Mike leans into the phone, his body tense. "This is a code red, Do NOT hang up! Something bad happened, our very lives could be at Stake! Just come over to my house- Hurry." Mike says into the phone, he puts it onto the hook and sighs.

"Ten, Are you gonna be okay?" Will asks, Looking over at you slumped on the edge of the couch, dripping with sweat once again. You gulp and nod. "Yeah-"

"Dustins not answering." Lucas speaks up, from three cushions beside you. He holds the radio up and shakes it.

"So try again." Mike responds, walking away from the phone, he takes a seat beside you as Lucas begins to speak into the radio.

You close your eyes for a moment, drowning out all of the sounds around you. You feel yourself sink, and sink. And soon enough when you try to open them again it feels almost impossible against the weight of your eyelids.

☆☆☆

"Ten!" Max yells your name, your eyes fling open in surprise. It felt like you only closed your eyes for a moment to blink. Max turns away from you once she sees you're awake and looks over at Will.

"I didn't want to 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 on Day Of The Dead." Will says atop of the recliners armrest.

That's when you felt it for the first time too.

"That's when the power went out too." Mike adds, looking at Will.

"The second time was at the field at the Nelson Farm the Other Day. Then again yesterday at Castle Byers." Will finishes.

Why does everything that Will felt happen at the same time as you, besides at the Nelson Farm.

Max looks up at Will from her criss-crossed position on the floor. "What does it feel like?" She questions.

"You know what it feels like to get dropped on a roller coaster?" Will asks, everyone nods besides you and El.

"It's kinda like that. It's like your body or parts of it go cold." This catches your attention, making you look up at the older boy. "and.. it's a sinking feeling." Will says, looking down at the ground. Remembering what he felt in the past. "Whenever he was near." Will finishes.

"Whenever who was near?" Max asks, genuinely interested.

"The mind flayer." He answers.

"But. We closed the gate." El speaks up, nodding her head to herself like she's remembering it.

"What if he never left. What if, when you both closed the gate. He got locked in here with us?" Will says, he doesn't wait for a response. He grabs a piece of paper and a black crayon.

He begins to color on the white paper, a similar figure of the Mind Flayer of which you saw in the upside down begins to form. "When I was at the field, that day. He attached a part of himself to me, but my mom got him out of me. Then Eleven and Ten closed the gate. What if that part that was still attached to me is still in our world? In Hawkins."

Max gets off the floor and begins to pace around the room. Her arms crossed. "I-I don't understand. I thought the Demo-Dogs died when they closed the gate."

"Maybe they did; but we still need to assume the worst. That the mind flayer is back, and if it's back. It needs a new host." Mike says, Will nods and looks over at Mike. "A new me." Will adds.

"How can you tell if someone is the new host?" You ask, sitting up in the seat for the first time.

Everyone's eyes turn towards you in surprise.

☆☆☆

No Ones POV

-Scoops Ahoy Shop, Starcourt Mall-

"Just push my ass!" Dustin screams from inside the Vent.

"Alright! Jesus! Let me just get my feet placement right." Steve responds, he steps one peg higher on the ladder and grabs Dustin's legs.

"I'm going to shove you in." Steve says.

"Shove me in?!" Dustin exclaims from inside the Vent.

"One! Two! Three!" Steve yells and pushes Dustin against the vent harder. "Did that work?" Steve questions, letting Dustin's legs kick out in frustration.

"Does it look like it worked?!" Dustin yells in anger.

"Hello? Ahoy sailors! All hands on Deck!" Erica yells, she slams her hand on the bell multiple times. Annoying Dustin and Steve.

Robin looks over at Erica and smiles. A plan being formed in her head.

☆☆☆

Your POV

-At the community Pool's parking lot-

"I don't know, he looks pretty normal to me." Max says from behind the Binoculars. You sigh, and lean your head against the car's cold, orange hood in the shade.

The smell of twigs and small trees mixed with the smell of chlorine water is normal once you get used to it. "Normal? When have you ever seen him without his shirt on?" Lucas questions, squinting at Billy on the lifeguard tower.

Billy watches over the water with black sunglasses on his face, and a towel over his legs and stomach. You notice that those are the only parts in the sun. "Hey guys." You say quietly, drawing their attention to you.

"What is it?" Mike questions, staring at you.

"Look at it, he has a towel over his legs and stomach and sunglasses." You say quickly, pointing out the facts.

"I mean, it is a little weird." Max says, nodding along. She takes off the binoculars and let's them hang in her hands.

"Let me see." Lucas orders, snatching them from Max who makes an angry face. He stares through the binoculars for a moment quietly as everyone waits.

"It's weird, very very weird." Lucas agrees, "Like why is he hiding his entire body?" Everyone's mind goes to the same thing because the mind flayer likes it cold

"More than a little, he had a bathtub full of ice." Mike responds, he looks over at You before continuing. "And all the other things."

