𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐞
———✰———
She told them everything, Eleven recounted everything that had happened when she saw Billy and the Mind Flayer "he said he was building something. That it was all for me"
"Building something- is he talking about the flayed?" Max asked looking at the group from where she sat next to El.
"He must be" Nancy agreed in her usual soft voice.
"So, he's building an army, just like we thought," Lucas said as he paced the floor.
"Yeah, but he's not building this army to spread." Mike started.
"He's building it to stop Eleven" Veronica nodded along to him as she sat the other side of El.
"Last year, El closed the gate on him. I have a feeling that really pissed him off." Mike carried on.
"Like, royally" Lucas inputted.
"And the Mind Flayer now knows that she's the only thing that can stop him. But if shes out of the way." Mike kept talking.
"Game over" Lucas agreed.
"He also said he was going to kill all of you" El spoke up again looking at the group before her eyes landed on the dark haired girl next to her who saw the terror in her expression and squeezed her hand comfortingly.
"Yeah, well that's nice" Max threw in sarcastically when the others didn't know how to respond to the brunette.
Nancy walked over so she was in front of the window "do you guys hear that?" the group leaned forwards as they too heard the loud noises that were coming from outside.
"It's just the fireworks" Jonathan tried to comfort his girlfriend and the younger teens but didn't sound convinced by his own words.
"Billy" Nancy stated before she turned around to face Eleven "when he told you this, it was here, in this room?"
Eleven nodded making everyone in the cabin look up and around them in terror as Will felt the sensation on the back of his neck that made him speak up "he knows were here."
Jonathan ran outside quickly followed by the rest of the group he looked up to see the fireworks and the trees moving before anyone could say anything about in the monster that was causing the loud noise came into view.
The younger teens ran back into the house using anything they could lift and find to barricade themselves in as Nancy entered with a large gun and Jonathan behind her with an axe.
"Yeah. That's good like that" Mike told Veronica as the two placed a bench in front of one of the front windows. Max was barricading the other window and Lucas was shutting all the doors as Jonathan and Nancy put the sofa up in front of the front door before, she ran over to the gun exclaiming "hey, get away from the windows"
The group was gathered in a circle there backs facing in, so they had eyes on every entrance. The room was silent other than the heavy breathy and thumps that could be heard from outside. The plates rattled as the lights swayed and Will told the group it's close the lights flickered, and they could hear the branches snapping and the trees being pushed out of the way. They all gasped and jumped when a mug fell and broke onto the floor.
But then it was silent.
"Where'd it go?" Max asked as she couldn't hear the monster anymore as the group's breaths slowed down thinking the monster may have left an arm of the monster came through the front wall making them all scream and move away from it.
One of its tentacle-like arms with a flower hand like the Demogorgon came straight towards El who was pressed up against a wall by the others but before it got her Jonathan hit it with the axe making it squeal but kept moving causing Jonathan to remove the axe until he kept hitting it. Before he could do it again the monster batted him out the way and into the wall and open up his flower hand like it did to El seconds before. Thankfully Nancy came up behind the monster and shot its tentacle several times before it ran out of bullets causing her to mutter a panicked shit. The brunette was quickly backed into a wall, but centimetres from her face it was stopped by a force that Eleven was creating.
The whole monster was vibrating and gurgling in pain as Eleven stood next to the tentacle that had been attacking them, she abruptly moved her hands down so the head of the tentacle was removed and whipped past the and back out to the rest of the monster. holy shit Max commented before another tentacle came back through the window towards Eleven who stopped it with her powers and the other one that came through a different window towards her. She looked between the two, panting trying to work out what to do before she faced forwards and screamed out crossing her arms below her, so the heads of the tentacles were removed.
The girl stood there panting for a few seconds before an additional tentacle came through the roof creating a hole so big, they could see the full monster. It grabbed El's leg before she could stop it causing her to lose her balance, seeing this it pulled her towards it. But as she was lifted into the air Veronica had grabbed her hands shouting El as the other young teens soon joined to help hold onto the girl seeing as neither Veronica nor the brunette would be able to hold onto each other for long. The group started pulling on the girl in hopes of getting her realised from the monster's grip.
Jonathan, who had quickly joined the young teens in pulling the powerful girl, saw his girlfriend reload the gun and panickily shouted: "Nancy, shoot it!"
El screams in terror as Nancy starts to shoot at the monsters head in which the tentacle was coming out of its mouth. "Lucas! Help!" Max screams at the terrified boy who seems to quickly snap back into reality form the terror he was in when he heard the girls scream. The boy let out a scream as he jumped onto the table and used the axe to chop at the tentacle that had El still in its grasp. He keeps hacking and Nancy keeps shooting as the others are grunting trying to pull the squirming girl from the monster's grip. With a couple more violent chops at the tentacle by Lucas, it finally separates from the monster losing Eleven who landed on the group.
