Elle was screaming in pain because of whatever was in her leg. It was clearly alive and moving.
"Keep her talking, okay?" Jonathan ordered before running to the food court.
Jonathan searched the area for a knife. After he found the knife, he used a stove flame to heat up the metal.
"Hey, stay awake," Mike told Elle before turning to the others. "Get her on this side."
Jonathan came back with the knife. He put on some gloves. He gave Elle a wooden spoon to bite on. He hesitated. After a second, he used the knife to cut the swollen leg. Blood and pus was oozing out. Jonathan put his hand in the cut to get the thing out. It only made the feeling worse for Elle.
"Jonathan, stop!" Elle screamed, forcing the spoon out of her mouth.
Nancy and Steve grabbed Jonathan, getting him to stop.
"I can do it," Elle assured, though tears were flowing out of her eyes.
Elle sat up and stared at her cut. She reached her hand out, planning to use her powers to pull the thing out. It was painful, and she screamed more and more. The glass around her shattered. Everyone had to take cover to keep the glass from getting into their eyes. After a while, Elle finally got the thing out of her leg. She threw it to the side. The thing tried to slither away when…
Someone showed up and crushed the piece of goo.
Hopper, Joyce, and Murray made it into the mall just in time.
Stranger Things 3
Chapter 8
The Battle of Starcourt
"The Mind Flayer," Mike explained. "It built this monster, to kill Will and Elle, and pave a way into our world. It almost killed Elle, and that was just a tiny piece of it."
"How big is this thing?" asked Hopper.
"It's big," Will replied. "Thirty feet at least."
"To get this straight, this spider monster thing is some kind of gigantic weapon?" Steve asked. "But instead of screws and metal, the Mind Flayer made its weapon with melted people."
"Exactly," Nancy replied.
"Are we sure this thing is still alive?" asked Joyce.
"Elle beat the shit out of it, but yes, it's still alive," Max replied.
"But if we close the gate again, we cut the brain off from the body," Lucas added.
Murray approached the group with drawn maps.
"This is the hub," he explained. "It takes us to the vault room."
"Where's the gate?" asked Hopper.
"Right here," Murray replied, pointing at the spot. "I don't know the scale, but I think it's fairly close to the vault room, fifty feet or so."
"More like five hundred," Erica corrected. "What, you're just gonna waltz in there like it's commie Disneyland or something? I've been down in that shithole for twenty-four hours, and with all due respect, you all do what this man tells you, you're all gonna die."
"Who are you?" asked Murray.
"Erica Sinclair," Erica replied. "Who are you?"
"Murray…" Murray was about to reply before realizing something. "I'm sorry. Why is this thirteen-year-old speaking to me?"
"I'm ten you bald bastard!" Erica yelled.
"Erica!" Lucas scolded.
"Just the facts," Erica retorted.
"She's right," said Dustin. "You're all gonna die, but you don't have to. May I?"
"Please, enlighten us," Murray said sarcastically.
Dustin looked at the map and began his explanation. "See this room here? That's a storage facility. There's a hatch that feeds into their underground ventilation system. That will lead you to the base of the weapon. It's a bit of a maze down there, but between me and Erica, we can show you the way. Don't worry, you can do all the fighting and dangerous hero shit, and we'll just be your navigators."
"No," Hopper said calmly.
A bit later, Hopper took one of the Russian's guns and loaded it.
Elsewhere in the mall, the kids were talking.
"That settles it," said Erica. "We're all gonna die."
"You guys survived in there," Lucas retorted.
"Barely," Dustin shot back. "We could've used you guys down there."
"We could've used you up here too," said Mike.
"We missed you," Lucas added.
"Big time," Will finished.
The four boys shared a group hug.
"Don't cry on me, nerds," said Erica.
"Erica…" Lucas was about to scold.
"Keep saying my name, see what happens," Erica interrupted.
Hopper approached the kids and handed Dustin a walkie.
"You can navigate," he said. "But from a distance."
"That's now how it works," said Dustin. "You'll need a high frequency radio tower that relays with the Russians' radio tower. But for that to work, you need someone who has both seen their comms room and has access to a super-powered handcrafted radio tower, preferably already situated at the highest point in Hawkins. Oh right, that's me. If you want us to navigate, you got us. But we need a head start. We'll also need a car to get there."
Hopper begrudgingly handed his car keys over to Dustin.
Steve, Robin, Dustin, and Erica left the mall to drive to Dustin's Cerebro machine.
Joyce walked over to Will to talk to him.
"Listen to me," she said. "I need to end this, but I'll be back before you know it, okay?"
"I don't know, Mom," Will replied.
"No, listen. You're gonna be safe there. It's far away from all this. Just stay close to your brother and do what he says, no matter what. Okay?"
