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this is being updated to my tumblr. you can find it here
“What the hell are those dipshits up to now?” You mutter to yourself, watching the boys sneak Eleven through the middle school doors, sighing at their tenacity, “Can’t I get a break for one goddamn day?”
You decide on waiting outside for them, but your patience begins to wear thin after a few minutes. You set your bike by the school wall before you pull on the handles and enter, overwhelmed by the number of kids crowding the halls.
Through all of the commotion, you manage to spot your brother’s hat through the crowd and the others with him. They take a left down the hall towards the AV room, and you quickly follow behind.
Lucas is unlocking the door to the room once you reach them; looks of relief spread over Mike and Dustin’s faces at your arrival.
“What in God’s name are you three up to-” You start before Dustin interrupts you, “Holy shit, Y/N! You’re never gonna believe this!”
“Will’s alive!” Mike exclaims as Lucas finally gets the lock open, the four of them piling inside the room, Dustin pulling you in by your sleeve. You sigh at Mike’s words, grief filling you again, “No, Mike. He isn’t, okay? Will’s dead.”
“Eleven projected his voice through the walkie talkie last night-” Mike continues as he starts fumbling with the radio’s frequency.
“Mike-”
“She showed us this morning, we’ve all heard it!” Dustin’s by Mike now, pulling out the chair for Eleven to sit in. Lucas stands more to the side, clearly more skeptical of the whole situation, “We needed a better radio to get in contact with him, so we thought to bring El here.”
“Does no one else remember what happened last night?” You blurt out, running a hand through your hair in frustration. Your tone is much harsher than you prefer, but you can’t think of any other way to communicate with them right now, “We saw him dead in the water. All the cops, the fire trucks, ambulances, god. We were there when they pulled him out-”
“I know it sounds crazy, believe me,” Dustin pleads, “But just trust us, okay? He’s still out there, and let El prove it to you.”
His eyes are wide with curiosity, something you helped foster in him. You always encouraged him to ask questions until he got answers, and you always promised him that you’d be fighting alongside him. You figure you can at least humor him again this time.
You sigh as you look between the four kids and eventually give in to their reasoning. You shrug your shoulders lightly, “Okay, fine.”
The radio suddenly comes alive as Eleven closes her eyes to concentrate, pressing her hands flat against the table. Static sputters through the speakers; Mike and Dustin intently listening.
The light that hangs from the ceiling shatters, not only setting each of you on edge but allowing the buttons on the radio to cast an eerie glow over the kids’ features.
“Nothing’s happening,” Lucas mutters, leading to violent shushing from the other two.
As Eleven inhales abruptly, a thumping sound begins to take shape through the noise. It repeats, then another, and another after that, until a voice cuts through - and it’s Will’s. He calls out for his mom, for Joyce, and your breathing halts at the amount of fear in his voice.
Joyce’s voice comes through next, begging for her son to explain where he is, and Will cries out.
“It’s like I’m home, but it’s dark and so cold, so so cold!” Your eyes squeeze shut as another noise overlaps with Joyce’s; a growl that scares you to your entire core. Will’s panicking now, saying that it’s coming for him, that it’s close.
The boys share a look of concern before Eleven breaks the bond, her head snapping backward and eyes opening in fear.
Sparks fly; flames grow on top of the table. Dustin thinks fast and grabs the fire extinguisher from the corner while Mike kneels down to Eleven, obviously drained from the experience of channeling the Byers’ boy. Lucas helps him lift her onto a cart near the back of the room and you get ready to push.
The fire alarm is next, and Lucas opens the door out to the hall, ushering everyone out ahead of the crowds.
Mike hops onto his bike first, and you lift Eleven onto the seat behind him, her arms wrapped loosely around his chest; you make a mental note to watch her as you ride.
“Quick, back to my place!” Mike shouts and your tires spin, getting a grip on the grass and propelling you forward.
“So, if Will’s not dead…” You question as you help guide Eleven onto the couch, sighing in relief once she becomes comfortable.
“Then where is he?” Mike finishes your thought, pacing around the coffee table.
You’ve decided that the idea of Will still being alive is absolutely insane - but not entirely impossible. Two disappearances, talk of monsters, a psychic child, and now a government cover-up - all in the span of a few days? It can’t be a coincidence.
“What was is that Will keep saying?” Dustin asks, sitting on the wooden steps and his head in his hands as he thinks.
“He was saying it was ‘like home’,” Lucas mentions, “But it was ‘dark’ and ‘cold’.”
Mike scoffs as he stops and stands still, turning to the others, “I mean - it just doesn’t make any sense.”
