The End (and other ideas)

by qualifyingmikes

Summary:

The last few years in Hawkins have been hell.
But now, actual hell is merging with the small town, and it’s going to take a whole lot of strength, teamwork and sacrifice to defeat it.
If they mess up, it’s game over.
For everyone.

Or: After the events of s4, the Party (extended) must kill Vecna and save Hawkins.

Notes:

hey there!

this fic was inspired by all the reading I’ve been doing this summer- special shout outs to ‘the byler files’ by elephantshoe and ‘to hell and back again’ by perexcri.

the original idea i had was linking each character and their emotional arc to a modern song that means a lot to me. I’ve scattered lyrics from these songs all throughout the work— bonus points if you can guess what they are!

if you like this fic, please consider leaving kudos or a comment- it means so so much!

new chapters added every few days!

happy reading…

q x

Chapter 1: The Beginning

The end was already beginning.

And everyone’s own tornados were causing havoc in their heads…

El clasped the dead flowers in her hand with a sinking sense of dread; the final fight was approaching faster than she’d thought. But she didn’t know if she was ready. She crushed the flowers dramatically. She had to finish this, once and for all. Else what was she here for?

I didn’t fight the feeling / runnin’ to my eyes..

A little way behind her stood Joyce and Hopper, clasping each other’s hands in terror. Spores lingered in the air and clung to their clothes.

When you hold me / it holds me together..

Hopper let out a shaky breath, watching their daughter drop the flowers. His anxiety pooled in his eyes. She was in more danger than ever.

Just a number so they hunt you down..

Jonathan and Nancy were holding tight to each other. They stared in horror across the scene before them, but also very aware of Mike and Will, stood so close that their arms pressed against each other.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Nance?”

“…I think so.”

Mike was clearly not as focused on the apocalypse as he should have been.

He glanced over at Will multiple times, his hands twitching. All he could think about was the burn in his chest— his guilt, his desire, his true feelings.

“It’s the end of the world as we know it,” Jonathan sighed, “and his biggest problem is Michael Wheeler.”

It sort of feels like I’m running out of time..

“Tell me about it.” Nancy whined. “They just need to…”

Jonathan raised his eyebrows at her. She huffed.

You know I’m impatient..

“Okay, it’s not that easy for them, I get it. But it’s just so obvious—”

Everyone knew.

Jonathan chuckled softly and squeezed her hand. They turned to go back to the cabin and process the armageddon when…

“Wait! Look!” Nancy hissed.

 

Mike had grabbed Will’s hand and was clutching tightly.

Jonathan and Nancy covered their mouths; they could see Joyce doing the same but Hopper just looked ticked off...and a little teary-eyed. El was still facing the destruction before her.

Mike turned to Will, still grasping his hand.

How can I repay the due? / The way you know me, love me, pull me through..

Will’s chest began to burst as Mike whispered slowly.

‘Cause you’re every night and I’m every day..

“We’re a team.”

Mike’s tornado was making him dizzy, and only Will could ground him.

Will glanced quickly at El before locking eyes with Mike. He squeezed his hand.

“Cool.”

“Cool.”

Mike’s head continued to spin with all the possibilities. His internal dialogue screamed wildly, carried by the harsh wind.

“You should kiss him! Would that be crazy? Of course! How do you know he feels the same?? Also, your sister and his entire family are here! Not to mention your girlfriend…oh shit! Your girlfriend!! Best break up with her later! Hope she takes it okay!!”

But in that moment, falling deep into Will’s eyes, Mike knew he felt the same. It had always been there, inside both of them. And Mike was ready to accept that part of himself. He’d been deliberating for a while, but knowing the world was ending provided…motivation.

I still trust in love / I find that trust in you..

Love’s a madness on the breeze / Just one look, I’m falling like the leaves..

Jonathan coughed loudly behind them, with not the slightest hint of subtlety. Mike and Will quickly broke eye contact and let go of each other’s hands. They looked around at Jonathan, who was giving them two very enthusiastic thumbs-up. Nancy rolled her eyes but clapped reluctantly. She was secretly so proud of her brother.

Mike huffed in her direction before turning back to Will.

“To be continued.”

Notes:

eeeee byler byler byler

our boys 💙💛

Chapter 2: The Break

Summary:

Mileven is coming to its end…

As the seven of them marched back to the cabin, El started formulating the plan in her head, leading the way. She had to get ready, and fast.

Well, don’t you know? / There’s nothing left to do..

Hopper squeezed Joyce’s shoulder, saying he’d meet her up at the cabin, and signalled for Mike to stay behind with him. Mike looked at Will questioningly and he nodded back, following Jonathan and Nancy after Joyce. To be continued, after all.

Mike smirked and Will smirked back.

“So…” said Mike. “…how- how you doing, Hop? It’s great to have you back.” He brushed some spores out of his hair.

You’ve got a golden line / I try to live up to..

“Cut the crap, Wheeler.”

You think you’re so special / Is there something I don’t know?

“…”

“Please.” He grabbed Mike’s arm. “Before you take it any further with Will, like you clearly want to,” he muttered, “do me a favour and break up with El. Don’t lead her on. You’re better than that…deep down, I’m sure.”

You’re a pump-action fella / With an addiction to the show..

“Of course. I feel bad, but…”

Bad was an understatement.

“…you don’t love her.”

Mike winced, realising what this meant. “Not like that.”

Oh God, he did it. He came to terms.

Maybe you can show me how..

“And she’s mad with me anyway. Surprised she hasn’t dumped my ass already.”

Hopper grimaced reluctantly. “You were a shitty boyfriend to her. I always knew.” He patted Mike’s arm. “Go, get it over with. Then you can all be happy.”

“Thanks—” Dad.

“No problem—” Son. “And hey,” he glanced to the cabin, “I know you have some weird thing for my children, but please don’t hook up with Jonathan next.”

Hopper walked away, leaving Mike red-faced and speechless.

 

*

 

Will,

It’s only been a couple of weeks since you left, but to be honest with you, it’s felt like years. It’s just been so awful. I wish you would come back so we could hang out again like we used to.

What have you been doing recently? I hope you’re still drawing: you’re the most brilliant artist I know. I still have all your drawings from middle school. They remind me of better times, I guess. Times when you were here, before everything went to shit.

I miss you so much. I really want— no, I really need to see you again soon.

Love, Mike

xx

 

p.s. Tell El I said hi.

 

*

 

El was starfished on the floor in her room, breathing deeply. She was busy making a mental list of all the things she knew.

But all I wanted was the final fight..

1. The final battle was near (there were still a few monsters to kill.)
2. Vecna/Henry/001 was weaker but still alive.
3. Max’s life was seriously on the line...she had to be saved.
4. She would need all her strength - and all her friends - to save Hawkins.
5. Will must have some kind of link to the Upside Down. All that neck touching had to mean something.

And last, but to be dealt with first…

   6.   Mike didn’t love her back.

 

It was obvious. The monologue he’d forced out of himself had clearly not been sincere: El had heard Will feeding him the words.

Who did he really want to confess his love for?

As if on cue, Mike entered the room and sat down next to her.

Time can give / Can give..

“Hey, El?”

And life can take / Can take away..

“What?”

I wanted you to see it / I believed your lies..

“There’s something I need you to do for me.”

“What?”

“I need you to…dump my ass.”

 

El sat up sharply. She didn’t want to talk to Mike, but this was an important revelation he’d made.

“I’ve been the most…shocking boyfriend.” Mike laughed.

“And you don’t love me.” El hugged her knees to her chest and tilted her head. You love the ‘Superman’ I used to be. And…that’s not me anymore.

“What I need you to understand is…I…I really do love you, El.”

“Then why do you want to break up?” And why couldn’t you say it before? Or write it?

 

Mike groaned. He wasn’t frustrated with El, he was frustrated with himself. He wanted to be a good boyfriend, he really did. El sat still, waiting, like she really cared about his answer.

“I love you like…like a best friend. Like a sister. I always have and will forever. But the thing is…I don’t think I like…” he winced, knowing there was no going back or hiding any longer, “…girls…the way I thought I did. And I want you to be happy, whether that’s on your own, or with someone who loves you just…just as you love them.”

He writhed inside, willing her to understand.

 

“Thank you, Mike.”

She grazed his face with her fingers. “Should I do it now?”

“Yeah. Yeah, please do.”

“Okay…” She laughed softly.

Tried to bite back, but I couldn’t..

“Michael Theodore Wheeler, I dump your ass.”

 

Mike beckoned her in for a hug, short and apologetic. El accepted, squeezing his back. They pulled apart and smiled at each other. They were broken up.

El wasn’t sure why she felt sad— it was never going to work out and this was one hundred percent for the better.

Mike stood up. “And thanks so much for commissioning the painting. Will showed me in the van. I absolutely love it.”

 

“What painting?”

 

He stopped in the doorway and shook his head.

There was only one painting El knew about…

“What painting?” She asked again, more insistent.

“You know what? It doesn’t matter.”

 

He left El alone.

Independent. Whole. Herself again.

 

I just stood and cried / For the lost time, for the hurtin' / For the love that died

 

*

 

“Let’s finish discussing my romantic subplot after we discuss the end of the world, okay?” Will laughed, embarrassed.

Is this real love I’m falling in? / Keep falling in?..

Jonathan smiled: he had been rooting for Will since the very start. He looked over at Nancy, sat on the other end of the sofa, making polite chat with Hopper and Joyce. He reached out his hand for her to take.

Decided that once again I was just dreaming..

She took it a few seconds later, her soft skin a comfort to Jonathan.

And I’m too perfect / ‘til I show you that I’m not..

Mike emerged from El’s room. “And…I’m single.” He took a theatrical bow.

Will gave him a glare. (‘Not for long…’ it seemed to say.) Mike’s knees wobbled— how had he resisted this for so many years?

Every day is better with you..

He sat down so close to Will, they were practically on top of each other. Mike grazed his hand across Will’s thigh. Hopper mimicked him with Joyce (who flicked his forehead accordingly).

They call it conjecture / But it quickly becomes fact..

 

“I think we should talk...about us.” said Mike.

Will nodded.

 

Nothing could bring him down— there was an us.

Chapter 3: The Plan

Summary:

Mike can’t stop staring at his boyfriend.

Notes:

this is where it gets a little heavier…you know that ‘major character death’ tag? keep an eye on that.

Later that evening, the seven of them sat around the living room. El was running them through the framework of her plan.

“We need to strike soon. Before he gets strong again. At the moment, he can’t come for any of us— he is too weak.”

Mike was trying to listen, he really was, for everyone’s sake, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Will.

 

“I’ve known this for so long.”

“Me too.”

“I don’t want to waste another minute, especially when…”

“…”

“…the end is just around the corner.”

“I know.”

“I feel terrible.”

“Why?”

“El, of course. She’s my sister. I- I can’t believe I—”

“Hey, hey! You did nothing wrong.”

“I stole my sister’s boyfriend.”

“No. She was not happy when we were together. And nor was I. There’s only one person I wanted to be with.”

“…”

“…”

“So it’s official, then?”

“Oh, you want me to seal the deal? Because I will.”

 

“That was incredible.”

“Wait, was that your…”

“…first kiss. Yeah.”

“Oh my God, Will. You are so beautiful.”

“And you are such a gentleman.”

 

“Thank you…for…the painting. Your painting.”

“…”

“…”

“You really like it?”

“I love it.”

 

“Mike! Stop staring at your boyfriend and listen to me.” El ordered.

