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‼️ TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF DEATH  ‼️

THE FOURTH OF JULY HAD ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF ISADORA'S FAVOURITE HOLIDAYS.

Growing up in California, the day had always meant fireworks over the beach, backyard barbecues, and laughter that lasted long into the night. The sky would light up with vibrant colours while the waves crashed softly in the background. She and her friends would run through the sand with sparklers in hand, the air thick with the scent of grilling food and the excitement of freedom, but this year, the Fourth of July was different—everything was different. Instead of celebration, there was fear, a tangible, oppressive fear that weighed heavily on her and her friends as they huddled in Hopper's remote cabin, far from the beach, far from any normal summer tradition.

This year, the threat of the Mind Flayer hung over them like a dark cloud, and the night that was usually filled with the explosion of fireworks and carefree joy was now filled with dread and preparation. Isadora sat silently in a corner, her heart heavy as she listened to Eleven recount what the creature had said to her.

"He said he was building something," Eleven muttered, her voice strained as if reliving the encounter made her physically sick. "That it was all for me."

The faint sound of fireworks bursting in the distance barely reached them in the thick woods surrounding the cabin, and though they reminded Isadora of better times, they felt eerily out of place now, their festive crackle a cruel reminder of how different this Fourth of July had become. The sharp contrast between the celebratory sounds outside and the suffocating anxiety inside the cabin was too much to bear.

"Building something?" Lucas asked, pacing back and forth, his nerves getting the best of him. "Does he mean the Flayed?"

"He must be," Max replied, arms crossed, her face tight with worry.

"So, he's building an army," Lucas muttered, "just like we thought." His steps quickened as he paced faster, the weight of the realisation settling heavily on everyone's shoulders.

Isadora sat up straighter, trying to grasp the full scope of what they were dealing with. "But... why?" she asked, confused. "Why is he building it for Eleven? What does that even mean?"

Mike, his face pale and tight with worry, looked at Isadora before explaining, "He's not building the army to spread."

"He's building it to stop Eleven," Max interjected, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Isadora's brow furrowed as she struggled to piece it together. "I don't get it."

"It's payback," Will chimed in softly from the corner. His face was pale, his eyes distant, as if he could already feel the darkness closing in around them. "Last year, Eleven closed the gate on him. It must have really pissed him off."

Lucas snorted, though there was no humour in his voice. "Like royally pissed him off."

The gravity of the situation began to settle over Isadora. This wasn't just about Hawkins or some evil force spreading unchecked. This was personal. The Mind Flayer wanted revenge, and it wanted Eleven gone. The realisation sent a shiver down her spine, her heart pounding in her chest.

"And now the Mind Flayer knows she's the only thing that can stop him," Mike continued, his voice tight with fear. "If she's out of the way—"

"It's game over," Hazel said grimly, finishing the thought.

Eleven's dark eyes darted to the floor. "He also said he was going to kill all of you," she added, her voice barely above a whisper, as if saying it aloud made it all the more real.

The cabin fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the distant crackle of fireworks outside. The words hung in the air like a death sentence. He was going to kill them all. Every single one of them.

Max broke the silence with a shaky laugh, though there was nothing funny about the situation. "Yeah, well, that's nice."

Isadora, however, wasn't laughing. She heard something—something just beneath the sound of fireworks, a faint screeching noise that sent a cold chill crawling up her spine. She turned towards the door, her eyes scanning the dark, shadowy trees that loomed ominously outside the cabin windows.

Nancy, ever the sharp one, stepped closer to the door as well. "Do you guys hear that?" she asked, her voice tight with tension.

"It's just the fireworks," Max said again, though this time, her voice wavered, her earlier confidence cracking.

Nancy wasn't convinced. She turned back to Eleven. "Billy... when he told you all of this, it was here, right? In this room?"

Eleven nodded, her gaze distant, the memory haunting her.

The group exchanged uneasy glances. Will was the first to voice what they were all thinking. "He knows we're here," he muttered.

