‧₊ ·˚ ༘❁ ┊ep 9. the gate ▬▬▬▬▬▬
꒰ ✎ ꒱ؘ STARGIRL, a stranger things fanfiction

Mike and Eleven step close to each other. Franny sniffed out of happy tears, finally seeing her best friend. "Eleven," Mike whispered. Eleven gasped, "Mike." She replied.

Mike and El hug shutting their eyes tightly as they pull each other in a warm embrace. "Is that..?" Max asked Lucas and Franny, and they both nodded as Franny had glossy eyes. Mike and El end their embrace. "We never gave up on you," Mike told her. He got closer to her.

"I called you every night. Every night for—" Mike started, El finished his sentence. "Three hundred and fifty-three days." El sniffed. Mike stood blankly "I heard." Eleven orated. "Why didn't you tell me you were there?" Mike asked. "That you were okay?"

Hopper looked and Franny and Paola. They both nodded. He looked back at Eleven and Mike, "Because I wouldn't let her." Mike turns back as Hopper walks forward.

"The hell is this? Where have you been?" Hopper asked, Eleven looks up at her dad, "Where have you been?" She replied. The chief wraps his arm around her.

"You've been hiding her?" Mike pleaded. "You've been hiding her this whole time!" Mike slightly shoved Hopper. "Hey. Let's talk." Hopper grabbed his shirt and Mike looked at him with his mouth hung open.

"Alone."

Mike glares at Hopper. Eleven sighed. She turned back to the group to spot Franny. "Frans." Eleven chuckled, seeing Eleven first and real best friend. Franny rushed to Eleven and before Eleven could say something, Franny brought her into a long and tight up.

"Missed you," Franny whispered as they both closed their eyes and kept the embrace long. "Me too." Eleven replied. They let go and Eleven smiled at Franny who had glossy eyes, Eleven wiped her eyes and then gave a smile.

Eleven walked past Franny and to Lucas and Dustin, she hugged the two with dried blood on her nose and closed her eyes. "We missed you," Lucas told her.

"I missed you, too." Eleven replied. "We talked about you pretty much every day," Dustin added pulling out of the hug. She studies Dustin reaching and touching his front teeth. "Teeth," Eleven whispered.

"What?" He replied, confused about what El meant. "You have teeth," El noted. Dustin looked to Franny and Lucas who smiled at him. "Oh. You like these pearls?" Dustin purred. El jolted back a little surprised by Dustin's purring. Lucas shook his head.

"Eleven?" Max interjected, and she came forward. "Hey. Um, I'm Max." She places out her hand for El to shake. "I've heard a lot about you." Eleven gives her a look and ignores her offered hand, she brushes past Max.

El rushes and hugs Joyce. Joyce smiles warmly at her, and they sniff and give tears. "Can I see him?"

The two walked into Will's room. "Cool. It's like she forgot about me." Gabby stated. Franny rolled her eyes. "She didn't even know who you were." Lucas began. Gabby nodded.

Eleven and Joyce walked out of Will's room and to the table where the paper that said Close Gate lay. Max walked towards the two and the other quickly followed behind her. They gathered behind the two.

Eleven looks at Joyce meeting her gaze.

𓆩♡𓆪

In the kitchen, The whole group gathers around the table where Joyce sits. "It's not like it was before. It's grown." Hopper announced. "A lot. And, I mean, that's considering we can't get in there." He explained, "The place is crawling with those dogs."

"Demo-dogs." Dustin turns to look at Hopper and corrects him. Hopper sighs, "I'm sorry, what?" He asked. Dustin replied, "I said, uh, Demo-dogs." He paused taking a breath. "Like Demogorgon and dogs. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass—"

"How is this important right now?" Hopper responded. "It's not. I'm sorry." Dustin trailed off and turned back to the table, "I can do it." Eleven told them. They all looked at El. "You're not hearing me." Hopper began.

"I'm hearing you. I can do it." She talked back. "Even if El, can, there's still another problem," Mike explained. "If the brain dies, the body dies."

"I thought that was the whole point," Max remarked. "It is, but if we're really right about this..." Mike paused. "I mean if El closes the gat and kills the mind flayer's army..."

"Will's a part of that army..." Lucas added. "Meaning Will could die," Franny predicted. The other give discouraged looks. A hence of expression washes over Joyce's face. Joyce leads everyone to Jonathan's room where Will faces up on Jonathan's bed.

