So, the chapter I was writing started to get too big so I divided it into two parts so you don't have to wait anymore. Notes at the end of the chapter.


Chapter 11: The First July Part 1

1st July, 1985

Hawkins, Indiana, USA

It was a trick. It was a trick. It was a trick.

Going through a second fight with the Reavers in a row, the adrenaline of combat, and anxiety for Gabriela's life, could all make her see things.

But what she saw… the eyes can be deceived but the nose never lies.

She needed to test her abilities in the future further. She needed to be better. She swore she would be.

Laura sat with her back on the wall in the bedroom with fresh new clothes, a grey T-shirt with a pony and a rainbow which she liked, blue jeans and red sneakers. She munched the slightly stale ham-and-cheese sandwich Billy bought her yesterday, a common food devoured on their month-long journey before arriving in Hawkins. The hunger could not end her, as much as she knew. The bastards never had a chance to test that out.

But it still gnawed inside and brought discomfort. She was no stranger to it, along with the pain. They were, in a way, old friends. Gabriela knew that as well and tried her best to make sure she didn't experience both.

Both came back anyway.

She glanced at her sleeping mother figure on the bed. Billy, and their new ally Robin, carried her to her bed as the couch was too uncomfortable and not a proper place to recover. A glass of water and painkillers were left on a nightstand just in case.

Gabriela was fine, for now, as Laura had already done a perimeter sweep around the house. But Gabriela could-

No. Don't go there. That's how…′ she thought, shaking her head.

Thinking like that will lead to thinking about the past, which is why she tried to deem the strange event last night as something that was not.

Whoever she sensed, and then saw… the only scent who possessed it like that in the entire world was her hermanas y hermanos. The same she sensed when they arrived in Hawkins. The way she appeared out of thin air, a colorful blur standing in front of her. Whoever she was didn't look hostile. Frightened by her appearance at first, but then quickly worried for her, staring at her and talking to someone… a trick, it had to be.

There was also a hint of fear.

Someone managed to get close to her without her realizing at the last moment, Gabriela was injured and the Reavers managed to find them again. So Laura was not taking any chances. She listened to an incredulous Billy Hargrove (who stayed and helped) to go inside and ignored a girl with curly brown hair saying it's okay and that she′s not something. She disappeared rather quickly without explanation, the same way she appeared.

None of this she told Billy or Robin as there was no need for that. Distractions must be ignored and priorities must be made. Gabriela was number one. Always.

"Mastica con la boca cerrada, niña."

Laura jumps upon hearing those breathy words that scolded her eating habits, in one moment at Gabriela's side, her sandwich forgotten on the floor.

"Estoy bien, cariña, estoy bien." Gabriela soothed Laura, who carefully leaned in to touch her forehead with her own. "Yo soy aún aquí." She strokes her hair.

"Estás tu bien?" Laura asks pulling back, seeing the discomfort on her face. Still pale, but not alarming. And fatigue of course. So long as she rests, she will be fine.

"Diría que soy un amor, pero... podría ser major," Gabriela admits.

Laura nods, "Te dispararon. Porque nos encontraron." She replies with concern, checking Gabriela's wounded side. It looked alright for a moment, but the dressing needed replacing and the wound cleaned. "Esta es la segunda vez consecutiva." Laura adds with a frown.

"Lo sé." Gabriela agrees as she slowly adjusts herself on the bed to sit upright, wincing in the process. "Es... preocupante." She adjusts yellow pillows. Laura hands the glass and two pills for her to take.

As she watches Gabriela take them, a wave of internal anxiety hits Laura.

"No quiero perderte." she admits as she sits on the bed, voice small and afraid, rubbing her hands.

Gabriela put the glass back. "No lo harás." she offers her hand. As Laura slowly grasps it, Gabriela gently squeezes. "Estoy contigo. Siempre," she swears quietly to her in all sincerity.

Laura hesitates, observing the bedroom. Nothing special, white walls, a brown wooden dresser on the opposite side of the bed, a closet, and a TV with a VHS player. She notices a small hoop with nets and feathers hanging on the window. Robin told her it was a dreamcatcher, meant to protect people from nightmares.

If only.

"I think I saw something last night." She confided, looking back at Gabriela, making her frown. "Someone."

"What do you mean mija? Saw someone?" she asks, more alert now.

"When Billy carried you inside the house, I sensed someone." She explains.

"Who? Robin?" Gabriela probes.

"No. The scent was… familiar." Laura starts.

"…Familiar?" Gabriela slowly repeats, eyes widening.

"Yes. Then I saw her." Gabriela said nothing so she continued. "She appeared out of nowhere, right in front of me, and… as if I sensed…"

"…a sister." Gabriela finishes.

Laura was taken by surprise. How did know…?

"…How do you know that?" she scrutinized her.

Gabriela took a deep breath. "When you told me about our arrival in Hawkins and you sensed someone similar at the Munsons, I decided to see if I could find out more and asked Kathryn if strange things happened in Hawkins and about the Laboratory. And she told me about a girl."

That old building. It reeked of a combination of scents. Of dry blood, of wasting laboratory equipment. Their scent.

Laura listens, eyes unblinking.

"She said, that when a local boy went missing nearly two years ago, a strange girl with a shaved head was seen wandering around the town. A girl who apparently had… had superpowers." Gabriela finishes.

Laura tries to suppress her shock (and hope) but realizes whilst doing so…

"You knew." She accuses, withdrawing her hand. Gabriela's eyes flash with hurt.

"Laura, mija,- Mira," she pleads as Laura gets up and tries to walk away, "Mira, I wanted to tell you but then the Reavers found us and killed-" Gabriela stops.

Laura halts. She takes deep breaths to reign in her anger and turns to see Gabriela with her eyes closed and fists clenching the bedsheets.

"They found us and at that moment the only thing that mattered was getting you out of Hawkins." She opens them and stares. "And besides, I thought she was gone. I mean, why would she stay here? That Laboratory had something to do with her and she stayed in the same town it was? Would you stay in Juarez?"

Laura remained silent. That was a good question. Why stay here? She couldn't imagine herself staying in Juarez even if she escaped from that place without the nurse's assistance. She didn't even know the city.

"Laura, I don't know how she… appeared to you, but I do not think it was a trick." Laura blinks. "The things we saw… what they could do… anything is possible. Mija what did she… do? When she saw you?"

Laura slowly starts. "When I sensed her and then saw her, she was shocked. As if that wasn't possible. And she was talking to someone."

"To someone?" Gabriela repeats. "Were there more?"

"No, I saw only her. But I heard her saying to someone I could see her. Then she said Hi. I… did not know what I was seeing. So, I reacted." She showed her knuckles. "She said it is okay, that she is not something." Gabriela frowned. "She disappeared then."

"Why act hostile?" Gabriela asks.

"I was…" (afraid), "alarmed. Someone managed to get close to me and I didn't notice until it was too late. The Reavers got close. And I…" Laura stops. Two close calls. She hangs her head in shame. Unacceptable.

stupid, stupid, stupid

"Mija, mírame." Laura looks up. "No es tu culpa. Debes pensar."

She does so. "I thought, enemy. But… she doesn't attack. She… is like me. Then…"

"… then she is an ally. " Gabriela finishes with a smile.

She says nothing in return. A petulant part of her was still angry at her.

Gabriela's smile disappears. "I know I was wrong to keep this away from you. Lo siento." She apologizes, remorse clear in her voice.

Laura sighs as her anger evaporates. She goes to climb the bed, approaches Gabriela, and carefully embraces her. "Pensé que era la única que quedaba."

"Parece que no." Gabriela breaks the hug to look her in the eyes. "No estás sola Laura." She states with joy.

