𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

ⅱ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒆

CHRIS LOOKED UP TO THE BALCONY. El and the others standing by the railing. The group rushed for the stairs and Chris jogged back to her group pulling Dustin and Erica over the top, Robin, Steve and Dylan pulling themselves up. Dustin sprinted to El and Mike and Chris run for Alex. Alex jumped into Chris's arms, and Chris held her up.

Once Chris dropped her back down, Alex slapped her across the face. "I'm still kinda pissed at you," Alex teased with a smile. Chris nodded and pulled Alex back to her, her hands gripping Alex's shirt.

"Understandable," Chris mumbled, her face pressed against Alex's shoulder.

"God I missed you," Alex breathed. Alex pulled back and nodded at Dylan who wandered over to the girls. "Who's the boy?"

"This is Dylan, Dylan this is Alex," Chris introduced.

"She's mine," Alex snarked pulling Chris to her side.

"Pretty sure she's Harring-" Chris slapped her hand over Jason's mouth, glaring at him.

"I don't understand what happened to that car," Robin said glancing back at it.

"El has superpowers," Dustin said quickly.

"Same as Chris and Alex," Dylan added.

"But mine has changed, I can concentrate it now, kinda like a fire," Alex explained quickly.

"No way, that's sick," Chris said with a smile.

"Hold on, who are you?" Will asked softly.

"I'm Dylan, I've decided to help- for some reason," Jason answered with a smile.

"Wait. That's El?" Erica asked pointing to Eleven.

"Who's El?" Robin asked confused.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Nancy asked folding her arms.

"I'm Robin. I work with Steve," Robin clarified.

"She cracked the top-secret code," Dustin expanded.

"Yeah, which is how we found out about the Russians in the first place," Steve added, leaning a hand on his hip.

"Russians? Wait, what Russians?" Jonathan questioned confused.

"The Russians," Chris repeated, pointing to the charred bodies lying on the floor.

"Those were Russians?" Max shouted in surprise.

"Some of them," Erica clarified.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked baffled.

"Didn't you hear our code red?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah, I couldn't understand what you were saying," Mike explained.

"Goddamn low battery," Dustin shouted to himself.

"How many times do I have to tell you with the low battery?" Steve chastised.

"Well, everything worked out, didn't it Steve?" Dustin sassed.

"Worked out? We almost died," Erica exclaimed.

"Yeah, but we didn't, did we?" Dusting argued.

"It was pretty damn close," Steve debated.

"Yeah, but I saved your ass didn't I?" Chris asked rhetorically.

"Okay, Russians?" Lucas asked. "As in, they're working for the Russian government?"

"What are you not comprehending?" Dustin snapped. "Am I not speaking English?"

Chris looked around the group, noticing El walking off. "El?" Chris called. El pushed her hands into her ears and Chris ran to her, grabbing her just before she collapsed. "El, hey El," Chris called laying her on her back.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? What's wrong?" Mike repeated taking her hand.

"My leg. My leg," El choked out, her voice getting stuck in her throat. Blood leaked from her nose and she squirmed around.

"Her leg, her leg. Okay," Jonathan confirmed taking off the handmade bandage. Jonathan peeled it off, Nancy helping pull her jean leg up. Once the bandage was torn off El's mangled leg was exposed, blistering, black and bruised a large bite was taken out.

Alex lifted her hand, her blue light shining over El's wound. El's skin wriggled from underneath, a slug creature crawling beneath the damage. "El! El! Are you okay?!" Mike screamed tightening her hold on his hand. El screamed in pain her hand flying up to grab Mike's shoulder.

"What is that?" Erica asked watching the slug writhe around.

"There's something in there," Mike noticed.

"No!" El whined in pain.

"Jesus Christ," Dustin cursed.

"Keep her talking," Jonathan ordered. "Keep her awake, okay? Dylan come with me." Jonathan stood up running off, Dylan held the gun at his side and jogged after him

"El, hey, how many fingers am I holding up?" Chris questioned, holding her hand over El's face.

"Three," El whined.

"Great, okay, amazing," Chris babbled. Jonathan and Dylan raced back, and Dylan slid to sit by Chris.

"Heat this up," Dylan ordered holding a knife. Chris held her palm under the blade, heating both up to the point they turned red.

"Okay. All right, El?" Jonathan called setting himself on his knees. "This is gonna hurt like hell, okay?" Chris grabbed the bladed end and held the knife out to Jonathan.

"Okay," El cried.

"I need you to stay real still," Jonathan ordered taking the knife from Chris. Alex held her hand out illuminating the wound. "Here, you're gonna want to bite down on this, okay?" Jonathan held out a wooden spoon for El to bite down on. Mike took it making it easier for El to bite on.

Jonathan lined up the knife near El's leg, taking shallow, unsteady breaths. Jonathan looked up at El waiting for her confirmation. "Do it," Mike instructed with a nod.

"Okay," Jonathan whispered. Dustin murmured uncomfortably, cowering behind Chris. Chris grabbed his hand, squeezing gently. Jonathan sliced through her skin making El scream, her fingernails into Dustin's other hand and Mike's hands that she held. Nancy gaged pressing a hand over her mouth. Jonathan tossed the knife away, huffing and wincing.

"Oh, shit," Dustin cursed, resisting the urge to throw up. El screams and sobs, choking on her breaths, tears falling from her eyes. Jonathan took a breath, closing his eyes trying to ease his nerves. Jonathan slid his fingers through the open cut and El screeched in pain. Everyone exclaims, wincing and gagging, disgusted at Jonathan's fingers sliding on the inside of El's leg. Eleven whimpered trying to squirm, withering in pain.

"Jonathan!" Nancy screamed.

"Stop talking!" Jonathan yelled back. El screamed when Jonathan moved his fingers too far trying to chase the thing. "Goddamn it!"

"No! Stop it!" El screamed spitting the wooden spoon out of her mouth. "Stop! Stop!" Dylan grabbed Jonathan's hand stopping him from moving. "I can do it," El whined her voice so quiet as she pushed herself up. "I can do it." El held her hand out focusing on the slug moving in her leg. El wails as the thing tried to sliver away from El's power. "God! God!" The creature chittered just millimeters from breaking through El's skin. El wailed taking another breath before screaming harder.

El screamed the glass behind the group breaking, Chris threw her hands up quickly making a shield to protect the group. El pulled the critter out, it let out high pitch screams still trying to pull away from El's power. El tossed it away, it bouncing on the floor, leaving blood trails. Chris grabbed El's shoulder letting her rest against Chris again. The loud stamp made the group snap their heads up, Hopper, Joyce and Murry standing in front of them.

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