Crush Culture [M.Wheeler]

[18] GOODBYE, FRIENDS

They frantically run through the school, praying that they wouldn't be spotted. "How did they find us?" Lucas whispers.

"I don't know, but they knew we were in the gym." Mike responds. "Lando." Dustin comments.

Suddenly, just before they make it out of the door, three soldiers walks in. They turn around, only to end up surrounded. Nori quickly transforms into the first person she sees, which happened to be the woman holding a gun.

Frightened, the woman shoots the girl's side, causing Nori to fall down before she could say anything, transforming back into herself.

"Nori!" Mike screams. Angered, El glares at the woman and soldiers, causing their eyes to bleed out, and them to fall to the floor.

Soon, El falls as well beside Nori. "Nori, El." Mike says worriedly. "Something's wrong."

"El's just drained. Tiny, what happened?" Dustin asks, taking her hand. "Fucking shot me." She groans out, tears streaming down as she feels the excruciating pain.

"I'm okay, just— just worry about El she says weakly. "Nori, you're bleeding out." Mike says, his vision blurring. "She's barely breathing. We gotta go." Lucas comments, looking to Eleven while Mike holds Nori's hand tightly.

"Leave her." A man shouts, walking around the corner. He glances down at Nori and Mike. "Well, if it isn't runaway." He smirks.

"What are you talking about?" Nori asks, barely above a whisper. "You were saved before we could complete the the experiment. You look, much, older.. now. I almost didn't recognize you." He explains, raising his eyebrows.

"Step away from the girls." Dr. Brenner orders, approaching the boys. While Dustin and Lucas stand up, Mike stays beside Nori.

"No! You want them, you have to kill us first." Mike says. "That's right!" Dustin nods. "Eat shit!" Lucas screams.

Suddenly, three guards come up behind them and pull them back. "Mike." Nori tries to get up, but Dr. Brenner holds her down. She's far too weak to protest.

Dr. Brenner lifts eleven, helping her sit up while he sits on the floor. "Eleven? Eleven, can you hear me?" He whispers.

"Eleven?" She opens her eyes. "Papa?" She asks. "Yes, yup, it's your papa." He smiles. "I'm here now."

"Stop, let her go." Nori cries out, clutching her hip. "Let her go! Let her go, you bastard!" Mike screams.

Eleven begins to whimper, looking down at the wounded Nori and the screaming boys. "Shh, shh, you're sick." Dr. Brenner whispers.

"You're sick but I'm going to make you better. I'm going to take you and subject 010 back home, where I can make you well again." He explains, looking down at Nori, who now seems too exhausted to keep her eyes open. "Where we can make all of this better, so no one else gets hurt."

"Bad." Eleven says. "Bad. Mike. Mike." She cries, reaching out to the boy. "Mike." The electricity spikes.

"Blood." Mike realizes, looking down at Nori, at all the dead soldiers, and Eleven's bloody nose. "What?" Lucas turns to him. "Blood." He repeats.

Suddenly, the wall begins to break, before a large creature comes out. The Demogorgon. The guards let go of the boys to shoot the creature.

While they shoot at it, Dustin goes help get Eleven, carrying her, while Mike rushes to Nori, helping her up and wrapping her arm around his shoulder while she drags herself along with him.

"Just hold on a little longer, okay? Just a little longer." He whispers. They run into a classroom, setting Eleven down onto a table, and seating Nori on the floor in the back. "Stay awake, alright. Stay awake." Mike says, holding onto her shoulders.

"I'll try." She whispers, a tear rolling down her cheek. Mike hesitantly nods to her, then walks off to Lucas and Dustin.

Nori can't really hear anything else they say. It just sounds like a ringing in her ear and distant yelling, continued by gunshots.

Her vision blurs, but she forces herself to stay awake. For Mike. She continues to tell herself. For Mike.

"Eleven, stop!" Mike yells, only to be pushed back, hitting the wall right beside Nori. Nori opens her eyes a little more, watching as El turns back to them.

"Goodbye, Friends." She says sadly. "No more." She holds up her hand, causing the Demogorgon to let out an ear piercing scream. They all cover their ears, before watching as the girl completely vanishes into dust.

They look up, finding no one. "El." Nori whispers, crying. "El! El? El!" The boys calls out, wondering where she could have gone.

"El, where are you? Eleven! El?" Mike cries. He turns around, looking to Nori. "Nori." He says, running to the girl and helping her up once again, handing her over to Dustin as he was strong enough to carry her.

"You can rest now, Nori. We're gonna get an ambulance." Mike says softly, his eyes watering. "Okay." Nori whispers, lightly shutting her eyes.

***

Nori wakes up in a hospital bed, surrounded by her parents and Steve. "Shit, Ellie." Steve smiles, instantly wrapping her in a hug. She winces when he touches her waist, causing him to quickly pull off. "Sorry." He chuckles.

"I was so worried about you." He sniffles. "Thanks, Steve." She grins. "Oh, sweetie, thank God." Her mother says joyfully, her father smiling as well.

"Who am I really?" Nori asks softly, shutting her eyes once again from exhaustion. "You're Eleanor Harrington." Her mother says.

"No, I'm not." She shakes her head. "We— We received you from an anonymous source. Someone left you on her doorstep and, we didn't have much to do." Her father explains, sighing.

"You what ?" Steve asks in shock, not remembering the incident. "We're sorry you had to find out this way." Mrs. Harrington says shamefully.

"It's okay, Mom. You're my family. Always has been." Nori smiles. "I wanna see Mike and the others. Is Will okay?" She asks, sitting up.

"Honey, Will is okay. You just had a very serious surgery to remove that bullet, you are not leaving this bed." The woman refuses, pushing her daughter back down lightly so she'd be on her back.

"I'll go get Michael and the boys, but you'll have to wait to see Will." Mr. Harrington comments, walking off.

Soon enough, the three boys enter cheerfully. "Nori." Mike smiles. When he goes to hug the girl, Steve puts his hand in front. "She's hurt. Watch it." He warns. "Sorry." Mike sighs.

"Tiny, you're okay." Dustin smiles. "What? Your friends call you Tiny?" Steve asks. "Steve, scram." Nori whines, shoving him away with her hands. "Go outside with Mom and Dad."

"Fine." He purses his lips, then walks out. "Will says hi." Lucas states. "I say hi back. I'm glad Will's okay." She nods. "Yeah, but you should be worrying about yourself now." Mike comments.

"Mike, I'm fine, okay? I promise." She grins.