"I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about you."
"Honey, I'll be fine."
Joyce hugged her son, a bit too tightly.
"Okay, that's enough," Will said while struggling to breathe.
"I'm gonna be fine," Joyce assured.
Nearby, Hopper and Elle were having their own conversation.
"My battery is low, but it will recharge," said Elle.
"I know it will," Hopper assured.
"I can fight."
"Better than any of us. But right now, I need you safe. This thing wants you. Not me. Do you understand?"
Elle nodded.
Mike walked in on their conversation.
"Hey, we need to go," he said.
Mike and Max helped Elle up. They walked away.
"Mike," Hopper called out, getting Mike's attention. "Be careful."
Later, Hopper, Joyce, and Murray were walking down a hallway heading for the elevator.
"It's a two-man operation," said Hopper.
"Change of plans," Joyce retorted.
"Yeah, we have two options here, Jim," Murray added. "Turn the machine off, or explode it. We want the latter."
"Says who?" asked Hopper.
"Says the man who built it!" Murray yelled. "We want to explode it, or else our heroic efforts will be for naught! This is a three-man operation, not two!"
Outside the mall, Nancy, Jonathan, Barb, Mike, Elle, Lucas, Max, Will, and Elvis all got into Nancy's car. Nancy tried to turn on the engine. It wouldn't turn on.
"You can't be serious," said Nancy.
"Didn't Mom just buy this car?" asked Mike.
"She did," Nancy replied.
"Did you leave the lights on?" asked Will.
"No."
"Does it have gas?" asked Lucas.
Nancy was getting frustrated. "Yes!"
Nancy turned the key more aggressively.
"Stop, stop," Jonathan said, grabbing his girlfriend's hand to calm her down. "Pop the hood."
Nancy and Jonathan opened the car hood to reveal the ignition cable had been removed.
To make matters worse, Billy was on the other side of the parking lot. He was in his car, and the engine was revving. The kids could tell that Billy was planning to run them all over.
"Let's go!" Nancy shouted to the others. "Back in the mall!"
The kids got out of the car and ran back inside the mall.
Meanwhile, the adults were riding the elevator down to the Russian base.
"So then I yank those cables like I'm pulling weeds," said Murray. "And that'll set off the alarm, according to Alexei, may his soul now rest in peace, which should give you two an opening to retrieve the keys from the vault."
"Then we just follow the map to the observation room, turn the key, and blow this sucker sky-high," Joyce finished. "And once the rift is closed, we escape back through the vents. Then we're home free."
Hopper sighed.
"Just because it wasn't your plan, it doesn't mean it's bad," said Joyce.
"I never said it was bad," Hopper retorted.
"You made a noise."
"No I didn't."
"I really think it's disrespectful…"
"Children!" Murray yelled. "It's a good plan. A solid B, which is laudable, given the situation and time constraints. Dare I say, if it all goes right, they'll never even know we were here."
Murray spoke too soon. When the doors opened, a bunch of guards were standing right in front of them, guns out.
Luckily, Hopper was there to shoot them all dead. He grabbed one of their hats and put it on.
"Hopper, what are you doing?" asked Joyce.
"I'm improvising," Hopper replied.
Meanwhile, the Scoop Group were driving to the mountain where Dustin left Cerebro.
"Jesus, how much longer?" Steve whined.
"We're almost there," Dustin assured.
"Suzie must be really perfect if you're gonna go this far to communicate with her," Robin remarked.
"No one is that scientifically perfect," Dustin replied. "But she's as close to perfect as any human could possibly be." He turned back to the road. "Turn left."
"There's no place to turn," said Steve.
"I said turn left!" Dustin yelled.
Steve made a sharp left turn. They kept driving for a bit until they couldn't drive any farther. They had to walk the rest of the way. Thankfully, they didn't have to walk that far.
"Scoop Group, do you copy?" Barb called on Mike's walkie. "We are trapped in the mall and Billy knows we're here. He disabled our car and we are trapped in the mall."
Elsewhere in the mall, Nancy took a gun from one of the dead Russians.
"Are you seriously gonna kill Billy?" Max asked.
"Only if there's no other choice," Nancy replied.
"She has a point," said Will. "If Billy knows we're here, then so does the Mind Flayer."
Nancy turned towards Barb and saw she was still trying, and failing, to contact the Scoop Group. Barb walked past the car Elle flipped over earlier.
"Bet that can't drive," said Nancy.
"We don't need the car," said Jonathan. "Just the ignition cable."
Elle tried to use her powers to flip the car back over. She could barely move it. She felt herself getting more and more tired, but she persisted.
The adults put on the guards' outfits, got onto a truck, and drove to the vault. They were approached by a guard.
"Mogu li ya pomoch'? (Translation: Can I help?)" asked the guard.