Curtains flutter in front of the open window. "He likes it cold," Joyce explained. "What?" Hopper gave a confused expression to Joyce.

"It's what Will kept saying to me." Joyce looked at her son, sleeping. Then she turns back to the window. "He likes it cold." She muttered under her breath. She closes the window. "We keep giving it what it wants."  Nancy looks at the ground.

"If this is a virus, and Will's the host, then..." Nancy explained, Jonathan finished Nancy's sentence. "Then we need to make the host uninhabitable." They all stared at Will.

"So if he likes it cold."

Joyce looks at the group. "We need to burn it out of him." She told them. Mike explained to Joyce, "We have to do it somewhere he doesn't know this time." Dustin nodded. "Yeah, somewhere far away."

Hopper's eyes shift thoughtfully. "I know a place."

Hopper grabs Will and walks out of the bedroom. They all follow behind him, "Take Jonathan's car," He told Paola and Joyce, "Nancy and Kirby will go with you. Steve stay here and watch the kids." Hopper told Steve.

Steve nodded and exhaled crossing his arms. The group walked out as Hopper explained where to go. Hopper tells Eleven that it was time to go.

Franny walked to El and hugged her. "Be safe okay. I don't want you disappearing again and Hopper being the only one knowing where you are." El pulled her out of the embrace, "If I do disappear, I'll be the one to find you first." El smiled at Franny. She chuckled.

"I love you, all right?" Franny blurted out, as Eleven smiled, "Me too." Eleven replied as Mike watched the two have a sisterly moment. Franny didn't even know Hopper and Paola were dating and neither did El.

"El, come on, let's go. It's time." Hopper places a cigarette in his mouth as El turns to him and holds Franny's hand. "See you later." Eleven smiled as she walked away pulling apart from Franny's hand.

Franny stands with glossy eyes as they drive off. She stands in front of the party as they watch them leave also.

"Come, on, inside." Steve opens the door as they all walk inside, Franny stays still. Lucas pulls Franny's hand as she stops her gaze from the road and walks inside with Lucas.

"She's gonna be okay. Don't worry." Lucas told her as he pulls her into a hug and she sniffed into his shoulder. Franny and Lucas pull apart as they hear clattering coming from the kitchen. Lucas goes to the kitchen and grabs brooms for him and Franny. He hands her the broom.

They swept us broken glass on the floor as Mike paces nearby. Lucas stopped sweeping, "Mike would you just stop already, you're girlfriend is fine. She's with Hopper." Lucas explained.

Mike stopped, "She's not my girlfriend." Franny chuckled as she kept sweeping, "You act like she is." Franny told him. Mike sighed as he turned away blushing. "Besides, that place is swarming with those dogs," Mike added.

"Demo-dogs!" Dustin called out, "Whatever!" Mike called out. "Hoppers with her, he'll take care of her," Franny explained. "Like she needs protection." Max chimed in who was now, holding hand with Gabby.

"Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game," Steve butted in. "bottom line, you execute it. All right?"

Mike looked at him, "Okay, first of all, this isn't some stupid sports game." Mike started, "And second, we're not even in the game. We're on the bench."

Steve stammers, "So my point is..." He paused looking at the group. They give him a 'are you gonna answer' look. "Right, yeah, we're on the bench, so, uh, there's nothing we can do."

Steve places the rag he has on his shoulder. "That's not entirely true." Dustin chimed in. They all look at him, "I mean, these Demo-dogs, they have a hive mind." He explained.

"When they ran away from the bus, they were called away," Dustin added. "So, if we get their attention..." Lucas started. "We can draw them from the lab," Franny replied. "The clear path to the gate." Mike quipped.

"Yeah, and then we all die." Steve noted, "Well, that's one point of view." Dustin remarked. "No that's not a point of view, man. That's a fact." Steve replied.

Mike rushed to the tunnel drawings they explained to them. Steve tried to stop them by clapping his hands. He got their attention, "No way, this is not happening."

They tried to convince him, "I promised I'd keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what I planned on." Franny sighed, "Then you'll come with us." She told Steve. Before Steve could reply, they all turned their heads to an engine revving.

Max walks to the window and she sees a view of headlight approaching. "It's my brother. He can't know I'm here. He'll kill me. He'll kill us." Max explained.

"Mike you really have to stop telling your mom where you are." Franny expressed, turning to Mike, "It wasn't me. I swear." Mike added. "Nancy told me otherwise," Franny replied. Mike rolled his eyes.