Max shakes her head. "But he's lounging at the pool, which is like. The least Mind Flayer thing ever."

"Not exactly," Will speaks up. You raise your head and look over at him beside Lucas. "The Mind Flayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me. It's.. it's.. like you're dormant and then, when he needs you. You're activated." Will says. His eyes look off into the distance, obviously remembering how it felt in the field.

Max looks off towards Billy, "Then we just wait until he's activated."

Mike shakes his head. "No, what if he hurts someone?"

"Or kills someone." Will adds.

"We need to find out if he's the host." Mike finishes, he walks in between the car beside the orange one.

"Where are you going?" Max questions.

"I have an idea, boys only!" Mike responds, he gestures for the three of you to come.

"Seriously?!" Max scoffs as the four of you walk away.

Mike leads you into the men's locker room and through its halls while talking. "Okay, so we wait until the pool closes and everyone leaves, and we get him to come from here." Mike stops walking when we're in front of the Sauna.

"To here." When he finishes, he leads you through the lifting/weights room to the Sauna. He opens the door to the Sauna, a foul smell comes out along with insane heat. It makes your body nauseous just feeling the heat. As the door opens, around three old men in towels are inside it. All of them red like a tomato from the heat.

"Come on kid, shut the door!" One of them yells, Mike closes the door and turns around. His lips pursed in disgust.

"I think I just threw up in my mouth." Lucas says.

"And look, the controls are right here." Mike adds, looking at the buttons and knobs beside a black pipe.

"Will it get hot enough?" You question, how hot can these things get anyways.

"Two Hundred and Twenty degrees. We just have to lock him in there." Mike points at the Sauna's door.

"Then we heat it up." Will says, nodding to himself.

"Exactly, No matter what happens we'll know." Mike responds, turning back around to face you.

☆☆☆

No Ones POV

Everyone splits up after Mike explains the plan, Lucas and Will head into the maintenance shed to find something to chain Billy up with. Mike tries to find the breaker while El and Ten try to find a suitable dummy for the plan. Ten will use his Illusion power to make Billy believe someone is inside the Sauna but the Dummy will only help with that.

Lucas and Will eventually find the chains while Mike finds the breaker. Leaving Ten and Eleven to find the Dummy.

"Hey Ten." El says, shifting through the locker rooms to a backroom filled with lifeguard outfits and training equipment.

Ten follows behind her and begins searching through the shelves. "What?" He asks, looking over at her. He raises an eyebrow, curiousity lingering in his eyes.

"I." She sighs. "I'm sorry for what happened at the Mall with Max." She looks over at him, eyes pleading. He sighs and his shoulders sag in defeat.

"El. I know. I've just been feeling different because of this sickness." He responds, his eyes stop looking for the dummy and glance at El to gauge her reaction.

"I know." She says in response, thinking back to the previous night. The bathroom should she ask? Would he even remember? Her eyes beginning to gloss. Ten, believing she's about to cry for another reason, shakes his head.

"I haven't told anyone yet but I think they know. Please, I don't know what's wrong with me." He pleads, El begins to try and speak but Ten begins to cough violently.

As Ten's coughing fit ends, Fast footsteps approach the door. Ten steps back in surprise as Mike steps inside.

"I found the breaker, are you guys finished yet?" He inquires, El scans the shelf before grabbing a medium sized dummy off of it.

"This'll work. Thanks." Mike thanks her, she hands the dummy to him and the two of them follow behind him as he walks.

☆☆☆

Your POV

-Night Time, After The pool's closed-

You watch from the sides as Billy approaches the Sauna, he claps his hands together excitedly once he sees the shoulder length dark black hair of the illusion on the Dummy.

You strain yourself to only make it last for a few more seconds.

Billy grabs the Illusion/Dummy up by the neck and raises it to the roof of the Sauna. "Behind You!" You hear Mike's voice mock from the radio strapped to the Dummy.

You release the Illusion as Billy turns around. You and El step out from the shadows, El flings him far into the Sauna. Making tiles of the wall fling out violently. As Billy begins to get up Mike and Lucas enter.

Mike shoves a grey, metal pipe through the door handle. Lucas uses the chain and a padlock to lock the door to the Sauna.

Billy begins to bang on the door as you all step back from it. Billy's irises widen as he looks at Max behind you.

"Max." He whispers.

"Do it." Max says, Will runs over to the controls and turns the knob to the right; to max settings.

As the heat begins to soar, you can feel yourself begin to become nauseous. Billy begins to laugh and scream at the same time, almost like a maniac.

"Max! Let me out of here!" He screams at the top of his lungs, his breath creating a solid fog on the glass window.

He stops screaming and begins to laugh loudly. "You think this is a joke, is this a prank?" His laugh turns into a maniacal grin. He spits on the window. "You little shits think this is funny?!" He screams again, his eyes brimming with rage.