Eleven’s exhausted voice utters, “Upside down.” The two simple words catch your attention, brow furrowing at their meaning. You begin to ponder them as the boys grow more confused.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Lucas replies, growing frustrated at the lack of answers. Mike and Dustin begin to join in; their arguing echoing throughout the basement.
Then, it hits you.
“What if Will’s not here at all?” You start, gaze to the floor in thought, “What if Will is stuck somewhere else?” The kids move their focus to you and their bickering ends, puzzled by your hypothesis.
“Uh, Y/N?” Dustin asks, “What are you talking about? Of course, he’s not here.” Bringing your eyes up, the gears in your brain begin spinning faster as the dots connect.
“Hello?” Mike chimes, waving a hand to catch your attention. Dustin sighs plainly gesturing in your direction, “Yeah, she does that.”
“Sorry, uh-” You rush over to the table where the game is set up, “Here, okay.”
Grabbing the cardboard, you flip it right-side up, “When El told us where Will was, she flipped it over. It was upside down.”
You copy what she did, turning it over, before looking up to the kids. Mike’s face starts to change and he joins you by the table, fingers tapping on the table, “So maybe he’s here.”
Lucas sends you a confused glance, “And?”
Dustin gasps, “Like an alternate dimension-”
“Exactly,” Mike interrupts.
“Maybe there’s a portal, a gate to the other side,” You infer, “Maybe the Demogorgon, if it even exists-”
“Are we really going to call it that? The Demogorgon’s made up!” Lucas pipes up, earning him a glare from the three of you. You sigh before Dustin continues your theory, “Maybe the Demogorgon got ahold of Will, and took him through.”
“And maybe it got Barb too,” You add, feeling the need to sit down after what’s just been brought to light. It overwhelms your brain; maybe this is real. Maybe there is an alternate dimension out there.
“Wait, who’s Barb?” Lucas asks.
Mike answers as you pull out a chair at the table, plopping yourself onto the seat, “It must’ve gotten her - taken her to the Upside Down with Will.”
“The Vale of Shadows,” Dustin mutters suddenly, eyes wild, “It’s like the Vale of Shadows!” He practically throws the backpack from his shoulder, unzipping it as soon as it hits the ground. The Dungeons and Dragons player manual is on the table in a heartbeat before Dustin starts turning the pages and he clears his throat once reaching the correct section.
“The Vale of Shadows: a dimension that is dark reflection or echo of our world,” He looks up at you as you lean against the edge of the table, listening to his metaphor.
“A place of decay and death. A plane out of phase. A place of monsters. It’s-” His speech falters for a second before meeting your eyes again, “It’s right next to you and you don’t even see it.” Lucas runs a hand down his face, “Okay, so how do we get there? To the Vale of Shadows?”
You turn to him, hands gesturing, “Well, we would have to cast Shadow Walk with a roll greater than-”
“I mean in real life!” Lucas interjects.
“We can’t Shadow Walk, but,” Dustin looks over your shoulder to Eleven, still and patiently laying on the sofa, chin tucked over a pillow, “Maybe she can.”
“El, do you know how to get into the Upside Down?” Mike asks her; she shakes her head lightly, leading to sighs from the group.
“Guess we’ll have to figure out another way,” Lucas concludes.
The fall foliage helps distract you from the current suicide mission you’re taking part in - having Eleven lead the boys to the Gate was not your idea. Not even close.
The compass is light in your palm as you look down at it again, growing impatient at the pace the group’s moving. You wanted to take the bikes, in case of the need for a quick getaway; you were out-voted on that one.
It was hard to attend Will’s funeral without feeling passive to the experience. Everyone except for you and the boys still believes that the kid’s dead, and it hurts you because you know that over half of those people who showed could have cared less about him when he was right there, alive and in front of them.
But you know he’s still out there somewhere. He’s scared and alone and it makes your gut twist in fear realizing what he’s up against. It’s the only reason why you’re currently balancing on railroad tracks a few miles from your house.
After Mr. Clarke informed the kids about theories of alternate dimensions and space-time tears, you were quickly reminded of the implications surrounding the situation.
What exactly is going to happen when you find the Gate? Eleven said it’s dangerous to get close, but she didn’t specify what kind of danger you would encounter.
“I think we should turn back,” You mention, exhaling as you spin to look at the kids. Mike rolls his eyes before adjusting his backpack, “You’ve said that four separate times.”
“And each time, I’m being serious! Listen-” You stop as you wandered further up than them, “We have only a couple hours of daylight left, so why don’t we use them, and turn back!”
The boys only pass right by you with Dustin sending you a glance, “A party member is in danger and they require our help. It is our duty to help them.”
