𝘿𝙍𝙄𝙁𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 - Max Mayfield

50. Mordor

"A deal?" Orochimaru's voice sounded next with a light chuckle. "Are you trying to bargain your way out of dying?"

"Quite the opposite, actually" Aiden said, looking up to see himself faced by the crazed ninja. "I'll give myself up if you leave Max alone.. she has no part in any of this"

"Give yourself up?" Vecna tilted his head. "Why would you want to make it that easy for us?"

"Because I know how powerful Orochimaru is," Aiden replied. "There's no point in fighting if I'm just gonna end up dead either way.. you'll both need me for different things, right? Killing me would let you open the last gate.. and Oro wants my powers. It's a win for both sides.. except me obviously"

"You'd really leave your precious little friends?" Orochimaru asked.

"They'll find a way to stop you... They always do" Aiden smiled a little. "So do you crazies want me or not?"

The snake-like man gave a sinister smile to his partner... The boy seemed to be telling the truth. "Of course... But not too quickly. I'm not a monster... we'll give you a few days to say your goodbyes. It's the least we can do for being so cooperative"

"Oh,how kind of you," Aiden smiled a little. "I mean,come after me and leave the rest of them alone... If you so much as give Max another headache,I will chase after both of you like a possessed animal, whether I die or not I'll take you both down"

"You have our word" Orochimaru let out an amused chuckle.

"Good,now get the fuck out of my head"

The two figures started to dissipate into clouds of mist as they exited the boy's subconscious.

Aiden looked to his left and sure enough, Max was still there.

"You okay?" The ginger looked concerned. "You zoned out for a minute"

"Yeah,yeah" Aiden nodded,not about to let the girl read his body language. "I'm good... Just thinking"

"Some things haven't changed at all" Max shook her head with a smile. "You still got your head in the clouds,even at a time like this?"

"I can't help it" The 16 year old shook his head.

Soon enough, Aiden's flashlight started to blink, catching Lucas and Max's attention.

"Aiden...?" Lucas asked.

"He's here," Aiden nodded. "Hey guys! Look at this!"

Dustin and the older teens all gathered around the boy as his flashlight kept blinking a few times before dying out. Immediately, Robin's flashlight started blinking the same way.

"Is he moving?" Robin asked before her flashlight died down the same way Aiden's did. Then Steve's flashlight came on.

"Looks like it"

Each person's flashlight followed that sequence as they all stood in a circle,then suddenly everyone's flashlight came on at the same time,the lights much brighter than usual.

"Everyone close your eyes," Aiden said,his voice frantic.

"Why?" Nancy looked at him.

"Just do it!"

Before he could finish the sentence, each flashlight exploded at once,the glass flying everywhere and causing everyone to shield their eyes. A second later, the lightbulb above them exploded as well.

Aiden's head immediately began pounding again, although at this point he was getting used to it. As his hand travelled to his head to soothe the pain, he realised that one more person had been killed.