ᵖᵃʳᵗ ²⁵ - sɪᴄᴋ ᴏғ ʟᴏsɪɴɢ sᴏᴜʟᴍᴀᴛᴇs
❛ ɪᴛ ɢᴏᴛ ʜɪᴍ...ʜᴇ's ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ғʟᴀʏᴇᴅ ❜
Screams filled the mall, El withering on the ground as tears streamed down her face onto her neck.
"Jesus." Dustin gagged when he saw something move under the bloody and bruised wound.
"We need to get it out." Imogen gasped, trying to push the thoughts out of her mind when she saw blood begin to drizzle out.
"Keep her awake, okay!" Jonathan ran off on a search for supplies, as Imogen and Mike tried to calm her.
"Shh, it's gonna be okay." Imogen pushed the hair out of El's eyes, beginning to hum 'Hey Jude'.
El's screams quieted down a little at the tune, sobbing softly, "It hurts."
"I know." Imogen put her cold hand on El's burning forehead, continuing to hum the only song the could calm El.
Imogen had shown her the song when she was helping Hopper with advice, El stated she thought the song was pretty.
That night, Imogen tucked El into bed and sang it --due to El's command-- even though it was raspy and it cracked here and there, El loved it.
It helped soothe her nightmares.
"You know, it's not actually that bad." Robin, uncomfortably nervous, began talking. "There was a goalie on my soccer team, Beth Wildfire. This other girl slid into her leg. The whole bone came out of her knee, six inches or something. It was insane."
"Robin, sweetheart?" Imogen glared at the girl, helping El lean back against Mike, though not leaving her side.
"Yes?" Robin looked up with wide eyes.
"You're not helping."
"Sorry." Robin looked down, sending an awkward smile Steve's way when he watched her, amused.
"Okay..." Jonathan slid onto the ground, supplies at his side, beginning to slip on some plastic gloves. "El, this is gonna hurt like hell, okay?"
"Okay." El cried.
"I need you to stay still, and bite down on this," Jonathan stated, giving Mike the wooden spoon.
Mike put it in her mouth, El biting down as Jonathan held up a knife, glowing orange from the heat.
Everyone held their breath when Jonathan cut into El's leg, her pained screams filling their ears, puss, and blood beginning to leak out.
Once the 3-inch incision was done, Jonathan shoved his two fingers into the wound, El's screams getting louder as they watched in horror.
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."
Max locked eyes with the older girl, teary eyes connecting with ones of denial like hers had been until she saw Billy up close.
"N--wait. No. H--how? What?" Imogen shook her head, smiling, her eyes beginning to tear up.
Her chest began to hurt, going over all the facts in her brain. Her mind stayed on the one that she might lose Billy Hargrove.
The asshole, the bully, the fuck boy.
Her soulmate.
Imogen walked away from Max, towards the group saying goodbye to each other.
A tear fell onto her cheek, she wiped it away, sniffling. "I'm staying with Nancy."
Robin, Erica, Steve, and Dustin shared a look of confusion, watching the girl try and keep herself together.
Hopper walked over, his face filled with concern. "What's going on? You need to leave."
"Why?" Steve questioned.
"Max said...um..." Imogen blew out air, trying to keep her tears in, "Billy, he's one of them, I have to be here."
Robin looked between the siblings, confused.
"I can't lose another." Imogen let out a sob, staring at her brother, who gave her a knowing look.
Steve led Erica and Dustin out of the mall, Robin following behind them, looking over her shoulder.
Hopper wrapped his arm around the Harrington girl, giving her a kiss on the head, leading her over towards El and her group.
Hopper leaned over to Max and Nancy, "Watch her, okay?"
He looked back at Imogen who was speaking to Lucas, who was trying to cheer her up.
"Of course." Nancy gave the older man a tight smile, while Max nodded with a guilty look in her eye.
It wasn't long before Murray, Hopper, and Joyce left, leaving just Imogen, Nancy, Max, Mike, Lucas, Will, El, and Jonathan.
Nancy led them all out to the car, Mike and Max helping El walk.
"El, you're bleeding." Max voiced her concern when she saw the fresh drips coming from the girl's nose.
"Are you okay?" Mike asks, El giving a weak nod back. "Yeah."
Imogen got into the far back with Mike and El, Lucas, Will, and Max in the middle row, and Jonathan and Nancy in the front.
Nancy got into the car when everyone was safely in, putting the key into the slot, she turned it.
She and Jonathan shared a look when all the car did was sputter.
"What's wrong?" Jonathan questioned.
Nancy gaped, repeating her actions, but nothing. "I don't know. Are you serious, come on!"
