a shotgun." He explains as he readies his own shotgun. *CLICK-CLACK* "Okay El, listen to me." She looks at him. "These are not those monster dogs. Bad men with guns. You…"

"I see someone approaching, I take cover and use my powers wisely." She replies.

"Good." Hopper nods as they go forward, nearing the entrance.

They find it closed with the chain link, surprised that it wasn't burst open. Eleven wordlessly removes the chain link, snapping it like a twig with a snap of her head. Hopper goes in first, turning on the shotgun's flashlight and checking the hallways.

They find nothing at first, only the abandoned-ment and silence greeting them. The last time they were here, dead bodies were laying around with blood smeared everywhere. Now it was like they were never here.

"I also heard someone else too," Eleven whispered, trailing behind Hopper who kept a watch but still heard her. "A woman. Speaking in Spanish."

"A woman speaking in Spanish? Alright. Still don't know how that is connected." He skeptically replies as they enter the sideway staircase and start to ascend.

"I don't know, I…" Eleven stops as she sees Hopper stop as well and peeks a look at his side. The wooden covered hallway was covered in bullet holes and blood just like the last time. Except there were no bodies.

"Where's everyone?" she hears Hopper ask quietly. "I don't like this El, if we find no one, we are leaving." He commands.

Eleven didn't like that, with the possibility of her sister, and Billy she adds mentally, being in danger. But she agreed with Hopper. If no one was here then there was no reason to stay here. Besides, she didn't like how quiet it was.

They went further inside, passing the carnage and finding the rest of the hallway actually clear. If Hopper didn't step on something.

"What the?" he whispers as he points at something.

An empty small grey cylinder.

"Is that…a gre-nade?" she whispers.

"Yeah, kid. A smoke grenade." Hopper picks it up. "El, you said these bad men were dressed funny?"

"Yes. They had normal clothes, but black qeui-equipment draped over them."

Hopper said nothing, but she knew he was thinking as he put the grenade on his belt. They go further. Further and further.

"El." Hopper suddenly says. Eleven goes around him and gasps as she sees footprints. Bloody footprints. Small ones.

"She's hurt!" she exclaims with worry.

They were led to a hallway with signs of a fight they passed but suddenly stop. Eleven realizes they were in the wrong place.

"Hopper." Hopper looks at her.

"What kid?"

"The spot where we are parked. That is not where the fight started."

"Okay, where did it start?"

Eleven didn't say anything but gestured at the small bloody footprints and then at the door that lead to the sideway staircase. Hopper nodded and together they went to the door, opened them, and searched the stairs for mode tracks. They find them leading downstairs, so they descended down and followed them.

They moved, walking with caution as they checked rooms and corners. They enter the one on their right and find a conference room…that too was covered in blood.

"Jesus, I was here." Eleven looked at him. "This is where we talked about the tunnels." She knew about that. Will told her once how they managed to find Hopper in the tunnels made by the Demodogs. And how they managed to rescue him. Her friends also told her how they went there that night in order to make a dis-traction so she and Hopper can go fight the Mind Flayer and close the Gate.

Without a word, they went to find another place where the fight could take a place. And so stopped when they saw an entrance leading to another parking lot was blown apart. Black soot and scorch marks covered them, leading them to go through the blown-up gate and to the parking lot where Eleven rushed to.

"El, wait!" Hopper called after her.

Eleven stopped as she looked around. The slightly bent steel flagpole where Billy's car crashed was there but without the car. She searched for more and found the dry blood polled near her.

"This!" she gestured to Hopper who rushed to her. "This is where it started. There, that man, Pierce, hurt Billy."

"Okay."

"This is where she killed those two bad men."

"…Okay."

"And there. She threw a cut-off head."

Hopper's eyes widened. "…What?" he slowly asks her.

"But there not here!" Eleven exclaims in panic.

"Kid." Hopper put a calming hand on her shoulder as he checked his surroundings. "They are not here. No one is. Let's get back to the car and go to the Byers and-"

Eleven suddenly crouched down and crossed her legs.

"Kid-"

"I am going to find her. She is my sister!" she doesn't back down, staring at Hopper.

"You don't even know her!" he argues back.

Eleven stared at him, uncompromising in her resolve. Hopper dragged a hand across his face.

"Fine!" he snaps, "But not here. Let's find someplace where I can protect you. Okay?

"…Okay." Eleven agrees as she stands up and follows Hopper. They quickly go back inside, searching for a safe place. If such a thing existed in the Lab.

"Here." He gestures with his head at the room to their left that had many screens and a control panel on the wall.

Eleven pulls the bandana and the picture from her jean pocket covers her eyes, clutches the photo, and begins to focus. Hopper doesn't say anything as he keeps watch. The world disappeared and she enters back into the Void and searched for Laura. This time is quicker as she hears someone running. Eleven runs its source. She stops and sees it's Billy Hargrove. And someone else…

"I see him. He is carrying someone in his arms." She says out loud with worry.

