Salt To The Wound (A Stranger Things Story)

Season 4-Chapter 11: Third Bulb (Maxs POV

Max wasn't the one to believe in supernatural things but she saw firsthand of Vecnas attacks with Troy and Stan and saw it through Argyle so this was very much real and she wondered who'd be next.

She and Lucas were walking when suddenly his nose started to bleed. "Dry weather?" He said and she smiled, "it is kind of dry" she said and they continued walking. They were on their way to monitor the gate to see if Vecna would strike anyone. They walked up to the mansion and smiled to each other and sat by the portal to wait.

"Max?" Lucas asked and she looked at him smiling, "what's up?" She said and he smiled. "Maybe after all of this is over we could go out officially like maybe to Disneyland" he said and she smiled. "Yeah Lucas I'd really like that" she said laying her head on Lucas' shoulder.

She turned to look at the portal and one of the third bulbs started flickering a little and then Lucas' nose bled. "Uhm Max I'll be right back" he said getting up and Max got up to follow him, she'd be dammed if she let anyone else die on her watch. He stopped and Max stood beside him. "What the fuck are you looking at?" She asked turning to look at Lucas and he breathed heavy staring at the wall. "Lucas what in the fuck do you have going on?" Max asked him again and he didn't respond. She then snapped in his face and he then turned to look at her. "Sorry it was nothing I was just-looking dazed out" he said and Max eyed him. "Okay?" She said and then she checked the time. "Our shifts up let's go back," she said still eyeing Lucas who seemed shook.

She tied her hair in a messy bun, put on her short blue shirt and a black leather jacket. She was almost positive something was off with Lucas, she walked outside and got in her car and drove over to his house. Driving there she passed the mansion and thought that she could make a quick stop to check out the gate. The third bulb was glowing then going out for a long period of time then glowing again. She rushed back to her car and got in to drive. She rushed over to Lucas' house and opened his door and he was fine. "What?" Lucas asked and she exhaled loudly. "Nothing" she said closing the door and sitting on the bed, she one of her hands on her forehead. "The way you barged in here, it seemed like you were scared of something" he said turning from his desk to look at her. "I'm sorry it just the gate-the nosebleed- I thought he was coming for you" she said and he chuckled. "Max don't worry, he's not coming after me I promise" he said and she smiled and nodded. "Well I'll see you later then Lucas" she said grabbing her bag and walked downstairs and outside. "Oh shit my airpods" she said walking back into the house and back to Lucas room and he was standing there looking out the window.

"Hey?" She said walking up to him shaking him. "Lucas wake up this isn't funny, stop playing games" she said shaking him. She then grabbed her phone and tried to open YouTube. "Shit shit shit work" she said trying to guess the password. She then grabbed Lucas' phone and used his finger to unlock it. She went to YouTube and saw the Playlist. She put on the headphones and played the song and then he started to float. "Fuck Lucas please" she said looking up at him and then his left arm snapped. "Lucas!" She screamed as his left leg snapped then his right arm. She screamed and then his right leg snapped and she fell aback. His eyes popped out and he fell down.

She held Lucas in her arms crying. El, Mike, Will, Dustin, and Troy all ran into the room seeing her crying. "He's gone" she said softly and El hugged her. "I'm so sorry" she said and Max hugged her back. Troy bent down and looked at Lucas, "the third bulb" he said tearing up a little. "We need to stay strong right now, we can grieve him after but now we fight" Troy said and Max looked at him. "I lost my boyfriend and I'm supposed to push it aside?" She asked and he looked at her. "I don't mean it like that Max you know Lucas was my friend. But right now we can't grieve him we need to be prepared Max" he said and she scoffed. "You know what fuck you Troy you don't understand what it's like to lose someone that close and for it to be partially your fault" she said and his eyes went wide. "My dad and my mom don't count?" He asked and she turned around. "No they don't count especially when you fucking hated them" she said and Troy inched closer to her. "That makes it all worse. When someone you thought you hated dies and it leaves such an impact on you. When you almsot fucking die to a curse you can't control. Max you act like you've been through all this shit but you haven't," he said and she glared at him. "Just because your parents died dosent mean you've been through shit" she said and he smiled. "You left out the part where my parents abuse me most of my life, where my first love betrays me and almost kills me, where I felt guilty for my parents death, oh and the part where I almost fucking died! Max we need to save the world and right now I'm offering myself for this and yeah maybe I don't care about my own life at all but I damn sure care about yours and everyone else's in this room and the entire group! So yeah we need to focus on the task at hand!" He yelled and she stood down. "You don't care about your life?" She asked and he crossed his arms. "That's not important right now let's just meet with everyone else and set our plan" he said exiting the room before anyone else could say anything and Max felt bad because out of anyone in this room Troy was the one having shit thrown at him left to right.