✓ | WE ARE INFINITE , ʳᵒᵇᶦⁿ ᵇᵘᶜᵏˡᵉʸ

²⁵ Battle of Starcourt

Imogen closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, feeling a hand on her back, she turned seeing Robin looking at her concerned.

"Stop! Stop!" El begged.

Jonathan dropped the knife.

"I could do it." she let out a trembling breath.

Everyone watched in silence, backing away from the girl as she sat up, her hand hovering over the wound.

She let out a piercing scream, the glass windows behind them shattering, they rose their arms to cover themselves turning back to see a slimy creature come out of her leg.

The girl flung it with a shout, watching it try to crawl away.

Dead silence loomed over them, only hearing El's panting, before they watched a large boot, crush the creature, looking at the person who did it.

Happiness and relief filled them when they saw Hopper and Joyce standing there, accompanied by a bald man with a beard.

They all moved over to the water fountain, Hopper was comforting El as Mike explained all that had happened.

"The Mind Flayer, it built this monster in Hawkins, to stop El, to kill her and pave a way into our world."

"And almost did. That was just one tiny piece of it." Nancy crossed her arms, standing close to Imogen, Robin on the other side.

"How big is this thing?" Hopper asked, looking around at the kids, his arm wrapped around El.

"It's big. Thirty feet at least." Jonathan guesses, missing the look of shock and horror on Imogen's face.

"And it kinda destroyed your cabin...sorry," Lucas spoke to Hopper.

"Okay, so just to be clear, this -- this big fleshy spider thing that hurt El -- it's some kind of gigantic... weapon?" Steve piped in, looking nervous like they all felt.

"Yes." Nancy nodded.

"But instead of, like, screws and metal, the Mind Flayer made its weapon with melted people?" Imogen scrunched her face.

"Yeah exactly."

Steve rose a hand, shaking it his head. "Yeah, okay. I'm just -- making sure."

"Are we sure this thing is still out there, still alive?" Joyce questioned.

"El beat the shit out of it, but yeah, it's still alive." Max threw a smile towards the tired brunette

"But if we close the gate again..." Will trailed off.

"Cut the brain off from the body..."

"And kill it. Theoretically." Lucas finished.

Murray--the bald man-- came over flapping papers in the air.

Max looks towards Imogen, "I need to talk to you."

While the man spoke with the group, Max grabbed Imogen's hand, leading her away.

"You're scaring me..." Imogen chuckled, though her heart was in her stomach, staring at the short redhead.

Max played with her hands, scared of how Imogen would react. "It's about Billy."

"What about him?"

Max looked off the side, staying silent.

"What about him, Max?"

"It got him...he's one of the flayed, he like...collects up the people."

Imogen stared at the girl, her brows slightly furrowing. "You're joking."