Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Will woke up slowly, which was a welcome change of pace from the day before even if he’s used to it. He’s used to waking up in a cold sweat, shivering and shaking, looking left and right in anticipation that something was going to jump out at him. Waiting for a demogorgon or something equally worst to mug him and take him to the upside down. However, all he felt as he blinked the sleep away was warmth and bliss. For once, Will knew why he felt like this.

It was because one Mike Wheeler was sleeping beside him.

His arm was thrown over Mike’s chest, he must have rolled over in the middle of the night. A wave of embarrassment washed over him as he remembered breaking down into Mike’s shoulder like a child. Still, he couldn’t hold onto that guilty feeling when he looked down at Mike. There are no windows in this room, but the lights are on, seemingly turning on automatically. They’re a dim, soft, yellow that makes his face shine. Highlighting his freckles and painting his hair in an ethereal glow, making the usually black hair a toffee brown.

Gentle inhales and exhales was all Will could hear from him, proving that his best friend was still deep in sleep. Never has Will been more glad that Mike is a heavy sleeper. Mike sleeps like a log, once he’s out, he’s dead to the world. The complete opposite to Will, who would wake up if his window pane so much as creaks. Which means Will can afford to be slightly greedy and drink in the lovely sight of a relaxed Mike.

He always seems tense, eyebrows furrows and face in a permanent scowl, seeing his face slack makes him feel weirdly happy. He seems so peaceful like this, so serene, that Will wishes that he wouldn’t wake up for the next several hours. A soft smile crawls along Will’s face as he watches Mike snuggle into his pillow with a pleased sigh. God, he loves him so much it hurts. It hurts to watch Mike date El and it feels like he’s sitting on the shelf, collecting dust. It hurts being with Mike, being friends with him, because it feels like he’s constantly playing a guessing game. 

Sometimes Mike’s hot and he does things like this. Comforting him, pulling him into his chest and whispering sweet nothings. It’s holding hands in a movie theater and quiet ‘are you okay?’s.  Things that seem like they should be reserved for El. Then he’s cold and he won’t even look at Will. It’s jolting himself away and a cold garage on a rainy night. He knows that it’s unfair of him to say that, after Mike basically fell to his knees and begged him to forgive him like a pastor at church but it still hurt. It etched onto his skin like a scar, another reminder that Mike would never love him the same way he does.

Mike groans, rolling over, his eyes flutter open and lock onto Will’s. It’s silent as Mike’s still asleep brain tries to comprehend what is going on. The awkwardness from before returns 10 fold as he really doesn’t want to talk about last night but just by the look on Mike’s still processing face, he’ll want to. He opens his mouth, but Will is saved by a knock on his door. They whip their heads to the side.

“Hey, Will! It’s time for breakfast! I’m waking you up because I’m trying to stall waking Mike up for as long as possible.” Dustin jokes, Will watches Mike’s face morph into the most offended look possible. He brings a hand up to his chest like the dramatic fuck he is. Will snickers. “I’m in here too!” Mike hollers out, Dustin chokes, he smacks Mike on the shoulder. Mike looks at him, confused, before his eyes widen in realization. Will mouths to him. “ We are never escaping this. ” Mike nods his head, horror clear on his face at the amount of teasing they’re gonna get.

“ Max,” He mouths back, a pained look crosses both their faces. Just knowing that Max is gonna bully them relentlessly for this. “I-Um.” Dustin fumbles. “Well, that makes things easier I guess?” He tries. “Just, breakfast is ready! Uh, come down soon?” He says before rushing down the hallway. Will and Mike stare at each other, “We’re so fucked.” Mike whispers, Will nods, resigned to their fate.

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Mike and Will walked at a snail's pace to the breakfast table, expecting to be harassed by everyone the moment they sat down but to their surprise. Everyone just says a quick “Hey” then goes back to their conversations. Will looks at Dustin in confusion and is met with a contemplative look on his face, he visibly looks between Mike and him. It makes Will feel uncomfortably seen. With the amount of jokes Dustin cracks and how dorky he is, it’s easy to let his intelligence slip under the radar. That’s impossible now.

When Will first met Dustin, he found it cool the way his eyes seemed to peel back the skin of the world around him, reading the hidden code in the capillaries. Kinda like the way Mike looks like he’s deconstructing every shift of breath someone takes if he gets a bad feeling from them, or the way Lucas just picks things up quicker than the rest of the party, learning faster then Will could dream of. It was normal, they all have a trait about them that was deemed “Weird.” However, It’s unsettling to see it directed at him. Honestly, sometimes watching his friends think was terrifying to Will. 

Both Mike and Dustin seem to analyze the world around them similar to a super computer. It isn’t normal for someone to be so hypervigilant, the human brain wasn’t wired to open a hundred programs and still run. Sure, nobody in the party is normal. The upside down made sure of that, but this is different. It scares him. Dustin picking apart some random bully, sure, whatever! Dustin picking him apart, trying to see what makes him tick? He shivers, Dustin’s eyes narrow farther.

God, what if he knows? Does he know that Will’s disgusting? Does he know what he thinks? Will he tell the party? What would they say? What would they think? What does he do? Does he deny it? Oh man, his vision tunnels into the table in front of them. Oh, they’re never going to want to be around him again and Will’s going to be alone forever and- 

Will’s thoughts are cut off by a squeeze to his hand, he whips his head around and is met with Mike’s topaz colored eyes. He noticed Mike keeps squeezing his hand in a repeating pattern, his breathing slows down, he didn’t even notice he was hyperventilating. Will furrows his brows in focus, eyes widening in surprise as he realizes. Morse code? He focuses on where Mike starts, trying to decode the message. ‘ Are you okay? ” A warm smile sticks onto his face, he squeezes back. “ Yes.” Mike grins at him, loveable and dorky. Will feels his heart melt.

However, in being so wrapped up in eachother, they missed Dustin’s tiny. “ Hmm.”

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The group shuffles into the theater with all the excitement of attending a funeral. Everyone in the party, except Dustin, hangs to the back of the group. Max and El are staring at each other nervously, Max’s breath is short. She doesn’t want to see Billy possessed again, she doesn’t want to see Billy cry again. No matter how much of a dick he was, it was still a surprise. Even more so that she wasn’t really sad that he was gone. More sad that she didn’t care he was gone, she messes with her fingers absently. God, she hopes she doesn’t have to hear him scream again. Max digs her nails into her palms, Billy’s scream echoing in his ears. El looks over at her in worry.

Dustin is murmuring quietly with the rest of the Scoops troop, none of them want to see anything to do with the Russians. Dustin sighs, imagining how pissed Lucas is going to be when he sees that Erica was there. He’s so dead. Steve is sharing an anxious look with Robin, neither of them want to relive getting drugged, Steve especially. Luckily, Dustin guessed they have at least another “Episode” before that happens. Robin bumps shoulders with him in an attempt to comfort him. 

Will and Mike are standing as close as possible to each other, Will swallows thickly. It was terrifying watching Billy grab that pipe. It’s like he blinked and Mike was there, right in front of the possessed Billy Hargrove. His heart dropped to his feet, he wished Mike stayed by his side sometimes but he knows just how impulsive Mike can be. He just hopes that it doesn’t happen anymore, he doesn’t think his heart can take it.

It’s safe to say tensions were high, they all sat down. The adults looking at the anxious and despair covered faces of the party, dread fills their stomachs as they turn towards the screen.

We start off with El brushing her teeth, having flashbacks of Billy and Heather. As she exits the bathroom, Max holds up two comic books.

Eleven hisses slightly at having to relive this, immediately realizing what is happening in this episode. Max flinches back at seeing Billy again, El looks at her, worried. “I’m fine,” Max grumbles. “If you say so.” She turns her attention back to the screen.

Max: Which one? 

El gets into bed.

El: I don’t know. 

She looks down.

Max: Hey, there’s nothing to worry about anymore, okay? 

The party snorts, yeah, nothing.

El: It doesn’t make sense. 

Max: What doesn’t make sense? 

El: Heather. The blood. The ice. 

Max: Heather had a fever, so she took a cold bath, but she’s better now. That has to be it. I don’t know where that blood came from, but… we saw her. We both saw her. She’s totally fine. 

Max chuckles humorlessly, real convincing. 

El: What about Billy?

Max: What about him? 

El: He seemed wrong. 

Max: Wrong is kind of like his default. But it’s nice to know he’s not a murderer, because that would have totally sucked. 

El looks over at Max. She is biting her lip, staring at the screen with her arms crossed. She notices El staring. “Guess he was a murderer after all.” Max tries to joke but her voice cracks, El puts her hand over Max’s. 

El looks down at a Wonder Woman comic.

El: Who… is that. 

Max: See, this is why you can’t just hang out with Mike all the time. 

Mike scowls, “Hey!” Max laughs, a real smile on her face. “Was I wrong?” He rolls his eyes. “Yes! I do know wonder woman, El just doesn’t like comics.” He replies, crossing his arms, huffy. “And how?” She prods, amused. He freezes, eyes wide, realizing that he just cornered himself. Nancy chimes in. “He reads all her comics.” Mike whips his head around as the party snickers. “Shut up!”

She picks up the comic and opens it.

Max: This is Wonder Woman, AKA Princess Diana. She’s from Paradise Island, which is, like, this hidden island where there are only woman Amazon warriors. 

“Mike would know all about that, wouldn’t he?” Max teases, Mike flushes red. “I said shut up!”

