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𝗠𝗢𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧

𝓮𝓹𝓲𝓵𝓸𝓰𝓾𝓮:
"𝚗𝚘 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜?"

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THEY NEEDED TO hide Eleven, because apparently, she was being targeted by the government, who thought she was killing these people, not Vecna. The only place that they could was the original hiding spot for El. Not Mike Wheeler's basement, because one, they were moving everything out, and two, basically everyone in Hellfire and those were linked to Hellfire were under scrutiny because they were believed to be doing the killings too.

It was all such a bunch of bullshit, wasn't it?

Jonathan drove the Surfer Boy Pizza van through the woods, down the familiar path that they had taken many times before. He stopped and parked the van, and they all got out. Mackenzie got out after Will, looking up at the familiar cabin that had belonged to Hopper. El had been hidden here for months after she disappeared after her battle with the Demogorgon, and Mackenzie could only hope that it could do the same.

Her heart also sank. This was the place where her, El, and Max had truly bonded that night after going to the mall together. At the beginning of the year, it had been Mackenzie and Max without El. But now the roles were reversed. It was Mackenzie and El without Max. Neither of those options felt complete. Just . . . empty.

Mackenzie stopped in her tracks when she felt somebody stop behind her. She turned around, only to see El standing there, staring at the cabin with a mixture of sadness and relief. Mackenzie let Will, Mike, Jonathan, Nancy, and Argyle. If being back here was painful for Mackenzie, she didn't even know how El was feeling. This was where her and Hopper had truly bonded to become father and daughter, and now he was dead. Mackenzie was sure that all of those memories were coming back to El, too.

"I know," Mackenzie told her quietly. "It's hard. But we can go together."

El nodded. "Together."

The two of them followed after the group. Jonathan opened the door, and they all entered. The cabin was covered in dust, leaves, and dirt, most likely from the gaping hole in the roof. There were also holes along the walls. Mackenzie glanced around at them. She remembered being in her last summer, trying to dodge the arms of the Mind Flayer as it crashed through the cabin and attempting to pull El back down after the Mind Flayer's arm crashed through the roof and tried to take her away.

Great memories, weren't they?

"Oh, Jesus," Jonathan commented.

"Holy shit," Mike agreed. "This place is a total disaster."

"Yeah." Jonathan looked up at the hole in the ceiling. "Well, that's a bit of a problem."

Mackenzie shrugged. "Well, we have the Mind Flayer to thank for that. Or Vecna, because he was controlling it, or was the Mind Flayer doing that on its own accord?" She shook her head. "Sorry, I'm confused."

"I mean, I get we gotta hide Supergirl and all, but this isn't exactly the Fortress of Solitude, man," Argyle voiced. "It's more like a fortress of grodiness."

"Come on, guys, seriously," Nancy cut in. "I've seen Mike's room look worse than this."

Mackenzie nodded. "Honestly, same."

"Ah, brutal, dude," Argyle said.

Nancy then turned on the sink, and water came out of the faucet. "Ah! See? Water still works." She then opened up a cabinet and pulled out a tray of cleaning supplies, setting it down on the table. "And, voilà. Cleaning supplies."

Mackenzie instantly took the broom that the cabin had. She started to sweep up the dirt and and leaves that littered the floor into a pile. Will was next to her, doing the same. Every so often, she would look up, only to see him nervously glancing at her. Mackenzie's eyebrows knit in confusion. She didn't know why he was acting so strange.

"Mack?" Will began hesitantly.

"Hmm?" she hummed in response, looking up at him properly. Mackenzie instantly frowned. Written across Will's face was a mixture of panic and fear. She straightened up and stared at him in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Can I . . . can I talk to you, please?" Will asked. His eyes flickered to Mike and El for a moment, who were collecting things in a garbage bag together. "Alone?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "Come on." She handed the broom off to Mike. "Here. Do something productive."

"I am being productive," Mike protested.

"Well, you can be more productive."

Mackenzie led them back to Hopper's old room in the cabin. When Will had entered in after her, she shut the door. Mackenzie leaned back against the door, watching as Will froze up as he stopped in the middle of the room.

"Remember . . . remember when we promised we wouldn't keep things from each other?" Will stated his voice shaking.

"Yeah," Mackenzie replied softly, her mind already starting to spin.

Will sat down on the edge of the bed, his gaze averted at the ground. "I've been — I've been keeping something from you."

"Okay." Mackenzie slowly walked up to him and sat beside him, giving him space because his body was trembling. "What's up?"

"It's going to hurt you, and . . . and you're going to view me differently, but I can't keep this from you anymore."

"Will, whatever you have to say, I can take it. And nothing will change the way I view you."

He swallowed nervously. "After this, you will."

"Try me," Mackenzie urged gently.

"I've been having these . . . feelings," Will admitted. He paused. "For someone else."

Mackenzie felt like she had just gotten punched in the stomach and she felt her heart shatter just the tiniest bit. Oh, of course. Her worst fears had come true. Will had finally found someone better than her.

