HEART FLAYER | b. hargrove

CHAPTER 034.

July 4th, 1985 (Later the Same Day)
(my fav sad Billy edit for this chapter I'M SORRY)

They found their way to the second floor of the mall, staring down at armed men who were slowly approaching where their other friends were hidden. Arwen cocked her head, making the alarm go off on the car that sat below. The armed men slowly looked up to see them all standing there and she flicked her chin forward which caused the car to fly into them and crush them. Dustin, Robin, Steve, and Erica slowly crept out from their hiding place. The rest of them ran down the escalators - with El being helped along - to greet them.

Arwen threw herself into Robin's arms and Steve hugged onto both of them in a group hug for a moment.

"Thank God you guys are okay," Arwen sighed but took in their roughed-up appearances with a raised brow as she pulled away. "Well... mostly."

"What just happened to that car?" Robin asked with wide eyes and pointed a thumb back at the vehicle that had just flown.

"Oh, uh... yeah..." Arwen rubbed the back of her neck with a cringe. "About that..."

"Arwen and El have superpowers." Dustin established for her.

"I'm sorry?!" Robin sputtered as she glanced between the two empowered sisters.

"Superpowers," Steve reiterated. "She threw it with her mind. Come on, catch up."

"My best friend has super powers and everyone else knew but me?!"

"Actually, Eddie doesn't know." Arwen tried to reassure her with a sheepish grin.

They all began to bounce back and forth in conversation about all that had happened within the two groups of people. Apparently, they'd found out that Russians were working beneath the mall to reopen the gate with some machine. Which was what Dustin was trying to tell them over the radio. Arwen noticed her sister wandering off and goes to her.

"El... what's wrong?"

Eleven then collapsed with tears in her eyes as she whimpered. "My leg. My leg..."

They all immediately understand and Jonathan goes to lift her bandage. They all flinch at the sight; it's gotten so much worse and now something is moving beneath her skin. Eleven screamed in pain.

They began to frantically try and figure out a way to get that thing out from inside of her. Jonathan ran off and returned with a knife and gloves. They sat Eleven up a bit with Mike holding her as she bit down on a piece of wood and Jonathan started to try and cut it out of her.

"Stop! Stop! Jesus fucking Christ!" Arwen yelled at him, being unable to continue to watch this. He removed the knife and El kept yelling in agony. The sound was gut-wrenching. "This is gonna suck, okay?"

Arwen tried to warn her as best as she could but another scream rips through El's throat as the eldest sister used her powers to rip the little creature out of her leg. The force of both of their powers combining shattered the store window behind them.

The creature began to crawl off until a large boot stomped down on top of it. Arwen's eyes snapped upwards to see it belonged to Hopper. Joyce and Murray stood behind him and she let out a broken sob at the sight as she weakly got to her feet. The girl throws herself into the arms of her father and for a moment just allowed herself to feel his comforting embrace.

After some time, they are all gathered in the main hub of the mall and began to swap information. Eleven and Arwen sat on either side of their father as close as they could possibly be to him, the man's arms draped over his daughters.