𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴 ~ (ᴍɪᴋᴇ ᴡʜᴇᴇʟᴇʀ)

.19.

Lucas led the group through the halls - Mike and Five straying behind, hands intertwined, while Eleven and Dustin looked at each other worriedly. "How did they find us?" Lucas said, rushing down some steps.

"I don't know," Mike behind them paranoid, "But they knew we were in the gym."

Dustin repeated for the millionth time, "Lando." Just when Five was going to rebuttal, a group of soldiers kicked through the door on the other side of the hallway. Mike began to scream for everyone to go but when they entered the next corridor it was too full of soldiers. Eleven grabbed Fives wrists as she saw them and pulled her back into the previous corridor but the woman that killed Benny was now there too.

The soldiers and the men in suits raised their guns at them - making Five's eyes burn with rage. "Imputresco," She spoke almost too calmly and the people surrounding them dropped to the ground, screaming and holding onto their heads. That was until blood ran from every orifice and the shrieks discontinued - Five had killed them all. Feeling the effects almost instantly, the girl dropped to the floor, blood pouring out of her nose and ears.

"Fi?" Mike rushed over to her, "Are you okay?" The girl, however, didn't move a muscle, "Somethings wrong."

"She's just drained," Dustin offered.

"No, she won't wake up," He began to shake her harder, "Five!" Eleven's eyes grew wide as Five refused to wake up, causing Dustin to grab her hand in support. "She's barely breathing," Mike added.

"We gotta go," Lucas informed the group but a voice cut in, "Leave her." Eleven looked up to see Papa, once more - the fear she had for him still thriving inside of her.

"Step away from the children," Brenner instructed nearing Five's unmoving body.

"No!" Mike persisted, "You want her. You have to kill us first." Lucas and Dustin, both stepped forward to help, while El remained on the floor, holding onto her sister's hand like it depended on it.

"That's right," Dustin encouraged, while Lucas told them to 'eat shit'. However, the bold move only lasted a second as three men came from behind them and dragged them away. Another guard came as well, grabbing Eleven, away from Five, "No!"

"Five? Five, can you hear me?" Brenner called to the child.

"Papa?" Her eyes opened ever so slightly and the feeling of the man's hands on her face, made her feel nothing but disgust.

"Yes, yes it's your Papa," Brenner smiled.

"Get off of me!" Mike shouted, Five moved her head slightly so she could see them, "Let her go! Let her go, you bastard!"

"I'm here now," Brenner told her, to which she whimpered and tried to resist, "Shh, shh you're sick. You're sick but I'm going to make you better." Brenner looked over to Eleven, who continued to cry for Five, "I am going to take you both home, where I can make you well again, Five, where I can make this all better. So no one else gets hurt."

"Bad," She pushed against him, "Bad. Mike!" Mike cried as the girl continued to reach for him but the arms wrapped around him secured him into place. "Mike-" Five stopped, looking around as the lights began to flicker.

"Blood," Mike realised.

"What?" Lucas twisted to him.

"Blood," The boy gulped, looking straight at the crumbling wall. Merely seconds late the Demogorgon reared its ugly head. The soldiers, along with Brenner, stepped forward attacking it with whatever weapons they had on hand - leaving Five laying on the ground.

Dustin, having been the first one who reached the girl, carried her throughout the halls until the group settled inside one of the science labs. Quickly, Five was placed on the top of one of the tables - the lights around her flickering non-stop, making her eyes blur even more.

"M-mike?" She cried out, causing Mike to grab a hold of her hand.

"I'm here," He sniffled, "I'm here and you're going to be okay. Just hold on a little longer, okay?" Five leant into his touch, her eyes barely open by this point. "He's gone... the bad man's gone. We'll be home soon," He stated but Five read it merely as fiction, "and my mom... she'll- she'll get you your own bed. And she'll promise to never cook that meatloaf again. And I can teach you how to ride a bike. A-and we can go to the Snow Ball." She looked up at the boy and smiled, "Promise?"

"Promise," He shakily whispered, tears cascading down his cheeks.

Unexpectedly, the monster roared from behind the door, the gunfire ceasing soon thereafter and each child in that room refrained from making any sort of noise (not even a breathe) as they were scared beyond proportion. Five's eyes went wide as did Eleven, who remained like a soldier by her side.

"Is... is it dead?" Dustin's eyes didn't stray from the door but as if it heard him, the beast pounced on the frail door, taking it off its hinges.

"Get the wrist rocket! Get the wrist rocket!" Dustin yelled at Lucas, who did exactly what he said. The ginormous monster crept its way further into the room - its thin, haunting fingers coming in front of it as if it was prepared to attack at any moment, well because it was and the boys feared they wouldn't get out of this.

"Get the rocks!" Mike screamed down Dustin's ear before taking them off him and giving them to Lucas. The brave child pulled back the slingshot and aimed it for the Demogorgon; the rock hitting the side of its head but it remained unaffected.

"Kill it!" The curly-haired boy said, passing another rock. Again nothing happened. It wasn't until Lucas fired a fourth rock did the monster fly across the room, hitting the chalkboard like a bullseye.

Without going unnoticed by the boys and Eleven, Five took an unsteady step towards the Demogorgon. Mike could've gasped looking at the state of her - bloodshot eyes and the veins in her temples illuminating her face - but he couldn't save one heaving breath. "Five, stop!" Mike ran to her, but with the slightest move of her hand, the boy flew back. Five reached the monster somewhat quickly and inspected its squirming body.

"No..." She heard Dustin whisper before a girl came beside her.

Five looked to her in protest but Eleven shook her head, "Family now," and grabbed her free hand. The lights continued to attack the girl's eyes manically but this time she took no notice and she raised her arm to the beast. She looked over her shoulder at Mike, who still rested on the back wall, and let out a small cry, "Goodbye, Mike." Mike looked at the two girls in nothing but pure heartbreak. Eleven raised her hand, as well, and together they screamed like they never had before but it was hard to distinguish what was coming from the Demogorgon and what was coming from them. Blood dripped from the girl's faces, further staining their clothes but they remained unbothered as they looked the fiend in its eyes. The Demogorgon's chest began to dissolve, particles floating away and into the air surrounding them. It resembled what Five imagined a sand storm would look like as the dust consumed them whole. The boys behind them held their hands tightly over their ears and refused to look at the tragedy taking place, except Mike as he couldn't look away.

Five felt the cold and the bitterness and then... she felt nothing.

Soon the dust cleared, the boys looked up to see their new friends were gone. Mike pushed himself up and began to scream their names, but they'd never be able to answer him.

At the very same time, Hopper was slamming his hands on the missing boy's chest, begging for life. His mind flashed with memories of losing his daughter. He remembered the obliterating pain he felt -one he refused to let Joyce bear. And as if God had answered his wishes the boy woke, and they got him out of that hell hole.