Chapter Text
Preface/context: The California crew reached the secret location in Nevada just in time and made yet another narrow escape taking El with them. She didn’t say much as they traveled the road, she seemed in shock, almost solemn, much like her first escape from the lab. Or maybe she didn’t want to talk to Mike in particular. The crew just told her to tell them everything at some point, and she did after a few hours. She told them that their friends in Hawkins might really be in grave danger and that her powers were re-enabled, and that Papa helped her, and that the process was terrifying and unimaginable but it worked. After at least a day and a half of driving, they entered the edge of Hawkins, and it’s not long before the town’s darkness sets in on them, too.
Argyle and Jonathan had returned to their endless conversating in the front of the Surfer Boy Pizza van. The kids were tired of trying to shut them up, sprawled out in the back in absolute boredom. However, Will’s eyes lit up when an all too familiar road sign came into view. He pointed at it, which read “Welcome to Hawkins” and nudged Mike to get his attention. Mike sat up straight and yelled at Jonathan in the front.
“Hey Jonathan! We made it!”
Eleven yawned opposite from Will, looking up with groggy confusion. Will pointed out the sign for her as she stretched and nodded.
“So Mike, I was thinking we’d stop by your house first to grab the walkie-talkies which miiight be a better idea than calling the others from the landline, okay?” This was from Jonathan, who seemed the most composed Mike had seen him since he had gotten to California.
“Uh yeah, alright.”, Mike agreed.
It wasn’t long before they reached the Wheeler residence, deciding to park the van a few doors down under some trees so they could sneak in without any fuss. They went in through the front, Mike going first to make sure the coast was clear. When all seemed well, at least quiet, he gestured for the others to follow him to the basement. They let out a universal sigh of relief upon reaching the bottom of the stairs.
“Groovy little cave you’ve got here man!” , Argyle noted excitably.
“Thanks…? Ok so there should be at least one in here if the party hasn’t stolen them all… a walkie.”
“Over here!” Will said from the carpet, holding a walkie-talkie up in the air.
“Nice! Thank you.”
Mike took the large black device from Will, extending the antenna and turning on the receiver hastily.
“Dustin? Max? Lucas? Do you copy?” He asked closely to the device, looking up from it at the others anxiously.
But Will had stopped listening to the walkie. He was more intrigued by the sudden sound of ticking that crept over him much like the presence of the Mind Flayer. He swiveled his head, his eyes settling on the wall directly behind him. On the normally drab wall was a clock, and it wasn’t neatly hung there. It was as if it was thrown into the wall, or like it had emerged from within. Will edged closer to it, feeling frozen again. As he did so, it chimed, an awful distorted chime as if someone had hit it with a hammer mid-sound. Then again, echoing louder in the low-ceiling room. As if the sound couldn’t get any worse, after another chime came a noise that couldn’t come from any machine or clock, to his knowledge. It was a voice. It was disembodied and raucous, coming from nowhere and everywhere all at once. It spoke a singular word, Will’s own name.
“Willll…”, it bellowed.
Will shook his head in terrified denial, his eyes still on the clock.
“Willll…”, it repeated, then again, louder, “WILLLL…”
“Will!”
The cold inhumanity in the voice had dissipated, and it was now Mike who was in front of him.
“Will! Will, are you ok?”
He had a hand on Will’s shoulder, his widened eyes centered on his. Will shook himself mentally and looked frantically around the room for a moment before returning to Mike.
“Wh- I- yeah.” Will muttered in blatant confusion. He was somehow back by the couch and noticed that El, Jonathan, and Argyle were behind Mike looking just as concerned.
“Are you sure?” Mike asked with unwavering attentiveness.
Will looked at him with fear, admiration, anxiety, and shock simultaneously, it wasn’t almost too much to take. He sighed.
“Let’s just find the others.”
Mike gave him one more worried glance before nodding in acceptance.
“We reached them. They are at Skull Rock.”, El chimed in.
“And they said to bring a Walkman or two and as many cassettes as we can find..." Jonathan added, confusion coating his words.
"Okay..."
Will turned to Mike curiously. Mike just shrugged, he had no idea why they'd have to bring their entire music collection. Nonetheless, the group started gathering up the requested items from what Mike had hoarded in the basement to compile with the small collection they'd brought with them on the trip. As they were walking back to the van, their arms full, Mike called Will from behind him, beckoning him over.
"What's up?"
"You'd tell me if something was wrong, right? With Hawkins being Hawkins and all..."
Will looked at Mike carefully. "Uh yeah, of course. I just... spaced out."
Mike looked down with a nod, feeling stupid. "Ok. Cmon."
He felt guilty, but Will wanted to wait for more context on the danger in Hawkins before worrying anyone further. He didn't feel like burdening any of them, especially Mike, with his... delusions. He really hoped they were just that; delusions. He shook off the dread and followed Mike to the van.