***
(tw: violence, blood and needles)
Mike was the first to step forward, welcoming her home. "Eleven."
"Mike." The girl softly uttered, her voice shaky. She immediately accepted a hug from the young boy, melting in his embrace. From the looks of it, she'd been waiting a long while to hold him again.
"Is that...?" Max glanced at Lucas, who nodded, confirming her suspicions.
"That's who I saw when we were looking for Dart." Sophie peered down at the young redhead, smirking. "I told you it wasn't a ghost."
The boys spun around, their eyes wide. "What?"
"Why didn't you say anything?" Lucas asked.
"Well, I didn't know who she was, did I?" Besides, they wouldn't have believed her anyway; Max certainly didn't.
"I never gave up on you." Mike seemed like a different person around Eleven; he was a lot more caring. She must be pretty special if he's treating her this way. "I called you every night. Every night for-"
"Three hundred and fifty-three days." Eleven finished for him, tearing up a little. "I heard."
The young boy was caught off guard, astounded by this revelation. "Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?"
"Because I wouldn't let her." Hopper chimed in, drawing the group's attention, though his focus was on the younger girl. He marched forward with a stern expression. "The hell is this? Where have you been?"
"Where have you been?" she fired back, her tone malicious.
Neither answered the other's question, instead, Hopper wrapped an arm around Eleven and pulled her in for a hug to the others' collective shock. There was more going on behind the scenes than they first realised. It looked like everyone was keeping secrets at one point or another.
"You've been hiding her..." Mike realised. "You've been hiding her this whole time!"
Though small and weak compared to the older man, Mike shoved Hopper, causing him to stumble. "Hey!" He grabbed the boy by his shirt, keeping him still. "Let's talk." Hopper yanked him closer. "Alone."
Mike obeyed, and the pair made their way down the hallway. They could hear Hopper trying to keep his cool, calmly addressing the boy by name and telling him he was protecting her.
But as the yelling began, Eleven sighed, watching them enter another room. Hopper closed the door behind him, muffling Mike's enraged outburst.
Slowly, Lucas and Dustin approached Eleven, though the girl was quick to pull them both into a tight embrace, a smile forming on her face. "We missed you."
"I missed you, too." She replied.
"We talked about you pretty much every day," Dustin told her.
As they broke away, Eleven stared at Dustin with a furrowed brow. She reached out her hand and grazed his teeth with her thumb. The boy backed away as she uttered. "Teeth."
He squinted. "What?"
"You have teeth." She stated.
Dustin shared a lighthearted giggle with Lucas, understanding what she meant. Pride overwhelmed him whenever someone noticed. "Oh, you like these pearls?" The boy purred, making Eleven flinch. Lucas' laughter faded, lightly shaking his head in embarrassment.
"Eleven?" Max released Sophie's hand, edging forward. She put on a friendly smile, and for the first time, Max didn't put on a defensive exterior, wanting to get to know her. "Hey. Um, I'm Max." She extended a hand, though Eleven seemed to look straight through her. "I've heard a lot about you."
Eleven barely spent a second with her, hardly acknowledging her presence. She glimpsed past her, soon walking through the gap between Max and Lucas. The only other girl her age lost her kind smile, her confidence dissipating. In silence, she hoped Eleven wasn't threatened by her presence; she wanted them to be friends.
She hugged Joyce, breaking into a sob. Eleven recalled the short-lived comfort the woman had given her the year before, and after her ordeal, she needed the love of a mother. "Hey. Hey, sweetheart."
Steve put his bat aside, assuming it wasn't required anymore, and wandered over to Sophie as he eyed Eleven. He leaned close, murmuring. "Not gonna lie, I didn't think she was real."
Her brows squished together. "So, you fought an interdimensional monster," she tilted her head, "and you thought a telekinetic kid was unrealistic?"
They faced one another, Steve's forehead wrinkling. "Stealing Dustin's vocabulary, are we?"
"Makes me sound smarter." Sophie's lips curved upwards, smiling. "You should try it sometime."
Eleven broke away from Joyce, asking. "Can I see him?"
The older woman nodded, putting an arm around her shoulder and ushering her into the hallway. As they left, the others turned their attention towards the Demodog, lying dead on the Byers' living room floor.
