Back in the Wheeler's basement, after the funeral was said and done, Mike stabbed a pencil through a paper, making Eleven jump. Wyatt in response, patted her on the back to keep her calm, as Mike explained,

"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?"

"Right," Eleven said, even though she didn't sound so sure. Not really sure if the girl can process on what they are saying, at least in Wyatt's eyes.

"What we want to know is, do you know where the gate is?" Lucas asked, getting straight to the point.

Wyatt at this point was silent, watching Dustin hold a compass and Eleven shake her head.

"Then how'd you know about the upside down?" Lucas asked with frustration. Eleven looked away from him, towards Dustin.

"Dustin, what are you doing?" Mike asked. "Dustin?"

The kid continued to spin.

"Dustin!" Mike and Lucas exclaimed at the same time.

Finally, he stopped spinning. But instead of answering Mike's question, he asked for their compasses and a split second later, the boys dropped their compasses onto the table.

"What do we need with these compasses?" Wyatt asked.

"Well, they're all facing north, right?" Dustin said.

"Isn't that what they're supposed to do?" Wyatt asked.

"The point is," Dustin told them, "that's not true north."

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"I mean exactly what I just said," Dustin explained. "That's not true north."

"The magnetic field," he said, looking up at Dustin, and giving him a small smile. "Turns out Mr. Clarke's theory did have more than one truth."

Apparently, he was surprised, too. "Are you both seriously this dense?" he asked.

"Probably," Wyatt sighed, before guttering his friend to continue.

"The sun rises in the east and sets in the rest, right?" Dustin asked them slowly, pointing in each direction as he did. "Which means that's true north."

"So what you're saying is the compasses are broken," Mike concluded.

"You really think that all of your compasses managed to be broken?" Wyatt asked him. Dustin sighed in irritation before Wyatt looked at Mike,

"Also do you even understand how a compass works?" he asked Mike. "Do you see a battery pack on this?"

"No."

"No, you don't," Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Because it doesn't need one. The needle's naturally drawn to the Earth's magnetic North pole."

"So what's wrong with them?" Lucas asked.

"Remember what Mr. Clarke said?" Wyatt asked him in turn. "He said the gate would potentially mess with gravity and the magnetic pole. And if it's fucking with the magnetic field-"

"It could throw off the compasses," Dustin said. "You can change the direction of the compass with a magnet. If there's the presence of a more powerful magnetic field, the needle deflects to that power."

"Meaning, if we follow the compasses north..." Lucas started.

"They should lead us to the gate," Dustin finished.

.

They finally had a plan. An step to hell, straight-laced plan. Well...for the most part.

This plan actually had steps. Instead of their previous, half-baked ideas, this one required them to follow some instructions.

But still not much.

Now, their grand idea was to follow the compasses to the gate. If the gate wasn't open, have Eleven open it...somehow. And after that or if the gate was already open, go into the Upside Down and then wander around in the woods until we maybe-hopefully find Will.

It was a winner.

So they all changed out of their fancy clothes and into something more suited for adventuring, packed their bookbags full of supplies, and then set off from Mike's house due North. Or...the fake north.

"How much further?" Lucas asked, glancing from his compass to Dustin.

Dustin gave a careful sigh and shook his head. "I don't know. These only tell direction, not distance."

Wyatt sighed, looking over his shoulder at the area they were in. Every time he heard North come out of the gang's mouths, he couldn't help but find himself being reminded that they were going to the North Pole.

Dustin was in the lead, walking on a train rail with Lucas and Wyatt behind him, Wyatt's arms stretched out to maintain balance while the lovebirds were a few yards behind.

"You really need to learn more about compasses," Dustin agreed.

"I'm just saying," Lucas said. "How do we know when we get to the gate?"

"Uh, I think a portal to another dimension is gonna be pretty obvious," Dustin retorted. Lucas gave a heavy sigh while Wyatt snickered, and then turned around to look back at Mike and Eleven.

