Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hawkins, Indiana
May 30, 1989, 9:10 p.m.

It’s a calm warm summer night in the small quaint town of Hawkins, Indiana. The fields whistling with a chilly wind, the stars shining bright in the clear black sky and the woods clamoring with hoos and chirps.

However, it wasn’t the only sound that was present within the town. There was also the sound of kids riding bicycles, teens partying in homes and adults driving cars all throughout the suburban area, all while not being aware of one another.

But all three were unknowingly set to collide.

On a quiet empty street, a group of kids rode their bikes as they were heading home from a long afternoon at the arcade. Meanwhile, a house they were approaching was raving up with music as a party was being held to kick off the summer. The music was practically pulsing through the neighborhood, drowning out any noise for at least a mile.

Speaking of, just a mile behind the group of kids, a car being driven by a married couple was heading in their direction. The couple meanwhile didn’t pay much attention to the road as they were currently bickering with each other.

“Walter, it’s been 4 years,” the woman stated. “I think we’re ready!”

“No, Katherine, we’re not,” the man replied, glancing over to his wife. “We just need more time.”

On a typical night, the group of kids on bikes would’ve heard the sound of a car coming. But with the music from the house they were about to pass, the kids didn’t even realize the car was coming up behind them.

“We need more time? Or you need more time?” Katherine fired back.

“Katherine.”

“Walter, please,” Katherine begged as she turned her unbuckled body towards her husband. “We’re not getting any younger, and I feel like we’re ready to have kids.”

“We’ll have kids when I say we will,” Walter stated.

“And when will that be?” Katherine questioned. “Tomorrow? Next year? The next 5 years?”

“Don’t do that,” Walter groaned as he rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the road. But it was only temporary, which unfortunately didn’t allow him to spot the kids that were 50 feet away.

“You’re afraid of being a dad!” Katherine concluded.

35 feet.

“I’m not afraid of being a dad!” Walter fired back, having full attention on his 35 year old wife.

20 feet.

“Well if it’s not that, then what is it?” Katherine shouted.

10 feet.

“It’s…”

SLAM

Suddenly without warning, the couple felt the car immediately stop. The wheels screeched on the asphalt and the hood crashed inward as the couple themselves jolted forward.

In a matter of seconds, the husband felt himself get yanked by the stopping force of his seatbelt along the impact of his driver side airbag hitting him square in the face.

While that was happening, the house with the party going suddenly shut down as all the lights in the home went out for a brief moment, which in turn led to some teens hearing the car outside.

Meanwhile the squad of kids on bikes immediately whirled their heads back behind them and looked in utter disbelief at the sight.

Back in the car, the husband raised his head out from his airbags and gasped for air following the sudden shock of the crash.

He then turned to his wife.

“Katherine… are you…”

Walter couldn’t even finish his sentence, as he soon discovered that the person he was talking to wasn’t even there.

Slowly, and unnervingly, he turned to the front of his car.

With absolute horror, Walter gazed upon what laid in front of him.

First, there was a giant shattered hole on the passenger’s side of the windshield, with a small trace of blood dripping from the top shards.

Then, there was the steam emerging from the hood of the wreck, along the hissing sound of a busted engine.

But it all just acted as a dreadful front for the married man as he looked past it to find his wife.

But the second his eyes found her, he felt like he was in a nightmare. Lying face first on the street, was his wife, dead.

At first, Walter could only gasp at it, as a sense of disbelief began to sink in. However, the man soon began to try and talk, only to find himself in a state of shock.

“Ka… Katherine?!” Walter began to weep as he then heard the sound of footsteps rapidly coming towards his car.

It was a teenager from the party, who had witnessed the whole thing.

“Holy shit,” they muttered in shock before turning to the kids.

“You guys alright?”

A couple of the kids slowly nodded their heads, clearly baffled by what had transpired. The rest however could only look upon the body that laid before their feet. It was a miracle that none of them got hit by it.

The teen then turned his attention to the man who was still sitting in the driver’s seat, practically broken down worse than the car itself.

“Sir,” the teen stuttered. “Are you ok?”

The man at first didn’t even look at the teen as his eyes were still on his wife’s lifeless body. Millions of thoughts zooming through his head as all he could do was sit there in agony. However, he eventually did finally turn to the teen as the question gave him a chance to find an answer.

The man was shaking though, like he was freezing to death in the arctic, as he faced the teen. Even as he talked, all he could do was say short choppy words.

“What… what…. happened… to my wife!?” he replied, looking at the teen.

The teenager looked like he wanted to answer, but as he observed the front of the car, where the collision had taken place, he hesitated.

As if they knew if they told the truth, no one would believe them.

However, the man didn’t take the silence lightly as he immediately cried out like a wailing banshee

“WHAT HAPPENED TO MY WIFE?!!”

The teen was frightened by the sudden outburst, which caused him to step back in fear. This in turn led to the man finally getting himself out of the car. Like a speedster, the man ripped off his seatbelt, rammed open the door and dashed to the front of the car to see what it was he hit. What it was that crashed the car. What it was that killed his wife.

But when he got there, he found something that left him horrified, but also bewildered.

There was nothing. Nothing at all.

Chapter Text

Hawkins Police Department
May 30, 1989, 9:15 p.m.

“Come on, Phil,” Officer Glenn Daniels said as he sat across from his fellow colleague. “You said you wanted to take a trip with your wife.”

“Yeah, a nice relaxing trip just with her,” Phil Callahan replied. “Not a trip to a Cubs game with you and your wife. No offense.”

“Oh come on, Phil,” Daniels stated again. “It’ll be fun! What, you hate the Cubs or something?”

“No,” Phil answered. “I just don’t think Chicago is a nice place to visit. Not to mention, compared to here, it feels very disconnected.”

“Shouldn’t it?”

“Hey!”

Phil and Glenn turned their heads toward the front of the room as Jim Hopper, Chief of Police, entered.

“Could you two possibly talk a little quieter for a bit?”

“Oh come on, Chief,” Glenn began. “We can’t be that…”

Before Daniels could even finish his sentence, Hopper proceeded to give his officer a look of annoyance, indicating that his point was fact.

Daniels then grew silent as he looked off to the other side of the room to avoid eye contact.

“Sorry about that, Chief,” Callahan said. “We’ll lower our voices.”

“Good,” Hopper replied. “Got a few things to work on, so I need it to be quiet.”

Hopper then turned around and walked back into the other room, towards his desk. Sitting across from him were Calvin Powell, the former Chief during Hopper’s “absence” and Joyce, the most recent addition to the department.

“You know if you want to get this stuff done you could head home,” Joyce stated as her husband sat down in his chair and looked down at the documents in front of him.

“She’s got a point, Jim,” Powell replied. “After all, I don't usually do personal work while at work.”

“Well,” Hopper began as he wrote something down before erasing part of it. “I like to get everything done in the same place.”

“You sure you don’t want my help with that?” Joyce questioned as Hopper once again wrote a sentence and erased part of it, clearly not liking what he jotted down.

“Yes, Joyce,” Hopper replied. “For the tenth time, I’m sure that I don’t need your help.”

“At least let us give you some pointers,” Powell requested. “Hell, we can write our own if it’ll help.”

“I appreciate the thought, Powell,” Hopper stated. “But the last thing I need is a community college questioning me as to why the Hawkins PD are all sending letters requesting them to accept El.”

“It’ll show that she’s got great connections with the police,” Joyce argued.

“Not to mention, we can say she’s performed a lot of public service,” Powell chuckled.

“Yeah, but I can’t exactly put down saved the world multiple times and can move things with her mind,” Hopper replied.

“We can still ask Owens to work something out,” Joyce joked.

“I’m sure he’d love that,” Powell added.

“Shit!” Hopped blurted out as he once again erased a part of a sentence.

“Jesus, Jim,” Joyce replied as she got up from her chair and walked over to him. “Let me look at it.”

“I said I got it.”

“No, you don’t,” Joyce stated as she grabbed the beaten up letter from Hopper’s hands and began to read.

“Dear Dean Williams, I wanted to send this letter alongside my daughter’s application because of some important information I think you should know.”

“Good start,” Powell said.

“Though the grades you’ve seen in regards to Jane may not show it, I assure you she is a smart girl and wants to learn all she can.”

“Joyce, just give it back,” Hopper stated as got up from his chair trying to snatch the letter back from his wife. Joyce however as she began to walk around the room, avoiding her husband.

“Due to some circumstances, she was not able to begin proper public education until high school,” Joyce read. “Because of that, she struggled a lot early on, which is why her grades are the way they are.”

“Why did you hate this, Chief?” Powell questioned.

“Joyce, please, stop,” Hopper requested.

“I can assure you Jane is a smart girl, as proven by her grades in her final two years,” Joyce continued. “But if you’re still on the fence, I also want to add this…”

Joyce paused, clearly seeing what her husband didn’t want her to read.

“Joyce,” Hopper said again as he approached her from behind. His wife slowly turned around as she locked eyes with him. One looked with understandment while the other looked in defeat.

“Chief!”

The couple’s eyes turned away as Hopper grabbed the letter, folded it up and stuffed it in his pocket.

“Yes, Flo, what is it?” he asked.

“We got a car crash in Loch Nora.”

“Car crash?” Hopper replied before thinking it over for a moment. “Get Callahan and Daniels on it.”

“Actually, Jim, I’d think you might want to take this,” Flo said with concern.

Hopper paused for a second as he looked back at Joyce with a hint of confusion. However, he and his wife realized what Flo meant by it.

There was something out of the ordinary.

Hopper turned back to Flo.

“Any description about the crash?”

“Said you wouldn’t believe it if he told you,” Flo answered.

“Of course he said that shit,” Hopper cried out as he stormed to the front of the office.

“What’s the call, Jim?” Powell asked as he got up from his seat.

“You and I will check out the site,” Hopper began as he grabbed the keys from Flo’s hand before turning to his wife. “And you go check on the kids.”

“Ok, got it,” Joyce replied.

“Where are they supposed to be right now?” Powell asked in curiosity.

Hawkins Movie Theater
May 30, 1989, 9:25 p.m.

“Dustin, can you please stop crying?” Max asked with annoyance as the group walked out of the movie theater.

“But, it was so beautiful!” Dustin sobbed. “Them riding off into the sunset like that.”

Max rolled her eyes and turned away from him.

“Lucas, can you help me out here?” she requested, only to find her boyfriend also sobbing.

“I’m sorry, but he’s right,” he weeped. “It was such a great ending!”

“The sunset was pretty,” Eleven said.

“Yeah,” Mike said with a smile as he wiped away a hidden tear. “Really pretty.”

“I mean, how else do you end a trilogy like that?” Will asked.

“Woah, who said it was the last one in the series?” Lucas quickly questioned.

“Uh, the movie?” Will answered. “Why else would you have “The Last Crusade” in the title?”

“Yeah, and if you loved the ending, why do you want another one?” Mike added.

“Because there are countless places in the world to explore, with countless artifacts to discover,” Dustin stated.

“Thank you, Dustin!” Lucas replied.

“But what other artifact is as epic as the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant?” Will argued.

“It doesn’t need to be artifacts,” Lucas retorted. “How about lost cities? Atlantis?”

Max then leaned in towards Eleven.

“Here we go,” she said to the telekinetic.

El at first didn’t know what Max meant, but she glanced over at the rest of her friends as they approached Dustin’s car, which they all came in, and quickly realized what her best friend was referring to.

“I’m just saying,” Mike began as he and Will stood on one side of the car while Dustin and Lucas stood on the other. “It’s a trilogy, which is a perfect way to conclude a storyline. Besides, you can only do the same thing so many times before people grow bored of it.”

“What do you mean, the same thing?” Dustin questioned.

“Well, in each movie, he has to find a lost historical relic,” Will began.

“While he’s being pursued by some kind of evil,” Mike continued.

“He takes out some lead henchman or brute in a horrific way,” Will followed up with.

“There’s a love interest,” Mike added.

“Along with side characters,” Will said.

“And to top it all off, the bad guy dies by the very thing they were after,” Mike concluded.

There was a moment of silence among the group, with three seperate duos each giving off a look.

First was Mike and Will, who were just awaiting a response to their argument.

Then there was Dustin and Lucas, who were contemplating their next move in order to object to the attack.

Last but not least were Eleven and Max, who had given up and just wanted to leave.

“Ok, yeah, that’s true,” Dustin began as he looked down at the asphalt, clearly trying to figure out what to say next. “But… I am not bored of the formula yet!”

“Exactly!“ Lucas quickly stated. “I’d say you can do another movie with this idea, two tops, and as long as they nail the conclusion, I’ll be satisfied!”

“As satisfied as you were with the conclusion of the Star Wars trilogy?” Will asked.

“Or the ending of Back to the Future?” Mike added.

“You want to get out of here before the argument gets nerdier?” Max whispered to El.

“Hey! Why can’t we see the aftermath of the Empire’s fall?” Lucas stated. “Better yet, how about we see the rise of the Empire? And as for the Back to the Future, why do you end with that cliffhanger?”

“Well… it’s like a… here we go again kind of thing,” Mike tried to argue. “But… you know, it’s supposed to be a joke. Because come on, you want to see Marty and Jennifer’s kids?”

El stood with a look of annoyance as she answered Max’s question, while the boys’ continued to bicker.

“Let’s go,” she said to her best friend.

Max smiled as she then tried cutting into the debate.

“Ok, El and I are heading downtown.”

Surprisingly, the boys immediately turned their attention to the girls as the statement clearly halted the argument.

Though in reality, Mike and Lucas were the ones who were on it as neither of them wanted to lose their girlfriends at that moment.

“What?” Mike spat out.

“El and I,” Max repeated, pointing at herself and Eleven, “are heading downtown. So, see ya.”

“Woah, wait!” Lucas said. “Why? Can we come with you?”

Max took a second to sarcastically think it over.

“No,” she answered. “I think you guys need some alone time to figure this out.”

“Yeah,” Eleven chimed in. “We don’t want to be the third wheel here.”

The girls then turned away from the boys and began walking towards downtown, leaving the party in utter confusion.

“Third wheel…” Mike whispered. “There’s six of us.”

Lucas silently groaned before turning to his friend.

“Dude, you gotta stop hanging around your old man,” he stated. “You’re getting dumber by the day.”

Mike at first remained confused, but, after looking over at Dustin and Will, he got what Lucas meant.

“Ok,” Dustin said as he opened up the car door. “I’m taking you guys home before you go after them.”

“But are you sure they’ll get home ok?” Mike questioned.

“Relax, Mike,” Will replied. “They’ll be fine.”

“Yeah,” Dustin said. “Outside your sister, those are the toughest girls I know.”

“Ok,” Mike spat out, staring down Dustin, before looking back over at Lucas, searching for support. Unfortunately, it wasn’t there as Lucas could only give a blank look.

The Wheeler boy sighed as he knew the choice he was left with. But it wasn’t one he fully hated.

“You’re right,” he said. “Let’s go.”

One by one, each member of the party hopped inside Dustin’s car as he started it up.

“Maybe we can drive by to see…” Mike began.

“No.” All three of his friends said in sync.

“Come on,” Dustin grunted as he continued to try and start the car.

“Want us to check?” Will asked.

“No,” Dustin replied. “She just needs the right… touch.”

Dustin smiled as the car revved to life.

He glanced back at the party.

“See?”

Mike, Will and Lucas all rolled their eyes. Dustin meanwhile frowned as he began to drive off with them down the street through the quiet Hawkins town.

Chapter Text

“You know sometimes I can’t believe how easily they nerd out,” Max stated. “I mean, not everything needs to turn into an argument over a comic or movie or whatever.”

“They’re passionate about it,” Eleven pointed out as the two waltzed down the sidewalk on the Main Street of Hawkins.

“Yeah, but sometimes a passion can be taken too far,” Max retorted. “I mean… seriously, have you seen their DnD campaigns?”

“Once,” El replied. “It was… intense.”

“Exactly my point,” Max stated.

“Should we tell them?” El asked.

“Oh no!” Max answered. “Their bickering can be annoying, but it can also be very entertaining.”

The girls laughed as they continued their stroll. It was a peaceful Friday night, which seemed odd for the town. Of course, the town no longer had a ginormous hole in it or monsters attacking, so there was that.

“So… have you heard anything from Ivy Tech yet?” Max asked.

El shook her head.

“No… Hopper is writing a letter to them,” she replied.

“Oh,” Max said. “Well… as long as it helps.”

“I told him not to be mad,” El explained. “Just… understand.”

“El… I know you’re smart,” Max said. “If that school can’t see that then screw them.”

“Maybe it’s not all bad,” El muttered.

“Yeah, I’m sure there’s another community college that’ll take you,” Max began.

“No… I was thinking… maybe… maybe I can stay in Hawkins for the year,” El suggested.

“Take a gap year?” Max questioned. “Why? I thought you wanted to go to college just like us?”

El began to slow down as she tried to think of a response.

Max, who was now ahead of El, stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed her best friend’s change in pace.

“El?” She asked.

El, now at standstill, looked up at the dark sky, the distant stars peeking through the glow of the street lights.

“Max, are you worried about going to college and… not fitting in?”

Max slowly tilted her head as she picked up on what El was doing.

“You’re worried about being on your own?”

El closed her eyes as a painful memory surfaced. She then took a deep breath and spoke.

“Before… when I was in California… I had Joyce, Will, and Jonathan, but… it wasn’t… great.”

“Right… those assholes that pranked you at the rink,” Max muttered as she quickly put together El’s point.

“Now… if I do get into college, if I do go, I’ll be alone… away from… everyone I know,” Eleven replied. “It’ll be just… me.”

“El, that’s not true,” Max said. “We’ll all just be a short drive away.”

“But everyday… I’ll be on my own,” El muttered. “I don’t know if I can do it. Not after everything.”

“El, you saved the world countless times!” Max began. “If you can do that, I’m sure you can handle being on your own for school.”

El remained silent.

Max put her hand on El’s shoulder, comforting her.

“El… this isn’t going to be like California or the lab,” she stated. “You’re going to go to college and you will find your people.”

“But that’s the thing, Max,” El said as she turned to her best friend. “I don’t even know who my people can be.”

“Well… that’s not a bad thing,” Max argued. “You may not know who you’ll be friends with until you get there. So… you can’t dwell on shit like that.”

El nodded slightly, taking in Max’s words. She closed her eyes as the warm summer breeze picked up a few strands of her hair and played with them.

She felt herself smile a little, being reminded of the freedom she had found in the small strange town.

“I know you’re right,” she finally said. “But it’s just scary, you know? Our future.”

“Well, it won’t be like the shit we’ve been through, that’s for sure,” Max stated.

El glanced away from Max back up to the sky. Max was right, the future would likely be less intense than her life up to that point.

But with that said, does that mean she can handle anything that comes her way?

HONK! HONK!

El and Max whipped their heads behind them to the source of the honking. They both then looked in shock and confusion as Joyce pulled up.

“El! Max!” Joyce shouted.

“Joyce?” El muttered.

“Mrs. Byers?” Max questioned.

Joyce then nudged her head to the backseat.

“Get in,” she commanded.

El and Max looked at each other in confusion before complying.

“Where are the boys?” Joyce asked.

“We left them at the movies,” Max answered as she entered. “They should be on their way home. Why do you ask? What the hell happened?”

“Ok, well, just in,” Joyce repeated herself as she waited for El to climb in.

“Is something going on?” El asked.

“Hopefully it’s nothing,” Joyce replied as she began to drive off. “But I’m taking you home right now.”

“What? Why?” El questioned.

“Yeah, what happened!?” Max repeated.

“El, did you… feel anything off while you were watching the movie?” Joyce asked.

“No, why?!” El stated.

“Yeah! What! The hell! Happened!?” Max stated for the third time.

“There was a car crash in Loch Nora,” Joyce began. “But not a normal one.”

“Not a normal one?” Max questioned.

“What caused it?” El asked.

“That’s what Hopper and Powell are going to figure out,” Joyce said.

Loch Nora
May 30, 1989, 9:35 p.m.

“Oh, great,” Hopper sighed as he saw a crowd of people near the crash site. Fortunately as he and Powell pulled up in the patrol car, the crowd gave way for them.

“Holy shit,” Powell murmured as he spotted the car.

Hopper meanwhile processed what he was looking it. The crash site seemed like it was straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster—except this was all too real.