Isadora's heart jumped into her throat. He knows we're here.

Before anyone could react, panic swept through the cabin like wildfire. The group jumped to their feet, grabbing what little they could as they scrambled for the door. Isadora hesitated, her body frozen in place as fear gripped her. She could hear the pounding of her own heart in her ears, the blood rushing through her veins as the sounds outside grew louder. Her friends were already running, rushing into the night. Isadora forced her legs to move, stumbling after them.

Outside, the sky was lit up with bursts of fireworks—red, white, and blue flashing in quick succession, but Isadora barely noticed. Her eyes were glued to the tree line ahead, where a creature—massive and grotesque—was slowly emerging, its twisted form cutting through the trees like a nightmare brought to life.

She froze in place, her breath caught in her throat. "Uh, should we maybe run?" she whispered, her voice trembling with terror.

"We need weapons," Hazel said with urgency, grabbing Isadora's arm and pulling her toward Hopper's shed.

"Weapons?" Isadora stammered, her mind racing. "W-We're going to fight this thing?"

"Yes, come on." Hazel didn't wait for an answer as she dragged Isadora to the shed, where the two of them rummaged through whatever tools and makeshift weapons they could find. Isadora's hands shook as she grabbed a crowbar, her mind barely able to process what was happening. This was insane.

The group hurried back into the cabin, their hearts pounding as they prepared for the inevitable. Nancy took charge, her voice sharp and authoritative as she directed them. "Stay away from the windows," she ordered, her eyes scanning the darkened woods outside.

Isadora gripped the crowbar tightly in her hands, her palms slick with sweat. Her heart raced in her chest, thudding so loudly she was sure everyone could hear it. She stood in the centre of the room, surrounded by her friends, waiting for the attack that was sure to come. The lights flickered ominously above them, and the tension in the air was so thick it was suffocating.

"It's close," Will whispered, his voice barely audible.

The cabin fell into a deathly silence, and Isadora could feel her pulse quicken. Outside, the sound of snapping branches echoed through the trees, growing closer with each passing second. Her muscles tensed as the creature drew nearer. A mug fell from the counter, shattering on the floor, and Isadora jumped, her nerves on edge.

Then, without warning, the creature slammed into the cabin, breaking through the walls with a deafening crash. It was massive, its claws tearing through the wood as it lunged toward them. The group screamed, scattering in all directions to avoid the lethal swipe of its claws.

Jonathan was the first to react, swinging his weapon at the creature's twisted form. Isadora followed suit, raising her crowbar with shaking hands and bringing it down with all her strength, but the creature was unfazed. It swung its massive arm, knocking both Jonathan and Isadora off their feet and sending them crashing into the wall. The impact knocked the breath out of her, and she lay on the floor for a moment, gasping for air as her vision blurred.

Through the haze, she saw the creature advancing on Eleven. Nancy opened fire, her rifle shots ringing out in the enclosed space. The creature let out an ear-splitting roar, and for a brief moment, it was thrown off balance. Isadora groaned, forcing herself to her feet, her head spinning from the impact.

The creature lashed out again, its claws dangerously close to Nancy's face. Just as it was about to strike, Eleven raised her hand, her powers flaring to life. The creature was yanked backward, pulled away from Nancy, and thrown out of the cabin, crashing into the trees outside.

"Holy shit," Max breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

But the respite was short-lived. The creature wasn't done. It came back, its massive form filling the doorway as it reached for Eleven once again. She fought back with everything she had, her hand outstretched as she tried to hold the creature at bay, but it was too strong. It grabbed her leg, its grip tightening as it dragged her toward the ceiling, its monstrous form looming over her.

Mike, Max, and Isadora rushed to her side, grabbing hold of her and pulling with all their strength. Hazel and Jonathan joined in, their faces pale with fear as they fought to keep Eleven from being pulled through the ceiling.

