Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Jump!"

"Don't do it Mike!"

"Do it or we'll cut out his teeth!"

Mike stared down at the quarry. A few short days ago, in that water, they found what they thought was Will's body. Mike's entire world had shattered when he saw the fake body of Will Byers. Mike now knew better. Thanks to Eleven, he knew Will was alive.

In those hours Mike thought Will was dead, he thought about a lot of things. He thought about how he'd never get to see Will again. All of the Dungeons and Dragons campaigns they'd never play together, or all of the bike rides they'd never take.

It wasn't until Mike was standing on the ledge that he imagined just how painful Will's "death" would be.

Will's "death" was ruled an accidental drowning. The story was he had probably got lost on his way home, and fell over the ledge, that’s what the police believed. When Mike was supposed to be asleep, Mike overheard his parents talking. They had mentioned how horrible of a way that must've been to go. His injuries, plus the drowning, would've caused him a lot of pain.

Now, Mike will probably have to suffer the same fate everyone thought Will had.

He and Dustin were together, trying to find a way to get to Will, when they were accosted by James Dante and Troy Walsh. Troy had a knife he was currently holding to Dustin. Mike's options were clear.

Jump, or they'll hurt Dustin.

Mike was fixated at how far he'd fall. "Mike, no!" Dustin screamed.

"Do it, Mike," Troy ordered.

"I don't think he's going to do it," James said.

"I think I'll start with the front two teeth," Troy said.

Mike took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. "Mike!" Dustin screamed. "I can take it!"

Mike stepped off the ledge.

"Oh, shit!" Troy yelled. The three watched in horror as Mike quickly became out of their sight. After a few seconds, the devastating sound of a body hitting the water echoed through the now silent area.

Troy, in shock, had released Dustin. Dustin rushed to the edge, attempting to find any sign of life. "You son of a bitch, you killed him!" Dustin screamed. Tears were filling his eyes.

"I didn't think he'd actually jump!" Troy shouted.

"This is bad, man," James said, stumbling back in fear. "We're going to go to jail!"

"Shut up," Troy snapped. There was a beat of silence as Troy came up with a plan. "Neither of us are going to jail. Nobody has to know that we were here."

"What about him?" James asked, gesturing to Dustin.

"If he goes to the police, it'll be his word against ours," Troy said. He approached Dustin, grabbing his arm tightly. "You tell anyone what happened here, and you're dead."

With that, James and Troy fled the scene. Dustin stared down at the quarry, tears continuing to fall down his face as he released a sob.

Chapter Text

Hawkins wasn't the same.

It hadn't been since the day Will had gone missing, but now it had physical scars to match the emotional ones the citizens carried. The town was still dealing with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake Vecna had caused. Several citizens were dead, along with more dealing with injuries.

Will Byers, the boy's who's disappearance started the town wide paranoia, woke up. He, Jane, and Jonathan shared Jane's old bedroom while Hopper and Joyce took Jim’s bedroom. Their living quarters were tight, but they didn't complain. The old Byers house was bought up when the crew moved to California.

Jonathan was already up, but Jane was still asleep beside Will. They had slept in a bit since they had all been up the previous night to help with the post-earthquake clean up effort. It was summer break so they had a bit of wiggle room when it came to schedules.

A few minutes later, Jane groaned to life. "Morning."

"Good morning," Will said. "Sleep well?"

Jane just shrugged. Will knew what that shrug meant. The shrug meant she had nightmares, but didn't want to talk about it. Will knew everyone had nightmares since arriving back at Hawkins. He saw how tired they looked. The last few months had been taxing on everyone, and everyone barely slept because of it.

However, no one talked about it. Everyone had their own issues, and didn't wish to burden the others. Joyce had tried to get them to talk about them in the early days, but no one really talked during those family therapy successions. So, Joyce eventually stopped, hoping they'd come around on their own terms.

"How about you?" Jane asked.

"I slept fine," Will said. "We should probably get up for breakfast."

"Good idea," Jane said. The two of them climbed out of their respective beds. "Got any plans today?"

"Nothing much at the moment," Will responded. "Dustin asked if I could come over. You?"

"I'm probably going back to the hospital," Jane responded. "I still think there's more I can do to help Max."

Will gave Jane a small smile. Max hadn't woken up since Vecna attacked her. Jane blamed herself for Max's condition. Max technically died for a few minutes, and would probably be dead now if Jane hadn't gotten to her when she did.

Now, Max was comatose, with both of her arms and legs broken. The doctors said she was blinded now due to the attack. There wasn't anything they could do for her right now. Jane and Lucas were at her bedside constantly.

The two siblings made their way to the kitchen, where Joyce and Jim were. They had been talking about potentially selling the California home the previous day. Will and Jane would be happy if they moved back to Hawkins permanently. There was nothing for them in California. However, they knew it would be a tougher decision for Joyce and Jonathan.

"Good morning, kids," Joyce greeted.

"Morning," Jane said.

"Breakfast is almost ready," Joyce said. Joyce had made scrambled eggs and bacon. Soon, the four of them sat around the table to eat.

As they ate, Joyce spoke up, "we have an offer on the California home. We'll just need to take a trip there soon to grab our things."

"That was quick," Will said.

"Actually, it got bought up by one of your classmates," Joyce said. "Does the name Jennifer Hayes ring a bell?"

