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The Upside Down radio tower groaned and creaked like it was personally offended by their existence. It stood like a rotten middle finger pointed at whatever god had abandoned Hawkins. Thick vines pulsed with sickly red light, wrapping the rusted metal like veins. In the distance, the Mind Flayer’s massive fleshy form loomed over the twisted Hawkins landscape, while Vecna’s clock chimed ominously from the Creel House ruins.
The Party had split up for the final assault. Dustin, Lucas, Steve, and Robin were distracting the demodog army. Nancy and Jonathan were setting explosive traps with sheer midwestern spite. El was going after Vecna directly. That left Mike and Will to climb the tower and sabotage the Mind Flayer’s anchor point from above.
Because nothing says “good plan” like two emotionally constipated nerds on a hell tower.
They reached the top platform, wind screaming ash and spores around them. Mike’s beanie was a tragedy. Will’s face was already tight with pre battle anxiety and years of repressed feelings.
“Will,” Mike panted, grabbing his arm. “Before we probably die up here…I need to say this.”
Will’s heart did the hopeful cartwheel again. He turned, eyes wide.
Mike swallowed dramatically. “You’re not just my friend. Friends? No thanks.” He gave that awkward half-laugh. “Best friends. You’re my best friend, man. My Platonic Superpal. I couldn’t do any of this without you. You’re the most important person in my life.”
Silence. Even the wind seemed to pause in embarrassment.
Will’s face slowly crumpled. The hope drained away, replaced by pure, exhausted heartbreak. Years of secret stares, the painting, the closet feelings, the way Mike kissed El while Will stood in the shadows, all hit at once.
“Platonic Superpal,” Will repeated, voice barely audible over the howling.
“Yeah!” Mike beamed, utterly clueless. “Exactly. Super best friends forever.”
UPSIDE DOWN NEWS: LIVE FROM THE TOWER
A fleshy demodog camera-drone with a press badge and a microphone jammed into its face zipped into frame, broadcasting to every vine, spore, and screaming monster in the dimension.
“We’re LIVE from the final battle!” Carol Rottington’s voice boomed from every pulsing vine like interdimensional surround sound. “I’m Carol Rottington, and folks, the emotional damage is delicious. Mike Wheeler has just delivered the most self owning speech in multiversal history. Will Byers’ heartbreak meter broke the scale. Chad, your on site analysis?”
Chad, a slick rotting corpse floating beside the platform, grinned. “Thanks Carol! That ‘Platonic Superpal’ line just murdered the mood. Sources inside Will Byers’ head say he’s been in love since the Demogorgon chase in ’83. The push is imminent. Back to you!”
A chyron crawled across every visible surface in dripping red letters:
BREAKING: BOY TRAGICALLY FALLS FROM RADIO TOWER
“It’s not like that” -Sources say it was exactly like that.
Will looked at Mike. Then at the swirling red abyss below. Then back at Mike.
“Mike,” he said quietly. “You’re an idiot.”
“Huh? Will, what are you—”
Will gave him a shove to the chest.
It wasn’t a violent shove. It was two tired hands to the chest, the accumulated force of years of mixed signals, secret stares, and one too many “best friend” speeches.
Mike’s arms windmilled comically. One foot slipped on the slime covered platform. His eyes widened in pure betrayal as he tipped backward over the railing.
“WILL!? BEST FRIENDS DON’T— AAAAAAHHHHHH!”
He fell, screaming the entire way down like a dramatic damsel in a tower who just discovered gravity.
UPSIDE DOWN NEWS: LIVE COVERAGE
“OH MY GOD HE’S FALLING!” Carol cackled with glee. Split screen showed glorious slow motion footage with a tragic violin cover of “Running Up That Hill.” “Look at that form! Pure emotional whiplash! Will Byers has officially snapped. Chad?”
“Textbook ‘I’ve waited long enough’ shove, Carol. Mike Wheeler’s density remains undefeated. Max Mayfield, currently in a wheelchair back at base camp, is reportedly feeling this secondhand.”
Chad’s floating head disappeared and appeared again: “Mike Wheeler is plummeting approximately eighty seven emotional feet. Will Byers remains on the platform looking… relieved? We’re getting reports this push was one hundred percent deserved. Chat is exploding. Twelve thousand demogorgons say ‘finally,’ three thousand say ‘touch grass, Wheeler.’”
Lower third graphic:
Will Byers: 1
Mike’s Romantic Awareness: 0
El’s voice suddenly cut through comms (and the broadcast somehow): “I’ve got him.”
