A/N: Back at it again with another Billy chapter. Honestly, I really love writing Billy as a character and exploring his conflicts. Let me know your thoughts on this one! Hope everyone is having a good week so far and enjoys reading :)

~Billy~

"I said, what the fuck is going on here, Harrington?"

Ask once. That should be the rule. Ask once, get an answer.

Ask twice, get a black eye.

Flickering between the spiked bat, the guns and Max, I didn't even know where to start. All I knew was Steve Harrington better give me some sort of answer soon or he was going to experience more pain than he would ever have in a lifetime. Get into a car crash? Still won't be as bad as the pain he'll experience if he doesn't tell me why the fuck my thirteen year old sister was wandering around in an abandoned junkyard with him at night. Nostrils flaring, hands curled into fists, I was teetering on the edge. Prepared to inflict the pain he'd deserve.

He could see I was ready to pounce. Hear my deep, furious breathing. The only thing saving his ass so far was Sierra being here. Any normal time he would have been lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood by now.

"I'm giving you one more chance, Harrington"

Three more steps. Then he was directly opposite me. Staring down at him like it was the barrel of a loaded gun, I made it clear this was his last opportunity. Waiting around wasn't an option.

"Look, man, I know this looks a little weird, but honestly…" Harrington sighed in frustration, clutching onto the back of his head, tugging at his hair roots. No point trying to sort out your hair, pretty boy. When I'm done with you, you're going to look like shit. "Henderson, I'm gonna have to tell him"

What the hell did this Henderson kid know? He looked like a dorky prepubescent teenager who could recite all the facts from a science textbook, but had no idea how to say hello to a girl without pissing his pants.

Hold on.

I knew this kid. Where had I seen him before?

Fucking Brontosaurus Kid.

The kid who had nearly aspirated on my cigarette smoke. One glance to the left of him and I saw the other kid. The one Max called Lucas Sinclair. I had told her to stay away from that group of stalkers. They wanted to know who Mad Max was, so they prowled around by the garbage cans as she went into school. Now, they had her out here with a M16A2 Rifle.

"Tell me what, Harrington?" If Harrington had judged my mood by voice alone, he would have decided I was calm. But one look in my eyes would let him know I was the complete opposite. My stony glare didn't hide anything.

"Billy - "

Through the burning rage taking over me, I felt Sierra's chilly fingers pierce through my skin. They nearly tempted me to calm down, but all it took was looking at Max standing there gripping a rifle for the anger to reach its pinnacle. I walked away from Sierra. Straight over to Harrington.

"Why is my sister here with you, Harrington?" The jolt of adrenaline - almost like a long lost friend - coursed through me as my hands shoved him. "In the middle of the fucking night" Another shove. He stumbled. I told him to plant his feet. "With three boys - one of them older than her. Suspicious, huh?"

"Billy, stop"

For a moment, her plea wrapped its arms around me, desperately trying to haul me from this scarlet world, treading lightly through the balloons. One deadly move and they would burst.

I felt him stagger backwards.

I said, plant your feet, Harrington.

"Ever heard of responsibility, Harrington?"

"Hargrove, I swear to God…" He faltered, fingers clenching. Was pretty boy daring me?

Come on, Harrington. Prove yourself.

"What?" With a thud, he fell. Dust from the ground floated above him, setting my eyes ablaze as it drifted around us. Yet, I won't blink. Just stare. Don't lose track or you're dead. "You swear to God, Harrington? Hate to break it to you, man, but God ain't coming. Now, you have a responsibility to own up to whatever this is, right? However, I have a responsibility to make sure your ass is grass"

He got up. Brave move.

The twin was back. He was excited, ready to feel that first bone crunch. Goading me on, he bounded into the house I had created in my mind. Remember, you wanted her more. You wanted the breeze from the sea, the wild lavender brushing against your ankles as you walked up to the door. You wanted that. You can still have that. All it would take was one punch and the house would be demolished, and the twin would be alive once more.

"What the hell are you insinuating?" Harrington strode over. Inches away from me, I could feel the slick film of nervous sweat forming on his forehead. Sierra's protests ringed in my ears. The twin ordered for me to ignore her. I couldn't.

"I won't ask again, Harrington" I could feel hot veins bulging from my neck. Don't give him a chance, Billy. No one else gave you one. "Why are you here with my sister?"

"You talk about responsibility, Hargrove, huh?" Harrington shouted. Suddenly, I felt my whole body brace itself for impact. Feet cemented into the ground, shoulders squared. "What the fuck have you done to her?"

