13. i don't understand sports

I DON'T UNDERSTAND SPORTS

✧･ﾟ: * The group gathers around the table again, all leaning forward.

"It's not like it was before. It's grown. A lot. I mean, that's considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs," Hopper states.

"Demodogs," Dustin slips in.

Hopper pauses, staring at him, "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, uh, Demodogs. Like, Demogorgon and dogs," Dustin goes flustered like he normally does around Hopper as he realizes he didn't actually care. "You put 'em together, it sounds pretty badass-"

"How is this important right now," Hopper interrupts.

"It's not, I'm sorry," Dustin looks away embarrassed.

"I can do it," El looks up, hope in her eyes as she turns to Hopper.

"You're not hearing me," Hopper states, wanting her to change her mind.

"I'm hearing you. I can do it," El says confidently.

"Even if El can, there's still another problem," Mike speaks up. "If the brain dies, the body dies."

"I thought that was the whole point," Max frowns.

"It is, but if we're really right this. . . I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the Mind Flayer's army-"

"Will's a part of that army," Lucas states.

"He'll die along with that thing," Dustin adds.

"Closing the gate will kill him," Nora says more to herself, terrified.

The group is quiet for a moment until Joyce pushes back in her chair, causing it to screech across the floor. She walks down the hallway and the other follow her to Will's room. Upon entering, a cold blast of air hits Nora, sending chills down throughout her body.

"He likes it cold," Joyce murmurs.

"What?"

"It's what Will kept saying to me, 'he likes it cold,'" she goes over to the window and slams it shut. "We keep giving it what it wants!" She exclaims, as if she's starting to realize something.

"If this is a virus, and Will's the host, then. . ." Nancy starts thinking too.

"Then, we need to make host inhabitable," Joyce finishes and kneels next Will in his bed, grabbing his hand.

"So, if he likes it cold. . ." Nancy starts again.

"We need to burn it out of him."

"We have to do it somewhere he doesn't know this time," Mike includes.

"Yeah," Dustin agrees. "Somewhere far away."

A new plan is easily formed and Nora tries to stay hopeful. . . it isn't working very well.

Hopper carries Will and leads Jonathan out to his car, giving directions to a cabin where they're going to burn the monster out. Joyce goes in too, and the group watches as Nancy and Steve pile heaters into the trunk.

They all then wish El good luck at closing the gate, hoping nothing would happen to her. Mike was the last to go up to her and they hug as Hopper spoke up, "El, c'mon. Let's go. It's time."

El gives the party one last glance as she gets into the car, driving away with Hopper. They watch as they back out of the driveway and - hopefully - not to their death.

Steve goes back into the house and Nora watches as Dustin makes him wrap Dart up in a blanket and put him in the fridge. Nora tries not to think about what Joyce will say to that. Lucas and Max start cleaning the glass, Nora flops onto the couch, and Mike paces around the room.

After a moment, Lucas snaps. "Mike, would you just stop already?"

"You weren't in there, okay, Lucas?" Mike yells. "The lab is swimming with hundreds of those dogs!"

"Demodogs!" Dustin shouts from the kitchen, and Nora rolls her eyes.

"The chief will take care of her!" Lucas ignores Dustin.

"Like she needs protection," Max mutters, and Nora kind of agrees.

"Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?" Steve walks into the living room, wiping his hands on a towel.

"Okay, first of all, this isn't some stupid sports game," Mike says in a sassy voice. "And second, we're not even the game, we're on the bench."

Steve pauses and purses his lips a little. "Right, yeah. we're on the bench, so, um, there's nothing we can do. . ."

"That's not entirely true," Dustin gains the attention of everyone in the group. "I mean, these Demodogs, they have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus, they were all called away. . ."

"So, if we get their attention. . ." Lucas thinks of Dustin's words.

"Maybe we can draw them away from the lab," Max adds.

"And make clear a path to the gate," Nora finishes.

"Yeah! And then we all die!" Steve exclaims. Nora rolls her eyes at her older brother.

"That's one point of view," Dustin says.

"No, that's not a point of view, man. That's a fact," Steve states to him. Mike gasps suddenly and runs to the kitchen as everyone follows him.

"This is where the chief dug his hole. This is put way into the tunnel," Mike points at a piece of paper on the wall. He quickly runs into another room and point at another paper. "Here, right here. This is like the hub. So, you got all the tunnels feeding in here. . . Maybe, if we set it on fire-"

"Oh, yeah? That's a no!" Steve says, but everyone ignores him.

"The Mind Flayer would call away his army," Dustin finishes Mike's statement.

"They'd all come to get us," Lucas says, way too excited.

"Then, we circle back to the exit!" Mike adds. "By the time they realize we're gone-"

"El would be at the gate!" Max finishes.

Nora's stuck. It's a good plan. . . only if they all don't die.

"Hey. Hey, hey!" Steve claps to get their attention. "This is not happening," he put his hands on his hips in what he thought was an intimidating way, but Nora just thinks he looks like a middle-aged mother.

"But-"

"No, no, no, no, no! No buts!" He finalizes. "I promised I'd keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what I plan on doing. We're staying here. On the bench. And we're waiting for the starting to team to do their job. Does everyone understand that?"

"This isn't a stupid sports game!" Mike argues again.

"I said, does everyone understand that?" He waves the towel for emphasis. "I need a yes!"

"Ignore him," Nora says to the group, but looking at Steve. "Just because he's older, doesn't mean he gets to boss us-"

"Nora," Steve pinches the bridge of his nose. "Please, not now," and Nora furrows her brows in annoyance. He's treating her like a fly buzzing around his head 24/7.

The kids are about to all speak at once until an engine revving outside cuts the argument short. Max runs to the window, leading the rest of the group. "It's my brother," she turns to Lucas. "He can't know I'm here. He'll kill me. He'll kill us."

"Stay here," Steve takes charge as he drops the towel. "It'll be fine," he says as he leaves the house. The kids pile on the couch, smushing their faces against the windows.

Billy Hargrove steps out of his car, cigarette dangling between his lips. He pulls out the cigarette and blows out the smoke before smirking. "Am I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?"

"Yeah, it's me, don't cream your pants." Steve puts his hands on his hips.

Billy takes off his leather jacket, revealing his half un-buttoned shirt, and Steve walks up to him. "What are you doing here, Amigo," Billy keeps smirking.

"I could ask you the same thing," Steve stops walking. "Amigo."

"Looking for my step-sister. A little birdie told me she was here," Billy explains, putting the cigarette back.

"Huh, that's weird. I don't know her," Steve shrugs. Nora tries to ignore the heavy breaths she hears coming from Max beside her.

"Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch?" Billy lists as Steve shakes his head. "She hangs out with your sister sometimes."

Nora feels gross by the idea of Billy thinking about her.

"Doesn't ring a bell," Steve shrugs. "Sorry, buddy."

Billy nods before sighing, "y'know, I don't know, this. . . this whole situation, Harrington, I dunno, it's giving me the heebie-jeebies."

"Oh, yeah?" Steve acts surprised. "Why's that?"

Billy blows smoke out of his cigarette again, "my thirteen-year-old sister goes missing all day, and then I find her with you in a stranger's house. And you lie to me about it."

Steve laughs, "Man, were you dropped too much as a child or what? I don't know what you don't understand about what I just said. She's not here."

"Then, who's that," Billy gestures to the window. The group ducks as quickly as possible.

"Shit!" Dustin exclaims. "Did he see us?"

They run to the middle of the room just as the front door bangs open, Billy Hargrove strolling in. "Well, well, well," he slams the door behind him as he stalks over to Lucas. "Lucas Sinclair. What a surprise. I thought I told you to stay away from him, Max."

"Billy, go away," Max states, Nora could practically hear her telling herself not to sound nervous.

"You disobeyed me. . . and you know what happens when you disobey me. . . I break things." Billy then grabs Lucas by the jacket and pushes him against a wall.

"Billy, stop!" Max yells as Lucas kicks at him.

"Let him go!" Dustin, Mike, and Nora shout continuously.

"Since Maxine won't listen to me, maybe you will," Billy pushes him harder. "You stay away from her. Stay away from her! You hear me?"

"Get away from him!" Nora shouts, taking half a step forward.

Billy just ignores her and slams Lucas against the wall harder.

Do you think he can smell fear?

"Get off me," Lucas shouts, kicking Billy in the groin.

"You are so dead, Sinclair!" Billy groans. "You're dead!"

Steve bursts into the room, pushing Max, Dustin, Mike, and Nora back as he went up to Billy. "No, you are," and he decks clean in the face.

Nora has to bite back a laugh.

Lucas runs to the group who hug him and made sure he's okay.

Billy laughs as he staggers up from Steve's hit, "looks like you've got some fire in you after all, huh? I've been waiting to hear this 'King Steve' everyone's been telling me so much about!"

"Get out," Steve says evenly, pushing Billy's chest. This is obviously the wrong move, because after a second Billy swings at Steve suddenly. Steve ducks and punches him in the chin, knocking Billy into the table.

The kids shouted encouraging words the Steve, consisting mostly of, "kick his ass," and "get him!"

Steve punches him a few more times until blood gushes out of his face. He finally pauses and Billy laughs in his face.

More shouting occurs, this time the most prominent being, "get that shithead," and "kill the son of a bitch!"

As Billy's laughing, he grabs a plate and smashed it into Steve's head. Nora gasps and feels someone pulling her arm to keep her from rushing to her brother.

"Billy," Max shouts the same time Nora exclaims, "Steve!"

"Holy shit," Mike gasps.

Billy goes over and punches Steve into a shelf, and he follows him to the living room as Steve tries to run away. "No one tells me what to do!" He grabs him and headbutts him, causing him to fall to the ground. "Whoo! Get up!"

Nora knows it's Max pulling her back, this time with both hands to keep Nora from getting hurt.

Billy gets on top of Steve and punches him repeatedly. Max slowly lets go of Nora, but she barely notices, and the redhead grabs the syringe they used to knock Will out.

It still has some anesthetic in it, and Max forcefully plunges it into Billy's neck.

Nora widens her eyes as Billy dizzily gets off of Steve and pulls the needle out of his neck, confused. "The hell is this? You little shit, what'd you do?"

He then falls to the ground and everyone jumps, but Billy just starts to laugh. Max, almost unfazed, grabs Steve's bat from the couch and holds it up dangerously. "From here on out, you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?"

"Screw you," Billy mutters, mostly out of it. Max hits the bat down between his legs, and everyone raises their eyebrows. Nora grins.

Max lifts the bat again, "say you understand. Say it. Say it!"

"I understand," Billy gets out.

"What?"

"I understand," he says louder. Nora's almost scared for him. Almost.

Max then drops the bat to the ground as Billy falls unconscious, and she grabs his keys from his pocket. Holding them up, she looks to the party, "let's go."

"You're driving, right?"

a/n:

nora gives me gemini vibes tbh