Salt To The Wound (A Stranger Things Story)

Season 4-Chapter 9: Preperation (Mike's POV

The group needed to prepare for this fight but none of them really knew how but Mike knew exactly who did, Karen. Did he really want ot talk to her? No, but did he want to save everyone's life? Yes.

"Explain to me why we are talking to the worst human alive?" Will asked and Mike turned. "Karne is an expert at survival and preparation. If anyone can help us to use a gun, she can." He said and Will nodded. He knocked on the door and Karen swung the door open and looked at him. "What do you want?" She asked and he looked at her. "Can you please show me, will, lucas, Max, and Troy how to use a gun?" He asked and she smiled. "You want something from me?" She asked and he rolled his eyes. "Karen please this is the world at stake" he said and she opened the door wider and went to her room and pulled out a locked chest. She unlocked it and there were about seven different handguns in here all different kinds. "I've always waited for the day to teach you how to use these" she said closing the chest and leaving the room and the two followed her.

"Karen?" Dustin and Kucas said while Max glared at her. "Shes going to help us prepare" Will said and she unlocked the chest. "Grab one your choice" she said and they all grabbed one. She put up bottles around the room. "Okay so one don't hold out your arms like that have them angled and keep both of your eyes open." She said and everyone did what she said each one aiming at a different glass bottle. "When you first shoot a gun the sound will cause your ears to ring." She said putting on headphones on each of them to protect them. They all shot at the bottle only Mike and Max hit their target. "Nice first shot, Will a little lower, Lucas a little to the left, Dustin a little bit more up,"she said and they did what she said and the rest hit their target. "Great," she said and they continued to practice for the next few hours until they were all proficient with their aim.

"Okay so you might think swinging a knife if easy but you need to be able to swing fast and hard enough to cause some damage" Karen said and the five nodded. "Show me how you all swing" she said and so they did. "Horrible aside from you Dustin" she said going to each of them to tell them what they did wrong and so they corrected it and a few hours after that they were proficient. "Great yall are all prepared" Karen said handing them each some ammo for their weapon. "Thanks Karen" Mike said and she smiled. "Sure" she said picking up her stuff and leaving and Mike was happy that she was willing to help so easily.

The group walked around trying to figure out where El was as Hopper wasn't telling them much. They went to Terry's house to see if she was there and they knocked and Terry answered. "Hello?" She said and Mike looked at her. "Where's El?" He asked and she shrugged. "No clue," she said and Max eyed her, "Let us in so we can find out" Max said and she shook her head. "I legally don't have to let you in unless you have a warrant" she said and they pushed her inside walking in and they split, Max, Mike, and Will going downstairs and Lucas and Dustin going upstairs. There El was with something on her head and suddenly the coke can they saw on the table suddenly was crushed and El was now bald. She took off the headpiece and her nose was bleeding she wiped it and looked at them. "You aren't supposed to be here" she said and they eyed her. "What the fuck just happened?" Troy asked and El looked at the can, "I have powers" she said reaching her arm and pulling a remote to her and the five were in shock.

"Wait so you've been training this power of yours?" Mike asked and she nodded. "I had to awaken it for our next fight against Vecna" she said and they nodded. "How long have you been doing this?" Will asked and she turned on her phone. "Past week or so" she said and then Mike smiled. "Great we could maybe use that against Vecna" he said and she nodded. "I'm good mom, I'm ready to leave now" she said and Terry nodded and so they left the house.

They walked down and saw the mansion from earlier and it was glowing. They ran into it and one of the bulbs on the portal was blinking blue. "What the?" Mike asked and then Eddue called him. "I don't know man I mean Argyle he's I don't know!" Eddie said yelling at Mike through the phone. "He's what Eddie?" Mike asked confused at what Eddie was saying and then he turned on his camera and Argyle was floating. "At first I thought he was joking with me and then he started floating! What do I do?" Eddie said and that's when Argyles arms and legs started snapping. "Agggghhhhh" Eddie screamed dropping his phone and then Argyle fell on the floor. Eddie picked up his phone, "he's-" Eddie began to say, "Vecna" Mike said and the orb that was blinking blue was now completely blue.

"He's halfway complete with his mission" Nancy said and they nodded. "We don't know when or who he's going to strike next" Mike said and Troy looked at him. "I'm still cursed," Troy said and everyone looked at him. "This dimension, it's called the upside down. I can get to it and maybe Vecnas hiding there. If that's the case we can bait him into striking one of us and attack him that way and save the world." El said and everyone looked at her. "He's not just going to strike me unless I'm the last one we also can't just get someone killed," Troy said and they nodded. "So we wait until he strikes again" Mike said and they agreed.