Chapter Text
Will has felt the Mind Flayer before; he could always feel the phantom press into his skull that connected him directly to the being, the original host, the one. The shadow monster that haunted his nightmares every moment he shut his eyes, the virus hooked so deep in his brain he wasn't able to tell the difference between him and it, and the chill burrowed under his skin that never felt right over his bones. But he mistook it.
As he reached and pulled into the connected hivemind, inserting himself into the wired networks of neurons and structures of control, Will was knocked breathless. Overwhelming feelings of want: expansion. It wormed its way into his mind, and he knew it was the Mind Flayer's core wants. But was it wrong for it to want more, more space to be free, more beings to protect it? It's just a thing with primal wants everyone craves.
The Mind Flayer wants space like a bacterium wants to roam, wants protection from others like a child under the guidance of their parents, and wants a home it can eat and multiply in. Like any other organism. Any other simple-minded creature that needed help. And the Mind Flayer was desperate for help, help that Vecna, no Henry, was failing at providing. The Mind Flayer needed protection and guidance, and a hand to ensure it had what it wanted.
And Vecna was not that hand. Will very well could be. Now, just thinking about the Mind Flayer, Will couldn't help but coo internally at the simple desires it had. Why shouldn't it get those key factors of life allotted to every other thing? Henry was useless, too wrapped up in his own bouts of control to understand the Mind Flayer was not just a thing to control to 'rebuild the world' but something to nurture.
Will didn't realize his hands were up and holding back the demogorgons, three to be exact, while his whole view of the biggest traumas was redefined through the connection. Now, Will knew the Mind Flayer wasn't malicious, just natural. He couldn't bear to hurt the demogorgons because all that pain would affect his Mind Flayer. Instead, he set them down, pulling on the internal thread to make the Demogorgon release the order Henry had given it. After all, he would be taking Henry's place; Will would usurp that place as his Mind Flayer's strategist. His Mind Flayer shouldn't have to suffer the plans of Henry's slipping control. All this running around, abusing his Mind Flayer to create elaborate schemes after convoluted plots, when in all actuality, no worlds would need to merge.
The worlds could and should stay separate. It could destroy both planets, and his Mind Flayer would be dead. Even if not, it could risk the government finding a weakness in his Mind Flayer and exploiting it. His Mind Flayer should never have been on Earth; it's too risky, and it's not fit for it. Will would deal with everything down here while the Mind Flayer could take all it wants; Will is meant to provide for his Mind Flayer, never the other way around. The powers that have been given have only one purpose, and it was not how Henry was abusing those powers.
The revelations that rewired his whole frame of thought washed over him as the demogorgons scampered back through the rifts they had created into the Upside Down. Will crashed down onto the concrete streaked with blood and liquids he didn't want to know. Mike was at his side in seconds, pressing into Will's side to hold him up. Mike's spindly arms wrapped around Will like a pull to reality, away from the fervor Will was engulfed in for his Mind Flayer. Mike was speaking, shouting, into Will's face about 'sorcerer's or something along his D&D ramble, but Will couldn't pay attention. Occupied with plans to get Henry out of the picture.
Will had always loathed and dreaded Henry, but now it was burning him alive to know that Henry was still using his Mind Flayer to achieve his selfish goals. Will was going to end him and free his Mind Flayer from the shackles of its pet and its planet.
–––
The Demogorgon screech timed and pitched exactly to the scream that tore out of Will's lungs in a way that ripped into something behind his reach. The Demogorgon tumbled before standing up with a lightness unbefitting of the beast. Will attempted to push through the ache, but it was muffling all sensation but pain. Joyce was shaking his body, trying to get through to him as he wheezed and shook.
He didn't even notice the gate opening right in the wall of the barn, extraterrestrial vines and a rageful red glow pulsing like a live thing. Nor did he notice the stillness that shushed over the hay when the gate split down and opened without being torn like the Demogorgons, and Eleven was forced to. It was control. It was power.
