Chapter Text
“Do you hear that?” Mike, Michael Wheeler, shouted. This caused Eleanor to jump. “Listen..”
Eleanor and her fellow party members, Will Byers, Lucas Sinclair, and Dustin Henderson, leaned in as Mike continued.
“Something is coming…something hungry for blood,” Mike smirks. Eleanor watched with wide eyes as Mike reached under the table for something. “A shadow has grown on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness, it is almost here!”
“What is it?” Will asked in a timid voice.
“It better not be the Demogorgon,” Eleanor shivered, her Druid Dragonborn had almost died the last time the party had encountered it.
“We’re in deep shit if it’s the demogorgon," Dustin nodded
“It’s not the Demogorgon!” Lucas rolled his eyes.
“An army of Troglodytes charge into the chamber!” Mike shouts as he slammed 8 figures onto the map in front of their characters. Eleanor relaxed they were barely a challenge to their level 6 characters. “Their tails drum the floor. Boom! Boom! BOOM!”
“Troglodytes?” Dustin scoffed.
“Toldja,” Lucas smirked. Mike’s grin fell and Will and Eleanor exchanged a look of worry.
“Wait! Do you hear that? boom. Boom. BOOM!” Mike dramatically draws out. “That sound didn't come from the Troglodytes. No. It came from something else. Something deeper in the maze! Something drawing closer to you!”
“Oh no,” Eleanor gasped. “It’s gotta be the Demogorgon, we’re screwed!”
Mike smirked and slammed the Demogorgon figure onto the table. “The Demogorgon!”
“We’re in deep shit,” Dustin groaned.
“Roll for initiative,” Mike beamed.
“8, plus my bonus that’s going to be a 9,” Eleanor glared at the dice. She had been tempted many time during DND to roll them with her abilities, but she found it was much more fun to leave it up to chance. Plus Dad had said no powers unless absolutely necessary outside of the House.
“13,” Dustin declared.
“14,” Lucas smirked.
“19,” Will said nervously. Will hated going first.
“Will, your action,” Mike nodded to him.
“I..I don’t know!” Will conceded.
“Fireball him!” Lucas shouted.
“He’d have to get a 13 or higher!” Eleanor argued as Will sunk down into his chair. “He should use Thunderwave! It pushes them back and deals a lot of damage even if they make successful saving throws!”
“Too risky,” Dustin scoffed. “Cast a protection spell!”
“Don’t be a wimp! Fireball him so we can take care of the Demogorgon and then deal with the stupid Troglodytes!” Lucas shouted.
“It’s more strategic to use Thunderwave!” Eleanor argued.
“A protection spell would be good for all of us!” Dustin shouted back.
“The Demogorgon is tired of your silly human bickering.” Mike glared at the party the smirked. “It stomps toward you. BOOM!”
“Fireball him Will!” Lucas shouted.
“But-“ Will started.
“Another step. BOOM!” Mike grinned.
“No cast Thunderwave!” Eleanor stood up and slammed her hands on the table.
“It roars in anger!” Mike shouts as he stands up.
“Protection Will! Cast protection!” Dustin yells, spit flying out of his mouth.
“It looms over you,” Mike grins manically. “And-“
“I Cast Fireball!” Will shouts and quickly rolls the D-20. It bounces off the table and lands somewhere else in the room.
“Shit,” Eleanor curses.
“Where is it?” Lucas jumps out of his seat and starts looking around the basement, followed by the rest of the party while Mike sits at the head of the table with a stupid grin on his face.
“I don’t know,” Will groans.
“Did you find it?” Dustin asked.
“No!” Will, Eleanor, and Lucas shout back.
Whoom! Mrs. Wheeler stomps down the stairs of the basement.
“Mom! We’re in the middle of a campaign!” Mike whines.
“You mean the end?” Mrs. Wheeler frowns as she taps her watch. “It’s 9:15!”
“Just twenty more minutes!” Mike begs as he follows her up the stairs. The door shuts with a small click.
“I found it!” Will grinned and held up the D 20.
“What is it?” Eleanor asked.
“A seven,” Will deflated.
“Don’t tell Mike,” Lucas blurted out. “We can pick back up tomorrow and reroll.
“I can’t believe we’ve been playing for like 10 hours,” Dustin gasped.
“Will,” Eleanor called. “I told my dad I would crash at your house if the game ran over. Is that still ok?”
“Yeah,” Will nodded. “Mom doesn’t get home until 11 so she probably won’t drive us to school tomorrow, but Johnathan can.”