"So..." Steve began, sweeping his left arm towards the slain creature, "... she just threw that through a window."
"Yep." Dustin released a spontaneous chuckle, his grin wide. "She's awesome."
He rubbed at an eyelid, turning his body towards the kids. "Are we just gonna leave it here?"
Dustin shrugged. "Not much else we can do."
Joyce and Eleven returned from Will's bedroom, the women entering the kitchen. She showed the young girl the message Will had given them. "You opened this gate before, right?"
"Yes." The others followed their voices, soon joining the pair.
"Do you think if we got you back there," started Joyce, "that you could close it?"
The girl gently cocked her head towards Joyce, a look of determination taking hold. Then, she stared straight ahead and softly uttered. "Yes."
***
Another gathering in the kitchen took place, a sigh escaping Hopper's parted lips. "It's not like it was before. It's grown -- a lot." After his experience in the tunnels and the fact that the Upside Down has grown more active since Will's possession, Hopper knew they were in deep trouble. "And, I mean, that's considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs."
"Demodogs," Dustin interjected.
Hopper glowered at the young boy, already sick of this kid's spew of verbal bullshit. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I said, uh, Demodogs." Sometimes, it was pretty hard for Dustin to stop talking. "Like, Demogorgon and dogs. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass-"
"How is this important right now?"
"It's not. I'm sorry."
"I can do it," Eleven stated.
Her apparent guardian disagreed with her. "You're not hearing me."
"I'm hearing you." Clearly, she took pride in using his own words against him, proving her strength of character. "I can do it."
But she was so young, Sophie thought. And after listening to her harrowing story, all she could think about was keeping Eleven safe from harm. Yet, she continued to run straight into it. Perhaps that's just what happens when a child is raised to be a deadly weapon -- Eleven couldn't stop until everyone was safe.
"Even if El can, there's still another problem," Mike added. "If the brain dies, the body dies."
Max's nose wrinkled. "I thought that was the whole point."
"It is, but if we're really right about this -- I mean if El closes the gate and kills the Mind Flayer's army..." He hesitated, thinking of the repercussions.
"Will's a part of that army," Lucas remembered.
"Closing the gate will kill him." It was like cutting a crucial wire -- the system wouldn't work without it.
Horrified looks formed, the group eyeing one another, realising that, if they went through with the main plan, they would have to sacrifice Will's life. Sophie didn't want to live with that consequence -- none of them did. She barely knew him, but if saving the world meant letting him die, she would outright refuse.
Joyce led the others into Will's bedroom, where the young boy slept soundly. As his mother approached him, she murmured. "He likes it cold."
"What?" questioned Hopper.
"It's what Will kept saying to me," Joyce said. "He likes it cold." She marched over to the window, pulling it shut. "We keep giving it what it wants."
"If this is a virus, and Will's the host, then..." Nancy began.
"We need to make the host uninhabitable." Jonathan almost lost his younger brother the year before -- all because he worked a few more hours. After that devastating year, he knew he couldn't fail Will again.
Nancy edged forward, thinking. "So if he likes it cold-"
"We need to burn it out of him," Joyce spoke with such emphasis, determined to free her youngest son from this torment. It was a gruesome suggestion, but it's what needed to be done. If anything, it could weaken the hivemind.
"We have to do it somewhere he doesn't know this time." The Mind Flayer was smart; an ordinary ringing phone could tip it off straight away. They needed a secure place to exorcise him without any unnecessary distractions.
"Yeah, somewhere far away," Dustin affirmed, giving the Chief an idea.
***
Sophie and Steve were assigned their tasks -- to babysit the kids and keep them out of danger as the rest fulfilled their vital missions; close the gate and get the Mind Flayer out of Will.
The pair stood by the front door, observing the pack of kids before them. As Mike and El said their farewells, Steve commented. "Why do I feel like we've been saddled with the worst job?"
She narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips. "Um, in comparison to conducting an exorcism and closing the gate to an alternate dimension," they met each other's gaze, "I'd say this is the easiest job."
"Okay, when you put it that way..." her brows perked up, awaiting the rest of his response. Steve gave in, adjusting his sentence, "... you have a good point."