Steve rushed to the door. "Steve where are you going?" Franny watched as Steve opened the door. "To keep you shitheads safe." He walked out and closed the door.

They all rushed to the window as they watched Billy, who was smoking get out of his car. The corners of Billy's mouth turn into a smile, "Am I dreaming, or is that you, Harrington?" Billy who could be heard out of the window began.

Steve had his thumbs in his pockets. "Yeah, it's me. Don't cream your pants."

"What are you doing here, amigo?" Billy replied. friend.

"Max how come you didn't tell me he speaks Spanish?" Franny asked, Max, looked at her, "He doesn't, he probably picked up some words from Kirby when she would cuss out Steve." Max explained.

Franny nodded and gave a shake to her head, "Oh Dios Mio Que se joda Este hombre y su Maldito salmonete." Franny muttered under her breath. Oh my god, fuck this man and his fucking mullet.

Lucas gave her a confused look, "You don't wanna know what I said." She told him, he nodded and looked back at the two talking. Billy points at the house, the realized and they duck below the window.

"Shit! Did he see us?" Dustin asked, "He pointed at the window. So probably yeah," Franny replied. They all get up facing the door.

Billy bursted through the door to see Max standing next to Lucas as Franny stood in front of them.

He walks towards Franny. "You're Kirby's little sister huh? You could see the resemblance." Billy remarked, "And what if I am?" Franny replied. "Look, I don't care who you are or who's the sister you are. Move out of my way." Billy told her, and she stood her ground.

Billy pushed passed her shoving her to the table. "Lucas Sinclair. What a surprise."

Lucas helped Franny and he turned his head to Billy. He backed up. "I thought I told you to stay away from him, Max." Max stared blankly at him.

"Billy, go away," Max replied. "You disobeyed me." Billy quipped. He stared down at her. "And you know what happens when you disobey me." He whispered to her. "Billy."

"I break things." He grabbed Lucas and grunted. "Billy!" Max yelled, "Lucas!" Franny called out. "Billy! Stop! Let go of him!" Max yelled.

"Let go of him! Please!" Franny yelled out. Billy slammed him into a kitchen shelf. "Get off of me, you—" Lucas grunts, his palms sweaty.

"Since Maxine won't listen to me, maybe you will," Billy told him. "You stay away from her." Lucas stood quiet. Franny's eyes were glossy and she stood helplessly watching Lucas shake in fear. "Stay away from her! You hear me?" Billy slammed him into the kitchen shelf again.

"I said get off of me!" Lucas grunted and kicked him in the balls. "So dead, Sinclair! You're dead." Steve grabs Billy.

"No. You are."

Steve punches Billy hard in the face. Billy laughs. Franny rushed to Lucas. "Are you okay? Oh, Dios." She pulled him into a tight hug. "Yeah, I'm fine." Lucas placed his head on her shoulder he exhaled in relief, and Lucas sniffed. Oh god.

"Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh?" Billy laughed. "I've been waiting to meet this King Steve everybody's been telling me so much about."

Billy's nose bleeds. "Get out," Steve tells him. Steve uses two fingers to gently push him away. Billy tries to swing up Steve ducks then he lands his own swing. "Kick his ass, Steve!" Dustin called out, laughing. "Get him!"

The fight continues for a while then Billy grabs a plate and then smashes it on Steve's forehead. Dustin ducks as Billy punches Steve. Steve walks into the living room, Billy following behind him.

Billy grabs him by the jacket. "No one tells me what to do!" He grunts as Steve groans. Billy's head bumps Steve who slides to the ground.

Billy straddles Steve as he continues punching him. They scream at Steve to get up and fight back. Max turns her head sitting on the corner of a table. She uncaps it and pushes between Lucas and Mike. She walked toward Billy, and she jammed the needle into his neck.

Billy staggers to his feet confusedly and looks at Max. His vision blurs as he glances to the side of the syringe. He takes it out of his neck. "The hell is this?" He asked walking towards Max, who backs up.

"You little shit what did you do?" He steps towards her woozily then falls back onto the floor. "Shit," Mike mutters.

Billy laughs. Franny furrowed her eyebrows.

Max picked up the spiked back and holds it over her stepbrother. "From here on out, you leave me, my girlfriend, and my friends alone. Do you understand?"

Gabby's eyes go wide. Girlfriend? Gabby was her girlfriend!