“Sorry. I’ll stop, I promise.”

To compensate, Will took Mike’s hand into his and squeezed twice.

 

“I’m listening, El, I swear.”

“Good, because his life depends on it.”

“Wait, what- what do you mean my life?” Will asked.

 

El looked at the floor and took a breath. “Well..”

Joyce sat up straighter than Mike had tried to be.

Her sentence was stuck in her mouth, tripping over her tongue. “Sweetie, what- what are you tal- talking about?”

I broke my own heart / ‘cause you were too polite to do it..

“I think that when Will was…taken,” said El, “it was because Vecna wanted to use him. To…be a vessel.”

Will bristled. Mike squeezed his hand twice, just like before, but Will still sat on edge. El’s brows furrowed, knitting tightly together.

“And they formed a link with each other. A psychic link. But…it’s more than that.”

And all I needed was to make it right..

Mike’s eyes widened. “Like with the shadow monster. If we kill Vecna…”

“I die too.”

 

Mike wrapped Will in a hug so tight he could have squeezed the link out of him. And he would have if it was possible. Anything to keep Will alive, so they could just play DnD and Nintendo for the rest of their lives— together.

They both shook aggressively with tears, barely holding on to sanity.

“If we’re both going crazy…we’ll go crazy together, right?”

“Yeah. Crazy together.”

Jonathan piled in on the hug, then Joyce, and before long everyone was surrounding them, supporting them, securing them. Mike could feel Nancy’s hand rubbing his back, which only made him cry harder. What kind of a life would it be without Will? All the courage today to say how he really felt and for what?

 

To save the world, his boyfriend had to die.

 

*

 

“There could be a way. To sever the link. But I need some more time to come up with that plan.”

“We can help you, sweetie.”

El smiled at Joyce, whose face was tracked with tears. The group hug had been emotional, to say the least, and had lasted for about fifteen minutes. Everyone was desperate to hold onto Will.

“What if…” Mike started, his voice barely there. He was curled up on the sofa next to Will, his knees to his chest, his arms around Will’s waist. Will had a protective arm tight around him, trying to put on a brave face. He didn’t want to die, not when he had so much to live for.

Mike coughed. “What if we tricked him?”

“What do you mean?”

“The way I see it,” he shifted a little, raising his head to project his voice, “the link should go both ways. So if Will…” he looked up at him, trying not to imagine it,“…then Vecna does too. And he won’t want that to happen before he’s won.”

“So you’re saying we should…let him think I’m going to die…”

“So he severs the link. Saving himself.”

Though it’s me who may be broken / It was you to blame..

“That plan involves us trusting the enemy with Will’s life. It’s stupid! How are we related?”

“No. No, Nance. You don’t understand.” Jonathan sighed. “This is our best plan. This is our only plan. If it doesn’t work, we can try and come up with another. But…for now…”

Now it’s three in the morning and I’m trying to change your mind..

“Sure. I can’t think of anything anyway.”

 

*

 

“I miss you, Suzie-poo.”

“I miss you too, Dusty-bun.”

Yeah, I don’t care what song that we play / Or mess that we make / Just company now..

“It’s so different here in Hawkins. I…”

“What happened, Dusty?”

Dustin was sat on his bed, his bad leg extended in front of him. He wiped his eyes with the back of his thumb. His voice was the most deflated it had ever been.

When you try your best but you don’t succeed..

“I can’t say too much, but…you know Eddie, right?”

When you get what you want but not what you need..

“Right! The leader of Hellfire Club! I wish I could meet him. He sounds fantastic.”

Dustin laughed sadly. “Too bad, Suzie-poo. He’s…he’s not with us anymore.”

When you feel so tired but you can’t sleep..

“Oh no. That’s so awful. I’m really sorry.”

“…”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“You can stay on for a little longer.” Dustin’s voice was small. “I like knowing you’re here.”

Stuck in reverse..

“Of course, Dusty-bun. Anything.”

 

They sat in silence for a while, Suzie’s soft breathing having a calming effect on Dustin. Until—

“DUSTIN!”

“Mike?? What are you doing on this— never mind. Over.”

“Hey Mike!”

“Oh, hi Suzie! Over.”

“What’s going on?? Over.”

“Dustin, you need to come to Hop’s cabin. We have a code….actually this one doesn’t have a name. Anyway, please come! Bring Steve and Robin. Over and out.”

 

*

 

“So what did he say?” Steve asked as he pulled his mom’s car into a space outside Hopper’s cabin.

“Just that we had to come right now. He seemed pretty frantic, I don’t know.”

Steve noticed Dustin’s flat tone and pale face. He was not coping well with the grief of losing Eddie. And neither was Steve, though he was better at masking it.

“Is it to do with that humongous shadow thing plaguing our town? Because nobody’s talking about that and it’s kind of freaking me out.” Robin said from the back seat.

“I guess we’ll see..”

 

“So…” Mike sighed, his eyes on the floor. They were sat around the back of the cabin, wrapped in a green scarf. The sun was setting and the air was chilly. “I think you know by now how I really feel.”

“You didn’t say it.”

“I didn’t have to.”

Will pecked a kiss on Mike’s nose. “We’re gonna fix this, okay? There has to be a way.”

Mike smirked. “Where there’s a Will, there’s a way.”

“Exactly.” Will beamed proudly.

“God, you are so cute right now. I mean, you’re cute all the time. But especially now.”

 

Mike leaned in and took Will’s face in his hands, kissing him slowly and tenderly.

“Mike…” Will breathed, glancing to the side.

He carried on kissing, more passionately now.

“No, Mike!” Will giggled.

“What?”

“Tuuurrrnnn arounddd….” Will was laughing uncontrollably.

Mike turned around, confused.

 

Dustin was stood behind them, the most incredulous look on his face.

“Oh God.” Mike buried his face in his hands and laughed.

“Look at what you seeeeeeeee…” Will continued.

“Clearly I missed something very important here.” Dustin limped over and sat down in between them. He flicked the scarf around his own neck as well, so they were all joined together.

“Surprise!” said Mike. He held Will’s hand over Dustin’s lap.

“You guys….” Dustin sighed. “You’re so adorable.”

High up above or down below / When you’re too in love to let it go..

Robin appeared behind them, making them all jump. “Hey Dusty, stop third wheeling.”

 

As Dustin removed the scarf from his neck and stood up, Steve rolled his eyes. “Robin, they’re not—“

To make a point, Mike and Will locked eyes, shrugged and resumed their passionate make-out session.

“Oh. Maybe they are.” Steve nodded.

I only know this now ‘cause you’ve written it out..

He patted Dustin affectionately on the shoulder. They steered to go back inside, but Robin coughed loudly.

“Ahem. Mr Harrington? I believe you’re forgetting something.” She gestured to Mike and Will, still making out, and held her hand out expectantly.

“Okay, okay.” Steve slipped her $20. “You were right.”

Robin cackled triumphantly.

You get a few points for tryin’..

Dustin and Steve went back inside the cabin.

 

“You can fill me in when you come inside, Mike.” Dustin said. “‘Cause that was definitely not why you called.”

A little while later, Mike and Will finally pulled apart. They noticed Robin was still hanging around.

“Hi Robin.” Said Mike, still a little breathless, his hand on Will’s cheek.

“Hey there Mikey. That was…steamy.” Robin crossed her arms. “I didn’t want to see the whole thing, but I wanted to have a little chat with you guys.”

 

She climbed down the steps where they sat and kneeled on the grass in front of them.

“First off, I think you guys are literally the perfect couple: Steve and I have had a bet going for years now.”

Mike and Will blushed at each other. Mike readjusted the scarf.

“Second, you need to be careful. Make out all you want when you’re hanging out with us, we accept you, we don’t care. But the wider community of Hawkins is…not so accepting.” Robin shudders.

Will looked at his feet. He knew that.

 

“Yeah.” Mike snorted. “I beat Troy up in seventh grade, actually. Over…some things he said.” He said, reminiscing.

“You did what?”

“Okay, not so much of a beating as a push.”

Will’s jaw dropped.

“And then El made him piss himself.”

“I can’t believe I missed that.” Will breathed.

Mike kissed the top of his head, burying his face in his charming bowl cut, before suddenly remembering what else Will missed.

 

One crisp day, at Sattler Quarry.

His head spun when he thought about the height, even now. At the time it was simple. Dustin was in danger, so Mike had to save him. And Will still didn’t know, all these years later.

 

It felt like something too big to keep from your…boyfriend.

 

He didn’t want to keep it anymore.

 

Notes:

AAAH

Chapter 4: The Night

Summary:

There aren’t enough beds…so Mike and Will sleep on the floor.

Notes:

enjoy steve lip reading xP

all that head trauma over the last few years has *not* been good for his hearing, to say the least

“So how exactly are we tricking Vecna? The all-powerful, all-knowing being?” Dustin quizzed the group. It was about 11 o’clock at night; they were all too tired for his questions.

Except for Mike and Will, who couldn’t settle either.

 

“You…jumped off a cliff? In seventh grade??”

“I don’t know what else to say. Yeah. I did.”

“You could have died!”

“El saved me. I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, but what if she didn’t save you, Mike? What then??”

 

“El had a great idea, actually.”

“Yeah. You know how the Upside Down is like, merging with Hawkins as we speak?”

“No shit, Wheeler.” Dustin widened his eyes in mock surprise.

Will took over before Mike got annoyed and spat something back he’d regret. “And Vecna is linked to the Upside Down, and…to me?”

Mike tutted. “Why couldn’t he have taken another kid instead? I mean, there’s plenty out there! Some of those dicks actually deserve it.” He rubbed his arms irritatedly.

“Watch it, Wheeler.” Hopper piped up.

Mike cursed himself. So much for self-improvement.

 

Dustin, Mike and Will had forgotten there were other people around, they were being so quiet.

“Keep going, you were telling me the plan?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course.” Will shook his head. “So if we kill Vecna, then the Upside Down will…”

“Disappear. ‘Cause he created it.” Dustin waved a hand around. “I got that, but how will you trick him. That’s my question.”

“Sorry. Just…making sure you’re all caught up.”

 

Steve was trying to listen in on their conversation from across the room, but he couldn’t hear them very well. And he couldn’t move closer either, because Robin was fast asleep across his lap.

Dreaming through Tokyo skies / I wanted to see the world..

Instead he had to settle for lip reading. He leaned forwards slightly, focusing on their lips moving; Robin grunted loudly.

 

“We need to both eat the cake…” That couldn’t be right.

“…and tricycle the mom stuff…” Oh God, Steve was getting worse at this.

“…because then we can fall in.” Maybe that bit was correct, just…out of context?

 

Steve gave up, resting back against the sofa.

Were we innocent or dumb?..

 

 

“That…sounds risky.” Dustin muttered.

But if you never try, you’ll never know..

“It might just work.”

 

*

 

“LUCAS! I’M HERE! LUCAS!”

But he didn’t reply.

“LUCAS! CAN YOU HEAR ME?”

 

Max screamed, trying to move but unable to feel her limbs. Unable to see anything. Unable to take a full breath.

And I still talk to you / When I’m screaming at the sky..

“LUCAS!”

 

He was there, whispering, hoping, praying.

Forever winter if you go..

 

But she wasn’t making any noise.

 

*

 

“It’s just our luck, isn’t it?”

“You could say that..”

“I mean, why us in the first place?? Why Hawkins? Why our children?”

“Beyond me, Joyce. Beyond me.”

