My love- Byler

Twenty two- A new host

GENERAL
Hopper left them at the pool, hoping that nothing bad would happen.

"I don't know..." Max said, looking at her step-brother.

"How many times have you seen him with a shirt on?" Lucas asked.

"I mean, it's a little weird..." Max spoke.

"More than a little. He was in a tub with ice. The Mind Flayer likes it cold. Plus everything else-" Mike said, reminding Max.

"-But he's lounging at the pool, which is, like, the least Mindflayer thing ever." Max tried to cover for Billy.

"Look at him, Max! He's trying to stop the sunlight from touching his skin! He's wearing a long-sleeved shirt!" Mike said, pointing out all the evidence.

"The Mind Flayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me. It's like... like you're dormant. And then, when he needs you, you're activated." Will admitted.

"Okay, so we just... wait until he gets activated.." Max said, taking a deep breath in and out.

"No. What if he hurts someone?" Mike said, worried.

"Or kills someone..." Will said, now sounding worried.

"We can't take that chance. We need to find out if he's the host." Mike said, determined.

MIKE
I began leaving the group.

"Where are you going?" El asked as she looked at me.

"I have an idea. Boys only." I said. Lucas and Will followed me. "Seriously?" Max asked, confused.

"Just trust me on this one..." I said. Lucas, Will and I headed to the male bathrooms. Will held my hand tight as we walked off.

"Okay, so we wait until the pool closes, until everyone leaves, and we somehow get him to come from here and...get him into here-" I said as we walked through the changing rooms, heading into the gym.

I saw the sauna, thinking of the perfect way to test if Billy is the new host.

"-and look, the controls are right here. It's perfect." I said, happily.

"Will it get hot enough?" Will asked, concerned.

"220 degrees.  We just have to figure out how to get him in here." I said, looking at the dial that showed the temperature.

"Then we lock him in..." Will admitted.

"Heat him up..." Lucas said, worried.

"No matter what happens, we'll know. We'll know for sure." I gave Will a kiss, smiling as I hugged him. Will kissed me back, slightly smiling.

We walked back to the girls, who were confused. We told them the plan before we split up, getting everything we needed.

A few minutes later, El opened the pool supply room door, removing the padlock with her powers. I followed her as she picked up a training dummy.

"Whoa, that thing is super creepy..." I admitted, looking at the dummy.

I could tell that El was annoyed.

"Hey, El... I just wanted to say...I'm sorry that you were taken back to the lab. It wasn't my idea..." I said, hoping to clear the air.

"It's ok Mike..." El said, smiling.

We left the pool supply room, going to the sauna, getting everything set up.
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A few hours later, the pool was closed. We all hid in the gym, separating so Billy wouldn't be able to find us. I pressed play on the recording, hoping Billy would come and investigate. After a while, we heard Billy coming, so we got ready.

"Billy! Billy!" Mike on the recording spoke.

"You think this is funny, huh?" Billy asked, now pissed off.

"Billy. Come and find me." The recording said.

"I find you, it is your funeral." Billy's deep voice boomed.

"Come and get me. Come on!" The recording kept playing. "Billy!" The recording played.

I see Billy bursting into the gym, angry and half-naked, his shirt off, hair wet and pants on. I could tell that he saw the dummy in the sauna.

"Got you..." Billy said as a maniacal laugh filled the room.

"Come and get me, you piece of shit." The recorder said, pissing Billy off even more.

Billy attempted to attack the dummy, but he saw the walkie-talkie.

"Hey. Behind you." I said, looking at Billy. Billy turns around, seeing El.

"Hi..." El said, before using her powers to send Billy flying back into the wall of the sauna.

Billy falls to the floor, breaking the floor tiles.

"NOW!" I yelled as Lucas and Will padlocked the sauna door shut. Billy slammed his fists against the door, yelling. I slipped the pipe through the hole, further securing the door in its place.

After a while, we cranked the temperature of the sauna to the highest it could go, hurting Billy. He admitted to us that he knew about the Mindflayer and that he had done things he couldn't control, trying to distract us.

Breaking the sauna door window, Billy attempted to attack Max using a piece of broken tile, failing, but Billy managed to break free, releasing himself from the sauna. He looked over to Will, recognising that Will was the previous host for the Mindflayer. Black veins appeared all over Billy's body, frightening everyone.

Billy grabs Will and chokes him, scaring me.

"WILL!" I scream as I attempted to stop him. Billy nearly choked Will to death, but I managed to grab something metal and hit him with it.

"Go to hell you piece of shit!" I yelled as he let go of a nearly unconscious Will. I lifted Will, moving him away from Billy.

"I got you, babe...I'm right here." I said, kissing Will's forehead as he closed his eyes, trying not to cry. As I held Will's fragile body, I looked up at El who was holding Billy against the wall by a barbell.

A bit of time passed. Billy got out of El's grip, eventually knocking her to the ground. He grabs her hair and pulls her back, managing to choke her as he did with Will. She gasps for air, but his grip hardens.

After what seemed like forever, El's face was red, looking like she was about to pass out from lack of air. Lucas hit Billy with a pole like I did as El was released, Max lifting her up.

El mustered up the strength to lift Billy up with her powers, throwing him through the brick wall and across the grass outside beside the pool area. She fell into Max and Lucas' arms, exhausted. We all watched as Billy ran away towards the woods.