EVERYTHING WENT SILENT once the lights went out. 

It was a heavy, reverent silent. For some reason, Lucas decided, in the dark, you feel the need to be quiet. As if not to disturb... something.

A slumber. A threat.

A monster.

Dark thoughts flitted through Lucas's head. He let out a sigh of relief when the lights flickered back on again, illuminating the terrified faces of everyone in the room.

Dr. Owens walked over to the wall of security camera footage, pointing at the one in the middle. "Look, this is us, and this is the nearest exit. But even if we somehow make it there, there's no way out."

"What do you mean?" Hopper asked, his expression darkening.

"The locks are fail secure," Owens said.

"Fail secure?" Joyce repeated. She looked back at her unconscious twins, clearly wondering how she could possibly get them out of here.

Lucas was wondering the same thing.

"If there's a power outage," Owens explained, "the building goes on lockdown."

"Dumbass settings," Lucas muttered from his spot on the floor.

Bob Newby ignored him. "Can it be unlocked remotely?" 

"With a computer, sure," Owens ran a hand down his face. "But somebody's gotta reset the breakers."

"So... we're stuck in here?" Lucas's throat tightened, and he had the urge to grab Caroline and close his eyes, just block out the rest of the world. 

"Not necessarily," Hopper told him. He looked back at Owens. "Where are the breakers?"

"Breakers are in the basement, three floors down."

Hopper set his jaw. He grabbed the flashlight from a side table and turned it on.

Bob Newby stood in front of the door, blocking Hopper in. He spoke before Lucas could ask the same question. "Hey, where are you going?"

"To reset the breakers," Hop said, annoyed. Clearly, he didn't seem to like the idea of being stopped by Joyce's boyfriend, especially when he was so obviously jealous of the two.

It was at this moment that Lucas would have nudged Caroline if she'd been awake, so they could joke about her mother and Hop. He felt a sudden surge of sadness when it really dawned on him that Caroline wasn't waking up any time soon.

Lucas would have to do all this by himself.

Without Caroline, the world seemed a lot more lonely.

Bob was standing straight, looking unblinkingly at Hopper. "Okay, then what?"

"Then we get out of here," Hopper said angrily.

"No," Bob shook his head. "Then the power comes back on. If you wanna unlock the doors, you have to reboot the computer system, and then override the security codes with a manual input."

"Fine," Hopper ran a hand down his face. "How do I do that?"

"You can't," Bob said, shrugging. "Not unless you know BASIC."

"I... don't know what that means."

Lucas piped in, glad he finally had at least one answer. "It's a computer programming language." 

Bob stared at Lucas, impressed. Hopper ignored the both of them, speaking directly to Bob. "Teach it to me."

Bob scoffed. "Shall I teach you French while I'm at it, Jim? How about a little German? How about you, Doc? You speak BASIC?"

"No," Owens sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Okay, I got this." Bob squared his shoulders, taking the flashlight from Hopper. "I got this."

Joyce finally spoke, reaching for her boyfriend. She had turned white as a sheet. "No. Bob..."

"It's okay," Bob pulled Joyce into a hug, clearly forcing a smile. "It's gonna be okay. Remember? Bob Newby-"

"Superhero," Lucas finished from the floor, remembering Will's drawing. Bob looked at him appreciatively. 

"See?" Bob kissed Joyce's forehead.

 Lucas stood up, resting Caroline's head back on her twin. He went to be next to Joyce, taking her hand. The tiny woman's eyes were filled with tears as she squeezed his hand. 

L.S

The wait for Bob Newby to make it to the breaker room was excruciating. Joyce paced back and forth as Hopper leaned over the control panel, watching the screens closely as if waiting for them to suddenly work again. Lucas had his head in his hands, his eyes squeezed shut.

We're going to get out of here, he said to himself silently. We're going to get out of here.

He repeated it like a mantra, over and over again, trying to convince himself that if he said it enough, it would stick. It was a terrifying feeling- not knowing if you were going to be able to make it out alive.

We're going to get out of here.

The lights suddenly flickers on, plunging the room into blinding white. Lucas rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, blinking to adjust to the sudden change. Relief flooded his veins as Joyce let out a small sob and buried her face in her hands.

"He made it," Hopper said, sounding faint.

We're going to get out of here.

For the first time, Lucas actually meant it.

"Okay, Bob?" Dr. Owens leaned into the microphone on the table, tapping it. "Can you hear us?"

"Loud and clear, Doc." Bob sounded winded, his voice crackling into the room. "Can you hear me back?"

"We hear you," Dr. Owens was smiling, relieved.

"All right, give me a minute," Bob panted. 

Lucas smiled through his tears, turning to Caroline. She was still leaning against her brother, her steady, slow breathing matching Will's exactly. Her pale hands were limp and her skin was matted with sweat, her hair hanging over her face in a tangled sheet.