"Nancy, shoot it!" Jonathan yelled, his voice filled with desperation. Nancy fired again, and Lucas, wielding an axe, rushed forward to hack at the creature's arm. With a final blow, the creature released Eleven, and the group tumbled to the ground, breathless and shaking.

Mike wrapped his arms around Eleven, his face pale and stricken with fear. Isadora could see something still clinging to Eleven's leg—a piece of the creature, writhing and twitching. Mike pulled it off, and Eleven let out a scream, her body convulsing in pain. She staggered to her feet, her leg bleeding profusely, but she wasn't done yet.

With a final surge of power, she blasted the creature back outside. Then, her strength spent, she collapsed into Max's arms, her body trembling with exhaustion.

"Go! Now!" Jonathan yelled, his voice urgent.

The group bolted for the car, dragging Eleven with them. Isadora limped behind, her leg aching with every step, but there was no time to stop. The creature was still out there, and it wasn't going to give up.

Hazel rushed to her side, offering her arm. "Here, put your arm around me," she insisted.

"I'm fine," Isadora snapped, though the pain in her leg was nearly unbearable. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep moving, the adrenaline keeping her going.

They piled into the car, and Nancy floored the gas, speeding away from the cabin as fast as the car could go. Isadora glanced back, her heart pounding as she watched the Mind Flayer tear through the wreckage of Hopper's cabin. The sight sent a shiver down her spine.

"Are you okay, El?" Laura asked, her voice filled with concern as she looked at Eleven, who was slumped in the back seat, pale and weak.

Eleven nodded, though it was clear she was in a lot of pain.

Meanwhile, Nancy sped towards a general grocery store, pushing the car to its limits. As soon as they arrived, she brought the car to a stop, and the group quickly got out. Without hesitation, they hurled a rock through the door, shattering the glass and making their way inside. Isadora trailed behind, limping with every painful step but doing her best to mask her discomfort from the others.

"Okay, sit her down," Nancy instructed as they reached the aisle with the medical supplies. Mike and Max carefully helped Eleven to the ground while Nancy rolled up Eleven's pant leg. "Let me take a look."

"Oh, crap," Max muttered, while Isadora winced at the sight of the blood running from Eleven's leg. As Nancy pulled out a bandage, Max quickly grabbed her hand to stop her. "Wait — what are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning the wound."

"No, first we stop the bleeding, then clean, disinfect, and bandage," Max said firmly. The group stared at her in surprise, and she shrugged. "I skateboard, trust me. Mike, hold this. Keep firm pressure on it. We'll need water and soap."

"Got it."

Nancy and Jonathan nodded and hurried off to find the supplies Max requested, while Lucas rummaged through his backpack.

"Anything in here that helps?" he asked.

"No, I need a washcloth and a bowl," Max said.

"A bowl?"

"Lucas," Max warned, her tone sharp. Lucas and Will exchanged glances before heading off to find one, while Isadora, Laura, and Hazel went to gather supplies to help in the fight against the Mind Flayer. Isadora limped alongside them as they walked.

"Are you okay?" Hazel asked her quietly.

"It hurts a bit, but I'll be fine," Isadora said, shrugging it off and hobbling ahead of the others.

"We won't have to ... kill Billy, will we?" Laura asked hesitantly as they moved through the store. Isadora stopped and turned to face her.

"I don't know," she admitted softly. "I hope we won't have to, but we might not have a choice." Her eyes dropped to her hands. "I get how Mike feels, loving someone and not wanting to lose them."

"We're going to do everything we can to save Billy," Hazel said firmly. Isadora glanced at her but kept walking. Hazel groaned, frustrated. "Isadora, you can't keep ignoring me. I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but we were trying to protect you."

"I didn't ask for your protection, Hazel. You made that choice without even giving me a chance to understand," Isadora shot back, her voice sharp with pain. "Hazel, did you know?"

"Know what?"

