Mary's heart was erratically beating in her chest as she held onto the axe so tightly her fingers turned white. They had scared the monster off for the time being, but it was only a matter of time until it returned — and they had to be ready.

          Steve was in shock, murmuring to himself as Corina stood in a silence, her face looking more curious than afraid, "You all need to get out of this house right now," She suddenly spoke up and when Nancy opened her mouth to argue, she bet her to it, "You's can't take that thing on, it's impossible! You need to run." She insisted, her eyes getting a distant look and Mary squinted her eyes at her as she rushed to her side.

           "You're the ones that need to run. Get out of here, get in my car and drive — don't look back, just go." She ordered, but the girl seemed to be adamant she wasn't leaving, her face the most serious Mary had ever saw it be.

            Corina was suddenly grasping at Mary's arms, her fingernails curling into her skin, "Mary, you need to leave — if you stay it'll take you, or worse, it will kill you. It'll kill all of you." She pleaded, her face paler than usual and Mary tilted her head, eyebrows pulling downwards as she realised the tone of the girl's voice.

           "You're not afraid," She whispered, her eyes locking onto Corina's whom held her gaze, swallowing hard. Mary edged closer, "Corina, do you know something we don't?" She asked her quietly, both girls stuck on each other's eyes and Corina opened her mouth before she sealed it shut again, instead looking up as the sound of the ceiling cracking filled their ears.

          Mary stepped back, her heart returning to its thumping pace as she looked up to where no doubt the creature was about to resurface from, "Steve, Corina. Get the hell out now!" Jonathan yelled, gripping onto his baseball bat in anticipation.

          Steve was still rooted to the ground and so Nancy rushed to his aid, grasping onto him, "Its coming back. You need to leave, right now." She demanded and Steve looked up, his eyes meeting Mary's whom nodded once in agreement and slowly but surely, Steve started retreating to the door.

           Soon he was gone and Mary looked to Corina whom took the sunglasses off her head, giving her a stern look, "I'm staying." She insisted and Mary stayed silent for a moment, contemplating one before she sighed.

            "Grab a weapon." She said, gesturing to the loot of various weapons they had on standby as the girl took off her tight leather red jacket and threw it onto the couch.

             "I don't need one." It wasn't until that moment that Mary caught the glimpse of the tattoo on Corina's wrist, sporting a number she couldn't make out and her eyes widened, ready to speak to the girl but just at that moment the monster came crashing through the ceiling.

              Mary stumbled backwards as it hit the ground, the lights all around her flickering crazily, making it hard to see, "Where is it?!" She screamed, whipping around, hair slapping against the side of her face as she held tightly to her axe.

             Suddenly, the demogorgon lunged, incoming Jonathan to the ground and Mary let out a startled scream of fright, "Jonathan!" She and Nancy screamed in horror before Nancy began firing, bullets lodging into the monster the same way they had when Mary had shot at it, but still it only seemed to anger it as it shrieked.

            Mary rushed forward, "Get off him, you bastard!" She yelled, swinging her axe that cut deep into its back and it screeched as Mary struggled to pull it back out and the monsters teeth neared closer to Jonathan's face.

              Mary managed to get the axe out before she swung again, whilst Corina examined the scene. The axe stuck in it's skin again, this time earning a reaction and it turned to her, it's faceless mouth wide, ready to pounce on her when suddenly it was being smacked in the side with the nail covered baseball bat — by Steve.

          Mary gasped, stumbling out of the way as the creatures attention was now on Steve whom swung his bat in a sideways eight motion before hitting it again. Suddenly Jonathan was pulling on her arm and the four ran down the hallway, making sure to jump over the bear trap as the monster slowly caught up with them.

           They ran to the end of the hall quickly just as the creature began screeching as it stepped into the trap, the blades clamping onto its foot, "Jonathan its trapped! Do it now!" Nancy yelled and the boy fumbled for the lighter in his pocket before lighting it and throwing it onto the ground.

            Within seconds the whole hallway including the monster was up in flames and it screeched horrifically as everyone held their hands up against their faces, shielding them from the smoke and flames.

            Suddenly, Corina was at Mary's side, clutching onto her arm, "You's can't kill it, we need it alive to get to Charlie!" She yelled over the sound of the flames, catching Mary's full attention who's eyes widened and lips parted.

           She ran into the bedroom and grabbed the fire extinguisher despite everyone else's yelled of protests before unloading it onto the creature, putting out the flames as it now stumbled, its body burnt.

            "Mary, what're you doing!" Jonathan yelled at her in horror as the girl turned to Corina dropping the extinguisher and grasping onto her shoulders.

             "How do we get to him?" She demanded and Corina's gaze drifted to behind her, green know it all eyes landing on the monster that was struggling to hold itself up.

            "We don't... It does." She told her and Mary's gaze traveled down to Corina'a wrist, where she could now see the number clearly that was imprinted onto her skin.

              "Number six," Mary read aloud, catching the attention of everyone around them, "You're one of them — like Eleven, aren't you?" She asked in shock and both Jonathan and Nancy watched with the same emotion, whilst Steve watched in confusion.

             "Who's one of who?!"

            Corina humphed out a heavy sigh, "I'd love to stay and have this chat, but right now we have that monster trapped and once it's recharged it's going to teleport to what you'd have been calling The Upside Down —"

            Mary squinted her eyes, "Teleport? Upside Down? Have you been spying on us or —"

           Corina was suddenly grasping Mary's shoulders, her face inches from her own and Mary wondered if the girl knew what personal space is, "We don't have time for this. It's almost fully recharged and it's going to leave soon — we need to leave with it," Mary's mouth flew open, ready to argue but Corina bet her to it, "My powers can help — but I need that demogorgon and I need you with me on this. Mary, please."