Laura smiles back, emotions starting to stir up. Hope rose as the morning sun. She glanced at her wrist. Twenty-Three.

She is not alone.

"Mija, if she… tries to make contact again, I think you should listen to what she has to say," Gabriela advises. "If she is still here then she could help us somehow. After all, we have Billy-"

Billy Hargrove has proven himself trustworthy. He had risked his life and actually killed several Reavers. Most men would have run away like cowards, and yet he stood his ground despite being afraid.

"- and Robin."

Ah. Laura was surprised when Robin, the same girl who quivered- well, was more moments away from passing out for being in, how did Billy say it, a horror movie scenario. And then, when they were shown the truth about Transigen, Robin fiercely declares her willingness to help them. Disturbed yes, but like Billy, shakily stood her ground.

Laura had reservations about this sudden shift in personality. That and having another innocent person involved in their mess. She deeply doubts Robin is involved with Transigen. Laura could tell from a mere glance that the teenage girl had no fighting skills whatsoever. A group of raccoons she encountered two weeks ago posed a greater threat than her.

"We′re you been Buckley?" They both turn their heads at the door when a commotion is heard in the kitchen. " I've been waiting here for an hour!" they heard Billy demand.

"You try getting back here without looking over your shoulder every five seconds!" Robin snaps back.

"She came back. I am going to see what is it." Laura states. "You rest. I will bring you something to eat."

Gabriela nodded as Laura left her to recover. She picked up the sandwich, blew the small dust off the top, ignored a scolding look Gabriela gave her, and left the bedroom.

Walking through the hallway to the living room to see what those two were bickering about, she glanced around the house. She was surprised it was mostly in good shape, with no signs of being in ruin like the Laboratory last night, despite it being abandoned for weeks.

She arrives and sees those two facing each other in a standoff in the kitchen.

"By the way, you need to take a shower. You stink!" Robin points at him with a scrunched-up face. She stood near four small bags and wore that funny sailor uniform.

"Look Buckley, I'm standing guard!" Billy growls back, offended by the remark.

Robin was not impressed. "Oh yeah, what if those Reaver guys have search dogs, hm? Sniff you out and then dig their sharp little teeth in your buff flesh?" she pokes his stomach ("Ouch! Hey!"). "Go. And here are some clothes I picked for you." She takes out a bag and drops it on the table.

Billy opened it and stared at the contents. "…What the hell is this?" he asked incredulously.

"My dad's clothes. What, he said his was cool in his day." Robin defends as Billy pulls out a pair of blue pants that are bigger in the leg parts.

"What, the sixties?" he grunts, staring in contempt.

"Yes." She smugly replies.

"I'm not wearing these, you smartass." Billy throws the clothes on the table.

Robin gets angry. "And I am not going to Starcourt and back for you, you… raccoon-"

"Racoon?!" he exclaims.

"-to buy you a, I don't know whatever macho guys wear-!"

"Oh, because you′re such an expert-!"

Both stop as they realize their argument had an audience and slowly glanced at Laura who observed the exchange whilst finishing her sandwich.

"Good morning." Both greet her, then glare at each other for that.

"Gord merning." She greets back, chewing and taking a further look.

Robin had a few bruises on her arms, a small green band-aid with hearts on her right cheek, a white bandage on her left knee, dark circles under her eyes, and obvious fatigue. But it was little to nothing compared to Billy, whose face, throat, and arms wore different shades of purple and green. An ugly stitched cut on his lips and exhaustion was even more pronounced on him.

"Hey kid, how‛s Gabriela?" Billy asks with concern.

Laura eats the final piece. "Gabriela is resting. She will need a new dressing."

He nods. "And you? How‛re you liking new clothes?"

"I am good. I… like the T-shirt." She admits. "And you?"

"I‛m… alive." Billy sighed as he took a chair and sat, wincing in pain.

Laura took pity on him. He had strength and spirit but it took more to fight the Reavers. "You too should rest," she suggested.

"Already did kid." Billy waved her off.

Laura doubted he did and saw Robin thought the same.

Robin came forward "So, here, I brought you some food, more clothes, and some first aid." she showed her the rest of it and put them on the table. "It was a hassle to smuggle this." She complains.

"Hprh." Billy coughs in his fist.

Robin blinked. "Something on your mind?" she demands.

"Smuggle?" he mocks, leaning forward. "You sneaked this out of your house."

Robin grasps the chair and imitates him. "And I suppose you know all about smuggling, given the fact your friend-"

Billy raises a finger. "Ah. Acquaintance." He corrects.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She mocks. "Your acquaintance who by the way is a drug dealer."

As amusing as it was, Laura stopped them before this went any further. She took a seat. "Were you followed?"

Robin turned to her. "Um, no. I made sure the air was clear. Before explaining to my parents what happened last night. They, uh, nearly called the cops."

"Because you came back home late and looked like you were nearly run over by this guy?" Billy pointed at himself.

"Yeah, that. And because everyone in Hawkins is now on edge because of the fire." Robin hesitantly added.

A foul mood descended upon them.

Laura glanced outside through the window. Large clouds in the distance. A storm was coming. It was going to rain today, she felt it.

"It's going to rain today," Robin echoed her thoughts, glancing at the sky. She took a seat at the table.

Billy groaned. "Great." He stared at Laura. "Will that slow them-"

"No." A response that leaves no room for optimism. "They will not stop until they find me and kill anyone who stands in their way." She proclaimed, making Robin gulp.

"Which means if they do, it's going to be another fight." Billy side-eyed Robin. "Suppose you couldn't have brought something lethal." He eyed the bags.

"Well, my parents aren't that big on guns so no." Robin countered with crossed arms. "We're not on good terms with violence."

"You are on good terms with smuggling," Laura stated, mimicking her.

"Um, yeah." Robin shrugged.

"Not so much on sneaking." She pointed out.

Robin sheepishly smiled. "Oh. You heard me?

"I smelt you." Laura corrects. A pale smell of perfume and makeup, a scent of leaves and dirt. And blood.

"Oh, right. The Wolverine thing." Robin nods, glancing at Laura's knuckles. She showed hesitant curiosity. She could see that small morbid part.

Laura sighed. Better get it over with.

She raises her hands.

*SNIKT

Billy flinches and Robin jumps at the sight of her claws popping out. "O-OK, still… surprising." She swallowed, staring at the bone-like blades. "Um, you don't have any more of them, do you?"

"She does," Billy smugly answers for her.

"What?"

Laura shows her, thrusting her right foot to the side.

*SNIKT*

Robin's eyes widened at the sight, trying to restrain her disgust, staring at the foot claw that popped through the sneaker. "So you also have them in your feet, that's, um…"

"Disturbing?" Billy gives a grim smile.

"Interesting." She countered.

"Uh-huh." Billy didn't believe it as her claws withdrew and the wounds healed immediately. Blood was still smeared on her knuckles so Billy went to grab some paper towels.

Robin took notice of that. "Also, you can heal super quickly, which is super cool and completely normal to say out loud. But please no!" she puts out her hands. "Um, before you do anything, I don't need you to show me more. I-I saw enough. Wonder how that even works." She murmured.

Transigen doctors wondered that too.

Laura found herself engrossed in wiping her hands and not wanting to answer any of Robin Buckley's questions as a shiver passed through her. And it was thanks to Gabriela entering the living room- What?

She turned around in a blink of an eye and rushed to her. Why was she doing this, moving around when she should be-

"What are you doing?" Billy voiced his apprehensiveness as he rushed to them. "You shouldn't be here." He, along with Laura, gently grasped her by the arms.

Robin agreed with worry, joining them. "He's right. You should be-"

"I am well enough." Gabriela stops them. "Thank you- Dios mío, tu apestas!" she muttered, making Robin snigger and Billy frown, "-Thank you for your concern."

