I might've had a small panic attack, knowing everything I loved, was going to be gone. Hawkins was going to fall if we didn't fight back. But we of course had to stop at a gas station to make a call for a plane to Hawkins which Jonathan was doing. Argyle was at his van meanwhile and Will and Mike were just standing around Jonathan. El was too initially but then wandered off to a billboard. I saw this and followed her. El probably had some flashbacks as she saw the billboard because seconds later she told me she had an idea.

"I have a way to protect Max from here," El said as she walked back up to the rest. "Vecna attacks Max from within her mind, I can do that too, I could piggyback and attack Vecna, from here," El explained. "Mind fight, righteous," Argyle said. "Wait so you actually think this can work?" Mike asked. "But she would need a bathtub," I said as I remembered the one we built back in '83 to find Will. "We need a lot of salt for that right?" Mike asked. "Oh, uh, well, does 600 pounds suffice?" Argyle asked. Without explained anything Argyle pushed us all back into his van and we started driving again. 

We stopped at a Surfer Boy Pizza, which we knew was there because Argyle had pointed out the billboard earlier. There was someone working there, but Jonathan got the dude away by giving the guy their weed. Then we got the pizza dough freezer, turned it on it's side and filled it with water and salt. After that it was just mixing the salt and the water. I had to use the bathroom so Will and Jonathan stayed behind. When I got back I saw El and Argyle forcing Mike to eat the pineapple on pizza. With the whole "try it before you deny it" saying. Jonathan and Will were making the tank ready for El. They were talking about stuff, but I couldn't hear what. Eventually I saw Will hugging Jonathan. What was that about? I walked over, hoping not to ruin the mood. "Hey, uh, is that tank, almost ready for El?" I asked. Will turned around. "Yeah," he said. He had cried, as I saw him quickly wiping away a tear. Jonathan walked off as he knew the tank was ready. So it was just me and Will again. "Will," I said. He looked at me, with those beautiful eyes. "About, our talk, at the van," I said. "I get it," I continued. Will was in pain. He was not okay, he had never been, but I knew he felt bad, bad about the whole being confused, even though it is okay to be confused I guess. I should be happy too, but come to think of it, I might've already sorted out my mess, as I knew I acknowledged my mother and knew she was waiting for me at home. "And, uh, I just wanted you to know that, I'm still here, if you need me," I said. Will looked at me, smiled and nodded. Then the door burst open and Argyle almost threw El right into the pizza dough freezer. "Everyone ready?" Jonathan asked. I nodded but then realized something.

"Wait!" I yelled. Everyone looked at me. "What if," I started. "What if I go with her?" I suggested. "What, how, you don't even have powers," Argyle said. "Right?" he asked everyone but no one responded. "I do not have them indeed, not outside, but I might in there, in mind space," I said. "Vecna already invaded my mind, and I escaped in combination with Nine's powers I got there, if El invades my mind first, I might be able to grab my powers and also piggyback," I said. "But, that's like, really difficult to do, and might not even work," Will said, obviously afraid. "I know it is dangerous, and I know it might not work, but we have to try, we have to hit Vecna with a force so strong he won't be able to get back up, and it better be a force too strong than a force that might just barely be enough," I explained. Will looked at Mike. Mike looked at El. "Let's try it," El said as she put on her 'blind fold goggles'. A few seconds later El rose out of the water, indicating she had entered my mind. So I went in for a test move. 

And it worked. I reclaimed my powers in there. "Are you ready?" El asked. "Let's kill this fucker," I said. Then I started envisioning Max, as that was the way to enter her mind. So of course I went through a few memories. The one where I saved her from Vecna a few days ago, and the chat we had the day the Byers moved away. I closed my eyes. 

"Are you okay?" I asked. Max looked up. "Oh yeah no I'm fine," she responded. I couldn't leave it at that though. "You really sure, because, you know, Billy gone and all that?" I asked. "I'm just, scared... my life is going to change, I don't think I'm ready for that." "Max, you will be fine, you are the strongest, most badass person I know, if anyone is going to get through this like a boss, I know it will be you."

That final 'you' I said back then repeated a few times in my head as an echo. I opened my eyes and next to me was El. We made it into Max's mind. And probably right on time as Vecna was already holding his monster hand above Max's face. El pulled him back right on time as she said "Hi." She then proceeded to throw him to the side. I used this time to run towards Max and help her back up. "I once again have so many questions," she said. "Why are we at the Snowball?" I asked her. "That's a long story," Max said as I thought back to the Snowball.

'Will,' I started. He looked at me with his beautiful eyes. 'Do you want to dance with me?' I asked. 'As a friend, so you aren't feeling left out,' I quickly added. 'Yeah sure,' he said.