Mike’s fall slowed mid air as she caught him with her powers before he became a crater. He landed in a dramatic heap right in the middle of the ongoing demodog battle, covered in ash, regret, and black vine goo.
Dustin’s voice crackled in: “MIKE GOT YEETED?! By Will?! This is the best final battle ever!”
Lucas: “Platonic Superpal my ass!” Vecna is probably facepalming right now!”
Steve, hair somehow still perfect despite the hell dimension, clapped slowly. “Congrats, man. You’ve reached new levels of dumb.”
Nancy lowered her shotgun, smirking. “Mike. She’s your ex-girlfriend,” she pointed at El, “and even she saw this coming. Will pushed you. Will. The quietest, nicest person alive. That’s how bad you fumbled.”
El tilted her head, expression unreadable but with a tiny satisfied smile. “He was sad. Now he is… less sad. You should say better words next time, Mike.”
Mike sat up, sputtering. “It was a compliment! Best friends is the highest level! It’s like… best friend plus!”
Dustin mimed pushing someone off a tower. “Yeah, and Will upgraded you to ‘falling boy.’ Iconic.”
Jonathan, who had been quietly loading a new flare, finally spoke. “My little brother just yeeted you off a nightmare tower and you’re still defending ‘Superpal’? Dude.”
UPSIDE DOWN NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT
Back at the rotting news desk, Carol was practically vibrating. “We’re getting exclusive footage! Mike is being roasted alive by his own Party. Listen to this burn from Dustin Henderson: ‘Even the Mind Flayer ships it harder than you.’ Savage!”
A graphic popped up ranking the roasts:
Dustin: 9.5/10
Lucas: 9/10
Steve: “Hair still better than your game” 8.5/10
El: Silent judgment 10/10
Chad cut in from the tower platform where Will was now sitting on the edge, legs dangling. “Will Byers has not moved. He’s just… smiling? Small, private smile. Our Upside Down romance experts say this is the ‘I’m done waiting’ era.”
Ten minutes later (after the group had mostly cleared the demodogs), Will climbed down and rejoined them. The Party immediately swarmed.
Lucas slung an arm around Will’s shoulders. “King behavior. Ten bucks says Mike lands in the friendzone so hard he bounces back to the real Hawkins.”
Dustin grinned wickedly. “So when Mike inevitably gives another speech about how ‘best friends can still hold hands in the Upside Down,’ are we allowed to push him again? Group vote.”
Will rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks pink even in the toxic red light. “I didn’t mean to actually make him fall… okay maybe a little. He’s just so dense.”
Mike stood up, brushing off vine guts, looking equal parts mortified and determined. He marched straight up to Will.
The Final Confrontation: Live Broadcast
The real chaos started when everyone converged at the Creel House ruins. The Mind Flayer towered overhead like a giant fleshy squid. Vecna floated dramatically on his creepy platform, one hand raised, monologuing about trauma and clocks.
But the Upside Down News had fully taken over.
Vines sprouted massive fleshy screens everywhere. Carol’s voice echoed across the battlefield.
“Live from the Final Showdown! We have Vecna himself on the line, or rather, on the spores. Vecna, your thoughts on this Byler drama unfolding mid battle?”
Vecna actually paused his evil speech. His burned face twitched in what might have been annoyance… or amusement.
“…The Wheeler boy is an imbecile,” Vecna intoned in his deep, echoing voice. “He stands beside the one who painted him as a noble knight and still utters ‘Platonic Superpal.’ Even I, who feeds on pain, find this stupidity… irritating.”
The entire Party lost it mid fight.
Dustin, swinging his shield: “VECNA JUST ROASTED YOU, MIKE!”
Mike, dodging tentacles: “This is NOT the time!”
Will, firing a makeshift flamethrower: “It’s a little bit the time.”
Carol chimed in cheerfully: “Ratings are through the roof! Viewers at home or rather, in the hive mind are loving this. Quick poll: Should Will push Mike again? Eighty nine percent say yes.”
The Mind Flayer roared and slammed a massive tentacle down. Argyle’s voice (somehow patched in from the real world through gate static) drifted over the broadcast: “Whoa… even the big squid monster is vibing with the drama. This dimension is wild, bro.”
Vecna raised his hand toward Mike specifically. “Your unresolved feelings are delicious, Wheeler. But for the love of all that is cursed, stop calling him your Superpal and kiss the boy so we can finish this properly.”
Mike turned beet red. “I’m a little busy fighting literal evil right now!”
