chapter seventeen – the ember of hope

El's pained screams echoed between the group; all of them watched in fear and horror as whatever was inside her leg continued to torture her. Johnathan was the first to leap into action, reassuring the frantic teens that he had an idea. All they could do was try to make El as comfortable as possible, which was hard considering there was a searing sensation that gnawed at her leg and a gigantic monster was slowly making its journey toward them. Irene instructed Mike to hoist her up against him to keep her awake as she dug inside her backpack for her hand wipes and then was also up to her feet, rushing to Scoops Ahoy to fish out the emergency aid kit from the break room.

She heard El scream for Johnathan to stop the moment she had the kit in her grasp. She ran back to the group and the girl was sitting up, her hand reaching down toward her leg as she groaned in pain. The creature squirmed underneath her skin and she continued to reach; both hers and Robin's mouth hung open as they watched. Finally, with a strangled bellow of pain the thing slowly came out from her skin, causing a pool of blood to gush from her wound. 

The glass display case behind them shattered, making some of them cower away or shield their heads with their arms; the atmosphere shifted with a surge of power. El continued to yell – a mixture of pain and anger evident as she flung the creature away from her. It crawled away before a gigantic boot plunged on top of it. The group looked up at the trio that now stood in front of them with awestruck and tired eyes. Irene was the first to rip her gaze away seconds later toward El's bleeding leg.

She dropped to her knees and threw open the emergency kit, shuffling through it before tearing open the package of vinyl gloves and then grabbing everything else she would need. Thankfully there wasn't too much blood leaking from the wound, so it could be cleaned properly. Her hands trembled as she fumbled with the packet of sterile water. The man who stepped on the creature joined her side, opening it for her, and watched skeptically.

"You sure you know what you're doing?" He questioned and she would have laughed had she not been so focused. The rest of the group looked on silently, holding their breath as Irene moved as swiftly as her growing anxiety would let her. 

"Took a few classes at the El Paso precinct on first aid and CPR so I'm pretty well versed in what I'm doing sir." She huffed, causing a stray hair hanging in front of her face to move. Her mom signed both her and her brother up, despite the both of them not speaking to each other at the time. She was fifteen and Mateo had just turned seventeen, and even though they were quietly bickering the entire time, they remembered everything and both became certified. Not even a month later did her brother have to put his skills to the test when a friend of his began choking in the cafeteria. 

She glanced up at El, "You're doing great." Her tone shifted as she talked to the teen. She wanted to tackle the situation with as much gentleness as it allowed. El had been through enough and she didn't need anyone grumbling at her for no reason; the encouragement toward her was dire, Irene knew that much. She wrapped the wound and helped El to her feet, the man beside her offered his arm as well before he, and the two other adults that accompanied him, looked at all of them with a questionable gaze. Irene heaved a huge breath and wiped her sweaty forehead with her forearm; it was going to be a long night.

What a way to spend your Fourth of July, right?

"The Mind Flayer, it built this monster in Hawkins, to stop El, to kill her, and paved a way into our world." Mike explained to the two adults whom Irene was soon informed were Jim Hopper – her mothers colleague – and Joyce Byers; the woman who saved her brother when they first moved to Hawkins. They introduced themselves as well and it didn't surprise Hopper that Sofia Vasquez's kids had turned out to be just like her; always showing up to face the adversity that troubled them. A part of him would be lying if he didn't say he was relieved El had them in her corner too – especially since the girl had special abilities like El.

Irene listened intently to Mike's re-telling of their encounter with the Mind Flayer as she sat beside her brother, thinking of the unimaginable perils he had just faced alongside the group of teens. She always had a deep admiration for him growing up, considering he was her only best friend, but overtime the colors of her esteem faded. However, sitting beside him now and seeing how he glowed with the aura of a true selfless hero, she couldn't help but get emotional watching the rusted hues brighten again.

She thought of all the pain they'd endured and how rewarding it was going to be to finally hang out again and just be siblings; to watch scary movies together when their mother wasn't home, to take long bike rides that led to nowhere, to dance around and sing as loud as they wanted. It was one of the things that kept her motor running–it gave her hope. 

A gentle nudge to her side snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked up. All eyes were on her. She felt her face heat up and her palms went clammy. A soft hum vibrated against her throat as she stared back hesitantly, the silence that loomed over them was resounding.

