☆☆☆

"Ten?!" A voice brings you out of the unconscious state you were in.

You open your eyes and watch as the blurry shadows above you look down intensely; You lay on your back, face towards ceiling. As the blur begins to fade you realize Eleven sits over top of you, her nose bleeding heavily.

"Eleven?" You question warmly, wrapping your bloody hand around her face.

She smiles back, tears cascading down her face as she holds your hand in hers. "I'm here." She answers, rubbing her thumb along the back of your hand. For a moment, it's only the two of you.

A drumming sound resonates through your head and a terrible headache stops you from speaking. "What happened?!" Lucas asks, you turn your head to see Lucas, Mike, and Max on their knees beside you, eyeing you cautiously.

"I-" You choke, "I don't know." The memories of The Mind Flayer speaking to you slowly return as the feeling of butterflies in your stomach disappears.

"The Mind Flayer," You add, trying to gulp down any fears.

"The Mind Flayer what?" Nancy questions, You sit up and look around, almost on instinct, to check for Billy.

"He's coming," You finish, You watch as Eleven's face pales even more, now almost a ghostly white. "W-what, do you mean? He knows we're here?!" Jonathan asks, as if he doesn't want to believe it. He looks straight at you, waiting for an answer he already knows.

You gulp again and nod, on cue, a screech pierces the air. It's barely noticeable over the sound of the fireworks from outside, everyone looks around the room, unsure of what to do.

"Hopper.. he has a gun in the shed. From when Will was infected." El says, Nancy turns towards the door. "I'll go get it." She responds.

Nancy opens the door and leaves it open behind her, "Hold on Nancy!" Jonathan yells out, he follows her outside, closing the front door behind him.

"Can you get up?" Will asks you, he stands over top of you, worry in his eyes.

You push against the ground with your elbows to no avail.

"Here." You hear a voice say, You look up to see Mike holding his hand out. You grab it and he pulls you up to your feet.

Lucas walks over to the recliner and begins pushing it to the side of the door, "What are you doing?" Max asks, watching Lucas push the red recliner.

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm barricading the house." He replies sarcastically, he grunts and leaves the recliner beside the front door, to make it easier to place in front of when Nancy and Jonathan come inside.

Mike shakes his head and begins pushing the wooden wardrobe in front of the window.

"Why don't we just take the car?" You ask, watching as everyone begins to push things in front of the windows.

"Too far, and if I'm honest. I don't want to go out there and be trapped in a small car by some giant Meat Monster." Lucas quips as he places a dusty old wooden bench sideways above the dresser facing the window.

Nancy opens the door and steps inside, with Jonathan close behind. He carries a wooden axe that was left outside by Hopper from weeks ago.

As the door closes behind them Lucas begins to immediately push the recliner in front of the door, once he's done everyone steps back into the middle of the room.

You all form a small circle, With El to the right of you and Mike to the left of you.

Everyone pants from the adrenaline rushing through their bodies, You watch as Jonathan's fingers twist and untwist from around the axe's handle, constantly trying to get a better grip that won't come.

The lamp hanging from above the stove in the Kitchen begins to crackle and flicker. "He's close." Will warns, looking around the room cautiously. A rumbling begins to shake the flooring underneath you as the Mind Flayer comes ever closer.

You can feel yourself barely blinking, waiting for the attack. Your heart catches in your throat. The rumbling stops and everyone looks around the house, waiting for it to continue but it doesn't.

"Is it gone?" Max asks a glimmer of hope evident in her voice.

"I-" Lucas begins to speak but gets cut off by a creaking sound, immediately after something long and red, almost like a piece of meat drives itself through the left wall, it glides right through the circle, forcing you, El, and Mike into a corner of the room.

The tentacle-type thing drives itself backwards and then towards your side of the room. Quicker than you can even process the situation.

El raises her right hand and it slows down, giving Jonathan enough time to slash it with his axe. It doesn't falter its attack so Jonathan slashes against it again, this time it turns towards him. It rams itself against Jonathan's chest, sending him flying into the wall. The axe flies out of his hands and clatters to the ground.