The caved in bumper in the front, the shattered glass glittering like a crystal necklace thrown carelessly onto the street, and the unmistakable scent of gasoline mixed with something else—something metallic and faintly sweet—permeated the air.

As Hopper and Powell approached the wreckage, they noticed a pair of familiar figures already knee-deep in the investigation.

“Wait, how did they beat us here?” Hopper questioned as he got out of the car.

“They have their methods and we have ours, Chief,” Powell stated as he too got out of the car.

Hopper was well ahead of him however as he approached, Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers, the local journalist and her photographer. The duo looked up from the mangled metal, their expressions a blend of shock and determination.

"What do we have?" Hopper called out, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.

Nancy looked up, her pencil-sketched brows furrowed in concern. "Hopper. Looks like the car was hit by... something big. But there's no sign of another vehicle."

Jonathan nodded in agreement, his camera hanging loosely around his neck. "And the damage is weird. It's not consistent with a typical collision."

“You talk with anyone here?” Hopper questioned.

“Yeah, some of the teens in the house, and a group of kids who were on their bikes,” Nancy answered.

The house she referenced was the one right beside the crash site, the lights inside flickering erratically.

The teens had gathered in the yard, their faces a mix of fear and morbid curiosity. The kids on bikes were a bit younger, their eyes wide with shock, and their breaths coming in quick gasps.

"What did they see?" Hopper asked, his hand on the butt of his gun, feeling the comforting weight of it.

“The kids said they never heard the car coming towards them while they were biking,” Jonathan began. “Music from the house covered the noise of the car. Would’ve hit them.”

“But it didn’t,” Powell said. “Because the car hit something else.”

“More like something hit the car,” Hopper replied as he looked at the street and the vehicle. “No signs of anything that came from the side of the street, yet the bumper is completely caved in.”

“One of the teens said he didn’t see anything when the car crashed,” Nancy added. “He said it was like there was an invisible wall. Not to mention the kids were less than 10 feet away.”

“What about the driver?” Powell asked. “Where are they?”

“They were already taken to the hospital before we got to ask any questions,” Jonathan answered.

“Really?” Hopper questioned.

“Yeah, the teen said the driver called an ambulance,” Nancy notified. “There were two people in the car, the driver survived, but… his wife.”

Nancy then pointed to the dried pool of blood on the road.

“Jesus,” Powell exclaimed as Hopper walked over to the crimson stain.

“You think after everything, stuff like this wouldn’t phase you,” Hopper muttered as he knelt down and looked at the blood trail, which led back to the car’s windshield.

“But it’s not every day you see a car smashed to bits by an invisible wall, Chief,” Powell said, his voice shaking slightly.

Hopper observed the blood, along with the small trail it left, leading back to the car. He then looked around for any other traces of blood from any other direction.

Nothing.

He then looked over at the grass in front of him. There was no sign of anything having fallen on it.

“Yeah… invisible wall,” Hopper muttered to himself as he stood up, before glancing over at the forest.

“So… what do you think, Hop?” Powell asked. “You think it came from… the other place.”

Hopper shook his head.

“No,” he replied. “Almost everything that comes from there either hunts or destroys. If the car hadn’t crashed, those kids on bikes would’ve been run over. And with the wife not having her seatbelt on…”

“So… someone or something was trying to save the kids?” Jonathan questioned.

“Either that or it’s a big coincidence,” Hopper stated.

“You don’t think…” Nancy began, “El…”

“No!” Hopper stated as he whipped his head to face her.

Nancy, Jonathan and Powell all looked in shock as the Chief stared down the Wheeler woman.

"We can’t be sure it was her," Hopper said firmly. "She was at the movies tonight."

“I’m just saying,” Nancy began, “El said it herself, there may be no one else with her exact powers.”

“What about the one she ran into in Chicago?” Powell questioned.

“She said Kali could only mess with what people saw,” Jonathan pointed out. “Even then, they weren’t about saving people.”

Hopper glanced back at the stain, before looking back at the car. He then observed the area. To his right were houses, up and down the street, but to his left was the forest.

“Well… whatever caused it,” he began as he pointed off to the woods. “Likely was hiding there.”

He then turned back to his partner.

“Powell, get Flo on the line, tell her to get Daniels and Callahan up here,” Hopper ordered. “The three of you will sweep the forest.”

“On it,” Powell replied as he returned to the police car.

“Wait, if they’re doing that then…” Nancy began.

“I’m going to Hawkins Memorial,” Hopper stated.

“Why?” Jonathan questioned. “If there’s something fishy about this...”

“Then we’ll find out when we get there,” Hopper began as he looked inside the crashed car. “Because I’m wondering how an ambulance got here and took the husband and wife away before we even showed up.”

“He’s right,” Nancy began as she started putting pieces together. “The teen said he called first and then saw the husband doing the same.”

“And we got here pretty fast,” Hopper replied as he was sitting in the passenger seat rummaging through the glove compartment.

Nothing.

“Ok, I’m guessing someone important was here,” Hopper stated before turning back to Nancy. “Any description of the man?”

“Yeah,” Nancy said as she looked through her notebook. “Tall, blonde hair, glasses, collared shirt and khakis.”

“Ok,” Hopper replied. “Get home and contact Joyce. Tell her to keep El put for now.”

“What about the others?” Nancy asked.

“Jim!” Powell shouted from his car. “Flo just got a call from Memorial.”

Hopper turned back and nodded, before facing Nancy to answer her question.

“Fill them in on the situation,” Hopper stated. “They’ll find out eventually if we don’t tell them.”

“Ok,” Jonathan began. “Let’s get moving.”

“Wait,” Hopper said as he faced his step-son. “You’re coming with me to the hospital.”

Chapter Text

“Ok, last but not… actually you are the least,” Dustin said.

Mike rolled his eyes as Dustin pulled him up to his house being the last one to be dropped off.

“Hilarious,” the Wheeler boy replied as Dustin brought his car to a halt. “So… you got snacks for tomorrow?”

“Dude, of course,” Dustin stated. “You think I’d forget to give us warriors a feast before we venture into…

“Yes,” Mike interrupted.

“Well, ye of little faith,” Dustin replied.

“Just check before the session, ok?” Mike asked as he got out of the car.

“Fine, I’ll check,” Dustin said. “Don’t have El spy on me if you think I won’t!”

“I make no promises!” Mike shouted as he walked up to the front door of his house.

Dustin could only roll his eyes as he proceeded to back out of the driveway and back up the street.

Mike meanwhile watched before letting out a sigh and entering into his home.

“Mike, is that you?”

“Yeah, mom, it’s me,” Mike replied as he entered the kitchen where his mom was doing the dishes.

“How was the movie?” Karen asked.

“Great,” Mike said. “Easily my favorite of the trilogy.”

“Glad to hear,” Karen said before looking back and seeing the look on Mike’s face. “Honey? What’s wrong?”

Mike tilted his head in confusion.

“What? Nothing? Why would anything be wrong?” He questioned.

Karen couldn’t help but give a derisive look that said, “really?”

Mike bobbed his head back-and-forth as he tried to figure out what to do next. He knew his mom too well, and she wasn’t going to let him off easy. So, he decided to open up.

“Ok,” he began as he walked over to the counter, “it’s just… college you know?”

Karen smiled.

“Well considering what I told you back during… well you know, you should be glad you’re allowed to go,” she said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Mike replied as he immediately recalled how his mom felt when he got back to Hawkins following his California trip.

"But in all seriousness, Mike," Karen began as she leaned over the kitchen counter. "You're going to love college. It's going to be a whole new adventure for you."

Mike nodded solemnly. His eyes searched the cluttered countertop for answers that weren't there.

"I know, but… I’m just worried,” he said, his voice a mix of excitement and anxiety. "After everything…"

"You'll be fine," Karen assured him, her voice warm and steady. "You're smart, and brave, and you've got a good head on your shoulders. And," she added with a smile, "you'll have Will."

Mike felt a twinge of comfort at her words, he was lucky he and Will were rooming together. But the knot in his stomach didn't unravel entirely.

He thought about the tight-knit group of friends he'd made over the past few years—Eleven, Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Will. They'd been through so much together, battling supernatural forces and saving their town from unimaginable dangers.

Now, almost all of them were going to different schools.

“But,” Mike started up, “it just feels more unpredictable than ever, and I’m worried that… I’m going to screw things up because I didn’t know what to do, or I didn’t even see it coming.”

Karen placed a hand on her son’s shoulder.

“Life is full of surprises, Mike. Some good, some not so good. I mean, you know that first hand,” she stated. “But the important thing is that you learn from them, and you keep going. I mean, you’ve faced things most people couldn’t even dream of. You’ve got this.”

Mike sighed, his eyes drifting to the family portrait on the fridge. His friends' faces flashed in his mind, superimposed over the smiling faces of his sisters and parents.

He knew she was right. They’d grown up together, fighting monsters and growing stronger with each victory. But the fear of the unknown was a beast in its own right, and it was hard to ignore.

"I just don't want to let anyone down," he murmured. "Or leave anyone behind. Not again.”

Karen's expression softened.

"You won't," she said firmly. "You've got a big heart, and they know that. Besides, it's not like you're going to the other side of the country. You can come back for weekends, or they can visit you."

Mike couldn't help but smile at that. The thought of him and Will in a college dorm, his friends visiting to help each other navigate the uncharted waters of higher education with him. It brought a sense of comfort.

"I guess you're right," he conceded. "But it still feels weird, you know?"

“I know,” Karen said, her voice understanding. “It's a big change, but it's still an incredible opportunity.”

Mike nodded, swiping at the sudden mist in his eyes. “Thanks, mom.”

Karen smiled.

“I’m always here to help,” she said. “And your sisters… and maybe your father.”

The two snickered at the last part before they suddenly heard the door swing open.

“Hello? Mike? You home yet?”

“Nancy?” Mike questioned as he watched his older sister enter the kitchen. “What’s up?”

Meanwhile

Will stood alone at his desk in his room in the Byers/Hopper’s home. His paintbrush worked away at his latest piece, arguably his biggest one yet.

He sighed as after a stroke, he paused, contemplating his next move.

He had already fallen behind on the painting, originally planning on showing it the day of their graduation. Now he was hoping he could get it finished for one of their graduation parties.

He figured his or El’s would make the most sense, considering he was the one painting and she was the main reason they were all still there together.

He put the brush down and took a step back to look over his incomplete work.

He knew it didn’t need to be a flawless masterpiece, but he still wanted it to feel special to everyone. After all, it was about everyone.

Will shook his head and decided to hold off any more painting until the next day, and opted to sit down in the main room and play TMNT on NES.

He had gotten all the way to the Technodrome boss level and couldn’t wait to beat the game a second time. So far it was a three-way battle between him, Mike and Lucas in terms of who could do it.

Dustin meanwhile was struggling to get through the dam level again.

As Will approached the main room, he heard the front door swing open as El and Joyce walked.

However, El didn’t seem all that happy.

“Woah, El, are you ok?” Will asked as he watched his step-sister storm past him and into her room.

She closed the door behind her, but not all the way, leaving it open three-inches.

Will stood in confusion before turning around to face his mom.

“Mom? What happened? Why is El…”

“She’s just… frustrated,” Joyce replied as she stood in the middle of the room cross-armed.

“Frustrated? About what?” Will asked. “Are you mad she wasn’t with us?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just…” Joyce began before taking a deep breath. “There was a car crash in Loch Nora that… El wanted to go… look out.”

“Car crash?” Will questioned. “Why would you not let El…”

Will paused as he saw the look of concern on his mom’s face.

“Wait… what… caused the crash?” Will questioned.

Joyce shrugged.

“We don’t know, Hopper and Powell went to investigate it but…” she began.

“But…” Will started as he glanced back to El’s room. “Why wouldn’t you want El there? She can help.”

“Not until we know for sure,” Joyce said.

Her voice was firm, but Will could hear the underlying tension in it. He knew that look on her face, the one that said she was worried but didn’t want to show it.

“Mom,” Will began, “if the crash has something to do with… you know… I think El should be there.”

Joyce sighed, her eyes full of doubt. “It’s just a precaution, Will. We can’t always have her jump into the thick of things. She’s already got a lot on her plate with Ivy Tech.”

“But what if this… situation is something big,” Will pointed out. “One where we need her help. Shouldn’t we jump on it before it gets out of hand?”

Joyce rubbed her forehead, looking tired

“Will, we need to be sure about this,” she began. “If it’s connected to the Upside Down, we don’t know what we’re dealing with. And I’m not risking her safety without knowing all the facts. Not to mention, if the government gets word of any strange activity again.”

“I thought they agreed to leave her alone,” Will questioned.

“Only if she behaves,” Joyce pointed out. “But if anything happens that could be linked to her…”

Her voice trailed off, and Will nodded solemnly. He knew all too well the trouble that came with Upside Down shenanigans and the government’s overzealous curiosity.

“Look, let’s just wait for Jim to come back,” Joyce said. “Once we know for sure what we’re dealing with… I’ll talk to her.”

“Ok,” Will replied as he then watched his mom walk to her room and close the door behind.

He then glanced over at El’s bedroom, the door remaining open by three inches. He heard the radio being played. However, once the song ended, all he heard was static.

Will immediately knew what that meant. He quickly walked over to El’s door and knocked.

“El?” He murmured, glancing over at his mom’s door not wanting to alert her.

El meanwhile didn’t answer but Will stepped back as the door slowly opened up to let him in.

Will looked over at his mom’s door once more before stepping into El’s room. He listened to the door behind him close up but once again stopping three inches before reaching the lock.

Not to his surprise, Will looked over at his step-sister who already had her blindfold on and was on her knees.

“You didn’t have to come in,” El said.

“Then why did you let me in?” Will asked.

El, who was now in the void, continued.

“I… didn’t say I didn’t want you to,” she admitted.

Will couldn’t help but smile. After everything the two went through it was nice to see the trust she had in him.

“You sure about this?” He asked.

“I’m sure,” El replied.

Will slowly nodded.

“What do you see?” He asked as he sat down in front of her.

“Hopper,” El replied. “He’s… with Jonathan, driving.”

“Jonathan’s with him?” Will questioned. “Where are they going?”

“The hospital,” El answered as she continued to observe her adoptive father and older step-brother.

“You didn’t have to be hard on Nancy you know,” Jonathan stated. “She wasn’t trying to antagonize El.”

“Still,” Hopper said as he kept his eyes on the road, “she didn’t have to jump to that theory so fast.”

“Ok, but, still,” Jonathan said, “you know she cares about El like the rest of us.”

“I know,” Hopper said. “It’s just…”

Hopper paused as he tried to find the right words to say next.

Jonathan meanwhile waited, but quickly realized that his step-father was struggling.

All the while El observed from the void.

“What are they saying?” Will asked.

El remained silent as Jonathan began talking.

“Ok,” he said. “Let’s say there is someone in Hawkins like El. If that’s the case, we can’t take them lightly.”

“If they’re like El, they could be just a scared kid,” Hopper pointed out.

“Or someone a lot older,” Jonathan pointed out. “Either way, we need to approach it the right way. Let El and the rest of us help you figure this out.”

Hopper remained silent as he let the argument sink in. Jonathan had a point. They had no clue who or what it was that caused the crash, so they needed to approach it the right way.

Not to mention, he knew despite the kids promising to stay out of trouble, they were eventually going to do something.

Suddenly, Hopper noticed something off about the lights inside the car. He watched as they flickered for a few seconds.

“Wait, what,” Jonathan muttered before he and Hopper realized what was occurring.

“El?” Hopper said.

“El?” Will said.

El took off her blindfold and wiped away her nosebleed before responding.

“Radio the party.”

Chapter Text

Hawkins Memorial Hospital
9:55 p.m.

“Ok,” Hopper said as he and Jonathan got out of the car. “Let’s see if our driver talks.”

“Can’t imagine what’s going through his head right now,” Jonathan replied as he walked with his step-father to the entrance.

“I might have an idea,” Hopper muttered as the duo entered the hospital.

Inside, it was eerily quiet. The fluorescent lights buzzed above, the only sound to accompany their footsteps as they made their way to the reception desk.

The nurse behind the counter looked up from her paperwork. She recognized Hopper immediately.

“Chief,” she said.

"Where are they?" Hopper asked.

“Down the hall in our conference room,” the nurse replied.

“Conference room?” Jonathan questioned. “Shouldn’t they be in a hospital room?”

“Why would they need that?” The nurse asked in confusion.

“Because they were in a car crash,” Hopper stated. “That’s what you called about isn’t it?”

The nurse's eyes widened, a furrow appearing on her brow. "Car crash? Tonight? I'm not aware of any patients fitting that description."

Hopper frowned.

“We were told the victim was taken to the hospital in an ambulance,” Jonathan stated.

“And the station got a call from here,” Hopper added.

The nurse checked her records again, her eyes darting back and forth across the pages.

"Let me double-check with the ER," she said, picking up the phone.

Jonathan and Hopper watched closely as she spoke on the phone. Her voice was a hushed murmur to whoever was on the other end.

After a moment, she hung up.

"Sorry, Jim, but we haven't admitted anyone from a car crash tonight."

Hopper and Jonathan exchanged a puzzled look. Something wasn't right.

“So who’s here to see us?” Jonathan questioned.

“A Ms. Stinson,” the nurse replied. “Just head to our conference room.”

Hopper nodded as he and Jonathan began to walk down the hall.

Jonathan glanced back at the nurse who was double-checking the charts on her desk, clearly as confused as he and Hopper were.

“If Stinson’s here, then it’s serious,” Jonathan said to his step-dad.

“Should’ve figured Owens had her in Hawkins,” Hopper replied as they approached the door. “Just hope it’s not too serious for you and the kid’s sake.”

Hopper then opened the door to the room where sure enough Stinson was present. She sat across from them at a table, her posture rigid and eyes unblinking. She had a no-nonsense look about her.

“Sheriff,” she said before looking at Jonathan. “Mr. Byers.”

“Goddamnit,” Hopper muttered, realizing it was without a doubt very serious.

“Did Owens have you move in?” Jonathan asked.

“After everything that’s happened, he and I agreed that someone should be in town to keep an eye on things,” Stinson explained.

“How come we weren’t informed of this?” Hopper questioned.

“It was best to keep things under the radar, even you, Jim,” Stinson replied, her voice steady and unruffled. “If there’s something off the books happening again, we need to handle it discreetly. Your town has had enough publicity to last a lifetime.”

“So you know about the crash,” Jonathan theorized. “By intercepting the phone call the kid made.”

“Yes,” Stinson said.

“And the one the driver made,” Hopper questioned. “The one who isn’t currently in this hospital.”

Stinson took a deep breath as opened the file in front of her.

“The reason they aren’t here is because his superiors tended to him.”

The room grew tense. Hopper’s jaw clenched, his knuckles turning white on the edge of the table.

“What do you mean… his superiors?”

“The driver was a part of a government funded research team,” Stinson said. “And whatever caused the crash was something they wanted to take care of themselves.”

“So you’re telling me the government’s hiding another one of their messes in my town?” Hopper barked.

“That’s the thing, Jim,” Stinson replied. “Whatever caused the crash has even baffled them. But they already have suspicion it may have connections to the… escapades of Brenner’s days.”

“Which is why we’re hoping you can shed some light on the situation.”

Hopper and Jonathan turned around as a doctor entered the room.

“I told you to wait outside,” Stinson said.

“And I believe the Chief of Police should know the lab’s current stance on this situation.”

“The lab?” Jonathan questioned.

“Surprised they're dumb enough to call it that,” Hopper stated.

“Yes,” the doctor said as he joined Stinson on her end of the table. “But do not be alarmed. We are well past the days of Dr. Brenner. Hawkins Research Lab is now primarily an observation team, monitoring any… unusual activity.”

“There’s a surprise,” Hopper spat out.

“Your skepticism and sarcasm are duly noted, Mr. Hopper,” the doctor said as he took a seat, folding his hands neatly on the table. “But let me be clear, the lab is under new management, and our intentions are to rectify the past. We’re here to help, not to harm. With that said, we find it disturbing that one of our own was the victim in the crash.”

“Don’t forget his wife,” Jonathan replied.

The doctor nodded gravely.

“Indeed, tragic,” he said. “We’re eager to understand what happened. That’s why we need your cooperation.”