We then cut to see Mrs. Driscoll, who’s being strapped onto a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance.

Driscoll: Let me go! Let me go! 

Nancy winces, remembering her screeching in the hospital. Guess she’ll finally get to find out why. 

EMT: Doris, we need you to stay calm for us, okay? Stay calm.

Driscoll: I have to go back! I have to go back! I have to go back! I have to go back!

Nancy and Jonathan look on in horror. Mrs. Driscoll is loaded into the ambulance.

Jonathan reaches up and rubs her shoulder, despite the lingering tension from their fight,  she leans into his touch. “It’s going to be okay, this already happened.” Nancy sighs. “It wasn't okay then, and I’m seeing it now, and things they did.”She points at the party, lips pursed, eyes locked on Mike specifically. Jonathan’s eyes trail onto Will. “I know what you mean,” She smiles, eyes sympathetic. “You do, don’t you?”

Callahan: Okay, so, you two want to explain what in the name of Jesus just happened here? 

The ambulance rushes past and Mrs. Driscoll manages to free a hand. We then focus on the abandoned workhouse, where Tom suddenly opens his eyes. He realizes he’s been bound and gagged and tries to free himself. Next to him is Janet, who has been crying. 

Heather and Billy walk over to them.

“Fuck…” Max whispers quietly, Lucas reaches over and holds onto Max’s other hand. “It’s okay,” Lucas might have hated the guy, racist prick, but he mattered to Max. At least he thinks Billy did. She brings her palm up to rub at her eyes. 

Heather: Hi, Daddy. 

She leans down and takes out his gag.

Both Mike and Nancy hiss, reminded heavily of Holly saying exactly that. Joyce puts her hand over her mouth, she couldn’t help but imagine herself in that situation. Except she had Will tied up in the shed, not her. God, this could have been her. With her son looking down on her, ready to feed her then himself to some creature. Dread pools in her stomach.

Tom: Heather… sweetie… whatever this is, whatever he’s got you into, you don’t have to do this. You can stop this. 

Mike bites his lip, staring at Joyce from across the room, Jonathan looks at them. They all remember, they will never forget it. “ Let me out. ” They will never forget trying to coax their brother, son, friend out from their own body. Trying to save them, heal them, even if they won’t understand and are actively kicking and screaming. Telling stories and memories Will should have known only for him to keep fighting them. Of being told to let Will die from the boy himself? They all shiver, no, they will never forget.

Heather: There is no stopping it, Daddy. You’ll see. 

Tom: No…

Billy takes out Janet’s gag. 

Max closes her eyes, praying that she can get used to this as time goes on. She hates Billy, she hates Billy with all her heart. He made her miserable, she knows he’s a terrible person. It’s just her brain seems to acknowledge that but simultaneously ignores it, stating she’s the horrible person for simply being unable to scrounge up the urge to be sad. She feels for him, he didn’t deserve to die like that, but she can’t care enough. Not like a sister would a brother. 

Janet: Heather, please! Heather! 

Billy: Try not to move. 

Will’s breath hitches, he can’t help but be reminded of freezing cold and being strapped down to hospital beds. He feels a thumb rub over his pulse point, he looks up to meet dark eyes. “It’s still the best thing I’ve ever done.” He murmurs quietly, swiping his thumb back and forth, Will smiles shakily.

Heather and Billy walk away, leaving Tom and Janet. A figure snarls behind them and we see the shadowy outline of some kind of creature. It seems to be the Mindflayer, but in flesh form. It shoots out a tentacle, covering Tom’s face and injecting something into him. It then does the same thing to Janet. 

Everyone in the room winces.

The screen goes black and CHAPTER FOUR: THE SAUNA TEST appears in red. 

We come into focus at Hopper’s cabin, where the man is just waking up. 

Hopper sighs, “Really?” He mutters.

Joyce: Hey, careful. Careful. 

Joyce sits down next to him and Hopper leans over to vomit in the pot that Joyce is holding. He leans back and she hands him a pill.

Hopper: How long have I been out? 

Joyce: A while. You’ve been drifting in and out. 

Hopper takes the pill.

Hopper: Yeah, but how did I get here? 

Joyce: Slowly. What’s the last thing you remember?

Hopper: Some thug attacked me. 

He starts to get up.

Joyce: Hey, you need to rest.

Hopper: No, I’m fine. 

Joyce: No, you’re not fine, Hop–

Hopper: I’m fine. I’m fine. 

He stands up and realizes he has no clothes on, only just catching the sheet in time.

The party all let out noises of surprise, bringing their hands up to their eyes. Dustin grumbles out. “Not this again!” Max and Will both shout out in disbelief. “Again?” Lucas remarks way too casually. “Well it was El the first time.” Max’s jaw drops. “El?!?” She flushes red, embarrassed.  Joyce laughs quietly, Hopper joining in after a moment.

Hopper: Where are my clothes?

Joyce: Uh… 

She points outside. He walks out to see his clothes drenched with water.

Joyce: They were soaked. 

Hopper grumbles. “Couldn’t have brought them in.”

They both walk inside.

Joyce: I mean, did you recognise him? 

Hopper: Who?

Joyce: The thug. 

Hopper: Well, I didn’t get a good look. 

Joyce: Well, I mean, he’s gotta be government, right? 

Hopper: Yeah, but if he’s government, what’s he doing slinking around? W-why is he running? You know, why didn’t we find anything down there? 

Mike rolls his eyes, “Yeah, because the government has totally never done anything shady or has tried to run from us.”Mike says sarcastically. Eddie’s eyes widen at Mike’s words, he smirks to himself. Hopper glares at him. “Show some respect.” Mike’s about to open his mouth to argue back when Will smacks him on the shoulder.

Joyce holds up a notepad.

Joyce: Let’s ask him. 

Hopper: What is that?

Joyce: His license plate. 

Jonathan chuckles. “What a save Mom!” He says, impressed. Joyce shakes her head. “Just watch.”

Hopper: What are the dashes?

Joyce: Well, they’re blanks. There was… I think it was either an H or a P with the part rubbed off. And there was definitely a Y. For sure. And that, I think, was a B, but it could’ve been an eight. 

Jonathan does a so-so motion. “More or less a save still.”

Hopper chucks the pad down.

Hopper: I think you should stick to sales. 

He walks into his room and closes the curtain, getting dressed.

Joyce: Can’t you run a search or something? 

Hopper: I just think you have to lower your expectations. I mean, this is a state government agency. It’s gonna take weeks before they find a match. 

Joyce: Weeks?

Hopper: If we’re lucky. And, I mean, what are the odds that this guy registers a car in his own name? 

Joyce: It wasn’t a car. 

Hopper pulls back the curtain, wearing the colorful top he was on their date night.

Mike bursts out into laughter, Hopper glares at him, Will would try to stop Mike if he wasn’t laughing too. “Way to be tactical.” Mike whispers to Will, which makes him double over, wheezing. “You can’t talk Mr. Pastel Polo.” He shrugs, smiling. “I didn’t exactly know we we’re sneaking around a mall, Will, I thought we were going to the mall.” He clicks his tongue in false irritation.

Joyce: Uh, what are you wearing? 

Hopper: What do you mean it wasn’t a car?

We then see Max’s house, the girls asleep and Lucas radioing them.

Lucas: I repeat, this is a code red. Max. Do you copy? This is a code red.

The party tenses, the older people look at the screen in a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

Max scoffs and picks up the radio.

Max: Shut… up. 

She turns it off and goes back to sleep.

Max blushes slightly, Mike groans. “What was the part of teaching you the language if you just ignored it!”He pouts, Will snorts. “Yeah, Mike sleeps like a dead guy but even when he hears a code red he jumps up.” Mike smacks his hand. “I do not!”He squawks, offense coloring his tone.  Dustin chuckles. “You kinda do.” Lucas teases, “Same person, different font.” Max and Mike bite out in unison. “No we’re not!” They look at each other while everyone laughs around them, displeasure clear on their faces.

With the boys, Lucas looks at his friends.

Lucas: She turned it off.

Mike grumbles quietly.

The phone rings at Max’s, and she gets up.

Max: You’ve got to be kidding me. 

Mike throws his hands up. “Yeah I didn’t want to do it either but someone turned off their coms!”Max groans, throwing her head back. “Oh my god , let it go!” Lucas and Will look at each other, amused.

She answers it.

Max: I’m sleeping. Go away. 

Mike: This is Mike, do not hang up. Something happened, something bad. Our very lives can be at stake. 

Max: What are you talking about?

Mike, still irritated, “What are you talking about?” He mimics Max’s voice.”Oh, I don’t know, just what a code red means!” Will snorts, grabbing his hand. “Mike, calm down. This is the past.” Mike sighs, sitting down, “ I know, I’m just…anxious.”

Mike: Just come over to my house. We’ll explain everything. 

Max: What?

Mike: Hurry. 

Mike hangs up.

It’s quiet for a moment before the theater bursts out into disbelieving laughter. Nancy wheezes. “I’m sorry, I know this is serious but could you be any less cryptic.” Lucas huffs, crossing his arms, but he has an amused smile on his face. “I would have explained more but-” Mike groans, explaining with a vague hand motion. “If I gave more information then she would have taken her time because she would have thought it wasn't as serious then if I couldn’t explain.” He says like it's common sense.

Max opens her mouth before closing it. “That’s…actually right. “Dustin levels Mike with an unimpressed stare. “You aren’t beating the allegations.” Mike almost jumps out his chair at him.

