Chapter Text
At Hawkins National Laboratory, called in the neighborhood, the Department of Energy experienced weird things happening over time. The most important of them all was an old, supposedly studied telekinesis power that only Alphas could have. The study couldn’t find enough Alphas, so they started messing with their DNA. That made children who will present as Alphas no matter what. One day, the study went wrong, and something bad came out of it. Everything confidential, of course.
Alarms went off, and doctors were running away from it. But they were too slow. It got them leaving behind a pool of blood.
Meanwhile, 4 boys in the basement of the Wheeler house are playing a popular game of DnD. It would be a normal sight if not for the world they were living in.
Mike, a boy who presented himself a few months prior as Alpha, was leading the campaign, making it quite interesting to sit through.
The stench in the basement was said to be made by Dustin Henderson, but that was impossible since he was a beta with his mind very much in the game.
And there, another beta, Lucas Sinclair, waited for Mike to say what they would come across in a matter of seconds.
- Something was coming. Something hungry for blood. - Mike said, making dramatic pauses.
- What is it? - Will asked. The only boy in the group who hasn’t presented yet. But hope it will come any day now.
- Please don’t be a Demogorgon - Dustin said while wiping his nose. - Oh god, we are so screwed if it’s true.
- It’s not him! - Lucas said
- And then you can see in the shadows - A dramatic pause from Mike. - A demogorgon!
Boys started to lament as they were in deep shit.
- Will, your action! - Mike screamed.
Dustin, Lucas, and Will started to discuss what to do. A fireball? Good choice, but will would have to roll 13 or higher. Maybe a protection spell? No, Will would present as an Alpha any day now. He couldn’t chicken out now.
Will rolled the dice, but it fell off the table. They started to frantically look for it. But Karen, Mike's mom, interrupted, saying they have to end their campaign. Will found the dice, asking the others if it counts. On the dice, a number seven. Not enough to kill the demogorgon. He was caught. But Mike didn’t see it, so they decided not to tell him. Easy rules. What Mike can’t see doesn’t exist. Right?
It was time to go home after 10 hours of playing DnD. As Lucas and Dustin grabbed their bikes after a brief talk about Nancy, Mike's sister, and her new boyfriend, Steve. They were both Alphas; it wouldn’t work right! After that, Will confessed to Mike. About the game dummies!
- It was a seven - He said, met with a response “what?” - The roll, the demogorgon caught me. - Will took a deep breath before asking.- But Mike… I know you don’t like to talk about it, but… your presentation.. how did it look?
Mike looked at Will, dumbfounded. He hated to talk about that day. While he was at school, feeling a wave of… He didn’t even know how to name it since he was still a kid. After he got home, he buried himself in his room, not coming out of it for a week! When somebody entered, he was ready to punch and kick them out in a matter of seconds. Such a diva!
- You think you will present soon? I mean, I know that you are supposed to be an Alpha, but you are a sorcerer, Will. I’m sure you will present as anyone you want. See you tomorrow.
- Only in DnD - Will responded bluntly.
Will frowned. Why would he want to be anything else than an Alpha?! I mean, he could be a beta; that wouldn’t be bad at all. But if the odds were betting on Alpha, well, not even the odds. Science was betting on him turning into alpha, then he shouldn’t even try to deny it!
Will didn’t press further and got on his bike, saying goodbye to Mike. As Will sped off the Wheeler driveway, a light over the parking space flickered. Mike rolled his eyes, dismissing it, and turned the lights off.
The remaining three boys were laughing and biking towards their homes, at the intersection split up, and Will was now on his own.
A second of looking into the forest near the Hawkins lab, and somehow something tall was standing in the middle of the road. The boy panicked and drove into the forest.
“What is that?!” Will thought as his bike fell over, and he did so too. When he hit the ground, he felt something warm across his body. But now he was in panic mode, running away from something that looked like a demogorgon? Was he really about to get caught? The demogorgon was right behind him.
Will ran towards his home, still feeling the warm sensation. His face is burning up. He locked the doors behind him and looked for his mom or his brother, Johnathan. But the creature was closer and closer.
The boy ran to the shed to grab a gun, hoping it would help him in any way it could, but his hands trembled as a fever got him. He aimed at the doors, his vision blurry. And then the creature was behind him, pulling him into a red portal.
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In a trailer, a police chief, well-known Alpha, Jim Hopper, overslept again. He went out to smoke a cig and took a quick shower before taking his meds and preparing to go to work.
Meanwhile, at the Byers' house, Joyce was looking for her keys, and Johnathan was making breakfast. None of them knew what had happened a few hours prior. A conversation between two omegas started with a question, “Where is Will?”
