Chapter Text
Mike stands there, shocked, as Will drops his arms, finally relaxing them. Mike stares over at Will, amazed that his best friend just saved his life, but also proud, proud that he was finally able to control it. Control Vecna.
"He's a sorcerer, a real-life honest to god sorcerer." Mikes says as he runs over and pulls will in a tight hug, letting Will know that he was thankful, thankful that he had just saved his life.
"Mike." Will says breathlessly into mikes shoulder but he doesn't let go.
"You did it, you really did it."
Mike and Will stand there, staring into each others eyes. The moment felt like forever, but this hasn't been the only time that Will and Mike had stared at each other like this over the past 18 months that they had been living with each other. But something felt different here, Mike just wasn't sure what it was.
"Vecna, the kids, he's got the kids." Will looks at Joyce, breaking the connection.
"I know, Derek, Mary, Glenn."
"No, not just them," Will says, with genuine fear in his voice, mike didn't like the sound of that.
"The Others, they didn't make it out of Hawkins. I could have helped them fight if i had just acted sooner, but i was too late and now he has got all of them, all 12. We failed. I failed." In that moment Mike just wanted to reach out to him, comfort him, because it wasn't his fault and he didn't like Will feeling that way.
"No." Joyce tells him before Mike gets the chance to.
Helicopter sounds fill the air above them, alerting them that if they didn't leave now it would be over.
"The Tunnels, the Radio Shack."
Mike runs forward, leading Will and Joyce to the underground tunnel system.
"Lucas." mike runs over to him, and bends down, a Demogorgan got him.
"Hey."
"Oh shit." He looks over at Lucas's chest and sees the gaping bleed, luckily it wasn't to deep.
"Its just a scratch."
"God,Mike, first aid" Joyce tells him, leaning over his shoulder.
"Shit.Shit.Shit!"
Mikes ruffles through his bag as Joyce tells lucas to lift his shirt.
"Ugh." Mike and Will say as they look at the cut.
"Thats not to bad," Will trys to reasure Lucas but it isn't working
"Yeah, it looks just the right amount for a couple badass scars," Mike and Will look at each other, knowing what was about to come.
"But i couldn't save the kids."
"You did everything you could do to protect them, nice swing by the way."
"You saw?" Lucas asks, confused.
"He more than just saw, he was amazing."
"So, Demos floating, limbs snaping, dying, that was all you?" They had wrapped the wound on his chest and started making their way back to The Radio Shack.
"Well... yeah."
"Holy shit."
Mike could understand how Lucas was feeling right now, he had the same reaction, well kind of, there was something more there.
"You know what that means, right. You're like Will the Wise but for real." Maybe that is what it was.
"Hes more like a sorcerer than a wizard." Mike announced, he wanted people to know that.
"You know what i mean though, he is like our second El."
Oh shit he was, but mike didn't want that, he didn't want will to go through what she has to go through, ever. The thought of Will and El being more alike than he thought scared him, what if it wasn't just the powers that frightened him.
"I am not like El though, i'm just stealing Vecnas powers and the only way for me to do that is if im near the hivemind, which i'm not, and Vecna is not coming back, he has got his vessels."
" Vessels?" Lucas asks.
"Vessels, thats what he called them."
" I just hope you're theory is wrong." Mikes says.
"What theory?" Joyce asks, clinging onto Will, she must have gotten injured during the fight with the Demos.
"November 6th, the day all this started."
"Is the day it all ends."
They reach the end of the tunnel and Mike climbs out of the trapdoor, he can hear Joyce telling Lucas to be careful. Mike grabs his arms and lifts him out, making sure not to hurt him anymore.
Once they are back, Joyce tells everyone to come and listen to something she has to say. When they all sit down, Mike realises that they are missing people, he later finds out though that Dustin, Steve, Jonathan and Nancy had all gone into the Upside Down. Joyce starts of explaining her idea, but mike zones out, thinking about what had happened earlier.
"Will, you took out that Demo with your mind?" Robin asks him. Mike was only just realising this now but Will and Robin had gotten close these past few days, Mike wondered what that was about, he was going to ask Lucas later, maybe he knew.
"3 to be exact," Mike tells Robin.
" Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit." Murray says, Mike has no idea why he is here.
"A real-life Wizard."
"A sorcerer actually, his powers are..."
Finally someone who understood, Mike thought to himself.
"Innate, yes thank you."
"but what does that matter?"
"it matters!" Erica and Mike say simultaniously.
"okay, can i start." Joyce says, clearly aggitated.
She starts explaining her plan, and in the end they decide that it would take too long to do, days, days they didn't have and if Wills theory is correct only 2. Mike for sure hope it isn't though. Murray hands out food to everyone and it isn't long before someone has another plan. Erica and Lucas both come rushing through, eager to tell them.
"We could get Mr Clarke to help us, he was the one who taught Dustin."
" Anyways, for my plan we could heat the Demos us, to activate the particles, to bring them back to life, just like what we did with Billy in the Sauna." The mention of Billy brings an ache in mikes chest, but the plan does seem reasonable.
It is decided that they would try both plans, throw 2 darts and pray that one lands bullseye as Joyce says.
"Lucas, why have Robin and Will been spending so much time together?" Mike asks him once Robin and Will had left to go and start Lucas's plan.
"I don't know, they have been like it since we went to the hospital to visit Max, its a good thing though, isn't it? Will has finally found someone other than us."
"erm, yeah, i guess it is."
Mike goes quiet after this, because he wanted to feel happy that Will had found someone but he just couldn't. He didn't want Will to be close with Robin.
"are you okay dude?"
"Yeah, yeah i'm fine, come on lets go." Mike brushes off the subject because he was fine, he was.
When they get outside, Will is sat down, ready. Mike walks over to him and touches his shoulder.
"You have got this Will, I believe in you." Mike smiles brightly at him, masking the fear he is actually feeling for him.
"Thank you mike." Mike could swear he saw Will blush a bit as he says this, maybe he is just imagining it.
Mike walks away and climbs to where the Demigorgan is pinned down, ready to be brought back to life.
"Light em up Frankenstien." He tells Robin and she replys but Mike isn't sure what she said, his mind to busy to worry about it.
Mike stand there, watching the monster slowly start come back to life, he wonders how this is affecting Will, what he is thinking. Mike normally wonders what is going on in Wills head, it has been harder reading his emotions through the years, Will has become more reserved but so has Mike, he cant blame him.
He climbs down and makes his way towards Will, who is now entering the Demo and Vecnas mind.
"i think im Derek, hes with the others, the other lost children."
"What about Holly, is he with Holly?"
"No." no
"Henry is searching for her."
"Max." Will says.
"Wait what about Max?" Lucas asks his voice striking with concern.
"Shes with holly. But Vecna.. Vecna's hunting them."
Will stands us his eyes turning white.
"MAX, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME. YOU NEED TO RUN... RUN"
Sweat is dripping from Wills face and he starts wincing. He is flown into the air and lands on the floor scraping his skin. Mike rushes towards him, needing to be by his side. He is feeling angry. Angry at everyone. Angry at himself.
Robin turns up the voltage and the Demogorgan releases a brown essense, the same on that will did when he was being controlled by the mind flayer.
Joyces trys to wake will, but it isn't working, he isn't waking up. Mike stands there, feeling hopeless and scared, this couldn't happen. just no. Not Will.
Anyone but Will.