“To catch whoever caused the crash and make sure it’s not… world-ending shit?” Hopper stated.

“Yes,” the doctor replied. “Now, given the facts of witnesses and the site itself, it seems that whoever is responsible has… supernatural abilities.”

“You better not be talking about El,” Jonathan stated.

Stinson raised a hand to calm him.

“We have no interest in Eleven or even any subjects from Brenner’s lab. We are talking about something else entirely. Something we believe is a threat.”

“So far the investigation of the crash has left us with one of two conclusions,” the doctor stated.

“Ok, I’m sorry to be a bit rude here, but who the hell are you?” Hopper stated.

The doctor remain composed as he answered.

“I’m Dr. Tobias Torres,” he stated. “I’m the current head of Hawkins Research, and I’m trying to uncover the truth, like you, Mr. Hopper.”

The room felt like it had just gotten smaller. The tension was a living, breathing entity, coiled around them like a tightening noose.

“What do you know about the crash?” Hopper asked, his eyes narrowing at Dr. Torres.

“As much as you,” Stinson said. “Car seemingly crashed into nothing in the middle of the road, would’ve ran over four kids if it hadn’t. Driver was wearing a seatbelt, passenger wasn’t.”

“Our associate is currently recovering from the incident,” Torres stated. “Unfortunately… he is… devastated by the loss of his wife.”

“But he’s not here?” Jonathan pressed.

“He’s in a secure location,” Stinson said. “The injuries were not life-threatening. But we need to keep him safe and stable while we piece this together.”

“What? You think someone was trying to kill him?” Hopper questioned.

“Kill him, send us a message, or perhaps just someone trying to save children from being run over,” Torres replied. “Regardless, whoever or whatever crashed the car is still out there and we need to find it.”

Hopper leaned back in his chair, his eyes boring into the doctor. “And what makes you think we’re going to work with you?”

Dr. Torres met his gaze without flinching.

“Because we all want the same thing, Mr. Hopper,” he stated. “The safety of Hawkins and its people. This incident suggests that there might be something of grave concern. So we need to stop it before it escalates and causes more harm.”

Jonathan’s eyes darted between Dr. Torres and Agent Stinson, his thoughts racing. However, he noticed a quick side-eye Stinson gave Torres.

One that seemed to say, “What are you doing?”

“What are your conclusions thus far?’” Jonathan questioned.

Stinson leaned in, her voice low and serious.

“Well, our best guess is whoever stopped the car shares powers similar to Eleven, and so far there’s been only one person born with powers with no connection to MKUltra.”

“And unless Henry has resurrected himself and turned a new leaf saving children, we believe it’s possible a former child has returned,” Torres said. “But our records indicate no one who… escaped is likely to be the culprit. Meaning it’s someone new.”

Torres then gave a small suspicious glance towards Hopper.

“Or perhaps someone who’s already residing in Hawkins.”

“It’s. Not. El,” Hopper stated.

There was silence for a moment as everyone took in the Chief’s response.

Torres remained emotionless before replying.

“Agent Stinson and I can believe that claim, Mr. Hopper,” he said. “But the government is another story.”

“Even if we prove El was at the movies tonight…” Stinson said.

“You won’t leave these kids alone will you?” Hopper theorized.

“The higher ups, especially the military,” Stinson continued, ignoring Hopper, “will come looking for her.”

“So what’s the deal, then?” Hopper asked, his arms folded across his chest.

Stinson sighed.

“The deal is, we need your cooperation, Jim,” she began. “We need to figure out who or what this mysterious anomaly is and what they want before they cause more trouble. We can keep it off the books, keep the townsfolk safe without causing another major scare.”

“Otherwise the government will assume it’s Eleven and pursue her,” Torres added. “Have her work with us and perhaps they’ll realize we’re dealing with a common enemy.”

Hopper's eyes searched the doctor's, looking for any sign of deceit. Jonathan also inspected them before he and his step-father looked at each other to understand their stances in the situation.

After a tense moment, Hopper nodded.

“Ok,” he said. “Here’s my proposal…”

“Bold decision, Mr. Hopper,” Torres replied.

“Chief Hopper, and as Chief of Police of this town, I say this,” Hopper stated. “We’ll keep the crash between us, for now. But I’m not giving up El.”

“We’re not asking you to,” Stinson assured him. “We just need to find out who’s behind this before it gets out of hand.”

“And having El work with us could benefit her,” Torres said. “Perhaps… increase her likelihood of receiving an acceptance letter.”

Hopper clenched his fist as he stood up.

“We’re leaving,” Hopper said.

“Jim, please,” Stinson replied.

“My daughter isn’t going to be your tool,” Hopper stated as he kept his eyes on Torres. “No matter what you promise me.”

Torres remained silent as Hopper and Jonathan then exited the room.

The oldest Byers boy then quickly began whispering to Hopper.

“Ok, Torres was out of line,” he said with a hint of frustration. “But you need to keep your cool.”

“I know,” Hopper muttered as the two built their distance from the conference room. “But that bastard’s not pulling a fast one on me.”

“Well, I can’t imagine how Stinson feels about it,” Jonathan added.

“Yeah, doubt Owens liked being replaced too,” Hopper said.

“I don’t think Torres and the lab have connections with Stinson, Jim,” Jonathan said.

Hopper turned to face his step-son.

“What makes you say that?” He asked.

“Stinson seemed uncomfortable in there,” Jonathan replied. “My guess is Torres is in control of this instead of her.”

“What are you thinking?” Hopper questioned.

“Maybe the lab convinced her to comply?” Jonathan theorized. “Much like us.”

Jim sighed.

“Not sure if that makes things better or worse,” Hopper said.

“Well… maybe if you talk to Stinson alone, we can get a better idea of what the lab actually wants,” Jonathan suggested. “If she’s in Hawkins…”

“Yeah… but Torres and the lab will probably have her watched and bugged and shit,” Hopper stated as the two exited the hospital.

“So… what’s the plan then?” Jonathan asked. “If what Torres said is true, how long until the government comes down looking for her?”

Hopper turned back to face Jonathan as they got to the car.

He did have a point there.

“If we don’t comply, Torres and his men will probably be ready to join in on the government’s efforts,” Hopper sighed as he opened the door. “But I don’t want El working for them like some weapon.”

“But he has a point,” Jonathan said. “If the government sees her working with the lab they’ll likely be convinced she isn’t the threat.”

“That’s if Torres isn’t bullshiting us,” Hopper said.

“Yeah, and he probably is,” Jonathan sighed. “But what else can we do?”

Chapter Text

“What else can we do?” Mike asked as he and Nancy entered the basement of their house to further their discussion they started in the kitchen.

“Well, since Hopper didn’t let me go with him and Jonathan to the hospital, nothing really,” Nancy replied.

“Why didn’t he want you to go with them?” Mike asked.

Nancy rocked her head back and forth as she struggled to answer.

“I may have… suggested that the crash was connected to El,” she said.

“El was at the movies with us,” Mike quickly pointed out. “There’s no way she…”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t know she was at the movies, ok?” Nancy replied. “But… Hopper didn’t like that I thought El might have a connection.”

“Ok!” Mike said as he put his hands up. “I’m just saying where we were.”

Nancy rolled her eyes.

“Look… it would make sense if El was trying to save some kids,” Nancy pointed out. “But… Hopper clearly doesn’t like it when someone brings up El.”

Mike snickered.

“Did I ever tell you he threatened me one time about dating her?” he asked.

Nancy couldn’t help but let out a snicker of her own.

“I can see that,” she replied.

The two smiled at each other before returning to the topic at hand.

“Alright, so, we just have to wait to hear back from Hopper or Jonathan before we make our next move,” Nancy said.

“Ok, I know you don’t want to do that, so why don’t I just call El?” Mike suggested.

“Because Hopper’s already on me about her, so I’m just trying to be strategic here,” Nancy argued.

“Mike?”

“Well… still, once El finds out about this crash she’ll want to get involved,” Mike pointed out. “So… might as well call.”

“Mike?!”

“Yeah, but I feel like there’s more going on here that we don’t know,” Nancy stated. “And I can’t help you guys figure it out with Hopper on me.”

“Mike!?!”

Mike and Nancy turned their attention to the stairs as their little sister Holly walked down with Mike’s walkie-talkie in hand.

“What is it, Holly?” Mike asked with a hint of confusion.

Holly held the walkie-talkie as Will spoke.

“Mike? Do you copy? Mike?”

Mike glanced over at Nancy before reaching out and grabbing the radio.

“Yeah, I’m here, what’s wrong?” He asked.

“I’ll explain in a second,” Will said on the other end. “Just waiting for anyone else to join in.”

“Got it,” Mike said as he looked at his little sister. “Thanks, Holly. Head back upstairs.”

“Can I join in?” She asked.

“No, Holly,” Nancy replied with a calming voice. “This might be a bit scary for you.”

“Please?” Holly asked.

“Sorry, Holly,” Mike said. “Maybe when you’re older.”

“I’m nine,” she replied. “And I’ve dealt with scarier stuff.”

“Holly, please?” Nancy asked, once again with a caring calming voice.

Holly then sighed as she walked upstairs and closed the door behind her.

“Sooner or later she’s going to find out about… well you know,” Mike sighed as he and Nancy sat on the couch.

“Yeah, and if we keep her future sister-in-law’s powers a secret from her until she grows old, that’ll be a miracle,” Nancy stated.

“Did you have to phrase it like that?” Mike questioned.

“After that marriage joke you made last week? Yes,” Nancy stated.

“Ok, come on, it’s a solid question, are you and…”

“Ok, check in,” Dustin immediately interrupted. “Who’s here for code red? Copy?”

Mike glanced at Nancy once more before answering.

“Mike and Nancy here,” he said.

“Will and El here,” Will said as he and his step-sister sat across from him.

“Max here!” Max said on her walkie-talkie in her room.

“Lucas here,” Lucas responded as he sat in his room.

“Mmhm?”

Lucas glanced at his 15-year-old little sister across from him and sighed.

“And Erica,” he added.

“Steve? Robin? You copy?” Dustin asked.

No response.

“Harrington? Buckley? Do you copy?”

No response.

“Guess we’ll start without them,” Dustin said. “Ok, Will, what’s the emergency?”

“Right, did you guys hear about the car crash in Loch Nora yet?” Will asked.

“Yes,” Mike and Nancy said.

“I was with El, so yes,” Max added.

“Car crash?” Dustin questioned.

“Why are we radioing in about a car crash?” Lucas asked.

“Because the car crash tonight might’ve been caused by someone who has powers like me,” El started.

“What?!” Lucas and Dustin said in unison.

“Ok, that part I didn’t know,” Max said.

“She’s right,” Nancy said. “Witnesses said the car crashed into nothing, like an invisible wall, so it’s possible that’s actually true.”

Dustin nodded thoughtfully, twirling a pencil between his fingers. “But how do we know for sure?”

“We can’t,” Mike said. “But the evidence suggests it.”

“But if there is someone here with powers like El? Why?” Lucas questioned. “What do they want?”

El frowned.

“I don’t know, but if they have powers like me, we can’t ignore it.”

“You’re right, El,” Dustin said, leaning closer to his radio. “We need to find out who they are and what’s going on. Will, can you sense anything?”

“No,” Will said. “Whatever it is, it’s not connected to Vecna, the Mind Flayer or the Upside Down.”

“And considering only one of those options is still possible, I’d say that’s a good sign,” Max replied.

“But that only makes this stranger,” El emphasized, her eyes widening.

Mike nodded solemnly.

“We know that much,” he said. “But we need more information before we jump to conclusions.”

“Too late,” Dustin replied. “I’m thinking we got a doppelgänger.”

Mike rolled his eyes.

“Not everything is a Russian spy thriller or a sci-fi plot, Dustin.”

“But it’s Hawkins, dude!” Dustin exclaimed.

Max snickered.

“Yeah, Mike, it’s not the craziest theory, plus how many times has Dustin been right with his crazy ass theories?”

“Thank you… wait,” Dustin spat out.

“Alright, let's break it down,” Nancy suggested, her journalist instincts kicking in. “First, we need to figure out where this person could’ve come from and what brought them here.”

“We should keep an eye out for any other incidents,” Mike added as he glanced over at his sister, partially surprised by her approach. “It’s bound to happen again and we want to make sure no one else gets hurt or worse.”

“We should go around Hawkins tomorrow and ask people if they’ve seen or heard anything weird,” Lucas suggested.

“I’d like to tag along for that,” Erica replied. “Been looking to try some interrogation tactics.”

“Why would you even…” Lucas started before Max interrupted on the line.

“Lucas just let her come,” she said to her boyfriend. “Otherwise you’ll be spending tomorrow arguing with her about it.”

Lucas sighed. He knew Max was right.

“Nancy,” he then began as he clenched the radio, “is there anything else about the crash that could help us?”

“Well, whoever caused it saved a group of kids, but also caused the death of a passenger in the car,” Nancy replied.

“Shit,” Max said. “Talk about a mix bag.”

“How did the passenger die?” El asked.

“She wasn’t wearing her seatbelt,” Nancy stated.

“So whoever stopped the car was likely doing it to save the kids,” Will said.

“That at least makes them sound less super-villainy,” Dustin replied.

“Yeah,” El muttered.

The group was silent for a moment as they let the thought sink in.

However, Mike broke the silence.

“Ok, so how should we do this?” He asked. “We’ll need to break into teams if we want to gain as much ground as possible.”

“I can head to the library tomorrow,” Nancy said. “If there’s any news about incidents similar to this it could help us figure out more about this doppelgänger.”

“Yes, she’s on board for using it,” Dustin whispered in excitement.

“I’ll come with you, Nancy,” El said. “I should be there to learn more about them too.”

“Sounds good, El,” Nancy replied.

“I could double-check the area by the crash site,” Max said. “The doppelgänger had to have been there, maybe they left something, or someone saw something.”

“Hopper already sent Powell, Daniels and Callahan to check out the forest in that area,” Nancy said. “If they don’t find anything, I’d say go for it.”

“Do you think Powell and the others will find anything?” Lucas asked.

“Hard to say,” Nancy said. “Only time will tell.”

Meanwhile

“Anything?” Powell asked as he aimed his flashlight around the trees, still seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

“Nope!” Callahan said as he returned from his portion of the area. “I got nothing here!”

“Couldn’t find anything here either,” Daniels said as he rejoined the trio. “Looks like if someone was here, they’re damn good at covering their tracks.”

“Hard to catch any footprints in this area,” Powell replied as he took a few steps down toward a small ditch. “Especially in the cover of night.”

“What is it with the woods?” Callahan asked. “Can’t people just hide out in a mall or a big building?”

“Is that so you can grab a snack or procrastinate?” Daniels questioned.

“No,” Callahan replied. “I mean I would do that after we caught them but…”

Powell had already blocked out Callahan’s comments at this point, as he continued to look around.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No signs of an animal. No signs of a person. Considering the number of times Powell and the others had searched the woods, everything in the area appeared to be per usual.

That was until, Powell’s flash light caught something just off the way. The former chief of police paused as he noticed the a small shimmer about 20 feet away from him on the ground.

Powell slowly approached the tree as he assumed it was an object of sorts, and at this point, anything could useful for him and the team.

He stopped a few feet away from the object as a look of confusion took hold of him.

“What the?” Powell muttered as he knelt down and inspected the object.

He then reached down towards and picked it up off the ground. His confusion remained as he inspected it.

However, the look of confusion became one of shock as he flipped the object over and saw what was on the other side.

“No freaking way,” Powell muttered as he continued to stare at the other side.

Daniels and Callahan then approached.

“Powell? What did you find?” Daniels asked.

10 minutes later.

Hopper stood in front of his car next to the crash site as he inspected the object Powell found.

Following his and Jonathan’s trip to the hospital, they wanted to return to the crash site to check in.

Now, he was inspecting a worn out baseball cap, a familiar one at that.

“You sure you didn’t lose yours?” Powell questioned as Hopper looked at the brown hat with the gold leaf insignias on the brim.

The chief then flipped the hat over to look on the underside of the brim. To his shock, his name was written in white marker on it.

He did so after he got it following his escape from Russia. Figured after surviving that cold hellhole he might as well claim something for himself.

But he knew for 100% fact that it was still at his home, hung up in his closet.

Jonathan looked in shock as he quickly put together a theory.

“So… we know that when Will was taken way back when, the Upside Down somehow formed an exact version of Hawkins from that day,” he began, “what if… it made another version?”

“But it would need someone there to make that version,” Hopper sighed as he set the worn out hat in his car. “Which means this is just getting better and better.”

He then walked over to the crash site, where the car was no longer present.

“We… did not see who towed the car away,” Daniels admitted. “Maybe someone at the party did.”

“No. I have a feeling who did,” Hopper said as he quickly thought of Torres. “And it’s best that they don’t know about the hat just yet.”

“Why?” Callahan asked.

Chapter Text

“What do you mean stay put?” El asked as she followed Hopper into the kitchen.

After coming home from his check up on Powell, Hopper had to confront El about the crash, her eavesdropping on him and Jonathan and everything else he’s done on the night.

Then he had to tell her his current plan for now.

“El, I can’t have you out there with the government possibly looking into this,” Hopper explained. “Plus if this does have something to do with… that place, I need you to keep an eye on it.”

“But if there is someone in Hawkins who has powers, shouldn’t I be out there to find them?” El questioned.

“Not yet,” Hopper said. “We don’t know why they’re here or what they want. They saved a group of kids tonight.”

“Which means they may not be a threat to us,” El argued. “I can help them.”

Hopper sighed as he was trying desperately to hold his stance.

He didn’t want to keep her put, otherwise it was going to be like her time in the cabin all over again.

But at the same time, there were too many problems to deal with that he didn’t want to risk getting her caught up in it just yet.

Hopper turned back around to face his daughter.

“It’ll be just for tomorrow,” he said. “Give me… and your friends tomorrow to figure this out.”

El gave Hopper a look of suspicion. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he knew her friends would get involved, yet he still wanted her to stay out of it.

However, she knew she couldn’t argue with him on this, otherwise it was going to get real ugly real quick.

El closed her eyes and took a deep breath before responding.

“Just for tomorrow?” She questioned.

Hopper nodded.

“Just for tomorrow,” he repeated.

“Promise?” El tossed in.

Hopper hesitated, but nodded.

“Promise.”

El nodded as well before turning around and heading to her room.

Hopper waited for her to close the door, leaving three inches, before he let out a frustrated sigh.

He then pulled out the worn out hat one more time before heading to his bedroom. However, right before he did so, he spotted Will and Jonathan waiting for him in the hallway.

“Just for tomorrow?” Will whispered.

Hopper sighed.

“Just so we gather more information without her alerting anyone,” Hopper stated. “Otherwise they’ll know we’re on to something.”

“But keeping her hidden would also raise a bit of suspicion from the government,” Jonathan pointed out. “If you’re worried about her being exposed, she can…”

“I’ll stay here for tomorrow,” El interrupted as she came out of her room.

The three men stared at El in both shock and fear as they realized how bad they failed to keep their short conversation private.

“I already agreed on doing it,” El added as she glanced at her step-brothers before looking directly at Hopper. “Just for tomorrow. So, you don’t need to change your mind on it.”

She then closed the door, once again leaving three inches, leaving the Byers boys and Hopper baffled.

However, Hopper managed to salvage the talk by focusing on a different aspect.

“Ok, listen,” he began, first pointing to Jonathan. “I need you and the others to keep an eye out for anything… unusual.”

“Will do,” Jonathan replied.

“Good, but I also need you to keep an eye out for anything… government related,” Hopper added. “I’ll be at the station tomorrow just so anyone who wants to spy on me has to sit and wait.”

“What about Stinson?” Jonathan asked.

“I’m still working on that,” Hopper admitted. “Though who’s to say she won’t find me first.”

He then turned his attention to Will.

“Will, I want you to head into the forest area by the crash site, see if you feel anything… off.”

He then handed him the hat.

“This didn’t just pop up out of nowhere,” he stated. “So… it’s likely something’s happening over there.”

“Ok,” Will nodded. “I can do that, but… it still doesn’t add up.”

“What do you mean?” Hopper questioned.

“I can feel things from there that are here in Hawkins,” Will explained. “But… I haven’t felt anything yet.”

“It’s been a few years,” Hopper said. “Plus I’m guessing the lack of evil overlords and black mists over there doesn’t help either.”