"El, El! Are you okay?" Veronica quickly checks on the exhausted girls who just nods and lied in her lap as Mike realises the flower head is still on the girl's leg. He quickly pulls it off with a scream form both El and the monster.
The tentacle head that was still alive wriggles its way out of the boy's hands and out of one of the holes that the monster had created in the cabin.
The monster that was still above them let out a furious roar that caused them all to look up at it again and Eleven to stand up painfully she limped towards it letting out a powerful yell that sent the monster back a little, but as it came back forwards El kept screaming with her hands out in front of her curling her hands making the monster start to turn to liquid slightly which made the others burst into action.
Veronica caught El who had also fallen back as Max yelled: "go, go, go, go!" Jonathan opened the door as Mike grabbed the other side of the injured girl as he saw both El and Veronica struggling.
"Come on, come on go!" Jonathan yelled at the group once he had finally opened the door letting Veronica, Mike and Eleven out first rushing to the car with the others following all of them running as fast as they could so they could get away from the monster that was growling in anger. As soon as everyone had gotten into the car Mike started yelling at his sister to "drive! Drive!" from where he sat with the girl he was in love with and her best friend who was screaming in pain.
———✰———
The group had brought themselves to the closed supermarket where Nancy started looking for things to help El who was being held up by Veronica and Mike.
"Okay, get her down," Nancy told the two who set the injured brunette onto the cold floor gently okay. "Lemme see." The older girl peeled back the trouser leg to reveal the bloody bite making everyone wince in either sympathy or pain.
"Oh, shit," Max remarked from where she had crouched down next to Veronica who had sat next to the girl who she saw as a sister. The older girl started to clean the brunette who was grunting in pain as Veronica stroked her hair comfortingly "what, what. Hey, what are you doing?" Max asked stopping the girl.
"I'm cleaning the wound," Nancy told her from next to her boyfriend who had joined the group around the girl.
"No, first, we need to stop the bleeding, then clean, the disinfects, then bandage" Max ordered them knowingly which made the older teens look at the redhead in shock "I skateboard. Trust me" she explained.
"Mike, hold this" the ginger ordered putting tissue on the bite which the boy then held onto making the injured girl groan in pain as Veronica continued trying to calm her. "put pressure on it, nice and firm, okay?" she then turned to the older teens and ordered "we're gonna need water, soap"
"Yeah, okay" Nancy nodded as the two jumped into action pulling them away from how shocked they were at the young teen's knowledge.
Lucas them emptied his backpack onto the floor in front of him and Will and asked, "does any of this help?" when his girlfriend looked at him.
"No" she answered bluntly "go get me a washcloth and a bowl."
"A bowl?" Lucas asked confused.
"Lucas," Max said sternly, and Will hit the boy before they both took off down the aisle muttering "okay's" as they went. Leaving El groaning in pain with her three friends.
———✰———
"Does that hurt?" Mike asked as he and Veronica inspected the bite when Max has left to get the boys.
"Uh, not bad." El lied.
"You're gonna have an awesome scar" Mike commented "you'll look even more badass" Veronica added making the girl smile.
"Bitchin'" El nodded and the other two nodded along with her.
"Bitchin'" Veronica agreed.
"Veronica" Mike moved his attention to the girl after he took a deep breath in.
"Yeah?" the girl looked up at him with her big green eyes that made Mike melt.
"I've been meaning to tell you something. It's just being broken up, it's been hard." Mike told her but before she could respond the intercom that was in Lucas backpack crackled but Mike ignored it and went back to Veronica "And I like that you, El and Max are all friends together now. It's just, I was jealous at first, and, and angry. And that's why I said all that stupid stuff. And it's like I wanted you all to myself. I mean it's like the more people you hang out with the less time you had with me. And I guess that's why I was always with you even if you were hanging out with El. And now I realize how unfair that it. And selfish. And like I'm sorry. I just, like, I've liked you since we were little, and now that you were with me" Mike rambled until he realised a sigh and carried on "You know they do say it makes you crazy"
At this Veronica didn't know if Mike was trying to say he loved her or not and El looked at him confused and asked the two "What makes you crazy?" finally intruding as, if she was going to watch the sweet and awkward encounter she may as well understand it.
"You never- you never heard that term. You know, like the phrase, like blank makes you crazy, like the word?" Mike stuttered out and Veronica smiled slightly as she realised what he meant.
