[𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗗𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗨𝗡𝗔 𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧]

BACK AT MAX'S HOUSE, ELEVEN WAS brushing her teeth as max and sage were on the bed, looking through comics.

"hey, max?" sage asked, flipping the page to the comic. "hm?" max hummed, putting the comic down and looking at sage.

the wheeler teen stopped what she was doing then turned her head to look at max.

"did you break up with lucas?"

max stares at the wheeler twin in confusion.

"what?" max asks. "did you break up with lucas? 'cause when we were at hopper's you said —" sage said but got cut up off the mayfield teen.

"yeah, i broke up with him . . . i'm just confused about something at the moment." max replied to sage. "what are you confused about?" sage asked the red-head, furrowing her eyebrows.

max stared at the wheeler teen, debating whether or not she should tell her. just as max opened her mouth to speak — eleven walked out of the bathroom. sage and max turned to look at the girl and smiled softly at her.

max picked up the two comics and showed them to eleven, smiling. "which one?" sage asked her.

"i don't know," el replied as she crawled onto the bed next to max, getting under the covers. max put the comics down, noticing eleven's discomfort. "hey, there's nothing to worry about anymore, okay?" max told her.

sage looked up at max from the opposite side of her before glancing at eleven.

"it doesn't make sense," eleven said. "i agree with her," sage says making max look at her. "what doesn't make sense?" she asked the two girls.

"heather," el said, staring at the blanket over her.

"the blood, the ice, her creepy offer," sage listed, fiddling with her fingers — picking at the skin.

"heather had a fever, so she took a cold bath, but she's better now." max told them. "and i don't know what that cookie offer was, but that one did seem off. that has to be it. i don't know where that blood came from, but . . . we saw her. we all saw her. she's totally fine."

"what about billy?" eleven asked the red-head. sage nodded. "what about him?" max asked. "he seemed wrong," the hopper teen replied.

max chuckles, "wrong is kind of like his default. but it's nice to know he's not a murderer, because that would've totally sucked."

eleven gives max a small smile and looks at the comics on the bed, pointing at one. "who . . . is that?" she asked.

max glances at eleven then smiles at sage. "see, this is why you can't just hang around mike all the time." max says and picks up the comic, getting comfortable so both girls can see it.

"this is wonder woman. aka princess diana." sage began with a smile as max opened the comic. "she's from paradise island, which is, like, this hidden island where there are only women amazon warriors." max explained after sage.

"DO YOU COPY?" LUCAS ASKED OVER the walkie. "this is a code red. i repeat, this is a code red. max. do you copy?"

sage groaned and reached over, putting a hand over max in a way of saying she'll answer the walkie, and grabs the walkie off the floor.

"this is a code red."

sage scoffs, "shut . . . up." sage puts the antenna down and turns off the walkie, putting it back on the floor. she turns around and motions the two girls to go back to sleep.

max and eleven lay back down and sage wraps her arm around max, burying her face into her shoulder as eleven buries her face into max's back. it didn't take long for them to fall asleep.

"sage turned it off," lucas told will and mike.

"my sister is with max?" mike asked making the two boys shrug.

the older wheeler twin gets up and goes to the phone, calling max's house number.

the phone rings in max's room causing max to shoot up from her spot. she scoffs.

"you've got to be kidding me," she says and throws the covers off of her, walking over to the phone, picking it up. "we're sleeping. go away."

just as max was about to hang up, mike stops her.

"this is mike. do not hang up." mike demanded.

max stops and puts the phone back to her ear.

"something happened, something bad. our very lives can be at stake."

"what are you talking about?" max asked him, confused. "just come over to my house. we'll explain everything." mike informed her. "what?"

"hurry,"

mike hangs up the phone and max stares at the phone, deeply confused.

"what did he say?" eleven asked max. "we have to go to your house, sage," max replied making sage sit up on the bed. "what?" she asks.

"try dustin again," mike told lucas. "he's not answering," lucas said in reply. "so, try him again." mike said. the sinclair teen raised his walkie and began to speak.