He leaned forward a bit, gesturing for Dustin and Wyatt to do the same. "Do you think she's acting weird?" he whispered, nodding his head back behind him.

"You're asking if the weirdo is acting weird?" Dustin scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"I mean, weirder than normal," Lucas corrected himself. Wyatt took a glance back.

Mike and Eleven were walking side by side, shoulders brushing even though there was enough space for them to walk at least a foot apart. Wyatt couldn't understand what Lucas was saying, all he really saw was his friend having an oddly crush...

At least he supposes that's the case.

"I don't know," Dustin said, shaking his head. "Who cares?"

"She does seem a bit jumpy?" Wyatt said, shrugging a bit. "But I think that's because she likes him but is acting weird about it I guess?"

The moment they stepped foot out of the house, Eleven seemed paranoid and Wyatt knew it. Hell, he 'felt' it. She was always looking over her shoulder and she never left Mike's side.

"You okay El?" Wyatt muttered for her to hear, the girl quickly nodding at the boy. Wyatt frowned but gave a slow nod before heading forward.

It's gonna be the hormones....right?

Eventually, they strayed from the train tracks and found their way out of the forest. They followed their compass all the way to some junkyard before Dustin stopped them.

"Oh, no."

Wyatt raised his eyebrow.

"Oh, no?" Lucas repeated. "What's 'oh, no'?"

Dustin turned around to look at them, holding his compass up. "We're headed back home."

"What?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Dustin said. He pointed behind them. "Setting sun, right there. We looped right back around."

"And you're just realizing this now?" Wyatt asked

Dustin stared at Wyatt and Lucas for a moment, looking offended and confused before gesturing to Mike. "Why is this all on me?"

"Because you're the compass genius!" Lucas said, irritated.

"What does your say?" Dustin asked.

"North," they all said, glancing down at their compasses. Simultaneously, Lucas Mike sighed and looked around, shaking their heads.

"Makes no damn sense," Dustin muttered.

"None of this makes sense!" Wyatt snapped. "And if this was the gate moving or something, we would've noticed right away!"

"Maybe it's something here," Mike suggested, looking around.

"Nah, it has to be like a super magnet," Dustin dismisses the idea.

"It's not a magnet," Lucas said. He was pointing towards Eleven, "She's been acting weirder than normal."

Wyatt just noticed that while the four of them had been huddled together, Eleven was standing several feet away. She looked a lot more nervous than she had before, and was watching Lucas specifically.

"If she can slam doors with her mind," Lucas started, "she can definitely screw up a compass."

"Why would she do that?" Mike asked, hopping to Eleven's defense.

"Because she's trying to sabotage our mission. Because she's a traitor!" he exclaimed immediately.

Judging by the look El was making, she was seemingly about to cry. Wyatt could only guess it was either because Lucas making her more anxious than she already was or because he was right. Either way, something was up.

Lucas took large strides up to her, and Mike followed up, worried for both him and El.

"You did it, didn't you?" Lucas asked Eleven, getting up in her face. "You don't want us to reach the gate. You don't want us to find Will!"

"Lucas, come on, seriously," Mike protested. "Just leave her alone!"

"Admit it," Lucas pressed.

"No," Eleven murmured.

"Admit it!" Lucas shouted. In a sudden move, Lucas grabbed Eleven's arm, making her jump

From his position, Wyatt, along with Dustin, couldn't see what was on the sleeve, but they both deflated when finding out that it was fresh blood as Lucas announced,

"I knew it."

"Lucas, come on!"

"I saw her wiping her nose on the tracks!" Lucas said to Mike, turning to face him. "She was using her powers!"

"I saw her, too," Wyatt spoke up, frowning. "Mike...I don't know-"

"Bull!" Mike called. "That's old blood. Right, El?"

Eleven didn't say anything.

"Right, El?" Mike repeated.

For a second, Eleven didn't do anything, but then she shook her head. "It's not..." she trailed off for a moment, this time really looking like she was about to cry,

"It's not safe."