I twisted around, facing Sierra. Purple blotches were starting to show around her left cheekbone. Any anger I had managed to quash had resurfaced. This time, it was lethal. Harrington had taken this a step too far. He was outright accusing me of hurting my girl. I would never lay a hand on her. Never. Slowly, I turned to follow Harrington's frantic motions as he neared Sierra. I stood in between them. If he was going to harm Max, then I wasn't letting him near my girl.

"You think I did this, Harrington?" I snapped, putting an arm out to hold him away.

"Guys, this is really uncalled for," Sierra interrupted.

Max and the boys watched on, mouths gaped open and guns at the ready. They seemed so prepared, but what for? The confusion mingled with my anger, creating the most destructive concoction I had ever felt flow freely through me. The explosion was close. One false move from Harrington and it was game over.

"I knew something was off with you, Hargrove. Moment I goddamn saw you, I knew it!" He jabbed a finger into my finger. Without even thinking, I seized it and grabbed his forearm, shoving him away. Fist poised, the twin was ready.

Aim and fire.

But I never struck him.

Bewildered, I looked behind me to see Sierra. Her fingers were clutching my shirt and she had somehow possessed a strength I had never anticipated. She needn't have snagged at the shirt. All she had to do was touch it. There were too many conflicting feels, cascading down my body like a waterfall, changing with the rapidly unpredictable waters. Seething anger at how Max was unsafe after years of trying to ensure she wouldn't get hurt, hatred for the person who had put her in this position. But then, it would change. Suddenly, there was love for the girl who was trying to keep my anger at bay and the dispute between the house and the twin began. He wanted to see the walls get knocked down, set it on fire and watch as it burned. Shit, this had to stop. There was only one way to stop it. To fight.

"Stop" It wasn't a plea - it was a command. Not even her voice could slow down the erratic heartbeat pounding away. "Both of you"

Harrington and I flashed each other a look. We'd stop. For the now.

"Steve, Billy didn't hurt me" Steve merely stared at her as something clearly sank in. Wait, did he know about her dad? Words needn't be spoken. He nodded and let out a sharp exhale.

"I'm gonna kill him" Steve muttered and dropped the bat, immediately throwing his arms around Sierra. "I'm sorry, Nightingale"

I really didn't know what to do. The twin wasn't letting go so easily. I wasn't letting go. I wasn't going to stand around and allow him to accuse me of beating up my girl, nor was he getting away with having Max out here. Fuck, she was meant to be at the slumber party. Susan and Him were going to kill us both if they knew Max was out here.

"Max, get in the car" I ordered. The goddamn kid didn't know when to finally relent. Max may as well have been a statue. She wasn't fucking moving. "Max, I said to get in the car - now"

"Billy, we can totally explain this" Max stuttered.

How the hell could this be explained? As I scoured the area again, I saw there were raw steaks scattered all over the place. Fuck, that confused rage was returning. Bubbling up, rising with the searing flames. This was just insane.

"Then goddamn explain, Max!" I shouted. "What the fuck are you doing out here with a fucking gun?" I turned around and thrust a finger at Harrington. He was stood next to Sierra. "I gave you a chance to explain, Harrington" My feet were heavy as they stomped to the baseball bat. All the kids were asking what the hell I was doing. Shit, even I didn't even know. "Explain yourself"

"Man, this really isn't the time or place" Harrington started, easing forwards with his arms defensively in front of him.

"What is my sister doing here, Harrington?" I yelled.

"Dude, just take it easy"

"Billy, put it down!"

"I'm giving you three seconds, Harrington"

"Come on, man. Not right now"

"One"

Say something, Harrington.

"Hargrove, I mean it. Give me the bat"

"Two!"

Just fucking say something.

"There's a fucking monster, alright? Now, give me the damn bat!"

He's all yours, Billy.

"Three!"

An unearthly roar rendered us silent. Immediately, the kids started to scream orders about heading to an abandoned bus.

"Abort mission!"

This chirping sound grew closer and closer. Turning my head around, I felt the bat go limp.

What the actual hell was going on?

In front of us was something I had only seen in horror movies. Slimy, demonic, and it was staring right at us.

"What the hell?" I breathed.

"Dart…" I heard Sierra whisper.

"Guys, we gotta go!" Harrington barked.

I knew the kids were yelling something in the background, but it completely escaped my ears. Instead, I felt Sierra's hand seize mine and next thing I knew I was running to an old abandoned bus. Everything was happening in slow motion. Nothing was going in or out. Everything, but that monster's roar. Screeching past my eardrums and straight into my brain, it snapped me back into reality.

Max.

