C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - F I V E
" DUNGEONS & PROFESSIONS "
OVER 8000 WORDS !
I'm officially OUT OF HIATUS!
i'm backkkk!!
i hope you guys
like this one 🥺❤️
| D E C E M B E R 29th , 1986 |
H a w k i n s , I n d i a n a
AS THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS past, everyone worked on getting their lives back on track. They started picking up new routines, they began to go back to so normal things to pass the time and get their minds off of the past weeks stressful occurrences.
Y/N had been exhausted these past couple days, it seemed she could never find the time to do anything else but sleep. Her body was overexerting itself to compensate for the mind flayer sharing her as a vessel.
She was working her mind to lengths she didn't know was possible, just to keep the mind flayer at bay. Just to keep it from taking over her mind entirely.
She wasn't ready to face the world with a monster inside her.
She needed time to figure out how she was going to work this all out, and she needed to act fast.
How was she going to make sure she wouldn't go all 'flayed' on everyone? She needed to be sure she had a solid plan before she put anyone at risk of being around her a long time. Well, except for the people she lives with.
El, Will, Jonathan, and Joyce moved in with Hopper for the time being, just because they didn't have a place of their own in Hawkins anymore. Joyce was looking for a place to rent, possibly buy.
The party tried to come up with ways to ease their way back into how life used to be.
They came up with ways to de-stress, and one of them, was sleepovers.
Jonathan went to spend the night with Nancy, Will went to sleepover at Mike's along with the rest of the party, and Max invited El to her place.
Y/N had been invited to both, but she just wasn't in the mood. No matter how many times her adoptive sister nagged her.
"You should come." El tried to convince Y/N to join her and Max at a sleepover at Max's house, "It will be fun, you will have a good time."
Y/N got up from her bed, pausing the small TV that was now in her room, a Christmas gift from Joyce who had explained that it was a really good sale to avoid Y/N's concern about the price.
"I'm not really in the mood today, El." She grumbled, walking unevenly into the living room area of their cabin. "You should go."
El huffed, following closely after her adoptive sister as she made her way into the kitchen. "But it'll be more fun with you there. You should take time to have fun and relax, like Hop says."
"Yeah, well my dad wasn't the one that got shot." Y/N rebutted, shrugging as she opened the fridge to look for something to eat.
"So, I think I win." Y/N smirked triumphantly she stood up again, hand holding a small box of leftover takeout from earlier today.
"But you need to have fun, don't you want to?" El persisted, making Y/N roll her eyes as she walked to sit at the small two person table underneath the low hanging light.
El slid into the seat across from her, watching as Y/N kept her eyes pointed to her food.
"El, can we stop talking about what I 'need' to do? I'm tired, my stomach hurts like hell, and quite frankly, I'm not really in the mood to gossip about boys, thanks."
Y/N shook her head, twirling a noodle around her fork before eating.
To tell the truth, it wasn't that Y/N was just tired that she didn't want to go hang out with her friends. It was because she was scared to see everyone again, scared to see how she would handle herself in a normal life again.
It was scary to see how the outside world is now, especially after being away from it for so long. She was nervous to admit that.
She was nervous to admit that she was going to have to face the music once again-the normal life- even though she was anything but normal.
El opened her mouth to say something, before a voice replaced her own.
"Hey El, why don't you just go ahead? If Y/N doesn't wanna go, she shouldn't have to."
El turned to see Hopper walking into the kitchen, giving her a fatherly glare of warning. He didn't want anyone pressuring Y/N to do anything, especially since she's been so vulnerable and exhausted lately.
El looked back at Y/N, seeing her face that spoke a word of: 'you heard him.'
She nodded hesitantly, biting her lip nervously before she stood up from the table. "Sorry for pushing you, Y/N."
"No big deal." Y/N shrugged it off, looking back down at her noodles. "Go have fun. I'll be here sleeping, which is my type of fun."
El chuckled, nodding before she went to pass by Hopper to retrieve her bag in her room.
It wasn't a second later, that she trotted out with a small bag in clutch, her worn shoes already on. "Ready."
As Hopper was heating up some leftover take-out, he turned to call out over his shoulder, "Joyce said she was gonna take you, she's waiting in the car already."
El nodded, hastily saying goodbye to the household before scurrying out the door for the night. Y/N let out a sigh of relief, one that she hadn't realized she was holding in until she released it.
