Worlds Turned Upside Down: Will Byers x Reader

Chapter Twenty-Five: Into the Eye of the Storm

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The familiar elevator doors open to reveal Joyce, Hopper, and Mrs. (L/N) clad in their protective suits. Their flashlight beams sweep over the growths sprouting from the floor and walls. They start their journey down the gloomy basement corridor.

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As the military vehicles roll out, on their way to Hawkins Middle School to collect a certain powerful, little girl, Joyce, Hopper, and Mrs. (L/N) reach the growth covered rift in the laboratory. They exchange resolute looks. Glowing green-tinted lights illuminate their faces inside of the hazmat helmets. While holding a semi-automatic weapon with a flashlight attached to the barrel out in front of him, Hopper heads forwards to the membrane. Joyce follows closely in suit and (Y/N)'s mother isn't far behind her.
The Chief pushes through the thin layer of vine before the membrane. The two women follow closely after him. The growths close back up behind them as they pass through into the eye of the storm.

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Hopper, Joyce, and Mrs. (L/N) head slowly away from the lab. Well, not exactly the Hawkins Lab, but sorta? It's the lab, but from the other side. Joyce can be heard breathing heavily, she's on the verge of hyperventilating. And Mrs. (L/N) is nearly shaking out of her hazmat suit, this is probably the most terrifying thing she's ever done. And hopefully will ever do. Hopper places an arm on Joyce's shoulder. "Hey, you all right?" He asks.
"Yeah," Joyce says through shallow breaths, she doesn't sound all right.
"I need you to relax, okay?" Hopper caringly demands, "I want you to slow down your breathing, take deep breaths. In and out. Deep breath in...and out. In and out," The group does as Hopper says and tries to be calm. Even though that's nearly impossible in this situation. Doing these breathing exercises reminds Hopper of a similar event with his daughter. For a second, he's brought back to the time when all h*ll started to break loose with her illness.
Hopper shakes his thoughts away and looks to Joyce, "You okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah," she says, this time she half means it.
"Are you?" He asks (Y/N)'s mother. She nods rapidly, not wanting to have to stop again, she wants to get through this as quick as possible.
Hopper gives her a thumbs up through his thick glove. The Chief grips onto his gun tighter and moves the flashlight's beam straight ahead of them. They move into the dark woods beyond.

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The group continues to tramp through the dark forest. It's gotten harder to move because of the obstacles surrounding them. The vines have gotten thicker and the trees have become more abundant. The beams of their flashlights cut through the dense fog, illuminating the floating particles. Hopper's beam finds a large egg-shaped pod. The light lingers and he slows down to examine it. There's a gash in the side and the egg it seems to be hollow. Something must have hatched from it. And he does not want to come in contact with that baby. Curiously, Hopper reaches out his gloved hand and runs his it over the fleshy, rotting shell.
As Hopper does this, Joyce and (Y/N)'s mother continue ahead, exploring on their own. Their flashlight beams land on the splintered remains of a demolished fort. Joyce's light traces over the wood sign labeled "Castle Byers". "Will!" Joyce screams before running towards the ruins, trying to find any trace of her son.
Mrs. (L/N) stays still and traces her light around the shadowy fort. A familiar jacket pokes out from under a pile of wood. Her heart leaps.
"(Y/N)! Oh my, God! (Y/N)," hearing the women's screams, Hopper makes his way hastily over to the fort. Mrs. (L/N) shoots towards the piled wood and begins to frantically toss pieces to the side, audibly grunting.
"Oh, God!" Joyce yelps, acknowledging what the woman is doing. Hopper shines his light on the two of them who are prying away wood in a frenzy.
"Move," he gets closer, "Move!" Hopper goes to the right edge of the stack and lifts it up, roaring as he pushes it to the opposite side. It topples over and creates a loud, echoey crash. There lies little (Y/N) (L/N). Her face is so ghostly that veins can be seen through her translucent skin. He body seems so frail and lifeless. The most eye-catching thing about her, however, is the pool of blood flowing from her hairline. The blood makes a trail all the way down her face and onto her neck. This is a direct injury from the impact of the wood hitting her. "(Y/N)! (Y/N)!" Mrs. (L/N) falls to her knees and brings her daughter's limp body to her, embracing the girl tightly, disappointed she can't feel her through the hazmat suit but grateful all the same. Loud sobs echo out into the world around them.
"Is she...is she breathing?" Joyce asks anxiously. Mrs. (L/N)'s heart speeds up and she lowers her daughter onto her lap. She struggles to grip the zipper of (Y/N)'s jacket but is able to do so after a few tries. She unzips her jacket and pushes the middle open, exposing her daughter's shirt underneath, it's drenched with slime. They all watch the girl's chest intently. Mrs. (L/N) gasps in relief when she sees (Y/N)'s chest rise ever so slightly. The mother embraces her once again. She takes deep breaths, finally able to feel truly happy. Able to stop worrying, even if only for a second.
Joyce begins to dart her eyes around the remnants of the fort, "Will! Will!" She calls into the abyss, fearing something terrible has happened to her boy. Hopper kneels down to observe a certain object that's caught his eye. He strokes the face of a worn, plush lion and regains that far away look in his eye, reliving the traumatic end of his daughter, Sarah.
"Oh, God. She's really bleeding," Hopper is jolted from his memory to see the tender mother examining her daughter's wound. The Chief makes his way over and kneels beside them.
"Add pressure. That's the best we can do right now," Hopper says placing the woman's gloved hand onto the open wound.
"Should we go back to the...the portal?" Mrs. (L/N) asks warily. Her and Hopper both look back into the vast forest.
"I think it's safer if you stay with us," Hopper states whilst getting up. Mrs. (L/N) nods and uses her strength to get both her and her daughter up off the ground. She steals another glance at (Y/N)'s face as she carries her in her arms, suddenly thankful for everything that brought her here. Thankful she believed Joyce and that they had the aid of Hopper. Thankful that she stood up for what she believed in and had the courage to bring herself here to her daughter. Who, in fact, is alive.