El: What did he say?

Back with the boys, they’re still trying to reach Dustin.

Mike: Try Dustin again. 

Lucas: He’s not answering.

Mike: So, try him again. 

Lucas: Dustin, do you copy? I repeat, this is a code red. 

Lucas hums. “Yeah, Why couldn’t we reach you? “ Dustin looks away, sweating bullets. He locks eyes with Robin who has eyes wide enough to make an owl jealous. She mouths to Steve, who is gripping his seat in a death grip. “ We’re fucked .” He nods rapidly, hair shaking. He looks to Erica who is already nodding along, the only one succeeding at looking casual. “So fucked.”

With Dustin, he’s using the binoculars to spy on the workers loading the store room. He sees one use a keycard. He tells the Scoops Troop this. 

“Geez, and I thought Lucas was the stalker.” Max comments nervously.

Dustin: That keycard opens the door, but unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun. Whatever’s in this room, whatever’s in those boxes, they really don’t want anybody finding it. 

Lucas stares at Dustin. “Care to explain?” He chuckles nervously. “I’d actually rather not, no.”Will raises an eyebrow. “I don’t think that was a question. “Dustin hisses. “You’ll see?”

Robin: But there’s gotta be a way in. 

Steve: Well, you know… I could just take him out. 

Jonathan snorts, “Yeah sure.”

Robin: Take who out?

Steve: The Russian guard. What? I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard. It’s easy.

Nancy’s mouth drops but before she can say anything, Jonathan jumps in. “Excuse me?” Steve opens and closes his mouth in a fish like fashion. “Uhm…”

Dustin: Did you not hear the part about the massive gun? 

Nancy squeaks out, repeating Jonathan. “Excuse me!” Steve panics harder, “Uhm!” Robin wacks him on the shoulder, murmuring. “You’re blowing it dude.”

Steve: Yes, Dustin, I did. And that’s why I would be sneaking. 

Dustin: Well, please, tell me this, and be honest, have you ever actually… won a fight? 

Jonathan comments. “No, never.” But he’s shaking, staring at Steve with eyes full of worry.

Steve: Okay, that was one time-

Dustin: Twice. Jonathan. Year prior? 

Steve: Listen, that doesn’t count. 

Jonathan snorts, still looking at Steve with concern. “Yeah, it does.” Steve tries to joke.”Nah,”

Dustin: Why wouldn’t it count? Because it looks like he beat the shit out of you. 

Steve and Dustin bicker in the background, Robin tuning them out. She focuses on something.

Robin: That might just work. 

Hurrying out, she grabs money from the tips pile, heading somewhere. 

Max’s mouth drops. “Robin what the fuck!” Robin jumps in surprise. “What?” She asks, incredulously. Mike adds on. “Have you never watched a horror movie,” Max clicks her tongue. “Never split up from the group!” Robin stares at the two nervously as they glare her down. She laughs, offering hesitantly. “Uhh, not helping the allegations?” She says, voice breaking at the end. They narrow their eyes in unison, the other party watches in amazement.

Steve: Robin. Hey, Robin! Hey, what- what are you doing?

Robin: I need cash.

Steve: Well, half of that’s mine. Where’re you going?

Will stares at Steve in disbelief. “That’s what you’re worried about!” Steve looks away, blushing in embarrassment as he rubs the back of his head. “It seemed pressing at the time!”

Robin: To find a way into that room, a safe way. And, in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave, and don’t get beat up. I’ll be back in a jiff. 

Steve snorts, whispering to Robin. “Foreshadowing?” Robin chokes on her own spit, hitting the back of his head. “Don’t say that!” She whisper yells at him. Nancy narrows her eyes, looking between the two discreetly.

She rushes off. Steve spots Dustin licking ice cream off his scooper and snatches it away.

Steve: Oh, dude. Come one, man, not my scooper. 

At the Hawkins Post, we see Nancy and Jonathan waiting nervously. Bruce looks at them and mimics hanging himself with his tie. Officer Callahan walks out of Tom’s office, Tom following soon after. He has a bandage on his head. 

Tom: Nancy. Jonathan. 

Both Jonathan and Nancy groan. Jonathan grumbles. “Hate that guy.” Nancy sighs. “Who doesn’t?”

They walk inside.

Tom: I’ve worked at this paper for twenty-five years. Twenty-five… years. Now, we’re a small town paper, but we have something big papers don’t have: trust. The trust of our community.

Lucas snorts, leaning over and whispering to Max. “Why does he sound like a disappointed teacher?” Max chokes on air. “Oh my god, he does.” They share a soft smile. El looks at the two in confusion. Max leans over, trying to explain the joke to no avail.

Nancy: Tom, if you just- 

Tom kicks his chair.

Nancy groans into her hands, a muffled. “Oh my god!”, spills out.

Tom: Do you know how I built that trust? By placing my faith in something the two of you don’t seem to value a whole lot: facts. Facts. So, while we’re here, let’s go over the facts. Fact one: You disobeyed a direct order to stop pursuing this story. Two: You falsely identified yourselves as reporters, repeatedly lying to an elderly woman. Three: You broke into her home, committing trespass. Four: She almost died en route to the hospital. 

Nancy: She would’ve died if we hadn’t shown up! Whatever disease the rat had clearly passed to her- 

Tom: Five! Mrs. Driscoll is a paranoid schizophrenic. You didn’t know that, did you? Now… disease-carrying rats? The second coming of the plague? Does this sound credible to you, or perhaps does this sound more like the delusions of a very sick old lady? 

Mike scrunches his nose up, whispering to Will. “Why does he kinda remind me of Troy…like vaguely.”He makes a wide gesture to the screen. Will tilts his head to the side. “I mean sure?” His eyes widened, snapping his fingers. “You know what! He reminds me of Hopper! Like, before he got used to us.”Mike snorts. “Who’s us?”

Nancy: I didn’t know.

Tom: Her family’s furious. So furious, in fact, they’ve threatened litigation.

El furrows her brows. “Litigation?” She asks, confused. Before Nancy could answer, Mike says boredly. “The process of taking Legal action. Suing.” Nancy looks at Mike, confused. “How?” Lucas groans, rubbing his forehead. “He owns like 5 dictionaries and a thesaurus.” Mike sniffs, “It’s actually four.” Lucas levels him with a blank stare. “You see how that doesn’t help, right?” 

Jonathan: Litigation?

Nancy: That’s crazy!

Tom: For once, we agree! This is crazy. In fact, in my entire professional career, I’ve never dealt with anything quite like it. But hopefully, hopefully, you’ve learned something valuable here. You’ve learned, how in the workplace, in the real world, there are consequences to your actions. Which brings me to my sixth and final… fact. You’re fired. Both of you. 

Nancy sighs, crossing her arms and leaning back. Jonathan hums. “I mean..it was kinda deserved.” Nancy nods. “I know but-” He nods. “Yeah, could have gone about it better.” Nancy sniffs in a fashion similar to Mike. “That was not professional.” Jonathan looks away, hoping for her to mention their fight, for her to say sorry, but she doesn't. He sighs before turning his attention back to the screen.

Max and El arrive at the Wheeler's house and Will starts to tell them about his experience.

Will: I didn’t think it was anything at first. I mean, I think I just didn’t want to believe it. The first time I felt it was at Day of the Dead. 

Mike: Power went out that night, too.

Mike and Will stare at each other, swallowing thickly. He whispers quietly. “I thought I lost you.” Will nods. “I know, “He stares at him, “The light flickered the night you disappeared. '' Will looks at the ground, not saying anything, Mike puts his hand on Will’s. “I thought you were gone.”He whispers, voice wavering. Will sighs. “I’m sorry,” Mike shakes his head, running his finger along Will’s knuckles. “It’s not your fault.”

Wil: And then I felt it again at the field near the Nelson farm the next day. Then again yesterday outside Castle Byers. 

Max: What does it feel like? 

A part of Mike wanted to hiss out, ‘You don’t ask that’ but Will’s words from earlier echoed in his mind. It’s the past . He takes a deep breath.

Will: It’s almost like… you know when you drop on a roller coaster? 

The room all say yes, except El. 

Will: It’s like… everything inside your body is just sinking all at once, but… this is worse. Your body… it goes cold and- and you can’t breathe. I’ve felt it before, whenever he was close. 

Mike’s grip tightens on Will’s hand, a shiver racks Will’s spine as he remembers what happens next. He looks towards the screen, looks at Mike, and looks at the party not paying attention.

Fuck it, he laces their fingers together. Mike jumps in surprise before a soft smile crawls along his face. He squeezes a pattern. “ Are you okay?” And for a moment, Will just wants to just say yes and move on but… “ I am now.” He squeezes back, a grin on his face.

Max: Whenever who was close? 

Will: The Mind Flayer. 

We flash back to a young Will shouting at the Mind Flayer, telling it to go away.

A moment of silence comes over the room as they take in the horror that’s the sight in front of them. A creature that looks like it comes straight out of god's description of hell. With 20 black tentacle-like legs that extend for miles, going up and through the fog and dipping back down. A starfish-like body that shifts and changes, unable to hold itself together so it whips around with startling cracks. Its head is similar to a Xenomorph, with a sharp spike on the end.  It’s so tall that it can't be seen fully and Will looks like a pebble in comparison. It’s like the mindflayer could have crushed Will at any time, but it chose not to. For reasons only it knows, because no thing that looks like that would god have created.