"You know if you really don't want to do this," she said, "you can go home."
Steve scoffed, leaning against the doorframe with his hands in his pockets. "And what, just abandon you lot?"
"Well, I mean, there doesn't need to be two of us here. Not really." She was fine on her own. If she could handle Max, she could handle a few more kids.
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" he asked.
"No, of course not," Sophie assured him, displaying some concern. "It's just that you've gone through a lot tonight, okay? You were almost Demodog chow."
He recoiled slightly, grimacing. "Oh, not you, too."
"What else am I supposed to call them?" There were plenty of names she could give them, but Demodog sounded the most simple -- even it was the most odd.
"Yeah, well, you're the one who got injured. If anything, you should..." he stopped himself, growing unusually quiet, "... who am I kidding? You can't go home."
The individual cars pulled away from the house, heading down various directions. The kids wandered back inside, passing the teenagers as they returned to the warmth and safety of the Byers' home.
"I don't mind if..." The words caught in his throat, almost unsure of the idea.
Her tone softened, her body posture perking up. "What?"
"If you and Max need to crash at mine for a few days." His offer wasn't something he really considered; it just slipped out. "I mean, my parents aren't home for another week, so..." He tilted his head to the side, making contact with her focused gaze. "... if that's cool with you?"
A slow, grateful smile built on her face. "Yeah, that's cool." Warmth tingled in her chest, rippling through her limbs. "Thank you."
"Steve, can you help me move the Demodog body?" Dustin called from inside.
Her grin widened, and she laughed a little. "You sure you're fine with this?"
"It's just for an hour or so, right?" he hoped. Steve twisted his form towards the doorway, his right hand on the frame. "But you should really rest that leg."
"Whatever you say." She muttered.
He strolled inside, helping Dustin to wrap the Demodog up in a blanket. Steve scooped the creature into his arms, its wet mouth dripping cold saliva as he carried it away.
Sophie's fingers grazed her smiling lips -- she hadn't smiled like that in ages. She hid her blushes with a bowed head, following him inside.
For once, she allowed herself to relax, kicking her feet up on the sofa and lying down. It was nice to take a break from the hellscape outside, though a couple of worries played on her mind now and then.
None of the kids really wanted to stay out of the action, then again, they knew they were safer here. They at least wanted to see Eleven being a total badass again, but they would have to wait.
Mike certainly couldn't. The young boy paced across the room, going back and forth. On the living room floor, Lucas and Max knelt, clearing away the glass. They took notice of their friend's anxiety, Lucas straightening up. "Mike, would you just stop already?"
"You weren't in there, okay, Lucas?" He stopped. "That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs."
"Demodogs!" Dustin exclaimed as he entered the room.
Sophie sat up, acknowledging his fears. "No, we get how brutal they are, Mike. I mean, one of them was about to tear my leg off," she shared a pained expression with him, "but you have every right to worry about her."
"The chief will take care of her," Lucas tried to assure him.
Max rolled her eyes, murmuring. "Like she needs protection."
"Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game." Steve wandered into the living room, wiping his hands with a blue kitchen towel. "Bottom line, you execute it, all right?"
"Okay, first of all, this isn't some stupid sports game." His nose crumpled then released. "And second, we're not even in the game. We're on the bench."
"Right -- so my point is..." he stammered. Everyone looked to him for an answer -- a reason why they were still here. "... Right, yeah, we're on the bench, so, uh, there's nothing we can do."
Sophie leaned back, sighing. "Well, didn't that sentence fall apart like a house of cards?"
Steve slapped the towel over his shoulder, glaring at her. "Enough of the lip, Soph."
"That's not entirely true," Dustin stated. "I mean, these Demodogs, they have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus, they were called away."
Lucas grasped the broom, standing up. "So, if we get their attention..."
Soon enough, Max began to catch on as well. "Maybe we can draw them away from the lab."
"And clear a path to the gate." These kids must have been on the same wavelength if they were finishing each other's sentences.
"Yeah," he opened his arms, raising his voice, "and then we all die."
"Well, that's one point of view," Dustin commented.