But now was not the time to flashback, we had a Vecna to kill as he suddenly appeared and pulled El away from us. "NO!" I yelled as I started pulling El back. That was when I realized Vecna was strong. Stronger than I expected. But I guess he didn't know me yet as I pulled El away from him. "Don't ever touch any of my friends," I said. Vecna laughed as he then proceeded to pull up a broken fence and throw all the pointed wooden sticks towards me. I stopped them and threw them to the ground. However because I was busy, I got grabbed by Vecna. Vecna opened a red portal at the place the door to the room was usually. El tried to save me but got thrown through the portal. Then Max came running towards Vecna with one of the wooden sticks. But Vecna of course already saw it coming and threw her against the wall. I tried to save Max from the crash landing but I failed as Vecna grabbed a wooden stick and stabbed me through my chest. Right at my heart. This started breaking the piggyback I was doing as I saw the room flashing back and forth between the Surfer Boy Pizza and the Snowball. The only thing that was the same in both rooms was the blood coming out of my chest. So the stab was real. 

"You thought it would be that easy?" Vecna asked me as he moved me towards him. His monster hand moved towards my face. "Shit, shit, shit!" I heard Will panicking as Jonathan, Mike and Argyle started thinking. Apparently I had started levitating. "What do we do, what do we do?!" Mike asked. Then, from the corner of my eye I saw Max standing up. All heroic, with a broken leg because she couldn't run. "Mu... m... music," she said. So I repeated it. And I heard Will and the others discussing it. They couldn't find it. And then I heard Will. With a broken voice. "Turn around..." he sang. "Look at what you seeeee..." I felt the need to cry. But the singing did work as the portal El was thrown through then led to the Surfer Boy Pizza. I used my powers to blast Vecna to the side. "In her face, the mirror of your dreams..." Will continued to sing as he was crying again. "Make believe I'm everywhere..." I continued as I started running towards the portal, all while helping Max. "Given in the light..." I looked back and saw Vecna getting back up. "Written on the pages is... the answer to a Neverending Story..." me and Will sang together. Vecna however, wasn't in the mood for singing. He proceeded to change the portal location last second and me and Max jumped through.

We were back at the broken house in the red clouds I guess. I tried to sing us a portal out but I heard nothing. Then I saw El, tied up against the door of the house. I was about to free her when my hands got grabbed by the vines. "No, shit!" I yelled as I tried to free myself but that failed. I saw Max getting grabbed by the vines and also being strung up against the wall. Then from out of my head the spirit of Nine just casually made her way out to hopefully save herself and her powers. Meaning I couldn't use them anymore. And then Vecna saw the spirit.

He killed it. 

So now were not only the powers gone, but also the piggyback started to slowly fade away. "You, have lost," Vecna said as he then made his way over to Max. Another vine then showed up around my neck causing me to start suffocating. El was going through the same thing by the way. 

This was it, this was the end. Vecna moved his hand towards Max's face. I was scared. Afraid. Everything we've been through, it was all for nothing. Maybe it was for the better. Maybe we deserved to lose. I wanted to cry, as I was gonna die. And then I heard Will. 

"I'm sorry," he said, which threw me into an emotional state as memories started pouring through...

'Please save our souls!' I said praising for mercy. But it was Will's turn. 

'Should I stay or should I go,' I said after changing the frequency. 

'Hey, (y/n) thanks for the great day, see you tomorrow at school?' Will asked. 

'Remember that time, after school when we were followed by Troy and we biked our way to the forest where we hid from him. Then he tripped and fell. We had the most fun ever. Or at the cinema, where we watched that great movie together. I just wish we could do that again someday,' 

'Would you like a ride?' Will asked. Even though our little conversation in "mind space" we both kinda forgot our problems. 'Well, you kind of owe me one,' I said laughing. Will smiled. 

I didn't answer. I just looked deep into his eyes. I didn't see any joy. Just fear. But because I was way too focused on his eyes I didn't notice me moving forward. Pressing my lips onto his. 

"I love you," 

"Once a freak, always a freak," 

It was us again, alone with our feelings. But together. 

"(y/n), please go brush your teeth, I can still taste the risotto," he said while laughing. "I thought you liked the risotto," I said as I stood up. "Yes I did, but not right now," he said. I kissed him on the cheek. "Now there's risotto on your cheek," 

"I'm confused, I don't want to hurt your feelings,"

I felt sadness, as I knew we were over. Also anger as he should've just told me. But also still love, love for Will.

"I love you Will Byers,"

I decided it was enough. Enough trauma, enough pain. There was only one way to end this. And there was only one shot. One chance to end it all. With the anger, sadness and love I broke free from the vines, the same for El. I attacked first, just like the ending of Eddie's campaign, I rolled a 9. Vecna was blown against some slimy vine pillar. Then El also attacked, pushing him harder into the pillar, just like Dustin who rolled an 11. But it wasn't enough, so me and El had a split second eye contact after which we both went for it, attacking Vecna. Together making the 20 that Erica rolled, which defeated Vecna back then. And right now, defeated it again. 

His body slowly started to fall apart as we pushed him out of Max's head. Vecna disappeared and the red cloud world went up in smoke. 

Did, we do it?

Not exactly as we then returned to the real mind space where Lucas was holding Max in his arms. I was confused but apparently Vecna had actually started to take her life during the memories. Lucas and Max didn't know we were there. 