Laura and Billy help her to the living room couch.

"It's not that bad." He complains, taking a sniff.

"It is." Robin points, making Billy stick out his tongue at her, making Robin do the same, making Laura smile.

"Children." Gabriela scolds them, using the same tone she used on Laura. "Behave."

Billy and Robin sheepishly hang their heads. "Sorry ma‛am." As they murmured, Laura smiled inside.

Gabriela takes a breath. "So. You saw." She begins, making the good-natured atmosphere disappear.

"Not everything but enough," Billy replies grimly while Robin sadly nods.

Gabriela exhaled as she leaned on the couch and Laura sat beside her. Billy dragged over his chair whilst Robin sat on a lounger.

"Gabriela. I need to ask. Your plan. Canada. Is it still on the table?" Billy inquires.

Gabriela shared a look with Laura.

Should they go to Canada? Even with the danger hanging over them. Then again, they traveled so far. To stop now?

She nods. "Yes."

"Canada. " Robin claps. "That's where you need to go. So why is it so important?"

"Because of Miss Sarah Kinney." Gabriela informed them.

"Who?" Billy and Robin asked.

Gabriela shifts. "Sarah Kinney is one of the lawyers who are preparing an international lawsuit against Transigen in secret as we speak."

Billy grinned. "Oh really? That's great, there's actually a chance to take down these bastards."

"So those VHS tapes are evidence." Robin pointed at their backpacks near the TV.

Gabriela nods. "Yes. Along with the files we managed to take from them."

"Wait. How long have you been traveling?" Robin questions further.

"Over a month. From El Paso."

Billy frowned. "That's just a couple days car drive."

"That shouldn't be a long trip from there to Canada," Robin observed.

"It is when Transigen is hellbent on searching an entire country for you," Gabriela replied grimly. "We couldn't just go there. Ms Kinney told us to- she said we should, um, how do you say it?" she motioned with her hand, going left and right.

"Zig-zag." Billy provided.

"Yes. She said we need to zig-zag between smaller towns to avoid them. A long journey, yes. But a safer one."

Billy started to fidget in his seat.

"Um, is there a problem?" Robin notices.

"They know about Canada. Pierce said so during our standoff at the motel." He reveals, agitated by the fact.

Gabriela sighed. "Great."

"Hey, what about this Kinney woman?" Billy asks, making the rest look at him. "What? If that bastard could track us down and could guess where would you go next, it's reasonable to assume they know your plan. You said so yourself. They got money and some powerful people in their pockets."

Robin nods. "And how will that go even if you make it there?" she adds and looks at Laura. "I mean, when they see the evidence, I think they'll also want to see-"

"No." Laura snaps, stunning the both of them.

Robin and Billy were taken aback by the aggression so Gabriela took over. "Laura and I talked. They learn about… the children that died. We provide evidence and that is it." She reveals.

"Shouldn't you testify?" Robin pointed out.

"Yeah. What about the others? We know you‛re not the only one." Billy wondered.

Laura's heart ached at those words.

"… They're dead." Gabriela mournfully proclaimed.

Robins's face got somber and eyes watery.

Billy swore, "Crap. Should have seen the end of it."

"It's better you didn't. You both have seen more than enough." Gabriela rubbed Laura's back. "This course of action is the best one, I think. Even if that doesn't work out, we shall figure something out. If anything, living in Canada wouldn't be so bad."

"What? You and little Wolverine over here?" Billy pointed at her.

Laura was puzzled. "Wolverine?" she slowly repeats.

"It is an animal mija, known for being small and ferocious." Gabriela supplied.

Billy and Robin shared an odd look.

"You don't know?" Robin replies.

"Know what?" Gabriela glanced between them.

Billy got up, went over their bags, pulled out something from it, and presented it on the coffee table.

Both leaned forward and then drew back in shock. Laura stared at the cover.

"Marvel Comics presents: WOLVERINE!"

A leaping man dressed in an odd yellow and brown outfit… with claws coming out of his knuckles, like her. Slowly, she takes the comic book.

"Qué demonios?" Gabriella uttered in shock. "What is this?"

"You didn't see this before?" Robin questioned. "Not even on a display somewhere?"

"I don't follow American children's comic books. But this is… I, I am at a loss for words." Gabriela examined the comic, eyes wide in confusion.

"I think it's kinda funny." She faintly heard Robin stuttering. "I-I-I mean, in a cosmic sort of way. Even you have to admit, I mean what are the odds?"

Laura stares, transfixed by the image. He's just like her.

"So kid, do you know anything about that, hm?" Billy inquired. "Happen to know a guy?"

"How is this possible?" Gabriela continued to be baffled.

"What, they don't have Wolverine in their basement?" Robin mock proposed.

Gabriela struggled for words. "I didn't even knew about this, this fictional character. We knew nothing about their fathers, only the mothers."

"Yeah. That's, that's seriously fucked up." Billy recalled with a shudder.

"Did you ever try to…?" Robin tried to suggest something but Laura ignored them in favor of inspecting the comic.

The man, Wolverine, was shown fighting men with guns in armor. Like her. She flips to the next page, and passes through them quickly, overwhelmed by the revelation. She stops at one page where Wolverine is being held by a silver man shouting "Fastball Special" and on the next page shown flying through the air at the enemy. Good tactic.

"So kid, you like it?" Billy stood beside her.

"Yes. " Laura admits. "Look," she points out, "Fastball Special."

"Yeah, it's, um, interesting," Billy commented.

Laura smiled and continued reading while Gabriela rubbed her temples. "I will… deal with this later, right now we need to worry about Transigen."

"And therefore, I volunteer," Robin announced, making all three whip their heads at her.

"What?" Gabriela asked, not believing what she just said.

"I wanna help." She told them.

"What are you nuts?" Billy demanded.

"I've been thinking. You are being searched for, much like these two." She pointed. "They don't know about me. I can try to test things out."

"How?" Laura was curious.

"I'll figure it out- Oh crap!" Robin swears. "I'm late for work." She got up and went over her backpack. Billy and Laura followed her, the comic still in her hands.

"Robin, you don't have to risk your life." Gabriela implored while Robin got ready.

"Yeah, don't try to play Rambo, ‛cause you ain't one," Billy argued.

Robin flipped him off. Billy flipped her back.

"Robin-"

"Miss Lopez, I'll be fine," Robin reassured. "Look, you just stay here and I'll come back as soon as possible with new supplies. Besides, you got these two to look after you."

With that Robin left.

"I cannot believe this." Gabriela wondered.

Billy sighed. "She‛s annoying but she cares."

Laura glanced from her comic and sniffed.

"They're right. You stink." She comments, ignoring Billy's glare.


"Their relatives are coming today." Joyce glanced at Jim taking a drag. "And the funeral is tomorrow."

Joyce nodded and took a drag herself. "There's almost nothing left of them, is there?" she asks the obvious, exhaling the smoke and staring far away.

"No." Jim flatly stated, white fumes leaving his nostrils. "The fire… took care of that."

"We need to find them. Before they do." She declares, refusing to shiver at the image.

Both glanced at the Wolverine comic book on the kitchen table. Will has given them one for… study while another was taken by a curious Eleven. Joyce didn't feel that ting of childish shame as they examined the title character. Joyce was used to the insanity of their situations by now, she did after all speak with her son through Christmas lights.

"And then?" Jim inquires with skepticism.

"We beat Transigen." She states clearly as day.

He scoffs. "With what?"

"We'll find a way. We did before." Joyce replies confidently.

Jim's eyes narrow down on her. "Barely. That's because we had luck and because the Lab helped us. Twice." He pointed out.