"No, that's not a point of view, man. That's a fact." Steve tugged on his sleeve, staring at the young boy.
Sophie sat back up, using her elbows to keep her steady. "Yeah, Steve's right -- if we lure them away from the lab then we'll be putting ourselves at risk."
"Exactly." He nodded at her. "Thank you."
She lifted her chin. "But since we know what we're up against now-"
His shoulders slumped, frowning. "I thought you were agreeing with me."
"I'm sorry, but everyone hates getting benched." She could recall Billy's temper blowing out of proportion when their old coach put him on the bench; Sophie could sense his anger all the way from the bleachers. "And if it means saving their lives-"
"We'll be endangering ours."
"I wasn't gonna say that."
"Doesn't make it any less true."
"I got it!" Mike pushed himself through a small gap between Steve and Dustin, heading into the kitchen. He pointed at a section of the map that was stuck against the fridge. "This is where the Chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel. So..." He strolled back into the hallway and stood in the centre of the map; a more spacious area of the tunnels. "Here, right here. This is like a hub. So you got all the tunnels feeding in here." He crouched down, pointing at the map. "Maybe if we set this on fire-"
"Oh, yeah? That's a no." Steve attempted to shut down the idea, not getting very far, however. He wasn't sure which was worse: getting eaten alive or burning to death. Their actions were going to get them killed one way or another.
"The Mind Flayer would call away his army." Dustin pieced together.
Lucas grew more enthused with the proposed idea. "They'd all come to stop us."
"Hey!" Steve tried to interject to no avail.
"We circle back to the exit," Mike said.
"Guys-"
"By the time they realise we're gone-" he added.
Max lifted her head, her eyes brightening. "- El would be at the gate."
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Steve clapped his hands together, ending the discussion. "This is not happening."
"But-!" Mike tried to argue.
"No, no, no, no, no." He put his hands on his hips, the towel on his shoulder making him look like a parent. "No buts. We promised we'd keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what I plan on doing."
Sophie jumped up from the sofa, strolling over to them. "Yeah, but if we get back here before they do, then they'll never know we left."
His jaw clenched, staring at her. "Soph, you of all people should know how dangerous this is."
"Yeah, and I'm gonna be more careful in the future." By careful, she meant wearing thicker layers when fighting monsters -- not that she was really planning to in the future.
"No, you are going to rest." He told her before turning his attention back to the kids. "We're staying here -- on the bench. And we're waiting for the starting team to do their jobs. Does everybody understand that?"
"This isn't a stupid sports game!" Mike lashed out.
"I said does everybody understand that?" Steve ripped the towel off his shoulder, gripping it between his fingers. "I need a yes."
The kids remained silent, no longer fighting back. They weren't exactly satisfied with staying put anymore, returning glares instead of swift replies.
"You know, maybe being a sports coach is your calling?" Sophie considered, tapping her chin. "Or a Phys Ed teacher?" she pulled her arms over her chest, grasping her upper arms. "Or is that the same thing?"
He pressed his lips into a white slash, facing her again. "Are we really talking about career choices now?"
She raised her shoulders. "I'm just making suggestions."
"Well, save them for a rainy day. We're dealing with a serious situation." Steve insisted.
Her face tightened into a taut smirk. "It's not that serious when you're on the bench, is it?"
Before Steve could retaliate, the revving of a car engine outside caught their attention. Their heads snapped towards the front of the house, their serenity slipping away. Dread boiled over as Sophie's face fell, her jaw going slack.
No.
No, he can't have found them.
Simultaneously, Max and Sophie ran over to the window, hurling their bodies against the couch as they peered out. It didn't take long for them to recognise the car speeding down the driveway. Neil must have sent him out to look for them, but how Billy had successfully located them, the girls didn't know.
"It's our brother." Max knew the cost -- the grievances that came with Billy Hargrove. "He -- he can't know we're here. He'll kill us."
"No," her voice shook, "he'll kill all of us."
Billy wasn't scared of hurting other children. By the time the others would return from the fight, their wrecked bodies would be strewn across the floor. Perhaps Sophie was overthinking this a little too much, but the fear of Max and her friends suffering at his brutal fist threw her head first into a panicked state.