You scoff at his words, nearly tripping over your own feet, “No, Dustin - it’s not. We should’ve called Hopper and we still can, mind you. If we-”
“If you say we should turn back one more time,” Lucas interrupts and his voice is laced with irritation, “I swear I’m gonna come back there-”
“And do what, exactly?” Mike asks, clearly growing tired of your bickering, “She’s got two feet on you!”
“Use the Wrist Rocket, obviously!” Lucas pulls his slingshot out of his coat pocket. You instantly shoot your hands up in self-defense, jokingly pulling Dustin in front of you much to his protest, “Alright, I yield, Jesus!”
Lucas sends Mike a toothy grin before you huff, knowing you’re not going to get these kids to budge. You frown as you kick a couple of stones away. Your voice whines, “Please don’t shoot rocks at me.”
Even though it’s well into November, there’s not a cloud in the sky. The sun beats down on the group, and the heat reminds you how tired you are starting to become. After hours of trekking along the outskirts of Hawkins, it’s become clear that you’ve come nowhere near the Gate.
“Hang on,” Dustin’s voice cuts through the silence. He starts to spin around with his compass in hand, “We’re almost back to the tracks, we’ve been going in a circle!”
“What?” Mike responds to your brother’s claim, “That can’t be true.”
“Of course it’s true!” Dustin exclaims, gesturing to the landscape surrounding you, “We’re in the old junkyard, right by where we started!”
“Unbelievable,” You mutter, head shaking as you place your hands on your hips, “I’m not going to say I told you so-”
“I bet it’s her fault too!” Lucas’ temper starts to bubble over, pointing to Eleven. The girl looks undeniably hurt at his accusation, her features drooping at his words.
“Lucas-” You say before he interrupts you, “I saw her wiping her nose on the tracks. She’s using her powers.”
Mike’s attention jerks to her, brow furrowed, “What’s he talking about?” He grabs her wrist and pulls at the sleeve, and your breath hitches at the sight of the fresh blood gracing the fabric.
“That’s old blood, right El?” Mike questions before repeating himself when she doesn’t answer. Her typically calm expression begins to crack, concern spreading fast, “It’s not safe.”
Lucas scoffs, “I knew it! She’s trying to keep us from finding Will, she’s a traitor!”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit dramatic, Lucas?” You add, leaning against the side of the old school bus before your arms fold over your chest, “If she was trying to keep us safe, what are we gonna blame her for? Saving our lives?”
“Yeah, come on,” Mike agrees, “Cut her some slack, okay?”
“She’s been playing us from the beginning, Mike! She could’ve told us where the Upside Down was from the start. And she just made us run around for hours,” Lucas replies, practically pacing now, “She’s been using us this whole time, all so she could get food and a place to sleep.”
Mike argues back, defending Eleven’s actions from being seen negatively; he’s louder than Lucas at this point.
“Guys!” You raise your voice a touch, trying to grab their attention. You’re thankful Dustin doesn’t feel the need to get caught up in this.
“And, Y/N, we can blame her for Will’s death if we don’t find him!” Lucas replies, squaring up to Mike before shoving him, “You just want to protect her ‘cause finally! A girl isn’t grossed out by you.” Mike stands still for a moment, lost in thought before tackling Lucas to the ground, sitting on top of him.
“Jesus, calm down, you idiots!” Dustin says, exhausted by their arguing. He starts to move forward to stop them, but you hold him back by his sweater.
“Woah woah, no way guys, come on,” You throw your backpack onto the dirt before scrambling to pull them away as soon as Lucas manages to roll on top, but he gets thrown back by Eleven’s powers as soon as you’re able to approach. His head collides with the rusty hull of a wheelbarrow, and he doesn’t fight to get back up.
“Holy shit, holy shit, no, no…” Pushing Eleven out of the way, your feet skid against the ground as you rush to kneel by his side. Your hands grip his shoulders and start to shake, praying that something didn’t happen on your watch.
Mike and Dustin quickly come to your aid, knees digging into the grass. Mike turns back to Eleven, who has tears streaming down onto her cheeks, eyes squeezed tightly shut.
“Why would you do that? What’s wrong with you?” He shouts, his voice straining at the volume. You shake Lucas for a few more seconds before looking back towards the bus, noticing that Eleven’s disappeared.
“Wait, where’d she go?” You ask, scanning the area for the blonde wig. Dustin shoves you, bringing your attention back to his friend, “That’s what you’re worried about right now?”
You huff at him, realizing that he’s right, and you start to pull Lucas up, throwing his arm around your shoulder, “Come on, we gotta head back.”
You’re certain everything’s gotten way out of your hands at this point; Eleven’s runoff and Mike and Lucas aren’t speaking after the events of yesterday afternoon.