"Podbirat', (Translation: Picking up.)" Murray replied.
"YA tebya znayu? (Translation: Do I know you?)"
"Novyye postupleniya. Prizemlilsya vchera vecherom. (Translation: New arrivals. Landed last night.)"
"Poproshchaytes' s solntsem. (Translation: Say goodbye to the sun.)"
"Komu nuzhno solntse, kogda my yest' drug u druga? (Translation: Who needs the sun when we have each other?)"
The two laughed while Hoppe was unamused. The guard opened the door to let the group pass.
The three got out of the truck and found the vent.
"Bald Eagle, this is Scoop Group, do you copy?" asked Dustin through a walkie.
"Yes, I copy," Murray replied.
"Call sign?"
"Bald Eagle. This is Bald Eagle."
"Good to hear. What's your twenty?"
"We reached the vent. I'll contact you when I need you. Until then, silence."
"Roger that. This is Scoop Group going radio silent. Ten-Ten, over."
"I hate children."
Murray climbed into the vent.
"Remember, if anyone says anything, just…" Murray was about to say.
"Smile and nod," Joyce interrupted.
With that, Murray crawled deeper into the vent.
Back in the mall, Elle's powers didn't work. The kids had to formulate another plan.
Under Mike's idea, the kids used some nearby chairs and stools to flip the car over. It worked.
"What'd I tell you?" said Mike. "Physics."
While Nancy and Jonathan tried to get the ignition cable, Mike and Max noticed Elle digging through the trash.
Elle found a coke can. She remembered when she was forced to use her powers to crush the can. Here, she tried it again, and it didn't work.
"Elle, are you okay?" Mike asked, snapping Elle out of it.
Will felt a tingle on the back of his neck. Everyone then heard pounding coming from above. The Meat Flayer was right above them.
Thankfully, Jonathan found the cable. Everyone ran to hide before the Meat Flayer obliterated the roof.
"It's taking too long," Hopper said as he paced around.
"It's fine."
"No, it is not. She could have died back there. She almost did."
"She's safe now. She's on her way to Murray's. That thing won't find her, not before we kill it."
"This isn't the way it's supposed to work. You're supposed to say, 'Yes, I told you so, that's why we needed to go back to the kids'."
"Then you'll say something like 'Yeah, well, it's really hard to listen when you make everything sound like it's the end of the goddamn world.'"
"You know, I think despite all this arguing, we make a good team."
"Well, we made it this far, didn't we?"
"Yeah, we did."
"So, uh, did I get the job or what? Detective Byers, it has a ring, doesn't it?"
"It's kinda hard to serve in a town where you don't live, Detective. You're still moving out, right?"
"We'll see how it goes. If we do make it out, we deserve to celebrate, right?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"I hear Enzo's is pretty good. What do you say? Friday, eight o'clock?"
"Elle likes to watch Miami Vice on Fridays. It starts at ten, so I can't be late out on a Friday."
"How about seven?"
"Yeah, I'll meet you."
"You'll pick me up. It's a date."
"Just for clarification, when you say date, you mean…"
"Hop, please stop talking."
Joyce pulled Hopper close and they shared a passionate kiss.
Murray crawled through the vents and stopped at a junction.
"Scoop Group, this is Bald Eagle," he called on his walkie. "I'm at the fourth junction."
After a few seconds, Dustin replied. "Right. Fly right."
"Roger that. Flying right." Murray hung up. "Little shit."
At the hill, the Scoop Group noticed lights going crazy at the mall and everywhere around it. Dustin ran to his walkie.
"Griswold Family, this is Scoop Group," he called. "Do you copy?"
The only reply he got was a loud roar.
Robin realized her girlfriend was in danger and ran to save her.
"Where are you going?" asked Steve.
"To save them!" Robin replied. "Stay here, contact the others!"
"Shit," Steve muttered.
Steve ran after Robin.
"Stay in touch," Dustin ordered, tossing Steve a walkie.
"Thanks," Steve replied as he took the walkie.
"Bald Eagle, do you copy?" Dustin called on his walkie.
"I said Radio Silence!" came Murray's voice.
"Yes, but we have a problem," said Dustin.
"What kind of problem?" came Hopper's voice.
In the mall, everyone was hiding from the Meat Flayer.
Nancy, Jonathan, Lucas, and Elvis were hiding behind the car.
Mike, Will, Elle, Max, and Barb were hiding behind the food court.
Mike looked and saw the Meat Flayer on the other side of the mall.
"It's turned away," he told the others. "If we go up the stairs now, we'll make it."
"No, not with Elle's leg," said Max.
"We have to try."
"There's another way," said Barb. "Through the gap."
"Okay," said Mike.
