[chapter four: the sauna test]
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
THE GUYS sat in Mike's basement once again. Lucas was trying to get in contact with Max, and after a while he managed to get her to answer.
"Shut. Up." She spoke into the radio before shutting it off.
Lucas looked at his friends before they all walked towards the phone.
Will sat next to M/n who was sleeping, after passing out in the rain he managed to catch a fever but it would go down.
M/n would occasionally toss and turn, but that was only from mild discomfort and also because of the nightmares he was getting.
After that little thing with Heather, he has been trying to figure out how she could have a connection with Billy, and why did this whole thing revolve around Billy?
He'd find out,
Right after this small nap
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
Gabe ate some ice cream as he listened to Dustin explain the situation on the Russians.
So far, we know that the guard who has the key card to the door or whatever, is armed with guns, and the door is filled with boxes that is constantly being filled with even more boxes.
But seeing as it is being heavily guarded, they don't want anybody to find them.
"There's gotta be a way in." Robin sighed.
"Well, you know, I could just take him out." Steve leans forward, placing his cap onto the table.
"I'm sorry, did he just say he just-"
"Take who out?" Robin asked, interrupting Gabe to answer both of their questions.
"The Russian guard." Steve elaborated.
Robin and Gabe leaned back and nodded, looking at him with deadpan expressions.
"What? I sneak up behind him, knock him out, and take his key card, it's easy." Steve shrugged.
"Did you not hear the part about the massive guns?" Dustin asked.
Steve turned to look at his son- ahem, excuse me, Dustin, giving him an annoyed stare. "yes Dustin, I did. And that's why I would be sneaking."
"Well, please tell me this, and be honest. Have you ever actually, won a fight?" Dustin stepped forward.
"Okay, that was one time-"
"Twice. Jonathan, year prior?" Dustin corrected.
"Holy shit, you're right." Gabe scoffed, recalling the time Nancy explained to him what happened when he heard that Jonathan was arrested.
"Okay that doesn't count." Steve defended himself.
"Why wouldn't it count? Cause it looks like he beat the shit out of you." Dustin continued. At this point, Robin and Gabe were just the audience, witnessing this whole thing go down.
Robin turned to her right and looked up. Her face turned serious as she tapped Gabe's shoulder.
Gabe smirked and looked back at her. "That just might work."
Robin grabbed a handful of cash from the tips jar, Steve watched as she grabbed his friend's *coughboyfriendcough* hand and ran out of there.
"Robin, where are you going?!"
"I need cash." She shrugged, holding up the handful of dollars.
"But half of that's mine!" Steve whined helplessly. "Where ya going..?"
"To find us a way into that room, a safe way. And in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave, and don't get beat up. We'll be back in a jiff." Robin practically shouted for the entire mall to hear, grabbing Gabe's hand and speeding off.
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
M/n had woken up and was eating a small snack while drinking water. He felt much better than he did before and he was glad that he could participate in this whole thing.
Sure, his friends would tell him to take it easy and to rest, but that wasn't gonna happen.
He watched as El and Max sat down before them. M/n waved at the two girls with a smile as he continued to chew on his snack.
They waved back as waited for them to begin this small little "meeting", or whatever this was.
"I didn't think it was anything at first. I mean, I think I just didn't want to believe it." Will sighed.
"The first time I felt it, was on the Day of the Dead."
"Power went out that night, too." Mike connected.
"And then I felt again at the field near the Nelson farm the next day. Then again yesterday outside Castle Byers."
"What does it feel like?" Max questioned.
"It's almost like.. you know when you drop on a roller coaster?" Will asked.
Everyone nodded and said yes, well, except for El.
Will continued anyway.
"It's like everything inside your body is just sinking all at once, but this is worse." He explained.
"Your body- it goes cold.. and you can't breathe.. I've felt it before, whenever he was close."
"Whenever who was close?" Max furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"The mind flayer." Will answered.
"We.. closed the gate.." El spoke up.
