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HAWKINS, INDIANA — 1985.
"THE MIND FLAYER, IT BUILT THIS monster in Hawkins. To stop El, to kill her and pave a way into our world."
The kids were currently having to explain to Hopper, Joyce, and a man with whom Tess was not familiar what was happening. That there was yet another threat from an alternate dimension trying to kill them all.
Nancy continued after Mike. "And it almost did. That was just one tiny piece of it." She was referring to the creature that El had just removed from her leg.
Hopper nodded. "And how big is this thing?"
"It's big," Jonathan replied. "Thirty feet, at least."
"Yeah..." Lucas winced. "It sorta destroyed your cabin. Sorry."
Steve finally said something, confused about the entire 'Mind Flayer' that they were describing.
"Okay, so just to be clear, this– this big fleshy spider thing that hurt El– it's like some kind of gigantic... weapon?"
"Yes," Mike responded.
Steve gave a nod. "But instead of like, screws and metal, the Mind Flayer made its weapon... with melted people."
"Yes, exactly," Mike nodded back.
Steve made a face. "Yeah, okay, just– just making sure."
"Are we sure this thing is still out there, still alive?" Joyce inquired.
"El beat the shit out of it but, yeah, it's still alive," Max remarked.
Will looked around at all of them. "But if we close the gate again–"
"We cut the brain off from the body," Theresa said with realization, standing up straighter.
"And kill it," Lucas added, then shrugging. "Theoretically."
Their group conversation was interrupted just then, the unknown man calling for them.
"Yoohoo!" He waved his arms with papers in his hands.
Tess raised an eyebrow, glancing around. "Who the hell is this guy?"
He threw the papers on the nearest table, everyone gathering around him as he spoke.
"Okay, this is what Alexei called 'the hub'. Now, the hub takes us to the vault room."
"Okay, where's the gate?" Hopper asked, scanning over the map.
