Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Mike brushes his thumb ever so gently over his and Will's binders, worn from years of use. The bold color of their names, in yellow and blue, sticks out hauntingly. Mike can't bring himself to think of anything else at this moment.

He's been holding back tears for the past few minutes, but lets them slide the second he hears Will make it to the top of the basement stairs. He shouldn't see this, Mike being vulnerable and so open with his feelings. All of them were crying and Mike almost broke himself when Will tearfully asked ‘And the storyteller, what about him?’.

A part of him, the one that he vowed to bury in a dark corner of his mind, wants to call out his name just one more time. Mike wonders if Will would rush back down here, meet him where he needs to be, and try to fix this. 

But that bitter part of him, the one that lives in his head front in center, thinks it's better this way. Better to hide who he truly is and his feelings deep down.

Mike reluctantly drops his arm to his side, allows himself one more glance at his and the party's binders, and slowly walks up the creaky wooden stairs leading out of the basement.

He's almost at the top when Holly, Derek, and their group of friends, their own party, goes stomping down the steps, pushing Mike to the side without a care in the world, and ready to start a new adventure.

“Jesus, watch out!” Mike huffs out annoyed, voice a bit rough from holding back his tears for so long.

“Jeez yourself! You said you'd be done over an hour ago!” Holly complains loudly and quickly delves into teaching the rowdy group of kids the magic of D&D.

So this is it? Mike thinks bitterly. This is what life is just supposed to be? Mike wouldn't say he's surprised, really, he's not.

He knows his friends had it worse, especially El, Will, and Max. But he has also been through more horrific shit and insane sci-fi encounters than anyone at the ripe age of twelve years old and up until their late teens should ever have gone through. Hell, he's lost more people in the past five years than he'll probably ever lose again for the rest of his life.

Which is a more recently developed fear, a fear he's had for months now.

Because to lose something you have to actually have it in the first place. Mike knew this was coming, he just needed to prepare himself for it, embrace it.

Embrace the loneliness that is waiting to, ironically, accompany him for the years to come.

And really? He has no one to blame, but himself.

Months ago he silently watched on, almost hopeful, as Will came out to his family and their friends. Will was terrified, so scared, of what Vecna showed him would happen if he did come out, which wasn't true. They all love Will, especially his family and the party.

But Mike saw himself, that could be him, he could just do that? And at best everyone would show the same love and acceptance back and at worst, well at least Mike knows he'll still have Will by his side. Coming out just never crossed his mind before, because why would it? He's been taught since birth by his parents and society that he should only follow one very simple guild. Find a nice girl, get a nice job, have a few kids, and be happy.

Except Mike tried that.

He tried to love El with his whole heart and in a way he did. She was special. But not in the same way she had hoped Mike would ever love her. They had problems for years and tiptoed around them until they would explode and kept exploding until the spring of ‘86 when another recurring explosion became something they wouldn't recover from.

They're relationship was never built on love, no, it was built on the stepping stones of Mike's own cowardly will to try and be normal and both of their trauma that binded them. Then toss in a dash of multiple conforming comments from some friends and family, and BAM! The most twisted concoction that built a failing relationship.

And if Mike was being really honest with himself, he knew the second Will left in Jonathan's beat up Ford LTD to California, he was truly and utterly fucked.

Because he realized way too late, he was in love with his best friend. His best friend that in the same breath he bravely came out with, also admitted to liking someone else. Which confused Mike to no end, even now. Because he could have sworn Will… loved him. In the time between visiting California up until Will came out, Mike had felt like he was picking up signals.

At least that's what one of Holly's gushy teen magazines he found in the living room some months after the quarantine started, had said. And you tend to notice things once, said form of affection begins living under the same roof as you.

But Mike guesses that stupid magazine had been wrong because, well… Will said so. And if Mike was a braver man he would just rip off the band aid and simply ask Will.

Ultimately, Mike did what he thought was best. Found a smidgen of a second to apologize to Will for things he said years ago in the heat of the moment, made sure to emphasize that he still wanted to be best friends, and decided to take the coward's way out.

He couldn't come out, that would be something Mike The Brave did, and he wasn't him. And he definitely could not tell Will he has very un-platonic best friend feelings for him. Not when Will mentioned there was once someone else.

So. Here he is now, standing at the top of the basement stairs, watching with misty eyes as Holly introduces her friends to D&D. Maybe their stories will be something they can share openly and boldly one day.

The second Mike leaves this basement, he knows what's waiting for him, just like he already told Lucas, Max, Dustin, and most reluctantly Will, what he thought was waiting for all of them outside this old basement door.

Everyone had left crying and Mike surely isn't any better. Tears begin to fall once more as he twists around and grabs the golden knob, walking through the door, to a future he guesses is for the best.

~*~

Except…

Where the hell is he?

Mike looks around frantically, letting go of the door handle for just a split second to turn around and check if Holly and her friends are still there, but everything is just gone.

There's nothing but an endless dark and echoing void with a couple inches of water that splashes around Mike's feet when he clumsily stumbles around.

“Will?!” It's the first name to slip while he panics and Mike fucking hates himself for even calling out the name of the man he was to much of a coward to actually tell the truth to.

Mike’s breathing picks up as he spins around in confusion. “Lucas, Dustin, Max!? ANYBODY?!” Nothing shouts back or even appears. Maybe he's finally lost his mind, after all time has been feeling like it's been slipping in odd directions for him recently. But Mike had chalked it up to the glaring survivors' guilt and depression that loomed over his head since El died. He's been dressing more like his dad for fucks sake, so really maybe he has gone insane.

He takes a second to steel himself, stopping his thoughts from spiraling any further, to the best of his abilities and actually thinks. He has heard about a very similar place before, El explaining that in her mind, when she would place a blindfold over her eyes, the space she went to was described looking like this. So could it be?

“E-El! El?!” He screams out into the black nothingness, hands cupped around his mouth. Trying a few more times, only to be met with his own distant cry bouncing off into the void.

That’s when he notices from his peripheral vision what he’s actually wearing. It’s the exact sweater and vest he wore all those months ago into battle… This can’t be.

“What did you think of all of that, Michael? Was it exactly how you imagined? Or did the future feel like a sort of fantasy that you'll never get to fulfill? Because I believe it to be the latter.”

He barely registers what's being said to him, his brain only filling with one thought.

Vecna.

Mike frantically spins around trying to pinpoint exactly where the deep voice is coming from, but the sounds only seem to bounce everywhere, never staying in one place.

“A loving, long-lasting romantic relationship standing the test of time.” Vecna begins to list off.

Max and Lucas's ending.

“Self-acceptance of one's interests and a loving, long-lasting best friendship.”

Dustin's ending.

“The bravery and comfort held in one's own identity, enough to pursue love and receive it back just as fiercely.”

Will’s ending.

“And to write a poetic story of how bravery won over fear."

And lastly his own. He feels like he's going to be sick. Tears begin to stream down Mike's face at the realization, mouth opening and closing, unable to say anything.

“Quite the masochist, considering you'll never have any of this. Isn't that right, Michael?”

Mike finds his voice timid and fragile. “Y-you're wrong…”

“But I am not.” Vecna says with the utmost certainty. “I even saw what you wanted the most out of all of that, something you think can change the entire ending if only you had it.”

Mike freezes and stares into the darkness.

“I saw you linger by the shelf, Michael. By William. But he can not save you from this fate, he can not magically solve all of your problems when he himself is weak."

“YOU'RE WRONG!” Mike screams from the top of his lungs, knuckles turning white with the force he closes his hands. “Will is not weak!” Mike practically seethes through his teeth. He already knows how pathetic he is, he doesn't give a shit if Vecna points out the obvious. But like hell would he ever let anyone, let alone Vecna, allude to Will being weak!

There's a shift in the air then and it feels like something forcefully holds him down. It becomes so suffocating that Mike feels like he can barely breath. He strains his eyes to look around, but there's still nothing, just the void.

“He is and so are you.” Vecna laughs so guttural, Mike could swear he feels the vibrations in his own chest. “Don’t you see, Michael? I gave you a sneak peak of your very own pitiful future, one full of hoping and wishing on broken dreams and silly little fantasies."

Wait. A sneak peak of the future?

The coldest chill rips violently across Mike’s entire body as he crashes onto his knees, the force that was holding him completely still lets him go. 

These past months were weird to say the least and now that Mike is thinking about it, time has been extremely foggy. The constant feeling of things not quite adding up, like their graduation when none of his classmates were acting right. Or when his father woke up from a coma, even though the last he had heard, his dad wasn't going to make it. How Nancy dropped out of college. How Hopper just magically gets his position as the Chief back. And how El’s escape made no sense even to himself.