Limping, she tried to get up from the floor. Instantly, I raced to her and flung her over my shoulder. Next thing I knew, we were in this bus. Tattered seats, the smell of mildew permeating the entire decrepit vehicle, we hid. I laid Max down on the ground, examining her leg.

"You hurt?" I asked and she shook her head. "Don't lie to me, Max"

"I just tripped, that's all" she defensively responded.

Even still, I gave her leg a look over. Just some scratches. But even still, she looked so powerless. Only her voice could keep the mask up. I knew she was scared. There was a monster outside, but as my eyes pierced hers, a cold chill ran down my spine. There was a monster in here. It was towering over her. It was me.

Immediately afterwards, I automatically held Sierra's hand. Giving it a somewhat reassuring squeeze, she returned it. Jesus, my heart was racing at the speed of light. The rage/bewilderment hadn't faded. No, fear had been added to the mix. My body didn't know whether to scream, break a window or run. Instead, I sent a message to Sierra as I continued to squeeze her hand. Reading the message loud and clear, she sat in between my legs and I wrapped my arms protectively around her. But there was an edge to her and it went beyond whatever the hell was out there. Everything was crashing down. I felt like a stranger and suddenly, my skin began to prickle uncomfortably. Shit, what the hell was I?

"Right, so I know this isn't the right time to explain things, but that's why we had guns" The kid with curly hair said and flashed Steve a warning glare. Dragging me out of the destruction that was my mind, I blinked and remembered why we were sat in this fucking bus in the first place. "Don't touch him, Harrington"

"Man, are you goddamn insane? That pet of yours is not some fluffy friend, alright? I think we can all agree it's from the Upside Down" Harrington replied, his voice hushed.

"Wait, what the hell is the Upside Down?" Sierra asked. Hold on, she knew about this creature. She'd called it a name. Fuck, what was it called? Dart?

"Jesus, I don't have time to explain all the ins and outs right now" Steve groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose with trembling fingers.

"It's another world and we think Dart comes from that world" Sinclair explained, gun at the ready. He looked over to Max, his eyes softening. "Do you believe me now?" In response, Max nodded gravely. "I told you, friends don't lie"

The two of them gazed at one another for a moment. It would have been indistinguishable to anyone else on this bus. But I knew what was behind the gaze. She liked him, he liked her. It could have been that simple. But it never would be. Not when He was around. If He saw us all now, there would be hell to pay. He wouldn't even see the other kids. Just Lucas.

What was I becoming?

"Just in case we die, I just wanted to clear the air. Sierra, Hargrove, I'm sorry for assuming everything" Steve abruptly said. "I mean, shit I'm trying to be a better person and I made a real crappy assumption. So, I'm sorry" I was taken aback. No one had really taken the time to apologize to me. People assumed things about me all the time. Perhaps they never had time to apologize before my fist landed in their teeth. Maybe I should have given them time. Then again, maybe they should have never assumed things in the first place. "And, I'm sorry Max is here. She sort of found us"

"We can talk about that afterwards" I said and deeply inhaled, trying to process the last ten minutes. Goddamn, I really needed a smoke. Especially after what I was about to say. "I'm sorry for nearly beating the shit out of you, Harrington"

In the corner of my eye, I could see Max somewhat brighten, her head tilting to the side like an intrigued puppy. Sending her own message across, Sierra nudged me. God, this accountability shit was hard. But that thing was still waiting outside and who knew if I'd be alive in the next ten seconds, let alone the end of tonight.

"I'm," I paused after figuring out I was speaking through gritted teeth. "I'm sorry for shouting, Max" One more thing to say. That's all you have to do. Then you can at least try to survive. I lowered my eyes for a moment, internally praying I would never have to feel this exposed again. When I looked up, Sinclair and Henderson became rigid. What was it about my eyes? They could make Sierra blush, scare harmless kids and plead for Him to stop. They were never consistent. "I'm sorry for freaking you kids out"

The edge that had made Sierra stiffen up weakened as she leaned against me. Max silently accepted the apology with a nod. Enough apologies now, especially for tonight. I needed answers.

"Henderson, right?" I asked. The kid's eyes widened, throwing me the same startled look he'd probably give someone about to give him a wedgie. Seriously, I was not that scary. I had just apologized to them, for Christ's sake. Swallow the frustration, you have to. "You owe us answers"

"Erm, well, it ate my cat"

"Your cat?"

"He's called Mews. Well, was"

"And that thing ate the cat?"

"And it's grown" Henderson raised his eyebrow and nodded at Sierra with panic stricken eyes. "She knows about it"

"I didn't know it would eat your cat!" Sierra whispered harshly and slapped her forehead with an exacerbated groan. "Okay, so, Lucas, the Upside Down is another world and Dart comes from it?"