"First time to find Eleven, throw her back in and lock her up. And the second to save their skin. And in the end Jim, we were the ones who had to come up with something. We, not them." Joyce shot back, grounding her cig in the ashtray.

Bitterness remained a temporary companion after that. With all that fancy tech, and guys armed to the teeth, all those doctors, scientists, and engineers. And it was up to them to save the world? Really?!

"They were still a threat." Jim rebuked. "Tapping our phones, listening and knowing everything that's going on in our homes. That's how they knew about Nancy and Jonathan meeting with Barbara's parents and that's how they caught them."

"All according to their plan. Played them like fiddles." Pride beamed for her son.

"And these guys killed an innocent family and set up the whole thing as an accident," Jim stated with no room for argument. "I don't think these guys care too much about maintaining good relations with us as Owens did. Otherwise, their bluff wouldn't have worked."

Joyce's eye started to twitch at this nitpicking. "Then call him-"

"They could be listening." Jim nearly growled, teeth clenching.

"No, they're NOT-" Joyce stops herself from slamming the table and shouting before she wakes the kids. She hopes they're in their rooms if otherwise…

Jim's eyes softened. He stubbed his cigarette. "You and I both know, from experience mind you, that these bastards are control freaks. Sure, these guys are not from the government, but God knows what they're capable of, especially if when they have that bastard Pierce for security."

Joyce took a full breath to calm herself, "I know." She fixed her gaze at him. "Tell me about him. What you didn't want to tell the kids."

Jim's hesitance was obvious. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat before starting.

"As I said, it was during the Tet Offensive. We were surrounded from all sides. Outgunned and outnumbered. Despite what everyone said, Charlie was relentless. And surrender was not an option. We knew what waited for us if we did. But they were getting closer. And quite frankly I was… I thought I'd never go home again."

Joyce's hand slid over his and gently squeezed it.

"And they were all gunned down. Fell one after another like domino bricks. Reinforcements have arrived." Jim's thousand-mile-away stare returned.

"That's where you first met him. Pierce." Joyce stated as she withdrew her hand.

Jim nodded. "I was ecstatic. We made out of hell. Many guys will live to go back home and see their families again." He scowled. "And all… all thanks to that sonova bitch who joined the war only because he could cause pain and destruction." He growled. "I could see it, Joyce. I could see right it in his ugly eyes the moment I met him. While almost everyone was panicking, praying for safety, or hanging onto hope and sanity until it ended, he enjoyed himself. He was one of those guys." Jim sneered.

"Those guys?" Joyce dares to ask.

"People who lived and breathed for violence. The kind that would take any job, as long they could do what they wanted. Without supervision. And sadly, he was very good at it. Him and his pals." He glowered. "Especially when Vietkong was in question. If by any chance some innocent rice farmer got caught in the crossfire… tragic casualties of war they say." Jim said with scorn and anger.

"Like Kathryn, Henry, and Nathan stood between him and them," Joyce stated with fury in her voice. "Because they wanted to help."

"Yes." He hangs his head in sorrow.

"Billy Hargrove stood between them as well." She noted.

"Yeah, that's… honestly unexpected," Jim grunts, dumbfounded by the idea.

Once they all gathered and returned from closing the Gate, beating the Mind Flayer, and saving Will, the next big question was what do to with the mullet teen knocked out in her living room.

Max took charge of that one. She told Hopper to drive her and Billy to their home.

From what they told them, Neil and Susan, their parents, were shocked to see the Chief of Police with their daughter and unconscious son. Max went to tell them how she wandered off to a dump yard and was attacked by a pair of vicious dogs and Billy came just in a nick of time to rescue her, being knocked out in the process. Hopper went along with it and added he heard reports of rabid dogs and went to investigate. Their disheveled appearances helped sell the story.

Once Billy woke up, Max managed to secretly intimidate him into behaving, telling him if he continued to mess with her or the boys, she'd report him to the police. To add to the effect of the threat, Hopper stood outside with his car, glaring at Billy. He complied in the end.

Adding to the fact she knocked him out earlier, saved Steve from being killed, and by extension all of them, Joyce was, with nearly everyone else, deeply impressed by her. However, this still leaves a big question.

"So what does it mean? He‛s one of us now?" she asks, making Jim blink rapidly in surprise.

"What? One of us?" he asks back, flabbergasted by the idea.

Joyce gave him a look. "Well Jim, he did accidently stumble upon a girl with powers being chased by shady guys and helped her escape. That kinda makes him one of us." Jim rolled his eyes. "And if we find them, they'll know what is happening and has happened in Hawkins. I think El‛s gonna be very happy to finally meet Laura. In person that is."

Jim tried to find his words. "And what if Transigen finds out as well? You′ll recall that first time we had to negotiate and make a deal with those assholes from the Lab-"

Joyce cuts him. "That's no longer effective. They left us alone-"

Jim cuts her back. "Because most of them got butchered, Joyce. And they messed up a lot and had no choice. These guys are far worse and are not willing to make any deals with us."

Joyce was undeterred. "We'll figure out something Jim. If we can beat monsters from another world, we can beat these bastards. The problem is how." she rubbed her chin.

Jim massaged his temples. "Christ, I don't like how this is a norm for us."

Joyce nodded. "Well, I don't like how you got a lead and you're not sharing."

Jim snaps a look. "How do you know that?" he asks, acting like he hasn't been brainstorming the whole night and one moment had a look of realization.

Joyce raised her brow. "I know you well."

"I'll say." Jim huffed as he stroked his mustache. "I've been thinking. If they bought properties around Hawkins, they're probably planning to do something with them."

"Adding to the fact they built a mall," Joyce added.

Jim sniffed. "Working that out. Now, the thing is, I don't which properties to look for."

"But you know who knows." Joyce guessed with a smirk.

Jim curled his lips. "Yeah, Kline. Little bastard was sweating bullets. And it's because he talked with Pierce before me. Coward."

"Whatever your plan is, I go with you."

"Joyce…"

"Don't you Joyce me Jim Hopper. I won't sit around and do nothing, you hear me?" Joyce said assertively, pointing a finger at him.

Jim sighed, irritated but he knew he couldn't talk her out. "Okay. But later. Right now, the rest should come any minute now."

Joyce heard footsteps coming. They're awake. "All right. But no buts Jim."

"Yeah, I know, I know."

Joyce got up, to empty the ashtray and to make something for the kids. She glanced at the magnet-free fridge.

"Well, I least I know about the magnets now- Don‛t you roll your eyes!"


Eleven slowly paced around the living room, clutching the picture belonging to Laura.

"Where are they?" she agi-ta-tedly asks, staring at the door.

Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Nancy are still not here. Dad said she should try to contact Laura only when everyone gathered. Well, Steve came here before everyone else and then left, so not everyone gathered so it meant this was stupid and they are wasting time.

Joyce came to her, grasping her shoulders. "They'll be here sweetie." she tries to soothe her. "You know they need to be careful." she guides her to sit on the couch. Eleven occasionally glanced at the picture and the door.

"I'd be surprised if they do come." She heard Jonathan state. "Everyone's going to be on the edge today. Now that shock is worn off." He commented leaning on the wall next to Will.

Dad nods in agreement, standing in the center of the living room. "Yeah. Some people are going to start considering leaving their homes," he warned.

Eleven starts to fidget, tapping her foot and shifting in her seat.

"You think so?" Will asks Dad appre-hensively.

"This is now the second year in a row something bad happened. And when these things happen without stopping, people tend to reconsider their living situation." Dad explained.

"Because they think they're next." Max voiced, sitting on the recliner and uncomfortable in her seat. She didn't have decent sleep. Eleven knew she thought about Billy as she did about Laura.