The four ran into the nearby JCPenny and tried to hide there. However, Elle tripped and knocked something over, alerting the Meat Flayer to their location.
Murray made it out of the vent.
"The Bald Eagle has landed," Murray told the kids through the walkie.
Murray crawled out of the vent and looked at the map. He found the breaker.
"Get ready lovebirds," he told Hopper and Joyce. "You're almost up to bat."
Murray started pulling wires, messing with the machine.
Alarms blared where Hopper and Joyce were at. That was their cue to go.
Lucas got his slingshot ready.
"What are you doing?" asked Nancy.
"Don't worry," Lucas replied. "I got this."
Lucas got up and stretched his slingshot as far as he could go. He launched it towards some balloons, popping them. That drove the Meat Flayer away from Mike and his group.
With that, team Lucas and team Mike went their separate ways.
Hopper and Joyce continued running. When a guard saw them and questioned them, they followed Murray's advice. They smiled and nodded.
Once they made it into the vault room, they saw the keypad.
Joyce read the code. "662-608-004."
That didn't work. Hopper tried again. It still didn't work.
"Murray, it didn't work," Hopper told Murray through the walkie.
"Sorry, the code is Planck's Constant," Murray replied. "I thought I knew it, but I guess I was wrong."
Dustin heard the conversation.
"Do you know Planck's Constant?" Erica asked Dustin.
"Not by heart," Dustin replied. "You?"
Erica shook her head.
Dustin got an idea. He changed the frequency of the signal.
Team Lucas made it out of the mall. Jonathan got the cable into the car engine.
Jonathan got in the car to try and start the engine. It still wouldn't turn on.
To make matters worse, Billy was there, about to run them over. Nancy fired her gun, but it was no use. She ran out of ammo and braced for impact…
Then Steve and Robin showed up at the last minute, ramming Billy's car over and knocking him unconscious.
"Are you okay?" Steve asked Robin.
"Ask me tomorrow," Robin replied.
The two heard a noise coming from above. They looked up and saw the Meat Flayer staring down at them.
"Holy shit," Robin muttered.
They heard the car honk. Jonathan finally got the engine started.
"Get in!" Nancy yelled.
Steve and Robin got into the back of the car. Jonathan drove off, the Meat Flayer hot in pursuit.
"Suzie, do you copy?" Dustin called. "Suzie, do you copy?"
After a few seconds of hopelessness, a voice finally came out.
"This is Suzie, I copy."
"Suzie!" Dustin smiled.
"Dusty-bun?" asked Suzie. "Where have you been?"
"I'm sorry, I've been really busy, trying to save the world from Russians and monsters."
"Of course you have."
"Get the goddamn number already," Erica demanded.
"Who was that?" asked Suzie.
"I think it was just some interference," Dustin lied. "So why don't we change the frequency to 14.158?"
"Copy that, shifting frequency. Standby."
Meanwhile, the Meat Flayer was still chasing team Lucas. They heard a voice coming from the walkie.
"Dusty-bun, do you copy?"
"I copy, Sue. It sounds much better now. Thanks."
"Suzie," Robin realized.
"Do you know Planck's Constant?" asked Dustin.
"Do you know Earth orbits the sun?" Suzie replied.
"Okay, I know it starts with two sixes and a… what is it?"
"Let me be clear on this. I haven't heard from you in a week, and now you want a mathematical equation that you should know so you can save the world?"
"Sue, I will make it up to you as soon as possible."
Dustin could feel his girlfriend's mischievous smile from where he was at with Suzie's next words. "You can make it up to me now."
Dustin knew what this meant. "Not right now."
"Yes now," said Suzie.
"Sue, this is urgent."
"Yeah yeah, you're saving the world, but Ged is also saving Earthsea and he's about to confront the shadow, so this is Suzie signing off."
"Wait, okay. Shit."
Dustin braced himself, and did the thing everyone least expected.
Never Ending Story - Limahl
Dustin:
Turn around
Look at what you see
In her face
The mirror of your dreams
[Steve and Robin stared at each other in awkward silence. Of all the songs, why this one?]
Suzie:
Make believe I'm everywhere
Given in the light
Both:
Written on the pages
Is the answer to a Never Ending Story
Ah
[Hopper and Joyce stood in the vault room listening to the song. Hopper wanted to interrupt them, but Joyce grabbed his hand. She wanted to let them have this.]
Suzie:
Reach the stars
Fly a fantasy
Dream a dream
And what you see will be
[Elvis was too busy enjoying the music that he forgot that he and his friends were being chased by a monster.]
Both:
Rhymes that keep their secrets
Will unfold behind the clouds
And there upon a rainbow
Is the answer to a Never Ending Story
Ah
Story
Ah
[Team Mike was still trying to find a way out. That was easier said than done. Elle and Max couldn't help but laugh at the song they were listening to.]