The tentacle places itself above Jonathan's unconscious body, You run towards the axe, picking it up from the ground, you use all of your momentum and swing. Nancy raises her shotgun and the rest of the Children step back behind her at the same time you do that.

She fires four shots into the tentacle just as you swing into it, the pellets almost hit you, barely missing your elbow as you finish the strike. Stopping it from attacking Jonathan but forcing its attention towards her. She clicks the trigger again and it clicks with no ammo inside.

The tentacle flies toward your face but you drop to the left and narrowly avoid the barreling red meaty tentacle. but it stops suddenly, Eleven steps forward and throws her hand downwards, the end of the tentacle flops to the ground and turns into a pile of goo in the middle of the floor.

It screeches loudly and retreats back through the hole it came from, you step forward next to El in the middle of the room; believing that the attack is over.

Two tentacles drive themselves through the walls again on each side. One on your left and one on Elevens right. She throws both of her hands out towards each tentacle. With a loud grunt she slams both of her hands towards the floor and each end of the tentacles pop off, turning into a pile of meat as with the other one.

They both screech and retreat back through the holes. El stands beside you, her nose bleeding and her body exhausted.

The ceiling breaks and another two come flying inward, before you can even realize the situation you feel one of the tentacles wrap around your leg tightly. Then you can feel the grease from its goo seeping down your entire pants leg.

You feel someone grab your hand, you look up and see Mike holding onto your right wrist, his left hand holds onto El's left wrist.

You scream in fear, as does El and everyone else nearby. Mike grunts in pain and his grip begins to slip. "I- I can't hold you both!" He grunts as his feet begin to slip off the ground.

"Lucas! The Axe, hand me the Axe!" You scream, without asking Lucas scrambles to pick up the Axe, He runs over to you and places it into your left hand. "Pull!" Mike adds. Everyone grabs onto Mike and clings onto him, their eyes watch you with immense fear and admiration.

You twist your body slightly to the side, angled to where you can strike the Tentacle grabbing El's leg. You take one last look at everyone holding Mike back before striking the tentacle. Fear creases their faces, despair evident in their eyes as they watch helplessly, pulling against the tentacle for only long enough for you to swing at it.

You strike it one time and it screams in anguish; its grip tightens around your leg as though it knows you're the one striking it.

You strike it again, this time in anger it tries to swing you around the room, you grip Mike's hand tightly and slash a final time against the tentacle grabbing El's leg. It drops her but something wraps around her foot, it almost looks like the end of the tentacle is beginning to eat her leg.

"What is that?! El?!" Lucas screams, Nancy rushes over and leans over top of El. She grabs the piece of meaty flesh and rips it away from El's leg, she screams and groans in pain, but the tentacle runs off towards the Kitchen, its bite leaving large gash marks on El's legs.

Mike's grip begins to loosen as El falls, "Mike!" Max yells, He looks over at El then over at you. His left hand wraps around his right and his grip tightens. you scream in pain from the Meat Flayer biting deeper into your leg, in a fit of rage you raise the axe high above your head, prepared to strike.

With a loud grunt you swing against the tentacle as hard as possible, the tentacle retracts and you fling upwards, your entire body takes flight as the axe flies above you and hits the ground in front of you with a clattering sound.

You barely flip yourself around, landing on ur back as a sucking sensation comes from your leg, as you look down at it you see the same thing feeding from your leg that was feeding from El's, everyone looks down at it. You groan in pain and grab onto the thing; it writhes in your grip, it's meaty body slippery and greasy. With a yell of pain you pull it off, flinging it behind you in the process.

You look over at El and she mutters to herself, her nose bleeding, her body exhausted and barely moveable. She barely stands up, you watch on the floor as she leans left, placing all of the weight onto her unhurt leg.

She raises both of her hands towards the ceiling, where the Mind Flayer looks inside through a giant hole. She focuses all of her power onto it and the middle of its face begins to rip off.

It screams in pain as El pushes downward with her hands, her face shows all of the rage she feels, she pushes down harder than before, causing the Mind Flayers entire head to split in half.

"We have to leave!" Jonathan yells, you look around and try to get to your feet to no avail.