Eleven would rather try to contact Laura again than talk but was secretly afraid of being seen as a threat, the reason why she didn't try to contact her again earlier. That and this Heather being able to see her and doing something that didn't feel right.

When Laura glared at her with suspicion, Eleven felt hurt. She knew why Laura responded like that, she acted the same way when she escaped from the Lab. Confused, alone, and not knowing who to trust or how the outside world worked.

However ever since Kali… she wished to meet someone who was like her, a sister or a brother. There were things that she just couldn't share with the others. Not Mike, not Max, not even Dad. They could not understand that part of her life.

Being there in that place. No joy. No life. No hope. Emptiness. Numbness. A part of life she doesn't remember. No baby pictures. No family photos. No old toys or clothes like Mike, Nancy, and the rest had. Eleven sometimes felt jealousy and re… reze… resentment inside her, whenever she was alone in the cabin. At them, for having friends, for having a home, a family, for having a life, a normal life while she was treated as a tool for nearly her entire life.

Shame reminded her that was wrong. To think like that. It wasn't their fault she grew up in a Laboratory, that she was taken from birth and was robbed of her childhood. She didn't know what Laura went through exactly but Eleven knew this, whatever it was… she was hurt like she's been hurt.

She had seen the look on her face when she emerged from the abandoned Lab, and threw a man's head, seemingly without emotion but Eleven felt it even through the Void. The utter hatred and ruthle-ssness on her face…

Eleven shivered at the memory. Whatever pain Laura went through, whatever they put her through… what did they do to her?

The thought starts to anger her, henc (hence?) the reason why she was anxious to find her. Eleven wasn't going to let anyone harm her again. Laura was capable of defending herself, she saw, but Eleven swore to help and protect her despite it. How was she like this Wolverine was a mystery to her, like to everyone else.

Her inner thoughts were interrupted by the sound of creaky bike spokes (she liked that word) approaching the house.

She rushed to the door and opened it despite Dad's protests.

"You came!" Eleven exclaims in surprise, seeing Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Nancy on their bikes.

"Barely." Mike huffed as they dumped the bikes. "Mom and Dad are on… edge." he huffs as they hug and kiss and the rest enter. Eleven felt better in his arms.

She looked over his shoulders and noticed large clouds blocking the sky. It was going to rain today.

As they drew apart and entered, she heard Nancy mutter, "Understatement of the century," she rubbed her temples. "This fire scared them." She approached Jonathan and hugged him.

"My folks too. This is bringing up bad memories." Lucas comments with an anxious look as he goes to sit with Max, her arms over his shoulders.

"Yeah. Third time in a row." Dustin agreed, sitting down. "Mom doesn't want to leave the house." He huffed, rubbing his face.

"Let's just focus on the situation at hand, because it can get a lot worse," Joyce stated.

"Agreed." Dad grunted.

"So, Steve is late?" Dustin asked them, looking around for him.

"Steve was already here," Will informed him.

"What?" Dustin blinked. "He‛s supposed to be here, he's part of-"

Dad cut in. "I talked to him. If there anything fishy about Starcourt, he'll let us know."

"If he notices anything? What, do you think they'll just walk around with guns and talk about "Hey, how do we catch that Wolverine girl?" Dustin snarked.

"They could wear a disguise," Will added. He hung his head when Dustin glared at him. "It's a possibility." He mumbled.

"It's true." Nancy supported him. She put a hand on Will‛s shoulder. "When we got caught by the Lab, they were dressed like regular people. You know Dustin, to blend in." she lectured him while Mike scowled at Dustin.

Dustin lips form a thin line, cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

"Still don't get it why a mall." Jonathan wondered.

"We'll figure that out as well," Nancy boosted, giving Will a reassuring smile.

Eleven started to get irritated. Useless talk.

"And Laura?" she snaps, making everyone look at her. "What about her? And the woman? And… Billy?" she added him as he was the one helping Laura. And that makes him a friend. She ignores Max shifting in her seat and Lucas glaring.

"Honey, we need to be careful. The ones after them could find out about you." Joyce cautioned.

"And then we'll become targets," Dad remarked. "So, you have to-"

"Stay here." Eleven finishes rolling her eyes. Dad narrowed his eyes in disapproval but she did not care. Laura was out there and she needed help!

"So just like yesterday," Lucas complained.

Mike stood by her. "I don't know why-"

Nancy cut him off. "You know why."

"There is still this thing with Heather. What about that?" Max asked.

Dad stepped in. "One step at a time. Listen El." He approached her. "Can you make… contact with her? Like you did with Will?"

And of course, reluctance hits her now. "I can. I know how she looks, but she didn't look like she trusts me." She admits.

"Well, they were running from the bad guys so she was on edge," Dustin suggests. "And then she suddenly saw you and probably didn't like that. Still wonder how that how she managed to smell you."

"Well, what we could gather is they're hiding at a lakeside house." Jonathan chirps. "Which could mean-"

"Lovers Lake!" Nancy exclaims.

"So we should go to Lovers Lake," Will says.

"But first Eleven should contact her. We can't just go there." Mike suggests.

"Yeah, and if Tranisgen finds out as well?" Lucas warns.

"And what about Heather?" Nancy asks. "We still don't know what's the deal about her."

"One." Now Dad got irritated. "Step. At the time." He said, earning him Nancy's scowl.

Eleven didn't need to weigh her options.

She took Jonathan's old bandana, put the TV on, tuned it to white noise, sat with crossed legs, and put on the bandana.

"Go on El." Dad encouraged her.

"We‛ll be with you," Mike added with support.

Eleven focused. She no longer required the photo or the Walkman. She knew what she looked like. She'll find her.

The world disappeared and she entered the Void. This time she marched in determined steps. She felt the pull.

Eleven walked and walked and walked through the shallow water until she saw something in the distance. Someone. Someone small.

"I see her."

Slowly she begins to approach the small form, careful not to scare her.

Eleven didn't know how to start. Should she say hello or wait for her to notice?

As she came close, standing a few away from her, the latter happened as Laura went still. Like last night, she starts to sniff.

She stood up and slowly turned around. For a moment her eyes searched, left, and right until they widened and fixed on her.

Eleven took a deep breath. "Hi." Eleven waved her hand like last night.

She hoped it wouldn't end like last night.

Laura said nothing as she started to slowly approach her. Eleven observed her.

First, she no longer had blood on her which is good. Not hurt. New clothes, cute pony T-shirt, good, good. …A cautious look on her face. Not distrusting but cautious. Big good.

Laura came to stand in front of her, one feet separating them. Eleven took a good look.

She was small, the tip of her head reaching Eleven‛s chin. Long black hair past her shoulders. Pale skin. Thin face. Green eyes that looked as if she saw your soul. Eleven didn't have the right angle for age, but she would have guessed somewhere around… ten. Her heart aches at the fact.

Laura was examining her as well.

They stood there observing each other. Until Laura started to circle her. As Eleven watched her, she thought about what to say. She‛s been thinking about it the entire night.

"You have questions." Eleven began. "I have questions too. But I want to say… I am here to help."

Laura stopped and slowly nodded. Eleven smiled. Then Laura thrusts her hand forward.

Eleven stood agape as Laura's hand passed through her like a ghost.

"Hey!" She yelps as Laura cocks her head sideways. "That's rude!"

"That's interesting," Laura states in a flat, squeaky voice, pulling her arm back.

"Well, you can't do that." Eleven scolds with hands on hips.

"Why not?" she talks back in a childish, squeaky voice.

"Rude." Eleven lectures.

"Hmm." Laura's face suddenly became serious. "Who are you?"

Eleven huffs. "My name is Eleven."

"Eleven?" she repeats.

"Yes. And you are Laura." Laura's eyes grew wide. "I found your picture. It's how I found you."

