✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"STEVE!"

the brunette shot up as he looked for who was calling his name. Asling followed, sitting up and looking around.

"Steve!"

the shout came again.

"Dustin?"

Steve said, his eyes squinted with confusion as he looked to the direction the familiar voice was coming from. A well bundled up Dustin was marching over the snow.

"Steve your date is going to have to wait."

Dustin told him.

"What? No- no this isn't a date."

Steve said quickly as he stood to his feet.

"What's a date?"

Asling asked as she stood with him.

"Nothing."

Steve said quickly before he looked to Dustin again.

"What are you doing here?"

He asked.

"Jesus I wish you would just cave and get a walkie talkie already so I can keep in touch with you."

Dustin mumbled, he was obviously tense but as to why Steve wasn't sure yet.

"It's Eleven."

he told them.

"She was trying to help- see what she could find out about your master."

He said as he looked to Asling.

"But she saw some things she wasn't supposed to see."

"Like what?"

Steve asked quickly, there was a notable concern in his voice. He was worried for his small curly haired friend and his other child friends.

"Why don't you ask her yourself."

Dustin said as he turned to look behind himself and Steve could see the rest of the kids coming to join them now.

"Is she even allowed to be here?"

Steve asked.

"We have hopper's permission."

Mike said.

"Hello again."

Asling said to the small girl with curly brown hair.

"Danger."

Was all El said as she stared up at Asling.

"What?"

"danger."

Eleven said.

"You are in danger."

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"I don't understand."

Asling said as she sat on the carpet of Steve's living room. Her winter cap was still on her head but she had taken her jacket off and a Coke can with a green bendy straw was in her hands.

"You saw something?"

Asling added.

"Where?"

She added.

"Upside down."

Eleven replied but Asling still looked confused.

"That's part of Eleven's powers."

Mike explained.

"She can see into the upside down and see people."

He added and Asling nodded after she took a sip of her Coke.

"So El, she saw Asling's evil master guy?"

Steve asked and Eleven nodded.

"Kierran."

She said, looking to Asling.

"He was talking with a big monster."

She told him.

"The mindflayer."

Will spoke up.

"Mind-what?"

Asling asked.

"The mindflayer."

Will repeated himself.

"He's this big shadow monster in the upside down. He "Flays" people to do his bidding. It's like mind control."

Will said.

"Maybe Kierran was Flayed?"

Lucas suggested.

"When people are flayed, what do they act like?"

Asling asked.

"Different."

Will explained.

"They're more reserved and skittish.They don't like being around a lot of people or in places with a lot of heat."

He said, there was a note of biter familiarity in his voice. As if he himself had experienced this before.

"He likes it cold."

Mike added.

"They're just not like themselves."

Will said.

"I don't think Kierran was flayed..."

Eleven spoke up.

"He was speaking to the mindflayer willingly."

She said before looking back to Asling.

"He told it that he had found Asling."

She added.

"And that he would be coming for you to end everything."

"When?"

Asling asked, setting her Coke can down.

"When did he say he would be coming for me?"

"Soon."

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"Asling,"

Steve said, the kids had all left by now leaving Steve and Asling to think about what Eleven had seen. Asling had been nervously pacing back and forth nervously, muttering to herself, and her small fingers worriedly gripped at her scalp as she walked.

"Are you alright?"

He asked and Asling stopped her pacing to look at him.

"Alright?"

She scoffed.

"If by 'alright' you mean I'm starting to loose my mind, then yes I'm just great."

She replied.

"Allie,"

Steve said, his voice much softer this time around.

"Don't worry yourself too much. You're going to be fine."

"No, Steve, no I'm not."

She cut him off. Her green eyes were wide with panic.

"I don't think you understand what I'm going through right now."

She added and Steve stayed silent.

"Everything is at risk and it's all my fault."

The words seemed to carry so much weight for her. Steve heard her voice break on the last word.

"It's my fault."

She fell to her knees, her head in her hands.

"Asling what?"

"It's my fault."

She said, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I opened the gate in Scanthia, I was sent here after my world was destroyed by my actions and I brought destruction with me. Kierran is going to destroy this world because of me."

Guilt overwhelmed her.

"All this time I thought Kierran was the villain but he's never had to do anything but watch me make mistakes my whole life, mistakes that give him nothing but success. I can't do anything except make mistakes."

She said.

"I just wanted to help, all my life, but I have done nothing but disappoint and let people down."

She was crying by now. Steve stood and walked over to her, kneeling beside her.

"Allie stop."

"You need a hero to save your world, I'm sorry but it's not me. I am not a hero and I'm certainly not the one your world needs. I make nothing but mistakes."

Steve brushed away a strand of hair out of her face.

"I am not enough to save your world. I wasn't enough to save my own."

"Allie..."

"Do you understand what's at stake here?"

She hissed.

"It's not my pride, it's your home. If I can't stop Kierran he will destroy everything. He will win this war, destroy everything I love, and make me watch all of it before he finishes me off himself and it will finally be over."

She sniffled. She was sobbing and it was certainly not pretty.

"Asling stop this."

Steve said.

"You are enough."

She practically fell into his arms as he wrapped them around her in an embrace.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you, you know this."

She sobbed quietly into his chest as he just held her for a few moments.

"We're going to get through this."

He promised her.

"Together."