 

Hopper placed a reassuring kiss on her head. It was some ungodly late hour and they were curled up together on Hopper’s bed. They had to be quiet - Steve, Dustin and Robin were sleeping - correction, snoring - on the floor as Jonathan and Nancy had claimed the whole living area— but Joyce really wanted to hear his voice.

I know that you still remember / We were born to be national treasures..

“I can’t believe we’re doing this tomorrow.” She sighed, burying her face in her pillow. “We’re not ready. We’ve only been planning this for a few hours.”

“And Mike came up with the plan.”

Joyce flicks him lightly on the arm.

“Seriously though, Joyce. We have everything we need. We couldn’t be any more ready.”

Hunting season, so you best watch out..

Joyce nodded, wanting to believe him. Desperately wanting to believe him.

 

Across the cabin, El was lying sideways across her bed, her feet dangling off the edge, in a half-asleep state with full awareness of the room and gnawing worry about the day ahead. She knew she had to rest: it was going to be exhausting.

On the floor were Mike and Will, whispering at increasing volume.

“Look, I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“I just can’t believe you never told me!”

“I know and I’m sorry. We were only 12…and I was trying to…I don’t know, trying to forget about it.”

Will pulled him in for a hug and Mike held on tight.

“How are you feeling about tomorrow?” He asked.

“I don’t know.” Will let out a long breath, making Mike’s head rise and fall on his chest. “I should probably be more worried than I am.”

Laying tender at your feet / I think it’ll be the death of me..

Mike stroked Will’s hair back from his face. “What do you mean?”

“This is our first night together, but…it could be our la—”

Seasons melt away / Constant change, nothing feels real..

“No.” Mike said firmly, pressing a hand against Will’s mouth. “No. I will not let anything happen to you. Not now that I’ve got you.” He squeezed his waist. “I’m not letting go.” He was practically shouting now and Will felt a sappy smile spread across his own face.

But laying face-to-face / Life’s upside down, head’s over heels..

He took Mike’s face in his hands and kissed it delicately. Mike sighed happily, stroking Will’s arms.

 

“So it is my fault you don’t like girls…” he whispered seductively.

“Not funny.” Will laughed. “Not. Funny.”

And for a while they could forget about tomorrow and just enjoy today.

 

 

 

If they had known what was to come, they might have been more anxious.

 

Notes:

“so it is my fault you don’t like girls…”

next two chapters by the end of the week!

q x

Chapter 5: The Gunshots

Summary:

The gang prepare themselves for what’s to come…

Notes:

we’re getting closer to the climax now

good luck..

 

“Good morning, baby.” Jonathan smiled, rubbing his eyes but not yet opening them.

“Good morning, dude!”

 

Jonathan’s eyes flipped open in alarm. Nancy wasn’t laying on the sofa with him as she had been last night. Argyle was sat on the floor, super close to his face.

Alright, come close / Let me show you everything I know..

“Sorry, man. Thought you were Nance.” He winced.

“No problem. You can call me baby if you like.”

“I don’t think I do.”

Jonathan did a double-, then a triple-take and squinted at him. “Wait. Since when have you been here? Where- where were you last night?”

“Looking for fungus, baby!”

Tripping around the tree stumps in your summer smile..

“Oh God,” Jonathan buried his face in his hands, “you need to go home, Argyle. It- it’s not safe for you to be here. You need to go, before you get caught up in…everything. Mind the gaping cracks in the Earth and you’ll be fine.”

“Okay then.” Argyle stood up. “If you‘re sure. Damn, this town is trippy.”

“Thanks, man. ‘Preciate it.”

Hi, why’d you only call me when you’re high?..

 

Jonathan stood by the window and watched Argyle drive away in his van. They waved goodbye. Jonathan prayed that he’d take his warnings seriously and just get the hell out of Hawkins.

When he was out of sight, Jonathan began to wonder where Nancy was. He should probably go and look for her.

But his train of thought was interrupted by a loud BANG!

And another BANG!

 

BANG! BANG!

 

BANG!

 

Gunshots.

 

 

*

 

 

“What the hell?!”

“What’s happening?”

“Shit!”

“Where’s Robin?”

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my GOD!”

 

“Everyone STAY CALM!!” Hopper yelled through the commotion. Everyone was wide awake now, and panicking.

They all barrelled chaotically outside, only realising when they were out the door that it was probably a bad idea.

 

“ROBIN!” Steve screamed, Dustin also screaming close behind him, wincing at the sharp pain in his leg.

“NANCY!” Jonathan yelled at the same time.

Mike and Will were clinging tight to each other’s arms, Will hyperventilating and Mike muttering curses over and over.

Nobody knew what to do with themselves— praying for the best but preparing for the worst.

 

“ROBIN!”

“NANCY!”

 

“Oh, hey guys!”

 

Robin.

Crouched at the side of the cabin with Nancy.

 

“We woke up really early so Nance was showing me how to fire a gun. Properly.”

Robin’s eyes glittered excitedly.

“Jesus Christ, Buckley.” Steve ran a hand through his hair. “We thought you’d been shot dead.”

“Not today, Harrington. Today I’m the one shooting.”

 

BANG!

 

“Great shot, Robin!” Nancy gave her a congratulatory high-five.

“I hit the target!”

“You hit the target!”

 

The target was a crude sketch of Steve on a big sheet of cardboard.

 

“That’s nice.” Steve grimaced. “You got the hair right.”

“We got the hair right!”

Nancy high-fived Robin again.

I want to be me / Is that not allowed?..

“Next time, don’t start firing at 6am.” Mike groaned. Him and Will had been sleeping so peacefully in each other’s arms, the perfect couple, like they should have been for ages.

“And, you know, let us know you’re gonna be shooting so we don’t…freak out.” Steve shuddered.

“Shit. Sorry.”

“Nope. Not today, Buckley! We are not sorry!” Nancy stood up confidently. “Let’s go kick some Upside Down ass.”

 

*

 

And so they went, half the gang crammed into Steve’s mom’s car, half waiting for Hopper to bring a police vehicle.

The gang going with Steve were off to create a sensory deprivation tank in his mansion— but first they had to find a ton of salt.

“Let’s just go to the store!” Steve moaned, starting up the car, not willing to put in any more effort than necessary. Dustin shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat, with not nearly enough leg room for his injury.

Could it be worse?..

“I’m telling you, Steve, there will not be industrial sized sacks of salt hanging around in the local store.” Robin narrowed her eyes, before sliding in the backseat next to El and Nancy.

Jonathan watched her slam the door and threw his hands in the air.

“Sorry, Johnny boy. You’re gonna have to lie down in the trunk.”

 

The remaining three going with Hopper were performing a somewhat riskier mission: the actual Vecna trick. It was just the four of them because they didn’t want to put everyone at risk; keeping the majority of the group away from harm. If the worst were to happen, they had enough people in the other gang to come up with another plan. And the others had El— she was a superhero, after all.

They cautiously drove through Hawkins, vigilant of the rifts in the ground. Members of the community had come together to pile planks of wood over them as makeshift bridges, but everyone still held their breaths when they had to cross them.

Mike and Will were holding hands in the back seat, which still didn’t fail to give them both butterflies.

 

“How long ‘til we get to the gate?” Will asked.

“Not long now, sweetie. It’s just up the road here.” said Joyce as they passed a ‘ROAD CLOSED’ sign.

They were in a police van, it was okay to break a few rules.

I let it slide like a hose on a slippery plastic summer..

And then they saw it. The gate that Vecna had opened when he slaughtered Fred Benson.

 

They climbed out of the car hesitantly, apart from Hopper who grabbed their weapons out of the back and stomped forwards without a moment’s pause.

Hunting season, so you best watch out..

He was terrified inside, though. Of course he trusted El, but he still wasn’t sure if he trusted Mike’s plan. As he stared down into the gate, his pulse quickened. He just had to keep a cool head, and it would be okay. Getting overemotional had never solved anything.

“Let’s go over the plan one more time…” Mike clenched his jaw tight, and his grip on Will’s hand tighter. “We can’t mess this up.”

 

If you had asked the old Nancy Wheeler what she’d be doing a few years from now, she would have said she’d be married to Steve Harrington. Because that was what she wanted back then. A stable life with a popular rich guy and his hundreds of friends. Kids. A nice house and a nice dog, for sure.

She definitely would not have guessed she’d be breaking into Hawkins’ nicest restaurant to go get salt in the light of day to combat the end of the world. Much less that she’d be doing it with:

- Mike and Will’s nerdy best friend;

- his mother figure (who happened to be Steve);

- Steve’s kooky but sweet friend from the mall;

- the girl with superpowers who escaped Hawkins lab as a child;

and

- Jonathan.

 

But here she was, and she had to admit it was thrilling.

Cut me some slack, who do you want me to be?..

 

As the restaurant was closed, and the general population were cowering in their houses, it made it far too easy to break in. Robin threw one of her Converse at the glass door, and it made a little crack. She gave Nancy an adorable proud smile, like when she’d fired the gun for the first time.

Then of course, entirely the guy he was, Steve punched the window through with his bare fist, only realising afterwards the stupidity of his action.

“Why did I do that?…” he wept, cradling his now bleeding hand, shaking shards of glass out of the cuts.

Nancy narrowed her eyes at him, pulling a pin out of her hair.

“Of course Nancy Wheeler has a hairpin!” Said Robin teasingly.

Sunset’s been a freak show / On the weekend..

“Funny, is it?” Nancy smirked, jabbing the lock a few times until it—

…clicked and swung open, pushing the punched-through glass across the floor inside. Nancy and Robin entered the restaurant, El following after them, helping look for the kitchen and in turn, the salt.

“Ladies first.” Steve muttered sarcastically.

Dustin nudged him forwards. “Go on then.”

“Ha ha, Henderson. HA HA.”

 

They wove their way through tables all the way back into the kitchen. It wasn’t too long before they caught up with the girls, who were dragging large bags out of the ridiculously big pantry.

“You could get a whole family in here.” said Steve, waving his arms around. “It’s massive!”

 

They lugged several sacks out to the car, throwing them in the trunk; their biceps were screaming.

“Where am I sitting, then?” Jonathan asked. But he was ignored, so he squidged himself in between two of the sacks and made himself cozy.

Incapable of making alright decisions / And having bad ideas..

Steve’s house wasn’t too far, and the roads were pretty much deserted, so they flew across town in under six minutes, Jonathan hitting his head on something every time they hit a bump or a pothole.

 

“The Harringtonnnn mansionnnn!!!” Robin yelled as they climbed out of the car. “Never gets old.”

“Where is the bath?” El asked, two sacks slung over her shoulders as she staggered up the stairs.

“Oh, just up there and to the right. My parents are…out of town, so don’t worry about them.” Steve swallowed and looked down at his shoes. Being a grown man didn’t stop him from missing his parents when they were off travelling and drinking.

The bathroom was large and fancy— of course. Everything was made of white marble and the purest gold trimmed every edge in sight. Even the toilet brush was expensive. Steve got straight to work, manhandling the water controls, filling the tub until El told him to stop. Pouring in the salt was a team effort, and they had to get the amount just right.

“Mike?” Dustin called on the walkie-talkie. “We’re ready when you are...over.”

 

A moment of silence.

Then a crackle.

 

“Almost ready. Over.”

Chapter 6: The Trick

Notes:

The grand execution of Mike’s plan…

Mike and Will were standing next to the gate, running through last minute details with Dustin. This plan had to work, it just had to.

