blackbird | mike wheeler x reader

the flea and the acrobat

I lay down on the couch next to El as the boys discussed the event at school. "What was Will saying? Like home... Like home... but dark?" Mike sighed. "And empty," Lucas adds. "Empty and cold. Wait, did he say cold?" Dustin asked. "I don't know. The stupid radio kept going in and out," Lucas retorted. "It's like riddles in the dark," Dustin sighed. "Like home. Like his house?" Mike asked. "Or maybe like Hawkins," Lucas suggests. "Upside down," El mumbled. "What'd she say?" Lucas questions. "Upside down," Mike whispered. "What?" Lucas asked. "Upside down," he repeats, walking over to the board. "When El and y/n showed us where Will was, they flipped the board over, remember? Upside down. Dark. Empty." Mike explained as the boys walked over to the table. "Do you understand what he's talking about?" Lucas asked Dustin. "No," he replies. "Guys, come on, just think about it. When El took us to find Will, she took us to his house, right?" Mike asked. "Yeah. And he wasn't there," Lucas retorted. "But what if he was there? What if we just couldn't see him? What if he was on the other side? What if this was Hawkins and... this is where Will is? The upside-down," Mike explained. "Like the Vale of Shadows," Dustin added.

"The Vale of Shadows is a dimension that is a dark reflection or echo of our world. It is a place of decay and death. A plane out of phase. A place of monsters. It is right next to you, and you don't even see it," Dustin spoke eerily. "An alternate dimension," Mike added. "But... how... how do we get there?" Lucas asked. "You cast Shadow Walk," Dustin explains. "In real life, dummy," Lucas retorts. "We can't cast Shadow Walk, but... maybe she can," Dustin mumbles, referring to me. "Do you know how we get there? To the Upside Down?" Mike asked. I shook my head, no. "Oh, my god!" Lucas sighed.

As the boys went to the funeral, El and I stayed in Mike's basement, waiting for them to get back.

time skip

"It would take a lot of energy to build a gate like this. But that's gotta be what happened. Otherwise, how'd Will get there, right?" Mike exclaimed. "Right," I reply. "What we want to know is, do you know where the gate is?" Lucas asked. I shook my head, no. "Then how do you know about the Upside Down?" Lucas quizzed. "Dustin what are you doing? Dustin?" Mike calls. "I... I need to see your compasses," He exclaimed. "What?" Lucas asks. "Your compasses. All of your compasses, right now!" He demanded. The boys throw their compasses on the table, "What's exciting about this?" Mike questions. "Well, they're all facing north, right?" He asked. "Yeah, so?" Lucas continued. "Well, that's not true north," Dustin reasoned. "What do you mean?" Mike asked. "I mean exactly what I just said. That's not true north. Are you guys seriously this dense? The sun rises in the east, and it sets in the west, right? Which means that's true north." Dustin explained. "So, what you're saying is the compasses are broken," Mike rewords. "Do you even understand how a compass works? Do you see a battery pack on this?" Dustin sighs. "No," Mike replies. "No, you don't. Because it doesn't need one. The needle's naturally drawn to the Earth's magnetic North Pole," Dustin corrects. "So, what's wrong with them?" Lucas asks. "Well, that's what I couldn't figure out, but then I remembered. You can change the direction of a compass with a magnet. If there's the presence of a more powerful magnetic field, the needle deflects to that power. And then I remembered what Mr. Clarke said. The gate would have so much power--" Dustin stated "It could disrupt the electromagnetic field," Mike blurt. "Exactly," Dustin exclaimed. "Meaning, if we follow the compasses' north..." Lucas starts. "They should lead us to the gate," Dustin smiles. El and I's eyes widen as we realize what was happening.

As Lucas and Dustin walked ahead, Mike, El, and I walked behind them. I could tell El was using her powers because she kept wiping her nose.

"Mike," El blurt. "Yeah?" he asked. "Turn back," She pleads. "What? Why?" he asked. "I'm tired," She explained. "Look, I'm sure we're almost there. Just hold on a little longer, okay?" Mike sighed. "Oh, no," Dustin blurt. " 'oh, no'? What's, 'Oh, no' ?" Lucas asked. "We're headed back home," Dustin panted. "What?" Mike asks. "Are you sure?" Lucas questions. "Yeah, I'm sure. Setting sun, right there. We looped right back around," Dustin explained. "And you're just realizing this now?" Lucas quizzes. "Why is this all on me?" Dustin asked. "Because you're the compass genius!" Lucas exclaimed. "What do yours say?" Dustin asked. "North," they shout. "Makes no damn sense," Dustin breathed. "Maybe the gate moved," Mike sighed. "No, I don't think it's the gate. I think it's something else screwing with the compasses." Dustin corrected. "Maybe it's something here," Mike suggested. "No, it has to be like a super magnet," Dustin explained.

"It's not a magnet. El's been acting weirder than normal. If she can slam doors with her mind, she can defiantly screw up a compass," Lucas groans. "Why would she do that?" Mike asked. "Because she's trying to sabotage our mission. Because she's a traitor!" Lucas sneers. Lucas walks over to me. "Guys, what are you doing?" Mike asks. "You did it, didn't you? You don't want us to reach the gate. You don't want us to find Will," Lucas hisses. "Lucas, come on, seriously, just leave her alone!" Mike calls. "Admit it," Lucas demands. "No," El murmured. "Admit it!" he repeats, grabbing her arm and looking at her sleeve. "Fresh blood. I knew it," he groans. "Lucas, come on!" Mike shouts. "I saw her wiping her nose on the tracks! She was using her powers!" Lucas explains, "Bull! That's old blood. Right, El?" Mike asks. "Right, El?" He repeats. "It's... not... it's not safe," she cried. "Listen to her," I beg.

"El, what do we do?" I ask. El points to the boys. Mike and Lucas tackled each other to the ground, Mike landed on top of him. Dustin and I yell, but Lucas wasn't paying attention. He climbed on top of Mike, pinning him to the ground. I use my powers to remove Lucas off Mike. El used hers to throw him into a piece of metal. I look at El, shocked at what she just did.

"Lucas! Are you all right?" Mike pants. Dustin and Mike tried shaking him awake, but he wouldn't budge. "Why would you do that?" Mike shouts, turning to face us. "What's wrong with you? What is wrong with you?" He yells. "You guys, okay?" Mike breathed as Lucas sat up. "How many fingers am I holding up?" Dustin asked. "Let me see your head," Mike reached out for him. Lucas slapped his hand away. "Just... Lucas. Lucas, let me see," Mike continued. Lucas stood up. "Get off me," Lucas cried. "Lucas, come on!" Mike called after him. "Just let 'em go," Dustin sighed. When nobody was paying attention, El ran, grabbing my hand and taking me with her.