July 4, 1985

The group was now attempting to move the car over to grab the ignition cable. It didn't seem to be working well though.

"Let me try." Eleven offered. Beth looked at the girl as she took deep breaths, her body looked tired from trying to overturn a car. Eleven's eyes had been sunken and her body was weak as she was shaking.

Mike shook his head panting from the strain he put on his body. "El..."

Eleven took a step forward, limping due to her injury, "I can do it." The group backed away, allowing her to use her power. She stuck her hand out and focused on the vehicle. The metal squeaked and buckled under her abilities but it wouldn't budge no matter how much energy she put in.

Eleven finally gave up, letting out a frustrated sigh. Mike suggested they use metal poles to help get more leverage to push the car. The group quickly collected some metal poles around the food court and got behind the back of the car. They stuck the poles between the restaurant and the car before they started pushing. They were able to get the car on its side before taking a small break to breathe and rest. Jonathan encouraged them to not stop.

"Okay, great. Now all the way. Ready?" He encouraged as the group turned the poles over and set them against the car.

"Three, two, one...push!"

The car loudly crashed onto the ground and Mike smirked, "Told you. Physics."

"How do we get it open?" Nancy questioned.

"Uh, there should be a latch." Jonathan told her.

"Try looking under the wheel." Beth added.

"How do you know that?" Lucas panted.

"You see it?"

"You learn a lot when you have an older brother and a father who's obsessed with cars." Beth replied.

"I don't know, hold on." Nancy spoke as she examined the car.

"What's she doing?" Max pointed to El who was scavenging through a bin for something.

"El." Mike walked forward with Max, as she tried to crush the can, "Are you okay?"

"Do you see it?"

"I don't know." Jonathan panted, "It should be right here. Distributor, distributor..."

Will placed his fingers on his neck in fear.

"Will, are you okay?" Beth looked at him in worry. Before she could ask something else, she heard a strange noise.

They both looked up not saying anything.

"Oh my fuck-" Beth gasped as she stared.

The frame of The Mind Flayer was seen above the roof of the mall, every step it took caused a thunder like sound to the ceiling.

"Mike." Max grabbed his attention causing him and El to look up.

"Guys..." Beth shrieked, her eyes still glued above.

"Got it." Jonathan pulled the cable out, oblivious to what was happening.

"Nancy!"

"Come on!" Mike grabbed El and ran, Max and Beth behind them.

"Holy shit!" Beth felt Max grab her hand pulling her along.

After a few more rumbles, the creature managed to break through the glass and drop down. It landed on the floor, roaring and shrieking.

Mike, El, Max, and Beth quickly ducked behind a counter. Beth tried to control her breathing as she felt a panic attack coming in. Max quickly grabbed her hand squeezing it in comfort. Beth looked at Max in fear as the two held on to each other.

€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€

The radio beeped and Murray's loud sigh was heard, "Scoops Troop, this is...hm. Bald eagle."

Ally snickered at the name, "We copy bald eagle. What's the status?"

As Steve paced on the grassy floor, the other five crouched down around Cerebro, waiting for an alert.

"I've reached another junction."

"This is what?"

"The fourth junction." Erica told him.

"All right, so if memory serves, this is right after the my little pony thesis..." Dustin trailed off.

"And the nerd talk-" Ally added.

"We went left, so he has to go right." Erica finished off.

"Fly right, bald eagle." The curly haired boy told him. "Fly right."

"Roger that, flying right. Little shit."

"What's the my little pony thesis and the nerd talk?" Robin quizzed, interested.

"Yeah, sounds intriguing." Brandon added.

Erica groaned, "Don't get them started."

"Get them started?" Robin frowned. "Just tell us-"

"Hey guys?" Steve called out.

They all got to their feet, moved over and gazed at Steve who was looking at the mall. The Starcourt Mall was flashing which wasn't good.

They ran over to the radio tower and Dustin picked up the talkie, "Griswold Family, this is Scoops Troop!"

Ally snatched it from his hands, "Do you copy? Over! Griswold Family, we repeat, this is Scoops Troop. Do you-"

"Griswold Family, do you copy?" Dustin asked again. "Do you copy?!"

The monstrous roar of the creature was heard, startling the six.

"Griswold Family, this is Scoops Troop. Please confirm your safety!" Dustin repeated. "Griswold Family, this is Scoops Troop! Please confirm your safety! Are you en route to bald eagle's nest?"

Nothing.

"Please confirm your safety! Someone, please just answer. Is anyone there?" Ally was next, "Are you guys okay?"

