Chapter Text
Ever since November 6th, 1983, Will had felt something lingering in the deep corners of him, dark and twisted. A feeling of inevitability, though he never knew what it meant.
Until now.
Will watched the gate in front of him warp around the unnatural form of Vecna. Even now, he couldn’t shake the relentless, crushing emotions coursing through him every time he laid eyes on the same monster who took him, all those years ago. That same spike of adrenaline as the night he was taken, every limb burning as he ran for his life. Only, this time he wasn’t running.
He could hear his friends over the radio, Will, Will, where are you? Buzzing over the walkie-talkie–but they didn’t need to know what was happening. They’d find out soon enough. Will shuddered as Vecna stepped closer, approaching where he stood–alone–in the center of the MAC-Z—the Military Access Control Zone.
“William.” Vecna paused a few meters away. “Finally, you’re giving in?”
His voice seemed to slice through the air, rushing to punch Will straight in the gut. Briefly, he remembered the first time he heard it. Alone in the Upside Down, unsure of where he was or what was happening. At the time, he swore it couldn’t get worse. But it always did, didn’t it?
Will took in a shuddering breath, exhaling slowly through his nostrils.
“No.” He said, voice wavering. “No, I’m not.” He said again, more firmly this time.
Vecna tilted his head in mock-curiousity. “Still fighting, are we?” It made Will’s skin crawl.
“You know you can’t win this, William. You never could.”
Will swore he could feel his pulse shoot up, but he wasn’t scared this time. He felt rage, white-hot and burning inside him. In front of him was the man who took everything from him, and he wouldn’t let him take anything more.
“I’m not afraid of you now.” Will felt his eyes go glassy with anger, shining under the weight of everything taken from him.
Frantic voices echoed from his radio again.
Will, come in. Will, are you okay? Where are you?
“That doesn’t matter anymore. It started with you, William. No amount of… courage will change that.”
Vecna’s voice was rough, like shards of glass trying to puncture the carefully crafted defences Will had built.
“Then I’ll end this.” His eyes burned and throat closed. He always knew it, really; that this had to end with him. Unclenching his fists, he locked eyes with Vecna, and syphoned as much power he could as his eyes rolled back, turning white until all he could see was darkness.
And in that dark, memories began to play.
—
“Will, your action!”
The cluttered D&D table from his childhood was met with the sounds of overlapping voices.
“Fireball! Fireball!”
“It was a seven.”
“Huh?” Mike turned to Will in confusion.
“The roll–it was a seven. The demogorgan… it got me.” Will shrugged.
“Well, see you tomorrow.” And he climbed onto his bike, making the decision that changed everything.
“You’re like a spy–a super-spy!” Mike’s comforting voice lit up a spark in Will’s heart as they wove their hands together.
The mixtape clicked as Jonathan played it, introducing Will to what would soon become his favourite song.
“Should I stay or should I go?” They sang together, giggling as the world around them faded away to this moment alone, their worries dissipating into the sound of the music.
“You’re a sorcerer! A real-life, honest-to-god sorcerer!” Mike wrapped Will in an embrace, and Will thought–for a moment–that maybe things could get better.
Joyce’s eyes lit up as Will showed her a new drawing–Will the Wise, cloaked in purple and holding a large staff–and she gave him a warm hug before grabbing a magnet.
“We’ll have to keep this one, huh?” Her eyes twinkled as she pinned it to the fridge, and Will’s chest swelled with pride.
“It was never about tone-deaf Tammy. It was always just about… me.” Robin’s voice cracked as she spoke to Will. For the first time, he didn’t feel like an anomaly for the way he loved. He just felt like Will.
“Well… if we’re both going crazy, we’ll go crazy together, right?” Mike grasped his hand, a sweet smile lighting up his face.
“Yeah–crazy together.” Will nodded.
Will and El leaned into a tight hug, hope finally dawning on them as they realised that they had a fresh chance at being normal kids when they got to Lenora.
“Do you wanna be friends?” Young Mike’s voice drifted through the noisy playground as he took a seat beside Will on the swingset. He didn’t say yes–just nodded–but he didn’t have to.
—
Will’s eyes turned forward again, and he shut them for a short moment to savour the sweet, lingering warmth of the memories.
He raised his arms and surged forward, summoning all the energy he could to fight Vecna. He went flying across the MAC-Z–taken off guard–but immediately rebounded into an attack, thrusting Will onto the ground.
Will caught himself and stood back up, straining to use his powers with one hand as the other wiped away a tear on his cheek.
I’m not afraid anymore. He reminded himself–and in that brief second of comfort, he pulled all his focus into this moment. Despite the rage pumping through his veins, and the grief that he might not make it out of here, he felt strangely peaceful.
After more back-and-forth between the two, Will was exhausted. He had to end this quickly.
He paused for a moment to catch his breath, but Vecna took the opportunity, using his powers to lift Will off the ground and into a chokehold.
Will strained against the hold, gasping for air. Vecna dragged him closer and watched him struggle.
“I told you that you can’t win this, William.” He shook his head slowly.
“No.” Will managed to choke out, lifting an arm and forcing Vecna backwards. Will dropped to the ground, grazing his hands on the rough pavement. He panted, glaring at Vecna, who was clearly injured–Will noticed with relief.
He pulled himself up onto his knees, fighting the fatigue pulling him down, and raised his arms once again. He dragged all the power he could inwards, gritting his teeth and clenching his hands, before pushing it all out. He sent every last bit of energy in him out towards Vecna, tearing him apart.