A woman. Eleven couldn't see who it was because they were too far away. However, Billy stopped in front of her just a few feet away, turning his head and looking for someone.

Eleven approached them, took a closer look, and saw who it was in his arms. She gasped.

"El! What's wrong?" she hears Hopper ask her in worry.

"The woman from the picture. He's carrying her because she's hurt!" the woman held her side and breathed heavily. Sweat covered her pale face as she tried to stay awake.

"C'mon kid, hurry up goddamnit!" he yelled at someone and continued to run, as Eleven saw, he was carrying the woman to a house.

Eleven turned to see who it was and went still when she saw her.

"I see her."

"Is she okay El?" Hopper asked.

Laura stood before, her back turned to Eleven.

"She is covered…in blood," Eleven explains with concern. What confused her was the fact Laura stood still.

Smeared in some spots as if she fell in it and covered in some as if she was wounded. This made Eleven take a closer look in worry despite her instincts telling her not to get closer. Then she stopped because the girl in front of her started to…sniff?

"She is…crying?" Eleven was confused. Did something happen?

Laura moved her around a bit and then stopped as she slowly turned around and suddenly fixed her gaze on a place where Eleven stood.

Eleven started to breathe faster in shock.

"I…she…"

Laura then sniffed the air and started to stare at her. Right at her. As if she could…

"She can see me."

"What?! That's impossible. El are you sure?" Hopper asked in disbelief.

"She can see me! I…Um, hi?" she greeted.

Laura just stared, her eyes widening and looking unsure of what to do to herself.

*SNIIIKT

Eleven took a step back as Laura's white claws emerged from her fists. On closer look, Eleven could see they were bone-like.

"No! It's okay. I am-" Eleven tried to assure her.

"Laura!" Eleven jumped when she turned around and saw Billy on the doorstep yelling, "What are you doing?! Get inside before someone sees you!"

Laura, her sister, stood there for a moment and then rushed past her while keeping an unblinking eye on her. Eleven stared back at her. And at the house where they were.

Eleven's breathing quickened in shock.

How? How could she see her? Could those who were like her do that? Sense her presence? Eleven remembered how when she…found out what happened to Mama, how she learned about Kali. When she first searched for her, she almost…sensed her. Which led her to search for Kali. But no. This is different. Completely different. She needed to go forward.

"Wait!" she tried. "I'm not-"

"Hmpphh! Hmmmph!"

Eleven whipped her head around. Laura, Billy, the woman, the house, they all faded away in a grey wisp.

Someone was whimpering in fear. It…somehow she knew it didn't have anything to with them at all.

"I hear something."

"Hear? What do you mean hear? You just said she could see you!" Hopper was bewildered.

"It's not about Laura. I'm seeing and hearing different things." Eleven explains.

"Different how?"

"I don't know. But I am going to see it." Eleven replies back as she decides to go forward and investigate.

Walking through the shallow water, the first thing she sees is a red pickup truck that was still running. Its light shone upon her. She went to stand beside it. She saw it was empty and it didn't look damaged like Billy's car.

"Don't be afraid." she heard a female voice whisper, making her head snap. She walked past the truck and saw in a distance…

"I see a girl. Not Laura, a different one. She sounds and looks older." Eleven could see, with her back turned to her, that she had curly hair and wore an odd red suit and short jeans pants.

"What's she doing?" Hopper asks.

"I…don't know." She replies, unsure.

Eleven decided to walk over to her.

"She's…standing on the floor. Talking to someone."

The whimpering continued. Whoever they were, sounded scared.

"Just stay very still. It will be all over soon." The female voice continued to whisper soothingly.

There was a small screeching sound as if someone was pulling duct tape. Next, she could hear and then see a boy gasp in fear. The boy had dark skin and looked strong. Despite Eleven could clearly see he was afraid.

She saw the girl slowly stand up. And then she turned around and made eye contact with Eleven.

"Heather!" Eleven heard the boy scream in terror.

She was seeing her. This…Heather could see her.

Eleven ripped the bandana from her face.

"El? Honey, what happened?" Hopper crouched down, watching her with concern.

Eleven couldn't answer as the combination of information, discoveries, and more questions made her head hurt.

"I…don't know." She admitted, afraid and unsure.

She covered her face in exhaustion and wiped away the blood from her nose as Hopper enveloped her in a hug.


At the Byers household, Will sat on the couch and watched as the others either stood around or sat as Mom watched the front door with the attention of a hawk, a small revolver in her hands and ready to spring into action as the smallest sign of trouble.

Suddenly, he felt a chill crawl down his neck, making his heart beat faster. He stared through a window into the darkness, convincing himself it was all just an unpleasant memory and nothing more.

It was nothing.