Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Mike,get up,Mike!”

Mike had woken up in a dizzy haze,His head burning in pain.Max yelling at him to get up.Mike had stumbled to his feet.Then realised-

“Where’s El?”He looked at Max in a panic.

They began to run back the way they had come to escape from billy.They rushed out into the opening to a horrifying sight.Billy lying on the floor the corner of his mouth dripping with a black liquid.El on sat up on the floor battered and bruised her leg bleeding again in tears of agony.Nancy was next to El aimed the gun against the monstrous creature.Nancy was in clear panic as she run out of bullets,unable to delay any attack towards El.

A blood curdling scream,mike would realise later came out of his mouth as a giant tentacle plunged itself into Nancy's chest as she threw herself in front of El.

“Nancy!”Mike cried out as she collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll.

Mike ran to her and crumbled at her side,shaking her shoulders.

“Nancy,Nancy!”he cried.

“I’m sorry”She whispered a ghostly smile faded from her face as she stilled,and the light left her eyes.

“Nancy!Nancy,Nancy,No,get up,You’ve got to get up!Please!Please!Nancy!”Mike wailed as he hopelessly shook her lifeless body.

“Mike” El pulled him away from Nancy and wrapped him into a hug as he sobbed relentlessly.

“Hey we got some kids here”

Max whipped her head around at the yell,she checked Billy's pulse-he was still alive.

“We need medical attention!”Max yelled.

Soldiers flooded into the building.El was practically holding Mike up as they were hurried out of the mall as it began to collapse.

“Nancy”Mike cried and El watched heartbroken as she watched as Mike tried to go back to her.But El held Mike in a strong grip as she limped alongside.

They were rushed into ambulances and treated for their wounds and asked questions (Only El answered).Mike couldn't stop his tears from flowing.

“Hey you guys ok?”Jonathan came over to check on them,the last person Mike needed to see.

“Yeah,my leg still hurts a lot though.”

“I bet it does.I was wondering-have either of you seen Nancy?I mean she went to find you El”he said sympathetically

“Um-… she’s”El now had tears brimming her eyes.

Jonathan Knew -his realisation came as the colour in his face left.

“She’s-She’s dead?”he choked out.

“Yes,” Mike wispred,speaking for the first time.

“Oh god,no,no”He sobbed.

“Jonathan?” Joyce had appeared alongside Hopper both in Russian uniforms,she looked in a panic wondering why her son was such a mess.

“Nancy’s gone”He cried as Joyce wrapped him into a hug.

Joyce gapped in shock,Hopper looked over at Mike and El.He noticed how El had her hands around Mike comforting him which usually Mike would be a happy and flustered mess if El was even ten feet of him but no he looked no better than a corspres himself and looked miserable.

That was the day Mike’s life turned to shit.Nancy funeral was held quickly and it felt rushed just two days after,the house was quiet but after three days of peace after Nancy funeral the shouting between his parents started.His Mom’s drinking worsened and his day stayed home lessen than he already did.Only A week and a half after the shouting started his dad kicked his Mom,him and Holly after his Mom went off to a bar and cheated.Their dad didn't even make a point of fighting for him or Holly in the divorce,his point being not knowing if they were even his children.

His Mom got a job and they were able to get a place at the trailer park and it worked for about a month before his Mom fell into her old drinking habits and lost her job-she turned restful and had a few violent outbursts when she was drunk.The many outburst she had,had left permanent damage with the things she had said.On the brink becoming homeless Mike had managed to get a job at the local diner downtown which scraped just enough money on average hours,but Mike always worked extra hours for Holly,not for his Mom.

After how bad things got with his Mom and Dad he thought he couldn't hate anyone more than them-he was wrong when he meet his Mom’s new boyfriend.Exept for the fact that he held all the qualities that he hated about his Mom:A cheater(on his ex wife),An alcoholic and a Lazy asshole who doesn't work.He also occasionally stole money from him( as did his mom for alcohol) and he also really creeped Mike out.He also liked to threaten Mike with a belt if he didn't do ‘chores’ (All the cooking,cleaning,laundry,looking after holly and taking the trash out).

Holly,was so confused by all this mess.She didn't understand why her big sister disappeared,she was confused why her dad didn't want to talk to her anymore,confused why Mom changed,Confused why they had to move,confused why she had to leave her yellow themed bedroom to go to a smaller room that was colder and she had to share with her big brother-but she didn't mind.She didn't understand why her big brother cooked her dinner,helped her with homework,picked and dropped her off from school,played board games with her which was all the things her mom used to do.Another thing that confused her was Why she was always over at her friends house more often even when sometimes she just wanted to be home.Mike was always reassuring her and telling her it was good to take an opportunity of having fun and getting to know others better,so she took his word for it.

High school had been a nightmare to start.Mike was aware of how every day he looked more terrible,so much so that the school councillor Mrs kelly had reached out to him to have weekly sessions on thursday mornings.Mike only went to them as he would miss gym.His grades were no better with straight D’s across all subjects except english being a B ,Mike thanked god that he wasn’t at least failing one subject.However with Mrs kelly making an arrangement so he could come out of all gym and spanish to catch up on his grades ment he managed to get all grades up to c’s and B’s.He was so Thankful for this as he was able to get an A in english and get back up to the top set and got in the pattern of completing his school work during break and lunch and on his work breaks.

Although this all lead to Mike drifting away from the party entirely,despite their efforts to reach out Mike never had time and Mike had gotten sick of their constant pity,not to mention they didn't even know where he lived now,they didn't need him anyway .El had happily joined School after summer and loved it with Max by her side they never faced any bullying and with dustin's help she got better at the subjects she didn't understand,With encouragement from Lucas she joined a music appreciation club(she also got max to join)and history club which became a new interest of hers.

She had also gotten better clothes after many shopping trips with Max and had become more confident,Will had practically become her brother after Joyce and Hopper got together.she was thriving and changing while Mike was the same and only going further on in his now miserable life.El had tried to reach out after Nancy’s funeral but all her efforts went to waste as Mike couldn't find it in himself to reach back.He missed her,he admitted it but she was better off without him.

Mike’s life became a tired routine of wake up (most likely from a horrific nightmare),get dressed,Wake holly up and make sure she’s dressed and ready for the day.Sneak out into the kitchen and quietly make breakfast as the sofa bed that her mum and boyfriend had was in the living room/kitchen area,feed everyone,make packed lunches,Throw out the empty bottles,wash up,pack his school bag with work clothes,walk holly to her school bus then walk to his.Finish school,pick holly up and walk her to a friends house,get to work,finish at nine thirty and pick holly up and get home and cook dinner for himself and his mom and her boyfriend.Finally the exhausting task of getting holly to bed.The weekends were worse.

Journaling and writing was the only thing keeping him sane,he had stayed up far too late on most night’s with a small flashlight under his covers, journaling or writing his novel.It was the only enjoyable personal thing he had time for.

Chapter Text

The shrill sound of the alarm pierced through the thick fog of sleep as Mike awoke.His eyes fluttered open, but the lids felt heavy, as though weighed down by sandbags. The dim light filtering through the curtains felt too harsh, stabbing at his retinas as he squinted against it. His head throbbing faintly, a dull reminder of how little rest he’d managed to get. Every muscle in his body ached with a deep, bone-deep fatigue, the kind that made it seem impossible to move.

For a few seconds,he lay there,completely still,Hoping to hope he could fall into a blissful and nightmare-free sleep.He could hear snoring from the living room as well as Holly's small mummers in her sleep(something he didn't expect to learn from sharing a room with holly was that she sleep talked,mostly about unicorns,cats and dogs).Reality pressed in.He felt the weight of the day ahead—obligations, responsibilities—all waiting for him to muster the strength to rise. Slowly, he dragged himself upright,and out of bed.He went over to the shared dresser and got his clothes out ready- a pair of wide legged blue jeans and a white shirt and a patterned navy,blue and grey sweater along with his black converse (his only pair of shoes).Mike walked to the bathroom to change and lightly shook Holly to wake her,easing her into getting up.When he had gotten back ready and changed,Holly was sleepy rubbing her eyes with her blonde hair sticking up in every possible.Mike smiled at her and went to her draws.

“What colour do you want to wear today Holly?”He asked.

“Pink!”She said,choosing her outfit always woke her up with excitement.

“Alright,and what hair style?”he asked.

“Ponytail!”She said eagerly.

Mike chuckled with amusement at her excitement,he never understood her excitement or where her energy came from.Mike pulled a pink skirt and light pink long sleeve t-shirt with a pattern of strawberries on it and pink frilly socks.He ushered Holly off to the bathroom to get changed,and while she did so he sorted out his and her school bags with necessities.Holly came back in hand with a hair brush and of course a pink hair tie.She sat fidgeting as Mike did her hair into a ponytail.She then pulled on her shoes before they walked into the kitchen/living room/Mom and her boyfriends bedroom.Mike insisted on holly sitting on the floor next to the kitchen counter,not wanting to risk suddenly waking his Mom.Mike quietly went into the fringe and taking out they remaining eggs-only five and four slices of bread for toast.He would have to go shopping again after school.He got to work making scrambled eggs and toast.When done he served four plates.His Mom and her boyfriend got a large proportion of eggs and two pieces of toast and he and Holly got a slice of toast each and some eggs.He would have given more to Holly but he didn't want to risk any anger of his Moms boyfriend and he cared about Holly's safety.

Holly had finished her breakfast when Mike was only halfway through his.

“Mikey,I’m still hungry,”She said quietly.

“Well I'm stuffed,so you can help me out”Mike said,as he scooped his eggs onto Holly's plate.

Holly had recently had a growth spurt, something Mike had selfishly wished had not happened as she eats a lot more now,but he was glad really because that meant she was healthy. He was quick to make Holly her lunch,which was today more snack foods than anything as well as his own lunch.Then washing up and mess he made and clearing the house of the left over beer cans,preparing to take them outside.
He had nearly got both him and Holly out the door before his Mom and her boyfriend woke up.Nearly.

“Are you going somewhere?”His Moms boyfriend asked,groggy from sleep.

“School,”Mike replied in a monotone voice.

“Don’t use that attitude with me young man”He snarled.

“Sorry John” Mike said in the same tone.

He scoffed at Mike and made his way over to his food on the counter.Mike took the opportunity to escape him.He shut the door quietly behind him and helped Holly put on her backpack, quickly stopping to bin the cans then they began to walk to Hollys bus stop.They walked until there was a small crowd of kids her age and he gave her a hug goodbye.

Going to his own bus stop and sitting in the furthest seat away from everyone else on the bus and he was glad that no one else seemed to bother him or care at all,Mike placed his walkman over his head and began to play,everybody wants to rule the world by Tears for Fears .Mike was thankful that it was finally friday,or he would’ve been as it had meant hanging out with the party and a traditional friday movie sleepover and possibly going on a date with El,Maybe even a ten hour D&D game.But now they weren't,they were trying to find a holly a place for a sleepover for the weekend,luckily most of Hollys friends parents are very accommodating or just sympathetic because of Nancy's death.Many seemed to believe that his Mom was still grieving nancy and couldn't get out of bed because she’d become sick with grief,which was partly true.This was all so Mike could do a long shift starting at 8 AM and ending at 5AM,a full 21 hour shift,which he didn't even know was possible for him to work although he did get very long breaks and some free food from the diner if his boss felt generous. He was glad for the benefit of getting a long shift at a 24 hour dinner and it paid well considering there was only four staff in total,the cook, the manger another server who was in her late forties and himself.Mike managed a wage of 12 dollars an hour ,a phenomenally good pay ,which meant in total $252 which bet mikes normal work hour pay of $60 for his five hour shift after school everyday.Then he’d be expected to be able to finish all his work and clean up the house after little to no sleep.

The bus pulled into school,and the students filed out of the bus heading to the sports hall.There were shouts of celebration as for the last day of term,cheering for spring break.Which Mike dreaded even more as it meant at total of three 21 hour shifts a week,which he slightly regretted signing up for now.It had been easier to find a place for Holly for christmas as her friend had invited for her to go to family cabin for two weeks,to Mike’s gratitude.But this time there wasn’t so Mike only hoped some of Hollys friends would take her or she’d have to spend the time at the diner with him.

Mike made it to the sports hall weaving through crowds so he was near the top so their were less people he knew.His mistake as infront of him stood Dustin,Will,Max and El-which didn't help that she looked gorgeous,with her hair she’d become so proud of was done in a perm which bounced as she’d talked eagerly with Max beside her,with a few yellow hair clips pulling it back slightly.She was wearing a long skirt with a block shaped pattern which were:yellow,pink,green,blue and purple.She had matched it with a white button up shirt and of course a light pink cardigan to go on top.It was a challenge to take his eyes of her.

Mike zoned out with the entire talk-only looking up at the mention of Nancys name as Jason mentioned those who died in the fire as their fucking motivation to win a match.Pathetic.What a poor way to throw around dead peoples names.

Mike's bitter mood continued for the rest of the day until fourth lesson before lunch.He would have had P.E but now he had to go to Mrs.kelly’s office to finish work and ‘catch up’ which was really just another session of interrogation and his feelings and other Bullshit.He walked towards Mrs.Kelly’s office and almost turned back around as he saw who was about three feet from her offices door just talking,delaying going to P.E . The whole party,just his luck in an empty corridor.

He swore under his breath as he made his way towards the office door.Praying none of them would look over at him as he hoped to quietly slip into her office door.

“Mike?”Dustin called,in clear surprise.

“jeez , you look rough wheeler” Max remarked upon turning around and seeing him.He almost wanted to make a snide remark back but continued himself and made his way closer to the door.

“Hey man,are you doing alright?”Dustin asked,he sounded concerned-which agitated Mike further. “Because if i’m honest Max is right”

"Yeah, well, being this amazing is just exhausting."Mike sassed back gritting his teeth in a snarky tone,before he opened the door to Mrs.Kelly's office and slammed it shut behind him.He was acting as if they had spoken just yesterday when it had actually been months.He had regretted pushing them away so much but he couldn't let him hold them back.He had Hoped being rude to them would make them leave him alone only he was even more wrong they just seemed to gravitate toward him even more. Shit.His eyes went wide in realisation,they had just seen him go into Mrs.kelly's office.

“Mike!it's so nice to see you today”Mrs.Kelly’s all too cheery voice filled the room.

“Um hi”Mike replied nonchalantly,taking a seat opposite to her desk.

“So how are you feeling today?” she asked.

“Fine,just great,”He replied.

Mrs.Kelly frowned at his response,properly because she knew that if Mike had any type of sarcastic reply he had a bad day.Mike inwardly cursed himself for giving himself away.

“Mike,why don’t you tell me about today?”

“It was fine,same boring lessons and finishing work nothing new”

“Or was it the assembly this morning?”

She’d hit the jackpot and she knew it.Mike found himself fidgeting and his leg shaking in anxiety,the clock in the background seemed to have an extra loud ticking sound and Mrs.Kellys focus on him seemed to intensify.

“Uh,well I suppose someone mentioning your dead sister as a way to motivate people to win a stupid sports game then, yeah.”

“I know it must be hard,but unfortunately people can be really Insensitive to topics and we can't change that”

“Well if someone spoke to Jason then maybe it wouldn't be an issue”Mike muttered.

Mrs.Kelly smiled at him kindly,with the same sympathetic look Mike was sure everyone who came into her office got.

“That does make a good point and I’m sure someone will,But moving on how’s your Mom?Is she holding up well?”

Mike felt a twang of annoyance as she dismissed what he had said about jason.

“She’s fine-holding up well”

“Is she still drinking?”

Mike guessed she had made out the slight sarcasm in his voice.He went silent.

“Mike? I know it's a struggle for you after what happened to your family.”

“Well she’s still coping with what happened to Nancy so it's hard for her”Mike spoke in a hesitant tone.He Knew it was partially true and he knew his Mom wasn't the best Mom but he still felt a need to defend her.Even if it felt like she had abandoned him and Holly over the past few months.

“Well having to look after Holly all the time must be hard.While coping with what Happened to Nancy yourself, it must be a burden to handle alone”

Mike frowned, no that’s not true he was only doing what was right and what he should do, it wasn’t a burden, Holly wasn’t a burden because that's why he was doing it. Holly was his entire reason.

“No it's actually fine,better in ways”Mike said,he was getting fed up now.

“Better?in what way” She asked in a pressing tone.

“Well Mom usually keeps to herself and Being with Holly is nice. I mean she doesn't even know what's going on half the time” Mike said in a half joking voice.

Mrs.Kelly paused before moving on.

“Are you sleeping better?”

“Yeah,Fine”

“So no more headaches?”

“Nope”

“No more Nightmares?”

Mike let out a steady breath before lying “No” he said.

It was an obvious lie, They had never ended after Nancy’s death.Her pained cry,her panic as she ran out of bullets,the fear in her eyes and her determination,her last words but a ghost of a smile that hunts him.But sometimes the nightmares aren't even that sometimes its El in Nancy’s place or its the lab with the bodies on the floor,most of the time one of the bodies is Nancy.

“You know you can talk to me more about this and be more open with me”

“Yeah, i know” Mike said trying his best to not to snark at her,she said the same thing every session.

Mrs.Kelly went to open her mouth to speak again,the bell rang.Mike let out an internal sigh of relief, saved by the bell literally. Before she could say anything else Mike had slung his bag over his shoulder and was out the door darting to the closted boys bathroom.

“Mike!” a familiar voice called after him.A hand pulled on his shoulder pulling him around.

Lucas was face to face with him, shoving something into his hand.

“What the hell is this?” Mike said before even looking at it.

“A ticket to the championship game” Lucas stated,his tone seemed nervous “ and i’m sorry about Max earlier and Dustin you know he can be a bit blunt sometimes- but we're just worried about you you’ve been absent like…”

Lucas struggled to find the right words with a pained expression on his face.

“Like? Like what?” Mike snapped at him with a sharp glare, he was sick of his pity.

“Like a ghost or something it's like you're not even here anymore,I barely see you go out anywhere or even at home. I don't even see you in the morning and even if you're avoiding us you don't need to. You know we're not going to judge you or anything.”Lucas stopped himself at Mike's scoff.

“A ghost?really? And you won’t judge me for what exactly?”

Mike went to walk off but remembered the ticket in his hand.

“Good luck” he said meekly.

He walked into the empty boys toilets,and leant on the sink closest to him. God his head was pounding so much it made him feel sick. His head was fogging up in the throbbing pain and a queasiness caught in his throat.

He pulled out a packet of headache tablets and swallowed two of them dry. He let out a shaky breath waiting for the pain to ease. A sudden retching sound of someone vomiting pulled him out of his thoughts. Mike spun round to see one of the cubicle doors closed.
“ Hey are you okay?” Mike asked sceptically .

“I’m fine” a soft feminine voice called sounding annoyed.

Shit, was he in the girls bathroom?

“Are you sure? You don’t want me to get anyone like the nurse?” Mike asked.

“I’m fine, go away!” the girl yelled although it sounded like she was struggling to keep herself composed.

“Sorry” Mike said and hurried out of the bathroom.

He went to the last lesson without having had lunch again, getting too caught up in his worries of getting cornered by the party for the third time that week. It was fine he would just eat it on his way to work and when the bell finally rang for the end of the day Mike speed-walked to Hollys school to pick her up (literally, he piggybacked her) and took her to her friends house. Holly’s best friend's mother was a life saver during this time as she barely asked questions and adored Holly.

Mike then continued his normal walk to work and got there in time to start his shift at half four at the diner. One of the things Mike was most grateful for was the uniform of the diner as the other ones in town had a horrific uniform compared to his one as he only had to wear black trousers,a red polo shirt and a red apron around his waist. Others he had looked at had to wear bright pink and torsusie striped shirts.

The Diner itself was rather nice. It had black and white chequered floors, the bar and the tables and chairs and booths had the diners signature colour of red and neon light strips on the ceiling and a variety of movie posters.His boss also the chief was a reasonable guy as well but always turned a blind eye on any conflicts that happened in the diner or near it. The street the diner was on many considered the rough side of town but it had the main news agent at the top of the street and the general store that Joyce used to work at is across the street so Mike didn't really consider it a rough place.Although it was a place where most of the crimes were recorded in hawkins next to the old mall for shoplifting, where as here it was a record for drug sales and assault. Mike couldn't deny some of the questionable charters that came in drunk on his long weekend shift in early hours of the morning.

Mike had been rushing about non-stop until his break at quarter six. It had been nothing more than the usual customers, a family wanting a cheap meal out, work colleagues or friends having a bite before going out to drink. Mike sat on the steps outback of the kitchen as the air began to cool and nip at his face in the slight breeze when he was called back in.

“Hey I need you to serve a table there to a big group” His boss called.

“Sure thing” Mike said letting out a huff of annoyment at his break being cut short.

Big groups were always the worse to serve as long as this one gave him a reasonable tip he wouldn't mind having to put up with the banter and chaos and ridiculous amounts of food he would have to carry-His stomach plummeted.His heart started pounding. It was just his fucking luck the people he had been avoiding for months would come here out of all places. A gnawing feeling of tension began in his stomach twisting into tight knots.A sense of dread filled him as he began to take a total seven menus over to the two now joined together tables.

Hopper,Joyce,El,Max,Will,Lucas and Dustin were chatting away oblivious to Mike as he laid a menu in front of each of them. Mike thought he’d gotten away with having to deal with them, secretly hoping to seek a way and ask the other waiter to take the table for him.

“Holy shit Mike?” Max said in alarm, Mike swore when he got the chance he would snap her neck.

She got everyone's attention immediately. Mike could see the vivid look of surprise all over their faces.Mike went to walk off ignoring their looks of surprise.

“Wheeler, why didn't you come to the game?” It was Hopper speaking.

“I’m working as you can see” Mike said in the politest tone he could manage.He still had a strong disliking of the man but still respected that he was the cherif enough that he wouldn't walk away from him unlike in the summer.

“You couldn’t change your shift to another day?” he asked, it sounded more like interrogation with his voice.

Mike would have laughed, they really had no idea what was going on? What had Happened? He thought he was working for some simple pocket money to spend for fun.

“No,” Mike said, irritated. “Are you ready to order?”

As much as Mike wanted to give him a piece of his mind he had to remain calm. He couldn't risk losing his job just because Hopper had pissed him off.

“Well… I am” Joyce said, clearly wanting to stop a conflict between them.She looked at Mike in concern, observing him closely. “ I would like a classic cheese burger with extra fries on the side”

Mike took out his notebook and wrote down the orders accordingly.

“And we’ll keep the menus to look at deserts.” Joyce spoke up when he’d taken the last order.

Mike nodded and walked over to the bar where he got a jug of water and glasses to take over to their table. He felt bad for not treating them like normal customers as usually he would have said or done something other than just nod.

Mike gathered himself up before walking back and placing the glasses and jug on their table.Mike looked up and saw El looking straight at him with her eyes with the same curious sad look she had when Mike had cut her off this time without tears brimming at the edges.He quickly placed the jug and glasses down thankful cutlery was already at the table. When the food was ready for the table Mike made it his mission to make fast trips there and back. Avoiding any attempt they may have to make conversation with him.

By the time they finished dessert he had heard through the various trips to the table Lucas’s blow by blow story of winning the championship game. Mike had tried to ignore the burning sense of pride he felt for his Ex best friend.Mike walked back to the table placing the bill by Hopper's side, finally they would leave.

“Mike, why have you been avoiding us?”

The question stung more than the thought.

Will had asked the question.He looked at Mike not in pity but in curiosity.

“I…”Mike swallowed hard and then scoffed. “ I’m not friends with you anymore so why would i have a reason too?”

That was the final blow, one he hadn't wanted to say in months.He wanted to be friends with them and he wants to be with El so badly it’s physically hurting him but there was always a deep persistent ache that told Mike that he was an unworthy person to waste their time on.Even when they reached out it almost confused him why waste their time? That's all he was doing, all he had ever done it's only took him Nancy’s death to realise that;

He wasn't a good person,he was still the same person.

Chapter Text

“What the hell man?” Lucas raised his voice in anger. 

“Lucas” Will said in a hushed tone, trying to get him to calm down.

“No, that’s not okay.we’ve been trying to talk properly to us for months, but inserted you cut us off and ignore us. We’ve been trying to communicate for months but instead you're hiding away in this diner for months, do you suddenly think you’re an adult or some shit just because you have a job? I know things have been hard for after…what happened but it's not okay to suddenly think you’re above us”When Lucas finished speaking there was an instant regretful look on his face.

“Well? Are you going to say something Wheeler?” Max prompted. 

They had him right where they needed him, they had cornered him and to make matters worse his boss who apparently only enjoyed conflicts when it involved his personal life was coming over.

“Excuse me, is there a problem? Has my employee done something wrong?”

“No, we apologise for causing a scene. We’re just concerned as to why he’s working and not enjoying the Tigers win or the fact it's spring break now” Hopper said ever so slightly smugly, he appeared to hope in getting information from his boss.

It was unfortunately in Hoppers favour as his boss could be an extreme chatterbox.

“Well he’s a hard worker, He’s in here all days of the week.It's his decision ” his boss spoke with a tinge of annoyance.

Mike found himself shaking  in a torn mixture of rage and embarrassment as his face flushed and his palms became sweaty,Hopper of all people he really needed to know where and when to stick his nose into other people’s businesses. 

“Well if that’s all i’ll have to make sure he gets back to work” His boss said breaking the atmosphere.

Mike gave his boss a nod before rushing away in relief.

He could see out of the corner of his eye as the party desperately looked for another reason to pull him back over but Mike just ignored their attempts and continued on his shift. Mike tried his best to ignore the pang of disappointment in his chest as they left without another word from in,he had to remind himself that he put himself in the position to not talk to them. He looked at El longingly as frustration took the better of his feelings he  should be sitting with them, he should be joking and laughing, he should be cheering and patting Lucas on the back for his victory but instead he was stuck in this diner most days and nights working his ass off when he should be a carefree teenager. 

In finishing his shift,the chef had gone ahead and wrapped up dozens of unwanted or soon to go off food  and put them in a bag and handed them off to Mike before he left and Mike as usual thanked him profusely.

He walked as fast as he could to fetch Holly before the night got too cold.He rushed to her friends house and picked her up with his usual plastered on smile.While holly talked speedily

,buzzing away as she talked about watching a movie her friends other had got for them and having pizza and popcorn.Mike could feel his own jealousy start to dig up memories that him and the party had doing the same thing months ago,what he wouldn't give to go back to the start of the summer.Mike only smiled and nodded along with Holly.

He stopped outside of the caravan, and sat on the steps outside and ate some of the food he had been given before going to ensure he’d had something before the food was almost certainly going to get taken from him once he entered the caravan.

A van pulling up at the trailer opposite caught Mike’s attention.He and Holly stopped their conversation (well just holly talking) and looked up to see Eddie exiting his van and Mike froze praying he wouldn't notice him as he was unfortunately a direct link to Dustin.Then the last person he would have expected in his company, Chissy cunningham, got out the van and eddie opened the door to his trailer. He ducked his head down and continued eating,only looking up when he heard the sound of a door shutting,deciding it wasn't his business.

Mike finished eating and whipped the grease of the cold chips he had eaten on his jeans unbothered as Holly scrunched up her nose in disgust, causing Mike to chuckle. They made their way inside,Mike enturing first in a means to check how safe it was.

It was a mess that was for sure. Beer bottles and broken glass scattered the living room as his Mother passed out on the sofa and John was awake glaring at the TV screen that was replaying the most recent Football game.Mike hurried Holly to their room as John’s mood was on edge and Mike didn't think it would be safe for her.Holly didn't complain at went to get ready for bed. 

Mike moved around quietly as he re-heated two burgers he had been given from the Diner.John looked over to the kitchen as soon as the smell of the burgers wafted through the caravan.

“About damn time” He snarled,getting up and walking over to Mike.He swayed on his feet,beer bottle in his hand. 

Mike said nothing but handed him the plate with a burger on and placed the second one on the side for his mom who no doubt would wake up at some point and be hungry. 

“What’s the attitude for?” He said, after taking a bite of his burger,starting up as if he wasn't already tall enough to intimidate Mike. 

“I’m sorry” Mike said,he learnt early on in his relationship with his mom to simply go along with whatever he said through many mishaps of bruises and cuts from beer bottles thrown at him and threats towards Holly. 

“Good” He snickered to himself, as he wafted down the rest of the burger in one go. “ Y’know,Holly…she’s looking real cute today”

Mike’s eyes flashed,he had made many remarks like that before,but this had been the first one in months.

“I can simply say something” He glared. 

A coldness came over him. 

“Get your head out of your ass you disgusting pervert” Mike growled. 

“relax”  a smirk appeared on his face “You got tips right?” 

Mike exhaled sharply,as he held out his hand expectantly.Mike pulled out several bills and handed them to him.

“All of it” he said, still holding out his hand,Mike handed over the coins he had in his pocket. “Good boy” 

He lent over Mike and it took everything in him to not recoil with the strongness of the alcohol on his breath. His smirk widened at his disgust before,leaning back looking satisfied as he walked back towards the sofa, but not before getting another beer and in the process placing his hand on Mike’s butt and and groping it without even looking at him.

Mike faced the opposite direction,and gritted his teeth in annoyance, his hands gripping the side, swallowing back tears, closing his eyes in a moment of frustration,he should be used to his behaviour by now or he assumed he would've been. He thought the day wouldn't get any worse…He decided it would be best to clean the side and then head straight to bed.Praying tomorrow would be a better day.

In finishing the side Mike headed straight for the bathroom. As soon as he entered,a headache, sharp and sudden, like a needle piercing his temple. It intensified, spreading like wildfire across the skull.He pressed his now trembling finger against his head to try to ease it,but the pressure worsened.Then a metallic taste spread through his mouth,then warm,thick droplets of blood slid onto his upper lid. 

“Fuck” Mike hissed as he opened the cabinet int the bathroom for some or any relief looking for headache tablets.

He’d been getting nose bleeds all week and Mrs.Kelly said it was properly stress when he was late one day because of sorting out his nose.But a migraine and a nosebleed was a two in one he hadn't expected.Now he was pinching the bridge of his nose leaning over the bathroom sink as he swallowed a headache tablet dry. 

He moved over to get some toilet roll and cleaned up his face as the nosebleed came to a stop.He sighed in defeat,he wished he could get to bed and just sleep,but sleeping and falling asleep were challenges on their own. 

He walked to his and Holly’s bedroom forgetting about cleaning his teeth.Only to be met with a very eager Holly who was listening to the radio. 

“Holls, are you all ready for bed?” He asked, ignoring her bouncing on the bed with her hyper energy, no doubt from a proper meal. 

“Yeah” she said in a chery tone. 

“Okay,so why don’t you get in the bed?” Mike asked. 

“Nooooo, it’s the holidays now” She pouted in annoyance. 

“Yes it is but it’s bedtime at the same time” Mike said,he was too tired for this as much as he loved Holly. “come on, bed” 

“But Mikeeeee” Holly groaned,she’d stopped bouncing on the bed too now to fully look at him. 

“Ok then. Don’t go to bed but if you don’t that means you’ll have to fight the worst monster” Mike said, his tone becoming playful as if he were proposing a duel. 

“What monster?” Holly stopped pouting looking confused. 

“The Tigile monster!” Mike announced,raising his hands as he pulled Holly down from standing on the bed and began tingling her.

Holly bursted into a squealing fit of giggles as she fell into Mike’s arms. 

“S-stop” she squealed while still giggling. 

“If I stop, will you go to sleep?” Mike stopped briefly looking at her, raising an eyebrow. 

“Never” She laughed. 

“Very well then”Mike said before continuing to tigile her. 

“Okay,Okay” Holly cried out in between giggles.

Mike let go of her and smirked in triumph and Holly got into bed and pulled the covers over her.

“Good night Holls” Mike said softly as he put her bedside light out and received no reply as he heard her soft snores only moments later.Somehow she had a talent to do that. 

“As a reminder for tonight for the folks that missed it,the tigers in the first time in 22 years the cup was brought home by the benchwarmer Lucas Sinclair-” 

Mike turned off the radio.He was proud of his friend,or ex-friend or maybe even jealous of his talent and being able to fit into high school so well. He sat on the edge of his bed,as exhaustion crept in. He shouldn't think like that, the guilt of this feeling seeping in alongside his exhaustion got to him as he flopped down on his bed. He changed into his Pj’s( an oversized jumper and long patterned pants) and pulled out his walkman and journal. He paused as he noticed old letters he still had in his journal,Suiside letters.He had a plan to commit after halloween when things had gotten so bad to the point of him sleeping outside on the nights when Holly was sleeping over at friends,but then that reminded him of Holly,how he couldn't leave her.He decided he would wait until after he finished high school and get a place for him and Holly live away from hawkins.But at the rate everything was going he wasn't sure if he’d ever make it outside Hawkins. 

He took out his pen and began to write about his day,he placed the walkman on and played the first tape he could find.He had a vast collection but among them he had his favorites of his extremely mixed music taste:

Every breath you take- The police ( played more times than he would ever admit) 

Don’t you (forget about me)- Simple minds 

Everybody wants to rule the world- Tears for fears (one of his top listened too) 

Under pressure- Queen & david bowe 

Take on me- A-ha 

Tainted love- Soft cell 

Africa - Toto (reminds him of Nancy)

London calling- the clash 

Bohemian rhapsody- Queen 

Wish you were here- Pink floyd 

Hotel california- Eagles 

American pie- Don McLean

I melt with you- Modern english(Reminded him of El) 

Another brick in the wall Pt.2- pink floyd  

Time- pink floyd 

Us and them- pink floyd 

Brain damage- pink floyd

Eclipse- pink floyd 

Comfortably numb- pink floyd 

Hey you-pink floyd 

Mad world- Tears for fears 

Pale shelter- Tears for fears 

Change- Tears for fears 

Memories fade- Tears for fears 

Head over heels- Tears for fears ( holly wanted it but he ends up listening to it) 

 He played ‘American pie’ as he finished writing,a sense of dread filled for him as he realised he would have to sleep now and not to mention the day he had coming.Taking off his headphones he gently placed his journal  and walkman to the small bedside table he had and turned to turn off his light. 

It began to flicker rapidly. 

Mike froze,he swallowed thickly,then a loud slamming sound came from outside.Mike got out of bed and walked to the window just in time to see Edddie frantically getting into his car with a look Mike could only describe as- Pure horror as he speed away like a maniac.

Mike frowned, looking out in concern,should he call someone?If only he wasn't such a stubborn dick then maybe he would have someone to call.Mike decided it would be a better idea to go back to bed and silently cursed himself. 

However he only managed too get to sleep until one in the morning with all of the possibilities swimming in his head as he clutched his stomach with a sick feeling.

His alarm went off at its usual time of 6:15 AM but Mike was already awake,drenched in sweat,panting and gripping the covers from his most recent nightmare. 

Blood on his hands,dripping,dripping… 

“Mike…” Nancy's voice echoed.

Her corpse lay on the ground in front of him with that gaping hole in her chest….

Mike ran a hand down his face getting and heading for the bathroom,he opened the cabinet once again and took out two headache tablets as his head pounded.Mike could see his exhausted reflection,Mike went to head back for his bedroom when the sound of police sirens sparked up coming closer. 

