STARCOURT

  Lucas threw a bright yellow firework at the leg of this monster in front of him, not even knowing whose flesh he was damaging. He felt fear but hid it with bravery, wiping the sweat that trailed down his forehead. He extended his hand out behind him to Will.

"Another one!" He yelled

"We're out! We're all out!" Will shouted back as he picked up the empty basket, showing Lucas.

"Damn it!" Lucas grunted

He was on the second floor along with Nancy and Jonathan who were across from them, Robin and Steve to the right. The giant Mind Flayer taken in a physical form of black ooze, and flesh in the middle.

Lucas had given them the second chance of killing this thing with the fireworks he saw when they had stopped at the supermarket. They needed this as El was hurt and trapped by Billy who was still possessed , and Dylan...who was no where to be seen.

"Do we know where Dylan is?" Lucas asked Will his voice raised

"No! I haven't seen him since he moved the car!" Will responded

"Where is he?" Lucas asked himself as he looked around, the mall was in ruin, as concrete was broken, glass was shattered, and blood traced the floor everywhere the Mind Flayer moved its legs.

*WE NEED MORE TIME!* Dustin shouted his words mixed with static.*THEY CANT CLOSE THE GATE YET! I REPEAT WE NEED MORE TIME!*

As Lucas heard the shouts of Dustin from his super comm, he had turned back on. He hoped that a third chance would spring up.

________________________________

Billy Hargrove hovered over the girl infront of him. Seeing as her forehead was bashed and her nose was red from tears. She had her weak hand placed gently on his cheek, as the touch retracted the black veins across it.

He saw his past, as the girl talked. His beautiful mother at the California beach. Her long blond hair moving along the salty breeze. He could almost feel it comb through his fingers.

"She was beautiful....." Eleven muttered as she looked at the broken man. His eyes glistening as he tensed against her touch.

Billy looked to the left of him. To see the monster that had corrupted him, made him kill, made him hurt people. Or maybe.....he was already a monster. Billy deep down in his heart knew this. He knew he had made bad choices in life, hurting the people he cared about to ease his own suffering mind.

His dad who looked down at him, seeing him as nothing more than a nuisance. His step mother who gave him pity but never helped....his sister Maxine....he could hear her calling his name, why did she care? After everything he's done to her.

Billy saw a monster facing him, the same way he could easily see a monster when he looked at himself.....he couldn't go back in the past, he can't redo his mistakes, but he could try and fix the mistake that was still presently within him.

The man stood up his boots clicking on the tiled ground, his hands clenched together, as he could feel himself biting down so hard on his own teeth they began to hurt. He walked forward to the mouth of this beast revealing sharp teeth. The creature snarled as it positioned itself to look at Billy.

Max and Mike ran to where they could see the Mind Flayer looking and roaring down at Billy. The pair were a good distance away from it, but close enough to hear and see what was happening , and what was about to happen.

The monster opened his mouth as its tongue stretched out trying to grab Eleven, the girl braced herself. The clawed grabber was taken ahold by Billy, who despite the pain of the teeth stabbing at his hands and palm he held it.

Billy's feet slightly slid across the floor. "NO!" Billy screamed

Max's face grew white as she could see black growing on Billy's arms and the multiple tentacles growing out the side of the Mind flayer coming towards her step-brother. "Billy!" She yelled

It was too late, as the teeth hooked into the sides of Billy's abdomen, blood covering the floor and Elevens pants in a deep shade of black. The man's screams of pain filled Max's ears, the worst sound was the silence that followed.

Billy came crashing on the ground his limbs curled as his body twitched ever so slightly, black blood sprayed from his mouth. The Mind Flayer continued to screech as the gate wasn't closed.

The monster roared loudly as its tentacle full of sharp bloodied teeth extended again, Eleven stared down at it, awaiting for it to reach out and end her, yet the fast pace of it quickly passed her as she turned around to look at where it was going.

"Mike!"

_______________________________

Mike, touched the cut on his face as he looked back seeing his burgundy tipped fingers. His breath was caught up in his throat as he stared down at the sight of Billy Hargrove falling. He could see Eleven on the ground around 10 feet away from him.

He looked to see the girl staring at him as she had a fearful expression, she was screaming his name. He soon realized why as the sight of teeth coming towards his chest was fast and accurate. All he could do was close his eyes and brace himself.

It felt like years of darkness, he didn't feel any pain in his chest, he could still hear the sound of screeching and disaster. He hesitantly opened his eyes to see the hook of the mind flayer reaching to grab him stuck in midair.

"What the......?" Mike questioned as the teeth fell off the pieces of flesh—landing on his shoe. The sizzling meat started to fall on the ground like a line of dominoes.

There was only one person he knew in the entire world that could do this. The sound of walking caught his ear as he looked to his right, seeing empty stores, tiled walls...and Dylan.