Dustin:
Show no fear
For she may fade away
Suzie:
In your hand
The birth of a new day
Both:
Rhymes that keep their secrets
Will unfold behind the clouds
And there upon a rainbow
Is the answer to a Never Ending Story
Ah
Never Ending Story
Ah
Never Ending Story
Ah
Never Ending Story
Ah
Never Ending Story
"Planck's Constant is 6.62607004," Suzie said, now that the song was finally over.
Hopper quickly dialed the number. It worked.
"You just saved the world," said Dustin.
"God, I miss you, Dusty-bun," Suzie replied.
"I miss you more, Sue."
"I miss you more, multiplied by all the stars in our galaxy."
"Enough!" Erica yelled, shutting off the walkie.
Team Mike made it out of the mall through the back. Unfortunately, Billy was there waiting for them.
"Shit, go back!" Max shouted as the pentet turned back.
Max pushed the button to shut the gate. The five ran back inside.
Billy used his brute strength to force the gate back open.
The Meat Flayer was turning around.
"Hey, it's turning back," Steve alerted the others.
"Do you think we wore it out?" asked Lucas.
"I don't think so," Jonathan replied. "Hang on."
Jonathan quickly turned the car around. Now, it was his turn to chase the monster.
Hopper and Joyce made it into the room control room.
"Everybody out!" Hopper shouted, firing his gun to prove he was being serious. The Russians got the message and ran out as quickly as possible. Hopper turned back to Joyce. "Ready to end this?"
Joyce nodded.
Hopper opened the case and took out the keys.
Team Mike was at a dead end. Max saw Billy getting closer.
"Billy, you don't have to do this," she said, trying to get through to him. "Billy, it's me, Max."
Billy just approached Max and punched her in the face, knocking her down.
Barb pinned Billy to the wall. He just grabbed her by the neck and hit her head against the wall, knocking her out.
Mike ran to punch Billy. Billy was quick to counter. He grabbed Mike by the collar and threw him against the wall.
Elle reached her hand out in an attempt to use her powers. Billy grabbed her hand and twisted her wrist. He then grabbed her face and threw her against the wall.
Before Billy could do any more, Will grabbed a small metal rod and hit Billy in the head with it.
"GO TO HELL, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" he yelled.
Will attempted to hit Billy again. Billy was prepared and grabbed the rod before Will could hit him again. Will knew this would happen and kicked Billy in the face. This knocked Billy to the floor. Will grabbed Billy by his face and neck hard in an attempt to suffocate him.
The moment he touched Billy's face, Will started to see visions. Visions of Billy surfing at a beach, having a good time with his mother. He saw Billy's mother get beaten by his dad. He saw Billy's parents split. Billy's dad remarrying. Billy meeting Max.
Once the visions stopped, Will fell to the floor unconscious.
Billy got up. He picked up Elle and Will and carried them away.
"Murray, all set?" asked Hopper.
"I do, but I have some company which I'd love you to obliterate," Murray replied.
"Will do, hang tight."
Hopper and Joyce inserted the keys, ready to turn.
Before they could turn, though, Grigori showed up and grabbed Hopper.
Joyce tried to grab the gun on the floor. Grigori grabbed Joyce and threw her to the side before she could.
Hopper got up and grabbed Grigori, pinning him to the floor. Hopper attempted to punch Grigori. Grigori countered the attack. Grigori shoved Hopper and got back up. Hopper recovered and pinned Grigori to the wall. Grigori punched Hopper to the floor.
Billy reached the center of the mall. He set Elle and Will on the floor.
"Don't be afraid," Billy whispered. "It'll be over soon. Just try and stay very still."
Elle and Will slowly opened their eyes to see the Meat Flayer standing right there. The two tried to crawl away, but they could barely move.
Elvis floated close to the Meat Flayer and threw an explosive at it. It hurt the Meat Flayer.
"Flay this, you ugly bastard!" he yelled.
From the balcony, Lucas threw another explosive right into the monster's mouth. Elvis flew back onto the balcony so he wouldn't get hit by the explosive.
Nancy and Jonathan threw more explosives from another side of the mall.
"Hey asshole, over here!" Steve shouted from the opposite side.
He and Robin threw even more explosives.
Hopper and Grigori's fight carried into the room the machine was in. Hopper spit out some blood, and made a gesture to signify he wasn't done yet.
The explosives weren't just hurting the Meat Flayer. They were hurting Billy too.
Hopper landed a few punches. Grigori wasn't done yet. He grabbed Hopper and hit him against the machine. The sharp grinds and gears made a huge cut on Hopper's back.
Elle and Will tried to use the opportunity to escape. Billy saw them and grabbed them by their ankles. He held them still to keep them from getting away.