"I think so," Will said.

"Her and her family are moving," Joyce said. "Mr. Hayes got a job offer."

"Seems like everyone is leaving Hawkins," Jim said.

No one could blame anyone for leaving. The "earthquakes" destroyed the town, closing down several local businesses. People wanted to leave all the tragedy behind. The only people who seemed to be running to Hawkins were the Byers.

"Anyway," Joyce said. "Got any plans today?"

"I'm going to Dustin's," Will said.

"Going back to the hospital," Jane responded.

The family finished breakfast, and went about their day.

The ride to Dustin's house was a depressing one. Dustin's neighborhood had been mostly destroyed by the earthquake. It was by some miracle that Dustin's house remained intact. They lost power and water, but the actual home was undamaged.

As Will rode his bike, he passed the houses that weren't as lucky. There was a lot of debate if they were even going to try and rebuild Hawkins. With everyone leaving, people started to see the town as a lost cause.

Will quickly arrived at Dustin's house. Will unmounted his bike in the garage before walking to the front door. He rang the doorbell, and it was only a few seconds before the door was opened. "Hello, Ms. Henderson," Will said.

"Good morning, Will," Claudia Henderson said. "Dustin is in his room."

"Thank you," Will said. Claudia allowed him to enter the house.

"How's your mom?" Claudia asked.

"She's doing great," Will answered. "Thanks for asking."

Will made his way to Dustin's room. The door was opened, so Will walked in.

Dustin was sitting at his desk, working on something. Will couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it did kind of look like a Dungeons and Dragons character sheet. "Hey, Dustin," Will said.

"Hey, Will," Dustin said. "What's up?"

"You asked me to come over?" Will asked.

"Oh, right," Dustin said. Will hadn't been back in Hawkins for long, but Will definitely began to notice how people had changed. People were already changing after last year's mall fire, and the earthquake just solidified those changes. The one person who seemed was Dustin.

Maybe it was because he had already changed so much.

Ever since Will was rescued from the Upside Down, he noticed how Dustin was more reserved. He didn't talk as much. Over time, Dustin had been more social. Going to camp and meeting Suzie seemed to help, but he was still quite reserved.

He didn't like going outside much anymore, especially near the quarry.

No one really talked about the quarry. It wasn't like they talked about the quarry a lot before Will went missing. Yet, now anytime the quarry was brought up in a conversation, it was an instant conversation killer. Too many bad memories, due to everything that happened here when Will disappeared.

Waking up in the hospital to find out Mike was dead crushed Will. In a way, Will couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible. Mike's death was declared an accidental drowning, but people were suspicious. The fact that it's where they found "Will's" body as well made people assume it wasn't an accident at all, but an intentional act on Mike's part. No witness came forward to deny or confirm the rumors.

Finally, Dustin spoke up, "Right. The reason I invited you over."

Dustin walked over to his desk, staring down at the papers. "You're staying in Hawkins, right?"

"Yep," Will said. "We just sold the California house."

"That's great," Dustin said. "So, Eddie- I told you about Eddie right?"

"In almost every letter," Will joked.

"Oh yeah," Dustin said with a chuckle. "Well, he asked me to take over the D&D club at Hawkins high."

"I'm still surprised Hawkins High has a D&D club," Will responded. "Never thought the school board would approve of that."

"Eddie fought hard for it, but he managed to make it happen," Dustin explained. He looked away longingly. He released a sigh before continuing. "Anyway, this upcoming year, I'm taking over the position as Dungeon Master, and I need to start planning campaigns. I was hoping you could help me."

"Sure," Will said. Dustin leads Will to his desk. On the desk, Will saw a photo. It was of him, Dustin, Mike, and Lucas on Halloween. It was the last Halloween they all spent together before everything went to shit.

Will smiled as he recalled the memory. Mike had come up with a scheme to maximize the amount of candy they'd receive. It almost worked. Mike was always the one who made the plans.

Now, they were all lost.

Will and Dustin worked for about five minutes before someone knocked on Dustin's door. "Come in," Dustin called.

Claudia Henderson opened the door. "You have a visitor."

Jane poked her head through the door. "Max is up!"

In almost record time, the group arrived at the hospital. They didn't stop by the receptionist, already knowing the directions to her room. It wasn't until they were halfway down the hall when Dustin finally spoke up, "wait! What if they moved her?"

"They didn't," Jane said. Within the next two minutes, the group rushed into Max's bedroom. Lucas was sitting at her bedside, looking at her with a face showing relief in every corner. Lucas turned to their visitors, tears streaming down his face.

"Hey, Max," Lucas said. "Jane-"

"Will and Dustin are here?" Max interrupted.

"How did you-" Dustin started, but Max interrupted again.

"Being in a coma unlocked my secret sixth sense," Max said. "Also, I heard you down the hall."

"It's great to have you back," Jane said.

"It's great to be back," Max said. "What did I miss?"

"Jane managed to stop Vecna," Will explained. "We haven't heard from him since."

"Good," Max said. "How's mom?"

Everyone looked to Lucas. "She's been here," Lucas said. "She's currently staying with a friend while your house is being refurbished."

Max didn't need to learn that her house was destroyed right now. She had just gotten out of a coma. Telling her now would just cause her an unnecessary amount of stress.

