Risky Business ｡ Stranger Things

22 : Blade Runner

Prue felt drained, emotionally and physically. Tears stained her skin, leaving her cheeks raw and salty. Black monster blood still marked her shirt and parts of her face and Billy's blood was caked under her fingernails. Her backside, knees and elbows were already shades of blue and purples, acting as her evidence of the long night. But the night still wasn't done just yet.

"Are you sure you can drive?" Prue asked Max as she heaved Steve's unconscious and bloodied body towards Billy's navy Camaro outside the Byers's house. The younger teenagers were helping carry Steve too, all decked out in makeshift goggles and handkerchiefs. They were still going down into the tunnels to draw away the army of demodogs. Prue wasn't confident that it was a good idea, but she knew she couldn't stop them even if she tried. These kids were resourceful and determined.

"Yeah, I'm a zoomer," Max replied, her red curls blowing around her sweaty face.

"I'm not entirely sure what that is," Prue muttered back, her own sweat gathering between her shoulder blades. Grey rushed forward to open the door to the Camaro.

"We'll be okay," Mike reassured Prue. "And you and Grey can get to your Dad."

"We've done stuff like this before... not exactly this, but you know, similar stuff," Dustin added, excitement and adrenaline shining on his face.

"And Steve will be with us," Lucas joined in, briefly dropping one of Steve's legs before scurrying to pick it up again.

Prue reluctantly nodded her head. "Alright. But you kids better be safe, okay? Because if any of you losers die, I'll summon your ass to this earthy plane to kill you again. Got it?" Prue's voice was serious but her heart was worried. Dustin stifled a chuckle, Max rolled her eyes, Lucas nodded and Mike muttered a 'got it' back before they hurried into the Camaro. Prue rounded the car to the driver's window and popped her head through the open window. Max's small hands looked odd on the steering wheel, but she looked confident."Hey, what street do you live on?" she asked and Max's red eyebrows shot up towards her hairline in a silent question. "So, I can drop Billy off before heading to the lab."

"You don't have to do that," she said. And while hatred was still rooted deep within the teenager's eyes, Prue knew Max didn't truly hate her step-brother, just hated him most of the time. The two girls had that in common.

"Someone has to take the asshole home. And I doubt Mrs Byers would appreciate an unconscious asshole in her living room when she gets home," Prue explained.

"She's got a point," Dustin agreed from the back seat.

"Old Cherry Road. Fifth house." There was a sudden shift in Max's face. "My step-dad might be home. He's—" her voice was filled with concern but Mike interrupted her.

"We should really go now," Mike shouted from the backseat. Prue stepped away from the car as Max's mouth open again as if the young girl was going to finish whatever she was going to say, but she never got the chance.

"Don't drive too fast, okay?" Pure called out as Max turned the key and Billy's car roared to life. Grey, standing beside his sister, gave the carload of teenagers a lame wave as Max stepped on the gas, skidding down the gravel driveway towards the entrance of the tunnels in the pumpkin field. Prue's hand came down onto Grey's shoulder.

"Come on, Alpha Star," she said, leading him back into the house. "Mission Strange isn't over yet." Grey nodded solemnly, craning his neck to spot the Camaro speeding into the darkness.

Back inside the house, Prue stared down at Billy's unconscious body on Joyce Byers's floor. His chest shifted lightly and peacefully with each inhale and exhale and his face was relaxed. He looked kind without anger harshening the lines of his face. "Grab the bleach," she commanded to Grey as she kneeled down beside a slumbering Billy Hargrove. Grey passed over the bottle of bleach a moment later, squatting down beside Prue.