Joyce got back up and saw the fight from the control room.
Grigori got the upper hand. He attempted to throw Hopper into the machine. One of the gears started to make some cuts on Hopper's forehead.
The kids were running out of explosives. They could tell this wasn't enough.
"Dustin, we're out of time!" Steve shouted through his walkie.
"Hurry, close it now!" Dustin called Hopper.
Joyce knew what she had to do. She grabbed one key with a small rope. She reached out for the other key.
Max woke up and saw Mike and Barb on the floor. She quickly woke them up.
"You okay?" Max asked them.
Mike got up and looked around. He realized Will and Elle were missing.
"Where are Elle and Will?" he asked.
Elle and Will were struggling to force Billy off of them. Will continued to see Billy's memories. He especially focused on the surfing memory.
"Seven feet," he said, crying. "You told her… the wave was seven feet. You ran to her, on the beach. There were seagulls. She wore a hat with a blue ribbon. A long dress… with a blue and red flower. Yellow sandals, covered in sand. She was pretty. She was really pretty. And you… you were happy."
Billy backed down. He loosened his grip on Elle and Will.
Hopper grabbed Grigori and forced his head onto a grind. It stunned Grigori long enough for Hopper to get up. Hopper grabbed Grigori's arms, keeping him from being able to punch.
"I'll see you in hell," he said.
Hopper shoved Grigori into the machine. It sent sparks of electricity everywhere.
"We're out," said Elvis.
"Not yet," Lucas replied. "We have one left."
Lucas took out his last explosive. Satan's Baby.
Billy let Elle and Will go. He stood up and stared at his master.
Mike, Barb, and Max made it just in time to see what was about to unfold.
The Meat Flayer launched a tentacle at Elle. Billy got in front of her and grabbed the tentacle. He pulled the tentacle with all his might, destroying it.
More tentacles launched at Billy. This time, he wasn't fast enough to counter it. They grabbed Billy by the ribs. They lifted him up into the air.
Joyce managed to grab the second key.
One last tentacle launched at Billy, impaling him right through his chest and out the back.
"BILLY!" Max screamed, tears forming.
Lucas lit the fuse and threw Satan's Baby at the Meat Flayer. The explosion was massive. It forced the monster to let Billy go.
Hopper knew he wouldn't make it out of this. He smiled at Joyce and nodded, telling her to do it.
Joyce cried. Despite their differences and constant arguing, she loved Hopper a lot. She didn't want to do this, but she had no choice.
She turned both keys.
The machine sparkled more and more. Flames burst as the machine shattered to pieces. The electricity and flames eradicated everyone and everything in the room.
Hopper tried to jump out of the way. His efforts were in vain. The explosion got him. He fell off the balcony and onto the floor, dead.
The Meat Flayer jolted and screamed, as if struggling to stay alive. Sadly for it, it was not to be. The monster collapsed to the floor, dead.
Joyce opened her eyes. She couldn't see anyone else. Not even Hopper.
Max ran over to Billy and hugged him.
"Billy, everything's gonna be okay," she assured. "We'll get you to a doctor. We can still save you."
"No," Billy replied, struggling to breathe. "It's too late for me. But it's not too late for you."
"No." Tears fell down Max's cheeks.
Billy wiped his sister's tears off. "Max, I'm sorry for everything."
Billy fell to the floor, and let out his last breath.
Max cried and hugged Elle. She was also crying.
Joyce ran into the room for any sign of Hopper. She saw Hopper off the balcony. She ran down to see if he was still breathing. He wasn't. Tears formed as she let out a loud scream.
Murray showed up and saw Hopper dead as well. He hugged Joyce to comfort her.
Dustin and Erica saw a bunch of helicopters flying by.
The helicopters landed in front of the mall. Sam Owens came out with as many military personnel as he could find.
The soldiers ran into the base. They found Joyce and Murray. Murray assured them that they were Americans.
Owens entered the room where the gate was. The gate was slowly closing itself.
The soldiers led Joyce and Murray out of the base.
Joyce walked around the parking lot and found Will and Jonathan standing near an ambulance. She ran over to them and hugged them.
Joyce then saw Elle walking around. She was clearly looking for Hopper.
Elle found Joyce and saw the look on her face. It said enough. Hopper didn't make it.
Three Months Later…
Hawkins, Indiana was a wonderful place to grow up. To raise your family. To walk your dog. But then, on July fourth, everything changed. A terrible tragedy struck the small town. But this wasn't the small town's first brush with tragedy. Mysterious disappearances and deaths, government cover-ups, and even stranger things than that. Some believe it's the corrupt mayor. Others say Satanism is to blame.
Steve, Robin, and Barb drove to the video store. They planned to apply for jobs there since the mall was destroyed.
