Chapter Text
Prologue: Dr. Kay, March 28th 1986
“President Ronald Reagan, sir. To what do I owe the honor of this meeting with you?”
“Major General Dr. Kay, I have a mission for you. One of the top priorities. There's an anomaly going on in Hawkins. I'm sure you've seen the news; all hell seems to have broken free.”
“I did see, and I’m glad to be called in to help. I’m assuming, since you asked me, that there has been something involving Brenner weapons?”
“That’s our leading theory; the problem is that she was in Nevada at the time of the crack.”
“Nevada? How did it get all the way there? I thought it was missing around Hawkins?”
“Dr. Owens seemed to have betrayed the United States military and helped hide Eleven after the death of Indiana Chief of police Jim Hopper due to the Russians. He relocated her to Lenora, California, with the Byers family. She led us to Brenner and Project Nina, but sadly, he was killed in the incident. Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan, who's overseen bringing her, thinks she and the Byers family will return to Hawkins within the next day. I want you to bring her in, but also continue your research on enhancements. With your recent success of bringing in eight, you have the skill it takes to find and capture these lab rats. While you're there, you should continue your research on dimension X and further the United States enhanced program.”
“It will be my honor, sir.”
“Good, I'll send you the files and all the information you need with you to Hawkin, Indiana. All files, including any mention of dimension x, the beneath, the lab, Stercoral, Henry Creel, and Will Byers, have been declassified for you.”
“Thank you, President Reagan, sir.”
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Will Byers… What an interesting boy, according to his file, he was kidnapped and missing for a week in the underworld, one of the only civilians to make it out alive. And from this, a strange connection to the hive mind formed. He was supposedly possessed by the mind flayer during the lab massacre, most likely a direct cause. And yet here he was pretending to be a normal high school boy. This file wasn't telling her the whole story; she was sure Owen left some important things out, like who kidnapped the Byers boy? Demogorgons weren't high enough in intelligence to plan out his disappearance. They were drawn to blood. None of which was found at the Byers house that night. Speaking of blood, it was stated that his blood was drawn and tested for a year after the event, but no samples of his blood or results were on file. Not even a blood type. What exactly had Owens covered up? The Hawkins mystery seems to be bigger than just Eleven. Seems her supposed brother also had something to hide, and she was going to figure it out. Hawkins may be able to hide Jane Hopper, but Will Byers wouldn't be as hidden.
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Chapter 1:
Will Byers April 2nd
As soon as Argyle's van drove over the Hawkins town limit. Will could feel it again. Feel him. Henry Creel. Finally, after years of monsters haunting his nightmares, he had a name and identity for the monster. No D&D names to make things less scary and calm their fears. He had an identity, a life, all before the lab. It was weird to think about and left him with more questions than answers. The biggest one was why? Why him? Out of a whole town full of children, he chose Will to kidnap that day. Did he hold a grudge against his mom from high school? Did Lonnie hurt him, too? What did Will do to deserve being kidnapped, tortured, and abused? Why couldn't he just be free? Free of all this ‘magic’ bullshit.
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As soon as he felt the first shiver on the back of his neck in a year, he felt like burning his fucking neck off. Just another reminder of him being different, weak, and corrupt. As the world got colder, spores rained down on Hawkins. The worlds flashed and collided with Hawkins or the Upside Down? Which was he in? Will know where he was. Mike was next to him. He was in the Military hospital ‘sepcial’ waiting room. He needed to focus. He wasn’t in the upside-down; it was just cold. There was no shiver on the back of his neck.
“Will, are you ok?” Mike asked.
“Yah, I’m fine mike.” It’s been awkward between the two of them since, well, a while now. Will thought that coming back to Hawkins would make everything better, but this past week has been awkward. Especially now that they’re living together.
“They can't just lock us up for extra testing and questions, than abandoned us.”
“I HOPE YOU KNOW THIS IS ILLEGAL!!” Robin yelled at the window while banging on it. “If you're planning on charging us with a crime, you have a right to counsel, which means you must call our lawyers. It’s included in our Sixth Amendment rights, assholes!! Steve's uncle is a lawyer, and he will sue Reagan himself if you try to talk to us without one!!” Robin finished with another punch at the widow that did... nothing.
Lucas sat in another corner across the room, disassociating. Max’s coma had hit him hard, and although it's been a week and Max seems healthy and fine, there’s no sign of her waking up anytime soon. Dustin was standing in front of him, looking up the wall to where there seemed to be a camera. He was flipping it off, wearing new rings Will’s never seen, Eddie's rings.
“Where do you think they put Jonthan?” Will was worried. Even though his brother has been high all the time lately, he was always there to protect Will. And right now, he was being reminded of the lab and the possession, and he just wanted his older brother.
“I don’t know. It seems they kept the adults in a different room, leaving us plus… Robin.” Mike spoke with such distaste for Robin. Will doesn't know what happened in the past year, but Mike does. Was not a fan of Robin. Although not really knowing Robin will likes her, she seems cool. He felt safe with Robin; she was always true to herself in a way Will never felt like he could be. “But it's ok, Robin’s overreacting about the criminal charges, after all, we’ve done nothing wrong, isn't the right ROBIN!”
Robin rolled her eyes. “Listen here little Wheeler, as the adult in this situation, I am trying to protect you, so your sister doesn't kill me, and knowing one's constitutional rights are very important anyway, and it's great to remind the government, as they seem to forget more often than not!”
“Stop talking about the government like that!!”
“Will you two PLEASE SHUT UP!!” Lucus broke the shouting match, and silence followed. Nothing more was said.
Mike started to pull away from Will as the cold fears sept back into his body. It was a stupid idea to submit for the military mandatory health check after the ‘snow’. They’d know they've been involved in some way. Dr. Owen couldn't cover up everything in the past, and now he's died. Well, the military isn't stupid, the town thinks Hellfire Club brought about the apocalypse, and that Will, the zombie devil, oversees the crew. The military knows enough to piece together. To know there's something so very wrong with him. His dad knew it when he beat him. The town knew it when they harassed him. Mike knew it when he shunned him. It won't be long until the military knows it.
Will's thoughts were broken when a military man walked in and took Mike for ‘medical testing’. How funny it is that the only people with connections to the upside down are the ones being pulled for extra testing and were at the scene of the crime. Now that Mike was gone, and Lucas and Dustin aren’t exactly very present right now, Robin wandered her way over to Will and sat on the floor next to him.
“Hey William, stop overthinking and getting lost in that head of yours. Mike's going to be ok, you know.” Will usually hates when people full name him; it's always been associated with harm in his head, but Robin meant it in a nice way, so it never bothered him. Pointing out he was worried about mike though that unsettled Will.
“Why would I be worried about Mike? He’s just…” What was Mike? They were no longer best friends after the year apart in California, with no contact other than through El had ruined that. Could they even call each other friends at this point?
“Hey, I know things have been awkward for you guys since California, but you still care about him. And he cares about you, you know what I mean. Like, you guys are best friends but better best friends. Like you two are less like best friends like me and Steve and more like best friends like Lu-” Before Robin could finish, another soldier came in.
“Will Byers, time for your extra testing. Follow me,” and so Will follows him into the hall. The familiarity it had with Hawkin’s lab unnerved him as he tried to hide his flashbacks and followed the soldier into the next room.