Mike headed out the front door to peek out as he noticed his Mom and John still sleeping.He watched in alarm as several police cars sped around the corner and hurriedly parked up outside the Munson trailer opposite.Mike walked out to the front porch area in a concern for the scene unfolding in front of him.

Hopper jumped out of his chief car and approached Mr.Munson who looked mortified and stuttering mess as Hopper talked to him.He saw something- white,green and yellow on the floor of the trailer as Hopper entured with other officers close by. Mike walked down steps of the porch and across the dewy morning grass to get a closer look at the trailer.

Mike’s breath caught as the world around him closed in as he saw the sight of Chrissy Cunningham's mangled body. 

“Hey!Hey!” 

Mike snapped out his daze to see an officer staring at him in a look of annoyance. 

“Why don’t you go back to your trailer son” His voice softened noticeably as he’d reslied Mike had already seen the body. 

Without another word Mike hurried back up the porch and back into the trailer.

Mike quickly got back into his bedroom and to his relief Holly was still asleep,so he quickly got changed into his work uniform and got breakfast ready for him and Holly. Toast, simple but it pleased Holly.He pulled out the washing form the machine that had been left far too long,blinking rapidly trying to distract himself from the body he had seen and was only feet away from him.He remembered the flickering lights,he wanted to believe it  was impossible but the only thing capable of doing something like that was the upside-down or … El’s powers. 

Mike froze at the thought.Of course he’d never suspected El but El had mentioned a sister 008 but she was somewhere else and she had other powers. But that didn't mean others could be out there that shared her abilities.

It was stupid, he told himself. He hadn't seen anyone else enture or leave  and there was no way Eddie was a subject- he looked terrified and - he should stop thinking. 

He pulled out the washing and grabbed his shoes and put them on and grabbed the bag of pegs and went out the front door to the makeshift washing line he’d had to buy-  one long rope. Considering John had gotten so drunk one day and broke the one out the back to Mike’s annoyance his Mom didn't give a shit. 

He walked out to see that the ambulance as well as more police cars had arrived and Chrissy’s body had been moved onto a stretcher and covered in a bodybag.News vans had arrived and had begun to set themselves up at the top of the road.detectives were going in and out the trailer collecting evidence and Hopper was by Mr.Munson's side talking with him with officer Callahan rapidly taking in information.Mike tried not to look too much as he began hanging up the washing. 

Only Hopper did. Mike noticed as he finished hanging up the washing Hopper made a brief eye contact as Mike caught his attention.Mike could see a question in his eyes,he knew what he was asking so Mike nodded before heading inside as he tried not to notice Hopper going slightly pale at his nod.

“Mikey!Why are there so many police cars outside?” Holly caught him by surprise as he went back inside.Mike only prayed she didn't see the bodybag.

“Because someone was hurt  in that trailer and the police are going to find who hurt them”Mike hoped that would satisfy as an explanation. 

“Oh, that’s not good,” Holly frowned. 

“No it’s not but the police are here so there’s nothing to worry about now” Mike said  desperately wanting to end this conversation. “ Have you eaten the toast?” 

“ Yes,thank you” 

“Good and are you ready to go?” 

“Yes” 

“Is your bag packed?” 

“Of course it is!” 

“For a sleepover?” 

“yes “ 

“Okay,I'll trust you with that,” Mike said while grabbing his piece of toast.

Mike grabbed his own bag with some food and a spare change of clothes for after his long shift. Mike looks back at his Mom and John, who are still passed out on the sofa still and sighs before telling holly to hold his hand as they go out the backdoor as to avoid the crime scene as they weave through trailers to the second exit of the trailer park that Mike knows leads to Holly’s friends house. 

Dropping Holly off was easy but getting to work was hard.The mass of crowds huddling in horror of the murder in front of TV shops was overwhelming as Mike ended up having to almost run once he’d managed to get out the crowds. 

He’d made it with five minutes to spare before his shift started at 8AM and the diner was thankfully not as busy as it was outside, so much so that the chief called him into the kitchen to help prepare the pancakes.He’d managed to get three hours into his shift only in the kitchen before being called out to wait on tables.

He’d been prepared to deal with a few hungover or drunk customers so it didn't surprise him when the first booth that he waited on where a group of men in their 40’s after a night out.In his eyes they all looked like john in different stages of the aftermath of getting drunk,well he saw it almost everyday.He walked over and carefully put the menus down accordingly and brought a jug of water and cups.

“Is there anything to get you started with?” Mike asked in his best ‘customer appropriate’ voice he could manage. 

One of the men looked at him, his eyes ogling at him.

“The breakfast and they’ll have the same” He looked at Mike and back at the others slyly. 

“Sure, is that all?” 

“Well i know something else but I don’t know if-” he looked at Mike up and down biting his lip slightly,Mike tried to control his expression to not turn to disgust,this had happened too often and always on this shift. “- it’s an appropriate request” 

Mike gritted his teeth to control his anger, the first time comets had been made it was John and then it started happening at the diner  and he’d been confused at first but understood after a while.People,men, especially adult men had no respect for others when they held no power over them. Mike supposed he wouldn't know about how things could be with his old life but his eyes had been open being on the other side of things he could say. 

Mike was about to reply in rejection before walking away but was surprised by a sudden voice and his eyes went wide. 

“No, I don't think it would be,” Hopper said, standing behind him,looking furious. “ I suggest you clear out of place so i can take this booth,how does that sound?” 

The men, clearly in shock, did as they were told.Mike was thankful but still irritated at losing customers with all of the other empty booths around.Hopper sat down and gestured for Mike to sit opposite him.

“Oh um, i can’t until i have a break in a few hours” Mike said

“It’s alright i’ve spoken to your boss and they said it was fine as you are technically being questioned by police as of now” Hopper said pulling out a notepad. 

“What?” Mike said in confusion as he slid into the booth opposite Hopper. 

“Well you live opposite to the trailer where a murder took place and your- Mum’s boyfriend i’m assuming?  Wasn't much help.” Hopper said. 

Mike scoffed,no surprise there.

“Is he your mum’s boyfriend?” 

“yep, he sure is” he mumbled

“Well that doesn't sound too enthusiastic,”Hopper said, sounding as though he was pressing for more. 

“Well he’s not exactly good company being drunk ninety nine percent of the time”Mike replied,irritation clear in his voice. 

“Oh.” Hopper said,somehow surprised. “ well,i’ve gotta ask you a few standard questions” 

“Ok then” 

Before he could start however they were interrupted by the other waiter. 

“Sorry to interrupt but can I get you anything?” 

“Yes, a classic breakfast and a coffee,” Hopper said, turning to the waiter as she wrote down his order. “ Do you want anything, kid?” 

“Uh, no thank you” Mike said in alarm of the offer. 

“He’ll have classic breakfast too” Hopper said to the waitress. 

After the waitress walked off,Mike stared at Hopper in bewilderment. 

Hopper noticed his look “ Kid, i’ll be honest i know your life isn't the best right now and giving you a proper breakfast isn't that big of a deal” 

“Mrs.Byers has made you soft” Hopper snorted at that, then another point clicked in his head of the fact he was his daughter's Ex-boyfirend.How bizarre. 

“Well, the first question is, did you see Eddie Munson at anypoint with Chrissy cunningham?”

“Well, yes they stood out like a sore thumb.” Mike replied. 

“ At what point did you see them?” 

“When they were going into Eddie’s trailer- he drove her there”

“And what was Eddie’s behaviour like?”

“His usual, weird, cheery self?He was joking with Chrissy”

“And did you see Eddie leave without chrissy?”

Mike paused for a moment to think,he didn't want his overthinking to be a thing for a world crisis but he’d have to tell someone and the opportunity was open.

“Kid?” 

Hopper's voice snapped Mike’s attention back to reality to see a concerned face opposite him. It still shocked Mike that Hopper cared so much. 

“Yeah i did but-” Mike took a shaky breath “he was scared- i mean like he was horrified,the look on his face…”

Mike's voice wavered and he looked up at Hopper. 

“I don’t think it was a look of fear because he killed someone” 

Mike watched as Hopper's face morphed into one of confirmation. 

“Did you notice anything else?” 

“The lights were…” he looked at Hopper “I mean yeah the lights are usually shit in my trailer but the power goes out the lights don’t flicker and they did so-”Mike sighed in defeat. “ i thought we would be done with all of this bullshit- if this is really what we think it is-i mean i thought this was supposed to be impossible”

“Yeah it is, but what other choice of explanation is there” Hopper said looking down.

It made sense as much as he wanted to deny it- No human could do what had been done to Chrissy’s body.

“ do you know anyone who would have an idea of Eddie’s whereabouts?”

Mike raised his eyebrows,with a look of seriousness.Hopper didn't really expect him to have an idea. 

“Well i’m on his side.i mean it’s not like i can rat him out to police” 

Mike huffed in annoyance at Hopper's poor joke. 

“Dustin would be the one to have any clue” Mike said, remembering the multiple times he’d seen Dustin with him in the corridors or once or twice in his trailer.Mike had in his own ways confirmed that Dustin was not buying drugs. 

“Well then i know my next location”

“Aren’t you supposed to be doing other things?”

“No. I’ve done all of the standard things that comes with the aftermath of a murder”

Mike was thankful when the waiter came over with their food.When the plate was set down before him,  His breath hitched. Golden scrambled eggs fluffed to perfection, glistening strips of bacon curled invitingly, a small mound of crispy hash browns dusted with pepper, and two pancakes stacked high, butter melting in a slow trickle down their sides. A small pot of syrup rested beside the plate.He’d worked here for so long that he’d gotten used to ignoring the smell of the food and setting it down for others with a painfully empty stomach and now he could actually eat it. 

The first bite of the pancakes was heavenly,he hadn't had anything sweet in so long.This stomach that hadn't been stifled by a single slice of bed that morning began to be filled with warmth of the pancakes and syrup. 

He only looked up when he’d almost eaten the entire plate when Hopper chuckled.

“Looks like you’ve finally got some color back in your face” 

Mike’s face flushed with embarrassment when he took notice that Hopper had barely eaten anything and had just watched Mike stuff his face. 

“It’s nothing to worry about” He grunted upon noticing Mike’s embarrassed look. 

“Now, I do want to talk about those men earlier,”Hopper said, cutting into his bacon. 

“What about them?” Mike said 

“If they give you anymore hassle call me alright” 

“But-” 

“No, call me,” Hopper said firmly as continued eating. 

And Mike didn't want to argue with that. 

Chapter Text

The rest of his shift had gone smoothly and Hopper surprisingly threw his walkie at him on his way out and told him to ‘stay in touch’ as he went to talk to Dustin about Eddie.Getting home at about half five in the morning after his shift was also better than he expected with both went smoothly, although being woken up by sirens was not. 

He turned the radio on in his sleepy daze to find that Fred Benson, another high school student had been murdered and the same killer was suspected to have killed Chrissy. 

“Hey, Mike, do you copy?” it was dustin's voice, of course Hopper had told them that he was meant to keep in touch. 

“Mike, I know you can hear me!” 

“Dustin, are you sure he even has the thing on or even close to him for all we know it could be hidden under his bed and were talking to his dirty socks” and that was Max’s voice, so he assumed they were all together. “ Why do we need wheeler anyway?” 

“Because he has first hand knowledge and he’s part of this whole thing whether he likes it or not!” his voice came clearer “Hey c'mon man, do you copy or else i’m coming to get you myself!”

Mike scowled and grabbed his walkie,he definitely didn't want him going to his old house. 

“Yeah,I copy,”He replied,rubbing his eyes.

“Holy shit! Hey man!”

“Hey, what do you want?” exhaustion crept into Mike’s voice.

“For you to get off your ass and come with us on this investigation! With your knowledge!”

“Did you not already talk to hopper about what i know?”

“Yeah but he was the one you told to come find me about Eddie and now we’ve found Eddie so you’re coming with us!” 

“And what makes you think that?” 

“We’re already outside! You’re lucky I told everyone to wait so if you want to get out of bed  and get out here that would be great!” 

Mike’s heart dropped,his stomach twisted.Shit.Better now than never? Or whatever the saying was. 

“Haha real funny Dustin” Mike replied with sarcasm. 

“What’s so funny? We are! Can you not see us? We literally stayed at Lucas’s house!” 

Then steve’s voice cut in- “ alright cut the crap Mike open the door and get your ass out here”

“Funny,i can’t actually see you outside my house” Mike felt a little stupid at openly mocking them over something he’s not proud of. 

“Dude seriously?” 

“Yeah” 

“ We are literally standing below your window!”

“No you’re not” Mike was now looking out his window trying not to find it amusing. 

“ Can you quit messing around? This is serious!” Dustin's voice had gone high pitched from annoyance and frustration. 

“Well that’s because i done live on Maple street anymore” 

“ Bullshit dude I literally see your dad go in and out everyday!” Lucas spoke up now. 

“Yeah he does, I don't . if you want to meet me just tell me where but i’ve got a few things to do before” 

“ really? Get your lazy ass over here wheeler!” Max sounded pissed off. 

“Meet me at Eddie’s trailer in half an hour then” Mike said finally and then promptly cut the walike off signal, hearing the scrambled response. 

He’d led them unknowingly to his house as Eddie’s trailer was still taped up. 

Mike sighed and got up and headed for the bathroom,but not before peering into the main room which too his relief was empty.He went into the bathroom and began to run the shower but not before taking more painkillers with a pounding headache,which didn't seem to work.After a quick shower and drying his air he got dressed- he wore a navy jumper on top of a plain dark grey shirt and dark green jeans topped with a brown leather jacket and his black converse. 

He went to the almost empty fridge scouring for something for breakfast and settled for old fires he’d gotten from the diner and barley in date milk,he’d be lying if this was the first time he’d had this combination for breakfast. 

Then he made the call to Holly’s friends she was staying at and to his relief she offered for Holly to stay another day,in ending the call he got to chores until he heard bickering outside. 

“He said meet outside Eddie’s trailer in half an hour!” he heard Dustin . 

“Maybe he stood you up” Max’s voice was clear. 

Mike sighed knowing this could go two directions as he grabbed his backpack with his walkie,flashlight,jornal,walkman and His small amount of savings not trusting them in the house with his Mom or John. 

He opened the door and walked out and down the porch steps-he could feel the eyes boring into him.He looked up to be met with Dustin,Lucas,Max,El,Will,Steave,Johnathan and Robin looking at him in a mixture of confusion and shock? He couldn't tell. El.Beautiful as always.She wore a pink jumper with white and turquoise stripes in the middle tucked into acid blue jeans with a pink belt and her hair pulled behind into a ponytail. 

“What?” Mike said. 

“Oh ah hey man” Lucas spoke up.

“Hey, what’s going on?” 

“Uh well we found Eddie and he’s well- shaken up and it’s definitely not looking good for him or us really- There was another victim,same as Chrissy we think and uh-Turns out their was this dude that one of the people that Hopper interviewed mentioned a- what’s his name?” Lucas cut off his rambling and looked around at the others. 

“Victor Creel” Will answered. 

“Uh yeah he did something similar to this but- it’s uh” Lucas stopped himself. 

“The upside down,” Mike said. 

“Properly” Will said, Mike could see the look of misery on his face. 

“ Although- i have a theory.You know Eddie describes Chrissy’s death - before i mean was like a trance like she was under a spell” Dustin said. 

“Like Vecna’s curse?” Mike said, raising an eyebrow. 

“Exactly! But it’s just a theory” 

“Makes sense,” Mike said. 

“Yeah but we need to figure out why them,I mean out of all of the people in Hawkins” Will spoke up. 

“Maybe they were just in the wrong place?” Dustin said. 

“They were both near the trailer park” El supplied. 

“They were both at the game” Dustin contred.

“Uh- were at the trailer park” Steve said,his tone slightly panicked. “Should we maybe not be here guys?” 

There was an awkward moment of silence. 

“well -” Mike went to speak but then he recalled a girl crying in the bathrooms at school- then it clicked- it was Chrissy. “Chrissy was upset- on the day she was killed” 

Max’s eyes bulge out at him in confusion. 

“Here?” Dustin said. 

“No she was crying in- the boys bathrooms at school”

“Maybe she saw something- oh” dustin's eyes lit up slightly

 “ Like how serial killers stalk their prey” Robin said. “ so maybe this vec-man-”

“Vecna” Dustin cut in.

 “is the same” Robin finished.

“ yeah but I don't know about you guys but if I saw a dark wizard monster I would talk to someone about it,” Steve said. 

“Maybe they did” Mike could feel the attention on him. “ I saw Chrissy leave Mrs.Kelly’s office- dozens of time’s. If you saw a monster you wouldn't go to the police, they’d never believe you but-”

“-You might go to your shrink” Robin said. 

Mike nodded.Shared looks went around in a silent agreement. 

They all walked towards Steve's car and Johnathan’s car, both cars parked further up the road.

“So are we gonna go to Mrs.Kelly’s house or…” Steve trailed off. 

“Huh? How’s that supposed to work” Dustin yelped, everyone was looking at Steve in alarm.

“It could work” Mike said “i know where she lives and she told me to stop by when i need too” 

Eyeonelooked at eachother then Max shrugged her shoulders as if to say ‘alright’. 

“I want to check something out first” will spoke up. 

“So? Jonathan-”Steve suggested. 

He nodded.

“I’ll come!” Robin spoke up,grabbing a walkie from Steve. 

“Okay,keep in touch”Steve spoke up as Robin saluted him. 

“What you’re not gonna tell us?” Dustin said. 

“It's about Victor creel- a real shot in the dark” Will said, earning a surprised look from Johnathan. 

“Okay be careful!” Steve called after them,he then turned to the others singing in defeat at being stuck with the younger Kids.”Get in” 

The kids piled into the car as Dustin got into the front. 

“Wipe your feet-On the outside not the inside!” Steve said as Dustin did so. “ Always the goddamn babysitter!” he said as he turned on. 

Mike found himself rather squashed between Lucas and El as they drove out of the trailer park-Mike shifted uncomfortably as a sudden chill ran down his spine.

As they pulled outside of Mrs.Kelly's house, Dustin let out an whistle “ that is one nice house, for a school concealer i mean” 

“Yeah well her husband's part of a generational family business or something” Mike said. 

“Ok,Wheeler, you're gonna go in get some information out of her and get back out with an answer”Steve said. 

“Yep i know we already established that” Mike said. 

“Okay I was just checking,” Steve said, putting his hands up in surrender. 

“But that's bad, other people's secret talks,” EL said.

“This is nothing compared to things we’ve done before-” Max started speaking to El but Mike didn't hear the rest as he got out of the car and went to Mrs.Kelly's door. 

He stood patiently after ringing the doorbell and didn't miss the surprised look that Mrs.Kelly had upon opening the door. 

“Mike?”

“Sorry to bother you on break but i was wondering if you had a minute to talk?” 

“Yeah of course, come on in”

She stepped aside and let Mike into the house,Mike took a second to look back at the car to notice everyone was watching him, Steve was practically radiating his nervousness. 

He sat down in a chair opposite her in her office area ,the sound of the clock ticking nearby filled the room as they began to talk. 

“With everything that’s happening,with all the murders,it’s making everything worse again.” Mike tried to act as upset as he could,not that it was hard. 

“You’ve experienced trauma,Mike and when you keep your feeling,your pain bottled up the way you do-”Mike nearly scoffed at that. “It doesn't take much to trigger them again. So now when it rains,it storms.”

“Yeah. I know” 

“Do you think you’re ready to talk more about that night?” 

Mike looked away as mrs.kelly lent forward on her seat. 

Nancy was next to El, aiming the gun against the monstrous creature.Nancy was in clear panic as she ran out of bullets,unable to delay any attack towards El.

A blood curdling scream,Mike would realise later came out of his mouth as a giant tentacle plunged itself into Nancy's chest as she threw herself in front of El.

“Nancy!”Mike cried out as she collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll.

Mike ran to her and crumbled at her side,shaking her shoulders.

“Nancy,Nancy!”he cried.

“I’m sorry”She whispered a ghostly smile faded from her face as she stilled,and the light left her eyes.

“Nancy!Nancy,Nancy,No,get up,You’ve got to get up!Please!Please!Nancy!”Mike wailed as he hopelessly shook her lifeless body.

Mike sharply inhaled. 

“I lived next door  to where it happened” Mike blurted out,desperate for a change in subject. 

“Sorry,” She said, alarmed. 

“Chrissy’s murder.The cherif asked me a bunch of questions” Mike clarified. “Did they talk to you?I mean i know you were seeing Chrissy” 

“Mike,you know I can't talk about Chrissy or any other student.” 

“Yeah but if there was a serial Killer on the loose in my neighbourhood?” Mike could feel himself getting out of his league. “ Did Chrissy mention anything?Anything about who could’ve done this?” 

“Mike… I’m sorry but I really can’t discuss this. You wouldn't want me talking about any other students about you, right?” 

“If I were dead and it would help catch the killer, then yeah, I most definitely would.” Mike could feel his tone rising as he became more desperate for information. 

“Well let's leave that up to the police, shall we?” mrs. Kelly's voice was kind but firm and Mike knew it was the end of trying to get an answer out of her. 

“Yeah,you’re right,” Mike said in a nicer tone. 

Mrs.kelly nodded. 

“The police have it totally under control”the irony in that statement was almost enough for Mike to laugh. “Can I use the bathroom?”

“Yeah,sure. Up the stairs, to the left.” 

“Thanks” He said as he got up and went up the stairs,he stopped as he noticed the key bowl on the shelf.He turned and looked back at Mrs.kelly who was busy writing notes. An idea struck him,properly extremely stupid but he supposed it was worth the risk.Not like he hasn't taken part in any illegal activity before? 

He went to the key Bowl and pulled out the Keys labelled ‘Office’ and grabbed them and headed for the front door. He quickly got into the car and in a slight panic. 

“What did she say?” Steve asked. 

“Nothing.Just drive” he said, aware of the weird looks he got. 

“Nothing?” he asked, confused. 

“Steve, drive!” Mike said in more of a panic. 

“Okay!” he said and he sped off.

“Dude! What's panicking for?” Dustin asked, looking back at Mike. 

Mike regretfully held up the Keys.

Max,El and Lucas’s jaws drop.

“Woah,Woah,Woah, you stole the keys to her office and what you expected us to break in there or something” Steve said.

Looks were shared throughout the car. 

“Well what better plan do we have.i mean if she said nothing?” Max said, to Mike’s surprise.

“We need answers,” Dustin prompted. 

“Yeah and we have no other plan” El said in agreement. 

“Fine,Fine” Steve said “ We’ll just break and enter in a school”

“Hey do any of you kids copy?” Hopper's voice filled the car from their walkies,El was quick to answer. 

“Yeah we copy” 

“I’ve got to warn you Kids about something,although is Mike there with you?” 

So Hopper had set him up. 

“Yeah he’s here” 

“Good,Will, Lucas and Dustin.You need to look out for those basketball player.They’re under the impression that you know where Eddie is and considering you do, stay clear of them or they’ll be bound to land you in hospital for a week. 

“Oh. ok”

“Yeah and i best hope you kids aren’t getting involved because if you are up to anything i won’t be able to get you out of it until the end of my shift in about two hours” 

“um ….” 

El looked at the other’s unsure of what to say,so Max took the walkie from her. 

“We’ve got it under control, unless you want to meet us at the school after”

“School? Yeah sure” Hopper said seemingly oblivious it was a hatching of a plan but Mike knew that it would click in his head later on. 

By the time they pulled up outside the school it had gone dark.They carefully made they’re way to the enterrace and Mike unlocked the door and Dustin walked inside checking for any alarm. Upon entering they switched on their torches and speed through the school. Dustin had clearly gone into panic mode in comparison to earlier as Steve was frantically checking the hallway for anyone. 

“Dustin, do you copy?” They all jumped at Robin's voice as they speed walked down the main hallway. 

“Yeah i copy”

“So, Will is a genius.Vecna’s first victim dates back all the way to 1959.His suspicion was right on the money.”

“Okay, that's totally bonkers,but I can't really talk right now.”

“Wait,what are you doing?”

“Breaking and entering in a school to retrieve some confidential and extremely personal files.” 

“Can you repeat that?” 

“Just get your ass over here,sat.We’ll explain everything” 

Dustin turned off the radio as Mike opened the door to the office. As they entered Mike felt the same chill of uncomfortableness down his spine as he looked around and headed for the filing cabinet. He could hear the others talking behind them but he was too busy looking to notice. 

Benson,Fred

Bonaccorse,John 

Brown, Ray 

Croswell,Deborah 

Chrissy,Cunningham

Wait.He froze and went back though the file names- Benson,Fred. 

“Holy shit” he said. 

“You found it?” Lucas asked. 

“Yeah , and not just Chrissy's file. Fred was seeing Mrs.Kelly too.” Mike said,pulling out his file. 

“Holy shit” Max said. 

Mike took both Chrissys and Fred’s files and laid them on the table sitting down as he went through them looking for some similarities or anything of a meantin that could indicate their theory of Vecna. 

Mike could feel his breath get shallower as he read- 

 Severe Headaches

Nosebleeds

 Constant  nightmares

Past tramra 

“Mike? Mike was is it?” El’s voice seemed so far away- she sounded worried. 

“Mike?Mike? Mike! Mike!” It was Dustin's voice but it was echoing. 

Mike froze as he turned around towards the door as a coldness took over him,he almost let out a whimper of fear as he heard-

“Mike.”

His name was a whisper at first, barely audible over the sound of his own panicked breathing. But then it came again, louder, more insistent.

“Mike.”

The voice was louder now, it was deep and guttural, filled with an unholy resonance that made his stomach churn.But something in his body made him walk-he turned around only to find no one by the desk or in the office even.

He let out a deep breath as he heard the ticking of a clock,somehow amplified as if it was echoing. He could feel his stomach twisting in fear as he exited the office feeling a presence of something get,closer and closer as he walked further and further towards it- pulled forward. 

The clock chimed. 

Mike’s breath hitched as he turned down the corridor. 

He stepped closer and closer and rounded the corner,a small gasp left his lips, the ticking became clear, he faced the clock. 

The clock chimed again.

 He walked towards it,the same pull drawing him in . 

His torch shined on the clock. 

Tick-tick-tick .

The  antique grandfather clock was in the wall,cracks emerging from the wall around the clock.Its wood was dark and weathered, the ornate carvings along its frame seemingly alive in the dim light. The clock’s face glowed faintly. 

The sound of the ticking became louder, even deafening, as he got closer,but he couldn't stop.Each strike began to hammer in his ears.

Then it chimed. 

Mike got closer. 

The ticking got louder.

“Mike.” Deep, tick, cold-

White eyes.

“Mike?Mike, come on!”

Mike’s body jolted and he looked up,his breathing heavy.

He was sitting in Mrs.kelly's office, everyone surrounding him.

“Mike?  Are you okay?” it was El asking him. 

Mike turned around and got up, he walked towards the door ignoring everyone. He walked down the corridor he was aware of eveones foot steps following him.He tuned the corridor and at the end there was a grandfather clock- 

There wasn't. 

“What?” Mike said in a whisper,he tried to ignore as a hot tear ran down his cheeks. 

“Mike,what’s going on man?”

“Yeah you’re really freaking us out,it was like you were in a trace” 

That… would make sense.

“I-I might have been…”Mike said, his voice still in a whisper. 

“Might have been?” Max said,although she sounded annoyed, Mike could hear the concern. 

“In a trace if it’s not here”

“What’s not here?” El asked. 

Mike turned to look at them fully.

“I came out of the hallway and there was the sound of a clock ticking and chiming every so often and when I came here it was-in the wall” Mike began to sound unsure of himself,realising how ridiculous it sounded. “It was a grandfather clock and as soon as i got close i….woke up”

Everyone looked at each other in concern,they froze for a second when the door swung open and footsteps of people running echoed down the corridor. 

Robin,Will and Jonathan came around the corner and stopped in alarm  when coming face to face with them.

“Is everything alright?” Jonathan asked upon seeing their concerned faces. 

Dustin stepped forward and explained what happened and what Mike had said.

“That’s not even the bad part” Mike said shakily as they made their way back towards the office. 

“See fred and chrissy both came to Mrs.Kelly for help.” he said as he pushed forward both files on the table,both of the same page that had the same symptoms. “They…were both having headaches- really bad headaches that won't go away.And  Nightmares…constantly,trouble sleeping” Mike could hear his voice break. “They’d wake up in a cold sweat.Then they started seeing things,bad things.From their past. And these visions started getting worse. until-until …eventually everything ended.”

Mike took a deep breath 

“Vecna’s curse,” Robin said.

Will nodded. 

“Chrissy’s headaches started a week ago.Fred’s six days ago.” Mike's voice waved as he noticed everyone making sense of what he was saying as he said the inevitable. “ i’ve been having them for five days”

He watched as Steve put a hand over his mouth and El’s face of seriousness dropped into one of horror.

“I don’t know-” Mike's voice wavered again. “- how long i have. All I know is that, for Fred and Chrissy they died less than 24 hours after their first vision.”

Mike’s breath hitched as he let another tear fall as he could see everyone’s looks of horror. 

“And i just saw that fucking clock, so…” Mike dug his nails into the table as he gripped it further,his breathing still shaky. “...looks like I'm gonna die tomorrow.”

 It’s not just a nightmare this time. It’s not something they can outrun, or fight, or figure out in the nick of time.

I’m going to die.

His mind races, the world around him blurring as a cold, sinking dread creeps into every corner of his being. The clock… that damn clock. He can still hear the echo of it, deep and resonant, like it’s counting down the seconds he has left. It feels like he’s been hollowed out, like the life he’s clung to is already slipping away.

Why me?

The question burns. He knows the answer. 

Every insecurity, every failure—it’s all laid bare now, festering in his mind like an open wound.

“Nancy!” Mike cried out as she collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll. 

Weak.

He knew it should’ve been him. 

He should be dead, he’d wanted to die for so long.

He held everyone else back. 

He was a weak link. 

He was nothing. 

He was useless. 

Maybe this was his part to play?

No. 

The sound of a distant clanging snapped Mike’s head up and out of his thoughts. He saw everyone else perk their heads up in alarm. 

Steve turned around and said, “Stay here.” 

He went to walk about before stopping  and grabbing the lamp and walked out. In another time Mike would want to comment on how stupid he looked. He didn't miss Robin and Dustins shared look of concern as Steve walked out. 

Despite Steve's words everyone followed closely behind him,bracing for the footsteps approaching. 

The footsteps rounded the corner and the majority half of the group yelped as another torch light found them from the hands of Hopper and beside him Joyce.

“Oh jesus!” Hopper said as he exhaled in what sounded like relief. “ What the hell is wrong with you kids?breaking into a school!” 

“Ah, it's a long story,” Lucas said. 

“Long?” Hopper said, annoyed. 

“Yeah- a bit” Dustin said. 

“You kid’s have got to be more careful and not to mention you’re hiding a wanted suspect.you want to get even more of a target of suspension of your involvement?” 

“Well that’s true but-”Steve started but failed to finish. 

“We’ve got bigger problems than that now.” Jonathan said,looking at Mike. 

 Joyce and Hopper frowned in confusion. 

“Well whatever it is, explain it once you have put back whatever shit you’ve done and meet us in the parking lot” Hopper said. 

Once out in the parking lot they agreed to make base at the Hopper-Byers house, a place Mike would've thought he’d gone to first in the fact of his girlfriend and best friend, well not anymore?currently? He’d never been. 

“El,Will and Mike you’ll be coming in my car with Joyce all right?” Hopper said, mainly looking at Mike as if he was expecting him to escape. 

Mike nodded and got in the car with the others. 

“Can you explain what happened there and why you 're exactly breaking into a school?” Joyce asked, well more demanded kindly.

“Well…” Mike got to explaining. “So that means I'm… gonna die tomorrow.”

“Like hell Mike. We're not letting that happen” Will said. 

His determination surprised him,next to him he noticed El in deep thought. 

They pulled into a driveway.

“What?” Joyce's alarmed  voice caught their attention as they looked in the front of the car to see what she was. 

An all black car was parked outside the front of the house with a familiar face leaning on the bonnet. 

“Dr.Owens?” 

Chapter Text

“Dr.Owens?” Will said in surprise, Mike noticed how pale his face had gone.

El had also gone slightly pale. 

They exited the car and he smiled upon greeting them. 

“What's going on? What are you doing here?” Hopper got straight to the point as the other cars pulled up and everyone got out.

“Ah well with the uh recent attacks,Eleven is in danger.”Owens said. 

“Danger? Of who?” Joyce asked.

“Well the main part of the military force- don’t exactly- well they believe that Eleven is behind the attacks” 

“That’s such Bullshit” Mike said as he felt a rush of anger,alarming everyone. 

“Yes, there's no denying that,but my point being she is in danger, the military are on the hunt for her and I gave them a false trail of a house registered that hints as Eleven’s location- i have agents working to prevent any harm to come your way but…” 

“It’s only a matter of time,” Hopper finished.

Owens nodded. 

“I’ve gotta ask Kiddo,your powers are they stable now?” 

“Yes.i can feel them strong but I have not been using them,” El said,carefully choosing her words.

“Good,” Owens said,his voice clear in his relief. 

“Why did you come here?” Mike asked. 

Hopper looked at Dr.Owens as if daring him not to answer.

“Well uh- that’s an interesting question” he said,Mike could practically see him sweating even in the minimal light. 

“So answer it” Mike said,letting a mocking tone come through.

“Well, if things came for worst and Eleven didn't have her powers there was a backup plan”

“Involving what exactly?” Mike pressed further, he ignored everyone's weird out looks,he must have been the only one finding this ‘backup plan’ fishy. 

“Well..”

Mike narrowed his eyes, staring at him, ignoring Hopper's signal to back down. 

“Dr.Brenner is still alive” He said regretfully dropping the bombshell. 

“And you were prepared to take her back to that monster without telling her weren't you ?” Mike could have laughed at the irony of the doctor they thought they could trust teaming up with him.

He said nothing.

The very doctor El screamed her throat raw from nightmares,it made him sick to his stomach.He wasn't the only one,Hopper’s face had gone red from fury. 

“How- leave” Hopper said, spitting the words. 

Mike respected him for keeping so calm in comparison to how he thought he would react. 

“I apologise if that were the situation you have to understand how vital Eleven’s powers are” Owens started to speak. 

“She’s a human being,who's a perfectly normal teenager, who goes to high school, not a weapon or an object that you can just pick up and toss around to do your bidding when the world turns to shit again and again because of your mistakes and laziness or  have you forgotten that?” Mike snarled,cutting him off. 

Dr.Owens as well as everyone else was caught speechless by Mike’s outburst. Mike would have had more to say if Owens hadn't decided to take that moment to get into his car and drive away passing by everyone else as he pulled onto the road.

Mike then noticed the eyes on him and flushed deeply embarrassed. 

“Didn't even figure that one out for myself kid” Hopper said, coming forward and placing a hand on Mike’s back and leading him into the house as he unlocked the door. 

Mike let out a little sigh of relief as they entered the house.

