Time After Time - Max Mayfield

xi. haha we're all gonna die

a/n: I just need to finish this season, ive already finished writing it but i dont wanna post it all at once lmao

The shed was set up like an interrogation room, well, as close as possible with their very limited resources.

Everything had been taken out of the shed, and Izzie meant everything. Hopper had even dragged the workbench onto the back lawn.

The walls were covered with paper and cardboard, even tinfoil, anything they could find. Will was tied to a chair that was tied to a support beam in the middle of the shed, still unconscious. Another chair was set in front of Will for someone to sit in. Both chairs were completely covered in cardboard thanks to Max and Izzie.

They had also plugged in a bunch of bright lamps, shining them towards Will.

Izzie, Joyce, Hopper, Mike and Jonathon were all standing behind the lights, preparing themselves to wake Will up.

Izzie could feel her heart beating through her chest.

She wished Max was there, but she wasn't, so Izzie gripped Mike's hand. An understanding passed between them.

"All right, you ready?" Hopper asked.

Joyce nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Hopper crouched down in front of Will, soaking a cotton ball with bleach. He held it under Will's nose, and his head shot up with a gasp, eyes wide open.

He looked around the room frantically, and either he or the Mind Flayer, Izzie couldn't deduce which, seemed to figure out the situation.

Will started thrashing, trying to break the ropes holding him. "What? What is this?" His voice was so hollow, it didn't sound like Will at all.

"Why am I tied up?"

Joyce stepped forward and crouched down in front of him. "Will, we just wanna talk to you. We're not gonna hurt you."

He didn't respond. "Where am I?"

Hopper crouched down beside Joyce and held up Will's drawing of the Mind Flayer.

"You recognise this?" He asked. Will didn't respond.

"Do you recognise this?" He asked more forcefully. Will shook his head no.

Izzie hadn't really grasped what was happening before, but seeing Will look so lost was so scary. She hated that despite looking right at him, her best friend wasn't there.

"Hey." Joyce said softly. "We wanna help you. But to do that, we have to understand how to kill it."

This was not the right thing to say, as Will started thrashing again.

"Why am I tied up? Why am I tied up?" He kept yelling, over and over. He was trashing so harshly Hopper had to hold him down.

Then the lights started flickering. Mike gripped Izzie's hand so hard she had to hide her wince.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Will's voice started fading out, something else taking its place. It sounded demonic. That wasn't Will.

He kept screaming, so much that Joyce buried her face in her hands. She was crying.

Izzie stepped forward so Will could see her, and he stopped.

He was panting from his screaming fit, but a small smile took its place on his face when he saw her.

"Izzie." He breathed.

She smiled hesitantly, crouching down beside Joyce. Izzie put one hand on the woman's back, her other on Will's knee. She would've held his hand but they were tied behind his back. He was freezing.