Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s been at least a week since Mike had been in California; and fuck, nobody expected for El to get taken away from cops. And now, they’re chasing after her taking hours to drive there, hopefully, not getting suspected. It’s dark and cold, the truck smelled like weed but what did they expect? Jonathon turned into a huge stoner along with his new friend Argyle! To be honest, who could blame him, these four years had been hella crazy. Who would’ve suspected that the youngest Byer would get kidnapped by a demogorgon, somehow survived for a week only being a 12 years old. Then got possessed by the Mind flayer and had to take it away from him so he wouldn’t die when El would close the gate. Even yet. He could possibly still sense him. Now, his best friend for 10 years is ignoring him for some girl. No, not some girl, his own sister. Shit, that must hurt. A lot.

He’s been getting constant headaches, so much that they’ve made his nose start to bleed; fortunate for him, nobody saw. Not like they would’ve cared anyways. He’s been hearing ticking noises from a clock. Except there isn’t any clock, it has to be hallucinations. He’s going crazy about it. But he won’t tell anyone about it. He’s basically bottling it all up, that it’s the one thing he knows best, because when he does tell someone. They don’t understand. They’ll never listen to him. God he wishes he could have his childhood back, turn back the clock, and just stayed at Wheelers. This wouldn’t have happened if he was just more cautious.

“Earth to Will!” Said Mike, clearly seeing that his friend dozed off.

“Huh? Oh, sorry, you wanted something Mike?”

“No just…. You’ve been dozing off lately. If something’s wrong, please tell me. I wanna be there for you, you know?” 

“Yeah…! Of course…!”

“You know…”  Mike paused, slowly finding the right word to say to Will, his best friend, “Today has been crazy, I mean we just buried a body, I never expected to when I came to California. When I said I wanted us to go ‘crazy together’ I meant it. I’m sorry for being a huge dick to you this week, and even before that. You don’t have to forgive me, I deserve it.”

They sat in silence after that, Will smiled, and immediately, he knew what that meant. He really didn’t deserve him. He’s too good for him, for this world. Sometimes, Mike feels like he has to have Will in his arms. So, he hugged Will, a quite shocking act from Mike recently but Will didn’t care, they were fixing their relationship; the number one thing in the world for both of them. Mike never realized how beautiful Will is, his soft lips, his clear skin that could shine for days, the way Will has always talked to Mike in a comforting way. Will deserves so much, and he swears, from now on, he will give him that no matter how complex that it is.

They slept for the entire night in the truck cuddling each other just like when they were kids, they kinda grew out of that because since society sucks, they really miss those days. They woke up to Jonathon waking them because they arrived at Hawkins. They’ll see their friends which they haven’t seen in a year especially when it got really hard to keep in contact because they used to just see each other every week at school next thing you know Will and El move to California and things… Change… A lot. Look at the bright sight, maybe they know about this N.I.N.A project that’s so important. Maybe even some new information they haven’t even heard before and didn’t expect. They hopped off the car, and dang, the police were sure busy. The lost time it was this busy was when Will became missing… It did not end well.

Dustin spotted them outside their window, he took his walkie talkie and called the others, saying that the Cali Gang were here. Fortunately, they got his message and went outside, they saw them get out of the truck. The whole party is here!... 

Except for El.

“Hey…! Where is El…?”  Max asked, obviously concerned shown through her features.

“Ah well, long story short, she basically got taken away from the cops and the only thing we know that could lead to her is this,” Mike explained, showing them a note with a phone number 202-968-6161, “we tried calling the number, but we only got some random noises, so we hoped that you guys had a hint or at least knew this number and why it’s important,”

“No.. we don’t..” Lucas exclaimed, “But.. we do have some important information to tell you guys, we tried telling you guys through letters but we didn’t think it was important because you guys were in California. As for as we know, we’re pretty sure this isn’t happening in California.”

…

“There’s a new monster, called Vecna, mostly known in D&D, he cruelly kills people in a way, he targets people who have trauma. Luckily, he has a weakness. Music . Music can help reach parts in your brain that words can’t, this makes a way for you to escape before he can brutally kill you… so what is your favorite song?” 

They all said what their favorite song was so in case if they ever get possessed by Vecna, they know they can have a chance of saving their lives and continue to live with them, their friends. Right now, they really need to find El, every time this has happened, she's always saved her friends. She'll gladly do it again if it keeps them safe. So that was their mission right now, to find El. The next one is to end Vecna with the help of the party and hopefully have a normal life. Doubt that though, but hey, it’s a nice possibility, a party can dream. They’ve been through hell to earth together, they’ll always have each other's backs. That’s the great thing about being in a party.

They’ll save El. They’re sure of it.

Chapter Text

Will and Mike decided to clean the cabin that Hopper and El lived in, for a special surprise when they find her. It was honestly deserved for her since she got taken back to the lab and they went to Nevada only to come back here because it was more hinted that she would come back to Hawkins. It was nice for a small reunion, but disappointed since El was clearly not there. And to mention, that was a new monster roaming around. They really couldn’t catch a break couldn’t they? But the second they would find El, they were sure to kill this thing. El has saved their asses and she would be more glad to do it again. 

They’ve swept and cleaned the cabin, hopefully making it more pleasant when she comes back to Hawkins. Will and Mike sat down, in silence, even though Mike had apologized it was still pretty awkward for them. They couldn’t even stare at each other for longer than a minute, look at the bright side, at least they weren’t at each other's throats like they were at Rink-O-Mania. Will looked concerned, like he saw a ghost in this ghost and it left him fearful.

“Hey, you okay?” Mike said, almost in a whisper, concerned for his best friend.

“Yeah.. Of course, just something feels a little bit off, that’s all!”

“Oh, okay, but just tell me when somethings wrong. ‘Kay?”