She knew El meant well, but she was overwhelming Y/N to the point where she worried about her mind's trap against the mind flayer. She wasn't feeling 100 percent yet, so she wanted to play it safe, and just stay home.
Y/N stared down at the small white box below her chin, poking her noodles before she heard her father close the fridge door shut, now moving to the small cabinet where their pantry foods were.
Joyce had insisted that they purchase actual groceries, not just the small amount of boxed food or junk snacks that Hopper and Y/N had just for the two of them before El. He grumbled to himself, searching for a certain box of something before he found it and grabbed something else as well.
While Hopper was shuffling around in the kitchen, Y/N took a look around their small home.
It felt like it had been forever since it was just her and her father in their own cabin, seeing that El has been living with them for about two years now. She had forgotten what it was like to have her home back, to the way it was.
Just her and her dad, like it's always been.
Her moment of quietness was interrupted when she heard the sound of the microwave dinging to alert her dad that whatever he had made was now ready, hearing him open the door to take out whatever he made. She continued to eat her noodles, looking down at the box.
She saw from the corner of her eye, her dad now walking past her to sit a bowl on the small coffee table in front of couch in their living room, grabbing the remote to turn on the tv. And she only looked up again when she heard the famous tv intro song that she loved, that belonged to her favorite show.
Her eyes shot up to stare at the TV in the living room, seeing the introduction to her favorite show theme of Miami Vice, the show she and Hopper had been watching together for almost three years already. It was one of their favorite ongoing shows, besides the older classic Hawaii Five-O, of course.
Y/N's jaw dropped, she hadn't watched this show is what seemed like a lifetime, and along with that the nostalgia of the time when her and Hopper watched it together brought a weak smile to her face.
She saw her dad turn around to face her, a smug look on his face as he lifted up what she now realized was a bowl of popcorn, and a couple bags of chips in the other hand.
"Thought maybe we could have a night-in and catch up on all the episodes we missed."
Y/N couldn't help but stare in disbelief. It just all seemed so surreal that she might actually get a night to herself, a moment of calm. With everything that's happened with them both, it was just so relieving.
She couldn't help but smile widely at her dad's effort, a bit emotional that even after everything they went through, he seemed to remember how they spent time together, before El came along.
"Uh, hell yeah." Y/N grabbed her takeout box, and brought it over to the couch.
Hopper chuckled as he sat down on the couch, patting the seat next to him for Y/N to sit, a comfortable silence fell over them.
Hopper worried for his daughter, knowing she had been through a lot and practically single handedly saved them all.
He knew his daughter well enough to know what she was thinking and how she felt about their upside down tortures, because that's what he had been thinking too.
"Hey.." He muttered, turning to see Y/N's eyes still staring at the screen. "We're going to be okay. It's over. It's all over."
Y/N bit the inside of her cheek, turning to look at her dad with a soft smile. She appreciated his efforts in comforting her, but neither of them were big on affection. That's why they got along so well. They knew each other well enough to be able to tell what the other thought.
But although she needed to hear that, she couldn't help but feel like it wasn't entirely true, considering what monster was currently at bay inside her.
But for her father's own sake of piece of mind, she smiled weakly, nodding. "Yeah." And that was it. There was a comfort in the topic being finalized, of closing the door to the whole thing at once.
Hopper nodded, reaching over to ruffle his daughter's short hair, making her laugh with annoyance. He was glad to see his kid smile, even for a brief moment.
And it didn't take long to fall into old ways, both of them already captivated by the screen ahead of them.
It didn't take long for the room to erupt in laughs between the father and daughter, arguing with the characters on the screen through mouthfuls of popcorn or chips.
It was just like the many times they would do this when he was younger, before El seemingly pushed her to the side. She was reminded here, that her father didn't forget about her, and wanted to make things right.
He didn't need to tell her how sorry he was, for neglecting her when El came alone.
Because Y/N could tell, and she didn't want a whole apology speech. This was way better.
His actions spoke louder than words, and to Y/N, it was saying how sorry he was.
It had been a while since they had this bonding time, and it couldn't have come at a better time. They both needed to catch a break, and this was the best way to relax.
Just them, watching their favorite show, with their favorite snacks, and laughing their asses off just like old times.
It was about midnight when Jim looked to his side to see that Y/N had fallen asleep on his shoulder, finally catching some real rest for the first time in days.