"Screw you," Billy tells her. She slams the bat into the floor between his legs she lifts it again. "Say you understand! Say it! Say it!" Max yelled.

"I understand," Billy muttered. "What?" Max asked, "I understand." Billy's eyes drift closed. Leaving Franny and others in shock. She drops the bat, taking Billy's keys.

She holds it up to them. "Let's get out of here." They exchanged looks of awe. "Wait. Max, you have a girlfriend?" Dustin asked, Max, nodded, "Yeah." Dustin asked, "Who?"

Max pointed her finger at Gabby. "I've liked her since I meet her at the arcade." Gabby smiled.

"Let's go. Help me with Steve." Max told them as they grabbed Steve and placed him in Billy's car. They all cramped up in the car with Gabby in the front and the rest in the back with Steve.

Steve wakes up confused, with dried blood under his nose and his face swollen. He looks to the side where Mike was sitting with a can of gasoline, "Nancy?" Steve asked confused. Mike furrowed his brow at Steve who touches his own face. He groans.

"No, don't touch it." Steve looks over at Dustin, he shushes Steve. He holds an ice pack to his head. "It's okay. You put up a good fight."

"Did I win?" Steve asked, Franny, chuckled. "Sure. You won Steve." Gabby told directions to Max as she drove. "What's going on?" Steve asked as Max looked at Steve. "Oh, my God!" Steve panicked, this was the first time he ever saw a kid drive.

Max presses her door into a blocked wedge against the drive pedal. Steve and others bicker. "Stop the car!"

"Everybody shut up! I'm trying to focus!" Max yelled. "Make a left!" Gabby told her. "What?"

"Make a left." Max turned the car into a left making all the scream.

Lucas screamed like a little girl once more. Franny laughed watching Lucas scream.

They drive a little more when Max rolls over a pumpkin sign, she skids to a stop inches from Hopper hole. "Told you. Zoomer." Max shuts the car off and opens the door. They all rush out of the car as Steve falls to the ground.

The kids open the trunk as they put bandannas over their mouths. "My cousins would usually wear these on their foreheads for a style but, this could work." Franny shared her cousin's Cholo Style back in Long Beach.

Steve leans against the car, Mike walks by Steve with a rope and a gas can tying the rope to the front of the car. They all grab their supplies and they head to the hole. Steve entered the hole last as they all look around.

Mike looks at the hand-drawn map. "I'm pretty sure it's this way." Mike points the flashlight towards where he was looking. "You're pretty sure or are you certain?" Franny and Dustin asked in sync.

Mike turns back to them, "I'm one hundred percent sure. Just follow me and you'll know."

Dustin and Franny look at each other, Franny shrugs and walks away leaving Dustin. Steve interjects and leads the way. They all follow Steve.

They make their way into the tunnels. "What is this place?" Max asked, "The Upside Down." They keep moving as they hear Dustin screaming.

They all rush back to Dustin. "It's my mouth! It got in my mouth! Shit!" Dustin coughed as he screamed.

He stops coughing as he looks into his friend's flashlights. "I'm okay." He told them, and they sighed. They kept walking behind Steve.

"All right Wheeler, I think we found your hub," Steve explained, pointing a flashlight around the hub as Steve called it. Several tunnels meet as the kids sweep their flashlights around.

"Let's drench it." Mike acknowledged. They drench the place in gasoline as Lucas uses a sprayer. Once they finish Steve stands with the kids. "You guys ready?" He asked them. They all replied.

Steve takes out his lighter. "Light her up."

Steve opens his lighter. "I am in such deep shit." Steve pants and he lights it. Steve throws the lighter into the gas-filled chamber. The fire travels quickly setting the whole place on fire. Steve yells at them to flee as they all run back to where they entered.

They all panic as Steve leads the way back as they rush through the tunnels. Steve panics walking as fast as he can. Using the map Mike drew. Steve leads them back the way they came. As they all rush, Mike trips over a vine that grabs his foot. They notice and they rush to Mike.

Mike groans for help as they try to break Mike free. Steve uses his spiked bat and repeatedly hits the vine. The vine breaks free and Mike gets up.

Screeching could be heard, they all jolt back as Dustin stands in the front as they see a Demo-dog. "Dart." Dustin starts moving towards him. "Dustin you're crazy!" Franny shared as he shushes them.

Dart and Dustin have a conversation. They all look at him like he's insane. As Dart started to eat the nougat Dustin placed down they all sneak past Dart who was eating.