"I know, but.. what if he never left?"
"What are you trying to say, Will." M/n answered after taking a sip of his drink. He knew what this meant, but he wished it wasn't what he thought.
"What if we locked him out here with us?"
M/n and El looked at eachother, their breaths growing short but they hid it.
Will placed a piece of paper down, grabbing a black crayon or chalk and scribbling down.
"This is him. All of him. But that day on the field, a part of him attached itself to me." Will dropped the drawing tool, wiping his hand across the drawing, letting it smudge against the paper and his hand.
"My mom got it out of me. And both Eleven and M/n closed the gate." Will flipped the paper over with his other hand onto the empty side.
"But what if the part that was still in me, what if it's still in our world?" He stamped his hand onto the sheet, leaving a black handprint.
"In Hawkins."
"I don't understand. The demodogs died when El and M/n closed the gate, if the brain dies, the body dies." Max spoke, trying to deny whatever was happening as a nightmare.
"We can't take any chances. We need to assume the worst. The mind flayer's back." Mike responded.
"Yeah. And if he is, he'd want to attach himself to someone again. A new me." Will nodded.
"A new host." Lucas repeated.
Max looked at El. "how can you tell if someone is a host?" El furrowed her brows.
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
Once Gabe and Robin returned to the mall, they immediately made their way back to Scoops Ahoy.
"It is fascinating what 20 bucks will get you at the County Recorder's Office." Robin began, signalling for Gabe to place it down.
Gabe laid down a big sheet of paper.
"Starcourt Mall. The complete blueprints." Gabe finished.
"Not bad." Dustin looked up at them with a smirk.
Robin pointed to a small box on the paper. "So this is us, Scoops." She moves her finger towards another box, on the opposite side of the sheet.
"And this is where we want to get."
"I don't really see a way in." Steve shook his head.
"There isn't. If you're talking exclusively about doors." Gabe grabbed the top layer of paper and pulled it away.
Dustin looks back up at him. "Air ducts.."
"Exactly."
Robin grabs a marker from the board they kept in the back room. "Turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room."
She pulls off the cap from the market and begins to draw on the paper. "And these air ducts, lead all the way here." She marks a long red line, leading the air duct from their destination, to Scoops.
They all simultaneously look up at the vent.
Steve unscrewed the vent and places the screwdriver into his mouth of take it off. He looks like to the darkness before handing the vent to Dustin.
"Flashlight." Dustin hands him the light, Steve thanked him before looking back inside of the duct.
Steve squinted as he looked inside, flashing the light all over the place.
"Yeah, I don't know if you can fit in here. It's like... Super tight." Steve got down from the ladder.
"I'll fit. No collar bones, remember?" Dustin crossed his arms.
"Um, excuse me?" Robin furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
Steve sighed as he attempted to explain what condition Dustin had.
"Steve, just shut up and push the poor guy." Gabe sighed, watching as Dustin struggled to get his legs inside.
Steve grumbled as he walks over and lifts his feet up.
"Not my feet, dumbass. Push my ass."
"What?"
"Touch my butt, I don't care!"
Steve hesitantly stepped up the ladder.
Gabe and Robin just watched as Dustin ordered Steve around.. telling him to push.. harder?
Gabe turned around when he heard an annoying little voice behind him, along with the familiar ringing of the bell.
Robin also turned around, getting an idea.
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
They observed Billy from outside the gate with binoculars.
"I don't know. He looks pretty normal to me." Max shrugged.
"Oh yeah, cause Billy wearing a sweatshirt is so normal." M/n nodded.
"Exactly, how many times have you seen him with a shirt on?" Lucas asked Max, who nodded a bit.
"I mean, it's a little weird.."
"More than a little. He was in a tub with ice, the mind flayer likes it cold. Plus everything else-"
"But he's lounging at the pool, which is like, the least Mind Flayer thing ever.." Max interrupted Mike.
"Not necessarily.." will spoke up, everyone turning to look at him.
