(2) Love You to Hell and Back (Max Mayfield / (Fem) You)

-Chapter 18: The Mind Flayer-

Billy is there.

Across the parking lot, revving his engine while glaring at us. None of us speak, just stare in horror as he continues revving. "Get out of the car! Back in the mall!" Nancy shouts as we immediately burst into action, getting out. I open the back car door, getting off first before Mike hands El over, helping her stand as Max comes over to my side to help El's other side. We speed walk back into the mall, leaving the car and Billy behind.

Once inside, we settle in, hoping for our lives that Billy doesn't get the bright idea to come inside. Mike continuously radios for the Scoops Troop while the rest of us prepare. Lucas practices aim with his slingshot while Nancy goes over to a dead soldier and takes his gun. Max, Will and I stand nearby, watching her. "You're gonna kill him, aren't you?" Max asks, nervousness and conflict in her emotions. "This is just a precaution, okay?" Nancy assures her. "And not just against Billy. If he knows we're here, so does the Mind Flayer." Will adds, looking to us. Nancy looks over to the overturned car that El threw earlier. "No chance that thing'll drive, right?" She asks Jonathan. Jonathan thinks for a moment before his eyes widen slightly  "We don't need it to drive. We just need the ignition cable." He says before we all turn to the car.

We go to the car, go behind it and get into position to push it back over. "Ready?" Nancy says as we nod. "Push!" She shouts. We all push, groaning as we do. I feel my muscles straining against the weight of the car, pushing it with all I can, but god is it heavy. "Push!" Jonathan says as we try. To no avail. It hardly budges and once we let go, it falls back down with a loud ass thud. "Shit." Lucas says. "I'm very unfit." I mutter to Max, who raises an eyebrow.

El walks up to us, looking at the car. "Let me try." She says. Mike goes to protest, but El steps forward. "I can do it." She mutters.

We all look at each other, unsure. "El-" I start before she cuts me off. "Please." She says. At that, I nod, moving away from behind the car and behind El as the others follow my actions. Once we're all behind her, she lifts her arm, focusing on the car intensely.

The car metal creeks, groaning under the pressure of El's powers as the light ringing returns to my ears. I have learnt to bear it and don't even wince when it rings. I look over at the brunette, watching as she furrows her eyebrows and as a drop of blood begins its way down her nose. She is struggling. The car creaks and groans but doesn't budge as El lets go, gasping loudly and heaving for air. "Hey..." I say, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're badly hurt. It's fine." I say, offering a smile. She looks to the floor, frowning. "Wait! Let's try this!" Mike says, running over to grab the steel stanchions from nearby.

Mike goes to explain some physics about how we can turn the car over, explaining how it works. "Okay, Okay, we get it. Physics. Now can we do it?" Max asks, getting impatient. We all position ourselves behind the car again, except for El who's gone to sit on the fountain again, doing as Mike says. Once we're ready, we all nod at each other. We start doing it, watching as the car groans again, slowly turning over a little. "Okay, now all the way" Jonathan says as we all get ready. "Ready, three...two...one...push!" He says. We all push, groaning as we muster all our strength into pushing the car. It screeches a little before finally falling over, onto its wheels. We all cheer slightly as Mike laughs. "Told you! Physics!"

Jonathan and Nancy to the front of the car as we watch. As they try to open the hood, Max turns around beside me. "What's she doing?" She asks as Mike and I turn around. We see El digging through a trashcan nearby. "I have no idea..." I say. We watch as she fishes out a can of New Coke, running over to a table and placing it on top. "Is she..." Mike starts before he trails off, watching as El focuses intently on the can, furrowing her eyebrows as I hear a ringing again. "She's trying to use her powers." I say. "How'd you know?" Max asks. I point to my head and she nods. "Right."