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Mike Wheeler deserved a goddamn break. But it wasn't the time for a break. They were fighting an impossible fight...to find kids whisked away to places unknown. In a way, it was quite ironic. This all started when Will had vanished, and now it had looped back to finding missing kids...again. And for a minute, Mike had thought he and his friends were going to save these kids from what his sister Holly had suffered. What Will had suffered. But then he showed up.
No one had counted on Vecna showing up. No one had counted on Vecna being far stronger than before. Mike could've died along with the military that night, but thankfully Will saved him.
Wait, WILL?!? Mike thought. He wondered if he had hit his head too hard. But he was proud of his best friend. He was about to call out to ask how he just killed a Demogorgon like Eleven, but then Will collapsed after wiping the blood from his nose.
"Will!" Mike heard Joyce yell. She ran over to Will's collapsed body, and Mike followed. He knew they couldn't linger for long, because they would be held accountable for this massacre.
"Mrs. Byers," Mike said, maintaining his slowly eroding composure, "He'll be fine. We need to go, now!"
He got out his walkie as he said, "Erica, abort!"
"Copy," Erica said as she quickly got down from the tower to join the three as they went back down to the tunnels.
Soon, they found Lucas struggling to get up. And bleeding.
"Lucas!" Mike and Erica both yelled at the same time.
"H-hey guys," Lucas said, sitting up finally.
"What the hell happened to you? Are you okay?" Erica said, showing concern that Mike had never seen before.
"Got nicked by a Demogorgon pretty good," Lucas panted out, as he continued, "But I lost the kids."
"We did too," Mike said with defeat slowly taking over his voice as he took off his sweater to use to put pressure on the wound. "We need to apply pressure to this."
"Thanks," Lucas said, "But I would've died too, if not for..."
"Will," Mike finished Lucas's sentence. "Will somehow has powers now."
Lucas then noticed Will in Joyce's arms, as he was still passed out. "Maybe he tapped in the hive mind."
"Probably," Mike said, as he helped Lucas up. "Either way, we need to get far away from the base. The military is going to know how we get around now...and we need to find Robin and Murray and get back before reinforcements show up."
A lot of time passed, as Robin had been confirmed to make it out even after the truck was wrecked while Murray wasn't meaning the plan had taken a hit. Robin took Mike and Lucas to the hospital to patch Lucas up, as Mike relayed the events of the day/night to Max.
Soon after while Lucas stayed behind to be treated, Mike found himself back at the radio station with Joyce and Will. Will was still out, as Joyce sat worriedly near him.
"He'll be okay," Mike said as he sat next to the Byers matriarch.
Joyce nodded as she said, "He's just been through so much...I wish it could just end. He doesn't deserve more pain...even with these powers. He still hurts when they get hurt..."
"We'll help him," Mike replied. "We're not gonna give up on him. And he can take care of himself too. We have to trust him."
Joyce looked at Mike and smiled as she said to him, "He's so lucky to have a best friend like you."
As the two sat in silence near Will, who was still unconscious...Mike spoke up again. "If me and El ever have any kids...I would like to name a son after Will."
Joyce responded with a nod, "That'll be his choice whether he approves or not, I suppose."
Mike smiles as he nods back, "I hope he likes that."
After a while, and more progress to finding the kids and Vecna...eventually Eleven, Hopper, Dustin, Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan returned from the Upside Down...with new intel that was quickly shared. And someone new.
It was that other person with powers that El had told Mike about so long ago...it was...
"Are you..Kali?" Mike asked, practically blurting it out.
"Yes," the woman with a shaved head replied, "I guess Jane has told you a lot about me. She told me about you too."
Mike smiled as he said, "I'm glad she found you, you don't deserve to be used by those government assholes."
"It's just been the same story, with me," Kali responded, "And with Jane. With all the children who died."
"It won't be that story anymore, okay?" Mike said as he stuck out his hand. "You won't be alone, you'll be with us."
Kali shook Mike's hand after a brief hesitation.
"We lost them, Nance. We lost them all," Mike said, as he and Nancy walked together inside the radio station.
"You all couldn't have realize that Henry was going to show up," Nancy responded with a similar mournful tone.
"But we could've still ran," Mike said, shaking his head, "Instead all I did was freeze up, and all of those kids were counting on me. And now I have no clue if we're going to get them back!"
"They're not going to die, Mike," Nancy said, putting a hand on her brother's shoulder to try to console him.
"We don't know that," Mike said, as he and Nancy sat down. The two sat in silence after that, trying to process what had happened...and what was coming next.
Later, Mike and Eleven went to Hopper's cabin via the tunnels. Lucas and Erica (with a ride from Vickie) were heading to the hospital to check on Max while the rest were gearing up to head back through the Mac-Z gate. But El was going to try and hit the place where Max and the children were. It would take a lot out of her, even with her powers stronger than ever and the sensory deprivation tank reducing some of her exertion.
"Well..." Mike said as he and Eleven set up the tub, "Maybe after this is all over, we can find a waterfall...or a place with one. You do remember what we were talking about before Lucas interrupted us."
El nodded as she sat down and said, "I do...but I don't know."
Mike quickly sat next to her as he held one of her hands and said, "El..."
Eleven cut him off as she said, "This isn't like one of your campaigns. You don't get to write the ending. Not this time. We don't know what's going to happen. If we'll even live. If I..."
"I know," Mike responded, his voice breaking and tears welling up. "B-but I c-can't lose you. Not after everything. I have no idea if my family is going to make it, but I know that losing you..."
"I will try," El said. "I'll try to live, Mike. I'll do everything I can. I promise."
She put her hand on Mike's cheek, as time seemed to slow as they were close to each other. Mike leaned in and kissed El, before they broke apart and Mike said, "I love you, Eleven."
"I love you too," Eleven said, as the couple smiled at each other for a brief moment, as El got up to get in the tub and Mike moved to accommodate her space.
"No matter what happens, I'll be here," Mike said as he hesitantly let go of her hand.
Eleven replied, "I know you will."
Mike didn't know what would happen next, but at least he was facing the end of the world with the one person he loved more than anything. She's the one who kept him going, and without her...he wouldn't have led as effectively. As bold. As brave. Mike owed everything to Eleven. She was the heart that kept the heart of the Party going. And if Mike had to...
...He'd fight like hell for a future with the girl he loved. The two of them, against the world.