Stranger Things (Season 2)

Chapter 9: The Gate (Part 1)

At the Byer's house

El and Mike stared at each other, on the brink of crying. El never expected to see Mike in person again, along with the rest of them. Mike never thought that El were still alive. The two hugged each other.

"Is that?" Max asked, to which Lucas and Dustin nodded. "So, is anyone gonna fill me in on who this girl is?" Poppy whispered to the kids. "Her name is Eleven. She saved us from the Demogorgan last year" Dustin whispered back.

"I never gave up on you. I called every night. Every night for-" "353 days" El cut off Mike. "I heard." Mike was taken back by this. "Then why didn't you answer? To tell me you were okay?" Mike asked. "I wouldn't let her" Hopper came over, hugging El.

"You've been hiding her. You kept her from us this whole time?" Mike said, shoving him. "Hey! Let's talk. Alone" Hopper said, walking to a different room with Mike.

Hopper closed the door of the room they were in. "Protecting her!?" Mike raised his voice at Hopper, furious. "The more people know about her, the more danger she's in. And the more danger you and your family are in-" "Oh, so I should be thanking you?" Mike cut off Hopper, not lowering his voice. "I'm not asking you to thank me! I'm asking you to understand" Hopper said. "No, I don't understand!" Mike said. "That's fine. That's fine! Just don't blame her!" Hopper told him. "I don't! I blame you!-" "Well you know what kid? That's okay-" "No! Nothing about this is okay! Nothing!" Mike interrupted, punching his chest not too hard, but still hard. Hopper grabbed him and hugged him. "Stop it! Stop it! Shhh, it's okay kid. It's okay. I'm sorry, kid" Hopper said as Mike stopped fighting, just crying now.

Back in the living room the others were talking to El, glad that they were back. "We're glad that you are back" Lucas said as him and Dustin hugged her. El hugged back. "I missed you guys too" El smiled. They pulled away. "We talked about you everyday" Dustin chuckled.

El noticed something different about Dustin. She reached over to his face, checking his mouth. "What are you doing?" Dustin said. "Teeth...you have teeth" El smiled. Lucas snickered at this. "Oh yeah, like these pearls?" Dustin asked, purring at her. This made her jump back, while Lucas just gave him a look.

Max walked up to them. "Hi, I'm Max. I heard a lot about you" She said, extending out her hand to them. El looked at her hand, then back at her as she walked past her. She went over to hug Joyce. As Wl pulled away, she had to ask her if she could see Will. "Can I see him?" He asked.

They went in Will's room. Will was asleep, laying on his bed peacefully. "He's not doing so well" Joyce said. "I know. I saw" El said, sitting next to Will. "What else did you see?" Joyce asked. "The gate" El said. They then went to the notebook where they were deciphering Will's code. On the back it said

C-L-O-S-E G-A-T-E

"You've opened this gate before, right?" Joyce asked. El nodded. "So, if we get you back there, maybe you can close it?" Joyce asked. El looked at Joyce, then at Will. It wouldn't be easy, but she had to try to save them all.

Everyone was in the kitchen, trying to make up a plan on how to close the gate.

"It's not like it was before. It's grown. A lot. That's considering if we can even get inside, the place is crawling with those dogs" Hopper said. "Demo-dogs" Dustin corrected. Hopper turned his head towards him. "What? It's Demo-dogs. It's a play on word to-" "Dustin" The other kids interrupted him. That wasn't important right now. "Yeah, sorry" Dustin said.