"Just answer! Anyone, please...Griswold Family, do you copy? Griswold Family, do you copy? Griswold Family, do you copy? Do you copy?!"

Steve got to his feet and began to race down the hill.

"Where are you going?!" Erica shouted.

"To get them the hell outta there!" Steve explained, "Stay here, contact the others."

"Oh my god." Brandon muttered before running after Steve. His sister was in that mall and if anything bad happened to her, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"Shit." Robin cussed before jogging after her two co workers.

"Wait, Robin! Stay in touch." Dustin ordered her.

Ally threw her a radio, which she caught.

"Got it."

"Bald eagle, this is scoops troop. What's your 20?" Dustin quizzed as Robin left their eyesight.

"I told you, radio silence!"

"Yeah, but we have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Hopper asked.

"Is everything okay?" Bev questioned.

€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€

The monster was crawling around the ground floor, breaking everything in its path.

Max squeezed Beth's hand trying to calm down from her fear, as her girlfriend shook in fear.

Mike looked back to the creature before turning back, "It's turned away. If we go up the stairs now, we'll make it."

"What? Mike, no!" Beth whispered shouted.

"I agree we can't. Not with El's leg." Max turned to the boy.

"We have to try." He replied.

"There's another way...to get out." El muttered. The three turned to her. "Through the Gap." She gestured to the store with her head.

The group looked at each other before Mike look to see if the coast was clear. He then started panting before he whispered to them, "Okay. Now."

They all started to run towards the Gap. When they got inside El accidentally knocked down a mannequin, which alerted the monster to them. They quickly hid behind a shelf as the monster crashed into the Gap destroying things.

One of the creature's tentacles started to roam through the store before it spotted a mannequin with the same shirt El was wearing. It grabbed the mannequin and roared at it before realizing it wasn't her. It then threw it across the store and it landed next to where the group was, scaring them, and thankful it wasn't actually El.

The tentacle continued to roam through the store and the group moved spots behind one of the counters. The tentacle passed where they previously were and Max shook in fear, before Beth grabbed her hand in comfort trying to slow her breath at the same time. God, she really wished Brandon and her mom was here. They could help her calm down in an instant.

The tentacle started to pass by them and it was inches away from Mike's face. Just as it was about to turn to Mike, there was a loud pop of a balloon making the creature roar and turn around. The creature was out of sight and the group got up quickly before running out.

€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€

The other group had been able to get outside and start the car up but Billy had arrived. Nancy began to shoot at his car as Jonathan tried to start up the car.

Billy began to drive up to them fast and the group begged Nancy and Jonathan to hurry.

The car was inches near her before it could reach her, another car hit it.

The kids peered out the window to see Toddfather swerving. Billy's car dramatically bursted into flames and he was knocked out. Robin, Steve, and Brandon stood up and stared at the creature on the top of the mall.

"Oh, shit."

Jonathan managed to get the car starting and Nancy ran into the passenger's seat. They drove over to the three.

"Get in!" Nancy yelled at them.

"Where the hell is Beth?" Brandon questioned and the group shrugged. He looked in worry and sighed.

"Go, go, go, go."

They hopped out the car and into Nancy's trunk before the group drove off, with the monster behind them.

€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€

At Weathertop, Dustin had been messing with the radio.

"Suzie, do you copy?"

Erica gave Ally a look, "The Suzie?" She mouthed and the other girl shrugged.

"Suzie, do you copy?" Dustin repeated, hopeful. "Suzie, do you copy?"

"This is Suzie." A female voice spoke back, "I copy."

"Suzie!"

"Dusty-bun?" Suzie asked.

"Dusty-bun?" Erica questioned disgusted.

"Where have you been?" The girl asked her boyfriend.

"I'm so, so sorry. I-I've been really busy...uh, trying to save the world from Russians and monsters." Dustin rambled on.

Ally smacked the boy's arm signaling him to hurry up.

"Of course you have."

"Get the goddamn number already!" Erica ordered, feeling the same way as Ally.

"Who was that?" Suzie asked.

"It was...uh, I don't know actually." Dustin lied. "I think it was just some interference. So, why don't we, uh change frequency to 14.158."

"Copy that, shifting frequency." Suzie commented, "Standby."

Will, Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, Brandon, Robin, and Lucas were sitting in the car, speeding away from the monster when they heard something.

"Dusty-bun, you copy?" A voice from Robin's radio said.

All of the ones in the front, except Jonathan as he was focusing on driving, glanced back in confusion.

"I copy, Suzie-poo." Dustin's voice was next, "It sounds much better now, thanks."

