Heartbroken//Mileven

Chapter 31

"You can't protect her from everything kid, you can't protect her forever."

Mike, exasperated throws his hands up and faces Hopper, thoroughly annoyed after their argument. They're alone in the bedroom, Hopper waiting on the bed as Mike paces frantically around the room.

 They needed to figure out what was wrong with Eleven, and fast. 

Hopper gets up and places a hand on Mike's shoulder, then awkwardly pulling him into a hug. Mike resists and pulls away, sulking back to the wall. Hopper sighs,

"Kid-"

"Just stop, I don't need pity from anyone, especially not you."

Surprised at how cold Mike had just become, he sits back down on the bed and takes his hat off, tosoling his messy hair. He raises his eyebrows as Mike glares at him, seething.

"Kid-"

"My name is Mike."

Hopper rolls his eyes and smiles painfully despite the tension in the room.

"Mike then; do you want to tell me what's going on? Or are you gonna stick with this whole Lone Ranger shit every time I try to talk to you?"

Mike still had his back to him, and Hopper tries to restrain the annoyance in his voice. He was pissed, no one treated him like this, especially not a kid.

"Don't turn your damn back on me, Mike look at me."

Mike cringes and rolls his eyes again, absolutely done with the chief, done with pity, just done in general. All he wanted to do was scoop up El and run away with her; run so far that not even the Demogorgan could find them.

"Look, Mike, all I'm trying to do is help. I want to help El just as much as you do, but I want to know first that you're okay."

Mike laughs, recalling the intense pain in his abdomen that had been throbbing since their trip to the Upside Down. He pulls his shirt up jokingly and is met with horror and Hopper yelling for help.

"Nancy get in here!" 

 His vision gets fuzzy as he pulls his hand away and finds black pus covering his skin; drawing vomit from his empty stomach. 

The bile rises in Hopper's throat as he tries to catch a faint Mike. As his hand connects with the wound he covers his mouth as he retches at the stench of rotting flesh.

Nancy bursts through the door seriously alarmed. She crouches down to Mike, tears welling in her eyes as she places a hand on his writhing shoulder. She gently brushes the hair out of his face,

"Mike, Mike what happened?!"

She desperately looks to Hopper who, continuing to vomit, provides no help at all.

Dustin, Lucas, and Max run in, confused at everything happening in front of them. Dustin notices Mike's stomach and retches;

"Shit shit shit, what the hell happened here?"

Lucas confused helps Nancy hold down Mike's arms as they flail, his chest heaving as he fights for breath. The silence is deafening as they wait for him to still.

El finally makes it passed Hopper and throws herself down next to Mike sobbing.

"El, El it's going to be okay-"

Nancy tries to pry her off Mike as Hopper storms in holding a medical kit. As he gets closer Eleven cries harder, shielding Mike from everybody.

  He grabs El's arm trying to pull her away from him, but she snaps, making him fly across the room. Nancy grabs her and tries to take control as Mike begins to writhe again.

"Eleven stop!" 

Elevens eyes roll back into her head as dark tendrils fall from her open mouth. Nancy lets her go in disbelief as she floats up, her body forming veins of darkness. 

Mike begins to float up next to her and the group scrambles to get him down, the force of her powers ripping him out of there grasp.

Max is lifted with him and screeches, causing Eleven to turn around. She floats right next to a suspended Max, their faces inches apart. Max is slowly overtaken by the shadow, her pupils overtaking her entire eye like El's.

Hopper blocks the kids, raising his gun shakily to the swirling shadow receding from the room. Nancy runs into the hallway after them, but they disappear as she reaches for them.  

She slowly walks back into the room, her hand dark with the shadowy veins. Dustin takes the bandage from the forgotten kit and slowly wraps her hand. Nancy's eyes are glassy and the whole room is on edge.

"at least nothing could get worse?"

Dustin nervously laughs. As Hopper shoots him a dirty look, they har the slam of a car door, or a van door. The Lab had found them.

As the children approach the cave, the shadow swirls happily, content with what it had achieved.

 Will whimpers from his hiding place as Eleven floats passes his view holding Mike and some red haired girl he didn't know. She was terrifying, the shadow had possessed her too.

Her feet touch down and the shadow pulls them inside its mass, disappearing from view. Will scrambles out of the rocks and looks around frantically for his friends. 

As he approaches the darkest part of the cave he sees the monster, and it calls to him. Reluctantly he steps forward, feeling the pull of its already increased power. 

This was the end.