The house itself was nice.it was a two-story home with a wrap around porch,painted a light blue.The living room had an array of mismatched furniture-Joyce's well-loved floral couch and Hopper's favorite recliner—sit around a brick fireplace. Framed photos of the family, Will’s drawings, and a few of El's drawings that Mike remembers helping her with adorn the mantelpiece- a braided rug lay across the wooden floor that led to the kitchen. The kitchen is practical yet cozy, with checkered curtains over the windows, a scratched wooden table, and a fridge plastered with magnets, drawings, and grocery lists.

Without even saying a word El grabs him as the rest of the party follow her as she gives him an involuntary tour of the house as he’s dragged upstairs to ease the tension.They pass by what Mike concluded to be Joyce and Hoppers bedroom the first on the stairs out of five bedrooms-A large wooden bed with a hand-stitched quilt dominates the room. On Hopper’s side of the bed sits a cluttered nightstand with books, a flashlight, and two photos (his ‘new’ family and one of Sara and him), while Joyce’s side has a small vase of flowers and a framed photo of their family. The walls are painted a calming sage green, and a vintage dresser holds Hopper's flannel shirts and Joyce's collection of scarves. A small corner chair, usually draped with a jacket or two, adds a lived-in touch.

Next was El’s room he was dragged into at the end of the hall as she seemed eager to show him.The walls are painted soft lavender, dotted with her posters of nature scenes,Singers and cut outs of random things from magazines. A collection of books, many gifted by the family, lines a small bookshelf. The bed is cozy with a patchwork quilt Joyce helped her make, and fairy lights strung along the walls give the room a magical glow at night. On her desk sits her cassette player and a growing collection of tapes, along with a few Polaroids of her friends stuck like a mural on her wall,Mike notices himself among them. Her favorite teddy bear and a purple blanket sat on her bed neatly-Mike tried not to blush with the memories of Mike giving that to as a gift and El naming it her comfort blanket.

“Wow” he whispered in awe,he wouldn't have admitted at that exact moment but he was really proud of El for how far she’d come.

It didn't take long before he was dragged along to the next bedroom.Will’s-A sturdy desk cluttered with art supplies takes up one corner, while his bed, covered in a simple navy comforter, is pushed against another. The small room feels personal and creative, with model figurines of D&D characters scattered on a shelf and stacks of comic books by the bed. A lava lamp glows softly on his nightstand, adding a whimsical touch.

Then he was pulled along to Johnathan’s- His bed is unmade, the comforter tossed haphazardly, and a collection of band posters and black-and-white photos he’s taken decorate the walls. A record player sits on a stand near his bed, surrounded by a small but cherished stack of vinyl records. His camera rests on his desk, alongside film canisters and negatives. The room smells faintly of developing chemicals, and a large bean bag chair near the window provides a spot for quiet reflection.Mike couldn't help but almost freeze from noticing photos of Nancy. He hadn't seen any photos of her since september.

“Mom! What are you doing!” Mike cried out, as a very drunk version of his mother went ripping up the only photo album he’d managed to pack when they were kicked out. 

“This!” His mother yelled, waving a photo in front of him. “- is none of your goddamn business.This is all gone! It doesn't matter anyway!” 

His mother was screeching the words now as she got up and swayed unsteady towards him,beer bottle in hand. 

“She is gone!” his mother cried,she then glared at him. “ And now I'm stuck with YOU! She was perfect and she died! Why didn't YOU die instead!” 

“Mom please! You’re drunk, you don’t know what you're saying!” Mike was begging. 

“I know damn well what I'm saying! Don’t tell me what to do! Being drunk only gives me the courage to finally say it because you’re too damn fragile Micheal!”  she slurred, then without warning haling the bottle at him. 

Mike ducked in the nick of time as it shattered on the wall beside him. The glass just grazed his skin. He looked up eye’s rimmed red with tears glossing over,betrayal clear in his face. 

“Com’n this way” El said, her voice soft,he must have noticed what he was looking at. 

El dragged him to  the fifth room on the landing- a shared study or hobby area,the walls are painted a soft, warm cream, A bulletin board in one corner overflows with pinned Polaroids, notes, and drawings, a living scrapbook of their shared memories. He noticed beside the window a huge desk which laid out a puzzle,no doubt El’s with the theme being fifty cutest puppies, she’d completed almost half of it. Beside the desk was a huge bookshelf that Mike recognised from the cabin with books,games and the odd ornament.A small lamp with a warm amber shade casts a soft glow over the room,In the opposite corner, a worn but comfortable sofa is piled with throw pillows and an oversized knit blanket that Joyce made herself. It reminded him of a place the party could come no matter when or what. It reminds him of a safe base. It reminds him of… the basement, and it stung, burns him from the inside out. He should have known he was so easy to replace.

He snapped out of his thoughts as the party piled into the room and El drags him over to the sofa and he sits beside her. Everyone quiets down as the air becomes awkward, he couldn't blame them he was at best an intrusion since he’d been out of their life for so long.

“So ah.. i ‘ve been curious why you were working at the diner?” Lucas spoke up, breaking the silence after a moment's peace. 

He could feel all heads turn on him, out of all of the questions, he asks that? Right now? 

“Money,” Mike said simply. 

“Well no shit” Max snapped,seemed she’d become less shaken up since she found out about his supposed ‘death’ deadline. 

“Mike, can you please tell us?” El spoke softly. 

Mike sighed. 

“It’s a long story and too personal” 

“Personal? Seriously thats a lame excuse Mike” Dustin said exasperated “We are your friends”

Dustin had a good point. So he did his best to be blunt about it-

“My dad kicked us out.My Mom is an alcoholic, who cannot hold down a job.”

There was a loud silence until-

“Fuck” Max hissed in shock. 

“Yeah,” Mike said. 

“Holy shit dude that,like, really fucking sucks” Dustin said. 

Will looked to be still in shock, and he looked… guilty?upset? Either one Mike couldn't tell. 

To his own shock however, El pulled him into a hug.

He accepted it gratefully,there’s warmth, an undeniable comfort that spreads like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.For a moment, the rest of the world disappears. The worries, the pain, the time lost—it all fades, replaced by the overwhelming sense of being home.Their bodies fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle that have always belonged. Mike could feel the rapid thrum of El's heartbeat, a steady rhythm against his own chest, grounding them in the here and now. Fingers clutch at fabric—shirt sleeves, jacket collars—holding on as if letting go would mean losing everything all over again. They cling to each other like lifelines, it’s clear that this is more than just a hug. It’s a promise, unspoken but understood: I’ve missed you. I love you. I’m here, and I’m not letting go.

After an eternity they both pull away from the hug and Mike feels a flush come across his face as he notices Lucas,Will and Dustin sharing looks and smirks, while Max rolls her eyes.

“Hey kids dinner” a yell from downatars came from joyce. 

To everyone's surprise they had ordered pizza for everyone, which must have cost a fortune, Mike thought. Mike once again was surprised when he was handed a pizza by Joyce with the same order he’d asked for every time he’d come over to their house for a movie night since he was six. He swore that the woman was an angel. 

They gathered in the living room as the dining room was too small for eleven of them.The atmosphere was calm,nice and so happy,something Mike hadn't been in a long time.He hoped Holly was okay. He didn't speak much; he simply took it all in,listened to conversions and caught up on what others were doing. El had gotten her first A on a piece of work for an art project. Lucas had become friends with a boy named Patrick on the basketball team. Dustin and Suzie talked regularly three times a week.Robin and Steve worked at the video store now. Will had gotten asked to display his work at a local charity raiser. Jonathan had gotten his acceptance letter to his first choice. Joyce now worked with Hopper at the police station and was working on becoming more qualified. Hopper actually got a recent recognition in a news article for his role in the war and becoming a police officer.Max had made a new friend at the skate park and had gotten on better terms with Billy. Billy, he didn't want to hate him he just did, maybe it was because it could have been him and not Nancy but it was the fact he was a racist bastard,he knew El saw some messed up things from his past but he couldn't forget how he treated Lucas. 

Wrapping up dinner had been easy,clearing up and apparently to set up a huge sleepover in the spare room for the party. If he was honest he was relieved that no one was talking to him about what happened in the school.

As the party walked upstairs he caught Hopper eye- 

“Thank you kid, for earlier, Owens i mean” 

“Oh um, it's fine” Mike replied jittery, as he hadn't expected Hopper to actually thank him. 

They got settled and Mike took one of the bags on the floor. 

“Hey you alright man?” Lucas asked as the lamp went out and Max and El’s whispering exchanges  could still be heard.

“Yeah,I'm fine,” Mike replied in a low voice. 

“If anything happens, I mean anything, tell one of us especially if you hear Vecna” Lucas said in a serious tone. 

“Yeah i will” Mike lied, he could hear that damn clock in the back of his head ticking away, counting every second towards his death,tomorrow he will remind himself. 

Eventually everyone was asleep,except Mike. He laid there breathing heavily and trying to remain calm  as he relieved his waking nightmare of Nancy’s  death, how sudden and how brutal it had been. He laid awake staring at the ceiling,what if he couldn't tell them what he wanted too tomorrow? What if he couldn't tell El?

Mike got up and carefully, grabbed his bag and looked at his watch. It read : 12: 03. He walked out of the room, thankful at still being fully dressed as he could feel the subtle cold downstairs. He sat on the dining room table and ripped out blank pages from the back of his journal  and used the minimal light to begin writing letters. 

By 12: 28 he’d written a letter to his Mom 

By 12: 48 he’d written a collective letter for his grandparents

By 1: 12 he’d written a letter to his Dad 

By 1: 37 he’d written a letter to Holly 

By 1: 56 he’d written a letter to uncle and aunt on his Mom’s side 

By 2: 13 he’d written a letter to his uncle on his Dad’s side 

By 2: 31 he’d written a letter to Johnathan 

By 2: 48 he’d written a letter to Steve

By 3: 04 he’d written a letter to Robin 

By 3: 26 he’d written a letter to Joyce 

By 3: 43 he’d written a letter to Hopper 

By 4: 08 he’d written a letter to Max 

By 4: 27 he’d written a letter to Dustin 

By 4: 49 he’d written a letter to Lucas 

By 5: 16 he’d written a letter to Will 

By 6:11 he’d written a letter to El 

By 6:55 he’d written a letter to Nancy

At 7: 14 he gave Hopper the fight of his life as he came down in the morning for coffee expecting no one.

“Jesus!” Hopper said, clutching his chest. 

“Sorry” Mike said with no trace of sympathy in his voice.

“The hell are you doing anyway kid” Hopper said as he approached the table with a mug of coffee.

“Letters”

“Why”

“its …” Mike paused finding the right words to say “ a fail safe” 

“Fail safe” Hopper repeated, looking at him in concern.He did not question him.  

“yeah “ Mike said grimly, before getting the courage to ask something “ if things… don’t work out. Can i trust that Holly won’t stay with my Mum or my dad” 

Hopper looked at him blinking a few time with a mixed facial expression, before “ yeah, i’ll make sure of it” 

“Thank you” Mike said, turning away from him, sorting out the now folded pieces of paper.

Hopper placed a pile of envelopes on the table and walked up stairs with another coffee for Joyce. 

Mike smiled as he began to seal the letters into the envelopes.

By eight the whole house had woken up and Joyce came down to the kitchen and began making a big batch of pancakes.The table had settled down eating by the time Steve and Robin had arrived. Small conversations came and went around the room with early morning sleepiness . Mike could feel concerned eyes one at him as he ate. He would have to leave soon anyway as Holly was only meant to stay one more night. 

Finishing up,Mike excused himself and went to collect the letters  and hand them out designation to each person. 

Confusion started as he handed out the letters to the party who had sat themselves on the sofa in the living room.

“What… what is this” Lucas asked in confusion, Dustin went to open his. 

“What are you doing that's not for now”Mike said quickly. 

“I’m sorry, what is this?” Dustin asked in confusion. 

Will frowned, pressing his eyebrows together in confusion,while El looked almost upset at not being able to open it. 

Max just raised an eyebrow. 

“Its..uh” Mike tried to remember how he worded it to Hopper. “ A fail safe” 

“What?” he heard steve. 

“Whoa,whoa things are gonna work out” Lucas said frantically.

“C'mon man, nothing is going to happen to you” Dustin spoke up. 

“Mike… it's… you're gonna be fine” Will said, Mike could see the panic in his eyes. 

Max explained to El what Mike was talking about and she eminently went pale.

“Mike he’s not going to touch you, not while I'm here” She said, sounding sure but her face betrayed her with emotion of fear,panic and desperateness. 

“Mike you need to relax,nothing is going to happen to yo-” Max was cut off by Mike’s irritation towards her. 

“No, no I don't need you to tell me nothing is going to happen because my whole life has been people telling me things aren't as bad as they seem but you can’t say anything because you are not in the same position as me. You could’ve been if Billy was the one that died but he didn't. My life for the last 9  months has been from living hell and it gets worse everyday so don’t you tell me things are going to work out now because  they're not,i  mean it makes sense that this asshole curses me,if i’m honest i should have seen it coming.” 

“Last 9 months from hell? You’re the one who put yourself in that position barely talking to us by choice, did you nerve think how they felt? How El felt?” Max started to get red with anger and he could see others signalling her to back down but she was persistent. 

“Put myself in that position?” Mike snapped, he fought back tears and he realised it was too late to stop as the floodgates opened. “ You don’t think that every time I saw you guys laughing and having fun in the corridors at school I wanted to join you so badly?That I could feel myself getting jealous of my past self? I didn't have a choice!”

The words tumble out in a rush, unplanned and unpolished, but every syllable is laced with months of pain and exhaustion.  His chest heaves as he struggles to catch his breath, like the walls are closing in on him.  

“I didn't have a choice to find a place for us to live when we were kicked out of my dad’s house and couldn't spend a night in a homeless shelter because my Mom was drunk out her face and i had to use my money to buy us a hot meal while keeping Holly warm because my Mom wanted more alcohol. I didn't have a choice when I had to find a new place to live. I didn't have a choice when I had to get a job because my mum turned up to work so many times drunk she got fired. I didn't have a choice when I had to start working because we were close to becoming homeless and were starving because all my mom cared about was alcohol. I didn't have a choice when I had to barrached me and Holly in our room because my Mom tried to kill me while she was drunk because I wasn't Nancy. I didn't have a choice when I had to work a 21 hour shift on the weekends to make ends meet because my Mom and her boyfriend stole my money that I made for paying bills during the week. I don’t have a choice when” Mike 's voice cracked. “ i have to barricade the door at night so my Moms boyfriend won’t rape me or Holly while he’s drunk out his face. I don’t have a choice when my Mom’s boyfriend beats the shit out of drunk or not or when he’s not satisfied with my Mom he turns to Holly but i-i don’t let that happen that is the only choice i made in the last months” 

He feels like he’s on the verge of collapse. 

“I wanted too talk to you guy’s but i don’t have time,all my time in school is spend doing homework or catch up to improve my grades because i’m either working or taking care of Holly,who still doesn't understand what happened to Nancy or why she’s sharing a room with her big brother but she loves it for some reason. She doesn't understand why Mom is passed out on the sofa or missing and I can't explain that to her” His voice wavered once more. 

“And i’m fucking exhausted so cut me some slack because i havent slept in months properly  and i don’t have a choice” 

Mike let out a breath,his breathing was getting faster and faster.The room was silent. His shoulders shake. He locks eyes with El. He rushes out. 

Mike opened the front door and came out into the morning cool air.Breathing heavily as the sharpness of the cold hit his lungs.Mike could feel the hot tears streaming down his face. How fucking embarrassing.

Why did he get worked up over Max’s one stupid comment?It was true he was exhausted, maybe the lack of sleep let his brain let slip all of it? Or maybe it was because he was so close to dying? 

He remembered Holly,shit he needed to get her. 

“Mike”  it was Hopper's voice behind him. “You okay kid?” 

Mike turned around to face him,his face had a look of… he couldn't read his face.

“I’m… fine” Mike said,his voice wavered slightly. 

“Why are you lying?” Hopper's voice sounded more serious. 

Mike can feel his heart beating  faster, as the silence stretched between them. 

“Have you not done enough already?” His voice warped,deep,cold,striking like a chime on a clock.Hoppers head tilted- vecna’s head tilted and revealed and ugly from of the white eyes and a body so grotesque.

Mike cried out,panic set in as the clouds rolled over into darkness.He staggered backwards,determined to not look at him or stay put long enough to see him fully.

“How cowardly you truly are Micheal” his voice echoed, his tone amused. “You’re time is almost up”

“No…” He whispered.  

“Mike?!” Hopper placed a hand on his shoulder, Mike flinched away . 

He could see the panic in Hopper's face.

“Kid,” he said gently. 

“Sorry” he said, his voice scratchy.

“What happened?” 

Mike was caught off guard because he knew. 

“I… i saw him again” 

Hopper went even more pale if that were possible. 

“You want to tell me kid?”

“i- …No”

“Alright, do you want to tell me about what you said in there?” 

“No” 

“Can you tell me if all of that was true, kid?” 

“It was,” Mike said quietly.

Hopper's gaze softened, he could see the sadness in his eyes. 

“You understand how serious that is?” 

“Which part?” Mike joked slightly. 

“Your Mom’s boyfriend?” 

“Oh” 

“He should be in jail,as should your Mom if i’m honest” He said,looking deeply concerned. 

“I- they can’t” Mike said firmly.

“They need to be” 

“Hopper-” 

“I’m not going to take action until you want to” 

“Thank you.” 

“But you can’t keep living their kid” 

“What? I’m managing it perfectly fine and I'm looking after Holly! I feed her, i make sure she goes to bed on time, i make sure she gets to school on time and when i work she stays at a friend's house or has a sleepover! So there's no poi-”

“Kid.” Hopper stopped him. “Holly is a concern but my main concern is you” 

“What?” Mike said blankly. 

“Experiencing abuse, overworking yourself and taking after Holly. You’re a teenager. It’s not healthy” Hopper said, 

“It’s fine,i’m fine and i…” Mike tried to brush off his words,but there was nothing he could find to defend it all. 

Hopper looked at his brows, frowning. 

“You know it’s not normal, I know you do and you also know it’s not right” 

“That’s obvious,but I can manage it and I'm fine, really,” Mike said, adding on as he saw the look on Hopper's face. 

“You are not fine,” Hopper says firmly. “ I know that will be hard for you to admit but if you don’t it will tear you apart,I know that much. After my daughter,Sara died I was a wreck. I did some questionable things, i got drunk a lot, i missed work and i got really badly depressed and i admit i was close to ending things. But my ex-wife was an angel through it. I was a complete idiot and I respect that she doesn't speak to me and never will again. Recently Joyce has been there for me on Sara’s death anniversary and held me while I cried. And I guess what I'm saying is don’t do what I did, bottle it up until it all falls out in the wrong ways and places. So you need to stop saying you’re fine, when I know and unfortunately everyone else knows that you’re barely holding it together. It hurts others to see you in so much pain, it affects them. But it mainly affects you.” 

Mike looked at Hopper in a moment of awe, Hopper was the last person Mike thought would ever be so vulnerable to let alone such private details.

“ I don't… I don't really know how to even start” Mike wispred. 

“Talk to us kid, that's all. I know El has been dying too for months,she asks me everyday how to help you or try to get you to talk to her or she’s talking non-stop how worried she is about you” Hopper said. 

Mike could feel a blush form on his cheeks. 

“Okay.”

Back inside, Mike could feel the atmosphere had become less tense. He also noticed his letters had been stowed away in back pockets or gone from sight to their owners.

“This is insane!”Lucas yelled. 

“No it’s not lucas. It is a simple and effective way to get answers.” Max replied. 

“You and Robin?” 

“Well it’s an old dude so it’s bound to be easier for two young girls” 

“You are in freshman year! He’s gonna know!” 

“Which is exactly why I'll present myself as a…child genius!” 

“Really ?  , and that's gonna work out?” 

“It might as well if you want answers and to have a shot and saving Mike” 

Lucas went quiet and Max raised her eyebrows with a ‘ that’s what i thought look’. 

“What’s going on?” Hopper interrupted the silence. 

“ Well based on our Victor creel homework we forged out that he’s in penhurst and you can have visitations however when we called you need to go through a six months screening process. So we asked for an appointment and we landed at Three o'clock with the director” Will explained." So Max and Robin volunteered to go and pose as the students and hopefully convince the director to let them see Victor, Mom already offered to drive them there.” 

“That makes sense i suppose” Hopper said nodding along, as he picked up one of the newspaper copies Will,Robin and Johnathan had brought from the library. 

“Now thanks to Will's expertise  we are now rock-star psychology students at the university of Notre Dame.” Robin explained “ So i’m now Rose” 

“And I’m Ruth,” Max said. 

“Nice GPA,”  Hopper said looking at the fake file. 

Dustin had a satisfied smirk on his face as he read Robin’s file. 

“So now we have to charm the director i guess” Robin said nervously “and then we’ll have a shot at ridding Mike of this curse” 

“We’ll if you're going to be scholars of such as university you’re going to have to convince them” 

“Which is why you’ll need to look the part” A voice came from behind them, Joyce was holding up too outfits that were as Mike would say tortuous. 

“You have got to be kidding” Max and Robin said. 

-

Waiting patiently for them to change,Mike gazes around in concern, they're looking at him but look away everytime they make eye contact. 

He gets up from the kitchen table where everyone is sitting and walks over to Hopper who is in the kitchen preparing lunch. He looks up at approaching footsteps. 

“I–i need to get Holly and i’m meant to be doing a shift at one” Mike said,he breathed out heavily. 

“Where is she right now?” 

“At her friend ,Poppy Bailey, she’s been there two nights. It would be rude to ask her to stay for another night and I can't miss a shift” Mike felt stuck. 

“Bailey? I know the baileys, i can ask if she could stay longer, i mean as a chief as they have previously fostered children so they will understand if your a potential part of a case” Hopper suggested “i could do a similar thing for your job and don’t worry about the money” 

Mike felt… relieved? He wasn't quite sure but he nodded in agreement. 

When two thirty rolled around Max,Robin,Johnathan and Joyce drove off to Penhust. Jonathan decided to come so he could help if things went worse for wear. 

There was only silence after every they left when an thought struck him.

“If we go to east Hawkins, our walkies will still reach east Hawkins right?” Mike asked, looking at Dustin as he got up from the table. 

“Uh yeah it should” Dustin said.”Why?” 

Mike raised an eyebrow in a subtle hint that he wanted to go somewhere. 

“Woha no” Steve said. 

“Not a chance kid.” Hopper said firmly. 

Mike scoffed and headed towards the door ignoring the protest. This could be his last day alive. He wanted to see Nancy. People would say he would see her anyway if he died but how should he know if he’d end up in the same place she did, she was a saint among others including himself. 

He opened the front door,sling his bag over his shoulder  and went to Hoppers car and stood by it holding the handle.

“Kid it’s not happening, get back inside.”  Hopper ordered. 

“Open the door,” Mike said, determined. 

“No,” Hopper said, appalled by his attitude. 

Everyone else had now gathered around. 

“If you think i’m gonna spend what is most likely the last day  of my life stuck in a stuffy house full of people who keep staring at me, then i could get you charged for kidnapping”

“Seriously?” Hopper said unimpressed.  

“ It wouldn't look good for a chief ,regardless,” Mike said, not moving a muscle. 

Hopper scoffed but then pulled out the keys. 

“Henderson that super walike of youre’s better reach Penhurst” Steve said as they got into Steve's car to follow behind. 

A sudden chime caught Mike off guard and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, it was clear he was running out of time. 

-

The sun hit the graveyard’s hill softly,surrounded  by trees. Mike knew his dad hadn't given much thought of a burial place as Nancy’s death was so unexpected,at least her funeral was nice. 

“Don’t be too long,” Hopper said,his voice gentle but assuring. 

“Two minutes” Mike said, exiting the car leaving his bag in the car after pulling out a letter written ‘Nancy’ on the front. 

He walked away from the car only to hear the car door swing open again and see El running over to him. 

“El, wait in the car” Mike couldn't face her,not after this morning. 

“Mike,Please I just want to talk” El said, now facing him as he stopped. 

“What’s there to talk about?” 

“I wanted to thank you for yesterday” El looked nervous “ But Mike…you don’t have to do this alone” 

“El I want to. I’ll be fine” He almost wines at how cold he sounds.

“But you're not and i-i’m here for you and I love you.” Her voice was desperate but soft. “I’m right here.” 

Mike wants to let her in,she’s already seen him breakdown so what does he have to lose but-

“You don’t get it El,Nothing can fix this or me” He can feel himself screaming to let her in, his chest burning for the desire to tell her the truth, for him to say ‘ i love you too’ but he can’t.

He doesn't even feel as he turns away from her and continues to walk towards Nancy’s grave.Each step becomes more painful so much he doesn’t understand why he doesn't turn back to her. 

He comes to the top of the flat hill area and sits down crossed legged at the front of Nancys grave:

Nancy Wheeler 

Beloved Daughter and Sister 

 6th June 1967

 4th July 1985

Gone but not forgotten

He let out a shaky sigh as he unsealed the envelope and unfolded the letter and began to Read allowed praying silently that she would be able to hear him :

Dear Nancy,

I’ve written and rewritten this letter a hundred times in my head, and it still doesn’t feel right. Nothing I say could ever be enough. Nothing could make up for the fact that you’re… gone. That you’re not here to roll your eyes at me, to tell me I’m being ridiculous, or to just... be my sister.

I didn’t know how much I depended on you, how much you held us all together. You were always the brave one, the one who fought, who never backed down, who stood up for what was right even when it was terrifying. I always admired that about you, even if I was too stupid or too stubborn to say it out loud.

I still hear your voice sometimes—telling me to be better, to fight harder, to protect the people I love. And God, Nancy, I tried. I tried so hard that night. But I wasn’t strong enough to save you. I can still see it, you fighting there, ready to sacrifice yourself so that the rest of us could live. You didn’t even hesitate. That was you—always putting others before yourself, even when it cost you everything.

I think about all the things I never got to say to you. How you were my first hero, how you made me feel like maybe I could be brave too. How much I looked up to you, even when we fought, even when I thought you were being overbearing or unfair. You were always right, Nancy. About everything.

All I can think about is how much I miss you. How much I wish I could go back, just for a second, to tell you how much you mean to me. How much you’ve always meant to me.

Mom and Dad... they’re different now. Dad isn't even around anymore and like the complete asshole he always was he kicked me and Holly out. I don’t blame him for kicking Mom out. She’s changed, entirely… She's getting herself drunk out of her mind almost everyday and I want to say I understand why… but I can't. She yells at me wishing i was you- i sometimes wish i could be- i imagine sometimes pulling you back and taking the blow for you  and then maybe things would be better, for everyone. 

I miss you so much and i… can’t even tell anyone that you saved El’s life, Billy’s life or Everyone's life. I play your last moments back in my head all the time.I can remember  how brave you were,but then how terrified you were. I have nightmares about the terror of your face. I wish you were here because that would mean nothing would have changed,you would still be here to annoy me,Dad would still be around,Mom would be happy and Holly would still be able to have her older sister. I know that's selfish of me. 

I sometimes imagine that we could have gotten closer and had a better relationship, like a normal brother and sister and not lie to each other so much. I still remember refusing that I didn't have a crush on El and you said the same for Johnathan,turns out we were both in love, that’s properly the only good lie between us. I hid so much from you and I assume you did for me but that’s okay. I’m still happy that you were my sister. I only wish we could try again. But that’s not going to happen. 

I know it’s unhealthy but I tried to distract myself with a new normal life,so much i-i sometimes came home forgetting that you were gone,it felt so odd but it was normal for me to see you at home that I didn't have to expect you there. I was a coward and I'm sorry Nancy. I hid from everyone. I guess what I'm saying is I feel like part of me died that day too, and I haven't told anyone that. I wanted to tell you before it was too late. I really hope you can hear this,I’m sorry. 

Love,Your shitty little brother

 Mike

His chest burned with each sob that left his lips as he wiped the readily flowing hot tears that ran down his cheek as he delicately placed the letter back into the envelope.

Chime

Mike looked up as a coldness filled his body,fear tingled in his spine and terror twisted in the gut of his stomach.

He let out a shaky breath of horror as an eerie laugh echoed,it sounded almost like… Nancy. 

“Mike” The voice dragged out,sending a chill down his spine like nails on a blackboard. 

No.No that’s impossible he thought.He got shakily to his feet the letter fell from his hands unnoticed. 

-

Hopper looked out the car window at Mike who sat by Nancy’s grave.He was taking too long.He could feel El radiating her concern onto him. 

Something was off,he knew it. 

“All right, it’s been long enough.” Hopper said, getting out of the car. 

Everyone immediately erupted in protests. El especially so. 

“I don’t care about my reputation as a chief. But i’ll be dammed in i witness a murder” 

He walked quickened his pace with every step approaching the headstone leaving the other behind. 

“Mike” He said, shouting as he approached to give him some warning. “ It's time to go now,kid.” 

His heart dropped when he saw Mike’s face. 

“Wheeler?” His eyes were pulled to the back of his head and clouded over. “Mike,Kid?” 

He shouted desperately, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

Mike only twitched his head. 

-

“Mike” the figure came into view. “I’ve been waiting to hear those words for so long” 

The voice, however cruel, sounded angelicly soft. 

He stood there shaking trying to catch his breath as the figure came closer and closer appearing from the fog that had seemed to have filled the graveyard. Nancy emerged from the fog appearing the same way when she’d died only her body was alive and filled with a sad look of mockery upon seeing his sobbing face. 

“So very long” her voice,soft but humorous. 

A spluttering gasp fell upon his lips as he choked on his own tears.Her movement was uncharastically stiff and robotic and a small smile Mike had never seen fell on her lips.The gaping hole in her chest stood out as it had molded her her as if it was always there. He could have been sick with fear upon seeing her corpse alive. 

-

 “Guys,” Hopper called out towards the group waiting in the cars. 

He could hear the scrambled response of “Shit”, “I knew it”, “Somthings wrong” and “Fuck it’s Vecna”. 

“Mike,Wake up!” He said raising his voice, waving his hand in front of his face.

-

“I’m glad to hear it from you Mike” She approached him and Mike froze his feet rooted to the ground. “Of how much of a coward you really are, but it’s not the whole truth is it?” 

She brushed her hand across his cheek, wiping away some of his tears. 

Mike only caught himself choking on his tears more. 

“You must be glad to have all of the attention, all of the sympathy, the spotlight that I always had.” she said so softly. 

“What?” he sputtered in confusion. 

“There is a part of you that always hated me for getting the attention that you wanted, from Mom and Dad, from people at school but that's only because I was actually a likable person, you were always left, thrown to the side. But maybe that's why you like eleven so much is because she’s the first girl to actually pay attention to you” her voice snarked. 

“What,Nancy that’s not true”

“You were embarrassed to have me as your sister, I know that a part of you was glad that I died that day or was it that you wished to die for so long that you wanted to join me” Nancy's voice became louder and louder. 

“No,that’s not true, Nancy i-i loved you” 

“Love? You are too much of a coward to show anyone that, Just look at Eleven”

Mike was sobbing, stepping away desperately. 

“You hid from everyone like the coward you are believing they are better off without you and they are” 

He stepped further and further back, stumbling slightly. 

“It’s time to get what you finally deserve, join me, join me” Nancy's face disfigured, he could see El,Will,his Mom,his Dad,Holly and John’s faces looking at him in anger as they chanted.

“It’s not true i swear, it's not true  i swear, Please it’s not true, It's not true” Mike begged over and over as he sobbed, setting further and further away. 

Chime 

“You know how worthless you are, that is why you die, so join me” She chanted over and over. 

Chime 

“No, No, No” he sobbed,begging her to stop talking, to stop seeing her. 

Chime 

“Follow me into death” Nancy said her eyes, ever bitter and loathing, were filled with tears that began to fall.

Chime 

“No,No, please Nancy, I’m sorry”he cried. 

Chime 

“This is why I’am here,Mike,” She said, stepping closer.

Chime 

“No,No,No”Mike sobbed. 

Chime 

“To end your suffering,once and for all”her voice deepened  

Chime 

“No.”he cried. 

Chime 

He fell backwards off the elevated area, and let out a groan in pain as he scrambled to look up at Nancy. 

Not Nancy. 

Vecna. 

He looked as though he’d been entirely made from the vines from the upside down as they moved on his body as if they were one.

He let a startled gasp escape as Vecna spoke.

“It is time,Mike.”  his voice almost froze him on the spot,chilling,low. Mike would’ve thought he was death himself. “Time for you to join me”

A fire of adrenaline filled his veins as he pulled himself up hurdling himself into a  run.breathing heavily as his lungs burnt with his sharp breaths.He ran aiming for the woods as he ran past headstones, choking on his tears as he ran his body clenching itself in terror. 

-

“Mike,you have to get out of there! Can you hear me?” El cried desperately as she cupped Mike’s face looking into his eyes, rolled back and white,twitching every few seconds. 

“C’mon Mike wake up!” Will yelled. 

“Mike! C’mon Man” Lucas called. 

Steve grabbed Dustin by the collar “ Call Robin and Max! Go get’em! Robin and Max! Go!” 

Dusitn scrambled and took off running down the slope and launching himself into the car for his walkie. 

“Shit,Shit,Shit,Shit,Shit,Shit,Shit,Shit,Shit,Shit,Shit,Shit!”Dustin yelled “Max?Robin?Johnathan?Joyce? Do you copy? This is a code red.Do you copy?”

-

Mike ran his lungs burning as the air became colder and colder. He was getting out of breath. He wouldn't die, He wouldn't die but he wanted to, had wanted to? So why was he still running? He was scared.

He almost collapsed to the ground, his limbs feeling almost numb from the cold as he ducked behind a wall.Struggling to catch his breath as he peered around the wall to see where Vecna was. 

He appeared only a split second after he looked around,sending Mike into more dread.

No,he thought desperately,he wanted out. 

He surprised himself by admitting that.

He knew what he needed. He needed El. 

“EL! ELEVEN!” he spun around, almost expecting her to appear “DUSTIN! WILL! LUCAS! PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME! HOPPER!”

His cries echoed as he sobbed. 

“EL PLEASE HELP! EL!” he sobbed his screams raw from crying. 

His sputtering gasps were cut short as the white fog beneath his feet merged with red.The fog tangled around the gravestones and Mike stepped further paying no mind to the possibility of it being a trap.It could be a way out.The sound of thunder crackled.

He stepped closer and closer.Somthings felt odd.Somthing else.He went closer as the landscape formed.He moved through the red fog slowly pacing himself.Echo’s filled his ears,chittering,laughing,screaming,crying and clicking.He frowned his brows as he looked at the ground beneath him. It scwelched and stuck to the bottom of his feet,It was deep red,thick like blood,vines tangled in the deep red liquid.

Then he gazed up in horror as his stomach twisted more, the air become suffocating.As a bloody landscape appeared before him as looked up,Pillars of vines tall or short towered,derby lying on the ground or floating ,blood red clouds and miles of bloody ground surrounded him as thunder rumbled.

Mike felt the fear consume him. 

-

Dustin ran back up to the headstone flailing his arms out with a bunch of tapes and Mike’s Walkman.