"Oh," she let out quietly. "What's her name?"

"Mack," Will said, in more so of a whimper than anything else. She looked back up at him to see his eyes swimming with tears. "That's the thing. It's — it's not . . ."

She stared at him in confusion for a moment before everything started to click in her brain. Oh. Oh. Suddenly, everything started to make sense. How Will never said he loved her back in his letters and phone calls, how he had stepped away from her in the hospital when she tried to get close to him, how he always seemed so distant, how he would tell her he didn't like the girls in his school . . .

"It's not a she," Mackenzie whispered. "It's a him."

Even though it was extremely small and could've been missed if she blinked, Mackenzie saw Will give her a very small nod. The two of them held eye contact for a moment before Will looked away from her, letting out a sob that was building in his throat. He buried his face in his hands and started to cry. Mackenzie felt tears of her own fill her eyes as she watched him. She placed a gentle hand on his back, feeling Will slightly tense under it.

"You hate me," Will cried.

Mackenzie shook her head. "Will—"

"I shouldn't be feeling like this."

"Will—"

"It's not normal, I'm a freak—"

"Will," Mackenzie stated firmly, making the boy's ramblings stop, only to be replaced with sobs. "None of that is true."

He paused his sobbing for a minute. "W-What?"

"What you feel is completely normal. You can't help who you like. I don't care about any of that." She paused for a moment and took his hands, pulling them away from his face so he could look at her. "But I do care about you."

"I'm sorry," Will responded, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry for basically stringing you along, I'm sorry for being so distant, I — I just didn't know . . ."

"None of that matters," Mackenzie voiced. "If I was the person who helped you realize this, then . . . well, I'm glad I could help. And me hating you?
I could never."

Somehow, even though she had basically just been broken up with, Mackenzie felt a weight lift off of her shoulders. She had believed that her and Will were a true match, that their universe was always meant to cross paths. However, now she was realizing that maybe they weren't a true match. Not romantically, at least. Only platonically.

Mackenzie recalled something she had read once about platonic soulmates. A friendship that went deeper than any other one, the ones who were meant to be together without the romantic feelings involved. Maybe that was her and Will. No — it was her and Will. Their universe was still there, not dimmed. If anything, it seemed brighter.

"I hate who I am," Will told her. "I just feel like such a mistake."

"Hey," Mackenzie interrupted, feeling her heart break as she heard him utter those words. "You are not a mistake. Please don't call yourself that."

Will shook his head. "I don't get it. You should be running as far away from me as possible."

"Now why would I do that? It's you and me against the world, remember? Nothing is going to change that."

He wiped a tear off of his cheek. "Even after what I just told you?"

"Especially after what you just told me," Mackenzie promised. "You're not alone. You're never alone, not with me here. And thank you for telling me. I'm glad you felt safe enough to tell me something as big as this."

"What about you?" Will questioned, sniffling slightly. "Will you be okay?"

"Me?" Mackenzie repeated, laughing slightly. "I should be asking you that."

Will blinked in confusion. "But I — I just broke up with you."

"Yeah, I know. Give me like an hour to cry with some ice cream and I'll be good."

"Chocolate?" Will guessed, the corners of his mouth twitching up.

"You know me too well," Mackenzie replied, her heart lifting out of her stomach as he let out a small laugh. "But Will, do not worry about me. I'll be fine."

Will nodded. "I still love you, Mack. Really, I do. Just . . . not like that."

"Will, as long as I still have you in my life in some way, I'll be fine. It's always been me and you against the world. That's not going to change whether we're in a relationship or not." She nudged his shoulder with hers. "And I love you, too."

Will's eyes filled with nerves again. "You won't tell anyone, right?"

"It's not my secret to tell. I cross my heart that I'll keep it." Mackenzie then held out her pinky to him. "No broken hearts?"

Will interlocked his pinky with hers. "No broken hearts."

Mackenzie grinned. "Come on. We should help them out some more."

She stood up and offered his hand out to him. Will smiled softly at her and took it, using it to pull himself up. Mackenzie squeezed his hand before letting go. The two then left the bedroom, walking back into the main room.

Some of the holes were closed up now due to Jonathan and Nancy boarding them up. Mike was still sweeping the floors, and El walked past him, entering her old bedroom and using her powers (she had gotten them back) to shut the door behind her three inches, just like Hopper always asked when Mike was over. Mike was still sweeping the floors and looked up when they entered.

"You two okay?" Mike inquired.

Mackenzie glanced at Will for a moment, and the two smiled at each other. "More than."

Will then glanced at El's bedroom door. "Did she . . . talk to you at all?"

"Not much," Mike answered. "I mean, a little bit. Dr. Brenner."

Mackenzie's eyebrows knit in confusion as she sat down between Mike and Will on the overturned couch. "That asshole? I thought he was dead."