They turned to Hopper and Joyce one more time. They were handed their weapons— large garden hoes. It was better than nothing, and since neither of them could fire a gun (“No way Nancy is teaching me how to shoot!”), it was their best option.

Joyce grabbed Will’s shoulders and stared him right in the eyes, in a way only a mother could do. “You guys be safe. Okay?? No more than ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes.” Will nodded. “Got it.”

“I love you, sweetie.”

“I love you too, mom.”

“Remember, El’s gonna be keeping an eye on you. Whatever you see, she sees. Whatever you do, she’s right there with you.” Said Hopper.

Hunting season, they will snuff you out..

“Got it.” Mike gave Hopper a small thumbs-up. There was to be no Mike Wheeler Idiocy today. He had come a little way with his whole self-improvement thing since breaking up with El and didn’t want to screw it up now.

He looked to his left to find Will looking right back at him. The burn in his chest came back, this time not of longing and desperation, but of passion and determination.

“We’re a team.” Mike said, grasping Will’s hand as they sunk down, down, down…through the gate…through the strange gloopy layer between dimensions…and then they were crawling upwards, gasping for the stale air.

 

They were in the Upside Down.

 

 

“I’m in Will’s head…” El murmured. “They just arrived.”

Tonight, there’s nothing left to do..

 

Demodogs patrolled the area with murderous intent, gore dripping from their mouths. Vines slithered around their feet, dancing strange, mesmerising circles. Dread, death and despair hung like fog in the air.

Mike and Will were in plain sight and vulnerable.

“Phase One: put Will in danger.” Mike’s voice was extremely shaky. He realised with a jolt: he’d never actually been to the Upside Down before.

But seventh grade Will Byers had survived here for a week.

 

 

“Mike looks…scared.” El twitched.

Nancy clenched her hands in front of her. She was kneeling by the bathtub with everyone else, terrified out of her mind. Her and Mike may not always have got on well, but they were still brother and sister. Robin squeezed her arm softly and gave a gentle smile, letting her know she was here if she needed her. Nancy tried to return that adorable smile and wondered why Jonathan never smiled at her like that.

 

 

Will stepped out in front of Mike. “We have to make it seem…”

“Natural. Yeah, I know. Just…”

They froze in their tracks, tightening their grip on each other. A low panting and growling from behind them sent icy shockwaves down their spines. One dog was right behind them.

“Natural enough for you?” Will hissed, his hands and arms trembling ever so slightly.

“Yeah…this will do.” Mike whispered, feeling the raw scratch of his throat curl around his neck.

 

 

“There’s a demodog behind them. I think they are going to start—“

 

 

“Phase Two: stage a near-death experience.” Will let go of Mike’s hand…ever so slowly, then…

“HEY VECNA!” Mike screamed. “WAKE UP!”

Trademark Mike Wheeler Idiocy. Screw self-improvement— for now.

They ran for their lives, Will bolting straight towards town. Mike dragged behind slightly— he’d never been the fastest runner. And the demodog was threatening to beat him. He waved his garden hoe around in the dog’s face, but it only made him angrier.

“MIKE!” Will yelled over his shoulder. “HE’S AWAKE!” He grabbed the back of his neck in terror.

Mike was still wrestling with the demodog, trying to keep up with Will’s pace, but he just couldn’t. He had to stop. And fight properly. His heavy footsteps slowed until he was stood face to face with the monster, blood dripping onto the floor between them. It pooled next to Mike’s Converse and he took a soft step back, stumbling backwards. He hit the floor with a great thud.

And then he realised something. Something very important.

 

They had to veer away from the plan— just slightly.

 

 

“Mike has stopped running. He fell, but he got back up.”

“Is he okay?” Nancy was panicking more now. “Is he hurt?”

“I don’t know. He is hitting the dog with a…garden hoe. It is…angry. Will is running towards them.”

Jonathan rolled his eyes. Mike could be such an idiot sometimes.

 

 

“MIKE! WHAT THE HELL! THIS IS NOT PART OF THE PLAN!”

Will screeched louder and louder, gawping with horror at Mike’s sudden brutality. The demodog was flailing around blindly, having just collapsed on the floor. Blood spattered everywhere and he

just 

kept

hitting.

The garden hoe was bent out of shape; Will didn’t know Mike held that much power. He continued to hit, arms shaking and sweat dripping, until the demodog breathed its last, with a great heave and a slump to the road.

 

“WHAT WAS THAT FOR? DO YOU REALISE HOW INSANE YOU‘RE ACTING?”

“I figured something out.” He whispered coarsely, the adrenaline of his outburst pulsing through his temples.

“What- what was it?” Will folded his arms.

You never suffer no fools, can’t help but feel that gives me hope..

 

“I don’t think you’re linked to Vecna. Not- not like we thought.”

 

 

El gasped loudly and the water rippled, just as shocked as she was.

“What- what is it?” Jonathan leaned over her face.

Steve tutted. “She can’t see you, dingus.”

He rolled his eyes. Jonathan could be such an idiot sometimes.

“Mike thinks I was wrong. He says,” El strained to listen to their conversation, “he says that Will isn’t linked to Vecna.”

 

 

“What do you mean?” Will asked. “And please, explain yourself while we get the plan back on track.” He looked around for another monster to distract, but they seemed to have retreated for now. Where were the death-bringers when they needed them?

“No.” Mike widened his eyes. “We don’t need to do this.”

My intention was to make you proud..

He stuttered repetitively, trying to untangle the revelation. “If you were linked…then why didn’t you feel anything when he nearly died? When- when he was shot? Thrown out the window?” He must have died…if only for a little bit, like Max. 

“Surely that would have caused something.”

“Oh my God.” Will sat down on the road, his knees up to his chest. “You’re right.”

 

 

El shuddered. “He’s right. It doesn’t make sense.” Why didn’t I think about that before?

Dustin paced the bathroom up and down once or twice before snatching the walkie-talkie from beside the sink.

 

 

“It’s not real! It’s just mind games!” Mike kneeled in front of Will, clutching his face. “It’s just what he wants you to think!” This was the trick all along, he realised with a sickening wave of horror.

“We have to go. Now.” Will stood up so fast, all the blood in his body rushed to his head. His face was a picture of shock but also relief. Nobody had to put their lives on the line anymore— as long as they made it back safely.

 

 

“HOP! JOYCE! PICK UP THE WALKIE! OVER!”

“Dustin! What is it?” Joyce’s hands were shaking so much, she struggled to hold the device.

“MISSION ABORTED! THEY’RE COMING BACK! OVER!”

“Oh my God, what happened??” She tugged at the ends of her hair, trying to process. Dustin didn’t respond for a moment, clearly trying to do the same.

“Henderson!” Hopper barked.

“WILL AND VECNA ARE NOT LINKED. I REPEAT, WILL AND VECNA ARE NOT LINKED….over.”

 

 

They were running so fast, everything was a frantic blur. They had to make it back to the gate, and it was just in sight! Not far left to run, and Mike was grateful for that: his feet were burning and his head was pounding.

Once they got out of here, they could come up with another plan, one that would certainly not involve risking Will’s life, if Mike had any say. They were less than fifty metres from the gate and approaching fast until—

Will hit the floor.

 

“WILL!” Mike yelled, his arm tugged downwards.

“Shit!” Will cried. “I tripped on a vine.”

A vine that was curling sinisterly around Will’s feet as he tried to push himself up from the floor. Mike tore at it without a second thought, but it wasn’t recoiling. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m gonna get you out.” Mike worked quickly but not effectively: his hands kept slipping clumsily over the slick vines. “We’re gonna make it out of here.”

He ignored the snaking feeling around his own ankles and kept clawing at the ones attacking Will. Panicking, he glanced quickly up at his face.

 

His heart jolted into his throat and he soared backwards.

Piece of shit.

 

“Hello Michael.”

 

It was not Will.

 

It was Vecna.

Notes:

IM SORRY GUYS

IM SORRY

 

p.s. I’m going on holiday this weekend 🥳 which means that I can work on the next few chapters (just a warning: it gets *heavy*) but I won’t be able to post 😔

normality resumes on monday!!

q x

Chapter 7: The Curse

Summary:

Vecna interrupts the plan— with one of his own.

Notes:

sorry this took a little longer than expected…but it’s here now.

Of course it was freaking Vecna.

 

“I was wondering when you’d come and visit me.” He hissed, freeing himself from the vines without any effort: he controlled them, after all. They were part of him and they would never hurt him.

“Whatever you do,” Mike gritted his teeth, “just let Will go. Please.” He couldn’t stand for him to come to any more harm, not after everything he’d been through.

 

“And if I was mean to you or — or it seemed like I was pushing you away — it’s probably just because I was scared of losing you, just as you’re scared of losing me.

“And… if I was going to lose you, I think… I’d rather just…get it over with quick… like ripping off a Band-Aid…”

 

Vecna laughed sinisterly. “He’s no use to me anyway. I need…the heart.”

 

Mike’s stomach flipped and his eyesight blurred.

Yes, it’s true..

It was him all along.

 

 

 

“NO!” El screamed.

Everyone leaned in dramatically, demanding an explanation, before bursting into a collective yell.

“What’s happened??”

“El! What’s wrong?”

“Are they hurt?”

“Why have they not got out already??”

“MIKE!” She screamed louder. “MIKE!”

 

 

 

“Without heart…” he pinned Mike to the ground, setting more vines upon his limbs, “they’ll all fall apart.”

Mike groaned loudly and thrashed around, though he knew it was useless. This was how he was going to die. His head slammed against the road; he was surely concussed. If Vecna’s curse didn’t finish him, head trauma would.

“And if they’ve fallen apart…they’ll be much, much easier to defeat.” Vecna curled a purple fist in his face. He hadn’t come out of Nancy, Steve and Robin’s attack very well, despite having the strength to launch this attack. His flesh was scorched and peeling and— did he have a nose before? Because he sure didn’t have one any more.

Mike tried to spit on the ground as he lay squirming, summoning some kind of fake confidence, but his mouth was dry and he was entirely pinned to the floor. Every shred of dignity he once had lay scattered around him in a puddle of pity. He stared wearily up at the red sky and Vecna’s mangled form.

“So this is what you wanted all along? To kill me?” He cried.

“And everyone else.” Vecna paused, leaning down, his face inches from Mike’s. “But to do that, I have to make them vulnerable. And nothing would make them more vulnerable than this.”

 

 

 

Will shook Mike’s shoulders aggressively, tears cascading down his cheeks. Mike was sprawled on his back on the floor like a limp starfish, vines crawling all over him. His eyes rolled back, unseeing. His lips twitched fitfully.

“PLEASE! MIKE! Come back,” Will cried with desperation, “please come back. I need you.”

 

“And I always will.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

 

“…let Will go…please…” Will could hear Mike murmuring fragments of sentences but just couldn’t piece it all together.

“Mike! You have to stay with me.” Will sobbed. “Please.” He held him close, feeling his weak pulse, praying for it all to stop. For Mike to come back to him.

Let the voices echo on / ‘Cause your reflection’s all I want..

But it was out of his hands.

 

 

 

“He’s got him. Vecna!” Nancy cried, grabbing the sides of her head, trying to stop the spinning. “He’s got Mike.”

He had to pull through. He had to. Else what would she tell their parents?? Definitely not the truth.

“What do you see, El? What’s happening?” Dustin’s fingers coiled tightly around the walkie-talkie. Just like vines. He fidgeted anxiously, trying to keep his cool but failing. He couldn’t lose Mike, too.

