𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥 || 𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕧𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟

THIRTY-TWO

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HYSTERIA
-

HOPPER HATED SEEING his daughters so injured and tired. They'd both been through so much and he wished the world would just give them a break. And, as much as he hates to admit it, they both looked their happiest when they were with their boyfriends.

"My battery is low, but it will recharge." He heard Eleven tell Irina. They were both perched on the edge of the fountain again, so he sat himself between them.

"I know it will. Like my arm. It will heal." Irina smiled softly at her sister. Eleven looked up at Hopper with a determined expression.

"We can still fight." She said through gritted teeth.

"I know you can. You guys fight better than anyone." Hopper smiled at the two of them. "But, right now, I need you safe." He added. "El, this thing is after you. Not me. Not your sister. You. That's why I need you to go with Irina and the others so you're safe. Do you understand?" He asked and Eleven hesitantly nodded.

"I will keep you safe, El. It takes more than a bullet to stop me." Irina said, making Hopper and El chuckle.

"See? Irina's got your back. Because that's what family is for." Hopper smiled and placed his arms around both of the girls shoulders, hugging them into his sides a little.

"Hey." Mike called over to them. "We should probably go." He said. Hopper sighed and hugged his girls a little tighter. Irina held in a wince at the pressure on her injury, but she knew that with what was about to happen, this could possibly be the last time she hugged either of them, so she pushed back the pain for that brief moment.

Mike and Max helped Eleven walk and Irina, Jonathan, Nancy, Will and Lucas followed along. Hopper warned them all one last time to be careful before they all departed out to the car. Nancy and Jonathan got in the front while the rest of them clambered into the back seats. Nancy started up the car and the engine sputtered but didn't start. Every time she twisted the key.

"You can't be serious!" Nancy growled, banging her hands on the steering wheel.

"Pop the hood." Jonathan said before climbing out and running round to the front of the car to fix it.

"The ignition cable's gone." Jonathan muttered in confusion before a louder engine revved from across the car park.

"Who is that?" Irina squinted her eyes because of their headlights being on full beam.

"Billy." Max murmured in terror. The group had explained to Irina, Steve and the other about how Billy was the new host, and that he was dangerous. So very dangerous.

"Go, go, go, back in the mall!" Nancy ushered everyone out of the car and they all sprinted back into Starcourt.

***

Irina sat back on the edge of the fountain with Max and El, waiting in nervous anticipation and watching Mike pace back and forth calling in for help from the Scoops Troop over the walkie. God, how she hoped Steve was alright. He was driving a car after being beat up and drugged. If anything happened to him, she didn't know what she would do with herself.

"Irina." Nancy called over. Irina stood from where she was sat and made her way over to Nancy, who had an unloaded gun in her hands.

"How do you load this thing? Hopper explained, but my mind was kinda elsewhere." Nancy admitted.

"Here." Irina started, taking the gun from Nancy. "This part is called the action. You open it and this is where you load the bullets - the chamber and barrel." She explained, loading some bullets into the chamber. "Then close the action and this lever here loads a fresh bullet once you've taken your first shot." She added.

"Thanks." Nancy sighed in relief, taking the gun back from Irina.

"You're gonna kill him, aren't you?" Max asked Nancy and Irina frowned. She completely forgot that despite everything Billy had done, he was technically still Max's brother.

"It's just a precaution." Nancy assured her, but Irina wasn't so sure.

"Hey. We could get the ignition cable from the car El flipped." Jonathan suddenly suggested, making everyone jump to their to help.

***

Once the car was flipped back over, Jonathan and Nancy got to work finding the ignition cable. Irina stood with Mike, El and Max when she heard a noise. A creaking noise above them. Her eyes slowly moved up when she say the outline of something big.

"Guys." She muttered and they all looked at her before following her line of sight. The stomping on the glass roof became louder and louder and Mike took in a sharp breath.

"Nancy!" He shouted as a warning before the thing came crashing through the glass. Irina grabbed El's arm and they began to run with Mike and Max.

Irina gasped, unnerved at how huge the giant creature was. It make a loud shrieking noise as the four teens crouched behind the counter in a shop. Irina could hear El's panting as it neared them making horrific growling noises.

"It's turned away. If we go up the stairs now, we'll make it." Mike said.

"No way, not with El's leg." Max disagreed.

"We have to try." Mike argued in a hushed tone.

"There's another way out." Irina pointed out.

"Through the Gap." Eleven said in realisation. The Gap was dead ahead of them. If they ran, they could make it.

"Go, now." Irina ushered them along quickly and they all ran as quietly but as quickly as they could towards the Gap. They made it through the entrance, but Max tripped on a metal coat rack, making it fall and grabbing the Mind Flayer's attention. It roared and stomped towards them as the four teens hid behind a stack of shelves. The Mind Flayer reached a tentacle into the shop and latched onto a mannequin before throwing it after realising it wasn't Eleven. The mannequin landed right besides Irina, making all four of them jolt in fear.

The tentacle returned and was right besides Mike's face, however, a noise across the mall distracted it, giving the four of them a golden opportunity to bolt.

"Go, now!" Irina hissed and they all dashed towards the back door of the Gap.