The crunch of a step caught Will's scattered attention, finally coming back to himself and away from that. It was sure, slow, each crack of a twig echoing in the silence that even the Demogorgon didn't dare break. Will forced his eyes up, bleary-eyed just from the fact he hadn't been seeing for the last minute through them, pain and connection numbing his senses to the point of rendering him useless. All he could make out was a shadow, walking so slow it was excruciating and so sure it made Will a little envious. Will blinked away a few tears that he hadn't even realized until he further fell back into himself: the pull of cloth on his sweaty body, the fingers digging into the hay until it either broke or broke the skin, the ringing of his ears that still muted everything but the figure.
Just as Will was able to breathe like himself, he realized he moved a few inches towards the shadow through a crawl. The fingers that dug into hay were doing so in a bid to get closer to the figure, and he attempted to pull himself up to get a better look. It was… him. But not?
The figure crouched; it crouched to meet the eyes of Will head-on. It was eerie looking at a copy of yourself that was so much more… more. Will knew the double was powerful, could hear the echoes of it, a feedback loop in whatever spot is connected to the Mind Flayer. He could also feel the self-assurance through every line of his(?) face: relaxed, calm, assessing, and curious. Its eyes peered right into Will's like a brand, boring into him as a hand lay on his cheek. "What an odd thing." It was a whisper, a silent phrase that shouldn't feel as loud as it did.
Will flinched at the touch and tone, a hint of condescension and a lot of yawning curiosity. Pulling his head away from the hand weakly, glaring with no success as the other him let a slow smile stretch the familiar skin. "I didn't really think anything of the gate when it opened, but this is nothing I could've imagined. A whole new timeline, universe, reality…" The double never let his voice get more than a murmur that purred through the air, hanging in the air like a song. A slight little huff, like a laugh if it were any louder.
A choked off gasp caught on Will's eardrums as he finally noticed why everything was still and quiet. Every person in the barn, besides the passed-out Turnbows, were stuck still in the air. Like Vecna's usual method of disposing others, except that those others were contorting and writhing when Vecna crushed his victims' limbs together. Instead, Robin, Joyce, Erica, and Derick were just puppets on invisible strings held up to stop interfering with the scene.
"What-?" Will's voice cracked as he struggled to understand what was happening in front of him. Robin was stuck: breathing heavy and harsh, clearly fighting the hold, but not an inch of her moved. His mom, his mom, made the gasp that drew his attention, and she was sobbing through the grip. He could hear the way her voice would crack and break while chanting a stumbled line of "no, no, not my baby, no," all trapped in the grip.
His double tutted with a soft click of his tongue, "Now, don't think about them, Will. Is your name still Will?" The added question was accompanied by a cock of his head; again, the curiosity burning through the wisp of his voice. "An answer would be better, though it's fine if you don't feel up to it. I can guess it still is, right? Otherwise, you would've looked more confused."
Will grunted as his other gripped his face between shockingly soft hands. "You're so... soft, is this what I was like...?" It was mumbled mostly to himself as his hand caressed the face of Will. "This is so sweet, you haven't even connected to the hive mind," the low coo graced the edges of Will's mind.
"Who- What are you?" Will finally was able to force out, pushing up and pulling away from the hands. His sore body ached as he forced himself to stand on wobbly legs and walk towards his immobile mom and Robin. "What are you doing?" Will gritted out through clenched teeth, shivering and shaking, but not backing down.
Tilting his head, his other self scoffs slightly, "Calm down. I'm not hurting them. They were going to get in the way." He spoke the words as if it explained everything, that nothing he was doing was even remotely wrong. "But, I won't interfere in this… —universe? Timeline?—so drastically by killing them."
"But, don't you see? I'm you. Just with a little bit more time to do what needed to be done." He offered good-naturedly, charming even, if not for the display he held. A boyish smile on his double's face, and was that what he looked like…? Looking at himself from an outsider perspective made him oddly mesmerized, his nose scrunched just a hint when he smiled. Will was so lost in thought about the small little quirks his face had that he almost didn't remember he was supposed to be on guard.
"What do you mean? You're from the upside down! I saw the gate!" Will yelled as he pointed towards the dark split between worlds that faded into a smoky outline on the barn wall.