“What-What is this?” Lucas asked in a panic as Dustin threw the tapes in front of Mike. 

“What’s his favorite song?” Dustin asked hurriedly

“What?” Hopper asked, his eyes almost bulging out his skull.

“Why,why?” Lucas asked. 

“Robin said- it's too much to explain right now! What's his favorite song!" Dustin yelled. 

Mike’s body began to convulse. 

-

Mike took stiff,long steeps as he walked up the bloody hill.He could see the lakes of blood and debris clustering,all to one area.He got closer to the top.His instincts told him to run, but he wasn't planning on being a coward. 

The echo of the clock got louder as he approached. 

 Thunder got more frequent. 

He was at the top he noticed a huge star case encased in vines and an odd peacefulness of the top of the hill.

Chime 

Mike spun around to see that, the clock was floating above him, the one he could hear hunting him. 

He walked closer, a door stained glass with roses, floating above him, a door frame, Windows- all parts of a house. 

“What are you doing in here,Mike?” Mike caught his breath as Vecna spoke, his eyes darted around to see if he was close but was still awestruck by the sights in front of him,However Mike didn't miss the surprise of his voice. 

Chime

A loud squelch beneath his feet caught him off guard as he looked down to the bloody surface and laid his eyes upon spider nests. Mike removed his foot only to stumble desperately back as thousands of small spiders crawled out from under death.

Catching his breath he noticed a drip sound .

He turned cautiously, only to catch a scream in the through upon seeing Chrisslys corpse entangled in vines; he turned away only to be confronted by Freds corpse. 

His panicked breathing increased as he felt another pressace, as he turned to see Vecna approaching him. He inhaled sharply. 

He walked towards him slowly as if he was mocking him. 

“How do you like them,Mike?” His deep voice seems to be magnified “Would you like to join them?” 

Mike’s eyes widened at the invitation,his breath quickened,he turned and ran. 

He was pulled backwards suddenly.He let out a grunt in pain as he hit the ground. He looked down to see a blooded vine twist itself into his ankle. 

“Shit”he cursed,as another strangled cry left his through as the vine coiled tighter around his leg. 

He screamed as he was dragged across the bloody ground.

“Shit,no,no” He tried to grip something but he was being pulled too quickly. 

He was then thrown upwards against a pillar,He coughed and sputtered slightly backing out from the force that was thrown only to realise the vines were coiling around his arms and neck.He gasped upwards trying to be out of its grab,but it only coiled tighter around his neck. 

He let out a whimper in pain as he struggled to breath, as Vecna approached him looking at him in disappointment as he growled. 

He cried and sputtered desperately as he came closer so Mike could see his face in all his grotesque glory as he towered over him. It was over, he was going to die. 

Welcome to your life

There’s no turning back 

Even while we sleep

We will find you 

Acting on your best behaviour 

Turn your back on mother nature

Everybody wants to rule the world 

Mike let out a strangled gasp as the music filled his ears as it echoed around him. 

Then he heard the desperate yells. 

“Mike! Get out of there!” El yelled in tears. 

“Come on,Mike,”Will yelled. 

“Come on Man” Dustin.

“Mike!” Lucas sounded terrified. 

“Come on,kid” Hopper said.

“They can’t help you, Mike” Vecna said dismissing the distant clearing of the fog,there was a…portal?

Mike could actually see them! in front of his figure still the the graveyard. 

Vecna turned towards him tilting his head in…pity?

He was losing air and his brain had become somewhat foggy as the vines tightened further he let out a strained gasp. 

“ There’s a reason you hide so much from them .” he said, barely inches away from his face.

It’s my own design 

It’s my own remorse

Help me to decide 

Help me make the 

“ You belong here,with me”

He gasped out again as the vine coiled more and Mike let out a cry of pain as he coughed. 

“You’re not really here.” He said gritting his teeth through his pain.

“Oh, but I am, Mike.” He stared him in the face as he raised his giant claw-like hand over his face. “ I am”

Most of freedom and of pleasure

Nothing ever lasts forever

-

Everyone crowded around Mike waiting,yelling, screaming desperately trying to get him out of the trance. 

Robin,Max,Johnathan and Joyce pulled up alongside Steve and Hopper's car and sprint to the hill as Mike’s body begins to leave the ground.

Everybody wants to rule the world

Everyone stumbles back in shock as Mike’s body leaves the ground,Some scream and Max gazes up in disbelief as Mike is stranded in mid air whispering ‘no’. 

There’s a room where the light won’t find you

“Mike!” El screams up at his floating body in the air, panicking. 

“Mike! Mike!” Lucas and Dustin yelling.

Will is frozen in horror. 

- 

Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down

He could hear their yells,as Mike sobbed desperately with Vecnas claw-like hand above him.

When they do,i’ll be right behind you

He squeezed his eyes shut, unwilling to face Vecna. 

So glad we’ve almost made it 

Memories flooded through his mind,like his blood coursing through his veins

So sad they had to fade it

Laughing with El as she covered his mouth as his horrendous singing.

Everybody wants to rule the world.

Cheering with Dustin,Lucas and Will  at their victory after a D&D game. 

Laughing at Dustin as he spoke through the new radio in Middle school AV club. 

Max going around in circles as they grinned at one another.

El dancing with him at snowball. 

Mrs.byers and Johnathan patching him up after a nasty bike accident. 

Mike and El smiling at eachother as they sat on the supermarket floor. 

Hopper talking to him in understanding outside the Byers-Hoppers house. 

Holly running to him grinning ear to ear just because she saw him. 

I can’t stand this indecision 

Married with a lack of vision 

Seeing El again after all those days.

Him and will on the sofa after trick or treating.

Him and Dustin hugging El after she saved him from the cliff.

Seeking into the movies with Will,Lucas and Max.

Surprising Dusin after he returned from camp.

Everybody wants to rule-

Say that you’ll never,never,never,never need it

One headline,why believe it? 

“I wanted to thank you for yesterday” El looked nervous “ But Mike…you don’t have to do this alone” 

“El I want to. I’ll be fine” He almost wines at how cold he sounds.

“But you're not and i-i’m here for you and I love you.” Her voice was desperate but soft. “I’m right here.” 

Everybody wants to rule the world

Mike’s eyes snapped open, as a surge of adrenaline filled him,with hope. 

He pulled hard at the vines coiled around his right arm as grabbed the vines on vecna's neck and pulled sharply dowards.vecna jolted backwards startled and the vines around Mike lost their grip on him recoiling from him in pain. 

He fell to the floor and looked up and he could see the way out so clearly.He ran. 

All for freedom and for pleasure

He ran down away from the debris and slipped slightly from the bloody path. He turned around to see Vecna standing,staring at him as he ran.  

A loud clap of thunder caught his attention and he cried out in alarm as a piece of debris fell beside him barely missing him as he almost fell. 

Nothing ever lasts forever

He ran further and further towards the portal in dereminted dodging and stumbling over his feet as the derby continued to fall.His legs burned in determination to make it.He would make it for El,for Will,for Lucas, for Dustin,For Max. 

The blood splattered over his body as the debris fell,the portal was close,he could ear their yells,he pushed toward stumbling into the portal as he left Vecna behind. 

Everybody wants to rule the world

-

Mike gasped,air filled his lungs then with a jolt he…fell.He hit the ground and eminently felt hands pulling him as he sobbed scrambling around blind. 

“Mike!Mike!” El’s voice pierces through the haze, sharp and filled with urgency, and before he can fully process it, he feels her arms around him, pulling him close.

Mike let himself collapse in her arms.Her warmth is overwhelming, grounding him in a way that nothing else can.

“El,” he whispers, his voice cracking, barely audible. His arms wrap around her tightly, as though afraid that if he lets go, he’ll be dragged back into Vecna’s grip. His fingers clutch the fabric of her shirt, his knuckles white, his body still trembling against hers.

He could see the other with urgency surrounding them but he could only see her.

“I thought I was... I thought it was over,” he murmurs, his voice raw and broken, muffled against her.

El pulls back just enough to cup his face, her hands warm and steady against his clammy skin. Her eyes search for him, wide with worry but brimming with love and relief. “You’re here,” she says softly, her voice trembling. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

Mike nods weakly, tears still spilling down his cheeks. He leans into her touch, his forehead pressing against hers as he tries to steady his breathing. Slowly, the world around him begins to feel real again—the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze, the distant chirp of birds, the steady rhythm of El’s heartbeat against his chest.

He swallows hard, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know how I made it out. I thought... I thought he had me.”

El shakes her head firmly, her grip on him tightening.

The silence was then broke by the other surrounding them, they had backed away 

“Holy shit man!” Dustin said, looking at his mouth still open from shock. 

“We thought we lost you,”Lucas cried. 

“I-i’m still here”he choked out, whispering “ Still here”

“Please never do that again,you scared the shit out of us” Will said crouching beside Mike.

Mike only nodded as he stared at the sunset that burned an orange and pink across the sky as he listened to El’s heartbeat and he realised for the first time in months he really, really wanted to live.

Chapter Text

Mike jolted awake in haze and music blaring in his ears, he turned to the clock in the living room it read : 7:47. He’d managed to sleep a possible time of twenty minutes each time getting startled awake as the song hit the chorus. There was a small amount of light creeping into the Hopper-Byers living room where everyone sat stationed on what they announced as of last night to be ‘Mike watch’ , which as much as he understood it pissed him off. 

He carefully detached himself from the blanket on the sofa as he got up cautiously so as to not wake anyone and as quietly as he could he walked across the living room and almost twisted his ankle in the process avoiding everyone sprawled out on the floor of the living room. Making his way to the dinning area Mike felt as though he’d been given some fresh air to avoid the suffocation of people as they seemed to believe the more people surrounding him the less chance Vecna would take him again. 

He walked closer, a door stained glass with roses, floating above him, a door frame, Windows- all parts of a house. 

“What are you doing in here,Mike?” Mike caught his breath as Vecna spoke, his eyes darted around to see if he was close but was still awestruck by the sights in front of him,However Mike didn't miss the surprise of his voice. 

Chime

A loud squelch beneath his feet caught him off guard as he looked down to the bloody surface and laid his eyes upon spider nests. Mike removed his foot only to stumble desperately back as thousands of small spiders crawled out from under death.

“Hey” A soft voice made him snap out of his trance.

Mike turned to see Will taking a seat beside him with a look of concern. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” Mike said in his voice, to his surprise,croaky.” I just couldn't sleep.People kept blasting music in my ears for some reason.”He tried to keep a more sarcastic tone. 

It won a small smile from will. 

“Mike are you really okay,i’d hope you’d be past the point of lying” Will said

“No, I guess I'm not,” Mike said, sighing.”It’s just a few of the things i-saw and Vecna told me…really…”

“Messed you up?” Will suggested,not unkindly.

“Am I not already?” He said jokingly.

Will kept a serious face of concern. 

“I just don’t really know how to put it into words i guess”Mike said his uncertainty clear. “I remember you…when you were-possessed you drew everything out.I don’t really have the talent.” 

Will paused in thought before saying “ I could help you” 

“Really?” he said in surprise. 

“Yeah,if you draw a sketch then I can help you”Will said, getting up and grabbing his pencil set and several pieces of paper. 

“Thanks”Mike said, feeling a rush of gratitude towards Will. 

-

About two hours later they were disturbed by the bustle of everyone waking up from the living room and their panic.

“Where’s Mike?” Lucas said.

“I don’t know!”Dustin said.

“What the hell you kids! You had one job!” Hopper said,his tiredness clear. 

With sudden movement everyone rushed into the dining area and Mike could all hear their sighs of relief. 

“Dude, never do that again!Both of you,” Dustin said, walking over to the table. 

“What's…all this?” Max asked frowning upon seeing the drawings of the red landscape being laid out in order of what Mike saw.

“Is that Fred and Chrissy?” El asked, pointing to the pillars.

“Yeah,it's like they were on display or something”He said in a low voice. 

“Display?” Hopper said, leaning over looking at the drawings in horror. 

“Yeah and the Vines were moving-i mean the whole place was alive and all of this was moving,connected to…Vecna and the clouds had this red lighting and thunder” Mike said pointing towards the strikes that Will had drawn. “And floating debry everywhere,he could control it as well-he had-...” Mike cut himself off not wanting to compare him to El. 

“Powers like me?”El asked stiffly. 

“Yes but…no they were different,they felt different” Mike said,it was partly true,they were a different kind of powerful. 

“Why did you draw out this part specifically?” Joyce asked, walking over with a large batch of chocolate chip pancakes.

“When I made it here,Well when it appeared, something was different” Mike said,his voice sounding cautious. “ He seemed surprised. Like he didn't want me there.”

“How come?” Dustin asked,his mouth full of pancake.

“He asked me what I was doing there,” Mike relayed from his memory. 

He could see the uncomfortable looks passed around the table.

“Maybe you invaded his mind? I mean he invaded yours so is it that much of a leap to say that you somehow wound up in his?” Dustin said. 

Mike frowned,as much as it made sense he couldn't understand how easy it was to get too if it truly was his mind.

“Like freddy krueger boiler room” Dustin said snapping his fingers as though it was a genius idea. 

“Freddy Kruegur?really?” Steve said. 

Dustin shrugged off the unimpressed looks.

“What if you somehow unlocked a backdoor to Vecna’s world?”He carried on with his theory. “I mean if we look at the drawings, we could find an answer?” 

“Yeah we could,” Jonathan said, leaning over and taking a closer look. “Does this not remind you of anything?”

Jonathan said, holding up one piece of paper that had a door with a sainted glass window on it. 

“Oh my god” Will said and helped Johnathan as they pieced together a house while folding and and ending the drawings. 

“It’s the creel house,Vecna’s first murder” Will said as he grabbed a black pencil connecting the house together. 

“Holy shit”Mike wispred.

“But why his first murder?” El wondered aloud.

“Maybe because he’s proud of it? I mean if you look at Chrissy and Fred, he puts them on display- like a trophy or maybe how he became connected to the upside down?” Mike theorised. 

“Well whatever it is, it's a starting point” Max said. 

“Yeah,” El said firmly.

Mike looked at her and noticed as she averted his gaze,her switch caused an uncomfortable feeling to squirm in the pit of Mike’s stomach with the familiar look in her eyes. She blames herself. 

“That’s great in all but El wants to make sure her powers are intact properly before we go diving into this mess even more,” Hopper said, looking at El carefully.

“That's… a great idea actually” Max said

“The field?” Will asked. 

“Yeah,she’ll need a wide space to practice in,” Hopper said, nodding as he grabbed a jacket.

“Field?” Mike said clueless. 

“Yeah there’s a huge field out the back,it was a bonus they didn't even realise came with the property” Lucas explained. 

“You kid’s can stay back,we don’t want you getting in the way” Joyce insisted  as Hopper and El walked out the front door. 

Mike looked longingly after her. He knew she felt guilty,responsible, for his possession of Vecna but he couldn't understand why. Maybe because she didn't use her powers? It wasn't like she was expecting it? He was stuck in thought. 

They sat around the table for an hour and a half with small talk passed around  slowly, until Joyce interrupted,she asked Mike to take out a radio and a snack for El to keep her energy up. Mike obliged. 

-

Walking out into the field pass a small dense amount of tree as instructed, he found the sight of El and Hopper by and Abandoned rusty car in the middle of the field,El stood by the car a walkie next to her and Hopper stood by the targets; three cola cans placed on a log of wood upright several meters from her, two out of three were crumbled. 

Hopper looked over in his direction, getting El’s attention,she paused in her concentration.Mike looked warily as he held up the items in his hand as he walked towards El who was wiping the blood from under her nose in her sleeve. 

He got to the car and placed the radio on the bonnet and handed El  the snack- an energy bar,which she accepted with a small thanks. 

He went to turn on his heels to go back to the house not wanting to disturb El but she caught his hand forcing him to stay put.She smiled at him,her eyes travelled to his neck where she looked at him with concern  as she saw his walkman was off as she looked at it attached to his belt. She frowned, then she turned on the radio and the volume was low. 

“Are you okay?” Her voice broke through the comfortable atmosphere, soft and concerned.

Mike hesitated, rubbing his palms on his jeans. “Yeah,” he said quickly, too quickly. “I’m fine.”

He internally winced, knowing how this conversation had ended yesterday.

El tilted her head. 

“Well,i’m not…but i just-” he cut himself off swallowing hard,running a hand through his hair anxiously. 

“Don’t know how to talk about anything?” She asked,her eyes the same curiosity in her wide eyes also filled with understanding. 

“Yeah” 

“Then talk about something that you can”

“I don’t know what to talk about either” He admitted, embarrassed. 

“What about what Vecna showed you?” El suggested softly.

Mike nodded. The memories of it were vivid, like dark ink seeping into his mind. “He…showed me…Nancy” Her name was like sandpaper on his tongue,unfamiliar,uncomfortable and painful. 

El’s brows knitted together in concern, he hadn't told anyone what he’d seen other than he scared him and that he ended up in the mindscape. Her silence prompted him to go on. 

He swallowed hard, trying to steady himself. “She was saying things. Horrible things. That I was a coward. That everyone would be better off without me.”

El’s eyes widened, her lips parting in shock. “Mike… no. That’s not true.”

He shook his head, arms crossing. “But it felt true, El. I’ve… I’ve thought about those things before. He made it feel like I deserved it. Like I belonged with him. Like… like I wasn’t enough for you, for anyone.I do deserve it” although it sounded more like an afterthought. 

El moved closer to him, She placed a tentative hand on his shoulder “Mike, that’s not real. Vecna—he’s cruel. He twists your fears into lies. You are not a coward. You do not deserve to…be hurt like that.To be…Killed”

He could have laughed at the irony of that,months ago he would have been furious for missing the opportunity to be six feet under. 

“I ran,” Mike said bitterly, his voice trembling. “I ran because I was scared. I’ve always been scared, El. And the worst part? He was right about one thing. I feel like I’ve spent my whole life hiding. From my parents, from my friends, from you. Like I don’t know how to be brave when it matters.”

El furrowed, her hand squeezing his shoulder. “You are brave, Mike. You’ve saved me before. You’ve saved all of us. And you’ve been there for me… through everything. Even when I thought I didn’t need anyone.”

Brave? Him? Something else he would have laughed at. But…

He finally met her eyes, his lip quivering. “I don’t want to lose you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

El reached out this time cupping his face with both hands. “You won’t,” she said firmly. “Mike, you are not alone. You don’t have to do anything by yourself from now on. I’ll always be here.”

The sincerity in her voice, the warmth of her touch—it was enough to break through the fog in his mind. His breath hitched, and he placed his hands over hers, holding them tightly.

“I love you, El,” he said, the words spilling out before he could stop them. His cheeks flushed, but he didn’t look away this time. “I love you so much it scares me. And I don’t ever want to let you down.”

El’s eyes shimmered with tears as she smiled softly. “You won’t,” she said, her voice steady. “I love you too.”

Before either of them could say another word,they were brought back to reality by the old radio with the opening to a familiar song, ‘every breath you take’ by the police. 

Mike let out a startled,nervous laugh, glancing at the radio. “What the hell…?”

El smiled, Mike's laugh like music to her ears, looking at the old car. “The worlds giving you a sign that i’m right” 

Mike chuckled. 

“I missed that”

“Missed what”

“Your laugh” 

Mike froze momentarily until El moved her hands to his shoulders and began swaying in rhythm to the music. For a moment El was scared Mike was going to shut off again and so was he, but instead he couldn't resist-

“You’ve been watching too many soap operas” He said looking down at her adoringly as a blush spread across his face. 

“C’mon” She giggled slightly as she led Mike's hands to her waist to dance. 

Mike’s stomach began doing somersaults ,feeling giddy remembering the snowball.

“Hoppers right there” He whispered in a sudden realisation of panic. 

“He’s fine, I mean unless you don’t want to…”   

“No, no, i mean i want to i just um” 

“You can’t use the excuse that you can’t dance,” She said, raising her eyebrows in determination. 

He hesitated, but the way she was looking at him—like nothing else mattered in the world—made it impossible to say no.

“Okay, we can…dance” He smiled slightly, as El grinned.

El placed his hand on her waist and rested hers on his shoulder, mirroring the way they’d danced all those years ago. For a moment, Mike’s awkwardness returned, his feet unsure, but as the song’s familiar rhythm surrounded them, he found his confidence.

Their movements were slow, unpolished, but perfect in their imperfection. Mike spun her gently, laughing when the spin nearly threw them both off balance. El laughed too, her face lighting up in a way he hadn’t seen in what felt like forever.

The lyrics wrapped around them.

Every breath you take

And every move you make

Mike lowered  his voice as the song played. “Do you remember what I said to you at the SnowBall?”

Every bond you break

El nodded, her eyes shining. “You said I looked… pretty.”

Every step you take

“You were,” he whispered. “You still are. Beautiful, actually.”

I'll be watching you

El’s cheeks flushed, and she leaned her forehead against his.

Every single day

“I remember how nervous I was… about dancing, I mean,” El said.”I didn't know if i was doing it right”

And every word you say

Mike chuckled, the sound warm and familiar. “Neither did I. I was terrified I’d step on your feet.”

Every game you play

Mike never thought he could ever feel this happy again. 

Every night you stay

“You didn’t,” she said with a small smile.

I’ll be watching you 

“Yeah, but I was so stiff,” he said, shaking his head. “I felt like a robot.”

Oh, can’t you see

El pulled back slightly to look at him, her expression playful. “You still look like a robot.”

You belong to me?

Mike gasped in mock offence. “Excuse me?!”

How my poor heart aches 

She laughed, her nose scrunching up in that way he adored. “It’s true. But I like it.”

With every step you take

“Well, for the record,” he said, his tone teasing, “you’re not exactly a professional either. Your spins are dangerous.”

Every move you make 

El raised an eyebrow. “Dangerous?”

And every vow you break 

“Yeah,” he said with a grin. “You nearly sent us both flying just now.”

Every smile you fake 

“Speak for yourself” She gasped though her fit of giggles.

Every claim you stake 

El laughed again, the sound light and free, and Mike couldn’t help but join in.

I’ll be watching you

For a moment, it was just the two of them, laughing and swaying in the field as if the rest of the world didn’t exist.

Since you've gone, I've been lost without a trace

I dream at night, I can only see your face

I look around, but it's you I can't replace

I feel so cold, and I long for your embrace

I keep crying, baby, baby, please

As the laughter faded, Mike’s voice grew serious again. “You know, I don’t think I ever thanked you. For everything. For saving me.”

Oh, can’t you see

“Thanked me?” El asked, confused. 

You belong to me

“While I was there,I was going to give up but I remembered you and…so many other things. But what- what you said to me before Vecna got-me… it pulled me out” He admitted,taking a deep breath as he felt his eyes glaze over again. 

How my poor heart aches

With every step you take

Every move you make

And every vow you break

Every smile you fake

Every claim you stake

“You don’t have to thank me,you saved yourself” El said simply. “ And you saved me first, remember? In the woods. You’ve always been my hero.”

I’ll be watching you 

“You saved yourself”, She was right. He had wanted to live more than he let on in his head than he thought.He just wanted to get rid of the festering thoughts which still laid in his mind.

Every move you make 

Although,Mike’s heart swelled, and he leaned his forehead against hers. “I don’t feel like a hero,” he admitted. “I feel… scared. Of Vecna. Of what’s coming next.”

Every step you take 

El cupped his face in her hands, her touch gentle but firm. “It’s okay to be scared. I’m scared too. But we’ll fight him.We’ll take him down before he even thinks about laying a hand on you again”

I’ll be watching you 

Mike smiled, as they swayed, no longer in rhythm but neither cared.

I’ll be watching you 

(Every breath you take)

(Every move you make)

(Every bond you break)

(Every step you take)

I'll be watching you

(Every single day)

(Every word you say)

(Every game you play)

(Every night you stay)

I'll be watching you

Mike looked at El while the sun had risen high into the sky, making El’s brown curls glisten in the sun and the gentle breeze blew  loose stands from her face showing her content smile. 

(Every move you make)

(Every vow you break)

(Every smile you fake)

(Every claim you stake)

I'll be watching you

(Every single day)

(Every word you say)

(Every game you play)

(Every night you stay)

I'll be watching you

El giggled as Mike twirled her around,Mike’s mouth ached from smiling, a real smile and his stomach hurt, not from hunger, but from laughter. 

(Every breath you take)

(Every move you make)

(Every bond you break)

(Every step you take)

I'll be watching you

(Every single day)

(Every word you say)

(Every game you play)

(Every night you stay)

I'll be watching you

As El lent closer and she looked up at Mike,Who was still giddy with nerves about how close she was to him,looked her in the eyes- Mike knew what Happened next,at the snowball, they had kissed. 

Her eyes flickered down to his lips, and his breath hitched.

El leaned in, her intent clear.

But before her lips could meet his, Mike turned his head slightly, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead instead.

The motion was gentle, but his heart clenched as he did it. The giddy warmth that had filled him moments ago evaporated, replaced by a sinking dread in his chest. 

“Love? You are too much of a coward to show anyone that, Just look at Eleven”

Vecna’s voice echoed,regret clawed at his skin as he could feel a pull of dread grasp his body. 

El looked up at him, confusion flickering across her face. “Mike?” she frowned.

“Now look at what you’ve done Mike”

“I-i…I’m sorry” He swallowed,his feet becoming unsteady,his legs feeling numb,he began to blink rapidly as pain shot through his head. He had moved away from El slightly,he placed a hand on the bonnet of the car to steady himself,putting a hand on his head- as if it could ease the pain.

That, was not a memory. What the fuck? 

“Mike?” El’s concerned voice seemed distant as did the music. 

His vision had gone blurry. 

“MIKE!” El yelped in alarm. 

Mike was confused as to why,but then he felt the warm blood on his top lip.He grabbed a tissue from his pocket and wiped the blood away.

“Hey, you okay kid” That was Hopper's voice.

“Yeah,” He said, embarrassed.

“Why don’t you put your music back on” 

“Yeah,okay” He said,his voice uneven, still bothered by the pain going through his head. 

“We’re gonna head in now anyway.I need to go for my shift” Hopper said,still looking over Mike in concern. 

Mike nodded, placing his headphones on and turning on the walkman.He couldn't help but feel humiliated.

His embarrassment eased however when El fell into step with him and bumped her shoulder with his arm as a gesture of ‘ don’t worry it’s okay’. 

-

As soon as Hopper and Joyce had departed to the police station, with Johnathans reminder to check the files for the Creel murders,the group got ready to leave with steves car leading the way with dustin on Map duty in the front and Jonathan's car not far behind they made their way to the creel house. 

A pit in the bottom of his stomach twisted.

The Creel House loomed before them like a malevolent force brought to life, every shadow across its façade writhing with some unspeakable memory. Mike took a shaky step forward, his eyes travelling up the crumbling structure, and his chest tightened. It wasn’t just the house itself—it was the way it seemed to breathe, to watch him back.The windows, shattered in places and smudged with years of grime, stared down at him like hollow, unblinking eyes. The curtains behind the wood that boarded them up, through tattered and unmoving, looked as though they might twitch at any second. 

“Yeah, that's not creepy” Steve stated sarcastically. 

The group came close to the door,Steve and Johnathan worked at the door that had been nailed shut with a wooden board.

Mike couldn’t explain it, but the house didn’t just feel abandoned. It felt alive. Or worse—like something inside it was waiting.He tried to ignore the shaking in his hand. 

“What exactly are we supposed to be looking for in this shithole?” Steve asked. 

“We're not sure. We just know this house is important” Will answered. 

“Because Mike saw it in Vecna’s red soup mind world?” He retorted, his voice still laced in confusion. 

“Basically” Max answered. 

“Yeah,” Jonathan replied. 

“Great,”Steve said.

“Maybe it holds a clue to where Vecna is.Why he’s back. Why he killed the Creels.And how to stop him before he comes back for Mike” Dustin said.

“We don’t think he’s in here,do we?” Lucas asked sceptical, while Max beside him shared the same uncomfortable look.

“Only one way to find out,” Mike spoke up,as Steve and Johnathan nodded to each other as they released the wooden cover from the door out of their grip.

The wood covering the door came down,in a small gust of wind as it fell. Mike flinched slightly. He looked up to see the familiar stained glass window.

“What are you doing in here,Mike?” 

Mike felt as if a reflex of his own fear overtook him and he grabbed El’s hand. 

Steve gripped the door Knob and went turned it several times only to be met with the rattling of the rusting door knob.

“It’s locked. Should I just knock and see if anybody's home?” Steve asked, turning around to the others. 

Mike didn't miss the smirks that Dustin,Lucas and Max shared at the sight of Mike holding El’s hand. 

“No need.” Robin said,as she held up a brick “I found a key”

She stepped up just onto the porch, and threw it through the window after Steve and Johnathan had stepped back. 

Carefully Steve peered in then found the door handle inside,turned it and the door swung open. 

They cautiously walked inside, Steve let out an appreciative whistle and as soon as Mike walked in he saw why.

The house had a faint musty smell and any glory it might have at once was rotted and torn away. He could vaguely hear the conversions going on as he turned on his torch light. 

“When did everyone get those?” Steve asked, confused.

“Do you need to be told everything?” Dustin's tone clearly showed he was unimpressed. “You’re not a child”

“Thank you” 

“Back pocket,” Dustin said, handing his bag over to steve.

Mike paid no attention to this as he walked further into the entryway to see the torn wallpaper and the abandoned rooms,his chest tightening and his heart dropped when he saw a familiar outline by the stairs. He quickly turned around to see if the others were still there- they were. 

He shone his torch directly onto the grandfather clock.

“Hey- uh guys, you all see that right?” he asked, trying to prevent any fear creeping into his voice.

“Yeah,” Jonathan answered  standing next to him. 

“Yeah” Lucas and Dustin chimed in. 

“Yes,” Will answered. 

He had everyone's attention on him now. 

“Is this what you saw? In the vision?” Will asked,Mike knew he was recalling the drawing of that morning of the mindscape. 

Mike let out a shaky but firm “ yeah” 

“I mean it's just a clock,right?” Robin said from behind Mike as she went closer to it and wiped off the thick layer of dust that had built up over it. “Like a normal old clock.”

“Why was this wizard obsessed with clocks?”Steve wondered aloud “Maybe he’s like a clock maker?”

“Think you cracked the case, Steve,” Dustin said sarcastically. 

“Well all we know is that the answers are here, even if it is the creepy clock” Will said in the award silence that had followed. 

“It must be important if in his mind-...”El stuck for words gentured to her head. 

“Mindscape” Dustin promoted. 

“Yeah, it must be, i mean my mind place is important too”

“Yeah but it's nothing like how you describe yours-its a place to keep his victims- not find them. But if he’s in the upside down he must have a place where he finds his victims first and we can’t rule out this house yet” Mike added in. 

“Yeah” Jonathan said “ In that case everyone in groups of two, Will with me”

Will followed Johnathan without hesitation,Mike couldn't help but be fond of the site, he’d noticed how much more Johnathan was sticking close to Will with the remergence-he’d cut off the old feeling of resentment he’d had towards Will being able to get along with Johnathan so well a long time ago. 

“Looks like there's going to be a trio so, can I go with you two?” Robin said, stepping forward to Lucas and El, who had both expected to go with their partners. 

“Um- ah” Lucas stuttered looking at Max for help. 

Max snorted and then grabbed Mike by the arm and pulled him away into the first room “come on” 

Mike could hear the sigh as Steve got paired up with Dustin once again and began to bicker up the stairs. 

Mike placed his headphones back on, not just because of the bickering but the increasing unease he felt. 

Only fifteen minutes into their search  Mike’s headphones stopped as the loop came to a hold.He pulled them off and began to rewind the loop. 

“It’s a shame there's not a longer loop,” Max said, filling in the silence to Mike’s surprise,Why would she want to talk to someone she hates?

“I don’t know, i mean forty-six minutes isn't bad” Mike said, then a loud creak startled him and his breath hitched. 

“You good?” 

“Yeah,” Mike said quickly, his voice tight. “Totally.”

Max stopped,raising an eyebrow. “You’re a terrible liar, you know that?”

Mike sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I said I’m fine.”

“Right.” Max crossed her arms, her flashlight resting in the crook of her elbow. “Look, I get it. You just got out of Vecna’s freaky mind prison or whatever. You don’t have to pretend like everything’s fine. Because it’s not fine, is it?”

“I talked to El about it okay i really don’t want to talk to anyone else about it” Mike snapped. 

“Okay, geez” Max said and to Mike’s annoyance there was humor in her voice. “But stop acting like that”

“Like what?” 

“Like the house is going to eat you alive” Max said her voice slightly snarky “relax”

Mike could feel his face flush in embarrassment, he’d hoped no one would notice his uncomfortableness. 

“Easy for you to say. You weren't…” Mike stopped himself, he didn't want to have this conversation. 

“No i wasn't but i know it must suck to have all of your worst fears and insecurities throw back into your face” 

“How can you know that?” Mike found himself trying to push down the rising anger. 

“Billy. Well before the- Mall he would throw back any insecurity,anything i hated, anything i liked about myself and be as cruel as you could imagine- I obviously don’t know what it’s like to have a alternate dimension creature go into my head but i think i got a pretty good idea of what it might feel like, of how you feel” Max said turning her head away from him slightly. 

“A pretty good idea of how I feel?” Mike asked, not confusion or anger or amazed- he wasn't sure what. 

“To feel like no matter what you do, it’s not enough, like you don’t deserve the chance to be here- living while others suffer.” Max said, looking him dead in the eye. “I’m not a stranger to wanting to die on spot and that spot following you everywhere you go” 

Mike pretended not to notice the waver in Max’s voice.

She knew? Had she told the others? Did the others know how she felt?

“Most of that stuff is still in the past but- you get bad days.I mean even though i hated Billy when he was possessed it still killed me inside and i hoped i could-...” Max cut herself off,Mike knew she didn't want to say what was next. 

“Be in his place” It wasn't a question,Mike knew,but he still lowered his voice to a whisper at the words. 

“Yeah,come one wheeler- i got all mushy and shit it's your turn”

Mike snorted and took a few seconds- his music now returning to its loop as he spoke.  

“It- it was horrible- he told me things that i had maybe considered for a second but they were vile enough- or… things that had been rotting in my brain for months…like that i was- embarrassed to have Nancy as a sister because she always outshone me in everything that i tired…no matter how much i tired i could never keep up with her and- how-how proud our parents were of her… and even when i made the same achievement it was- pathetic compared to her. I hated her sometimes. But I loved her,she was incredible that no matter how much i hated her she was… too amazing to hate.That sounds stupid, i know” Mike said 

“No, it’s not,” Max said vaguely, expecting him to continue. 

“I actually denied everything she- well Vecna told me. Even though it was coming from my own thoughts” Mike wispred as embarrassment crept into voice. “She said that I was glad that she died- and i- “ Mike swallowed back tears. 

“But anyone would deny it. It doesn't make you a coward. It makes you human” Max said, shrugging. “I know I would.”

Mike swallowed hard, her words settling uncomfortably in his chest. “I… I feel like I’m never going to get away from him,even if I do survive this shit ,  It's like he left pieces of himself behind. He knows how to make me feel…” He clenched his fists, searching for the right word. “ Small. ”

Max nodded, her gaze steady. 