Wyatt felt his heart drop as he turned to quickly kick the metal barrel that was near them, "Are you kidding me!"

Wyatt rubbed his face to stop the tears from falling through this breakout as Dustin started taking steps toward him but he was cut off-

"No. No! I can't believe it!" He exclaimed, gesturing towards Eleven. "I really can't believe this! I trusted you! Why would you do this!"

If to be honest, Wyatt had no thought of all of this, this feeling of pure pressure, and now finding that all of this walk has been for nothing yet again, couldn't help but just boil his insides as he stepped into El's face

Mike grabbed his bookbag and hauled him back, "Wyatt, you're gonna sca-"

"NO!" Wyatt exclaimed, pulling his arm off of Mike. "At this point, you're insane if you're defending her at this point!"

"Exactly!" Lucas examined, standing by him, "What did I tell you? She's been playing us from the beginning!"

"That's not true!" he insisted, stepping toe to toe with Lucas. "She helped us find Will!"

"Find Will?" Lucas asked incredulously. "Find Will? Where is he, then? Huh?" He gestured wildly and sarcastically, spinning in a circle. "I don't see him!"

"Yeah, you know what I mean," Mike said flatly.

"No, actually, I don't," Lucas sneered back, "Just think about it, Mike. She could've just told us where the Upside Down was right away!"

"But she didn't," Wyatt spat "She just made us run around like headless chickens!"

"All right," Dustin said loudly, moving to shove Wyatt, Lucas, and Mike apart. "Calm down!"

"No, Dustin!" Lucas said, smacking his arms away. "She used us, all of us! She helped just enough so she could get what she wanted. Food and a bed. She's like a stray dog!"

"Screw you, Lucas!" Mike shouted.

"No, screw you, Mike!" Lucas yelled back. "You're blind! Blind because you like that a girl's not grossed out by you. But wake up, man! Wake the hell up!"

"At this point, this is just either getting us caught or killed!"

"Guys.." Dustin frowned.

"She knows where Will is," Lucas said. "And now she's letting him die in the Upside Down."

"Shut up!"

"For all we know, it's her fault."

"Shut up."

"We're looking for some stupid monster," Lucas said, leaning forward and pushing him with one hand. "But did you ever stop to think that maybe she's the monster?"

"I said shut up!"

Mike threw arms at Lucas, tackling him down the ground as they both started fighting.

"Stop!" Eleven cried out.

Wyatt attempted to lunge towards the both of them to stop the fight, though, at the sound of an ear-splitting scream.

The momentum sent Wyatt sprawling across Mike while Lucas was launched across the yard and was slammed into the side of an old car.

"Lucas!" Wyatt yelled, getting up and rushing toward Lucas, with Mike and Dustin behind him

"Lucas! Lucas, are you alright?" Mike asked, all three of the boys dropping to their knees next to him.

"Lucas, come on!" Dustin exclaimed. "Come on, Lucas."

"Why isn't he waking up?"

Wyatt felt a teardrop to see his friend out cold, his heart kept pounding as he felt like something bad was going to happen but he hid this with rage as he turned to face El.

El was crossing halfway towards them, looking scared and nervous. But Wyatt was too frustrated and had a lot of scenarios crumbling in his mind to care.

"Why did you do that?" He screamed at her, "You hurt him! You hurt Lucas!"

"I-I didn't-" Eleven stuttered, her face seeing the angry look on Wyatt's face began to stream tears down her face.

"Didn't what?" Wyatt asked lividly, getting up and walking towards her, "DIDN'T WHAT?! Say it? SAY IT!"

Eleven turned her gaze towards the grass, as Wyatt's expression worsened, "You hurt him, Eleven! What's wrong with you?"

"He's awake!"

Wyatt turned away from Eleven and ran back to Dustin and Mike's side. Lucas was sitting up now, looking around and dazed.

Dustin held up three fingers in front of his face and asked how many he was holding up as Mike reached for his head,

"Let me see your head."