"You know nothing!" His other didn't shout, but it was louder, dropping a register into a growl. He seemed to take a breath and continue with a slightly calmer tone, raising his hands in a harmless gesture, "You don't even know the true nature of the 'Upside Down'. I'm here to help."
"Help? How would you help? You're probably Vecna in an illusion!" Will shouted, tone frayed at the edges in confused anger. "I know what you are." The words were spit out like a curse.
A second didn't even pass before the double grabbed Will by the chin, just above the neck. The fingers digging so deeply that finger-shaped bruises were blooming on the pale skin. Roughly pulled up, Will let out a pained whine as he was maneuvered to be right in front of the figure, nerves still alight with phantom pains. "Don't liken me to that thing. Or I'll stop caring about who you are and what your death could mean for this world."
Will's breath came shallow and contorted into small whimpers; the others held in the air (Will almost forgot about them-) were struggling even more, matching his pained gasps. "Do you understand?" his gaze sung back to the hiss in his face. "Henry is a pest, a betrayer. Another insult like that and I'll have to make good on it."
Finally finding the strength to nod, he did so as frantically as the grip would let him. And once the grip was lost, Will stammered for a moment before looking at the double, flinching as a hand came up again to feather past the marks on skin. "Vecna is a thing of the past, William. He's weak, conceited, useless. And I'll make you an offer to get rid of him for good. Isn't that what you want?" The coy tilt of the head told Will that the double knew that there was nothing more he wanted. Nothing more he craved. To rid the world of that monster from terrorizing others like him.
But just as much as he ached for exactly that, Will's focus fell from the double onto Joyce and Robin. They mostly stopped their struggle once the other him let his crushing grasp on his jaw go, tired from hanging there like limp puppets. Obviously, the double was… unstable and a threat to his family.
His other followed his gaze, "Ah, sentimental." He murmured like an observation before setting the two down, and there was a thud on the overhang somewhere above them. Fuck, Derek. Did he really forget Derek…? He was so out of it; Will knew that if he hadn't heard or seen Joyce or Robin, he wouldn't have known either.
Joyce, the second her feet hit the ground, grabbed her axe and swung it in a one full motion towards the double of Will. His lips quirked up a little as he lifted a hand to hold the axe still in the air right before his neck. "Hello, Mom. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"I'm not your mother." Joyce gritted out, attempting to pull the axe back from the invisible hold.
"Of course, William would have that place here. Why don't you let go of the axe?" The good-natured tone was back, like all that was happening was just a normal night.
Joyce sneered before her gaze flicked up, and Robin came at the double with a spare piece of wood, most likely trying to catch him off guard. A flick of his right wrist sent Robin across the barn into a pile of hay.
Will watched as the mirror of his gaze snapped back to him. "Are you going to try something next? I know you can."
Will was stuck, still feeling the static of the Demogorgon under his skin and… for a moment, Will just couldn't. There was a faint connection there. Stock still and staring, Will noticed that his nose was letting out a trickle of blood. He was pushing himself. But still, Will didn't move, too transfixed by the soaked, pale skin and the line of red slowly dripping from his nose and the fluttery lashes gazing right at him.
"Will!" Joyce barked, grabbing his attention after minutes. "Get away, sweetheart." The last syllable was a low rumble from when she tried again to pull the axe away.
Nothing. Will didn't move an inch. Joyce shot him a strangled look, brows furrowed in confusion while her nose scrunched up the way it does when Will was being difficult. All of Will's focus was on his mirror. And the other didn't blink as he held the gaze.
"-Will! Hello, Will?!" Robin's frayed voice was shouting at him as she tackled Will, breaking the trance. At the same time, Derek was shouting something as well, "Hey, get off your lazy ass! Why have you been doing nothing?"
"Insufferable." The copy scoffed at the boy. After Will finally managed to worm his way out from under Robin's spry weight, he scrambled fully up. "Don't you know, Will?"
Joyce finally let go of the axe, and as soon as the grip left the wood handle, the weapon went flying straight into a pillar. Buried so deep over half of the blade was lodged; it would take more than Joyce's wiry vigor to even move the blade out an inch. "Don't talk to my son," defenseless and still fiery in her protection.