Hopper didn't want to wake her, knowing his daughter needed all the rest she could get to help heal her gunshot.
So, he picked her up carefully on his arms, carrying her to her room to gently set her in her bed to cover her with blankets. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, before walking out and turning out her light, leaving her to sleep soundly.
~
It was probably 11:00 in the morning when
Y/N woke up with a start to the sound of the house phone ringing and laughter in the kitchen.
She sat up in her bed with her hair poking up in all sorts of directions. She turned to look at the time, groaning as she wished she grabbed more sleep.
But as she looked at where she was sleeping, in her bed, in her room, she wondered how she got here. She didn't remember waking up to walk to her room after she watched the shows with her dad.
Until she came to the conclusion, that her dad must have brought her here, just like he used to when she was a kid.
With a yawn, she carefully swung her legs off the side of her bed, standing up with a stretch to make sluggish steps to her door. She walked out onto the living room, seeing that her dad was up and in the kitchen, seeing that the laughter had come from him and Joyce.
They sat at the small table by the kitchen, leaning close to each other from either side with their coffee cups in hand. They looked happy, and Y/N was happy to see them that way. But, she was irritated with the phone ringing.
She made her way to the house phone, the rings finally stopping as she grabbed it off the register, pressing it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's Mike. Is Y/N around?"
Y/N tensed a bit, butterflies immediately swarmed her stomach at the mention of her name falling from his lips on the other end of the line.
"Yeah, it's me. What's up?" She yawned, rubbing her eyes like a toddler.
"O-Oh uh, sorry if I woke you. But I was wondering if you were up for hanging out today? Me, you, and the party?"
"What are you guys gonna do?" Y/N was tired, yes. She was also afraid to go out with this power inside of her.
Mike had been really patient with her, coming over everyday to check on her, but never overhanging her. Just to see if she was doing okay. But she still really didn't want to want to miss out on anything fun.
"Probably hang out at my house like old times, you know?"
Y/N thought for a moment, knowing she was going to have to face the outside world sooner or later. She couldn't be afraid forever. Plus, she wanted to spend some time with her friends, make up for lost time.
"Okay, yeah. When?"
"An hour? Yeah, does that work?"
"Yeah, sure. I guess I'll see you in an hour then." Y/N smiled thinly, her cheeks rosy. "Need me to bring anything, or..?"
"Bring your D&D set."
And with that, Y/N nodded and ended the call, her lips smiling and her cheeks blushing against her will. D&D? They hadn't played that in what seemed like forever. And still, she got excited to play it now.
"Who was that?" Her dad called from the table
he sat at with Joyce, a teasing smile on his face.
Y/N rolled her eyes playfully, shaking her head. "Just Mike. Asked me if I could go over and hang out with the party in a little bit. Can I?"
And it was before she knew it after she got ready, she was being driven by her dad to Mike's house, her eyes gazing out the window while her old D&D board set sat in her lap.
She watched as the trees passed by the window of her dad's car, her mind lost in thought. The trees we all so intricately woven together to form the woods she lived in, seeing some resemblance of the maze of trees to the maze of her mind.
"You okay, Y/N/N?" Jim looked over with furrowed eyebrows at his daughter for a few moments before returning his eyes to the road.
Y/N inhaled, turning to look at her dad. "Yeah, yeah just..thinking."
Just mentally fighting off the flayer's psychotic urges in her mind, trying to keep him at bay from taking over her thoughts entirely. It wasn't easy.
"I've been feeling a bit off myself. Guess the gate really kept our abilities at 100." He joked, earning a slight chuckle from Y/N. "But you don't have to worry anymore. It's all over. You did it, you ended it all."
Not yet. She thought.
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right." Y/N sighed, putting on a smile for her father's sake, seeing him smile back before he pulled up to Mike's house.
It wasn't long after Y/N knocked on his door, that he immediately opened it with a bright smile to invite her in. He led her down the basement stairs, already hearing the bickering voices of her friends.
"You're not supposed to collect 200 when you pass 'Go' when you're on your way to jail."
"What are you talking about, that was totally a legal move!"
"This isn't football, you idiot!"
Y/N smiled to herself as she followed Mike to the end of the stairs, stopping at the last step as she held the D&D box underneath her arm, seeing her group of friends that she's known since elementary school. Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Mike.
It looked like they were all arguing over what someone did in Monopoly.