"Do you need anything?" Lucas asked. "I'm working on making a new mixtape for you. It's got plenty of Kate Bush."

"I'm starving," Max said. "I could eat a cow."

"Anybody wanna raid the vending machine?" Lucas asked.

"I'll do it," Will said. He exited the hospital room. Will had spotted the vending machine on his way to Max's room.

Will was about halfway there when he heard the distinct sound of a clock.

Chapter Text

"Will's been gone for a while," Dustin said. "Do you think everything is alright?"

"There's probably just a line," Lucas said. "Basically every room in this place is full."

"We passed the vending machine on the way here,” Dustin said. “I don't remember seeing that long of a line when we first got here.”

"I think we should check on him," Jane said. Everyone in the room turned to the girl. She had a horrified look in her eyes. "I can't explain it, but I have a feeling that something is wrong."

That did it. Lucas stayed behind with Max while Jane and Dustin left the hospital room. It took them no time at all to find the corridor with the vending machine.

"Will! There you are!"

Dustin barely finished that sentence before freezing in horror. "Will?" Jane asked. Will was currently standing in a corner, facing away from the two of them. The corridor with the vending machine was empty.

"Will!" Dustin called out. The two of them rushed to Will as the horror sunk in on them. Will's eyes had gone completely white.

"Everything is your fault, Will."

Within seconds of hearing the sound of a clock, Will was in the Upside Down version of the hospital. He was only down there for a few seconds before he heard that voice. He had heard the voice a few more times since then.

With little warning, Will was slammed into the wall. Vecna quickly appeared in front of him. "Everything is your fault," Vecna said. "All of the tragedy and destruction didn't need to happen. I didn't need to be released."

"Maybe, you're just like me," Vecna said. "Maybe you are happy to bring upon all of the darkness and destruction. You see it as revenge. Revenge because you know you can never be your true self with them. You will always have to hide, or at least until you can get into Hawkins."

"You're wrong," Will stuttered out. "I am nothing like you."

"Are we though?" Vecna asked. "We both bring death to people. I mean, you remember Bob. He made the mistake of dating your mother, and thus, getting involved with you. How did that turn out for him? He got torn apart by a creature from here for his troubles."

"That was the Mind Flayer," Will protested. "Not me."

"Maybe it was," Vecna said. "But that's not the only one. What was the name of that one friend you had? Oh, right. Mike-"

"KEEP HIS NAME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!"

A vine wrapped around Will's neck, silencing the boy. Will cringed as the vines squeezed. "Did I strike a nerve there?" Vecna asked. "Probably a lot of unresolved feelings there. I bet he hadn't thought of you since your fake body was found. Maybe he was relieved."

"You didn't know Mike," Will said. "He cared about me."

"Think of something," Lucas ordered Dustin. "You're the one who has known him the longest."
"I'm trying!" Dustin shouted, trying to keep the tears from spilling from his eyes further.
Snap

"You seem so sure of that," Vecna said. "People never cared for those like us. We have to stick together."

Vecna reached out his hand. "You were a good spy for me before your so-called friends ruined everything," Vecna explained. "If you join me, I will not only spare you, but I will give you a high position. You will have power beyond your wildest dreams. You won't have to live in fear. You will be the one who causes fear."

Will barely thought about it before speaking, "No! I will never betray my friends. You're wrong. You and I are nothing alike."

Vecna dropped his hand. "Then you will die with the rest of your pathetic friends."

"Music!" Dustin screamed, as he rushed over to where Jane was still with Will. "Lucas said we need music! It can't just be any song. It has to be a song with a connection to him."

"What song could that be?" Jane asked.

"I don't know," Lucas, who had been following Dustin, said.

Snap!

Will's left arm broke.

"Um," Dustin said. He frantically slapped his hand against his leg.

"Think of something!" Lucas ordered Dustin. "You're the one who has known him the longest."

"I'm trying!" Dustin shouted, trying to keep the tears from spilling from his eyes further.

Snap!

There went Will's other arm.

"Wait," Dustin said. "He did mention this one song. It was by The Clash. He said he sang it to himself to try and keep his hopes up in the Upside Down. How did it go? Something like, 'darling, you gotta let me know.'"

Will screamed out as his right leg was broken.

"Your love for those who will never truly accept you makes you weak," Vecna said. "You could've had it all. It's a tragedy, really."

Will bit back a sob as his other leg was broken. "Goodbye, Will Byers," Vecna said. "It was fun while it lasted."

Before Vecna could take Will's eyes, Will heard a familiar song, "Should I stay or should I go now?"

That line was repeated. It wasn't the regular singer's voice, but it was Dustin's voice instead. Music, of course. Lucas had told him about how music was a way to keep Vecna away.

"If I go there will be trouble," Dustin sang.

Suddenly, adrenaline rushed through Will's veins. He had a sudden need to survive at all costs.

Will was able to get out of Vecna's invisible hold on him. As Dustin continued to sing the song, Will tried to pull himself through the Upside Down. Will groaned as his broken limbs screamed in pain.

"You can't escape me forever," Vecna promised. "I will be back, and everyone you love will be gone."

Will's eyes returned to normal as he collapsed. Jane was at his side, and Dustin was at the other. Lucas had rushed off to get a doctor, or probably multiple. "Will," Jane said. "Oh, I'm so happy you're awake. Just stay awake a little longer."