"You have it?" she hopefully asks.

"Yes." Eleven softly replied.

"…Can I have it back?" she asks in a small voice.

"Of course. But I can't give it to you this way. We need to meet in person." Eleven gently explains.

Laura says nothing. And then she presents her left wrist.

Eleven stills. She looks at it and gasps. "Twenty-Three." Her voice hitches. She presents her own wrist.

Laura gazes upon it. "Eleven," she whispers. "Hermana."

Eleven blinks. "Hermana?"

"It means… sister."

Upon hearing that word Eleven chokes back a sob. "Yes… I am your sister."

Laura's eyes start to water. She blinks rapidly. "How is this possible? I thought…"

Elevens hold back tears. She must know. "Are there others?" she dared to ask.

"No. Gone. Dead. Only me." Laura replies, clearly holding a whimper.

Eleven wanted nothing more than to take her into her arms and comfort her. "Only you. That is why I couldn't… find them." Her heart breaks.

Gone.

"Killed. By Transigen." Laura growls, wiping the tears.

"Transigen is where you were born." Eleven guesses.

Laura takes several quick breaths while Eleven patiently waits. "Take your time."

"I was born in Mexico," Laura starts, "in the city of Juarez. I lived in a facility, disguised as a hospital, my entire life. The nurses working there saved me."

"Nurse in the picture…?" Eleven inquires.

"Gabriela. The others are dead. Killed while helping me escape." Laura explains with guilt.

Eleven feels empathy for her. She too felt the same way about Benny. "I am sorry to hear that. How did you come here?"

"We traveled for a month until we came here. And I sensed you before. But I didn't believe it because… I didn't want to hope. If I did… it meant… I could lose a sister again." Laura confessed.

"You will not Laura. We will meet." Eleven promised her.

"Yes. But I am not leaving Gabriela. She is hurt." Laura said with no room for argument.

Eleven nods. "Then I will-"

*Vrrrr-vrrt-vrrrrr

Eleven jumped as there were… waves in the water. This never happened. Strange noises hummed far away. Something is wrong, Eleven felt it in her core.

…Could it be Heather?

"What is going on?" Laura asks in alarm.

Eleven glanced at her. She stood with her fists clenched, eyes narrowed, and ready for a fight.

"You heard it?" she asks.

Laura nods. "Yes. What is it?"

"I don't know." Eleven thinks furiously. "Did you notice anything else when you came here?"

"I sensed a foul smell," Laura reveals with a frown.

"Foul?"

"Yes. Something rotten. I sensed when Transigen found us two nights ago. In the forest. It felt… evil." Laura admits, uncomfortable.

"El? Is everything okay?" Dad asks her.

"I… don't know what it is. Look, for now, stay where you are." Eleven was hesitant.

"You are leaving?" Laura turns to her, her eyes staring at her.

Eleven didn't want to. "I have to. But I will try to reach you. In person. Okay?"

"You promise?" Laura asks with wide eyes.

Eleven smiled. "I promise. A promise is something you don't break."

"I…I will wait here." Laura swore.

"And I will find you," Eleven swore back.

With that, Laura faded away as Eleven left the void. She ripped off the bandana and was met with concerned and curious faces of her family and friends. She wiped away the tears.

"I found her. But something is wrong."


Max thought about Billy the whole night. She didn't want to but there was little she could do. Eleven obviously pondered about Laura and everyone else was asleep, Lucas went back home, along with Mike and Dustin. She didn't go back to her house because…

"Well, you can′t go back to your house." Hopper incredulously said to her.

"And what's wrong with my house?" Max challenged.

"Um Max, if those guys are looking for Billy, they're probably at your home, looking for him." Lucas pointed out with concern.

"Oh. But he's not there." She spoke.

"Yes. But they know about him. Therefore, they know about you." Hopper added, troubled by the thought.

Max was silent for a moment before softly uttering, "Oh shit."

Max however didn't mind.

Yes, she knew how crazy it sounds and how stupid is to think that way, but barring the possibility of some assholes with guns walking through her home (she still shivered at the thought), Max didn't entertain the idea of spending another night alone in that house. She could count the nights when Billy was at home, that's when he wasn't running around Hawkins, partying around and doing stuff with who knows what else, oh God gag me with a spoon!

And now he was doing the same thing, running around Hawkins. But… running from evil guys with guns, and helping El's sister, helping people in general!

Max didn't know how to feel about that.

Whenever she thought Billy might be a good guy underneath the assholery that he carried like clothes on his back, a sobbing little Nate Walker, nursing his little broken arm, always came to mind to shoot down that possibility. That and of course the years of torment that followed. Courtesy of Billy because Neil told him it was the man's thing to do.

An evil thing to do.‛ she thought in anger.

She knew he was that way because of Neil. She remembers when they first met.

Neil guided her to a sour-looking blonde boy. "Billy, this is your new sister, Maxine. Shake her hand." Billy refuses, arms crossed. "I said, shake her hand." Neil commanded with a threatening tone. Billy shook it resentfully.

No one who lived with that guy alone could turn out to be normal. She knew the story about his mom, how she couldn't stand Neil and his stupid accusations and violent behavior any longer and left. Max wished Mom could do that. Just leave Neil. Leave that asshole and go back to California and reunite with Dad and be a family again.

But life likes to remind you how unfair it is, so Max and Mom were stuck with those two and had to move to another state in the Midwest. To Indiana. Where there was no beautiful blue Pacific Ocean that adorned the coast. Where people called themselves Hoosier!

The first days were quietly miserable because she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Billy was the loudest in his silence, letting out rock music as loud as he could, withdrawing himself to his cigarettes and brooding. And Mom. Smiling whenever she's asked if everything's okay with pain in her eyes and Max trying her damnedest to get her to open up.

She nearly did. One night, Max thought she could get through to her, try to convince her to leave Neil, that it′s insane to move to another state so far from home on the whimsy of one asshole who screwed up, and now everyone else had to pay for it.

Then Neil and Billy arrived home and everything fell apart so Max bitterly settled for a miserable, lonely life in Hawkins. At least until graduation.

Meeting Lucas, Dustin, Will, Mike, and later Eleven, drastically changed that perspective. Suddenly, she's not so miserable or lonely anymore.

Eleven asked her one time about the situation at home. Max didn't want to bother her with the details, she merely offhandedly said it's not perfect, but it is what it is. Eleven was confused and doubted that, but she didn't question it.

Seeing her right now staring out in the window with concern worried Max. She was also angry because she agreed. They should be doing something instead of sitting around and waiting for something bad to happen. Eleven told them the whole situation with Laura and her messed up story. And how she felt something wrong while talking with Laura, something evil, something that could be connected to Heather Holloway.

Nothing about Billy.

"Well, this is bull," Mike said what they were all thinking.

Eleven went to sit on a nearby chair, clutching that photograph with the kids. She held it in her arms the entire night; between reading Wolverine comics the boys gave her and Max explained some parts of it.

Max realized at that moment Eleven wanted to have someone in her life who was like her. There were things she couldn't tell Max, and Max knew and respected that. She couldn't even imagine going through such a pain. Max had stuff she hadn't told her so it was even.

"So, you're okay with bad guys with guns walking around your house?" Lucas asked her, concerned for her.

Max huffed. "Billy isn't there, I'm not there and Mom and Neil are on vacation. So, I'm not too concerned."

"Well, at least your parents are safe and far away." He stated.

"Yeah." She mumbled. Max shivered as she was uncomfortable with the fact that, while Mom wasn't in Hawkins, she was still alone with Neil.

"Should we go there?" Will asked out loud.

"And risk those assholes finding us? What are you nuts?" Dustin scolded.

