↣ 𝘈𝘳𝘨𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘴

"It can't be good for her to be in there for this long." Mike articulated his thoughts while pacing the lengthy confines of Hopper's cabin, prompting Max to roll her eyes at his overprotectiveness.  Bailey was simply relieved to have showered and changed his clothes.

"Mike, you need to relax." Max responded while observing the boy who was pacing.

"What if she gets brain damage or something?"

Lucas gazed upward in astonishment at Mike.  "Oh, shit. Is that, like, a real thing?"

Max glanced at Lucas and shook her head in annoyance. "No, it's not. He made it up, Mike doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Oh, and you do?"

"No, I..."

Bailey rose from the couch and proceeded to the kitchen, retrieving a glass and placing it under the faucet, allowing water to fill the cup.  He took a sip and exhaled a sigh.  He reflected on Steve, contemplating his precise whereabouts.

"Where are Steve and Dustin?"  He inquired, turning to Nancy, Jonathan, and Will, who merely gazed at him.  "We have not seen them for some time."

Jonathan was on the verge of speaking when Max, Lucas, and Mike approached. "Okay, can you guys settle an argument for us? Who do you think should decide what El's limits are? Mike or Eleven?"

Bailey knitted his brows, glancing from Max to Mike. "The way that you frame that is such bullshit." Mike spitted out.

"It's not bullshit, Mike. This is your whole problem." Max replied with her arms crossed, as everyone else exchanged glances between the two of them. "And it's also precisely the reason why she dumped your ass."

"El dumped you?" Nancy inquired, her tone imbued with surprise.

"Yeah, because she is conspiring against me."Mike indicated by nodding his head in Max's direction. "She's corrupting her."

Max expressed her exasperation by rolling her eyes. "No, enlightening her. The fact is, she's not yours. She's her own person, fully capable of making her own decisions."

"She's risking her life for no reason."

"For no reason? Mike, the flayed are out there
doing God knows what." Nancy derided her brother with a glance.  Max smiled in satisfaction.

"killing, flaying..."Lucas shrugged

"Transforming into monsters." Will added.

"And El's not stupid. She knows her abilities
better than any of us."

"Exactly, thank you." Max says as she interrupted Nancy.

"And she is her own person with her own free will."

"El has saved the world twice, and Mike still doesn't trust her." Mike gazed at her in astonishment as she expressed her grievances.

"You wanna talk about trust, really? After you made Eleven spy on us?" Mike exclaimed.

"Wait, what?" Lucas inquired, perplexed, prompting Mike to turn towards him.

"Oh, she didn't tell you this?" Mike stated as he turned to face Max. "Your girlfriend used El's powers to spy on us."

Bailey rested his head on the counter, attempting to disregard the surrounding debate, while a little headache throbbed in his skull.

"I'm just trying to demonstrate how careless Max is with Eleven's powers. In fact, how careless all of you are. You're treating her like some kind of machine when she's not a machine." Everyone looked down at his words. " and I don't want her to die looking for the flayed when they've obviously vanished off the face of the Earth. So can we please just come up with a new plan because I love her and I can't lose her again."

That caused everyone to cease immediately.  Bailey lifted his head from the counter as Max's eyes widened.  Nancy and Jonathan gazed at him in astonishment.  Lucas seated himself while attempting to conceal his smile.

The door opened, and everyone turned to observe El exit in a state of confusion. "What's going on?" She asked.

"Nothing. Nothing."

"Just a family discussion." Lucas remarked with a smile, prompting Bailey to giggle at his statement.

"Oh...." El says as she stepped back slightly. "I found him."

"Found who?"

𐬽𐬼𐬽

While El sat before the television emitting static, Bailey occupied a position between Max and Will, with Lucas positioned on the opposite side of Max, all observing her carefully.  Her respiration begins to accelerate before she abruptly removes the blindfold.

"What's he doing now?" Max inquired of her, and she directed her attention towards them. El proceeded to the kitchen to rest, while Bailey massaged his forehead, as the pain persisted.

"And that's not normal, right?" Nancy questioned.

''Billy staying in his room on the Fourth of July? No, that's not normal.'' Max remarked while glancing at Nancy.

"None of Billy's actions over the past few days have been typical." Bailey interjected from his position on the couch.

''He wants us to find him.'' will gradually articulate as they approach the realization.

''Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of.'' Nancy stated with her arms folded across her chest.'' If we go to billy, then the rest of the flayed know where we are.''

''It's a trap, I agree. We'll be ambushed.'' Mike agreed to what Nancy was saying.

''We won't be surprised.'' Lucas says in disagreement with what they were saying. ''we'll know that they're coming, and we will kick their flayed butts.

''You mean El will kick their butts.'' Max corrected.

''It's too risky.'' Mike said.

''Yeah, and unnecessary.'' Nancy asserts as she proceeds with her discourse. ''Killing the flayed won't stop the mind flyer.''

''Has anyone considered asking what El thinks instead of assuming on her behalf?'' Bailey interjected.

''Billy knows it.'' All eyes turned when El re-entered the room. ''Billy's been there..to the source.''

''yeah but..'

"it's a trap. I know." El interjected abruptly, cutting Mike off. ''We can't go to billy, but i think there's another way. A way for me to see where he's been."

────────────────────────

𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀

- Mike loves El, Bailey is wondering where Steve is. Don't worry Steve will be coming soon. Just a couple more chapters to go.

To all the people that have supported me closely
Tags: @norasnetflix @wrensofvizla @KleeAlise11 @kiesluverr

𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵e