EVERYONE GATHERED ANXIOUSLY AROUND the dining table, watching as Dustin slammed down Will's copy of the Dungeons & Dragons Guide to an open page. "The Mind Flayer," the Henderson announced.
"What the hell is that?" Hopper demanded.
"It's a monster from another dimension," Dustin answered. "It's so ancient that it doesn't even know its true home. Okay, it enslaves races of another dimension by taking over their brains using its highly developed psionic powers."
"Sounds kind of familiar," Jasper inputted sarcastically.
"Oh my God, none of this is real. It's a kid's game," Hopper groaned in disapproval.
"Um, no. It's a manual. And it's not for kids, it clear says ages ten and up," Dustin countered confidently. "And unless you know something we don't, this is the best metaphor—"
"Analogy," Lucas cut the curly-headed boy off pointedly.
"Analogy?" Dustin echoed incredulously. "We've got an entire army of Demodogs coming to eat us for dinner and that is what you're worried about? My seemingly incorrect word usage?"
"Guys, chill," Jasper intervened as the two boys sent glares teeming with annoyance at one another. "What Dustin is trying to say is this might help us understand what's happening. I mean, doesn't it sound a lot like our situation?"
"Yeah, yeah. Okay so this Mind Flamer thing—" Nancy started, attempting to help.
"Flayer, Mind Flayer," Dustin fixed her.
"Oh so who's worried about incorrect word usage now?" Lucas folded his arms challengingly.
"Children!" Jasper scolded the bickering boys again, throwing them a warning look. "The Mind Flayer," she continued for Dustin, addressing to the crowd. "It wants to conquer us. To become the 'superior race', I suppose."
"Oh, okay, like the Germans," Steve nodded in false understanding.
"Uh, the Nazis?" Dustin piped up, impatient with the Harrington teen laying thick in his voice.
"Now you're just embarrassing yourself, Harrington," Jasper patted his forearm in fake consolation. She had to stifle a laugh seeing the mortification crawl onto his face.
"I mean, if the Nazis came from another dimension, sure. I guess you could make that analogy," Dustin murmured, casting another wry glance at Lucas who simply mocked the boy by squinting his eyes and sticking out his tongue.
"Anyway," Jasper rambled on. "It sees other races as inferior to itself. And it wants to spread, take control of everything in its path and we—we are in its path. If we don't do something, this place is gonna eat up more than just Hawkins."
"Alright so if this thing is like a brain," Ruby picked up the book, skimming the page. "Then if we kill it, we kill everything it controls, yeah?"
"Okay so how do we defeat this thing," Hopper grabbed the book, restlessly reading over the page himself. "Kill it with fireballs or something?"
"This is probably the part where you admit it's just a game, Dustin," Jasper hissed to him from behind Hopper's arm.
"Well, no, no no no. You defeat it by summoning an undead army, okay? Cause it doesn't like zombies and..." his blue eyes slowly shifted back towards Jasper's, realization swimming in his gaze. "Yeah, it's just a game. It's just a game."
"God, what the hell are we doing here?" Hopper growled, violently tossing the book back onto the table.
"I thought we were waiting for your military backup," Dustin argued.
"We are!"
"How do you know they can stop it, though?" Mike spoke up defensively. "You can't just shoot these things with guns!"
"You don't know that! We don't know anything," Hopper ranted, his face morphing into a darker shade of red.
"No," Jasper shouted over the beginnings of another massive tirade between the group. "Hop's right. We don't know anything," her deep blue eyes landed on Will's sleeping figure in the living room. "But he might."
"Jas is right," Mike agreed excitedly, rushing over to his resting best friend. "If anyone knows how to stop this thing, it's Will. He's connected to it. He knows its weaknesses."
"But I thought we couldn't trust him anymore," Max muttered in puzzlement. "That he's a spy for the Mind Flayer?"
"Yeah, but, he can't spy if he doesn't know where he is."
"We make it unrecognizable," Jasper nodded in approval. "It's a good plan. We can get him to talk to us."
"Yeah, you're not going anywhere near him right now, Jasper," Hopper intervened strictly, a light of fatherly protection shining in his eyes.
"Damn," Jasper clicked her tongue against her teeth, feigning disappointment. "Because I was really looking forward to getting almost killed again."
The group divided into several teams, each one with a clear distinct job. Much to Dustin's dismay, Jasper and Max were instructed to duct tape cardboard over a chair whilst he was supposed to search for other useful items outside with Lucas.
"That boy cannot stay away from you, can he?" Max murmured smugly to Jasper, a smile pressed against her lips.
"Duh, I mean, can you blame him?" Jasper chuckled, pointing at herself in amusement. The two girls laughed softly as Jasper passed another strip of duct tape to Max. Deep down, Jasper felt a strange warmth in her chest from Max's statement.
"So, what made you leave sunny California to come to a place like Hawkins?" Jasper questioned the ginger.
"Oh, uh, my parents divorced when I was younger and my mom married my stepdad. I guess they were just looking for a fresh start," Max answered honestly, a hint of sadness in her voice as she thought about her dad.
Jasper, sensing the girl's sorrow, leaned over and whispered, "Well how's sky demon monsters and literal hellhounds for a fresh start?"
The girl giggled at Jasper's words, then grew serious again. "Hey, can I ask you something about El?"
Jasper was struck surprised, but nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sure."
"Is she coming back?"
A small smile spread on the redhead's face as she looked at the Mayfield girl. "Yeah. Yeah, she's coming back. She should be here soon." Jasper had sent El a message through their channel, hoping her visions of Hopper and Mike at the lab had gotten through to the brunette.
"Were her and Mike...close?"
Jasper's eyes grew huge, and she blew a small puff of air through her cheeks. "Close is one way to describe it. I'm pretty sure they won't be able to stay away from each other when El returns."
"So, like you and Dustin?"
"Yeah?" Jasper raised a challenging eyebrow. "More like you and Lucas."
The Mayfield's face reddened to a deep maroon, causing the ginger to grab a nearby pillow and toss it at Jasper. The two girls were bubbling with laughter, a new friendship forming between them.
Everyone gathered together in the cramped space of the Byers shed, working together to cover walls and windows. Anything that would tell Will where he was became completely concealed.
"Here I got it," Steve offered when he saw Jasper struggling to hold up a piece of wrapping paper. The taller boy leaned over and taped the paper to the wall, offering the redhead a generous smile.
"Thanks," she mumbled gratefully, lowering her head to concentrate on tearing another strip off duct tape off.
"Hey," Steve shifted uncomfortably, pushing his long locks back with a swift hand. "I never really um, thanked you, for earlier. That was really badass, what you did, saving my life. So thanks." His eyes scrunched up awkwardly as he added, "And I'm, um, really sorry for almost hitting you with my car."
Jasper giggled, absentmindedly taping more wrapping paper on the wall. "It's fine. And no problem," she casted a glance over her shoulder at Dustin, who quickly looked away after realizing he'd been caught staring at Jasper and Steve. She blew air through her nostrils in amusement, wheeling back around to face the Harrington teen.
"So uh, how long has this friendship been going on between you and Dustin?" She inquired.
"Since yesterday when he asked for help getting rid of his creepy little friend," Steve answered, giving the Henderson boy a distant, amused look. "Can't believe he kept that thing for so long."
"Or at all," Jasper huffed, blowing a loose red curl in her face.
Ruby joined the two, a pile of fresh newspapers in her arms. "You guys need help?"
Steve balanced himself on one foot awkwardly, gulping down a large lump of bile in his throat. "Uh, yeah. Sure," he nodded, maneuvering over so the older Marrow could pin newspapers over the windows.
Jasper rolled her eyes at him, noting how that hadn't changed at all. Once the shed was completely unfamiliar, everyone except Hopper, Joyce, Jonathan, and Mike trailed back into the house. The wait began once again.
Lucas, Max, Dustin, and Jasper all sat in the hallway, Jasper and Dustin directly across from one another. The four were catching up anxiously, desperately trying to distract themselves for a while.
"So let me get this straight," Dustin muttered, playing footsie with a smirking Jasper. "You have multiple powers?"
"Well, I'm not sure," Jasper shrugged lightly. "Carson said my mom discovered more and more abilities she could use as she got older, but they're very dangerous, very deadly powers."
"And Carson is the creepy lawyer who totally banged your mom, right?" Lucas questioned.
"I never said he—Lucas!" Jasper leaned over and slapped the Sinclair boy playfully, making the entire group giggle.
"I'm just saying, how could a guy know so much about your mom's personal life unless they hit the sack together?"
"'Hit the sack'?" Jasper echoed, scoffing in bemusement. "I can see you haven't changed at all, Sinclair."
"Neither have you, Hopper," Lucas threw back, before quickly narrowing his eyes. "Wow, I'm never gonna get used to saying that."
"I don't know," Jasper mumbled, ignoring the boy's last comment. "I feel different. Being in that place for so long...sometimes I feel like I don't even know who I am anymore."
"Hey," Dustin scooter closer to the girl, grabbing her hand, which had begun to shake. The redhead was forced to meet his passionate blue gaze, finding nothing but love in his eyes. "You're Jasper Hopper, my best friend. And our party's best fighter. Nothing is gonna change that. Ever."
"Thank you, Dusty."
Lucas and Max shared yet another knowing look as the two lovers simply gazed into one another's eyes, almost forgetting their situation entirely.
"Hey, Jas, I gotta say," Dustin inputted, gesturing to Jasper's unruly short red locks. "I dig the new haircut."
"Don't lie to me, Henderson," she murmured sheepishly, running a few fingers through her hair. It was only then she realized her other hand was still interlocked with Dustin's, and the two pulled away slowly and awkwardly. "I cut it myself, so, it's pretty bad."
