𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

x. hawkins lab.

      

      DUSTIN SET down the map with the drawing and the other four surrounded him, waiting for him to explain. "So, my telemetry tracker picked up a weird frequency coming from the wall, and it took me a bit to place, but I've heard it before. Rather, we have." The Henderson explains, turning to look at Jonathan who's standing to his right, as Nancy looked at them, and Steve and James shared a look, "remember when we were out looking for Hop and you heard that sound off of Irwin Road?" Dustin then asked the Byers.

"Yeah. You said it was interference." Jonathan answered the boy. "It was. But this inference, it wasn't coming from a military broadcast or an EMI." The Henderson explained, as he glanced at Nancy, then at James and Steve who were all listening. At least the Wheeler and the Hopper were, the Harrington was staring at the paper. "It was coming from this wall, which is important, because that gives us three known locations. So, I connected the dots, measured the midpoints, drew the perpendicular bisectors--" "alright! Yeah, we're not your teachers. We don't need to see your work." Steve exclaimed, "we get it. You think it's all a big circle." He then turned around to walk away.

"I don't think. I know. I triple checked, and my calculations are correct." Dustin told the Harrington who was now sitting down at the church pew he had been sitting on with James. "Jesus, whatever! I still don't see how this gets us any closer to finding Holly." Steve told him. "Because it's not about the circle. It's about the center." Dustin pointed to the map as Jonathan took the flashlight, leaning closer with both Nancy and James on either sides of him. "The DOE. The Department of Energy." Jonathan turns to look at Nancy to his right.

"That's--" "Hawkins Lab." James looked at Dustin who had leaned over, stepping between the Hopper and the Byers to point at the map. "What are the chances that the center of this wall just so happens to be in the very place where all of this started, where the Upside Down was created?" The Henderson told them, pointing at the map to exaggerate his point.

"So, the lab created the wall?" Jonathan said as he looks at the map again and Dustin shrugs. "No idea. But I think we should find out." The Henderson said, looking at Jonathan and Nancy, then at James. "Don't you?" He asked as they all glanced around at one another.

James was walking ahead of everyone the whole way to the lab, quiet and looking around. He felt hyper alert and nervous everytime he was here, not that it was a lot. He's constantly looking over his shoulder, looking behind them and to the sides, because he keeps thinking some Demogorgon will appear out of nowhere and attack them. Even if he and Nancy were both armed, holding shotguns, one had been in the back trunk of the Beamer and Nancy had to use the other one to plunge the tracker into the Demo. "For precautions." He had told Steve when he set the gun into the trunk.

And turns out, he was right and he definitely needed it. He was fiddling with the ammo in his pocket, touching the rims of the shotgun shells and feeling even more nervous at the thought of possibly having to use the damn gun. Even with all that training, he still felt incompetent and like as if he'd do a terrible job, that his three friends and boyfriend would get torn apart by a Demo before he can even try.

"Hey. You okay?" Nancy asked suddenly, glancing up at him as they walked through the woods and he quickly glanced to her. He nods his head, giving her a smile before looking away. The Wheeler girl glanced back, to where their boyfriends were walking in the back with Dustin. She looks at him again, "sorry about Jonathan." She says and he shrugs. "It's okay." He glances at her and she just smiles.

"I mean, it's a little awkward sometimes... isn't it?" She questioned and he just gave her a glance again. "I mean... I guess it is sometimes. I kinda stole your boyfriend. Your boyfriend stole you from mine. But it's bound to make things awkward." He remarks and the Wheeler chuckles softly, glancing away. "I guess so." She said and the Hopper glanced over.