"No f-ing way." Brandon muttered.

"Suzie." Steve and Robin said in unison.

"Okay, so listen, do you know Planck's Constant." Dustin questioned.

"Do you know the earth orbits the sun?" Suzie quizzed.

Dustin snickered at the corny joke, "Okay, so I know it starts with two sixes, and then a...w-what is it?"

"Okay, let me just be clear on this." Suzie started. "I haven't heard from you in a week, and now you want a mathematical equation that you should know so you can...save the world?"

"Suzie-poo, I promise, I will make it up to you as soon as possible." Dustin assured her.

"You can make it up to me now." Suzie suggested.

"What?"

"I want to hear it." She explained.

"Not right now." Dustin sighed.

"Yes, now, dusty-bun." Suzie ordered.

"Suzie-poo, this is urgent." Dustin told her.

"Dustin, hurry!!" Ally groaned in frustration.

"Yes, yes, you're saving the world, I heard you the first time, but Ged is also saving earthsea and he's about to confront the shadow, so this is Suzie, signing off."

"Wait, wait, wait! Okay. Okay. Okay. Shit." Dustin sighed in irritation. "♪ Turn around, look at what you see. In her face, the mirror of your dreams ♪ "

"What the hell?" Brandon muttered as he shared a confused look with Robin and Steve.

"♪ Make believe I'm everywhere, given in the light ♪ " They harmonized together. "♪ Written on the pages is the answer to a never-ending story ♪"

"Dustin, this is amazing but what the fu-" Ally's voice was muffled through the radio. She was quickly cut off by the couple's melodic voices.

"♪ Reach the stars, fly a fantasy ♪"

"He's catching up!" Brandon spoke up.

"Hit the gas!" Lucas ordered.

"♪ Dream a dream ♪"

"This is as fast as it goes!" Nancy stated.

"♪ And what you see will be ♪"

"♪ Rhymes that keep their secrets will ♪"

"♪ Unfold behind the clouds ♪"

"♪And there upon a rainbow is the answer to a never-ending story...story ♪" The two finished.

"Planck's Constant is 6.62607004." Suzie told him.

"You just saved the world." Dustin gushed, his voice filled with joy.

"Gosh, I miss you Dusty-bun." Suzie gushed this time.

"And I miss you more, Suzie-poo."

"I miss you more, multiplied by all the stars in our galaxy."

"No, I miss you-"

"Enough!" Erica said cutting off the signal.

"Finally." Ally muttered shaking her head.

€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€

Beth, Max, El, and Mike had got outside safely. Max then spotted her stepbrother Billy getting out his car. He spotted them and started walking towards them.

"Shit!" Beth exclaimed as she took one of El's arm from Max and helped Mike help the girl. They ran towards a gate to the back of the mall and ran towards it. They got through and Max quickly turned back to the press the button close. She then ran back to the three and they ran off.

Back in the car, Steve noticed the monster turned around.

"It's turning around." Steve told everyone.

"What?"

"It's turning around!" Steve yelled.

"Maybe we wore it out." Lucas suggested.

"I don't think so. Hold on." Jonathan made a u-turn, making everyone scream as they drove after the monster.

€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€

Mike and Beth led El to the back of the mall with Max behind them. Mike spotted a door to somewhere.

"In here. In here." Max opened the door for them and they led El through.

"Okay. Come on, come on, come on..." Mike hurried as he and Beth worked together to help El.

"Billy..." Beth heard her girlfriend mutter and she turned her head slightly to see Billy walking towards them.

"Billy, you don't have to do this. Billy. Your name's Billy, Billy Hargrove. You live on 4819 Cherry Lane. Billy, please, I'm Max, I'm your-" Max tried when suddenly Beth heard a yell from Billy and a cry from Max. She heard a sound of a smack and left El to Mike. She turned around to see her girlfriend unconscious on the ground.

"Max!" She yelled. "Billy...this isn't you. Just please lis-" Beth tried as well but then she was met with Billy's hand to her face. She then fell to the ground next to Max as she began to see black.

€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€

The group had gotten themselves up the second floor through the back entrance. They all spilt up into smaller groups and watched as Billy and El approached the monster.

All the groups had a basket of fireworks. The same ones they stole from Bradley's Big Guys and the same ones they were ridiculed for wanting.

Lucas yelled, "Now!" The mind flayer roared at El.

He threw a firework into the air, "Flay this, you ugly piece of shit!" Lucas yelled before he hurled into the creature's mouth.

Him, Will, Jonathan, and Nancy began launching more as it roared in pain.

