Chapter Text
“There are these children, they have taken my dear Eleven. I need you to find them, get them to trust you, and bring Eleven back home to me.”
Mike nodded, eyes wearily staring at the photo that Dr Brenner was showing him. They looked to be his age, three boys and a girl.
“Of course, this means that I will have to send you to their school, so you must remember not to get carried away. You tell no one about this lab, or about your abilities. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very good. You will be staying with your family, I have made a deal with your father. If you succeed, I will allow you to spend a little while longer with them before you return to me.” Dr Brenner grinned, but Mike never found any expression the evil man made to be very flattering. His smiles were only ever a warning for Mike, telling him to run far far away.
“Right.” Mike didn’t feel the need to mention that going home to his family for an unknown length of time wasn’t exactly a reward, but it beat being in the lab.
—-
“Wait- You have a brother?! How have I never seen him-“
It was an old photo that the pair held between them, the boy was young, untainted by the future that would swallow him whole. Jonathan couldn’t help but stare between the photo, then at Nancy. The resemblance was vague, but still there.
“Because he’s been at Pennhurst since he was six.” Nancy leaned her head back against the couch cushion. She never liked to talk about Mike, about the baby brother she cherished, the one who was taken away all those years ago. “I haven’t seen him since. He’s thirteen now.”
“Pennhurst?! What’s wrong with him?” Jonathan Byers felt like he was finding out more details of Nancy’s life every day, and this reveal was the one he found himself most shocked by. Had this been the reason Nancy was so eager to help Jonathan find Will? Did she see the young face of her brother each time a picture of Will stared back at her?
Nancy groaned as she closed her eyes, “My dad says he’s schizophrenic or something, but he seemed normal to me. I don’t know, it’s just for a little while. The doctors want to see how he handles a normal environment.”
“Then they’re just going to send him back? Even if he gets better at home?” He started to grow confused, his brows etched together and he couldn’t help but pick at his cuticles. Sure, he knew the Wheelers weren’t exactly the picture-perfect family they made everyone believe they were, but something like this wasn’t what he was expecting to hear. He spent a lot of time in that pristine house on Maple street, but the few family photos they had didn’t include a boy. He always wondered why a few of the older photos looked folded on one side, as if they were cropping something, or someone, out.
“Yes? No? I don’t know! My dad refuses to talk about it and my mom shuts down at the mention of his name!” She sat up straight, “They’re having him start school tomorrow. He barely even started Kindergarten before they sent him away! Once word gets out that he’s been at Pennhurst- those kids are going to say things and-“
Jonathan rubbed Nancy’s shoulder, “Shh, don’t worry so much. He’ll be in Will’s grade, maybe I can talk to him. If he has friends, then it won’t be so bad.”
“Right, pair him up with the kid who died and came back to life! The bullies would never mess with them! UGHH!” She stood up and peeked through the blinds of her living room. Her parents would be returning with Mike any minute now, and she grew more and more anxious. What was she supposed to say? Was he going to be scared? Anxious? Angry?!
“Just ease up a little, you’re going to scare him away if you’re like this.”
“They’re back, Jesus they’re pulling into the driveway! Jonathan! I don’t know if I can do this!”
Jonathan stood up and pulled Nancy into a hug, he rubbed circles into her back as her breathing steadied. Within minutes, the front door opened and three Wheelers walked through the door (Nancy had been in charge of watching Holly, who was watching cartoons without a worry in the world). Jonathan’s gaze was stuck on the boy, Mike, who looked confused as their eyes met. Mike looked just like the picture Nancy had shown him. Curly black hair, pale skin, and he looked a little scrawny for his age. He didn’t look scared or nervous, just slightly irritated if anything. Nancy pulled away from the hug and forced a smile onto her face.
“Mike!” She practically ran toward him and pulled him into a tight hug. His arms stood limp at his side, almost unsure of how to react to the sudden contact. “It’s been forever, you’ve gotten so big!”