El struggled to hold back her tears as she narrated what she was seeing through Will’s eyes.

 

She wished it wasn’t true. She wished on all her lucky numbers, charms and stars.

All I needed was to make it right..

 

But it was out of her hands.

 

 

 

“Before I put you out of your…misery,” Vecna scratched a long nail down the side of Mike’s face, “let me show you something.”

Mike was straining so hard against the vines that his whole body shook. It was such an effort to breathe and he didn’t know how long he had left. Blood oozed from his new cheek wound.

“Go on then.” He hissed grimly. He thought he was ready for whatever Vecna had in store for him. “Make it quick.”

 

He sure made it quick..

but it was still torture.

 

In an awful rush of pain, Mike saw everything— everyone.

After they found out he was dead.

It was horrifying. Their reactions, their emotions.

 

He didn’t believe anyone could ever have loved him that much.

 

There was Nancy, trying to explain to their parents and Holly what had happened in a way that made sense to them.

A horrible accident, she whispered through her quiet breakdown. There was nothing we could do to save him.

 

There was El and the extended Party, utterly destroyed. They never saw this coming. They all blamed themselves. Mike was gone - just like that - and they couldn’t go back and change what had already happened.

 

And there was Will.

A different Will that Mike had never seen before. Not his Will.

No, this one was furious. Explosive. Distraught.

 

That hurt Mike the most. Seeing his kind, gentle soulmate acting so aggressive. Pushing away everyone who only wanted to help him, hurting not just their feelings, but his own as well.

 

Without their heart

       they all fell apart.

 

“Make it stop.” The voices built up like a tower in his head, ready to topple at any moment. The voices of everyone he had ever cared about. The screaming, the yelling. The crying.

“MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!”

He tussled with the vines in a flurry of tears but they wouldn’t let him be.

 

“WAIT!” He cried. The burn in his chest was returning: he really couldn’t breathe. But he had one last request.

“LET ME SAY GOODBYE TO WILL.” He wheezed, slowing down his fight. “Please…”

 

 

 

Vecna was not a merciful being. He was cruel and destructive. He only wanted one thing— ultimate power.

But he gave Mike one moment: he knew it would crush Will even more.

 

 

 

“Will. Please...”

Will gasped, dizzy with panic. Mike needed his hero, and he needed him now. “I’m right here! Hold on!”

He was slashing at the vines with the garden hoe, swinging it angrily, but it did nothing. It just made their grip even stronger.

And Mike’s face was getting paler by the second…

 

“I love you…Will.”

 

A croak in Mike’s fading voice.

Will stopped mid-swing. His emotions melted into dread.

 

He knew what this meant.

 

He’d failed.

 

At rescuing his love…his life…his Paladin.

 

He pressed his hand against Mike’s chest, barely visible now under all the vines. He tried to wipe away his tears, but they

just

kept

falling.

 

There was so much he wanted to say. But he could only whisper…

“I love you too.”

 

Mike’s blue lips curled into a half-smile, but his dead eyes remained still.

 

And this was goodbye.

 

 

“I couldn’t save you. I’m sorry.” Will sobbed. “I don’t want you to go.”

Seasons ebb & flow / Life rolls by while we waste away..

“I’ll be here. Forever.” Mike sighed. His left hand twitched weakly and Will clutched it like a drowning swimmer clutches a life ring— tight, against his chest.

Yes, it’s true, I do it all for you.

 

With trembling fingers, Will nudged his eyelids closed and gave them both a soft, sorrowful kiss. Blood began to trickle down from where his lips had been.

Is this real love? I think it is..

 

The vines squirmed around him and started moving….slow at first, then sharply away.

Taking Mike with them.

 

Their hands were torn apart as Mike washed away with the tide. The evil vines snatched him roughly, a wild sea of destruction.

Will scrambled down the road after them, sobbing and screaming, but he just couldn’t catch up. Where were they even going?

 

He stumbled and tripped, but he kept running. He would keep running this road forever if he had to. Anything so he and Mike could stay together.

He took a bad fall over a split in the tarmac, cursing his sudden clumsiness. Not caring about the blood all over his hands and knees, he looked up to keep going, but—

 

Mike was gone.

 

 

The vines he’d been knotted up with had vanished.

And with them, the love of Will’s life.

 

 

 

 

“GET HIM OUT OF THERE!” Dustin screamed. “RIGHT NOW!” He was hyperventilating down the walkie-talkie, more distressed than he thought possible.

“O-okay! Hopper’s going in now.” Joyce’s voice crackled back innocently. “What’s wrong?”

 

Everything.

Everything was wrong.

 

They hadn’t done enough, and… and…

 

 

 

“OH MY GOD! WILL! BABY!”

Hopper emerged from the gate, cradling an unconscious Will in his arms. He set him down on the ground, where Joyce took him in a tight embrace. He was still breathing. That was one good thing, at least.

“Where’s Mike?” She demanded.

 

Hopper inhaled sharply. “Joyce…”

“What? Where is h—”

 

It slammed right into her.

 

Oh my God.

 

Joyce looked down at Will in her arms, tear-streaked and bloodied, and felt through his soft frame everything that had happened. Everything he’d seen.

 

She started to cry, a thick, ugly sob, and didn’t know when she’d stop.

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

‘his love…his life…his Paladin.’

 

they break my heart

 

but trust me guys, as the tags say, “it gets worse before it gets better”

Chapter 8: The Remembering

Summary:

Will forgets

and remembers all over again.

“I love you, Will.”

“I love you too.”

“…”

“What are you doing?”

“…”

“Oh…oh my god. Oh my god!”

 

Will’s heart soared. Mike was down on one knee in front of him, his eyes crinkling at the sides, his cheeks flushed with the cutest pink. They were stood in a stunning European town square, the most romantic place they’d ever been.

 

“William Byers…will you marry me?”

 

Will was stunned, elated and full of pure glee.

 

“Yes! Of course! Yes!”

They kissed and Will felt complete. This was all he ever needed, and judging by the sigh of contentment Mike let out as he slid the ring onto Will’s finger, it was all he ever needed too.

Around them, people clapped and cheered excitedly.

 

Hang on a second.

 

 

Will bristled, feeling a strange chill all down his body.

 

That’s how he knew it wasn’t real.

 

People like him and Mike didn’t get moments like these. They didn’t get to be engaged or married, or live the lives they truly wanted. They were cast out, rejected and shamed. Because they were made to believe that they were freaks. That they were mistakes.

So none of this was real.

 

 

He was free falling then, disconnected from the dream.

He landed in his bed, back in California, with a jolt. Disorientated and grumpy, he rubbed his eyes and rolled over, face-to-face with—

“Mike.” He whispered, prodding his shoulder. “Miiiiike. Wake up.”

He waited a few moments, but Mike didn’t stir. He was fast asleep on his back.

 

“Mike.” Will whispered in his ear. His curly hair fluttered with Will’s breath. But he still didn’t move.

Concerned, Will sat up and stared over his face.

 

He shouldn’t have done that.

 

Mike’s eyes were rolled all the way back, glassy shells of the beauty they once held. They leaked thick scarlet blood in wobbly streaks on his face. His mouth was closed, but his lips were an asphyxiated shade of blue.

 

And this was somewhat real.

 

 

 

Will woke in a cold sweat with a sharp, painful gasp.

He was not in California, but in…what looked like the hospital.

“Will!”

He turned to see Jonathan, gripping his hand tightly, eyes wide and bloodshot. There was nobody else in the room.

 

“Where’s Mom?” Will croaked, abruptly concerned.

“She’s just with Hopper, grabbing a coffee. It’s been a long day.” Jonathan rubbed his eyes. “Are you…okay?”

“Just a nightmare.” Will sighed. “Are you okay?”

Jonathan nodded, but Will didn’t believe him.

 

“Where’s Nancy?”

Will couldn’t remember a single thing about the long day they’d apparently had, but he was trying not to worry his brother. He thought that asking people’s whereabouts might help him remember something.

Jonathan’s jaw quivered. “Nancy, uh…had to go home. To talk to her parents.” He rubbed his fingers along Will’s knuckles. “You know.” His voice was small and fragile.

 

Will scrunched his face up. He didn’t want to lie. Friends don’t lie, and nor do brothers. “No. I don’t.” Jonathan already seemed worried about something, anyway.

It was at that point that Joyce and Hopper burst into the room, holding three coffees between them.

 

“He’s awake!” Joyce smiled. It was slightly cracked, but it was beautiful.

“Mom—” Jonathan started, but was interrupted.

“Oh baby.” Joyce handed the coffee to Hopper - who set all three down on Will’s bedside - and perched on the edge of his bed, gripping his other hand.

“Mom.” Jonathan’s tone was stern. “He doesn’t remember.”

Joyce’s hand flew to her mouth and she made a little squeak. Hopper leaned against the wall and folded his arms, his mouth set in a tight line.

“Where’s El?” Will asked. “Where’s Mike?”

 

It was as if the earth slid out from under Jonathan’s feet.

He buried his head in his hands, debating what to do.

It might be a good idea to lie to him. To spin a fake story for reassurance. Because if he told Will what happened…the pain could be too much to bear.

 

“Try and…jog his memory.” Said Hopper. “We need to make sure he remembers.”

Jonathan nodded grimly. As hard as it was, he couldn’t gaslight his little brother.

 

Will was growing more and more confused. And concerned. All he had asked was where his sister and his boyfriend were. Nobody was giving him any answers, just speaking in some code he ‘doesn’t remember’.

“You know when we came up with that plan. To trick Vecna into breaking the link between you and him?” Jonathan mumbled.

 

Will did remember that.

 

“Well, yesterday…you and Mike went into the Upside Down.”

Will looked around: Jonathan was crying slightly, Joyce too. Hopper stood still and didn’t move at all. What could possibly have—

 

Oh.

 

Oh.

 

 

It hit him like a ten-tonne truck.

He remembered everything.

It flashed before his eyes like a whole lifetime.

 

He couldn’t hold it together any longer. He was broken and weak.

“I’m so sorry.” Joyce placed a soft kiss on his hand. “We’re all here for y—”

“No!” Will shouted, pulling his hand back. “No!”

 

He was mourning his best friend of a decade, his boyfriend, his soulmate.

And his future— their future.

 

He was absolutely furious.

 

They weren’t ever going to go on a real date.

They weren’t ever going to fight in the rain and make out immediately after.

They weren’t ever going to have a vacation.

They weren’t ever going to live with each other.

 

They weren’t ever going to be together again.

 

 

Will suddenly regretted everything.

Not confessing his feelings sooner so they’d have more time.

Not telling the truth about the painting from the beginning.

Not staying up on their first and final night.

 

Not doing enough to save him.

 

 

He cried for hours, so utterly dehydrated, wishing he could

 

undo

 

everything.

 

 

Nurses and doctors came and went, but Joyce and Jonathan stayed by his side the whole time. Hopper had to go back to work eventually, though the others stayed until Will was discharged, which was around midnight.

They drove home in total quiet in the pitch black.

Don’t understand it, oh / Don’t care that time keeps marching on / Can’t comprehend it, oh..

 

Will was shellshocked, dejected and incredibly angry.

 

Notes:

this chapter was hard to write but it’s very important to me ❤️‍🩹

Chapter 9: The Middle

Summary:

Max is stuck in the middle.

“LUCAS!” Max would not stop screaming until he heard her, even if it took years. She needed him to know she was there.

You know I didn’t want to have to haunt you / But what a ghostly scene..

