26.

"ʸᵒᵘʳ ʰᵉᵃʳᵗ ʰⁱᵗˢ ˡⁱᵏᵉ ᵃ ᵈʳᵘᵐ,
ᵗʰᵉ ᶜʰᵃˢᵉ ʰᵃˢ ʲᵘˢᵗ ᵇᵉᵍᵘⁿ."
—ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗᵉʳ ᵇʸ ʳᵘᵉˡˡᵉ

  Fireworks could be heard, being set off in the distance. Some flash of color barely made it over the treeline where the cabin was. Amber scanned outside into the dark night. Her mind drifted all over the place. Wishing that they could've had a normal summer. She and Steve were supposed to be going to the fourth of July annual fair but here she was, unsure where her boyfriend was and dealing with the fact that her ex-boyfriend is possessed by a monster from another dimension who is threatening their lives again.

"He said he was building something. That it was all for me." El informed them of the literal nightmare she experienced in the abyss.

"Building something... is he talking about the flayed?" Max questioned.

"He must be." Nancy spoke up.

"So he's building an army, just like we thought." Lucas said.

"Yeah, but he's not building this army to spread." Mike began.

"He's building it to stop Eleven." Will pieced together.

"Last year, El closed the gate on him. I have a feeling that really pissed him off." Mike said.

"Like, royally." Lucas commented.

"Well, he can get over it. He has a whole other world. He doesn't need ours." Amber said from her spot by the window.

"The mind flayer now knows that she's the only thing that can stop him..." Mike trailed off before looking at Amber. Unsure of how the girl might be playing into all of it. "But if El is out of the way–."

"Game over." Lucas finished.

"He also said he was going to kill all of you." El added in.  Amber was infuriated that he threatened El and then threatened to kill the group. Whoever this guy was needed to be thrown back into the upside down and never come back.

"Yeah, well, that's nice." Max sarcastically said.

"He's not getting to you El. And he's sure as hell not getting to the rest of you. This mind flayer can kick rocks for all I care." Amber stated before she paused. Hearing a strange noise in the mix of all of the fireworks. Nancy must have caught on as she made her way to see what Amber was looking out at.

"Do you guys hear that?" Amber questioned, Nancy now standing beside her.

"It's just the fireworks." Jonathan replied. Amber felt the hair on the back of her neck stick up. Quickly whipping around towards Eleven.

"Billy... When he told you this, it was here, in this room?" Nancy asked El who nodded her head in response. Amber's eyes then traveled onto Will who began to reach for his neck.

"He knows we're here." Will spoke.

"We gotta go." Amber said. All of them filed out of the cabin into the night. They all could now see the fireworks in the distance going off in the sky. But then their attention was drawn to the creature from before snarling as it hit a tree down. The only difference now was that it was way bigger than the last time. And that honestly was the thing that was most terrifying.

+

Dustin's foot was all the way on the gas as he drove them quickly through the long hallway. Now with Steve and Robin with them, it was time to ditch the secret Russian base and hopefully not be in danger.

"Jesus, slow down." Steve complained.

"Yeah, what is this, like, the Indy 500?" Robin slurred her speech.

"It's the Indy 300." Steve tried to correct the girl.

"No, dingus, it's 500!" Robin shouted.

"It's 300!" He argued back.

"Both of you shut the hell up. It's 500." Halle complained. The two shared a look before they burst out laughing.

"What is wrong with them?" Erica questioned.

"I don't know." Dustin responded.

"I do. They're totally cooked right now. I would know." Halle informed them.

"Dustin watch out!" Erica shouted but it was too late. Dustin ran into a bunch of tin barrels causing them to come to a stop in the vehicle. The two drugged passengers in the back groaned in pain after having their heads hit them metal.

"They're fine." Dustin commented. The three of them rushed the other two out of the back of the vehicle while the sirens continued to blare all around them. Using the key card, they were able to get the elevator open quickly before making their way back up above ground.

Steve and Robin were messing around on a trolley. Steve acted like he was surfing, having the time of his life.

"Hey! You look like you're surfing." Robin commented, both of them laughing their asses off.

"I'm telling you guys. Completely baked." Halle told them.

"But why would they be?" Dustin asked.

"They were being held hostage by Russians. You think they wouldn't get drugged?" Halle questioned.

"I'm a natural. Check it out." Steve yelled to them before Robin pulled the trolley out from under him causing him to go flying to the ground.

"Wipeout!" Robin giggled. Dustin knelt down by Steve, his hand touching his forehead.