“Oh Nancy, he only just got back! Don’t overwhelm him!” Karen laughed as she took Mike’s jacket and hung it up on the coat rack. “I’m gonna go prepare some dinner, just help him settle in Nancy.”
Jonathan had never seen Karen so… Lively. Ever since he started dating Nancy and spending more time in the Wheeler house, she only ever seemed depressed. He supposed he would be depressed too if he had a son that was locked away in an insane asylum.
Nancy nodded, then led the boy upstairs. She gestured for Jonathan to follow. “Mom upgraded your room a bit, new bed, new clothes. I had Jonathan bring over some comics too, it’ll give you something to do!”
Mike nodded, “Right.” He peered into the room from the doorway, but didn’t look all that impressed. Nancy wearily gazed at Jonathan, as if silently sending SOS signals.
“So, Mike, what do you like to do for fun?” He asked, hoping that maybe he could get the kid to open up.
“Hm,” Mike scrunched his nose, “I don’t usually get any free time. I like sleeping, though.”
This was going to be harder than Jonathan thought.
“So is this, like, your boyfriend?” Mike asked as he looked over at Nancy.
“Right! Yes, his name is Jonathan.” She smiled over at her boyfriend then back at her brother, “He actually- his brother is your age! You should meet him, I’m sure you two will get along!”
Mike’s face scrunched up, “Uhuh, sure, yeah. So, I’m gonna go to my room now, I’d prefer it if you two don’t tag along.”
Nancy felt defeated as she watched her brother close the door of his room behind him. She’d forgotten what brothers were like, and began to realize that Jonathan and Will would have a different relationship than Nancy and Mike would.
—-
Being home was weird, so absurdly weird. He only had vague memories of his childhood, memories of his older sister reading him stories, His mother sitting him down to straighten his hair for special occasions, and his father dragging him by his wrist into his car. For a while, it was easy to pretend he didn’t have a family at all, that he was just another one of Brenner’s experiments, stolen the moment he escaped his mother’s womb. It was easier to pretend that his parents thought he was stillborn than face the reality that his father had given him up to the lab. It wasn’t his fault that he could move stuff with his mind! Why did he have to suffer for the sins of whatever bloodline cursed him with this power?
He sighed, letting himself fall head-first onto his pillow. He didn’t know Eleven, not personally, but Brenner would always praise his stupid little pet whenever he could. Mike was always the problem-child, probably because he was too old to be brainwashed into submission. They kept him isolated in some corner of the lab and did their stupid experiments, ones that they deemed too dangerous to taint Eleven with. He was always the guinea pig, poked and prodded and tortured like the damn lab rat he was. Eleven had escaped the lab only a year ago, and it was the best year of his life. He got front row seats to Brenner’s downward spiral, what more could he ask for?
Except now the man thought it would be a great idea to send Mike out to fetch the girl. Brenner exhausted every option, having to watch his own men be murdered trying to catch her, so now Mike was basically the last resort. They tried shoving him in sensory-deprivation tanks and having him go search for Eleven’s location, but Mike was stubborn. It wouldn’t be that easy to get him to cooperate, and it sure as hell wouldn’t be now. This situation put him in a pretty good spot, a chance at an actual life. He’d drag out this mission for as long as he wanted, although he was interested in finally meeting the girl he hated for all these years. If he happened to find Eleven, Brenner didn’t need to hear about it.
Two knocks came from his door, he sat up and waited for whoever was there to reveal themself.
“Mike?” Ah, Karen. His mother. “Dinner’s ready, sweetie.”
He nodded and followed her downstairs and to the kitchen table. He wondered how often his family sat at the table and pretended there wasn’t an empty seat staring back at them. Did they ever talk about him? He sat down at the empty chair and gazed around the room. Nancy’s boyfriend seemed to have joined them, he seemed nice. Too nice, just like the scientists when they wanted him to cooperate. His eyes flickered over to a child, and that was when his blood really started to boil.
