Forever - Billy Hargrove Story

It's Getting Hot In Here

"What do you want" I whined picking up the walkie that was laying by my head. "Piper?" Mike's voice sounded from the other side "This better be important Wheeler" I returned sitting up, running a hand through my tangled curls as Max and Eleven began to stir on the bed. "Code Red important" he spoke quietly "Do I have time to change" I questioned popping up to my feet and pulling on my shoes as I rushed the girls to get up. The only time they ever called code red was when something really bad was happening. "Will said no. It's really bad Piper" Mike sounded "Be there in 15" I returned dropping the walkie on the dresser and ushering the girls outside and to the road before I dropped my skateboard down. "What's going on" Max whined stumbling slightly as Eleven got on the front of the bike. "Will called a Code Red" I informed kicking off, pushing as fast and as hard as I could. Leaving my skateboard laying in the grass I headed for the basement door knocking fast. "I hope this is important, I'm tired and sweaty and haven't had coffee" I grumbled glaring at Lucas and Mike who were hiding off to the side obviously wanting to stay away from their ex-girlfriends wrath. Collapsing onto the couch to catch my breath as Will curled into my side. "We think the Mind Flayer is back" Mike said, the entire room going quiet, my mind was whirling as I tried to come to terms with the words that had just left his mouth. "Come again?" I leaned forward dropping my head into my hands as he repeated the exact same words again. "That's what I was afraid you had said" I moaned looking up to see all the kids staring at me with worry and fear in their eyes. "Okay, other than Will's renewed feelings of the heebie jeebies. What proof or reasoning do we have" I questioned getting to my feet and taking charge since I was the closest to adulthood in the room. "We were biking past the lab and there was lights on and people walking around" Lucas explained "Oh" I whispered pacing back and forth thoughts running through my head faster than I could comprehend them.

"There's only one way to be sure" I sighed turning to look at Eleven "I'll grab the radio" Mike whispered while I searched for something to cover her eyes. "You can say no El. This might just be a false alarm" I whispered wrapping the black fabric around her eyes and making sure they were properly covered. "We need to be sure" she nodded everyone going silent as Mike turned the radio to static. "There's someone" she whispered everyone holding their breath as the girl went silent again, twitching sporadically before she ripped the bandana off. "It's back." She whispered eyes wide as she looked up at me "What did you see Eleven" I questioned crouching in front of her, my fear making me gag as my stomach swirled with nausea. "There was a man, from the pool. He was leaning over a girl." She whispered "he turned around and was speaking said the army was growing and soon they'd be strong enough" my heart was pounding in my chest. "Great" I nodded getting to my feet "This is fine." I nodded again "She's losing it man" Lucas whispered making me snort "She'll be fine. Just give her a minute" Mike snapped back, his faith in me calming me. Taking a deep breath I turned to the kids "Okay, so we find out who the guy is. Then we come up with a plan to burn the mind flayer out of him." I explained "Maybe we caught it soon enough that there aren't too many people under his control" I added digging through a box of Nancy's old things grinning as I pulled out a year book. "Pretty much everyone that works at the pool has graduated in the last few years" I smirked handing Eleven the yearbook and watching as she flipped through stopping on the face of a kid that had graduated with Nancy. "Donnie Baker" I nodded knowing a little bit about him. "Great so how do we know if he's working and how do we even get the Flayer out" Lucas questioned hands on his hips. "We go to the pool and find out." I shrugged running a hand through my hair "As for getting it out" I faded off with a shrug "One step at a time kids." I decided ushering them out of the basement.

It was a short ride to the community pool and I headed inside to the front counter. "Hey, when does Donnie work next?" I questioned looking between the two manning the front with nonchalance. "He's here now, I think he's in the locker room getting changed" the girl shrugged "Great thanks" I smiled rushing back out the door and over to the kids. "He's in the locker room." I whispered shaking my head at myself, we were outside, I don't know why I was whispering. "There's a spa here right? Like a sauna" Mike questioned making me nod "How do we get him in there?" I questioned not sure that was the best way to go about it. "Leave that to us" Will grinned dragging Mike inside with him. "I have a terrible feeling about that" I sighed following the kids through the area and into the room with the sauna. "Get ready!" Will's voice shouted, Lucas rushing to open the door to the sauna as Mike and Will ran in followed shortly by an enraged and naked Donnie. Thinking fast I shoved him in the back sending him sprawling into the sauna so Lucas could slam the door shut. "You couldn't wait for him to put pants on?" I questioned as Max watched the temperature gauge on the outside. "It's not working" Will whispered Eleven putting herself in front of us as the man angrily slammed his fists on the door splintering the glass window. "Oh fuck" I whispered as his fist shattered the glass and he was able to unlock the door and walk out. Eleven didn't give him any time as she immediately threw him into the wall with her powers only for him to jump up to his feet like he hadn't just left a man sized hole in the plaster. "Run" I ordered pushing the kids back and swinging on the man getting his jaw which only enraged him more. "Big mistake" he growled pinning me against the wall, his hand tight around my throat. I could feel my feet leaving the ground as he pushed me up the wall his grip tightening even more as my toes were just barely touching the floor. "Eleven do something!" Will shouted only for the man in front of me to reach back and shove the girl away easily with his free arm.