"Jonathan, I have El, Can you get Ten?!" Max asks in a hurried tone, she grabs El and lets El wrap her arm around her shoulder.

Jonathan gulps and runs over to you, he picks you up off the ground and begins to carry you out towards the car, you can feel his muscles flex under your weight but his grip doesn't release.

The pain begins to kick in, a single blink seems to bring you seconds into the future it feels like. You try to look around but the blood loss makes everything fuzzy.

"Hurry, Hurry!" Mike screams, you listen as the cars doors open and close behind them.

"Drive!" Lucas yells.

"Faster!" Will screams, his voice not hiding the fear.

You listen to the Keys jangle in Nancy's hands and the car comes to life, making a soft purring sound.

You hear the tires screech as the car speeds down the path, only lightened by the Moon, and Fireworks being fired.

The Mind Flayer screams in your wake, sending shivers down your spine.

☆☆☆

You can feel yourself begin to fade in and out of unconsciousness. Each time everyone looks at you with worried eyes.

"Here!" Nancy yells, you feel the car twist to the left suddenly and your entire body wants to throw up. This time, instead of passing out. You force your eyes open, it causes immense pain to wreck down your forehead down to your leg but you survive.

You watch as Jonathan opens the car door with his right hand, the door opens and he wraps his arms around you again as he begins to carry you.

Nancy picks up a large rock from the grass and throws it at the store's glass doors, it shatters and glass gets sent everywhere.

Jonathan follows behind Nancy as she walks over to the medicine section of the store, she picks up some Hydrogen Peroxide and some gauzes.

"Set them both down." Nancy orders, Jonathan sets you down lightly; letting your back rest against the shelf. Max and Mike place El beside you, also against the same shelf.

"Let's see it." Jonathan quips, he pulls your blood soaked left pant leg up. You grimace in pain, muttering small curses to yourself. "Shit.." Lucas says, his arms crossed.

You try to avoid looking at the wound but it's practically impossible because of the pain. Long deep black gashes run down your leg to your Adidas shoes. If anything you'd think that you'd never be able to walk on it again, but you know it's walkable, only the pain is holding you back.

Nancy pulls up Eleven's right pant leg, it's better than your injury but still terrible at that. Short deep, gash marks line the bottom of her leg, it immediately reminds you of cutting off the tentacle biting El's leg.

"Alright, we need to clean it first." Nancy says, beginning to unbox the hydrogen Peroxide.

"No, No, we need to stop the bleeding first. Then clean, then disinfect, then bandage." Nancy looks over at her with a surprised expression. "I skate, trust me." Nancy nods as Max begins to unwrap the gauzes.

"Here Jonathan," Max hands a Gauze to Jonathan and a Gauze to Mike. "Both of you have to press it firmly on their legs or it won't stop the bleeding."

You look up at Jonathan, your eyes looking towards the Gauze. "Jonathan, Hand me the gauze." He looks down at you then at your leg.

"What? Why?"

"Just give me it, I can do it myself." He looks over at Max and she nods, he hands the Gauze over to you, you press it onto as much of your wound as possible. Grunting in pain as you do so.

"Nancy, Jonathan, We need soap and water." They both nod and leave the aisle.

You watch as Lucas unzips his backpack and dumps it's contents onto the ground behind Max with Will at his side. "Will any of this help?" He asks, dropping the backpack.

"No. Go get me a washcloth and a Bowl."

"A bowl?" Lucas questions, raising his empty hands questioningly. Will smacks his shoulder lightly, "Okay, Okay." He sighs and the two of them exit the aisle.

"I'll be right back. I'll go get the stuff since those doofuses are taking so long." Max rolls her eyes and gets off her knees before heading out of the aisle.

Mike groans as he looks down at El's injury. "Does it hurt?" He asks her, He looks over at you, his eyes glancing down at your injury.

"You both do know, Scars are badass." Mike adds, laughing lightly. "Especially ones that match."

You laugh lightly as well, trying to not ruin the mood.

El smiles, "It's Bitchin." She responds.

"Bitchin." You add, smiling.