But all of the pain and suffering felt so real though. What is happening? This all couldn't have been a vision the entire time, right? However, there’s a part of him, something so small and hopeful, that constantly thought that this past year and a half had all been some part of an elaborate hellish nightmare that he’ll eventually wake up from.

There's no way he was right…

Mike’s tears drop one by one into the shallow water, adding tiny ripples around him. “Where am I?” The question comes out as a whisper, but becomes louder with every following word, “You son of a bitch how was any of those 18 months not real?!” He’s practically screaming into the darkness, chest heaving so fast and sporadic.

“Oh, it's real. Just not yet. But wouldn't you rather know why I showed you all of this, Michael?” He toys around the subject.

Mike is shaking with so much force that he can see the shallow water below him begin to ripple much bigger than what his tears caused earlier.

“Because you’re scared we’ll beat your boney ass?!” He doesn't know what came over him or even why he just said that. Honestly he’s still scared shitless. If Vecna just put him through a trance that felt like Mike lived well over a year and a half, then who’s to say he won’t snap Mike’s bones right here and now?

Suddenly somewhere far far away is a desperate cry, “Mike! Mike, please!”

He recognizes the voice. Mike's heart shoots up to his throat at the sound of Will's frantic call.

Mike scrambles up, water dripping from his clothes, and shouts back. “WILL!” He quickly looks around for any more signs of Will and there it is, so far away, but Mike doesn’t even hesitate to sprint off towards a shimmering and ghostly light.

He doesn’t hear or see Vecna again which should unnerve him more than anything else, but that's a problem for later Mike, because right now the once tiny light is coming into view, becoming what looks to be some sort of portal, growing bigger the longer Mike runs.

It's cloudy around the edges and through it he can see himself, head snapped back, tears falling from his eyes, and shoulders shaking. But standing there right in front of him is none other than Will Byers. Without a second thought Mike runs through the vision-like portal.

~*~

“I got you…” A muffled voice is the first thing to come through Mike’s consciousness when he violently gasps and gasps again, trying to get as much oxygen as possible.

“I’m right here, it’s okay.” The same voice tries to sooth, even though the owner sounds strained.

Everything is freezing cold, except for a pair of warm arms encircling Mike’s shoulders into a tight hug. The air he sucks in like a life line is so tainted and thick, making him want to almost choke. There’s faint muffled sounds of far off chatter, shoes shuffling on grate and metal, cracks of static from a Supercom, and distant thunder can all be heard outside. But most prominent of all is the heavy pounding of a heartbeat coming from the boy that's cradling him so tightly.

And Mike can’t actually believe what he sees when he finally cracks open his eyes.

He’s back in the goddamn Upside Down, tucked inside the vine covered WSQK building, sitting on the ground, and with Will Byers holding him so fiercely, like Mike would suddenly float away any second.

What in the actual hell?

Why? Why is Vecna giving him a complete re-roll in a lost game that was supposedly played over a year ago now? No that was all a trance, Vecna said so himself…

So this is actually real. Fuck. Mike’s breathing begins to speed back up. It’s going to be all his fault if he fails. El’s death and Will leaving and finding someone else-

Mike being all alone, even in his own fantasy ending. He would have still been alone. He has nothing and everything to lose.

“It's okay, Mike.” Will tries and soothes once more.

Then it registers with Mike then, other than feeling the mind-fuckery that’s making Mike’s head explode, he realizes he's practically tucked into Will's arm, with the other's chin resting securely over one of his shoulders. The weight of Will’s body against his shivering own and the calming words being whispered into Mike's neck like a prayer, brings him crashing back to reality.

“Will…”

Will, the boy he failed so selfishly in the vision, the boy who came out and unintentionally gave Mike hope, only for Mike to crawl back into his metaphorical closet absolutely terrified, the boy clinging to him like Mike didn’t rip his feelings to shreds time after time, because he’s a coward.

Will, the boy he would never deserve in a million years

“Hey, it’s alright.” Will lifts a calming hand to Mike’s cheek, wiping a few tears that seemed to have fallen. When did he start crying?

“W-what happened?” He knows what happened. He knows. But Mike just needs this smallest bit of conformation.

“You and I, we went to grab some supplies we forgot before heading up the tower-” Will takes a deep breath, “and then you just… at first I thought you were just having a breakdown or felt overwhelmed with everything that’s going on.” Will tries to readjust Mike to lean up against the wall instead of himself, bringing distance between them that leaves Mike feeling a bit hollow. “I wanted to call for the others, Hopper’s group shouldn't be too far and the rest are just up the tower, b-but I couldn't just leave you.” He runs his palms up and down his clothed covered thighs nervously, at the confession. “It only lasted a couple of minutes, but you were crying and shaking so badly, a-and your eyes… it really looked like you went into a Vecna trance.”

Will starts crying then, fat tears race down his face, and Mike didn’t know his heart could break even more than it had in that vision.

“I was panicking, thinking about how we were so stupid not even bringing tapes for everyone just in case!” Shakily, Will shifts his watery eyes away from him and takes a few breaths to calm himself, only it doesn't work too well. Then quietly and so broken, Will admits “I thought I lost you, Mike.”

It hits him suddenly then, like someone just used Thunderous Smite with a critical hit right into his chest,

Will… he still cares for me. But why?

“What?”

“What?” Mike mimics back in confusion.

Will sniffles a bit, scrunching his brows in the same confusion. “You said I still care for you and asked why…”

“Shit, I said that out loud?!” They stare at each other for a couple beats, the Upside Down’s constant thunder rumbles low in the distance, before Mike finally breaks the silence “I mean, I guess I’m still confused.”

“About what?” The boy across from him asks slowly, all thoughts of a possible Vecna encounter vanish. Instead it’s replaced by something completely different, stirring in the air between them, similar to the little floating particles polluting the Upside Down. Mike watches as gears begin to shift in Will’s mind and his eyes switch to a look of hurt. Mike immediately wants to slam his head against the wall it's leaning on. “It’s normal to care about your friend, Mike. Unless, you don't see me as even a friend anymore-”

Mike frantically waves his hands, “No no no, that’s not what I mean, Will! I just…” Shit. Shit. Shit! “Tammy, who is he?” He rips the question off like a band aid.

Will’s eyes are practically saucers with how wide they become in surprise. “T-Tammy?” he stammers in disbelief and once again starts to rub his hand nervously along his thighs.

Is Mike actually starting this right here, right now?! Well it sure does beat what he saw in the vision; Mike practically sidelining his own feelings and declaring the two of them as ‘Friends? No thanks… Best friends’. He’ll make sure it does not end like that this time. He just has to be brave. Mike The Brave. It suddenly dawns on him then, the realization that’s always tickled the back of Mike’s head for quite some time now.

Maybe Vecna was wrong. Will does help, he makes Mike brave. He has always made Mike brave.

“When you came out you mentioned having a crush on him, but this whole time before that, I was thinking that maybe it wasn't some random person.” Mike speaks almost cautiously, not really knowing where exactly to start this. But Will does what Will does best, he waits and he listens with more patience than anyone ever shows Mike.

Mike takes another breath, trying to calm his racing heart, and tries again. “The painting. El had actually sent this letter, before I left for Lenora, she mentioned you were making a painting for some mystery girl you liked. And also El doesn't even know a single thing about D&D to begin with, so why would you say she commissioned you? A-and say how I made her feel better for being different, or how she’ll always need me when really she never did, at least not like that.” Mike’s eyes scan Will’s face frantically. “Then once we came back to Hawkins, El and I never talked about it and quietly separated. Then you and your family had moved in with mine, that’s when I started to notice all the glances and touches, shit- all the times we so much as sat in a room by ourselves over the past year, it all just felt different!” Will’s full brows shift upwards in surprise, mouth opening just slightly. “Then you came out… that’s when it all finally clicked for me. The painting, the touches, the glances, the signs, everything. At least I thought it all fit and clicked together like this intricate puzzle I've been working on for years. Then you mentioned this Tammy, and everything started to not fit quite right anymore.”

Will opens his mouth, but stops himself, still giving Mike the room to finish, even though he clearly wants to say something. Always so damn selfless, Mike thinks begrudgingly.

“But I honest to god had hoped…” Mike stops then and realizes both of them are breathing a bit faster, their chests rising and falling perfectly in sync, like their hearts are calling out to one another.

Will leans in closer, just a few inches and asks, “Hoped for what?” barely above a whisper while looking like he’s about to cry again, and even in the dim light of the Upside Down, that same littlest bit of hope still twinkles in his hazel eyes.

And fuck. He’s never been good with words, with feelings really, and what he’s about to do feels like the best way to get what he’s really feeling across to Will.

