Warnings: violence, mentions of blood (kinda..??), swearing, fighting...??

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The group joined together again at the table a few minutes later. Eleven was back with the group and standing beside Hopper, "It's not like it was before. It's grown, a lot. I mean that's considering we can get in there, the place is crawling with those dogs."

"Demodogs." Dustin corrected.

Hopper paused, furrowing his eyebrows. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, uh, demodogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs." Dustin explained, not realizing that Hopper didn't care what he was saying, but Dustin felt it was an appropriate time to correct him. "You put 'em together, it sounds pretty badass-"

"How is that important right now?" Hopper interrupted.

"It's not, I'm sorry." Dustin stated, as he looked away in embarrassment. Beth rubbed his arm in comfort.

"I can do it." Eleven stated, looking up at Hopper with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"You're not hearing me." Hopper stated, trying to convince her not to.

"I'm hearing you. I can do it." Eleven said confidently.

"Even if El can, there's still another problem." Mike started. "If the brain dies, the body dies."

"I thought that was the whole point." Max said in confusion.

"It is, but if we're really right about this...I mean if El closes the gate and kills the Mind Flayer's army-"

"Will's a part of that army." Lucas stated.

"He'll die too then." Beth started catching on.

"Closing the gate will kill him." Mike nodded.

The group was silent for a minute, until Joyce pushed back her chair, making it scrape against the floor. She moved to Will's bedroom with the rest of the group following her. She pushed open the door of the bedroom, letting the cold air hit the group. Beth felt chills up her spine, as the air hit her.

"He likes it cold." Joyce mumbled.

"What?"

"It's what Will kept saying to me: he likes it cold." She responded before going to window and slamming it closed. "We keep giving it what it wants!"

"If this is a virus, and Will's the host then.." Nancy began.

"Then we need to make the host uninhabitable." Jonathan finished as he kneeled next to Will in his bed, and held his hand.

"So if he likes it cold..." Nancy continues before trailing off.

"We need to burn it out of him." Joyce says, her voice going dark.

"We have to do it somewhere he doesn't know this time." Mike stated.

"Yeah, somewhere far away." Dustin suggested.

Their new plan was put together in a matter of few minutes rather than the last one. Hopper lead Jonathan outside as Hopper carried Will to Jonathan's car. He gave him directions to where the cabin was that will be used to burn the monster out of Will. Nancy and Steve loaded heaters into the car as the group that was staying behind watched. Beverly and Benjamin decided to go with Joyce to help her out with Will, and told Brandon to watch out for his sister.

The party had given Eleven hugs and wished her good luck. Mike was the last one to go up to her as she stood in the driveway. They said their goodbyes and even leaned into kiss before Hopper interrupted, "El. Come on, let's go. It's time."

Eleven gave the group one last glance before she turned to Hopper and got in his car. The group watched as they backed out the driveway and took off.

The remaining group which consisted of the party, Brandon, and Steve went back into the house. Beth watched as Dustin made Steve and Brandon wrap up the demodog in a blanket to put it in the fridge. Steve thought it was stupid but Dustin said it was groundbreaking scientific discovery. Lucas and Max cleaned up the glass from the windows as Mike paced around the room, worried about Eleven.

"Mike, would you just stop already!?" Lucas yelled.

"You weren't in there, okay, Lucas?" Mike yelled back. "That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs!"

"Demodogs!" Dustin yelled from the kitchen making Mike roll his eyes. Beth sighed.

"The chief will take of her!" Lucas argued, trying to get him not to worry.

"Like she needs protection." Max muttered and Beth nodding in agreement. She had super powers!

"Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?" Steve interrupted, coming into the room as he wiped his hands with a towel.

"Okay, first of all, this isn't some stupid sports game." Mike sassed. "And second, we're not even in the game. We're on the bench."

"Right...so my point is..." Steve started before he went silent, as the group gave him looks. "Right, yeah, we're on the bench, so, uh, there's nothing we can do."

"Nice, Steve." Brandon told him before turning to the kids. "Even if we're on the bench, we have to listen to the coach because we will never know if we're gonna be put in game."

Mike opened his mouth to say something but Brandon immediately said, "I know this isn't a stupid sports game, so shut up."

"Back to what Steve said." Dustin said. "That's not entirely true. I mean, these Demodogs they have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus, they were called away."