But when they met eyes with Y/N, seeing her holding the signature D&D game, their eyes lit up as they went over to greet her, helping her set up the D&D board.
The nostalgia of it all was enough to make Y/N smile softly to herself, the sight of the game board taking her back to the time when they were kids, playing until midnight.
She sat next to Mike as they played, all of them getting really into it as they got more competitive, just like they always did. Y/N had fun for the first time in what felt like years, smiling and laughing along with her childhood friends. El and Max were still hanging out at Max's house, so it was just the original gang.
It was just them, just like old times.
Just like the simpler times. When she wasn't part lab rat, or stowing away an otherworldly source of evilness that wants to use her or kill her from the inside of her mind.
Y/N sat back in her chair, huffing as she found herself zoning out again, trying to focus her mind power on containing the source of darkness inside her.
Her mind was strong, maybe it was because of her experiments, but it still wasn't that easy.
The group began to argue over something petty once again, but Mike turned to check on Y/N, seeing her conflicted expression. He worried for her, wanting to make sure she was okay.
He leaned in a bit, so that she could hear him better over the boys' bickering; his longer hair falling over his eyes a little as he did. "Hey.."
Y/N's eyes flicked to his, snapping out of her deep thoughts "Yeah?
"Are you doing okay?" His eyes looked worried, genuinely interested in Y/N's well-being.
Y/N hesitated for a moment, hearing the discussion of the party arguing over the game as she contemplated her answer. "Oh uh, y-yeah I'm good."
But Mike's face remained unconvinced, his head tilting. "You have the face. Your signature face."
Y/N furrowed her eyebrows, "What face?"
"Your, 'deep in thought and won't tell you what I'm thinking of' face." Mike teased, smiling slightly as Y/N chuckled a little.
He knew her too well.
Y/N paused for a moment, appreciating his sweet concern. He knows her well enough to know when she's not feeling her best. She smiled weakly, "You guessed it. But really, I'm fine."
Mike smiled at the sight of Y/N smiling, a rare picture nowadays. He missed that. He turned his head to watch Will arguing with Dustin, and Lucas trying to prove his point of victory, completely oblivious to Mike and Y/N talking.
He turned to meet Y/N's eyes again. "You sure? Do you wanna get some air for a minute or you can just hang out in my room for a little?"
He nodded towards the basement stairs behind her, making her think about it.
She could definitely use a minute. "Yeah, that might help."
She smiled gratefully, standing up with Mike as she made her way to the stairs, hearing Mike excuse themselves for a minute.
They make their way up to Mike's room, one that Y/N had been inside so often to hang out sit him ever since they were little.
Mike walked in first, leading Y/N into his room as she took a look around It had seemed like forever since she's been back here with him, and now she was an entirely different person.
"Wanna sit down?" He gestured to the edge of his bed, Y/N following his guide as she sat herself at the edge of Mike's bed, while Mike leaned against his desk that sat across from her.
"So, what's up? Is everything okay?"
Y/N sat for a moment, staring down at her hands as she took a few inhales to steady her thoughts. She could choose not to tell Mike what was wrong, and hold the ferocious secret that has been eating at her from the inside.
"You can tell me anything, you know. I'm here to listen, whenever you're ready."
Or, she could confide in her best friend, and hope he understands. But that would then put him at risk, and she didn't even know how she was going to handle the mind flayer yet.
She chose both. Maybe it will help her state of mind.
"I'm just..scared. It's hard to deal with all this shit. Well, you already know that, but things have gotten worse.." Y/N looked up with a worried face, reaching her finger to tap her head, "A lot worse..in here."
Mike listened intently, his eyes trained on
Y/N's.
She was too conflicted, her mind at a constant battle inside for power. She didn't think she wanted to tell Mike what she thought was currently inside her.
"And I'm just scared that once you know what I've done, or what I really am, then you'll be scared of me." Y/N tried to be as vague as possible, her mind slightly at ease for venting.
And then the words that had been echoing in Y/N's mind for the last few days, rang again loud and clear, I'm in love with you.
That was what she was afraid of. If Mike knew the entire truth, he could never look at her the same. His life would be in jeopardy if he knew the truth, and Y/N didn't want that.
And who was to say that his profession of love was even legitimate? What if he only said he loved her because he was glad to have her back in that moment? She wasn't sure, but she wanted to find out.
"And I don't want to see your face when you realize you can't love something like me."