Almost like a trance, Mike slowly moves forward the best he can while still sitting, and gently cups Will’s strong jaw into his cold hands. He moves his thumbs, brushing away the single tear that managed to escape those beautiful eyes, Will closes then at the touch, long lashes brushing against his cheeks. Mike moves and bends his own head down slightly, while tilting the other boy's face upwards. They’re so close, only centimeters apart now, breaths mingling together like it's the most natural thing in the world, but Mike halts the movement. Time around them seems to slow while he waits for Will to suddenly yank away in disgust or reject him entirely, but he never does either of those things.

So, bravely, Mike carefully connects them both in a kiss.

He’s only ever done this with one other person, so really Mike wasn't ready for how different this would be when compared to the only thing he’s ever known. The kiss feels so right, more than right, it feels practically magical, like electricity is coursing through Mike’s veins, traveling to the tips of his fingers and down his whole body! The kiss is slow, only really moving on Mike’s end from how his body shakes so badly- he thinks he might pass out any second.

Mike suddenly hears and feels Will gasp a little into the kiss, which causes Mike to slowly pull back, not regretfully or even scared, but more so curiously. When he opens his eyes he scans Will’s face for any signs of discomfort, but there isn’t any. In fact it's the complete opposite.

Will's long lashes flutter open so slowly and carefully, like he doesn't want to wake up from a long and blissful dream.

So damn gorgeous, Mike thinks in wonder.

Will stares right back in practically the same type of wonder, looking at him like he’s the most incredible thing he has ever seen and Mike thinks maybe just maybe… Will does feel the same.

Gently, Mike slides his hands down and away from Will’s jaw, to his arms, and finally slides their hands together. His once cold and shivering hands now encompassed by a warm and calming pair.

Mike can do this.

“I hoped that you lov-”

“Will! Mike! Do you copy? What's taking so long? Over.” The static tones of a Supercom walkie, crackle to life from somewhere in a nearby backpack. Causing both of them to suddenly shift apart, like someone just caught them doing something they weren't supposed to.

“Shit! Shit! I-I forgot there was a walkie in here!” Will frantically scrambles to the two backpacks haphazardly laying near them and rumbles through the contents. He successfully yanks out the walkie and extends the antenna to respond. “Sorry! We're coming up.” He glances at Mike then, silently communicating that he'll keep whatever just happened between the two of them, for now. “Lost track of time. Over.”

Dustin’s voice crackles back to life over the walkie as he says, “Copy that. Over.”

And suddenly it’s just Mike and Will alone again, except there's so much left in the air between them. The already thick air of the Upside Down now feels much heavier since the two of them had kissed.

Mike’s brain actually begins to short circuit then in realization of what just happened. Holy shit he actually kissed Will Byers?! Will Byers, the boy he’s known and has been best friends with since they were five, the boy who’s been by his side through everything, the boy who he’ll never deserve in a million years still, but also the boy he might have a chance with.

He suddenly scrambles, very clumsily, to his feet, and feels the weight of something dragging against his waist. Glancing at the disturbance, Mike sees a sword sheathed safely inside its scabbard. Mike remembers when Murray was passing out weapons shortly after quarantine kicked in and crawls were becoming more serious; everyone got some sort of weapon training then. He had smuggled in the Longsword in a box of damn pool noodles, claiming it was for none other than Mike Wheeler himself.

Mike adjusts his sword belt to sit properly back onto his waist and calls out, “Will, hold on!”

The other stops and raises his eyebrows curiously. “Yes?”

“There’s actually something I do need to tell everyone. Something I have to fix, but I promise after all of this, after we make it home, we'll finish talking about this. A-about us.”

Us. Mike can’t believe he actually just said us.

Without hesitation Will nods, moves across the radio station where Mike stands, and shyly takes his hand in his own. “I can wait. Always.” He gives a reassuring squeeze before letting go, then slinging one of the backpacks over his own shoulders, and passing the other to Mike.

Their fingers brush briefly sending, what feels like, electric sparks shooting up Mike’s arm with just that simple touch. And when Mike glances down at Will’s face, he swears he notices a light spattering of blush dusted across as he turns to leave. Mike can't help but smile then, he knows he is just as red if not much worse.

But reality comes crashing down on him, hard and heavy.

If Vecna wants to play one last game then Mike is going to give it everything he’s got and make damn sure they'll stay two steps ahead. Not only for El and Kali, who lost their lives in that vision, but for his family, friends, and ultimately for Will.

~*~

Once both Mike and Will are back outside the WSQK, he holds Will back and asks for the walkie, which is passed to him, albeit with some confusion, but without question nonetheless.

Mike immediately sends out a code Red, explaining he needs everyone to meet back at the station as fast as possible. He’s met with concern more than anything, well other than Hopper who gripes that the Lab Team was about to arrive at the HNL and now has to drive all the way back, but this is more important than pissy Jim Hopper.

Will hasn’t stopped pacing along the gravel that litters the WSQK, shoes crunching along the loose rocks that would normally drive Mike mad at this point, but he can’t blame him. Mike was being eerily cryptic towards Will’s confused question asking ‘what the hell is going on?’. He wishes he could reach out and take Will’s hand again, firmly clasp it on his own, just to calm the other down. Or better yet, to keep Will from making even more of a dent into the ground.

It only takes about ten minutes for the beat up Humvee to come speeding into view, kicking up dirt and Upside Down dust in its wake. And just in the nick time, the rest of the group makes it down from the radio tower, none looking too thrilled.

He waits until everyone has formed some sort of impromptu semi circle around himself and Will, who has since stopped pacing and opted to keep his feet firmly planted by Mike's side.

“You said code red, so spill it, what is it?” Lucas asks between breaths, trying to catch his own from climbing half way up a radio tower, just to rush right back down. Steve, Jonathan, Nancy, Dustin, Robin, and Joyce, aren't much better, all suffering from the physically demanding task. Most of them have their hands on their hips or locked behind their heads, chests heaving for air.

“What I’m about to say may seem a bit insane, but I need all of you to listen and pay attention!”

So Mike explains from start to finish, everything he saw, everything Vecna showed him. Everything except the last bit with him in the void, they don’t need to hear all of that. Shockingly, no one interrupts him, they let him finish, all staring on in different states of disbelief, confusion, and even disturbance.

“I know it may seem crazy, trust me I thought it was too, but we can actually take this as an advantage, we can be two steps ahead!” Mike does in fact feel like a complete nut job after retelling the vision, but a conversation, one from years ago on a chilly Halloween night, stumbles into his brain like a mantra. If he’s going crazy, he knows at least one other person will be right there with him.

That same person being the one who’s currently looking at Mike like he grew two new heads.

Will scoffs, completely bewildered. “It was… a Vecna vision all along? Holy shit, Mike, you could have said that when I mentioned it earlier!” Will tosses his head back, the way he normally does when he can’t believe what’s going on around him.

“I…” Shit, he’s not wrong, Mike definitely should have said something, now that he thinks about it. He turns and lightly brushes a hand on Will’s elbow. It’s a small and rather insignificant gesture, in the eyes of the group around them, but to Mike it’s a touch that tries to calm the other. A touch that he knows Will will understand. “You’re right, I should have said something and I'm sorry, but I needed everyone to know what he showed me in there. I didn't want you to freak out.” That last bit was sort of a cop out, but what is he supposed to say, ‘Sorry, I know we were too busy having a moment between us, I didn’t want to ruin it by saying I just had Vecna vision’? Yeah, no, absolutely not.

“You were with him!” Nancy glares accusingly at Will who looks like he wants to defend himself, but instead closes his mouth and rolls his eyes. He crosses his arms defiantly, neither admitting or denying anything to Nancy.

Never mind, Mike thinks, maybe he really should have just said him and Will were too busy kissing.

Nancy, the ever immovable force, continues, “You knew about this and didn’t call for help? He could have died, Will! You knew about what happened to Max and still didn't say anything?!” Lucas and El flinch at the accusation. It’s a low blow, even coming from Nancy. Everyone quietly stares, unsure of how to de-escalate the situation.

“But I didn’t die, I’m not even injured, not a single scratch, so don’t put this all on him.”

“Oh, so you think just standing around and not getting help was the best move? Really?” Nancy’s voice shifts to one that’s no longer yelling and instead one that’s eerily challenging. She’s pissed, really fucking pissed.

The thing about Wheelers though is that none of them know when to shut up. Mike bullheads his way, regardless of what his older sister thinks. “What?! No! Nance, you’re acting like Will is the enemy here, when it’s Vecna! Stop trying to blame Will, he didn't want- he was scared!”

“We're all scared, Mike!” She raises her voice once again.