"He's burning up." Dustin announced.

"You're burning up." Steve put up a fight as Dustin tried to pry his eye open a bit to look at his pupils. Halle peered over to see for herself.

"His pupils are super dilated." Dustin said.

"I guess you were right." Erica told Halle.

"Boop." Steve booped Dustin's nose.

"Steve, are you drugged?" Dustin asked, slapping his face a little.

"How many times, Dad? I don't do drugs. It's only marjuana." Steve responded.

"This isn't funny, I need to know what they did to you. Are you going to die on us?" Dustin asked worriedly, but Steve booped his nose again.

"We all die, my strange little child friend. It's just a matter of how and when." Robin spoke.

"Thank you, Robin. For that lovely fact." Halle said to Robin. Dustin stared at the girl then turned back to Steve.

"They're going to be looking for us up there, so I need you to tell me where your car is parked." Dustin told Steve.

"Oh, can we make a pit stop at the food court?" Steve asked.

"I would kill for a hot dog on a stick." Robin said.

"No. Where's the car?" Halle questioned, not having the strength to deal with them at that moment.

"Uh, oh. The car's off the board. They took the keys.  The Russians, they took the keys like forever ago." Steve informed them as he pulled his pockets out to show them empty.

"That's a bummer." Steve said.

"Then we're taking the bus." Halle told Dustin and Erica.

Once the group got outside, Steve and Robin went crazy tasting the air. But Halle, Dustin and Erica caught sight of two guards walking their way. Pushing them all back inside, running away from the guards. They were now rushing back into the mall to come up with a plan.

+

Nancy was quick to head to the shed. Her eyes landed on a shotgun as she made sure it was loaded. Jonathan was arming himself with a weapon as the kids were trying to barricade the cabin. Amber rushed into Hopper's room, pulling out one of his guns that he stashed under the bed. All of them were panicked, rushing around to try and protect themselves the best they could.

"Get away from the windows." Nancy called out to Mike and Lucas. All of them gathered in a circle, backs to each other, shoulder to shoulder. Trying to be prepared from every direction they could. Listening to the eerie sound of everything rattling.

"It's close." Will said.

The lights began to flicker. Some dishes fell off the counter. But then silence fell on them.

"Where did it go?" Max wondered. All of them looked around.

"It's still here. I feel it." Amber said.

In the darkest part of the cabin, a tentacle shot out at them. All the kids jumping back trying to dodge the slimy thing. Jonathan used his axe to slice down on the tentacle as the Mind flayer screeched. Jonathan tried to take another hit at it but was flung across the room.Nancy began to shoot at the thing when it went towards Jonathan. Turning its attention onto the girl with the shotgun. She however ran out of bullets. The tentacle barring its mouth wide open went for Nancy but was stopped from attacking her. Amber's eyes turned to El to see the girl holding her hand out. Using her powers she ripped the head of the arm causing the creature to shriek and recoil back.

"Holy shit." Max commented. Another arm soon came launching at Eleven but she stopped it again. Turning, throwing her other hand up as another tentacle shot at her. El yelled, yanking her hands down which caused the arms to be ripped off of the monster. She took a deep breath before the roof of the cabin was broken and an arm shot out and grabbed Eleven by her leg. Dragging her across the floor, lifting her up but Mike was quick to grab onto her. Eleven screamed as more of the kids began to grab at her to pull her back down. Amber was quick to move around the group. Her eyes lighting up, all she saw was red. The echoes of Nancy shooting at the mindflayer filled Amber's ears. But she was too focused on Eleven, the girl stared directly at the mind flayer. Feeling the heat radiating off of her body, Amber knew she was doing something. The creature began to loosen its grip on Eleven as its screeches got louder.

"Lucas! Grab the axe!" Amber yelled to him. The boy yelled out as he sliced at the part of the mind flayer that had a hold of Eleven. Repeatedly doing so before the tentacle completely fell off. The creature roared in pain as its skin was boiling from the fire and now in pain from the loss of one of its limbs.

Amber's focus then turned onto the remainder of the tentacle that had been pulling El. She went to grab it so she could burn it but Mike was quick to yank it off of Eleven which caused the girl to scream in pain. Amber cursed at Mike before grabbing the remainder of the slimy thing before it disintegrated in her hands. Eleven stood up as the creature peered back down onto them. And before Amber could tell Eleven to stop, the girl let out a yell using all of her strength to rip part of the mind flayer apart before she fell. The group grabbed El before rushing out of the cabin. It was giving them just enough time to get the hell out of there before the monster regenerated. All of them got into a car before Nancy and Amber floored it out of the woods.