Max gags, leaning over and grasping her middle. El stares at the screen in shock, face going pale. Lucas shrieks, digging his hands into the seat cushions. Dustin lets out a pitiful whimper, breathing erratic. Will tucks his head into Mike’s chest, shaking. Steve brings a hand up to his mouth, swallowing back vomit, while Robin hides her face in Steve’s shoulder. Erica screams, diving over a sofa to get to Lucas who tugs her into his lap. Joyce and Hopper watch the screen in horror while Murray mumbles a quiet. “Mother of christ.” Mike watches the screen, face blank but eyes full of pure panic while he runs his hand down Will’s back. Eddie is frozen to his seat, unable to comprehend what’s in front of him.

El: I closed the gate. 

Will: I know, but… what if he never left? What if we locked him out here with us?

Will quickly draws a Mind Flayer, slamming it down on the table.

The party flinches back, Will squeaks, slamming his eyes closed.

Will: This is him. All of him. But, that day on the field, a part of him attached itself to me. 

We then flashback to Will first getting possessed by the Mind Flayer.

They want to look away from the screen but they are unable to, forced to watch their loved one go into a seizure from a thing beyond his control. Mike brings his hand up to rub at Will’s back, he whispers quietly. “I know…it’s disgusting, scary.” Mike shakes his head, running soft patterns into Will’s spine. “No, not scary. You could never scare me, Will.”He says, soft and warm, like a sidewalk on a summer's day. A helpless smile crawls along Will’s face.

Present Will swipes a hand over the drawing, some of the charcoal sticking to his palm.

Will: My mom got it out of me… 

We then see Will getting unpossessed.

Joyce buries her head in her hands, Hopper rubs her shoulder quietly. “I’m sorry.” Jonathan sighs, staring at the ground as his eyes start to blur. Nancy brings her hand up to rub his back, he smiles shakily at her. Mike bites his lip, filling a pit grow in his stomach, then he looks at Will’s shaky form. So he pushes everything down, focusing on comforting Will, though he couldn’t help the way his hand tensed over Will’s pulse. “Everything will be okay.”He says softly. Nancy looks away from the screen, trying to shake the phantom weight of the fire poker from her hand. The room is silent, as the party who didn’t see or only caught the tail end of it watches in despair.

Will: … and Eleven closed the gate. 

We see young El closing the gate.

The group sighs in relief, but there is still lingering tension. Erica sits in Lucas lap with her eyes slammed shut. He brings a hand up and rubs it soothingly up and down her back, it reminds him of when Erica was little.

Will: But the part that was still in me, what if it’s still in our world? 

He flips the paper over and uses his hand to make a print on it. 

Will: In Hawkins. 

Will’s breath hitches, “I’m sorry.”He whispers, Mike shakes his head. “No, you have nothing to be sorry for. It wasn’t your fault, it’s not anybody's fault. “He tilts his head, adding. “Except maybe the government.” Will snorts, but guilt still eats at his mind. 

Max: I don’t understand. The Demodogs died when El closed the gate. If the brain dies, the body dies. 

Mike: We can’t take any chances. We need to assure the worst. The Mind Flayer’s back. 

Max sighs, “God, I wish it wasn’t.” El hums in agreement. Dustin chuckles humorlessly. “Don’t we all?”

Will: Yeah. And if he is, he’d want to attach himself to someone again. A new me. 

Dustin shakes his head, whispering to Steve. “It really is like a Xenomorph.”Steve furrows his brows in confusion before his eyes light up in realization “Fuck, it really is.”

Lucas: A new host. 

Max looks at El.

El: How can you tell if someone is a host?

The theater is quiet, tension thick enough you could cut through it until Robin lets out a slight scoff. “Tch.”She shakes her head. “What a way to scene change, am I right?”  Steve snorts, shaking his head. “Oh my god, “ She looks at the group. “So,” She drawls out awkwardly. “How can you tell?” Robin asks curiously. “I think the pitch black eyes are a dead give away.” Nancy says, shrugging. Max gasps dramatically, pointing at Mike over her shoulder with her thumb. “Guys, I think Mike is possessed.” The party burst into laughter as Mike grimaces, yelling back. “Shut it Mayfield!” Mood successfully lifted, they turn back to the screen.

We see Joyce and Hopper pulling up to Town hall. They walk through a door and ask the secretary if Mayor Kline is in.

Will furrowed his brows, what are they doing there? He looks towards Dustin, who looks just as confused.

Secretary: Yes, he’s busy at the moment, but-

Hopper walks straight past her and into the office.

Hopper: Great.

Mike’s jaw drops, “You can’t just do that.”He hisses out, Hopper goes to open his mouth but Will cuts him off. “You hate every government, why do you care?” Mike sputters. Eddie’s eyes widen in interest, heart still racing from the mindflayer, maybe this kid has some potential. “It’s the principle of it.” Lucas chuckles, still holding Erica despite her getting annoyed. “Is the principle you don’t like Hopper?” Mike glares at him. “Quiet.”

Secretary: Excuse me!

Joyce: You should sit down. 

Jonathan snorts, “And how did that go over?” Joyce looks like she ate something sour.” Not well.”

Mayor Kline is on the phone when Hopper enters. He waves him in. 

Larry: I might have to- let me call you back. Okay. 

He hangs up. Hopper sits down.

Larry: Jim.

Hopper: I know, I know. You’re busy. I’m gonna make this fast, I promise. 

Larry: Is there… some kind of problem?

Steve chuckles, rolling his eyes. “I mean, I would assume so if you stormed into his office. “ Hopper nods. “You would think so.” He responds dryly.

Hopper: Yeah. You might say that. Um, I’m looking for the name of a guy. 

Larry: The name of a guy. 

Hopper: Yeah, I think you might know this guy.

Joyce scrunches her nose. “You did not say it like that.” Hopper puts his hands up defensively. “Listen-” Murray interjects. “I mean, Hawkins is a small town but it’s not that small. I doubt the mayor would know everyone.” Hopper rolls his eyes. “You’d be surprised.”  

Larry: Okay.

Hopper: He was here the other day. Rides a motorcycle. Big build, square jaw, dark hair. He’s probably military, maybe ex-military? Is this ringing… any bells? 

Larry: Uh… I don’t think so. 

Hopper: Really? ‘Cause it was just two days ago. This was right before I saw you. 

Larry: Oh! You know what?

Hopper: What? 

Larry: Could be the maintenance guy. 

Max scoffs. “Real specific.”

Hopper: Maintenance? Yeah. I can’t remember his name. Oh, God… uh… Gary or John or something. Candice will have his name on file. We’ve had trouble with the plumbing. Clogged toilets and… sinks with minds of their own. 

Hopper: You meeting with a lot of plumbers, Larry? 

Larry: Excuse me?

Hopper: This guy, when I saw him, he was coming out of your office. 

Mike leans forward, almost displacing Will, he moves away and settles back into his own seat. A shadowy feeling of guilt builds in Will but he shoves it away, noticing the look on Mike’s face. “Are you getting invested?” He asks, amused. Mike rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I love a mystery when it’s not killing my friends. Sue me.”

Larry: Okay, well, I don’t remember that. I shake a lot of hands, you know? 

Hopper: Do you remember when I caught you passed out in the hideaway with all that powder all over your nose? You remember?

Larry: Jim, come one, now. 

Mike rolls his eyes, Dustin cuts him off. “Please. We can already see it.” He says, annoyed. Nancy looks at them, confused. “What?”  El says, “Mike…talks a lot about authority.” He throws his hands up. “It’s corrupt!” Max responds boredly. “We know Mike.”Nancy furrows her brows, realization dawning on her.  “Oh,”She whispers to herself, he’s trying to spite dad. Eddie nods, a slowly growing respect for the Mini Wheeler building in him.

Hopper: Do you remember when my boys found you and Candice going at it like a couple of bunnies in the back of your Cadillac? Do you remember that? Does your wife remember that? 

Larry: You, uh… you really wanna play this game? Huh?

Hopper leans forward.

Hopper: Not a game, Lar. 

Mike laughs, “Oh, that’s good.” Hopper looks at Mike, surprised, before giving him a small smile. However, there is an underlying tension to it as he remembers what happens next.

Larry: Okay. Those pills you used to swallow like candy. I can’t recall, did you have a prescription for those? Or how about drinking on duty? Yeah. We have some real fun  stories about that. One call to Tom at the Post… and you’re done, buddy. You’re gone. Oh, and, please, don’t give me that dead daughter sob story, ‘cause I just don’t care. 

It’s silent, then all hell breaks loose. El looks at Hopper, shocked. “I thought she lived in the city." She whispers, Hopper’s face falls. “El, listen.” But he’s drowned out by both Max and Mike screaming at the screen. Max swears. “Oh that bastard!” Lucas grabs her by the wrist. “Max-” He whips his head around when he hears Will say. “Mike, calm down!” Mike’s glaring at the screen, mouth forming a snarl as he mutters vitriol at the TV.  Robin mutters a few curses but doesn’t move much. Steve and Dustin sit awkwardly, shocked but not as affected as the others. Eddie shakes his head, disappointed, but not surprised by how the Mayor reacted. Though El wants to get up to sit next to her Dad, she looks towards Max and remembers Billy. She needs her more, El sits back down.

He gets up and heads towards the door.

Larry: Now, if you don’t mind, I really am rather busy. 

Hopper gets up and slams Larry’s face into the door. He screams. 

