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CHAPTER EIGHT THE BENCH
After teary-eyed reunions, the group reforms in the kitchen. Abby sits in the nearest chair in between Max and Jonathan with a knee propped up as she stares attentively at Hopper. None of the younger teens have spoken a word to Hopper since he had returned with a red-eyed Mike. It seemed that they an understanding that they were supposed to be angry with Hopper, Abby doubts that this will last long; after all, they need all the brainpower and ideas they can get if they want to survive the night. The chief doesn't notice, nor does he particularly care as he launches into an explanation of what he had seen at the gate back in the lab before the Demogorgons had attacked. Before they had failed.
Abby's eyes stray to Eleven who stands attentively beside Mike. Besides the basics—she had been a test subject at Hawkins Lab and possessed abilities and that she had also opened the gate to the Upside Down the previous year before her escape—she knows next to nothing about the girl that had singlehandedly defeated the Demogorgons that had threatened to attack them.
"It's not like it was before, it's grown," Hopper explains. "A lot. And I mean, that's considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs."
"Demodogs," Dustin corrects.
Hopper releases a sigh and turns to face Dustin. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Dustin ..." Abby says warningly.
Dustin either doesn't hear or doesn't listen as he tells Hopper, "I said, uh, Demodogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass—"
"How is this important right now?"
Dustin swallows and looks away sheepishly from Hopper's harsh glare. His face is tinged pink as he mumbles, "It's not, I'm sorry."
Eleven looks up with a glint of determination in her eyes. "I can do it."
"You're not hearing me," Hopper argues.
"I'm hearing you," Eleven nods. "I can do it."
"Even if El can, there's still another problem," Mike speaks up. "If the brain dies, the body dies."
Max shakes her head as her eyebrows crease. "I thought that was the whole point."
Mike nods. "It is. But if we're really right about this ... I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the Mind Flayer's army ..."