She had no way of knowing how long she’d been like this, but it must have been weeks. The trauma was fresh all over her mind. Every thought she had was painful, and she couldn’t get any rest.

Maybe that was a good thing. If she slept, would she ever be able to wake up again?

 

She missed Lucas most of all, of course, but she was desperate to see everyone else as well. She had to thank El for reviving her. How do you even begin to thank someone for something as heroic as that? Max had no idea.

I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace..

It was also incredibly dull here with nobody to talk to. She’d love to have a conversation with a friend, even if it was short or mundane. It would be nice to just…chat.

 

Hell, she’d even talk to Mike right now. He was her favourite idiot, after all.

 

“LUCAS!” She tried again on impulse, no longer expecting a response. But—

“MAX!”

 

A familiar whine. But who was it??

 

“WHO’S THERE?” She yelled back.

 

“It’s- it’s Mike.”

His voice was right up close to her face, which unnerved her.

 

But she was so, so relieved.

 

“Oh my god, you can hear me?” She gasped. “Can you see me??”

She felt his hand on hers. Human connection.

 

“Not very well.” Mike pulled his hand away. “I think Vecna messed with my vision.” Everything was cloudy and unclear; it hurt for him to blink.

Max swallowed, realising what this meant. “He got you too, then? Bad luck, Wheeler.”

 

Mike sat down next to her blurred shape. He couldn’t see much, but he sensed they were somewhere…else. Everything was dark and empty, apart from him and Max. They were real.

“Yeah.” He sighed mournfully. “We were in the Upside Down, Will and I, and…”

Max reached out for him. “What happened?”

Mike took her hand gently. He didn’t want to think about it, about how the future Vecna showed him was now the present. About how he’d been used, just another pawn in Vecna’s evil game. About how he ached for Will more than anything right now.

Time can give / Can give / And life can take / Can take away..

 

“It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it.”

 

Mike thanked her and they sat in silence for a while. He suddenly realised he had a lot to say to her.

“We all miss you. So much. It…it’s been really hard. You’re in a coma, in the hospital, if you didn’t know. Lucas hasn’t left your bedside. El’s been so depressed. They feel awful, I guess. It’s been difficult to…know what to do.”

 

Max tried to process, but all she heard were names.

Lucas. El.

 

More time passed, just the two of them…wherever they were.

“Where are we?” Mike asked. “Is it, like, the afterlife?”

“It’s not as nice as I imagined.”

I can go anywhere I want / Anywhere I want / Just not home..

 

Mike laughed darkly. “Where’s everyone else, then?”

Where’s Eddie? a voice whispered in the back of his mind. It stung too much to dwell on. He was already twisting with guilt— had he been grieving enough? Eddie had played such an important part in Mike’s life and now he was just…gone. Mike had been internalising all his feelings; now he doubted how healthy that had been.

 

“I hadn’t thought about that.” Max inhaled sharply.

“Surely they’d all be…” Mike widened his eyes.

His second big revelation of the day.

 

“Wait. You’re not dead.”

 

He turned to Max, but of course she just stared blankly ahead. “I’m not dead yet.”

Mike stuttered clumsily. “Maybe this isn’t the afterlife, then. Maybe this is…the middle.”

 

The middle.

 

“Think about it,” he continued, “you’re in a coma and I’m…”

“Dead.”

 

Mike scoffed, rolling his damaged eyes. “Funny. But…this place isn’t ‘dead’. It’s dying.” He gasped. “What if there’s a way to get back?”

“And how are we figuring that out?” Said Max. “Who’s to say if you’re right or not?”

Mike sighed grumpily, leaning back on his palms. This place was truly weird: he couldn’t see a floor, as such, but they were sat on some flat surface. And they were breathing, but…how could there be oxygen??

 

“We have to escape.”

 

“Look.” Max said, taking a long pause. “I want to get out just as much as you. But for now, there’s nothing we can do.”

“You think we should wait??” Mike spat, exasperated.

“Yes!” Max laughed. “What’s your plan, Mr Wheeler? That’s right: ‘escape’.”

 

Plans hadn’t been working out too well recently.

 

“Besides.” Max continued. “You need to catch me up on EVERYTHING. None of that Upside Down bullshit, we’ve been through too much of that.”

Mike frowned. “What is there to say?…”

“How are you and El? Still America’s favourite couple?” Max drawled sarcastically.

That made Mike laugh; Max raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

 

“We broke up.” Mike looked at his muddied Converse and smiled. “I, erm…found someone else.”

“Someone new?”

He laughed again. “Not strictly new.”

Max slapped her hand to her mouth. “No way! Byler is real!”

 

“What’s Byler?” Mike asked curiously, though he had a sneaking suspicion...

“It’s your couple name! You know. Byers and Wheeler.”

 

If Mike had a drink, it would have come up through his nose.

 

“Since when did we have a couple name?” He scrunched up his face in embarrassment. “I swear to God, if it was—”

“Dustin, yep.” Max laughed.

Mike groaned, lying back against the fake ground. “Was it that obvious? To literally everyone?”

“Oh, yeah.” Said Max. “Painfully.”

 

Mike shook his head. He had been so dumb, for so long.

 

And now he may never see his love again.

 

His shoulders started shaking and he realised…he was crying. Oh God. Max had been trying to lighten the mood but…

“I’m sorry, Mike.” Max reached out her hand and rubbed his back. “It’s really not fair, is it?”

 

 

Way to ruin the nice moment, Wheeler.

 

 

 

Notes:

some platonic madwheeler for y’all 🧡💙

Chapter 10: The ‘Truth’

Summary:

Nancy tells the ‘truth’ about Mike to her parents.

Nancy Wheeler was an emotional wreck.

But she had to try and be strong.

 

“Nancy!” Karen called, as Nancy let herself in the house. “Where have you been all day?”

Where had Nancy been all day?

Oh, that’s right. At the hospital with Jonathan and Will, trying to get her head clear enough to form an idea of how to explain why

Mike wasn’t coming home.

 

It only sunk in fully when she got home, seeing his shoes piled up by the door, his coat on the hook, his sweater on the staircase. It made her head hurt and her heart burn. Her little brother…

wasn’t coming home.

And that was more pain than she’d felt since…since Barb.

 

“Nancy?” Karen approached her slowly, slinging the oven mitts over her shoulder. “What’s wrong? Where’s Michael?”

“He…” Nancy choked. “He…”

 

Screw being strong.

 

“Oh honey.” Karen’s hand flew to her mouth.

She led her shaking daughter into the living room, where Ted was snoozing in front of the television, Holly sitting quietly on his lap. This was their family now that

Mike wasn’t coming home.

This was it…just the four of them.

 

How they could be so oblivious frustrated Nancy to no end. She was jealous of their simple happiness, their untouched innocence, but of course they didn’t know— about anything. If they knew…Nancy would never be allowed to leave the house again.

 

Karen smacked Ted lightly on the arm. “Wake up, Theodore.”

He grumbled in annoyance, taking off his glasses to rub his dozy eyes.

 

She sat down next to her daughter on the sofa, clutching her arm. “What’s going on, Nancy? You know you can tell us anything.”

But she couldn’t. She was backed into a corner, and as much as she wanted to tell the truth, she had to twist it.

 

“Mike…isn’t coming home.”

 

 

The corners of Karen’s mouth twitched, like she knew what Nancy meant but didn’t want it to be true.

“Where- where is he?” She gripped Nancy’s arm even harder.

“I’m so sorry…” Nancy whispered. “I’m so sorry…”

“What are you sorry for?” Ted mumbled.

 

Nancy breathed in, breathed through, breathed deep, breathed out. Whatever she came out with now would be her brother’s legacy. He wouldn’t be known for what he really was: brave.

“There was…a horrible accident.” Her voice was scratchy. She hadn’t drunk anything since yesterday, she realised. But she had bigger things to sort out right now.

Karen gasped in horror, tears pooling around her perfect eyeliner. Holly looked at her dad, confused. She didn’t know what her big sister was talking about: she simply didn’t understand, and that broke Nancy’s heart even more.

 

None of them would ever understand.

 

She had to keep going with this story. She couldn’t undo telling her parents that their son was killed in an accident— which wasn’t entirely false. Hadn’t the whole thing been one big accident?

 

No.

It was all part of Vecna’s plan.

 

“There was,” she scrunched her face up to try and slow the tears, “nothing we could do to save him.”

 

 

Mike wasn’t coming home..

and it killed Nancy to admit.

 

 

Notes:

hey guys-

I just wanted to say, since we’re quite close to the end of this fic (aaahhhhh), I’ve been working on a few other ideas that I’m really excited to share with y’all..

 

but for now, enjoy the last few chapters (maybe four or five more and then a double epilogue, at the moment!)

q x

Chapter 11: The Mixtape

Summary:

El makes a new discovery…

They had previously arranged to meet at Steve’s mansion the next day, but Jonathan, Will and Nancy didn’t show- nobody could get hold of them.

Joyce and Hopper were absent too, which left Steve as group parental figure.

And Lucas couldn’t come (he was with Max) so Dustin brought Erica.

You gotta get yourself together, kid / You gotta get it together..

They needed as many hands as possible for the next phase: they’d lost too many already. There were only five of them in the room right now.

 

“New plan.” El sighed. “We can’t be weak. That’s what he wants.”

She hadn’t slept at all: she had been too busy planning. Like last time, but harder. Because this time she was determined to make sure that Mike’s death hadn’t been for nothing.

Everyone was grieving…and processing differently.

 

“We all need to get involved as much as possible. Tricking him won’t work,” she breathed in slowly from her nose, “so we need to physically attack him, like last time.” There was a sharp pain in her chest that wasn’t easing, no matter how hard she tried to calm it. She wondered how long it would last.

Steve’s eyes widened. Robin noticed and nudged him hard in the ribs.

“Care to share your thoughts with the class?”

“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking, mister?” Said Erica. “The weapon you never shut up about?”

It had always been his first choice. Even though Jonathan created it, Steve had been the one to trademark it.

 

Dustin already regretted bringing Erica— if she wasn’t going to take this seriously or give their ideas a shot, what was the use of her being here? But he was too numb to say anything.

Just what you’re worth..

 

“What is the weapon?” El asked.

Steve spluttered. “It’s more of a concept than a—”

Robin shook her head. “It’s a baseball bat with nails hammered into it.”

Steve threw his hands up.

 

“That will…hurt him. I don’t see why we can’t try it.” El nodded. She’d try anything at this point, she was just so tired. “And I nearly forgot,” she spun around to grab something from her bag, “but I brought these. From home.”

They were tapes.

She splayed them out on the table in front of her.

 

“We need these to help us…escape. If we get cursed.”

Dustin leaned forwards and started flicking slowly through them. Most of them were obviously Will’s — The Clash, The Cure, The Smiths. But one especially caught his eye.

 

To Will,

Love Mike.

 

 

He held it up to read it better.

 

 

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

The Chain - Fleetwood Mac

Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat

Don’t You Want Me - The Human League

Heroes - David Bowie

 

 

It sat innocently in his lap. A reminder of better days.

 

Steve glanced over and read the surprisingly neat handwriting on the case. “Who knew? Wheeler was a real romantic, after all.”

Robin sighed. “That’s adorable.”

But it was also devastating. Mike and Will had been torn apart, just hours after confessing their love for each other. Their story would live on forever, in Will and in this mixtape, but Mike was really gone.

The more she thought about it, the more Robin ached.

