•THE MONSTER•

IT WAS THE NEXT MORNING, AND VE COULDN'T SLEEP AT ALL. El hadn't come back since yesterday and it worried her and Mike. Dustin rode his bike to the house and made it down to the basement only to find a worried Mike and a nervous Ve.

"I can't believe she didn't come back." Mike says to Dustin.

"She's gotta be close." Dustin said.

"She said it wasn't safe, she messed up the compasses because she wanted to protect us. She didn't betray us." Mike continues to ramble.

"It still wasn't right." Ve says crossing her arms and laying on the couch.

"Mike calm down." Dustin says.

"I shouldn't have yelled at her, I never should've done that."

"Mike this isn't your fault."

"Yeah it's Lucas'"

"It wasn't his fault, either." Ve nods with Dustin, but mike looks at the two in confusion.

"It wasn't his fault?"

"No."

"So you're saying he wasn't way out of line?"

"Totally-" Ve cuts Dustin off by saying.

"But so were you."

"What?" Mike yells out making Ve flinch, Dustin comes over and gets Mike's attention.

"And so was Eleven." Dustin continues.

"Oh give me a break!"

"No Mike, you give me a break! All three of you were being a bunch of little assholes! Me and Ve were the only reasonable ones, but the bottom line is you pushed first. And you know the rule, you draw first blood-" Mike soon cut Dustin off denying his suggestion.

"No! No way I'm not shaking his hand."

"You're shaking his hand!"

"No I'm not."

"This isn't a discussion, this is the rule of law. Obey or be banished from the party. Do you wanna be banished?" Dustin asked.

"No." Mike grumbles.

"Good."

Dustin grabs his jacket and then helps Ve get her jacket, she puts in it on and grabs a card that she made. She wanted to give it to Lucas to apologize, so she put it in the pocket of her jacket.

"Where are we going?" Mike asked annoyed.

"Where do you think? We're going to get Lucas."

"And then find El?" Ve asked and Dustin nodded.

•••••••••

The three of them get to the Sinclair house and go to the door, Mike rings the doorbell begrudgingly and waits for someone to answer the door.

The door opened and revealed Lucas, Lucas was glaring at all of them especially Ve.

"What do you want?" Lucas asked.

They stood in silent until Ve and Dustin punched him and implied to shake his hand.

"I drew first blood, so......" Mike takes his hand out for him to shake and only gets a stare from Lucas.

He moved out of the way and lets them in, the three stood while Lucas kept walking back and forth thinking.

"Okay I'll shake, on one condition. We forget these weirdos and go straight to the gate." Lucas said pointing at Ve and referring to El.

"Then the deal's off." Mike says

"Fine!" Lucas shouts.

"Fine!" Mike says in return.

"No no not fine! Guys, seriously? Do you even remember what happened on the Bloodstone Pass?"

It was in silence and the two boys shrugged while Ve was very confused.

"We couldn't agree on what path to take, so we split up the party and those trolls took us out one by one. And it all went to shit, and we were all disabled! So we stick together, no matter what!"

"Yeah I agree. But this is the party right here in this room, except Twelve."

"El and Ve are one of us now."

"Um, no they're not, not even close!" Lucas yelled and soon pointed at Ve.

"And never will be, they are liars, traitors-"

"El was trying to keep us safe!" Mike defended El.

"Plus Ve didn't know what Eleven was doing she wanted to help us find Will." Dustin said making Lucas tense a little less.

"El didn't mean to hurt you, it was an accident."

"An accident?" Lucas asked incredulously.

"All right accident or not.... admit it was a little awesome." Dustin said excitedly.

"Awesome?"

"Yeah she threw you in the air with her mind." Dustin said.

"I could have been killed!" Lucas yells at them.

"But you didn't because Ve protected you and used her powers so you wouldn't hit the ground hard." Mike says.

"But that is exactly why we need them, they are weapons! Do you seriously wanna fight the Demogorgon with your wrist rocket? That's like R2-D2 going to fight Darth Vader, we're no use to Will if we're dead."

"If you two wanna waste your time, looking and helping the traitors go ahead, cause I'm not spending my time on them anymore. No way! I'm going to the gate, I'm gonna find Will!" Lucas said pushing the boys out of his way, Dustin sighs and heads toward the door.

"Let's go Ve." Dustin says.

"Just wait a sec okay?" The boys nod and go outside

Ve goes where Lucas, into the kitchen he sees her and scowls.

"What do you want traitor?"

"You need to be careful." She said quietly.

"And why's that?"

"Because its guarded by bad men."

Ve takes her hand made card and placed it on the table and says before leaving.

"I'm sorry."

••••••••••

The three of them were trying to find El, Ve was on dustin's bike and she held on as he peddled.

"This is weird without Lucas." Dustin says.

"He should've shaken my hand." Mike says.

"He's just jealous."

"What are you talking about?" Mike asks Dustin, he sighs as Ve smiled at Mike's obliviousness.

"Sometimes your total obliviousness just blows my mind, he's your best friend, right?"

"Yeah... I mean, I don't know."

"It's fine. I get it, I didn't get here until the fourth grade and he had the advantage of living next door. But none of that matters, what matters is he is your best friend and this girl shows up and starts living in your basement and all you ever want to do is pay attention to her."

