Hargrove's Secret (Steve x Y/N)

Chapter 5

I was awoken quite abruptly. Max and El came bursting into my room.
"Eleven said she saw something." Max said. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. I had a headache.
"What do you mean?" I asked, in a groggy voice.
"Okay, so we were kinda maybe sort of spying on Billy, and she said he was on the ground with a girl. And he looked right at her. No one can see her when she's spying on them." She explained.
"How do you know he was looking at her?" I asked.
"I could.. feel it." El said.
"The girl was screaming, which isn't out of the ordinary for anyone Billy's with." Max said.
"We also found this." El said, holding up a lifeguard fanny pack.
"Maybe we should check it out? Did you see who it was?" I asked. El shook her head. "Alright, let me go get ready. We'll figure this out. I'm sure its nothing.."
I went to the bathroom with my shorts, a striped t-shirt and my converse. I put it on. The tub was filled with the remnants of bags of ice.
I got ready and walked out of the door. "Hey, did you guys see the-" I started.
"Yes." Max said. "Probably just for his muscles or something." I nodded.
"So, where are we going?" I asked. "The pool?"
"Yep. We're gonna see whose it is, therefore seeing who was here, and who Billy was with." Max explained.
"Alright, lets go." I said
It started to rain. I groaned. "Here," I said, handing Eleven my raincoat. "Max go get yours."
El and Max rode a bike and I rode my skateboard. It was better than walking.
Once we got there, they put the bike up. We walked to the front desk.
"Excuse me?" Max said. The guy didn't even look up.
"No one's allowed in the pool until 30 minutes after the last strike. And don't try to argue with me. You want to get electrocuted, go climb a tree." He said.
"Yeah, we don't care. We aren't here to swim." I said.
"Or get electrocuted." Max added.
"We found this." Eleven said, holding the fanny pack up.
"Does that belong to anyone here?" Max asked. He finally looked up.
"Oh yeah, that's Heather's. I'll get it back to her." He said.
"We could give it back to her." El said.
"You could, 'cept she's not here. Bailed on me today." He said. Max and El looked at each other. "What is this? You girls want a reward or something?"
"Nope." I said.
"We're just... Good Samaritans." Max said.
Eleven and Max walked over to a board. "Hey, Hargrove." The guy said. "Tell Billy he ought to come in and stop bailing too." He said. "And tell Stevie Boy I said hi."
I walked away and followed the girls into a bathroom. El was going to try to find Heather. I stood guard outside the door.
The girls walked out after a few minutes. They explained that El had seen a red door.
Our next job was to find the red door that Eleven said she had seen. So, we took off.
Once we had found it, we knocked on the door. El opened the door and we walked in.
It was very clearly Heather's house. We heard laughter, and Billy's voice.
We walked over towards it. We peeked around the corner and looked.
"Max, Y/N." Billy said once he saw us. We walked towards the middle of the doorway.
"We didn't mean to barge in." I said.
"We tried to knock, but you probably didn't hear us over the storm." Max added.
"I'm sorry, who is this, dripping all over my living room floor?" Heather's father asked.
"I'm sorry." Billy said, laughing. "Janet, Tom, these are my sisters Maxine and Y/N." He stood up and walked towards us. "What on earth are you doing here? Is something wrong?" He asked.
I stood there silently. That was not my Billy. "We just wanted to make sure everything was okay." Max said.
"Okay? Why wouldn't everything be okay?" He asked. His voice was much too polite. He wasn't Billy.
"Where is she?" El asked. Billy looked at her.
"I'm sorry, where is who?" He asked her. Just then, Heather walked in.
"I'm sorry, they're a little burnt." She said as she walked into the room through the other door.
"Heather!" Billy said once he saw her. "These are my sister, Maxine and Y/N. And I'm sorry, I did not quite catch your name." He said, looking at El.
"El." Eleven said.
"El.." Billy repeated with a smile that wasn't his own. "Now what is it you were saying, El. You were looking for someone?"
"I.. I saw-" El stuttered.
"Your manager at the pool. He said you guys didn't come in today, so we were worried." I said.
"Heather wasn't feeling too hot today, so we thought we'd stay home and nurse her back to health. But you're feeling just fine right now, aren't you Heather?" He said.
"Much better. Would you girls like a cookie?" Heather asked. "They're fresh out of the oven."
"No.. we're good." I said. "We'll just be going. Will I be seeing you later, Billy?" I asked.
"No." He said. "I'll be busy."
He walked us out.
We got the bike and my skateboard and rode off. We went home. I went straight to my room and locked the door.