“One step at a time and there is not a chance I'm letting you die wheeler. So get that thought out of your head.” 

Mike let a small smile of a new found fondness for Max creep in. 

Flicker

Mike turned and stood closer as he saw the light continue to flicker. 

“You can see that right?” He asked turning around to Max. 

“Yeah” she said, her eyes widening with fear. 

Then the sounds of flickering startled them as it continued to a lamp outside the room.Mike carefully walked out the room as the lights continued to flicker- then it led up stairs.Mike looked back at Max who had a look of fierceness as they both ascended the stairs where the other were.

They got to the landing to see Dustin and Steve look at them confused. 

“What are you guys doing up here? Did you find something?” Steve asked. 

“Yeah,” Max replied. 

However Mike was too fixated on the lights which travelled into the next room and a flickering chandelier was the next to light, but this time it stayed.

He paid little attention to the growing crowd around him as the others figured out what he was onto. 

“He’s here” Will whispered into the uncomfortable silence.

“How do we know that? It could just be faulty electricity?” Robin said, confused.

“When i was upside down i could communicate through the lights and before i was taken- the lights were-... coming to life” Will said uneasy,Johnathan looked at him in worry. 

“He’s just on the other side,” Lucas wispred. 

The flickering came to an abrupt stop. 

“You think he just left the room?” Robin asked. 

A sudden sinking in Mike's stomach began as he realised- “Do you think he can hear us?” 

“Can he see us?” Steve asked. 

“Headphones,” El said to Mike. 

“Everyone turn off your flashlights and spread out” Mike said, it was a shot in the dark but his idea could work if they wanted to find him, the lights would know.

“But we won’t be able to see if we don't have our flashlights…” Steve trailed off behind Mike as everyone parted ways upon his order. 

Despite being told to spread out, El stayed right by his side. He rounded the corner into the next room before- 

“I got him! I got him!” Robin's voice called from the other room.

And in seconds they were all crowded around her and her torch which was lightened up. 

It suddenly flickers then- nothing.

“I had him,” Robin said disappointed. 

“Woah” Steve said as his torch lit up.”I think he’s moving! He’s moving!”

Steve began to follow the torch light as did everyone else.

They went down a small flight of steps and then… it stopped. 

“Shit i think we lost him,” Steve said.

He was wrong however and Mike noticed it,a small door stood ajar- barely.

“No you didn't” Mike said, stepping  forward and revealing the doorway that led to another flight of stairs. 

Mike briefly turned around to the others to see their sceptical faces before rolling his eyes.He cautiously went up the first few steps before perring around the bottom of the stairs and continued up as they, despite the musty smell, did not appear to hold a threat. 

He could hear the choirs of footsteps following his lead and Dustin's complaints being drowned out. 

All of the torches began flickering in unison as they found the light that had been leading them into the attic- a bulb was flickering rapidly in the centre. 

They suddenly begin to glow brighter and Mike sees as the color from Will and Els' face drains. The glow from their flashlights became almost blinding, their beams converging on the bulb like they were being drawn to it.

Robin leaned in closer, squinting at the bulb. “Okay, that’s definitely not normal,” she muttered, her voice tight with unease.

“No,it's not, ” Lucas said, panic creeping into his tone.

Mike let out a startled cry as his flashlight’s bulb shattered.

El’s followed close by, then Max,then Steve,then Lucas,then Robin, then Wills, then jonathans and then Dustins.

“Holy shit” Max said, panting slightly from the sudden adrenaline rush. “What the fuck just happened?” 

Chapter Text

The house was empty when they got back, although it raised some concerns they all opted to head to bed in the living room. Although Mike couldn't help but notice El’s still tossing and turning until about 1AM when Hopper and Joyce came back,Music still blasting in his ears, he couldn't make out what they were saying. However Mike was certain that another murder had taken place- not by the whispers but by how ashen faced Joyce looked as she cradled a mug as she sat in his eyeline by the dining room table as she let tears escape her while trying to be as quiet as possible. Hopper sat opposite her, his eyes distant but not teary like Joyce although he had gone paler than her, Mike had assumed they’d seen the body in more gory and Joyce hadn't seen Chrissy or Fred. 

When the clock said 7:00 AM Mike took that as his signal to get up and detangle himself from the blankets and weave his way around others.He went to the bathroom and changed into the only spare set of clothes he had, he traded his dark green jeans for brown ones and a green plaid shirt that unintentionally reminded him of the ones El used to wear and his light navy jacket. He stopped in his step by the surprise of the smell of Eggo waffles floating around the kitchen. El turned around smiling at him- Mike guessed he had fallen asleep at some point because he hadn't seen her get up. She was wearing light blue jeans,fastned with a brown belt and a light pink,grey and white patterned jumper and a cornflower blue long sleeve top underneath,Mike only smiled at her appearance.  

“Good morning”

“Morning,did you uh sleep okay?” It was a stupid question to ask knowing she hadn't. 

“I slept okay,” She lied.

Mike raised an eyebrow. 

“I didn't really sleep at all,” She said in a small voice.

She walked over to Mike and instead of heading straight to the dining table she handed Mike one of the two plates he hadn't noticed she was carrying.

“Oh- thanks” He sputtered.

“No problem” El said, drifting past him sitting at the table and pulling out a chair next to her for him. 

Mike's smile quivered in amusement as she gestured for him to sit down next to her. He took his seat and began to eat the Eggo waffles that El had drowned in syrup and put whipped cream on top with sprinkles, just how she had made him back when he visited her in the cabin. 

As he finished up the Eggo, only then he noticed the eyes watching him closely,contently. He turned to see El watching him, her plate already finished, she flushed when Mike turned to look at her. 

“Did you sleep okay?” She asked not to turn away now that Mike was looking at her. 

“Well-no i might have gotten somewhere between fifteen minutes to an hour- i don’t know,But i can manage not having a lot of sleep” Mike responded casually only to be filled with regret after noticing the sad look on El’s face. 

“That’s not healthy- Mr.Wilson said we need eight to ten hours a night or more to help our bodies grow properly” El said, her eyes growing wide in a concern as she recisted her knowledge, she always did that when reciting althing she learnt. 

“Is that so?” Mike smiled at her, feeling a rush of pride for her knowledge. 

“You lovebirds alright in here?” Dustin said upon entering the dining room with a plate of tost, only to gasp dramatically “What?! He got Eggos! You would kill me and anyone else if we went near your stash of Eggos!”

“Mike is an exception” She stated simply as if it were obvious. 

Dustin was left sputtering as in no time the dining room began to fill up with bed hair and the smell of coffee. Once everyone had eaten and settled, Hopper called for everyone's attention.

“As of this morning, Eddie will be named as the person of interest- as the chief now of all times my power is limited as all other officers suspect him as well as all evidence points to him- i don’t want to go on the news with false information but if i don’t then my other officers will.” Mike could see the shame in Hopper's voice about his action he was about to make. 

There was an uproar around the table of fury by the members of Hellfire club. 

Hopper gestured for them to settle down but Mike could still see that Dustin was seething with rage at Hopper. “Although…” Hopper continued, pausing as he was trying to put together the words- Mike had no doubt that the speech he would be making later on would be pre-written for him. 

“Last night there was another murder-...by Vecna as we can tell.” Hopper started, and a flurry of uncomfortable and worried looks shared around the table. “ The victim's  name was Patrick McKinny…”

Mike didn't hear anything after that,he looked at Lucas who’s eyes had gone wide,he almost looked  confused, his hands shaking. 

Lucas would figure it out. 

Mike already had. 

He’d caught a glimpse of Patrick getting dropped off by his Dad one morning, it was clear it wasn't a common occurrence. He didn't fail to notice the violent flinch that Patrick had when his Dad held up his hand in a threatening manner, nor did he miss the black eye.  

Mike and Max made eye contact from across the table clearly in the same mindset as him, Mike took notice as she interlinked Lucas’s shaking hand with hers and squeezed it in a sign to bring him back to reality as he did not appear fully present. 

Hopper and Joyce made a quick departure after the conversation ended.

Mike could once again feel the eyes upon him in concern, pity and fear.

“Shit we should properly try and call Eddie!” Dustin said abruptly getting up from the table to retrieve his walkie. 

“Fuck” Lucas hissed in realisation, Eddie would no dout be losing his mind. 

“ Hey Eddie this is Dustin ,do you copy?” 

Silence.

“Eddie? Do you copy” 

More silence-...then a crackle- Dustin held his breath and then- 

“Dustin? Can you hear me? Byers?” Eddie's voice crackled through. 

 “Eddie. Holy shit. Are you okay?” Dustin said. 

“Nah,Man.Pretty…Pretty goddamn far from okay.” Eddie's voice was shaking even without the sound of a bad range. 

“Where is he?” Will asked urgently. 

“Where are you?” Dustin relayed into the walkie. 

“Skull rock. Do you know it?” he replied. 

“Uh,Yeah. Thats near Cornwallis and –” dustin began. 

“Garrett,yeah. I know where that is.” Steve said quickly, cutting him off. 

Others around Mike began to move. 

“Tell him we will be there after we get him some food, alright?” Steve said. 

“Eddie Hold tight. We’re coming, we just need to get some supplies and we’ll be right with you!” Dustin said as he followed behind the others who were now pialing into the byers car. 

-

It was a short eight minute drive to the closest supermarket, but even then it didn't stop Mike from being suffocated, literally. He was being stared down as well as squashed between people. He only let out a quiet sigh of relief when they pulled into a parking space by the supermarket. 

It was hectic right from the beginning, but he didn't  expect any less from a bunch of teenangers going shopping for a wanted man. They split up to collect needed items and in the hecticness of it all Mike had been chosen to retrieve Eddie's six pack of beers and bring it back to steve- because that was smart,he thought sarcastically. 

He turned down the aisle playing little notice to those around him, and now it thought about it he probably looked really out of place for a teenager with ragged clothes and bags under his eyes walking to collect a pack of beers with his headphones on, definitely didn't look dodgy.

But then he was snapped out of thought, in the middle of the aisle, John was suddenly there.

The beer bottles in his basket clinked together as he turned, his face breaking into a smirk that made Mike’s stomach churn.

“Well, well,” John said, his voice too loud, too casual. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

Mike’s blood ran cold.

His eyes darted to the party, but they were too far away. His fingers twitched toward his sleeves, nails digging into his palm.

“Hey, don’t look so scared,” John chuckled, stepping closer. The scent of stale cigarettes and beer clung to him like a second skin. “We’re in public, aren’t we?”

Mike swallowed hard. His breath felt trapped in his chest, his body locking up as John placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.

“You haven't been home in a while, neither has your little sis, your Mom is beginning to worry.Don’t tell me, you’ve been avoiding me?” John murmured, squeezing just enough to make a point. “That’s not very nice, is it?”

Mike’s whole body screamed at him to run, but his legs wouldn’t move.

John leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to something only Mike could hear. “Now, you wouldn’t want to make a scene, would you?”

Mike’s breath came in sharp, uneven bursts. He could feel himself folding in, his shoulders hunching. It was automatic, an old habit— Don’t react, don’t fight, just get away.

John smirked again, patting his cheek with rough fingers. “That’s a good boy.”

The world felt like it was tilting. He barely registered John, stepping back, winking as he turned to the register.

Mike stood there, frozen in the middle of the aisle, the noise of the store blurring around him.

It took everything in him not to be sick right there on the floor.

That bastard. 

Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the six pack and headed back to the party. And it wasn’t until they had paid and were walking out with somehow six bags of shopping was he questioned by El. 

“Who was that?” She asked in a low voice only talking directly to Mike. 

“Who was what?” Mike tried to play it off. 

“Who was talking to you?” El pressed her voice becoming more serious.

“That was um-...my Mom’s boyfriend.” Mike answered. 

“The bad guy?” El asked in concern, her brows knitting together. 

“Well- yeah” Mike supposed it was an accurate description of him. 

“Was he being mean to you? Did he hurt you?” El asked urgently. 

“No,no, no- he was just wondering where i’d been” If he told her the truth she’d possibly go after him and the last place El deserved to be was prison. 

“Okay” El said, but Mike could tell that she didn't entirely believe him, but to his relief dropped it. 

- 

The car drive was not as intense as Mike thought it would  be, Steve and Dustin were debating over which pingle flavor was better. Max,Lucas and Will were talking between each other in low voices so Mike could barely catch what they were talking about. El was sitting next to him,as his music barely drowned out the surrounding conversations.Robin and Johnathan who were in the passenger and driver's seat were debating on how to talk to Eddie or more, break the news he was going to be publicly announced a wanted man. 

“Could I just maybe sit in the car then,cause this visit is gonna totally and royalty suck.” Robin was saying. 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine” Jonathan said,shrugging, in Mike's opinion, too laid back for delivering this kind of news. 

“I just can’t bear to see those dull eyes of Eddie's break again. I really,really can’t.” Robin said. 

“At least he can drink himself into feeling better.” Steve added helpfully from the back. 

“That’s what my Mom does” Mike couldn't help but mutter,earning a concerned look from El. 

“Why don't we just give it a trial?” Robin continued,clearly not hearing him. “Hey Eddie,uh,good news first this time. We got you Dustin-proof junk food and that six pack you requested. Oh yeah and we found Vecna. Only the bad news is that he’s in that other,darker, much scarier dimension that we told you about and the gates closed,so we have no way of getting to him.” She rambled on. “ He’s like entirely shut off from us,so basically you’re screwed.And,no,I know you were already screwed, but now you’re like doubly,triply screwed.”

“Wait. Maybe we don't put it like that” Lucas spoked up,looking taken aback by robin. 

“We’re one step closer to finding Vecna. That’s what’s important” Jonathan said,concluding the debate. 

Mike was just glad the debate was over.

“See Robin? Positive spin can make all the difference.” Steve said. 

“Uh-huh.” Robin said,the annoyance in her tone. 

-

When they had found a decent parking spot so it hid the car well enough they made to walk the rest of the way to skull rock, Mike walked by El’s side while they stayed cautiously far enough behind Lucas and Max who seemed to be having a conversation about Patrick. 

Up front he could  still hear Steve and Dustin debating. 

“Dude,I’m telling you,you’re taking us the wrong way.”

“It’s north.i’m positive.I checked the map” 

“You do realise that Skull-rock is like a super popular make-out spot, right?” 

“Yeah. So?”

“Yeah,well, it wasn't popular until i made it popular. All right? I practically invented it. We’re heading in the wrong direction.” Steve instied, making a turn for the opposite direction dustin was going in. 

“Steve.Where are you going ? Steve!”

“Stop whining. Let’s go. Trust me.” 

Mike only followed in confusion. Why would Dustin be wrong if he was the one with a map and a compass?Surely Steve wasn't that desperate to be right to lead them off the wrong path- but then as Steve said if he was the one who ‘practically invented’ the spot then why would Dustin be wrong? it ‘s not like his equipment was? 

Especially a compass…the compass!

It clicked and in the right time as-

“Oh Boom! Bada bing Bada boom.There she is Henderson.Skull rock. In your face man,in your stupid,cocky little face.” Steve said. 

“It doesn't make sense.” Dustin said. 

“Yeah,yeah. Even with it staring you in your face you can’t admit it.Can’t admit that your wrong, you little butthead.” Steve said mockly as they all gathered in the opening. 

“I conquer” Eddies voice appeared and they all turned around “ you, Dustin henderson, are a, total butthead”

“Jesus,we thought you were a goner.” Dustin said, hugging Eddie. 

“Yeah me too, man” Eddie said, Mike could hear his relief.”Me too.” 

The other gathered around,giving Eddies food that he gratefully accepted as they made light conversation. 

“Dustin!” Mike hissed to pull his attention away from the others.

“What?” 

“Your compass was wrong!” 

“wrong ? but compasses can’t be wrong?...”Then Mike saw as it clicked in Dustin's head. 

“Holy shit! Holy shit! You're a genius!” Dustin said eagerly  “ I knew it didn't make sense! Boom!” 

“Dude? What the hell?” Steve said, apparently he’d gained everyone's attention. 

“Bada..bada…boom. I was right. Skull rock was north,”Dustin said. 

“Seriously? You’re serious?” Steve said, unimpressed. 

“Mm-hmm” 

“This is skull rock. Okay?” Steve exclaimed,annoyed. 

“Mm-hmm”

“You’re totally,absolutely, a hundred percent wrong.Right now.” 

“Yes.And no.” Dustin said excitedly. 

“Oh my god.” Steve looked completely fed up. 

“This compass was working correctly when we left the byers.Correct when we were on the road on curly. But it started to slip the further east we went. Now it’s way off.When i was leading us here, i wasn't wrong. The compass was.” Dustin explained. 

“So you’re using faulty equipment. It still means you’re wrong”  Steve said. 

“Except it isn't faulty.” Dustin said. 

Mike thought it best to cut in before things got too out of hand. 

“ A compass can be affected by an electromagnetic field.” Mike spoke up. 

“Yep,” Dustin said.

“I’m sorry I must have skipped that class.” Robin said, puzzled. 

“In the presence of a stronger electromagnetic field, the needle will deflect towards that power. We used this theory  once when Will went missing and we were trying to hunt down the gate” Mike explained. 

He could see from the corner of his eye of Will's realisation and El’s guilt.

“So that means there's a gate around here?” Will asked. 

“Basically or a super big magnet” Mike said. 

“But nowhere near the lab?” Jonathan said. 

“But what if, somehow,there’s another gate?” Dustin said, raising an eyebrow. “A gate that we don’t know about? It’d have to be smaller, way less powerful”

“Snack-size gate.” Robin said. 

“How? Why?” Steve asked.

“No idea. All I know is that something is causing these disturbances, and the last time we’ve seen anything like it, It was a gate. And I hope it is because then we have a way to Vecna. And a shot and freeing Mike from this curse.” Dustin said,then turned around to leave. 

Steve said in alarm “ Where are you going? Hey,hey,hey,hey,hey. Eddie’s still a wanted man. We can’t just go for a hike in the woods.” 

“This little steel capsule might be the key to saving both Eddie and Mike. What say you, Eddie the banished?” Dustin asked.

Everyone's attention turns to Eddie.

“I say you’re asking me to follow you into Mordor,which,if I'm totally straight with you, I think it’s a really bad idea.” Mike could see others nodding in agreement. “ But,uh,the shire…the shire is burning” 

Beside him Dustin was bouncing up and down in excitement of Eddie’s words. 

“So Mordor it is.” Eddie said getting up, and walking to Dustin.

Everyone looking exasperated other than Dustin followed. 

- 

Walking closely to Dustin as he began to speed up as the compass began to go haywire was not the best idea as he began to go almost crazy with his excitement. 

“Somthings happening.” As they began to emerge from the bushes he had led them through. 

“Dustin? Can you slow down? Dustin?” Eddie called. 

“I think we're getting close!” Dustin said, turning blindly back to the others. 

“Dude, watch your step” Mike said as he grabbed Dustin's bag before he fell into the water. 

“Oh man.” Steve said “you gotta be shitting me” Steve said. 

“Yeah. I thought these woods looked familiar” Eddie said. 

“Lovers lake.” Robin said. 

“This is confounding.”Dustin said. 

“There’s a gate in Lovers lake?” Mike said astounded, he thought that the vines went around water? Maybe it was different this time- a gate wasn't like the tunnels.

“Whenever the demogorgon attacked, it left a gate, what if Vecna is the same?” El said. 

“That’s true. It’s possible.” Mike said. 

“Yeah,but only one way to find out.” Steve said. 

Taking the cover off the boat and lowering it into the water. 

“Easy. i… said easy,man” Steve said.

“Sorry, dude.” Eddie said. 

“Here you go” Steve said, helping Robin into the boat. 

“Yeah,I'm just gonna do that,” Robin said, using Steve and Eddies heads to help her get into the boat. 

“Yeah that works too” Steve muttered. 

Eddie got in next followed by Johnathan,who was helped in by Eddie. 

Dustin then saluted the group and tried to get in the boat alongside them. 

“Hey,hey,hey, you trying to sink us? This thing is three people tops okay?” Eddie said, pushing Dustin back lightly. 

“It's properly better this way, okay? You guys stay here with Mike.” Jonathan said. “And keep and eye out for trouble” 

“You keep an eye out,” Dustin sassed back. “ It’s me and Mike’s goddamn theory!” 

“You heard Johnathan” Robin said. 

“Who put him in charge?” Dustin said,growing even more annoyed. 

“I did,” Robin said. 

“Compass.” Jonathan said, holding out his hand expectancy,Mike was glad, it seemed Nancy's confidence had managed to rub off onto jonathan. 

Dustin scowled, but gave in, handing the compass over. He backed away. 

“Hey, here you go” Steve said, throwing Dustin's bag back at him, then getting in the boat. 

“Ow,” Dustin muttered. “You said Three!” he then exclaimed. 

“Sorry” Steve said as the boat made its way out into the lake. 

“Bedtime at nine Kiddos,” Robin called. “Miss you already!” 

Dustin only pulled the finger at her. 

They made their way almost to the centre of the lake before abruptly stopping. 

“Wait,wait,wait,” Lucas said, looking through his binoculars. “They stopped.” 

“They must have found it.” Mike said. 

Dustin pulled out his walkie “Guys, what's going on? Come on, talk to me. What’s going on?” 

Robin's voice crackled through as they gathered around to hear what she was going to say “ Uh, Dustin Your compass had gone from wonky to wonky with a capital ‘aah!’”

Then they saw Steve in the distance standing on the boat. 

“What… is he doing?”Mike muttered. “He’s not actually going to check it out is he?” 

Did he really think it was a smart idea?

“Ugh” Lucas said, still looking through the binoculars “When’d Steve get so hairy?” 

“Right?” Dustin said. “ I keep telling him he needs to tame that jungle, But he claims the ladies dig it.” 

Out of nowhere Max comes up beside Lucas and takes off his Binoculars. “Let me see” 

“what ?” Lucas looked startled. 

Max silently stared at Steve, El appeared beside her, then Will did. 

Lucas,Dustin and Mike all looked at  eachother wide eyes in silence.Mike watched as Steve dived in.

Until… 

“You guys realise, if there’s a gate down there, It’s technically a water gate.” Dustin said cheerily, the others turned away from dustin. “ WaterGate!” 

He could hear Max scoffing in annoyance.

Suddenly there was a flicker of Movement and lights, then the sound of a siren approaching and flashlights flickering through the trees.

“Shit” Max said as they all ducked to the ground. “Cops.” 

“But Dad wouldn't sell us out, why are they here?” El wispred. 

“Maybe he got told of a car being parked in the woods and had to investigate?” Will suggested.

“Dustin,Mike you guys are goddamn Estinens. Steve found the gate-”Dustin turned off the radio quickly. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know. Lay low?” Mike suggested, meaning in the literal sense. 

“Wait, I've got an idea,” Max said. “HEY OFFICERS! THIS WAY! I FOUND THE KILLER”

“Max!” Dustin hissed. 

“Max? What are you doin-” El said in alarm but was cut off by Max pulling her along and began to run away. 

Mike quickly stumbled after them running as well.

Chapter Text

Being caught by the police was not on Mike’s to-do list, but apparently it was on Max’s. But here he was at the Sinclairs house surrounded by everyone's parents but his, with officer Callahan and Powell.

Officer Powell was the first to ask  “What exactly were you all doing at the lake?” 

They all looked in an awkward manner at one another, they weren't able to devise a plan while in the car- with no solid alibi Mike knew they were screwed. 

“Uh…” Dustin begin “It’s compl-”

“- we were… we were just going for a walk.” Max said cutting him off. 

Mike fought the urge to roll his eyes, they wouldn't believe that- a walk at a murder sight.

“A walk?”  squawked officer Callahan “at 9 p.m?” 

“To the lake” Dustin said, his voice becoming high-pitched. 

Officer Callahan tilted his head in obvious disbelief.

Mike gripped his fingers together as they shook with anxiety with all of the eyes watching them. 

“We were gonna take a little swim. Little night swim.” Dustin squeaked, as they all nodded along with him.

“Dusty, someone was just murdered there.” Mrs. Henderson said she was an emotional wreck about the whole situation .

“Yeah we…” Dustin is clearly getting to the end of his lie. 

“We didn't realize until we got there” Will said,helping him out. 

“That’s why we didn't swim,” Lucas added.

“Really?” Officer Callahan asked. 

“It’s all a little bit confusing,” Dustin said. 

“But thats when you guys came and-”

“And then they dared me to say that.” Max cut in. 

“Oh yeah” Lucas said, trying to fake a laugh. 

“About the killer” Max said, laughing the best she could. 

Mike faked a smile the best he could.He could see Joyce getting more and more concerned as they continued on speaking. 

“Have you had any contact with Eddie?” Asked officer Powell. 

Mike saw as Will went to speak first and Mike had hoped he would have because he would say something logical and believable.

Dustin however got their first in is moment of flustered panic “ That psycho…freak Killer? No, god no.”

“No we havent heard from him” Will added.

“Not at all” Lucas said.

“No” El added.

“No. absolutely not” Max said. 

“Nope” Mike added, thinking it would be better to than not. 

“We barely know the guy.” Lucas continued. 

“Who?” Dustin said. 

That overdid it. 

Erica stepped forward speaking up “Oh, that's a bunch of bull.”

“Erica” Both of her parents scolded. 

“I mean, you realise they're lying. The whole couch is on fire.” She continued on. 

“Erica!” Her parents scolded again. 

“Just the facts!” She continued. 

Mike swore that if he could he would duct tape that kid's mouth closed and by the glint of annoyance, Lucas wanted to as well. 

“Are you lying to these policemen, Dusty?” Mrs.Henderson asked tearfully. 

“No” Dustin said,high-pitched. 

“Lying to the police is a crime, son” Mr.sincair said. 

“I’m not lying” Lucas voice was also high pitched. 

“The fire is consuming us.” Erica added, helpfully. 

“This is not working” Officer Callahan complained. 

“Well, were gonna try a more civilised approach.” Officer Powell said, standing up. “One at a time.” 

Mike’s stomached dropped, they were fucked now. 

“You first.” Officer Powell was pointing at him. 

Mike jerked back in his seat in confusion and annoyance, of fucking corse it was him. 

“Wait, what? Why me?” he asked, clearly there was sass in his tone.

Officer Powell frowned his brows and said “ follow me.”

Mike scoffed, “I'm not even in the hellfire club.” 

Officer Callahan strapped forward “Do i need to cuff you.” 

Mike squinted at him scoffing, Was this man serious? 

“Up” he said. 

Mike let out a sigh as he got up and followed officer Callahan. 

They went into Mr.Sinclairs office where they told him to sit on one of the chairs.Officer Powell took out a notepad and pen and began asking him questions while Officer Callahan gave him a stink eye. 

"Let’s start from the top. What were you doing out by Lovers Lake?"

“Walking,” he said dryly.

Challahan rolled his eyes “At night? at a murder sight?A bunch of teenagers walking?”

“First off we had no idea someone was murdered there. Second, a bunch of teenagers by a lake at night? Wild.” Mike said, trying his best not to sound too blunt. 

Although with all honesty walking around a lake as teenagers is not a crime or as sinister as they were demming it to be for crying out loud. For all it could be was shere ignorance of the murder sight that it so happened to be. Right? At least that's what Mike was going for.

“So you're telling us that you drove out there for no reason? Other than to walk?” Asked officer Powell.

“Kinda an odd thing you do if you ask me. Out of all the places” said officer callahan. 

“Drove?” 

“Yes, we found a vehicle that belonged

“Oh we just saw them there then they headed away from us.”

“Oh Really?” said officer Callahan “then you walked there as well i presume?”

“ We biked. You’ve heard of a Bike before, right?” Mike asked.

“Cut the attitude,wheeler. We’re here to help the investigation.” Officer powell said,his voice becoming harsh.

Mike shrugged, unbothered  "Then maybe stop interrogating me like I’m a criminal. Kinda a weird way to 'help'."

"Look, we know something happened out there. Something you’re not telling us." Officer Callahan said,squinting. Mike imagined he was wishing to squeeze the answers out of him.

“Well, maybe you're not asking the right questions.” Mike said.

"You think you're funny?" Officer Powell said, his voice stern.

"No, but I think you're wasting your time."

Callahan sighs, frustrated.

Both officers came to the silent conclusion to move on with the investigation. 

As they left the room Mike  got out his Walkman and turned it on as the adults began talking to the officers. Mike was able to get a snippet of their conversation before he put his headphones on. 

“Yeah, we didn't get much. Actually he’s kinda mean-”Officer Challahan was saying before ‘Everybody wants to rule the world’ took over his ears. 

Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Dustin,waving and gesturing at him frantically to come over to him.

He was mouthing “Come on, quick.”

Mike scowled “What?Why?” he mouthed back. 

“Quick,”He mouthed. 

Mike took one look back at the officers, who were too deep in conversation to notice and then sped up the stairs behind Dustin.

They headed upstairs to Lucas’s room and there Mike could see the mayhem of what looked like a light up board, it was similar to the one that Holly had at home. 

“What the fuck happened here?” Mike asked as he saw the triumph and panic in the others faces. 

“Well you know how- y’know the guys wouldnt be stupid enough to go through the water gate-” Dustin started. 

“You have got to be kidding-” Mike interrupted. 

“Nope, sadly not” Dustin said. 

“Wait, how do you even know this?” Mike asked. 

“Communication through the lights” Will explained. 

“Oh” Mike said, it made sense of the light bord now. 

“Well we better get going if we want to meet them there in time” Lucas said. 

“Yeah, let's get going,” Max said and opened Lucas' window that she was by. 

-

Getting to Eddie's trailer was surprisingly easy for a place that was meant to be a guarded crime scene.The first thing they did after throwing their bikes on the ground was duck under the crime scene tape and upon getting into the trailer-

“Woah,ha! Holy shit you guys! I was right on the money- you gotta get  me something to poke this thing with to get through” Said Dustin. 

Poke this thing? Mike thought confused at what on earth he was talking about. 

Then Mike saw it- he felt a chill through his body as he saw what had formed on the ceiling- the gate looked like an infected cut,only more like a scab as it formed a skin-like layer over the top of it. The other gathered around it just about the same awe of its form. 

“Here, this should work,” Will said, holding a long wooden pole he’d found outside. 

“Perfect” Dustin’s joyful attitude didn't change as he began to prod at the flesh like gate in the ceiling. 

Mike noticed that beside him El flinched,Mike had remembered that El had to force her way out of a gate before, he gently held her hand, it made sense why she hadn't offered her powers. 

The flesh-like barrier broke with an odd squelch as Dustin moved it frantically to clear the whole gateway. Everyone else moved away in disgust.

Mike stepped forward and the others followed as they looked through and there it was- the upside down with Johnathan,Eddie,Steve and Robin staring back at them.

Will,Lucas and Dustin all broke out into grins as they saw the other faces staring back at them in a mixture of shock and relief. Els eyes comically widened and will although relived to see jonathan lent more away from the portal. 

“Hi there” Dustin said waving at them. 

“Hi” They chorsed. 

“This is the weirdest shit i’ve ever seen” Mike muttred. 

“Bada bada boom!” 

“How about we get them out of there” Will said quietly, trying not to show his nervousness. 

“Yeah, thats proply a good idea” Lucas said. 

Within the next few seconds they had the mattress from Eddie's room ( Mike looked away in disgust as he and Lucas got it from his bedroom) and El,Will and Dustin pulled together all the sheets they could find and tied them together.

“Well if my theory is correct-” Dustin said as he threw the sheets up into the ceiling and into the upside down and let go of the sheets “- abracadabra.”

They stayed still. Mike could only stare in awe, sure he understood physics but this was just bizarre. 

“Holy shit” Max said in just as much awe as he did. 

“All right pull on it see if it holds!” Dustin called to the other side. 

Robin pulled on the sheets and sure enough they held. 

“Oh my god, this is insane” Will said muttering. 

Mike heard Robin say “ I guess I'm the ginny pig” before climbing.

“All right, let's clear the landing pad” Dustin said, motinong for them all to stand back. 

Robin fell though swiftly and took Dustin's hand getting up saying, 

“Thank god, that was fun” 

Next Eddie began to climb and almost broke his neck on the way down but still came to the conclusion that it was fun. 

They next waited to see either Steve or Jonathan going through next. 

He could hear them talking one moment-

“Well you next man, see you on the other side” Steve was saying to jonathan. 

“You sure?” 

“yeah , go on” 

Then the next-

“Hey jonathan! Jonathan!” 

Mike felt a chill as the other looked confused about the commotion. 

“Vecna” Mike said in the terrifying truth of Conforming whatever thought Will had immediately assumed as his face turned to one of distraught. 

Chapter Text

Mike felt an unease as they sat in his trailer, not just simply because of what Jonathan was describing but the fact that John or his Mom would come through the door any minute drunk out their minds. Not to mention the trailer stunk of stale beer and the living room where they sat was littered in beer cans and scraps of drugs and littered with used cigarettes that had been molded into the carpet with the ashes. He’d already got a few pitting looks when they had come in. 

However with what Jonathan was saying his issues almost seemed irrelevant. 

He showed me things that haven't happened yet” Johnathans voice was horse and rough as he spoke. “They were the most awful things, I-I saw- it was like a- dark cloud. Spreading.Growing. Downtown on fire. Then there was a giant creature… with… a gaping mouth… and there were so-so many monsters all coming into Hawkins. Then he-....showed me my Mom and Will. El and Hopper and… they were…”

Jonathan let out a shaky breath. 

Mike couldnt blame him for being so shaken up because he imagined that what everyone else was picture it was definitely a hundred times less fucked up to what johnathan had seen. 

“Maybe he's just trying to scare you” Will spoke up to Mike's surprise “ I mean i’m still here, Jonathan.” 

“Yeah it makes sense- he's trying to put doubt into you” Steve said,which also surprised Mike. When did those two get so close?

“Maybe but there was something else,” Jonathan continued,all eyes on him.” He showed me the gates. Four gates. Spreading across Hawkins, our Hawkins.” 

Four…

Four gates…

Four chimes…

That was no accident.  

Mike felt like a fool.

“Four Chimes.Vecna’s clock. It always chimes four times. Four exactly.” Mike said. 

“I heard them too.” Jonathan said. 

“He’s been telling us his plan this whole time.” Mike said. 

“Four Kills. Four gates ” Lucas said wearily, he looked over at Mike.

“But if thats true..” Dustin began.

“He’s only one away” El said quietly, she had been awfully quiet but why wouldn't  someone she sees as her sibling to be the psycho,serial killer going after high-school students.

“Oh Jesus christ. Oh Jesus christ.” Eddie muttered. 

Will looked almost as bad as Johathan at that news.

“We have to go back to the upside down,”Max said.

“What? Are you insane!” Steve said. 

“Nope,Nope,Nope” Eddie was saying, shaking his head. 

“No,no,no,”Robin said. 

“Let's think this through,” Steve said. 

Max almost spoke up when- 

“What is there to think through?” Jonathan said.

“We barely made it out of there,” Steve said, turning to jonathan. 