Mike looks at you, his gaze looking between you and El. "Max and them are taking forever huh?" He says, he doesn't wait for a response. "Here El, can you push down on this?" He asks her, she nods and he lets go.

He stands up and walks out of the aisle reluctantly, his sneakers scraping against the floor of the store.

"Hey El, I've been meaning to talk to you about something-" You begin to say, but El cuts you off.

"I- I have to tell you something too."

"Do you want me to go first or-?"

"You can go." She responds, her laugh ringing out through the aisle. You smile and look down at the ground for a moment before looking up.

"I'm glad you're friends with Max- I  really am but I just get so confused with all the girlfriend and Boyfriend stuff and most of the time I don't know how to talk about my feelings." You sigh, "I just- I really like you and I don't know, I-I dont like you anymore," You catch your breath and she watches you, surprised at the outburst of emotion, "It's just I think I Love you."

"You know, You really do talk a lot when your nervous." She says, laughing, you laugh out loud and focus on your injury for a moment, trying to avoid as much eye contact as possible. You feel her left hand reach out and touch your shoulder, you look up and both of your eyes meet. "Its O-K. I think I lov-"

The radio that fell out of Lucas' backpack comes to life, Dustins voice crackling over the Comm's. "Code Red, Code Red!" His voice repeats through it, crackling intensely. El immediately grabs it and hands it to you while she calls for Mike.

"Hello?" You ask, holding the radio in your left hand.

"Ten?" His voice cuts out and returns multiple times, "Th-- Ru-- Open the gate-- I rep-" His voice cuts out at the end.

"Dustin? Dustin? Can you hear me? You're cutting out." You say into the radio. On the other line, you can only hear static.

Mike crashes around the corner, his eyes on the radio.

☆☆☆

"So did you find him?" Mike asks Eleven as she takes the American flag Blindfold off.

She closes the freezer behind her and turns to him. Her eyes looking between everyone. "Yes. Let's leave." She responds, she begins to limp towards the door. She wipes the blood off her nose and onto her sleeve as everyone follows behind her.

You eye her bandaged leg with pity and sympathy before looking down at yours, the blood already is beginning to seep through the pant leg.

"He's at the Mall." She says as you all step over the glass in front of the door. "What? Why would he be at the Mall?" Lucas questions from behind you. You look behind you and watch as Lucas and Will push a cart full of fireworks.

"Oh, I don't know Lucas!" Max scoffs from beside you. "Why do we have these fireworks?! Their not going to do anything against a Meat monster!" Max says, as she looks behind her.

"Keep mocking my plan Max, me and Will are gonna prove you wrong." Lucas says, You reach the car and watch as him and Will lift the cart over the bottom metal piece of the door.

"Hurry up Dipshits!" Mike says as he scoffs beside you.

☆☆☆

Inside the store, in the medical Aisle. Two bloody puddles form together, their dark red turning into a meaty brown as bubbles begin to form inside of it, as though it was Boiling.

☆☆☆

No Ones POV

At Star-Court Mall.

Dustin peaks out from the restroom in front of the theater, behind him, Robin, Steve and Erica wait for his order. "Alright.. blend!" He says, they exit the bathroom causally, everyone following behind Dustin. A few people cast weird glances at Steve and Robin for leaving a Restroom with Children but that's about it.

Dustin leads them through the large crowd filling the floor leading to the escalator. "Well shit, that worked." Erica says in an unbelieving tone, her eyes laid straight forward as they follow the people leaving the Movies.

"Yeah, it did, now we just have to get through here, get to the escalator, then get on the Bus with the rest of these people please and home sweet home." Dustin responds, Steve looks over at Dustin hesitantly. "Uh, Dustin. We might not want to go to your house."

Dustin looks back at him, his face showing visible rage. "What why?!"

Steve sighs, "Uh, I may or may not have told them your full name." Dustin gives him a look that says 'are you serious.'

"Dude, I was drugged."

"So?"

"So?" Steve repeats as though he can't believe Dustin would say that.

"So you resist, you tough it out like a man." Dustin finishes, looking back at the Non-believing Steve.

"Easy for you to say." Steve responds with a scoff.

