Chapter Text
November 11, 1983
Will’s face terrified disappeared into the bright light along with everything else as Mike felt himself dissolve along with the Demogorgon. And for a moment, he was nothing.
Just a name floating around through an empty void. Eleven? No, Mike. He was Mike. That was his name, something held onto with a vice grip.
After a moment, he could feel his body again. The air was stale and cold, the ground beneath him was wet and slippery. Mike shivered as he scrambled to his feet, pulling Will’s flannel tighter around himself.
He knew where he was. The Upside Down. Tears sprung to his eyes as he looked around, it was like the school, but dark and decrepit.
“Will?” He cried, stumbling through the endless hallways of vines and goo. He turned a corner, desperately searching for an exit, but was met by more of the same scenery.
“Will!” He screamed again, his fatigued trudge turning into a frightened sprint.
Finally, a red-tinted light caught his attention. A small hole in the wall, his escape. But it seemed to be slowly fixing itself, closing as if it were sewing up a wound.
Without hesitation, Mike held out a shaky hand, curling and straining his fingers as the power coursed through him. He silently willed himself, no matter how tired he was to keep the tiny gate from closing. He knew that on the other side, Will would be there, waiting for him.
Finally, he clawed his way through the opening, ignoring the stringy slime that seemed to cling to his face and clothing.
As his trembling hands met the clean air of his world, he smiled. Though that smile left his lips quickly as a realization came to him.
Gone. They were all gone.
“Will!” He shouted again, straining his voice. He hoped that this time, maybe he would be heard. But alas, the school was empty, leaving him standing there. Cold and alone.
That’s how he ended up at the Byers house, his dirt-streaked fingers pressed against their windows as he peered in. The night, along with a dead bush that scratched against his skin, acted as a shield against what was out there.
Through a tiny sliver in the curtains, he could see Will. Along with his mother, brother, and some men in suits. Mike’s stomach sank a little. He knew the bad men were still after him.
He’d helped his friends, but at what cost?
Would he be hunted down again and dragged back to the lab? Would he be killed on the spot from all of the trouble he’d caused? That thought sent shivers down his spine.
And even though it was all worth it and he’d do it all again, he wondered what would’ve happened if he was just… normal. A normal boy that could be with Will, with his friends, playing games.
His shoulders suddenly tensed because Will made eye contact. Mike smiled, although it was a sad one. They were worlds away, separated by a thin pane of glass.
Will didn’t smile back though, he seemed alarmed, like he was seeing a ghost. The woman who’d been speaking to him followed his eyes, her gaze sharp.
Mike ducked back into the bush but realized that a frail plant wouldn’t protect him from men with guns. Reluctantly, he got up to his feet and did what he’d been doing for so long.
He ran.