A vine politely handed Will a fresh newspaper mid battle. Headline: VECNA CALLS OUT MIKE WHEELER’S DENSITY – ‘Even I’m Embarrassed.’
Will laughed despite everything. He grabbed Mike’s hand during a brief lull in the fighting. “After we win… no more Superpal talk.”
Mike squeezed back, eyes wide and finally, finally getting it (Or is he?). Yeah. Deal.”
With the power of collective embarrassment, a Max miracle tease in the distance (her wheelchair glowing faintly from the broadcast waves), and Vecna’s unwilling participation in the roast session, the Party pressed the attack. El faced Vecna. The rest tore into the Mind Flayer’s anchor.
And somewhere in the chaos, Carol signed off: “Stay tuned after the battle for our exclusive: ‘Will they kiss or does Mike need another fall?’”
—————————————————————————
Three days after the final battle, the Wheeler basement was pure beautiful chaos. Pizza boxes formed a fortress. Empty soda cans were stacked like a demodog warning system.
The Party was fully assembled: Dustin and Lucas arguing over who got the last slice, El quietly dominating the corner with her Eggos, Steve trying to look like a responsible adult, Nancy taking meticulous notes, Jonathan half hiding behind his camera, Robin pacing dramatically while ranting about Russian code and interdimensional PTSD, and Max parked in her wheelchair like a battle commander who was this close to wheeling over someone’s toes.
Mike stood in the middle of the room, fists clenched, face doing that dramatic constipated thing it always did when feelings got too big, because emotional speeches in the Wheeler basement were apparently his love language.
“Will,” he started, voice cracking with dramatic sincerity, “after everything that happened up on that tower and during the final fight… I just need you to know. You’re not just my friend. Friends? No thanks.” He laughed that awkward little laugh. “You’re my best friend. My Platonic Superpal. I couldn’t have survived any of this without you, man.”
The basement went pin drop silent.
Robin stopped pacing mid-step, arms still flailing. “Platonic Superpal?! Mike. Michael. Wheeler. You made a blood pact in front of Vecna, to stop this and you’re already relapsing? On day three?”
Will’s face did the thing again. The slow, exhausted heartbreak that had been building since 1983. He looked like he was calculating exactly how hard he’d have to push this time.
Max slowly lowered her can of Coke. “I’m in a wheelchair because of Vecna and even I want to stand up just to kick your ass.”
Dustin wheezed. Lucas dropped his dice. El tilted her head so far it looked painful. Steve muttered, “Jesus Christ, kid.”
UPSIDE DOWN NEWS: LIVE BLEED-IN
The lights flickered like they were personally tired of Mike’s shit. A thick, veiny vine punched through the ceiling and bloomed into a massive fleshy broadcast screen right above the D&D table. Carol Rottington appeared, looking extra delighted and extra rotten.
“Good afternoon, Hawkins! Carol Rottington here with Upside Down News, broadcasting through residual gate spores! Our top story: Mike Wheeler has already forgotten the dramatic mid battle promise he made to Will Byers! Chad, take it away!”
Chad floated in wearing a tiny “Spores Did This” hat. “That’s right, Carol! Mere days after Vecna himself called him dense on live broadcast, Mike is back with ‘Platonic Superpal.’ Will Byers is giving major ‘sad af: the sequel’ energy. Robin Buckley is spiraling. Max Mayfield’s secondhand embarrassment levels are critical.”
A dripping red chyron crawled across the screen:
BREAKING: BOY TRAGICALLY BACKSLIDES
“The spores made me forget the deal” – Mike Wheeler’s Weak Excuse
Robin pointed aggressively at the screen. “See?! Even the evil hell dimension thinks you’re an idiot! I have been translating Russian code while concussed and I still have better romantic awareness than you!”
Mike threw his hands up. “Okay but spores! I fell off the tower, I inhaled a bunch of that red stuff, it messes with your head! I forgot the promise! It’s not my fault!”
Robin barked out a laugh. “Spores. Spores?! That’s your defense? I once got possessed by the Mind Flayer’s cousin basically and I still remember basic human signals better than this!”
Dustin snatched the fresh newspaper that slapped onto the table. “‘Mike Wheeler’s spore excuse rated two out of ten by Upside Down experts. Robin Buckley’s rant: ten out of ten. Vecna quoted as saying ‘Even I grow weary of this.’”
Lucas read another line in his best anchor voice: “‘Local wheelchair user Max Mayfield reportedly experiencing miracle adjacent frustration.’”