"Didn't your mom just buy this car?" Lucas squinted at the older girl, glaring back at Imogen when she slapped the back of his head.
"I'm sure it's fine." Nancy blew off.
"Did you forget to turn the lights off?" Will asked softly, not wanting to anger the girl more.
"No."
"You got gas?" Lucas raised a brow.
"Yes!" Nancy snapped, turning the key again as far as she could go.
"Woah, Woah, Woah. Stop!" Jonathan grabbed her hand, to stop her. "Pop the hood."
Jonathan got out of the car, Nancy doing what he said, before getting out of the car as well.
Imogen ran a hand through El's hair, El's leg being elevated on Mike's lap as she sat next to the older girl.
Imogen froze up when she heard the familiar roar of an engine.
Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw headlights of a car pointed right at them, the engine getting louder and louder.
"Billy..." Her whisper was loud in the tense silence.
Nancy yelled at them to hurry and get out of the car, Imogen helping Mike with El.
"Back into the mall. Go! Go!Go!"
Jonathan took Imogen's spot by helping El, the group running into the mall.
Imogen stopped before entering, holding the door open. She looked back at the revving car, her eyes going to the cracked windshield.
Blue connected with brown.
Imogen let out a trembling breath as she stared into the eyes of her once friend.
That wasn't her friend anymore.
Staring into the eyes of the unknown, a shiver went down her spine.
"You'll be okay, Billy." She whispered to herself, reassuring herself that she'll get her best friend back.
Her soulmate back.
She couldn't lose another one.
When she walked into the mall she was greeted by the image of Nancy pulling a gun off one of the dead Russians, checking how many bullets there were.
"You're gonna kill him, aren't you?" Max mumbled, staring at the older girl with sad eyes, as Will stood next to her.
Imogen stopped staring at Nancy with wide eyes, "W--You can't--"
"It's just a precaution, okay?" Nancy spoke from her crouched position.
"Oh, my g-god." Imogen swallowed thickly, walking away to sit at one of the tables away from them.
Nancy bit her lip guiltily as she watched her friend put her hands over her face, not before Nancy caught the tears welling up in her eyes though.
Jonathan said something about only needing an ignition cable leading the group to try and push over the model car to get one.
The red car was a mess, still wrecked on its roof from El earlier, everyone other than El and Will was pushing the car, trying to put it back on its tires but it barely budged.
Imogen let go, silently walking off towards the GAP as El tried to use her powers to put the car back.
Hearing her fail, Imogen watched the group use the steel stanchions for leverage, Mike saying something about physics.
Imogen furrowed her brows, her stomach dropping for a reason she didn't know of. Looking around her in paranoia, millions of thoughts filled her mind.
Imogen felt her blood run cold when she heard a familiar chittering, one that has haunted her for the past 2--almost 3--years.
She looks up to the glass atrium, her breath hitching when she sees a large shadow, the glass vibrating.
"Guys?" she called out when the lights began to flicker, hearing the glass cracking.
She let out a scream when the glass shattered, Max grabbing onto her hand, following Mike and El as they ran, hearing the shriek coming from the Mind Flayer when it broke through, entering the mall.
The whole thing was a blur for Imogen, she could feel her hand shaking in Max's, ringing in her ears, tears unwillingly welling her eyes.
Imogen was broken out of her trance when she heard a loud balloon pop.
Becoming aware of her senses, she sees that she's been pulled by Max behind a counter with Mike, El, and her.
She also became aware of the tentacle of the mind flayer right beside them, it getting distracted from the loud noise, ran off in that direction.
"Come on!" Mike whispered urgently, leading the group out the backway of the GAP store, the four running through the white halls.
"What was that?" Imogen stopped when she heard gunshots, Max and Mike sharing a look, helping the exhausted El run.
"Come on! Let's go." Mike grunted, pressing one of the elevator buttons.
Imogen and Max furrow their brows when they hear a door open, walking around the wall to see who it was.
"Billy..."
"You don't have to do this..." Max started, tears filling her eyes as Billy stumbled towards them.
Imogen looked at the boy, her soulmate, he was different. He had cuts on his face, a sheen of sweat on his body.
Black veins, veins going down his arms, neck, any part of his body Imogen could see had black veins.
"Your name is Billy. Billy Hargrove." Max sobbed out, trying to get him to remember who he was.
He was getting closer.
Closer.
"Please!--"
3 steps.
"I'm Max!--"
2 steps.
"I'm your sis--"
1 step.
Billy hit Max hard on the head, the redhead passing out on impact.
Imogen, horrified, ran to stand next to Mike and El.