Sophie leapt off the sofa, glancing back at the kids. "Is there somewhere we can hide?" They knew the house better than anyone. "I mean, he's broken into houses before, so there's nothing stopping him-"
"I'll distract him," Steve announced, his muscles tense.
She froze mid-movement, her brows folding inward. "What?"
He marched over to the front door, his hand outstretched as he reached for the doorknob. "You guys lay low. I'll only be a minute."
"Are you crazy?" Her voice tremored, striding towards him. If Billy found out she was here with him, he would go mental. "Steve, he will kill you."
Steve held up a hand, stopping her from going any further. "Stay here."
They were in a dire situation. She wouldn't let him go on a suicide mission, grabbing his arm and yanking him back. "Steve-"
"Stay." He commanded, the whites of his eyes shimmering in the dim light. Steve knew he was being stupid, but he had to keep them safe. Nothing could jeopardise the plan -- not even Billy Hargrove.
Sophie returned an inward gaze, letting his arm slip from her hands. She backed away as Steve opened the front door, heading outside. As he closed it, Sophie's dry throat caused her to gasp for air, controlling her breath. She swallowed, turning her back to the door.
Steve stood on the front porch, adjusting his stance as Billy pulled into the driveway. The headlights flashed off and Billy climbed out of the car, a cigarette between his lips. He took a puff, blowing smoke as he asked. "Am I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?"
"Yeah, it's me. Don't cream your pants." Steve spoke with a sarcastic tone, his hands on his hips.
Billy removed his leather jacket, revealing his unbuttoned red shirt. He tossed it into his car as Steve approached him. "What are you doing here, amigo?"
"I could ask you the same thing." He folded his arms, squaring up with him. "Amigo."
His smoking cigarette dangled from his lips. "Looking for my sisters," Billy told him. "A little birdie told me Max was here," he opened his palms, doing a low sweep with his arms, "but since you're here too, I'm thinking Sophie is as well."
"Huh, that's weird. I don't know a Max," Steve lied, wiping his nose, "and Sophie's definitely not here, man. I mean, you told me to stay away from her."
"That's right, I did." He reaffirmed. "I'm glad you have a good memory, Harrington." The orange tip of his cigarette burned brightly, almost like the searing rage growing within him. "Maybe you'll remember a small redhead then." Billy raised his hand, pinching his index finger against his thumb. "She's a bit of a bitch."
"Doesn't ring a bell. Sorry, buddy." Steve was doing his best to retain his composure, knowing a nervous slip of the tongue would be a dead giveaway.
Billy took the cigarette from his mouth, sighing. "You know, I don't know, this..." he clicked his tongue, wincing and shaking his hand in the air, "... this whole situation, Harrington, I don't know." He stepped closer. "It's giving me the heebie-jeebies."
"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" he questioned.
He took another smoke, breathing in its tobacco fumes. "My twin sister runs off during the night, and my thirteen-year-old sister goes missing all day." Billy glared at him. "And then I find them both with you," he gestured to Steve, "in a stranger's house," then the house, "and you lie to me about it."
Steve chuckled, maintaining his confident exterior. "Man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what?" Smoke poured from Billy's mouth, licking his lips and scoffing. Steve continued with the lie, despite his rival's disbelief. "I don't know what you don't understand about what I just said." He paused for a moment. "They're not here."
But then Billy pointed his cigarette at the window, his eyes protruding from his skull. "Then who is that?"
Steve glanced back, and low and behold -- Max sat by the window with the boys, watching the exchange from afar. They just had to see if it worked, didn't they?
In an instant, the kids ducked. "Shit! Did he see us?"
The whole time Steve was outside, Sophie paced the room, tapping her bottom lip and praying things would work out. She stopped upon hearing Dustin's cry and raced over to the window. As she gazed into the front yard, her eyes met Billy's stern glare, still just as piercing as before.
"Oh, shit..." Steve turned back, preparing another excuse when he was shoved to the ground, his right shoulder colliding with the hard dirt.
He was buying them time -- they could have run. Waiting for him was a stupid idea, and now the girls were going to pay the price.