"You don't need to be near the hivemind."
Robin had wrapped her hands around his shoulders, trying to physically pull him away. But Will was fixated on the exact shade of honey brown pouring right through his retinas by the other's gaze.
"Don't even need to think of that wretched creature you call that very special name."
Vecna. That was the name he was referring to. Both Joyce's and Robin's voices muffled together in their frantic pitches, but his mirror's words rang clear. So clear that the whisper of it, the mouth moving over the vowels, the throat working around it, was the only thing he could hear. The only thing he could feel was the sensation of the words flowing over his body like something physical. Drowning out the very real touch of Joyce's cold, dry hands on his face, the insistent tugging of Robin on his arms, his shoulder, his waist. They were touching everywhere, but the only thing that Will registered was the next words.
"All you have to do is pull."
"What?" It was breathless confusion that had Will lightheaded. Something about the way he said it, the things he's implying; it knocked Will breathless.
On any other face, the little tilt of his head and leering look would be provocative, bordering on sultry. But, on his features, his softer and sweeter and more pleasant features, it looked charming, if a little coy. A beckoning look that stuck something right in his core.
He didn't want to be useless. Or restrained.
He didn't want to be useless. Or restrained.
"Will!" It was short, snapped, something Will had never heard directed at him since his kidnapping. That's what snapped him out of whatever bubble between him and his mirror. "Will. Get away now. He's obviously an illusion, some ploy from-"
Something moved Will; he didn't know what, but his palm went over his mom's mouth to stop the word from coming out. It might've been instinctual, a knee-jerk reaction to being compared to Vecna since the clone was his clone. Or a scared little inkling that if that word came out like it did when Will had said the same thing, Joyce wouldn't receive the same grace that Will got.
A muffled yelp of irritation was the only thing that passed from Joyce's lips. Will removed his hand immediately after with an ashamed look. Joyce met it with a furious look, but Derek beat her at saying anything.
"Who even are you? You must be one of the monsters Mr. Whatsit told me about." Derek shrieked, pulling all their attention away from the gravity at hand.
"What do you consider a monster? From where I stand, I look perfectly normal, and I haven't done anything to you." Did Will always have the habit of tilting his head when asking a question? Is that why this version of him did it so much? And just as he thought it, he could feel the last remnants of his bowl cut sweep across his forehead as an answer. He did?
"You don't need to look ugly to be a monster! You have to be crazy!" Crossing his arms before squeaking as Will's doppelgänger took to floating the boy down from the little overhang. "Put me down! Put me down! You're going to drop me!"
"That's the point." His mirror deadpanned, leaving the boy hanging in the air for a moment. "Is this evil?"
"Yes!" Derek looked close to tears as he was lowered onto the safe ground. Joyce ran up to the child, maternal to a fault as she rushed past the double to shield the kid away from him.
"Did you know that in my time—or universe—you were rather delightful." It was said like an inside joke, but all Derek did was glare at the figure through the arms of Joyce.
Robin's usually never-closing mouth worked open right before she was interrupted by the wheels of a pair of bicycles breaking the tense silence. Her arms about to come up and yank Will back, away from the figure, until Lucas's shout of "That's not all" died away instantly.
"The rest of the entourage is here." Will's copy murmured, gazing right into the two approaching figures. The sound of voices cut off abruptly as Lucas and Mike took in the sight of the double. Lucas's form crashed into the floor while Mike skittered to a stop on his feet, the hay scratching cloth and rubber being the only sound in the barn.
–––
"Call me William, since it might get confusing."
"Confusing? This has been confusing!" Erica's shout was heard throughout the barn. She had stayed out of William's notice so well that the double did a clear double take once she made herself known. "Why don't you give up the illusion and scamper back to your master?"
William took a deep breath, a slightly deeper intake of air, but Will was able to recognize it nonetheless. Will noticed the grey shirt stretched over William's chest, and the eyelashes fluttering as William's burnt-honey irises focused right back on Will. "I'm not going to dignify that with a response. And I will take it that you mean the Mind Flayer and not Vecna, or this will start to get messy, Erica."