What the actual hell was going on? This wasn't real. Surely, this wasn't real. I was going to wake up any moment now and be in that field with Sierra. We had never driven here, we'd just fallen asleep. No matter how many times I tried repeating the narrative in my head, it didn't stop the demonic shrieking from outside. This was real. As if it was a reflex, I grabbed the rifle from Max. Stunned, she shot up, about to retaliate.

"Do you know how to shoot this thing?" I asked. Even more stunned by the lack of intervention, she shook her head. "Right, come here and I'll show you"

Reluctantly, she breathed out what I perceived to be a sigh of relief. I didn't know how to feel about Max. She was this little shit who showed up uninvited into my life and forced me into being who I was totally averse to becoming - a brother, responsible. I had only myself to protect from Him and now she was here. I couldn't protect her from witnessing what He was capable of. There was the first flaw. The second came with not knowing just how to help her. So, I resorted to anger. It was all I ever felt. Anger at her having to be exposed to this shit. Anger at being in this situation. Anger at how I was completely helpless. She was the constant. Inadvertently, I released a drawn out breath. I didn't know who I was. But I knew I wasn't a good person. I knew I was becoming Him and it was all dawning on me now.

I was everything. I was the boy who cried as his mother ran away. The cigarette ashes as they freely twirled in the air. The Keg King. The object of fear and loathing. A release from fury. The doughnut in between her lips. The shotgun fired at the house. A can of Diet Coke on The Boardwalk as Max sipped it. Blood as it poured from my nose.

I was everything.

And yet, I was nothing.

Focus.

As if the curtain fell at the end of a show, I veiled the part of me I resented with such hatred. I showed Max and the kids the eight basic steps in functioning the rifle, asked if they got it and when they finally did, I went back over to Sierra. I wanted nothing more than to wake up in The Communion with her, away from this madness. Lacing my fingers with hers, I rubbed the inside of her hand. Magnetized to her touch, it brought me back down to earth.

"Wait, can you guys hear that?"

Amongst all the whispers and fear, only Henderson had heard the chirps. They grew louder and louder. Until, they fell to a deafening silence. Only to return with a thunderous bang. We were surrounded. Crash after crash, they flung themselves at the bus. Screams infiltrated the narrow space. Glass shattered over Sierra and I. I felt my arms constrict around her as we evaded whatever was out to kill, scrambling with the others to the back of the bus. I pushed Max behind me. We all stared at the thing. Equally, it stared at us through beady eyes. Crouched low to the ground, it tilted its head. Chittering flowed from its drooling mouth. It was ready. Wildly, my heart palpitated under my fingertips, spreading everywhere. Fast, hot, primal. I looked next to me.

Sinclair had a slingshot.

A shotgun was in front of me.

Without another word, we knew what to do.

I lunged for the gun.

Lurching at us, the slingshot attacked it and it fell back.

Bullets flew into the monster.

Then, the spiked bat landed in its head. Rancid blood splattered the walls. Above the dead creature was Harrington.

We had won.

But this was only the first round.

There were more of them.

We all flinched as a loud shriek broke the sound of our heavy breathing. Frozen, we prepared to fight. Before anything could happen, Sinclair announced something. It was blurred in my mind and I sounded a perplexed 'What?'.

"They're running away!" Sinclair repeated and we all rushed to the shattered window. I grunted as the shards of glass scraped along my jeans, thankful they had reminded me I was still alive. Beyond the junkyard, they scrambled into the woods. "What are they running to?"

"I don't know, but we're getting the hell out of here" I said.

Yet, we stayed there for what seemed like an eternity. None of us felt safe enough to leave. Despite being in a location where we were most exposed to the danger awaiting us, this mangled bus had become our shelter. Fumbling with mine and Sierra's fingers, I didn't know what to say. The silence was uncomfortable. Even more uncomfortable was processing what had just happened.

"Look, we need to get out of here" I said. This time, I meant it. "My car is out there. We're not just sitting around here waiting for them to come back"

"I'm with Hargrove" Steve chimed in. "Get your guns"

The silence pervaded the bus again and the consensus made itself known as we all got up to leave. We all warily exited the bus and ran to the Camaro, bundling ourselves in. In the back, Henderson sat on Harrington's lap, Max and Sinclair sitting next to one another. Sierra was in the front, ashen and silent. This had been a long night for us both. I fired the engine and put the car into reverse, speeding out of this godforsaken place. I had no idea where we were going. All I knew was Sierra was clutching onto my hand and I was clutching onto hers.

