MARLEY // Max Mayfield

Billy (E)

A blue ball rose and fell in the air, Marley catching and throwing it as she leant back on her chair, Max right behind and Eleven beside her watching the ball intently. They were in a contemplative silence, Hopper rubbing at his mouth as he thought up a new plan. They needed to close the gate, but the gate was surrounded by an army of monsters, it all seemed hopeless.

"It's not like it was before. It's grown, a lot. I mean, that's considering we can get in there, the place is crawling with those dogs," Hopper eventually spoke, leaning up against the kitchen counter.

"Demodogs," Dustin supplied, turning in his chair.

Hopper stared at him, his brows furrowed in confusion, "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, uh, demodogs. Like Demogorgon and dog," Dustin explained, Hopper clearly didn't care but Dustin hadn't seemed to notice. Marley smiled at the boy's obliviousness and tossed the ball over to Eleven who caught it with her powers, "You put 'em together, it sounds pretty badass-"

"How is this important right now?" Hopper interrupted. Eleven chucked the ball back and Marley grinned, tossing it up to Max, the redhead took and looked down at her quizzically, only to find her motioning over to Eleven encouragingly.

"It's not, I'm sorry," Dustin apologised and hung his head. Max looked to Eleven, smiled and then gently tossed her the ball, she caught it but immediately threw it back to Marley, an indifferent look on her face.

"Worth a shot," Marley shrugged, leaning her head against the knuckles of Max's hand, wrapped around the top of her chair.

"I can do it," Eleven declared, looking at Hopper.

"You're not hearing me," Hopper stated shaking his head. He didn't want her to go. Didn't want her to be put in danger again.

"I'm hearing you. I can do it." She was overflowing with confidence.

"Even if El can, there's still another problem." Mike started, stood right next to Hopper, "If the brain dies, the body dies."

"I thought that was the whole point," Max said. She was clearly confused.

"It is, but if we're really right about this...I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the Mind Flayer's army-"

"Will's a part of that army," Marley interrupted, gripping the ball hard in her hand, her knuckles going white, "He'll die..."

"Closing the gate will kill him," Mike finished.

The group fell into an uncomfortable and tense silence, none of them knowing what to say next, that was until Joyce stood and left the room, heading to Will's bedroom. The rest of the group followed after her. It was cold and made the party shiver, everyone except Marley who had felt worse temperatures in the Upside-down, Max and Eleven stood on either side of her, rubbing their hands down their arms to get warm.

"He likes it cold," Joyce mumbled and approached his window.

"What?" Hopper questioned.

"It's what Will kept saying to me, he likes it cold," She slammed the window closed, "We keep giving it what it wants!"

"If this is a virus, and Will's the host, then..." Nancy looked down at Will.

"We need to make the host uninhabitable," Jonathan finished, clasping Will's hand in his own, Marley moved over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. The Byers were her second family, she grew up with them and seeing them in so much pain and disarray made her angry for them.

"So if he likes it cold..." Nancy's trailed off and Marley leant forward, placing her burning hot palm on the boy's forehead.

"We need to burn it out of him..." she concluded, staring down at her childhood best friends body.