“Children! CHILDREN!” Murray walks forward and holds his arms out, like he's taming a couple of wild animals. “We don’t have time to play the ‘blame game’, we need a new plan and we need one right now if we're going to take this advantage!” He spins around to look at both Nancy and Mike, pointedly, and then to everyone else. “At the very least we make a new plan to keep El and Kali safe, defeat Vecna, and save the little kids. Then after that, when we are all coming back from kicking Vecna’s ass, we can think about a different escape plan, get outta here, and you can argue to your heart's content then, capeesh?”

Nancy still has a deep scowl and pursed lips, but nods her head anyways. Mike nods too and takes a deep breath for good measure, there’s no point in arguing, really, but when she came for Will like that Mike wasn't going to back down. He looks beside him to gauge Will’s reaction, but his face is mostly unreadable, probably deep in thought.

“So, any ideas? All are valid, just give it a go.” Joyce looks around expectantly, worried eyebrows shooting up behind her bangs.

Dustin hums and goes first, “Well… lets actually think about this before diving straight into a new plan.” He shifts the crude homemade spare in his hands and leans against it in thought.

“You’re-you’re kidding, right?” Robin runs shaky fingers through her hair. “We got like, what? An hour and a half tops to make a whole new plan! Should we really be questioning little Wheeler right now?” Robin frantically voices.

“Dustin’s right, something still isn’t adding up here.” Lucas ignores Robin's outburst, deciding to get to the bottom of something that itches in the back of his mind. “What if what he showed you was all a lie?”

“It is a bit odd.” Joyce speaks up again, nodding in half agreement with Lucas. “I'm not saying none of this happened, but so far Vecna has only shown Holly and the other children visions of himself as Mr. What’s It. So why would he suddenly go back to targeting, well, not children?” She looks a little unsure of herself, but even Mike has to admit he thought the same thing.

Jonathan steps forward a little and gestures a hand towards Nancy. “Well, he did show Nancy what would happen once all four gates opened.” Steve nods along, remembering that moment and how terrifying it was.

“Does the future, Mickey talked about, still line up to what he showed you?” Surprisingly Kali is the one to speak up next. She’s been eerily quiet for the most part, but now stands, shoulders squared, looking ready to fight.

“It’s Mike.” He corrects flatly. She doesn’t look like she gives two shits about what Mike’s name actually is, just stares at Nancy for further info.

Nancy shifts her gun around her chest and thinks. “In a way… yes? But not everything. He showed my family- dad, mom, Holly, Mike- all of them dead. The rest is a bit blurry, but other than that I'd say it is similar.”

“I believe he showed Mike the truth.” El shakes her head lightly, staring at the ground, tightly crossing her arms.

Everyone looks to El. Mike and the others haven't really addressed the elephant in the room that is Kali and El wanting to stay when the bomb goes off, but maybe if they can hold out until Vecna is defeated, then maybe that can give them a sort of hope to actually escape. To live.

She looks up then, staring directly at Mike. “He is right. I was planning on staying when the bomb went off.” There’s a few hushed gasps, but no one says anything. Joyce walks towards her and brings El into a motherly hug. “I'm sorry.”

Hopper turns away for a second, looking up as if to hold back the tears that are quickly beginning to shimmer in his eyes. But ultimately he too rests an arm over El’s shoulders and turns to Mike determinedly. “But why show you the future?”

“I think it was… a cop-out. He wants me to fail, he thinks I'll crush underneath the pressure, that’s why he chose me. I was the weakest. Even with the perfect future, the best outcome, I wouldn’t have a good one. Which means I wasn't necessarily his main target, it was everyone else.” He tries to keep his voice steady, because it’s hard to admit out loud just how bleak everything looked for him in that vision. “Ultimately placing all the blame on me if things went south.” God, Mike can’t stand everyone's sad eyes all looking his way, all except for one pair.

“But he underestimated you, Mike.” Will rests a hand on Mike’s shoulder, it's warm and sends micro shivers excitedly rushing down his arm. How did he think he could live without this, without Will by his side? Fuck, he is not going to lose, Will. Lose anyone for that matter.

“Yeah. He did.” Mike brings his hand up to rest on top of Will’s, just for a second, before both of them drop their hands back to their sides. Mike turns back, looking much more determined, towards the entire group. “And actually, maybe we don't need a whole new plan.”

~*~

Mike grips the resting platform with a shaking hand and yanks himself to the side, successfully making it halfway up the radio tower. He grimly understands why the group was so worn out and pissed after coming back down earlier. This is exhausting, cold as hell, and he can barely feel his hands at this point from the metal stinging away every nerve and having to lift his own body up a ninety degree angle.

Once he gets his bearings on the grated platform, Mike registers that he isn’t the only one taking a small break.

“Hey.” He greets Nancy a little out of breath. The air between them is a bit stuffy from their earlier argument as she mumbles out a ‘Hey’ as well.

Mike notices her shove a canister into her backpack and remembers he has one of his own and actually could down the entire thing right about now. He swings off his backpack and pulls out his drink canister, tilting it back, and relishing the water slipping past his lips in big gulps.

She lets out a sigh beside him. “Look, Mike… about earlier, I shouldn't have blamed Will for what he did, or more like what he didn’t do-” He cuts her off with a sharp glance, not wanting to start that again. “Sorry.” She tries once more. “It’s just, I took out all my anger and sadness onto him. With everything that's been going on, Holly being taken by Vecna, mom strung up in a hospital, and dad- jesus they don't even think he'll make it… Then with what happened with Johnathan-”

“What happened to Johnathan?”

“We broke up, but that’s not the point. The point is… I was scared, Mike. I still am. You really could have been hurt or worse, died.” She fully turns to him then and he does realize that they are all they have of their family right now, the thought scares him shitless. “I need you to understand where I was coming from.”

Mike nods his head, a bit too quickly, any slower and he knows for a fact tears might start forming. “I do and I’m sorry too for yelling at you like I did. But, you know, I’m also terrified right now too.” Her eyebrows pinch up a bit, sympathetic to his confession. “Nance, it all felt so damn real in that trance a-and I was so… alone.” He doesn’t continue, because she understands.

Nancy surges forward then, both of them crashing into a hug, one that only a sibling can truly give. Neither of them cry, but pour every bit of emotion into each other the best they can.

“You won’t be alone. You’ll have me and we sure as hell are getting Holly back. And we’ll cross mom and dad’s bridge when we get there.” Nancy pulls back and gives a reassuring smile, being so strong, like she always is. “You have your friends and Will- so many people that are in your life. We won’t magically disappear, Mike.”

He wants to call her out on specifically separating Will from the ‘friends’ bit, but decides against it. Instead he gives her his own reassuring smile, a small ‘thanks’, and moves back to leaning against the railing, trying to go back to drinking his water.

She then gives him a sly side glance, “What’s going on between you and Will anyways?”

Shit.

“What?” He tries to play it cool.

“Well, I mean, something’s different. You two can't keep your hands to yourselves.” Mike chokes violently on the water he was in the middle of drinking. A deep red blush spread heavily across his face. “I guess that's my answer.”

“Answer to what?” Will comes up behind them, trying to catch his breath, neither of them hearing him step onto the resting platform.

Nancy pats Mike on the shoulder and teasingly whispers, “Speak of the devil.” She then turns her attention back to Will, “Nothing.” adjusts her guns, and gets back on the ladder, continuing her climb to the top.

Are the two of them actually that obvious?!

Mike offers Will his personal canister, which he takes with a breathy ‘thanks’, and he tries not to think about this technically being an indirect kiss. All Mike can do is stare at Will. His strong jaw- that his hands gently grasped earlier- moving with every gulp of water, causing a dangerous trickle to escape his mouth and drip down his neck. Even with the copious amounts of water Mike had just drank, he's suddenly very parched.

“You’re staring.” Will doesn’t even turn to look when he calls Mike out, just keeps his gaze far out into the dangerous and decaying Upside Down.

Mike shifts away slightly, not quite wanting to move completely away from Will, but extremely embarrassed to be so blatantly caught. “Shit! I mean sorry, uhm-”

“It’s okay, Mike.” Will laughs a little and leans over the railing in thought before admitting quietly, “You can…you can stare, I don’t mind.” He nervously rubs the back of his neck, blush blooming across his cheeks.

“The Sorcerer attempts to cast a Charm spell, huh?” Mike teases back, a mischievous grin curving onto his lips.

“Oh my god, Mike!” Will giggles and softly punches Mike’s chest with a fist. The gesture brings Mike directly back to the sunset lit field behind the WSQK, shy smiles between them both, and conversions of Will being an actual Sorcerer. God, Will was so gorgeous in that light then and he’s just as gorgeous here too. Mike is entirely fucked. “Are you saying it didn't work? Because judging by this-” He gently pokes a finger to Mike's dark red cheeks. “-says otherwise! I can barely see your freckles.” Will laughs again, causing Mike to smile down at him more fondly than before.