Will could barely focus on her voice. All he could focus on was the amount of pain he was in. "You're going to be okay, Will," Dustin tearfully promised. "Will, please don't close your eyes. Don't you dare close your eyes."

Will, despite trying his hardest to appease Dustin's pleads and promises, felt his eyes get heavy. They were shut within seconds, and Will couldn't open them again.

Will was taken away on a stretcher quickly.

The police interrogated Lucas, Jane, Dustin, and Max, though Max was quickly let off the hook since it was quickly confirmed she was in her room. The others were also left off the hook when the video footage was reviewed, though the police were still investigating exactly what happened.

So, now all they could do was wait. Dustin and Jane waited outside the surgical ward. Lucas went back to Max's room. With Vecna around, Lucas wanted to make sure Max had someone to protect her just in case he decides to finish the job.

Dustin and Jane were there when the hospital doors swung open, Joyce and Jonathan entering. "I'm here for my son?!" Joyce asked. "My boy, Will. Please, tell me he's okay."

Joyce was then approached by a doctor. Jonathan approached the two teenagers.

"Was it Vecna?" Jonathan asked.

Dustin only nodded in response, and Jonathan nodded back. Jonathan then sat beside Dustin, and no one spoke. No one really felt like speaking. So, they just sat and waited.

Will woke up back in the hospital. However, it wasn't like the Upside Down version of the hospital. However, it wasn't like the regular hospital. Things were slightly brighter here, and things were quiet.

"Hello?" Will called out. His voice echoed through the halls. He walked through the halls. His limbs were suddenly healed as well.

Most of the doors were locked. Will kept walking until he found a door that was opened. It led to a regular hospital room. A look at the room number revealed it was Max's room, but there was no one in the bed. There was, however, someone sitting in one of the chairs, facing the window.

"I've been expecting you," the person said. Will's eyes widened as the person turned around. "Hello, Will."

"Mike?" Will muttered out.

Chapter Text

Will didn't believe his eyes. Mike Wheeler, his best friend and first ever crush, was in front of him. Will hadn't seen Mike since the night he disappeared.

"Mike," Will repeated, needing to feel the weight of Mike's name on his tongue to prove he's real.

"That's my name," Mike said.

"How are you here?" Will asked.

Mike leaned back in his seat. "Welcome to the in-between," Mike explained.

"The in-between?" Will questioned. "So, like purgatory?"

Will recalled the Dungeons and Dragons campaigns they had set in a form of purgatory. Will found the idea so interesting. The characters fighting to come back or move on. In reality, the concept terrified Will. Being stuck in a version of this world, unable to move on. It also just sounded lonely.

Mike nodded his head. The horror dawned on Will as he asked, "So, I'm dead?"

"Not yet," Mike said. "You're in a state where you're not alive or dead. You're in-between."

Will suddenly remembered what happened. Will remembered being attacked by Vecna, and being saved by Dustin. He was probably now in a coma like Max, but most importantly, Vecna is back.

Yet, one probably hopeful, but stupid thought was at the front of Will's head, "Wait, if I'm still alive, are you too?"

Sadly, Mike shook his head. "I'm not alive. I'm super dead."

Upon another glance, Will noticed things about Mike. When he stared at the floor, there was a puddle around Mike's feet. Mike's body also had the ghost of injuries he would've sustained in the fall.

After a few seconds, Will noticed a red liquid come from Mike's nose. "Mike, you're bleeding!"

"Oh," Mike said. He put his fingers under his nose, staring at the red liquid now on his fingers. "I guess I am."

Mike turned to face Will. "It's okay," Mike said. "I just do that now sometimes. It's no big deal."

Will guessed that makes sense. Mike was a ghost now. He probably wouldn't feel any pain. "Everyone here has little quirks related to our deaths like that," Mike explained. "Well, at least the permanent residents do."

"Am I not the first not fully dead person who's come here before?" Will asked.

"No, but you're only the second," Mike explained.

"Who was the first?" Will asked.

"I never caught her name," Mike said. "She was a girl with red hair. Chrissy and Eddie knew who she was."

"Red haired," Will muttered. It hit him quickly. "Max? Max Mayfield?"

"I guess," Mike said.

"Wow," Max said. "That's Lucas's girlfriend, by the way."

"No way," Mike said.

"Yep," Will said. "Well, I'm pretty sure they got back together. Things have been very different since..."

There was a beat of silence. "I miss Hawkins," Mike said, staring out the window again. "Well, certain people of Hawkins."

"Hawkins misses you," Will said.

"How is my family?" Mike asked.

"They're surviving," Will responded. "Like everyone."

"You wanna get out of here?" Mike asked. "You should meet the crew."

"The crew?" Will asked. "Who's all here?"

"Everyone who's died in Hawkins or the Upside Down since the first gate opened," Mike explained. "When that gate opened, this one was created. All of the souls of those fallen in Hawkins are here. Even after the gates were closed, this place continued to exist and welcome new people."

Will nodded. Mike stood up from her seat and the two left the hospital. The hospital and parking lot were empty. The silence was very eerie. The place was the exact opposite of the Upside Down. It was bright and warm, whereas the Upside Down was cold and dark.

