Stranger Things (That Go Bump in the Night) (Fanfiction)

Chapter 18: Hero or Monster

After Mike and Dustin left Lucas' house, Lucas prepared to search for the gate and for Will.  He gathered his compass, radio (just in case), binoculars, and the wrist rocket.  He ties a cameo army bandanna around his head and grabs his bike to begin his search, but as he was coming out of the driveway, he frowns when he sees a van outside his house.  It was a Hawkins Power and Light company.  A repairman comes out of the van and waves at him with a friendly smile.  Lucas didn't see anything weird about it so he takes off to follow the compass.  

Mike and Dustin began their search for Eleven as they ride their bikes through town.  But both of them carried a feeling something was missing.  And they knew what.  Lucas.  Dustin couldn't shake the feeling off and Mike was still being stubborn. 

"This is weird without Lucas." Dustin says. 

"He should've shaken my hand." Mike states. 

"He's just jealous." Dustin says. 

Mike frowns, "What are you talking about?"

Dustin sighs, "Sometimes, your total obliviousness just blows my mind. He's your best friend, right?"

"Yeah..." Mike shrugs, "I mean, I don't know." He says, unsure with how things are now. 

"It's fine. I get it. I didn't get here until the fourth grade. He had the advantage of living next door. But none of that matters. What matters is that he is your best friend. And then this girl shows up and starts living in your basement, and all you ever want to do is pay attention to her." Dustin points out. 

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is. And you know it. And he knows it. But no one ever says anything until you both start punching and yelling at each other like goblins with intelligence scores of zero. Now everything's weird." Dustin states. 

"He's not my best friend." 

Dustin chuckles and scoffs, "Yeah, right."

Mike sighs, "I mean, he is, but so are you. And so is Will."

"Can't have more than one best friend."

"Says who?"

"Says logic."

"Well, I call bull on your logic, because you're my best friend, too." Mike states. 

Dustin slowly grins into a full smile, happy with hearing that, but soon, the smile drops as they both ride through town and see the local deputies at the grocery store and a crowd was watching the commotion.  They were talking to a man who looked like he was describing a person.

"Whoa." Mike exclaims as they see the broken automatic door and glass all around the parking lot.  

Dustin looks over to Mike with a worried look, "You don't think..."

Mike pants in worry, "Uh... definitely."

They knew Eleven has been here, then that must mean that she wasn't far.  They both take off to search for her.  Seeing that the store was close to the woods, maybe she was in there.  As they rode past the store, neither of them realized they had eyes on them. 

Meanwhile, Lucas takes his bike up a small hill and walks with it as he keeps his eye on the compass.  But when he looks up, he stops as he sees a long tall fence in his way.  It carried barbed wire at the top.  He looks at the compass, seeing the needle pointing the way but the fence was his roadblock.  He looks left and right, trying to see if there was a way around the fence, but it was incredibly long.  

"Oh, man." Lucas groans and begins to try and walk around the fence.

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