"So, if we their attention..." Lucas started.

"Maybe we can draw them away from the lab." Max finished.

"And clear a path to the gate, so Eleven can close it." Beth added.

"Yeah, and then we all die!" Steve exclaimed.

"That's one point of view." Dustin stated.

"No, that's not a point of view, man. That's a fact." Steve told him as Mike gasped slightly and ran into the kitchen. The group followed him.

"This is where the chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel." Mike said, pointing to a section of the map on the wall that Will had drew. He then ran into another section of the house. "Here right here. This is like the hub. So you got all the tunnels feeding in here." Mike kneeled down over it and put his hands on it. "Maybe if we set this on fire..."

"Oh yeah? That's a no." Steve stated, but the group ignored him.

"The mind flayer would call away his army." Dustin said.

"They'd all come to stop us." Lucas said excitedly, as Steve continued to try and get their attention.

"So we circle back to the exit." Brandon added.

"Dude!" Steve yelled at him.

"Sorry." Brandon put his hands up in defense.

"By the time they realize we're gone-"

"El would be at the gate!" Beth and Max finished.

"Hey. Hey. Hey!" Steve yelled, clapping getting their attention. They all turned to him as his put his hands on his hips. "This is not happening."

"But-"

"No, no, no, no, no! No buts!" Steve interrupted. "I promised I'd keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what I plan on doing. We're staying here. On the bench. And we're waiting for the starting team to do their job . Does everybody understand that?"

"This isn't a stupid sports game!" Mike argued again.

"I said does everybody understand that?" Steve asked, waving his towel for emphasis. "I need a yes."

"Wow." Brandon muttered.

"Wait, what about you Brandon?" Mike asked. "Will you let us do the plan?"

Brandon turned to Mike and nervously laughed a bit, "Ha! Well, uh, well you know....uh-"

Suddenly a car engine was heard. Max ran to the window, followed by the rest of the group. "It's my brother." She turned to Beth who was watching out the window next to her. "He can't know I'm here. He'll kill me. He'll kill us."

"Stay here." Steve stated firmly before throwing the towel to the ground.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Brandon questioned.

"I'm gonna get him out of here. Watch them." Steve motioned to the kids before walking out the door.

Beth squished herself between Lucas and Max on the couch as they all started watching the window.

Billy Hargrove stepped out of his car, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He pulled the cigarette out and blew the smoke before smirking. "Am I dreaming, or is that you, Harrington?"

"Yeah, it's me. Don't cream your pants." Steve stated, with his hands on his hips.

Billy took off his leather jacket and threw it in his car, leaving a red button-up shirt that was mostly unbuttoned showing his chest as Steve walked up to him. "What are you doing here amigo?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Steve responded. "Amigo."

"Looking for my stepsister. A little birdie told me she was here." Billy explained, his cigarette dangling from his mouth. Beth glanced at Max who looked terrified to see her brother there, searching for her.

"Huh, that's weird. I don't know her." Steve shrugged.

"Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch." Billy listed. "I saw her hanging out with Wright's sister a couple times."

"Doesn't ring a bell." Steve said. "Sorry, buddy."

Billy nodded before sighing, "You know, I don't know, this...this whole situation, Harrington. I don't know. It's giving me the heebie-jeebies."

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?"

Billy takes another drag of his cigarette, "My thirteen year old sister goes missing all day, and then I find her with you in a stranger's house. And you lie to me about it."

Steve chuckled, "Man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what? I don't know what you don't understand about what I just said. She's not here."

"Then who is that?" Billy asked, gesturing to the window where the party was looking from.

The group quickly ducked down as Dustin exclaimed, "Shit! Did he see us?"

They ran away from the window and stood a few feet from the door which got slammed open by Billy Hargrove. "Well, well, well." He slammed the door shut behind him and started walking over to the group of kids with his eyes on Lucas. "Lucas Sinclair. What a surprise. I thought I told you to stay away from him, Max."

"Billy, go away." Max said.

"You disobeyed me...and you know what happens when you disobey me. I break things." Billy then grabbed Lucas by his jacket and pushed him against the kitchen wall.

"Billy, stop!" Max repeatedly yelled.

"Let him go!" Beth, Mike, Brandon, and Dustin yelled.