"Ms. Byers asked if you remembered anything else from your vision." Mike spoke up beside her and it caused her face to flash with realization before it slowly fell. She shut her eyes and when she did chaos ensued in the abyss of her mind in colorful strobes; her memories were scattered like puzzle pieces and she was desperately trying to grasp at them all too quickly – trying to put her picture back together. What troubled her as she sat there was that everything felt so unsure, like fate was toying with her as the future hung in the balance. She didn't remember feeling this unusual when it hit her, what seemed like ages ago, in the elevator. 

"So?" Jim's voice brought her back and he was the first person she locked eyes with; he noticed the terror that swimmed in her heavy gaze.

She scanned the rest of the group, "What I know for sure is, that thing dies tonight." It was almost as if you could see the weight lift from all of their shoulders, but it was quickly put back once she spoke up again, "But it won't be easy."

"It never is." Lucas said, almost as a way to brighten their spirits again.

"It's different this time, I don't know how but I just...feel it."

"Me too." El mumbled, looking up at her. Hopper caught a glimpse of the exchange and wondered just how deep the older teen had been in everything. From what he knew, and could tell, her and her brother had barely been introduced to the horrific shadows that lurked in Hawkins depths. But the knowing look that she and El shared seemed significant. All the new information and additions of people were making his head spin. 

And his wasn't the only one that felt like it hadn't been screwed on tight enough. "Jesus, well this is just great." Steve sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose which only caused him to grimace in pain.

Irene scoffed lightly, crossing her arms as she stood up from her spot, "Hey, don't shoot the messenger. At least I started off with the good news."

He let out a hoarse chuckle, "You called that good news?!"

"What did you want me to say, "Shit's gonna hit the fan but, hey, it'll be a-okay cause we're gonna defeat this thirty foot spider monster together with the power of love and hope!" Would that have been better, Steven?!" She threw her hands up as she stood; both of their worries were getting the better of them. 

"Yes, actually that would have been better, Irene." He quipped and before she could fire a comeback the other adult, Murray, signaled for all of their attention as he waved his paper-filled hands and hollered a deep, "Yoo-hoo!"

The group followed the man toward the food court tables and Mateo grabbed his sister's arm gently. She looked at him and drew her eyebrows together as he reached inside the backpack slung over his shoulder. He handed her a packaged cinnamon roll and Coca Cola can with a soft smile, "I brought these for you cause I figured you'd be hungry." He shrugged and she grabbed the treats, bringing her brother into an embrace. 

"Teo you're a saint." She whispered in relief before, ripping open the pastry and sinking her teeth in. The delicacy melted on her tongue and she was overjoyed with the food now in her stomach. The sensation of the warm Cola stinging her throat made her close her eyes, feeling tranquil for that flickering moment. When she opened them again her brother laughed and they jogged to meet up with the others, the soda in her hand sloshing from side to side. 

She sat beside Robin and nudged her, handing her the other half of the cinnamon roll as Steve scowled. She took another sip of the Coke before handing him the can with raised brows, urging him to grab it from her. He mouthed a sorry as his fingers gripped the can to which she replied with an eyeroll. She understood his frustrations – all of their frustrations – they were walking into battle with nothing more than a switchblade and bb-gun. 

However, Irene thought to herself, you could do at least something with the former weapon, but what would you do with the second? Pelt someone annoyingly? Those tiny things hurt like hell, but they hardly caused damage. They needed something that was going to stop the creature in its tracks – steer it off course. Or perhaps...they were going to need someone. 

Ahead of her, Murray was explaining to Jim and Joyce his estimate for how long it would take them to get to the key a.k.a the device that would stop the Mind Flayer. Erica interjected using her fairly wide knowledge on the bases structure to give the adults an idea of what they'd be walking into, while also throwing in a smart remark but trying to keep her composure – even though she did insult Mr. Bauman by calling him a "bald bastard" which caused Steve to choke on the soda he was drinking. Dustin echoed her concerns while trying to ease the adults' nerves by informing them that he and Erica could help lead the way. The idea was quickly shot down by Jim and it was settled then that the "adults" would go down into the base and turn the key off, while all the kids fled to Murray's bunker-like house in the middle of nowhere. 

As the group dispersed Mateo waited for it to just be him and his sister. She was using her hand to prop her head up – her eyes fluttered shut every few seconds before she jerked herself awake. He cleared his throat and she looked at him in surprise, knuckling her eyes to try and wake herself. His chair screeched against the tile as he turned it to fully face her.