"Whatever, it's cute," Dustin complimented, his eyes growing to the size of saucers upon realizing what just left his lips. Lucas and Max gaped at the boy with huge eyes as well, and Jasper simply stared at the floor with crimson cheeks.
"Thanks."
Before anything more could be said, Hopper came surging through the door with purpose gleaming in his eyes. He hastily snatched pen and paper, slamming it onto the dining room table. Jasper was the first one to reach her father, her blue eyes watching in confusion as he scribble a series of lines and dashes.
"What happened, Dad?" She questioned impatiently, not even allowing him to finish transcribing his message.
"I think he's talking to us," Hop grumbled, "just not with words."
"What is that?" Steve inquired over Jasper's shoulder.
"Morse code," everyone answered in unison.
"H-E-R-E. Here," Hop spelled out the message, writing the letters underneath the Morse code marking. "Will's still in there. He's talking to us."
"I didn't even know Will knew Morse code," Jasper commented, impressed.
"So what do we do? Get him to keep talking? See if he'll tell us what to do?" Ruby suggested, her arms folded as she stood next to Steve (who was silently basking in her presence).
"That's the plan," Hop declared, his eyes meeting the very tired ones of Joyce Byers. She gave the man a little nod, and everything was set.
Jasper was the first to sit down at the table, accepting a book of Morse code translations from Hopper. She flipped the notepad on its back, using the cardboard as her stationery. Gradually, Hop would send the message letter by letter and the group helped Jasper translate.
"C-L-O-S-E-G-A-T-E," Dustin read aloud, bending over Jasper's sitting figure to read it.
"Close gate," Jasper huffed, and she knew it. She knew that something like this would've been the solution. Closing the gate was practically one step away from destroying the dimension altogether.
That's when the phone began ringing, and dread filled everyone's hearts. Dustin immediately skittered over to the phone, hanging up the call swiftly. Unfortunately, another series of rings followed. Nancy let out an irritated, panicked sigh and tore the phone from the wall, chucking it to the ground.
"Jas?" Dustin casted a hopeful glance over his shoulder at the redhead, and she understood. He wanted her to rewind, as a precaution in case Will heard the phone.
Jasper nodded, closing her eyes and allowing herself to concentrate. It had been so long since she'd really use her powers, or better yet, since her powers were really needed. She imagined the clock again. The minutes and the seconds hand gradually shifting from their usual clockwise path to a counterclockwise rotation.
A bloodcurdling screech left Jasper's lips as her hands violently flew to her temples. As she tried to rewind, a searing pain racked her entire head. It felt like someone had taken a white hot rod and shoved it straight through her skull.
"Jasper?" Dustin worriedly rushed to her side, taking her into his arms without hesitation. "Jas, what's wrong?"
The rest of the group shrouded around the redhead as well, worry filled in their gazes.
Her eyes were still shut, the clock throbbing in her mind as she made another attempt to rewind. This time, not only was she met with the same blinding flash of pain, but she also saw a glimpse of something all too evil and familiar.
The shadow monster.
"Bastard!" Jasper screamed in fury, slamming her hand against the wooden table. It made a loud thump, and a large part of the group jumped at her sudden anger. "How the hell is he even doing that?"
"Doing what? Who?" Dustin demanded, his hands running up and down her arms in an anxious motion.
"The fucking Mind Flayer," Jasper cursed, using its unofficial name from D&D. "I can't rewind. I don't know how, but he's stopping me from using my powers."
"Maybe it's because of what happened earlier?" Ruby proposed. "When Will tried to hurt you?"
"That wasn't Will," Jasper reminded her sister, stroking her neck. "But yeah, maybe."
The door swung open again, followed by several distant howls. Hopper, Joyce, Jonathan, and Mike barreled inside the house, an unconscious Will Byers swinging from the chief's shoulders.
"Shit! So he did hear it," Jasper cried in complete panic. "And I couldn't even rewind."
"Don't blame yourself," Dustin scolded Jasper lightly. He hated it when the redhead was unnecessarily hard on herself.
"Everyone, get ready," Hopper commanded the group, tossing a rifle at a fully capable Nancy.
The entire group immediately positioned themselves into a battle stance. Dustin, Jonathan, and Max was at the back, weaponless and filled with fear. Steve, Mike, and Lucas gathered near the middle at the ends. Jonathan, Hopper, Nancy, Ruby, and Jasper huddled at the front, each one possessing a gun ready to fire.
"Who the hell gave my daughter a gun?" Hopper hissed through gritted teeth, not taking his eyes away from the movement and growling outside.
"You did, technically," Jasper answered wryly, aiming Hopper's pistol at the door.
Nothing happened, and everything grew painfully silent for a moment, until a Demodog hurdled through the window with an impeccable force. A force that could only belong to one individual. Glass flew around the living room in a wave, leading to everyone lurching away from the windows.
The door began to rattle open, and the group raised their weapons once again. All except Jasper, because with one confident smile, she knew it was her other sister.
El had finally returned home.