Mike and Eddie cheer before looking at each other in surprise. He smirks at him, Mike’s eyes widen, a slight pink dusting his face before he turns away. 

Larry: My nose! You broke my goddamn nose! 

Hopper: Yeah, and your friend almost killed me last night, so I’d say we’re still not even. 

Hopper slams him into the door again and outside Candice gets up to try and open the door.

Mike whoops, standing up out of his seat despite Will trying to tug him back out of embarrassment. “Fuck yeah!” Max chuckles. “Deserved!” Hopper looks at the ground, smiling slightly.

Candice: Larry?

Hopper: Let’s cut the crap, Larry! Who is this guy? Government? Military? 

Larry: You’re making a big mistake. 

Hopper: Who is he?

Murray chuckles. “Real detective-like sheriff.” Hopper rolls his eyes. 

There’s shouting from outside. 

Larry: It’s Arnold Schwarznegger. 

Hopper punches him in the face again. 

Candice rushes to the phone and Joyce rips out the cord. 

Joyce: Who are you calling? The police? 

Jonathan smiles. “Nice one.” He remarks, Joyce smiles, looking proud.

Hopper slams Larry onto the desk and inserts his finger into his cigar cutter.

Larry: Are you insane? 

Hopper: I don’t know. Let’s find out. 

He starts to press down.

The party’s eyes widened. Joyce mutters. “Hopper, what the hell?” Hopper’s eyes dart away nervously. “Listen, it worked out.” She shakes her head. “That doesn’t make it better.”

Larry: Okay, okay, okay. Be cool, be cool. I don’t know his name, I swear. 

Hopper presses down more. 

Hopper: But you know him. 

Larry: He.. he gives me things sometimes. 

Hopper: What kind of things? 

Larry: Money. Presents. Aah! Gifts. 

Eddie whistles. “Bribery. “Mike huffs, crossing his arms.

Hopper: Who is this guy, Santa Clause? 

Larry: Starcourt. Starcourt. He works for Starcourt. 

Hopper: The mall? 

Murray sighs. “Everything really did lead back to the mall, didn’t it?” A course of, “Yeah, pretty much.” came from around the room. He shakes his head.

Larry: Yes, yes.

Hopper: Yeah, right. 

He goes to press all the way.

Larry: Aah! I swear! I swear! I swear! Starcourt. They-they own the mall. They want to expand to East Hawkins. They needed property, some land. Some people didn’t want to sell, so I leaned on them a little. That’s all. I swear, that’s all. 

Hopper lowers his hand and grabs Larry, pulling him up. 

Hopper: Why do they want this land?

Larry: I don’t know! 

Hopper: You have records of these purchases, these, uh… these land purchases? 

Larry: You don’t want to mess with these people, Jim. 

Hopper winces subtly, turns out Larry was right about one thing.

Hopper: I think you should worry about yourself right now, Larry, not about me. The records. Where are they? 

We then see Hopper and Larry exiting the office, Joyce already opening the next door.

Candice: Larry?

Hopper: He just bumped his head. Just a little boo-boo, right, Lar? 

They exit.

Joyce: Have a nice day.

She closes the door. 

We then see Jonathan’s car speeding along the road.

Nancy and Jonathan tense up, pulling away from each other slowly.

Nancy: It’s bullshit. So, according to Tom, Driscoll’s just a schizophrenic? And that rat is just a rat? And it’s all, what, some big coincidence? You know what I think? I think Tom was on drugs.

Jonathan: What?

Jonathan’s breath hitches as Nancy’s hand falls from his shoulder.

Nancy: Did you see him? He was sweating like crazy. And his palms were clammy. He looked awful. 

Mike looks at Nancy weirdly. “I don’t think he was on drugs Nancy. “ He says quietly. “I know Mike.”She bites back. He looks away, mumbling. “I was just saying.”

Jonathan chuckles.

Nancy: Oh, is this funny to you? 

Jonathan: No. No, it’s just kind of incredible.

Nancy: Incredible? 

Jonathan: Yeah, incredible how you just continue to convince yourself. 

Jonathan buries his head in his hands,”Fuck.” He groans out. Nancy avoids looking at Jonathan.

Nancy: What’s that supposed to mean? 

Jonathan: I told you over and over to drop this story. That it was a bad idea. But you refused, and now, I’m screwed.

Mike tilts his head to the side as Will’s eyes widen, Will mouths to Mike” Is Jonathan crying?” Mike nods sharply.  They look at each other in shock. Joyce looks at Jonathan, before turning to Hoppera asking silently, he nods. Joyce gets up and sits next to Jonathan. He looks up at her, she smiles comfortingly at him. Will and Mike smile at him, not wanting to overcrowd him. Nancy sits primly, looking ahead and refusing to take her eyes off the screen. 

Nancy: It’s a summer job. Your life is hardly over. 

Nancy winces, hissing.

Jonathan: I don’t live in a two-story house on Maple Street. My dad doesn’t earn six figures. Hell, he isn’t even around.

Joyce whispers, rubbing her hand down his back. “John.” He tries to smile at her. “I’m fine Mom.”

Nancy: God, here comes the Oliver Twist routine. 

Mike murmurs quietly, not expecting it to be heard. “Nancy, what the fuck?” She looks away, sighing.

Jonathan: Mortgage, college tuition. You know, they’re real things, Nancy. Things that you don’t care about, only because you don’t have to. 

Nancy: I didn’t realize I lived in a bubble.

Jonathan: Well, you do! You want everything handed to you on a silver platter. I mean, we were interns, Nancy! Interns! What did you expect, that you would make star reporter in a month? Crack the big case? 

Nancy mumbles, pinching her forehead. “I didn’t think that. “Jonathan sighs, avoiding her eyes. “I know.”

Nancy: You sound just like them. You realize that, right? Just like Bruce and those assholes-

Jonathan: Yeah, yeah, those assholes gave us jobs. 

Nancy: Is that what that was? That was humiliating. Humiliating. 

Joyce sighs, looking at Nancy with sympathetic eyes. She knows all too well what it’s like to be treated as incapable just because you’re a woman. To be given menial tasks because it’s all the men think you can handle.

Jonathan: Yeah, the real world sucks. Deal with it like the rest of us.

Nancy: You don’t know what it’s like. 

Jonathan: Neither do you.

Nancy: Well, then, I guess we just don’t understand each other any more.

Jonathan: Yeah, I guess not.

Nancy and Jonathan wince, refusing to look at each other as they scoot farther into their seats.

We see Nancy enter her house, Mrs. Wheeler vacuuming.

Mrs. Wheeler: Hey, you’re home early.

Nancy: Yeah. Light day. 

She heads straight for her room.

The camera shows us Robin arriving at Starcourt on her bike and she rushes to the Scoops Troop.

Robin: It is fascinating what 20 bucks will get you at the County Recorder’s Office. 

Max’s jaw drops. “That’s what you took it for?” Robin looks away sheepishly. “It worked, didn’t it?” Mike shakes his head. “Still should have stuck with the group, or at least told someone what you were doing.” He leans back. “I mean, we just saw what the mayor was doing. What if you just disappeared?” Robin and Steve wince, reminded of being drugged. Robin argues feebly. “I didn’t know that before. “Max raises an eyebrow, stating dryly. “Russians, Russians controlling an entire mall. Who’s to say they aren’t elsewhere waiting for someone to look closer?” Mike scoffs. “Seriously, it’s common sense.” Robin looks away, thoroughly scolded.

She lays out some blueprints on the table.

Robin: Starcourt Mall. The complete blueprints. 

Dustin: Not bad. 

Lucas remarks. “I think it’s more than not bad, it’s impressive. “Robin grins before Lucas adds. “Doesn’t make it less stupid.”She throws her hands up. “Come on!”

She points at the paper.

Robin: So, this is us, Scoops.

She points at another place.

Robin: And this is where we want to get.

Steve: I mean, I don’t really see a way in. 

Robin: There’s not, if you’re talking exclusively about doors.

She takes the top blueprint off, revealing one with vents and air ducts underneath. 

Dustin: Air ducts. 

Mike comments casually. “That doesn’t make sense.”He raises his eyebrow. “You sure those blueprints aren’t off?” Robin looks at him, confused. “Uhh, yeah? Those are the right blueprints. “Hopper tilts his head, “No, no. The kid is on to something for once.” Mike scoffs, Hopper continues. “Air ducts aren’t that big, you can’t fit a person in there. Even if you did, it wouldn’t be able to support you.”He hums, shrugging. “If you did get through those, it points more to the Russians doing something. They made it like that purposefully. “He clicks his tongue. “Likely to smuggle something.”

Robin: Exactly. Turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room. 

She grabs a marker.

Robin: And these air ducts… lead all the way…

She uses the marker to draw a path, connecting the room to Scoops.

Robin: … here. 

They look at the vent on the wall and Steve gets up to open it.

Steve: Flashlight. Thank you.

Dustin hands him one. 

Steve: Yeah, I don’t know, man. I don’t know if you can fit in here. It’s, like… super tight.

Mike snaps his fingers, “Told you.”Hopper nods. “Yeah, if that doesn’t fall right away the moment you get into it. Someone was definitely using those to smuggle things.” Robin and Steve look at each other with wide eyes. Steve whispers to her. “That makes things make so much sense,” She nods. “Yeah, like why they thought we were lying.” He sighs, rubbing his head. “Someone was probably using Scoops Ahoy as a cover at some point.” Robin snorts. “Money laundering scheme?”