+

The Scoops Troop rushed around a corner of the backway of the mall. Trying to escape the Russian guards that were on their tail. But the three sober kids in the group were getting easily fed up with the drugged duo who kept giggling and asking questions.

"Whoa!" Steve telled.

"Where are we going?" Erica had to ask as Halle guided them down the hall.

"Away from the guys trying to kill us." Halle exclaimed. Finally they made it to the door leading to the movie theater. Peering out to check if the coast was clear, Halle ushered for them all to exit the hall.

"We're blending in with the crowd. Spread out." Halle told them. Steve who walked past the trash can grabbed a bucket of popcorn for himself, feeling like he won the lottery. Dustin demanded for Robin and Steve to take a seat in the front while Halle was getting some seats in the back.

"These are too close." Robin complained.

"Dude, these seats blow." Steve commented.

"Then don't watch the movie." Dustin said annoyed.

"We want to watch it." Robin told him.

"Then watch it!" Dustin yelled, but was quickly shushed.
"Sorry. Whatever you do, don't go anywhere. Or we will send Halle after you." Dustin instructed.

"Fine, Dad." Steve sighed as Robin snickered in her spot next to him. Dustin and Erica walked away to sit with Halle who was sitting there rubbing her face in exhaustion.

"It's official. I'm never having kids." Dustin let out.

"Please, you'll be someone to say that and you'll probably end up with twenty. But now you know how Amber felt babysitting little shits like you." Halle said.

"What are we doing here?" Erica asked.

"We have to lay low. Cooling off. Like Oswald." Dustin responded.

"Oswald was found in a theater and shot to death." Erica said.

"A week later." Dustin clarified.

"Both of you shut up so I can think." Halle snapped at them. The girl felt like she was going to lose her mind. If she hadn't already lost it, but that was up for debate.

"You guys watch tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum. Make sure they don't go anywhere." Dustin instructed the two girls.

"Where do you think you're going?" Halle questioned.

"To find us a ride." Dustin responded, pointing to his walkie before leaving.

"How in the hell did Amber put up with any single one of you?" Halle let out.

"Beats me." Erica shrugged before her eyes fell in the direction of Steve and Robin talking to each other white they ate the trash popcorn.

+

"Jesus, Nance. Your driving is worse than mine." Amber commented, before throwing the big rock through the window of the store.

"It's not that bad. I just forgot the store was right there." Nancy tried to defend herself. Amber didn't believe that for one minute, but decided to let it go since the kids were still groaning about the sharp turn the Wheeler girl had made.

All of them filed in through the broken door. Max and Mike helping El in as Amber led them towards one of the aisles that had the rubbing alcohol and gauze.

"Okay, get her down." Nancy instructed Max and Mike who lowered the girl to the cold tiled floor. They lifted El's pant leg to see the nasty gash that the mind flayer left.

"Oh, shit." Mike commented. Nancy grabbed the supplies from Amber but Max was quick to stop the girl.

"No. We have to stop the bleeding, then clean, then disinfect, then bandage." Max told her. Nancy looked at the girl a little shocked. "I skateboard. Trust me." Max began to tell them all what she needed to help El and they all split up. Amber stayed by El's side with Mike and Max. Holding the girl's hand as a form of comfort.

"We're going to get you good enough to go so we can get you far away from this thing." Amber assured El.

"No. I have to face it." El groaned.

"No, Eleven. You don't. It wants you in order to kill you. I won't let it kill you." Amber told her.

Amber.

The girl paused hearing the dark voice. Her eyebrows furrowed before she looked around. Her hand instantly released El's. The kids gave her a confused look as she pushed herself up to her feet.

Amber.

She blocked out everything, following the voice as it got louder. The broken glass from the door crunching under her weight. Standing out in the dark parking lot, the girl saw her sight begin to flicker. Seeing floating debris and a red sky. She knew she was visualizing the upside down. Where the voice sounded most strong.

Amber.

She looked at all of the vines of the hive mind. And the weird things flying in the sky. It gave her an unsettling feeling.

It's time to come home.

It was dark and cold. It wasn't a place she belonged at all. Her body was already reacting to this phantom chill. Turning into a personal heater.

Join me.

She looked back and forth. The voice seemed to be getting louder but she saw no one around.

You can rule this world. 