Yet, even as his entire world view changed, Will couldn't help but stare at Mike. Mike was standing beside him again. When Will was trapped in the Upside Down, he feared he'd never get to see his family and friends, especially Mike, ever again. Then, that fear of never seeing Mike again became a reality when Joyce broke the news of Mike's death.

Will sobbed for Mike. Will mourned Mike. Mike, who was now standing right beside him.

"It's rude to stare."

That snapped Will out of his thoughts. He realized he was making eye contact with Mike. "Oh," Will said. "I'm sorry-"

"I'm just kidding," Mike interrupted. "Do you have any questions? I know this is a lot to take in. I was in shock when I ended up here too."

"You said everyone who's died in Hawkins since the Upside Down was opened is here," Will explained. "Where is everyone?"

"Most of everyone stays in their own little bubbles," Mike explained. "They stay in the replicas of their homes or places of work. It's a boring existence, really."

"Is this the only afterlife?" Will asked.

"I don't know," Mike said. "Nobody seems to know. Other than Max, nobody has been able to leave."

Will nodded. There was another question on the tip of his tongue. "So, you're constantly wet," Will said.

"Yeah," Mike said. "It's because I drowned to death. Everything else came from the impact. Whoever told someone falling into water would make a fall not hurt is a liar."

Will laughed. He missed laughing at Mike's jokes. Will had a thought after a few moments. "How come I don't have any markings from my attack?" Will asked.

"Probably because you're not dead," Mike said. "Or you're not fully dead. Max didn't have any markings on her either when she showed up."

The two kept walking until Mike stopped. "He's here," Mike called out.

"Who are you talking to?" Will asked.

"Will the wise," a voice said. A boy with long dark brown hair emerged. "My Bard has told me a lot about you."

The man, who looked a few years older than Will, was talking in an over-the-top fantasy voice. Will recognized the shirt the male was wearing. Dustin owned a shirt that looked exactly the same. It was for the Hawkin High’s D&D club.

"You must be Eddie," Will said.

"The one and only," Eddie said, gesturing to himself.

"My friend has told you a lot about you," Will said. "Dustin."

"I'm honored," Eddie said. "Dustin told me a lot about you too."

"He did?" Will asked.

"Dustin wouldn't shut up about you," Eddie said.

"All good things I hope?" Will asked.

"All great things," Eddie said.

"Bob, Will is here," Mike called.

"Bob?" Will asked.

Bob soon emerged. "Hey, kid," Bob said. "Long time no see."

Will rushed over and threw his arms around Bob. Will bit back a sob as Bob hugged him back. "I'm glad to see you too," Bob said.

"I'm very glad to see you," Will muttered. "I'm sorry about what happened, with the demodogs-"

"Don't be," Bob said. "I'm just happy to see you back."

After a moment, Will let go."It's great to see everyone," Will said. "But I was wondering if there was a way I could get back? Vecna is back, and my friends need my help."

The three ghosts stared at each other. "What?" Will asked.

"Nobody knows how to leave," Mike explained.

"How did Max leave?" Will asked.

"Max just vanished," Eddie said. "I'm not even fully sure she went back to life."

"She did," Will said. "I was just visiting her in the hospital. How long am I going to be here?"

"We don't know," Mike said. "Maybe, a week or so, or forever?"

Chapter Text

It wasn't until the next day that they allowed non-family visitors into Will’s room.

The sight of Will was eerily familiar to the friends as Dustin, Lucas, and Jane entered the room. Just over twenty-four hours before, Max had been in the exact same situation.

Jonathan and Joyce were sitting at his bedside. It was clear both of them had been up for the last twenty-four hours.

"Any updates?" Lucas asked.

"He stabilized over the night," Joyce explained. "They have no idea when he's going to wake up."

The three teens nodded. "This is my fault," Dustin muttered. "I should've gone with him."

Joyce gently grabbed Dustin's hand. "You can't blame yourself," Joyce said. "Vecna is unpredictable. Besides, you actually saved him. You were the one who figured the song to save Will. None of this is your fault."

"If only I thought about it sooner," Dustin muttered.

"You can't focus on what ifs," Jonathan said. "Just what's happening now."

Though, all Dustin could worry about nowadays was what if.

Will didn't know how much time had passed.

Will was now sitting in Mike's basement. "It's just like we left it," Mike said.

Will stared at the Dungeons and Dragons campaign. It was just like it was on that November night. "This entire house is like a carbon copy of how it was that night," Mike explained. "The phone is still in Nancy's room. I haven't bothered to touch it, because really, who can I even call?"

"This is really cool," Will said. "It's like a time capsule."

"I know right," Mike said. "Oh, I have something for you. I know you probably won't be able to take it with you when you leave, but you can at least carry it around while you are here."

Mike walked over to the basement staircase. Mike grabbed something and held up his arm. Based on how small the thing Mike was holding is, Will made an educated guess on what Mike was holding it. "I told you," Mike said. "This place is a perfect copy."

"You found it?" Will asked.

Will held out his palm, and Mike dropped the dice onto Will's palm. It wasn't just any dice. It was the dice that Will lost that night. Lucas, Dustin, Mike, and Will all searched for this dice, but Will was the only one to find the dice.

"I rolled a seven," Will said, holding up the dice.

"We're dead," Mike joked.

"Oops," Will said.

