A few days had passed after the fall of most of Hawkins. The gate into the Upside Down had been ripped open. Not even Eleven knew what to do.

Max was in the hospital, and it seemed like Vecna was quiet now. Well, almost.

Until he sensed Will Byers back.

Will was cursed by Vecna. Nosebleeds, headaches, nightmares. He heard the clock chime in the places he was in, and he could never settle.

One day, Vecna must have gotten the best of him.

Will was at the Wheelers house. They were letting the Byers stay over for the time being. Will was sitting alone in Mike's room when he heard the chimes again.

He gulped and got up, walking out of the room and towards the noise. Sure he knew better, but this way would also lead him to more people.

"Will." He heard the voice of Vecna echo into his mind.

Then he ran.

He tried to open doors, but all of them had been blocked with wood or they wouldn't open.

He shook, fear taking him as he looked around. He didn't think anyone would help him. They probably didn't even know he was cursed.

Mike would probably walk into his room later and see Will crunched up on the floor.

Will ran through the house, everything running through his mind. He knew he was trapped, he wasn't going to make it out on his own. He backed into a corner and silently sobbed. His party seemed to hate him. Mike certainly didn't care for him. Apparently his life started the day he went missing.

Vecna approached Will, revealing himself in the darkness, a tad confused as to why he wasn't running like most. "It is your time, Will." Vecna's voice echoed through the room. Will just silently nodded, not ashamed of the tears falling down his cheek.

Vecna approached him, but he didn't make a move to attack.

"You're different, Will Byers." Vecna said, a finger trailing along Will's face and brushing away a tear.

"Weak?" Will asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"No. No, you are stronger than the others. Do you know why I chose you, so long ago?" Vecna asked.

"What?"

The house around the two faded and became a red land, clouds and bits of a broken house flying around. Will looked around, shocked at the scene. Then Vecna began playing his memories through Will's mind.

"So long ago, I sent one of my prizes after you. The Demogorgon, as you call it."

Will watched the scene play, his younger self falling off his bike as the Demogorgon chased him.

"It brought you inside of the upside down. I tasked it to kill you, but it couldn't. You survived inside of my world, then escaped. But you weren't the first. I was."

The scene then changed to go further back in time, showing Will how Vecna looked as a child. He was just a regular human boy who felt exiled from his family.

"Then I realized that we were one in the same. I sent the Flayer after you. I got a better look into your mind, and I watched you. Your mother may have casted the Flayer out of you at first, but I could see you clearly, more so than ever."

Will watched the scene shift to where the Mind Flayer went inside of him, then to how Joyce had forced it out with fire.

"And so I stayed with you. I saw you as what you could become. A power vessel, someone who could get back at those who harmed you. I've been with you, Will. When your friends, when your family, left you behind in the darkness, I was with you. It was me."

The visions left and Will was back in the red clouds. The portal was open behind him, he had every chance to run, but he.. he didn't want to.

"No, Will Byers. You are not weak. You are the strongest human I have met. And for that, I wish for you to join me. We can make our own party." Vecna finished.

Will's breath hitched. His tears had stopped. He just stared at the monster in front of him and realized something. Everyone around him didn't care. His mother used to, but she was the only one. Johnathan pretended like he did, but he was just stoned all the time. He only cared for Argyle and Nancy.

And his party? His friends who promised to never leave his side? The moment he was gone they joined a new party, a new friend group, even after Will promised he wouldn't do that. Eleven? She only ever cared for Mike. He thought of her as a sister, he welcomed her to the family but she didn't care. No one did.

Will looked up at Vecna and he took a heavy breath. He was no longer shaking, he no longer had the fear in his eyes.

"I want to help you." He stated.

Vecna nodded, a slow look of appreciation forming.

"Good. If I need you, I will reach out to you. If you need me, tell me." Vecna stated.

Will nodded.

"I will."

Music began playing throughout the house. Mike must've just now wandered back into his room.

Should I stay or should I go?

They'd been told that music could bring you out of a trance from Vecna's curse. A rift in the house opened and Vecna glanced back to it, then looked at Will.

Will looked towards the opened portal and Vecna watched him walk out, glad that his plan was now in motion.