Max grinned dangerously. “Keep talking, Wheeler. My legs are listening.”
Steve clapped slowly from the beanbag. “This is painful. Even I knew better, and I’m the guy who fought Russians with a hair care routine.”
El nodded solemnly. “Mike is… very Mike.”
Jonathan just kept taking pictures. “Will, Mom is never gonna believe this level of stupidity.”
Will finally spoke, voice tired but calm. “We shook on it, Mike. While the Mind Flayer was trying to eat us. On live interdimensional news. You promised no more Superpal talk.”
Mike rubbed the back of his neck, doubling down because character development was apparently optional. “I meant it! But the spores are tricky, okay? They make you forget important stuff! Like… emotional promises and… stuff.”
Robin groaned so loudly it echoed. “If you say ‘Platonic Superpal’ one more time I’m going to translate your diary into Russian and read it on this broadcast.”
The vine screen updated with a flashy graphic:
Current Score:
Will Byers Patience: 1%
Mike Wheeler Density: Still Undefeated
Robin Buckley Chaos Energy: Maximum
Max Miracle Watch: Rising
Carol leaned in excitedly. “We’re getting reports from the hive mind that even Vecna is facepalming in the afterlife. Quick poll for our viewers: How many more tower falls until Mike gets it? Ninety two percent say ‘at least three.’”
Will stood up slowly. “Mike. If you call me your Superpal again, I’m not pushing you. I’m asking Robin to help me throw you off the real radio tower.”
Robin cracked her knuckles. “Gladly. I’ve got range.”
Mike looked genuinely panicked for the first time. “Okay… maybe the spores are wearing off a little. But I’m still… figuring this out. It’s complicated!”
The entire Party groaned in unison.
Max wheeled right up to him. “Complicated? My man got roasted by a burned wizard on live TV and still went back to Superpal. This might actually be what cures me just so I can run away from your stupidity.”
Robin threw an arm around Will’s shoulders. “Come on, Byers. Let’s go get ice cream while Mike marinates in his spore induced dumbassery. The rest of us can watch the broadcast in peace.”
As they started heading upstairs, a new newspaper gently floated down on a vine and landed in Mike’s hands:
MIKE WHEELER BLAMES SPORES FOR ROMANTIC AMNESIA
“Even the Mind Flayer is disappointed” – Official Sources
Carol signed off cheerfully: “Stay tuned for more ‘Can Peak Secondhand Embarrassment Cure Paralysis?’ We’re all watching, Hawkins!”
—————————————————————————
The next day, the entire Party dragged Mike and Will to the old rusty WSQK radio tower on the edge of town. “For closure,” Dustin claimed. Really it was so they could all watch Mike inevitably say something stupid again in the exact same location just in the real Hawkins this time.
Max was there in her wheelchair, looking gloriously done with life. Robin had brought a megaphone “for emotional support.” Steve brought snacks. El brought Eggos. Argyle showed up somehow with a pizza van and zero explanation.
Mike, standing dramatically on the lower platform while everyone watched from below like it was premium theater, took a deep breath.
“Will,” he began, wind dramatically whipping his dark curly hair, “after the battle, the spores, the deal… I’ve been thinking.”
Will looked cautiously hopeful. The rest of the Party leaned in.
Mike continued, full constipated sincerity: “You really are my best friend. Like… the best best friend. Platonic Superpal forever. I’m sorry the spores made me forget the promise for a minute, but now that they’ve cleared I realize how important our friendship is.”
Dead silence.
Then Robin’s megaphone clicked on at full volume: “PLATONIC. SUPER. PAL. AGAIN?!”
UPSIDE DOWN NEWS: LIVE FROM THE REAL RADIO TOWER
A massive vine burst from the ground and bloomed into a full news desk right next to Max’s wheelchair. Carol Rottington materialized, practically glowing with evil glee.
“We are LIVE, Hawkins! Carol Rottington reporting from the miracle site! Mike Wheeler has tripled down on the Superpal speech at the same tower where he was originally pushed! Chad?”
Chad floated in wearing sunglasses made of bone. “Unbelievable, Carol. Will Byers is experiencing critical ‘sad af’ levels. Robin Buckley is armed. And Max Mayfield’s secondhand embarrassment is reaching therapeutic—wait, dangerous—levels.”
A chyron exploded across every screen in town:
BREAKING: MIKE WHEELER’S DENSITY CAUSES LOCAL MIRACLE WATCH TO GO CRITICAL
“Spores cleared. Stupidity remains.”