The two of them had a moment of meaningful silence. The two of them enjoy the silence, still being happy that they were together again.

"Do you wanna finish it?" Mike asked.

"Hm?" Will asked.

"Do you want to finish the campaign?" Mike asked.

"We can't really finish it with two people," Will said.

"We can get Eddie involved," Mike suggested. "I'm sure I still have the character sheets somewhere around here. We just need one more person. I'm sure someone will be happy to join us, get some excitement in our lives, or afterlife."

"Maybe later," Will said.

"Do you still play D&D?" Mike asked.

"I didn't have many chances to in California," Will responded. "I wish I had more opportunities, though."

"Me too," Mike said. "How's Dustin and Lucas?"

"Lucas is doing fine," Will said. "So is Dustin, but he's different now."

"How so?" Mike asked.

"He's withdrawn," Will said. "He has been since I got back from the Upside Down."

Will noticed a look on Mike's face. He looked disturbed as he seemingly recalled something. "Mike-"

"Sorry," Mike said. "What were we talking about?"

"D&D," Will answered.

"Right," Mike said.

"Is everything okay, Mike?" Will asked.

"Yeah," Mike said. Though, Will saw right through the lie.

"Mike, is everything alright?" Will repeated.

"Yes," Mike said, a little too quickly for Will’s comfort. "Anyway, where are those character sheets?"

A week passed, and there was little to no change in Will.

Dustin was sitting at Will's bedside. Dustin was alone this afternoon. Dustin was making sure Should I Stay or Should I Go? was on repeat for Will. Dustin was wearing headphones, having The NeverEnding Story by Limahl on repeat. Lucas had insisted that they keep music playing constantly. "A song all day keeps the Vecna away," Lucas had told Dustin, along with Max and Jane.

The door opened, and Joyce entered the room. "Hello, Ms. Byers," he said.

"I've known you for almost a decade," Joyce said with a slight chuckle. She slowly made her way to a seat and sat down as she continued to talk, "you can call me Joyce."

"Okay, Joyce," Dustin said.

Joyce sat beside Dustin. "How's Jane?" Dustin asked.

"Jim's the only one who's heard from her," Joyce explained. "She's on a Vecna hunt. She blames herself for what happened with Will."

"She shouldn't blame herself," Dustin said. "She couldn't have seen the attack coming."

"I agree with you," Joyce said. There was a beat of silence. "You shouldn't blame yourself either."

"That's different," Dustin said.

"How so?" Joyce asked. Dustin couldn't answer her. "You should go home. Your mom told me you haven't been home in a while."

"I have to stay with Will," Dustin said. "What if Vecna comes back?"

"Then I'll be here," Joyce promised. "I have my boy."

"Are you sure?" Dustin asked. Joyce nodded.

"Keep Should I Stay or Should I Go playing," Dustin said.

"I will," Joyce promised. With that, Dustin left.

Now thinking about it, Will had never been to the quarry.

Before the quarry became a taboo subject, Will had no reason to go there. Will wasn't even sure if Jonathan had ever been here. The quarry was more of a hangout for older teens in relationships to get some alone time. Now, with all of the negative memories around the quarry, Will just assumed he'd never go there, even though he wasn’t there for any of those memories.

He'll probably never go to the Hawkins one, but here he was. He was staring down at the water. From here, Will couldn't see anything. He wondered if there was anything living in the water. He didn't know if animals were here either. He hasn't seen Dustin's cat. Then again, he wasn't looking.

"Beautiful morning, isn't it?"

Will turned around, spotting Bob. "I sometimes come here to think," Bob said.

"I guess it can be peaceful and beautiful," Will said. "This is my first time ever coming here. Too many bad memories from when I was alive. I just wanted to come here since I've never been here. So much happened here, and I've never been. I mean, people thought I died here, and Mike died here."

Bob nodded. "Each place here is frozen at a certain time," Bob said. "If someone died here, it's stuck at the time someone died. It only changes for the first person who died there. If no one died here, it's quite random when they're stuck. No one has figured out the science. We've only been able to put it together through clocks and old calendars."

Will processed that information. "A part of me wonders if it's my fault," Will said.

"What do you mean?" Bob asked.

"Mike's death," Will explained. "If I had been here, maybe I could've helped him."

"That's not your fault," Bob said. "Mike explained everything. Dustin was being threatened-"

"Dustin was there?" Will asked. "Who was threatening him?"

"You don't know what happened?" Bob asked.

"No," Will answered.

There was a beat of silence. "You should probably ask Mike," Bob said.

Before Will could ask further questions, Bob disappeared. Will started to make his way to Mike's house when he noticed something beside a tree. It was a watch, and there was a tag on it.

Why was Troy Walsh's watch here?

"Will, is that you? I've got the campaign set up."

Will made his way down the stairs. "Mike, what happened at the quarry?" Will asked. "What actually happened at the quarry on that day? Was there someone with you?"

Mike didn't respond for a moment before, "okay. Take a seat. It's a long story."

Chapter Text

1983

Will wasn't at Mike's funeral.

Will was still in the hospital at the time of Mike's funeral. Will was devastated when he learned he can't go. He was only slightly appeased when Joyce said she'd take him to his grave when he was out.

Will wasn't there, but Mike's killers were there.