Dustin: I’ll fit. Trust me. No collar bones, remember? 

Robin: Uh, excuse me? 

Lucas snorts, “You didn’t know?” Robin looks away, embarrassed. “It’s not exactly something you bring up in casual conversation!” Will shrugs. “I mean, it did in ours ,like, all the time.” Dustin adds in. “To be fair, it’s because Troy constantly bullied me for it.” Mike nods, pointing at Dustin. “You have a point.” Max looks at the group weirdly.

Steve hops down and Dustin climbs up.

Steve: Oh, he’s, uh… yeah, he’s got some disease. Chry, uh… it’s chrydo, um… something. Yeah, I dunno. He’s missing bones and stuff. He can bend like Gumbo. 

Robin: You mean Gumby. 

“It’s Gumby.” Eddie states dryly. Steve turns to look at him, however the moment he saw Eddie smirk at him, his mouth dried. He sputters, face red “I know that now!” 

Steve: I’m pretty sure it’s Gumbo. 

Dustin is now half in the vent.

Dustin: Steve, just shut up and push me!

Steve: Okay. I’ll push ya.

Steve grabs Dustin’s feet and starts shoving him in. 

Dustin: Not my feet, dumbass. Push my ass.

Steve: What? 

Dustin: Touch my butt! I don’t care! 

Joyce sputters while Hopper stares at Dustin with wide eyes. “M-Maybe don’t say that to someone older than you.” Joyce chokes out. Dustin stares at Joyce blankly, before realization dawns on his face. He looks away.

Steve now pushes Dustin’s butt.

Dustin: Come on! Harder!

Steve: I’m pushing!

Dustin: Push harder! 

Steve tries to get a better footing on the ladder.

Dustin: You’re playing with my legs.

Steve: I’m not playing, I have terrible footing.

Mike coughs, “Y’know,”He starts.” I don’t think this is gonna work.” Dustin snaps. “We didn’t know that at the time!” He shrugs. “Besides, it worked out in the end.” Erica shifts uncomfortably, looking at Lucas out of the corner of her eye. 

Robin shakes her head while watching them.

Steve: I’m just going to shove you.

Dustin: Just shove me?

Steve: One, two… 

He tries to shove Dustin in.

Dustin: Shit.

Steve: That work? 

Behind Robin, Erica rings the bell.

Erica: Ahoy, sailors! All hands on deck! Ahoy! 

Lucas smiles slightly, “That’s a sight to walk in on when trying to get ice cream. “Erica chuckles awkwardly.”Ha, ha, Yeah…” She stands up and moves to sit back in her own seat, he looks at her in confusion. “It was getting uncomfortable.”He nodded.

Robin smiles slightly, getting an idea.

Lucas narrows his eyes. “I don’t like that look Buckley.” Robin squeaks, looking at Steve. “Why is that kid scary?” Steve shakes his head. “I don’t know.”

We see the party spying on Billy at the pool.

Max tenses up the moment Billy is on screen, El puts her hand over Max’s. She turns to look at her, El smiles at her. She feels a warmth encasing her other hand, Lucas is holding it but staring at the screen still. Though, she can see him fighting back a grin. She smiles to herself.

Max: I don’t know. He looks pretty normal to me.

Lucas: Normal? How many times have you seen him with a shirt on? 

Max: I mean, it’s a little weird. 

Eddie snorts, “I love that’s how you deemed him possessed. “ Lucas shrugs. “I mean, that wasn’t the reason, but it was certainly a part of it. “He waves it off. “You’ll see.”

Mike: More than a little. He was in a tub with ice. The Mind Flayer likes it cold. Plus everything else-

Max: But he’s lounging at the pool, which is, like, the least Mind Flayer thing ever. 

Mike sighs, Max groans. “I know, I know.” Lucas rubs over her wrist with his thumb soothingly.

Will: Not necessarily. The Mind Flayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me. It’s like… like you’re dormant. And then, when he needs you, you’re activated. 

Max: Okay, so we just… wait until he gets activated. 

Mike: No. What if he hurts someone? 

Will: Or kills someone?

Will winces, the lab flashing before his eyes, he’s pulled out of his trance by Mike tugging on his hand. “Hey,” He says softly, face full of warmth and concern. Will almost cries, reminded of the Mike who sat by his side in the hospital, they look so similar at the moment. It’s as if the more time they spend in this room, the more of the old Mike he gets back. It’s not fair. Mike squeezes his hand. “It’s not your fault, you didn’t do anything wrong.”He whispers. “I know…”Will says hesitantly, looking away.

 “Hey Will?” Mike says, bringing his attention back to him. “Trust me, okay? Even if you don’t think so, I know so, I was awake the entire time.”He teases him. “Trust me, you did nothing wrong.” Will’s heart is pounding in his chest, his face is pink, and not for the first time, he’s thankful for the dark. “Yeah. Yeah! Okay.”He nods rapidly. “I trust you Mike.” He grins at him before turning back to the screen.

Mike: We can’t take that chance. We need to find out if he’s the host. 

Mike starts to walk off.

El: Where are you going?

Mike: I have an idea. Boys only. 

Max scoffs while El frowns. Mike sighs when he sees Nancy glare at him. “Look, you'll see in a moment. I promise.” She still looks disgruntled but settles back down.

Max: Seriously?

Mike: Just trust me on this one. 

The boys run off and enter the men’s change room.

“Ohh,” Nancy says, “Okay. That makes sense.” Mike sniffs. “What did I say?” Max rolls her eyes, “You still could have told us what you were doing.” She says as El crosses her arms. “Yeah,”She mumbles. Mike sighs, rubbing his eyes. “I didn’t want to risk Billy hearing.” Max opens her mouth before closing it. “But we were talking the entire time.” Max defends, Mike shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter if Billy knows we know. The mind flayer knew I knew, so it knew you guys probably knew too. It expects us to know, however, if it knows how we get rid of it…” He trails off as Dustin gasps in understanding. “Oh! It would break it.”

Max winces, mumbling. “Yeah, Billy’s real good at that.” Lucas squeezes her hand. Max gives in, huffing. “I guess you have a point, this time.” Mike nods primly.

Mike: Okay, so we wait until the pool closes, until everyone leaves, and we somehow get him to come from here and… 

They walk towards a door.

Mike: Get him into here. 

Nancy furrows her brows. “That- that’s a really good plan Mike.” She says, looking almost surprised. The party looks at Nancy weirdly, shocked to see disbelief on the older members' faces. “Mike makes most of our plans.”Lucas says, tilting his head. “You didn’t know?” Jonathan shakes his head. “No, but that," His eyes light up in understanding.”That makes a lot of things make sense.” Mike scoffs, crossing his arms and accidently dragging Will’s hand with him. “I don’t even want to know what that means.”

Mike opens the door, which is a sauna and has a bunch of old men with their shirts off in it.

Almost everyone in the theater ducks away from the screen. “Oh my god!” Dustin shouts.

Man: Hey, shut the door!

Man #2: Hey, come on, kid, shut it! 

Mike quickly shuts the door and turns away in disgust.

Lucas: I think I just threw up in my mouth. 

Max snorts, “Speaking for all of us there Lucas.”

Mike: And look, the controls are right here. It’s perfect. 

Will: Will it get hot enough?

Mike: 220 degrees. We just have to figure out how to get him in here. Then we lock him in…

Hopper whistles. “That would kill him,” Mike shrugs. “Nah,” He quickly adds on as he sees the look on their face. “A normal person? Absolutely, people can’t even withstand a temperature of 110 for longer than an hour at most. However, Billy is possessed by the Mind Flayer and it tends to not care about human limitation.”He finishes darkly, glaring at the screen. Max winces as Mike reminds her. He tilts his head, noticing Max flinch. 

She feels eyes bore into the back of her skull, turning around to see Mike leveling her with a contemplative look. He mouths. “ Break? ” She sighs, wanting to pretend she didn’t see but she knows just how stubborn Mike can be. She nods and Mike gives her a pleased look as she turns back to the screen, nervous.

Lucas: Heat him up… 

Mike: No matter what happens, we’ll know. We’ll know for sure. 

Back at Scoops Ahoy, Erica’s checking out the vent. She hops down.

Erica: Yeah, I don’t know. 

Lucas narrows his eyes. “Excuse me?” He says, looking over to Erica. She laughs nervously. “Listen-”

Dustin: You don’t know if you can fit? 

Erica: Oh, I can fit. I just don’t know if I want to. 

Lucas snorts, “Yeah, don’t.” He says sharply. She looks away from him, staring at Dustin who looks like his life is flashing before his eyes.

Robin: Are you claustrophobic? 

Erica: I don’t have phobias. 

Lucas mutters, toeing the ground. “You do,” Erica winces, “ Help me .” She mouths to the rest of the scoops troop. They all shake their heads with wide eyes. “No .” Robin mouths back, an almost hysterical laugh bubbling out her lips.

Steve: Okay, well, what’s the problem? 

Erica: The problem is, I still haven’t heard what’s in this for Erica. 

Lucas glares at the Scoop troop that’s on the screen. “Nothing, go home.” Erica crosses her arms, nervousness turning to irritation. 

We then see the group sitting down at a table and Steve sliding over an ice-cream boat. 

Erica: More fudge, please. Go on. 

Steve takes it and gets up. 

Robin: All right. 

She brings out the blueprints.

Robin: You see this? This is the route you’re gonna take. Then we just wait till the last delivery goes out tonight. Then you knock out the grate, jump down, open the door. 