"Lucas, I can't feel... or see anything," Max said in pain. Lucas was crying. Even though I was fighting back against the feelings I slowly started to form tears in my eyes. "I'm so scared Lucas, I'm so scared, I don't want to go yet," Max whimpered. And then, then it happened. She stopped moving. Breathing.

Max died.

And that's when I gave up fighting back. I cried. For the first time in a year? Two years? My friend had died. I couldn't, this wasn't okay. And what was even worse was that I heard the chimes of the clock, but they were different this time, kind of like victory chimes. Vecna had won. But El apparently didn't want it to happen. 

"No, you're not going," she said as she put her hand on Max her forehead. I was confused as to what was happening but then El grabbed my hand and also laid it on her forehead. El was giving Max happy memories back, hoping it would save her.

I saw Max sitting down right next to Will and me during halloween of 1984. 

"Atleast some of you care for one another," 

And then I saw her giving the pep talk to El.

"There's more to life than stupid boys," Max said. I looked at her. "That's why I said stupid," she continued.

Some more memories came by but I figured I already had used enough memories by now. And that is the point where the piggyback faded away and I woke up back in the Surfer Boy Pizza. Mike comforted El as Will looked at me. He smiled. So I smiled back. It was still awkward of course but I forgave him by now. I loved Will, and if he needed time to think, I could give him that, even if it meant for us to break up. El then said it was time to go to Hawkins, to check out the damage.

Two days later we arrived in Hawkins where everything was in shambles. Everyone was packing their stuff and moving away after an earthquake had apparently destroyed most of the town. Everything I loved, destroyed, which I had predicted. Our first stop with the van was Mike's where the others were. I finally got to see Dustin again. And Nancy, Steve and Robin. 

Me, Will and El ran to Dustin and hugged him. He seemed sad though. "Dustin, I know it's obvious something's wrong, but, is there something wrong?" I asked. He replied simply with just "Eddie," after which he started crying. Then I realized Eddie had died, which made me sad, since he was an amazing guy and to be honest, amazing to just argue against. Then El asked him where Lucas was. 

What followed was us going to the hospital. We were sent to a room which was close to Will's from back when he was found again but it wasn't the same. Inside the room were Lucas, Erica and Max, in coma. Nothing much really happened there. I just, I was crying again. Lucas then of course had to make it worse by saying she might never wake up. So yeah, the crying didn't really stop. But in my defense, I wasn't the only one crying.

Then Argyle drove us to Hopper's cabin as Nancy said they were gonna fix it up so El could stay there I guess. Inside I got a broom pushed right into my hands even though I was too tired to do anything, but Nancy would've killed me so I went on to clean the cabin anyway. El entered her room which she then closed with her powers. But she left the door open three inches. Which I only noticed now, but she had been doing that ever since last summer. Her bedroom door was always open three inches, when I said I supported her Angela action she left the bathroom, keeping the door open three inches. And the one who told her that was Hopper. Who was alive, as he came into the cabin and went up to her door. I used that opportunity to sit down and relax after a stressful time. Will sat down next to me.

It was still quiet between us, after two days. Two days broken up. But it wasn't awkward quiet. It was just, quiet. "Hey, (y/n)," Will then said. I looked at him. Into his beautiful eyes. "I've, been thinking you know," he said. "And, well, um, I'm, sorry," he said. I saw pain coming into his eyes. So I started worrying. He didn't like me anymore, we were over, this was it, this was the end for us. He said he was sorry, he didn't love me anymore. The depressing thoughts kept going through my head. And I was way too distracted by them. Until I felt Will's lips pressing against mine. He still loved me. He still loved me.

"I love you, (y/n)," Will said. I then started to cry as I fell into his arms. "You stupid, stupid, Will, with your confused feelings," I said as I laughed a bit through my tears. "Yes, I know, I'm sorry," he said as he grabbed my chin and kissed me. In this kiss everything around me went silent, except for a really silent but casual "what the..." from someone, I don't know who that was. But it was just us, alone with our feelings, but together. "But I'd only take risotto on my mouth from you and no one else," he said as he laughed. I laughed too. "Sounds weird, freak," I said. "Once a freak, always a freak," Will then replied as he grabbed my hand and started rubbing it with his thumb, calming me down. "Now, if you WILL excuse me," I said. "Did you say that on purpose?" he asked while laughing. "Yes, but for real, there is one thing I still have to do," I said.

I left Hopper's cabin and went to my house, alone. And with good reason. I knocked on the door. Hoping it wasn't a lie, and that I had actually gone through personal growth. Praying in front of my own door. And my prayers were heard. Because the door was opened. "(y/n)?" the woman who opened the door asked. A tear rolled down my face. "I'm home, mom," I said. My mom had opened the door, and I was relieved, I had actually gotten over the darkness in my life. I walked into her arms and started crying for the third or fourth time today. "Welcome home," she said as she hugged me tight. 

I didn't tell her about Will though, that would come another day. As I want to end it on a positive note I will keep out the Upside Down particles raining from the sky. I had overcome the darkness and defeated my demons, which I don't even know what they were to begin with. But I loved my mother. And I loved Will. I loved Will. I would for sure love him forever. Yes, forever.