"It wouldn't be the first time we went somewhere dangerous Dustin. The tunnels." Mike reminded him with a scowl.

"We not going up against monsters that could be easily tricked, Mike. We‛d be going up against psychopaths." Dustin countered.

"Well, what about those two psychos at the summer camp?" Will pointed out.

"Science camp and those morons just played to get out. These guys are actual monsters." Dustin stated.

"You just said that monsters could be easily tricked." Max cheekily reminded him.

Dustin flipped her off. Max kindly returned the gesture with a smile.

"This is stupid." Eleven suddenly barks, startling them. She stood up. "Come," she commands.

Sharing wary looks, they get up and start to follow her.

"Um, where are we going?" Mike asks her.

"To find them." She declares, opening the door.

"What?" Will exclaims as they go outside.

Eleven turns. "I am not staying here. Not while my sister is out there. She needs me." She proclaimed. A fire burned in her eyes.

"Doubt it." Dustin rebutted, making Eleven glare at him. "What, she's literally Wolverine! And you said she could fight an army."

"I killed those bad men at school. And Papa nearly got me." She stated. Max lightly shivered. The fact Eleven killed people, even though they were bad guys, made her feel uncomfortable for a moment.

"Yeah. And the Demogorgon was the one who saved us. Technically." Lucas adds.

Max shakes her head. "Okay. Look, what about Heather, the girl who saw you too? That doesn't sound good." She pointed out.

Eleven remained silent, pondering her options.

"Look. This whole stay put until this whole thing goes away by Hopper is bullshit. And I know we should help Laura, even when we know where is she. But this Heather is… unknown. We have no idea what she's all about. Wouldn't it be wiser if we knew what her whole deal was?" Max suggests.

"She's right." Lucas agreed. He turns to Will, "The first time, when you were taken, we didn't know it was by a monster from another dimension. Because of some dumbasses who messed with things that shouldn't be messed with. And then… um…"

"I was secretly a spy for the Mind Flayer." Will ends flatly.

Lucas scratched his ear. "Yup. That."

"Completely normal thing to hear." Max deadpans, deciding not to ponder if she made a different choice in the past for making friends. She already knew the answer. "The point is we should cover all fronts."

Eleven hesitated.

"Eleven, Max is… right," Mike admits. Max raised an eyebrow at that. That's a first. "If we first know what's wrong with Heather then we can focus on helping Laura."

"I made a promise," Eleven stated.

"And it's something you can't break." Max recited.

"Ah! You'll be just making sure there are no additional threats." Dustin added.

Eleven was silent. After a few seconds of silence, she sighed. "Okay. But only to make sure there are no more threats."

Thunder cracked and rain started to pour out of the sky. They hastily retreated to the porch, except for El who slowly came back, glaring at the sky.

"Oh, are you serious?!" Dustin cried, brushing his hair.

"Now what?" Lucas huffed.

"Guys, I have several raincoats in my closet." Everyone looked at Will. He scratches his neck. "There, um, mom bought them on sale."

"Great, let's go!" Mike exclaims as they rush back inside.

"You know, they're going to be mad." Dustin pointed out to Eleven.

"Let them. No one harms Laura. If this Heather is a threat… I will deal with her." Eleven declared with restrained anger.

Max knew she wasn't the only one who shivered.


Steve was on the lookout just like yesterday, occasionally serving customers and then busy with other things.

Busy with spycraft. Watching for threats. In Starcourt. Starcourt Shopping Mall. A Shopping Mall built, built by…by Transigen. Transigen, the company that's responsible for… murder. Murders, plural.

Great. This is what he gets for hanging out with Henderson.

When he and the rest were so kindly informed by the Chief that the building which he worked in was the same one built by Transigen, well to say he was shocked was an understatement. And confused.

Why build a shopping mall? In Hawkins? What, bad guys need Coke and some burgers for their next evil mission? New clothes and, guns? …Does Starcourt have a gun shop? God, he hoped not.

It's absurd. It should be by the sound of it, but sadly it wasn't. However, Billy Hargrove helping someone, now that's absurd.

Out of all the things they found out last night, that one was the most shocking for him. If you exclude of course the fact that there's Eleven‛s sister in Hawkins who‛s kid Wolverine and has slaughtered people. There's, uh, there's that.

Steve rubbed his eye as he remembered Hopper's instructions…

"Listen to me Steve, today I want you to be eyes and ears in that place, you hear me?" Hopper orders him. Steve swore he looked like one of those soldiers guys in Rambo. Well, he did serve in Vietnam.

"What, you think they'll walk around discussing how to catch a girl with superpowers while eating ice cream?" Steve couldn't help to snark.

"They'll discuss something." Hopper insisted. "Look, anything suspicious or fishy, anyone or anything that stands out, any minor detail, no matter how irrelevant it seems, can be important."

Steve would be on it like a bloodhound if only Buckley showed up. It was strange, Steve was the first one to arrive on the job, despite being late and no Buckley to scold him. He had about two minutes to prepare and realized he had no hat or name tag. Thankfully, there weren't that many customers nor did the ones that came care if he wasn't one hundred percent Scoops Ahoy sailor. He stopped with the Ahoy greetings.

However, he‛s starting to get worried. The fact that for a second night in a row, some crazy shit happened and people got killed unnerved him. And Hargrove got mixed up in all of it which explains the air of desperation he felt from him yesterday. Fear. Possibility of being killed.

He didn't want Robin to get mixed up in this… or get killed. She didn't deserve to die, she was…

Steve was already considering leaving his job, uncaring if he would get fired or not. He was about to announce early closing when he heard the two most comforting words…

"Hey, Dingus!" he heard her, using the back corridor to get in.

Relief filled him. She's okay.

He wanted to smack himself silly. Okay Harrington, quit acting like a dumb lovebird. You barely know each other.

Steve let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and turned to greet her. "Hey Buckley, where have you been? I had to cove- Woah, what happened to you, are you OK?" he exclaims when he sees her.

She stood in the middle of their break room/storage, fidgeting with her backpack. Dark circles around her eyes, small bruises on the hands, a green band-aid on her cheek, and a bandage on her knee.

"Oh relax, I'm fine, I'm fine." Robin placates him when he rushes to her. "It's just…" she searches for her words, "I was taking a shortcut on my way home and, this ummm, raccoons! A couple raccoons just ran across the road, and scared the Beejezus out of me!" she laughed. "I swerved at the side of the road. A bush cushioned my fall."

"Raccoons scared you?" Steve slowly repeats in disbelief.

Robin gave him a look. "What? Don't think Dingus, just because they are little cute critters, they can′t be lethal."

Steve lightly scoffs. "Yeah, I can see." He gestures at her. "Quite ferocious. Look, are you sure you're okay? I mean, falling off your moped doesn't sound like something to laugh at."

"Trust me, my parents didn't laugh either." She huffs. "Look, I'm fine, really, I am." She goes to put her backpack in a corner. "I mean, little bastard comes out of nowhere, makes me crash into a bush, and somehow acts like it's my fault." She mumbles. "But! Water under the bridge!" she exclaims.

Steve stares at her. "Okay. Let's go to work then. Hey, your badge!" he pointed.

Robin looks. "Oh, I probably lost it when that blonde mo- raccoon! Yeah, it's probably somewhere in the woods."

"A blonde raccoon?" Steve narrowed his eyes.

"Blonde raccoons are actually real. Biology 101 Dingus." She lectured him. "Okay, let's get to work!" Robin waved him off and rushed to the counter.

Steve watched as she greeted the customers, completely ignored how they gave her looks and ignored him.

He also notices quite sadly that the entire mood is even more subdued than yesterday. Steve guessed when the initial ‛tragedy‛ had fully settled in the minds of the people, so did the full effect of the event.