"Girlfriends?" Veronica teased as she faked her obliviousness.
"No, no, no, no, not girlfriends" Mike carried on being a bumbling mess as he tried to profess his love for Veronica as the clueless best friend sat there trying to guess what Mike was trying to say to the dark haired girl.
"Boyfriends" Eleven tried to help as Veronica's smile got wider and Mike's face got redder.
"It's like- it's like a feeling or" Mike started as his voice started to get soft and he looked at Veronica only Veronica like it was only the two of them no Eleven no mind flayer trying to kill them it was just the two of them "a feeling yeah, like something like old people says it two each other sometimes"
"Old people?" Veronica asked her voice full of amusement at what the boy was trying to say as she bent her head to one side, so her head almost hit her right shoulder.
"Yeah. What I wanna say is that I just I know that I" Before Mike could finish his sentence the three teenagers heads snapped towards Lucas intercom that was crackling with Dustin's voice.
Mike jumped up and grabbed the intercom in hopes of being able to hear what Dustin was saying "Dustin!" Mike said his eyes wide with hope and excitement that Dustin was okay and could maybe save them.
"Mike!" Dustin's voice held the same tone as excitement as Mikes did.
"Dustin!" Mike repeated in disbelief as Veronica helped Eleven slide towards Mike.
"Mike! Oh, my god, you have to listen. I know I've been MIA, and I'm sorry, it's not because I'm mad. I mean I actually was mad, but it's also because I was trapped underground in a secret Russian base" although that what was Dustin actually said to Mike, Veronica and Eleven it just came out as a garbled, crackling mess.
"Dustin, you're going way too fast. I can't understand you." Mike told Dustin but he didn't hear it, so he carried on with is rambling.
"I know that sounds insane, but the Russians have infiltrated Hawkins! The goddamn Russians! And now they're trying to open the gate" Dustin's loud voice crackled voice came through making Mike shake his head with wide eyes.
"Dustin, you're breaking up" Mike tried to tell the boy again.
"And now they're after us and we don't have a way out of here, so we need you to come and get us. Can Nancy drive?" the crackled sound of Dustin came through again.
"Dustin, you're cutting out," Mike told the boy on the other line before the sound stopped coming through Dustin, "you there? Dustin!"
"What is it?" Nancy asked in alarm as she and Jonathan skidded around the corner and Mike looked at her in alarm.
———✰———
El was currently sitting in front of an open freezer of Eggos trying to find where Dustin was with the others surrounding her as the other freezers were opened for white noise, Lucas unhelpfully opened a can of coke "quiet" Max scolded as she, Will, Mike and Veronica stared at the boy.
"Oh sorry" Lucas apologised
"How do you even drink that?" Mike asked quietly in disgust.
"Because it's delicious," Lucas explained.
"What?" Max and Mike asked in shock and even Nancy and Jonathan frowned at the boy for thinking that Coke was delicious.
"It's like Carpenters The Thing. The original is a classic, no question about it but the remake" the boy stopped his explanation to take a loud slurp of the drink followed by a satisfied sigh "sweeter, bolder, better"
"Since when did you become the poster boy for Coke," Veronica asked referring to the fact he was selling the drink better than the actual advertisement did.
"You're insane," Mike remarked looking at the boy with a frown that matched everyone else's who was staring at the boy.
"So, you prefer the original Thing?" Lucas asked the boy thinking he was referring to the movie instead of the drink.
"What? No, I'm not talking about The Thing, I'm talking about New Coke." Mike told him.
"It's the same concept, dude," Lucas argued.
"Uh, actually, it's not the same concept" Mike started to bicker "it is the same concept" Lucas joined "no, it's not" "yes, it is"
"Hey" El snapped as she tore the material from her eyes.
"Sorry" Mike apologised the same time Lucas did.
"Did you find him?" Mike asked awkwardly as he was still under the brunettes annoyed glare.
———✰———
"The movies?" Lucas asked as he pushed the trolley of fireworks with Max and Will either side of him as Mike and Veronica helped El walk with Nancy and Jonathan behind them "Dustin's so freaked out about the gate, he decides to go watch a movie? Yeah, makes total sense"
"You're positive he said gate and not great?" Max asked looking between her boyfriend and El.
"Yeah, like, this movie I'm watching is great," Will suggested.
"Sounded like gate" Eleven insisted her arms around Veronica to help her walk and Mike had moved the other side to hold hands with Veronica.
"Which would explain how the Mind Flayers still alive" Veronica agreed.
"Yeah, we just have to shut it again" Nancy nodded along.