The boy was clutching his rib, as he slightly limped, his gaze fixated on the mind flayer. His nose was bleeding down his neck, as blood dripped out of his ears, landing on his shoulders.

Dylan glared at the monster in-front of him. It had taken Cindy....the girls limp weight still lingering on his hands. The Mind Flayer started to screech louder in pain, attempting to move but to no avail it was stuck.

His friends all on the first and second floor could see Dylan with his hands now extended. This was their third chance. The Mind Flayer started to roar louder as all of its extended tentacles started to melt. The tip of his head separated as it continued down to its mouth. Dylan's hands burned as his head pounded, the sight of Cindy dead, Billy dead, and God knows who else as the smell of fire corrupted his aching nose.

The entire head of the Mind Flayer split in half, as the black smoke that was inside jumbled together coming out of the flesh and resting in the air. Dylan's scream drowned out the monsters screeching. His hands started to shake violently, but he didn't care, he didn't care that he could feel his heart pulsating off of his broken ribs, he didn't care about what would happen to him, he didn't care what he would lose within himself. He just knew that he couldn't lose someone else close to him and he needed to finish this monster.

_________________________________

BALD EAGLE: RUSSIAN BASE

*CLOSE IT!" Dustin yelled

Joyce's hand was rested on the lever, the lever that held so much power and killed many. The lever that would stop all of this, close the gate. The Russian soldiers and scientist's down next to the gate that continued to feed into the portal of damnation, as electricity flew across all the walls. Joyce didn't care about them. She looked at Jim Hopper

The man was staring back at the woman he knew he loves. The tears that poured out of his eyes. As he gave her his final smile and nod. The machine next to him that lifted his hair and burned his eyes, it didn't blind him. His last sight was to be the strongest woman he knew and his memory left with his living daughter.

Joyce closed her eyes, turning her head away, as she pulled the lever down. The whirring of the machine growing silent as the beam stopped. The power going back to its core, as it blew up. The people below completely disintegrating from the radioactive material. Joyce covered her eyes as a bright white light seeped through the window that protected her, infecting the whole room.

It grew dark again, the darkness that you would find in an empty home.

Joyce shakily looked back up again through the window hoping to see a miracle, Hopper. She saw nothing but cloudless smoke and fire.

Jim Hopper was dead...

________________________________

GRISWOLD FAMILY: STARCOURT MALL The black dust that had haunted all of their minds disappeared in the blink of an eye. The flesh of the mind flayer falling on the ground. The fire that surrounded its feet spreading.

Robin, Steve, Will, Lucas, Jonathan, and Nancy all leaned over the railing of the second floor seeing the physical form motionless, as nothing controlled it anymore. A weak sound escaped its lips, like the last breath of its victims.

Steve looked around the ground to see his brother who still stood standing."Dylan!" Steve yelled as he started to run down the broken escalators, everyone following.

Dylan took the breath that he was holding in as his face dropped in exhaustion. He looked at the creature in front of him. He wasn't satisfied that he didn't move anymore, the fact that he could see it meant people died. Dylan hesitantly walked forward until he felt a hand grab his shoulder and turn him around.

"Dylan, are you.......okay?" Mike gasped his voice full of surprise and fear. The sound of Mikes voice made Dylan's eyes light up. As he reached out and touched Mikes arm. The sight of the boy bringing more tears to his eyes.

"Go........" Dylan's eyes dropped as he looked away "Go to El..." Dylan said gesturing towards the girl who had sat up from the ground with her weak leg.

Mike looked to his girlfriend as he gripped Dylan's shoulder one more time before running to the girl hugging her close. Dylan looked at the two, the guilt and heartbreak hurting his chest more.

What he had said echoed through his head, he loved Mike Wheeler. He never loved Cindy. Yet he dragged her into his life and didn't let her go until it was too late. Letting her grasp on the lies that danced around his lips when she would kiss him.

Steve ran up to him hugging him tightly. The man held Dylan's face "Are you okay? What happened? Where were you?" Steve rambled with questions.

Dylan just looked at him the tears that traced his eyes finally falling. His face scrunched up, as the warm tears mixed with the cold blood that finished falling down his nose. Dylan collapsed in his brother's arms. Grabbing into his shirt as he buried his face into his shoulder covering his cries.

Steve held him close as he comforted the boy, looking at all of his injuries. Hearing the boys cries broke him. As he rubbed Dylan's back.

Max glanced at Dylan and Steve, as she walked slowly towards her brother on the ground. Cold and gasping for air. "Billy.....oh..Billy." Max cried. As her knees fell to the floor her hands on Billy's hard chest. The girls tears falling on his wife beater. "Billy? Please get up. Please say something." She begged, Billy's eyes fixated on her. As black blood coughed up his throat.

