For All Time.

Seven.

She let out a groan, willing her eyes open and attempting to swallow the lump in her throat. She didn't know where she was or how she'd gotten here, but she knew there was no good reason for it. She made sure to take a moment to look around. There were shelves of cereal around her, and she assumed she was now in a store. She made to press a hand to her forehead, but found a damp rag sitting on her burning skin. However, a voice breaking through the radio caused her to jump up and lunge for it.

"Hello? Hello, Dustin, is that you? Can you hear me?" She spoke.

"Ant?... Ant, are you there?" His voice came through, and her heart slowed down.

"Thank god your alive, you little shit." She said.

"Are you crying right now?"

"No." She lied. "I just really missed you, I thought something had happened to you."

"Where are you right now?"

"Uhh, I don't know. I blacked out and then I was in the cereal Isle so..."

"Is there anyone with you?"

"I can hear people but I don't know... um, who I'm with." She breathed. "Hello?!" She shouted, her voice echoing back to her.

"Toni?" Another voice came, just as Lucas popped his head around the corner. "Hey, she's awake!" He yelled, approaching her. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, uh, talk to Dustin." She said, handing him the walkie.

"Dustin?" Dustin's voice began breaking up and neither could make out what he was trying to say. But it was pretty late anyways, and Nancy came heading towards them.

"We gotta move." She said, reaching down for Toni, and she pulled her to her feet.

"Where are we going?"

"Anywhere that that thing hopefully won't be able to track us to."

-----

"What's going on?" Toni asked, seeing Eleven approach the balcony. They arrived at Starcourt for whatever reason, and something was going on on the floor below. Eleven raised her hand, and there was some crashing. The rest approached the balcony, and clearly Toni was more interested in what was banging around as her gaze shot directly to the car.

"Damn." She breathed.

"Toni." Nancy spoke, nudging her.

"Hmm?" She turned her head, causing her to notice the bigger sight. Crouched down behind the 'hotdog on a stick' counter, Steve, Dustin, Robin and Erica Sinclaire were looking up at them. The second she set eyes on them, Toni set off running to the stairs, practically throwing herself down them. It seemed Steve had had the same idea, as he met her in the middle with a tight embrace. He held her closer than he ever had before and wished he didn't have to let her go. "Where've you been?"

"Just inside a Russian base, y'know, the usual." He breathed.

"That explains the state of your face." She said, and he chuckled. She took a step back, gently caressing the huge bruise near his eye. "Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore." He smiled. "Hey, you look like you haven't slept in years, by the way."

"Yeah, I was in the void. It was great, I almost got lost and stuck in there so..." She shrugged.

"Let's never split up again."

"Sounds good to me." She smiled.

"Um, excuse me." Dustin then scoffed, and she turned to him, finding him stood there waiting to be hugged. "I'm waiting." Her smile simply widened, as she took her brother in her arms. She pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and she felt him give her a squeeze.

"Russian base?"

"Mm-hm."

"Fabulous." Eleven couldn't help but feel a sort of guilt. Seeing how happy her boys were to see her only to be at risk of losing her in the following hours. She wanted to say something. If anyone would talk her out of it, it's them. But then she remembered she made a promise. And she swore to never break a promise. However, she didn't have much time to think about it, as she collapsed backwards, feeling as though someone had stabbed her in the leg. "El? You okay?" Toni worried, dropping beside her.

"No." She whined, and that's when they saw something moving inside of her skin. "Get it out."

"Okay, okay, uh... Johnathan, go and grab me a kife." Johnathan disappeared from view for a second,  returning with a sharp knife in his hand. She took it from him, then turning to El. "This is gonna hurt."

"Just do it." She let out a breath, digging the knife into Eleven's skin. She screamed in utter agony, as Toni then proceeded to dig her fingers into the wound.

"Come on, Toni!" Mike yelled.

"Oka- alright, I've got it!" She returned, dragging it out and tossing it away. She looked to El again, who was clearly at a loss of breath. "Breathe... breathe, it's okay. Its over." She looked over at the piece, only to have it abruptly crushed by a boot. "Hopper."

"Hey, kids." He nodded, Joyce and some other guy behind him.