“Is that my replacement?” He pointed to the young girl, her blonde hair neatly pulled up in pigtails. No one ever thought to tell him he had a new sister, and now she looked to be four or five. Ted probably was hoping for a son, one to make up for the son he willingly gave up. The freak show that he returned to the circus. The room fell silent, no one even dared pick up their forks.
“This is Holly, your little sister. She isn’t your replacement, no one could ever replace you, Michael.” Mike couldn’t help but notice how rehearsed that answer sounded, as if Karen had been aware he would say what he’d said.
“Sure, Ma. Whatever you say.” He started eating his meal, spaghetti, which he enjoyed much more than anything he ate at the lab. He figured it’d be best to not make a dramatic scene on his first day back, so he opted to change the subject. “So for school, I need supplies, right? Like, a bag and pencils and stuff?”
Karen widened her eyes, “Right, yes. Nancy, why don’t you take Mike to Melvald’s after dinner? Pick up some school supplies for him? I’ll give you some money, of course.”
“Yeah, sure.” Nancy couldn’t stop looking at Mike as if she’d seen a ghost. Mike felt the same, it had been so long that it felt like they never existed in the first place. Ted had told everyone Mike was at Pennhurst, they were probably all holding their breath waiting for him to act psycho. Part of him wanted to humor them, but if he wanted to find Eleven, he didn’t think that’d work out well for him. Ted would probably just send him back to the lab, and goodbye to the outside world for Mike.
“So Mike, are you excited to go to school?” Karen asked. She was trying, and he was kind of impressed that she even bothered.
“Mhm, it seems interesting.” He took another bite of his spaghetti, “Plus I’ve always wanted to make some friends. Gets lonely in the looney bin, y’know? All those doctors, everywhere.” He shot his father a glare, but the man refused to look at him. Typical.
“I can imagine.” Jonathan chuckled, though he seemed more concerned than amused. Mike hated pity.
He let a smirk creep up onto his face, “You look a little nervous over there, Jonny, you aren’t scared are you?”
Jonathan’s eyes widened, “Oh, no no, I-“
Mike laughed, “Relax, I’m messing with you. You look like the kind of person who’s always nervous.”
Jonathan only nervously chuckled at that, shoving a bite of spaghetti into his mouth to keep himself from responding.
The family finished their dinner quietly after that, no one knowing what to say. Mike found the situation amusing, and he happily shoved every last bite of his dinner into his mouth. They were scared of him. He was almost tempted to play around with his powers, turn off all the lights or slam some doors, but he figured Ted would make a scene over that.
“Alright Mike, let’s get you some school supplies!” Nancy placed both their plates in the sink and gestured towards Jonathan, who was fidgeting with his car keys. “Get your jacket and shoes, we’ll be warming up the car for you.”
Mike nodded and headed towards the coat rack, throwing his jacket on and then looking for his shoes. He found them placed messily by the front door, he had kicked them off lazily earlier, and put them on. He made his way out the front door, and he debated saying bye to his mom (never Ted, oh go to hell Ted) but decided against it. His eyes trailed over to the running car in the driveway, but he took a moment to look around before heading towards it. For some reason he really missed trees, not that they were much of a sight at this time of year. October was reaching its final days, the leaves were dying in anticipation for the cold Winter months. With each step he took, he could hear the crunch under his shoes. Eventually, he opened up the back door of Jonathan’s car and sat down.
“Seat belt, kiddo.” Jonathan looked at him through the rearview mirror, and Mike just rolled his eyes and clicked the seat belt over him. “Thank you.”
Mike didn’t respond, just let himself stare out of the window as they drove away from the Wheeler house. The world felt alive, far more alive than the white walls of the lab, or the machines that beeped at all hours of the day. Everything in Mike’s life was either white or grey for so long, colors felt so warm to him now.
The car parked before Mike knew it, and the three teens made their way into Melvald’s. It was a small store, but Mike couldn’t remember the last time he’d even seen a store. He found himself amused by the aisles of things. So much stuff all in one place, he could spend hours in there if Nancy let him.