“I don’t know,” Will muttered. “But… I’ll take a look tomorrow.”

“Good,” Hopper said as he nodded and looked at his step-sons. “Ok… those are your assignments for tomorrow, so… get some sleep.”

Will and Jonathan glanced at each other before nodding to Hopper.

Though it was great to have a father-figure back in their lives, it still wasn’t without some awkward moments.

Hopper watched as the Byers boys went off to their rooms and closed the doors behind them. Once they did, Hopper sighed once more before entering his room, where Joyce was sitting in bed going over some papers.

“So… how is she?” Joyce asked.

Hopper gave a slight shrug.

“She’ll stay put,” he said. “Just for tomorrow.”

“Just for tomorrow?” Joyce questioned.

“Yes,” Hopper answered in partial frustration. “Just for tomorrow.”

Joyce widened her eyes from the response and returned her attention to her papers.

“What do you got there?” Hopper asked.

“Well… with… whatever it is we’re dealing with,” Joyce began, “I figured I could go through some old reports and records from the lab, see if there’s anything that stands out.”

“We already ruled out any of El’s… other escapees,” Hopper replied as he walked over to the closet.

“I know,” Joyce said. “But… what if we missed one?”

Hopper turned back to face his wife upon hearing the theory.

“You think another kid got out?” Hopper asked.

Joyce shrugged.

“It would make sense,” she said. “After getting out, they could’ve tried to get as far away from here as possible, but after who knows how long, they decided to come back because…”

Joyce paused as she tried to figure out why anyone would want to come back to Hawkins if they were in a similar position.

Hopper put that together as he took a step towards the bed.

“Let’s just work with what we got,” he said. “Then we take what we find tomorrow and add things up.”

Joyce put her hands up.

“Ok,” she said as Hopper returned his attention to the closet. She watched as her husband opened it up and stared at his brown baseball cap.

The man hung his head and sighed before closing the door.

“Goddamnit,” he muttered.

“What is it, Jim?” Joyce asked.

“It’s nothing,” he said.

“Are you really going to try that?” Joyce questioned calling his bluff.

Hopper shrugged in defeat as he sat down in bed with his wife.

“This is the last thing we need,” Hopper sighed. “The lab, the government, the other place… But… I don’t have much choice.”

“I know,” Joyce admitted. “But… what can we do?”

Hopper hung his head before snickering.

“You know, I think I understand why you wanted to leave before,” he admitted. “Just when I thought we were all past everything… something like this happens to pull us back in.”

Joyce sighed. It was always the case, ever since that fateful November night when Will went missing.

A period of normal peace accompanied by a period of strange anarchy.

It was also comical how much of a routine it was for them.

Joyce put down her papers as she focused on Hopper.

“Jim… we may never fully bury the things that we’ve been through or the things that this town has seen,” Joyce began. “But after everything, I know this. We can get through it.”

Hopper could only give a blank stare as he processed his wife’s statement.

“Yeah…” he said before taking off his uniform and pulling out his letter to the community college. “But… El’s got a chance to leave this place behind, and I owe it to her to make sure she gets that chance.”

“First off, we owe it to her,” Joyce clarified. “Second, she will, because she is a strong independent woman who has come a long way in the past six years.”

Hopper took a moment to let Joyce’s words sink in. She was right; El had come a long way.

Yet here they were, still dealing with problems stemming back to the beginning of that journey El’s been on.

Hopper sighed.

“Let’s hope coming a long way leads to a quick fix,” Hopper said. “Cause I don’t know what I’ll do if it doesn’t.”

“Well,” Joyce began, “if the lab is actually trying to help, there’s a chance.”

Hawkins Lab
11 p.m.

Dr. Torres sat in the backseat of the black Chrysler as it drove through the opened gates. The doctor remained emotionless as he looked over the current report of the car crash.

Stinson, sat next to him, calm but clearly frustrated.

“You agreed to leave Eleven out of this,” she stated. “This is clearly not her doing.”

“But as I said, the government will not see it that way,” Torres replied, keeping his eyes on the report before raising them to focus on Stinson. “And you did not object to my statements in front of Mr. Hopper.”

“Cause he probably knows how I felt about it,” Stinson retorted.

Torres’ eyes stayed on Stinson for a moment, before returning to the report.

“Cooperation, Ms. Stinson,” Torres replied. “That is all we’re asking.”

“And I’m asking you to not insinuate our allies or deviate from the facts we have,” Stinson stated as the car pulled up to the entrance to the lab.

The car came to a halt as a man in a suit approached the door. Torres waited for the door to be opened and stepped out.

“Thank you, Agent Deinhart,” he said to the man before turning back to Agent Stinson. “I will be expecting an updated report on any information you gather by tomorrow evening.”

Stinson remained firm as she stared down Torres with determination.

“Do not keep anything from, Ms. Stinson,” he replied. “I will know, and I will come to find it.”

Torres then closed the door and began to head into the building.

Stinson sighed as the car pulled away from the building, she then glanced at the driver in frustration.

“Don’t try anything funny,” she said.

Meanwhile, inside the lab.

“How is he?” Torres asked as he walked down the hallway with Agent Deinhart and a fellow doctor.

“Physically, only minor injuries,” the doctor answered. “But mentally.”

Torres didn’t even look at the doctor following the answer. Instead he kept his eyes forward on the door in front of him, the door where his associate currently resided.

“Gentlemen,” Torres said. “You have your duties.”

Torres then entered and spotted the car crash victim lying in his hospital bed. The man had his head turned away from Torres, but the doctor could hear his weeping.

“Dr. Carlson,” Torres began, remaining firm.

The man didn’t respond but instead continued to sulk.

Torres squinted his eyes in slight frustration.

“Walter,” he said. “I’m sorry about Katherine.”

The crying stopped as the man turned towards Torres, in partial shock.

“You… are?”

Torres nodded.

“Yes,” he said. “Despite my issue of your marriage with her while you were posted here, I nevertheless understood your decision, which is why I allowed it.”

Walter glanced away from Torres as he thought that ultimatum he thought he would be dealt with when he decided to marry.

“You were right,” Walter said.

Torres raised an eyebrow.

“I beg your pardon?”

Torres then watched as Dr. Carlson clenched a fist and turned back to face him.

“You said our work could put her in danger,” he stated.

Torres’ confusion remained.

“What do you mean?”

Carlson’s tears disappeared as his look of loss became one of anger.

“The girl did this, I know it,” he stated.

“Are you certain?” Torres questioned. “Eleven may be a possible subject but…”

“Who else could it have been?!”

Chapter Text

The Next Day

Hopper/Byers Home
May 31, 1989, 8 a.m.

“Ok, everyone ready?” Hopper asked as he, Joyce and Jonathan were gathered near the door.

“Yep,” Joyce said.

“Ready,” Jonathan stated.

“Ok… where’s Will?” Hopper asked.

“Here!” Will said as he emerged from El’s room and worked his way to the door, with El in tow.

“Let me know what you find out,” El said as she held her walkie-talkie.

“I’ll keep you posted when I got something,” Will replied.

“Same here,” Jonathan said.

“Remember to keep an eye out for anything suspicious nearby,” Joyce added to her adopted daughter.

El nodded.

“I will.”

She then looked directly at Hopper.

“I’ll… radio you if I have something to say,” he said.

El slowly nodded.

“Just for today.”

Hopper didn’t nod back, but responded.

“Just for today.”

El noticed the lack of a nod but remained silent before turning around and going back to her room.

Joyce, Will and Jonathan had their eyes on El, but once she closed the door three-inches, they turned their attention back to Hopper.

“You sure about this?” Will asked.

Hopper once again remained motionless, but took a second to respond.

“Ask me tonight,” he settled on.

Jonathan subtly hung his head in frustration while Will just took in Hopper’s words before glancing back at El’s room.

“Ok,” Joyce began, attempting to help, “our main concern is finding out as much as we can. So when we get back here tonight, we know our next move.”

“Right,” Hopper said.

“So… we make the most of today,” Will stated, “to make sure El’s day tomorrow goes well.”

Hopper took his turn to subtly sigh.

“Yes,” he said.

Will nodded.

“Good, then let’s get moving,” he replied as he walked out the door.

“Right behind you,” Jonathan said as he too walked outside.

Joyce and Hopper remained inside as they watched the boys walk out.

They then exchanged glances before joining the boys outside.

Meanwhile in her room, El waited until she heard the sound of the front door closing, followed by the sound of the cars starting up and driving off.

Once the sound of the engines faded, she quickly got to work, getting up and walking into Hopper and Joyce’s room, where the files on Hawkins lab lay.

They weren’t hard to find for El, as she simply looked under the bed and found a box that was titled “HNL.”

She pulled it out and immediately opened it up. El closed her eyes and took a deep breath before attempting to uncover her main question regarding her doppelgänger.

“Who are you?”

Meanwhile

“How stupid could you possibly be!?”

From a first-person point of view, a figure is walking down a hallway with blinking lights, as they hear recognizable voices coming from behind the doors. Recognizable to them.

“You had to do that?!”

“You could’ve done anything else!”

“Literally anything else!”

“And you chose that!?”

Suddenly the hallway begins to fall apart, as if the building is being destroyed around the figure.

From the cracks, they see a familiar sight, as tendrils burst through the cracks.

Soon the hallway is no more and all that is present is a dark sky, with red lightning striking from above.

But that wasn’t all. Mysterious creatures begin emerging from the area, all focused on the figure as the voices continued.

“Did you really think you could be anything more than what you are?”

“You’re nothing but a murderer!”

“A monster!”

“A mistake!”

The figure watched as the dark sky began to descend upon them and the creatures began to close in on them.

They grew closer and closer and the figure could seemingly do nothing to stop it.

Then just as everything was about to the reach them, they heard one last, frightening sentence.

“You belong here! Not in Hawkins!”

The figure shot their eyes open as they caught their breath.

It was just a nightmare, thankfully.

The figure sighed as they slowly jerked up from the ground they slept on as they didn’t want to hit their head on the rock they were under.

They then crawled out from underneath the giant rock that acted as their shelter for the evening.

But now as the sun was back in the sky, they knew they needed to get moving.

They sighed before feeling their stomach gurgle. They needed to eat. The figure then crawled back underneath the giant rock and grabbed their backpack.

They sat down and unzipped it, digging into its various pockets to find loose change.

They found nearly five dollars worth of quarters, and about another four dollars worth of nickels and dimes.

However, the figure began inspecting them, tossing some coins back in the backpack while pocketing the others.

After about 10 minutes, the figure stood up and threw on their backpack. They also tossed up their hood over their head before walking away from the giant skull-shaped rock and into the forest.

They occasionally glanced around, as if they felt like they were being watched, but outside of that, they navigated the forest as if they knew from the back of their hand.

Eventually, after about 30 minutes of walking, they found their way to a gas station. They glanced around once more before walking across the street towards it.

They sighed. They covered a lot of ground the night before, and it really took a toll on them. Now, they hoped they could get something to eat before focusing on their task at hand.

The figure stepped inside, looking around. To them, the interior felt strange, but also familiar.

“Can I help you, sir?”

The figure turned to the voice, the female cashier at the front.

They read the cashier’s name tag. It read “Isabelle.”

“No thanks,” the figure said as he glanced at the snacks in the aisles in front of him. “I’ll be ok.”

“Alright,” Isabelle said with a smile. “If you change your mind you know where to find me.”

The figure nodded as he then took a sweep of the store, as if they’ve been through one countless times.

After a few minutes, he approached the counter, remained silent and kept their head down as they placed a soda can and a bag of chips in front of Isabelle.

“That it for you today?” She asked.

The figure nodded before slowly speaking.

“Uh, so, I didn’t see price tags on either of these,” he began as he pulled out a handful of coins from his pocket. “Do you think this’ll be enough?”

Isabelle observed the change that the male had in his hand. She couldn’t help but crack a smile and giggle.

The figure however wasn’t sure how to respond to her laugh, which left Isabelle confused.

“You’re not from around here? Are you?” the girl asked.

The male at first didn’t respond, before giving a shrug.

“You could say that.”

The girl smiled.

“Well, the soda is 50 cents and the chips are 40.”

“Shit,” the male spat out, before clearing his throat. “Sorry… I… uh… don’t see prices like that where I’m from.”

“They cheaper or more expensive where you’re from?” Isabelle asked.

“Expensive,” the male said. “Really expensive.”

“Well, luckily you’re here and not back home,” Isabelle replied.

The male once again went silent as he tried to not let the ironic sentence get to him.

“Yeah,” he finally said. “Luckily.”

The male then looked over his hand as he picked out the coins he needed.

“Ok, so… let’s see, 75, 85, 90,” he said as he put down his money and slid it to the girl.

“Don’t forget tax,” she said as she pointed to the cash register where the price flashed.

To the male’s partial surprise, it only said 95 cents total.

He then felt his pocket again, where he still had some change. That, along with what he had in hand, tallied up to a little over two bucks.

But in the current moment of time, he just grab another nickel from his hand and placed it on the counter.

As he did so, the front door swung open and two young adults, a male and a female, walked into the store.

“I’m telling you, we could make it to Family Video and get back here to gas before running out,” the male stated.

The figure glanced over at the duo as they walked up behind him.

“And I’m telling you that if we didn’t stop here,” the female began. “We would’ve ended up stranded about two miles away from here after our shift.”

“Ok, but you could’ve made me walk alone,” the male pointed.

“I know, and while that would be hilarious, I’d have to wait for about… over an hour.”

“It would not take me over an hour to…”

“My guess is you can walk a mile in about 15 to 17 minutes, so that would mean it’d take you at least 30 minutes to get here then…”

“Ok, ok, ok, you have proven your point, your Honor,” the male said as he approached the counter.

He got up right behind the boy as he grabbed his stuff and stepped to the side.

“Hey, Izzy,” the male said. “Need a fill up on the pump outside.”

“How many gallons, Steve?” Isabelle asked.

“Uh… let’s see I got about… 68 cents…”

“Wait, you don’t have enough for one gallon?” the woman questioned. “Steve, you could’ve at least told me that.”

“Well, I’m sorry, Robin,” Steve replied. “It didn’t come to mind for some reason, ok?”

“So… no on gas then?” Isabelle questioned.

Steve shrugged.

“Yeah… I guess…”

“Uh… hey.”

Steve glanced over to the boy who was still standing off to the side watching the whole thing unfold.

He was holding out about two dollars worth of coins.

“Will this be enough?”

Steve widened his eyes in both shock and relief.

“Woah, thanks, man,” he replied as he watched the figure hand the change to Isabelle. “Lucky to have you here.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” the figure whispered under his breath.

“Yeah!” Robin said. “Thanks for that.”

“It was nothing,” the male replied as he began to walk to the exit.

“Wait, where are you going!” Robin said. “Maybe we can give you a ride.”

“How do you know he needs one?” Steve asked.

“Because we’re the only car here outside Izzy’s,” Robin pointed out. “Plus… he’s a kid.”

“I’m 18…” the figure spat out before shutting up. “Sorry…”

Robin then looked directly at the teen.

“Don’t worry,” Robin said before looking over at Steve and whispering to him. “It’s the least we can do.”

“Right,” Steve immediately said as he stepped back towards the teen. “Yeah, if you need a ride we can give you one.”

“Uh, no thanks…” the male replied.

“Well, where are you heading?” Robin asked. “We’re heading downtown.”

The figure widened his eyes.

“Downtown?”

”Yeah,” Robin said. “Are you heading there too?”

The boy glanced away from the woman as he hesitated to reply.

He kept his sight on the floor, trying not to make eye contact with the three people currently in his presence.

However, their eyes did meet Isabelle’s, who was looking at him with a hint of concern.

The boy felt conflicted, not wanting to turn away. Instead, he sighed, turned back to Robin and nodded.

“Sure,” they said.

“Great,” Robin said as she gestured towards the door. “Let’s go… cause we’re running late for work.”

“We got plenty of time,” Steve stated.

“I’m not taking any chances on the road,” Robin replied as she walked outside.

Steve rolled his eyes as he and the figure followed.

Robin turned around, began walking backwards and extended her hand out to the figure.

“I’m Robin by the way,” Robin stated before nodding her head towards Steve. “That is Steve.”

“Hey,” Steve said.

“Uh… nice to meet you…” the figure said.

“What’s your name?”

“Oh… uh, I… my name is… Tom…” the boy said, almost as if he needed time to come up with it.

“Well, nice to meet you, Tom,” Robin said.

Chapter Text

“Mike?” Nancy said as she walked through the kitchen with a bag in hand. “You ready?”

“Yeah!” Mike said as he hurried down the stairs with a backpack in tow.

He then entered the kitchen to see Nancy face-to-face.

“Still no word from Steve or Robin?” He asked.

“No,” Nancy replied. “So I called Dustin to head over to Family Video to tell him and Robin about the situation.”

“Ok,” Mike said as he opened up his backpack. “So… he’ll meet us at the library later?”

“Probably,” Nancy guessed. “Depends on how long he and Steve bicker on what we’re dealing with.”

“Yeah,” Mike replied as he pulled out his notebook. “I was trying to figure that out last night.”

“Doppelgänger seems to be the forerunner,” Nancy said.

“And Dustin’s usually right,” Mike sighed. “Let’s just hope if we find anything regarding someone like El at the library, it’s something not… bad.”

Nancy turned her head back towards her brother following his pause.

At this point in their lives, Nancy could practically read her brother like a book, and his response was no exception to that.

“What’s up with you?” She asked.

Mike tilted his head in confusion.

“Nothing,” he said.

Nancy gave him a look that read, “really?”

Mike silently groaned and answered.

“So far everyone who’s been like El has gotten to her in some way, shape or form,” Mike explained. “So…”

“You think this doppelgänger will do just that?” Nancy questioned.

“I don’t know,” Mike sighed. “But… can you blame me for speculating?”

“Mike, I get that you’re worried about, El,” Nancy said. “But you know better than anyone that she can handle herself.”

“It’s not just that though,” Mike replied looking around. “I mean… this was supposed to be our last summer before college, you know, the next chapter of our lives! To finally put everything that’s happened behind us.”

“It still can be,” Nancy stated, trying to be a supporting sister. “This is just… one last ride, you know?”

Mike hung his head for a second before giving Nancy a look of doubt.

“Will it?” He asked.

“Mike, Nancy,” Karen said as she joined her kids in the kitchen, unintentionally cutting off their conversation. “I need a favor from you two.”

“Sure, mom, what is it?” Nancy asked without hesitation, but while giving Mike a concerned glance.

“Can you two take Holly with you to the library?” their mom asked.

Mike and Nancy widened their eyes in shock.

“Uh, why?” Mike questioned.

Karen sighed, setting down her coffee cup.

“Your dad’s stuck at work, I have a meeting I can’t reschedule and you two are going to the library. I don’t want to leave her alone, especially with what happened last night.”

“Can’t call a sitter?” Mike asked.

“Not on short notice,” Karen said.

Nancy looked at Mike, who shrugged.

“I guess we can manage, can’t we?” she said with a hint of resignation in her voice.

Mike nodded.

“Yeah, we’ll take her. But remember, we’re not babysitters. We’re trying to figure out...”

“I know,” Karen interrupted, putting her hand up before glancing back towards the living room where Holly currently sat watching TV. “Just make sure she doesn’t get snoopy with what you’re working on.”

Mike and Nancy shared a look of understanding.

Their mother had been through a lot with the supernatural events that had plagued Hawkins over the past few years, but she wasn’t ready to deal with the latest oddity yet.

They had hoped to keep this particular investigation under wraps, but with Holly in tow, that would be a challenge.

Mike sighed.

“Come on, Holly, grab your bag.”

Meanwhile

“You sure you don't need me to come with you?”

Max sat perched on her bed with knees drawn to her chest, looking up from the open journal in her lap.

Her mom stood behind her at the doorway, offering to give her a ride.

Susan Mayfield's voice was a gentle nudge in the doorway of the teen’s bedroom. Max’s eyes met her mother's in the mirror, reflecting the warmth of the softly lit room.

“I'll be fine, Mom,” Max replied, trying to mask the anxiety that bubbled within her. “It's just the usual with the gang.”

Susan's gaze searched Max's face, noticing the tension around her eyes.

“Max… we talked about this,” she said.

“I know,” Max quickly said. “But… right now, it’s nothing too crazy.”

