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"WHAT WAS WILL SAYING?" MILE ASKED AS EL LAID BY SEV'S SIDE. The boy was still unconscious due to the fact he practically gave all of his power and energy to El, he was very tired. "Like home...Like home..." Mike continued, Dustin putting the cold toilet paper square on Sev's forehead. "But dark," Mike stood up, Lucas sat around the small table. "And empty." He added on, Mike sighing. "Empty and cold. Wait, did he say cold?" Dustin asked, Lucas looking to him as El observed Sev's frozen features. "I don't know. The stupid radio kept going in and out." Lucas spoke, Dustin staring up at the ceiling. "It's like riddles in the dark." He commented, El feeling Sev's hand moving under her back. She sat up quickly, the boys looking to her as she kept her eyes on Sev's.

"Hm." The boy let out, Dustin smiling widely. "Seven." El spoke, Sev's looking at her as she gave him a small smile. Lucas just watched awkwardly as El smiled at her brother, him sitting up slowly. "Are you okay?" Mike asked quickly, Sev nodding lightly as Mike smiled at him, nodding. "Anyway, Will said it was like home. Like his house?" Mike asked, Lucas linking his hands together. "Or maybe like Hawkins." He added on, El readjusting the toilet paper square. "Upside down." She spoke simply, Sev looking up at his sister. "What'd she say?" Lucas asked, Mike seeming to realise something. "Upside down." Mike walked to the upside down board. "When El and Sev showed us where Will was, El flipped the board over, remember?" Mike asked, his friends gathering around. "Upside down." Mike spoke, Lucas still confused.

"Dark. Empty."

"Do you understand what he's talking about?" Lucas asked Dustin. "No." He answered blankly, Mike sighing. "Guys, come on, think about it. When they took us to find Will, they took us to his house, right?" Mike asked, Lucas nodding. "Yeah. And he wasn't there." The boy spoke, Mike shaking his head. "But what if he was there?" Mike asked, Sev slowly getting better as he felt more energy. "What if we just couldn't see him? What if he was on the other side?" Mike asked, his friends still confused. "What if this is Hawkins," Mike flipped the board upside down. "and this is where Will is?" Mike asked, looking to his friends. "The Upside down." Mike added, Sev shuffling in his seat as El gave him space.

"Like the Vale of Shadows."

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BOTH EL AND SEV FLINCHED ONCE MIKE STABBED THE PENCIL THROUGH THE PAPER. He, with Dustin and Lucas, had gotten back from Will's 'funeral', Mike then explaining to Sev and El what Mr. Clarke, their science teacher, had told them. "It would take a lot of energy to build a gate like this. But that's got to be what happened. Otherwise, how'd Will get there, right?" Mike spoke, the twins looking to each other before looking back to Mike. "Right." They chorused, Lucas flinching a bit on how they did that. "What we want to know is, do either of you know where the gate is?" Lucas asked, Sev looking to El as she shook her head. Lucas then looked to Sev, the boy shaking his head too. "Then how do you know about the Upside Down?" Lucas asked El, the girl not answering before looking to Dustin, Sev doing the same.

Dustin was spinning around with an object in his hand, everyone looking to him by now. "Dustin, what are you doing?" Mike asked, Dustin not answering. "Dustin?" Mike called again, the boy still too focused in whatever he was doing. "Dustin!" Mike and Lucas shouted, Dustin finally answering. "I need to see your compasses." He spoke quickly, the rest of the group confused. "What?" Mike asked, Sev watching in amusement. "Your compasses. All of your compasses, right now!" Dustin ordered, his friends surrendering and going to grab them all. "What's exciting about this?" Mike asked bored, Dustin facing the compasses the right way. "Well, they're all facing North, right?" Dustin asked with a grin, Lucas shrugging. "Yeah, so?" He asked, Dustin turning to him. "Well, that's not true North." He spoke, Mike leaning forward. "What do you mean?" Mike asked, Dustin turning to him.

"I mean exactly what I just said. That's not true North." Dustin spoke as if Mike was dumb, Sev watching curiously. "Are you both seriously this dense?" Dustin asked, his friends not answering. "The sun rises in the East and it sets in the West. Right?" Dustin 'taught' Lucas and Mike, them shrugging in sync. "Which means that's true North." Dustin spoke, pointing to the opposite way of the compass points. "So, what you're saying is the compasses are broken." Mike suggested, Dustin groaning and leaning his hands on the table. "Do you even understand how a compass works?" He asked Mike, showing him one of the compasses. "Do you see a battery pack on this?" Dustin asked, turning the compass quickly. "No." Mike answered, Dustin nodding. "No, you don't. Because it doesn't need one." Dustin taught again, Sev's face scrunching up.

"The needle's naturally drawn to the Earth's magnetic North Pole." Dustin informed further, the words going into one of Sev's ears then out the other. "So what's wrong with them?" Lucas asked, absolutely clueless as Dustin sighed. "Well, that's what I couldn't figure out, but then I remembered. You can change the direction of a compass with a magnet. If there's a presence of a more powerful magnetic field, the needle deflects to that power." Dustin answered, Mike slowly getting it. "And then I remembered what Mr. Clarke said. The gate would have so much power-" "It could disrupt the electromagnetic field." Mike interrupted, Dustin nodding. "Exactly." Dustin spoke, Lucas staring at the compasses. "Meaning, if we follow the compasses' North..." Lucas trailed off, Dustin nodding. "They should lead us to the gate." Both Sev's and El's faces dropped.

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SEV WALKED NEXT GO EL THIS TIME, THE GROUP FOLLOWING THE COMPASSES TOWARDS THE GATE. Sev had to check if his sister was using her powers okay. The two had decided to change the compasses' direction for obvious reasons. They had also decided to use El's powers because hers don't leave red essence when used. They couldn't just let four boys go unarmed into a alternate dimension full of monsters. It was way too dangerous. "How much further?" Sev heard Lucas ask Dustin, the two ahead of the twins and Mike. "You okay?" Sev whispered, El nodding and wiping her nose. "Do you think she's acting weird? Him, too." Lucas asked, Dustin looking to his friend. "You're asking if the weirdos are acting weird?" Dustin asked sarcastically, Lucas sighing. "I mean, weirder than normal?" He asked, Dustin shrugging as Sev saw a stray cat, his eyes widening.

"Who cares?"

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"PAPA?" SEVEN PROPPED HIS ELBOW UP ON HIS BED. DR BRENNER AT THE DOOR. The only light came from the open doorway, Brenner's shadow seeming taller. "I'm very pleased in you, Subject Seven." The man smiled, Seven tilting his head. "What?" He asked, Eleven asleep as it was late at night. "We need to know if you fit into something." Dr Brenner grinned, Seven confused before getting up and following Dr Brenner towards a different room he had never seen before. "You have showed extraordinary abilities during your time here. More than anyone else." The man spoke, Seven smiling lightly when Dr Brenner patted his head twice. "You can call this a promotion." He spoke, Seven's smile dropping. "Promotion?" He asked slowly, Dr Brenner smiling. It's when you go up one step higher. One step better." The man explained, Seven smiling lightly. "We would like you to try this on." Dr Brenner spoke, the doors opening as a woman walked in.

Her hair was blonde and she wore a turtleneck and a pencil skirt, Seven eyes drifting to the long black bag in her arms. "You are the first official fighter." Dr Brenner spoke, Seven face scrunching up. "Fighter?" He asked, Dr Brenner sighing. "A defender. Like how you protect Subject Eleven." The man gave an example as the woman set out the clothes. "Please try this on and tell us how it fits, Subject Seven." The man then walked away and out the door with the woman, Seven observing the clothes on the table. The shirt was a button up, adorned with an American flag on the right pocket. The shoulders were padded and the pants were of the same sage green colour. After putting them on, Seven felt weird. It was a lot different than what his usual hospital gown was and he felt a bit restricted. It did fit none-the-less, Seven telling Dr Brenner so when he came back.

"Brilliant, Subject Seven."

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"OH NO." DUSTIN SPOKE, THE GROUP ATOP AN ABANDONED HILL WITH STRAY CARS. "Oh no? What's 'oh no'?" Mike asked quickly. "We're headed back home." Dustin informed, Sev and El looking to one another. "What? Are you sure?" Lucas asked, Dustin nodding. "Yeah, I'm sure." He spoke, pointing up. "Setting sun, right there. We looped right back around." Dustin spoke, Lucas outraged. "And you're just realising this now?" He asked, Dustin's face scrunching up. "Why is this all on me?" He asked, his voice raised. "Because you're the 'compass genius'!" Lucas shot back, hands on his hips. "What does yours say?" Dustin asked, Mike and Lucas looking at their compasses. "North." They chorused, Lucas sighing. "Makes no damn sense." Dustin spoke, confused as Mike looked around. "Maybe the gate moved." He suggested, his friends turning to him. "No, I don't think it's the gate." Lucas looked around, Sev gulping as El leant into his side.