Robin shivers as she feels eyes stare into the depths of her soul. She nervously looks down at him, “ She better have not even touched that vent.”   He mouths at her, she starts sweating as she feels the eyes bore into her head more.

Erica: Then you find out what’s in those boxes?

Robin: Exactly. 

Erica: And you say this guard is armed. 

Lucas is gripping the seat in a white knuckle hold, fuming.

Dustin: Yes, but he won’t be there. 

Erica: And booby traps?

Robin: Booby traps? 

Erica: Lasers, spikes in the wall? 

Robin: What?

Erica: You know what this half-baked plan of yours sounds like to me? Child endangerment. 

Lucas says through gritted teeth. “It is.” Steve refuses to even look at him as he feels a deathly glare burn into him. Erica scoffs.

Robin: We’ll be in radio contact with you the whole time-

Erica: Ah, ah, ah! Child endangerment. 

“It is!” Lucas blows up, “She shouldn’t even be hearing about this!” He yells at the Scoops troop, making them flinch back. Erica whips her head around, glaring at him, arguing back. “Why not!” He huffs, looking away as the screen pauses. “You just shouldn’t! “ Erica rolls her eyes. “That’s not an answer, you were the same age as me when you did this.” Lucas snaps, chest heaving. “That’s not a good thing!” He jumps up out of his seat despite Max trying to tug him back” I don’t want you to be like me! like us!” He gestures around the room. The party winces, looking away. “It’s-It’s not a good thing, you shouldn’t have to be.“ He stops, voice slowly softening as he goes on.

Erica crosses her arms, but not out of irritation. “What’s so wrong about you?” She asks, voice feeble. Lucas looks around the room, grimacing. “We’ll talk about this at the break, okay?” He says. Erica scoffs but nods her head. Lucas slumps down, flopping back into his seat.

Dustin: Erica? Hi. Uh… we think these Russians want to do harm to our country. Great harm. Don’t you love your country?

Erica: You can’t spell “America” without “Erica.” 

Lucas scoffs, but stays silent, glaring at the ground hard enough to burn holes into it.

Dustin looks thoroughly put out by this statement. Erica slurps her drink loudly.

Dustin: Uh, yeah, yeah. Oddly, that’s, uh, totally true. So, so, don’t do this for us. Do it for your country. Do it for your fellow man. Do this for America… Erica. 

Despite the tension in the room, a quiet. “Dustin what the fuck.”Can be heard. Max lets out a muffled laugh.

Erica shivers.

Erica: Ooh! I just got the chills. Oh, yeah, from this float, not your speech. You know what I love most about this country? Capitalism. Do you know what capitalism is? 

Dustin: Yeah.

Robin: Yeah.

Erica: It means this is a free market system. Which means people get paid for their services, depending on how valuable their contributions are. And it seems to me, my ability to fit into that little vent is very, very valuable to you all. So, you want my help? This USS Butterscotch better be the first of many. And I’m talking free ice cream for life. 

Mike narrows his eyes. “It also leads to exploitation of workers.” He grumbles, but not speaking loud enough because of the fight that broke out in front of them.

Erics eats a cherry.

Lucas shakes his head, standing up before another scene can start. “Know what? Pause it.” He looks over the room. “That…was a lot, I think, we need a break.”He says, just looking tired. Joyce nods. “I think that’s a good plan, how long do we think?” They look around, Robin remarks. “An hour? Hour 30?” Nobody has the heart to disagree and soon everyone splits off. Mike gets up and Will goes to move with him but he shakes his head. Will’s face drops until Mike gestures towards Max with his head and realization lights up in Will’s eyes. Will moves towards his Mom and Jonathan while Mike follows Max. 

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Mike sits down next to Max, it’s silent. Max starts to tap the floor anxiously. “So, “Mike starts, “What’s up?” Max doesn’t say anything, tucking her knees into her chest. She can feel Mike’s eyes bore into her, she knows he will wait, she doesn’t want to talk. The words clump in her throat, building up into a big ball that is impossible to swallow. Lately everything is like that for her, big, complicated, and impossible to untangle. Mike shifts next to her, letting his arm rest on his knee. He sighs.

“Listen,” He shuffles awkwardly. “I know I am the worst possible person for you to talk with, I’m annoying, impulsive, frustrating, all the adjectives you have called me.” He scoffs, eyes softening. “I know you would want to be talking to El or Lucas right now,” Max almost corrects, almost telling him he’s wrong. Although she would rather be talking to no one, she would not want to be talking to Lucas or El if she had to choose. Has much as it pains her to admit it, she wants to talk to Mike. At least she knows Mike wouldn’t coddle her, wouldn’t pity her. Max just doesn’t know how to talk to Mike, it’s like her voice suddenly stopped working the moment he opened his mouth.

Mike exhales shakily, staring ahead. “But, I’m here okay? Even if I haven't been, I’m here.” He stops, letting the room fall into uncomfortable silence again. A knot forms in the pit of her stomach, Mike is stupid, a moron idiot boy and a million other things Max likes to throw at him but he’s also one of her best friends, and she knows he won’t judge him. She feels a tiny little bit of the walls she built around herself chip away as she uncurls her legs. “You…love Nancy right? Even if she gets on your nerves.”

Mike looks at her, confused. “I mean, yeah of course.” He shrugs. “She may be an ass some of the time but I love her. Why?” Max picks at a loose thread on the pants of her tracksuit, the sludge ball in her throat slowly melting and sloughing down into her esophagus. “ I…don’t…love Billy.” She says slowly, “I don’t care about Billy, about his death.” and it was as if someone lit a fire underneath her, everything spilling out of her. Only pausing to take breaths in between the waterfall of words. 

“ He hurt me, He hurt me a lot. He was such a dick , and he was only ever a dick to me but he was still my brother. So why,”Her eyes wet and she brings a palm up to rub at her cheeks to keep tears from spilling. “So why don’t I care . Sure, I feel for him, it was terrible how he died but I don’t care that he’s dead. I’m not mourning, I feel like I could just live my life if this stupid guilt would leave me.”She sniffles, tucking her head in between her knees. “You would care if Nancy died? Wouldn’t you?” She asks hesitantly. Mike nods. “S-so why don’t I? What’s wrong with me!”She sobs, something in her breaking as the tears won’t stop flowing.

Mike reaches out and places a hand on her back, rubbing it awkwardly. She chuckles wetly at the look on his face. He bites his lip, thinking. “I…bear with me here.”He says, laughing quietly. “I’m about to ramble a bit.” Max snorts, shaking her head. “When don’t you?” He smiles at her, leaning back. He taps rhythmically on his leg, humming slightly. “I don’t exactly want to say impaled,”He says nervously. Fuck, why is he such a dork. “If…Lucas was covered in, uh, dust, like starcourt collapsed on him, would you want to be covered in dust too?”

The question hits her like a bullet to the head, would she? If Starcourt was collapsing around them, and Lucas was dead on the ground, would she want to lay down and die next to him? She bites her lip, and imagines a life without Lucas. No more stupid jokes, nobody to tease and call dumb names, nobody to be annoyingly fond of, no warm hands to cover her own, no soft kisses and someone knowing what she wants before she does, no one to push her when she doesn’t want to talk, no one to call hers, no one to listen to her small problems, no one to hold her, no breaking up just to get back together. No, well, no Lucas.

A pool of dread fills her stomach the more she thinks, she says quietly, feeling slightly nauseous. “I would, “Mike hums, like he knew before she did. Which he honestly probably did. The way Mike looks at things, looks at people, scans them over to see how they tick. It was one of the things that made Mike off putting to Max even if she's used to it now, it was just strange how he broke things down into little components but still didn’t understand the big picture unless their life was in danger. Then separating things into little parts becomes useful in those moments, she appreciates it, just not when it’s directed at her.

He taps the ground in a pattern she’s seen him do a million times with Will, she almost expects the taps back from Will and is surprised by the silence. He says with fake casualness that Max can spot a mile away. “But not Billy?” She groans, feeling frustration build inside her. “Yes, we established that-” Mike interrupts her. “I feel that way about my Dad.” He says, quiet, calm. Max freezes, her full attention on Mike.

He takes a deep breath. “If my dad was covered in dust and rubble, I would not want to be, I would be sad, I would…mourn,” He bites his lip.” But if it was Nancy…”Mike sighs, “What I’m saying is blood isn’t everything.” He brings his legs up, mimicking Max. “You’re allowed to not like someone, and, sorry if I’m overstepping here but Billy clearly didn’t like you. Even if he did, he didn’t show it at all.” Max feels like it should hurt, but just like everything with Billy. She didn’t care. 

She sighs, “No, just, “ Max shakes his head, chuckling somberly. “No, when you're right, you're right Mike. “ She smiles at him, he takes it as his cue to continue. “You can choose your family Max, El did. I did, Will, Lucas, Dustin. “He lists off, throwing his hands up. “I’m pretty sure Steve thinks of us as his kids at this point!” Mikes says incredulously. “You can not care Max, you can feel bad, just.” He hisses. “Don’t mistake sympathy with empathy. You don’t have to understand how Billy feels, you don’t have to care about how Billy thought, to pity them. I mean,”He points at himself. “I pity Billy to an extent and I loathe him.”