Lucas reached over and tucked it out of her eyes and behind her ear, pained when he saw the blood trickling down her jaw and towards her neck. The sight instantly made him nauseous; it was eerily similar to when Callie had gotten shot. 

The blood, the pale skin, the limp limbs, the sobbing-

She's not dead, he reminded himself. As long as Will is alive, so is she.

Though, for the first time, it really dawned on Lucas that if something happened to either one of the twins, it would kill the other. The connection they had- their Twintuition- was nothing if not cruel. 

"It's open," Dr. Owens said suddenly. Lucas tore his eyes away from his catatonic girlfriend and looked back up to see the adults gathered around the microphone, listening to Bob.

"Okay," he was saying. "Easy-peasy."

The door of the room suddenly clicked and Lucas sat up, staring at the handle. It was unlocked.

"Son of a bitch did it," Hopper said in disbelief. The hardened jealousy on his face had morphed into respect, something that Lucas had never thought would happen in a million years.

"Right, I'll meet you outside." Bob said.

"Nice job," Owens said. His eyes widened suddenly. "Hold on a second, Chief."

"What's wrong?" Hopper demanded, turning to the doctor.

"West stairwell's not clear anymore." Owens cursed under his breath, staring at the screen. Sure enough, a demogorgon- dog thing was stalking along the landing, as though it was waiting for them to try and escape.

"Hold on," Joyce said loudly. She ran over to a screen in the corner, pointing at it frantically. "Is that?-"

"It is," Hopper said in awe. 

"It's Olivia," Lucas said in disbelief.

The tall teenage girl had just entered the screen, blasting a demogorgon out of her way with her powers. The serious look on her face was so determined that it was almost scary, her dark hair in her eyes as she walked slowly and cautiously. 

"What's going on?" Bob said from the line.

"My daughter," Joyce cried out, her hands over her mouth. "Oh, Jesus, no, no, no..."

"She's going to be fine," Hopper assured her. He looked pale too, however. He wrapped an arm around Joyce and the two of them stood back, watching Olivia walk in and out of screen.

"What do we do?" Joyce tore her eyes from the screen, looking desperately at Hopper.

"She's got it," Lucas said quietly. "She's not stupid, she'll be careful."

Slowly, painstakingly, they watched Olivia Byers make her way up each level. Soon she was down the hallway outside the door, just out of their view.

"What is she doing?" Joyce whispered.

Lucas thought the same thing. Why wasn't she coming in?

A low growling answered their question, coming from directly outside. Lucas felt the blood drain from his face when he realized there were two or three demogorgons right outside the door, no doubt face to face with Olivia.

"Oh god," Joyce heaved a sob, dropping into a crouch, unable to keep herself upright. "Oh, baby, please, please-"

Hopper didn't bother to console Joyce; there was nothing he could say. Lucas watched the man swallow a lump in his throat, staring at the door. There was no way Olivia could do it. There had to be a reason she hadn't just blasted the thing yet.

Suddenly there was a scream of pain from down the hallway, making Lucas jump and squeeze his eyes shut. Joyce let out a wail of despair when she recognized her oldest child's cry. 

Then there was a screech of the monster, a loud thud, and they were plunged into silence again.

Lucas felt a hot tear trail down his cheek. Something had happened to Olivia. Now they were stuck in this room with no help, and she was trapped out there. He could imagine Caroline's reaction when she woke up and her sister was dead; he had seen it before, when they had found Will's fake body at the quarry last year...

"Wait," Owens held up a hand. "Hold on."

The door handle to the room was rattling. Lucas held out an arm to shield Will and Caroline from whatever was coming, as if it would actually do anything. Hopper stood, wide stance, in front of Joyce, the hardened look back on his face.

But when the door blasted open, it was Olivia who stumbled in. 

She looked exhausted and in pain, a shirt thrown over her shoulder, only in a sports bra. It must have been really hot out, because she was sweating like crazy.

"Oh, thank GOD!" Joyce cried out, rushing to her daughter.

Olivia gave a weak smile, obviously exhausted, as Joyce pulled her into a hug, squeezing her like she would never let go.

"I'm okay, Mom," she said quietly as her Joyce cried into her shoulder. Lucas instantly knew that she wasn't; one look at her, and he could see that something was off. "Are Will and Callie alright?"

"Yeah, they're good," Lucas answered when Joyce and Hopper didn't. "Right here. They're under anesthetic."

"Baby, what happened?" Joyce pulled away from her daughter just enough to cup her palms over her face, studying ever inch.

"I was with Steve and we... never mind," she said quickly. Lucas raised an eyebrow. 

"But you're safe?" Joyce begged. "Everyone's safe? Jonathan? Nancy? The kids?"

"Outside," Olivia answered. 

"Okay," Joyce nodded fervently. "Okay. You're okay."