The teenage girl turned away from the window, not before hearing another harsh groan from outside. Sophie couldn't do anything for him except save the others from harm. She grabbed the kids by their arms, yanking them upwards. "Get up. We have to go." Sophie grasped Max's hand. "Come on!"
"But we can't get out through the back door! He'll catch us!" They halted in the kitchen, Sophie realising they were correct; they needed more time.
"Then let's try a window!" If they headed to the back of the house, barricaded a door and fled outside, they might have the chance to escape Billy's wrath.
"What about Steve?" asked Dustin.
"We-" Before they could even get to a room, the door was forced open, Billy's hand pressed against the wood. It slammed against the wall as the kids and Sophie spun back; they shouldn't have left the chain unlatched.
His nostrils flared, his eyes fixed on his sisters and the kids. He didn't even bother to ask about the strange drawings on the wall. He was a bull who had just seen red -- and he was out for blood.
"Well, well, well." Billy stepped inside, forcing the door shut behind him. "Lucas Sinclair. What a surprise." The smaller boy gulped, fearing for his life as Billy turned his attention towards his stepsister. "I thought I told you to stay away from him, Max."
The young girl kept her ground, keeping her head held high. "Billy, go away."
"You disobeyed me." His gaze shifted upwards, locking with Sophie's panicked expression. "Both of you." Billy almost looked hurt -- wounded, even. A glint of sadness flickered in his eyes, his twin sister's betrayal clearly hitting him hard. "And you know what happens when you disobey me."
"Billy-" Max started, attempting to stop him from doing something he'd regret.
"I break things." He grasped Lucas by his jacket, hoisting him upwards. The younger boy was a lightweight compared to the muscle mass of Billy Hargrove.
The others yelled and screamed, but he didn't listen. "Billy! Stop!"
He thrust him against an open cabinet, roughing him up. Behind him, pots and pans fell from their spots, crashing to the ground. "Get off of me, you-"
"Since Maxine won't listen to me, maybe you will." He gulped. "You stay away from her."
Sophie's gaze wandered to the lone revolver on the kitchen table -- the one that belonged to Nancy. She knew how a gun worked; Neil once took them to a firing range when they were eleven. It was to scare them, obviously, but Sophie gained some valuable knowledge from it.
As she took it from its spot, Billy shoved Lucas again. "Stay," he ordered the scared boy, "away from her. You hear me?"
She took the weapon from the table and pointed it at her brother's head. "Billy, let him go!"
He glanced over his shoulder, eyeing the gun in her hand. "The hell is this?"
"You heard what I said, now let him go!" she screamed.
Billy stalled, looking back at the young boy in his grip. He wet his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. His fingers loosened, gently placing Lucas back on the ground. The moment his feet touched the floor, Lucas ran back to his friends, embracing them.
Her brother turned back over his right shoulder, facing his twin sister with a grimace. She wasn't done threatening him, though. "You know, I've had a really shitty week, so I am just fed up at this point," Sophie mentioned. "Now, you're gonna get back in your car and drive off. I don't care where you go, just as long as you don't come back here." He probably had somewhere to be anyway; he was dressed for a date. "I'll go back home later and tell Dad you didn't find us. I don't care what he does to me -- as long as you just leave now."
It was to save him as well -- he had to see that, right?
"And if I don't?" he scoffed, taking a confident step forward. "You're not gonna shoot me, Soph."
A thick lining of water built against the whites of her eyes, shimmering in the artificial light. She raised her other hand and pulled back the safety, her body trembling. Her index finger tapped the trigger, ready to fire. "You wanna bet?"
"On my life, yeah." A playful grin tugged at his lips, almost taking this like a challenge. "Go on." Billy began to approach her, his tone mocking. "Do it."
"Sophie!" She couldn't tell from her frantic tone whether Max wanted her to put the gun down or shoot him.
"Do it!" he screamed manically, throwing her off.
Sophie's eyes widened, her lips parting as she saw how truly insane he was. He noticed her falter, Billy grasped her hand and tilted her arm towards the ceiling. Her finger slipped from the trigger, firing it. The ringing disorientated everyone, except Billy, his focus on Sophie. Sawdust fluttered down as Billy ripped the gun out of her hands, tossing it into the sink. With his other hand, he grasped his sister's neck and shoved her against the wall.