"We've got a lot of catching up to do, Kenz. But he was alive, and he said that she wasn't ready. And now she's starting to think he was right."

"That's crap," Will argued. "If it wasn't for her, if she hadn't left the lab, Max wouldn't be alive right now."

"I know," Mike said. "It's just, she's, um . . . she's never lost before. Not like this."

"She's going to have another chance," Mackenzie voiced. "Nancy said Vecna didn't die, he was only wounded. As much as I wish he was pathetically dead, he's not."

"Mack's right," Will stated. "He's not." His voice started to shake, making Mackenzie look over at him in concern. "Now that I'm here, in Hawkins, I can feel him. And he's hurt, he's hurting, but he's still alive. It's strange, knowing now who it was this whole time, but . . . I can still remember what he thinks, and how he thinks. And he's not going to stop. Ever. Not until he's taken everything, and everyone. We have to kill him."

Mackenzie placed a hand on his knee. "And we're going to. This son of a bitch has ruined our lives, ruined your life, for far too long. We're not going to just sit here and let him throw his monsters at us anymore."

Suddenly, the sound of a car was heard outside. Mackenzie instantly straightened up, on high alert. She got up from the couch and went to a hole in the wall, peering out of it. A black vehicle had stopped right outside of the cabin.

"Shit," Mackenzie said. "That's government."

Her, Will, and Mike instantly went outside, joining Nancy and Jonathan off of the porch. They all stood protectively around the front of the cabin. Their sole mission right now was keeping El safe.

However, nothing could have prepared them for who got out of the car.

Mackenzie's eyes widened and her body froze in shock. Jim Hopper — alive, a little beat up, and a lot skinnier — stood up fully. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as they all just stared at him, not really believing their eyes.

"What the fuck?" Mackenzie let out quietly. "Oh my God."

Her feet moved before her mind. She instantly walked up to Hopper and pulled him in a tight hug. They had never been close, but the sight of seeing him after she thought he was dead was enough to make him appreciate everything he did not only for her, but for her friends and all of Hawkins. Hopper chuckled lightly and hugged her back.

"Hey, kid," Hopper greeted. "Also, language."

"Sorry," Mackenzie responded, her voice muffled from her face being buried in his chest. "It's just — you're alive."

"I am." Hopper squeezed her tight for a moment before letting go. "Is El—?"

"Inside." She gave Hopper a small smile. "I'm sure she'll be really relieved to see you."

Hopper nodded once to her and went to go inside to see El. Mackenzie then turned to see Joyce Byers standing there as well. Her heart soared at the sight of her second mother figure and instantly sunk into her arms.

"Hi, sweetheart," Joyce voiced, rubbing her back softly. "How are you doing? I've heard things have been rough."

"They have been," Mackenzie confirmed. "Very rough. But I'm so glad to see you."

Mackenzie let Joyce go. Joyce then took Will and Jonathan in her arms, holding her two sons closely. Mackenzie took a step back and stood next to Nancy, watching them fondly with her arms crossed across her chest. She always loved the relationship they had.

Joyce then let her sons go, her eyes falling on something. Mackenzie turned to see she was staring at El, who was standing on the porch with Hopper, her head leaning against his chest. El giggled and waved at her. Joyce then walked up and hugged El.

Mackenzie elbowed Will slightly. "Quite the reunion, huh?"

Will shrugged. "I think our reunion was the best."

"Oh, for sure." She raised her hand for a high-five, and Will obliged. "There's no doubt about that."

Suddenly, all the happiness in the air faded away. Mackenzie felt Will shift next to her. She looked up at him, only to see that his hand was reaching up to the back of his neck, just like he did whenever the Mind Flayer was close. Mackenzie's eyes widened and saw him turn fully around.

"No," Mackenzie stated, shaking her head in disbelief. "Will, no."

Will's eyes were on the sky. "Mack."

Mackenzie followed his gaze. Above them, over the trees, a huge thundercloud was rolling across the sky. The world got darker as the cloud covered the sun, and thunder rumbled. Suddenly, white particles that looked like dust started to fall. Mackenzie reached up and caught one in her hand. They were the particles that floated around the Upside Down.

This was not good. This was really not good.

All at once, their group moved through the woods and through the Upside Down particles to find a clearing so they could see what was going on. Mackenzie's heart pounded against her chest as they got to an open field on a hill overlooking the town of Hawkins.

What Mackenzie saw made her heart stop. The hill was dying, all of the flowers and grass dead and gray. And down below, Hawkins had massive black clods floating overhead with red lightning striking through them. Each of the four gates that had been opened ran lines that glowed red to the very center of the darkest cloud.

Mackenzie reached down and instinctively grabbed Will's hand in hers. It didn't feel romantic anymore — just two best friends clutching onto each other for dear life. Will interlocked their fingers together and gave her hand a tight squeeze. Nothing but platonic love and fear for the war that was facing them.

The end was coming, but this was only the beginning.

☾ ★ ☽

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oh okay :)