𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐭

xxi. MIND FIGHT.

EL now turns to Mike, "Hawkins. We need to get to Hawkins." She said to him. "I know, and we will." He merely replied with. "But right now, we need to get you somewhere safe. There's gonna be people behind us." He glanced to the back as did she. "No, Mike, we need to get to Hawkins tonight." She says.

"We'll never make it. That's over 2,000 miles." Jonathan glanced back. "We need to find a way. If we don't, they are going to die." She said making Charles look at her right away. "Who's gonna die?" Will asked worriedly making her look at him and stare silently. "El, who's gonna die?" He asked her once again, but still, she doesn't answer his question.

Jonathan had decided on heading to the nearest gas station, gassing up and using the payphone there to call an airport to see if they can get any flights to Hawkins. Charles was quiet and standing by the van the whole time when Argyle came over to him, clearing his throat to catch the younger's attention.

"Mini Byers told me to buy you something to eat and a drink." He says, leaning against the pizza van and holding out a baggy of chips and a soda. "Thanks." Charles sighed and stared straight ahead of himself, opening up the chip bag and glancing over to the side of the gas station where his boyfriend stood with Jonathan, Mike and Eleven.

"What a spring break, right?" Argyle chuckled, looking at him and Charles glanced at him. "Totally." He says meekly, taking another chip into his mouth before glancing down. Charles glanced over at the others to see El standing off to the side by herself, staring a sign as Jonathan slams the payhpone down.

"Hey, dudes?" Argyle walks over as Charles followed behind, eating the chips. "Ask 'em if we can ride in the baggage compartment." He says and Charles just nodded. "Solid plan." He nudged Argyle softly. "The baggage compartment? Seriously? Argyle, I get, but Charles, come on." Jonathan says and Charles just sheepishly shrugged.

"We'd suffocate." Mike spoke up and Charles just glared at him. "Dogs ride in there all the time, man." Argyle says and Charles nods, grinning. "Yeah. They don't suffocate." He says as Will looks down. "Jesus Christ." Jonathan says and Will looks up at Charles, sighing. "What? He has a very good point." The Dumont whispers, pointing at Argyle.

"I have a way." El caught their attention, all of them glancing over at her. "A way to protect Max. From here." She explains. They now stand at the van, El drawing her breath on it before drawing. "This is Max." She says, drawing onto the window, a stick figure with curly hair and a smiley face which made Charles smile softly. "When One attacks, he'll he in her mind." She draws a separate circle from Max's head with another stick figure.

"But I can do that too. I went into Mama's mind, into Billy's. I can go into Max's. She can carry me to Vecna." She draws another figure in the little circle. "I can piggyback." She said, turning around as Charles smiles proudly at the girl. "I can protect her." She added.

"From One. Fight him from here." She explains. "Mind fight. Righteous." Argyle says and Charles chuckles softly. "Wait, so you actually think this can work?" Mike asked the girl and the Dumont glanced at him, furrowing his brows. Why is he doubting El? "A bathtub would help." She tells her boyfriend. "Yeah. Gotta be clean to enter the mind." Argyle says.

"What? No, no. It's a sensory deprivation tank." Mike explains, looking at Argyle now. "It helps her calm down and focus on her powers." He adds, looking at El. "Wait, we... we just passed a motel." Will looks around at them. "Yeah, but they won't have enough salt." Mike tells him as Charles glanced between them. "Well, how much salt are we talking here, my dudes?" Argyle says, his hands on his hips. "Well, it depends on the size of the tub, but a lot." Jonathan informs him.

Argyle glanced at El, "does 600 pounds suffice?" He asked and Charles scrunched up his face at him. "You know a place that has 600 pounds of salt?" He asked him. Argyle doesn't even answer, but rather went to stand in front of El and measured her, "let's see..." He says, holding out his hands side to side.

"Yup." He said then held them to her head then to her legs. "Mm-hmm." He says as Charles watched, curiously what Argyle was coming up with. "Yup. It'll work." He says, grinning. "What will work?" El asked him. "I know a magical place that has all you need, my brave, little superpowered friend." He says, then looked to Jonathan on his right.

"That mind fight is on."

They all watch as Argyle nods. "Come on. Vámonos! Let's go! Pronto!" He ushered them as he got into the van and they all rush to the other side, El, Will and Mike piling into the back with Charles behind, shutting the back door behind him as Jonathan took his usual seat in the passenger side.

On the drive, Charles kept staring out the window then when the van stopped, it frightened him a bit but he was quick to be the first one out, walking around to join Argyle with the others behind him. "You've gotta be shitting me." Mike says at the sight of the Surfer Boy Pizza restaurant. "Trust me on this one, my dudes." Argyle says then lead the way.

The six teenagers walk in, heading over to the counter. "Surf's up, my dude." Argyle says as Jonathan stood to his left and Charles to his right as the other three stood behind them. "Uh, woah." The worker points. "Nice shirt, my dude." He chuckled. "Thanks, my dude." Argyle says as Charles glanced between them. "Oh, my God, there's more of them." He whispers, his hands over his mouth.

"Uh, listen, I would love to feed a fellow Surfer Boy," he held up a surfer hand gesture, "but kitchen closed, like, five minutes ago, so no more pies tonight, man." He said as Argyle chuckles, "that's alright, my dude. We're not here for your tasty pies. You see this weird girl behind me?" Argyle nods to El who the worker glanced at so she smiles.

"She needs a tub with a bunch of salt so we can enhance her psychic power so she can save the world from this super bad dude." All of this just made the Surfer Boy worker confused. "But to make this salty tub, we require your kitchen." He says and the worker nods. "Ah." He says, glancing away, "well, it's just, uh... I'm supposed to meet Chaz at Taco Bell in, like, ten. So..." He says and there's a small pause as Charles just stared at the worker.

"My dude." Jonathan says making the curly haired boy glance over at him. "We're not asking you to help for free. You ever partake in..." He reached into Argyle's shirt pocket, taking out a joint. "Purple Palm Tree Delight?" He asked as Charles grins, glancing at the worker. "It'll make all your troubles float away. Like the seed pods of a dandelion in the wind." Jonathan says and the worker gave in.

After the worker left, Jonathan flipped over the sign to say the restaurant was closed before heading back inside. In the kitchen, Argyle took out a piece of pizza dough. "First-ever mind fight held in a pizza dough freezer. Pretty rad, right?" He said before they started emptying the freezer, Argyle tossing the bags to Jonathan who'd pass it over to El so Charles took this as his chance, looking at Will.

"Can we talk?" He whispered and grabbed his wrist gently. "Yeah, sure." Will said quietly back then sent a little look to Jonathan who just nodded as he kept tossing stuff over to Mike or Eleven to set down on a counter.

 

  

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

   

authors note slay. anyways, i'm kind of rushing this so i can get it out of the way and i can post the edits i made of charles & will 🤭

+ double update again!! <3 ya'll deserve it since i was gone for a month from this fic 😭

++ i just finished prewriting this fic and there's only two chapters after this one... (i did make the last chapter longer than usual, it's at 2k+ words i think idk but i was happy with the ending and i hope i don't get TOO slandered for it, yk what I mean?? lols anyways 😁😁)