“Nice,” Eleanor nodded. And turned over to where she had dropped her bags early that Sunday afternoon.
“Ooh you get to have a girl over,” Lucas quietly snickered. Eleanor could still hear him. And it wasn’t like that at all. In fact Eleanor was strictly platonic with Will. Platonic with a capital P.
Plus he was also the only party member she’d told about her crush on Mike.
And his house was the closest to Home.
“It’s not like that!” Will protest. “Me and Ellie are just friends! Girls are totally gross like that!”
“Hey, does anyone want this?” Dustin asked, holding up the pizza box.
“All you buddy,” Eleanor giggled.
Dustin frowns at the slice and runs up the stairs.
“He’s totally giving that to Nancy,” Lucas snicked.
“Leave him alone he’s got a crush on her,” Eleanor punched him in the shoulder. “Let’s go, I’m exhausted!”
Eleanor and Will ran up the stairs with Lucas trailing behind them.
“Good night Mrs. And Mr. Wheeler!” Eleanor shouts into the family room as they pass it to get to the door to the garage. Mike follows them out. As the door opens Dustin wanders in, munching on the last slice.
“Something is wrong with you sister!” Dustin says mouth half full, glaring at the pizza slice.
“Gross,” Eleanor gags.
“What’re you talking about?” Mike frowns.
“She’s got a stick up her butt,” Dustin grumbles.
“It’s because she’s seeing that barf bag, Steve Harrington!” Lucas fake gags at the name.
“Yeah, she’s turning into a real jerk!” Dustin said and shoved the rest of the pizza into his mouth.
“She’s always been a real jerk,” Mike crossed his arms.
Eleanor clips her helmet on and rolls her eyes, “She used to be cool! Remember the Eldertree campaign? I don’t think I would’ve kept joining you nerds if she hadn’t dressed up like that!”
“That was like four years ago!” Mike protested.
“El has a point,”Dustin hums and then got on his bike.
Eleanor, Lucas, and Dustin roll out with Will close behind. Eleanor likes riding a bike, she finally understands the saying from all those years ago. It’s now second nature to her, institutional.
The light from Mike’s part of the neighborhood peals away as Lucas’s house comes into view.
“Night ladies and Ellie,” Lucas smirks
“Kiss you mom for me,” Dustin shouts back.
Lucas gags in disscussed and flips the bird and he pulls into his driveway.
“Race to my place?” Dustin hums. “Winner gets a comic!”
“Any comic?” Will asks mischief in his eyes.
“Even the good ones?” Eleanor adds.
“Well, yeah-“ Dustin says. Eleanor and Will don’t catch the rest because they're quickly peddling to Dustin’s house.
Distantly, Eleanor hears Dustin curse.
✮⋆˙⋆⋆˙⋆✮
Henry locks the back door to the RadioShack with a soft click. It closed almost an hour ago, but closing always takes forever. You have to shut off all the running equipment. Double-check all the cables so nothing is left on. Then mop the floor and take out the trash. Henry can’t say it’s the best job in the world, but it’s the best one he’s ever had.
Anything is better than the Lab.
Henry shakes off that though as he climbs into his old car. Eleanor, his beloved daughter and the living proof of Brenner’s disregard for his capacity to see him or anyone like him as a human will either be waiting at home for him or at the Byers tonight. She had a DND game and his bet was on the Byers house.
Either way he had left over spaghetti that was calling his name in the fridge. Henry’s drive was quiet. Tomorrow Bob would probably have him check off on the shipment coming in from California. Then restock the shelves.
He hoped Cathy wouldn’t come in complaining about her radio again. Honestly, how many times could you explain to a woman that you had to turn the dial to change the channel before you went insane! Henry had been tempted to snap her neck today.
As his House came into view Henry shut off the radio and parked the car, careful to put on the park breaks.
Eleanor’s purple bike and black helmet were missing from the front porch. Henry unlocked the door and went inside to his leftovers and wonderful spider.
✮⋆˙⋆⋆˙⋆✮
Eleanor made it to Dustin’s first and skidded to a stop. Will came in second.
“X-Men, 134?” Eleanor hummed. “I still need to borrow 133 from you.”
“Sounds good,” Will nodded.
It was their thing, comics. Eleanor and Will would steal them or win the in bets from Lucas, Mike and Dustin and then share them between one another.
Neither of them had parents that could afford the new additions, so it was fun to share.
Dustin finally arrived.
“X-Men one three four Henderson!” Eleanor smirked.
“Okay,” Dustin deflated as he watched Will and Eleanor speed off to the Byers’ home.