“Are you sure?” Susan asked.

“Mom,” Max snapped, turning back to face her mother. “I’ll be fine!”

A round of silence followed, with Max instantly regretting her tone while her mom just took in her daughter’s snap.

“Max…” she began, “just… tell me what you and your friends are dealing with here… if it’s something that…”

“Mom,” Max interrupted, this time with a calm voice. “This isn’t like last time, and it won’t be like last time. I can promise you that.”

Her mother remained silent as she took a deep breath.

“I want to believe that…” she muttered to her daughter. “I really do.”

Max felt a pang of guilt. After everything that happened to them. Max’s own near death experience, the recovery, Hawkins unleashing hell upon them.

Billy.

Max got up and walked over to her mother, giving her a hug.

“Believe it,” she said to her mom. “Because I sure as hell do.”

Though she couldn’t see her mother’s face at the moment, she knew there was a tear being shed.

Max herself felt a sense of melancholy within her. But at the same time, there was a sense of relief and understanding too.

She pulled away from her mom, who rubbed her face, wiping a tear from her cheek.

“I promise,” Max said. “If there’s something I got to get off my chest… you’ll be the first to hear it.”

Her mom nodded.

“Ok, sweetie,” she replied.

Max couldn’t help but give a comforting nod to her mom. She didn’t do it often, but considering what they’ve been through, she knew it was needed.

Heck, it was something Lucas taught her.

Max then closed her eyes as she remembered what he said to her years ago.

“We’re right here. I’m right here.”

Meanwhile

Lucas opened his eyes as he cleared his head after running through multiple theories as to the doppelgänger’s motives.

He was in the car with Erica in shotgun as they drove through Hawkins on their way to pick up Max.

Though Lucas certainly had skepticism about things in the past, the prime example being Eleven following Will’s disappearance, he at the very least knew how to think of various options.

“So what do you think I should try first; threats or blackmail?” Erica asked.

Lucas couldn’t help but look at his sister in shock, before returning his eyes to the road and giving his answer.

“Neither!” Lucas stated. “How would you even blackmail someone?”

“I got a lot of dirt on a lot of people in Hawkins,” Erica replied.

“How?” Lucas questioned.

“I have ways,” Erica answered.

“What if it’s someone you don’t have dirt on?” Lucas questioned.

“I would just say I know their deepest darkest secret and am ready to reveal,” Erica replied.

“What if they call your bluff?” Lucas questioned.

“Would you call my bluff?” Erica asked.

“I’m your brother.”

“So that’s a no,” Erica concluded.

Lucas groaned.

“Look,” Erica began. “I’m just saying, we’ve dealt with government agents, scientists and even Russians, if any of those things pop up, we need to know why. So I’m doing things my way.”

“But what if your way gets us in trouble?” Lucas argued.

“We got the police in our pocket,” Erica stated.

“Don’t say it like that,” Lucas replied. “And that’s not an excuse, especially after you popped their tires.”

“That was years ago,” Erica pointed out. “You think they’re still holding a grudge?”

“Callahan probably is,” Lucas shrugged.

“I’m not afraid of him,” Erica said.

Lucas shook his head as they approached Max’s house.

The oldest Sinclair didn’t even need to put the car in park as Max stood outside waiting for him.

Sure enough, as soon as he pulled in, she walked up and opened the door.

“Hey,” Max said as she hopped in the back. “Let’s get moving.”

“Ok,” Lucas replied as he pulled out.

“Ready to make people talk?” Erica asked.

“No!” Lucas stated.

“Hey, let her answer,” Erica replied before looking back at Max. “Well?”

Max shrugged.

“If they’re bad people, sure.”

“What’s your definition of bad people?” Erica asked with curiosity.

Meanwhile

“You know you have to keep your word,” Joyce replied.

Hopper delivered a frustrating sigh as he drove through the town with the police station just a few miles away.

After leaving the house being reminded about his promise to El, he and Joyce discussed the rundown on what they would do at the station.

But now the conversation worked its way back to El. Because despite the fact Hopper promised her to stay home just for the day, the likelihood of him following through was stiff.

“I… just don’t want anyone getting to her,” Hopper replied.

“Jim, they probably know where we live,” Joyce stated. “Plus, you know she can handle herself.”

“Not that kind of get to her,” Hopper clarified. “I mean… mess with her head… try to use leverage.”

“What do you mean?” Joyce questioned.

Hopper sighed again.

“The doctor I talked to last night,” he began, “said if El cooperated, it could help her get into college…”

“Figured they would say that shit,” Joyce replied feeling disgusted. “Unless the doctor is actually friendly.”

“I don’t know,” Hopper stated. “On a scale of Brenner to Owens he might be in the goddamn middle.”

“Then I understand why you denied them,” Joyce replied. “But I’m still hoping the lab at the very least is trying to help.”

“Wouldn’t be surprised if they got contingencies for each of us though,” Hopper tossed in. “They say they trust us and want to help but really they want to be the ones keeping everyone else under their heel.”

It was Joyce’s turn to sigh.

“Can’t argue with that,” she said. “But… at least we got some leverage over them.”

“Right,” Hopper chuckled as he thought about the numerous ways he and the others could publicly expose the truth about the government after everything they did.

However, as he was told last night, Hawkins had enough publicity.

Heck, the tourism alone was hectic with crazy people coming in to see just what was up with the town, while many residents who previously lived their moved away. But who could blame them.

So the last thing the town needed to do was add fuel to the fire.

Hopper cleared his head from that thought as he saw the station in sight. He pulled up to his usual spot and looked at the other cars parked.

The usual four were present, Powell, Daniels, Callahan and Flo.

However, there was a fifth car present, one the chief didn’t recognize.

It was a truck to be exact, one that looked like it belong to a farmer, but not a farmer Hopper knew.

“Who do you think should handle that?” Joyce asked, noticing the truck as she got out.

“If someone worth my time, Powell,” Hopper replied. “If not… depends…”

“You're the Chief,” Joyce said as the two walked up to the entrance.

“What’s the word, Flo,” Hopper said.

“Chief,” Flo began, “got a visitor!”

“And who would that be?” Hopper questioned.

“Right here, Chief!”

Hopper turned and saw a middle age farmer sitting off to the side.

“Oh, you’re the new farmer in town, right,” Hopper said. “McDonald, right?”

“Actually, it’s McDaniel,” the farmer said. “Course once my ass hits 60 might as well start calling old McDonald.”

“Why are you here?” Hopper asked.

“I got a little problem at my farm,” McDaniel said.

Hopper sighed, considering McDaniel’s farm had a Russian lab underneath it before the government sealed it.

“What kind of problem?” Joyce asked, chiming in.

“Well… actually it’s one that…” McDaniel began before leaning in to whisper in Hopper’s ear.

What he said next, suddenly piqued Hopper’s interest.

“Stinson needs help on.”

Chapter Text

Tom sat quietly in the backseat of Steve’s car, motionless as said car drove through the area.

His eyes fixed on the scenery outside, which was just a blur of passing trees and quiet houses.

However, his ears partially picked up on the music being played on the radio.

“Oh, I want to hear you tell me you don't want my love,” the woman sang. “Put your hand on your heart and tell me. It’s all over.”

The boy glanced toward the radio, curious, and noticed Robin subtly jamming to it.

Tom then returned his attention to the window.

Robin noticed as she glanced up at the rearview mirror. From her point of view, it looked like Tom was studying everything he could observe.

She then glanced over at Steve, who also gave her a look before inspecting the teen in the mirror as well.

Robin then broke the silence.

“So, Tom,” she began. “Are you new to town?”

Tom shifted, breaking his gaze from the window once again. He glanced at Robin, but took a moment to reply, almost as if he was trying to be careful with his wording.

He then looked back out the window as he answered.

“You can say that.”

The car was silent for a moment, the only sound being the hum of the engine, the occasional swish of a passing car on the otherwise deserted road and song continuing to play on the radio.

“Oh, look me in the eye and tell me we are really through,” the singer sang as Steve looked at Robin again, raising an eyebrow.

Robin shrugged, unsure how to navigate the conversation. It was clear Tom had a story to tell, but he was clearly as tight-lipped as a clam at high tide.

“What brings you to Hawkins?” Steve asked, hoping to coax more out of him.

Tom kept his eyes out the window, watching as they passed by a house where a family was out in the front yard playing.

He felt himself sink, but quickly turned his attention to Steve’s question, knowing his driver wanted an answer.

He took a deep breath before delivering said answer.

“Just passing through,” he replied, with a firm tone.

Robin subtly glared back at Tom from the window side of her seat, sensing reticence, but not being deterred.

“What do you need to do downtown?” She asked. “Maybe we can help?”

Tom turned to look at her, his expression unreadable.

“You guys giving me a ride is more than enough help,” he replied.

Steve and Robin exchanged a curious glance. The tension in the car grew thicker than the fog that often clung to the town at dawn.

His silence spoke volumes, especially now as the song was wrapping up on the radio, but they couldn’t quite decipher the story he wasn’t telling.

“Do you need a ride after you finish with whatever you got?” Robin asked.

“No,” Tom answered quickly. “I’ll be fine.”

“Your friends got you later? Your folks?” Steve questioned.

Tom stayed silent, even slightly turning his head to the back half of the car.

“I’ll be fine,” he repeated.

Robin and Steve once again exchanged glances.

Song finishes up, adding to the awkward silence.

“Ok…” Robin muttered.

Tom glared over at Robin. A small frown formed on his face as he then looked down at the car floor.

“Sorry if that sounded… harsh,” he replied.

Robin widened her eyes, while Steve once again raised an eyebrow, both surprised by the boy’s attempt at damage control to the conversation.

Robin then glanced back out the window as she spotted an all-too-familiar building.

As they approached it, the neon sign of the Family Video store flickered into view. The sight of the familiar beacon brought a sense of comfort to Steve.

It was their workplace, a place of predictability in a town that had seen more than its fair share of unpredictability.

Robin, however, couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a storm brewing beneath Tom’s calm exterior.

“We’re here,” she said, trying to keep the conversation alive. “You ever been to a Family Video before?”

Tom’s eyes lit up briefly.

“Yeah, a few times. Back when I was a kid, before…”

He paused, cutting himself off. Robin squinted her eyes in suspicion. However, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to press too far, too fast.

“Before what?” she asked gently.

Tom's gaze drifted back to the window, his eyes reflecting the neon glow of the store.

“Before the world got... complicated,” he said, his voice trailing off.

Steve and Robin shared a concerned look, but before they could ask more, the car pulled into the Family Video parking lot. The gravel crunched under the tires, and the headlights cast a warm glow on the empty space.

“Well…” Robin said as the three got out of the car. “I hope whatever you’re doing isn’t too complicated.”

Tom looked at Robin before looking down the street where the main street of Hawkins laid.

“Thanks for the ride,” he said, his eyes darting around as if he was expecting someone or something. “I should get going.”

“Hold on,” Steve said, handing Tom a flyer for the store's latest movie releases. “If you need anything, or if you just want to hang out, come find us at the shop. Maybe we can get you set up with a membership or something.”

Tom took the flyer, his hand lingering on the paper.

“Thanks but… I’m not planning on being here for long,” he replied.

Steve nodded, sensing the urgency in Tom’s tone. “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find us. And if you ever need a ride again, just swing by the shop or call. We’re usually around.”

Tom pocketed the flyer without looking at it, his eyes still scanning the street.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, his voice tight with tension.

He then turned around and walked away, heading back towards the main part of town.

As they watched him walk away, Robin turned to Steve, while still keeping an eye on Tom.

“What do you think his deal is?” she asked.

Steve shrugged, his eyes still on Tom’s retreating back.

“I don’t know, but it’s definitely something.”

“Finally!”

Steve and Robin turned around as they recognized the slightly annoying voice.

Steve in particular stood with an annoyed smirk as Dustin approached them from the other end of the building.

“Henderson,” he said. “Bothering us already?”

“Yes, but not for the reason you think,” Dustin replied. “What took you?”

“Had to get gas,” Robin replied, before realizing something was up. “Wait, did something happen?”

Dustin shrugged towards the entrance.

“Let’s head inside and talk.”

Meanwhile

Dr. Torres sat in silence as he overlooked his colleagues in the meeting room at Hawkins Lab.

“Right now it appears they are all investigating certain aspects of this incident,” a young scientist said next to the screen which showed pictures of the various friends and family of Eleven. “All except for Chief Hopper, who appears to be doing his police duties as usual.”

Torres kept calm as he observed Hopper’s photo on screen. He knew despite the man’s personality he was not one to be taken lightly.

“Any reports requiring police activity today?” Torres asked.

“None on the phones thus far,” the scientist said.

“Anyone unusual arrived at the police station yet?”

“Only a farmer.”

Torres took in the answer.

“Has Mr. Hopper left the station with this farmer?”

“We haven’t gotten that report yet, sir,” the scientist stated.

“Then I suggest you bring that report as soon as possible,” Torres replied.

“Do you wish to send someone to the farm if Hopper does leave?” The scientist said.

Torres nodded.

“The farm could possibly have something in connection to last night's incident that is present, but if Hopper doesn’t attend to it, then perhaps not,” Torres stated.

“He could send out his men,” Deinhart said, standing behind Torres with his hand resting on his holstered pistol.

“No,” Torres replied, looking down at his papers. “Now that Mr. Hopper knows of our presence; he won't have faith in anyone else at the station, outside of his wife, to handle anything of such importance.”

Torres' eyes then went up to the scientist in front of the room.

“Any other reports, Maxwell?” He questioned.

“Uh, yes,” Maxwell replied. “The subject, Eleven herself, appears to be remaining at home for now.”

“And what of Ms. Stinson?” Torres asked.

“So far, there has been no word yet on Stinson’s whereabouts since last night,” the spokesman said.

“Then add that to Hopper’s report and you have your task for the next… 30 minutes,” Torres stated.

“Right, on it, sir,” Maxwell replied before grabbing his files and walking out of the room.

“Do you want to send a team to the house?” Deinhart asked after the door closed.

Torres kept silent, contemplating.

“No… continue monitoring her,” he replied. “If she leaves… then do so.”

He then stood up from his chair and grabbed his papers.

Torres walked to the door where Deinhart opened it up for him.

Torres then proceeded down the right hallway, while Deinhart followed him out of the room and walked left.

The lead scientist then approached his main office, where his secretary was waiting.

“Dr. Torres,” she said. “Dr. Carlson is… waiting for you.”

Torres gave her a look of confusion before replying, “thank you” to her.

He then opened the door and stepped inside. Sure enough, Carlson was standing there, looking out the window towards town.

“Where is she?” He asked as he turned towards his boss. “Did she go hideaway?”

“Dr. Carlson,” Torres said, remaining firm as he closed the door. “As I mentioned to you last night, we cannot pursue Eleven without evidence connecting her to…”

“Who else could it have been?!” Carlson interrupted before gesturing to the window. “There is no one else within 200 miles from here who could’ve done it! Bring her in!”

“Walter,” Torres stated, slowly approaching the scientist. “May I remind you that unless we have concrete evidence to prove that, we must be cautious. Otherwise we will be shut down permanently.”

“We’ll be shut down if we don’t bring her in,” Carlson said. “She is a suspect in a murder!”

“And if we approach her with any signs of force, she’ll remind us why we’re no longer in control of her.”

“Then perhaps we should change that,” Carlson said as he stormed off towards the door.

“Walter,” Torres said as he watched Carlson stop.

Carlson stood there with a hurricane of grief and anger while Torres remained firm.

“Take time to clear your head,” Torres said. “Don’t let your pain drive your actions.”

Carlson squinted as his superior before closing the door behind as he left.

Torres sighed as the door closed.

RING! RING! RING! RING!

Torres then glared down at the phone on his desk, then up at the clock to check the time. He then, with his head tilted, reached down to answer.

The doctor didn’t answer first, but didn’t need to wait long to get a response.

And the voice he heard was a familiar one.

“So how are you enjoying my job?”

Sam Owens.

Torres sighed.

“Calling to gloat, Sam?” He asked. “Or are you here to give me a warning?”

“A warning is putting it lightly,” Owens replied. “If you even think about making a move on Eleven…”

“It will be for the protection of this country,” Torres interrupted as he walked towards the window of his office. “Eleven’s presence, nay, existence poses a threat she has proven consistently in the past.”

“Despite being inactive for two years,” Owens pointed out.

“But like an addict, Sam, all it takes is one bad day or perhaps one bad choice to bring it all crumbling down,” Torres stated. “This incident could be just that.”

“The key word being could,” Owens retorted. “So unless it is, stay away, or else you’ll just add to the pile of horror Hawkins already has.”

“I recall you saying the same thing when I was appointed this position,” Torres said.

“Never hurts to be reminded.”

Chapter Text

“Ok,” Jonathan said as he pulled up to the same spot he and Nancy had been last night. “This is where the car crashed.”

“Wow, you weren’t kidding,” Will said as he looked around the area. “There really was nothing to crash into.”

“Only makes more sense as to why there might be someone or something in Hawkins,” Jonathan said before walking towards the woods. “Or if we’re lucky, there.”

Will turned towards the forest, following the direction his brother pointed.

“You really think we’ll find something in the woods Hopper and the others missed?” he questioned.

“I don’t know,” Jonathan replied. “But I don’t blame him for having us do this. Better to double-check the area, right?”

“Yeah,” Will muttered once again looking around, trying to sense anything unusual.

But once again. Nothing.

“Ok,” Jonathan said as he observed the area. “Hopper said they found the hat down the way. How about you go check that area out while I look around here.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Will stated as he walked past his brother.

Jonathan watched his brother stroll past him. The older Byers boy waited for his eyes to meet Will’s, but that never occurred.

Instead, the boy kept walking down the way, towards the area where the hat was found.

“Hey,” Jonathan said.

Will stopped walking and slowly turned around.

“What?” He asked.

“Just… if anything… weird happens… let me know as soon as you can… ok?” Jonathan requested.

“I will,” Will replied. “Don’t worry.”

Will then turned and continued down deeper into the woods, leaving Jonathan near the edge of it.

Meanwhile

“Ok, where do you want to start?” Lucas asked as he, Erica and Max drove through downtown.

“Let’s just walk up Main Street,” Max stated. “I’m sure word of the crash has spread to the rest of town. Someone’s got to know something relating to it that can help us.”

“Yeah but they may know there might be agents lurking about too,” Erica pointed out.

“Which is why we need to stay alert,” Lucas stated. “Don’t want someone catching us off guard again.”

Max glanced at her boyfriend, sensing which particular incident came to mind.

“So how do you want to play it?” Max asked. “Split up? Stick together?”

“We could cover more ground if we split up,” Lucas said.

“But easier to be caught too,” Erica retorted.

“That too,” Lucas sighed. “So I guess we’ll stick together.”

“Ok then,” Max replied as Lucas pulled into the parking lot near the town square.

Lucas pulled the car into a spot and scanned the area. No one out of the ordinary was in sight.

The older Sinclair took a deep breath as he gripped the wheel once more before opening the door.

“Let’s not be here too long, either,” he then told the girls. “Maybe… a few treks up and down the street and then we’ll head elsewhere.”

“Lucas, relax,” Max said. “Let’s just see what we can find.”

“Yeah,” Erica added. “We got some dirt to find.”

Lucas sighed at his sister’s statement before closing his eyes and slowly nodding.

“Ok… just… keep your eyes peeled.”

Meanwhile, just up the road.

“Ok, Holly,” Nancy began as she, Mike and their little sister walked up to the entrance to the library. “Mike and I will be down in the basement of the library if you need us. Otherwise stay in the children’s section and see if you can find any books to read.”

“Why can’t I go with you guys?” Holly asked.

“Because it’s stuff Nancy and I have to do alone,” Mike answered.

“What are you and Nancy going to do in the basement here that you can’t do in the basement at home?” Holly questioned.

“Well… We’re just going to be… researching some stuff… for a story Nancy’s working on,” Mike lied.

“No you’re not,” Holly replied, calling her brother’s bluff.

“How do you know?” Mike questioned.

“Because I know this has something to do with what you were saying last night,” Holly stated before looking and whispering. “And before…”

“Look, Holly,” Nancy stated, getting down to her sister’s level. “You’re right… but… this might be dangerous.”

“I’m not scared,” Holly stated.