“I don't want to look away. Not anymore.” His tone drops to something more serious and he knows Will understands what he means, he always does.

He glances up at Mike through his lashes, giving him the same exact look as the one right after they had kissed, practically taking Mike’s breath away once more. “Come on, Paladin. Let's finish this climb.” Mike knows right then and there that he would actually follow Will Byers into hell and back if it meant getting to see that look one more time.

~*~

Once all of them are situated at the top of the rickety radio tower, Mike reminds the group that in the vision the line up for the worlds will be a close call and for everyone, Steve especially, to hang onto something, and hang on tight.

They wait, a bit antsy, for confirmation on the Lab Team’s end that they are following the new and improved plan.

It's quite a simple fix, one that involves Murray to- early on- make a perfect shot at an Apache holding kryptonite, Hopper to not shoot if Vecna does in fact target him too, and for Kali and El to immediately get the kids to as close to the Mine as possible. Once El knows she can safely leave, she'll be out with Kali to clean up the rest of the rogue soldiers. Leaving only one thing left to do and that's to come up to the Abyss and help finish the fight.

Simple.

At least Mike hopes it is.

“She's submerged now. Hang tight and don't fall. Over.” Hopper's gruff voice crackles through the walkie in Dustin's hand. Everyone looks to each other and grabs a hold of any nearby weathered metal, practically tingling with how cold to the touch it is.

They all simultaneously look up and as if right on time, the massive antenna starts to bend at the pressure of two worlds beginning to collide.

The jolt of the tower is violent and everybody shifts and cries out at the movement.

“Keep holding on!” Mike yells out and makes a quick glance to where Will and Joyce are crouched beside him, arms encircled around the tower in a deathly tight grip.

“She’s not gonna make it!” Dustin screams at the top of his lungs when he feels another strong jerk. The metal scrapes together and shrieks with harrowing metallic sounds, it’s so loud Mike feels like his ears will start bleeding any second now.

“She will! Just don’t let go!” He yells back and watches the world continue to fall, crushing them further. Mike can’t bear to look anymore and screws his eyes shut. Maybe Lucas was right, maybe the vision really was a lie.

And at what feels like in the very last second, the world above stops moving, just like it had in the vision.

“Holy shit…” Robin starts laughing, almost maniacally, causing Steve to also laugh the same exact way.

Jonathan carefully rushes to his mom and brother, quietly asking if they're okay. Mike looks to Nancy and Lucas then, both nodding and giving a thumbs up in reply.

The crackle of the walkie breaks through the remaining silence. “It’s ‘go’ time, Radio Team. Over.” Murray confirms and Mike can’t believe it really is working out.

Dustin slowly brings the Supercom towards his face, still looking at the rift above all of them in disbelief. “Uh. R-Roger that, heading into the Abyss. Plan B still in motion. Over.” His voice is pitched up a little causing him to clear his throat and he shakes his head and looks at everyone. “Well, let's get that son of a bitch.”

~*~ 

The Abyss looks exactly how it did in the vision.

It's the same haunting color of flax and brass and mostly silent save for the distant chittering of creatures hiding away and the occasional sharp gusts of wind. Sorta resembling a really fucked up desert.

The group steel themselves for a minute and trudge on. Some of them start hush conversations on the way to their destination, but Mike stays deep in thought. He grips the hilt of his sword with anxiety riddled fingers. This is it, he thinks. This could actually be the end of so much torment and suffering, but what if it fails? What if he was tricked and played a fool? God and how does Will even feel being so close to everything? He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth and worries more, he doesn't even realize he’s a few steps behind everybody else. That is, until Lucas pats his back a few reassuring times, bringing him out of a spiral of dooming thoughts.

“Hey, man.” His friend greets a little more cheerfully than anyone should be right now. “Can hear your massive brain thinking from over there.” He shoots his hand out to the group traveling a few good yards ahead of them. “Had to make sure Vecna didn’t pull you back in or something.” It’s a very weak attempt at a joke and Mike can’t even bring himself to fake a small smile, much too worried about everyone and everything.

“I know you’re worried about- well about a lot of things right now.”

Can everyone hear his thoughts today or something?

Lucas continues on, walking a steady pace into the dusty sand. “Have some hope in all of us, okay? I’m sure El is in stage two right now getting those kids to safety with Max and Kali. And… And Will is going to be okay.”

Mike looks up then, shell shocked, but Lucas doesn't seem to be playing around, instead there's a calm and knowing smile on his face. His friend leaves it at that and Mike is more than grateful. He doesn't think he can handle discussing his very gay feelings towards Will. More so because he’s not ready for that big step, but also because they’re sorta walking straight into battle and possible deaths.

They walk a little further until reaching the top of a small hill, where in the distance stands a haunting structure. One that vaguely resembles a boney hand clawed up and gripping tightly.

“So, that's the Mindflayer?” Jonathan asks without taking his eyes off of the horrific thing.

Mike nods, also staring. “Yep.”

Joyce looks to Mike then. “That’s going to come alive and move?”

“That’s what I saw…”

“Mother of God.” Dustin whispers slowly.

Steve laughs, almost disbelieving, causing everyone to rip their eyes away from the lair. “Kind of looks like that thing from The Dark Crystal.” One hand on his hip and the other tossed out towards the massive object, like he can’t understand why Vecna would copy something from a kids fantasy movie. He brings his other hand down to his hip then and shakes his head in disapproval.

Mike can’t fucking believe this, he rolls his eyes and keeps walking.

“You’ve seen The Dark Crystal?” Nancy asks, but joins Mike in continuing to keep moving, the rest following the both of them.

“Uh, no. It played like once a week in Family Video-”

“He's right.” Robin confirms.

“-But you’re telling me he’s seen that freaky movie?”

Mike tries to tune the rest out.

“Should we wait right here or get a bit closer?”

It’s a solid question coming from Joyce and not more dumbass questions about Vecna watching kids movies, so Mike decides to answer. “Actually, we should-”

“AUGHHH!” Will suddenly screams out in pain, collapsing onto his hands and knees. Everybody rushes to his side, calling his name in different states of panic.

They had discussed this part, Vecna waking, in quick detail during the making of Plan B. At the time Will was more silent than anything, calculating what to do. Mike spoke up though, practically announced he would be the one to watch over Will and ground him when needed. Joyce wasn’t a fan, but begrudgingly decided she trusted Mike with this. They had planned for her to instead take the borrowed flare gun and rounds from Nancy and join Lucas.

Joyce moves the quickest, pushing a motherly hand though Will’s hair in an attempt to comfort his shaking form. “Will, it’s gonna be okay, baby…Just hang on a little longer.” Jonathan joins in trying to do the best he can to calm his younger brother down. They’re surprisingly successful, but Will remains breathing heavily, sitting back onto his calves and looking far off.

Worryingly rubbing Will’s back with the gentlest of touches, Mike turns back to their group, face hardening to one ready for battle. “Everybody listen! It’s time. We stick to the plan- Nancy is bait, Dustin and Steve take the ground, then you four are all on fireball duty, and I’m guarding Will.” Everyone nods, some still looking nervously at Will and back out towards Vecna’s lair. “Stay alert and be ready for anything!”

Hand still on Will, Mike watches with determined eyes as the group begins to run towards their posts in the canyon-like terrain.

A groan comes from the boy beside him, gaining Mike’s immediate attention. “Come on, Will.” He tries to stand him back up,  moving his hand around his shoulders for assistance. “Are you ready?” He asks, needing Will to get in his own position.

“I think so.” He looks up at Mike through his lashes and tries to take a few calming breaths, stepping away. Will looks back where Mike stands, sword now at the ready for anything that comes at them- ready to protect Will with everything he’s got.

Mike gives a reassuring smile, “You can do this. Sorcerer, remember?"

Will nods his head determinedly and faces back towards the intimidating structure, closing his eyes, and beginning to concentrate.

Mike begins to picture them, all of them, like they're going into a fierce battle, much like the kind in his own D&D campaigns or from the passages of The Lord of the Rings. Well, in some strange way he guesses they are.

A minute or two passes when Will suddenly grits through his teeth, “He’s starting.” His voice is just a little deeper than his usual one, but given what he's doing it seems rather tamed. He continues to stand and begins to take deeper breaths, moves his arms to his sides with his palms facing out, and prepares to take control of the Hivemind when necessary. His wide chest moves up and down rhythmically, making Will look like an angered primate, ready to fight.

Mike would never admit it to a single soul, so long as he shall live, but the sight is in fact quite hot to him. He just wished it was in better circumstances.