"We're at 220." Will points at the Sauna, almost one que. Billy falls to the ground; his whimpers loud and echoing. His sobs sound almost womanly.

"I'm sorry Max. I've done a lot of bad things." You hear Billy say, Max approaches the window cautiously and looks inside.

"He made me do it!" You hear Billy yell between sobs.

"Who made you do it?" Max questions, looking down at Billy sitting in the Sauna, his hands crossed almost pleading.

"I- it's like a shadow. A giant shadow. He made me do it! I'm so sorry!"

"What did he make you do?" Max questions, her voice hiding any emotion.

"It's not my fault, Okay?! Max, Please believe me Max! I tried to stop him, I did! I tried so hard!" Billy stops talking begins to whimper and sniffle.

"Don't worry Billy." Max begins to start crying. "It's all going to be okay, we're going to help you."

A fluttering feeling flies through your stomach, an unending pain through your body.

"He's activated!" Will whispers.

"Huh?" Mike questions from beside him. His eyes widen as he begins to realize. "Max, get away from the door!" Mike screams.

You feel as though your movements begin to slow, hindering you. You watch slowly as Billy jumps towards the door. You reach out towards Max, pleading that your grip will catch onto her.

It barely does; your hands grip the collar of her shirt and you fling her backwards using as much strength as you can muster.

She flies backwards forcefully, and slides across the floor lightly. She begins to cough in pain from you yanking her by her collar.

The window to the Sauna blasts open, sending glass shards flying in every direction. Billy leans out of the Window and begins screaming while hitting the chain with a tile from the wall.

"I'll fucking gut you!" He bellows, he breaks the metal pipe from the door with his immense strength. Lucas thinks fast and grabs the slingshot from his waist, he grabs a rock from his pocket and shoots it at Billy. The rock lands its mark and hits Billy Square in the forehead. Knocking him backwards to the floor.

The lights begin to flicker and you hear flesh begin to squelch and form. You wait, exhausted and afraid. Billy begins ramming into the door.

"No way he can get out right?" Max questions. Looking between

"No way." Lucas responds, unsure.

On the third ram, the metal pipe to the right of the door that was connected to the chain snaps in half. Billy flings out and lands into a combat roll and onto his feet.

Billy stands up, taller than all of you. You push everyone back; your arms outstretched in front of El and the rest of the group.

You watch as one of the weight lifting bars begins to levitate from Eleven's powers. She flings it into Billy, sending him into the brick wall, debris flies everywhere. Billy screams in pain but he doesn't fall. He wraps his hands around the bar and begins pushing it away from him in a last ditch effort.

El's power begins to falter, and he pushes it back towards El. The rest of the group slides backwards, El pushes you to the side and you fall to the ground just as the Metal weight bar clinks the top of her forehead. Sending her down to the ground immediately.

Seeing as the most powerful out of you all is now knocked out, he crouches down in front of you. Looking into your eyes, you look back into them in defiance defying any thoughts of fear.

Billy looks back towards Max and the rest of the group before he grips your throat. Ending your breathing immediately, as soon as his grip lands. It tightens around your throat and he begins to lift you into the air by your throat.

"NO!" You scream in between coughs, you feel your face begin to heaten. You try hitting Billy in the face, the arm, anywhere.

You look around in a last ditch effort for survival, Everyone stands to the side, in shock. There's a flicker of heat within your chest, a need to protect its like a flame being lit.

His grip tightens. Using this newfound last stand strength. You look towards the Sauna and notice a part of the pipe snapped in half. You levitate it and it flies into the air, you send it flying towards Billy with all of your strength.

You hear skin ripping and Billy screams in pain, he falls to the ground, Billy's grip loosens and you slide out of his hands and onto the ground, sending you into a coughing fit. Mike picks up the bloodied pipe and tries to hit Billy with it, Billy counters it though and grabs it mid-hit and pushes Mike against the Brick wall while he smiles at Mike, stunning him. Billy throws the pipe behind him towards the Sauna.

You lay on the ground on your side, coughing blood.

Billy walks past you towards the unconscious El, You push yourself to your knees and force yourself to your feet. Billy turns around, and begins walking towards you. A maniacal smile painted on his face.

You strain yourself, the room begins to twirl and warp in your view. You focus on Billy, barely lifting him up to the air as he reaches you. You hear rustling and look over at El, she begins to twist on the ground. you turn back to Billy and find yourself with new hope to survive.

You push yourself again, lifting him higher into the air. You scream in pain and agony, your outstretched arms begin to quiver and shake. He screams back, a battle of determination to see who'll last the longest. You scream a final time and muster a small amount of strength; you use that flame and rage, flinging him into the brick wall and he cascades through it. Sending bricks, dust, and debris everywhere.

You stand there, Exhausted, blood pouring from your nose. You lower your arms and slump to your knees, everyone behind you doesn't breathe or move. Surprised at the show of strength, even in your weakened state.

You barely sit up straight; you can feel all the blood rushing to your head.