"Did you know the truth about the lab accident that killed my mum?" Isadora asked, her voice cracking.

"Isa, we couldn't tell you. The lab made everyone believe it was an accident," Hazel admitted. Isadora froze, her eyes filling with tears as she stared at her friend.

"What do you mean 'made everyone believe'? You lied to me. All of you lied," Isadora choked out, her voice trembling.

"It wasn't an accident, Isadora. The lab covered it up. Your mum ... she was killed by a Demogorgon at the Byers' house. She was protecting Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan," Hazel revealed.

"W-What? I don't understand. Why was she at the Byers' house? Why was I told it was an accident at the lab?" Isadora's voice wavered with disbelief.

"Your mum knew about everything happening with Will's disappearance. I don't know why she was there, but she saved them. The government couldn't let people know she was killed by a Demogorgon, so they covered it up, making it seem like a lab accident. I'm so sorry we didn't tell you," Hazel said, her voice full of regret.

"No. Screw you! I deserved to know!" Isadora yelled, tears streaming down her face. She angrily wiped them away and limped off, her heart aching with betrayal.

Moments later, she heard Mike shouting and hurried over to where he was frantically speaking into his walkie-talkie. She joined him and the others, wiping the last of her tears away.

"What's going on?" Nancy asked, and Mike quickly relayed what he'd heard over the radio. Eleven agreed to try and locate their friends, settling down by the freezer. As she focused, Lucas popped open a soda can, and Isadora frowned, her thoughts still swirling with everything she had just learned.

"Quiet," Max hissed.

"Oh, sorry."

"How can you even drink that?" Mike asked, eyeing Lucas.

"Because it's delicious."

"What?"

"It's like Carpenter's The Thing. The original is a classic, no doubt, but the remake—" Lucas paused to take a loud sip, smacking his lips with satisfaction. "Sweeter, bolder, better."

"You're crazy."

"So, you prefer the original Thing?"

"What? No, I'm not talking about The Thing. I'm talking about New Coke."

"Same concept, dude."

"Uh, actually, no, it's not."

"It is the same concept."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"Hey!" Eleven snapped, yanking off her blindfold and glaring at the two bickering boys.

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

"Did you find him?" Mike asked. Eleven nodded, informing them that Dustin was at the movies in Starcourt Mall. The group exchanged glances before quickly gathering their supplies. As they moved through the store, Lucas couldn't help but rant.

"The movies? Dustin's so freaked out about the gate, and he decides to go watch a movie? Yeah, that makes total sense."

"Are you sure he said gate and not great?" Max questioned.

"Yeah, like 'This movie I'm watching is great,'" Will chimed in.

"It sounded like gate," Lucas insisted.

"Which would explain how the Mind Flayer's still alive," Mike said thoughtfully.

"Wait, if we close the gate, the Mind Flayer dies, right?" Isadora asked.

"Exactly," Mike confirmed.

"So, we just need to shut it again."

"And the monster's done for," Lucas said confidently.

"But if not, we've always got Lucas' fireworks," Max quipped.

"Keep mocking my plan, Max. Go ahead. Doubt me all you want," Lucas retorted. Isadora shook her head, following the pair as they continued to bicker their way out to the car. They loaded the fireworks, piled into the vehicle, and sped off towards the mall. As they sped through the empty streets, Isadora sat in silence, her mind reeling from everything that had happened. The fireworks in the distance seemed meaningless now, a cruel reminder of how drastically her world had changed.

When they arrived at the mall, they quickly spotted Steve, Dustin, and the others. The group hurried down to meet them, exchanging frantic explanations. Isadora barely listened, her mind still spinning from the betrayal she felt.

Steve noticed her distance. "Is, are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Isadora snapped, hobbling past him to sit down.

"What's wrong?" Kendra asked.

"You both knew... you knew everything that's been going on, and none of you ever told me. Not even the truth about how my mum died," Isadora seethed.

"Is... we couldn't tell you," Steve tried.