"Billy, don't!" cried Max, but there was no stopping her stepbrother's anger.
In silence, she cursed her bleeding heart. As he pressed her frail body against the plaster, Sophie saw his eyes darken. It mirrored the way their father glared at his children when they had made a mistake.
Her breath hitched in her throat as a fatal realisation came to mind. It was too late -- Billy was beyond saving.
"How could you do this? You chose that bitch over me?!" he spat, his voice cracking. "I thought it would be just the two of us. You promised!"
With her hope squandered, Sophie stared back at him, a heavy tear rolling down her cheek. She uttered, her voice breaking. "Some promises are meant to be broken..."
He did it all the time to her, so why couldn't she do the same? Sophie didn't want to keep hanging on to someone who broke his word time and time again. It just wasn't fair.
"You wanna be her sister?" he snarled, growing quiet. "Fine." Billy's grip tightened around her neck, and Sophie's muscles tensed, struggling to breathe. "Have it your way."
"Let her go!" Out of the blue, Steve appeared, immediately shoving Billy away from her, his hold on Sophie swiftly loosening. He punched him in the face, striking him where it hurt most.
"Steve!" Max exclaimed as Sophie collapsed to the floor, drawing her knees into the fetal position. The sisters couldn't get to each other yet, blocked by the older boys.
Despite the pain, her brother laughed, his nose dripping blood. "Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh?" Steve scraped a hand through his hair as the other threw his arms open. "I've been waiting to meet this King Steve everybody's been telling me so much about."
"Get out." He uttered, so softly. His fingers pressed against Billy's chest, lightly pushing him back.
Billy didn't listen, of course, as he swung a tight fist towards Steve. He managed to dodge it before returning a swift hit in the jaw.
"Yes! Kick his ass, Steve!" yelled Dustin.
"Get him!" Mike cheered him on.
Steve threw a second punch, shortly followed by a third, knocking the other teenager back. But as Billy stumbled over the kitchen counter, his eyes caught sight of a useful, makeshift weapon. He realised a self-deprecating laugh before grabbing a large plate and spinning back, smashing the item over Steve's head.
It wasn't going to be a fair fight -- Steve should have known.
He struggled to stand, and it wasn't long before Billy used his right hook to incapacitate him further. The teenager was thrown back into the living room, tripping over his own feet. Billy clutched the rim of his jacket, blood dribbling from his mouth. "No one tells me what to do."
He headbutted him, and Steve Harrington fell to the floor. Though he tried to fight back, a brutal punch knocked him out cold. Billy knelt over him, and even though he'd won, he just kept on punching.
He was never satisfied. He was always angry. Billy just wanted the pain to end, and so did his sister.
Sophie glimpsed around the corner, watching bloody spit fly from Steve's mouth. And though he was unconscious, she wondered if he could still feel the pain. Did he know Billy was killing him?
Her brother was many things, but an actual murderer? She couldn't see it until now.
A seldom question came to mind, one she'd asked herself many times yet failed to answer. Even after all those scrapes, bruises, cuts, scars, and sprains -- how did Sophie find the strength to get back up again? Why the hell did she even try?
Her father knocked her down with his mighty fist and words, but she survived every time. She kept her suffering to herself until it grew too big to handle, and she'd release all those feelings through a guttural scream. Though her lungs could not handle the fleeting oxygen and the blood running through her veins would cause her heart to race, she found the will to take a breath and move on.
A monster attacked her today, its claw tore through her leg like she were paper. When she could barely walk, Sophie cared more for her sister's safety than her own. Her leg was bleeding, and all she cared about was Max.
And when all was quiet, she stood in the eye of the storm. She could pretend the hurricane wasn't there and that, if she waited, it would soon dispel. Sophie could cover her ears, hum along to her favourite song or imagine she was somewhere else -- but the storm not would abide.
She couldn't pretend the Eye was a safe place, not when its tranquillity was a lie. The surrounding winds that swirled and suffocated her would not cease until the last glimmer of hope was squashed.
She never fought back. She never complained. She never told. If she had powers like Eleven... Oh, the things she would do.