"To be clear," Robin told the manager. "We weren't fired. The mall was destroyed."
"Thanks for sharing," said the manager. He pointed at Robin. "Three favorite movies, go."
"The Apartment, Hidden Fortress, and Children of Paradise."
The Manager pointed at Barb. "You."
"The Never Ending Story, The Quest for Camelot, and uh…" Barb paused, thinking about what to say next. "Back to the Future."
The Manager pointed at Steve. "Go."
"Okay, favorite movies," Steve said. "Animal House, for sure. Star Wars, the new one with the teddy bears. And that one movie Barb mentioned. Back to the Future, was it?"
The Manager pointed at Barb and Robin. "You two start Monday." He then pointed at Steve. "You start never."
"Will you give us a minute?" Barb asked Steve.
Steve backed up.
"You have to understand, Keith," said Barb. "I know his taste is a bit pedestrian, but the dingus has higher qualities."
"He's a dickbag of the highest order, Barbara," Keith retorted.
"He was a bit of a dick in High School, I'll give you that much," Robin replied. "But he remains a total chick magnet. The ladies will come in just to see him. They'll come in in droves. We sold so much ice cream, they had to get a second shipment from Michigan. And these ladies are hot. They are so very hot. And there are too many of them for little Steve, who needs assistance. Your assistance."
"What's in it for you two?" asked Keith. "Do either of you have a thing for him or something?"
"No, we're just friends," Barb assured. "All three of us are just friends."
At the Byers', Nancy and Jonathan were loading a mattress into a moving truck. With Hopper gone, Joyce had no reason to stay in Hawkins, so she and her family were moving out.
"Turn around, look at what you see," Lucas and Max sang in mockery to Dustin. "In her face, the mirror of your dreams. Rhymes that keep their secrets, will unfold behind the clouds."
"Did we get that verse right?" asked Max. "'Unfold behind the clouds'?"
"Yes, but you're butchering it," Dustin replied. "Please stop."
"Then join in, Dusty-bun," Lucas teased before making fake kisses.
"You guys are so funny, you should be on Carson," Dustin sarcastically remarked.
"Can't we just hear your rendition?" asked Max.
"No, it's meant for Suzie's ears, and Suzie's only," Dustin replied.
Lucas and Max smiled at each other and continued singing, ignoring Dustin's middle finger.
"Turn around, look at what you see, in her face, the mirror of your dreams. Rhymes that keep their secrets, will unfold behind the clouds."
Will walked out of his room and put his DnD books in a box.
"That's the donation box," said Mike.
"I know," Will replied. "I can just use yours when I come back."
"Won't you want to join another party?"
"Not happening."
Nancy and Jonathan walked over to Jon's room.
"Is that everything?" asked Nancy.
"Yeah," Jonathan replied as he looked around the now empty room. "Seventeen years of my life, packed up in one day."
Nancy walked in and hugged Jonathan.
"What if I just don't let you go?" she asked.
"I think the new owners might kick us out," Jonathan replied.
"You could stay in our basement."
"Your dad would hate that."
"We could hide you in a tent, like Elle." Nancy started to cry.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay. A wise man once said, 'We've got shared trauma'."
"So what's a little more, right?"
"Yeah. What's a little more?"
Nancy and Jonathan shared what might be their last passionate kiss.
Meanwhile, Elle was emptying her room. There was one last item. A teddy bear. It was on a high shelf in her closet. She couldn't reach it. She tried to use her powers to summon it to her hand. It didn't work.
"They'll come back," a voice assured.
Elle turned to see Elvis walking into the room.
"I know they will," he continued. "Until then…"
Elvis floated up and grabbed the toy from the high shelf. He gave it to Elle.
"Thanks," she said.
"Anytime," Elvis replied as he walked out of the room.
Mike came in right after Elvis left.
"You got your walkie?" he asked.
"Yes," Elle replied.
"Good, because I'm gonna steal Cerebro and call you constantly so that you'll have to turn it off." Mike lightly chuckled at that comment.
"Did you talk to your mom about Thanksgiving?"
"Yeah, I talked to her, and I got the okay. And then I was thinking maybe you could come up here for Christmas. And Will too. You could come before or after, or whenever Mrs. Byers wants, but I was thinking Christmas Day could be super fun, because we'd all have cool new presents to play with. Sorry, that made me sound like a seven-year-old."
"Don't worry. I like presents too."
"Cool."
Elle was about to walk out, but she stopped herself. "Mike, remember that day when you talked to Max about your feelings?"
Mike realized what she was saying. "Yeah, that. That was the heat of the moment, we were arguing. What did I say?"
"Mike, I love you too."
Elle leaned forward and kissed Mike on the lips. Mike was shocked at first, but a feeling of happiness took over. The kiss lasted a good half-a-minute. Once they were done, Elle walked out.