Dustin was already on the ground laughing. “He said it again! At the tower! This man cannot be saved!”
Lucas wiped tears. “Max, you good? You look like you’re about to ascend.”
Max gripped the arms of her wheelchair so hard her knuckles went white. “I survived Vecna. I survived the Upside Down. And Mike Wheeler is still out here calling the guy who painted him as a knight his Platonic Superpal.”
She stood up slightly in her seat, shaking with pure rage.
“I. Am. So. Done.”
At that exact moment, the accumulated cosmic embarrassment hit a breaking point.
A huge vine surged up beneath Max’s wheelchair like it had been waiting for this. Red energy, leftover Mind Flayer juice mixed with pure Upside Down tabloid magic and Max’s fury crackled around her legs. The wheelchair wheels spun uselessly as she rose.
Max took one shaky step.
Then another.
Then she sprinted ten feet, stopped, looked down at her own legs like they had personally insulted her, and screamed, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!”
UPSIDE DOWN NEWS: INSTANT BREAKING
Carol screamed with delight: “MIRACLE CONFIRMED! Local girl Max Mayfield regains full ability to walk due to extreme exposure to Mike Wheeler’s romantic incompetence! Doctors baffled. Scientists calling it ‘The Superpal Effect.’ Ratings have shattered every record in both dimensions!”
Graphic on screen:
Miracle Gave Local Girl Her Ability to Walk Again
Powered by: One (1) Mike Wheeler speech
Robin dropped the megaphone. “Holy shit. Mike’s stupidity is legitimately medicinal.”
Steve started slow-clapping. “This is the dumbest miracle I’ve ever witnessed and I fought a Russian base while high on truth serum.”
El smiled softly and levitated a celebratory Eggo in Max’s direction.
Argyle, leaning against his van, nodded sagely while absolutely blasted. “Whoa… the vibes were so bad they healed her. Respect, Maxine. Your legs said ‘we cannot take another Superpal.’”
Jonathan snapped about fifty photos in ten seconds. “This is going in the family album.”
Max took off running in a full circle around the tower base, cackling like a maniac. She skidded to a stop in front of Mike and poked him hard in the chest.
“Thank you for being the densest human alive, Wheeler. I can walk because you’re this stupid. Never change. Actually…do change. Immediately.”
Mike stood there stunned, mouth opening and closing. “I… but… it was a compliment!”
Will looked equal parts heartbroken and amused. “Mike. Max just got cured by your inability to read a room. Vecna roasted you. The entire Upside Down is laughing. And you’re still on Superpal.”
Robin snatched the megaphone again. “WILL HAS BEEN IN LOVE WITH YOU SINCE MIDDLE SCHOOL, YOU WALKING DISASTER!”
The vine screen updated with live footage of Max doing cartwheels while Carol narrated enthusiastically:
“Look at her go! The Superpal Effect is real, folks! Mike Wheeler has accidentally become a public health hero. Will Byers patience: critically low. Place your bets on the next tower incident.”
Dustin started chanting “Superpal! Superpal!” just to be evil.
Max jogged back over, now fully showing off. “If you say it one more time I’m running up this tower and pushing you myself. And I can run now, Mike. I can run.”
Mike looked at Will, saw the tired sadness, and for a split second almost got it.
Almost.
“…You know I didn’t mean it like that, right? You’re still my—”
The entire Party, including the vines, groaned so loudly it echoed into the Upside Down.
Carol beamed: “Stay tuned for more! Will Mike finally exit the friendzone or does Max need to chase him on foot? Hawkins is watching!”
—————————————————————————
The Byers-Hopper household had become war zone number two.
After Max’s miracle lap around the radio tower, the entire Party migrated there because Joyce insisted on “feeding you children after you saved the world again.” What she actually got was a circus.
Joyce was in the kitchen stress-baking Eggo-based casseroles. Hopper sat at the table like a man who had already died once and was considering doing it again. Argyle was sprawled on the couch, incredibly high, narrating everything to a houseplant. The kids were everywhere.
And the Upside Down News had fully colonized the living room. A massive fleshy vine-TV now took up most of the wall, Carol Rottington smiling with too many teeth.
Mike and Will were on the couch. Mike had not learned a single thing.
“—so yeah, even with the miracle and everything,” Mike said, gesturing wildly, “you’re still my number one, Will. Best friend in the whole world. Platonic Superpal supreme. The spores are gone, I swear. This is just how I feel.”
Will slowly put down his slice of casserole like it had personally betrayed him.
The room froze.