“It’s not about whether or not you’re scared,” Nancy said. “We, mom and dad, just want you to be safe.”

“And staying out of this is the best way to do that,” Mike added.

“But what about you guys and mom and dad?” Holly questioned. “Doesn’t that mean you’re not safe?”

Mike and Nancy glanced at each other.

“Mom and dad don’t do what we do, and Mike and I can handle what we do,” Nancy replied.

“So what makes you think I can’t?” Holly asked.

Mike sighed.

“Holly… I know you hate us for saying it,” he began, “but you’re a kid… you just… have to be older to be able to do this… so… please… just let Nancy and I work.”

Holly glared at her brother in partial frustration and partial disbelief.

He was right, she did hate being told she couldn’t do stuff because she was just a kid. But at this point, she was getting nowhere arguing with them about it.

“Fine,” Holly sighed, letting them win for now.

“Ok, then,” Nancy said before gesturing to her brother. “Shall we?”

“We shall,” Mike stated as he then opened up the door and walked in.

Nancy looked around the interior. She felt a sense of relief when they rebuilt it following… the events that occurred just three years prior.

Now it did look a little more modern than before.

She then glanced over near one of the tables and noticed a familiar face.

“Mr. Clarke?” Mike questioned.

The man at the table looked up from his book, his mustache as firm as ever.

“Ah, Mike! Good to see you here,” he muttered. “Oh and I see your sisters are here too.”

“Yeah, Nancy and I are… doing some research about…” Mike began before looking and leaning in, “otherworldly stuff.”

Mr. Clarke’s eyes widened as he immediately leaned back.

“Ah, I see,” he replied. “Well… if there’s… anything scientific that halts that research… you can find me right here… I’m currently brushing up on some physics research that I wanted to try out for the summer.”

“Like what? Time travel?” Holly asked.

“Ok,” Nancy interrupted, stepping next to her sister. “We should be getting to work, but we’ll come by if we need some help.”

“Good luck,” Mr. Clarke replied with a nod.

Mike and Nancy did the same as they then walked towards the back of the library.

“Ok, Holly,” Nancy said as she gestured towards the kid’s section. “Just find something to read while Mike and I head downstairs.”

“And only come down if it’s an emergency,” Mike added. “Can you do that?”

Holly sighed and nodded.

“Ok,” she said.

“Great,” Nancy replied. “See you soon.”

She and Mike then went downstairs while Holly turned and walked over to the kid’s section.

Meanwhile at the entrance.

Tom slowly approached the door, seemingly hesitant to go any further with his eyes constantly searching all around him.

However, his hand did find the doorknob and he opened it up to step inside the library.

Though his eyes kept searching, he walked straight up to the main desk.

“Uh, hi,” he said as he looked around the library, confused but comforted by the place.

“Can I help you?” The librarian asked.

Tom nodded.

“Yeah… uh… do you know where you have science books, specifically ones on astrophysics, quantum mechanics and… alternate reality?”

Meanwhile

The rusty wind whispered through the tall, emerald corn husks as they danced in the warm embrace of the morning May sun.

Hopper sighed as his Bronco pulled up alongside the dusty track that led to the McDaniels’ farm. He then stepped out of his car to check the site. His eyes scanned the horizon, looking for any sign of trouble.

McDaniels then pulled up behind him in his pickup truck, like Hopper requested.

The chief of police however continued to observe the area. After all, the last thing he wanted was an agent lurking about.

“I’d check there,” McDaniels stated.

Hopper glanced back at the farmer who gestured towards the cornfield. His eyes then landed on the field, a solid place to hide.

“You sure?” Hopper asked, not even looking back at McDaniels.

“Well… if I were looking for a spot to clear my head in peace, I’d go there,” McDaniels stated. “And I’d imagine other people would too.”

Hopper nodded, his eyes still fixed on the cornfield. He knew what McDaniels was getting at.

The quietude of the place was unnerving, especially after the chaos that had unfolded in their small town.

“Head back to your house,” Hopper said. “I’ll take it from here.”

“Ok… but I’ll holler if I need you,” McDaniels replied.

With a grim nod, Hopper turned and strode towards the cornfield, his boots crunching the gravel underfoot. The stalks grew taller as he approached, whispering secrets to the wind that only they knew. The shadows between the rows grew darker, a stark contrast to the brightness of the day beyond.

Entering the maze of corn, Hopper felt like he was crossing a threshold into another world, one where the rules of the real world didn’t quite apply. The rustling grew louder, and the smell of earth and growing things filled his nostrils.

He pushed aside a stray tendril that had brushed his cheek, the touch cool and clammy, as if the plant was alive and watching him.

As he delved deeper, the whispers grew clearer. Not the whispers of the wind, but of human voices, hushed and urgent. The voices grew louder, and he realized they were coming from a small clearing up ahead.

The sight that greeted him was one he had hoped never to see again, but ironically needed to.

Stinson.

She turned to him upon hearing the corn shift and didn’t hesitate to break the silence further.

“I don’t have much time,” she stated before eyeing the other directions.

Her words hung in the air, a stark reminder of the urgency that had led him here. She was tense, her eyes darting around the clearing as if expecting to be found at any moment. The cornstalks around them stood tall, guardians of the secret they were about to share.

“The lab called you last night, didn’t they?” Hopper theorized. “Before you called the hospital?”

Ellen Stinson nodded, her eyes weary but determined. She leaned against a wooden post that held up a rusty scarecrow, the stitched grin on its burlap face a mockery of the seriousness of their conversation.

“Not even two minutes after the lab got the call about the crash they had me on the line,” Stinson stated. “Bastards acted like I was a part of this before I even began to tolerate them.”

“You mean Torres,” Hopper replied.

Stinson sighed.

“If I’m being honest, Jim,” she began, “that isn’t the one you should be worried about.”

Meanwhile

“And now we’re all investigating… something to try and figure out what’s going on,” Dustin stated as he finished explaining to Robin and Steve the current situation.

The former stood cross-armed, leaning against the beam next to the counter taking in Dustin’s info dump while the latter…

“Ok, Henderson, back up a second,” Steve said as he leaned against the counter trying to process everything.

“Back up a sec?” Dustin asked in confusion. “What was there to rehash?”

“I’d say the part where there’s apparently another superpowered and/or dangerous thing, creature or person in Hawkins and we’re acting like it’s just another Wednesday?” Robin ranted.

“Well if the crash happened last night it would technically be another Tuesday…” Steve pointed out.

“Regardless,” Dustin interrupted. “Why would that be surprising? Considering everything that’s happened in Hawkins.”

“Yeah… but it’s been years now,” Robin pointed out. “Heck if this person or thing is like El or has connections with Upside Down, why now?”

“We’re… working on that,” Dustin replied. “Look, we've been through this before so we can figure this out.”

“And what do you want us to do?” Steve asked.

Dustin sighed.

“For now… just… see if any customers know anything weird,” he said. “We’re kind of all over the place until we get El’s help.”

Robin slowly nodded before asking a key question.

“Ok… so where’s El now?”

Chapter Text

Hopper/Byers Home
11 a.m.

El remained silent as she sat on the floor alone in her room. Documents and pictures were sorted all around her, with various empty boxes off to the side. Her eyes coasted across the various pieces of information.

From files on every single kid at the lab to old reports of certain incidents outside of Hawkins, El scoured through them.

But everyone she came across didn’t fit the bill.

Kali couldn’t even move anything with her mind, unless her powers evolved somehow.

There were reports of a pyrokinetic and her twin, who had no powers to speak of, along with a boy who could manipulate people’s feelings.

But again, no telekinetic powers, and so far there were no signs of a fire in Hawkins.

El then began looking into the list of test subjects during MKUltra who could’ve gone underground and had a kid. But the government did a good job keeping tabs on them all.

El then checked to see if perhaps there was someone with no connection whatsoever to all of this but just so happened to get powers.

After all, Henry’s powers emerged from simply being in Hawkins. Perhaps some other part of the country held such a gateway.

But there was nothing according to the government documents, not even a quiet lumber town in some roadkill county up in Oregon.

She then dug into any possible survivors of Henry’s rampage. Maybe one test subject survived or even managed to escape during the attack?

But, all kids were accounted for judging by the report.

El sighed as she plopped the last of the documents on the floor.

Whoever this mystery figure was, they were completely out of the government’s eye, all the more reason why El needed to find them.

But being stuck in the house didn’t allow for many options as to how.

She got to her feet, deciding to clear her head for a second by checking the mail.

Though Hopper told her to stay in the house, she figured just stepping outside to grab the mail wouldn’t kill her.

El glanced out the window first, just in case someone was watching her from nearby. She scanned the area, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.

Instead, she saw a few people out and about. A man walking his dog, a little kid playing in the front yard, and unsurprisingly, the mailman working his route.

El picked up on the man’s schedule, always coming between 11 and 11:30.

She then closed her eyes as she thought about that specific habit she had: keeping track of certain things.

She immediately recalled her time in Hopper’s cabin after everyone thought she was gone. Counting the days, Mike’s calls to her, it wasn’t something she liked doing.

It was just something she grew to do, after all those years at the lab.

El shook the thought out of her head, and determined that she was all clear to head outside. She swung the door open and went to the mailbox.

Perhaps with everything going on, maybe hearing back from the community college was what she needed.

However, upon reaching the mailbox, El grew hesitant of opening it up.

She knew three things could occur. There could be nothing there for her. There could be something there for her that brought good news. And finally, there could be something there for her that brought bad news.

El then slowly opened up the mailbox, but she stood off to the side allowing her eyes to focus on the road in front of her instead of the inside of the box.

El then took a deep breath and leaned over, looking inside.

There were a few magazines and a letter, the latter causing El’s eyes to widen. She slowly reached for it, feeling her heartbeat rising.

However, upon grabbing it and inspecting the front of it, said heartbeat trailed off.

It was a letter to Jonathan, from Argyle, likely sharing a wild story he had while… clearing his mind, or perhaps even asking if Jonathan was willing to come out to California so they could… chill out.

El sighed as she grabbed everything in the mailbox and walked back to the house.

Nothing from the files, nothing from the mailbox, and without a doubt nothing from Hopper while he was in protection mode.

El closed the front door and placed the mail on the kitchen table as she began contemplating her next move.

She looked down at her walkie-talkie, hoping perhaps somebody would say something to her or at least send something via Morse code.

But with radio waves likely being monitored by the government, she should’ve figured such communications would be a risk. That alongside the phone lines made it practically impossible for her to reach out without being traced.

However, not everything could be monitored. She then glanced at her bedroom, where her blindfold and radio sat at the ready.

El then thought over who to reach out to. Mike, Joyce, Max… Hopper?

El closed her eyes as she let her mind wander with images of people she’s seen in her life.

She then fell upon a face she hadn’t seen in a long time, one that brought a smile to her face and a tear to her eye.

Though she couldn’t help her in the current situation, she could at the very least get her mind off things.

El then walked over to her bedroom and swung the door close, leaving a three-inch gap.

Ives’ Residence
11:15 a.m.

The sun streamed through the kitchen window of the Ives' house, casting a warm glow on the checkered floor tiles. Standing in the middle of the kitchen was Becky, who had her hand hovering over the phone cradled between her ear and shoulder at the counter. The smell of meat sizzling on the stove mingled with the sweetness of the summer air from the open window. She glanced at the clock; it was only a little after 11 but she’d been up all morning and just wanted lunch to arrive already.

So of course now right as she was cooking up lunch was the perfect time for someone to call her.

“Look, I’m just saying,” she stated to the person on the line, “You got a problem with something you can’t just call me first and assume I’m available.”

The voice on the other side spoke rapidly, trying to explain itself, but Becky’s mind was elsewhere, mainly on the woman sitting in the other room.

Becky’s eyes occasionally looked over to the room and despite not seeing her from where she stood, she could feel her presence.

“Hey…. I understand, but I’ve got stuff to do here, okay?” Becky said, her voice remaining firm as she listened to the person on the other side.

The voice grew more insistent, and Becky’s eyes narrowed as she glared at the stove where she had everything set up to start making a meal.

“Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back later, okay?” she said, her tone brooking no argument. She hung up the phone, the receiver landing with a clack that echoed in the quiet kitchen.

She then sat down at the table, leaned back in her chair and let out a soft sigh.

Now after the phone call, a part of her didn’t even want to cook.

Once again her eyes drifted to the other room where she heard the all-to-familiar words.

“Breathe. Sunflower. Rainbow. Three to the right. Four to the left. Four fifty.”

All these years later, still the same.

Suddenly the lights flickered for a second.

Becky tilted her head in confusion, before glancing back over at the other room, assuming the source was from someone specific nearby.

The lights flickered again, but this time they were accompanied by the radio in the kitchen emitting some static.

Becky’s confusion returned for a moment before she widened her eyes upon hearing a familiar voice.

“Aunt Becky?”

Becky at first was confused as to why this was the form of contact she was getting but then smiled.

After meeting her niece all those years ago, and even seeing her again after what happened with the end of the world stuff, it was nice to hear her voice again.

But Becky knew she wasn’t the only one. She then walked over and grabbed the radio, carrying it into the living room, where her sister, Terry, sat.

“Hey… We got a visitor,” Becky replied as she then placed the radio on the table, right between her and Terry.

She then sat down in her chair and leaned in towards the radio, but her eyes remained on her sister.

“How’ve you been, kid?” She then said with a smile.

El smiled, seeing both her mom and her aunt while in her void. However, the smile disappeared as she began to speak.

“I… need to talk to you… and mama.”

“Are you in trouble?” Becky asked.

“No,” El said. “I’m just… lost right now.”

“How so?” Becky replied.

El sighed.

“I’m… dealing with stuff now… but I’m trying to get ready for the future… yet that depends on how things happen in the present…”

“And what exactly is this… thing in the present you’re dealing with?” Becky asked, looking at her sister in the process.

“It’s not just… one thing,” El explained. “I mean… it started off as one… but now…”

Terry, who had been quietly listening from her chair, leaned forward. Her eyes, though slightly glazed, held a hint of the sharpness they used to have before the experiments.

Becky, who never shifted her attention away from her sister, leaned in as well.

“Jane…” she began. “Walk us through what’s happening.”

Meanwhile

Hawkins Lab
11:30 a.m.

Dr. Walter Carlson sat quietly in his office.

Documents and pictures were sorted all around him on his desk, with various empty boxes off to the side. His eyes scanned every single one, checking to see if there was a stone he had yet to turn.

From files on every single kid at the lab to old reports of certain incidents outside of Hawkins, but everyone he came across didn’t fit the bill.

None of the test subjects during MKUltra who thought they went underground and had a kid didn’t show signs of anything.

Even the crazy stories of people seeing others using powers didn’t track either.

Carlson then leaned back in his chair and ran his hands through his hair.

It couldn’t have been anyone else. Yet… she was at the movies. But surely they would’ve known there was someone else in Hawkins.

Surely, he would’ve known.

Carlson stared at the ceiling trying to piece things together, but all he could see was… Katherine.

Lying in the street… face down…

Carlson shook his head as he stood up and walked to his window.

He looked off in the distance, past the trees that masked their location, to the town of Hawkins.

Someone had to have done it. She had to have done it. No one else was there that could’ve done it.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Carlson turned around, before glancing at the clock.

“Come in,” he said, with a small lace of confusion.

To his surprise, Agent Deinhart entered the room.

Carlson took a step back, however, Deinhart put his hand out and closed the door behind him, leaving just the two of them alone in the room.

“I wanted to give you a heads up,” Deinhart said. “Torres is having us check out some weird activity at one of the farms.”

Carlson’s eyes widened.

“What kind?” He asked.

Deinhart shrugged.

“No clue, though the chief is apparently there, so we’re going to see what we can gather,” he replied.

“Is Eleven still…” Carlson began before taking a deep breath, “refined… to her home?”

Deinhart nodded.

“Yes, doc,” he replied.

Carlson then turned around and looked back out the window.

He then closed his eyes and let his thoughts run. However, the first image that popped into his mind was… her… on their honeymoon.

Katherine’s eyes… full of light… what he’d do to see that light…

“Doc?” Deinhart asked.

Carlson immediately glanced back to him.

“I’ll be taking my leave for lunch,” he stated. “I won’t be needing an escort, even if Torres suggests otherwise.”

Deinhart nodded.

“Ok.”

Chapter Text

McDaniel’s Farm
11:35 a.m.

“What’s his deal?” Hopper asked as he and Stinson continued their stroll through the cornfield.

“Dr. Walter Carlson,” Stinson began, “graduated University of Chicago in ‘83, earned his doctorate a few years later, married to Katherine Lewis in ‘85. Then at the start of ‘88, he was reassigned to help monitor Hawkins after all the shit that happened.”

“Where was he before?” Hopper asked.

“He stayed in Chicago initially after earning his doctorate,” Stinson explained, “helping the school develop more groundbreaking advancements.”

“Like what?” Hopper asked.

“Classified,” Stinson said. “I’ll do some more digging, but for now, just know he wasn’t here when everything that happened went down.”

“Why was he reassigned?” Hopper questioned.

“Because of his doctoral thesis…” Stinson answered. “He had heard about all the activity occurring in Hawkins and began researching the various activities… eventually leading to his theory on transdimensional space.”

“Perfect for the lab,” Hopper sighed. “Guessing he knows about everything that happened.”

“Even down to Eleven’s love for Eggos,” Stinson sighed.

“Anything specific about him I should be concerned about, though?” Hopper replied.

“Besides the fact that his wife died last night?” Stinson questioned as she stopped and turned towards the chief.

“Well…” Hopper shrugged. “What’s his rank in that place? If anything, Torres is the one we should…”

“Torres is a different story, Jim,” Stinson interrupted. “Let me worry about him. Right now, Carlson is the man you should be concerned with.”

“Is he Torres’ right hand?” Jim asked.

“More like… apprentice,” Stinson replied.

“Shit,” Hopper muttered. “So he’s got a solid pull.”

“All the more reason why you should be cautious with him,” Stinson continued. “He’s angry… and needs a target…”

“But he won’t do anything that’ll get him in trouble,” Hopper replied. “Not after everything the lab’s been through…”

“Doesn’t mean he’ll look for ways around it,” Stinson pointed out. “If anything he’ll be waiting to strike once someone makes a mistake.”

“Which is why neither I nor anyone else is going to make one,” Hopper stated.

“I wasn’t referring to you or the kids,” Stinson replied as she continued looking around. “Whatever’s out here… the lab will find it… and Eleven will be caught in the crossfire…”

“So what do you want me to do?” Hopper questioned. “I can’t keep her at home because she’ll want to help… but if she helps…”

“She can’t stay Hawkins, Jim,” Stinson stated. “You need to move her, that way she can still help without the lab breathing down her neck.”

“And the military?” Hopper pointed out. “What if they come looking for her once the lab loses track of us?”

“After what happened out in California,” Stinson began, “they’ve been put on a tighter leash, meaning they’ll only intervene if they can directly connect Eleven to any incident that occurs.”

“Surprised they haven’t arrived yet after last night,” Hopper stated.

“Like I said, they need to prove it connects,” Stinson replied.

“Ok…” Hopper said before thinking everything over. “But… if there is something in Hawkins, something… El needs to handle…”

“She can… once we’re able to convince the lab and the military El is not the one responsible,” Stinson stated.

“And how do we do that?” Hopper asked.

“Well… for starters,” Stinson began before pointing towards the barn. “You could inspect that.”

Hopper’s gaze followed Stinson’s finger, landing on the dilapidated barn that loomed just 20 feet away from them at the edge of the cornfield. It was an eerie sight, the wooden slats askew and the door hanging open, revealing a darkened abyss.

The surrounding area however was untouched, with the stalks of corn still standing. The strange sight of it sent a shiver down Hopper’s spine, a feeling that was all too familiar in this town.

“This is why you wanted to meet out here…”

“Had a source inform me this morning about a strange seismic activity last night,” Stinson began. “Now, I don’t know if it’s another one of those things, but I’m positive it’s not from this world.”

The barn grew larger with every step they took, the quietness of the surrounding cornfield amplifying the creaks and groans of its aged wood. Hopper’s eyes scanned the area, looking for any signs of disturbance or tracks that might indicate what could have caused such damage.

As they approached, the claw marks on the barn door became more prominent, each one carved deep into the wood, the edges still fresh and jagged. They looked nothing like the scratches left by local wildlife, much larger and sharper, hinting at something monstrous and powerful.

