Tʜᴇ Sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ Sʜᴇ's Kᴇᴘᴛ | Mɪʟᴇᴠᴇɴ (Sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀ Tʜɪɴɢs)

◇Chapter 005◇

"Um." Mike looked down at his shoes. "Sorry, Hopper, sir. I just-"

"It's fine kid, whatever." Hopper picked up a hazmat suit. "I'm going to find her." He pointed at Steve. "Harrington, keep an eye on the kids. Wheeler, you and your friends watch the monitors to make sure I dont die."

"But I want to help!" Mike complained.

Hopper pulled on the suit and sighed. "You are helping! Just keep an eye on that camera monitors and tell me where to go. Understand?"

Mike nodded and sighed as he and the party walked into the control centre. Mike opened the moniter and could see the vines and and oddly coloured sky. Hopper extended his hand through the tear and it opened wider as he walked through it and into the Upside Down.

"Can you hear me?" Hopper called through his walkie-talkie. He began to walk through the destroyed land of Hawkins.

"Loud and clear, Hopper," Steve replied as he and the kids watched the moniters intently.

Hopper knelt onto the ground and looked at a pool of blood that had begun to stain the grass a deep red, "Fresh blood," he called out, making Mike's stomach drop.

"P-please keep looking. There's movement about 5 meters away from you. My house is a few streets away, maybe go there. El might be hiding there or at your house."

Hopper began walking through the Upside Down, his gun in hand. Low, yet familier growling erupted in the distance making Dustin gasp. "Dustin, what is it?" Will asked nervously.

"Demodogs," Dustin replied as the growling grew louder."Hopper, run!"

Two figures moved swiftly in the darkness and began moving towards Hopper. He aimed his gun at the figures and fired, instantly making them fall to the ground with a whine.

He took a deep breathe and began walking through the terrain, his eyes gazing around intently. Hopper kicked open the door to the Wheelers' house, only to be attacked by another demodog and dropping his gun.

"Shoot it!" Max screamed through the microphone.

"Grab the gun and shoot it!" Lucas shouted. "It's literally right next to you!" Hopper punched it in the face

"Just kill it!" Will said as Hopper struggled to push the monster off of him.

"Kill that motherfucker!" Steve yelled as they all took turns yelling at Hopper.

"You have a gun! Use it!" Mike shouted.

"Stop being a useless dickhead and shoot it!" Dustin yelled.

"You aren't helping, y'know!" Hopper yelled back and finally managed to grab his gun and shoot the monster, making everyone sigh in relief. "Y'know, you guys are useless."

Hopper continued to walk through the house, calling El's name, but got no response. "Check the basement," Mike instructed as he went down the stairs and looked into the fort, only to find it empty. The basement door was wide open and a trail of footsteps were scattered through the dust.

"She's been here," Hopper said. "Recently." He brushed his fingers through the dirt on the floor.

"C-check my house," Will spoke up, refusing to look at the screens. "I found some supplies when I was... You know... There, and I hid the stuff in my house. She might have found it and is hiding there."

"On it," Hopper said as he began to walk cautiously. Just then, the moniters glitched and went black.

Steve's eyes landed on the gate that had begun to move slightly. A low growling noise came from the rip in the wall as Hopper hid behind a house. The sky above him had turned red and a shadow had covered the area above him.

The shadow hissed and vanished into the sky as the red tint on the clouds vanished. Steve gripped his bat tightly as he looked at the rip carefully. "Stay here," he said to the kids as he began to walk out of the control room and onto the main floor of the room.

Hopper walked into the Byers' house slowly, his eyes darted around at the mess. "El! Eleven!" he called as he opened the doors. "Kid, where are y-" His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at the floor below him, "Shit..."

"Hopper, what happened?" Mike asked nervously, panic filled his heart.

"I-I found her." Hopper's voice cracked as he looked down at the unconscious form of El. The vines that had trapped Hopper in the tunnels were now wrapped around El, pinning her to the floor. Her skin was pale and the veins on her arms and neck were dark. El looked dead.

"I-is she okay?" Mike whispered, earning no response from Hopper as he began to cut the vines off of El's body.

"Holy shit!" Steve yelled from below them as 4 demodogs ran out of the gate. Steve whipped out his bat and began fighting the monsters, while everyone, except for Mike and Will cheered for Steve.

"Lets go Steve!" Max cheered.

"Kill them!" Lucas yelled.

"Stab that motherfucker!" Dustin laughed.

"Is this what happened while I was gone?" Will asked quietly and Mike nodded, still not paying attention.

"H-hopper?" El asked softly, her eyes still closed.

"Yeah it's me kid, now dont talk, you're going to be okay," Hopper replied and smiled gently at the young girl.

Hopper finished cutting El out of the vines and was carrying her back towards the gate. Her heart was beating faintly and her breathing was slow. "How's everything in the lab?"
he asked.

"Everything's great! We're just hanging out! I got this under control!" Steve yelled as his smacked the last demodog into a wall and wiped slime off of his bat. "Take that you Upside Down shithead!" He kicked a demogorgan corpse triumphantly. "No one messes with Steve Harrington!"

The gate opened as Hopper walked into the lab with El in his arms.

Mike gasped when he saw El's body, "E-El!" He ran out of the control room and to Hopper as he laid El down on the floor.

Mike wrapped his arms around her as the old pain and emotions hit him like a wave. He had missed her so much and this moment felt like a dream. "I-I thought I lost you again," Mike whispered shakily into her ear as he struggled to keep his emotions and tears from spilling.

"I-I'm home n-now," El said breathlessly as she lightly wrapped her arms around his neck. "I-I-" She groaned and closed her eyes as pain filled her mind.

Mike pulled her into his chest and hugged her gently as her cold body shook slightly. He intertwined his fingers were her cold ones and held her close. The love of his life was back, and she was here to stay.

Eveything had to be okay now. It couldn't get any worse... Right?