Max laughs, uncurling fully, she smiles widely at him, feeling lighter than she has in days. Don’t get her wrong, there is still this lingering feeling of guilt clawing at her but this…helped. How the fuck did the notoriously emotionally unavailable Mike Wheeler help her, she shakes her head is disbelief. Max stands up, extending her hand to him, pulling him up. “Thanks Mike…that surprisingly made me feel better.” She quirks an eyebrow. “How’d you manage to do that?” He shakes his head, crossing her arms. “I can do emotions sometimes. “ God, he’s so dumb. Max looks at him, unimpressed. “Nobody who can ‘do emotions’ says they can do emotions.” 

Mike scoffs, bumping shoulders with her with a fond smile on his face. “Shut it Mayfield.” Max rolls her eyes. “ Never Wheeler.” She says, as they walk off to see what El and Will are doing. Neither had to say it, but they both knew where the other would go. One to Will and one to El, and they both know that Mike’s going to Will. So, guess that means Max has to go keep El company. She snorts to herself, ignoring the look Mike gives her, he is such an idiot.

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Steve and Robin sit criss-crossed on the floor like kindergarteners during story time. Steve snorts, looking at the array of colorful beads in front of them. Kindergarten seems about right. Robin looks up at him, tongue slightly stuck out as she struggles to align the beads properly, “What are you laughing at dingus?” She raises an eyebrow, he shakes his head, laughing.

“Sorry, this is just extremely pre-school.” Robin rolls her eyes, “Well then you should feel right at home!”

She claps her hands together, ignoring Steve’s defensive sputtering. “Now! What should the beads say?” Steve stares at her blankly. “You know? When you dragged me away I thought we would talk about the whole being drugged thing and not be making friendship bracelets.” He says dryly. Robin puts the string down, leans back, crosses her arms, and gives him a disappointed Dad stare. “Would you rather talk about the Whole being drugged thing, or would you rather make friendship bracelets? “ He opens his mouth, before closing it and nodding his head. “You're right.”

She shakes her head, picking the string back up. “I know, now what should be put? What colors?” Robin snaps his fingers, “Vamos hermano.”Steve rolls his eyes, “I don’t know, like our name or something?” She throws her hand down, throwing her head back with a groan.” Ugh! Why are you so boring!” She flops back. “No wonder so many girls reject you.” Steve crosses his arms, grumbling. “ I can say the same to you!” She raises her eyebrow even though he couldn’t see it. “Tell me if you know one other lesbian, one. ” Steve sputters, she throws her hands up. “That’s what I thought!”

He sighs, lying on the ground next to her, they think in silence for a bit before he offers. “Blue and pink?” She snorts. “Ah yes, the best duo. Boy and girl.”She crosses her arms on her chest, Steve mumbles. “I thought I was pink?” She burst out laughing. “Oh my god !” Steve huffs, pushing himself up. “Well I don’t want to do it now!” She waves her hand, brushing his words off. “Wait, wait, no! That’s perfect, let’s do it.” He groans, spreading his legs out and picking a string. “Fuck, fine.” He starts to put the beads on it. “I’m making yours in pastels though.”She rolls her eyes, holding up a bright blue. “I thought it was a given? Yours too.”

After a minute of quiet and sparse cursing as each of them fuck up the pattern. She clicks her tongue as she adds another bead. “Okay but like words?” Steve opens his mouth.”We’re not doing each other's names.” He groans, frustrated. “What do you want from me!” Robin yells back, exasperated. “For you to not be boring!” She sighs, fiddling with the string. Another moment of silence passes before Steve mumbles. “Maybe, you suck and you rule?” He says, rolling a pink bead in between his thumb and forefinger.

Robin’s jaw drops, laughing. “Did you just have a good idea?” Steve levels Robin with a blank stare. “You know I hate you right?” She snorts, grabbing a ‘Y’ bead. “You know you love me.” He shakes his head. “Unfortunately. “ She grabs another bead, commenting. “I’m totally getting ‘You rule’ right?” He nods, clicking his tongue, letting out a curse as he misses the string completely. “Yeah, obviously.”

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Erica and Lucas stare at each other in silence, Erica taps her foot impatiently. “Well?” Lucas sighs, rubbing his arm. “Listen, Erica, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you in front of everyone.” Her eyes widen in surprise but before she can say anything he keeps talking. “I just…I don’t want this for you.” He says quietly. Erica groans, annoyed. “Why! I get that it’s bad but you were doing the same thing as me when you were my age!” She grumbles. 

Why couldn’t Lucas just explain this to her. What’s so bad, she knows it’s scary. She knows she could die but why is he so peeved about her and nobody else. She gets she’s his little sister but he doesn’t have to baby her. Lucas rubs his forehead. “That’s not a good thing, Erica. I-” He pauses, “I don’t want you to be like me.” Erica’s shoulders slump as she mutters. “What’s so bad with you?”

He sighs, sitting down. “I’m not explaining this well, am I?” He peaks an eye open with a smile on his face, she sits down with him, shaking her head. “No, not really.” Erica smiles at him. He swallows thickly,  “It’s not me that’s bad. I’m not some horrible thing you should avoid. It’s.”He groans in frustration at not being able to put his thoughts out correctly. “I don’t want you to experience what I’ve seen.” He says finally, she tilts her head to the side. “I can handle it.” She says, furrowing her brows. Shaking his head, Lucas smiles fondly at her, snorting. “No, you can’t. I thought I could, but I couldn’t.” He drags his hand on the floor.

He exhales heavily, muttering. “I remember searching for Will when I was eleven, and seeing this magical girl with superpowers appearing and seeming like she had the answers to all our problems.”  He shakes his head, almost in disbelief of his past self. “But, it wasn’t like that. El is great, sure, she’s an amazing friend but she doesn’t understand things. Especially back then, and I’m not going to sugar coat it, I didn’t like her. I was rude, I screamed at Mike, and I just wanted her gone because I wanted everything to be back to normal.” 

He leans back. “I think losing Will was the start of our problems." Erica grimaces, remembering that time. “And the worst part was. It wasn’t the supernatural that scared me the most during that time. Sure, I saw the demogorgon and I was really freaking out over superpowers being real and the government coming after us but.” His eyes wet slightly as he rubs the back of his neck. “I think watching my friends break was the hardest part.”He looks Erica dead in the eye, it makes her feel uncomfortably seen. “I never want you to see people crumble Erica, it’s the scariest thing I think i’ll ever see.”

He curls up, it makes Erica almost laugh. Her big brother, her strong tall big brother, curling up into a ball, a pit of dread pools in her gut. “When I lost Will, I was worried. I wanted to find him. When Dustin lost Will, he was worried, he wanted to find Will. When Mike lost Will?” He scoffs. “He was desperate . Me and Dustin? We thought the police had it handled, of course we didn’t know about the upside down but still.” He shrugs. “We were content to sit back and wait, obviously we were scared and anxious for him. Mike however?” He runs a hand down his face. “He acted like how I would If I lost you or Max. He was willing to defy the police, say whatever to get us on board, hide a superhuman from the government just to get Will back.”

He taps the ground. “And when we saw Will’s body?” He puts body in air quotes but shivers all the same. “I’ve never in my life seen Mike break down, he was always strong to me, admirable, the leader.” He taps the ground. “I’ve never seen Mike the same after that day, and he was even more desperate when he found out Will was still alive. I think he was about ready to rip and claw his way into the upside down himself.” He grabs Erica’s hand, running over her pulse point, as if to remind himself she’s still alive. She bites her lip. “And last year? In searching around for Dart and seeing a demodog, and basically a Demogorgan, up close and personal for an extended period? I was terrified.” 

He laughs humorlessly, grip tightening on her wrist. “In those tunnels and seeing all those vines, dumping gasoline while Steve was stumbling around like a drunk guy behind us?
He shivers. “I still have nightmares, those things pouring out the tunnels and then just lying there.” He gestures with his hands, staring at the ground, muttering. “I still have nightmares of what if Steve wasn’t able to save Mike, or if Dart decided not to listen to Dustin and just maul him.” He glares at the ground harshly.

Erica’s mouth drops, watching her big brother. Her big brother ,who was almost invincible in her eyes, being so vulnerable, it hurt in a way. It made her scared. If he couldn’t take it, if his friends couldn’t take it, how could she? Her eyes start to well up, she brings her hand up to wipe her face. Lucas looks up at her, sighing. “So no Erica, I don’t want this for you, I don’t want you to be like us. You can be the strongest 11 year old out there but you shouldn’t have to be.” He taps his foot anxiously, taking a deep breath. “I don’t want you to worry about these things, I don’t want you to lie awake at night wondering what you’ve just seen and what could have happened.”

He leans back, resting his head against the wall, looking more tired than Erica has ever seen him. “ I don’t want you to jolt awake in the night like Will, I don’t want you to have to hide everything behind jokes like Dustin, I don’t want you to be scared and angry like Mike, I don’t want you to be running from everything like El, I don’t want you to be guilty like Max, and I don’t want you to think you have to be tough all the time like me.” He finishes, out of breath, squeezing Erica’s hand. “I don’t want you to be a part of this.” Erica chuckles wetly. “I think it’s too late for that now.” Lucas looks at her sadly. “I know.”

Erica squeezes his hand back, leaning on him. “But…I can try to stay out of it.” He snorts, letting go of Erica’s hand and bringing his arm over her shoulder, tugging her closer. “You and I both know that’s impossible.” He rubs her shoulder, letting Erica seek solstice in her big brother's arms. "But, thank you for trying.”He whispers, closing his eyes to bask in this moment of comfort between siblings.