Mike, being the lovesick fool that would do anything to keep El safe, was the next target, being thrown into the wall, unconscious.
Billy turned to her.
Blue locking with brown, again.
Imogen backed away into the corner, El trying to use her powers but nothing.
Billy stepped closer.
"Billy, please."
Imogen cried out, her heart hurting when she sees the condition his body was in.
He was in front of her, glaring straight into her eyes.
"I know you're in there."
Imogen tried to put a brave front on, though it was hard with tears streaming down her face.
"Billy... come back to me. Please. I need you. Please... I can't lose you too."
There was a flicker, Imogen saw it, looking into the boy's eyes.
For a split second in time, Imogen Harrington saw Billy Hargrove.
For a split second in time, she saw the broken, and scared boy who was angry at the world.
For a split second in time, she saw her soulmate. The one she would laugh until she cried with, the one that looked out for her.
The one Max said would disappoint her.
He could never really disappoint her though, make her angry and sad, but never disappointed.
But then he was gone.
Imogen sniffled, glaring into the eyes, that housed the Mind Flayer. "Fuck you. I'll get him back. Fuck you! Fuck YOU! FUCK YOU--"
He grabbed her by the hair, banging her head against the wall, hard.
Her body dropped to the ground, her eyes hazy as she watched him knock out El, taking the powerful girl's body.
"Fuck you..." She slurred, feeling blood dripping from her head.
When she came to, she was greeted by the sound of fireworks. Ones that were too close.
The girl winced, grabbing the back of her head, pulling back to see her fingers coated in red.
She didn't have time to feel nauseous or terror.
She slid over to Max and Mike, who were both unconscious, she began shaking them.
"Wake up!"
The two woke up, grunting in pain, the lights flickering around them.
"Where's El?" was the first thing Mike asked.
"Billy took her," Imogen whispered.
Helping them up the three quickly ran through the halls trying to get to the noise of fireworks.
Imogen got there before the two, who were still a long way behind.
Imogen froze when she saw the big slimy, spider-shaped monster.
Her eyes went to El and Billy.
Billy was on top of El, looking like he was in pain.
El was talking to him softly, talking about the happiness she felt from him when she went into his memories.
The happiness he felt when he was with his mom.
The happiness he felt when he was with Immy.
Imogen walked closer to the scene, getting closer and closer to the boy she called her soulmate.
Her family.
"Billy?"
Billy's head snapped up to the sound of her voice.
Imogen expected to see the glaring eyes but all she got was the soft baby blues.
"Immy..."
She heard his whisper, even over the screeching of the monster.
More fireworks burst out, popping like crazy onto the monster.
The rain of fireworks falling was beautiful.
She could hear yelling coming from Steve on the top floor above her.
Will says they are almost out of fireworks.
They just need to distract the Flayer until Joyce and Hopper could shut the machine down, and close the gate.
Imogen could hear footsteps behind her, Max and Mike.
The girl ran towards a hardware shop nearby, grabbing three blow torches.
It wasn't enough but it would work.
She ran as fast as she could grabbing hair spray from the salon.
She threw Mike and Max, and blowtorch and hairspray.
Mike and Max shared a look.
"We have to distract, okay?"
Max was hesitant but nodded.
The three got close to the monster without it noticing, before blowing the fire into the hairspray.
The fireworks and three large fires began burning the monster.
The shrieking of pain came from it, making Imogen smirk in satisfaction.
She could hear Steve screaming about how insane she was, yelling into the walkie for Joyce to turn the fricking keys already.
Billy stood up.
The Mind Flayer and him face-to-face.
The monster was wiggling in pain.
"Do it! DO IT NOW!" Steve shouted into the walkie.
The Mind Flayer squeals. Unsteady on its legs; rocking back and forth.
Stumbling, it falls into support columns until it falls flat.
Lifeless.
Imogen dropped the hairspray and blowtorch, Max doing the same.
The two ran over to Billy, Mike going to El next to them.
Max pulled the boy into a big hug, sobbing into his chest.
Billy looked down at the redhead he used to hate, his hand coming up to pat her head.
Imogen stood watching the siblings, her heart feeling full, a smile pulling at her lips when she and Billy lock eyes.
Max pulled back from the embrace, going over to check on El, hearing the group upstairs come down.
The two were silent.
Staring at each other, not knowing what to do.
Imogen snorted, running up to the boy, wrapping her arms around him.
The boy grunted at the force, his hand going to the back of her head, pulling back when he sees blood coating his fingers.
"I'm sorry."
Imogen ignored his apology, pulling back from the hug.
"I'm not. I got you back. We got you back."