"Do not threaten my sister," Lucas growled out, stepping just an inch in front of the girl. Mike was trying to sneak near Will, trying desperately to get closer, but William was constantly pushing Mike away through an invisible force. The scruff of Mike's jacket taunt as he tried to claw and dig his way to Will, His Will. Lucas, on the other hand, was hostile, nearly jumping the other before Joyce and Robin tackled him down. Tackle was a strong word, but it took both of them to stop Lucas from laying a hand on William, and possibly lose it.
"Would you rather I lie?" William's voice lowered into a hiss, eyes still glued onto Will's worried face. Squirming, Will averted his gaze down, down to the hay and dirt and away from the disarming sight of his other.
"I'd rather you go back to the hell you crawled out of." Lucas shot back, glaring down at William. Even as William didn't seem to care that Lucas opened his mouth with a retort.
William stepped closer to Will, something he hadn't done since meeting Will. Joyce immediately gripped onto Will's sleeve, pulling him away. Will felt a pang of pity when William's lips twitched down, a natural pout pulling at the plush pink. Will was usually so passive, really someone being saved rather than doing anything helpful. But maybe Robin was rubbing off on him, because he got the urge to comfort and close the gap himself.
Joyce's grip tightened to a frantic degree, "Do not," she gritted out, "be kind, right now." Will felt the skittish, paranoid energy right next to his ear. She knew exactly what he was thinking, thinking of shaking off the bone-knuckle grip she had on him to go and comfort someone who stole his face and might be a trick altogether.
"Kindness is a virtue…" William hummed, pleased like a cat that got the canary once he noticed the hesitation in Will. "We always were kind, right? Kind and useless."
Throat tightening, Will swallowed dryness and muteness. "I'm not useless. Not now." His voice shook with a small, barely noticeable quiver.
"And is that how you ended up on your back, convulsing, because you couldn't figure out how to control your connection with the hivemind?" Again with that stupid tilt, the expanse of Will's neck sharp and clean and elegant as he cocked his head.
A grunt escaped Lucas on his right, and suddenly, Will was aware that Lucas was trying to get something out from under the invisible grip that William exercised on everyone. As his gaze swept over, everyone, including Mike and Lucas, was trapped by William, just like when he exited the gate first. Except instead of in the air, they were stock still, frozen like statues. And usually, he'd be frenzied and panicked over people he loves in this helpless position, but right now, Will was too focused on the words his other self spat at him.
I don't know what happened, but I can use it!" Louder than was usual for his softer, sweeter voice; desperation was clawing at a chance to defend himself. To prove himself.
William chuckled, soft and light, as he stared right into Will's glare. "You can't use it. You don't even know what you're doing. Don't know how to save your friends or how to stop being weak." William crept up close as he finished his words, petting Will's cheek softly.
Will knew he was tearing up, and quickly, too. All those insecurities about being a baby and weak and annoying and selfish were all coming to the front. William was… right.
"It's okay, Will. I'll be the one to help you. I'll fix your problems, messes, conflicts. I'll get rid of the annoying fly that's been tormenting you for years. I'll get your friends back from the trance they found themselves in. All you have to do is agree." William cupped his face, so close that Will could feel the breath graze over his skin and the pads of William's fingers stroke away stray tears.
"I don't want to be useless." Will breathed out, words wispy and cracked. The second the words left him, he slumped right into the arms of his double. That's all he ever wanted. He wanted to be normal and capable and strong.
William shushed him, petting the soft brown hair as Will buried himself into William's chest. Will's arms squeezed the warm torso, while he breathed in the smell of warm vanilla from where his nose was pressed in between William's ribs. Soft cooing sounds from the voice so similar to his made Will realize why he caved so easily. William was him, his strength was Will's too, in a way. He almost, oddly enough, trusted the doppelgänger. So much so that Will didn't even register the muffled voices of the people around him, all desperately trying to get Will's attention away from William.
"You won't be, because I'm here now."