Dustin practically begged for you to join him and Mike on their adventure to find Eleven, but you were less optimistic than usual. You were still absolutely exhausted from having to practically drag Lucas for the two miles back to your house; there was no way in hell that Mrs. Sinclair was finding out about Lucas’ time spent unconscious.
A sharp noise rings through your ears, waking you from the slumber you didn’t realize you had slipped into. You groan as your head rises from the pillow, the sun shining straight into your eyes.
“Y/N, do you copy?” Dustin’s voice comes through your walkie talkie, placed neatly on the top of the dresser, “This is a code red!”
“God damn code red,” You mutter to yourself as you get to your feet, making your way across the floor of your bedroom. Gripping the radio in your hand, you sigh at the idea of what kind of trouble they got themselves into this time, “Yeah, Dustin? It’s me, I copy.”
“Oh thank god, you have to hurry to Mike’s! The bad men are on their way to get us, they found Eleven, over!”
“What? Dustin, what happened-”
“Just get to Mike’s, stat! Over and out!” The device goes silent in your grasp, and you waste no time in pulling on a pair of jeans and grabbing your jacket. You throw the radio into your pack before stumbling to get your shoes by the door.
“I swear to God, these kids are gonna kill me,” You mount your bike and take off, heart starting to pound from the anticipation of what you’re going to be dealing with. All you wanted to do was get closure on Will’s death - you never signed up for anything like this.
Lucas’ voice catches your attention from a block away, head snapping in his direction. You make the split-second decision to cut through the neighbors’ yards, not particularly caring about the consequences.
“Where are they?” You shout as you speed towards him before he starts to ride alongside you, “Two streets down! They’ve got a few of them on their tail!”
“Jesus Christ,” You murmur as fear begins to grow in your chest. Who the hell are these guys, just spending their time chasing after children in a suburb? What happens if the kids get caught?
You decide not to think too hard about that one. It scares you just a little bit too much.
“There! I see them!” Lucas shouts, quickly bringing his hand up from the handlebar to guide your gaze to the blue house on the corner, barely catching a glimpse of Mike and Dustin as they zoom past. An engine revs and tires squeal on the pavement behind you both as two large white vans come whirling around the corner, pushing you into high gear.
You take a sharp turn to ride through another yard; Lucas narrowly dodging someone’s vegetable patch as he follows. Your bike nearly collides with Mike’s once you get back on the street, relief flooding your chest at the sight of the three of them.
“Think we lost them?” Dustin pants, adjusting his hat. Lucas shakes his head, “Definitely not for long.”
“Could someone please explain to me what the hell’s going on here?” You say as you attempt to catch your breath.
“Guys from Hawkins Lab are trying to kidnap Eleven and take her back-” Mike begins before a fleet of vehicles comes into your sight, causing you to sigh, “Speak of the devil, right?”
The cars start to speed down the road after the group rides off in the opposing direction, and you realize that you’re never going to be able to outrun them. There’s got to be somewhere the five of you can hide.
“We gotta find somewhere to lay low!” You mention, raising your voice over the sound of the gears spinning.
“Where exactly do you suggest we go?” Dustin shouts.
“I don’t know, I haven’t thought that far ahead!” You retort and a single van turns onto the street, plowing down right through the center - towards you.
“Uh, Mike?” Lucas yells as he doesn’t falter, only keeps riding faster. You start to panic as the van doesn’t show any signs of stopping either. You worry it has every intention of mowing you suckers down.
“MIKE?” Dustin repeats as you turn to peak over your shoulder, the others starting to catch up. You focus your attention forwards and watch the van pass house after house on its way to you. Your body tenses as you prepare to swerve away at the last second, hoping the kids are ready to do the same.
You blink for a split second and what unfolded in that short amount of time shocks you to your core.
One moment the van was there, barrelling down the street - the next, it’s gone.
A shadow begins to loom over the concrete before it spreads over your fingers, then up to your forearms. You adjust your gaze upwards once the sun is blocked from your vision, and the van from before is the culprit. It flips right above your heads, narrowly missing the group and sending a shocked expression onto your face.
The van crashes onto the ground behind the bikes, effectively keeping the incoming fleet from reaching your position. You pull yourself to a screeching halt as you look back and the boys follow your actions. A small smile spreads over your lips at the small victory while watching the men dressed in trench coats appear from inside the vehicles, appearing particularly pissed off.
“You said something about hiding?” Mike says while panting slightly. You turn to him and Eleven wipes the blood dripping from her nostril; you make a mental note to thank her later.
“Yeah,” You pull yourself back onto the seat, shoe pressing into the pedal, “I’ve got an idea.”