The Weapon- Billy Hargrove

Chapter Three: Holly, Jolly

PROOF READ

1983 Hawkins, Indiana

The next day, Four lounged on the couch as El played with the radio and the boys discussed plan, "we just tell out parents we have AV club after school. That'll give us at leats a few hours for Operation Mirkwood"

Lucas looks at Mike, "you seriously think that the weirdo knows where Will is?"

"Just trust me on this, okay?", Lucas nods, "did you get the supplies?"

The dark-skinned boy raises some things, "yeah, binoculars... from 'Nam. Army knife... also from 'Nam. Hammer, camouflage bandana... and the wrist rocket"

Dustin stares at his friend, "you're gonna take out the Demogorgan with a slingshot?"

Lucas raises his hands, "first of all, it's a wrist rocket", Four watches them argue, with a confused face, "and second of all, the Demogorgan's not real. It's made up. But if there is something out there, I'm gonna shoot it in the eye...", he snaps the elastic, "and blind it"

Mike moves on, "Dustin, what did you get?"

The boy empties his bag onto the table, Four now standing up to get a closer look, "well, alrighty. So we got: nutty bars, bazooka, pez, smarties, Pringles, Nilla wafers, apple, banana and trail mix", Four looks at the the other boys, confused.

Lucas stares at Dustin, "seriously?"

"We need energy for out travels. For stamina. And besides, why do we even need weapons anyway? we have them", Dustin gestures El and Four.

Lucas glares at the toothless boy, "she shut one door!"

"With her mind!"

Lucas carries on, "and we he doesn't even have powers!"

"Sure he does!", Dustin looks at Four pleadingly, "you have powers, right?"

Four only stares at them, deadpanned, not giving anything away.

Dustin points at him, "he might do", he then points to El, "now, imagine what she can do", he runs to grab a toy spaceship, "I bet... she could make this fly!", he holds the toy out to Eleven, "hey. hey. okay, concentrate. Okay?", he drops the toy, making it clatter on the floor, everyone else in the room looks at him, strangely, "okay, one more time", he picks it up again, "okay. use your powers, okay?", he drops it again, and it hits the floor, again"

Lucas looks at him, "idiot"

Mike grabs the toy from the floor, "she's not a dog!"

Mikes mom shouts from upstairs, "boys! time for school!"

The three start to collect their things, Dustin and Lucas running up the stairs, Mike however crouches down in for too El, "just stay down here. Don't make any noise, and don't leave. If you get hungry, eat Dustin snacks, okay?"

"Michael!"

The boy turns, screaming up the stairs, "coming!", Four and El share a shocked look at the volume, "you know those power lines?", Four nods, "meet us there, after school"

"When is that, exactly?"

Mike looks at him, "3:15", at the flat looks from the two he takes off his watch, "here, use this, okay", he puts it on El's wrist, "at 3:15, meet us there", Four nods at him, Mike stares at Eleven, eventually smiling at her, which the girl returns shyly. Mike then grabs his bag and leaves the basement.

Once he's gone Four stands up, "why do they have silly weapons for?", he stretches his arms out, "I have all the weapons we need", at those words he pushes his arm out, making a long sword, he twirls it in his hand, El watches the intricate, gold sword with wide eyes, entranced by the beauty and smoothness of Fours movements.