“Yeah..! Always..!”

They smiled at each other, they left the cabin to go meet with their friends. He swore he saw something leaked down Wills’ nose, he could be hallucinated, even if it looked awfully real. It wasn’t his business, but he was still concerned, what if this thing went for WIll? It wouldn’t be that shocking, since he has a dump load of trauma that Vecna could choose and pick from. He just hoped that he would come to him for whatever was going on and wouldn’t bottle up his feelings. He wanted to fix their friendship, so to fix it, they need to tell each other what’s going on. It’s the only way to fix they’re very confusing friendship they currently have right now. 

When the group was talking to each other about how to find El; Will asked to go to his old house to check it out since it’s been a year. It hasn’t been rented, and honestly he couldn’t blame the people, with all the crazy shit that went down. No wonder why people thought it was haunted; it would put people in severe danger. 

Wil went to his old house, it was exactly how he remembered it, except a lot more empty since they moved their stuff back in Lenora. His head has been hurting a whole lot, he swore he heard a clock noise. It would get horribly worse, it seemed that nobody else had heard it except for him . He knew it was a symptom, and if he was honest; he wasn’t surprised, the upside clearly loved him. But why him? What did he do for him to be so important for the Upside Down. It was like he was a missing piece for the Upside Down for it to be complete. I mean come on? In the Upside Down the time is literally stuck in the day he got kidnapped by the Demogorgon. He’s also having blood drip down his nose, yet again, another symptom. He’s screwed, once he gets his first vision it’s all over.

He leaves the house, and the first thing he sees is Mike, he waves at him and gives him a sweet smile. That reminds him of something, his painting, he never had the chance to give it to Mike, and this was a better chance than ever. So, he goes to the van to get the painting. It was a bit crumbled since he bent it in the airport. It was good enough hopefully for him to still be impressed like his other art that he hoped that Mike had and hung up on the wall in his basement and room. He gets the painting from the van they have spent hours in, he walks towards Mike.

“Hey Mike,”

“Hey, you need something?”

“Uhm yeah, just come with me somewhere more private please? It’ll all make sense I promise,”

“Oh, alright..!”

They both go in the cabin, they both sit down on the sofa.

“So, what did you need?” Mike asked, curious as to why he was brought here.

“Well, remember that painting I brought back at the airport?”

“Yeah,”

“Well, it was for you and I was supposed to give it to you there but you were too caught up with El so I thought it would be the wrong time to give it to you,” Will paused, “now seems like the right time even though there’s a lot going on. But.. Now or ever right?”

“Yeah..! Now or ever!” he unravels the painting, it was a painting of when they first met at the swings, where a beautiful friendship first started. It was a bit crumbled from it being bent in half. Mike looked like he was lost for words, not quite sure if it was a good or bad thing. “Oh Will,” Mike paused, seemingly in a nice comforting voice, “Did you really waste your time painting this!? Are you a faggot are something!? Do you have feelings for me!?”

“I-I can explain just please..!”

“What’s there to explain..!? I have a fucking girlfriend Will, and it’s your sister. Are you trying to ruin us. I can’t believe I even tried to fix our friendship, I guess I was right when I said ‘It’s not my fault you don't like girls!’ And to ever think I would ever regret saying that. Fuck you Will..! And your feelings..!”

He was in his old home standing in the living room, the door opened aggressively and it was his father. He was drunk like he was most of the time, he looked pissed as if someone or something did something to make him angry.

“Oh come on..!” Lonnie yelled, “I have to see you! The fucking faggot! I wonder how in my flesh, my blood, you turned out like this! I raised you and yet, you turn out like this! When I die, I hope you know that in my eyes, you will always be a wimpy, sensitive, fag!”

Will was sobbing now, he hadn’t imagined him coming back to his life, he was always there to torment him, why couldn’t he be a regular child? His father would’ve liked him even a little even if it was a little. Sadly, it was hopeless now, he turned into this and he can’t change it even if he tried. God was his life so miserable, the things he would do to turn back the clock and fix this.

His father attempted to throw his glass bottle which used to have alcohol in it. Luckily, he dodged it luckily; he ran to his room, except he wasn’t even home now, he was in the woods now. He turned around and he saw the Demogorgon, it looked hungry. He starts running away like he always does since this mess has started, he just wanted everything to end, he knew it was a vision yet it looked so real.

Now, he was in this red place, it looked like the Upside Down, but it wasn’t, it was just a trance for all he knew.

William Byers

What do you want?

You. You may not realize it, but you are far more important than you think. So important, that you are even stronger than your sister Eleven. I’m not here to kill you.

“What do you mean by that?”

Us two, we are alike, both artistic, sensitive children, easy victims. I was like that, until I found my powers, you can find yours as well. We can reshape the world.

As he was saying that, he became someone new, a human.

Peter Ballard

He didn’t know how he knew, he just…. did. Even so, he knew he was evil and he shouldn’t trust him.

Your friends, they’ve hurt you, but I can give you what, join us, and you can make this world better, more in the center.

“Us? What do you mean? 

The Upside Down of course! You are quite important here, If you weren’t you would have been killed here the second you were here, but you weren’t.

“No, I won’t join you’re twisted army that you have,”

Awh such a poor choice, I had such high hopes for you. In fact, I still do. I’ll sacrifice you, for now.

Will was back in the real world, he was in pain from falling from the air. He was surprised they hadn't noticed, maybe they wanted to give him privacy. Most of all, he wondered why Peter let him live. He looked at his wrist, it had a tattoo.

001

Shit, hopefully they wouldn’t notice the tattoo that he definitely didn’t have before, or worse a number that was like El’s. He had to keep it a secret, nobody can know what happened with him and Vecna, or also known as Peter. Let’s just hope he can keep it well hidden.