"dustin, do you copy? i repeat, this is a code red."

soon enough, max, sage, and eleven made it to the wheeler's resistance — changed out of their pajamas and into different clothes. they parked their bikes and went inside the house, and into the basement where the boys were at.

"i didn't think it was anything at first." will began to speak. "i mean, i think i just didn't want to believe it." everyone stared at will, listening to him. "the first time i felt it was at day of the dead." will said.

"power went out that night, too." mike said. "and then i felt it again at the field near the nelson farm the next day. then again yesterday outside castle byers." will listed. "what does it feel like?" max asked him.

"it's almost like . . . you know when you drop on a roller coaster?"

"sure,"

"yeah,"

"totally,"

"no."

"it's like . . . everything inside your body is just sinking all at once, but this is worse. your body . . . it goes cold and — and you can't breathe." will explained to his friends. "i've felt it before, whenever he was close."

"whenever who was close?" max asked.

"the mind flayer,"

memories of grade eight was flashing through sage's and will's minds.

"i closed the gate," eleven said. "i know, but . . . what if he never left? what if we locked him out here with us?" will asked then looked at el.

"what?" sage then questioned making the byers teen get up, grabbing a paper and chalk.

everyone got up and followed him to the table where they play dnd.

"this is him. all of him." will began as he drew the mind flayer on the paper. "but, that day on the field, a part of him attached itself to me. and it almost killed sage." the byers boy wipes the paper, showing his hand that had black chalk on it now. "my mom and sage got it out of me . . . and eleven closed the gate."

will flips the paper upside down. "but the part that was still in me, what if it's still in our world?" he asked his friends, putting the hand print on the paper. "in hawkins."

"i don't understand. the demodogs died when el closed the gate. if the brain dies, the body dies." max said. "we can't take any chances," mike told her. "we need to assume the worst. the mind flayer's back."

"yeah. and if he is, he'd want to attach himself to someone again. a new me." will told them. "a new host," lucas said, catching on.

"how can you tell if someone is a host?" eleven asked them.

sage stayed quiet, already knowing who the host was.

   "I DON'T KNOW. HE LOOKS PRETTY normal to me." max commented as she looked at billy through the binoculars.

"normal? how many times have you seen him with a shirt on?" sage asked her, looking up at the red-head. "i mean, it's a little weird," max said.

"more than a little," mike told her. "he was in a tub with ice. the mind flayer likes it cold. plus everything else —"

"but he's lounging at the pool, which is like the least mind flayer thing ever,"

"not necessarily," will commented.

everyone turned to look at the byers teen. "the mind flayer likes to hide. he only used me when he needed me. it's like . . . like you're dormant. and then, when he needs you, you're activated."

"okay, so we just . . . wait until he gets activated." max said. "no. what if he hurts someone?" mike told her, shaking his head and looking at her.

"or kill someone," will added. "we can't take that chance," sage said. "we need to find out if he's the host and i'm already a 100% positive."

mike leans off the car and walks off.

"where are you going?" eleven asks him. "i have an idea. boys only." mike replies. "seriously?" max questions him. "just trust me on this one."

the three girls sigh and stay by the car — waiting for the boys to show up.

sage glances over at max to see her looking at billy through the binoculars again. the wheeler teen stares at the red-head, admiring her. she couldn't help it. eleven notices and reaches over, tapping the brunette teenager.

"are you . . . sure you wanna do this?" eleven asked her. "like use my powers just in case?" sage asked her, snapping out of her trance and looking over at the hopper teen. eleven nods.

"yeah, i'm sure,"

soon enough, the boys came back and told the girls the plan. everyone split up to get whatever they needed. sage stayed with max and began to bounce her knee, beginning to get anxious.

"mike, are you there?" max asked through the walkie. "yeah!" mike replied in a raised voice.

"where are you guys?"

"i'm coming. just . . . hold on a second."

max put the walkie down then turned to look at sage — seeing she was picking at the skin of her fingers. the red-head grabs the wheeler teens hand, squeezing it for comfort.