"Hey asshole! Over here!" Steve yelled from the other side of the mall before hauling one at it, Robin and Brandon following after.

"Eat this you fucking bitch!" Brandon shouted and launched one right in the creature's mouth.

The group continued to throw the fireworks. The colorful, turbulent, and blinding flashes of explosion kept going, turns out Lucas' plan did work.

"We're almost out!" Will panicked.

"I know!" Lucas screamed, but he continued to fire.

Brandon looked over to see El talking to Billy and he raised his brows in confusion. Why wasn't he killing her already?

He looked to Robin and Steve who were throwing fireworks and was about to leave to go downstairs when he heard someone shout something.

Lucas had thrown the last one to Will who yelled, "We're out!"

"Damn it!" Lucas cursed.

The eruptions had stopped and the group watched as Billy stood from his place and went face to face with the monster. An arm from the Mind Flayer went straight for El but was stopped before he can reach her.

Billy held his arms out, in his hand was the tendril, "No!" The boy screamed out.

The girl on the floor watched in amazement as Billy Hargrove held the monster's tentacle in his hands, saving her.

The next part happened so fast, it felt like slow motion. Multiple arms shot out the creature and latched themselves onto Billy's body, their sharp claws piercing through his skin.

Mike, Max, and Beth ran out from a store having just woken up from being unconscious, when they saw Billy get stabbed through the chest by a tentacle from the creature.

"Billy!" Max screamed so loudly that everyone heard.

Billy dropped to the floor and the Mind Flayer began to flop around. It dropped to the ground presumably dead from God knows what. Mike, Max, and Beth then ran over.

"El..." The boy embraced his ex-girlfriend as the girl did it back.

Beth watched as her girlfriend slowly approached Billy. "Billy?"

The redhead kneeled down as Billy began to cough, blood spilling out. "Billy. Billy, Billy, get up please. Billy, get up, please, please." She sobbed.

"I'm sorry..." Billy choked out as Max sobbed.

"Billy..." He then laid motionless as Max looked in sadness.

"Billy. Billy." She tried. "Billy, wake up. Billy, get up. Please, Billy..." Max continued to sob just as her girlfriend kneels down next to her.

"Max..." Beth muttered when suddenly the redhead threw herself onto the brunette, crying in her shoulder.

Beth rubbed the girl's head in comfort, "I'm so sorry." She felt a tear roll down her face.

Max continued to sob as Beth gave her a kiss on the head still comforting her. "It's okay." She whispered. "It's okay."

As much as she hated Billy, she felt bad for Max. He was still her family and Max did care for him even if he was an asshole. He would be dearly missed.

€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€

The group evacuated from the building as firefighters, the swat team, the police, and much more came rushing inside.

"Go, go!" They yelled as they ambushed the giant building.

Beth sat in an ambulance with Max as they got their wounds from when Billy hit them treated. Max held Beth's hand tightly still having a few tears in her eyes. Beth saw Joyce hugging her son before looking around. She got up as Max looked at her confused. "I'll be back." She said and the redhead nodded.

"Mom?" She screamed out, walking around. "Mom?! Mom!"

The girl then spotted a brunette woman talking to a police officer. It was her mom. "Mom!" She shouted running towards her. The woman turned and her face lit up when she saw her.

"Beth! Oh my God!" The older woman pulled the younger girl into a hug. She checked her and saw her face. "Oh my God. Baby, are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine, mom. I'm okay. I'm just glad you are." Beth smiled as Bev pulled back into a hug.

"I would never leave you baby...ever." She said before she saw someone walking towards them.

"Mom..." Beth pulled away and turned to see Brandon.

"Brandon..." Bev smiled pulling her son into a hug. The boy hugged back relieved that his mother was okay. The three Wrights hugged in a big group. They were all together again minus their dad but they still were happy that no one was hurt.

Beth looked over Brandon's shoulder whom she as leaning on and saw El looked upset. She then realized. Hopper. He didn't make it.

New chapter is finally here!!! It took me so long for write this, it was actually frustrating. I made it longer just because I feel bad for not being active so much. School is so frustrating y'all it's actually insane. Also I have a lot of family that's been passing away recently, so it's been insane!

But....

Beth being a protective and amazing girlfriend>>>>

Ally being a literal queen>>>>>

Brandon being a protective ass older brother>>>>

Bev being a great mom>>>>

Literally all my OCs are fucking legends!

Anyways hope you enjoyed the chapter!! Only one chapter left until we move onto season 4!!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!!

Love you all!!

-Mary💕