"Lucas!" Dustin yelled as things started falling off the shelves from Billy's force against Lucas.

"Since Maxine won't listen to me, maybe you will." Billy said to him. "You stay away from her. Stay away from her! You hear me?"

"Get the hell away from him, you piece of shit!" Beth yelled at Billy, as she got closer.

"You stay out of this!" Billy yelled at Beth. "I got a few things to say to you. I saw you with Max....you little-"

"I said get off me!" Lucas yelled before kicking Billy in the groin.

Billy groaned, "You are so dead, Sinclair. You're dead!"

"They only dead one is you, bitch!" Beth yelled at him. Billy turned to her before going to grab her.

Before he could Brandon blocked him by punching him in the face, "Don't touch her."

Beth laughed before Billy said, "You're so dead Wright!"

Steve then arrived and pushed Beth, Dustin, Mike, and Brandon back before grabbing Billy's shoulder. "No. You are." He then punched Billy in the face hard.

Lucas ran over to the group who hugged him and made sure he was fine. Beth rubbed his arm in comfort, before he nodding telling her he was okay. Billy laughed as he stood back up from Steve's hit, "Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh? You too Wright, especially what everyone said about you. I've been waiting to meet this King Steve everybody's been telling me so much about it!"

"Get out." Steve stated, pushing Billy's chest slightly. Billy stood there for a few seconds just staring at Steve until he swung his fist, but hits air when Steve ducked. Steve then punched his chin, knocking him against the table.

"Yes! Kick his ass, Steve!"

"Get him!"

"Knock him out, Steve!"

Steve punched him a few more times, making blood spill from Billy's face. Steve finally paused as Billy laughed again.

"Now! Now!"

"Get that shithead!"

"Kill the son of a bitch!"

When Billy laughed, he picked up a plate from the counter and smashed it on Steve's head. Beth widened her eyes at the sight and went to go help, but she was pulled back by Brandon and Max.

"Steve!"

"Billy!"

"Holy shit." Mike gasped.

Billy marched over and punched Steve, knocking him into a shelf. Steve tried to get away, but Billy followed him into the living room and grabbed him. "No one tells me what to do!" He then head-butted Steve making him fall on the ground. "Whoo! Get up!"

"Stop, you're gonna kill him!" Beth yelled, at the teen boy not wanting Steve to get hurt. She was terrified by the sight she saw.

He got on top of Steve and continued to punch him repeatedly. It seemed to go in slow motion until Max did something, no one thought of. She let go of Beth's hand, whom didn't know she wasn't even holding it and grabbed the last syringe they had for Will. She walked over and plunged it into Billy's neck, letting the anesthetic flow into his bloodstream.

Beth gasped, as her and her brother shared a look of shock. Billy got off of Steve who had been unconscious and stared at Max. He pulled the syringe out of his neck before staring wide eyed at the redhead, and slowly walked towards her. "The hell is this? You little shit, what did you do?"

He then fell to the ground with a bang making them all jump a bit but he laughed about it. Max grabbed Steve's bat which was leaning against the couch and held it up. "From here on out, you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?"

"Screw you." Billy muttered, as the group stood frozen behind the redhead.

Max then slammed the spiked bat down between Billy's legs, which was dangerously close to his crotch making the boys flinch, but Beth just smiled at the sight. Max pulled the bat out the hardwood floor, and held it above her head. "Say you understand! Say it! SAY IT!"

"I understand." Billy muttered.

"What?"

"I understand." He said louder.

Max then dropped the bat on the ground, as her brother went unconscious. She grabbed his car keys from his pocket and held them up to the group. "Let's get out of here."

The boys stared surprised before sharing a look. Beth ran up to the girl and hugged her. "Oh my god! That was so badass! You looked so awesome, Red!"

Max smiled at her when Beth pulled away, "Thanks, Snow White. Now let's grab Steve and get out of here."

Hey guys!! Here's another chapter of Happier up!! We only have 3 chapters left until season 2 is done and we can move onto season 3!! I'm so excited because season 4 is coming and I have so many plans for that. It's so exciting and can't wait for you all to see it. (Also the gif of my love Zoe 💗....it will be edited soon😏)

Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter and more is coming soon! And it's gonna get crazy!! Love you all and have a lovely day

-Mary💗