- I told you to make sure he’s up! - Joyce said - You have to remember about being a good big brother because one day you won’t have Will, you will have a child! What if your Alpha expects you to be a housewife!
She said, genuinely concerned for her son's future. Then she went to Will's room, but he wasn’t there.
- Did he come home last night?
- I don’t know - Johnathan said, and was met with a glare from his mother that didn’t want to come back to her speech about her son's future. - I got home late last night
- Why late? - Joyce asked, but she knew the answer already.
They kept arguing about responsibility, and Joyce called the Wheelers' house. Karen picked up. A quick conversation about whether Will was sleeping at their place. He wasn’t. Joyce started to be scared, but brushed it off with the thought that he had gone out to school earlier before hanging up the telephone.
Hawkins Middle School was quite calm as the day started. Lucas, Dustin, and Mike wondered where Will was. They weren’t popular, mostly picked on and bullied, but they had each other, and that was all they needed.
Meanwhile, at Hawkins High School, Nancy and her friend Barb talked about Steve, the alpha with amazing hair. A heartthrob for all of the omegas.
- Look, Barb, he likes me, but not like that. We just made out a few times, that’s all.
- just made out? Nancy, you are going to be popular now! - Barb said enthusiastically. - Don’t forget about me after
Nancy opened her locker, and the first thing she saw was a note from none other than Steve. “Come to the bathroom,” was all it took to get Nancy there at that moment. Not even a second went by as she and Steve started to kiss. But a school bell stopped it from going any further. They teased each other before Nancy left the bathroom. She was serious about her grades, that’s all.
As Nancy left, Steve’s body sunken a little. He felt so bad for lying to her. But he had a secret. A very bad secret. Everybody expected him to be this powerful Alpha, but only his family knew that he was an Omega. In fact, only his family could know.
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Joyce was sitting at the police station waiting for Hopper. When he entered his office, she stood up, explaining what had happened. But what could she say? Will was just missing! And that’s what Hopper typed into the report. Maybe in a few hours it would matter, but now he did not give a single fuck about this case.
- Hop, I am waiting and waiting, he did not skip school. He is not like that! I know my boy!
- Im sure it’s nothing, Joyce. You have to calm down, take your suppressants, and go to work. He will come back home in the evening, and you will feel stupid about making a big deal out of this!
- Don’t treat me like this, Hopper! Can't you take this case seriously!
- Enough! - This time, he used his Alpha voice to keep her in line. - I’m gonna take care of it!
Jim said angrily, wanting to get the Omega off his back. They started to speculate if Will is at his father’s place, but Joyce quickly disagreed. Hopper dismissed it all the time, knowing it’s just Omega close to her heat or something. He couldn’t care less about her son or what could happen. I mean, they were in Hawkins. Things like that didn’t happen here. Right?
- Just find my son Hopper! - Joyce almost screamed
- I’ll take care of it - He repeated, but knew damn well he won’t even look at the report once it gets off his desk.
After all, he had to take care of it, so he went to the Hawkins Middle School to talk to young Byers' friends. He asked the boys about Will, but they got overexcited to help the police. Hopper hated to work with fresh subgenderers like Mike. He was trying to show off that he was an Alpha even when it was just answering the questions. The two betas also tried to help, but it seemed like they had 5 years and started to mock each other.
None of it helped Jim.
- Guys, calm down. You won’t help us look for him. Just… after school, go home and don’t get lost yourself. No investigating, no looking around, no nonsense! - he said firmly and saw Mike's face. Like a damn sad puppy! He took him to the hall to talk to him privately.
- What’s going on with you, huh? - He said, sensing something. - You know something.
- No, I don’t - Mike said - I mean, we talked, but… he only asked me about my presentation… I mean - His voice changed. His inner alpha showed this egotistical and superior treatment that every Alpha despised themself for. Unless they were psycho. - I mean, even if he were to present, he would be an Omega, right? Did you see him?
Hopper stopped Mike.
- If you didn’t notice, right now, even you look like an omega. And if he were during his omega presentation, he would stay in bed and nest. That’s all! There’s also a chance he is an alpha, and if I remember correctly, you were so aggressive during YOUR presentation that you wanted to kill your mother, and when I came into your room, you cried like a baby - Hopper said mad, like really, really mad. Mike flushed at the memory, or more like the lack of it, and apologized.
- Well…- Mike started, but stopped himself - The Byers castle. If not his room, then the Byers castle.
Mike looked down at his feet. But Hop knew that I was one of the first Joyce’s ideas to check there.
- Mike, I get that Will is your friend, but you shouldn’t hope that he will turn into an Omega. You wouldn’t want that… did I make myself clear? No investigating, I repeat - Hop said and left Mike to think about his life choices.