"Get off me!" Lucas slapped their hands away and got to his feet.

"Just...Lucas," Mike said, reaching towards him again. "Let me see."

He hit his arm away again and marched off, rigid and angry

Mike wanted to go after him but Dustin grabbed him, telling him to let him go for now. Mike sighed and looked to his left, and then straightened up. "Where's El?"

Wyatt snapped his head over, eyebrows furrowed. "She-she was right there."

He took a few steps to where El had been moments before.

"El!" Mike shouted, turning in a circle.

"Eleven!" Dustin called out.

"El.....oh god." Wyatt felt the need to hurt his wrist after what he said. A heavy strand of guilt washed over him. Lucas is gone and now Eleven had run away, most likely him scaring her off.

Wyatt wanted just to hit himself later but decided to follow Mike and Dustin's lead for now. As upset as he was at El, he knew it was too dangerous for her to be on her own. But then he turned to Lucas's direction. 

"Wyatt?" Dustin called out, watching him about to leave.

"What are you doing? We need to find El."

Wyatt lowered his head, muttering something under his breath that neither could hear until they asked him to repeat it.

"I said I can't," he stated.

"What? What do you mean? She left and we have to go to her before she gets lost!"

"I'm not going after her. I'm going after Lucas." He felt wrong saying that, even surprised it came out of his mouth but he couldn't.

"Wyatt, he said he wants to be left alone." Dustin tried to reason with him but he cut him off.

"I don't care!" Wyatt shouted at his friends, biting his lip as he sighed hesitantly, 

"......I shouldn't have said that to El but Lucas is my best friend. OUR best friend and he's hurt......and you're not even caring that he could even be hurt in the slightest. Only just El! El, El, El! What if he gets some concussion or brain bleed from that little strike Mike's girlfriend did to him!"

"She's not my-"

"Who the hell cares, Micheal!" Wyatt shouted, breathing heavily as both stammered back. It was always something bad if Wyatt resulted in saying the full names. "She hurt our friend! One of us! But we have to chase after some random girl you've known for hardly a week over someone we've all known for almost six years! If you're not going after him, I will."

Dustin showed some level of guilt yet a sense of worry was on his face while Mike was still in front of him blocking his way.

"Get out of my way." He spoke, giving him the meanest glare he could muster which seemed to be enough to get them to move.

Wyatt turned to Dustin, "Come with us."

Dustin wiped something from his face, personally not wanting to choose but ultimately shook his head, "You go. I'll stay with Mike. Even sides right?"

Wyatt rolled his eyes yet understood what Dustin meant and nodded before making a jog towards his bag and running off to find Lucas.

He ran for what felt like forever along the train track before he saw a figure up ahead who he assumed was Lucas.

"Lucas!" he called out to him, the latter not seeming to turn around until he caught up to him, slowing down his running into a walking paste. Lucas noticed Wyatt breathing heavily so he stopped while his friend could catch his breath.

"Hey," Wyatt gave him a smile.

"I thought you were with them?" Lucas said, sounding upset after the incident.

"I wanted to see if you were okay. I mean, you did get thrown pretty far," He replied but seeing the look on his face made him think he didn't want him to come at all. "I can leave if you want."

"No," Lucas shook his head, "Come on."

Wyatt nods, "So uh, h-how's your head, any blood, nausea, dizziness?" Wyatt questioned him, taking his free hand to look through the little bit of hair he did have.

"Just a little dizzy. that's all." Lucas dismissed moving Wyatt's hand out of his hair.

"Well if you fall, it's a thank god I'd be here to catch you."

Lucas let out a chuckle as Wyatt joined in.

"You're my best friend Lucas," Wyatt assured him. "Wheeler might choose some random girl over his friends but I won't."

Lucas gave him a soft smile, "Thanks Wy."

"Of course, Luke, I'll always be there for you," Wyatt said, giving him a bright smile. "It's what friends are for right?"