"The mind flayer, it likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me."
Everyone listened as Will explain how exactly the mind flayer works.
"It's like, you're dormant. And then, when he needs you.. you're activated." Will turned to look at Billy.
"Okay, so we just.. wait until he gets activated." Max nodded.
"We can't, what if he hurts someone?" M/n shook his head.
"Or kills someone?" Will added.
"We can't take that chance. We need to find out if he's the host." Leaned back and walked away. Everyone looked at him in confusion.
"I have an idea, boys only." Mike made a hand gesture for the guys to follow him. Max complained which was ignored by them all.
Mike led them all into the men's bathroom. "Okay so we wait until the pool closes, everyone leaves, and we somehow get him to come from here and.." Mike opened another door, leading them into a gym type room.
"Get him into here." Mike pointed towards the only door in the back. Mike opened the door, reaching a bunch of dudes.
"Hey, shut the door!" The oldest one shouted.
"Come on, kid! Shut it!" Mike grimaced and immediately shut the door.
"I think I just threw up in my mouth." Lucas said.
"I'm still trying to keep it in.." M/n grumbled as he let out a breath.
"Look, the controls are right here. It's perfect."
"Will it get hot enough?"
"220 degrees."
And with that, they had their plan.
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
Everyone watched as Erica shone a light into the air duct.
"Yeah, I don't know."
"You don't know if you can fit?" Dustin asked.
"Oh I can fit. I just don't know if I want to." Erica placed her hands onto the table.
"Are you claustrophobic?" Robin raised an eyebrow.
"I don't have phobias." Erica scoffed.
"Then what's the problem." Gabe furrowed his eyebrows, trying to comprehend what she just said.
"The problem is, I still haven't heard what's in this, for Erica."
Steve groaned.
They all say around Erica, a bunch of frozen treats sitting at the table. Steve slid a banana split across the table.
Erica stared at it before sliding it back. "More fudge please."
Everyone stared at the banana split. "Go on." Erica ushered with her hand.
Steve's deadpan expression dropped, letting a fake smile cross his face before it dropped into a scowl, standing up once again, he grabbed the bowl.
Robin grabbed the paper. "alright, see this? This is the route you're going to take."
"We wait until the last delivery, then you knock the grate out, jump down, and open the door." Gabe explained.
"Then you find out what's in those boxes?" Erica asked.
"Exactly, now you get it." Gabe nodded with a smile.
"Mhm, and you say this guard is armed?"
"Yes, but he won't be there." Dustin shook his head.
"And booby traps?"
"Booby traps?" Robin asked.
"Lasers, spikes in the wall?"
"Girlie, those are only in movies-"
"You know what this half baked plan of your sounds like to me?" Erica looks over at them.
"Child endangerment."
"We'll be in radio contact with you the whole time-"
"Ah, ah, ah! Ch-ild, en-dan-ger-ment." Erica interrupted.
Dustin sighed. "Erica? Hi, uh, we think that Russians want to do harm to our country. Great harm. Don't you love your country?"
"Can't spell America without Erica." Erica nodded, taking a loud slurp from her drink that it practically empty.
"Um yeah, oddly enough, that's true. So don't do it for us, do it for your country! Do it for your fellow man! Do this.. for America, Erica." As soon as Dustin finished, the slurping stopped.
"Ooh! I just got the chills."
Dustin smiled and nodded.
"Oh, from the float, not your speech."
Dustin's smile dropped and he rose his eyebrows in offense.
"You know what I like about this country? Capitalism. Do you know what Capitalism is?"
They all nodded while Gabe was just staring at the frozen treats that were beginning to melt.
"It means this is a free market system. Which means people get paid for their services, depending on how valuable their contributions are. And it seems to me, my ability to fit into that little vent is very, very valuable to you all." They all stared at Erica.
"So you want my help? This USS butterscotch, better be the first of many. And I'm talking free ice cream, for life." Erica grabbed a cherry and bit it off the stem.