The door, hanging by a single rusty hinge, groaned as the wind gently pushed it back and forth. The barn's interior was shrouded in darkness, with only slivers of sunlight piercing through the gaps in the wooden walls. The air was thick with the scent of dust and decay, mixed with the faint metallic tang of something... otherworldly.

Hopper took a step closer, his heart thudding in his chest. The claw marks were indeed something he hadn’t encountered before. They were not the delicate, almost surgical cuts of the Demogorgon or the mechanical precision of the Demodogs. These were raw, primal, and imbued with a rage that seemed almost palpable.

Stinson nodded gravely, her eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation.

“I’ve seen my share of weird shit, Hopper, but this... this is new.”

“Yeah… but it’s not just what this creature is that we should be worried about,” Hopper said.

Stinson widened her eyes in concern as she crossed her arms in defense.

“How so?”

Hopper turned back to the agent, all seriousness in his face but pure terror in his eyes.

“Because this thing wasn’t alone…”

Hawkins Police Department
11:45 a.m.

“You can stare all you want, Joyce,” Flo said. “They won’t go away.”

Joyce closed her eyes and sighed.

“Of course they come after Jim leaves,” she said as she walked back towards her desk.

Powell, who was off to the side, noticed.

“You alright?” He asked.

Joyce turned to her fellow officer.

“You sure you want to ask that question?” She stated.

Powell shrugged.

“Just want to make sure we’re keeping our cool,” he replied.

Joyce rolled her eyes with a smile on her face.

“Right… because… I may go crazy or Jim will snap or El will unleash hell on earth…”

“Or someone in Hawkins panics…” Powell tossed in.

Joyce groaned in frustration.

“Hope to god that doesn’t happen,” she said. “Not now.”

Powell nodded solemnly, his eyes lingering on the window.

"How are the kids holding up?" he asked, breaking the tension.

Joyce paused, her gaze drifting to a family photo of Will and Jonathan that adorned her desk.

“As well as can be expected,” she replied, her voice thick with concern. “Will and Jonathan are checking the woods to see if there’s anything we missed.”

“How about El?”

Joyce sighed.

“She’s at home… hopefully doing ok, especially with everything else she’s been going through.”

Powell nodded.

“So nothing from any college?” He guessed.

Joyce nodded.

“It’s just… it’s been tough getting El into a college…” Joyce began as she glanced over to the letter her husband started writing the night before. “And I don’t want her nor Jim to blame themselves for that.”

Powell titled his head.

“Don’t tell me you're blaming yourself,” he stated.

Joyce shrugged.

“When El was under my care in California,” she began. “She wasn’t doing well in school and was being bullied… and… I didn’t notice… until it was too late…”

Powell sighed.

“Sometimes… you can do the best you can… but the world still finds a way to make life difficult,” he said. “El’s a good kid… but it sounds like that California school was a shit show.”

Joyce shook her head.

“Why did I think going there was a good idea?” She muttered. “I could’ve picked anywhere in the country to move…”

Powell leaned against the desk, his arms folded. His eyes searched hers for a hint of doubt.

“You and Jim have done so much for that girl,” he stated. “You know it and she knows it. Just because there are schools out there that don’t, doesn’t mean it changes that knowledge.”

Joyce’s eyes remained on her desk where Hopper’s letter laid. She gave a half smile and nod to Powell as she thought everything over.

“You’re right… But still…” she sighed. “I just hope she gets into a school…”

“She will…” Powell said before chuckling. “Hell… they’d take her before they’d take me.”

Joyce chuckled a little before glancing outside the window to see the residents of Hawkin walking up and down Main Street.

However, she unsurprisingly spotted three familiar faces.

Max, Lucas and Erica.

She snickered, causing Powell to glance outside too and spot the trio.

He too snickered at the sight.

“Good to see them investigating,” Joyce muttered before glancing at Powell. “Though be on standby in case Erica gets a little feisty with someone.”

“Don’t say her name too loud,” Powell replied. “Callahan’s still pissed about those tires she popped.”

Hawkins Public Library
11:50 a.m.

“Anything?” Mike asked.

“No,” Nancy groaned as she continued scrolling through the various stories. “Not even some nut job story from wherever, Iowa.”

“That’s a bit harsh for Iowans,” Mike replied before being met by an annoyed glance from his sister. “Just saying.”

“Well… I’m just saying,” Nancy began, “whoever is in Hawkins has no history to speak of, no mysterious labs across the country, no strange out-of-nowhere earthquakes, crashes, explosions…”

“Ok, ok, ok,” Mike said. “So clearly… whoever this person is… they’re not from anywhere in the country.”

“Meaning they could be from out of the country,” Nancy theorized. “They get powers… don’t know what to do… hear about Hawkins and Eleven…”

“Maybe…” Mike said, looking towards his sister.

“Don’t give me that look,” Nancy replied.

“What look?” Mike questioned.

“The look that says don’t use this as another reason this could be El’s doing,” Nancy stated.

“That…” Mike replied. “I wasn’t even thinking about that…”

Nancy went silent as she quickly processed her brother’s clarity. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Sorry…” she sighed. “It’s just… none of this is making sense… which after everything means we’re either dealing with someone new…”

“Or we’re losing our detective skills…” Mike finished.

“Either way…” Nancy said. “I’m at a loss for words…”

“Well… Maybe we’re not looking at this from the right angle,” Mike said.

“Maybe…” Nancy said as she joined her brother at the table where they had multiple papers out.

Most of them were past reports regarding Hawkins and the lab as they tried to see what possible connections there were.

However, with Mike’s suggestion now planted in her mind, Nancy began to bounce back and forth between Hawkins and the lab.

Mike did the same.

“You don’t think…” Nancy said as she turned to her brother. “Even after everything?”

Mike turned to his sister.

“Who’s to say the lab wouldn’t go back to its old ways?”

Hawkins Lab
11:55 a.m.

Torres walked through the halls, having come off his lunch break and returning to work.

With a folder in hand, he moved through the building with authority, glancing at each room around him to see if everyone else was still working.

“Sir.”

The man stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing the familiar voice. He then turned around as he spotted Maxwell approaching him.

“Any word on Stinson?” Torres asked.

Maxwell handed him another file.

“She’s tailing the Chief at the farm,” he said.

Torres inspected the file and opened it up, it was a transcript of her conversation with farmer McDaniel over a seemingly secure line.

“Just bring him here and let him roam around,” the transcript said. “I’ll be keeping my distance.”

“Has she made contact with him?” Torres asked, eyes still on the documents.

Maxwell shook his head.

“No, sir,” he stated. “But there appears to be something of… unnatural nature at the barn on the property.”

Torres turned to Maxwell with an eyebrow raised.

“Is that so?”

Maxwell nodded.

“Yes, and there is something else you should be aware of.”

“And what would that be?” Torres questioned.

Maxwell gulped.

“Carlson has gone to lunch… outside the building… with no escort.”

Chapter Text

Meanwhile

“Anything?” Jonathan asked.

“No! Nothing!” Will replied as he inspected the area where Hopper told him he found the hat at.

The woods were eerie, a stark contrast to their usual quietude. The leaves beneath their feet crackled like the static of a radio tuned to a frequency of the unknown.

He then turned back to Jonathan.

“What about you? Anything?”

“No!” Jonathan answered from afar. “All I got are some footprints heading to the street, but that’s a dead end.”

“Well there’s got to be something,” Will stated as he glanced down at the compass he brought. “There’s no way they escaped that way without being seen by the crowd. They had to flee back this way.”

“Yeah, well what about that hat?” Jonathan questioned as he joined his brother. “That didn’t just appear out of nowhere. There’s got to be something around here to go with that.”

“Yeah, well whatever that is clearly doesn’t want to be found…” Will sighed as he leaned against the tree before sliding down it to sit.

Jonathan immediately noticed and grew suspicious.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

Will shook his head.

“It’s just… this doesn’t feel right,” he stated.

“You think we’re looking in the wrong place?” Jonathan asked.

“No,” Will replied.

Jonathan sighed.

“Maybe… you’re not feeling anything because… you’re severed from it…”

“I don’t think that’s it,” Will replied, shaking his head. “I think it’s something else.”

“Like what?” Jonathan questioned.

Will shrugged.

“I don’t know…” he said before looking around. “I mean… even with Vecna and the Mind Flayer gone… I’d still feel remnants of the Upside Down… it’s weak… but that’s because it’s still there… and I didn’t feel anything change…”

“But something has to have been from there,” Jonathan stated. “Hopper’s hat didn’t just duplicate out of nowhere. It would make sense if someone crafted a new version.”

Will shook his head.

“But… I would still have felt something off,” he muttered.

Jonathan sighed.

“Okay, let’s think this through. If it’s not a direct connection to the Upside Down, then what else could it be?” He paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Could it be someone playing a trick on us?”

Will shrugged.

“The lab?” He said.

Jonathan slowly nodded.

“Maybe,” he said. “But… we can’t be sure about that.”

Will sighed.

“No… we can’t be…” he muttered as his mind ran with possibilities.

Jonathan had a point. Hopper’s hat couldn’t have just been duplicated, and with it worn out, like the Upside Down usually portrays things, there had to have been some sort of connection.

Because how else would one find a worn out version?

Will glanced down at his watch as the question dawned on him.

He then paused as he inspected the time and then slowly began to feel the gears in his head turning.

His eyes then widened.

“What if… it’s not a duplicate…” Will muttered.

Jonathan turned back to his brother.

“What?” He replied. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” Will began. “What if… instead of the Upside Down… creating a new version of Hawkins, which would explain Hopper’s hat… Hopper’s hat… isn’t from the Upside Down.”
Jonathan knelt down.

“How would that…” Jonathan began before he noticed Will inspecting his watch.

He then watched his brother look back up to him.

“Think about it,” Will began. “The hat he found, worn out, like… it had been used for decades?”

Jonathan leaned back as he now got the realization of what his brother was implying.

“Will…” Jonathan muttered. “Look I know we’ve dealt with some weird stuff but…”

Will got up from the ground as he almost excitedly walked past his brother.

“It’s just a theory,” he said before beginning to walk back towards the street. “Come on… let’s regroup with the others…”

Jonathan stood still as he watched his brother walking away, taking in the idea of what had been presented.

He sighed as he then turned and followed his brother out of the woods.

He eventually got to Will’s side as they reached the edge. However, they both stopped upon spotting a black sedan parked in front of theirs.

“Who is that?” Will muttered as the man spotted them standing by the trees.

He squinted at them in suspicion before eventually driving off.

Will and Jonathan watched as he disappeared down the road after cresting the hill just over a mile away.

“Lab?” Will said.

Jonathan remained silent for a moment as he began theorizing.

He then widened his eyes upon realization.

“We should get back to the house,” he proposed.

Will turned to his brother.

“But… El should be safe for now,” he argued.

Jonathan shook his head.

“I don’t think she’ll be safe for long,” he said.

Downtown Hawkins
Noon

“Ok,” Erica said as she, Lucas and Max continued walking through downtown. “I’m very tempted to do things my way.”

“And I’m very tempted to drag you back to the car and locking you in it,” Lucas stated.

“I’m just saying,” Erica replied. “I’m pretty sure we’ve talked to every single person downtown but no one knows nothing?”

“She’s right,” Max said. “We’ve ran into at least a dozen people who went to the party, but none of them saw shit?”

“Well, when you’re too busy partying,” Lucas began.

“You don’t see shit,” Max finished as they stopped at the town square. “So… what do you want to do now?”

Erica looked around, her eyes scanning the quiet streets of downtown Hawkins.

She then chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully before speaking.

“I still say someone had to have seen something,” she stated. “In this town, it’s impossible not to ignore something.”

“Unless you get used to it,” Max pointed out.

Lucas nodded in agreement.

“Max has a point. This place has had more than its fair share of weirdness over the past few years. Yeah, people might have seen the crash or the aftermath… but probably nothing else.”

“Hey!”

The trio turned around to the voice. Standing behind them with a bike in hand was a boy, around 11 or 12 years old.

“Yeah, what?” Erica replied.

“Are you guys talking about the crash last night?” The kid asked.

Lucas’ eyes widened.

“Yes!” He said. “Do you know anything about it?”

The kid nodded.

“Yeah, I was one of the kids that almost got killed,” he replied.

“Shit,” Max said without hesitation.

“Wow,” Lucas muttered. “Well… thank goodness you and your friends were ok.”

“Still can’t believe the guy who almost hit us just… vanished though,” the kid stated. “I know his wife got killed but… almost committing child murder should still give you a trip in a cop car.”

“Yeah let’s just say that guy knows some people,” Erica replied.

The kid shrugged.

“Makes more sense the guy I saw vanishing in the woods.”

“Well the driver certainly…” Lucas began before pausing. “Wait… what guy in the woods? No one brought that up last night.”

The kid shook his head.

“I was the only one who saw him,” he replied. “Thought I was just… feeling whiplash or some shit seeing the wreck, the dead body and my friends looking like they saw a ghost.”

“When did you see him?” Max asked.

“Right after the crash,” the kid replied. “While my friends had the guts the look at the dead lady… I didn’t… so I was looking away… towards the woods…”

“And you saw some guy just standing there?” Erica questioned.

“Yeah,” the kid replied. “But I turned away for a second after the driver started screaming… when I looked back…”

“Did you see their face?” Lucas asked. “What did they look like?”

The kid shook his head.

“I didn’t see what they looked like,” he answered. “But they were wearing a black hood and jeans.”

Meanwhile at the library

“Mmmfff,” Tom groaned under his breath as he closed a book. “Give me something…”

He then ran his hands through his hair, causing his black hood to come down.

After skimming through four of the 10 books he had on the table, nothing caught his eye.

He stared up at the ceiling of the library, the lights flickering rhythmically like a metronome in a symphony of silence.

With Tom, lost in it all. He then sighed as he pulled up another book.

“Self-Consistency in Physics” the title read as he then opened it up.

“What are you reading?”

Tom paused as he slowly turned his head to the side, facing the person who interrupted his reading.

He then looked in confusion as a little girl stood off to the side, her head tilted in curiosity.

“Oh… Uh…” Tom began as he glanced at his book before closing it. “Astrophysics, quantum mechanics, alternate reality…”

“Why?”

Tom raised an eyebrow.

“Why do you want to know?” Tom asked.

The girl shrugged.

“I don’t see many high schoolers reading books like these,” she said.

Tom tilted her head.

“How many high schoolers do you know?”

“Enough,” the girl replied. “My brother Mike reads books like these.”

“Well…” Tom said before hesitating for a moment. “I’m… not reading it for the same reason he was.”

“And why is that?” the girl asked.

“Uh… because this is for school?” Tom answered.

The girl squinted her eyes.

“That’s a lie,” she replied.

Tom leaned back, almost taking offense to the comment.

“No it’s not,” Tom stated.

“It’s too,” Holly replied. “I can tell when my brother is lying, and you’re just like him.”

Tom leaned forward, towards the girl.

“Ok, didn’t your parents tell you not to talk to strangers?” He questioned.

“You’re not a stranger,” the girl replied.

Tom became confused.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” He said. “You don’t me… and I… don’t really know you.”

“You’re not some old creepy guy,” the girl replied.

“Not all strangers are old and creepy,” Tom said with a look of annoyance. “Look… I’m sorry… but I really need to figure this out right now… so could you please… leave me alone?”

The girl stepped back seeing the slight frustration forming on the boy’s face.

“Sorry,” she said. “I just… was curious…”

Tom remained silent as he saw the innocence in her eyes.

He sighed again before rolling his eyes.

“No worries…” he said.

The girl then began to walk away as she pulled out her notebook and began jotting things down.

“Mike… Nancy,” she muttered. “I might have something for you.”

Meanwhile

“Wow…” Becky muttered as she was now leaning back in her chair. “That’s certainly not what I was expecting.”

El raised an eyebrow on her end. She had spent the past hour or so filling her mom and aunt in on her current situation. The crash, the lab, even her college application.

“What were you expecting?” She then asked as she stood in the void, watching as her aunt continued to process everything.

Becky then shrugged.

“Not to sound pessimistic but… considering everything you’ve been through…” she began. “But I thought this would be more… end of the world level stuff?”

El wasn’t sure whether to chuckle or be taken aback by the comment.

“Don’t take that the wrong way,” Becky stated as she leaned forward towards the radio. “I’m just saying… you’ve done so much and you’re a really special kid… so I’m sure this whole thing with the lab you’ll figure it out… and as for the college stuff… don’t let the thoughts of that weigh you down.”

El looked down at her feet in the rippling floor of the void.

“I know…” she replied. “And… I want to use my powers to help people… but if I can’t even leave Hawkins without something happening…”

She then looked over at her mother and walked up to her.

“I just… want to finally live a life…” El said. “Live it… with the people I love… without having to face these… obstacles…”

Becky snickered.

“Jane…” she said. “There’s always going to be obstacles in life…”

El turned to her aunt, who continued talking.

“The most important thing is to face them,” she said. “Even if it’s tough…”

El watched as Becky glanced at Terry before looking down at the carpet. El too looked at her mother, seeing the near blank emptiness on her face as she continued to mutter the same words over and over.

El then turned to face Becky.

“Do you see… mom… as an obstacle?” She asked.

Becky looked at the radio, before locking eyes with her sister.

She then shook her head.

“No…” she said, before shedding a tear. “I see her as my sister…”

El smiled as she too shed a tear. Though it was still… strange to be actually communicating with her mother and aunt, it still brought a sense of…

Comfort.

DING! DONG!

El turned towards her bedroom door.

“Oh…” El said. “I got to go… love you!”

Becky widened her eyes.

“Oh… ok,” she replied. “Stay safe, Jane.”

El nodded, despite knowing her aunt couldn’t see, and took off her blindfold. She then grabbed a tissue and walked out of her room, wiping blood off her nose.

DING! DONG!

El tossed the tissue in the trash as she approached the front door. She looked through the peephole and saw who was there.

It was a man, wearing a collared shirt and had a black sedan parked behind him.

“Hello, Eleven,” they said. “My name is Walter. May we talk?”

Chapter Text

“Jim, wait,” Stinson stated as she followed Hopper out of the cornfield. “Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

“Then what exactly do you want me to take away from that?” Jim replied as he pointed back towards the barn. “A bear? A test by the lab?”

“I don’t think this is the lab’s doing,” Stinson said. “My source would’ve informed me about that.”

“But yet they still got the word about this last night, like you said, and they didn’t mention it to me or you?” Hopper questioned. “Why do you think that is?”

Stinson remained silent as she watched Hopper continue to walk away.

“It just makes sense,” he began. “Torres and the lab were probably doing a field test with this thing and it got loose. It can probably turn invisible, which would explain the car crash. But he can’t admit it or else Carlson would be mad.”

“But if that were true,” Stinson said. “Why risk getting you and Eleven involved? He knows as much as I you two like digging for answers.”

“And you know as much as me that the lab can make up whatever they want, unless someone blows the whistle,” Hopper retorted.

“They wouldn’t risk it,” Stinson stated. “Not after everything.”

“Oh I think they would,” Hopper replied.

“To frame El?” Stinson questioned. “The hero of Hawkins?”

Hopper shook his head.

“No… to rile up the tension,” he stated. “So he could begin investigating…”

“But that’s not enough to…” Stinson began before realizing where Hopper was going. She put her hand out towards him. “Jim… wait…”

“I got to get El out of town,” Hopper stated as he walked to his car. “Before Torres does something to spark the powder keg.”

“Jim, wait!” Stinson shouted as she chased after him. “Taking Eleven will only make things more suspicious.”

“I can’t risk her being pursued by the lab,” Hopper stated as he reached his car and opened it up. “Because she’ll either be captured…”

Hopper climbed inside the car and closed the door. He then turned to Stinson who reached him.

“Or she’ll fight them… and get into big trouble,” he finished.

Stinson remained silent as she looked out into the cornfield again. She closed her eyes and sighed.

“Get back to your house,” she said before turning to face Hopper. “If she’s safe… and there hasn’t been any incident whatsoever from now until the end of the day… stay put…”

“And if not?” Hopper questioned.

Stinson once again went silent, before quickly answering.

“Then do what you have to do,” she stated. “Just be careful.”

“I’m not making any promises,” Hopper replied as he took off down the road back towards town.