"Right, what now?" Sinclair said and leaned over my chair. "Where are we going, Hargrove?"

"How did Max get out of that slumber party?"

Sinclair threw me a bewildered look, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Man, we've just almost got our asses handed to us by a bunch of demodogs and this is what you're focusing on?" Sinclair exclaimed, falling back into his seat with an infuriated sigh.

"Look, kid, you have no idea the amount shit we'll be in if Neil finds out she's gone" Inwardly, I banged my head against a wall. I was letting on too much. But this was serious shit. We had to have a plan together.

"I left and ran into these guys" Max murmured, arms folded stubbornly across her chest, a faraway glaze invading her eyes.

"What happened to giving those bitches hell?" I questioned and tapped my fingers impatiently against the steering wheel. "We don't have time for this. You know what will happen"

Sierra squeezed my hand, a futile attempt to calm me down. What she had seen today on the porch was only an inkling of what was to come.

"How about you guys go to the house, say Max called to pick her up. It's, like, what, 12am? No one would have noticed she'd snuck out" Sinclair suggested. It was good enough for me. With a nod, Sinclair relaxed and I saw in the rearview mirror he gave Max a reassuring smile.

"My folks are out of town. You kids need some rest. We'll go back to mine, you kids can sleep. Sierra, Hargrove and I will keep watch for the demodogs" Harrington proposed. Fresh out of ideas, I nodded. Fucking demodogs? What world was I in now?

We drove in silence until we reached the place where I'd dropped Max off mere hours before, when Hawkins was just a boring hick-town. Max snuck back in through the window and I prepared to put on a show. I didn't want to wink or smirk, I just wanted to fall into bed and pretend none of this had happened. But, I was left with no choice other than resort to the devices that had sustained me for most of my life. The plan was Max had vomited and called me. I was coming to pick her up and take her home. Foolhardy, but my mind was too tired to contemplate questioning it.

"Hey," I beckoned Sinclair's attention and saw as his eyes snapped up to view me in the rearview mirror. "Good shot in the bus, kid" I referred to the perfect aim of his slingshot. Nodding in recognition of this, Sinclair soon returned to keeping an eye out for Max. We were to wait ten minutes for her to gather all her shit and then it was my time to shine. Soon, my view was on Harrington. "How did you know about all of that shit back there? The…" I struggled with the word. Not because it was hard to say, but because it was hard to comprehend that it actually existed "...demodogs"

"Last year," Steve sighed and ran a hand through his hair, building up to the story "I walked in on Nancy and Byers fighting against one. The Upside Down, it…" He let out a long exhale, recalling everything and letting it become a reality once again "it's like Hawkins, but it isn't"

"The demodogs are just subjects of the Demogorgon" Sinclair piped up, still keeping a watchful eye.

"Demogorgon?" Sierra suddenly asked. I was surprised. This was the first she'd spoken since we got into the car.

"Yeah, it's like this humanoid thing" Sinclair gently replied with a sensitive understanding of how this was completely overwhelming for Sierra to hear. "It got Will last year and we think its got him again"

"I don't know how to say this" Steve whispered and he leaned forwards, tenderly touching Sierra's shoulder. "Barb isn't missing. She's dead" We all watched as Sierra's face became stoic, all her features blending into a neutral emotion. It was a defense mechanism. The only thing that gave her away was how she was gripping onto my hand. "The Demogorgon got to her last year at the party. It's why Nancy is depressed, why she thinks everything is bullshit" His words came out strangulated and he cleared his throat. I knew that sound all too well. "But it's back and we have no idea why it wants Will again"

We all mulled quietly over this. I didn't even know who Will or Barb were. Sierra had never mentioned them and she was pretty much my only connection to knowing anyone in this hick town. She continued to hold my hand, the clenches coming in waves as I rubbed my thumb against hers.

"Max is ready" Sinclair announced.

I let go of Sierra's hand with a final reassuring squeeze and got out of the car. As I approached the front door, I felt like I was trying to maneuver around in a trance. Physically, I felt exhausted. Too much had occurred in one night. Monsters lurking both inside and outside. But, as usual, I had no choice. Rapping at the door with a smooth urgency, I took a deep inhale. I was everything, yet I was nothing. The door creaked open, a woman in a black lace nightgown with her platinum blonde hair in rollers stood there, lips parting as she resumed a curious stance. A smirk creeped up on my lips. The ice cold chill exited my body. I leaned against the door frame, watching as the woman blushed. Everything yet nothing. I was the bad boy of Hawkins. The excitement that glimmered in the woman's eyes. The Keg King.

"Hi," I grinned and suavely leaned further against the doorframe. "I'm Billy"