HIDDEN !¡ MIKE WHEELER

17. ✰

AN HOUR HAD gone by and the kids were still crowded onto the bus, waiting for the chief. Dustin was pacing, making everyone really annoyed. "Will you stop pacing?" Mike pleaded. "It's been way too long. Do you know what? Maybe you're right. Maybe this is all a trap and the bad men are coming to get us right now!" Dustin yelled out, continuing to pace back and forth. "It's not a trap. Why would the chief set us up? Nancy, maybe, but the chief?" Lucas insulted Mike's sister, to which Mike scoffed and threw his arms up.

"Lando Calrissian," Dustin pointed at Lucas. "Would you shut up about Lando?" Lucas rolled his eyes. "I don't feel good about this. I don't feel good about this!" Dustin screamed into Lucas' face. "When do you feel good about anything?" Lucas growled back at him. Dustin backed up, walking back to the front of the bus. "Um..." Mabel began as she heard vehicles approaching the bus. All of the kids shot up and rushed to the big, front window, looking out. Several cars were circling the bus.

"Shit!" Dustin yelled. "Go, go, go, go," Mike tried to remain calm, pulling everyone back. The kids got into their hiding spots, panting out of fear. "Lando," Dustin spoke. "You think they saw us?" Lucas whispered. "Both of you, shut up," Mike looked at Dustin and Lucas. The kids heard car doors shutting and people walking around as the bus fell silent. They heard footsteps along the side of the bus, right where they had hidden their bikes.

Mabel squeezed her eyes shut and tried to control her heavy breathing. Before they knew it, the bus door opened and a man peered inside. However, someone whacked him in the head and he grunted, falling to the ground. The kids listened as the man was beaten repeatedly, looking around at each other. The door creaked open, revealing Jim Hopper. "All right, let's go," he looked at the five kids. When they stood still and didn't do anything, he took a deep breath, "Let's go!". The kids scrambled around to collect their stuff and hurried off the bus.

Chief Hopper drove them to the Byers' house in silence. Once they pulled up, Nancy Wheeler ran out of the house, running to Mike. "Mike. Oh, my god. Mike!" she sighed in relief, bringing him into a hug. "I was so worried about you," she pulled away, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Yeah, uh... me, too," he nodded. Nancy got silent as her eyes trailed over to El, standing behind Mabel. She narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Is that my dress?" she asked Eleven. El turned to her sister and didn't answer, shrugging.

The kids made their way inside and Mike got ready to explain everything to Nancy, Jonathan, Joyce and Hopper. "Okay, so, in this example, we're the acrobat," Mike pointed to the tiny figure he'd drawn, using Mr. Clarke's way to explain. "Will and Barbara, and that monster, they're this flea. And this is the Upside Down, where Will is hiding. Mr. Clarke said the only way to get there is through a rip of time and space," Mike continued. "A gate," Dustin added. "That we tracked to Hawkins Lab," Lucas said. "With our compasses," Dustin nodded.

Joyce, Jonathan and Nancy looked at the kids, confused. "Okay, so the gate has a really strong electromagnetic field, and that can change the directions of a compass needle," Dustin explained to them. "Is this gate underground?" Hopper asked. "Yes," El spoke up, her voice as quiet as a whisper. "Near a large water tank?" Hopper asked. El nodded. "Yes," she stated. "How do you know all that?" Dustin looked up at Hopper. "He's seen it," Mike whispered. "Is there any way that you could... that you could reach Will? That you could talk to him in this—" Joyce started, her voice hoarse.

"The Upside Down," El breathed. "Down. Yeah," Joyce nodded. "She can. But she's overworking herself. It's dangerous. Something bad can happen," Mabel drew attention to herself, swallowing hard. "Why don't you do it, Mabel?" Lucas asked. "I don't know how good it would work. El has more experience of the Upside Down than me. She did open the gate. The most I can do is try to help her if she's struggling," Mabel told them. "Wait, you can do it, too?" Nancy asked. "Do what?" Mabel looked up at her, dumbfounded. "Use powers or whatever to communicate with Will," Nancy said. Mabel nodded.