They wait around for a short while when suddenly the ground begins to rattle and shake, causing Mike to sway only slightly, he looks out towards the massive structure and then watches with wide eyes as it begins to unfold and transform into what he saw in the vision.

The Mindflayer.

It’s absolutely ginormous and intimidating, how the actual hell are they going to pull this off?!

Nancy moves then, causing Mike's stomach to lurch up his throat.

“We got this…” He says more so to himself, not really knowing if Will can really hear him right now. The other hasn’t moved or reacted to anything since announcing ‘He’s starting’ referring to Vecna.

Will continues to stay in his form of what seems to be a very intense mediation stance, as Mike watches the teams begin to split up. Mike worries his lip between his teeth at the sight of Nancy running alone, turning and shooting when she deems necessary, and luring the monster into their mountainous trap.

It’s actually all playing out as it should, until suddenly it’s not. Hundreds of creatures, the very same that dwell in the Upside Down, start pouring out of cracks like ants on a disrupted pile, and running into the battle from far off distances in the Abyss.

“W-what's going on?!” Will asks, before Mike can say anything about the new visitors. “How are they here?” His voice still takes on that deeper tone, but the worry comes through more clearly, sounding more present than what it was earlier.

Okay, now Mike is panicking. “I don’t know, this didn’t happen in the vision.”

Without warning, Will crumples to the sand again, withering and screaming in pain just as before. Mike scrambles to lift him from the dusty ground, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. “Will! What’s wrong, talk to me!”

Will’s eyes have rolled completely back, only revealing the milky white sclera. “He s-says it’s a gift…” He struggles to talk, but forces the next line. “A gift f-for you- AGHHH!” Mike calls out Will’s name, desperately trying to get him to calm down and keeping him from thrashing around in his hold. But very eerily, Will completely stops moving, body going limp, and forcefully pushes Mike away.

He’s pushed with so much strength, Mike’s body slams up against a nearby boulder and lands a few yards away. It takes a few seconds for his vision to stop being so blurry and the world to stop spinning. When he manages to open his eyes back up he sees Will slowly walking towards him.

His face is slack, void of any emotion, and eyes still a milky white. “You really thought I would just show you the future and let you gain an advantage, Michael Wheeler? You thought William could actually save you and change the future? So weak.” That same bone-chilling voice that haunted him in the void taunts. “And so very stupid.”

No that’s not Will.

“Vecna…” Mike stands quickly and grabs his fallen sword, not caring that his head is still spinning. Deep-seated anger begins bubbling to the surface. “Let him go, NOW!”

Will’s possessed body stops walking then and Mike notices the other’s right hand twitch very slightly, just as it did when he was possessed all those years ago. “It is time for the world to finally heal. You are now going to watch everyone you love die. And it’ll be all your fault for being such a weak and stupid little boy-” The voice is cut off when Will’s head snaps up for just a few seconds and falls limply back down, like something completely let go. Will stumbles forward and Mike stays still, unsure of what is going on.

Very very faintly Will whispers out, “Mike…” his own voice coming back. “Mike, don’t go.” Will’s eyes are still not back to normal and his chest seems to be starting back up with the deep breaths, like he’s tapping back into the Hivemind.

Mike doesn’t hesitate to surge forward then and takes the same hand he noticed moving, into his own, and squeezing. “I’m not going anywhere, I’m right here, Will. I’m right here.” He takes a quick glance over his shoulder and beyond where the rest are still fighting the Mindflayer, unaware of the incoming creatures. “Listen to me, you need to take control of them! The demogorgons, the demobats, the demodogs- all of them!” Using his free hand, Mike wildly gestures to the growing army of creatures. “You need to ignore everything Vecna said and fight back, Will! FIGHT BACK!”

Like something clicks in Will, his hand slowly slips out of Mike’s crushing grip and brings both of his arms up in front of him, much like at the Mac-Z and the WSQK. Will’s face contours, not in pain, but in anger and determination once more. He begins to grunt and shake with such power and Mike can't believe what he’s actually seeing once again.

Will begins to take control.

He guides the massive swarm of demobats to instead flock menacingly around the MindFlayer that starts getting too close to Nancy. They circle around the massive creature in a menacing black cloud, then they begin to strike in quick and orderly fashion. They tear bits and pieces from the fleshy creature, causing the MindFlayer to stop and move to attack the annoying demobats flying above.

“Holy shit…That’s it, Will! Fight!” Mike encourages excitedly.

Will then brings in the horde of demogorgons, who, thankfully, completely ignore Dustin and Steve who fight alongside them on the ground. The two gawk at the terrifying creatures, but stay out of their way, focusing back on making sure to gouge out whatever is on the underside of the Mindflayer. Will grunts again, moving his arms around and powerfully pushes them straight out, making the demogorgons jump and hang onto the sides of the Mindflayer, gouging out massive pieces of the creature. The scene is barbaric and bloody, especially when the creature flings demogorgon after demogorgon off of itself and they practically splatter to the ground in unrecognizable piles of flesh and bone at the force.

And finally, Will orders the demodogs with just a few flicks of his wrists. They run in impressive sized packs, keeping the MindFlayer from moving too far. He controls them in much the same way as he did the demogorgons; jumping and opening their flower shaped heads, biting down hard, and tearing chunks of flesh with their razor sharp teeth.

“Keep it up, Will!” He shouts in complete awe. “You’re doing amazing!”

Just then, a pack of slightly off colored demodogs rushes at Mike, he only has enough time to fend off a couple with his sword, the rest surging towards him at full speed. One jumps with a loud chitter and comes down hard onto one of Mike’s shoulders, slashing a wound with its clawed hand. Mike cries in pain, but quickly rolls and jumps right back up, blood seeping into his sweater and dripping onto the dusty ground. With his sword at the ready he intercepts its next attack, cutting the demodog’s head clean off. Without a second to breathe, another demodog rushes at him, but this time the creature slashes at his thigh.

“Aghh!” Mike howls in pain, yanking a hand gun out from his thigh harness and firing a couple shots, killing the demodog immediately.

Will, with his eyes still a milky white, turns to him in distress. “M-Mike! Are you okay?!” His voice is strained and a bit gravelly, but still his own.

Before Mike can respond, another demodog speeds into view. He quickly pulls his gun into firing position and shoots the damned thing before it reaches him or Will. “I’ll be fine, j-just keep concentrating, that’s more important!” Mike watches as even more of the strangely colored demodogs arrive. “Keep going!”

He hears it then, a rippling- almost prehistoric- cry that reverberates into his ear drums. The MindFlayer screams and roars at its chest being forcefully ripped open.

El made it!

Mike chances a quick look just in time to watch her heroically enter the Mindflayer, no doubt ready to destroy Vecna once and for all.

With calculated swings of his sword and shots fired when needed, Mike continues to fend off stragglers that are sent his and Will’s way. Mike had thought this gift was completely Vecna’s doing, attempting to throw off Mike and invalidate the vision, or for Vecna to keep control of the narrative. But Mike had realized mid fight, these demodogs aren't the same color, these are different, more yellow and brassy like the planet he stands on now. He thought about Dart, from all those years ago, about the strange pattern that ran along his back. He wonders if the ones attacking him aren't actually part of the Mindflayer, but instead the creatures that originally roamed this planet, once calling it home, simply defending it from Mike who’s just invading a part of it.

But nonetheless Vecna is still outnumbered and outsmarted.

Between all the firepower from their team on the canyon, the swarm of creatures powered bravely by Will, and El facing Vecna head-on it isn’t long before the battle comes to a climatic end.

All at once the MindFlayer slows to a halt, crumpling to the ground with a loud and piercing screech that fades to nothing, the creatures Will was in control of also let out various cries and wails before falling from the sky, off the Mindflayer, or flop to the ground where they stood and withering until they stop too. No more demodogs run towards Mike, a few stragglers halting their movements turn away, like a switch in them flipped- no more murdering intent.

Mike hears Will gasp then, watching as fresh blood flows from his nose and ears, legs beginning to wobble, and his body swaying dangerously. Before Will can even hit the ground, Mike drops his sword, moving in a few quick steps to catch the boy he's so proud of.

“I got you.” Mike reassures Will, just as the other boy did for him back inside the deteriorating WSQK building. He slowly lowers Will into a sitting position, lessening the strain on both of them, and continues to let him lean most of his weight into Mike’s arm. He gazes so fondly towards Will and moves his hand up without a thought, to sweep a bit of sweat covered hair away from Will’s face.

Will, although looking beyond exhausted and tearing up a little, begins to mutter, “He’s gone. He’s finally gone, Mike- I don’t feel him anymore.” Will’s smile is so bright and radiant, the adrenaline of battle slowly wearing off. So beautiful.