Mike's eyes softened at Y/N's raw confession, seeing her avert his gaze to stare at her chucks' laces on her feet. She didn't want to see his reaction, she wasn't ready for another rejection.
"Y/N.." Mike breathed, seeing that Y/N wouldn't look up at him, so he kneeled down so he could see her from beneath her stare at the floor.
He gently reached for her hands in her lap, her knuckles and hands scarred with her battle wounds from the facility and needle injections. He held her hands in his, his eyes looking up at Y/N from beneath her stare.
He wasn't quite sure how to word his feelings, but he had to try.
"I know you think that I said 'I love you' because I lost you, and thought I couldn't have you." Mike began, his voice soft and he seemed to know exactly what Y/N was thinking.
"I know you think that I said I love you because I can't have you, or because you have powers now. Or because I hadn't seen you in months." Mike continued, his eyes searching her face.
He paused for a moment, hoping he wasn't overwhelming her. But either way, she needed to know the truth of his feelings.
"But I love you." He smiled slightly at the words, "I love what you are, I love who you are. Powers or no powers."
Y/N met his eyes at this, her eyes seemed to be carrying a burden as she felt enlightened by Mike's words so far.
"You're my best friend, we've known each other for so long. I couldn't imagine my life without you. I know you, and I know you well." He smiled, seeing Y/N blush slightly at his sweet words.
Her powers seemed to be working against her will, because her telepathy suddenly began to pick up on the mental feelings Mike was sending her. She felt so many things, every single emotion he's ever had towards her, and it filled her mind with happy scenes.
Laughing together until they can't breathe, calling each other for hours on end, walking to the arcade together from school, touring the edges of the forest of her cabin, telling each other secrets or gossip they'd never tell anyone else.
They had always been in love, whether they knew or not.
"I love you entirely." He finished, his eyes searching her face for any reciprocation.
That's the thing about love. It sneaks up on you when you least expect it.
Because no matter how hard Y/N tried to deny it, or tried to convince herself otherwise, she did in fact love him back. She never stopped.
Her love for him had matured as she did, perhaps even gotten stronger since they've been apart. He had taken care of her, careful not to rush her into anything. He was careful with her.
Y/N knew Mike truly cares about her, as she does him. They're best friends, he keeps her grounded, and kept each other sane throughout the years of teenage hood. They've always been there for each other.
He made her feel safe and loved, even though they might've drifted apart the last couple years, they certainly rekindled that now. And she appreciates his effort.
And it was here that she came to the bold and final realization that she had been dreading.
She's still in love with him..
Y/N smiled softly, her eyes glittering with all the emotions she was feeling from everything she's just heard, and partly from the scenes that Mike showed her of all the times he cherishes with her.
She wanted nothing more, than to just leave all this behind her, and start anew with Mike and her friends. She wanted nothing more, than to allow them to love on each other, but she had to do something first.
She had to be sure this monster inside her, the mind flayer, would not be able to control her.
Mike stared intently at Y/N's eyes, her pools of e/c swirling with conflicting thoughts, as one of her eyes seemed to be darker than the other.
She stood up abruptly, Mike standing up beside her to stand just as close as he had been. Y/N looked up into her lover's eyes, ones she's become all too familiar with.
Y/N knew what she wanted, and she wanted Mike. She knew she wanted to be happy with herself, and with her best friend who she's loved since childhood.
And she had an idea of how to secure her future. Of how to put the mind flayer at rest once and for all, while he was still inside her.
She just needed more time.
Y/N's eyes flickered from Mike's eyes to his lips, dangerously close to hers as they tempted each other. She wanted nothing more than to tell Mike that she's ready to open her heart again, but first, she has to be able to be sure that she can open her mind again as well.
Y/N pressed her forehead against Mike's, now a form of affection to communicate each other's thoughts to each other. "Just give me a little more time..okay? I just need time."
Mike nodded against her forehead, his eyes still locked with Y/N's as she pulled away from their touch. She smiled weakly, leaning in closer to his face press a kiss to Mike's cheek, leaving his heart racing out of his chest.
And then, she was gone. She left his room, leaving him with a racing heart, a flicker of hope, and the ghosting linger of her lips on his cheek.
Y/N didn't bother asking for a ride home. It wasn't very far anyways, just about a twenty minute walk, fifteen minute drive. She walked home from Mike's house, her steps determined and her mind trying to mentally prepare for what she wanted to do.