Will screamed in agony as Vecna’s body crumbled in on itself–limbs snapping and skin tearing– and ripped apart in all directions. The gate to the Upside Down pulsed and began to collapse as the hivemind died.
Will fell back down to the ground, hitting his head on the cold concrete. He gazed at the night sky as tears streamed down his face, mixing with the blood falling from his eyes and nose, smearing on the ground beneath him.
Faintly, like being heard underwater, he could hear yelling. Faraway, distant, falling away at the edges like an old piece of paper. He couldn’t lift his head to look, he only laid limp on the cold floor as the voices got closer.
“Will! —where—Will!” The muffled, unclear words slowly washed over him, rendering him lucid enough to move his gaze upwards. Before him was Mike Wheeler, running to him like his life depended on it.
“Will! Will, what– Hold on, we’re getting you help, okay?” Mike dropped to his knees and grasped Will’s shoulder, gently moving his head up so they could look at each other.
Will tried to talk–to say anything–but all that came out was a broken, raw sound of pain. Mike’s eyes widened and he glanced over Will’s features, gaze hovering over the blood, the tension in his brows, the slack-jawed expression of relentless pain contorting his face.
“Will–Will, no, no, no. You– you didn’t. You didn’t.” Mike shook his head, tears welled in his eyes, and his breath shook in the air around them. “You promised–” Mike sobbed. “You promised we’d beat him together.”
Will looked up at him with an expression of sad acceptance, like he’d lost all his fight. Yet for a second, there was a flash of uncertainty. Of doubt, regret.
“I can’t do it, Will. I can’t lose you again.”
Will watched him with awe, almost mystified with the way Mike held him like he was something worth keeping. Something more than a burden.
He was snapped out of his reverie as Mike abruptly pulled him up into a tight hug, fists clenching into the fabric of Will’s shirt. He could feel his body giving up, depending on Mike’s hold to keep him steady.
He hadn’t wanted Mike–or anyone, but especially Mike–to see this. He had wanted to destroy Vecna and the Mindflayer, give his life–not to Vecna, but to the party–and end things before it could hurt anyone else.
Yet here he was, laying in Mike’s arms, his head reeling with agony and sorrow. He hadn’t been scared, hadn’t been sad. But when Mike got there, it was like everything fell apart. With Mike by his side, he wanted to live.
“Will, please. I can’t do it.” Mike sobbed into his shoulder, clutching Will like he was the only thing in the world. “I–I love you.” He whispered, voice hoarse.
Now, with Mike’s words, he needed to live.
Will found just enough strength somewhere inside him, tucked away near his heart, and straightened up in Mike’s hold until they were facing each other.
It was too late–Will knew that. He wanted to say something. Whisper back, I love you too, like praying for a miracle. He wanted to scream with the pain inside his body, every bone feeling like it was twisting, like his lungs were caving in.
His voice was broken, breathy, and quiet, barely held back from wails and pleas for the pain to stop. He couldn’t talk–not fully–but he could speak. Without words, like they always had. He locked eyes with Mike, hoping his eyes could talk for him.
But Will wanted to say something, one last thing before he went. His brain went to the default, his favourite word he’d ever learnt, the word that held up his world. The name.
“Mike.”
Will’s entire body crumpled forward, collapsing onto Mike. Mike staggered slightly, but held onto him. He glanced around frantically.
He cursed, tears falling from his eyes like they would never stop.
“Someone help!” He yelled, voice cracking with desperation. “Please.” He said more quietly, cradling Will’s body like it might bring him back.
“Please–Will, stay awake, okay? Will. No–” The words died in his throat as he looked at Will. His eyes were fluttering shut, his face still slick with fresh blood.
He looked like a corpse.
His last words seemed to echo throughout the desolate military base.
Mike. Mike. Mike?
“Mike!”
He hadn’t realised when, but more people were crowding around them. Nancy was grabbing his shoulders, shaking him out of his daze with horror shining in her eyes every time she looked at Will.
Joyce was wailing beside him, her voice rebounding like a broken hymn, begging for something that couldn’t be given.
Will couldn’t open his eyes, couldn’t move an inch if he tried. He was so, so tired. In so much pain, filled with so much exhaustion and unrelenting onslaughts of agony. His breath hitched on every inhale.
He could only feel and hear, the rest of him shutting off like an old, weary television screen. He was vaguely aware of his friends and family around him;
The haunting screams of a mother losing her son for the second time (the last time, he thought to himself).
The frantic works of Jonathan, Nancy and Robin trying to perform first-aid
Lucas cursing, “Shit, shit, shit,” like it was the only word he knew, holding hands with Max like it was a lifeline.
Dustin sobbing into Steve’s shoulder, taking deep heaving breaths in the hopes of calming down.
El, hugging Joyce and crying quietly into the embrace.
And through it all, one thing stayed–the steady touch of Mike’s hand holding his. Will was slumped in the arms of Hopper, muttering “C’mon, kid, hang in there,” being carried to a car as quickly as possible. But still, Mike followed, never letting go.
Will thought that if he had to feel one thing forever, it would be Mike’s palm against his own.
And if this was the last thing he ever felt, he would die content.
Limp in the back of a car speeding towards the hospital, Mike leaned in beside Will. He wasn’t awake, but he could still feel, still hear–like a part of him was hanging on.
“I love you, Will.” Mike whispered to his ear, voice heavy with grief and fear.
Will just wished that he could have lived a life where he got to say it back.