UPSIDE DOWN NEWS: LIVE FROM THE BYERS LIVING ROOM
The vine-TV zoomed in dramatically as Carol clapped her rotting hands.
“We are LIVE inside the Hopper-Byers residence! Carol Rottington reporting. Mike Wheeler has reached new depths of density just hours after Max Mayfield’s Superpal-powered miracle! Chad, what are we seeing?”
Chad appeared floating near the ceiling light.
“Pure art, Carol. Will Byers is experiencing advanced ‘sad af’ depression. Max Mayfield is plotting murder on foot. Robin Buckley is vibrating.”
A chyron exploded in dripping red:
BREAKING: PLATONIC SUPERPAL STRIKES AGAIN – IN THE BYERS LIVING ROOM
“Even after Vecna personally roasted him”
Hopper slowly lowered his coffee mug. “Kid… did you just call him your Platonic Superpal… in my house?”
Joyce poked her head out of the kitchen, oven mitts on, looking equal parts concerned mom and exhausted. “Mike, honey… we all saw the broadcast from the final battle. Even Vecna told you to stop.”
Argyle sat up, eyes half-lidded. “Whoa. Chief Hopper and Mama Byers are now part of the lore. This is some next-level family drama, bro. The vibes are screaming.”
Max, who had been doing victory laps around the couch because she could, stopped right in front of Mike. “I can run now because of you. I did three cartwheels. And you’re still doing this? I’m going to chase you. On foot. Up the tower. Again.”
Robin grabbed the megaphone she had apparently brought with her. “MICHAEL WHEELER YOU HAVE THE ROMANTIC AWARENESS OF A DEMODOG WITH A HEAD INJURY!”
Dustin and Lucas were on the floor dying. El was quietly levitating Mike’s casserole away from him in silent protest. Steve just kept eating like this was normal dinner theater.
Hopper stood up. The vine-TV immediately panned to him like he was the new star.
“Listen here, Wheeler,” Hopper growled, pointing a massive finger. “I crawled through the Upside Down, fought Russians, got possessed, and died once. If you make that boy sad in my living room one more time, I’m throwing you through the gate myself. No spores excuse.”
Joyce wiped her hands on a dish towel. “Mike, sweetie. Will painted you that beautiful picture. He waited for you. He went into the Upside Down for you. ‘Platonic Superpal’ is not the compliment you think it is.”
The vine-TV cut to a split-screen: old footage of Will’s painting plus a live shot of Mike looking confused currently.
Carol narrated enthusiastically: “Even the parental units are involved now! Joyce Byers serving mom energy. Hopper serving ‘I will end you’ energy. Argyle serving… whatever that is.”
Argyle waved at the camera. “Sup, Upside Down. Shoutout to the pizza in this dimension. Ten out of ten. Also Mike, my dude, you’re killing the romance arc. Let Will be your Cleric, bro. The painting was right there.”
Mike stood up, face red, doubling down because self-awareness was still on cooldown. “Okay but you’re all overreacting! Will knows what I mean! He’s my best…my Super…he’s really important to me, okay?!”
Will finally spoke, voice small but sharp. “Mike. Max can walk. Vecna called you out. The whole town is watching. And you’re still saying it.”
Max cracked her knuckles. “That’s it. I’m chasing him.”
She actually started jogging toward Mike. Mike yelped and hid behind Hopper (who looked deeply unimpressed).
The vine-TV went wild. New graphic:
LIVE CHASE CAM
Max Mayfield (Recently Healed) vs Mike Wheeler (Terminally Dense)
Robin was cackling into the megaphone: “RUN, SUPERPAL, RUN!”
Dustin: “This is better than any D&D campaign!”
Joyce sighed and muttered, “I need to call everyone. The whole town needs to see this intervention.”
Hopper just crossed his arms. “Kid, if the Upside Down News gives you a Darwin Award, I’m framing it.”
UPSIDE DOWN NEWS: SPECIAL FAMILY EDITION
Carol was glowing. “We are getting unprecedented ratings! Hopper threatening violence: Ten out of ten. Joyce offering casserole and emotional support: wholesome chaos. Argyle just offered the vine camera a slice of pizza.”
Argyle held up a slice to the fleshy lens. “For the spores, bro.”
A fresh newspaper vine-slapped itself onto Mike’s chest:
LOCAL BOY CONTINUES SELF-SABOTAGE IN BYERS HOME
“Platonic Superpal” now considered a biohazard by Hawkins PD
Miracle Counter: Max Mayfield – Walking. Mike Wheeler – Still Falling
Max stopped chasing him (for now) and folded her arms. “You have until the end of this broadcast to stop being an idiot, Wheeler. Or I’m telling the news to run a 24-hour Superpal montage.”