The afternoon sun peeked through the trees as she entered the weaving forest that encased her cabin, the light making her squint her eyes as she looked up.
Her dad used to always take her to this one place near the cabin, a place he used to tell her helped clear his head. It always worked for him, and it always did for her. So this was her best bet.
Her chucks crunched the leaves beneath her, her hands in her jeans pockets while she tried to use her precognition to help her sense of direction find the special spot. She closed her eyes, mentally searching for it as she allowed her precognition to lead her blindly.
And before she knew it, she opened her eyes to find herself stumbling to a halt, now at what seemed to be the edge of the forest. Here, was a small clearing, almost like a mini beach. It was private, it was quiet, and it was calming.
The river's water gently rippled, her heightened senses appreciating the calmness this little riverside spot granted her. Ahead of her, was a wooded boardwalk that allowed her to walk a little ways into the river.
Her shoes hit the wood with dull thuds and creaks, the slight breeze hitting her face softly as she made her way to the end.
She stood above the water, staring down to see the slightly dark abyss that was just beneath her. She looked up and around, seeing how completely secluded this little area was. It seemed that no one even knew this area existed except her and her dad.
Y/N sat down on the wood, crossing her legs as she got ready. She needed all the calm and time she could get, because what she was about to do was more important than anything she's ever done.
She closed her eyes, taking a breath as she filtered her mind.
At first, Y/N had been terrified of the mind flayer's essence being inside her, inside her mind and it branched into every part of her body. She feared the mind flayer would take over her completely, using her abilities with her blood to play at his strengths.
But that's exactly it. She has demogorgon blood inside her, she has almost supernatural heightened abilities. She stands an even better chance at preventing the mind flayer's control than anyone.
The only reason Billy and Will submitted to the mind flayer's control of their mind, was because they didn't have the enhanced mental capacity or strength to resist the mind flayer's grip. Because they're weren't Y/N.
They couldn't do what Y/N could do, they weren't what she was. She wasn't like anyone.
She was the only one that could do this, and for that reason, she decided against telling anyone what she was doing. She didn't want anyone to be scared of her.
Y/N wasn't like Will or Billy, so she could use her heightened abilities and mind power against the mind flayer's power.
For the time being, she had put the mind flayer behind what was almost like a thin layer of glass in the back of her mind. It wasn't enough. It wasn't strong enough, so she had to fix it.
She had to let him out. She had to confront him.
Her plan and logic was, that if the mind flayer could inhabit her brain and body, then with her power, why couldn't she do the same with him?
With a deep breath, she entered her own mind, envisioning what she imagined to be the place she had held the flayer inside. A small door, it was getting weaker by the minute, she was glad she was doing this now.
Because if it had been another hour longer, the mind flayer might've broken free.
But now, with a hesitant hand, she reached inside her mind to open the metaphorical door, allowing the flayer to fight against her mental hatch.
3..
She took a breath, preparing herself to have the mind flayer free inside her.
2..
Because if she does, then that would give her the chance to grab a hold of him again, invade his mind, and share his conscience. That way, she could be in control of him instead.
1..
Y/N's head knocked backwards, her eyes looking up at the sky as she felt her body become wracked with an unbearable cold. One that even she wasn't used to, despite her demogorgon DNA.
Her body quaked with an aggressive shutter, her eyes clouding a dark black as the presence of the mind flayer inside her overwhelmed her body. He was trying to take control.
She could feel the flayer fight against her authority, fight against her pull to keep him inside her mind. She gritted her teeth, letting out hisses of pain as she felt the scorching sears of what felt like heat burn across her body.
He was trying to torture her into submission.
Because of her demogorgon DNA, she hated the heat. And the flayer knew that, because he did it.
Her mind was being stretched and worked to the best of its ability, her powers working their hardest. It strained her head, it strained her conscience.
For a moment, she was scared. She didn't want to fail, she didn't want to release this monster and all it's entirety into Hawkins all over again.
She couldn't calm down. She was afraid, she felt her breaths quicken with every shutter of pain that she felt the flayer send through her body. Black veins grew from the pits of her abdomen, traveling upwards like claws of territorial claim.
Waves of what looked like his dusty essence began to escape Y/N's body in waves of winds, sending ripping into the current of the river around her.
He was getting closer to winning. And Y/N almost gave up.