Her heart began to pick up its pace. Her breathing was getting heavier. She was having a panic attack.

And we can end them all.

She saw a figure in the distance. Walking towards her, she stumbled a bit as she backed away. Not wanting to find out who it was. She clamped her eyes shut as they called out to her in their deep voice.

Amber.

"Amber? Amber?!" The Hayes girl was shaken back into reality, her eyes falling on Will who looked at her concerned.

"What is it?" She questioned.

"Dustin just got into contact with us. But we lost contact. We think he might be at the mall." Will informed her. Her heart seemed to skip a beat at the news as her mind instantly went to Steve.

+

Dustin came running back into the movie theater on a mission.

"Do you have batteries?" Dustin asked the two girls.

"Why would I have batteries?" Erica questioned.

"I always carry batteries." Dustin replied.

"You keep getting nerdier by the hour." Halle commented.

"I need eight batteries." The boy said.

"Yeah, sure Dustin. Let me just pull some out of my ass." Halle let out.

"I don't need your sass. I guess we'll have to go with plan B. The bus." Dustin said.

"That was plan A, you dipshit. It was my plan." Halle told him in annoyance. Dustin was quick to ignore the girl as he peered around the two. Coming to the realization that the two drugged teens were MIA, nothing but popcorn left in their place.

"Where... are they?" Dustin asked, causing them all to share a look. Halle split up from Dustin and Erica to go on the hunt for the two older teens who she was ready to smack upside the head. Her eyes were quick enough to catch a blur of sailor uniforms before they disappeared through the bathroom doors. The girl sighed, heading in the direction of the bathrooms.

"You two are idiots." She let out, walking into the bathroom to see them throwing up everything in their system. Cringing at the sound, she leaned against the sinks until they were all done.

Robin laid on the floor of her toilet stall and Steve sat slumped on the floor in his. Halle looked between the two, before sitting outside of each of the stalls.

"The ceiling stopped spinning for me. Did it stop spinning for you?" Robin questioned Steve. The boy glanced up and was amazed that it was back to normal.

"Holy shit." He let out.

"I think you guys puked it all out of your system." Halle cringed. The smell is still lingering in the air.
"Ask me something. Interrogate me." Robin said.

"Ummm... When was the last time you, uh, peed your pants?" Steve questioned.

"How original." Halle snickered.

"Today." Robin responded.

"What?"

"When the Russian doctor took out the bone saw. It was just a little bit, though." Robin laughed.

"Yeah, it's definitely still in her system."Steve mumbled.

"Alright, my turn." Robin said, sitting up.

"Okay, hit me." Steve told her.

"Have you... ever been in love?" Robin wondered.

"Yeah. Uhh.. I still am. Amber Hayes. I could say it happened in the first semester of our senior year, but I'd be lying. I think I have always been in love with her since like middle school." Steve admitted.

"And you somehow found your way back to her. Even after the Nancy Wheeler fiasco." Halle said.
"Maybe, you two are a couple who will find their way back to each other every time. It's like destiny." Robin suggested.

"I don't believe in that shit." Steve told them.

"Are you sure? Because it seems like that's what has happened with you two. I mean, if I was Amber, I wouldn't have even given you a second chance. But she did, and now look at you two." Robin said.

"Yeah, look at us..." He trailed off as he looked at his shoes. "I'm convinced she doesn't want to be with me anymore. She's been distant lately. And I get it. She doesn't see herself staying with a guy who's scooping ice cream and couldn't even get into college." Steve said.

"Harrington, that's definitely not the case." Halle spoke up.

"She hasn't even said I love you back to me. I'm scared that it's because she doesn't love me. This girl, I could see myself marrying. And I don't know what I would do if I didn't have her. She's quite literally my everything" Steve admitted in worry.

"Steve. I hate to admit this. But she's in love with you. You can see it just by the way she looks at you. You're like her whole world." Robin told him.

"I shouldn't be saying anything. But she hasn't been trying to be distant. She's been planning a surprise. It's just been taking forever." Halle informed him. "So stop doubting yourself, Harrington. It's kind of sad seeing you like this." Halle said.

"Do you remember what I said about Click's class?" Robin questioned Steve. Nervous to say this in front of Halle and Steve in case they reacted badly, but she knew it was something that could solidify to Steve that Amber was in love with him. The boy slid over into her bathroom stall, while Halle scooted closer.

"When I said I was jealous and, like, obsessed?"

"Yeah." Steve nodded his head.