         Corina's voice was desperate for the first time since meeting Mary and we eyes showed the same thing, not to mention how tightly she was clutching onto the girl in front of her.

           Mary glanced behind her and to her friends, gnawing on her bottom lip before back to Corina, "You'll help me find Charlie?" She asked, needing clarification and Corina nodded once whilst Jonathan's mouth flew open.

            "Whoa Mary wait," The boy rushed to her, now being the one to grasp onto her whilst Steve and Nancy exchanged looks, "This is dangerous — we can't trust her, even if she is like Eleven. She's been against you this entire time and we don't know her, we don't know her agenda." He tried reasoning, desperate for the girl to stay in the house where he can make sure she was safe.

        Mary knew his words were true, but she had to at least try. She needed to try and save Charlie, "Jonathan I need to go. Let me do this." She pleaded, a desperate look on her face and Jonathan held her eyes whilst Nancy looked down at her feet, jealously rising in her from how close they were and how much Jonathan had come to care for Mary.

         Eventually, he sighed, still conflicted with himself but realising she needed to do it, "Be safe." He said, his gaze holding hers and she nodded, offering a small smile.

          "I will." With that she turned her back, ready to walk towards the tired creature with Corina but suddenly another voice stopped her.

           "Hey, just cause he's letting you go doesn't mean I am," Steve exclaimed as he joined her side, turning her around by the arm, "Mary, this is crazy — this whole thing is crazy. Going with that creature? It's insane! Stay here where I can make sure you're safe. Please." He begged her and despite wanting to, Mary couldn't.

          "Steve, it's Charlie," She stated, "He could be alive out there and I need to find him. I need to go." She told him in determination, reaching over to grasp onto his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, hoping it would give him the comfort he needed to let her leave.

           The boy shook his head as she turned away, their fingers still intertwined and she looked over her shoulder at him, "Steve —"

           He rushed to her, sliding his other hand underneath her hair, holding onto the side of her face and cheek, his eyes frantically searching hers, "Mary, please," He pleaded her and Mary found it hard to produce words as he gently stroked her cheek with his thumb, "I wasn't lying when I said you were the only person I could still stand in this town — you're my best friend, Mary. I need you here, where you're safe."

          Mary found her eyes burning with tears as she tilted her head, "Steve." She whispered desperately, her voice somewhere between a plead, a cry and a whisper,  unable to actually find proper words as the boy held tightly to her face with his hand, his eyes sealed shut whilst Nancy, Jonathan and Corina watched, Nancy and Jonathan not looking too comfortable.

           Mary blinked away her tears, sniffing a little, "We need to go now." Corina reminded her as she stepped closer to the pair and Mary looked up at Steve, her eyes pleading him to let her go.

            She exhaled deeply, leaning on her tiptoes to place a gentle kiss on his cheek as a tear slipped down it. She pulled back, watching his more relaxed face; he had closed his eyes, but tears were still leaking from them and he was struggling to keep it together, his lip quivering.

            She reached up, wiping his tears away with her thumb before she smiled at the boy, the proper Mary Hopper smile that could make your heart stop, "Let me go, Steve." Her words hadn't meant the hand he held tightly onto her own or his other hand that was embedded on her face — she had meant he had to let her leave, to let her go find out if Charlie was capable of saving. But still, that was such a difficult task; to let go of the person he cared most for in the world, the only person he couldn't risk losing. 

          Mary slowly slipped her hand from his grip, their fingertips brushing one last time as she stepped back and his hand dropped from her face, leaving warmth on her skin for a split second before it turned cold again from the ghost of his touch.

            Steve stepped in line with Nancy and Jonathan as Mary turned her back, walking towards the creature with her head held high, despite the tears that were dripping from her lashes.

            Corina glanced at Mary, "Take my hand." She said, holding out her hand to the girl whom looked up at her and then down at her extended arm before she silently took a hold of her hand.

           Corina glanced over her shoulder, green curious eyes looking between the three left behind before back to Mary with that knowing look of hers, "He's in love with you, you know." She stated quietly and Mary shut her eyes, breathing out slowly as Corina placed her palm onto the monsters charred skin.

             Mary looked over her shoulder, not knowing which boy Corina had been talking about but knowing it was ridiculous for either of them to feel that way for her because they were too busy feeling that way about the petite brunette beside them.

            As a thick cloud of dark smoke circled them, Mary was completely oblivious that Corina had been meaning Steve Harrington, the boy she had been best friends with for years — she had no idea how he truly felt about her and neither did he, it was stored deep down to somewhere he never reached.

           But even if there were to be a confession of someone's love in a moment of panicked frenzy there was no time because as the cloud of crackling black smoke completely wrapped around them they suddenly disappear completely with a zap — fading out of sight and taking the monster with them, leaving only its blood behind and an ache on Steve's heart as he watched Mary vanish. Not knowing if he'd ever see her again.

                                                                                       ---

          Well, there we have it. A part confession that Steve Harrington is in love with Mary Hopper, but isnt everyone? ( That also doesnt mean they're endgame, there's plenty of other choices ;) ya'll are just going to have to wait to see what happens! )

          Also, did anyone expect Corina to be like El? I think I hid that secret pretty well, also you'll find out more about her powers in the second chapter and can I just say, it's lit fam.

        Little sidenote; the gif I made of Corina and Mary is what I imaged the "He's in love with you, you know." Scene to be like :)))

         And a massive shoutout to all of ya'll that are still here because I am hopeless at frequently updating a book when it nears the end!