The Mutants (Stranger Things Fanfic)

22

A/n: This chapter mention abuse/child abuse, you have been warned. 

"What the hell?" Steve mumbled as he, Robin and Eddie were looking over at the photo that Nancy and Jonathan showed to them. It was of Billy, Nancy, El, Will and Max standing around Billy's new car, but right behind them was what looked like a monster huddled around all of them with its mouth looming over El and Will. 

"At first we thought-- you know, Billy might have transform into his monster side during the photo as a joke... but we looked again and--" 

"Billy's still in the photo." Robin interrupted Nancy as her finger tapped against Billy's face. 

"Which means that it's Jonathan's power through the device trying to tell us something. But I don't know what it's trying to warn us... I mean it seems like it's warning us about... something." Nancy pointed out before sighing, not liking not understanding any of this. 

"That's the only part I hate about my powers, they don't really answer in terms we can understand." Jonathan grumbled to them. Eddie pulled the photo closer to him. 

"What I don't understand is why does this creature looks so much like Billy's monster side? And-- and why is it looming so close to Will and El?" Eddie asked, circling his finger around El and Will's face. 

"Yeah, I really don't like how close it is towards the kids. Especially with its mouth literally inches away from their heads." Robin mumbled while rubbing her arms. 

"Do you think it's specifically them that this creature is going to target? And what of the creature? Is it trying to tell us Billy is going to somehow get separated from his monster side and it's going to get on the loose... or is this another creature and it just happens to look like Billy's monster side? Worst case, it is Billy going to be taken over by his monster side." Nancy questioned, her head spinning out of control. 

"Wouldn't it then be around Billy more?" Robin asked. 

"I'm not sure what to make of it; but you can bet, whatever this is, we're not going to let it hurt any of the kids." Steve stated to them. 

*small time skip* 

"Oh, hey Max, how was school?" Susan asked as soon as Max came trotting into the house. 

"It was the same old, same old." Max explained, setting her skateboard down against the wall before walking over to the table and began to pull out her homework. Susan nodded before picking up a plate of cookies and made her way over to the table. She knew this was going to be uncomfortable for the two of them, but Susan needed to be sure about Billy. 

"Can I ask you something about Billy and you?" Susan asked before setting down the plate and taking a seat. Max looked over at Susan with a confused look in her eye. 

"Sure..." Max finally answered. 

"Is everything okay between the two of you?" Susan asked. 

"Yeah." Max answered between working on homework. 

"I was curious because this morning was the second time I found Billy in your bed.... is there anything you want to tell me?" Susan asked her. Max's eyes widened before shaking her head that she didn't want to speak. 

"It's okay to tell me anything, you're safe with me." Susan assured her. 

"I don't really want to talk about it... nor would Billy like me to tell you." 

"Tell me what?" 

"Nothing." 

"Max, it's okay to speak freely to me. I just want to know that I am doing everything I can to make everyone feel like they are safe here." Susan told her. Max fumbled with her pencil a few second; tears beginning to flood her eyes as she tried to blink them away. 

"Before the lab..." Max started, "when Billy and I were in California... when we were still living with Neil..." 

"Neil? Who's Neil? Is he your father?" Susan asked. 

"We don't call him that. But yeah... He was a miserable, mean drunk. He would beat both us up-- Billy got the most beatings-- it seemed like he hated Billy more. Sometimes when Neil got so drunk, he'll stumble his way into my bedroom just to drag me out of bed and beat me. It got to the point he would almost do it almost every night. Billy then started sleeping with me so when Neil came to hurt me, Billy was there to take the beatings so then I could run away and get to safety." Max explained, a few tears dripping down her cheeks, "He would scream at the top of his lungs and we would scream out in pain... people could hear us, I know they could because they would look at us with pity, sometimes even see the bruises... yet no one would do anything." 

 Susan didn't know what to say. She was expecting some kind of answer, but she wasn't expecting that answer. She wanted to say something, but the words were caught in her throat and she was frozen to her very seat. Max suddenly stood up from her seat. 

"May I be excused," She asked. Susan nodded her head as Max hurried up to the bathroom; leaving Susan wondering what does she do now.