Mike can’t help it anymore and brings them both into a hug, being mindful of his own injuries that feel like a small annoying buzz in the back of his mind at the moment. He pulls back, just enough to lean his forehead against Will's, relishing in the presence of the boy he cares and loves so much, but most of all is so damn proud.

“A real honest to god Sorcerer.” The words come out so fond that Mike almost can’t believe he’s the one saying it. Almost.

Will laughs wetly. “You were pretty impressive yourself, Paladin.”

Mike blushes, so Will really could see all of that?

Mike doesn’t even hesitate, he quickly pecks Will’s lips, so overcome with emotions. “There you go, casting charm again.” Will also lifts his eyebrows in shock, from the kiss, but quickly schools his expression into a smirk.

“I think it was a critical hit this time.” Will suddenly cups the back of Mike's head and practically yanks him down into a more powerful kiss. It’s still a bit short, but conveys so much love and emotion that Mike is absolutely dizzy. He can taste the coppery hints of blood coming from Will, but doesn’t even care, although it does remind him that he still in fact has two actively bleeding injuries.

The blood he’s losing is definitely playing a part in the whole lightheadedness.

They pull apart, smiling and breathless, remembering they still have a mission to do, and try their best to help each other stand.

“Here, let me help.” Will takes Mike's uninjured arm and slings it around his shoulder, easing most of the weight from his thigh. Mike feels like he could cry right then and there from the relief.

“Guys, come on! The kids!” Far off in the distance, Steve wildly waves his spare in one hand and gestures the other over his shoulder towards the now dead creature, still housing twelve children.

Will looks down at the ripped hole in Mike’s pants and questions, “Can you make it?”

“Yeah, I just need to get moving a little and I should be fine. Can’t say the same for my shoulder, I’m definitely going to need stitches, and I don’t even want to think about the climb down from that shitty radio tower." Mike explains exasperatedly, causing Will to laugh lightly. The two of them continue to walk at a slow but deliberate pace, due to Mike’s injured thigh.

“I think it’ll actually make a really cool scar.” Will admits with a fresh dusting of blush littering his cheeks. He keeps his head forward, pointedly not looking at Mike after the confession.

“You think so?” Mike inquires softly. Once Will nods his head a couple times Mike smirks a little, thinking of how Will practically buzzes any time he talks about Luke Skywalker's facial scares in The Empire Strikes Back. “Are you into that?” The question is just a bit out of line and with every second that passes with Will not saying anything, Mike feels even more stupid.

Just when he thinks about tossing himself into the nearest crack, Will answers.

“Maybe.” He looks at Mike then, a sly smirk playing on his face.

The next moments are played out similarly from how they did in the vision; the kids are all disconnected from the Mindflayer,-breaking Mike’s heart realizing Will had suffered the same fate at one point- but this time Joyce decides to chop off Vecna’s head before he even reanimates for a final breath. Mike thinks it must bring the biggest sense of closure and comfort to a mother that has been terrorized and pledged with the constant thought of some otherworldly monster after her youngest son for years.

He can’t believe he’s actually defeated. He’s actually gone.

Mike catches Will’s gaze from across the bumpy terrain of the Abyss as they help the kids get through the rift safely. They smile at each other and Mike thinks, maybe everyone will be okay.

~*~

They take the kids and the Bradley's Big Buy truck to the HNL, their exit plan needing a revamp asap.

Along the way El retails about how everything went for the Lab Team. Hopper did in fact get targeted, but resisted so strongly that by the time El was coming out of the tank he just took her in his arms and hugged her as tight as possible. They didn’t have time to really talk, the soldiers moving in quickly since Murray took down the Apache, but she mentioned she hoped she can say a few words once the two met back up. She explained further that when she left, all of them were relatively fine, a few scratches and bruises, but thankfully no fatal gunshot wounds. Not this time.

The wave of relief Mike felt, while hearing all of this, brought actual genuine hope, flooding back into his veins. He silently prays to any gods listening that El and Kali can feel the same thing, still unsure where they both stand, now that things have gone much differently than was thought.

Will stirs a little beside him, dragging Mike’s thought back to the boy who sits against him in the truck, leaning his head onto Mike's uninjured shoulder and holding Joyce's hand on the opposite side. Both Mike and Will received a couple of confused stares, but no one has said a word about the blatant snuggling and Mike is more than thankful. He wouldn't have a lick of confidence to do even this much if someone spoke up.

Once they park in front of the HNL the kids stay tucked inside the truck, most of them nodding off earlier, long before they even left the WSQK building, including Holly and Derek.

“Can’t believe that son of a bitch unintentionally helped us. I'll be damned.” Murry greets them with a huge smile of disbelief.

Jonathan drags a hand down the side of his face. “We’re not out of the woods yet. We still need that exit plan.” 

They tiredly bounce ideas around for a couple of minutes, no one agreeing on a single thing, and Mike actually feels like this is all going nowhere when suddenly Kali speaks up once more.

“Are you all forgetting that they will intercept, catch us, and string us up, just like they did to me for over a year!” Kali’s brows start to pinch in distress. “They killed everyone I called family and friends. I have nowhere to go.” She breaks down then, crying tears that get choked up in her throat. El rushes to her side then, grabbing her hand, and tucking her head into her shoulder. “There’s only one option…” Kali says in a whisper so broken and quiet it sends shivers down Mike’s spine.

El looks just as hurt and betrayed, because she too is done with the running and hiding. But something had switched in her when Mike first explained the vision, he saw it, the shift in her eyes and the thinking twist of her mouth. There was a spark of hope.

Joyce walks to them, lays a hand on both El and Kali, causing the two to separate slightly and give her their attention. “Jane, honey. Kali.” She takes a steeling breath and continues “You can not let the military, or the government, anyone, take this life from you. Your life. This world still has so much to offer and you both have so much to give. It’s time you both take everything back into your own hands and let yourselves actually live. I’ve been on that same road, the one that splits and it feels like there’s only two options, but there’s not. You can choose yourself. There’s always that road.”

El lets a single tear slip from her eyes, “But how?” she asks quietly.

Steve cuts in, “Lovers Lake” everyone looks at him confused. “The gate at Lovers Lake, it's not sealed at the bottom and the cameras are all fried from this past summer.” He looks around with wide and eager eyes. “If they’re waiting for us at the Mac-Z then we take another route, go through the tunnels and get El and Kali out-”

“What about the soldiers and Dr. Kay?!” Dustin interrupts him, still very skeptical of his best friend’s dangerous idea.

“Bait.” Hopper’s gruff voice speaks up. “We bait them. Make up a story.” His face wears a pained expression at the next line, “Kali and Jane died in the explosion.”

Will, still looking exhausted, shakes his head in doubt. “They won't believe us…”

“They will. They will because you are all going to the Mac-Z and we are going to the lake. Alone.” El says with utmost confidence, continuing to hold her sister’s hand in her own.

Hopper jumps back in then, scoffing “How do we know you two aren't going to execute that other plan of yours, huh?”

The upside Down’s constant crackling of thunder strikes then in the silence that Hopper’s question carries with it. Mike understands the two haven’t talked about it and he knows there has got to be other taut strings being pulled between the father and daughter that aren't spoken between anyone else. This is hard for all of them, but feels so minute when compared to how Hopper and El must feel.

She furrows her brows and holds her head up just a little higher, that same shine Mike saw in her eyes coming ford tenfold. “Because, I have hope.” The confession is determined and absolute.

“And I have hope.” Kali tightens her hold on El’s hand, looking at Hopper confidently, almost defiant, to prove him wrong. “This…could actually work.”

“What about after? How will either of you get anywhere, go far enough, or get a place to stay?” Nancy asks, more worried than anything, unsure of how this will play out, but once again Steve steps forward.

“I’ll go with them.” His tone takes on a more serious timbre. “I know the lake and all of the camera spots, my house is near the Reefer Rick tunnels, and I have money stashed. We can take my parents' passports that they ditched- get them changed or have you do your little mind bending trick when we have to present them.” He looks to Kali then, voice still deadly serious. “And my mom’s or my own clothes should fit you two.”

Murray, although looking a whole lot more reluctant, butts in. “A-and I have a buddy in Indianapolis. He'll get your passports changed- no mind power needed-, and he’ll give you a list of places he’s got out of the country. Most likely in Europe, somewhere deep in the mountains.” He grabs a loose pen and random business card from the Bradley’s Big Buy truck's glove compartment and scrawls down a number and address. “Tell him this is Murray Bauman’s favor and burn that damn card before you leave.” He steps towards Steve and passes along the valuable information. Murray looks around, noticing mostly everyone, including Mike himself, looks at him like this is very much insane to just have available. “Whaaat?! I needed to have a backup plan in case I decided to flee and luckily for our two superheroes, the liberating timeshare is now theirs.” El whispers out the word ‘timeshare’ in confusion. Murray continues with a few final instructions to Steve. “You might have to chuck in some cash for an extra passport change, but the rest is already paid for and he’ll keep his word of secrecy."