She knew Nancy wasn’t coping well, and that just made her feel helpless. What do you say to someone when their brother is cursed and murdered by a hell demon?

 

Are you okay?

Bullshit.

 

Her feet had taken her to the Wheelers’ house that very morning, but nobody answered when she knocked, and she wasn’t to disturb the family who were very clearly struggling. Although she desperately wanted to make Nancy smile, if only for a moment.

 

 

“Have a look through and find something you like.” Said El.

She stroked her own tape with her fingers, remembering the first time she heard Madonna. It was her shopping spree in the mall with…

 

Max.

Wait. Max.

 

An idea struck her suddenly, almost knocking her off her feet.

Why hadn’t she thought of this before?

She literally had powers. She could check on Max whenever she wanted.

 

And she wanted to do it now.

 

“Can I use your bathroom?” She asked Steve.

“Of course, kid. You know where it is.”

 

On the first floor, she reached into what she presumed was Steve’s bedroom and snatched a radio off his chest of drawers to use as static.

She sat herself in the bathtub, still slightly salty from yesterday’s failed mission, and turned the radio all the way up.

Nervously, she closed her eyes and focused. She didn’t know where she would find her, but she knew that Max was out there somewhere. Ready for El to discover her.

 

 

She let the darkness swallow her whole as she concentrated. It didn’t take long— she was getting really good at it by now.

 

And there she was. Max.

So close that El could reach out and touch her.

And all I needed was to make it right..

She sat on the floor with her knees hugged up to her chest, her braids falling loosely around. Her eyes were glassy, like they had been when she “died”, but her bones seemed to all be intact.

El smiled sadly, reassured that Max was still around somewhere, but upset she didn’t know where or how to bring her back.

 

They were in some kind of strange void, where there seemed to be nothing but them.

But…who was Max talking to? It couldn’t have been El.

 

El spun around curiously, only to find herself face to face with—

 

“Mike!”

 

She gasped in shock.

Her heart leapt into action.

 

He was pacing back and forth, chewing on the edge of his thumb, oblivious to El’s presence. His face was pale and his clothes were bloodied, but he was very much here.

 

 

Wait.

 

If he was here…with Max…who was in a coma…

 

Was he still alive after all?

 

 

El sat down on the floor next to Max, desperate to reach out and hold her hand. She looked up at Mike, still pacing, his cloudy eyes fixed on some distant point.

They had stopped talking now, which frustrated her deeply. How much longer could she stay here? She wasn’t sure, but she needed as much information as possible. Which was hard in silence.

 

Nobody spoke for twenty minutes. El learned nothing.

 

She didn’t want to give up, but she could hear a knock on the door and it was pulling her out…out of the space…

away from Max and Mike…

 

 

“El?” Dustin spoke softly. “Are you okay in there?”

El sprung out of the bath, a strong hope rising in her chest. She switched the radio off, flung the door open and stared Dustin deep in the eyes.

“I know something.” She whispered. “But you can’t tell anyone.”

 

In case it wasn’t true after all.

She just had to get it off her chest: she was tired of the pain.

 

Dustin came into the bathroom and closed the door quietly behind him. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

El paced the length of the bathroom, much like Dustin had been doing yesterday. Much like Mike was doing…wherever he was.

“I went to look for Max.”

Dustin’s eyes widened. “You can do that?” He stepped towards her curiously. “Can you do that with everyone?”

 

El shrugged, not confident to explain how it worked when she didn’t fully understand it herself.

Dustin nodded, crushing his own small hope he had of seeing Eddie again.

 

“Did you find her?”

“Yes.”

“Was she…”

“She’s okay.” El placed a hand on Dustin’s shoulder. “She’s still around…somewhere.”

 

Dustin couldn’t quite get to grips with this. “So you don’t know where she was when you found her?”

“No.” El frowned. “It was like an empty space. But she was there with…with…”

 

If she said his name, it couldn’t be unsaid.

But she had to share her hope.

 

“With Mike.”

 

 

Dustin staggered backwards like he’d been shot.

His mouth gaped open and flapped shut again a couple of times.

 

“But you saw him…”

Murdered.

“I know.” El rubbed the back of her head, trying to string her thoughts together. “But what if he wasn’t? He was there with Max. And she’s alive.”

 

 

Dustin pursed his lips tight and sat down on the edge of the bathtub.

If he chose to believe El, he’d be filling himself with the most powerful belief.

And if she was wrong, and Mike was dead like everyone thought, then he’d be devastated.

 

But he didn’t think he could sink lower than he already had.

 

So he chose to be hopeful.

 

 

“You really can’t tell anyone.” El hissed as they ambled downstairs. “You promise?”

Dustin stopped and turned around, holding out a pinkie finger. “I promise.”

 

El latched onto his finger and they shook once.

 

Friends don’t lie— or break promises.

 

 

So Dustin kept his word.

 

 

 

Notes:

the next few chapters will be uploaded by the end of the week…I’ve been so busy the last few days that I’ve only just begun editing.

hang tight…it’s the final fight.

Chapter 12: The Second Plan

Summary:

The Scoops Troop embark on another mission…
their final one.

“He’s hibernating.” El reassured everyone as they gathered around the gate— the one at the trailer park. “I will wake him up when we’re ready. Just don’t touch the vines…or the monsters.”

Everyone was terrified out of their minds, but they had to keep going. They were so close to the end. This really was the final fight.

 

“Ladies first.” Steve smiled, running a hand through his hair and offering El a leg-up.

Don’t change for anyone..

She accepted it, thanking him sincerely, and pushed off his hands with her trainers, grasping at the gate, landing with a polite squelch on the other side.

Erica was less gracious, stomping on Steve’s hand and hauling herself up without a word.

Pull your trousers up, you’re hosing it..

Robin raised her eyebrows playfully when Steve readied himself to help her. He was squatting unnecessarily deep and flexing his hands like an athlete.

“Cut it out, Harrington. I’ve got a gun. And I know how to use it.”

Thanks to Nancy.

I’m gonna kill you / If you don’t beat me to it..

She thrust her foot in his hands and let him shove her upwards with mock difficulty.

 

Steve wiped his hands on his jeans, grimy with everyone’s shoe dirt.

He turned to Dustin, who was setting up a fold-out chair beneath the gate.

“Where’s that from?” Steve nudged it with his foot, folding his arms across his chest as Dustin clambered onto the chair. “Might have been useful a minute ago.”

 

Dustin shook his head. “It was fun watching them stand on you.”

 

*

 

Steve ran a hand through his hair. Again.

The four of them - Steve, Dustin, Erica and Robin - were hard at work in the Upside Down Harringtons’ basement. A Scoops Troop reunion of sorts. El was hiding outside, getting ready to wake Vecna.

“Steve, stop running your hand through your hair.” Robin grimaced, hammering nails into a baseball bat. “There’s plenty of time for that after we save Hawkins.”

Erica was working loudly and aggressively, though she was moving a lot faster than the rest of them. Steve was jealous of her excellent technique.

“Careful, Sinclair. Don’t want you to lose a finger.” He wiggled an eyebrow. Erica frowned with a look that screamed ‘do I care??’.

“Shut up and keep going!” Dustin hissed.

 

Steve apologised and ran a hand through his— nope. He stopped himself.

 

“Let’s run through the plan. One last time.” Said Robin.

Steve cleared his throat, picking up his bat and lining up the next nail. “Step One: El wakes Vecna from his nap. Step Two: she throws him with her mind powers. Step Three: smash his ass with these.” He wiggled the bat in the air. “Or we have Robin’s gun, but that’s only for dire emergency. Step Four: Vecna dies and a new gate opens. Step Five: leave through that gate.”

“Then what?” Erica was still getting to know this plan.

“Then El closes the gate, and, well. Vecna’s dead, so…no Upside Down anymore.” Steve shrugged. He was very familiar with the plan— enough to know it wouldn’t work. Vecna would definitely see all four of them coming; there was more of them to take down. More of them to hurt.

 

Steve had his own plan, but it would have to remain a secret. Until the very last moment.

 

“We have to get it right.” Dustin clenched his jaw tight. “We can’t let their deaths be for nothing.”

Them.

Eddie and Mike.

 

The Scoops Troop held a moment of silence for their beloved fallen soldiers.

 

“Of course.” Steve said, placing a comforting hand on Dustin’s arm. “We’re putting an end to this, whether Vecna likes it or not.”

“And no more sacrifices.” Dustin said flatly.

“No more bullshit.” Steve rubbed his arm compassionately, trying to cheer his buddy up. He really would do anything for Dustin.

Please don’t change for anyone..

 

He’d do anything for any of them, really.

 

Nancy, even though she was his ex.

Jonathan, her new boyfriend. He and Steve hadn’t always seen eye to eye, but he knew he was a good guy.

Erica and Lucas, who were somehow polar opposites and the exact same person at once.

Will, though they’d not spent a lot of time together. Steve regretted that: he seemed good and selfless like his brother.

Max, despite the fact that she was in a coma.

Eleven— the superhero. But also the girl who’d only ever been a sweetheart to everyone.

Hopper and Joyce. The couple from…out of nowhere, it seemed.

 

Robin. His platonic soulmate. There were no more words for her.

She was Steve’s best friend— his whole world.

 

From beyond the grave, Eddie. Who always left Steve wondering what the hell he meant, and desperately needing to know more. He really missed that guy, despite being known as the freak.

Because Steve knew the real Eddie.

The compassionate, the brave, the one who’d stayed hidden from everyone else.

 

And Mike as well. Steve remembered him from a young age: when he’d hang out at Nancy’s, Mike would always be around, listening to the airwaves or chatting on his walkie-talkie, simultaneously scribbling away in a notebook. Romantic poetry, Nancy had joked. Now Steve knew that may as well have been true.

 

But ultimately, Dustin. The kid who let Steve into his world of adventure, into his friendships, into his life. He didn’t know what kind of a person he’d be if he hadn’t bumped into Dustin that day.

 

What Steve had been planning wouldn’t be easy on him.

 

*

 

They climbed the stairs - as a Troop - up from the basement in single file, each step bringing them closer to a safer Hawkins, one without Vecna and the Upside Down. One where they could live normal lives.

Robin checked the time on her battered watch. “El should be—”

She was cut off by a loud whoosh noise that erupted from outside. It shook the very core of the house; the Troop stumbled chaotically on top of each other, trying to dodge the art sliding off the walls and the furniture threatening to topple.

 

They staggered to the window to see Eleven using her incredible power to throw an awakened Vecna across the Harringtons’ front yard.

“She must have great core strength.” Robin marvelled, her heart still shaking from the whoosh.

 

“No shit,” Erica laughed, “look at her now!”

 

 

 

El was in her element. Her El-ement, if you will.

It hadn’t been hard to wake Vecna— all she had to do was attack the vines. What was hard was dealing with the flashbacks that tied her up in knots. Seeing Mike twisted in the vines, choking and begging, watching his soul leave his body, was something she’d never forget.

The hope that he might be alive gave her the strength to push on through.

 

 

Once Vecna was awake, he came right to her. She had already slotted her headphones on and pressed play on ‘Material Girl’. She was…ready.

The first blow she sent out was especially strong. It made a noise so loud, it drowned out Madonna for a moment. But El remained strong, feeling her stance over Vecna as he lay sprawling course through her body like gold, leaving her with a new, uplifting feeling in her chest.

 

Power.

 

 

 

“Is she levitating??” Robin pressed her nose to the window.

El was, in fact, levitating. It was extraordinary.