Olivia sank into her mother's touch for a moment, swaying on her feet, when suddenly her eyes widened. "The twins! We need to get them away from the lab. There are monsters everywhere."

"We noticed," Hopper said dryly. He leaned down and heaved Will over one shoulder. "Alright, let's go."

"Wait a second, Chief?" Owens said suddenly. Hopper turned to look at him, a serious look on his face.

"What?" he asked.

"Take this." Owens handed him a radio. "Any more surprises, I'll let you know."

Lucas's eyes widened when he realized when the doctor was doing. He was going to stay behind. There was an unspoken agreement between the two men and a curt nod from Hopper, the mutual understanding clear.

 "Go," Owens said. "Go!"

Lucas was attempting to get Caroline up off the floor, struggling with her weight. He had gotten her into a standing position, feeling pretty ridiculous with his arms underneath her shoulder, when Hopper looked at him.

"I got it, kid." He leaned down and effortlessly tossed the little girl over the opposite shoulder, her head lolling to the side. 

He was first out of the room, Lucas and Joyce following closely behind. Olivia brought up the rear, keeping one hand pressed against her shoulder over her shirt for some reason. The longer Lucas looked at her, the paler she seemed to become. 

The group made it towards the exit with almost no problems, passing by dozens of dead demogorgons. Lucas felt a newfound respect for Olivia; she had fought her way through the lab she had been enslaved in for her entire life, all the way to the third floor, risking her life, all just to save them.

The more Lucas thought about it, the more he saw the similarities between her and Eleven.

The sound of the doors opening snapped Lucas out of his daze, and he realized Hopper had gotten the twins outside. He quickly followed suit, running past Joyce.

"Come on, Bob," Joyce was muttering anxiously. "Come on!"

Lucas flung himself out the doors, wanting to sob with relief when the cold night air hit him. Hopper was laying the twins on the floor, leaning them against the wall before turning back to the building.

"Stay with them!" Hopper boomed at Lucas. Screeching erupted behind them, followed by a blood curdling scream.

"BOB!"

Horror settles into Lucas's bones.

He knew what that scream was. It was the same horrifying sound Caroline had made when they thought Will had died.

That was grief. Despair. Pure, unadulterated pain.

Bob was dead.

Lucas stood, frozen, hot tears trailing down his cheek as he watched Hopper shoot something out of Lucas's view before abandoning the gun and grabbing an inconsolable Joyce.

"NO!" Joyce was screaming, shaking uncontrollably. Olivia and Hopper pulled her from the building, rushing outside before a demogorgon slammed itself into the closed doors with a thud.

"What happened?" Lucas screamed, holding up Caroline by her shoulders. He already knew the answer, but if hurt just as much to see the scarred, horrified look on Olivia's face.

There was roaring of an engine and Lucas turned wildly to see Jonathan peel into the parking lot with Hopper's police truck. He saw his friends in the back seat and Mike quickly jumped out of the car, running forward.

"Let's go!" Hopper bellowed, heaving Will over his shoulder. Mike looked around wildly, trying to find a way to help. He spotted Joyce, who was collapsing onto her knees from grief, and quickly grabbed her.

"He's gone!" Hopper's voice broke as he spoke urgently to Joyce, pleading for her to get into the car. "He's gone!"

Jonathan honked the horn of his car as the demogorgons bashed against the glass doors, flooding the room. "Come on! Get in!"

The sound of the monster's screeching was motivation enough for Lucas to heave Caroline into the back seat, resting her onto Dustin and Max's laps before climbing in himself.

Steve sat in the front and Olivia climbed in, crying and shivering and still clutching her shoulder. Steve quickly pulled her close and cradled her on his lap so Hopper and Joyce could fit inside. His hands were in her hair and he kissed her forehead. 

Joyce leaned against Hopper, who had her enveloped in his arms and whispered something into her ear as she sobbed. Both men had a very familiar look as they held the Byers women.

Lucas knew that look. He had it every time he looked at Caroline. 

And as they peeled out of the parking lot, he felt Dustin's hand on his shoulder, his friend not saying a word. That was all Lucas needed, though- a steady hand to help him through what he had just seen.

Tears splashed onto Caroline's face, now in Lucas's lap. His lips quivered as he watched her chest rise and fall, steady as ever, completely unaware of everything that had just happened.

God, how was he supposed to explain to her Bob's death once she woke up?

Caroline had never had a proper father figure, Lucas knew that much. He didn't know exactly what Lonnie had done to her when she was younger- she never spoke about it- but he knew it had been horrifying. Bob had been the first man she had really gotten close and comfortable with, aside from Hopper. 

And now, he was dead.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. "I'm so, so, sorry."

IM SO SORRY IVE BEEN GONE SO LONG BUT HERE'S A CHAPTER GO AHEAD AND CRY

i really loved doing Lucas's POV, he's so overlooked and he's genuinely one of my favorite characters.