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
M/n stayed with Max to keep watch on Billy. After checking in on Mike, they proceeded to look at Billy.
"God I hope it's not you." Max sighed.
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
"
Erica, you copy?" Gabe spoke into the radio.
"Mhm, I copy. You nerds in position or what?" Erica's voice answered.
"Yeah, we're in position. It's all quiet here. So you've got the green light."
"Green light, Roger that, commence operation, child endangerment."
"Can we maybe not call it that, I feel like a bad parent." Gabe grumbled.
"See you on the other side, Nerds."
After a while, they finally received a message.
"Alright nerds, I'm there."
"You see anything?"
"Yeah, I see those boring boxes you're so excited about."
"Any guards?"
"Negative."
"Booby traps?"
"If I could see them, they'd be pretty shit traps, wouldn't they."
"Thanks for that."
After another few seconds. "I'm in."
"Oh god." Steve breathed out, not believing this was actually happening.
Then a sound echoed briefly before the doors opened. Erica walked out, placing her hand on her hip.
"Free ice cream, for. Life." She reminded.
They all looked at eachother before standing up.
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
As the new plan was set in motion, just as predicted, Billy was lured into the sauna.
Billy grabbed the cpr dummy and raised it into the air by the neck. The radio attached to it's abdomen echoed. "Hey, behind you."
Billy turned around, looking at both of the psychics.
"Hi." "Yo." El threw him back against the wall with her abilities while M/n shut the door.
Everyone else ran inside and barricaded the door. They chain the door and locked it, they all stepped away as they watched Billy grunt and try to push the door open.
Billy stopped and looked at the teens. "Max."
Max only stared back. "Do it." Will ran over and set the temperature to the highest.
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
Steve opened the box with a box cutter, handing the tool to Gabe who stood next to him.
Inside was a safe, Steve grabbed the handle and twisted it. A hissing noise erupted from the safe.
Inside were four capsules.
"That's definitely not Chinese food."
"I don't know, maybe it's a secret ingredient?" Gabe shrugged.
Steve placed down the door of the safe on another box. As he was about to pull one of the capsules back, Gabe stopped him.
"Um, maybe you guys should move back, just in case." They begrudgingly moved back, except for Dustin and Gabe.
"No." Dustin said.
"Just step back, ok." Gabe lightly moved him back. "No."
"Seriously, move back." "No!"
"If you guys die, I die."
Gabe and Steve glanced at eachother, then back at Dustin.
"Okay." They shrugged and proceeded to pull out a capsule.
Steve twisted it until it came out, he pulled it up and it revealed some type of bright green liquid.
"What the hell."
"What is that?" Robin asked. Though that would be a question for another time because the room began to rumble and shake.
"Was that just me or did the room just move." Dustin questioned.
"Booby traps." Erica whispered.
A loud whirring started to get louder, alerting them all. "You know what, let's just grab that and go."
Dustin went to the panel and pressed a button. "Which one do I press Erica?" Dustin asked as he continued to press the same button.
"Just press the damn button, Nerd."
"Which one.. I'm pressing the button, okay?"
"Press "open door"!" Erica shouted.
"I'm pressing "open door"!?"
Steve joined into this shouting and began to also press buttons. Soon enough, everyone was talking and shouting. Gabe watched as Steve slapped his hand over the big green button in the center.
A red sort of door came out, preventing them from going to the door that led outside.
"Oh fuck." Gabe swore, the room immediately began falling.
Robin screamed, which made everyone scream as they tried to hold onto anything they could.
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
"Max! Let me out of here!" Billy slammed his hands against the door.
"Let me out." Billy began panting heavily. "you kids.. you think this is funny?"
Lucas and Mike looked at eachother.
"You think this is some kind of sick prank, huh?" Billy spat onto the glass. "You little shits think this is funny?"
Billy grunted. "Open the door." After no one did anything, he began shouting, which made everyone flinch.
No one moved, Billy eventually dropped to the floor and began pounding on it.