Steve nods, holds the card securely, before placing it inside an inner zipper pocket on his leather jacket, concealing the precious item.

Robin nervously grips Steve's shoulder and turns him her way, speaking in rushed whispers “Steve, what are you doing?” She lifts her brows in disbelief. “Europe?”

“I’ll be able to come back no problem, I’ll take my own passport as a failsafe, but El and Kali can’t come back, not ever. I’m making sure they can safely get the hell outta dodge and have a fighting chance.” A smirk plays onto his face. “One last babysitter gig.”

Mike steps forward a little, still trying to process what’s actually about to happen. “This is it then… You’re really going to be gone.” It’s not a question, but a statement. El is leaving.

She nods then and the damn starts to break, everyone becoming a tearful mess.

Lucas is the first to pull her aside in a private goodbye. Mike can hear talks of letters to Max being held in a drawer in El’s room, how they have to make it to her as soon as possible. In exchange Lucas hugs her tightly for a few moments and wishes her luck, but ultimately happiness.

Dustin is next, their conversation too quiet for even Mike to hear, but ends in a much longer hug and a careful kiss onto Dustin's cheek. It’s unspoken of what they say between their final goodbyes, but reluctantly the two separate.

Will is immediately by her side and Mike can’t watch as both start to cry and choke on multiple tears. They talk for quite some time, Will nodding and smiling at words Mike can not hear.

She goes on to say goodbyes to everyone else, taking more time with Joyce and Hopper. Mike can just faintly hear their tearful parting and Hopper reiterating how much he loves and trusts Jane. He wetly tells her between bittersweet laughs that he hopes she’ll ‘have the most bitchin’ life’. Joyce asks about visiting her one day which is immediately replied with a hopeful ‘Of course.’ and the three of them hug so tightly, that Mike thinks neither of them will actually let each other go.

But eventually El pulls back with a somber smile and makes her way to one last person.

Mike.

She pulls Mike aside quietly, much like she did with everyone else and doesn't hesitate to start.

“Mike, I… I know you do not feel the same and we have not really spoken about California, but I wanted to keep a hold of what was left of us, and even hurt you while lying in those letters.” She starts the goodbye so boldly, Mike knew this was coming. “I am so sorry.” Her eyes are rimmed red with how much she has cried and Mike knows he’s no better, but she stays calm and strong even now. Her words convey just how remorseful she feels on the subject.

“I’m sorry too. Sorry for everything I ever did that hurt you.” Everything spills out quickly and shamefully. “I-I just wanted… I wanted to be normal so fucking bad. I was selfish for not only lying to you, but also to myself and I feel like I used you. You deserve so much better than-”

“It is okay, I accept your apology. We both used each other for something that was impossible. We are both hurt, but I know you could not help it.” Mike jerks his hanging head up at that. “You could not help loving someone else, loving Will.” She smiles sadly and looks over to where Will is standing beside Joyce, teary-eyed and upset, then looks back to Mike as if she just didn’t throw his whole world on its axis.

“H-how do you-”

“That summer before I left with the Byers’, I noticed. Something was different with you. You have always cared for Will much differently than everyone else, but… I do not know how to put it into words.” She grabs both of Mike’s hands then, her grip strong and reassuring. “He makes you a better person, Mike. He brings the best side of you out.” Her smile is not one of sadness anymore, but one of hope and content. “So be happy. Be with him. Be yourself. “

Mike stares for a few beats, searching El’s eyes for any sign of this being false or some twisted bit of deception, but it’s not. Friends don’t lie after all. Ultimately Mike swallows down any remaining guilt and nods his head, tears slowly beginning to fall. “I’ll do my best.”

She smiles brighter, tears falling too, and grips his hands to emphasize when she says, “And I too will do my best. Three waterfalls have to be out there somewhere.” El announces her promise in that serious tone of hers, that comes across as absolute even when it’s about something so ridiculous, always making Mike laugh. They smile and come together in a tight hug. It lingers long enough for both of them to fully let their tears flow.

They both pull apart and drop their hand to their sides, backing away to a comfortable distance.

“Goodbye, Mike.”

“Goodbye, Jane.” Mike smiles, bittersweet, watching El walk to where Steve and Kali stand beside a Humvee, waiting patiently.

Mike feels the world slow down just for a split second when he watches them drive off towards Lovers Lake, watching El leave for one last time. He thinks they’ll see each other again, not anytime soon, but one day. He’ll make sure of it. But for now they still have one more thing to do, and that’s blow this place sky high.

He turns away from the departing Humvee and looks to Hopper determinedly. “Let's blow this shit hole up.”

Hopper returns with a deep breath and a nod of his own, one last mission.

They all drive out, leaving Murray and Hopper to start the record bomb Mike had built. The two catch up in another stolen Humvee left by the dead rouge soldiers.

And the rest plays out just as the vision showed, Dr. Kay and the military are waiting for them outside the gate, with kryptonite blasting and waiting for two targets that will never show. They stop them, yelling for everyone to drop their weapons, get out of the vehicles and keep their hands up. All of them being yanked and pulled every which way and harshly shoved up against the truck, a stolen Humvee, or directly onto the ground.

In the commotion they all start their big show, crying and screaming that they ‘killed them, the soldiers that went rogue, killed Kali and El’. They’re met with slightly confused shock, but a knowing look registers upon Dr. Kay’s face, realizing her lieutenant Robert Akers never radioed back in with his crew. She turns back to the portal, as does everyone else, watching in horror as the Upside Down explodes in a massive BOOM, causing the gate to suddenly disappear and the splits and cracks beneath them, that once had demogorgons crawling out just the other night, to become nothing more than gravel and dirt scraping against their shoes.

It’s bone-chillingly quiet, save for the sniffles and ragged breaths coming from their own group. You could probably hear a pin drop with how everyone just stares at the hole left in the explosion’s wake.

“What did you do?!” Dr. Kay screams out, eyes wild in search of the portal to the Upside Down that is now just the destroyed Hawkins Library with a particular indent in the shape of something that was once there. She jerks her head to their group, all in different states of distress and heartbreak.

“We didn’t do anything, the place was a ticking time bomb!” Lucas struggles against the two soldiers holding him down. “The dark matter was disturbed by your rogue soldiers after they killed our friends!” He lies straight through his teeth, tears streaming down his face in fat droplets. Mike knows that there’s some truth there and honestly it doesn't even take much for himself to sob and thrash around; all of the emotions of everything coming down on him and everyone else just as hard.

Her face hardens and coolly says, “Take them in.”

“B-but, Major, we can’t hold them-”

“I don’t give a rat's ass, I want them all to be questioned!” The composure she once had for a split second completely dissolves then, looking around at the hesitant soldiers, who aren't sure their jobs are worth losing against this downhill battle.

Ultimately the soldiers all chose to reluctantly heed her frantic command, pulling all of them, including the scared kids in the back of the Bradley’s Big Buy truck, into the direction of some random holding facility. They won’t actually be held for long, all of them knowing the government’s plans have quite literally been blown to smithereens, no reason for them to send soldiers and their commanders to waste anymore money on the failed program that was once cruelly being done right under their noses. At most they'll be packed up and gone in less than a week, leaving Hawkins to pick up the mess in their wake, slowly rebuilding the once small and quiet town, back to something that at least resembles normal.

As Mike is being dragged away, he thinks about how it actually all worked out and how he wouldn't have had the courage to do any of this without Will, right beside him through it all. He thinks about how wrong Vecna was, spewing harsh words about weakness and stupidity, trying to tear Mike down to nothing more than a fearful coward.

So very wrong.

He remembers then, as he’s being dragged away, the promise he made to Will that feels like it happened a lifetime ago, but was only a couple hours. A promise to talk about them. Mike smiles, not caring that he should still be faking an all too real sob or how he should be cursing and crying out in resistance against the arms that pull him too roughly.

Instead he calls out to Will, his name slipping so easily amongst the chaotic crowd separating them. The other boy’s head whips towards him at lightning speed and they make eye contact, silently understanding each other the way they always do.

Mike smiles a bit more softly, directing all the emotions he can with the twitch of his lips and hooded eye. He smiles towards Will, towards a very near future with just the two of them, he smiles knowing they’re going to make it out of this soon, and he smiles just because, despite everything, he called Will’s name once more and suddenly he was already his, always there, and always making Mike brave.

He just needs to be brave for a little while longer.