"You know what? Screw you. I'm so sick of hearing that excuse. I'm your best friend—you could've told me, but you chose not to. I had every right to know the truth." Isadora stood up abruptly and stormed away from her friends. Steve and Kendra exchanged uneasy glances, neither knowing what to say.

"Lucas?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Ask them. It's their fault," Erica said.

"True. Yeah, totally true. It's absolutely our fault," Steve admitted.

"I still don't get what happened to that car," Robin chimed in.

"El has superpowers," Ellie said bluntly. Isadora's gaze snapped to Ellie, then back to her friends, betrayal written across her face—Ellie knew everything, and she didn't.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Superpowers. She threw it with her mind. Catch up."

"That's El?"

"Who's El?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Robin, I work with Steve," Robin introduced herself.

"She cracked the top-secret code," Steve added.

"Yeah, that's how we found out about the Russians," Robin explained.

"Russians? Wait, what Russians?" Max cut in.

"The Russians!" Steve repeated.

"Those were Russians?" Max asked.

"Some of them," Steve replied.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked.

"Didn't you hear our Code Red?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah, but we couldn't understand half of what you were saying," Max responded.

"Goddamn low battery," Dustin muttered.

"How many times do I have to tell you about the low battery?" Steve scolded.

"Well, it worked out, didn't it?" Dustin countered.

"Worked out? We almost died."

"Yeah, but we didn't, did we?" Dustin shot back.

"It was close," Steve grumbled.

"Okay, Russians?" Lucas asked again, trying to make sense of it all. Isadora, however, wasn't listening anymore. Her attention shifted as she saw Eleven suddenly collapse nearby. Without thinking, she rushed to her side and knelt beside her.

"Eleven? El?" Isadora called, her voice edged with panic.

"El?" Ellie echoed, joining her. Both girls hovered anxiously over Eleven.

"El! El!" Mike shouted, running over as Eleven whimpered in pain.

"My leg... my leg," Eleven moaned.

"Her leg. Okay," Jonathan said, gently rolling up Eleven's pant leg. When he removed the bandage, something underneath her skin moved, making Isadora recoil in horror.

"What the hell is that?" Isadora asked.

"Something's in there," Mike murmured, fear creeping into his voice as Eleven wailed, her screams echoing through the mall. Isadora held her tightly, trying to comfort her.

"We have to do something," Isadora urged.

"Keep her talking, keep her awake," Jonathan instructed, hurrying off.

"You're okay, El. We're going to help you, I promise," Isadora whispered, her voice firm but filled with concern.

"We're all here for you, El," Ellie added, while Mike helped roll her onto her side.

"You know, this isn't that bad," Robin rambled nervously. "Once, a goalie on my soccer team, Beth Wildfire, had her leg break—bone sticking out like six inches, it was insane."

"Robin," Steve interrupted, exasperated.

"Yeah?"

"You're not helping."

"Sorry," Robin mumbled as Jonathan returned with a knife.

"Alright, El. This is gonna hurt like hell, okay?" Jonathan warned, handing her a wooden spoon to bite down on.

"Jesus Christ," Dustin muttered as Jonathan began cutting into her leg. Isadora turned away, unable to watch as Eleven screamed in agony, her body writhing in pain. Ellie tightened her grip on Eleven's hand, her face pale.

"I can do it," Eleven sobbed through gritted teeth. Shaking, she sat up, and to everyone's shock, she used her powers to force the creature out of her leg, blasting it across the room. The glass behind them shattered as the creature landed, lifeless.

Isadora looked up just in time to see Hopper, Joyce, and Murray entering the mall. For the first time since this nightmare began, a small flicker of hope sparked within her. Maybe, just maybe, they had a chance of defeating the Mind Flayer after all.

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Isadora learning that Steve, who is one of her best friends, witnessed her mum's death and lied to her about what happened felt like one of the biggest betrayals to her. 

Enjoy! Xo

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