"I swear, if I'm dying tonight because of you, I'm gonna haunt your ass so hard, Harrington!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna go full Poltergeist and shit!"
"Then bring it, Graveswood."
"Challenge accepted."
***
In which after years of suppressing their...
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Chapter One-Hundred-And-Twenty-Three: Never-Ending Story
(The Battle Of Starcourt Mall, Pt. 5)
***
The Mind Flayer let out a screech before lightning collided with it.
It screeched again, but this time in pain and shock as the storm Rowan had summoned—with the one inside, and the one that had been steadily forming all night—roared above it, thunder booming as lightning lanced through the dark sky and struck the Mind Flayer again, electrocuting the monster while forcing it to slow down and allowing Jonathan to increase the gap between them and it. Rain lashed against the windows, stinging against the melted flesh of the Mind Flayer's body as the wind howled with Rowan's fury, lightning striking it again and again.
Rowan let it, teeth gritted as her eyes glowed incandescent blue, veins burning blue, sparks simmering across her skin as her storm roared its wrath and attacked the Mind Flayer over and over again—a force of nature in Rowan's complete control attacking a monster that could be considered a god in the Upside Down.
Rowan liked to hope she was the one winning.
Steve, Robin and Valerie stared at her—Robin and Valerie in shock of the power Rowan commanded, while Steve stared in awe at the girl he loved in her element, looking as wild and powerful as the storm she wielded against the Mind Flayer. Buying them all time while striking the Mind Flayer down.
Even as blood began to trickle from Rowan's nose, she kept up the attack as Jonathan sped down the highway, the Mind Flayer's shrieks full of pain and rage.
But it couldn't last long, as Rowan felt her strength flag, her control over the storm shaking. She tried to keep in control, to keep it going, but her efforts failed and exhaustion barrelled into her and she slumped back into Steve's arms as the storm broke, and the Mind Flayer—heavily electrocuted and battered, but still kicking—resumed the chase, roaring.
But Rowan's storm had bought Jonathan time, had damaged the Mind Flayer, and created a gap that Jonathan was slowly increasing kept them seperate, and yet Rowan knew it would be a matter of time till the monster caught up. Rowan watched it, her powers flickering—strength returning, but slowly. She stayed in Steve's arms as he held her, blood drying underneath her nose as they watched the Mind Flayer advance, and Rowan prayed Alistair, El, Max and Mike had gotten away, that the adults were close to ending this, fuck she didn't believe in God, and yet she prayed this was almost over—
"Dusty-bun, you copy?"
Rowan jumped at hearing the unfamiliar voice that came through the walkie in Robin's hands. But any confusion she felt was cleared up when Dustin said, "I copy, Suzie-poo. It sounds much better now, thanks."
As one, Rowan, Steve, Robin and Valerie looked at each other.
"Suzie," they said in unison, and despite her exhaustion and fear, Rowan smirked.