"I'm sorry." Billy said...before he inhaled sharply. His body relaxing and growing limp.

Max shook his shoulder as she screamed "Billy! No..no..no..no Billy! Please!"

"It's okay..it's okay." Eleven hugged her friend from behind, as Max fell into her, holding to her arm for comfort. Her head turned away from Billy closing her eyes shut, wishing this was a nightmare she would soon wake up from.

The mall. Grew quiet. The quietest it's ever been since it was built. At least to Dylan. Maybe it was just his mind blocking everything else off. He didn't know how to feel. He just felt...nothing.

________________________________

Dylan's could hear the sound of firefighters yelling, and the spray of their water hose hitting the malls fire, as the building was in flames. Dylan sat in the back of an ambulance, his injuries stuffed up to stop the bleeding until he could get real medical help.

Steve sat right next to him, the man's arms around his shoulder. "She was there?" Steve asked.

Dylan took another breath, ignoring the sharp pain in his chest that was still apparent."Yes...she was there....the Mind Flayer was controlling her, like Billy." He spoke quietly.

Steve nodded. Opening his mouth to speak before closing it. Dylan spoke before he could "I killed her."

"What?" Steve asked as he leaned in closer to hear the boy

"She asked me to kill her." Dylan repeated as he stared down at the mall. The fire covering his brown eyes and danced across his eyelashes.

Steve's face looked shocked as he listened to his brother. He was as silent for a while, trying to think of what was best to say. "It's..okay." The older man just scooted closer to Dylan moving his messy curls behind his ears.

Dylan didn't reply but he knew that was a lie. He killed Cindy......and she was only in this situation because he left her, lied to her. It was his fault, this wasn't okay, and he was never going to forget it.

_________________________________

  Dylan still sat in the same position on the back the same ambulance, alone—Steve no longer next to him as he went to check up on Robin. Sound around him quieted down, his aching ears just decided to tune it all out.

Dylan clasped his hands together. His head hung low as he stared at his own shoes, his old but favorite pair now torn and almost ruined. The familiar drawings he held close to him now smudged with dirt and black liquid.

Dylan wondered if life had a grudge on him, even if he hadn't lived enough to prove anything. He felt as if he had bad luck attached to him. The blood on his hands infecting everyone he touched.

It was shameful of him to ever get to close to someone, he set up a perfect target for an arrow doused in poison to shoot straight though Cindy and..............

The thought of the Mind Flayer almost killing Mike the chance that if he hadn't of gotten there in time, Mike would have died. Dread. Fear. It shivered up his spine and punched him in the gut.

Steve and Robin almost being killed by the Russian scientist........Erica and Dustin having to go alone in that bunker to find them........El, Lucas, Will, Max, Jonathan, Nancy....all of his loved ones subjected to danger.

Dylan started to hear faint sounds, it sounded like screaming, and cracking. Like Cindy. Her words staying in his head

"Your fault!"

Images of all the nightmares and visions Dylan had been subjected to. Burning creatures, the lab, the upside down, pain . All of these seemed more than trauma to him, he felt as if he was being shown and told what he brought with him. Death.

_______________________________ Mike touched the tape that held the cloth over his cut, the red blood seeping through. His limbs were tired and cold, the hot summer air cooling down. He walked along the parking lot, small pieces of rocks getting stuck in the bottom of his shoes. He walked towards Dylan in the distance who was perched on an ambulance. The foil blanket given by the firefighters—folded neatly next to him unused.

Mike could only see the top of Dylan's head and his hands that were together, Dylan's left thumb picking his right. Mike sat down next to him, expecting Dylan to look up or say something but nothing came.

Mike placed a hand on Dylan's shoulder. The boy snapping out of whatever daze he was in as he quickly flinched away, turning his body towards Mike as he leaned back, almost like he was trying to get away from him.

"Woah.....Dylan." Mike put his hands up before slowly placing them on his lap"It's just me. Sorry I didn't mean to sneak up on you." Mike chuckled

Dylan's eyes stayed widened as he slowly eased back into his position, looking forward blankly, half of his face attracting light from the police sirens while the other half was from the fire. Dylan muttered no words in return. His body tense.

"I—I wanted to say thank you, for, saving my life.........like always." Mike scoffed playfully"If it wasn't for you I would have probably been dead already." He looked to see Dylan's face contort as if he was uncomfortable.

Dylan felt sick to his stomach when Mike thanked him, he swallowed back down the spit that collected in his mouth, containing the feeling of throwing up.

"Don't thank me." Dylan quietly responded.

Mike shook his head "you're too humble Dyll." leaning on his hands, letting his legs dangle off the edge."Do you think this cut on my perfect face will scar?" Mike joked, as he giggled a little. Jokes like this between the two were never uncommon. Dylan always replied back with sarcasm— as the two shared a laugh.

