"Now... tell me. Where is Eleven?" The voice softly asks, in a voice too calm. Mike stares into Dr. Brenner's soulless eyes. "I will NEVER tell you." He spits, and Dr. Brenner smiles coldly. "Then you will be punished." He states, and yanks Mike by the arm. He pulls him down the hall, ignoring Mike's attempts to free himself from his crushing grip. Mike suddenly feels a strike of realisation. El had to face this pain her whole life.
Mike is pulled into a big room, that was very intimidating. Scientists walked around, muttering quietly to each other. Mike usually admired scientists, but this time he felt hatred towards them. Brenner forces him into a closet, and throws him a wet suit. "Put it on." He demands, turning around as he waits for Mike to change into the suit. Mike reluctantly does so, not wanting to know what will happen if he doesn't listen.
"Done." Mike mumbles, setting down his dirty clothes. Brenner gives him a curt nod, before yanking him back into the room full of scientists. His eyes fall on a huge structure, filled with an eerie coloured water. Mike swallows harshly. That wasn't normal water.
He is guided up the stairs and towards the top of the tank. Brenner comes to a halt, and Mike nervously looks down at the opening to the tank. Brenner turns around, and kneels down to reach Mike's height. "You will see things. Amazing things, and I need you to trust me." Brenner instructs, eyes staring deep into Mike's.
"TRUST you?" Mike sputters. "Why would I ever trust you?" He yells. Brenner doesn't say anything but only slips a helmet on Mike's head. Mike lets out yells of complains, and Brenner shows no signs of notice. They drag him onto a platform, and they push a red button. Mike's hands find their way to the handles as he feels the platform begin to lower into the water.
"Get off." Even underwater, Mike can still clearly hear Brenner's cruel voice. He does as told, and the platform begins to rise back up. Mike stares blankly out of the tank, and soon Brenner's face is seen. He locks eyes, and Brenner pushes a button, and Mike feels himself slip out of consciousness.
~~
Mike opens his eyes, expecting to be greeted with the sight of Brenner, who he supposed would be grinning evilly at him. But instead he is greeted with the sight of emptiness. He feels a slight rush of water against his bare feet, and looks down to see water.
The water is thin, almost as if it was upon a surface. He looks around, scanning for any sign of life. He shuts his eyes, trying to escape whatever he was in.
"Mike?" A voice calls out, and he quickly opens his eyes, turning around to see El. "Eleven?" He yells, and she runs to him, and he smiles for the first time in a while. His hand touches hers, and he feels a wisp or air against his hand. He looks down, and sees her slowly fade into nothingness.
"El?!" He yells, and is greeted with silence. "ELEVEN?!" Nothing.
He lets out a strangled sob, and looks around, hoping El was just hiding. No sign of life.
He feels more and more tears slip down his face. "EL WHERE ARE YOU?!" He screams, sobbing.
He then feels himself pulled back into reality. He opens his eyes and sees himself on the surface above the tank. His helmet is next to him, and his wet suit is damp. "We didn't even need to show you the creature. You really care for her. It would be a shame if something were to... happen to her." Brenner smirks.
Mike breathes heavily, not daring to look away. "If you lay a single finger on her, I will kill you." Mike threatens. Brenner shakes his head disappointed. "You see, you are not in a place of threats." He says, giving him a hospital gown. Mike shakes his head, refusing the gown. "Fine. Get him his clothes in the closet." He instructs one of the scientists near him. They nod, leaving.
"Why do you care for her?" Brenner asks. "Because she means everything to me. And she deserves a chance of happiness, and a life where she isn't treated like a lab rat." Mike says, heart bursting with a longing to see her. "Very well." He says, handing him his clothes that the scientist had returned with.
Mike is guided back to the closet, and he quickly changes back into the clothes, dusting off some of the dirt on his shirt.
He steps out, and is greeted with two burly men, who grab his arms and drag him back into the room he had grow used to. They close the door behind him, and he sits down on the bed, staring at nothing.
He needed to escape. He needed to to see El. He needed to let her know he was okay. He needed to know she was okay.
***
Mike stands out in the forest, hiding behind one of the big trees. His clothes were ripped, covered in dirt, and his hair had a collection of small twigs stuck in his curls.
He hears a snap and quickly turns around. He locks eyes with Hopper. He smiles, relieved to see a familiar face. "Kid?" He asks, walking over to the boy he had known of for many years.
Mike Wheeler. The boy who had died.
"Sheriff?" Mike whispers. "W-What are you doing out here? You d-died!" Hopper exclaims. "I'll explain later. Can you please take me to El?" Mike asks, fear, hope, and desperation in his brown eyes.
"I... I can't do that right now. But how about you come to a place I know, and we can talk. I'll take you to her after. Okay?" Mike nods, and Hopper leads him deeper into the forest until he sees the cabin.
Mike walks in behind Hopper, and sits down on one of the couches, and he stares down at his dirty hands.
"Okay... so... what happened?" Hopper asks, sitting down at one of the seats across from him.