“Jonathan! Nancy! Going on a snack run or something?” Mike looked over to where the voice came from, a woman sat at the cash register with a warm smile on her face. She slowly shifted her gaze over to Mike, then scrunched her brows together. “And who’d you bring with you?”
“Ah, right. Ms Byers, this is my brother… Mike.”
“You have a brother?” She stepped out from behind the counter and crouched down in front of Mike, “How come this is the first I’m hearing of this?”
Ms Byers was gazing at Mike, from his hair to his clothes, she didn’t seem to know how to process his existence. But the woman seemed full of love and warmth, and he couldn’t help but feel comfortable around her.
“It’s a long story, Jonathan can tell you about it later. He’s starting school tomorrow so we’re just picking up some supplies.”
The woman- Ms Byers- nodded, then smiled at Mike. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mike. I’m Joyce, Jonathan’s Mom. Are you nervous about going to a new school?”
“Nah, I’ll be happy as long as it’s far far away from Ted.” He smiled at his own statement, the scientists at the lab hated it when he talked like that. No one could stop him now! Plus, he’d take any excuse to talk shit about his father.
Joyce frowned, almost in shock as to his remark. She shook her head and brushed a stray curl away from his face, “You really are Nancy’s brother, huh?”
“What’s that supposed to mean!” Nancy yelled from across the store. She was already picking out some pencils, notebooks, and folders, but couldn’t stop herself from staying part of the conversation. Joyce just laughed as she stood up, “It’s getting late, make sure you get Will by eight okay? He’s at- is he at Dustin’s or- Max’s?”
“He’s at Dustin’s again, and don’t worry, I’m already planning on picking him up after I drop Nancy and Mike off.” Jonathan patted Mike’s shoulder and pointed over to where the backpacks were, “There aren’t a ton of options, but hopefully you like one of them.”
Mike nodded and made his way over to the backpacks, his eyes drawing over to a dark blue one. It was really only a matter of choosing what color, seeing as none had any designs on them. He was fine with that, it was just a bag, he didn’t really care what it looked like.
“That one?” Jonathan grabbed the bag and held it closer to Mike, “You’re absolutely positively sure? Because I think my mom would be sad if you changed your mind after we bought it.”
Mike furrowed his brows, did Mike look like some endangered child? Why did everyone feel the need to treat him like one? Oh wait- he was supposed to be a crazy schizophrenic from Pennhurst. “Yeah, it’s fine.”
Jonathan nodded and met back up with Nancy, who seemed satisfied with the items she grabbed. They headed over to Joyce and she began ringing them up. The door opened, and Mike looked over to see a police officer walk through the doors.
“Hey Hop!” Joyce smiled, then returned to ringing up the items. Mike watched the total go from $38 to $19, but no one dared mention it. Mike looked back over to the officer, who looked at Mike as if he were solving some sort of puzzle.
“Alright, let’s get you two home!” Jonathan ruffled Mike’s hair and handed him the bag of school supplies. “Gotta get some rest before your first day!”
Mike rolled his eyes, but followed him out of the store regardless. He took one more glance over to Joyce and ‘Hop’ before shaking his head and stepping out into the cold autumn breeze.
—
“Who’s the kid?” Hopper asked as Joyce rang him up for a pack of cigarettes.
Joyce sighed, “I guess Nancy has a little brother?”
Hopper knew he hadn’t always been very observant over the residents of Hawkins, but after dealing with Nancy Wheeler more than he’d liked to over the past year, he would’ve known about some mysterious brother. “The Wheelers only have two daughters, how does a brother just appear out of nowhere?”
“Honestly Jonathan looked a little unsettled by it too, Nancy told him to fill me in later about it. I’ll let you know what he says. Poor kid looks like he doesn’t eat very much though, should’ve sent them out of here with some snacks at least.”
Hopper nodded, but couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. He’d have to do some investigating when he gets to the station tomorrow morning.