"I–uh–I'm not really good at explaining my feelings but considering everything that's happened, and could happen, I think I should at least try." He began and his sister opened her mouth to interject but he continued, "When we were kids it was easy, you know, we had each other and even though mom and dad would fight it didn't matter because we had our bike rides and cartoon marathons and life didn't feel ugly. Then things went to shit and dad would get mad at me because of what was going on with you and your visions and because everywhere we went it felt like we were a goddamn freakshow. A-And I saw how they treated you for being different and I got scared because I didn't want people to look at me like that, but I didn't know how to tell mom and I couldn't tell dad. So I kept it in – I tried to act like someone I wasn't – and I just let that anger grow and grow and I used to hate you." He exhaled as his eyes welled with tears. 

"I hated you because despite it all you were yourself, unwaveringly, and I wanted to be like that but I didn't know how and so I pushed and pushed you away and treated you like shit because I felt like shit and I wanted you to feel how I felt. You–my sister–the one person who loved me with every breath, the one person who would have accepted me. I stopped being there for you because I hated myself. I stopped showing up, I stopped being there when you fell – I made you a promise and I broke it," His shoulders caved inward as he looked down at his hands, allowing his tears to freely slip down his cheeks. 

"But I just wanted it to stop." He whimpered, shaking his head, "I just wanted life to stop feeling like hell. I just wanted to stop feeling like I didn't belong in my own body, my own family, my own house. Why couldn't I just be normal? Why couldn't we just be normal? Why weren't we ever good enough? It wasn't fair, none of this is fair." He whispered brokenly and Irene scooped him in her arms while he whispered faint apologies to her over and over. 

Her brother harbored the weight of an unrequited love that scarred him deeply and for years he blamed everyone but the person responsible. Her brother had been wrung dry and wanted nothing more than to soak up life – to live loudly and brightly – but he was dealt a terrible hand and didn't know how to make due with his cards. He didn't know how to ask for help, but finally he was opening up. He was at the end of his perilous journey through chaos when finally this revelation had come to him; he wished it did sooner, but the damage was done and all he could do now was try and patch up the holes the best he could. Even though the circumstances were anything but favorable he was glad it was now.

It was a secret kept tucked so deeply inside of himself and it weighed on his heart. Sitting there, hugging his sister – the one person who always had seen him for him – made him feel like a foot had been lifted from his wings and he was free to fly. He felt light.

Irene grabbed her brother's shoulders and looked at him with eyes full of admiration and tears, "You have always been more than enough, Teo. You're the best goddamn brother I could've asked for and I will always love you. Yeah you were an asshole, but now what you do is you try and make it right. Now you claim back your strength, you fight like hell, and you do it with pride because you should be proud of who you are." She whispered, her words full of conviction making him feel like he was on the precipice of hope and even though so much lurked in the shadows, he believed things would be okay. And their admiration and love glowed so beautifully, so fervently, outside of them. 

Steve watched from afar, smiling to himself as the siblings embraced. He locked eyes with his friend and she smiled sheepishly; her face a clear indication that she'd been crying. It became a tender moment layered on top of another tender moment. He knew how much the interaction with her brother had to have meant to her – especially since their strained relationship was a touchy topic. But Steve held hope that her brother would be hit with all the unexplainable feelings he did and experience the shift in attitude; he knew underneath all the armor there stood a guarded heart, beating furiously, waiting to be loved.

He nodded softly, sending her a gentle smile and she looked down before letting go of her brother and falling into conversation with him – throwing her head back in laughter as she wiped her eyes.

It wasn't long before Robin joined his side and the moment had truly ended, Dustin soon coming to him for aid with Erica trailing behind. 

Mateo had just finished telling Irene how cool Nancy looked when she shot the creature that was terrorizing them at Jim's cabin when Dustin handed her a walkie-talkie. She drew her eyebrows together, slightly wrinkling her forehead and peered up at the four.

"They're taking us to Cerebro so we can navigate Hopper through the tunnels." He motioned his head to the older teens and then sighed, "Considering that you seem to be having a moment, we weren't going to try to split you two up. I set that to the right channel for you so that you're still in contact." He explained and she gave him a soft smile as she nodded. She gave him a tight hug and to her surprise Erica willingly accepted her embrace as well. 

"Stay safe." She stressed and watched as they left, praying that they'd make it there in one piece. She picked at her nails as she turned back to her brother who was already grabbing their things to leave as well. He too was nervously pulling at his elbow and once she caught sight of the action she linked their arms together and pulled him along toward the main group.

After they'd separated from the three adults, they all agreed that the kids would stick with Nancy and Johnathan while the Vasquez siblings followed close behind. Mateo and Irene mounted the motorcycle, without proper helmets, and waited for Nancy to start her car. It sputtered over and over, causing the two of them to look at each other before Mateo was killing the engine and getting off to go see the problem. He noticed Johnathan stepping out of the car and propping up the hood, Nancy quickly joining his side.