"I think it's something else screwing with our compasses." Dustin suggested, Lucas sighing. "Maybe it's something here." Mike added on, Lucas facing the twins. "No, it has to be like a super magnet." Dustin corrected, Sev tilting his head at Lucas in fake confusion. "It's not a magnet. They're both acting weirder than normal." Lucas pointed to Sev and El, the latter standing up straight. "If she can slam doors with her mind and he can make red grappling hooks, either, or both of them can definitely screw up a compass." Lucas accused, Mike's face scrunching up. "Why would they do that?" He asked, Lucas ready with an answer. "Because they're both trying to sabotage our mission. Because they're traitors!" Both twins flinched when Lucas yelled suddenly, him walking up to the two. "Lucas, what are you doing?" Mike asked, Lucas not answering before Mike sped over, making sure nothing bad happened.

"You did it, didn't you? Neither of you want us to reach the gate. You guys don't want us to find Will." Lucas asked, getting in their faces as Mike sighed. "Lucas, come one, seriously, just leave them alone!" Mike scolded, Lucas ignoring him again. "Admit it." He spat, facing Seven as El's face trembled. "No." El spoke lowly, Lucas turning to her. "Admit it!" He suddenly yelled in El's face, Sev moving closer to the girl. Sev only stayed still when Lucas pulled the girl's arm up, seeing blood on her sleeve. "Fresh blood," Lucas slapped her arm down, Sev wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "I knew it." Lucas sighed, Mike turning to him. "Lucas, come on!" He spoke again, Lucas not ignoring him this time. "I saw her wiping her nose on the tracks! She was using her powers! I bet he was helping her!" He yelled, Dustin walking to them. "Bull! That's old blood. Right, El?" Mike asked.

The twins only stayed quiet, Mike moving forward. "Right, El? Sev?" He asked, El sighing. "It's not safe." She spoke, crying lightly. "What did I tell you? They've been playing us from the beginning!" Lucas yelled at Mike. "That's not true. They helped us find Will!" Mike shot back, Lucas sighing and pretending to look around. "Where's Will? Cos I can't see him!" Lucas yelled back, Mike scoffing. "Yeah, you know what I mean." He spoke, Lucas walking back to them. "No, I actually don't," He shot back, El leaning into Sev's side again. "Just think about it, Mike. Either one of them could've told us where the Upside Down was right away, but they didn't." Lucas informed, outraged. "They just mad us run around like headless chickens." Lucas spoke, Dustin walking forward. "All right, calm down!-" "No!" Lucas interrupted the boy, pushing him towards the twins.

"They used us, all of us! They helped just enough so they can get what they want. Food and a bed. They're like stray dogs!" Lucas spoke, Mike stepping forward. "Screw you, Lucas!" He shouted, Lucas shaking his head. "No! Screw you, Mike. You're blind because you like that a girl's not grossed out my you." Sev looked to El quickly, confused. "But wake up, man! Wake the hell up!" Lucas yelled in Mike's face, Sev turning back around to them. "They know where Will is, and now they're just letting him die in the Upside Down." Lucas declared, Mike finally speaking up. "Shut up!" He barked, El flinching slightly. "For all we know, it's their fault." Lucas spat, Mike telling him to shut up again. "We're looking for some stupid monster, but did you ever stop to think maybe she's the monster? Him, too! Just two monsters-" Lucas was cut off when Mike tackled him to the ground, Sev's eyes widening. "Stop!" El yelled, Dustin sighing.

"Knock it off, you idiots." He called, Sev gulping. "Stop!" El continued shouting, the boys not listening. "Mike, get off!" Dustin yelled, El starting to cry. "Stop it!" Sev yelled, El suddenly screaming as Lucas was flung towards the other side of the hill, hitting his head on a metal sheet that knocked him out. "Jesus!" Dustin spoke as him and Mike sped to Lucas. Sev stayed behind with El, startled by whatever just happened. "Eleven..." He softly spoke, El hugging him suddenly. Sev hugged back tightly, the two hearing the boys try and wake Lucas up. "Why would you do that?" Mike yelled back to El, the twins separating to face him. "What's wrong with you?" Mike continued, El sobbing. "What is wrong with you?"

Sev followed El straight away when she ran off.

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[2392 words!]

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