Will looked at Mike, tired, fond, and very much still in love with the disaster standing in front of him.
Mike swallowed. “…I’m still figuring it out?”
The entire house (and every vine in a five-mile radius) groaned in unison.
Carol beamed: “Stay tuned for even more! Will Mike escape Max’s newly functional legs? Will Hopper actually throw him? Will the Superpal Era finally end? Hawkins and the Upside Down demands answers!”
—————————————————————————
Hawkins Memorial Park had turned into a full-blown festival of chaos.
Half the town had shown up after days of Upside Down News bleeding into every TV, radio, and streetlight. The real news tried to run actual stories, but every anchor kept accidentally saying “And as the boy falls, he realizes best friends was never going to be enough” before coughing and moving on.
People were sprawled on blankets with popcorn and casseroles. Kids were running around. A few brave (or stupid) souls were buying “Platonic Superpal” memorial T-shirts from a demogorgon run stand covered in vines. The air smelled like kettle corn, ozone, and lingering red spores.
The entire Party was there. Max was doing show off laps around the fountain because she could. Robin had her megaphone. Steve brought the good snacks. Dustin and Lucas were hyping up the crowd like it was a boxing match. El levitated Eggos for anyone who looked hungry. Argyle was cross-legged on a picnic table offering pizza to strangers. Joyce kept handing out blankets like a worried mom, and Hopper stood off to the side looking like he’d rather fight Vecna again than deal with this circus.
A massive fleshy news desk had grown right in the middle of the park, complete with Carol Rottington and Chad ready to go.
Mike dragged Will to the center of the open grass area, right under the big oak tree. The vine-cameras zoomed in. Half the town went quiet.
“Will,” Mike started, voice shaking but loud enough for everyone to hear. “I’ve spent years being the densest person in two dimensions. On the tower. After the battle. Even after Vecna personally called me out on live broadcast. I kept hiding behind ‘best friends’ and ‘Platonic Superpal’ because I was scared.”
He took a deep breath and stepped closer.
“But I’m done being scared. You’re not my best friend. You’re not my Superpal. You’re the boy I’ve been in love with since we were kids in the basement. Since you were the bravest person I knew. Since the lights flickered and you never gave up on me. I love you, Will Byers. Not platonically. Not as a super anything. Just…you.”
The park went dead silent for half a second.
Then absolute pandemonium.
UPSIDE DOWN NEWS: LIVE FROM HAWKINS MEMORIAL PARK
Carol stood up on her desk screaming. “HE SAID IT! Mike Wheeler has finally defeated his own brain! Chad, are we witnessing history?!”
Chad floated above the crowd with sparkly graphics exploding around him. “Carol, the density has fallen! Will Byers is no longer ‘sad af’ he’s glowing! Ratings just punched a hole between dimensions!”
Massive chyron in sparkling red and gold:
BREAKING: BOY STOPS FALLING – LIVE CONFESSION
“About damn time” – Sources: Entire Town & Upside Down
The crowd erupted. Someone started slow clapping. Then more joined in. Dustin and Lucas were jumping and screaming like their D&D campaign just hit a critical success. Max cheered loudest of all while power-walking in circles. Robin blasted the megaphone: “YES! FINALLY! KISS HIM BEFORE HE BACKSLIDES!”
Joyce was openly crying happy tears into Hopper’s shoulder. Hopper just grunted, but the tiniest proud smirk tugged at his mouth. “Kid finally grew a spine.”
Argyle stood up on the picnic table, swaying gently. “WHOA. The vibes just flipped the entire park, bro. The painting won. Love wins. Pass the pizza, this is historic.”
Steve whistled. El smiled softly and made little fireworks sparkle overhead with her powers.
Mike didn’t wait for the chaos to die down. He grabbed Will’s hands, eyes locked on his.
“I meant every word I said on that tower before I fell. I just messed it up. I love you. And if you’ll have me…I want to be with you. For real.”
Will let out a wet, disbelieving laugh, eyes shining. “You absolute disaster… I’ve been waiting since 1983 for you to say that.”
He didn’t hesitate. Will grabbed Mike by the jacket, yanked him in, and kissed him right there in the middle of the park, in front of half of Hawkins, the entire Party, Joyce, Hopper, Argyle, and every single vine-camera broadcasting to both dimensions.