"what's wrong?" max asks her. "what if i was wrong max? what if me and el were wrong? what if billy isn't the host and we did all this for literally nothing?" sage asks her. "hey, look — i don't know about billy being a host, but if it's what we have to do then it's what we gotta do. don't stress about it, okay? i'm here."

max moves her hand away then puts it on sage's lower back, rubbing it. sage leans closer to max, her heartbeat slowly going back to normal as she feels safe with her touch. the red-head then looks at billy through her binoculars.

"god, i hope it's not you," max says to herself before moving the binoculars away. "i really hope it's not you."

   BY NIGHTTIME THE PARTY WAS IN perfect position. everyone was in their spots and billy was doing exactly what he was supposed do.

the blond turns off the shower and moves hair out of his face, yanking the towel, and wrapping it around him. the hargrove teen walks into the locker room, opens his locker, and changes into some shorts not bothering to dry up.

a clanging sound was heard.

"pool's closed," billy announced as he continued to close his shorts. metallic scraping and clanging was still heard even after what billy said. "hey,"

the blond slammed his locker shut.

"do you hear me?" billy asked, walking to the door of the locker room. "pool is closed!" the teen slammed his hand on the door, attempting to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

"billy!" mike called out.

the hargrove teen turned to look at where the voice came from. "who's there?"

"billy!" mike called out once again in a sing-song voice. "who's there?" billy asked, also in a sing song voice. there was echoing laughter.

the blond went into the showers and opened up a curtain.

"billy!"

he slowly closed it when he didn't see anybody and continued walking.

"billy!"

"you think this is funny, huh?" billy questioned as he listened to mike's laughter. "billy. come and find me." mike's voice echoed.

"i find you, it's your funeral."

billy walked out of the showers then saw the door to the workout room shut close.

"come and get me. come on!"

the hargrove teen opens the door and walks in.

"billy!"

the blond spots a door and someone in the sauna. he smirks. "got you." billy cackles while clapping his hands as he walks to the sauna door.

"come and get me, you piece of shit." sage's voice was now heard just in time for billy to open the door.

the blond stares at the dummy — a walkie taped to it's chest. billy walks into the sauna and wraps his hand around it's throat, making its head it the ceiling hard.

"hey," mike said into the walkie. "behind you."

billy drops the dummy and whips around to see two girls. sage and eleven.

"hi," eleven says, flatly. "hey, wassup dude?" sage smirked before her and eleven tilted their heads making billy fly back into the sauna wall.

billy hits the wall and groans, falling back to the floor.

"now!"

the rest of the party runs out of the room and mike turns on the light. sage waves her hand and shuts the sauna door as billy tries to escape.

billy grunts as he attempts to break through the hard door that is now locked by the boys.

will, mike, and lucas run back to the middle of the workout room where the girls are at. billy pounds on the door, trying to get out.

the blond then stops and looks at the teens, seeing his step-sister.

"max,"

sage protectively grabs max's hand and gently pulls her back.

"do it." max declares as she squeezes sage's hand tightly. will runs over to the thermometer and raises the temperature to its highest level.

the six teenagers stand close to each other as billy pounds on the door harshly.

"max! let me out of here!" billy shouts, his voice echoing. "let me out,"

no one says anything but stares — awaiting for results to see if he's the the host.

"you kids . . . you think this is funny?" billy asks as he pants heavily. "you kids think this is some kind of sick prank, huh?" the hargrove teen spits on the window of the sauna. "you little shits think this is funny?"

eleven looks back at sage and the two girls make eye contact.

"what is this?" billy questions, hissing in pain a little. "open the door." the blond demands.

"open the door!"

everyone flinches back at the outburst. max keeps holding sage's hand as billy shouts, pounding on the door.

"open the door! open the goddamn door!"

billy sinks down and screams as will goes over, checking the temperature.