"It isn't because I had a crush on you. It's because she wouldn't stop staring at you. Well, they wouldn't stop staring at you." Robin admitted.

"Mrs. Click?" Steve asked, confused. Halle looked on at the girl, slowly piecing it together. Her heart slightly melted at this knowledge. Knowing she wasn't alone. Knowing her chances at that moment had grown.

"Tammy Thompson and... Amber. I wanted one of them to look at me. But they couldn't pull their eyes away from you and your stupid hair. Amber was the first one to show me any attention or cared enough to remember my name. Always asking if I needed something to eat. So I just didn't understand why girls, especially Amber who was always against your every move, would fall for your charm, because you would get your bagel crumbs all over the floor. And she'd always yell at you for it but she still would look at you when you weren't paying attention. Just like how you would do the same. Then there was Tammy who constantly ate up any dumb question you would ask. And you were a douchebag. But you still had girls in the palm of your hand. I would go home and scream into my pillow." Robin explained.

"But Tammy Thompson and Amber are girls." Steve was a little confused trying to let what she said wrap around his head.

"Steve." Robin softly let out.

"Yeah?" Robin gave him a look as it finally dawned on him.

"Oh."

"Oh."

"Holy shit." Steve said. Halle reached a hand out to Robin, giving her an assuring squeeze.

"I think we can all collectively say we had a crush on Amber." Halle spoke up. Robin looked at the girl quickly in slight shock as Halle gave her a small smile. And Steve chuckled slightly at these confessions. "And anyway, Tammy Thompson, she's cute and all, but... have you heard her sing?" Halle questioned trying to lighten the mood.

"She can't even hold a tune. " Steve commented before trying to mock Tammy Thompson's singing.

"She does not sound like that." Robin tried to defend.

"Yes, Harrington is spot on with that impersonation." Halle agreed with Steve.

"You sounded like a muppet." Robin said.

"She sounds like a muppet. She sounds like a muppet giving birth." Steve told her and they all began to laugh.

The door bursts open as Dustin and Erica looked down on the laughing teenagers.

"Okay, what the hell?!" Dustin exclaimed which caused them to laugh more.

+

The group waited until they heard the crowd from the movie begin to file out of the theater. Peeking out from the bathroom door, they all looked at the different people. In a quick motion they all rushed out to blend in with the crowd.

"Well shit. That worked." Erica commented.

"Of course it worked." Dustin said confidently.

"Don't say that. Now you're jinxing it." Halle scolded them.

"We just need to get on the bus with everyone else and then it's home sweet home." Dustin told them.

"Uh, Dustin?" Steve shared a look with Robin.

"What?" The boy turned to look at Steve.

"Yeah, we might not wanna go to your house." Steve informed him.

"Why?" Dustin questioned, confused.

"Well, I might've told them your full name." Steve confessed.

"What is wrong with you?" Dustin whisper shouted.

"Dude, I was drugged?" Steve let out.

"So?!"

"So?"

"So, you resist. You tough it out. You tough it out like a man." Dustin told him.

"Oh, yeah, it's easy for you to say." Steve said, becoming annoyed.

"Guys?" Robin stopped them. Their eyes fell on a Russian who was stopping people.

"Abort." Dustin let out. The Russian turned and he had soon caught sight of the group.

"Shit. Go!" Halle pushed them. Running in the direction away from the guy. Looking back to see two guys now following them, each one slid down the middle of the escalator down to the lower level as an attempt to get away. Searching to find a hiding place away from the Russian's who were on a mission to take them out.

It had soon turned into a group of Russians walking around with their own hand-guns. Each one of them being on high alert looking for the group of kids. The group was hiding behind one of the food counters in the food court. Trying their very best not to make a noise, but one of their shoes had squeaked across the flooring which caught the attention of one of the guards.

The four guards grouped together, getting ready to advance on the area they knew the kids were in. Guns raised and ready to take them out. The kids were hyperventilating, knowing that they were getting closer. But the sound of the car sitting parked in the food court startled the guards to turn to face the noise of the alarm going off. Each one of them was confused by how the car was randomly set off.

The main guard looked up to set his eyes on two girls standing on the upper level. One with a hand raised at them and a dark look on both their faces. In one quick sweep of the hand, the car flew at the guards, taking them out instantly. From behind the counter, Steve, Robin, Halle, Dustin, and Erica all slowly peered up to see the car turned on its side and the Russian guards crushed. Turning to look up, their eyes fell onto Eleven and Amber at the upper level railing as the rest of their friends came into view next to the two girls.