"Guys.." Robin says looking forwards,  Steve and Dustin both follow her gaze which leads to a man with greased back hair, he has a black outfit; similar to the ones they saw from the men outside earlier. He holds a paper and Pencil and begins to turn towards them.

"Abort. Abort. Abort." Dustin repeats, he turns around and they begin running through the crowd. They stop at the escalator where nobody's at, they didn't realize how close they were to closing time.

"Shit.." Dustin whispers under his breath, Robin gets in between the two glass walls on each escalator. She slides smoothly down the metal to the bottom, Steve, Erica and Dustin both head down quickly after her, the Russians hot on Dustin's tail.

☆☆☆

Your POV

The floor above Dustin, Starcourt Mall.

The red car on displays horn begins to ring out through the Mall, its front lights flashing a bright Yellow against the pink reflected tiles.

The four men in black suits turn away from the large counter which hides Dustin and the others away and begin their pursuit towards the car.

One of the men silently points to the car and they begin to move quicker towards it.

El pushes her hand forward and the car on display goes flying towards the Men; they don't even have a chance to react before the car hits them and kills them. The car continues flying, it bounces off the floor and smashes into the wall. Making a large indent on the wall.

Dustin looks up at your group standing behind the rail, you grin slightly, a large smile on his face while everyone behind him besides Steve looks confused.

"Hey!" Dustin Yells.

Nancy leads you down the escalator as you wrap your arm around Lucas' shoulder while you walk down the escalator, letting go of his shoulder as you reach the bottom.

As you begin to walk/limp on your own towards Dustin, it feels as though something is moving in your leg. Squirming through your skin.

Dustin runs up to You and El and wraps you into a hug, "You guys are awesome! That car got flung like a hot-wheel!" He exclaims excitedly, El and you laugh while hugging him back.

He releases you and steps backwards, admiring the two of you.

Erica runs up to Lucas and stops in front of him, "Lucas?!"

"Erica?! What are you doing here?!" Lucas questions, throwing his hands out towards her.

She points toward Steve and a girl with red hair; they both wear Scoops-Ahoy outfits and look totally beaten up. "Ask them! They dragged me here!" She responds.

Steve nods, "Yeah, we absolutely did." He admits.

The red-haired girl turns around and looks back towards you all, "I still don't know what happened to that car!" She says as she looks over at Dustin as he begins to talk. "El and Ten have super-powers."

"Uh, I'm sorry? Who has what?" She asks, with confusion on her face because of what Dustin said.

"They have super-powers, come on catch up." He answers, looking over at you and El.

"Who's El and Ten?" The red haired girl asks, looking over everyone.

"I'm sorry? Who are you?" Nancy questions her, raising an eyebrow with her arms crossed.

Dustin smiles, "That's Robin, she cracked the top secret Russian code." He says.

"Yeah, which is how we learned about the Russians in the first place." Steve adds.

Jonathan shakes his head, "Russians?" He asks, confused.

Steve nods his head, "Yes, the Russians!" He points towards the car.

"Those were Russians?" Nancy asks.

"Some of them." Erica answers.

You step away from the group as the squirming in your leg begins to worsen, you can feel a splitting headache coming and your nose begins to bleed. You run your right back-hand across the bottom of your nose and look at it. Blood lining all of your hand.

The headache becomes worse and worse, you can feel your chest squeezing and your breathing stop. You sway lightly in the middle of the Mall and fall onto your side.

"Ten?" You hear a voice ask, it's El. You watch as her small frame runs over before your vision gets even more blurry. "El?!" Another one asks, your vision begins to blur uncontrollably as you flip onto your back; trying to at least get a glance at your girlfriend. You twist your head and feel as the blood boils in your throat and releases out of your mouth, You gaze upwards as the metal pieces and purple lights begin to blend together. Causing you to close your eyes, a feeling comes across your right cheek, as though someone's hand was rubbing it. Causing you to feel a deep inner warmth inside your chest.

But it disappears and the squirming comes back, this time it feels as though you're being staked each time as it moves through your leg.

You scream in pure anguish and fear as you gaze up towards the blinding lights. The lights fading into each others again and again it makes you even more nauseous.