Something about it didn't sit right with me. Something was wrong with him. My body ached. I remembered the things I had seen. Something was wrong with Billy. I could feel it. I knew my brother.
I didn't want to worry Max though. I couldn't tell her. So yet again, I was alone. With even more knowledge. Because something was wrong. And I had seen it.
I finally fell asleep after changing and throwing my wet clothes in the washer.
Yet again, I was rudely awoken by Max and El.
"Get up. We're going to Mike's. He said something's wrong, and well, you have nothing better to do." Max said.
"Wow, thanks." I replied. I got out of bed and got ready, then we went to Mike's.
When we got there, Will explained he felt something was wrong. He explained how the Mind Flayer had attached itself to him.
"We have to assume the worst. The Mind Flayer is back." Mike said.
"It must have attached itself to another person." Will said.
"Another host." Mike added.
"How do you tell if someone is a host?" Eleven asked.
"Billy.." I said. I stood up and walked up the stairs and out the door. They all followed. I grabbed my skateboard, and they all grabbed their bikes. We rode to the pool where Billy was supposed to be.
      "We'll put him in the sauna. If he's a host, he'll go berserk. It likes it cold. That's why the bath was full of ice bags." Mike explained.
      I wandered off a little bit, so I couldn't hear their conversation. I was looking at Billy. He was covered with a white towel.
      When I turned back around, the boys were gone. A while later they started setting up. Max and I stood by and waited for them. We watched Billy. Once it got dark, the plan took action. We hid in the mens locker room.
      We opened the door when Billy got out of the shower. "Pools closed." He yelled. "Hey! Do you hear me? Pools closed!" He yelled banging on the door. It was locked.
      "Billy!" Mike called out.
      "Who's there?" He asked. Mike called his name again. "Who's there?" He said in a tune that matched  Mike's voice. Mike laughed.
      "Billy!" He called out again. "Billy!"
      "You think this is funny, huh?" Billy replied. He was looking for Mike.
      "Billy. Come and find me!"
      "I find you, it is your funeral."
      "Come and get me! Come on!" Mike's taunts continued. Suddenly, he rounded the corner and saw the CPR dummy that had been set up in the sauna. He fell for it. He ran in the sauna and picked the dummy up.
      "Hey. Behind you." Mike's voice said over the radio we planted on the dummy.
      He turned around to see El. "Hi." She said, slamming him against the wall and shutting the door. We all ran out and locked the door.
      He pounded on the door trying to open it. Once he stopped he looked out. He saw Max and I.
      "Max.. Y/N.." he said, staring at us.
      "Do it." I said. Lucas ran over and turned the sauna on.
      "You think this is funny?" He asked. "Open the door. Open the door!" He yelled, banging again. "Open the goddamn door!" He fell to the ground. I ran over towards the window to peer in.
      "It's not my fault.. it's not my fault Y/N." He sobbed. He was on the back wall, sitting on the ground. "I promise you, it's not my fault."
      "What's not your fault, Billy?" I asked.
      "I've done things.. really bad things.. I didn't mean to.. he made me do it.." he said.
      "Who made you do it?" I asked.
      "I don't know.. it's like a shadow. Like a giant shadow.. Please.." he cried more.
      "What did he make you do?" I asked him.
      "It's not my fault! Please Y/N... believe me it's not my fault!" I felt my eyes swell up with tears. "I tried to stop him.. I did! Please believe me.."
      I felt Max approach. "It's gonna be okay Billy." Max told him. He continued to plea.
      "Get away from the door.." Mike said. "Get away from the door!" Suddenly, Billy had smashed the window. He was swinging at Max and I with a broken piece of something. I put Max behind my back and went against the wall.
       "Let me out, you bitch!" He yelled. "Let me out! I'll fucking gut you!" The lock started to break. Lucas shot him in the head with a rock and his slingshot. He fell backward.
       "Max! Come on!" He yelled. Max ran toward him. I slowly creeped over. The lights started flickering. Billy screamed. He rammed himself against the door. The lock broke.
      I quickly jumped in front of everyone. Eleven stood next to me. She picked up a weight and it slammed against him.
      I used my powers to help keep it on him. We pushed it into the wall. He managed to get it off his neck and throw it at us. El immediately went down. He picked her up and grabbed her by the neck. I used my powers to pick up a brick and hit him with it. He went for Mike who tried to beat him with a pipe of some sort.
      I picked him up off the ground using my powers. I walked to face him. He looked me in my eyes. He was screaming. I threw him against a wall and he slammed through it. Mike rushed to hold Eleven and get her up, then we watched as he ran off.
      I felt a pain in my heart. It hurt to hurt him. My brother. It was him. A part of me knew it was. I could only wonder if that meant it would end with his death.