"That's not true, plus what about you and Ve you two seem pretty comfortable together don't think I didn't see you guys hold hands. Plus every time she gets nervous or scared she goes to El or you." Mike says, Ve starts to blush and Dustin had a little bit of pink on his cheeks.

"Look the point it, you know it's true, and Lucas knows it. But no one ever says anything until you both start punching and yelling at each other. Like goblins with the intelligence scores of zero, now everything's weird."

"He's not my best friend."

"Yeah right." Dustin says chuckling.

"I mean he is, but so are you, and Will, and Ve." Mike says Ve smiled at Mike.

"Can't have more than one best friend."

"Says who?" Ve asked

"Says logic." Dustin says.

"Well Ve and I call bull on your logic because you're my best friend too."

"Okay."

Soon the two boys stop their bike and see police officers in front of convenience store. Glass was shatter everywhere and the three of them could only assume one thing.

"You don't think?" Dustin asks.

"Uh..... definitely." Mike says.

The two boys peddle fast and try to find El before more could be done. Ve just hoped that El was safe she was scared not only for the boys but if their Papa finds El it's only a matter of time for her.

••••••••••

The three had made it to the woods they had gotten off the bikes and walked along a path. They continued to scream for El.

"Eleven!" Mike Shouts.

"El!" Ve screams.

Soon they heard a crunching sound, and they all stopped.

"Do you hear that?" Mike asks.

"What?" Dustin asks.

"El!" Mike Shouts

Soon the Ve looks and sees the two boys that El and Ve embarrassed. Both were covered in rash from the poison ivy she placed in their clothes. She was fearful and so were Mike and Dustin,

"Hey there frogface." Troy then pull his knife out and the blade comes out.

"Toothless." James says smirking.

Dustin drops his bike and starts to run and grabs Ve's hand.

"Shit, Mike run!"

Soon the two bullies chase after the three as they try to run as fast as they can.

"Your dead Wheeler!" Troy Shouts.

•••••••••

Dustin kept holding Ve's hand as they ran, they came down to a dirt path and as they continued to run Troy was hot on their trail.

As they thought they were gonna get away James went the other direction and now the three were cornered.

"Shit!" Dustin says.

Mike grabs a rock, while Dustin gets a stick Dustin whispers to Ve.

"Don't use your powers we can't have him knowing, please." Dustin says Ve nods and stays behind the two boys.

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" Mike yells.

As the two bullies come closer Mike throws the rock but it misses.

"Nice throw numbnuts."

Dustin charges at Troy only to be held back and with a knife pinned to his throat.

"Get off me." Dustin Shouts.

Ve was about to tackle until James grabbed her,

"Let them go!" Mike says.

"Stay back or I cut him!"

"What do you want?"

"I want to know how you did it."

"How I did what?" Mike asks Troy.

"I know you did something to me, some nerdy science shit to make me do that." Troy says as Dustin struggles against his grip.

"You mean piss your pants?" Mike asks.

"Our friends have superpowers, and one squeezed your tiny bladder with her mind and then the other put poison ivy in your clothes."

"Shut up!" Troy Shouts.

"I think I should save toothless here a trip to the dentist. Help him lose the rest of his baby teeth." Troy says smirking.

"I'll let him go sure. But first it your turn."

"My turn for what?" Mike asks.

"Wet yourself."

"What?"

"Jump or toothless here gets an early trip to the dentist."

"Stop no!" Dustin says.

Ve was still struggling with James, her arms were going to get bruises.

"I'll cut him right now! Or maybe I should go with Blondie..." he says going over to Ve still holding Dustin as he struggles.

"Which superpowers do you have huh? Poison ivy?" Troy used his knife and puts it close to her face.

Mike started to walk toward the cliff and Dustin Shouts

"Mike don't! I don't need my baby teeth. Mike seriously don't!"

James started to get nervous and while holding Ve he says "Troy I don't think this is a good idea man."

Troy starts to hold the knife closer to Dustin

"Dentist office opens in five... four! Three! Two! One!"

"Mike!"Dustin and Ve shout.

Ve screams and plants come from under the ground and frees her and Dustin from the bullies' grips. Both look in shock but Ve and Dustin didn't care as they ran to the cliff and saw Mike being carried in the air. Ve watched as Mike landed safely next to Dustin and Ve. Troy looked confused until they all saw El walking towards them, Ve was happy soon James was knocked down to the ground and a snap was heard from Troy's arm.

"Ah! She broke my arm! My arm!"

"Go." Is all she says as they start to run.

"Yeah you better run they are our friend and they are crazy! You come back here and they'll kill you! You hear that they'll kill you, you sons of bitches! She'll kill you, you hear me?" Dustin Shouts making Ve laugh, Ve kissed him on the cheek and he soon begins to blush.

El then fell to the ground from being drained, Ve runs over to her immediately.

"El!" Mike says.

As they try to wake her up Mike try's shaking her and she soon starts to open her eyes.

"El can you hear us?"  Soon El started to sob.

"Ve.... Mike... I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Mike asks.

"The gate.... I opened it...... I'm the monster...." El says while sobbing.

"No El your not the monster, you saved me. Do you understand ? You saved me."

Ve helps El up and she hugs her, soon the two boys join in as well as they were glad that they had found El once more.

•••••••••

The four of them had finally reached Mike's house and Ve was holding El's hand be entire way.

As they made their way inside the basement what they didn't know was the bad men were on their way to find Ve and El.