𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛, 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨

→ 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙮𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠

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"NO, NO. LIKE I SAID, I... I'VE TRIED EVERYONE." JOHNATHAN SPOKE ON THE PHONE, EVERYONE BUT ARGYLE SURROUNDING HIM. "Yeah, TWA, Pan Am, Eastern." El watched intensely, desperate to reunite with her brother before he gets himself killed genuinely this time. "No, it doesn't have to be a one-way." Johnathan huffed. "I'll take one seat, if you have it. I mean, please, there has to be something you can do." El turned around, her thumbs fiddling together mindlessly. "One of our family members is really, really sick, and I don't know if she's gonna make it through the night." The elder Byers lied, El catching sight of something. Walking over to it, no one noticed. "Is there any way that you could just... No." Johnathan's voice faded as El stared up at a billboard, seeing a rusted over family pointing at a view. "I can't call back." Johnathan admitted, El staring at the little girl on her mother's back. A boy stood next to them, laughing gleefully.

"What did they say?" Mike asked, Johnathan shrugging. "Earliest they could do is tomorrow." He huffed, Will letting his head fall back in exhaustion. "No. That's way too late." Mike let out, Johnathan nodding in agreement- "Hey, dudes?" The three looked to Argyle, him nodding to the phone. "Ask 'em if we can ride in the baggage compartment." He stated, Johnathan stepping forward. "The baggage compartment?" He asked, Argyle shrugging with a grin. "We'd suffocate." Mike put it plainly, Argyle looking to him. "Dogs ride in there all the time, man. They don't suffocate." Argyle shot out, the three boys scoffing at him. "I found a way." Everyone turned to El. "A way to protect Max. From here." She spoke,

everyone glancing to each other.

☆

"THIS IS MAX." EL DREW A STICK FIGURE ON THE DUSTY, PIZZA VAN WINDOW, EVERYONE SURROUNDING HER. "When One attacks, he'll be in her mind. But I can do that too." She drew out her words, Argyle following only that. "I went into Mama's mind, into Billy's. I can go into Max's. She can carry me to Vecna. I can piggyback." El announced, drawing herself in Max's mind bubble. Turning around, El continued "I can protect her. From One. Fight him from here." She announced, Argyle humming. "Mind fight. Righteous." He yelled unintentionally, Mike ignoring him. "You really think this could work?" He asked, El looking to him. "A bathtub would help." She spoke, Argyle humming loudly. "Yeah. Gotta be clean to enter the mind." He agreed, Johnathan turning to him. "What? No. It's a sensory deprivation tank. It helps her calm down and focus on her powers." Mike defended, Will looking between him and El. "We just passed a motel." He announced himself, Mike nodding. "Yeah, but they won't have enough salt." The boy reasoned, Argyle's hand landing on his hips.

"Well, how much salt are we talking here, my dudes?" He asked, everyone looking to him. "Well, depends on the size of the tub, but a lot." Johnathan answered, Argyle looking to El. "Does 600 pounds suffice?" He asked, Mike looking to him. "You know a place that has 600 pounds of salt?" He asked, Argyle saying nothing. El tensed when he stood ahead of her, outstretching his arms to meet her width. "Let's see... yep." El flinched back a little once Argyle stretched it arm out to meet her height. "Yep. It'll work." He grinned, El fed up. "What will work?" She asked, Argyle smiling. "I know of a magical place that has all you need, my brave, little superpowered friend." He let out proudly, nodding to the boys around him. "That mind fight is on." The boy started to get into the van without another word. "Vámonos! Let's go! Pronto!" He urged,