      We headed back to Mike's house. Eleven was going to spy on Hopper and Joyce to try to find them. They were going to Illinois. I laid down on the couch and quickly fell asleep.
       Nancy and Jonathan ended up showing up. I know, because Nancy shook me awake.
       "We're leaving. Come on." She said. I got up and we walked out to Jonathan's car. We all piled in. We ended up back at Heather Holloway's house. We rang the doorbell twice, then El opened it. We walked inside.
       "Tom? Heather?" Nancy called out. We walked through the house. I wasn't 100% awake during this time, so my mind's a little foggy. Turns out they were eating chemicals. And Tom was hit over the head. Mostly the only thing I could think of was Billy.
We loaded back in the car. I wasn't focusing on them, but we ended up at the hospital. We walked inside and headed for Mrs. Driscoll's room, who apparently was like Billy.
"Where are you going?" The nurse asked us.
"I'm just going to see my grandma again." Nancy replied.
"Who are they?" She asked.
"My family."
"Extended." Lucas said.
"I don't care who the hell you are, two at a time." She replied.
Nancy and Jonathan went up. The rest of us sat in the waiting room. Mike started yelling at a vending machine. Eleven helped out with that. Max and Lucas started talking and laughing, and Mike and El started a conversation. I sat in my little corner.
The lights started to flicker. Mike stood up. I felt a chill go down my back. We all huddled up in tbe middle of the room.
"He's here." Will said.
We all walked towards the elevator, ignoring the nurse when she yelled at us 'two at a time!'
The elevator wasn't working we ran up the stairs to where Nancy and Jonathan were. It was standing over Nancy. Eleven busted the door in.
"What the f-" Max said.
It charged us. I threw it out the window and we ran down the stairs to see what happened to it. It crawled away and went through a sewer drain. There were bones left on the grate.
We went to Hopper's cabin. El and I went into her room. I turned the TV on and she sat down and wrapped a blindfold around her eyes.
I sat quietly as she did her thing. She started with the Holloway's. Then Billy. Billy was in his room, sitting on his bed.
      "He wants us to find him." I mumbled.
      "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. If we go to Billy, the rest of the flayed know where we are." Nancy said.
      "It's a trap. I agree. We'll be ambushed." Mike added.
      "We won't be surprised. We'll know that they're coming and we will kick their flayed butts." Lucas said.
      "You mean El and Y/N will kick their flayed butts." Max corrected him.
      "It's too risky." Mike said.
      "Yeah, and unnecessary. Killing the flayed won't stop the Mind Flayer." Nancy said. "We have to find out where it's spreading from. We have to find the source."
      "Billy knows it." El said. "Billy's been there. To the source."
      "Yeah, but-" Mike started.
      "It's a trap. I know. We can't go to Billy, but I think there's another way. A way for me to see where he's been." She said. She walked over and turned the TV on. She put her blindfold back on.
      She started crying. Something was happening. "El, are you okay?" Mike asked as soon  as she stopped.
      "I'm okay." She replied. "I'm on a beach."
      "I may be dense, but last time I checked, there were no beaches in Hawkins." Lucas said.
      "What else do you see?" Max asked.
      "A woman. She's pretty. I think she's looking at me." El said. "There's a boy. It's Billy."
      "It's California. It's a memory." Max said.
      The woman was my mother. I knew it had to be.
      "I think I see it." El said. "The source. I think I found it."
      "Where El? Where are you?" Max asked.
      "Brimborn Steelworks." She replied. Jonathan shot up and grabbed a book.
      "Found it! 6522 Cherry Oak Drive." He said.
      "That's close." Nancy said.
      "El, we found it! Get out of there." Mike yelled.
      Suddenly, everyone vanished except for El. She ripped the blindfold off. "Mike?" She yelled.
      "El?" I replied. "Where'd everyone go..?" I said, walking towards her.
      "They can't hear you." Billy said. We turned to where his voice came from.
      "Billy.." I said. He walked in the room.
      "You shouldn't have looked for me. Because now, I see you." He put a cigarette out and walked toward us. I stepped in front of her and backed away from him. "Now we can all see you."
      "You.. let us in." He told El. "And now, you are going to have to let us stay.."
      "Billy, stop." I said. He continued walking toward us.
      "Don't you see? All this time, we've been building it. We've been building it, for you, and others like you." He continued. "All that work, all that pain, all of it, for you. And now it's time. Time to end it. And we are going to end you. And when you two are gone, we are going to end your friends." I could hear El crying. "And then, we are going to end... everyone."
      "Get away, Billy!" I yelled, putting my hand up. He flew across the room. Suddenly, I was back in my seat. Everyone was back. I heard Eleven scream.