"I...I was kidnapped. By that Brenner guy." Mike sighs, running his clammy hand through his messy hair.
"And what'd he do?" Hopper asks, clenching his jaw.
"Mainly just asked me where El was. But he sometimes punished me when I refused to tell him. Tortured me. Beat me a bit. Nothing I couldn't really handle." Mike explains, hating having to relive the memories.
"I'm sorry, Mike. No kid should have to go through that." Hopper whispers, eyes still locked on Mike's. "Yeah, well El had to go through that for her whole life. I'm lucky I got away early." Mike says, tears forming in his tired eyes.
"Hey, how about you stay here for the night? I'll get you some clean clothes, and some food, you can take a shower, get some rest, and you can see your friends in the morning. How about that?"
Mike nods, his lips tugging up into a thankful smile. "Thank you sir." His voice breaks. "C-Can I hug you?" Mike asks, sheepishly. Hopper is taken aback, but recovers quickly.
"Of course." Mike walks over to the man he was usually intimidated by. He shyly wraps his arms around his torso, burying his head in Hopper's bulky chest. Hopper wraps an arm around the boy's shoulders.
"Go take a shower. I'll go get you some food." Hopper smiles.
"Wear these when you're done." Hopper adds, handing him the smallest clothes he could find. The clothes would still be big on Mike, but he gratefully took them. It was a navy blue sweater, that would go down to at least his knees, blue jeans, and some clean sneakers. Hopper didn't even know why he had the clothes.
Mike gratefully smiles at him, and Hopper leaves to buy some food, seeing as he never came to this cabin, and there was no food in the fridge.
Mike walks into the bathroom, and grabs a towel. He strips out of his dirty clothes, and steps into the shower, feeling the hot water against his skin, and it relaxes him.
When he is done, he smiles to himself. He finally felt clean. His hair was twig free, and it was still messy but not dirty. His face was clear of dirt, and his body only had bruises left.
He walks out of the bathroom, and sits down on the couch. He sees the TV and decides to turn it on.
"Now to get a good chocolate fondue all you have to do is-" Mike switches channels.
"But Maria!! I love you! And I know you love me too!" A blonde haired boy exclaims to a brunette girl, whose back was turned to him. Mike rolls his eyes. Not another soap opera. He switches the channel again.
"The body of Mike Wheeler has still yet to be found." This catches his attention. "We have talked to many of his close friends and family, and all of them had as little information as us."
"My boy was taken from me." Mike's eyes soften with guilt and sadness when he sees his mother, eyes full of tears as her lip quivers. "I was there. He died to save me from these bullies." Dustin says, eyes blank.
Mike gulps. He couldn't stand the fact that they all had believed him dead, and here he was. A bit hurt but still alive.
"He was one of my best friends." Will's voice cracks. "You survived the "Upside Down" as they call it?" The reporter asks Will, and he nods. Mike softly smiles. Will was okay. "But Mike had died before I got back. I never got to see him again." Will chokes.
Mike turns off the TV. They all thought he died. He sighs, gripping his hair as he lets tears fall down his face. What about El?
"Kid!" Hopper exclaims from the front door, seeing Mike sobbing into his arms. Mike looks up, and wipes his tears with the sleeve of his huge sweater. "Are you okay?" Hopper asks, even though he knew the answer.
"They all think I'm dead." He states. Hopper nods. "What about... what about El? Is she o-okay?" Mike stutters.
"She's heartbroken. But she's starting to live a normal life." Mike feels guilt ping at him. She was learning to live normally. Sure that's what he wanted for her, but he had always wanted to be the one who helped her.
"Where's she living?" Mike asks.
"With the Henderson's. Mrs. Henderson welcomed her with open arms. Dustin and El are almost like siblings now." Hopper says, and Mike smiles to himself.
"C-Can I see them today?" Mike asks, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Hopper purses his lips, before seeing Mike's expression. Mike looked so helpless, desperate and in need of comfort from his friends. Hopper gives in, nodding.
"Thank you!" Mike yells, hugging him tightly. Hopper smiles slightly, before Mike pulls away. "Can you tell them to meet you at the quarry?" Mike eagerly asks.
"The quarry?" Hopper asks, raising an eyebrow. Mike nods. "I guess it's just more private." Mike shrugs. "Fine. I'll let them know. You're going to come with me, but stay in the car." Hopper instructs him, and Mike nods.
Mike follows Hopper as they get in the car. Mike sits in the passenger seat, and glumly looks out the window. He wanted to see El right now.
They first go to Will's house. "Duck down." Hopper says, and Mike smiles softly, but does as told. They were going to surprise them.
Hopper knocks on the Byers wooden door. Shortly after, Joyce opens the door, smiling when she sees Hopper. "Hey Jim. What's up?" She asks, and Hopper swallows. "Um, can I speak to Will?" He asks, and Joyce nods, calling to Will.
Will comes to the door, and Joyce leaves them alone. Mike peeks up at the window, just enough to see Will. Will looks healthy, he was okay. Mike sighs in relief.