Elsewhere, Will was looking around his empty room. Fourteen years of nostalgia was flooding back to him.
Elvis came in with one of Will's DnD books.
"I saw these in the donation box," he said.
"Oh, I meant to put those there," Will replied. "I don't think I'll find a new party at the new home, so I'm getting rid of them."
"Well, I can be your party. I really liked that game."
"Oh, thanks."
Will smiled and looked away. He felt himself blush a little. So did Elvis.
Elle saw Joyce in her room and saw something in her hand.
"What's that?" she asked.
"It's the speech Hop wrote for you and Mike," Joyce replied. "A heart-to-heart." She saw the cluelessness in Elle's face. "He never talked to you, did you?"
"Can I read?" Elle asked.
Joyce thought for a second, nodded, and handed the paper.
Elle took the paper and walked into her room. She held the paper in front of her and read it.
"There's something I've been wanting to talk to you both about. I know this is a difficult situation, but I care about you both very much. And that's why it's very important that we set these boundaries moving forward, so we can build an environment where we all feel comfortable, trusted, and open to sharing our feelings."
Outside the house, everyone was saying goodbye to Elle, Elvis, and the Byers.
Steve showed up at the last minute to give Jonathan his kiss goodbye.
Mike hugged Elle, Elvis, and Will into one big group hug.
"The truth is, for so long, I forgot what those even were. I've been stuck in one place. In a cave, you might say. A deep, dark cave. And then, I left some eggos out in the woods, you came into my life, and for the first time in a long time, I started to feel things again. I started to feel happy."
Elle, Elvis, and the Byers drove away from the house. They all looked out the window in sadness. They were really gonna miss this place.
But lately, I guess I've been feeling distant from you, like you're pulling away from me. I miss playing board games every night, making triple-decker eggo extravaganzas at sunrise, watching westerns together before we doze off, but I know you're getting older, growing, changing. And I guess, if I'm being honest, that's what scares me. I don't want things to change. So, I think maybe that's why I came in here, to try to maybe, stop that change. To turn back the clock. Make things go back to how they were. But I know that's naive, and that's now how life works. It's moving. Always moving, whether you like it or not. And yeah, sometimes it's painful. Sometimes it's sad. Sometimes it's surprising. Happy. And you know what? Keep growing up, kid. Don't let me stop you. Make mistakes, learn from them, and when life hurts you, remember the hurt. The hurt is good. It means you're out of the cave.
Mike returned to his house. He sat down at the dining table crying. He was already missing his friends. Karen saw him and hugged him to comfort him.
Max sat in her room thinking about Billy. It's already been three months since he died, and the pain of losing him only got worse.
She put on some headphones, grabbed a walkman, and played a song. Billy's song.
Lucas and Dustin went to the Sinclair house. They offered Erica the donations of most of Will's DnD stuff.
But please, if you don't mind, for the sake of your dad, keep the door open three inches.
Elle, Elvis, and the Byers made it out of Indiana. They were on their way to a new home, and a new life.
Play Heroes by Peter Gabriel
I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes. Just for one day
I, I can remember
Standing, standing by the wall
And the guns, shot above our heads
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall
And the shame, was on the other side
And we could be heroes, just for one day
End "Heroes"
Stranger Things 3
A.N.
And that's part 3 done.
I know I said before that I'll stop the Russian dialogue for this part. Well, I was wrong. Murray's interaction with that guard was just too funny to get rid of.
I also said that Mike and Elle "won't get back together until the Mind Flayer is defeated". At the time, I thought they got back together at the hospital. I was just remembering things wrong, so sorry about that.
I decided to make Dustin and Suzie's duet longer. That scene was just so beautiful, and it sucks they didn't finish the song.
I decided to have Running up that Hill be a song that Billy listened to before he died. It would provide a reason as to why Max loves this song so much in Season 4. It's also perfect to reveal the song here because this season takes place in 1985, while Running up that Hill was also made during 1985.
Last note, Hopper, is, DEAD! He is NOT coming back in Season 4. Thus, the Kamachatka plotline will play out very differently. I mean, Season 3 has this very sad ending with Hopper dying. Joyce and Elle are very heartbroken by it, and the letter would have been a perfect sendoff for his character… and then all of that is ruined by revealing he never actually died. It doesn't help that he was a major jerkass making me want him to stay dead.
Last note, I'm not going straight into part 4 of this fic. I still have to finish my Amphibia fanfiction. My plan is simple. Post two chapters of the Amphibia fic, and one chapter of the Stranger Things fic, then repeat. It's simple, and I should be able to get both finished on May 14 at the earliest.
Anyway, that's all I have to say. Thanks for reading. Please favorite, follow, and review.