There was this burning in her chest, but it wasn't anger. It didn't match her brother's undying rage -- this was something new. Whatever it was, it had been building for a while now. The match was lit, and this strange flare coursed through her, a light glowing so bright.
No more hiding behind the walls of a storm -- it was time to tread the hurricane.
A spare syringe caught her eye, lying idle on a small table. With the last of her willpower, she pulled herself back onto her feet and walked over, snatching the syringe. She ripped off its plastic cap, tossing it aside before storming over to Billy. He couldn't hear her swift approach from behind, but when she tugged on the collar of his shirt and let out a bloodcurdling scream, his head turned slightly.
Before he could act, the needle struck his neck, piercing his flesh. Sophie could hear sharp gasps behind her, though she didn't care for their reactions. Her thumb pressed down on the plunger, quickly injecting him with the sedative.
Billy stopped throwing punches, becoming disoriented. His sister backed away as he stumbled back up, looking back at her with bewilderment. In the corner of his eye, he acknowledged the syringe, gently pulling it out soon after. "The hell is this?" His vision blurred as he stepped towards her, growing weaker. "What did you do?"
"What I had to." Not that she had wanted to in the first place, but it was kind of satisfying watching him stumble over his own feet before falling backwards, his spine slamming against the floorboards.
Even after suffering a defeat, he was still cackling away -- as if he wanted someone to stop him. Or maybe it was just a kick for him, knowing he'd nearly brought someone close to death.
"Shit," Mike uttered from behind.
Sophie wasn't done yet, grabbing the nail bat and hoisting it above her waist, glaring down at her brother. "I may not be able to kill you, but I can make sure you never fuck another girl again." She threatened him. "You're gonna leave us alone. Me, Steve, Max, and her friends." The kids watched in awe, their mouths wide open. "Everyone -- do you understand?"
"Screw you." He responded.
If he knew what was good for him, he'd fucking listen -- but it seemed that it was time for some sisterly bonding. She twisted the bat by its handle, holding it off to the side. Sophie turned her head, staring at the shocked redhead. "Max?"
With a satisfied twitch of her lips, Max strolled over, taking the bat from her hand. She plunged it between his crotch, clearly striking some fear in Billy. The wood splintered as Max yanked it out, hauling it above her head. "Say you understand!" The girl demanded. "Say it!" she screeched. "Say it!"
"I understand..." he grumbled.
Sophie leaned over him. "I'm sorry?"
"I understand." Billy hissed through his teeth as the drugs took effect. Within seconds, their brother was knocked out cold, his heavy skull slamming hitting the floor.
Max let the bat clatter onto the ground, breaking through the wooden floorboards a little. She turned to her sister, exhaling. "That felt good."
Sophie wished she could feel the same, but she grieved the loss of her brother's love.
However, she wouldn't let it stop her, crouching down and reaching into his trouser pocket, finding his car keys. As she straightened up, she turned to the kids, dangling the keys from her fingers. "You really wanna do this?" The kids, Max included, nodded in a simultaneous fashion. "Cool, let's do it."
***
Damn, this is a long one. I knew it would be, but I couldn't find a good place to split it, considering nothing too dramatic happens in the first half of this.
I can't believe there are actually people out there who like Billy. Like, he full-on attacked a child and threatened to kill him. He's a racist asshole who deserves what's coming to him.
Not gonna lie, part of this is inspired by a musical theatre song. If you can guess which one, then you will be successful in freaking me tf out with your psychic abilities.
I honestly love it when Max gets the upper hand on Billy. And I know I made Sophie drug him instead, but it's meant to show that she can never bring herself to truly hurt Billy. She doesn't want to become like him or their father, so she does the next best thing -- Sophie won't continue the cycle of abuse. It ends with him.
okay, even in my author notes i'm dramatic af.
Honestly, I do feel compelled to write some flashbacks to Billy and Sophie's childhood. Might include those in the next part of this book (not the next chapter though).
If you liked this chapter then please leave a vote and comment because it gives me more confidence in myself and my writing.
- Alice.
PS: right now i should be watching stranger things: the first shadow on the west end (like i've literally scheduled this to publish at 7:30 pm when the show starts). i'm so excited!!