What kind of sick twist of fate was that? Mike's best friend didn't get to attend, but the two boys directly responsible for his death got to attend. Almost their entire grade showed up for Mike's funeral, mostly out of community expectations, since most of them hadn't said a hundred words to Mike Wheeler ever. People would cry over him like they cried over Will, even though they never actually knew him.

That didn't bother him. What bothered him was that Troy Walsh and James Dante were here. They didn't deserve to be here. They probably didn't even want to be here. They were probably just dragged here by their parents. Mike's two killers were at his funeral, when they should be rotting away in a jail cell.

Mike's three killers were here.

In the back of Dustin's mind, he knew he wasn't to blame for the death of Mike Wheeler. He was telling him to not jump. Dustin was being held at knife point, so Mike jumped.

Now, because Dustin was a coward, Mike's killers were free.

Go to the police. It's better to say something than to say nothing. Maybe they can find evidence at the scene. Then, maybe, Mike's soul will get to be at peace.

It was unlikely anyone would believe him, but Dustin had to try.

1986

"We were searching for you when James and Troy found us," Mike explained. Will was still sitting with Mike in his basement. In his left hand, he was still clutching Troy Walsh's watch. A watch that could change everything.

"Troy got a hold of Dustin," Mike continued. "They threatened him with a knife-"

Will felt a pit form in his stomach. He couldn't have imagined how terrifying that must've been, for both Dustin and Mike. "They told me if I didn't jump, they'd cut out his teeth," Mike said. "So, I jumped."

Things started to click into place in Will's mind. "It hurt a lot," Mike went on to explain. "It took me a minute or two to die. I don’t know if it was from my injuries, drowning, or a mixture of both. Then everything just went numb, and that's how I ended up here."

Mike gestured around with his hands. "So, Dustin has known what's really happened to you all of this time?" Will questioned. Will felt anger build up in him as he finished that sentence, which Mike must've sensed, since he immediately jumped to Dustin's defense.

"I don't blame him. They made it clear they weren’t above threats. I mean, they had just killed me. Who knew what else they were capable of? Besides, it would've been their word against his. The police would've believed their story without any other living witnesses."

Will fell back into his chair, feeling defeated. "All this time, they've been walking free like nothing ever happened," Will muttered.

"Yeah, that sucks," Mike said. "Anyway, there's no changing it now."

Will didn't respond for a moment. Then, he remembered something. "I think Dustin did try to go to the police once."

1983

It was the day before Will was going to be discharged from the hospital. Lucas was visiting, and the two were reading comic books. Will was quickly growing bored of his hospital room. Visits were his only form of entertainment.

Will's hospital door opened. "Hey, guys," Dustin said.

"Hey, Dustin," Lucas said. "Did you- what happened to your eye?"

Dustin turned around. Dustin had a black eye over his right eye. It was a pretty big one too. "Oh, that," Dustin said. "I ran into a door on the way in. Note to any of you: don't try to get into a fight with a door. You will fail every time."

At the time, Lucas and Will laughed. They had no reason to suspect Dustin was lying. "Do you want some ice for it?" Will asked. "I can get nurse Abby to get you some. She's the nice nurse."

"And the pretty one," Lucas said. Will never thought about her like that.

"Guys, I'm really fine," Dustin said. Eager to change the subject, Dustin asked, "Anyway, what are you reading?"

"X-Men," Will responded.

"Nice," Dustin said. "And I did get the chips, Lucas."

Dustin grabbed a bag of chips from his bag. Will couldn't help but stare at Dustin's black eye. He didn't know why at the time, but something about it felt off.

1986

Now, Will knows why.

"I have to go back," Will said. "James and Troy are still out there. They can't just run free."

"Good luck with that," Mike said. "Any evidence would probably be long gone by now."

That's when Will revealed the watch. "I found this at the quarry," Will said. "It belongs to Troy. Maybe it's still there in real life. If I can get Dustin to say something, then we can finally bring them to justice."

"You probably can't take that with you," Mike said. "Or you can. I don't know the rules."

"I'm going to wake up," Will said.

"I don't think you get to decide that," Mike explained sadly.

"I'm going to try and wake myself up," Will said.

"You can try," Mike said.

"I'm going to," Will said.

Before he could, Mike shouted, "Your leg!"

Will looked down in horror. His right leg was broken, yet Will felt no pain. It was broken like his real leg.

Joyce was sitting alone with Will when the doctor returned. He had a solemn look on his face. He went on about how Will's condition had worsened, and there hadn't been much improvement.

Then, he said the words Joyce never wanted to hear.

"You should think about saying your final goodbyes."

Chapter Text

"What does that mean, Mike?" Will exclaimed.

"I don't know," Mike yelled back with a stutter. "This never happened to Max."

"Am I dying?" Will asked, his voice breaking halfway through the sentence.

"No, you can't be dying," Mike said. "You can't die."

Both boys were freaking out. However, Will had a thought. Will was sick and tired of fighting. Ever since he went missing that night, he hasn't fully stopped fighting. If he woke up right now, he'd go straight back into fighting. He didn't want to fight anymore.

"Maybe I should let it happen," Will said.

"I don't know, Jon," Joyce cried. "The doctor said it would be cruel to leave him on life support much longer."

"Mom, are you kidding me?" Jonathan cried out. He had joined her not long after the doctor left. "You fought for Will so much when he was in the Upside Down, and now you just want to give up on him?"