It was messy, emotional, perfect, and tasted like relief, kettle corn, and years of pining. The lights all over the park flickered “FINALLY” in giant letters. A heart shaped arch of vines bloomed above them. Spores rained down like glitter.
The crowd went feral. Cheers, whistles, someone set off actual fireworks. Dustin screamed so loud his voice cracked.
UPSIDE DOWN NEWS: INSTANT REPLAY
Carol was crying black tears of joy. “THEY’RE KISSING! Live slow motion replay, please! Look at that, years of emotional damage finally resolved! Vecna is probably watching from hell and nodding approvingly.”
Chad zoomed in dramatically: “Will Byers has entered his main character era. Mike Wheeler has officially retired from the Superpal League. Max Mayfield continues walking thanks to the power of secondhand embarrassment. This is the greatest story Hawkins has ever seen.”
A giant newspaper vine gently floated down and landed at their feet. The headline read:
LOCAL BOYS OFFICIALLY BOYFRIENDS
“Took one tower fall, one miracle, and several public roasts” – Official Statement
When they finally broke apart, foreheads pressed together, Mike whispered, “No more Superpal. Ever again.”
Will laughed against his lips. “Good. Because I was running out of patience and pushes.”
Max jogged over and punched Mike in the arm (lightly). “About time, Wheeler. I got miracle legs for this payoff.”
Robin blasted the megaphone one last time: “CONGRATULATIONS, YOU DISASTERS!”
Joyce ran up and hugged both of them at once. Hopper just gave Mike a firm nod and a quiet “Don’t screw it up, kid.”
Argyle offered them pizza slices. “Celebratory slice for the happy couple. The vibes are immaculate.”
Carol signed off with pure chaotic happiness:
“That’s our story, Hawkins! From tragic tower fall to park confession. Love wins, even when it’s stupid, slow, and broadcast live across dimensions. Stay tuned for our next segment: ‘What the hell is Argyle and Jonathan smoking and can we get some?’”
The whole park cheered as Mike and Will stayed wrapped up in each other, finally, finally together while the town celebrated around them like it was the end of the world, except this time it was the best possible kind.
—————————————————————————
Hawkins tried to return to normal.
It lasted about four hours.
The Upside Down News had officially unionized with the local radio station. Carol and Chad now had a daily segment called “Byler Watch.” They rated Mike and Will’s dates on a scale of “Platonic” to “Vecna is personally invested.”
Mike and Will were trying (and failing) to have a quiet moment on the Byers porch when Dustin sprinted up holding the latest edition:
HEADLINE: LOCAL COUPLE SPOTTED SHARING ONE MILKSHAKE
“Extremely not platonic” – Eyewitnesses (Everyone)
Will turned scarlet. Mike groaned and hid his face in Will’s neck.
Max jogged past them (she ran everywhere now) and yelled, “Get a room that isn’t being broadcast to both dimensions!”
Robin appeared with her megaphone: “THIS ISN’T A MILKSHAKE DATE, THIS IS PROPAGANDA FOR THE GAYS!”
Steve commented. “Robin, aren’t you a lesbian?”
From inside the house, Joyce called out sweetly, “Boys! Dinner! And Mike, if you call him Superpal even once I’m giving Hopper permission to adopt you just so he can ground you!”
Hopper grunted from his recliner. “Already got the paperwork started.”
Argyle leaned out of his pizza van parked in the driveway. “Yo… the vines told me you two are ‘endgame.’ They also asked if they can be in the wedding. Very committed little guys.”
Later that night, Mike and Will snuck back up the real radio tower again.
A suspiciously romantic heart shaped vine had grown there permanently. It even offered them two sodas like a polite waiter.
Mike rested his head against Will’s. “I still can’t believe you pushed me off this thing.”
“I can’t believe it took pushing you, a Vecna roast, Max’s miracle legs, and half the town watching for you to finally get your head out of your ass,” Will replied, smiling.
They kissed under the stars while one very dedicated demodog cameraman tried (and failed) to get a good angle from below.
UPSIDE DOWN NEWS: LATE NIGHT BROADCAST
Carol appeared with bedroom eyes and a glass of what was definitely not wine.
“Ratings are still through the roof, Hawkins. Mike Wheeler has been officially retired from the Platonic Superpal League. Will Byers is thriving. Max Mayfield is faster than Steve’s BMW. We’ll be back tomorrow with ‘Did Argyle accidentally open a new gate with his special pizza?’”
The screen faded with the text:
To Be Continued… (Probably. This town never learns.)