When he came back home, he was greeted by the sight of his worried parents, the first time since… actually the second, the first was last year in November when he nearly died. Twice. He couldn't tell them the truth, much as one part wanted it and the other didn't. The hell should they get involved? Anyone who did gets hurt or killed.

Getting back to the point, his parents talked to him. If there was anything he wanted to talk about, he could talk to them. Mom was the one who did most of the effort, Dad had to because it was his obligation, he remembers bitterly.

Steve surveyed the food court. More adults than teens and kids walked around the Mall. He was surprised that the parents hadn't gone running around Hawkins and picking up their wandering kids in panic. Steve didn't know if that was the best course of action or not. Those evil bastards clearly didn't care about the sanctity of home or about anyone who stood in their way.

He wondered about the 4th of July Carnival. Is there going to be a Carnival?

He took a look at Robin. She was acting her chipper, snarky usual self but noticed she was… restrained. When she thought no one was looking, her eyes were shifty, and at one moment, her hands trembling.

"Hey, Buckley? You okay?" he asks in concern, making her yelp.

"Aah!" Robin drops the pistaccio ball. "Yep! I'm totally okay. Nothing to see here. Just a day in our work." She rambles in a high-pitched voice, eyeing the food court herself and scooping the wrong batch.

"That's vanilla."

"So it is!"

Steve took pity on her. "Hey Robin, why don't you take five, hmm? You don't have to push yourself today."

"IIIeeee kinda want to. To get my mind off things." Robin countered.

"Things?" Steve repeats.

"Strange things. You wouldn't get it." Robin deflects the question, going to the backroom and checking the board.

That's weird. "Okay. So tell me, Buckley. How‛s… everything else?"

Robin looks back and forth between him and the board. "What do you mean everything else? What everything else?" she rambles.

"Well, your parents, for a start." He asks simply.

Something was fishy about her. She's late, raccoons made her crash…

"Oh! That. Well, they nearly called the cops because of my… accident." Robin answers with a sheepish smile.

Steve huffs, "Yeah, I bet they panicked when they saw you."

"The fire scared them. I… actually never seen them so worried about me." She admits, turning and scribbling on the board.

"Never? Not even when…," Steve hesitated, "other stuff happened before?" he alluded.

"Well, they were, but this actually scared them. To think people got kille-" Robin coughed, "died. To think people died in a fire is sad."

Steve raised a brow. He gets curious.

"And you decided to take a shortcut despite that?"

"Well, for your information Dingus, I wanted to get home ASAP, and going around Lovers Lake seemed like a good idea-" Robin suddenly clamps her mouth.

Lovers lake. Eleven mentioned that Billy hid at a lakeside house with the kid Wolverine and the nurse woman.

Steve tried to shake his head, but he wasn't liking where his thoughts went. A side effect of hanging out with people who dealt in government conspiracies and paranormal freaky stuff. Robin's story was somehow starting to connect with what was happening in Hawkins.

Did… Oh shit, did she actually stumble…?!

He made a decision. A stupid decision, but Dustin told him to always trust his gut.

"You know, why don't we focus on doing our job, yeah?" Steve suggests.

Robin nods. "Yep, fine by me!"


Doctor Zander Rice took a walk through Starcourt. His bodyguard, Grant, followed him from a reasonable distance. It wasn't relaxing but he needed to clear his mind and get away for a moment from central command, never mind the mall and its noise.

Everything is seconds away from being a complete disaster. Twenty-Three is found after a month of frantic searching, arriving in the same town where they conducted important work and several hours of drive from Canada!

Despite what that moron Pierce thought, they were not in the clear. That blasted woman Kinney had managed to build a strong case against them. They only needed the paperwork from the company and of course Twenty-Three‛s existence. Captured through camera!

When that idiotic guard casually mentioned and did nothing about it because one of the nurses gave him a pretty smile and promises, they casually disposed of the cretin and did nothing about his decaying corpse on the Juarez streets. They gave him a cartel treatment. Idiot.

He tried to soothe himself. If they couldn't be a future nightmare for them, others could be. Oh, knew how the world would react. The people would clamour for justice at first, experimentation on children being a heinous act of course. But when they find out what those children could do, then the people will fear.

Fear those freaks and what they were capable of, fear that their dull, everyday lives are for nothing. Monsters are real. And then other nations and corporations will try to make monsters of their own.

A group of moronic teenagers passed him, ignorant of the world, ignorant of how they just passed a man with a gun.

Idiots. Could they not see how those freaks are the next step in the evolution? If that egoistic baboon allowed him to apply new ideas and push forward, they could have achieved more. Hence the reason he joined Transigen. There weren't any pesky ethical limitations. A mere promise of huge profit and everything goes.

There was also that thing with the Chief of Police. They heard the report and were baffled by it. He met with a woman who had kids, two boys and two girls. Nothing unusual, probably dating a single mother. Then more children showed up, several teens even. And then they left, leaving the children behind. They ordered the man to come back and waited until Samson came with some intel on James Hopper from his contacts.

Why meet with a group of these individuals, and then leave? Why go to that blasted Laboratory, see the carnage, and then do nothing about it?

He passes by a photo studio, painted and fashioned in revolting neon blue and yellow, and glances at the display, showing a-

Doctor Rice stops, stunned by what he thinks he saw.

It can't be,‛ he thinks in denial.

Slowly, he walks back and turns to stare at the photo on the display in disbelief. A picture of two girls dressed in garish outfits and smiling for the camera.

One was a redhead, and Rice recognized her. It was the sister of that local idiot Hargrove who interfered. They found out the address and went there. Nobody was in the house, and they searched the place thoroughly. They found a family photo and quickly checked who they were. The parents were out of town, but the sister, Maxine, was still in Hawkins. A possible blackmail tool to use but alas she was nowhere to be found.

However, that was not the one whose appearance shocked him. It was the girl next to her. Whose birth caused quite a headache for Brenner. He hadn't seen her in years but he remembered her all too well. Their man said one of the kids was a redhead. Could it be the same one in this picture? Then that would mean…

"No. It can't be… ah. But it is. Why? Why would you stay here you, you stupid girl…?" he hisses. Rice pinched his nose and shook his head. "Martin. Martin Martin Martin. Always with the grandeur and the importance of the mission. And yet not willing the pass the bare minimum to achieve it." He signs in disappointment. "And yet I'm the one that gets laid off."

He walks into the booth and takes a photo from the display. The studio was empty. Or so he thought.

"Hey!" yells a man from behind, a photographer who probably works there, "You creep, you can't just-"

Rice turns and gives him a cold look; the same one he gave to those he wished pain. Grant, a muscular man, helped by going to stand beside him and cracking his knuckles. The photographer paled at the sight and stopped.

"I didn't do anything. And you saw nothing." Rice pulls out his wallet and hands him twenty bucks. "Comprende?" he says back, threat clear. Grant leaned forward, glaring.

"Um, yeah, yeah, I saw nothing." The photographer stuttered, taking the money and scurrying back to his office.

Zander walks out of the studio and remarks to an intrigued Grant, waving the picture.

"This day just got interesting."


So that's it for this chapter.

Laura discovers the Wolverine and I'm just going to say I'm not going to explain yet how the X-men are connected, I'm saving that for later in the story. Hopper has a lead, and Joyce will tag along.

And most importantly, Eleven and Laura meet face-to-face. Not in person, but that too will come soon. The Party will take a slight detour on the whole Transigen/finding Laura situation and will try to see what's wrong with Heather.

Steve connects Robin's story and has a hunch.

And finally, and sadly, Transigen will know about Eleven as well.

Now I doubt I can write the second part until New Year's Eve, so if I don't, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.