Chapter Text
Fuck, his arm ached. His head, behind his eyes, his nose. The smell of the burning was horrible. The scent of blood lingered alongside it. His clothes stuck to his body, still damp from the burst pipe.
He carried Will, hand tight around his waist and forearm, holding him upright as the blood that smeared under his nose dried. They weaved around the bodies, cracks in the asphalt and overturned trucks. Flames still continued to light the area, but the almost angry flickering of the lights has died down.
Now it was just them.
The children didn't make it. Once Joyce and Will made it out, he turned on his heel and ignored Joyce's call of his name. Looked, scoured what was left. Made an effort not to catch the eyes of the dead in those dreaded green uniforms. Yet he did pause his search at the mangled body of the monster that leapt at him.
He could bring the image to his mind easily. The suspended Demogorgon, petal-like face opened to reveal rows and rows of teeth, claws just about to tear him apart. Grotesque body shaking in midair- as if it paused.
When it happened, he just stood there. Stared. His eyes drifted behind, landing on Will. He has a hand outstretched, the green eyes Mike knew like the back of his hand a pale white. Shaking with the effort, sweat and dirt, blood dripping from his nose. His friend looked powerful- so much that Mike felt his lips part as he gazed. The crunch of the bones made him feel sick, reminding him suddenly of Max before the thought was quickly tossed aside. His focus returned to Will.
Starstruck, like when he would watch Will draw as children, every single moment a new, cherished thing. He forgot about the dire circumstances. The dead surrounding them, the state he would have been if not for the boy in front of him.
God, he felt his own breath hitch as the trooper's lights behind him flashed. He searched for the word to describe the image that seared so heavily into his mind when he recalled it.
Will looked beautiful. He looked powerful, wiping the blood with his hand as his own eyes met Mike's. On his knees, the crumbled body of the creature that once hunted him motionless.
It felt quiet, as they watched eachother for a few moments before Will's eyes fluttered. His shoulders had dropped and Mike had snapped out of it, sprinting to him. He had a moment to hold him before they both rushed him to that safe spot. Reality came back, if you could even call it that.
He quickly noticed something peeking out from under a truck, hope peaking for a moment in the form of human fingers, before finding nothing but a dead man in that same uniform.
Nothing. He swallowed down his tears, eyes trailing to where the gate had opened up. Where Vecna had walked from. It was his first time seeing him, the one behind it all. Since the beginning, it's always been him, hadn't it? That's what it seemed like. He remembered Dustin's words- wherever he is- that he wanted Vecna's heart on a platter. The rage called for more. More than that, Mike wanted him to feel it. For everything he's done to them.
Damn, did the feeling flare quickly. The gate consumed his entire body, eyes hot with tears that didn't fall, hands balling into fists as his body shuddered with the sheer force of the emotion. His mother, his father. Torn apart in their own home. Holly-
His breath shuddered as he heard his name. He spun quickly, seeing the small frame of Joyce waving for him, her voice frantic.
"Mike! Mike, we have to go!"
It was an automatic response, to swallow down the lump in his throat and tear away from the bloody scenes. The horrible massacre fresh, but pushed from his mind. He didn't have time to be angry right now- Will was struggling to stand with only his mother, body weighed down by an obvious exhaustion.
He bounded over, tears unshed and thoughts only on the here and now as he slid his arm around Will's waist and held him up, ignoring the protest of his own body. The walk to a vehicle was difficult. Joyce was a strong woman, but she was also a shorter one. Mike took on a lot of the weight, ending up helping Will into the back seat and quickly sliding in beside him, hands still holding onto him.
"Will?" He tried, hand squeezing his arm, the muscle tense under his proding hands, "Will, are you okay?"
It felt like he'd slip away if Mike let go, the car sputtering up as Joyce drove, hands shaking and worried eyes constantly on them in the tilted rear view mirror.
"I'm-" Will leaned heavily, lips parted as he caught his breath, like he just ran a marathon. It was obvious the pain he was in. But he didn't pull away, only raised a weak hand to hold loosely on Mike's around his arm. "Tired."
"I know, I know." Mike quickly took hold of his hand as soon as he felt the contact, the cold of it making his heart spike. He met Joyce's eyes in the mirror. His hand squeezed as he tried to keep his voice level, watching his brown hair fall over his forehead as Will leaned against the seat. His voice was soft as he muttered, "You saved us, y'know?"
Will faltered, eyes sliding shut for a moment before his eyes slid over, meeting Mike's. His lips moved, "The... The kids?"
He swallowed, the car hitting a bump that caused them both to jostle, making Mike tense in pain before he turned back to Will with a solemn look. His lips pressed into a frown, eyebrows furrowed as his head shook.
It got silent, the absence in the air before Mike squeezed Will's hand, sliding his fingers between the other's. It was desperate, his own fear creeping up his throat at the way his friend's eyes grew distant. He kept the pressure on, drawing his attention back.
"We'll find them. All of them." He said, voice unwavering. It was an empty comfort. Not just to Will, but himself. He tried to ignore the flashes of the children's faces as they looked at him just as he told them, lead them to their capture-
They hit another bump. Mike drew Will closer, noticing the twitch in pain.
"You're our sorcerer now, we're gonna find them." He stated, stronger this time. His hand was heavy in-between their laps. Despite the cold skin that pressed against Mike's, he felt warm.