No Surrender | Eddie Munson

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Battle of Starcourt

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: THE BATTLE OF STARCOURT

EVERYBODY WANTS TO TULE THE WORLD — TEARS FOR FEARS/LORDE

Welcome to your life
There's no turning back
Even while we sleep
We will find you
Acting on your best behaviour
Turn your back on Mother Nature
Everybody wants to rule the world

TW// Gore, pretty brutal fight?, broken bones, death

——————

By the time I get out to the others, Eleven's wound already looks worse. Blood leaks through the bandages.

I race up to them, helping Max and Mike lie her down in the back of the car. The engine wheezes. We don't move. "What's wrong?"

Glancing over at Jonathan, Nancy frowns and tries again. Still, it sputters but does not start. "I don't know." More noises from the car. "You can't be serious. Come on!"

"Didn't your mom just buy this car?" Lucas asks.

"Yes. It's fine."

"Did you leave the lights on?"

"No."

"Do we have gas?"

"Yes! Come on!"

It's clear that turning the key is doing nothing. Groaning, Jonathan pulls her away from it.  "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just stop. Stop! Pop the hood."

They both climb out but any conversation is interrupted by the distant revving of a car. Headlights come ablaze, glaring from the other end of the parking lot. A hand bangs against Lucas' window. "Back in the mall!" we hear Nancy yell.

Wasting no time, we pick Eleven up again and rush inside. "What is going on? Who is that?" I ask, already breathless.

"Billy."

"What?"

Max has gone pale, her leg bouncing rapidly as she keeps her eyes fixed on the doors. "The Mind Flayer's got him."

"Oh my God, Max, I'm so—"

"Don't."

The others are just as nervous. Mike is on his walkie to our people at Cerebro, Lucas tests his wrist rocket and Nancy searches the Russians for more guns. Max watches her, clearly afraid despite her attempts to hide it. "You're gonna kill him, aren't you?"

"This is just a precaution, okay?"

But Will doesn't seem quite as bothered. "And it's not just against Billy. If he knows we're here, so does the Mind Flayer."

I can't just stand around here, waiting for the next bad thing to happen. My focus shifts around the mall in search of ideas. Anything.

A few of the food places have sharp knives for preparation, the gym has a few weights, and one snack store has cans of Jolt Cola stacked away in the far corner of its fridge. I down a couple and continue my search.

It is short-lived when I hear shouts for me to join the others. I find them by the overturned convertible, struggling to tip it over. "What the hell?"

"We need the ignition cable," Jonathan explains.

"Fair enough."

So I help them. My hands rake against broken glass and crumpled metal but I push with all my strength. The vehicle shifts a little but it's too heavy. We have to give up.