Dustin leaves him the other half of the candy bar. Dustin slips past the creature, he turns back to Dart as Dustin gives him a goodbye.

They all move on. The tunnel quakes knocking some of the kids down. They turn to see shadows approaching to them on the tunnel wall. Mike tells them to run.

They spot the rope hanging down. Steve waist Max to the opening as she grabs the rope, he kept doing this with the others. "Grab my hand, Franny," Max called out, Franny grabbed her hand as Max pulled her out.

Dustin and Steve were still down there. "Dustin!" They all called out. Mike's mouth hung open as the Demo-dogs rushed passed them. Steve places his arm around Dustin protectively.

Mike stares down the hole. "Eleven," Mike muttered. Steve and Dustin finally got out, the lights get brighter as they all turn and cover their eyes as Billy's car headlights brighten. A few moments later, the car lights dim, and Steve and the kids lower their eyes.

𓆩♡𓆪

It was now December and it was the day of the Snowball. Paola brought out a yellow short dress for Franny. "Here, mi amor." Paola announced, she placed down the dress, "I had my friend from my job help me out making this," Paola smiled. My love

Franny smiled taking the dress and going to her bathroom and changing. "Let me help you with your hair," Paola noted from outside the bathroom door. "Okay," Franny replied. She opened the bathroom door, where Franny had the yellow dress on. "So?" She asked. Kirby walked in behind her mom, "You look..." Kirby trailed off.

"Tan Hermosa." So beautiful.

Franny smiled and pulled her mom in to help her with her hair. Paola braided two pieces of Franny's hair., she wrapped it around her hair that was curled and she pinned the two braids with a rubber band. "Perfect."

Franny placed her flats on her feet and gave a goodbye to her mom as Kirby wore a dress since she was going to help out with Nancy. They walked to her car and drove off.

"Robin asked me to be her girlfriend today." Kirby smiled, Franny smiled with her mouth hung open, "Really? That's amazing!" Franny bounced in excitement. "Yep, she wants me to work with her once the new mall is built. They're almost done with it."

"What about Lucas? He asked you to be his girlfriend yet?" Kirby asked, Franny, shook her head. "Not yet, I'm hoping tonight though," Franny replied.

They arrived at the middle school gym where a sign read Snowball '84. Kirby parked her car and got off with Franny. "Let's go have some fun," Kirby announced locking her car and entering the gym.

They walk into the gym where Franny spotted Lucas. Lucas looked at Franny in amazement, Lucas had a sparkle in his eye of how beautiful she looked tonight.

Franny walked to Lucas, "Hey." She smiled. Lucas kept quiet. Mike's side elbowed him, "Uh hi! Wow. You look..." Lucas trailed off. "Amazing." He finished.

Franny chuckled, "Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself, Lucas." She placed a hand on his cheek. They spotted Dustin walking toward them, Dustin does a spin as he approached them.

"Holy shit. What happened to you?" Mike asked, Dustin's smile faded. "What do you mean "What happened?" Lucas laughed, "What?" Mike asked.

"Dude." Lucas swaggered. "Your hair, it's..." Franny snickered. "Is there a bird nesting in there?" Lucas pretends to look for a bird in Dustin's hair.

"What do you mean, "What's wrong"?" He asked. A slow romantic song started playing as they all looked out to the dance floor.

Lucas exhaled as he turned to Franny.

"Franny..." Lucas spoke, and she turned back to him. "Yeah?" She smiled, "Hey, uh, you want to, um..." Lucas stammered. "You want to, like, you know? Maybe..."

"Are you asking me to dance?" She asked, "Yea, just you and me. Dancing. On the dance floor." He pointed to the dance floor where students were dancing.  Max grabbed Gabby's hand as she pulled them to dance.

"Yeah, sure." Franny nodded and pulled Lucas to the dance floor. Franny leads him to the dance floor.

"Before we start dancing I, uh want to give you this." Lucas started. Lucas handed her a box, as Franny opened the box, Franny saw a ring that Lucas' mom gave her a month before. "My mom told me to give this to you, my dad gave it to her when they were younger. she was right, I do like you, and I want to be your boyfriend can I be your boyfriend?" Lucas asked, Franny chuckled and she leaned in and gave a kiss on Lucas' lips. Franny smiled into the kiss and leaned out.

"Sure, you can be my boyfriend. Would it make your mom happy? 'Cause if it does, it'll make me happy too."

And with that Lucas and Franny became Lanny.