"Hey sheriff. You wanted to speak to me?" Will politely asks. "Yes. I wanted to inform you that I need to speak with you and your friends at the quarry at 3:15 sharp." Hoper says. Will nods, and Hopper walks back to the car.
The same thing happens, they drive to one of the party member's house, Hopper informs them where to meet and when, and they go to the next place. Finally, they got to the Henderson's house.
Mike's breath hitches when he sees El at the door. Her face was more mature, she looked more confident, and she looked even more beautiful than when he last saw her. He resisted the urge to jump out of the car and hug her.
***
3:15. Mike's watch reads, and he looks over at Hopper, who seemed aware of the time as well. He sees the others waiting at the quarry.
Dustin is fiddling with his hat, Will is nervously shifting his feet, Lucas is rubbing his hands together, and El is tapping her foot. "You ready?" Hopper asks, and Mike nods.
Hopper gets our first, and walks over to the nervous kids.
"Hey kids." He greets, smiling at them. They all murmur greetings. "Sir, may I ask why you needed us here?" Will timidly asks, and Hopper grins.
"Yes. There's someone you may want to see." He says, and waves to Mike to let him know to come out. He takes a deep breath, before opening the car door, and stepping out.
Time freezes. Everyone's eyes widen as they see their friend, that they had mourned for months, walking towards them. El's eyes fill with tears, and she lets a few slip down her face.
"Mike!" Will yells, running to him. Mike nervously smiles, and Will hugs him tightly, as Mike chuckles. He hugs back, before pulling away and is greeted with a hug from Dustin. Then Lucas. They all stare at him, as if trying to figure out if he was real or not. He looks past them at El. His eyes soften when he sees her tears.
"Eleven." He whispers. "Mike." She whispers too, before running to him, and hugging him so tight he almost felt he had been knocked out. But he only smiled, wrapping his arms around her small frame. She cried against his shirt, and he ran his hands through her beautiful short curly hair.
He kisses her head, and she pulls away, before crashing her lips against his. He freezes, but quickly recovers, kissing her back. They pull away and El smiles.
Her brown eyes look him up and down. She can't help but notice how much more mature he looks. His jawline had gotten sharper, his freckles were still plastered around his soft face. His hair complimented his face structure. And he had gotten much taller.
"I missed you." She whispers, and Mike softly smiles at her, tears slipping down his gorgeous face. "I missed you more." He sighs, kissing her nose.
"Mike... can you explain to us how you're still alive?" Lucas asks, slightly smiling at the two. Mike nods, turning to face them, but still leaving an arm wrapped around El.
"So... I thought I had died. But I only passed out. I wake up in this hospital bed. Turns out I'm in the lab... Dr. Brenner starts questioning me about where Eleven is. I refused to tell him... so he beat me." Mike starts, and El lets out a gasp. "Papa." She whispers, choking down sobs. Mike didn't deserve to feel the pain she felt.
"I was stuck there... for months. He eventually took me to this tank of water. He forced me in and somehow knocked me out. When I woke up... I was surrounded by nothing. And I saw El. I tried to reach out to her, but she faded away when I tried to touch her. I panicked, and then Brenner brought me back to reality. I escaped... and Hopper found me." Mike finishes.
"Hopper... thank you." Eleven thanks him, wiping her tears. Hopper nods, smiling at the group.
"Can I talk to you alone, Mike?" El asks, and Mike nods, walking to a place out of earshot from the others.
"I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve to feel that pain." El cries, and Mike quickly hugs her. She cries against him, as he rests his chin on her curly hair.
"El. I'm fine. You felt worse, and I'm just glad I escaped when I did. I'm so sorry I left you." He whispers. She pulls away, her brown eyes locked on his.
"Promise you'll never leave me again." She whispers.
"I promise."
***
Months passed. Everyone had heard of the "Boy Who Cheated Death". Brenner was found and arrested for what he did, along with the other scientists.
The other test subjects were put into protection programs. All the equipment in the lab was stored away, hopefully forever. Mike was reunited with his family, who couldn't hold back tears, overjoyed to see him alive. Even Ted.
Mike went back to school soon, and he was extremely popular, everyone wanting to know what happened. But he didn't tell them. It was his business. It was hard to refocus on school, but he did.
Mr. Clarke was in tears when he saw Mike again. El started going to school. All was well. Mike had kept his promise, too. Mike and El were the cutest couple, and every classmate strived to have a relationship like them, but none were as pure and loving as they were.
The party was no longer for losers. They were all well known, despite their wants to be invisible at times.
Sometimes the world will throw its worst at you. But Mike had learned that if he had people like Nancy, his parents, Mr. Clarke, Hopper, Joyce, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Eleven in his life, it would get better.
Because they all had something worth fighting for.
Each other.
***
1. I know, I know. Cheesy ending. Sue me.
2. Yes, I am aware how long it is, but I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter.
3. Awwwwwwww
4. Requests are still open!! Please message me with any requests you have!
5. Thank you loves for reading this! Ily❤️❤️
Word count: 3021