Family Video

“Maybe it was just the wind,” Steve said as Dustin continued pacing through the store.

“It would have to be wind from that of a category five hurricane, that somehow missed a bunch of kids, to have caused that, Harrington,” Dustin ranted before he stopped his pacing and turned to Steve. “And now I’m realizing you were being sarcastic weren’t you.”

“You got to be more aware of your surroundings, Henderson,” Steve stated.

“Ok, we get it, you’re smarter than him in something,” Robin replied to Steve as she walked out from behind the desk and placed down a notebook on top of it. All the while, Steve gave a look of confusion and offense to Robin’s comment.

“So…” she began as she turned to Dustin. “You said they found something in the woods?”

Dustin nodded as she approached the desk and saw Robin drawing out a street with a bunch of small trees drawn on the side.

“Yeah… uh… it was… directly parallel to around here,” Dustin said as he pointed to a spot on the notebook.

“Ok… so… let’s say this is someone with powers like El,” Robin said as she began to draw a car. “Now the car… you said it was hit head on?”

“Yeah… but… it was like a wall… an invisible wall,” Dustin stated.

“Ok… so… this other El,” Steve began before reaching over and pointing parallel to woods, “makes an invisible wall from here? Why?”

Dustin glanced at Steve in confusion.

“To stop the car,” Dustin stated. “Are you not paying attention?”

“I am,” Steve replied as he then pointed at the car. “But all I’m saying is, if I had El’s powers, and I were trying to stop a car…”

Steve’s finger than drifted to the spot Dustin pointed to in the woods, parallel to the car.

“That wouldn’t make sense to me,” Steve finished.

Dustin grew more confused.

“Why?” He said.

“Well…” Steve replied. “Let’s say this person was trying to save those kids… why stop the car here? Why not earlier? Why not force it off the road? Especially if you have a clear view of the car for a quarter of a mile from here?”

“So what are you implying?” Dustin questioned.

“Whoever stopped the car wasn’t directly across from it when it crashed,” Robin stated as she looked at the front of the car she drew and placed a point on it. “They probably saw it from…”

She then brought the pencil back into the woods, but now further ahead of the car.

“Here,” she said. “This the furthest they could’ve seen the car and stop it before it hit the kids.”

“A more head-on use of El’s powers,” Dustin said. “But… if the hat was found here…”

He then pointed to the spot deep within the woods.

“That means they either came from that way before the crash… or went that way after,” he said.

“So…” Robin said as she grabbed a VHS from behind the counter to use as a base to draw a line. “They’re path could be… this…”

“Oh shit…” Steve said, looking at the paper.

Robin and Dustin looked at him.

“What?” They said.

“Hang on,” Steve said as he reached underneath the desk and pulled out a map of the town. “Doesn’t that lead to…”

Steve placed the map on the counter and slid Robin’s notebook on top of it, matching it up with Loch Nora.

He then followed the line down with his finger, trailing off the notebook and onto the map. He then stopped just shy of…

“Oh shit,” Steve muttered.

“The lake…” Robin said looking down at the map. “A few miles from…”

She and Steve then looked at each other in suspicion.

“You don’t think?” She said.

Steve shrugged with a hint of excitement.

“It could be,” he said.

Dustin’s eyes bounced back and forth between Robin and Steve.

“Ok… what am I missing?” He asked.

Meanwhile

“So they were heading towards the lake,” Max muttered. “That’s at least something.”

“Yeah…” Lucas said. “But they could be long gone by now.”

“Someone had to have seen him there though,” Erica stated. “We should check all the lake houses.”

“Not yet,” Lucas replied. “Let’s see what Mike and Nancy dug up at the library.”

“Ok, but let me grab a quick snack if we’re just going to skip lunch,” Erica stated.

“Fine,” Lucas replied before turning to his sister. “You need any change?”

Erica didn’t look back at her brother as she walked towards the entrance to the store.

“No, I raided your stash this morning,” she said.

“Tell me you're joking,” Lucas stated as Erica opened the door to the store and walked in.

No answer whatsoever.

“She is,” Max replied, walking up next to Lucas. “I gave her a couple of bucks.”

“Why? Did you lose a bet?” Lucas questioned.

“No… I just… wanted to be generous,” Max replied.

Lucas turned to his girlfriend and raised an eyebrow.

“You ok?” He asked.

Max nodded.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Honestly, I think I should be asking you that.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

Max gave a look that said, “you know why.”

Lucas then got the aha-moment.

“Wait… are you still hung up over that?” He questioned.

“More like wondering where exactly you want this to go,” Max replied.

“I don’t think now’s the best time,” Lucas argued.

“Something tells me we’re not going to get a lot of good times to talk about it for a bit,” Max replied.

“You’ve had nearly a month to talk about it,” Lucas retorted.

“I was focused on graduation after prom was done,” Max replied. “Plus, you know I always got to El to spy on…”

“Ok!” Lucas interrupted before taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry… I even suggested… we should… you know…”

“Have sex,” Max finished.

“Don’t say it so loud,” Lucas replied, glancing towards the store. “Erica could be listening in there.”

“Look, I’m not mad about it,” Max stated. “Just… I’m not ready for that.”

“And I get that… now,” Lucas replied. “But… at prom… I just thought it could be… the next step.”

“Do you love me?” Max interrupted, now facing her boyfriend.

“With all of my heart, yes,” Lucas replied.

“Then that’s all you need to give me for now,” Max stated. “We can take steps… but… not right now.”

“But… I almost lost you…” Lucas admitted. “And I don’t know what could happen down the line…”

“None of us know, Lucas,” Max stated as she turned away from her boyfriend. “But… I’m fine with how things are.”

Lucas kept his eyes on Max, seeing her stone cold composure cracking ever so slightly.

After going through hell, it was miraculous she managed to remain in that state.

“Let’s deal with this and get into the college life first before we try anything,” Max stated, turning back around. “Fair?”

“Oh…” Lucas replied. “Ok…”

The two then heard the store’s front door swing open as Erica returned.

“Alright,” she said, gesturing towards the library . “Let’s head in.”

“After you,” Max replied as she motioned to Erica who then led the group inside.

Lucas at first remained standing still, but after a moment followed the girls to the library steps.

Then they reached the entrance to the building and walked inside.

“Ok… they’re probably in the basement,” Lucas said at the tail.

“I see ‘em,” Erica stated, pointing down an aisle. “They’re coming up.”

“Perfect,” Max replied as the trio closed in on the Wheeler siblings.

At first, Mike and Nancy didn’t even notice anyone coming up on them, but as Max, Erica and Lucas soon got within 10 feet of them, they caught on.

“So… anything?” Lucas asked as they now had Mike and Nancy’s full attention.

The siblings glanced at each other before answering Lucas’ question.

“We think it has something to do with the lab,” Nancy stated.

“No surprise there,” Erica stated.

“There’s nothing regarding any strange events occurring that can be connected to powers similar to El’s,” Mike said. “So… it only makes sense that they could have come from the lab.”

“Well… if they did… we may know where we can find them,” Max said.

Meanwhile, off to the side.

Tom walked down the aisle of the science section as he put his final book back on the shelf. He glanced down at the book once again before inspecting his sheet of paper he had in his other hand.

It wasn’t much, just a series of ideas and single-worded theories of what he could determine from his findings.

If only he could figure out where to go from there.

His mind began racing with ideas, but nothing managed to stick.

However, something else came to the surface.

A memory.

“You know… I can’t tell if you’re intentionally being a nerd or not,” he heard her say.

He then heard himself chuckle.

“If I was, would that make you more or less attractive to me?” He asked the girl.

He then heard her chuckle and saw her smile.

“I won’t tell,” she said.

Tom smiled back, feeling the warmth of the moment.

“Wait… the lake?”

Tom then raised his head after hearing those three words, which brought him back to reality. He turned his head to hone in on where the voice came from.

Tom approached the edge of the aisle and slid a book away on his eye level to see who was talking down the way. Sure enough, he spotted the group of teens and one adult discussing something.

“One of the kids from last night said they saw them take off in that direction,” Lucas said.

“But… how did you figure the lake?” Mike asked.

Max shrugged.

“It’s the only area in that direction that has plenty of cover, it’s on the edge of town, maybe they’re just trying to leave,” she stated.

“But why would they go from the lab to Loch Nora to the lake?” Nancy questioned. “That’s not exactly a linear path.”

Tom slid the book back into place but remained silent and still as he continued to listen in on the conversation.

“Who knows,” Lucas replied. “But if they did come from the lab, this just got a lot more tricky.”

Tom turned his head away as took in the information.

“Ok… well… any word from Will? Dustin?” Mike asked.

Lucas shook his head.

“No… I think Dustin’s still at Family Video though,” he replied.

“Ugh…” Max groaned. “He’s probably arguing with Steve over something again.”

“Yeah, those two fight more than a married couple,” Erica stated.

“Regardless,” Nancy said. “Let’s head out to the lake and see what we can find there.”

Tom widened his eyes.

“Shit…” he muttered as he began to walk down the aisle and towards the front of the library.

He exited from the shelves and spotted the doors just ahead of him.

Tom then glanced back towards the shelves, trying to see if any of the group was coming his way.

No one.

“Hey!”

Tom nearly leaped in fright by the sudden voice, but kept his composure as he turned to face the person who called out to him.

To his surprise, it was the same girl from earlier, now standing between him and the exit.

Tom put his arms out in frustration.

“Again, kid?” He replied.

Holly meanwhile kept her arms crossed.

“Where are you going?” She questioned.

Chapter Text

Dr. Carlson drove in silence. After spotting the Byers boys, he knew he didn’t have long. Fortunately, he got a head start on them as not even five minutes have passed since he drove off from the crash site.

Now, his eyes were trained on the quaint home he had just pulled up to.

The Hopper/Byers residence. The most dangerous home in the entire town.

Carlson stared at the front from his car as he parked it. He was so close now. All he had to do was go up and see her.

However, as he began to get out of the car, he paused.

“This is nuts…” he thought to himself. “You could get fired… or worse…”

He returned to his sitting position. He could drive back and hopefully no one would be the wiser.

Then he can just continue his work, while he would desperately wait for the answers he needed. The answers of why… why…

Carlson grabbed his head in frustration before immediately stepping out of the car.

He couldn’t wait. He had to know now.

The young doctor then stormed up to the front door and with a clench fist went to bang it.

But once again, he paused, and his hand began to tremble.

“Are you crazy?” He thought. “Even if she didn’t do it… she could… the lab could…”

Carlson took a step back and glanced at the car. He then closed his eyes and began taking breaths.

It was something he was taught anytime he felt stressed.

Taught to him by his…

“Walter.”

Carlson opened his eyes and rang the doorbell.

DING! DONG!

He waited, but no one seemingly was home. The doctor shook his head as he felt a bead of sweat form on his head.

DING! DONG!

He knew she was here. She had to be.

He then heard a small noise come from behind the door, causing his chest to quickly pulse like a car’s engine.

However, on the surface, he kept his composure and spoke.

“Hello, Eleven,” he began. “My name is Walter. May we talk?”

He stood in silence, assuming either no response or naivety. He got the former and took a deep breath. Carlson then however felt a twitch as he glanced around the neighborhood, checking to see if anyone was watching or listening.

No one was around to see him, but surely someone was listening.

“Walter,” he heard his wife whisper.

Carlson’s eyes returned to the door.

"Eleven?" he repeated. “I know you are in there. There is no point in pretending you’re not.”

Inside the house, El stood in silence as she backed away from the door.

The wood grain swam before her eyes. The man’s voice penetrated the barrier, thin and strained like wire pulled too tight.

El knew. It had to be the lab. But was this the man Hopper met the night before?

Carlson leaned closer.

“If you do not open this door, perhaps I’ll take a drive down to the police station?” he replied.

The threat coiled around El’s throat.

Hopper. Joyce.

They could handle themselves, but something told El this was a different animal entirely.

She took a deep breath and stepped back towards the door, once again looking through the peephole.

Carlson waited. His fingers traced the edge of his lapel, a nervous gesture that betrayed his calm facade. There was also a small cut on his forehead.

El widened her eyes.

The man from the crash. It had to be him. He was here for answers. Answers El unfortunately didn't have. Answers he wouldn't accept.

But perhaps she could give him something else.

The bolt slid back with a metallic clunk that echoed through the still house. El eased the door open just wide enough to frame her face, the chain lock taut between them. Cool air rushed past her, carrying the scent of damp earth and Carlson’s slowly forming sweat.

Carlson’s hand dropped from his lapel. A tremor ran through his fingers before he clasped them behind his back.

"Thank you," he murmured. His eyes never left hers, dark wells beneath the daylight.

El kept the chain taut. Her knuckles whitened against the doorframe. Carlson's gaze flickered past her shoulder, scanning the dim hallway. She shifted to block his view. The silent standoff stretched between them like barbed wire.

"You know why I'm here," Carlson stated. Not a question. His voice scraped low, devoid of its earlier tremor.

"Last night," El replied. "The crash."

Carlson’s jaw tightened. A vein pulsed near his temple. He didn’t blink. The silence thickened, broken only by the distant rustle of wind behind him. El watched his throat work as he swallowed hard, the motion sharp and deliberate beneath his collar.

"You… know about it," he said. Not accusing, but stating a fact carved in ice that walked that line.

"I... heard about it," El replied. "I... wasn't there... but... I heard what happened."

Carlson leaned back slightly.

"Heard?" The question hung between them like static before a storm.

El’s fingers flexed against the wood. Carlson’s eyes bored into hers, searching for cracks. His breathing hitched, short, sharp intakes that fogged the narrow gap. She noticed the tremor in his shoulders, the way his polished shoes scuffed impatiently against the welcome mat.

"I... was at the movies... when it happened…” El began. “I couldn't have..."

"We know..." Carlson interrupted, stepping towards the door, now standing in the doorway, mere inches from the wood and El. He twitched again, but took another deep breath. "At least... that's all that we know... but... you know as well as I... that there isn't anyone else within this region of the country who can do what you do."

Silence pressed against the door. El’s knuckles ached against the wood frame. Carlson’s eyes flickered with a desperate hope that made her throat tighten. She saw it then, the raw, unhealed wound behind his professional veneer. Not anger, but anguish.

"I did not cause it," El stated, her voice low but clear. The chain lock remained taut between them. "But... I want to know who did... just like you."

Carlson's eyes narrowed. A muscle twitched near his jawline. His polished shoes shifted on the welcome mat.

“Wanting isn't relevant,” he stated. “Knowing is.”

He leaned closer. The damp pine scent sharpened as wind stirred the trees behind him.

“An innocent life was lost... because… of what?” His voice cracked on the last two words.

El watched his knuckles whiten against the doorframe.

“I don’t know,” she said. “But… I... don't trust the lab to help find out.”

Carlson's pale eyes widened almost imperceptibly. The admission hung between them, fragile as the chain separating their worlds. His shoulders slumped slightly, the rigid posture of accusation dissolving into something heavier. Weariness.

"I know that feeling," he replied.

Carlson's knuckles relaxed against the wood grain, leaving faint smudges on the chipped white paint. El watched the tension bleed from his shoulders, replaced by a tremor that traveled down his arms.

She then tilted her head.

"You don't trust them either?" she asked.

Carlson's gaze drifted to the ink-stained contracts bleeding onto the porch boards.

"Trust requires transparency. The lab... deals in shadows." His throat worked again, swallowing words unsaid. "They probably know I'm here."

El turned away for a moment, hesitating on what to do next. Was Carlson being serious? Or was this all an act?

She sighed, opening the door.

“Why do you work with them then?” she asked.

Carlson widened his eyes as he now had access to the home. However, he quickly returned to question as he slowly stepped in.

“I… had ambitions… wanted to… change the world…” Carlson muttered. “But… now… everything’s… in ruins…”

"So… what do you want now?” El replied.

El’s voice sliced through the damp air as Carlson stepped over the threshold. The door clicked shut behind him, sealing them in the dim hallway. His pale eyes tracked her retreat, three steps toward the living room archway, before settling on her face.

"What do I want?" Carlson echoed. A dry laugh escaped him, brittle as dead leaves. "Answers. Closure. The physics-defying truth of why my wife shattered against thin air."

He gestured vaguely toward the window, where Hawkins’ pines swayed in the gathering wind.

"The lab doesn't know... or at least... won't share it with me..."

El remained motionless near the living room archway. Carlson’s desperation filled the hallway like ozone before lightning strikes.

"I... want to believe it was you... because who else could it have been?" he stated.

El felt her hand twitch a little. Like a cowboy in a standoff, she was ready to draw if things went south.

Dr. Carlson didn't move. His eyes stayed locked on hers. They were blue but cold. Like ice melting on a frozen lake.

"Belief isn't proof," El whispered, keeping herself at a distance from Carlson.

“The proof will come,” he said.

"What if there isn't any?" El questioned.

Carlson felt the tremble again and slowly turned his head away from El. But it was like pulling a rubber band as he snapped back towards her. His whisper cut through the room.

"Then either you help... or you will suffer for it.”

“El?! EL!?”

Carlson and El turned to the front door, where they heard Jonathan and Will calling out her name.

The doctor glanced at El before closing his eyes once again and sighing through his nose.

“I will know the truth, Eleven,” he stated as he walked to the back door.

He swung it open, and before stepping out, he turned back to El, who stood in silence and observed the red fury on the man’s face.

A tear then rolled down Carlson’s face as he tossed in one more comment.

“One way… or another,” he said before closing the door.

El watched the door shut before letting out a sigh of relief. However, she was far from relieved.

“EL!”

El turned back towards the front door as Jonathan and Will entered the house.

“Are you ok?” Jonathan asked.

The younger Byers boy then ran up and hugged El.

After a moment, Will pulled out from his hug and began looking around.

“El… the lab… they’re here… somewhere…” he stuttered.

“I know,” El replied. “I… made sure they left.”

Jonathan and Will exchanged glances.

“How?” Jonathan asked.

SCREECH!

“By telling them the truth,” she said.

“Something tells me they won’t see it that way,” Will replied.

Meanwhile

Holly sat in the corner of the library. Her eyes bounced up-and-down from the book she was reading and the people she was monitoring.

“Holly… I know you hate us for saying it,” she recalled Mike telling her earlier, “but you’re a kid… you just… have to be older to be able to do this…”

She shook her head at the thought. Sure, she was nine, but after what happened with all the monsters and the town being ripped out, she wasn’t like the other kids.

Heck, here she was checking out any strange activity going on in the library.

Like a mysterious teen who was now working his way to the exit.

Holly’s eyes widened as she recognized the weird boy from earlier.

She quickly sprung to action, hopping out of her chair and zipping over to the door, all the while the boy was looking back towards the shelves.

“Hey!” Holly stated, now guarding the exit.

She then watched as the boy nearly leaped in fright from her sudden voice, but he kept his composure before turning to face her. Holly then noticed his eyes shooting to the door behind her and then to her.

He then proceeded to put his arms out in frustration.

“Again, kid?” He replied.

Holly, meanwhile, kept her arms crossed.

“Where are you going?” She questioned.

The boy sighed.

“Out?”

Holly squinted her eyes.

“Where after that?”

The boy shook his head.

“You know… for a kid… you’re really nosy,” he stated.

“You’re obviously not from around here if that’s your assumption,” Holly replied with her arms crossed.

The boy tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

The boy glanced to his right, which Holly didn’t pick up on as she looked behind him and noticed Mike and Nancy coming.

The boy meanwhile continued.

“Just…” he began, before jerking his head to the left. “Move!”

Suddenly without warning a stack of books just to the left of the youngest Wheeler fell.

Holly jumped in fright as she felt a small number of books hit her. They didn’t knock her off her feet, but did just enough to scare her.

“What the?” She spat out, immediately turning to her left and looking down at the books that fell.

Within a split second, she then felt the boy bolt past her from behind. She quickly turned around and looked in disbelief as he was already out the door.

“Hey!” Holly cried out as she tried following him. She ran out the door and kept her eyes on the boy, despite him already down at the sidewalk. She ran down the stairs while her suspect sprinted across the street, putting more distance between them.

“Stop!” Holly shouted as she, without even looking, ran across the street.

HONK!

Holly turned her head to the right while she ran and widened her eyes as a pickup truck came barreling towards her.

“NO!” she then heard the boy shout.

CRASH!