Chapter Text
The night in Hawkins was a quiet one this time, something that hadn't been imaginable since the earthquake that broke the town. At least, it was until Mike Wheeler woke up to a strange sound coming from outside the cabin. He looked down and saw El, sound asleep in his arms, completely unaware of the noise he had just heard. He then looked over and saw Will in his bed and then Jonathan and Nancy in the bed beside his, all three of them sleeping. Careful to not make any noise, Mike slowly removed his arms from El's waist and stood out of the bed, opening the door in a way to avoid any creaking sounds. He then went outside the cabin, hearing the sound again, but still couldn't make out what it was. He walked into the forest ahead, wanting to find whatever was calling to him.
Mike heard the sound becoming closer and closer with each step he took. Once it became clearer, he realized that it was the sound of a clock ticking, which made him freeze in his tracks. That was when he turned and saw a grandfather clock in a tree, a distorted chime coming out of it as soon as his eyes landed on it. It continued to tick as Mike looked around for the predator that was attempting to get him.
"Mike..." He heard a deep voice call out to him, one that sent chills down his spine. "You have made a terrible mistake."
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Mike questioned him, trying to not let his fear show. "I thought my sister killed you."
The teen then turned to see Vecna himself standing just a few feet away from him. "She was persistent, but a few gunshots and fire won't be enough to kill me," the monster told him as he stalked closer to him. "In the end, despite your confidence, you all lost. Hawkins is falling and there is nothing you can do to stop it."
Mike bit his lip, taking a few steps back to avoid him. "We can stop you," he firmly stated. "Why else haven't you shown yourself to us until now? You're afraid."
"I've been wanting to show myself to you for a long time now, Mike," Vecna said, ignoring his statement. "But you left Hawkins before I could. Maybe if you were here, I wouldn't have gone after Max. But now she's gone, and it's all because of Eleven."
Hearing those words made his heart sink, but Mike attempted to not let it look like that stung. He probably failed because Vecna smirked at him, though that didn't stop him from countering back. "You failed to kill Max," he told him. "El stopped you before you could and she kept her alive. You may think you have won, but you didn't. We're all still here and we are going to defeat you and your army."
Vecna then made himself appear right behind Mike. "You seem so sure that you can defeat me, despite your failures in the past," he taunted him, making the teen jump, but his counters didn't falter.
"We did defeat you, you bastard," Mike shot back. "El killed the Demogorgon. She closed the gate and we got you out of Will. Then we closed the gate and defeated your flesh monster. You're the one who's failed in the past, not us."
That was when the woods around him changed, and Mike was no longer where he once stood and Vecna was gone. Instead, he was inside Hawkins Middle School in Mr. Clarke's classroom, a familiar screech sound filling his ears. He turned towards the chalkboard, seeing the Demogorgon frozen against the wall, attempting to break free but failing to do so. No sign of Dustin or Lucas. His eyes widened when he saw El step out in front of him, walking towards the Demogorgon with a glare on her face. She looked just as she did that night with the dirty pink dress and blue flannel, bloody nose and ears, red eyes, and veins covering her pale face.
"EL!" Mike yelled, trying to reach her, but she just shoved him back with her powers, his back hitting the desk behind him, but this felt more painful than it had that night. He couldn't get up nor move, making him feel just as helpless as before.
She then turned around to look at him, but there was no hint of sadness on her face like there was back then. Now, there was nothing but anger written on her expression and it was all directed at him. "You could've saved me," she snapped at him. "You could've kept me from leaving. You say you love me? Then why did you let me sacrifice myself? Why did you let me die?"
"No, no El, please don't say that!" Mike protested, tears falling down his face as he tried to get up to get to her. "I do love you! I do!"
El ignored him. She screamed as she lifted up her hand and shoved him back. When he landed, Mike realized that he was in the Byers' shed, standing right where he was before when they were trying to reach Will during his possession. And there he was, screaming for them to let him go, but Mike was the only one there with no sign of Joyce, Jonathan, or Hopper. Will looked directly at him as he screamed, only making Mike's tears fall harder.
"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" Will screamed, his voice turning into a growl sound. "YOU DID THIS TO ME! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU CAN'T HELP ANYONE!"
Mike shook his head, backing away from his friend. "This isn't real... this isn't real..." he muttered to himself as he closed his eyes. "None of this is real. this never happened..."
When he opened his eyes, he was in a new setting. Mike was now in the men's restroom of Hawkins Community Pool, right by the sauna. There stood a possessed Billy Hargrove, holding El above the ground as he choked her. Max, Will, and Lucas weren't there, only himself, watching helplessly as his girlfriend couldn't do anything to save herself. Mike saw the metal pipe he had used before. picking it up and swinging at Billy. Unlike before, Billy had grabbed the pipe with his other hand, keeping the teen from doing anything. The possessed man then tightened his grip on El, breaking her neck, and he dropped her lifeless body to the ground.
"NO!" Mike screamed as he ran to her, holding her body in his arms. "EL, WAKE UP! PLEASE WAKE UP!"
When he looked up through his tears, Billy had turned into Vecna. "You may believe that your friends need you, but you're the one who can't help or save them," he taunted. "It is almost your time to finally help them. When you're gone, maybe you'll be able to save them."
...
Mike then woke up, sitting up as he gasped for air and looked around frantically. He was back in the cabin and sitting on El's bed, who was still beside him, though she had woken up once he did. She looked at him with a concerned expression, but Mike wasn't sure if she was actually there. It had to be another illusion that he was showing him. His eyes became blurry and he began to sweat, breathing heavily as he waited for her to say something about how helpless he was. How useless he was to the party. How he couldn't save the girl he loved and was the reason why she disappeared. How he couldn't help his best friend when he was in pain and even caused him some pain.
He could barely process the gentle hands of his girlfriend being placed on his shoulder, refusing to look up at her. "Mike?" she whispered to him, one of her hands moving to his cheek. "Breathe with me, okay?"
She then took deep breaths, Mike trying to follow along with her. Their breathing patterns matched up as they normally do together, in and out, through the nose and then the mouth. He moved one of his hands to her heart, reassuring himself that she was there and alive. Billy never snapped her neck and he was able to get him away from her. She didn't hate him or blame him for her disappearing. El was still here, but part of him was still unsure.
Once his breathing became steady and his vision came back, Mike rested his forehead against El's. "Is it really you?" He whispered to her as he gripped her shoulder with his left hand and felt her heart with his right.
"It's me," El comforted him, stroking his cheek. "I'm here, Mike. I'm here."
Mike sighed in relief, calmness taking over him as he finally felt like he was back in reality. "I'm sorry that I woke you," he finally spoke up after a few moments.
"Bad dream?" El asked him, giving him an empathetic smile. "I get those sometimes."
"Something like that," Mike replied with a shrug. "I'll tell you about it in the morning, okay? I promise."
El nodded at him and she pulled her forehead away, giving her boyfriend a look of questions. Mike read what she was asking him in her expression and he nodded, giving her permission to give him a hug. She wrapped one arm around his back and another on his head, stroking his soft curls as she held him in her arms. Laying him down with her on the bed, El held him closer to her, hoping to protect him from any night terrors that would come his way. Little did she know then what she had to protect him from when the time came.
But for now, Mike slept soundly for the rest of the silent night, no more noises interrupting his slumber, but was only more afraid of what was to come next.