      I opened my eyes and saw Mike holding her. I wiped the blood off my nose. Nancy was sitting next to me. I felt tears on my cheeks. I didn't remember crying.
      "You're okay." Nancy said. "What happened?"
      "Billy.. Billy..." I said, choking on my words. "He said he was building something. That it was all for us.. those who are like us.. different." I said.
     "Like the flayed?" Nancy asked.
     "So he's building an army, just like we thought." Lucas said.
     "Yeah, but he's not building this army to spread." Mike started.
     "He's building it to stop Eleven and Y/N." Will finished.
     "Last year, El and Y/N closed the gate on him. I have a feeling that really pissed him off." Mike said.
      "Like royally." Lucas added.
      "And the Mind Flayer now knows that they're the only things that can stop him. But if they're out of the way-"
      "Game over." Lucas cut him off.
      "He also said he was gonna kill all of you." El said.
      "Yeah, well that's nice." Max replied. There was a noise outside. Nancy stood up and walked towards the window.
      "Billy.. when he told you this, it was here, in this room?" Nancy asked. We both nodded. I felt chills down my spine again.
      "He know's we're here." Will said. We all walked outside. The trees were rustling, then we saw a monster. A horrific, large, monster. Nancy ran out to the shed to grab some weapons.
       Mike, El and I ran inside and barricaded the windows and doors. Once everyone was inside, we barricaded the front door. We stood in the middle of the room.
      Jonathan had an axe, Nancy a gun. "It's close." I said.
      We heard branches breaking. The ground rumbled. An arm bursted through the wall. We all jumped back. It attacked Jonathan, then Nancy. I stopped it. I used my power to get it off of her, cutting the head of the tentacle off. In return, it retreated out the wall.
      "Holy shit!" Max said.
      Another one charged in and went straight for El. She stopped it, but another one busted through. She used both her hands to protect herself. She ripped them both in half. Then, one busted through the ceiling. It grabbed her by the leg.
      Another one wrapped itself around my waist, throwing me on the hole it poked through, then another grabbed onto my ankle. I raised my hand to help El, who was being dragged, and Mike was holding her hand so she wasn't pulled out. Nancy shot the ones that had wrapped themselves around me, and I ripped the other one in half. There was an ugly mouth thing at the top.
      El fell back down to the ground. I yanked the ones that had latched onto me off, and screamed in agony. Mike did the same for Eleven. El and I attacked the monster and ripped it in half.
      "Go, go, go!" They yelled as we ran out and got into the car.
      We drove off. We ended up at a Bradley's Big Buy. We busted the door open and Jonathan helped me walk in. We went straight to the Medicine aisle. El and I were sat down and Nancy grabbed Alcohol and gauze. Max instructed Nancy on what to do.
      They put gauze on our wounds to stop the bleeding. They worked on getting El better first. Mike held pressure to her wound.
      Max came over and applied pressure to my leg. I held my side with a piece of gauze. The radio started to go off, like bits and pieces of a message. El and Mike were having a conversation.
      I finished cleaning my wounds by myself. I wrapped them in gauze. El went to go find Dustin by spying. She found him. He was at Starcourt. We walked back out to the car and drove off.
      We ran through the mall. There were strange people in the food court. They had guns. They were closing in on a shop. There was a car next to them. Eleven set the alarm off. I started to try and pick it up. When I was able too, I flung it at them. I watched as the car crashed into them. Then, 4 heads peeked up from the shop's bar.
      They looked up. Dustin, Erica- Lucas's little sister, Robin, and Steve. We walked down the escalator, Jonathan helping when it hurt. The others ran towards us.
      "You flung that like hot wheels!" Dustin said.
      "Lucas?" Erica said.
      "What are you doing here?" He responded.
      "Ask them, it's their fault." Erica replied, pointing at the other 3.
      "Yeah, it totally was. Absolutely our fault." Steve replied.
      "I don't understand what happened to that car." Robin said. I laughed.
      "El and Y/N have superpowers." Dustin explained.
      "I'm sorry?" Robin replied.
      "Superpowers. She threw it with her mind." Steve said, walking over to me.
      I examined his face. "What happened to you?" I asked. He took me from Jonathan.
      "Russians. What happened to you?" He asked, looking at the blood on my ankle. The injury on my side wasn't visible.
     "Oh you know, the usual." I told him.
      They rambled on about what happened. I watched El as she walked off. I walked towards her. Suddenly I was struck with immense pain. She was too. My hearing got slightly deafened, then a loud buzzing sound. El plugged her ears. The sound kept going, until I did too. We both fell at the same time.