“Well, we weren't prepared! And if we don't do anything Heney is going to keep coming after us!” Jonathan was saying “Coming after Mike! Coming after- who knows next” 

El tensed as she observed the conversation clearly realising that they were right. 

“ He’s right! We’ll go through the gates, we’ll find him and we’ll kill him- somehow! Do guys really want to just wait around until he finds his next victim and destroys Hawkins when we can do something about it!” Max added on.

“Or he’ll kill us, the only reason you survived is because he wanted you guys too and the same applies to the rest of us” Will said, his voice fighting to stay calm. “He’s not scared of us.”

“Exactly” Steve said, throwing his hands up.

“And for good reason. We were wrong about Vecna.Henry. One. Sorry, what are we calling him now?” Robin said. 

“One” Lucas and Dustin said.

“Vecna,” Erica said. 

“Henry,” Jonathan said.

“One,” El said. 

“Vecna,” Will said. 

“Right. We’ve learnt something new about Henry/Vecna/One. He’s a number like El, Only a sick,evil,male,Child-murdering version of her with really bad skin. But… my point is that he’s super powerful. He could turn us inside out with a snap of his fingers. It’s not a fair fight.”

“Exactly” Mike spoke up “ If he’s got similar power to  El then that can give us an advantage. Only I mean that we know his weaknesses.”

“Yeah, i could help int- intai-” El grew short of her words, she realised what  Mike was saying. 

“Intercept” Mike filled in for her. 

“ Yeah when you- remote travel, you go into a sort of trance-like state so in that trance-like state you’re vulnerable and so will One be” Dustin said. 

“Which explains what he was doing in that attic,” Lucas said.

“Exactly. I bet you when he attacks his next victim he’ll be back up in that attic, physical body defenceless.” Dustin said.

“Defenceless? What about the army of bats?” Steve said, gesturing to his neck. 

“True. We’ll have to find a way past them. Distract them somehow.” Dustin said. 

“And,uh, how do we do that, exactly?” Eddie said, getting up from the sofa.

“No idea. But once they’re gone,he doesn't stand a chance. It’ll be like slaying sleeping Dracula in his coffin.” Dustin said.

 Mike could tell he was getting excited by the fact his plan stood a good chance of working.

“That all sounds good in theory,” Robin began, “ but there is no pattern to Vecna’s killings. I mean not one that I can decipher. We don’t know when he’s going to attack next. We don’t even know who he’s going to attack.”

Who?

Who?

You know don’t you?

The voice sent chills into Mike’s neck. Vecna. That bastard was watching him. Mike knew it. He knows that he hasn't taken his eyes off him. He was there day and night- his presence- it felt like his eyes were boring into the back of his head. Mike can even feel the shadow of that claw. 

“Yeah, we do.” Mike said,quietly as all eyes turned on him. “ I can still feel him. I’m still…marked…i guess you could call it that. Or cursed.  I ditch the music, I draw his focus back to me.” 

“Mike.” El said quietly next to him, her face had been drained with colour and her face had a look of sheer horror. 

“You can’t… he’ll kill you” Will said, he seemed to be somewhere between pure panic or collapsing on the floor right there. 

“Dude are you insane?” Lucas said, looking mortified by the idea. 

“I survived before. I can survive again. I just need to find a way to keep him busy long enough, so you guys can get into that attic. Then you can chop his head off or stab him in the heart. Blow him up with some explosive that dusin cooks up. Just make sure you put this asshole in his grave and don’t miss.” Mike said. 

“Mike- you can’t expect us to really let you do this?” Dustin said.

 Mike bet he was regretting his plan now. 

“Why not me? Why put someone who doesn't know what they're going up against? This way it can be on our terms.” Mike said. 

“You have no protection in his mind! You have no way of staying safe for a long time!” Dustin said.

“At least not until I get there,”El spoke up. 

“Until you get there?” Mike asked. 

“ I can Piggy-back” El said it so simply as if it were an explanation.

“What do you mean by that El?” Mike asked for further clarification. 

Els' cheeks flushed slightly. 

“I can use your mind to get into One’s mind to protect you.” El said.

“That could really work?” Max asked intrigued. 

“Yes,” El said, “ as long as I'm where Mike is.”

“Awesome,” Dustin said. 

“We're gonna need weapons to fight him aren't we?” Eddie said. 

“Yeah but weapons per say are gonna be hard to get.” 

“Well I know just the place.” Eddie said, pulling out a book and slamming  it onto the table “ The War Zone. I’ve been there once. It’s huge. They’ve got everything you need for, uh…Well killing things, basically.” 

“You think a fake Rambo has enough guns there?Is that a grenade? I mean, How is any of this legal?” Robin said. 

“Well lucky for us it is…so…this, this palace is just far enough out of Hawkins. As long as we steer clear of main roads, we oughta be able to avoid cops,and,uh, angry hicks.” Eddie said. 

“If we’re trying to avoid angry hicks, maybe we shouldn’t go somewhere called the war zone.” Erica said.

“Honestly I'd agree,but we need the weapons,” Max said. 

“Yeah” Will muttered, clearly still not on board with the idea of going into the upside down.

“But will it be worth the time? It'll take all day to bike there and back” Dustin said. 

“ Who said anything about Bikes?” Eddie asked.

“ You got some secret car we don’t know about?” Steve asked. 

“It’s not exactly a car, Steve. And it’s not exactly mine, but, uh… it’ll do.” Eddie said, looking around at the other with a reassured look of his face that Mike did not trust for one second. “Hey, Wheeler, uh, you got a ski mask or a bandanna, something like that?”

Mike shrugged- he didn't have a bandanna but- he did have Holly's- extremely over the top pink mask with a veil  that she’d used last halloween to dress as her version, she had claimed, as a princess fairy from a book she’d read. Lucas and Dustin were grinning ear to ear at the sight of him. Steve and Robin couldn't keep a straight face- Mike did in fact have several better alternatives but Mike couldn't help it was the closest thing in reach. Mike however didn't see much point in covering his face when he had a Hellfire club T-shirt on. 

They followed Eddie the best they could as they motioned to them to follow his signal as they made their way around to their mysterious transport. Although Mike was set on the idea they were actually stealing someone's car. They made their way round to an RV and Eddie went to the back and found a window and crawled through. The Other followed in suit.

As Mike grabbed Lucas hand for help to hoist  him up he could already hear the agitated quiet yelps of “ come on” or “ hurry up” . These guys acted like they didn't once break into a supermarket or into School - Mike turned back once in and helped El up. 

There was a sudden jolt as the RV started up and Mike saw as Steve took the wheel followed by the yells-

“Hey, open this door!” 

“Hey!”

“They locked the door!”

“Everybody hang onto something” Steve yelled. 

Everyone instantly scrambled to cling to anything inside. Mike,El,Max and Dustin found themselves on the sofa at the back clinging on for dear life as Steve took off.

Lucas cried out in a panic “ Oh my god, lets go, lets go.”

“Oh my god” Will said.  

“Shit, Shit, shit” Robin said. 

“Steve, Drive!” Dustin said. 

“Go,Go,Go,Go,Go,Go,Go!” Lucas called out.

“Shit, they look pissed” Dustin said as he looked at the owners begging to attempt to chase them. 

“ I mean it's not everyday you lose your car and your house in one fell swoop.” Robin said. 

The Rv was shaking and bumpy as they raced through the trailer park to the main road.

Suddenly Steve called out “ Hold on! Hold on!” 

And lucky he did as the RV made a sharp durn, crashing into a few bins before swinging onto the road. 

-

Mike sat in the back on the RV on the sofa watching as they travelled further outside of Hawkins. He felt the sofa go down next to him and realized El had appeared to the right of him watching him- she clearly had something to say. He waited, and then-

“You don’t have to do this” El said, her voice quiet but Mike could still hear the edge in her voice. 

Mike looked at her, however instantly regretted it as he could see worry clouding her vision. 

“We already talked about it. We have one shot at this. Vecna needs a door, and I’m the one he’s marked. It has to be me. We can’t risk anyone else.” Mike said, maintaining a steady but firm tone.  

“That’s not what I meant.” El said softly.

“I know.” Mike said, because he did, El was saying that he didn't have to even be there or rather he shouldn't be in this position in the first place - he should have agreed to the plan or that's what El hoped he’d say. 

There was a pause before El continued “ You always do this.Throw yourself in like it doesn’t matter. Like you don’t matter.”

Oh so that’s what she meant. 

“ It’s about stopping Vecna, i… I don't really matter if it means saving Hawkins and I’ll be fine. I’ve faced his ugly, creepy, viney, crispy ass before I’ll be fine this time.” Mike said.

Mike saw a fickler of a smile on El’s lips as he scrutinised  Vecna but it vanished instantly. 

“Just don’t do anything stupid until I arrive. I know how it looks when someone takes on a fight alone.” El said.

Mike couldn't hide his shiver as he remembered the demogorgon. 

“ Mike, you do matter,” El said, her voice soft. 

Mike clenched his jaw, as a nervous feeling crept up his spine. 

“It’s not like I want to die, El.” Mike said, although as soon as the words reached his tough they sounded wrong, he was lying to El- he did want to die, for so long he craved the idea of his and only his death… but did he…now? “But if this works—if I can pull him in long enough for you to hold him down or whatever  and the others to get the hit in—then maybe this ends tonight. Maybe no one else ends up like… Nancy.”

El winced at the name drop but nodded. 

“She died because we didn’t act fast enough- Because I didn't act fast enough but now I can.” Mike continued on.

“ So you want to race towards death?” El said.

Mike tried to ignore the fact she was right as he spoke “ I’m trying to make sure we don’t lose anyone else. That there are no other victims and that Hawkins is safe. That you don’t—”

He stops himself. His hands are clenched now. Silence stretches again. El watches him like she’s memorizing every detail.

He takes a breath and decides to move on from the conversion as he doesn't want to fall into flashbacks. 

“You know how Vecna only sees the darkness in his victims?” Mike asks.

El nods, interested in the topic change. 

“I figured I could just run in the opposite direction. Into the light, into a memory. I mean if he can control the memories i see in my head, why can't i control the memories i'm in my own head- a happy memory. It's my mind so I should be able to control where I am.” Mike explained. 

“Do you have a memory?” El said, intrigued leaning forward. 

“I…ah… i don’t know yet- i mean i- i have something in mind” Mike said with a small smile on his lips.

“Was I there?” El asked her voice as soft as it was eager for the answer.

Mike paused, before softy saying “maybe” 

El’s smile widened. 

“Yeah , you were there,” Mike said and in doing so felt his cheeks heat up. 

El blushed. 

“Good.” She said her smile on her lips for a second longer before she turned serious again. “ But the second you get anywhere near Vecna's hold you need to get out of there- I mean someone outside your mind will start the music.”

“Okay” Mike said.

“Promise?” El said hold out her hand. 

“I promise,” Mike said, taking her hand and shaking it .  

-

As they pulled up outside the store they decided that Lucas,Dustin,Will and Eddie (obviously) stayed in the RV.  Steve,Robin,Johnathan, Erica, El, Max and Mike headed into the store, they each had a meet up point agreed upon and a task divided between them. 

As soon as they entered they were met with a crowd of scrambling chaos, turns out they didn't think they were the only ones needing weapons this time round. Mike and El were set for getting the Knives and wire as well as a poorly written list of other items. 

Mike and El carefully worked through the list and in doing so came face to face with two members of the basketball team,Josh and Lee. 

Lee was the first one to approach him, mockingly crouching to be more at El’s height.

“Jane, right? Will Byers sister?” he said, in a low but humorous tone. 

 El stiffed. Mike subtly steps in front of her. 

Mike however tense feels the need to say something “We’re just here to get supplies. That’s all.”

“Yeah of course, us too. But you know I'm curious where your brother's little freak squad is at Jane?” Lee said,purposely ignoring Mike as he addresses El. “Where is Willam? He is here with you and…Dustin? Lucas? and Max, his little girlfriend ? or are they hiding that freakish murderer Eddie?” 

El’s jaw clenches as she mutters under her breath only for Mike to hear “Mouthbreathers” and her hand begins to tense and Mike can feel the beginning of her powers surging. Mike gently grabs El’s hand to snap her out of it, the last thing he wanted her to do was get caught, he’d never forgive himself . 

“Thats right. Listen to Wheeler or maybe don’t there's no doubt why his sister ended up dead from listening to him” Josh sneered, his nasty comment wasn't a surprise  he’d been the guy known for sticking freshmens heads in the toilet and purposely beating Lucas up outside of practice two days in a row.  

Still it made Mike furious,his hands clenched at his sides. While El clenched her jaw. 

Somehow El kept her cool standing out from behind Mike.

“We didn't come looking for trouble” her voice cold. 

“No? Then why are you looking for knives?” Josh asked, his eyes flicking to the box El is holding in her left hand. Lee’s hand hovers near a wrench hanging from the shelf - not grabbing it, but the threat is clear.

“Scary times” Mike said, once he found himself able to speak through his fury. “ and we have everything so we're gonna to go.”  

Mike picked up his box that had been organised and turned away from them and then walked out the aisle following El, who had no doubt been told by Hopper to walk away in these kinds of situations.

He could hear Josh make one final remark “At least Nancy had guts. Now you're suddenly just following Jane around like a kicked puppy. How pathetic.”

Gritting his teeth he and El continued to walk away. They meet the other at the checkout and hurley exited. 

“What the hell took you guys so long-”Dustin said as soon as they entered but  he was cut off by Steve.

“We gotta go”

“What happened?” Lucas said.

“Your old friends are here,” Erica said to Lucas.

“Fuck” Lucas hissed.

“Shit” Dustin said “Lets go,lets go, lets go!” 

“I’m going! I’m going! sit down!” Steve yelled.

Steve was quick to place down his bags before quickly getting into the driver's seat and putting  his foot down as they took off from their ‘hidden’ parking space. 

-

They found themselves parking in a field not far out from where the cabin was but far enough out of the main town that no one would come and see them. 

Mike sat with Max on the field as they cross-legged on the ground, working together with a pile of tools and bike chains. Mike threads wires through a spiked bat while Max rigs nails into a wooden plank. Mike has his walkman playing while it sits on his neck.

“You sure you know what you're doing with that?” Max asked.

“I mean, not entirely. But I watched MacGyver once. That counts for something, right?” Mike said, a small playful smile appearing on his lips.

Max smirked “Right. Because TV logic totally works against interdimensional monsters.”

“Hey, at least I'm not strapping nails to a plank.” Mike said, raising his eyebrows.

“That saved my life once, actually” Max responded flatly.

Mike presses his lips together to prevent the laughter from slipping out, he notices Max is doing the same. 

“Still hard to believe we’re doing this. Again.” Max said, her voice quieting. 

“ yeah.But this time… we go in with a plan” Mike said.

“No back up plan” Max mumbled.

Mike didn't think he could ever see her this worried.

“Oh don't tell me you're worried for me  mayfield” Mike said, trying to lighten the mood, or perhaps it was him wanting to cheer her up from the guilt that had formed for not talking to the party for so long. 

Max scoffed playfully “As if, wheeler.”

This time they let the laughter escape. And… and the last time he felt like this…this kind of connection it was like… talking to Nancy, with the same playful banter.

Not so far from them Johnathan, Will and El are setting up other equipment- sorting through walkie, flashlights, lanterns and in Jonathan's case sawing off the end of a shotgun. They noticed as El was talking to Will before she demonstrated what they assumed she was talking about with a blast with a flick of her hand, knocking over a pile of nails. Will jumps, then laughs. 

“El is definitely much stronger this time round.” Max said, her voice surprisingly soft.

“Yeah she is and this time round she won’t have everyone relying on her for once, now that we have a plan which does not fully depend on her.” Mike said,his eyes not leaving El.

“Was that… emotional growth I just heard?” Max said in a mischievous tone.

“Ugh. Gross.” Mike said, groaning “besides i was always the one saying we shouldnt depend on El, not one plan should have to fully depend on one person” 

“And yet here we are with you in that palace” Max responded instantly. 

Mike opened and then closed his mouth again, because, shit, she was right. It was all going to come down to him. 

“ I-” Mike cut himself off by the sound of tires screeching.

He spun around as did the others to see Hopper's truck pull up right next to the RV. 

Hopper got out, alongside Joyce and to no one's shock-  Murry.

“So it was you kids that got the RV from the trailer park then. Well that solves one of my issues then.” Hopper said as he looked at the RV. 

Dustin who was next to Eddie stood in front of him wearily. 

“Relax kid. I know Eddies got nothing to do with the murders. I actually told the police that i didn't suspect him but as of course the rest of the police and public suspect him we are just waiting on the evidence to come back to prove your innocence” Hopper said addressing Eddie who let go a huge sigh of relief. 

“Are you guys alright?” Joyce said, walking over to address her kids, looking them over for any sign of injury before turning to Mike,Max,Lucas and Dustin and doing the same.

There were a few nods and a few yes’s passed around. 

“You gotta tell us what is going on here” Hopper said, gesturing to their stations of preparing their weapons.

Looking around, Steve finally spoke up and explained the situation and their current plan.

“YOU WERE PLANNING TO GO INTO THE UPSIDE DOWN! AN-AND LETTING…” Joyce took a deep breath, turning away for a moment before continuing “ and letting Mike risk himself like that?”

Mike didn't think he’d seen her this angry since in the lab with Will.

Joyce didn't say anything, a look of  guilt appeared  on her face, partly from yelling partly from the guilt of knowing he was right and she couldn't stop it.

Hopper cleared his throat, it was clear he knew the plan wasn't full proof but it was the closest to one they’d get.

“So you’re saying for certain that Vecna will come after you next?” He asked.

“Yes. I can almost…sense his presence or something but yeah I'm like ninety-nine percent sure.” Mike said.

“Ninety-nine percent, i suppose we can work with that” Hopper muttered, however concern was written all over his face “Are you certain you’re okay with this kid? if this goes wrong it's a death trap.” 

“It’s not going to go wrong, I’ll buy enough time and Everyone will get to Vecna unharmed” Mike said, thinking Hopper was referring to the others.

“Kid i’m asking about you, you're the one arguably most at risk and most vulnerable in this plan” Hopper said.

“What?” Mike almost laughed “I’m just running away from Vecna, while about half of you go into the upside down- a whole alternate dimension.”

“With weapons, a plan, an idea of what we’ll face” Hopper contradicted. “Vecna is entirely unpredictable which makes him two times more dangerous- everything is at risk by how far you can run and how well you can hide. So you better tell me you have one heck of an idea of how to do that Wheeler.”

Mike gritted his teeth and clenched his fist at his sides, didn't Hopper know that Mike knew that already?

“You think I haven’t thought about that? About what happens if I fail?” Mike voiced his thoughts aloud.

He stepped closer to Hopper, eyes flaring not with disrespect, but with raw fear — and frustration- because hold fuck he was terrified of facing Vecna again but it was irrelevant to Mike at this point.

“ If I screw this up, El’s trapped. Vecna wins. Again. And people die — maybe all of us.” Mike said. “So yeah. I’ve thought about it.”

There was silence. Hopper’s jaw tightened. But then his expression shifted — just slightly — from hard to haunted. He sighed through his nose, looking past Mike for a long beat before speaking again, quieter now.
 

“I’ve buried enough kids in this town.”Hopper said, his voice clam

That stopped Mike cold. A sudden realisation kicked in . Hopper wasn’t doubting him. He was scared.

Hopper continued  “And I know you’re brave. Too brave, sometimes. That’s why I’m saying this. You don’t get to play the hero if you’re dead. You hear me?”

Mike's shoulders dropped. The anger softened into understanding. He nodded once, jaw still clenched, but the defiance gone.

 “Yeah. I hear you.” Mike said, softly.

  Hopper clapped a heavy hand on Mike’s shoulder and gave it a brief squeeze — rough, but genuine. Mike turned back, only now realising that the others had watched the whole thing- he felt his ears burning.

“Alright, we’ll get this plan clearer and have us adults sorted into our places. This plan will need to be executed perfectly” Hopper said.  

-

Once they were all geared up, in the RV with Hopper's car close by. They set off to their first location of the Creel house with Mike having a festering pool of dreed in the pit of his stomach. 

Chapter Text

Mike’s stomach turned for what felt like the hundredth time as he stared up at the Creel House. His throat was tight, dry, like he’d swallowed dust and couldn’t clear it. The air around him felt heavy—like it was pressing down on his chest, making it harder to breathe. He tried to swallow again but it stuck halfway. His palms were clammy, his fingers twitching nervously by his sides.

He felt sick. Not just nervous-sick, but real, gut-twisting, cold-in-your-veins kind of sick. The kind that made your legs weak and your thoughts feel too loud. His body knew what was coming before his mind could catch up. Every instinct in him screamed: don’t go in there. Turn around. Run.

But he couldn’t. He’d said yes. He’d volunteered.

He had reminded himself that, but he wanted to do this, well more needed- why was he still going over it so much in his head though?

A wave of nausea rolled through him again, sharp and hot. His fingers curled into fists, trying to ground himself. You’re doing this for a reason, he reminded himself, over and over. You’re helping. You’re helping save Hawkins. You’re giving El a shot at ending this. You can do this.

But none of it helped much. His legs still shook. His skin crawled. His mind was spinning, screaming things he didn’t want to hear. What if he couldn’t fight it? What if Vecna got in too deep? What if he hurt someone—El, Will, any of them? What if they were wrong, and this didn’t work at all? It was ironic for him to question his own plan. He really was a coward after all. 

“Mike.” El’s voice, quiet, close. He blinked and turned just enough to see her next to him. 

He nodded once, not trusting his voice.

Lucas stood a few feet back, silent, tense. Max was next to him, arms crossed, her jaw set. Will kept glancing between them all, clearly trying to hold it together. Erica close by. 

Mike took a deep breath and walked up to the door not wanting to waste anymore time to start the plan.

-

They started by scouring the house for any signs of Vecna to ensure he was actually in the house to start the plan. They walked around quietly with their shoes off to ensure the lessening chances of Vecna hearing them. Each of their faces glowing in the blue light that they had brought from the shop- it made the place look even creepier in Mike's opinion. 

Mike went to the attic,while the others went off in their direction, he could still hear the creaking on the floorboards while he played his music as he made his way up the stairs.

It's my own design

It's my own remorse

Help me to decide

Mike took a sharp intake of breath as he made his way as quietly as he could into the attic. Mike moved around watching his light for any sudden changes. 

Help make the most

Of freedom and of pleasure

Nothing ever lasts forever

He watched carefully as he approached the centre  of the attic with a sharp intake of breath, only for nothing to happen- the moon only shone brighter where he was now standing. Mike frowned- he hoped- oddly enough that Vecna would come back to where he was standing- otherwise the other groups going into the upsidedown were screwed. 

Everybody wants to rule the world

There's a room where the light won't find you

Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down

Mike carefully made his way back down the attic stairs only to almost jump when will came to him with a notepad with the message ‘ found Vecna’ Mike nodded and followed Will to where the other where crowding around all of their lamps on one table in the middle of the living room, which were all buzzing frantically. 

Next to Lucas, Erica started writing on her notepad, then held it up.

‘Phase one?’

Lucas nodded at Erica who instantly grabbed her flashlight and exited the house to the otherside of the street to the playground.

Mike let out a soft and shaky breath and walked over to the otherside of the room and sat on a chair as they waited. 

I can't stand this indecision

Married with a lack of vision

Everybody wants to rule the world

Say that you'll never never never need it

One headline why believe it ?

El took a set opposite him,placing a lamp between them. The other continued to steadily walk around the house as they waited for the next signal.

Everybody wants to rule the world

All for freedom and for pleasure

Nothing ever lasts forever

El carefully takes out her notepad and pen and in her scrawly but well crafted handwriting writes out: ‘Are you ready?’

Mike hesitates and lowers the volume of his music ,he decided it would be better to be honest. Then writes: ‘No.’

He flips the notepad toward her.El reads it, frowns, and writes again.

  ‘Scared?’

Mike shrugs.

‘Maybe ’ 

El gives him a soft smile in return, they both seem to know that Mike is shitting himself in worry. 

‘I’ll be there’ 

El replied.

‘ My hero’ 

Mike reptiles.

El grins ,before writing.

‘Does that make you my damsel in distress?’

 Mike rolls his eyes before writing. 

‘How about your knight in shining armour? That helps you save the day?’

El cheekily replied.

‘Maybe’ 

Mike smiles before,hesitating and then scribbling on his notepad again. El leans over trying to get a look and what Mike is drawing but Mike covers it with his hands. Mike pauses before showing El admiring his horribly drawn picture of a girl, supposably looking like El, in a superman looking suit and a boy, supposably looking like him, in armour. He turned it around to show her and her face lit up with delight.

Mike looked at El smiling. A sudden impulsive thought came over him- he leaned closer to El-who lent closer to him so their foreheads were almost touching. 

Mike has tried to keep this possibility as out of his mind as he could but…what if they lost the letter? Didn't read them? He had to make sure somebody knew.

 “If I don’t make it—” Mike spoke softly in a whisper,looking into El’s honey brown eyes with determination, but to his surprise-  

 “Don’t.” El’s voice was soft but sharp, but Mike continued.

“—Promise me you’ll look after Holly. She can’t stay with my Mom if I'm not there.”

El swallows hard before replying  “Of course. But that- that won’t happen- after all you still owe me that ice cream date you promised in the summer .” it was barely more than a whisper but she said it with a smile forming on her lips. 

El looked at Mike, her eyes looking like they were holding back tears. 

Then they both moved — at the same time.

Their lips collided with a hunger that burned, like striking a match in the dark and lighting a wildfire. Hands moved fast, like they couldn’t bear another second of space between them. Her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging just enough to pull a shaky breath from his chest. It felt like butterflies  but it was better it was fireworks that were exponding in Mike’s stomach- holy shit had he forgotten how badly he wanted to be hers. 

The kiss deepened.Her lips opened for him, and he responded instantly, like muscle memory — except it was more than that.Their hearts pounded in sync, like thunder in their chests. 

His thumb brushed her cheek, catching a tear El hadn’t noticed had fallen. She gasped softly into the kiss, not from sadness, but from the overwhelming relief of finally having him back again .

Mike whispered her name against her lips — just once — barely a sound. But she heard it like a promise. And then she kissed him harder.

When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads touched, breathing ragged, lips swollen and trembling.

Mike gently caressed her cheek gently and El interlinked her hand on her cheek with his.

-

An urgent flicker of light from the window suddenly jolted them apart. Footsteps softly approached by the signal as well. 

Will,Max and Lucas  appeared from around the corner. Mike’s stomach twisted with nerves as Will handed him his shoes. 

-

Mike sat down on the edge of the stairs tying his laces before standing up and picking up his lamp which had lost its buzzing hum of light. Mike let out a steady breath as he began climbing the stairs, where Max was standing as the light steadily buzzed brighter- Vecna was moving…

Did he know their plan already? 

Watched as he headed towards the attic the lamp brightened and so Mike climbed the stairs. The attic seemed more gloomy with a heavy atmosphere. Mike’s lamp began to go haywire buzzing in bursts of energy as he placed it in the centre of the room. 

Click, Mike turned off his walkman and took off the headset and placed it down on a wooden cradle next to him. Mike could hear the collective intake of breath as he did so. Mike sat there crossed legged on the floor. 

A few moments of silence later and an awkward look arounds at each other later Mike announced loudly- 

“ Come on you asshole, I'm right here!” 

Mike let out a huff of annoyance.

“So you want me to- what pour my heart out to you like last time, is that it? What you need to possess me?” 

Mike scoffed, with all of his friends listening in on him this time? That asshole really was evil. 

“ Fine” He hissed  “I-I… I wanted to kill him,” he says, voice barely a whisper. “John. I mean… I wanted to hurt him. Bad . I pictured it, like, a lot . Not just because he hurt me but he tired to hurt Holly. But because he kept smiling after. Like he was proud of it. Like he knew my mom would let him do it again.”

El watches him in silence, her expression unreadable next to him. 

Mike keeps going, breath shaking.

“I thought if I hurt him, if I made him afraid for once, it would make everything better. For me. For Holly. I began to wish Nancy was there because I was so weak and I felt so pathetic for not being strong enough to do anything and I began to hate Nancy but it was that…she wasn't there and I felt so guilty for thinking like that. I just hoped I'd manage to work up the guts to stop him for one day. But I couldn’t do it. So instead... I hurt myself.”

He lifts his sleeve slightly. Just enough to reveal faded scars,that were clearly once deep wounds.  

“I thought maybe if I felt something worse, it’d drown him out and my thoughts. Or maybe it would make me strong enough to finally do it. But all it did was make me numb. And empty. And so damn angry.”

His voice breaks. “I’m so tired of being afraid. Of being weak.”

“So you wanted revenge?”

Mike frowns, taken aback. Why was El talking to him? “I… I don’t know. Maybe.”

“You do know.” Her eyes are harder now. Not like El’s — colder, darker. Almost… hollow.

“You wanted to make him bleed. Just like he made you bleed. Just like you made yourself bleed.”

Mike gets up. The sky is darker now. The air is heavier. Everyone else was gone.

“El?” he asks, voice cracking. “What are you talking about?”

She tilts her head, a sick kind of sympathy on her face.

“You think you’re broken, Mike. But you’re rotting. From the inside out. Because deep down, you liked imagining it, didn’t you? Him screaming. Him begging. That’s who you really are. Not the hero. Not the heart.”

Her smile twists.

“You’re just like him.”

Mike’s breath catches. “No.”He shakes his head. “No, no, no . I’m not like him.”

Mike stares at El backing up- something is very wrong. 

“You hate your own dead sister for leaving you so weak”

“I-I..no…”

“Hurting yourself? Trying to kill yourself when you still had Holly around? While he was around? So selfish.” 

That was not El’s voice- it was deep,contorted and wrapped- that was Vecna, It was Vecna- that tricky bastard, Mike thought as fear clenched him.

The plan was underway officially now.

“I-I am nothing like him” Mike’s voice was firm even as he was backed into a corner as ‘El’ began to come closer. 

“Don’t lie to yourself” Venas voice was deeper and sharper this time, his face taking over ‘El’s’, her eyes once honey brown were now clouded over in white.

“Maybe…Maybe it's good that he takes you.” El’s voice was almost gone, her face was contorted by Vecna. Mike knew it was Vecna. It had to be Venca. “Maybe it’s for the best. In fact…I'm glad it's going to be you.” 

Mike was now fully backed into the corner of the attic,his breathing shaky.

“You will be the chosen one. The fourth. The final sacrifice. It’s going to be you that breaks the world”  El’s voice was gone now. 

Mike shuttered slowly trying to step back, knowing it's no use as he’s already backed into the corner.

“Where are you going? Don’t be scared” He looked at ‘El’ directly in the face, only now noticing the tears flowing down ‘her’ face.

Mike’s breath hitched “stay away from me.” His voice was almost breathless. 

“Mike, I thought you said you were ready. I thought you wanted to be gone.” El's voice tangled in the shouting as Vecna came closer. 

“Stay away!” Mike yelled which came out in more of a panicked cry. 

A sudden surge of adrenaline overtook him and he grabbed the closed object he could find in the corner and smashed it over Vecna's head and ran. 

-

He sprinted down the stairs all the way to the ground floor. He gasped around in a panic. He sprinted to one door- the usually open door that lead to the living room but a bored and rotten door was presented in its place. Mike sprinted to the door next to it and it swung open only to reveal Nancy in her old room who spun around to look at Mike from afar and walked closer to Mike yelling at him.   

“YOU COWARD! HOW COULD YOU BLAME ME! BLAME EL! YOU KNOW IT’S YOUR FAULT! HOW PATHETIC CAN YOU BE!” The closer Nacy walked the younger she became, Mike managed to see a fifteen year old Nancy yell “WHY WOULD I EVER WANT TO BE A SISTER TO YOU!” That came from an actual memory of the first time Nancy had refused to help with a D&D campaign.  

Mike slammed the door in Nancy's face flinching as he did so. A creak of the stairs brought Mike back to his senses and he ran for another door. 

This door only had one wooden board nailed on so it was easy to pry off. Mike though about his plan to find his own place how the fuck was he thinking of doing that with Vecna breathing down his neck? 

He pulled open the door and began to run…where? 

Mike almost screamed. 

He was back in Hawkins lab. 

There were bodies everywhere. 

Mike stopped.

The corridor seemed to grow larger as the bodies multiplied down the hall, blood dripping and sticking to the walls. Body parts- organs spilled across the floor- as Mike tried to hold his breath- it was a memory but he could still remember the smell. 

Mike reslied he couldn't breath, he'd been hyperventilating without him even realising. 

 He tried to focus on his breathing as he moved down the corridor now aware Vecna had entered the corridor too. He gasped stedlily as he stumbled back into a run. 

He turned down the corridor. 

He kept running. 

Faster. 

Faster. 

Then…

He turned another corner and…

He heard it. 

“HE’S LYING!HE’S LYING! HE’S LYING!” 

To Mike’s horror at the end of the corridor was a wide open door of a young Will frantically thrashing on the hospital bed with Joyce trying to restrain him. 

“See what you’ve done Mike?”

He spun around to see Vecna closing in on him.

Mike was trying his best not to run up and slap him for forcing him to watch his best friend suffer.

“See how you make people suffer? You have no idea…” Vecna was slowly walking towards him. 

He gritted his teeth, not caring about what he was saying and went to a door next to the room where Will was.

He ran into the room hoping for something better he was wrong- there he was on the edge of cliff of the Quarry. He turned around only to be met by El, who looked exactly like his El the one he’d spoken to moment ago with her light blue jeans,fastned with a brown belt and a light pink,grey and white patterned jumper and a cornflower blue long sleeve top underneath - it was El. 

“El” Mike let out a whisper of relief as she came closer.

Then El’s face contorted and she pushed him off the edge of the cliff. 

Definitely not El.

The wind rushed past his ears like a scream.

Mike didn’t even have time to shout before his feet left the cliff’s edge. One moment, El — or the thing wearing her face — was standing before him. The next, Vecna’s clawed hand was on his chest, shoving, and the world tilted violently backward.

He fell.

Sky above. Earth vanishing. Red clouds churning like smoke.

The quarry below rushed toward him like a closing mouth.

And he thought, for a second, Okay. It’s just water.

The surface shimmered. Calm. Reflective. Blue-gray. Familiar.

But when he hit it… it wasn’t cold.

It was warm. Too warm. Almost hot.

And it wasn’t smooth.

It was thick.

Mike plunged deep — sinking fast. Bubbles exploded from his nose and mouth as he thrashed, lungs screaming, chest tightening, ears ringing with pressure.

He fought toward the surface — kicking hard, arms flailing, reaching for light. The resistance was wrong. Like swimming through mud, oil, or wet concrete. Every stroke took more strength than it should. He clawed at the liquid, panic rising in his throat.

His fingers broke the surface—

He gasped.

His face emerged, barely — sputtering, choking, sucking in a breath he thought he’d never reach.

And then he opened his eyes.

The sky above was no longer sky.

It was a pulsing, dark red canopy. The clouds swirled like congealed smoke. Thunder rolled without sound. The cliff was gone.

And the liquid…

He blinked.

It wasn’t water.