But it was here that she was reminded of what she was doing. Why she needed to do this, and what she was sacrificing. She was doing this for her Hawkins, for her dad, for her family, for her friends.. for Mike.
For their safety.
And if that meant sacrificing her own mental state, then so be it.
Y/N stood to her feet shakily, her teeth gritting as she fought against the mind flayer's power. She searched her mind deeply, gathering her strength of her powers before she fought back.
She gathered the last bit of her mental strength, looking up at the sky above her as she tried to prepare her mind for what she was about to do. She was ready.
One of Y/N's black eyes now flickered to a dark grey, one black eye with a grey beside it as she felt her body jolting with her power running through her veins, a bluish hue surfacing her body to signal her powers being used.
And with a silent smirk, she exerted a pheromone of her pure power, a pulse so powerful, it sent ripples throughout the river and hitting the forest's trees behind her, sending the leaves blowing in the wind. With a newfound exhaustion, she fell to her knees, her breath faltering.
Her ears rang as she tried to catch her breath, closing her eyes as she searched for the mind flayer's presence in her subconscious.
He was still there, but he was weak. She had weakened him. To the point where the mind flayer was barely able to accumulate power to defend itself.
Acting fast, she willed the mind flayer into her mind, feeling the mind flayer's essence effectively merge into her subconscious.
Every thought, every monstrous instinct, every impulse he's ever had, now engraved and shared with Y/N's mind.
He wasn't Y/N. Y/N wasn't him. Y/N owned his conscience, and there was nothing else he could do.
She had successfully caged his essence and subconscious in her mind, by sharing hers.
He was powerless. He was trapped, with no way to get out. He was trapped in the best and safest place: Y/N's own mind.
She had done it.
She had sacrificed her body. She had sacrificed her mind. For the town. For her family. For her friends.
And because she had control over the mind flayer's mind and monstrous instincts, she had control over all the accessories that came with that.
Because the mind flayer was essentially a war leader and dictator to the upside down and demogorgons, now, so was Y/N.
She had the power of influencer over the upside down now. Without the mind flayer, and she was partly the mind flayer now, there was no longer need for the demogorgon army he had built.
Just like she had done when she was being experimented on, she briefly visited the upside down through her mind. She saw the alternate dimension in a whole new light, considering the fact that she technically shared a mind with the dictator.
She was able to compel the demogorgons to stay away from Hawkins, and demanded that the upside down's gate never be reopened, and because of that, it will perish.
She felt the mind flayer's small presence in her mind, but not nearly as powerful as before. She was more powerful than him now, absorbing his power with every second he rotted in her mind.
Her once black eyes now faded to grey of her powers before they powered down to her original eye color.
She had done it. Y/N had solved it. She solved the answer to the upside down problem of Hawkins.
And all she had to do, was sacrifice her mind to act as a cage to the mind flayer. She will now harbor him, and keep his essence and power within her.
Permanently.
And since she was the only thing keeping the mind flayer from escaping and wreaking more havoc, she couldn't let him go.
She is him. It's the only way to make sure that no one gets hurt again. That the mind flayer was taken care of once and for all.
But no one needed to know this. She would continue to live her life to the fullest, no matter what. So no one needed to know.
No one needed to know, that because she's the only thing holding back the monster from Hawkins and becoming one with the creature, that that also meant that one day, she'd have to die with the mind flayer still caged in her mind.
She was now one with the monster she had been derived from. She was now in control, at the price of sacrificing her mind to act like a cage to an inter dimensional killer.
And that was the ultimate sacrifice.
⋆
Author's Note :
hey guys, i'm back from the hiatus!
if you didn't know, I took a long ass break to just take care of myself, & not worry about writing-until I had to write cause I just couldn't help it.
sorry this chapter sucked,
but if any of you are
confused on what
happened, just let me know
& I'll answer your questions!
GUYS ONLY LIKE 2 MORE CHAPTERS LEFT!
if you have any questions about what has happened in this chapter , just ask, & I'll answer!
N E X T C H A P T E R :
MIKE & Y/N FLUFF OMG ITS GONNA BE SO GOOD
& JOPPER CONTENT WTF SKJDNFJDN
.
what do you think about all this ??
any theories ? any predictions?
thanks for reading.. stay tuned !!
PUBLISHED
December 8, 2020
at 12:20 AM
6908 words
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