𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎, steve harrington

Chapter 9

"Okay, so, in this example, we're the acrobat." Mike yet again showed more people the metaphor Mr. Clarke had shown him. "Will and Barbara, and that monster, they're this flea. And this is the Upside Down, where Will is hiding." Olivia, Jonathan and Nancy looked at eachother, questioning in body language if the hole Olivia went through was the Upside down. "Mr. Clarke said the only way to get there is through a rip of time and space."

"A gate" Dusting told them.

"That we tracked to Hawkins Lab." Lucas then cut in, too.

"With our compasses."

"Wait, are you sure this is the only gate?" Olivia asked the question the three teens were all asking themselves. Mike, Dustin and Lucas frowned at her question.

"We think so." Mike muttered unsurly. "Why?"

Olivia shook her head as she glanced at Jonathan and Nancy. "No reason, just wondering." She then turned back to them as they continued to explain everything.

"Okay, so the gate has a really strong electromagnetic field, and that can change the directions of a compass needle." Dustin informed the confused adults.

"Is this gate underground?"

"Yes." Everyone turned to Eleven who muttered softly. Olivia sat behind El as she had her hands on her shoulders.

"Near a large water tank?" Hopper asked again.

"Yes." Eleven said once again.

"How do you know all of that?" Dustin questioned in a confused tone as he looked up at Hopper, who seemed to know exactly what nobody else did.

"He's seen it." Mike realized.

"Is there any way that you could... that you could reach Will? That you could talk to him in this-"

"The Upside Down." El finished the sentence.

"Down. Yeah." El nodded, causing the mother to gasp quietly, shock flowing through her.

"And my friend, Barbara. Can you find her, too?" Nancy questioned the little girl. Again, Eleven gave her a slow nod as she remained eye contact with Nancy.

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A walkie-talkie and the photo of Barbara sat on the table as Mike, Lucas, Dustion, Olivia, Hopper, Joyce, Jonathan and Nancy all stood around Eleven. The girl had her eyes closed as her eyebrows slightly curved in concentration. Her eyelids slowly flickered every few seconds as the walkie-talkie continued making static noises.

The light above the group all of the sudden began flickering in and out, but eventually the light settled once El opened her eyes.

Olivia was holding onto El's hand as the girl's face began to form saddened before she whispered to Joyce, "I'm sorry."

"What? What's wrong? What happened?" Joyce stammered as she spoke softly.

"I can't find them." El directed her words torwards not just Joyce and Jonathan, but also Nancy. Jonathan straigtened his stance before turning around in disapointment.

Eleven quietly asked Olivia where the bathroom is before the hazel-eyed girl directed her to it gently. While the young girl was occupied in the bathroom, the boys began talking to the group.

"Whenever she uses her powers, she gets weak." Mike began.

"The more energy she uses, the more tired she gets." Dustin then chimed in before Lucas did too, saying, "Like, she flipped the van earlier."