It coated him. Clung to him.

He looked down.

Blood.

Not the bright kind from a paper cut or scraped knee. But deep, blackened red, thick like syrup, steaming with heat. Boiling at the edges. Bubbles surfaced slowly like something alive was underneath, breathing.

Mike screamed — but it came out hoarse, strangled, swallowed by the air itself.

The blood slicked over his skin, clung to his teeth, ran in rivulets from his hair, down his neck. It stuck inside his nostrils, burned his throat. He could taste iron. Like pennies. Like death.

He started to thrash again, harder, panicked, mind fracturing. The surface was closing around him — pulling him under.

No… 

He was going to be sick…

It wasn't water. It had never been water.

He’d been drowning in blood the whole time.

His blood. Nancy’s. Holly’s. El’s.

Every failure. Every bruise. Every time he didn’t fight back.

It was all here, in this pit, dragging him down.

And beneath it — deeper — something moved.

Something waited .

Just below the surface, limbs twitched. Eyes opened. Familiar voices whispered with mouths full of rot.

"You deserved it, Mike."
 

"You were never enough."
 

"You should’ve saved them."

He began to sink again.

This time slower — not pulled, but surrendering.

Tired. Empty. Cold despite the heat.

No,No,No,No,No,No,No repeated in Mike’s head as he sunk- he couldn't die. 

He needed to carry out his plan. 

The plan. 

He needs to find a memory- he could feel the thick liquid around him close in closer- beginning to suffocate him as he was engulfed in the blood.

He shut his eyes and forced his mind to picture something else — a blanket fort, Holly’s giggle, El’s hand in his, the quiet hum of basement lights during D&D nights, dust dancing in the sunbeams.

He reached for it — desperate.

And fell—

Upward.

  -

Thud! 

Was the sound of him collapsing on the floor? Mike didn't know where he was.  

Then he noticed- that familiar carpet- then he looked up at the table, the sofa,the posters and  the blanket fort…he was in the basement. 

Safe. 

That was the first word in his mind. 

He shakily pulled himself up and dragged himself to the closed wall  and breathed in relief. 

He didn't even realise how much he missed this place or…rather how much he loved it- he half expected Nancy to swing open the door  and yell at him that dinner was ready. 

He smiled.In the  quiet. And carpet that smelled like dust and old soda.

He felt a sudden jab in his hand- it was a D&D dice- Mike didn't even have to look. 

He ran his fingers over the dice. Familiar. Comforting.

Now he’d have to wait for El. 

Mike let out another sigh of relief. 

He moved his hand away from the dice that was under his hand to look at it. 

His body drained of all happy emotion as he froze his gut twisting. 

“It was a seven” 

“The demogoron it got me” 

The dice was a seven. 

Mike stared at it frozen, noticing the red liquid on the dice- he turned his hand over. 

Deep red, hot liquid covered his hand. 

“No,” Mike wispred. 

A hum began.

Faint at first. Barely there — like the ceiling light stuttering above him.

Then the walls trembled.

The posters peeled. Slowly, like skin blistering under heat.

The dice began to melt.

A drip of black oozed from the corner. Then another. The carpet rippled under him, turning from beige to wet.

The basement walls cracked, revealing what lay behind them — vines. Tendrils. The Upside Down bleeding in.

Mike scrambled back from the rot. Panic surged in his chest.

“No, no, no—”

Of course. Of course Vecna would find him here. It was obvious . Too familiar. Too him . He had run here like a scared kid.

He needed somewhere unpredictable.

His heart raced.

The cabin—?

No.

No.

Billy found El there last year. If Billy could, Vecna definitely could. The cabin wasn’t sacred anymore. It was already burned. Violated. El had almost died there. She had bled on that floor. It wasn't safe.

He shut his eyes, shaking.

El.

He thought of her. Her face. Her voice. Her laugh. The way she’d looked that night — her hair slicked back, awkward, beautiful, brave.

And then — like a shift in the dream — the ground vanished.

He wasn’t in the basement anymore.

The gymnasium lights glowed soft blue and gold.

The decorations still hung — paper snowflakes twisting gently in a wind that wasn’t there. The floor sparkled. A slow song echoed across the room, ghostlike, distorted by memory but still sweet.

Mike stood near the punch table, breath catching in his throat.

No blood. No rot. No cracks in the walls.

They weren’t kids anymore — but at this moment, they could be.

The Snow Ball.

Mike let out a grin in triumph. 

“Holy shit” 

-

El’s Pov 

Mike stopped talking so abruptly that everyone thought he’d been knocked out.

The group that was crowded around Mike were still in shock processing what Mike had been saying- there was a pause for a few moments before Lucas stepped forward. 

“Is he under?” Lucas asked Will who was standing opposite to Mike. 

Will lent down slightly before nodding. 

“Yeah he’s under” El could hear his voice waver as he said it. 

Lucas nodded and grabbed the flashlight and lent over to the window sending the ‘GO’ signal to Erica. 

Mike’s body began to twitch and jolt- soft noises- almost grunts of pain escaped his lips. 

El instantly set herself down next to Mike and a radio was placed next to El where the walkman was to help amplify El’s senses. She crossed her legs copying Mike. Max handed El her blindfold and she tied it gently, taking a deep breath her hands enclosing around Mike’s as she closed her eyes. 

When finding herself in the void, she found it odd to already be holding someone's hand. El looked at Mike- who was now almost panting and twitching more than he was a few seconds ago. 

“I’m coming Mike” She whispered gently,she pressed a kiss gently into his head before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes once more searching for Mike. 

The memories instantly came flowing through her. 

Mike in the graveyard “I still remember refusing that I didn't have a crush on El and you said the same for Johnathan,turns out we were both in love, that’s properly the only good lie between us. I hid so much from you and I assume you did for me but that’s okay. I’m still happy that you were my sister. I only wish we could try again. But that’s not going to happen.”

Mike and Hopper in the diner and Hopper saying “Well i’m on his side.i mean it’s not like i can rat him out to police” 

Mike huffed in annoyance at Hopper’s poor joke. 

Mike with Holly in what El could guess was their now shared bedroom-

“What colour do you want to wear today Holly?” Mike asked. 

“Pink!” Holly exclaimed, almost squealing.

Mike and El in the cabin of what felt like so long ago with Mike singing along to the lyrics.

“Nobody wants to show you–”

“Mike!” El cut in with a huge smile on her face, covering his mouth with her hand “ Mike,stop!Stop!” 

The memories begin to flow faster.

Mike and El kissing at the snowball.

Mike in Hawkins lab as Dr.Owens asks Will if he recognizes him.

Mike and Lucas talking, arguing about their Ghostbusters costumes.

Mike,Dustin and Lucas run to hug Will who was lying on the hospital bed.

Mike watches as El is taken by the demogorgon. 

The quarry.

Mike and Dustin riding on their bikes after Mike and Lucas’s fight.

Mike and El meeting and talking for the first time in the basement “I’m Mike”

Things around her contoured and moved El waited until she could feel her feet on a solid surface before opening her eyes. 

It was a blur. El blinked several times coming to her senses of where she was. 

“El, what's happening now?” Max’s voice came through. 

“I think i am in a memory. A Mike memory.” 

At first, there was only light.

Pale golden light — like sunlight through dust, soft and slow.

Then… the sound of breathing.

Tiny, rhythmic. A boy’s laugh, distant but full of life. A page turned. A crayon scraped across paper. The low hum of an old radio playing faintly from somewhere nearby.

El blinked.

She was standing in Mike’s childhood bedroom — not the one he had now, but smaller, with toys scattered like fossils from another time. The walls were covered in taped-up drawings,posters and photos: superheroes with wild proportions, rocket ships, crude stick-figure D&D scenes.

And on the carpet, there he was.

Mike.

Eight, maybe nine. Hair longer, messier. Legs folded underneath him, cross-legged in a pool of comic books and worn-out graph paper. He was talking to himself in character voices — reenacting a campaign solo, eyes lit up with imagination.

The sight made El's chest tighten.

He was happy here. Before Hawkins got darker. She stepped forward — her shoes didn’t make a sound on the carpet. She was invisible here. Not part of this memories.

Not yet at lest. 

“Mike…” she whispered.

But he didn’t hear. Just kept talking to himself.

“Mike?” El said more urgently “ Mike!Mike!” 

He didn't hear her. He only shifted his position to be more upright as he pulled out a comic book from a pile next to him smiling to himself before a loud giggle came from the other room and the volume of whatever the conversation was happening increased.

Young Mike rolled his eyes and muttered “How does Nancy's face not hurt from all that talking. Does she even breathe?” 

El smiled slightly at how quickly Mike’s had changed in a few seconds. She then found herself frowning. 

“I found him. But he’s young and he can't see me. Can’t hear me.” El spoke to the others. 

“Do you see anything weird in the memory? Any sign of Vecna or…or the mindflayer?” Will suggested. 

“No. Everything seems normal.” 

El turned her attention to the otherside of the room- a smear of blood on the carpet that a young Mike hadn't appeared to have noticed.

“There is one thing.”  

El carefully stepped around young Mike to where the blood smear was on the carpet but as she got closer she noticed a D&D dice that was showing the number seven which was covered in the  blood. El frowned as she went to pick it up but as she reached for it the dice glitched? Warped? El couldn't tell but it changed to a small piece of shimmery blue tinsel…exactly like from the snowball causing El to quickly recoil in surprise at the change. 

El let out a breath of frustration before reaching for the tinsel she grabbed it and enclosed it in her hand- only to find it was no longer tinsel that she felt in her hand. She opened her palm. 

what ? 

Was the first thought to her mind- in her hand lay a large red wooden chip- her stomach dropped…the lab. 

She held the chip tighter, shaking. 

“Stop!” A guard shouted- El was running fast following the person in front of her. 

Pain shot across her skull as a blinding pain blurred her vision.  

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” A soldier demanded.”  Against the wall. Both of you. Now!”

El’s nose began to bleed rapidly as the memories came back. 

A guard- no a staff member of the lab flung them against the wall with…their powers? 

El almost collapsed in pain. 

“Wait here. Don’t move.” The man…he looked young, his hair was dark blonde, his eyes were the most piercing blue and his face was so familiar…" I'm going to find  us a way out.” 

“Wait” El could remember herself saying, almost trying to pull him back. “How did you-?” 

“Like I said, we’re alike, you and I.” He said his voice steadily clam. 

Younger El only stared- she was starting to remember. 

The man pulled back his sleeve to reveal- a tattoo just as El’s but it was….001

El began to gasp,struggling for breath. 

“El,El,El” It was Will’s voice. 

“I’m okay,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. 

  001, El thought. 

So familiar…

El begins to gain her vision back from the blur. 

She blinked once and her vision cleared- a rainbow came into view. 

El staggered backwards. 

Then she heard a voice…

“Why do you cry for them,Eleven?” 

El spun around and let out staggered breaths at the sight of horror that awaited her. 

It was a bloodbath of her… Siblings.

In the far entrance of the room she could see her younger self with the man she now knew to be 001. 

“After everything they did to you?Hmm?” One said his voice has an unnerving edge to it.”You think you need them but you don’t. You won’t. Oh, but I know you’re just scared. I was scared once too. I know what it’s like to be different. To be alone in this world. ” 

His voice became more steady as he continued to look down at young El.

“Like you, I didn't fit in with the other children. Something was wrong with me.All the teachers and doctors said I was…’broken’ they said.”

Young El watched timidly, shaking in fear. 

El watched her face, however pale but as determined.

 “My parents thought a change of scenery, a fresh start in Hawkins, might just cure me. It was absurd. As if the world would be any different here.” His voice became sharper “ But then… to my surprise, our new home provided a discovery. And a new sense of purpose. I found a nest of black widows living inside a vent. Most people fear spiders. They detest them. And yet, I found them endlessly fascinating. More than that, I found a great comfort in them. A kinship. Like me, they are solitary creatures. And deeply misunderstood. They are gods of our world. The most important of all predators. They immobilize and feed on the weak, bringing balance and order to an unstable ecosystem.”

One turned, placing all his attention on young El. 

“But the world was disturbing this harmony. You see, humans are a unique type of pest, multiplying and poisoning our world, all while enforcing a structure of their own. A deeply unnatural structure. Where others saw order, I saw a straightjacket. A cruel, oppressive world dictated by made-up rules.”

The atmosphere sharpened. 

“Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades.” One was now shouting, the intensity of his voice making both Els tense up “Each life a faded, lesser copy of the one before. Wake up, eat, work, sleep, reproduce and die… Everyone is just waiting. Waiting for all to be over. All while performing in a silly, terrible play, day after day. I could not do that. I could not close off my mind and join the madness. I could not pretend. And I realised I didn't have to. I could make my own rules. I could restore balance to a broken world. A predator…but for good. As i practised, i realised, I could do more than i could possibly imagined. I could reach into others, into their minds, their memories. I became an explorer. I saw my parents as they truly were. To the world, they presented themselves as good, normal people. But like everything else in this world, it was all a lie. A terrible lie. They had done things, Eleven. Such awful things. I showed them who they really were. I held up a mirror. My naive father believed it was a demon cursing us for our sins. But my mother somehow knew. Knew that it was I who was holding up that mirror and she despised me for it. She called a doctor, an expert. She wanted him to lock me away, to fix me, even though it wasn't I who was broken. It was them. And so she left me no choice. No choice but to act. To break free. With each life I took, I grew stronger. More powerful. They were becoming a part of me. But I was still a child. And did not yet know my limits. And it nearly killed me.  He was arrested, blamed for the death of my mother and sister, just as I had planned. But I was far from free. I woke up from my coma only to find myself placed in the care of a doctor, the very doctor I had hoped to escape. Dr. Martin brenner. Papa. But the truth…the truth is he did not just want to study me. He wanted more. He wanted control. When papa finally realized he could not control me, he recreated me. He began a programme. And soon, others were born. You were born. And I am so glad you were, Eleven. So very glad.”

Young El’s eyes travelled to the corpses of the other numbers, her siblings. 

“There not gone, Eleven. They’re still with me. In here.” One said, gesturing to his head. 

El’s stomach twisted, feeling sick as she watched- how insane was one? Truly? She looked at her young self…this moment became ever more vivid in her mind as her headache lessened,she was starting to concentrate on other things in the room as well. 

 “You tricked me.” young El said. 

One recoiled almost in surprise at her words. 

“Tricked you? No, I saved you.” he said his words firmer. “You were a prisoner here, just like me. To your papa, you are nothing more than an animal, a monster, a lab rat to be tamed. But the truth, Eleven, the truth is just the opposite. You are better than they are. Superior.”

Young El wavered her lips trembling as she looked back at the bodies. 

“That is why you frighten him. If you come with me, for the first time in your life, you will be free. Imagine what we could do together. We could reshape the world, remake it however we see fit. Join me.” A soft look of triumph passed over one’s face as he finished, clearly expecting young El to accept his offer.  

“No,” Young El said, her voice however small but determined, she lifted her hand and flung One across the room. 

El let out a gasp in surprise, trying her best to hold her ground in watching herself. 

One landed with a loud grunt of pain in doing so-  he turned from where he’d fallen and turned looking at young Eleven in fury. 

All bones in El’s body told her to run and leave but she felt the desire or rather the need to watch. 

Young El steadies herself, preparing to fight. One rises to a fight stance. They face one another preparing to fight. 

Young El begins to fight, struggling as she fights to remain steady on her feet. 

El catches her breath. 

Young El begins to slide backwards- fear takes over her face as she slides backwards- slowing being overpowered by One. 

With a sudden jolt of One’s power young El was slammed into the door- falling onto the floor before being thrown across the floor like a ragdoll in One’s grip. 

El flinched, startling at herself being thrown so violently.

Young El was thrown up into the air and slowly turned to face One as she writhed in pain. 

“It wasn't supposed to end like this” One said coldly. 

He then twisted his wrist and the sound of bones cracking, screaming and a loud buzz echoed throughout the lab.

El watched in a fixated horror in hearing her own screams. 

Young El let out choked gasps as blood began to stream from her eyes. Then with a sudden gasp and an unmatched surge of power- young El let out a battle cry and sent One flying through the mirror, shattering it and pinning him up against the wall. 

El landed letting out a heavy breath as she got up and faced a struggling One stuck against the wall. El approached him and with the last of her strength released all her power on him in a scream as she raised her hand. 

One let out his own scream of pain as his body begin to dissolve into a flurry of pieces as he dissolved and then… a gate was open in his place as he was consumed. 

El let out a gasp of horror as she saw the red glow of the gate and the vines retract themselves. She tore her eyes away from the gate in horror and teary eyed- It was all her- she thought. 

She began to run- she had to find Mike- Now.

She sprinted from the rainbow room. Sprinting through the halls of the lab. 

She could hear voices. No, Echos. 

No better yet…

She turned to a corridor with a dead end and there it stood.

“I think  I know where to find him,” El said softly, addressing the others.

“Thats great.” Lucas said. 

“Nice job El.” Will said. 

  She was thankful they didn't ask for questions as she approached a table- decorated in white and blue tinsel with stereos and a vinyl playing on top- The familiar begging to ‘Every breath you take’ playing like a soft hum in the background as she got closer and closer and slowing reaching out to touch it as the music began to warp into an unfamiliar tune.

-

Mike’s POV 

Every breath you take 

Every move you make

Every bond you break 

Every step you take

I’ll be watching you 

Mike sat anxiously waiting at a table- his legs shaking as he continued to look around the room in hope of seeing a sign of El. The gym was exactly as it had been—at least, it looked like it. Same blue and white streamers dangling limply from the ceiling, same fairy lights, same table decorations and same lighting. 

POP!

Mike suddenly jerked out his seat at the sudden startle- and spun around releasing one of the balloons on the table behind him that had popped and covered the table in…blood. 

Fear began to take hold on him; he could feel someone's gaze piercing into him and it wasn't El- Vecna was going to find him before she did. 

POP!

 A second squelching noise echoed as another bloody ballon popped. Mike let a sharp gasp escape his lips. Mike let out a sudden yelp as the balloons on the dance floor-less than five feet away from him begin to pop instantaneously  leaving blood spatters all over the dance floor. 

POP!

Another.

POP!

Another, closer to him. 

POP!

Another- less than two feet away.

POP!

Mike begins to back up as a feeling of doom.

POP!

His shoes splattered in blood as he almost fell into the table behind him- the main stage. 

POP!

Vecna was getting closer and closer. 

I’ll be watching- 

A sharp sound was made from the record player as the music became distorted then- 

Dream a little dream of me

Say nighty-night and kiss me 

Mike’s throat caught itself as he turned to face the record. 

Just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me 

A sudden stench of rotting over took Mike’s nostrils as he backed away from the record- then a sound of cringling caught him off-gard. He looked up to see the ‘Snowball’ sign beginning to wilt away. The sound continued as the rotting continued to spread until the streamers began to fall- wilting just the same. 

Dream a little dream of me 

The deterioration was spreading rapidly- Mike guessed that by the time it was completely deteriorated Vecna would have found him.

Stars fading but I linger on, dear 

He could change the location again-

Oh, how I do linger on 

He closed his eyes-

Still craving your kiss

He opened and-

How you crave my kiss

Nothing…He was stuck. 

Now i’m longing- 

“Fuck” Mike said- his voice shook as he said it.

Something brushed him on the shoulder, Mike flinched to get away but froze when he realised- it was almost like ash but it was more the colour and appearance of dead skin- a particle from the Upside down. Mike looked up as they began to fall rapidly. 

His breath hitched as the sound of crackling and creaking increased- the huge letters of ‘Snowball’ now almost entirely decayed. 

“El, Please” He whispered softly.

 Red lighting suddenly lit up the room from the gym windows and then Mike saw it. A strom was brewing as black and gray clouds churned just outside.

Vecna would be arriving any second.

-

Attic POV 

“Shit” Will said as he watched Mike closely. 

He startled both Max and Lucas. 

“What? Is something wrong?” Lucas asked instantly. 

“It's not going well…Mike’s becoming more…unsettled” Will said “ what the hell is even taking so long?” 

Hearing the panic in Will's voice, Lucas makes the move to signal to Erica. 

“I’ll signal and find out,” Lucas said, approaching the window with a flashlight. 

“Hey” Max said, getting Will’s attention “I know it sucks but we need to stay calm.”

“yeah, I know, Sorry” Will said, still not breaking focus on Mike- neither did Max on El. 

 A sudden click sound followed by footsteps echoed through the attic. 

“Shit” Lucas whispered as Jason Carver came into view. 

Both Will and Max’s heads whip around- eyes widening as they notice Jason. 

“Jason?” Lucas asked cautiously “you can’t be here right now, man.”

Will winced, that wasn't the best thing to say.

“What the hell have you done?” He asked when he placed his eyes on Mike and El.

“Jason. You need to leave.” Lucas said, his voice becoming more stern and urgent. 

“Is this what you did to Chrissy?” He asked as he walked over to Mike, noticing that unlike El, Mike was almost seizing. 

“To chrissy? No,no, we don’t know what happened to Chrissy.” Max cut in before Lucas could speak. 

Jason ignored her going over to Mike and crouching next to him. 

“Hey. Hi. Can…can you hear me?” He spoke carefully to Mike, his hand hovering next to him as if touching him would shatter him.

“Jason, you need to leave, you need to go, man.” Lucas said as he approached him. “ Don’t touch him. I’m not messing around.”

“Jason- leave him be.” Will also cut in.

“Jason, please just-” Lucas said, getting more and more desperate. 

“Hey can you hear me?” His focus is only on Mike.  

“Jason, back away from Mike, he’s fine.” Max said.

Max got closer as Will backed away- Will felt the urge to pull Max away and thank god he did because as soon as Lucas got closer Jason instantly stood up again- 

“Hey! Back up!” Jason was now aiming a gun directly in Luca’s face- Lucas immediately pulled both Max and Will behind him, his hands raised in surrender. “ Not another step.”

Lucas' words were caught in his throat.

“I’m sure there’s another way around this, okay?” Will said from his place behind Lucas.

“Wa…Wait.” Lucas said steadily “We…We don’t have to do this. We don’t have to do this.”

“I hope you’re right.” Jason said, gripping the gun more firmly. 

“Just wait.” Lucas said. 

“Expain right now.” Jason said sharply. “But first turn around.” 

“What?” Max said sharply. 

“Turn around, NOW!” Jason yelled, the gun shaking in his grip. 

“Okay,okay.” Lucas whispered. 

They all turned around. 

“Now empty your pockets.” Jason said. 

They all individually turned out their pockets to be met with nothing.

“Explain. While I will go away to the top of the stairs there. Then I’ll watch as you wake him and her up from whatever fucked up satanic shit this is, okay?” Jason said he was trying to keep his voice calm but it was shaking. 

“We can’t.” It was Will who spoke up “Mike is trying to save us all,Jane too. Vecna is the monster- it's hard to explain but we can. We just need you to listen to us. All of the murders. The floating. That’s Vecna…you were never going crazy and the police wouldn't believe you because it’s a government protected secret…we have had to sign contracts-”

Jason’s hands shook as he clicked the safety off. 

In the background, Mike suddenly let out a low gasp , his fingers curling like claws against the floorboards.

-

Mike’s POV 

Stars shining bright above you 

Mike had made it a mission to be busy as he waited, he began to pile stacks and stacks of tables and chairs on the entrance door- he only became more anxious with each one. 

Night breezes seem to whisper I love you 

Reaching for another chair and placing it on top of the pile…he let out a small breath.

Birds singing in the sycamore trees

He reached for another chair and spun around. 

His stomach twisted into a knot of numb fear that made his hands and feet lose their feeling- no table or chairs just-

The creel house door. Stained glass with a rose. 

The door creaked, slowing opening, daring him to enter. 

Mike only stared in horror, he gasped for his breath at the sight. 

Try again. He would try again. 

He closed his eyes tighter this time- trying to find a memory- 

“You think that I don’t see what you’re doing?” Vecna's voice echoed in his head. 

“Fuck off you bastard” Mike thought, trying to get a clear memory.  

“You think I don’t see everything?” Vecna's voice continued.

A memory or rather that wasn’t his flowed through his mind-

“I’m sure there’s another way around this, okay?” Will said from his place behind Lucas.

“Wa…Wait.” Lucas said steadily “We…We don’t have to do this. We don’t have to do this.”

A click of a gun.

”You thought you could trick me?”

“Johnathan!” Joyce's voice sounded panicked as he was thrown up against the wall of the creel house. 

“Shit!” Hopper said as he was flung into the wall, slowly being wrapped in vines.

“You thought your friends could stop me?”

 A swarm of bats.

 “I see them.”

Vines choking Robin and Steve as they are pinned against the walls

Dustin lets out a cry of panic as the bats enter the trailer.

 “I see you’re friends.” 

“Expain right now.” Jason said sharply. “But first turn around.” 

“What?” Max said sharply. 

“Turn around, NOW!” Jason yelled, the gun shaking in his grip. 

“Okay,okay.” Lucas whispered. 

“Just as clearly as I-”

Vines crawling over Steve,Robin, Jonathan, Hopper and Joyce.

“-See you.” 

Chime 

“Stop!” Dustin yelled in a panic. 

“I can feel them.”

Chime 

Eddie was riding on a bike- a swarm of bats close behind him. 

“I can feel them dying”

Steve slowly choked as the vines tightened. 

Chime 

Mike opened his eyes- the creel house door was now wide open. 

Chime 

“It’s time, Mike.” 

Mike's breath caught in his throat and he turned around trying to find another way out. The distorted Music playing almost as a soothing melody of his death. 

Dream a little dream of me

El, Mike thought. Please.

Say nighty-night- 

Mike stumbled in a panic he had no time- 

“It's time.” a voice boomed behind him. 

Mike spun around-Vecna stood there—towering, hunched but powerful, his decayed, stretched skin like sinew over bone, tendons twitching with grotesque life. His left hand, clawed and flexing, hovered in the air like a conductor waiting for the cue. His face was barely human—one eye milky, the other staring deep into Mike with something darker than hate.

Mike’s breath caught in his throat. His limbs locked, as if his body remembered what his brain hadn’t: pure, primal fear.

And then—

CRACK.

The world fractured.

Vecna raised a clawed hand—and with a violent pull of telekinetic force, Mike was yanked off the ground and flung backward like a ragdoll.

He flew through the rotted streamers —until he slammed into the brick gym wall with a sickening thud. The wall cracked behind him from the impact. His spine lit with fire.

He couldn’t breathe.

Vecna didn’t stop.

He marched forward, and with a flick of his wrist, Mike’s body was pinned to the wall—arms outstretched, legs splayed, helpless. The stone behind him vibrated with pressure, as though he were being slowly crushed.

Mike gasped, choking, crying out in the thick air. His ribs ached. His fingers curled in agony. He couldn't move his head.

Whimpers of pain left his lips and he squirmed in Vecna's hold. 

And then Vecna approached—slowly, mockingly, like a king observing a trophy with a low growl as he came closer. 

Mike’s breathing was labored as he panicked as Vecna came closer and closer.

“You are brave,Michel.” Vecna said,now so close to Mike’s face. “Much braver than your sister. But in the end…You are weak and fragile, just like her. Like all the rest of them. And you will break.” 

Vecna raised his hand again, palm outward, fingers curled—about to dig into his mind, to take it all.

Mike tried to scream—but no sound came. His voice was gone.

And still—no music. No escape. No help.

Mike’s heartbeat became thunder in his skull.

He was alone.

He was losing his control to see, to breath, to even think as the hand came closer to his face. 

- 

Attic POV

“-see that’s why we can’t- because of Vecna” Will finished his explanation. 

Jason scoffed, “Really milking your story Byers.”

Will couldn't blame him for saying that. 

Jason kicked the Walkman with his boot—hard—sending it skidding across the attic. It slammed into the fireplace and cracked open, the cassette flying out, ribbons of tape unraveling like guts onto the wooden floor. 

“NO!” Will screamed.

Lucas charged forward. “Jason, stop!”

“Holy shit” Max whispered in horror.

Jason turned, gun raised.

They collided. The pistol discharged—thankfully into the ceiling—but it was enough to send Will diving for cover, dragging Max with him. The two boys tumbled into a violent struggle, fists flying. Jason had the height and strength, landing brutal punches into Lucas’s ribs, slamming him into the wall.

“You don’t get it,” Jason growled, wrapping his hands around Lucas’s collar. “You’ve brought Hell into this town. You’re not heroes. You’re monsters.”

Lucas coughed, blinking through the blood in his eyes.

He saw Mike’s body convulsing behind them. El’s fingers twitching. The ruined Walkman.

And something snapped .

With a guttural yell, Lucas twisted hard, knocking Jason off balance, and drove his knee upward into Jason’s gut. As Jason doubled over, Lucas grabbed a loose plank of wood from the floor and slammed it into Jason’s temple.

Jason dropped like dead weight.

Lucas stood panting, chest heaving, eyes wide.

Silence.

Only the distant groan of the Creel House remained. And the trembling form of Mike, caught in a world none of them could reach anymore.

“Mike… the music… it’s gone,” Will whispered in horror.

-

Mike’s POV 

Mike could feel his eyes roll back into his skull, his body shaking,his mind, thoughts slipping away-Mike couldn’t feel his limbs anymore.

Vecna’s psychic hold had numbed his arms and legs; the air burned in his lungs as if his own breath had turned to acid. His back ached, pressed into the jagged brick wall like he was a mounted specimen. His mind blurred—he felt his memories fraying at the edges.

All slipping.

He was breaking.

And then—

CRACK.

A massive shockwave of psychic energy exploded from like a sonic boom—Vecna was hurled backward, leaving Mike's view.

 The power holding Mike disappeared, and he fell.

Hard.

He hit the gym floor with a brutal thud, groaning as the pain returned to his limbs like pins and needles on fire.

“El,” he breathed, barely able to turn his head.

“You” Vecna said from where he was suspended midair by Els powers.

“Hi” She snarked before lunching him into the bleachers.

Then she ran—ran like she never had before—across the splintered, cursed gym floor. She dropped to her knees at his side.

“Mike, Mike—hey,” she whispered, brushing his damp hair from his forehead. Her hands were trembling. She didn’t care. “I’ve got you.”

He blinked slowly, vision swimming. “You came…”he said, his voice breathless from the adrenaline. 

 He slowly stood up with Els help, his legs shaking even more.

“Sorry it took so long,” El said, her voice soft- shaky as she checked over him for any signs he could be hurt. 

“Are you okay?” Mike asked,there was something in her eye that made him worry. 

“Yes. I can explain later.” She said, urgency filled her voice “ Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, now I am,”he said.” Thank you.” 

A low growl snapped Mike and El out of their conversation.  A shaking Mike followed El at the sound of creaking emerging from the streamers. From across the gym Mike could see Vecna slowly begin to emerge from the hole in the bleachers where he’d been thrown into. 

Vecna pulled himself up and stared at El from across the room- it sent chills down Mike's spine as Vecna cracked his neck as a low menacing growl escaped him. He truly was like an animal eyeing its prey. 

He begins to move slowly over to them- Mike could feel the adrenaline pulse through his veins as he began to breathe faster at his approach. 

“Stay back.” El said without turning to Mike, her eyes locked on Vecna. 

“What? El.” Mike couldn’t help but panic- yes she could handle him but-

“It’s okay,Mike. Stay here.” She was determined as she began to walk towards Vecna. 

Mike gulped back his nerves as she approached Vecna. 

“If you touch him again, I will kill you again.” She said, venom seeping from her voice. 

Again? Mike thought. What was she talking about? She’d faced Vecna before? That didn't make any sense? Was it because he was also from the lab like Jonathan had mentioned?

“Is that what you did?” Vecna's voice almost mocked Els “Hmm? Did you kill me? I am so glad you are here, Eleven. This…is going to be beautiful.” 

Mike could feel a sudden tenseness pierce through the atmosphere as Vecna raised his arms and all of the wooden parts of the bleachers he’d been thrown through raised into the air around him. Mike’s breath hitched once more.  

“So beautiful.” Vecna announced. 

The wood splinters jerked in Els' direction facing her, they looked like daggers. 

“And that’s all thanks to you.” 

Vecna thrust his hand forward releasing the splinters in Els' direction. She let out a grunt as she threw the splinters to the side- it was a perfect distraction as in an instant Vecna had thrown El backwards crashing into a table. 

“EL!” Mike yelled, he meant to rush forward to help her but Vecna had flung her back up into the air by the time he could even react, throwing her across the other side of the room. 

El was then flung a third time, crashing through the photo set up, she let out a whimper of pain as she met the floor.  

“EL!EL!” Mike yelled in a panic.“ YOU BASTARD!” He yelled at Vecna in fury. 

He grabbed a wooden splitter from the floor, the sharpest one he could find and did the most stupid thing possible- he ran at Vecna. 

He wanted to get to El more but Vecna was right there. 

He ran forward but before even coming close Mike felt what he thought was a punch to the gut but was the air leaving Mike's body as he was winded and he felt as his feet left the floor and he was thrown across the room with a yelp and a sudden sharpness of pain and- 

Mike was knocked out cold.

-

EL’s POV 

“Mike.” she groaned in pain as she saw him thrown- and knocked out with a sickening thud. 

Vecna began walking over to her, dismissing what he did to Mike entirely. 

But El was faster- she was on her feet and went to make her move. With a jolt she tried to get a hold on Vecna- she let out a startled gasp as he made an invisible grip on her. 

She could feel her feet leave the ground. Vecna had her. 

He brought her closer- El let out a grunt of pain as he tightened his grip as she came closer to him. 

El seethed as he came closer and began to talk softly to her as if she were a child being told off. 

“Before I kill you…I want you to watch.” 

El let choked out a grown of her own annoyance. Watch what? 

A portal tore itself open midair behind her, jagged and wrong, and in a single vicious pull, Vecna flung her from the decayed Snowball.

She didn’t fall. She was ripped.

Her scream echoed like a dying note through the collapsing gym, swallowed by the void.

El hurtled through a tunnel of twisting, red-black veins—slamming into invisible walls of memory and sound. She saw flickers of her past, of her mother, of Brenner, of the Lab… and then:

Impact.

She crashed down hard onto cold, sticky blood, pain blooming in her shoulder and ribs. She coughed, choking on air that wasn’t really air—metallic and rotten. She let out a grunt of pain from the impact- She was in Vecna’s mindscape now. 

This place pulsed like the inside of a body, it almost looked like it with the red sky and mist that hung low. Endless, shifting terrain of ruined architecture—melted doors, a fragmented staircase,floating debris and almost towers of vines -- just as Mike had described and Will and him had drawn it. It stretched in all directions and none.

El tried to move—but her wrists were yanked upward, suddenly bound.

She looked up to see her arms tied with vines—suspended from a cracked, rotting door that had no wall- almost split from the house like the rest of the mindscape. 

She looked at herself- it looked as if she’d been murdered as the blood covered her…or was it even blood?

She looked around,a gasp of horror escaped her lips as she noticed- chrissy, fred and-

Chime 

Her attention snapped to the clock floating across the top of the destroyed house covered in vines. Is that what Mike was talking about? The chime?

Tears began to brim in her eyes as she accounted for all of the horrors. 