I clawed at the hands around my throat trying to get the man to release me before I passed out or died from lack of oxygen. "Piper" Max screamed as my legs and arms slowly started to droop only for the body to go flying away from me as Eleven got back to her feet. "Come on Piper" Max whispered dragging me over to the boys as Eleven fought with the man until she threw him through the wall only for him to get up and run off. "Billy is going to be pissed when he sees this" Max sighed gently running her fingers over the raw skin of my throat I coughed cringing as it burned all the way up and down my throat not able to force words past the inflamed limb. "Come on Piper, we need to get out of here" Lucas prodded helping Will get me to my feet as Mike and Max supported Eleven. "Piper can you talk?" Will asked softly, I shook my head no and tried to fight through the impending panic attack that would only make it harder to breath. I fought through the images assaulting my brain as we walked back to the Wheeler house. "Nancy? Jonathon?" Mike voiced as we came upon the two pacing outside the house. "Finally, where were you?" Nancy shouted pulling him into a tight hug. "Jesus, what happened?" Jonathon asked looking between Eleven and I with wide eyes. "The Mind Flayer is back, and he's making an army" Will answered quietly wrapping his skinny arms around me and squeezing. "We thought one of the lifeguards was under its power like Will was but, I think he's actually the Mind Flayer." Mike informed "Mrs. Grady" Nancy whispered pacing back and forth "We need to go to the hospital" she ordered rushing us all over to her car. For once I was shoved in the backseat with all the kids and if I could talk I would be speaking my displeasure with being cramped in the small area.

I was sick of waiting for Nancy and Jonathon so I got to my feet, pointed for the kids to stay and then headed upstairs in search of the other two teenagers. I wished I could call out for them but instead I was stuck wandering aimlessly. My head perked up as I heard footsteps and soon Nancy was running around the corner "RUN" she screamed making me spin on my heel and take off down the hallway. I couldn't breathe as I ran through the hallway beside Nancy sliding to a stop as we hit a dead end. "Oh shit" I gasped coughing harshly as we stopped, blood specks flying from my mouth. 'Uh oh" I muttered grabbing Nancy's wrist and dragging her into a room shutting and locking the door behind us. "Are you okay" Nancy questioned rubbing my back as I put my hands on my knees and tried to take deep breaths. Nodding I stood up to my full height and watched the door jumping as the face of the man Nancy worked with appeared in the window. I smacked Nancy's shoulder pointing to the floor as what looked like blood started to seep underneath as the face of the man disappeared. "What the fuck" I gasped immediately choking on the words and coughing as a pile of goop began to form what looked like a mini mind flayer. "NANCY!" Jonathon's voice shouted as fists pounded on the door until it suddenly flew open and the goop pile was flying out the window, Eleven heaving as blood dripped down her nose. Rushing to the shattered window I looked onto the street and didn't see the monster anywhere. "Let's go" Lucas shouted ushering everyone out and through the hospital outside to see the remnants of the goop sliding into the drainage system. "What the hell" Jonathon whispered as we all stared in fear mixed with confusion at the sidewalk where the monster should be splattered on the concrete. "Lets get out of here" Nancy murmured pushing us all over towards her car.

I grumbled as Nancy and Jonathon paced around the basement trying to decide what we do now that we had seen what the Mind Flayer's army could do and how hard it was for Eleven to fight them. "We should go somewhere else" I croaked, grimacing at the pain that followed. "What do you mean Piper?" Jonathon asked curiously making me groan hoping they had gotten the point with those few words. I picked up a pad of paper and quickly scrawled a message before turning it around for Max to read it. "El was here in the basement when the Mind Flayer saw her, so he won't know the cabin just yet and it may buy us time to come up with a plan" she finished and I accentuated it with a shrug not having anything more to contribute. I was exhausted and in an incredible amount of pain from being slammed against the wall and almost choked to death. "Okay, maybe Hopper will be there. He can help" Jonathon nodded looking to Nancy and waiting for her to agree. "Fine." She finally muttered "I'm gonna change quick" she added rushing out of the basement as we all filtered back outside and smashed into the car once again. "How you holding up Piper?' Jonathon asked from the passenger seat making me snort before giving him a double thumbs up. I felt like absolute trash but couldn't afford to stop and think about it since we had bigger things to worry about now.