suıʞʍɐɥ oʇ ǝɯoɔlǝʍ sƃuıɥʇ ɹǝƃuɐɹʇs

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Bait

A/N: This chapter is really summed up. I just wanted to get something out. This story is done for now. But I will be back to do season 4. It's just that season has so much too unpack and I'm a little overwhelmed with other stories. Sorry it took so long.

We opened the bathroom door and looked out waiting for the perfect time to blend in the crowd that was coming out of the theatre. "And... blend," Dustin said. We walked out of the bathroom and blended into the crowd with no problems. Steve grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers. Eric and Dustin walked in front of us and Robin. "Well, shit that worked," Erica said. "Of course it worked. Now we just have to get out to yn's car while the rest of these plebes get on the bus. The home sweet home, here we come," Dustin said.

"Uh, Dustin?" Steve said and Dustin turned to look at him. "Yeah, we might not wanna go to your house," he said. "Why not?" I asked. Steve looked over at me, "well, I might have told the, your full name." Dustin and I looked at him with wide eyes. "What is wrong with you?" Dustin asked. "Dude, I was drugged," Steve told him. "So?" I said. "So?"

"So, you resist. You tough it out. You thought it out like a man," Dustin told him. "Oh, yeah, it's easy for you to say," Steve shot back. "Guys," Robin said and I looked at her. Then we all looked at where she was looking. There was a Russian close to the doors. "Abort. Abort. Abort,l Dustin said. We turned and ran the other way. We came to the escalators, which were blocked off. Robin went first and slid down the middle of escalators. Steve, Dustin, and Erica right behind her. I went after Erica just barely getting away.

When we were all at the bottom we ran and hid behind the counter of one of the food stands. We could hear footsteps getting closer to us. We jumped when the alarm to the display car went off. Dustin was gripping onto my arm. We heard crashing and peeked our head over the counter. The Russians were laying on the ground and the car was on its side in front of one of the other food stands.

Then we looked the other way and saw El, Mike, Lucas, Max, Nancy, and Jonathan standing on the second floor. We ran around the counter and met them at the bottom of the escalators. Dustin laughed, "you flung that thing like a Hot Wheels!" He said to El. "Lucas!" Erica said. He looked at her, "What're you doing here?" He asked. She pointed at the four of us, "aka them. It's their fault."

"True, yeah. Totally true. It's absolutely our fault," Steve said. "I don't understand what happened to that car," Robin said. "El has superpowers," Dustin said, pointing at El. "I'm sorry?" She asked. "Superpowers. She threw it with her mind. C'mon, catch up," Steve told her. "That's El?" Erica asked. "Who's El?" Robin asked. "I'm sorry, who are you?" Nancy asked Robin. "I'm Robin. I work with Steve and YN," she told her. 

After everything was explained about what happened with us and what happened with the others Joyce and Hopper showed up. We met a man named Murray and we came up with a plan.

The Battle of Starcourt

The mindflayer we found was made up of people from the town. It was just a huge blob of melted people. Max told us that Billy was possessed by this mindflayer like Will was last year. They tried to get him back but it didn't work and he got away.

While Joyce, Hopper, and Murray went down to the Russian lab, Steve, Dustin, Robin, Erica, and I had to go to the hill where Dustin set his radio. We would need to help them navigate. We were thrown keys and walked out the doors to see a convertible with a front plate that said "Toddyfather."

"Toddfather?" I asked. "Oh, screw Todd! Steve's her daddy now," Steve said. We got in the car. Robin and the kids in the back, me and Steve up front. "Did you just talk about yourself
in the third person?" Robin asked. "Did he just call himself daddy?" Erica asked. "Never do that again," I said. "All right, where are we going?" He asked. "Weathertop," Dustin told him. "Weather-what?" Steve asked, confused. "Just drive," Dustin said. "Okay. Jesus!"

When we got to where Dustin told us Steve tried driving the car all the way up the hill. That did not go as planned. We helped Hopper to navigate and then we saw the lights flickering in the town. Steve, Robin, and I rushed back to the mall. When we got there Billy was barreling towards Nancy and Jonathan. Steve pressed on the gas and ran into the side of Billy's car. "You guys alright?" He asked us. "Ask me tomorrow," Robin said and I nodded.

The mindflayer wasn't far from us. We had to draw it away so we hopped in the station wagon and started driving away. Luckily it started following us. On the way we heard Dustin come over the radio. He was talking to Suzie. Then he started signing. "What is he doing?" Steve asked me. "I have no idea." After they were done she gave him the number he needed.

"It's turning around!" I said. Nancy whipped the car around and we rushed back to the mall. It was a full on fight after that. While we were up top launching fireworks at the mindflayer, El was fighting Billy until she was able to knock him out of it. That's when I stopped and looked down to see him standing and stopping one of the tentacles with his hands.

"Wait, YN! Stop!" Steve yelled when I ran off to go down stairs to Max. I pulled her into me as we watched the mindflayer slam its tentacles into Billy.  It had slammed one through his chest before it stopped and died. They had closed the gate. Billy fell to the floor and Max pulled out of my grasp. Her knees hitting the floor beside him. I went over with her as she begged him to stay away. "I'm sorry." Those were his last words before he took his last breath. I held onto her as she cried, El coming over to join the two of us.

The military finally showed up and got everyone out of the mall. Ambulances sat outside and medics took care of the injured. Billy wasn't the only person that we had lost. Hopper died too when the laser, that was keeping the gate open, exploded.

Three Months Later

It's been three months since Starcourt Mall. Joyce made the decision to pack up and leave Hawkins. El would be going with her. I was there helping pack everything up with everyone else. Well besides Steve and Robin. They were going to go apply at Family Video. I had gotten a job at the record store beside the video store. Lucas and Max were teasing Dustin about the song he and his girlfriend were singing. When everything was packed up we said our goodbyes and watched as the Byers and El drove off. "Come om, let's go home," I said. The kids got into my car and we left, following Nancy down the road.