She froze her breath suspended when she saw Vecna…slung casually over his shoulder like a discarded doll was Mike .

Unmoving. Unconscious. His arms dangling. His head was lolling.

“No—NO!” El thrashed violently. “Put him down!”

Vecna didn’t speak. His eyes glowed like open wounds as he moved further away from her- his back to her.

He placed Mike down on an old part of the house and the vines moved in, naturally taking Mike’s unconscious body and pulling up onto the window for it to be displayed- suspended. 

“Mike” El whispered- the others she needs to delay Vecna- then they’ll have the music- they’ll get him from the real world. 

“Papa is alive.” El yelled out desperately “The demogon never killed him.”

Vecna snapped his neck in her direction. 

“I know what he did to you. You were different. Like me.” El said, her voice wavered “ And he hurt you. He made you…into this” A sob left El. “He is the monster,Henry. Not you.” 

El’s breath shuddered as Vecna came closer to her- standing on the platform of the door. 

“You and I, We are different. And Papa did hurt me. But he was no monster.” Vecna said, tilting his head.  

El frowned- but Papa was, he was cruel and used her and him for his own experiments-

“He was just a man.” Vecna continued. “An ordinary, mediocre man. That is why he saw greatness in others. In you. And me.” Vecna brought a hand under El's chin. “ Hmm. But in the end he could not control us. He could not shape us. He could not change us. Do you not see, Eleven? He did not make me into this. You did.” 

I did? El thought. A horrifying sense of realisation came over her as Vecna continued to talk. 

“At first, I believed you had sent me to my death. To Purgatory. But I was wrong. I was somewhere new. I became an explorer. An explorer of a realm unspoiled by mankind. I saw so many things. And one day, I found the most extraordinary thing of all. Something that would change everything. I saw a means to realize my potential. To transcend my human form. To become the predator I was always born to be.” 

The mind flayer. 

“It was…It was you.” she whispered in disbelief.

“Always you.” It all made sense. 

From the very beginning. 

Vecna subtly nodded “All I needed was for someone to open the door” 

El flinched at that. She’d opened the door. Was that what Papa wanted the whole time? To find Henry and bring him back?  

“And you did that for me.” He said as if reading her mind. “Without even realising it. Didn’t you?” 

Was all the suffering her fault? Was Mike suffering like this because of her? Was the once touch of the demogorgon all it took ? She was right all along. It was her. 

“And when you did realize, you chose to resist.  So I sought a means to open my own doors. I sought…” Vecna reached out for her, his hand meeting her cheek. “Your power. So, don’t you see? Once again, you have freed me.” 

Panic slowly consumed El with each word. She was to blame.

“No. You don’t have to do this. You can still stop this.” El pleaded, sobbing. 

“It's over, Eleven. Your friends have lost.” A sinking feeling consumed El- her stomach jolting violently as he spoke. “ There is nothing…nothing you can do to stop this now. Hawkins will burn and fall. And the rest of this senseless, broken world. And I will be there. I will be there to pick up the pieces when it does. And remake it into something…beautiful. There was a time when I had hoped to have you by my side.” Vecna came closer, his hand gripping El’s face with a gaze fixated with primal intent. “ But now I want you to watch.”  

El let out a panic cry as Vecna shifted his focus away from him- she tried to call out to think of any other distraction but she suddenly felt her breath cut short as a vine slid around her neck and it slowly tighten beginning  to choke her. 

Shifting her focus off the vine she could now see Vecna standing above his entrapped form of the window.

The creature's tall, decayed form loomed like a god of rot and vengeance, his back to El as he loomed over Mike. 

“Don’t touch him—don’t TOUCH HIM!” El screamed, her voice cracking into panic as she gasped from the vine around her neck.

Vecna didn’t turn. He extended his clawed hand with calculated slowness, hovering it inches above Mike’s forehead—its crooked, bony fingers twitching as energy began to coil in the air. Red lightning struck the edges of the world. El thrashed, screamed, begged.

-

Mike’s POV 

There was no sound at first.

Just darkness. Thick. Suffocating.

And then—a sharp, splintering noise. Like glass cracking beneath water.

Mike’s eyes snapped open.

But he wasn’t lying on the floor anymore.

He could feel his arms spread out- held tight by something around his wrist. 

His feet weren't touching the ground. 

Mike’s head jerked up. 

Red filled his vision then-

White eyes bore into his brown. 

 A scream was caught as he let out a sob. 

A claw hovered above him. 

“Don’t be afraid.” Vecna growled.“Try and stay very still. It will all be over very soon.”

He opened his hand wider- coming closer to his face.  

“No.” Mike sobbed, this wasn't how it was supposed to go. “No, No, No. Please.” 

“Mike!” He could hear El’s scream of desperation echo. 

Mike could feel himself lose control over his breathing as it quickened- he began to choke on his own breaths as the claw loomed over him. Hot tears streaming from his face as he sobbed. 

 He looked at the claw eyes wide, frozen as it came down onto his face and soul splitting agony consumed him as the claw sunk in. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears as he let out a bloodcurdling scream of horror that consumed into wails of pain. Then —only heat. Like fire. As if something inside him had split him open. His vision then turned white. Bright. Blinding. Like someone had taken a match to his retinas.  His throat strained as he could no longer scream- no longer feel- no longer see- the world feeling as if reality itself has peeled away as an odd numbness took over him.

Mike’s body has fallen limp in Vecna's mindscape.

-

Attic POV 

Max, Lucas and Will watched Mike and El with nervous anticipation- the walkman was broken- Mike was fucked unless they found an alternaive way to save him.  

El knelt at his side, her hand gripping his, knuckles white. Sweat beaded along her hairline. Her nose bled in thin crimson lines as she sat completely still, eyes shut, mind submerged deep inside Mike’s consciousness… 

But something was wrong.

“El?” Will's voice trembled as he crouched across from her. “What’s happening?”

“El?” Lucas repeated, louder now.

El’s body began to shake- jolting and she began to slutter and choke. 

“El? Hey El!” Max got in front of El, shaking her. 

El’s body was almost seizing up. 

“Holy fuck.” Lucas whispered in a panic.

“El? Can you hear us? El, please just say something!” Will asked panicking for his sister now. 

And then, the air in the real attic changed. It thickened, like syrup, and the temperature dropped.

Mike’s fingers twitched. Then his body began to rise. Slowly.

“Oh shit ...” Max backed away, her eyes wide. “No, no, no—he’s lifting.”

Mike's body began to slowly leave the ground as he glided slowly pulling upwards before stopping. 

“El, he’s in the air!” Lucas shouted, grabbing her shoulder. “Do something!”

“El?” Will said again, voice cracking, repeating in his head over and over ‘this isn't happening’.  “We need to wake him up—he’s too high, what if—”

Mike’s body suddenly became rigid. 

A coolness suddenly came over will and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he could feel the growing goosebumps. 

“MIKE!” Will cried out,knowing before-

CRACK! 

Mike’s right leg went first, the sickening sound echoing in the attic. 

“NO.” Lucas screamed. 

Max staggered back letting out a cry of horror. 

CRACK! 

His left arm was next. 

CRACK! 

His left leg. 

CRACK! 

His right arm. 

“MIKE!” Will screamed his throat raw, with an acidic and burning feeling in his throat as he watched Mike's bones break.  

“Mike!” Lucas cried out almost lunching for Mike in midair, desperate to get to him as Max clung at his side gaping at Mike in silent horror as she stared fixated on Mike's floating body.

-

El’s POV 

El sobbed, thrashing in the vines as she watched from a distance as Mike was murdered. His screams echoing in her ears even though they had faded away. 

“Mike. I'm sorry.” She sobbed. Closing her eyes as she continued to thrash around but the vines tightened making El weaken and weaken. “I’m a monster.” 

“El, are you okay?” Mike said urgently hovering over her. 

El looked at her tearfully “ Mike… I’m Sorry..” 

she sniffled.

Mike gave her a breathless,warm smile. “ Sorry? What are you sorry for?” 

“The gate… she hiccuped. “ I opened it. I’m the monster…” 

El cried softly. 

Mike only smiled at her, his gaze softening even more. 

“No. No, El. You’re not the monster. You saved me. Do you understand? You saved me.” 

El’s breath hitched as she opened her eyes once more. 

Gritting her teeth she could feel that familiar tug from the bottom of her stomach- She let out a battle cry as she tore herself free of the vines. Breathing heavily she felt the power travel through her body as she flung Vecna from Mike, screaming until her lungs hurt and Vecna was forced up against a pillar. 

El let out a grunt as she tightened her hold as she walked closer to Vecna- who was struggling in El’s grip. Her hands coming to her sides, her powers straining control through her eyes, a burning  sensation in her eyes as she faced him. 

Vecna’s voice strained as he spoke to her “ You and your friends believe you have won. Don’t you? But this is only the beginning. The beginning of the end. You have already lost.”

“No.” El said, her voice steady “You have.” 

At just that point- Vena let out a bellow of pain and began to evaporate as if a mist or an illusion himself along with the mindscape around it.   

The group had found Vecna. 

The red sky evaporated before her eyes- the creel house, the very ground beneath her and the pillars- fading away. 

El spun around in a sudden jolt of panic in time to watch Mike’s body hanging limp tied by vines evaporating in front of her- she could only watch tearfully in shock.

“Mike!” She cried tearfully. 

The black void was now surrounding her. 

“Mike!” her body jerked from its hypnotic state, gasping awake. 

She spun around- 

“MIKE!” Will was screaming bloody murder as he looked at Mike's body on his knees next to him unable to move from shaking- vomit on the floor next to him as he barely touched Mike’s hand- properly too terrified to hold him in fear of hurting him more. 

Mike’s suspended body dropped- crumping- each bone broken- his eyes- white, blood streaming down from where his tears should be. 

Erica sprinted up the stairs out of breath. 

“Call an ambulance! Hurry! C- call an ambulance! ERICA!” Lucas wailed in horror looking at his best friend's mangled body. 

Her footsteps died down as she ran back down the stairs. 

 El stumped forward, pulling herself on her knees as she held on Mike's crumpled body. 

“Mike.” El sobbed clutching onto him. 

“E-El…” Mike whispered. 

-

Mike’s pov 

He can’t move.
He can’t see.
There’s just black. Thick, endless black. He opened his eyes. Darkness. 

Panic. 

“E-El…” Mike whispered,Holy fuck it burned, he chokes- his lungs are buring. 

What is happening?

What happened to him? 

Everything is floating. Like he’s not in his own body anymore. 

“I’m here, Mike I'm here.” El is speaking to him…but he can’t see her or feel…anything.

He opened his eyes. 

Nothing. 

“I…” Mike strains as his lungs begin to burn even more, he struggles to breathe, sputtering out his words, trying to gasp for air . “I can’t feel or…s-see…anything.” 

“I know, Mike. I know. It’ll be okay. You’re going to be f-fine.” El is sobbing her words breathless as she spoke- she sounded like she was in pain. 

Did Vecna hurt her? 

“An ambulance is c-coming” Will is gasping for breath,sobbing. 

“Stay with us, man” Lucas is crying. 

Why? 

“El…” Mike croaked. 

What was happening? 

He was so scared. 

 Then he could feel it as if his chest was folding in on itself. Like his lungs are crumbling.  Each breath is shallower than the last. Every time he tries to suck in air, it’s like breathing through a straw in concrete. It’s the only feeling he has left. 

“P-please…” Mike choked. “ El…i’m scared, i’m so scared.”

“It’s going to be okay. Just- just hold on a little longer.” El sobbed,desperately. 

“I’m so scared.” Mike sobbed- gasping for air. “I’m sorry i-i don’t want to die, i’m not ready, Please, i’m sorry, i’m so sorry.” Mike begged. 

He had wanted to kill himself but that was months ago- he wanted out of life  but not of this life he has now. 

“Please” Mike begged,sobbing. 

Mike Wheeler never said please. He’d only begged twice, now and when El first disappeared. 

“You’re not gonna die, man. Hang on.” Lucas was wailing. 

“Mike, stay with us, come on.” Will was also begging. 

“Any minute, Mike, the ambulance will be here any minute” It was Max’s voice, she was also crying. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, and he begins to slutter.- his death was inevitable. “Please don’t let Holly live with that man, please, promise.” 

“I-I Promise.” El said it instantly. “But you’re going to be fine. You’re staying right here- hold on.” 

El was sobbing harder. 

“Come on,man,” Lucas sobbed. 

Will was choking on his breaths.  

Mike went to speak but his breaths were caught- a sudden jolt- he couldn’t breath. 

“I- I don’-sor- pleas- El-” Mike struggled, crying out in pain ,his words dying on his tongue as he lost his ability to formulate words entirely. 

“Mike! Mike! Mike! No, no,no,no,no.” El cried out. 

“Stay with us. Stay with us, Mike” Lucas cried out. 

“Mike! Look at me- no,no,no.” El begged, gasping. “Stay with me, please, Mike!” 

Mike’s mouth opened gasping for air that would not come- he could feel his body suffocate as his lungs burned.

El was shaking as she looked at Mike.

“MIKE!” She sobbed as she could see a single tear fall from Mike’s eyes- his white eyes slowly,peacefully fluttering shut. “No,No,No, Mike wake up, wake up. Please.“No, no, no,” El chokes, her voice becoming a frantic whisper. “You’re okay, you’re okay. You’re gonna be okay.”

 His body is becoming cold. El arms locked around him, trembling violently.

Her breath hitches.

Everything stops.

Mike is gone. 

Mike is dead.

The world narrows to a single pinpoint of devastation.

Her hands clutch his shirt, fists tightening until her knuckles go white. Her tears fall onto his chest as she lowers her head, her cheek pressing to his.

“No,” she whispers.

Then again, louder.

“No.”

Her body begins to shake. Her teeth clench. Her heart feels like it’s being ripped apart inside her.

And then—

She screams.

A sound so gut-wrenching, so filled with grief , rage , and loss , it tears out of her from the core of her soul.

The windows in the attic shatter all at once, glass exploding outward into the thick dusk. The wooden beams quake. Lightbulbs burst. The very walls of the Creel House shudder under the force of it.

The air warps around her, her hair lifting with static, her eyes burning red with tears.

And still, she holds Mike.

Rocking him.

Shaking.

“No, no, no,” she cries through sobs. “Come back. Please, come back to me. ”

The others—Will, Lucas, Max—are frozen behind her, wide-eyed, horrified,still sobbing, consumed in their own grief . The attic looks like a storm has ripped through it. The power of her scream lingers in the air like lightning after a strike.

But El doesn’t care. Doesn’t notice. Her head is spinning. 

All she knows is that he’s not breathing.

“Why don’t we call you El? Short for Eleven?”

And she’s never felt so alone.

“EL GET OUT THE WAY” Will yelled at her, snapping her out of her trance,he’s being held back by Lucas from rushing over to Mike. 

A giant split in the house was coming her way, she pulled Mike with her stumbling back holding tight to Mike’s broken body it tore its way through the house severing Jason in half.

El only gaped in horror- 

Venca won .

El sobbed, why was this happening? Why did she let this happen? 

“El” Max’s voice snapped her attention to her. “We need to get…”

Max trailed off, El guessed by the look on her face. 

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Lucas clinging onto an unconsolable Will wailing clutching the floor boards almost tearing.

“What…”Will croaked,looking at the crack in the house and back to Mike. “what the fuck are we supposed to do? He- he can’t-” 

Will was cut off by himself vomiting again. 

Lucas holds Will closer as he shakes as another round of sobs rack his body, Lucas’s own tears combining messy on the floor as Max looks at El tearfully. 

A flicker—deep inside El’s chest. Something hot, but not angry. Not rage like before.
 

This is love .

El shifts,holding Mike in her lap. 

She presses her palm flat against the center of his chest, over his heart, fingers splayed.

She closes her eyes.

The others don’t dare interrupt.

“No,” she whispers,softly. “You're not going…No.” 

“My name’s Mike, short for Michel.” 

“Hey, I got you breakfast.” 

“You’re not the monster”

“El I called you every night for-”  “353 days” 

“Do you want to dance?” “I don’t know how.”

“What I wanted to say was-”

“You have been watching too many soap operas” 

“Promise?” “I promise.” 

-  

Hopper POV 

The stairs groaned under Hopper’s boots, each step down from the Creel attic dragging the weight of the day’s nightmare with it. Behind him, Joyce’s breathing was sharp, erratic. He could hear Jonathan too—steady but strained. Robin was muttering something under her breath, words that sounded more like prayers than sentences. Steve stayed silent. All of them descending into the dark, clutching onto borrowed courage.

Hopper reached the floor first.

Vecna's body was gone from where they had estimated it to land from the creel house window from the attic. All that was left was chunks of burnt skin and blood.

"Jesus," Robin whispered.

“Where the hell is he?” Jonathan asked, his voice shaking more than he wanted it to.

Chime

Their heads all whipped toward the clock inside the house.

Chime

They rushed to face the grandfather clock. 

Chime

No, Hopper thought. 

Chime

Four.

Four chimes.

“Four gates,” Joyce gasped. “He did it.”

“No…Kid.” Hopper muttered, his stomach flipping like he'd just been gut-punched.

“Wheeler” Steve muttered next to him.

Then the floor trembled. Dust fell from the ruined chandeliers overhead. The whole house shuddered . The vines that covered the walls stilled. 

“Everyone out—NOW!” Hopper bellowed.

They sprinted. Through the rotten house, out into the acid air of the Upside Down. The trailer was still standing—barely.

Murray stood out front, rifle forgotten in his grip. Beside him—on the ground—was Dustin. The kid was sobbing, his whole body curled around someone—

“Eddie?” Steve choked, running ahead.

Hopper slowed, his boots nearly slipping in the black sludge. Dustin was holding Eddie like he could still keep the warmth in him, muttering desperate, broken things.

“I tried—I tried—he said he’d come back—he said—he—”

Steve dropped to his knees beside him, gripping Dustin’s shoulder with one hand, the other resting gently on Eddie’s now-still chest.

Robin covered her mouth with both hands. Joyce went to Dustin, whispering comfort even through her own tears.

“We need to get him somewhere safe,” Jonathan said.

Hopper nodded. “We can’t leave him like this.”

They gathered Eddie’s body as gently as they could, moving fast, the earth still rumbling beneath them. Rushing to secure his body as the earth shook more violently. They rushed into the trailer to find- the portal had entirely split open and not wasting any time hurried  them through it. 

Dustin was still sobbing Eddie's name even as they rested his body onto the mattress, now safely on the other side. Back in their world. 

“We’ve got to get to the creel house, right now.” Hopper said, looking at the others who were, like him, battered and bruised. 

“Alright” Steve said, still breathless. 

Hopper froze as the shaking stopped. He carefully exited the trailer and looked on in horror as the crumbled ground around the trailer and the carnage of the earthquake seemed to have rippled throughout Hawkins- the upside down had taken over Hawkins- just as Johnathan had told him and Joyce in his vision.  

“Shit” he hissed. 

Behind him Joyce, Robin, Jonathan and Steve who was clutching onto a sobbing Dustin. 

“We’ll come back for him Kid, okay? We need to go to the creel house to make sure everyone's okay.” And they will be, Hopper thought. 

They piled into the RV, Hopper taking the wheel. 

The closer they got to the creel house the louder and louder sirens became- Hoppers stomach dropped as they turned into the street where the creel house is. 

Flashing red lights filled his vision. 

Ambulances.

As they scrambled out of the RV, the smell hit him first— smoke, dirt, blood, and that sterile metallic scent of a hospital under siege.

Paramedics were rushing.

A gurney wheeled past.

And on it—

“MIKE!” Dustin yelled out. 

Mike’s body was a mess- limps bent unnaturally, an oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose, dried blood that had come from his eyes that were closed and his skin that was ever so pale. Hopper would have thought he was dead unless he could hear the paramedics talking of his weak pulse. 

El was already climbing into the back, hair matted with sweat and dust, her eyes hollow with panic but filled with determination. 

“El!” Hopper called but the doors slammed before El could even get a chance to look at who called her. 

The siren wailed.

And the ambulance pulled away, disappearing into the flashing red lights.

Hopper turned around to see Will on his knees on the sidewalk crying himself sick, Joyce by his side along with Johnathan. Lucas and Max were huddled on the sidewalk but Lucas was staring off into the distance sobbing quietly like Max. 

Hopper cursed whatever the hell the kids had deserved to see their best friend getting almost murdered. Hopper carefully approached Will, who was now crying into Joyce’s hold. 

“Why don’t we head to the hospital?” Hopper said softly. 

Joyce nodded, clutching onto will while pulling him up carefully and helping him walk back into the RV. The others got the signal and began to pile into the RV. 

-

Arriving at the hospital was a different kind of hell. The amount of patients was unbelievable.The earthquake must have really hit hard. 

They found El waiting outside an operating room, sitting on the floor or rather collapsed against the floor.  She was entirely wiped out, in fact she looked worse now then she did look in the ambulance. 

“Kid.” Hopper said gently as he sat next to her on the floor. “The doctors say anything about his condition?" 

“They said he’s unstable for now.” She whispered. 

Hopper sucked in a sharp breath. 

“He’s strong he’ll…he will hang in there.” Hopper said gently. 

El turned looking up at him, her eyes glazed over as she spoke. 

“He was scared, dad, so scared…and I-I can still hear his screams from when Vecna…” El trailed off as her voice broke with a sharp inhale. 

Hopper pulled her in for a tight hug, he could only imagine the horrors. 

Hopper turned to the others “The surgery’s gonna take a while, it would be good to get comfy and…Murry can you contact this number about Eddie.” Hopper said pulling out a piece of paper with Ownes number on it to Murry. 

“You got it.” Murray muttered walking away. 

“Eddie? What happened to Eddie?” Lucas asked, looking from Hopper to Dustin. 

Dustin started shaking with another round of sobs. 

“He’s gone, Kid.” Hopper said gently. 

“Gone?” Will spoke up, Hopper didn't want to confirm nor deny it by the look on Will’s face but…

“Yeah, I’m sorry kid.”

Tears were once again brought to the surface. 

“What the fuck is happening?” Hopper heard Max mutter. 

He was thinking the same. 

The group sat in silence in the corridor on the cold and sterile floor for hours waiting in almost complete silence.

12 hours later 

 When the door finally opened, the surgeon stepped in. His scrubs were stained faintly along the edges, and there was a tired gravity in his face that told them this wasn’t the end of the waiting.

Hopper was the first to stand. Joyce’s hand was already on his arm. El was now sitting between Jonathan and Will, knees pulled up, chin resting on them, eyes flicking up instantly.

The doctor didn’t waste words.

“Michels’s stable for now. He’s in recovery, but… the injuries were extensive. They were clean breaks in both legs and both arms. We’ve had to set and cast them completely. He’s in a neck brace for stability. We’ve managed to control the internal bleeding and repair the most immediate internal damage.”

Joyce’s breath caught.

The doctor continued, his tone cautious but gentle.
 

“He’s slipped into a coma. We can’t say when — or if — he’ll wake up. There’s concern about possible paralysis, depending on spinal trauma, and… possible vision loss. Before we can even address that, we’ll have to run a series of brain scans to determine the extent of hypoxic damage. There’s still a chance of… Michel being brain dead .”

It was the kind of sentence that landed like a crushing, suffocating weight.No one moved for a moment. The only sound was the steady, mocking tick of the wall clock.

“You can see him,” the doctor said finally. “ But keep it brief for now while we watch over his condition. ”

 The corridor felt colder and more sterile as they followed a nurse.Each step made the low beep of heart monitors from behind doors more distinct until they reached his.

The nurse opened the door quietly.

Mike lay still, almost unrecognizable under the tangle of medical equipment. Both legs were elevated slightly in bulky white casts. His arms, too, were cased from shoulder to wrist, fingers sticking out pale and slack. The neck brace looked far too big for his thin frame. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth, the plastic fogging faintly with each slow, machine-regulated breath.

The monitor beside him kept a steady rhythm — beep… beep… beep — a fragile thread holding him in place. Tubes snaked into his arms, one into the side of his hand.

And then there were his eyes. Even closed, there was something unnatural about them — dark, branching veins like black spiderwebs creeping from beneath the lids and spreading faintly toward his cheeks. 

El moved first, quietly, as though afraid to break him. She stood beside the bed, reaching out but stopping just short of touching his face, her hand hovering an inch from the oxygen mask. The only thing relaying in her mind was the words of possible paralysis,blindness and…brain dead. How could Mike become a writer if he was- if he could be… brain dead.

Will swallowed hard and turned away slightly. Jonathan stared, unmoving. Joyce’s hand covered her mouth. Robin blinked fast, jaw tight. Lucas and Dusti hovered back looking on in horror as Max did the same. 

Hopper didn’t speak. He just stood at the foot of the bed, hands balled into fists at his sides.

The room was silent but for the machines — until the sound of shoes scuffing in the doorway made them all look up.

Ted Wheeler stood there.

He didn’t step inside. 

The nurse spoke up calmly explaining “ We were unable to contact Michel’s Mother but we were able to contact his father. We’ll have Doctor Walker come by later and explain Michels condition and health plan.” 

“I see.” Hopper replied gruffly.

The nurse scurried out of the room with a mention of notes for the doctor.

Hopper’s voice broke the silence. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Ted blinked, startled at the directness. “I… heard what happened,” he said finally, slow, like every word had to be coaxed out. “He’s my son.”

Hopper’s jaw tightened, the tendons in his neck visible. He took a step closer, enough that Ted had to look up slightly to meet his eyes.
“Your son ? Now you admit that- ” Hopper’s tone was sharp, almost a bark. “You mean the same kid you kicked out of your house nine months ago?”

Ted’s lips pressed into a thin line. He glanced toward El, toward Joyce, maybe looking for backup, but nobody moved.

“Jim—” Joyce started softly, but Hopper raised a hand without looking at her.

“No, he needs to hear this,” Hopper said, his voice low but shaking with contained fury. “You threw Mike, Karen, and Holly out because your wife cheated after your daughter died. And instead of being a father, you left him — them — to fend for themselves in a house- no a trailer that he works to pay for- where his mother drinks herself numb every night. And better yet - that boyfriend of hers — the creep who can’t keep his hands to himself.”

Ted’s face went pale.“That’s not—”

“That's exactly what happened.” Hopper stepped in again, closing the gap between them. “Mike was the one who had to take care of Holly. Mike was the one who had to deal with his mother’s screaming and throwing things. Mike was the one who made sure Holly ate, who walked her to school, who protected her from that son of a bitch you let near her.”

Ted’s eyes darted to the floor, his hand tightening on the strap of the briefcase hanging from his shoulder.

“And now,” Hopper continued, his voice climbing, “now you show up here — what? For your reputation? To be seen at the hospital? So people think you give a damn?”

Ted swallowed, but he didn’t answer.

“You weren’t there when your son was starving himself so Holly could eat,” Hopper said, voice raw now. “You weren’t there when he couldn't sleep because of all the torments he faced. But you’re here now — when there’s a room full of witnesses and a camera in the lobby.”

The only sound for a moment was the slow, steady beep of the heart monitor.

Ted finally looked up, his mouth opening like he wanted to speak — but whatever excuse he’d been reaching for died on his tongue when Hopper took another step forward.

“If you want to be here, fine,” Hopper said, his voice low again but sharp as glass. “But don’t pretend you’re doing this for him- but if you want to change and step up you better start now and start doing it right.”

Hopper turned back toward Mike’s bed, his broad frame blocking Ted from view. Joyce shifted closer to El, who hadn’t taken her eyes off Mike the entire time. Will’s jaw was tight, his hands clenched on the back of a chair. Dustin was gaping at Hopper while Lucas looking however miserable had a look of triumph in his eyes at Hopper's words. 

Ted stayed in the doorway for a long, uncomfortable beat… and then, without a word, he turned and walked away down the hall.

The door clicked shut behind him.

Hopper let out a long breath through his nose, but his eyes stayed on Mike, the anger in his face softening into something else entirely — the look of a man who had no intention of leaving this kid’s side.

-

About four hours after the Ted Wheeler incident Dr.Owens called back, contacting through the hospital to cover Mike’s treatment and to further contact Hopper to run through the extent of things. 

Lucas’s parents took, with much struggle from Lucas, him, Max and Erica home but only after they were given the okay by doctors on Mrs. Sinclair's orders to go home and get cleaned up and sorted as well as giving Max the chance to contact her Mom. 

Dustin was taken by Robin and Steve to the Earthquake shelter so they too could get a grip of the damage and to also get Dustin out of the hospital for some air. 

It left only the Hopper-Byers family in Mike’s room. Will was curled up on a chair into Johnathans side trying not to drift off while Jonathan was already fast asleep. Joyce sat next to Hopper in a chair. El sat on Mike’s bed, holding the tips of his fingers, her eyes closed as she fell into the void. 

Void pov 

“Mike?” El called, her voice swallowed instantly by the void.

Nothing answered.

Her eyes darted around, scanning for the familiar flicker of light, the blur of movement that would lead her to him. She took a step forward, then another, the water stretching out endlessly under her feet. The quiet pressed in against her ears until she could hear her own heartbeat.

“Mike, it’s me,” she tried again, louder this time. “It’s El. You’re safe… I’m here.”

Still, no reply.

Her chest tightened. Even when people were trapped in their minds — Like how Mike had been hours ago — she could feel something. A pull. A thread connecting them. But with Mike now… it was like there was nothing left to grab onto.

She moved faster, her steps sending ripples racing out across the water, as if speed alone could force an answer. She searched for any sign — a discarded memory, a sound, a scent — but it was just black, stretching in every direction.

The panic started slowly, creeping into her throat.No, she thought. He’s here. He has to be.

“No.” she sobbed, her knees giving way as she collapsed sobbing in the endless void of darkness surrounding her. 

“El, there’s a doctor coming.” A voice pulled her out and her watery eyes snapped open just in time for the doctor to walk through the door. 

“Sorry for any disturbance, I just came to update you with necessary scans we have added to the chart for Michel.” He spoke steadily. 

“What scans?” Hopper spoke softly as not to wake Will and Jonthan. 

“We would like to do a full heart and lung scan to see if there is any damage and also find how his heart potentially started again as it was in no condition to be saved by CPR.Truely a miracle.” 

“Wait- started again? His heart stopped?” Joyce spoke up in alarm. 

“His heart stopped for over a minute.” He explained calmly.

Hopper’s eyes widened and he looked at El who nodded slightly before turning back to Mike. 

The doctor nodded before leaving the room. 

“Oh god.” Joyce whispered “ he actually…” 

“Yeah” Hopper’s voice was shaky. “You brought him back kid?” 

“Yes… he- I couldn’t let him leave.” El whispered her voice wobbling. 

Hopper got out of his seat and pulled her into another tight hug softly kissing her forehead “I’m proud of you, kid. You were so brave.” 

“Not brave enough to save him.” She whispered. 

“Hey, no, don’t say that.” Hopper said. 

“It’s all my fault if only I had-” El cut herself off mid-sentence as she shifted. 

“You okay, kid?” Hopper said in concern. 

“Yeah I just-” El shifted, pulling something out her jean back pocket. 

 It was an envelope with the words ‘ El’ scribbled on the front in familiar handwriting- Mike’s handwriting. Hopper pulled away from El sitting back in his seat with a small encouraging smile as El's hand shook- she opened the letter and began to read-

Dear El,

How do I even start? How do I tell you all the things I’ve been too afraid to say for years? How do I explain myself when I don’t even recognize the person I’ve become?

I guess I’ll start with the truth: I miss you. I miss us. I miss the way things used to be—before the Summer, before high school, before everything fell apart. You were my light, El. You always have been. And somewhere along the way, I let the darkness take over- fucking hell that sounds pretty cheesy but ture if the whole point of this letter is to be hondest. I’m sorry for how distant I’ve been. After Nancy… After her death I didn’t know how to cope. I felt like I had to shut down, like if I let myself feel anything, I’d completely fall apart. I thought keeping everything inside would protect me, protect all of us. But it didn’t. All it did was push me further and further away from the people I care about. From you. The party . 

I  hated myself so much, I know it's sick and cruel but part of me wished it was  me  that took Nancy's place that night .  I hated that my parents coped with alcohol and  left the house  for hours on end- I almost felt jealous they could do those things.  I  haven't slept properly in months , all I can see is  Nancy every time and your terrified  face . Mostly Nancy  but sometimes she's yelling at me ?  blaming me, telling me things I know already. I know this isn't  the thing you want to know but I can't really add anything to the reality of things like trauma as  Mrs. Kelly calls it . I  know you’d understand.  There were nights where I had a bag packed up and was so delirious with hunger or pain that i was going to go to your house with holly but then remembered i didn't know where you lived since moving in with the Byers- i did actually spent in total three nights in the cabin with holly once when both Mom and  John were so drunk they  ended up smashing up half the kitchen and when we went home the next day to find our room trashed and  blooded from their violent outburst they’d taken out on each other- clearly high as well  with who knows what.  I'm sorry this is just getting more and more depressing.

I’ve been having these dreams—no, nightmares, really. They feel so real, El. Vecna’s voice, his face… I can feel him. It’s like he’s watching, waiting for the right moment to strike . I know I'm the next victim, I could see the look on your face when you found out- I’m sorry . But that’s why I’m writing this. Because if something happens to me, if I  get killed by Vecna. I need you to know everything. You made me believe in myself when no one else could. You showed me what it means to love someone unconditionally, to fight for the people who matter no matter how hard it gets. You are everything good in this world, El. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from Nancy and now knowing I'm facing my own impending doom , it’s that life is too short to leave things unsaid. So here it is:-I love you, El. I’ve  loved you since I first saw you in the woods. I just didn’t know what love was yet . I’m sealing this letter with something I’ve been carrying for a long time—a promise ring. I bought it for you  a while ago, back in the summer. I was going to give it to you on Christmas , but then everything went wrong. I didn't think I deserved you.  I know that I don’t.  But i love you, on you’re good days, on your bad days, with and without your powers .This ring ,it’s my way of saying that no matter what happens, no matter where we end up, a part of me will always be yours.You’re stronger than you know, El. Stronger than all of us. Don’t let Vecna, or anyone else, make you doubt that.I’ll fight for you, for us, for everything we’ve built together- you’ve  fought for the peace of Hawkins. I don’t know if I’ll win, but I’ll give it everything I have. I promise.

Love Mike

P.s   That was pretty cheesy but still better than your soap operas, right? ;)

El sobbed reading the end of the letter, a small laugh escaped her lips. She pulled back the envelope and sure enough she pulled out what was inside- a silver ring with a small sparkling jem encased in the silver, just like the one El had pointed out months ago in the summer in a shopping catalogue only this one had a bigger jem. It was perfect. 

“Is that a promise ring?” Joyce spoke up, her voice delicate. 

“Yeah.” El let out a sob placing it on a finger. 

“It’s beautiful.” 

“Yeah, it's pretty.” El spoke softly, her gaze fixated upon it. 

A sudden sound of a thunder clap shook her gaze of the ring as she looked up and froze at what she could see out the hospital window. Red stormy thunder clouds filling up the sky then flakes or rather air particles from the upside down began to fall from the sky. 

You’re stronger than you know El. 

She just hoped Mike was right.