The Byers Girl (On Pause until season 5)

Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer

Hopper is confronted by a juvenile demogorgon, the two separated by glass that Sam Owens claims it will not be able to break. Several more join it and the glass begins to crack, causing everyone in the room to flee. Owens puts Hawkins National Laboratory on lockdown and takes the stairs with Hopper, while the rest of the scientists take the elevator and are slaughtered by the demogorgons, who use the elevator to break into the lab's upper floors. Mike insists that Will be sedated, as the shadow monster can figure out where they are using him. Will violently protests, but Joyce sedates him when he hesitates when acknowledging who she is. Hopper and Owens arrive just as the demogorgons break in, and the group flees to a security room. The power goes out in the lab, sealing everyone inside.

Susan Hargrove returns home to find her daughter, Max, missing. She and her husband Neil ask her stepson Billy where she went, and Neil becomes violent when he dismisses them and decries Max as his sister, despite Susan's protests. He orders Billy to find her and leaves.

Steve, Y/n and the kids are walking in the dark looking for Dart.
"You're positive that was Dart?" Lucas asks.
"Yes, he had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt" Dustin says.
Y/n looks towards Max smiling.
"I know it sounds crazy right?" Y/n asks Max quietly.
"Totally!" Max says laughing.
"Yeah I didn't believe it at first either but it's all true unfortunately" Y/n says sighing laughing.
"He was tiny two days ago" Max says confused.
"Well, he's molted three times already" Dustin says.
"Molted?" Steve asks confused.
"Molted, shed his skin to make room for growth like hornworms" Dustin says.
"When's he gonna molt again?" Max asks.
"It's gotta be soon, when he does, he'll be fully grown or close to it, so will all his friends" Dustin says.
"Yeah, and he's gonna eat a lot more than just cats" Steve says.
Y/n looks down sadly remembering what happened to Mews.
"Wait, a cat?" Lucas asks stopping Dustin from walking.
"Dart ate a cat?" Lucas asks loudly.
"No, what? No" Dustin says nervously.
"What are you talking about? He ate mews" Steve says confused.
"Mews? Who's Mews?" Max asks confused.
"It's Dustin's cat" Steve says.
"Steve!" Dustin says loudly.
"I knew it! You kept him!" Lucas says loudly pushing Dustin.
"No!" Dustin yells back.
"No..I...No..I, he missed me, he wanted to come home" Dustin says frantically.
"Bullshit!" Lucas yells angrily.
"Lucas, Language" Y/n says calmly.
"I didn't know he was a Demogorgon, Okay" Dustin says.
They argue back and forth until Steve stops them having enough of listening to their argument.
Steve hears the screech of demogorgons and they all head towards the sound, identifying it as coming from the lab.

Owens explains that someone needs to reboot the computer system to unlock the doors, and Bob Newby, the only one who knows BASIC, volunteers to go. Bob and Hopper take the ID and radio off a dead guard and Hopper gives him his gun, ordering him to come back to them if anything goes wrong. Bob tells him not to wait for him if he gets the doors open.

Nancy and Jonathan arrive at the lab to find the gate locked, and they meet up with Steve, Y/n and the kids. Bob successfully reboots the system, allowing the group outside to get in. A demogorgon starts descending the stairs near where Bob is, but Bob, guided by Owens, lures it away by turning on a nearby sprinkler system and leaves without Hopper's gun. Feeling responsible, Owens stays behind to guide everyone to safety, and the rest of the group hurries for the exit.

Bob has a near miss with a demogorgon and hides in a closet to escape it, but alerts it when he knocks a mop over. He makes it to the exit just in time to find the rest of the group, and stops to smile at Joyce. The demogorgon bursts through the door and attacks him, and Hopper, respecting his last wish, drags a horrified Joyce out of the building and escapes, taking the group outside with. Bob's body is feasted on by several demogorgons.

Back at the Byers house, Hopper uselessly tries to call for backup before sitting with a miserable Joyce in silence. Mike notices one of the puzzle games Bob brought over and shows it to the kids, telling them that Bob was the founder of the Hawkins Middle A.V. club and that they need to avenge him. When an exasperated Dustin states that they cannot because of the army of demogorgons (which he has dubbed as "demodogs" in their juvenile state) the shadow monster has, Mike realizes that they are all intrinsically linked to him, and that defeating the monster will defeat the demodogs. Dustin compares the shadow monster's hive mind consciousness to a Dungeons & Dragons creature known as the "mind flayer," a being from another dimension that enslaves species with its psychic powers because of its own perceived superiority. Y/n waits by her mom's door wanting to comfort her but decides to give her space sighing sadly and walking away. Joyce emerges from the bedroom and agrees that they have to kill it to save Will and avenge Bob. Mike realizes Will can tell them how to stop it, and that they can safely get answers if they obscure his location.

The group clears out the Byers' shed and covers the walls. Nancy thanks Steve for protecting the kids and Y/n, while Dustin apologizes to Lucas for keeping Dart and Mike insists Max knowing the truth does not mean she is part of the group. They tie Will to a chair in the shed and shine bright lights in his face to obscure his vision, and Hopper wakes him up while Joyce, Jonathan, Y/n and Mike watch. Max asks what happens if the Mind Flayer finds out where they are, and Lucas says it will be "judgement day." Will reacts violently when he wakes up and makes the lights flicker until Hopper restrains him into exhaustion. Now somewhat calm, Will listens as Joyce tells him the story of her hanging up a drawing he made on his eighth birthday at her workplace, Jonathan and Y/n telling him about the day their father left when they built Castle Byers together in the rain, and Mike telling him about when they first met in kindergarten. Will still insists on being let go, but Hopper notices he is tapping morse code into the chair with his finger. They continue to regale Will with stories that are personal to them involving him, and the morse code is translated into "CLOSEGATE".

The house phone rings and Will realizes where they are. They sedate him again and the group arms themselves as they hear demodogs approaching, but suddenly hear the dogs being killed off. One is thrown through the window, and the front door opens by itself, revealing Eleven. She and Mike look at each other, both of them becoming emotional.

To be continued...