DARE ME →MIKE WHEELER← DISCONTINUED

→the gate←4.5

Mike starts to pace back and forth. lucas was helping max sweep up the glass from the broken window. "mike would you just stop? lucas asks. "lucas you weren't in there. that lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs" he says. "demo dog!" dustin corrects him. "the chief will take care of the dogs" lucas assures him. "like she needs protection" max chimed in.

steve walked in the living room joining the conversation "listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. all right". "okay, first of all, this isn't some stupid sports game. and second, we're not even in the game. we're on the bench" mike says.

"so my point is...right, yeah, we're on the bench, so, uh, there's nothing we can do" stave says tossing the rag onto his shoulder. "that's not literally not true at all" bella joins in. "so basically these demo dogs they have a hive mind. so remember when you almost got your face ripped off but then they were called away" she adds.

"if we get their attention..." lucas adds on as well. "then maybe we can draw then from the lab" max reinforces. " we can clear a path to the gate" mike says. "yeah, we all die" steve says. "well that's one point of view," dustin says. "no that's not a point of view, man. that's a fact" steve explains.

"i got it!" mike says walking around the house explains how the tunnels work. he goes into the living room and stands on a big blue circle he called the hub. "maybe if we set this on fire" mike starts but is interrupted by steve "oh? yeah? that's a no"

"the mind flayer would call away his army" dustin says. "they'd all come to stop us" lucas adds. "then we circle back to the exit," bella says. "guys!" steve says trying to get their attention but was completely ignored. "by the time they realize we're gone—" mike starts. "el would be at the gate," max says. "hey. hey! hey! this is not happening." steve says clapping and placing his hand on his hips.

"but—" mike try to argue. "no, no, no, no, no. no buts. i promised i'd keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what i plan on doing. we're staying here. on the bench. and we're waiting for the starting term to go their job. does everybody understand?" steve says.

"this isn't a stupid sports game" mike yells. "i said does everybody understand that?" he says taking the rag off his shoulder to emphasize his point "i need a yes". an engine sound comes from nearby and both max and bella both get a pit in their stomach knowing exactly who that was.

"oh this is not happening" bella say. max walks over to the window to see her brother car pull up into the driveway. "it's my brother. he can't know i'm here. he'll kill me. he'll kill us" she says. the tires come to a screeching halt. billy steps out "am i dreaming, or is that you, harrington?". "yeah it's me. don't cream your pants." he says in monotone voice.

billy slams the door shut and walks up towards steve. "what are you doing here, amigo" billy says. "i could ask you the same thing. amigo" steve says. "looking for my stepsister. a little birdie told me she was here." he says. "huh, that's weird. i don't know her" steve says shaking his head. "small? redhead? bit of a bitch?" he says. "doesn't ring a bell. sorry, buddy" he says. the kids slowly sneak their way back to the window to see each this whole exchange.

billy shakes his head a couple of times "you know, i don't know, this ... this whole situation, harrington, i don't know. it's giving me the heebie-jeebies" billy says putting out his cigarette. "oh, yeah? why's that?" steve asks. "my 13-year-old sister goes missing all day. and then i find her with you in a strangers house. and you lie to me about it." billy says leaning in slightly.

steve let's our an awkward chuckle "man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what? i don't know what you don't understand about what i just said. she's not here" steve says. billy leans again closer and points behind him "then who's is that?".

steve turns around and see all five kids in the window. they gasp and duck again "shit! did he see us?" dustin says. "oh, shit. listen—" he starts but is stopped when billy pushes him to the ground. "i told you to plant your feet." billy says before kicking him. steve lets out a groan of pain as billy walks past him into the house.

he walks towards the kids "well, well, well. lucas sinclair. what a surprise." he says slamming the door shut and waking up to him. "i thought i told you to stay away from him, max" he says to her. "billy go away" max says. "you disobeyed me. and you know what happens when you disobey me. i break things" he says before picking up lucas and slamming him into a wall.

the kids all break out into pleas of asking billy to stop. billy tells lucas to stay away and lucas says "i said get off me!" he yells kneeing him in the dick. "ooo you are so dead,sinclair! you're dead." he says.

steve comes out of nowhere and turns billy around and says "no. you are." before punching him in the face. billy just laughs. lucas walks over to the group and they embrace him in a hug. "looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh? i've been waiting to meet this king steve everybody's been telling me so much about." he yells. "get out." steve says poking him.

billy goes to throw a punch but steve ducks right in time and responds with his own punch. "yes' steve kick his ass, steve!" dustin cheers on. "get him!" mike yells. steve's starts throwing punches as the kids cheer him on. billy grabs onto a plate and smashes against steve head as he laughs. billy punches steve and pushes him towards the living room. steve looks around dazed. billy grabs onto steve "no one tells me what to do!" he shoving steve onto the ground. "whoo! get up!" billy yells walking over to him and starts beating the hell out of him. he throws punches left and right and steve just lays there.

the kids scream for help or for anything. max notices the syringe that put will to sleep. she grabs it and sticks him in the neck with it. he stand-ups and pulls it out and starts to wobble towards her. "the hell is this? you little shit, what did you do?" he asks before collapsing. he lets out a laugh. max grabs steve bat and puts it up. "from here on out, you leave me and my friends alone. do you understand?" she says.

"screw you" he says. she swings the bat hard right between his legs. he picks up his head and looks at it. she pulls the bat out of the floor and yells "say you understand! say it! say it!". he licks his lips and says "i understand". "what?" she says. "i understand" he says again before closing his eyes. she drops the bat and grabs his car keys "let's get out of here"