Though....Dylan looked at Mike. With no smile apparent on his face. Goosebumps ran up Mikes arm at Dylan's gaze, Dylan had never looked at him like this before, he looked afraid—uncomfortable. Dylan was paler than usual, his once bright eyes were now dark and dead, as the essence of dried blood and injuries still covered his face.

Dylan could see the blood that revealed the trail of a cut on the white patch. He hoped Mikes cut didn't scar, he didn't want this moment branded on him forever. Dylan wanted to comfort him, be closer, he felt as if that's where his solace's would be. But he didn't want to jump on the already cracked ice. He didn't want to risk Mikes life again. So he just looked at him.

Dylan shook his head looking away from Mike. Mike didn't really know what had happened while Dylan was gone, but he knew it wasn't pleasant. He remembered the black blood on him, the injuries he had.

He looked down at the boys hand, noticing the dried up blood underneath his fingernails, the small cuts that broke the gauze wrapped around Dylan's hands. Mike placed his hand on top of Dylan's holding its warmth feeling the rough wraps and dried blood.

The boy slightly gasped looking to see Mikes hands and feel the cooling effect.

"Dylan. I'm here for you. Okay? No more running remember, we stick together." Mike said looking at the boy with sympathy in his gaze.

"Yeah....together ." Dylan replied looking completely away from Mike, his tone bitter towards his choices and his adversity's. Dylan's words went straight through Mikes head. He thought Dylan was upset with him.

Dylan not squeezing his hand back or even trying to hold unto his touch. Just proved mikes misinterpretation.

Mike stood up from the ambulance. His eyes not leaving Dylan, he thought he'd give Dylan some time. Time to be alone.

Dylan could hear Mikes footsteps as he walked away from him. Dylan blinked away the tears that threatened to fall down.Dylan held on to his own hand trying his best to keep the boys touch, a healthy distraction to when he had used his hands before.

Dylan leaned his head against the car, his eyes feeling heavy. He looked forward seeing a police car, its red and blue flashes covering the areas around it, a girl wearing a red dress leaned against the side door. Her neck purple and black while her eyes were white.

"Cindy......" Dylan muttered, before his vision was completely black.

________________________________

HAWKINS HOSPITAL- a week later

Steve sat in an uncomfortable blue chair, that seems to squeak every time he moved. He sat with his back to the white walls of the hospital room. His leg shaking. As he began to mimic the continuous beeping that showed his brother's pulse.

Steve kept replaying the moment in his head.He had left Dylan alone for a minute to talk to Robin, to check if she was completely okay. Once he came back Dylan was knocked out. He tried to wake him up but the boys eyes stayed shut. His heart was okay, and he was breathing normally.

The only problem was his injuries- which were now patched, sewn, and braced. He just wouldn't wake up. Dylan had been in the hospital bed for a week, for a week Steve had been by his side waiting for something to happen.

The boy had some flowers and cards, on his table from visitors, like Dylan's friends and their families. Of course their own parents hadn't thought to stop by, only asking Steve if Dylan was okay when he would arrive home for the night. Steve knew his parents weren't aware of all the shit he and his brother had to go through but they knew of the "fire"....and their son lying unconscious in a hospital bed. Steve's resentment grew stronger and yet he couldn't bring himself to yell at them, that was one of his weaknesses.

With a visit from Dustin, while his mother left to use the bathroom, Steve was fulfilled with the theory that Dylan was just regenerating his body as the things he did that night of the mall probably drained him. He clung onto it, hoping Dustin was right.

Steve had of course lost his job, due to the "Fire" he didn't really know what he was going to do but he told himself he wasn't going to focus on that. He needed to stay in this uncomfortable seat for his brother __________________________________

Dylan opened his eyes to a bright light. He no longer smelled smoke and the only sounds were a foot tapping on tiles, and a beeping noise. He recognized this place. It was the hospital. He looked to his left seeing cards and flowers and he turned his head to the right to see his brother.

"Steve..?" Dylan muttered

Steve met eyes with Dylan before quickly standing up pressing a button and flooding to Dylan's side. "Dylan! Oh my god. You're awake." Steve kneeled to the side of his bed. Holding Dylan's hand that had fresh bandages.

Dylan propped himself up on the bed, opening his mouth to speak before coughing madly, as he placed his hand on his rib.

"Here drink some water." Steve said grabbing a cup, handing it to the boy.

Dylan took it taking a tiny sip as he took some deeper breaths. His eyes felt swollen, and his chest felt compacted. He had that uncomfortable feeling of waking up from a nap you didn't mean to take.

"Be careful, you broke two ribs....so you're gonna need to, not move so much." Steve explained, a smile was on his face. He was overjoyed to see Dylan moving again, he never knew how scary it was for Dylan to be gone without a sign that he might wake up.

How scary it was to almost lose his brother.