And Mike started to think about how bad he felt right after his inner alpha showed. He hated himself for a minute.
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A small Alpha stood in front of a well-known restaurant in to area watching someone taking out the garbage. She decided to come into the building and then into the kitchen as she was hungry. She started to eat, but was quickly seen by the men from earlier. Her first thought was to run, but he caught her.
After some time, the man made a full meal for the girl, who did not say a word the entire time.
- Geez. Your parents didn’t give you anything to eat? Is that why you left? Did they hurt you? - He asked as the girl stuffed the burger into her mouth, not answering. He decided to play to get some answers. He took the food from her and said - I will give you this if you answer my questions. Okay? - She nodded- Okay, I'm Benny, what’s your name
She still didn’t answer, and Benny sighed and took a good look at her. A young alpha with a tattoo, buzzed hair. He watched the tattoo and started to think.
- Eleven? What does it mean?
Again, met with silence. Benny took the food from her, and her pheromones filled the room, such an unpleasant experience. She pointed at herself.
- eleven
- Wow, she talks!
Stunned, he gave back her food and went to call the social services, explaining the situation.
After hours, someone knocked on the doors… I think you know what happened then, right?
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Hop and his work buddies went to check the leads from Lucas, Mike, and Dustin. They found a bike, Will's bike, and went to the Byers to give it back.
- So what was it just lying there? No blood, no… god, no pheromones? Please don’t tell me there wasn’t any…- Joyce said, frightened for her child’s life and safety. She would tolerate blood, but the thought of Will alone in the forest, either presenting, was scaring her even more
- No, there wasn’t - Jim said, leaving no place for any more questions.
Hopper took a look around the house, noticing everything, small or big. This was still a normal case, but the city hall wanted him to take it seriously. Or at least it was before he went into the shed and found bullets scattered everywhere and a faint smell of an… not quite alpha. It was time to take it seriously.
He quickly arranged the search for the young boy.
When Mike got home and sat at the dinner table, he was so scared for his friend that he could not stop talking.
- We have to help with the search!
- Mike, end of discussion! - Karen said - The chief told you not to interfere, so don't!
- Did you mark him or something? - Nancy teased her brother but quickly changed the subject after avoiding Mike's kick under the table - so I’m gonna study with Barbara at her place, is that cool?
- no
- What, why not? Mom!
- Am I speaking Chinese? No one is leaving this house before Will gets found!
- So what, I’m under house arrest because Mike's friend got lost on his way home - Nancy snarked back, upset.
- So it’s Will's fault? - he said, his pheromones leaking - you are angry at me because of Steve!
- Who is Steve? - Tod, their father, the alpha of the house, joined the discussion.
- No one! - Nancy shouted, and now her pheromones were leaking
- Just your boyfriend, smelly.
Mike said, and Nancy stormed off to her room, and Mike followed soon after. He didn’t understand why his family didn’t care about his friend of many years. It wasn’t any of this subgender bullshit. It was about friends being friends.
Mike decided to sneak out and find his friend with the help of Lucas and Dustin. While he was leaving the driveway, he saw Steve climbing Nancy’s window. How could he care! He was so mad at her, and now he had a new argument for the next fight.
When the boys arrived at the place where the police found Will's bike, they quickly ran towards the forest as the rain started to pour.
Steve pulled out one of the flash cards and read the question. Nancy answered as an A+ student.
- How about we make it interesting, and when you answer correctly, I will take off my clothes, and if you answer wrong, you will. - He flashed a charming smile. And Nancy rolled her eyes.
Next question, and she didn’t answer quite right. At this time, Steve and Nancy started to kiss after a brief moment of teaching. But Nancy felt something weird about Steve. She couldn’t pinpoint that. Not now at least. Steve sensed he was on thin ice, so he backed away and read the flash cards again.
At the Byers' house, Johnathan and his mom looked over the pictures he took. They were mesmerizing.
- They are so beautiful. You are so talented. I'm sorry I don’t give you as much time as you deserve, but you know the work and double shifts- Joyce said, but Johnathan stopped her
- I know it’s okay… - Johnathan started to tear up, and Joyce side hugged him - I should have been here.
- Don’t do that to yourself. This is not. Your. Fault - Joyce quickly comforted him - do you hear me? He is close, I know it. I can feel it.
The two omegas started to tear up as their primal instincts kicked in. This beautiful moment was interrupted by a phone call. Joyce picked up and, after a few seconds, started to tear up again. It was well and something else…
The phone blew up, and omegas were panicking and crying, and doing everything a mother could do. Even Johnathan felt that way.
Back in the forest boys screamed for Will but found something else. Someone else.