“We have to go!” Erica shouted, brandishing her weapon.

I’m chasing dreams since I left the womb..

 

Dustin made a move for the door handle, full of anger and vengeful energy—

but Steve blocked his way.

 

Step Three— revised.

 

 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Dustin yelled, trying to shove Steve aside. “WE HAVE TO GO HELP HER!”

Oh, Dustybuns. Such a sweet, sweet kid.

Steve shook his head resolutely, using himself as a barrier between the Troop and the door.

 

“Move!”

“COME ON!”

“What the hell?”

“Steve…”

 

He resisted their pushes and shoves, a block forming in his throat.

 

“WE HAVE TO KILL HIM! FOR HAWKINS! FOR MIKE! FOR EDDIE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.” Dustin’s face was deep red. His nostrils flared in annoyance.

“Move your ass, Harrington! We’ve got Vecna’s to kick.” Erica raised an eyebrow, swinging her bat around.

“Steve…” Robin’s chin trembled. “Are you…”

 

“I’m going out in style.” He pulled out his headphones, flipping one over his ear. “And you’re staying right here until the gate opens. Then you get out as fast as you—”

“NO.” Dustin yelled, reaching out for Steve’s arm. “YOU’RE NOT.”

 

Robin’s eyes were spilling shaky tears. She set her bat down on the floor and clutched the gun tight to her chest. “You don’t have to do this alone. We can fight with you.”

Steve shook his head. “You know that’s not true. I can’t let you put yourselves in danger.”

 

He couldn’t.

He couldn’t, he couldn’t, he couldn’t.

 

So now he had to go.

 

He looked them all in the eyes.

One last time.

 

“I have to protect you guys. Because I love you.”

 

 

He shook Erica’s hand. He curled his arm around Robin’s shoulders and squeezed tight. He took Dustin in the tight kind of hug only a mother can give.

He ignored their protests and shrugged off their latching arms.

 

 

And then he was out of the door.

 

It was slammed shut and locked before they knew it.

 

Notes:

next chapter on the weekend!

Chapter 13: The Final Fight

Summary:

“You ain’t got forever, buddy…”

“Neither do you.”

Dustin was hammering furiously on the door, breaking down further with each sob. “I can’t lose you too. I can’t lose you.”

Robin rushed to the window, desperate to break through. But the butt of the gun wasn’t affecting the double glazing at all.

She watched Steve walk away, ignoring their screaming and yelling.

 

Why was she always left so helpless?

 

 

Steve was choking back his tears. It was time to save the day, not get overemotional.

If El could disable Vecna (like she already had) then he could finish the job. Putting nobody but himself in danger. He felt confident he could do it, though it hurt like hell to leave everyone behind.

He turned for one last look at them— to be sure this was for the best.

 

Robin was shaking intensely, trying to smash through the window, yelling Steve’s name at alarming volume.

Dustin was still pounding on the door; Steve couldn’t see him.

Erica stood a foot back from the window, saluting to Steve. A single tear slid down her face and off her chin, but she didn’t wipe it away.

 

Steve pulled the headphones fully over his ears.

When’s the last time we both talked?..

A deep breath. Inhale through the nose…exhale through the mouth.

Well, Jesus, Hal, it’s been so long..

He waved calmly, masking his sadness under a hero’s smile.

I only know this now ‘cause you’ve written it out..

This shattering image would stay with him forever.

“We’ll always have Scoops.” He murmured.

You said please don’t change for anyone..

He turned away, determined to execute the plan.]

 

Vecna was lying on the road ten feet away, in El’s chokehold as she levitated above. He writhed and squirmed in pain, sending vines slithering towards El and Steve.

“I’ll take him from here, El.” Steve smiled, wielding his bat proudly.

 

El reached for the ground with her feet, landing with a strong stance. She kept an arm outstretched in front of her, not letting Vecna out of her hold.

“Not on your own.” She croaked.

 

Steve nodded, stepping further from El and closer to Vecna. “Thanks for everything. Give my love to the family.”

He tossed her the house key and she caught it one-handed, with a bewildered expression.

 

Were we innocent or dumb?..

Vecna had survived being set on fire, shot multiple times with a shotgun and being thrown from three stories, but he hadn’t had the classic Harrington treatment yet.

Thinking we’d have say in what we’d become..

El wasn’t letting go. She opened her mouth to protest, but she couldn’t speak. She tried to move her feet, but nothing happened. Her battery was draining fast. Steve cast her a grateful smile.

Until next we meet..

He raised his bat high, muttering his final prayers.

At the mall in my dreams..

Behind him, El was struggling. She didn’t know how much longer she could stand, let alone keep Vecna under her control. But she had to give Steve enough time— he didn’t need to sacrifice himself for them all. Didn’t he?

I mean it, please don’t change for anyone..

 

SMACK! One blow to the head from Steve…and Vecna was howling. Thick, slimy blood sprayed everywhere, drenching Steve’s clothes.

 

Don’t change for anyone..

 

SMACK! Another blow. Vecna’s head split open and his flesh began to melt.

Steve grinned: his plan was going better than expected.

 

Don’t change for anyone..

 

THWACK.

 

Uh oh. That wasn’t a smack.

 

The bat was knocked out of Steve’s grip. Vecna was semi-conscious…and entirely angry.

 

“You ain’t got forever, buddy.” Steve feigned dominance, secretly panicking without his weapon. He looked around his feet for it and—

There it was! Next to Vecna’s left leg.

Steve laughed, retrieving the bat, deliriously high on confident heroism. He lined up his next hit…

 

“Neither do you.” Vecna growled, setting a vine on Steve’s leg. It curled and constricted his blood flow, but he refused to wince. He refused to give Vecna that victory.

“Come on then!” Steve swung and…SMACK! “I give you twenty seconds.” Another SMACK.

 

Don’t change for anyone..

 

Steve yelled powerfully and hit

 

one

last

time.

 

“We’ve got the upper hand. Always.”

SMACK!

 

Don’t change for anyone.

 

The final gate opened up beneath Vecna as life slipped away from him. The vine went slack around Steve’s leg and he stepped out triumphantly. El crawled away feebly with the key to his mansion, ready for the final phase— escape.

With all the strength in his arms, Steve dragged Vecna aside from the gate to stop him from passing through it.

He was still disbelieving that he’d actually done it.

 

He killed Vecna.

He killed Vecna.

 

Without being murdered in the process.

 

He laughed triumphantly down at Vecna’s corpse, removing his headphones, letting out a cathartic noise of—

premature celebration.

 

 

Vecna wasn’t done yet.

 

With his very last breath…his final ounce of energy…he seized control of Steve’s body.

 

Mercilessly, he threw him in the air and let him land on the cold ground.

Steve groaned, in more pain than he thought possible.

 

So much for victory.

 

 

“NO!” Robin screamed, letting the safety off the gun without a second thought.

 

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

 

Enough holes in the window to punch it through…echoing Steve’s idiotic behaviour. But this time it was justified.

Robin had to do something. Anything.

She crawled out of the window, ignoring the shards scraping against her, burying themselves in her skin. Erica followed quickly after her, tumbling out the other side onto the grass.

Dustin couldn’t catch up with them fast enough, couldn’t angle his dodgy leg the right way. He was stuck inside.

 

Robin and Erica pelted towards Steve, swinging bats and firing bullets at his tormentor.

But their path was blocked by vines. Hundreds of them. Snaking their way around, over, behind them. They were trapped in a writhing cell of gore.

 

And Vecna was…putting Steve out of his misery.

 

He sunk his claws through Steve’s torso, hurling him carelessly through the gate he created.

 

The vines around Robin and Erica went slack. They hurdled them recklessly, still holding tight to their weapons.

 

 

But Vecna was on his dying breath.

He committed his last act…and…then…he was gone.

 

 

And so was Steve Harrington.

 

 

 

 

El unlocked Steve’s door carefully, summoning her reserve energy. She didn’t think he would actually die.

 

But the final fight was over.

And so was his life.

 

“STEVE!” Dustin screamed, spilling out of the house. “SON OF A BITCH, STEVE!”

“He fell.” El choked, sliding to the ground. “I’m sorry.”

 

 

Dustin stood between two gates, alternating his mournful gaze between them.

He collapsed to his knees, not daring to look through either.

If he denied what he was seeing, then maybe Steve would be okay?

 

Bullshit.

 

 

 

Erica dropped to his side, followed by a horrified Robin and a weakened El.

“He did it.” Erica smiled, despite everything. “Steve Harrington killed Vecna.”

You gotta keep that chin up, young one, you’ll bloom..

 

Dustin could barely breathe: he was feeling so much and so little at once.

Tears stream down your face / When you lose something you cannot replace..

 

Losing Eddie left him dejected.

Losing Mike left him numb.

Losing Steve left him…broken.

 

“Not just killed.” El held Dustin’s chin in her hand and tilted it upwards. “Slayed.”

Well, don’t you know? There’s nothing left to do..

 

Robin pulled Dustin into the tightest hug she’d ever given. He clutched her jacket…helplessly…screaming in pain.

“He loved you so much.” Robin soothed, her voice cracking. She’d lost her best friend, her ride or die, her everything…but Dustin had lost three. “He loved you so, so much.”

I wanted to see the world / Through your eyes until it happened / Then I changed my mind..

 

They stayed for a while, El cursing at Vecna’s body; Robin and Dustin locked in their hug; Dustin still screaming; Erica scouring the floor for anything Steve might have left behind.

But there was nothing.

 

“We have to go.” She sighed. “We don’t know what’s gonna happen to this place if we don’t get out.” She couldn’t let them all get trapped.

She helped El to her feet and saw her safely through one of the gates. Cautiously, she tapped Dustin on the shoulder. His screams had subsided into messy sobs, but he turned away from Robin to face Erica for a moment.

 

“It’s time to leave.”

 

 

 

They were all silent, even Dustin, as they helped each other through Vecna’s larger gate. Robin was last out; she stopped briefly before leaving, staring wistfully at where they’d all left their bats. Beside Steve’s gate.

She set her gun down gently next to them. There was no need for it anymore.

 

And that was it.

The final fight was over.

 

 

 

The rifts in the earth were disappearing, gates closing over by themselves, wilting and dying like they were suffering from blood loss. Soon there was nothing in their places but thin grey lines, running along the road, converging in the town centre.

Hawkins was leaving the Upside Down in the past.

But they would never leave behind their loved ones. Their lost ones.

 

Dustin sunk to his knees again, on the ground by Steve’s body.

Twisted. Bloody. Limp.

His Steve.

 

Robin sat beside him silently, gazing up at…the Harrington mansion. She couldn’t bear to look down.

If it weren’t for Steve, the end of the world might have come a whole lot sooner.

 

But now they had time.

 

Robin wasn’t sure what she would do with that time now that Steve wasn’t here for her to spend it with. She had always imagined they’d go off travelling together, or buy neighbouring houses and live there for decades, before moving into the old people’s home and causing whatever mischief they fancied.

 

“The hero.” She sighed, placing a hand on Dustin’s shoulder.

An ambulance sped up the road towards them, El and Erica directing the paramedics to the ‘accident’.

 

“Our Steve…” she whispered.

 

Dustin watched him fade away, hauled into the ambulance, covered over with the dreaded white sheet.

They stared silently after the ambulance as it trundled away, feeling the hurt for a while.

 

 

He was gone.

 

Notes:

thank you so much for sticking with me for 13 chapters.

one more left, then a double epilogue…

q x