"What happened?" He asked and the eldest Byers swallowed thickly, a sheen layer of sweat was noticeable on his forehead.

"The ignition cable's gone." Just as he spoke the words, a distant sound of a car engine roaring made them turn their heads. Two headlights flashed at them and Mateo moved around the front of the car to get a better look, however he really didn't need to. He already knew exactly who it was and it made the hairs on his neck stand. The engine continued to rev and all the kids in the car, and Irene alone on the bike, fearfully turned their heads toward the sound. Terror consumed them and before they knew it, they were running back inside the mall.

"Scoops Troop, do you copy?" Mike repeated into the walkie, pacing back and forth in the main section of the mall. It had been fifteen minutes since they last tried leaving from the hellscape that was Starcourt mall before realizing they were trapped in by Billy. They were trying to contact Dustin and the rest of the group but the other line was completely silent – hope began slipping right through their fingers.

Mateo sat across from Lucas and motioned toward the slingshot in his hands, "You got another one of those?" He asked and the boy placed the weapon down gently before leaning toward him as if he was going to make some big proposition.

"Your aim any good?" He quizzed with a raised brow and Mateo chuckled, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms.

He shrugged, "Learned how to use a bow and arrow when I was fourteen; bullseye every time. It's the same mechanics is it not?" Lucas pursed his lips and studied his face – a sudden silence falling between them. Instead of giving into the discomfort of the exchange Mateo continued to keep his composure – trying to come off as cool and collected as he could. Finally Lucas gave in and dug his hand into his pocket before placing the extra slingshot on the table and sliding it toward the other side.

"Pleasure doing business with you." He said sticking his hand out for the older teen to shake, which he did and the two laughed to themselves.

Off in the depths of the mall Irene was searching one of the men that were dead on the tiled floor. She stripped his gun from its holster and rushed over to Nancy, "Heard you're pretty good with these." She said as she held out the weapon, a subtle gleam of admiration in her eyes. The eldest Wheeler gave her a look of gratitude as she took it and checked if the clip inside was still full.

"You're gonna kill him, aren't you?" Max questioned as she and Will watched off to the side. Irene's face fell and suddenly she was filled with grief for the redhead. She forgot just how complex and emotional the entire thing must have been for her. Their demise would ultimately be at the hands of her step-brother and his demise would ultimately be her and her friends' doing. The situation truly was a double edged sword for Max. She was going to get caught in the crossfire regardless.

Nancy looked up at the two and shook her head, "This is just a precaution, okay?"

"And not just against Billy, if he knows we're here so does the Mind Flayer." Will tried to reassure his friend but Irene could only feel the tension thicken between them all.

She stepped forward, "We should still take into consideration how Max feels about it – it's her step-brother. I mean I don't like the guy, no offense, but I also don't want to create casualties we don't have to. It should be our last resort." She said and the others reluctantly nodded in agreement, Max looking more noticeably at ease.

Their attention was quickly turned to Mike who was still trying to contact the 'Scoops Troop' but was ultimately getting nowhere with his efforts. As soon as Johnathan's eyes fell back onto the car El used earlier against the Russians an idea popped into his head, "Hey," He said brightly and everyone turned their heads toward him. "That still has its ignition cable, right? Which means we can take it out and put it on the car and we're out of here." He said and an ember of hope burned between them all, and all they could do was wish that it would catch a flame. 

AUTHORS NOTE!

"I just wanted to stop feeling like I didn't belong in my own body, my own family, my own house. Why couldn't I just be normal?" NOT ME SOBBING AS I WROTE THIS. MATEO VASQUEZ YOU ARE SO LOVED I SWEAR—

okay friends! here is a small update since I haven't updated in a while (just started work and am trying to find the right time to fit in writing — thankfully today I had a day off! the jobs going good btw) I really hope you enjoyed this chapter because its at the top with the rest of my favorite things I've written. there's just something so special about it because yes things have gone to hell and they're only gonna get crazier but that little moment of solace we see between mateo and irene just makes my heart swell. 

how did you feel about this chapter? what do you think will be in store for the gang stuck inside starcourt? I really want to hear your theories as to how the mindflayer/billy will be defeated — pls drop them! and while you're at it, let me know what your favorite part of the tower has been so far...act one is coming to a close y'all! 

ALSO! THANK YOU FOR 2K READS <3

alrighty, until next time <3