"we're at 220." will informs the party before going back over to his friends.

billy stops screaming and all was heard from him was grunts and sobs. "it's not my fault. it's not my fault. it's not my fault, max."

the red-head slowly lets go of sage's hand and takes slow steps to the sauna door.

"i promise you, it's not my fault,"

when max reaches the door all she sees is billy sitting down, leaning against the wooden bench.

"what's not your fault, billy?" max asks her step-brother. "i've done things, max. really . . ." billy sobs, shaking in fear. "bad things. i didn't mean to. he made me do it."

the party starts to come closer together as they watch max interact with her sibling.

"who made you do it?"

"i don't know, it's like a shadow."

sage and eleven turn to look at will, knowing exactly what the hargrove teen is talking about.

"like a giant shadow. please, max."

"what did he make you do?"

"it's not my fault, okay? max, please." billy sobbed loudly, leaning against the bench. "please, believe me, max, it's not my fault."

max stares at her sibling and lets a tear slip down her eyes, and down her cheek.

"i tried to stop him, okay? i did." billy sniffles as he speaks. "please believe me, max. please believe me."

"billy, it's gonna be okay." max assures her step-brother. "max, please." billy begs, his hand slowly reaching for a piece of the wall tile. "it's gonna be okay. we want to help you. you just have to talk to us, okay? you have to talk to us. i believe you, billy." max tells her sibling.

will reaches his hand for the back of his neck and lets out a shaky breath.

"i feel him," will whispers making sage look back at him. "he's activated,"

"max, get away from the door," sage says then turns to look at the red-head. "what?"

"get away from the door!" mike repeats in a shout just in time for billy to break the glass with the wall tile he picked up.

max yelps causing everyone to gasp as billy yells.

"let me out, you bitch! let me out! i'll fucking gut you!" billy takes the pole off the chains. "let me out!" the blond roars.

sage didn't hesitate to run over to the red-head, but to her dismay billy was able to grab a fist full of sage's brunette hair.

"sage!" everyone screams.

the wheeler twin screams in pain as billy slams her head against the door. "fucking bitch! let me out! let me out!"

sage whimpers but manages to light her fists on fire just in time for lucas to take out his wrist rocket. lucas aims and shoots the rock at billy causing it to hit straight at his forehead, sending him back. sage burns billy's wrist making him scream and let go just as he falls back.

"max, grab sage and come on!" lucas tells her, pointing at the younger wheeler twin.

the red-head helps sage up and immediately runs back to the group, holding sage tightly. the wheeler twin groans as her begins to pound. the lights just then begin to flicker causing the six teens to look up at the lights.

billy groans as he starts to grunt in pain. the blond grips the bench and slowly gets up, continuing to grunt in pain. billy then roars.

the teens stay close together as billy runs to the door, attempting to break it open. sage and eleven keep their hands over their friends for protection, ready to use their powers.

"he can't get out, can he?" max asks. "no way. no way." lucas says, obviously in disbelief.

billy slams himself onto the door again then once more before finally breaking out.

everyone gasps but the two girls push them back as they come face to face with billy hargrove.

billy breathes heavily as he stares at the two girls. sage lifts up the bike to her left as eleven lifts up the weight to her right. sage screams as she hits billy with the bike causing him to grunt and get thrown back a little to give the hopper teen a little advantage. eleven then throws the weight at billy causing him to fly back into the wall, choking on the large metal.

sage goes by eleven's side, lifts her hands up, and adds more pressure. the weight goes through the wall as the two girls breathe heavily, keeping the giant weight close to billy.

it was until billy began to push the weight away. the girls scream, trying to keep him in place but billy throws it at them. sage was quick enough to duck, but eleven gets knocked down.

"eleven!"

the blond takes eleven and throws her to the wall, knocking her out. sage gasps and tries to throw billy, but he grabs her hair again causing her to scream in pain. the hargrove teen looks at his sister before wrapping his hand around sage's throat tightly. sage chokes and tries gasping for air as billy lifts her into the air.

"no!" sage cries. "no! no!"

she kicks, she punches, she even tries lighting her fists on fire.

"no! no . . ."