Will ran over to the thermostat. "We're at 220."
Everyone stopped as they heard sobbing coming from the sauna.
"It's not my fault.. it's not my fault..I promise you it's not my fault max.." billy sobbed.
Max walked forward. She looked inside, seeing her brother looking at her. He sat on his butt, holding his hands together.
"What's not your fault Billy?"
"I've done things, Max.. really bad things.. I didn't mean to.." he sobbed.
"He made me do it.."
"What made you do it?"
"I don't know... It's like a shadow? Like a giant shadow."
"What did he make you do?" Max asked again.
"It's not my fault, okay?! Max please!" Billy continued to sob, Max let out a few of her own tears.
Will's breathing began to pick up. He reached for the back of his neck.
"I feel him..." Will looked at Mike who was next to him. "He's activated.."
"Max get away from the door." Mike said.
"What?" Max asked, still looking forward.
"Max, get away from the door!" M/n grabbed her arm just in time to get her away from the glass shards.
"Let me out you bitch! I'll kill you!" Billy pound on the door with his arm that was out. He grabbed the bar that held the door shut and pulled it out.
Lucas grabbed his slingshot and wacked Billy in the face. He grabbed Max and pulled her towards the rest of them.
The lights began to flicker. Billy began screaming, and throwing himself against the door.
"He can't get out can he?" Max asked.
"No way. No.. way." Lucas shook his head, trying to convince everyone and himself.
After a few more attempts, he managed to get it open. He rolled into the floor in front of them. El and M/n standing in front of their friends.
El stood straight and raised her hand up. One of the dumbbells raising, she threw it at him, sending him to the wall.
As she held it in place, she made it dig deeper into the wall, choking him.
Though that didn't last long. M/n saw how he was able to push the bar away. He ran at El and shoved her before it could hit her.
He landed on the floor in front of billy and he grabbed his hair, making m/n yelp.
M/n looked up at Billy, watching as he looked towards the other teens and placing his hand on his throat.
It immediately cut off his oxygen, he quickly reached out to try and pry off his hand. Billy raised him into the air.
M/n tried to punch Billy's arms but his attempts were futile, his face began growing red, he shut his eyes tightly.
Mike grabbed a metal bar and slammed it against Billy's back. He let go and dropped M/n who placed his hand onto his throat, coughing violently and panting.
"Go to hell you piece of shit-"
Billy stopped the bar from hitting him again, causing Mike to back up against the wall. El stepped in quickly.
She lifted Billy off of the ground. Holding him in place. M/n sat up on his knees. El only had much power to hold that sucker in place, seeing as she was practically draining herself by screaming, her veins popping out of her face.
M/n knew he had to help. He stuck his hand out and moved it to the left with a shout. Billy flew to the wall, breaking the brick and landing outside in the grass.
El landed on Mike, as she sobbed. Will ran to M/n who was on the verge of passing out, he rubbed his throat softly, letting out a few pained cries, but he tried to hold them in.
Will helped m/n up as he rested on his shoulder. They all looked out through the hole in the wall, as Billy ran into the darkness.
M/n walked next to El, and wrapped his hand around hers. She looked at him and tightened her grip on his.
They both looked back, glaring at what would have been Billy.
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
"The girl, and the boy, was it them?"
"Yeah. It was them. He knows now." Billy grabbed Heather's wrist.
"They could have killed me."
"Yes. But not us." Heather wrapped her other hand over his. She turned towards the left, looking at all the other people who stood like zombies.
"Not us."
Loud growling echoed through the dark room.
:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ
Author's Note
Sorry this took a while, I started school like two weeks ago on Thursday.
It's going good so far, they just starting giving me hw and I just remembered I have English so I'm gonna try to finish that lol
I try to post on my other books as much as I can, please don't be upset if I forget!
I hope you liked the chapter =)
Edit: should I add Dannia (MC's mom) into this again? I feel kinda bad that I left her out but idk what you guys want, cause I know some people only care for the mc pov