"The monster dies" Will spoke as Lucas and Max assisted the trolly out of the smashed window followed by the others.
"But if not, we always have Lucas fireworks" Max mocked as she lifted the front of the trolley.
"Keep mocking my plan, Max. Keep mocking it" Lucas said almost smugly like he knows she'll be sorry when they have to use his plan and fireworks. "I wanna hear you say it again because you keep doubting me. You keep doubting me!"
"ridiculous" Max muttered as they all left the shop.
———✰———
When the group of eight entered the mall, it was silent as they made their way to the upper level of the mall so they could find Dustin and whoever was with him. Although they didn't find Dustin straight away they found a group of men pointing their guns at the chips ahoy desk which they assumed was where Dustin was Eleven used her powers to get the prize car that was below them to started honking as the car alarm went off. "What the hell?" the man muttered in Russian before he and the other men looked up at where Eleven was using her powers with the rest of the group standing behind her strongly.
Before the man could shoot, El thrust her hands so the car flew towards the Russian men killing them which caused the scoops ahoy troop to peer over the desk and look at what was happening. When they saw the Russians dead, they slowly stood up properly before they turned their attention to the group of eight who had just saved them who were looking at them from over the balcony making Dustin smile widely almost knowingly like he knew that they would save him.
The group of eight climbed down the escalators, although Mike was almost carrying El with Veronica in front of them in case they fell as they, they met up with the other four in the middle of the food court seating area.
"You flung that thing like a hot wheel" Dustin laughed as he ran over to El, Mike and Veronica and embraced the three who were standing in a line now into a large hug making them too chuckle at the enthusiastic boy.
"Lucas?" Erica called out as she saw her older brother.
"What are you doing here?" Lucas asked his little sister in both annoyance and concern.
"Ask them. It's their fault" The youngest pointed at a beaten up Steve and Robin.
"True, yeah. Totally true. It's absolutely our fault" Steve nodded in agreement.
"I don't understand what happened to that car" Robin stated looking from the car to the group.
"El has superpowers," Dustin told her pointing to said girl.
"I'm sorry?" Robin said looking now at Steve.
"Superpowers. She threw it with her mind" Steve nodded in confirm before he added a playful "c'mon catch up"
"That's El?" Erica asked looking at the girl in shock as if she didn't believe she existed.
"Whose El?" Robin looked around.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Nancy interrupted.
"I'm Robin. I work with Steve" Robin introduced herself.
"She cracked the top-secret code" Dustin explained why the girl was with them.
"Yeah, which is how we found out about the Russians" Steve carried on.
"Russians? Wait, what Russians?" Jonathan asked unaware that it was the Russians that El had just hit with a car.
"The Russians!" Steve yelled his hand flying back to the car and the dead Russians.
"Those were Russians?" Max asked.
"Some of them" Erica affirmed.
"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked frustrated that there were Russians and his sister was a part of it.
"Didn't you hear our code red?" Dustin asked Mike who was next to him.
"Yeah. We couldn't understand half of what you're saying" Mike explained.
"Goddamn low battery" Dustin voiced.
"How many times do I have to tell you about the low battery?" Steve scolded.
"El used her powers to find you" Veronica explained to the other four.
"Exactly, so everything worked out didn't it" Dustin nodded at the girl looking at Steve.
"Worked out? We almost died" Erica sassed.
"Yeah, but we didn't, did we" Dustin pointed out.
"It was pretty damn close" Steve added.
"Okay, Russians? As in working for the Russian government?" Lucas asked not able to get his head around why the Russians were after them.
As Dustin blabbered on about the Russians Veronica noticed El was panting in pain as she walked away from the group with Veronica starting to follow.
"El, El, El?" Veronica called out as the girl covered her ears before she fell to the ground causing everyone else's attention to turn to her as Veronica sat by her and turned her on her back while the others ran over.
"What's wrong with her?" Erica asked.
"What's wrong?" Veronica asked her best friend who was lying in pain and both girls had tears in their eyes.
"My leg. My leg" Eleven whimpered.
"Her leg, her leg" Jonathan rushed as he and Nancy sat by the girl's leg and tore her trousers to reveal a large lump in her leg which caused everyone other the Veronica who couldn't see to groan in either disgust or sympathy.
El started whimpering and groaning the lump moved like it was alive "El! El!" Mike started as he sat opposite Veronica with the groaning girl in the middle.
"El! El! Are you okay?" Veronica rushed out when the brunette didn't answer to Mike they all looked in alarm as she screamed in pain and Veronica and Mike started trying to get her to answer them.