"He's been asleep for almost two weeks," Joyce argued back. "There's been no improvements. If anything, the doctor says he's gotten worse."

"Max was asleep for a lot longer, and she woke up," Jonathan said.

"Max was a miracle," Joyce said. "She's the only of his victims to survive."

"Unlike Max, Vecna didn't do the complete his attack on Will," Jonathan argued back. "This time we'll know how to protect him. Heck, if I need to, I'll get every radio station in the state of Indiana to play 'Should I Stay or Should I Go?' on repeat all day, everyday if I must. We just can't give up on him. El is so close to finding him, and she's making a plan to defeat him."

Jonathan's eyes drifted to his comatose brother. He looked so peaceful while he slept. His face didn't have a trace of emotion. It was impossible to tell if he was in pain or not.

Jonathan heard his mom let out a small sob. "I just don't want him to suffer anymore," she muttered.

"What do you mean, 'maybe I should let this happen'?" Mike exclaimed. “You can’t let it happen.”

"Maybe I don't want to fight anymore," Will said calmly. "Being here is nice. There's no Vecna, and there's no Mind Flayer. Everything here is frozen in time and perfect. You and I can play Dungeons and Dragons together here forever."

"Will, you don't want to stay here," Mike said. "It's not your time."

"And that day at the quarry was your time?" Will asked. "Life is unfair and good people die while evil gets to dance on their graves. Even if I go back, I'm not completely sure I can even get you justice. Even if I find the watch, that still barely proves anything. Troy could lie, and James would cover for him to save his own skin."

"Will, this isn't about me," Mike said. "This is about you."

"Exactly," Will said. "What if I go back and I just hurt more people? Both you and Bob are dead because of me."

"Neither of our deaths are your fault," Mike argued back. "The Mindflayer and demo dog are responsible for Bob's death, and I was forced to jump. I jumped because there was a knife to Dustin's face, and I couldn't stand to see another friend hurt."

"You guys wouldn't have been out there if it wasn't for my disappearance," Will said.

"It's not your fault that you were kidnapped, Will," Mike promised. "It was a random attack. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Demogorgon could've just as easily taken Dustin or Lucas. Trust me, I know blaming yourself can be one of the easiest things in the world, but none of this is truly your fault."

"Do you blame me?" Will asked. "Since, you wouldn't have been at the quarry that day if my fake body wasn't found there?"

"I haven't thought to blame you once," Mike answered. There was a sincerity in his voice. The sincerity let Will know that Mike was only speaking the truth.

"Did you ever blame Dustin?" Will asked.

"I won't lie, sometimes when I first got here," Mike sighed. "Wondering if he just elbowed Troy's in the ribs, or if El- wait, you never meant El."

Will couldn't help but chuckle. "I actually did meet El. Actually, a bit more than just meeting her. She's my adopted sister."

“Oh, really?” Mike asked.

“Yeah,” Will said. “It’s a long story, but my mom adopted her.”

"I'm glad you guys met," Mike said, a slight smile creeping onto his face. "And clearly more. Anyway, what was I talking about?"

"Blaming Dustin and El," Will answered.

"Right," Mike said. "Anyway, I did blame them a little at the beginning. I had a lot of misplaced anger over what happened. Then, I realized that I was just really sad. All of my real anger was aimed at Troy and James."

Will nodded. "Having the going back talk?" a new voice asked.

The two boys turned towards the stairs. Bob was currently walking down them, Eddie was trailing right behind him. "We didn't mean to eavesdrop, but we figured we should way in," Bob said.

"Please do," Mike said.

"Will the Wise, I know it seems like things are all great here, but the truth is, you get bored and lonely really quick," Eddie said, placing his hands on Will’s shoulders. "Nobody really hangs out here. They stay in their own little bubbles, trying to process their own loneliness and grief over what happened to them. I know the upside up or whatever it's called can suck at times, but trust me, you don't want to be here."

"Plus, your mother and brother would really miss you," Bob said. "They love you more than anything. Losing you for real this time would completely shatter them."

"Not just them," Eddie said. "Your friends would too. Dustin would be absolutely devastated if you died. I don't think he could take any more heartbreaks. I didn't spend much time with Max or Lucas before everything, but I'm sure they feel the same way."

Dustin. In all of Will's anger, sadness, and confusion, completely ignored all of the pain Dustin was going through. He had to witness Mike and Eddie’s death. Will suddenly felt a strong need to hug Dustin. He wanted to hug all of his friends and family. He wanted to see them again.

"I think I want to go home," Will said. "No. I know I want to go home."

"Well, it's now or never, Will," Mike said. “If the injuries on your body are any indication, you don’t have much time left.”

Will ran over and gave Bob a huge hug. Will felt Bob's arms wrap around him, squeezing him gently. "Tell your mom I said hey," Bob said.

"I will," Will promised. Once they broke apart, Will didn't hug Eddie. He didn't feel that was appropriate since they barely knew each other. So, Will instead chose to give Eddie a high five.

"Have many adventures, young sorcerer," Eddie said. Will simply chuckled at the comment.

Will, finally, then walked over to Mike. "I'm glad I'm finally getting to do this," Mike said. "Have a final goodbye, I mean."

"Me too," Will said. "You know, I had the biggest crush on you."

"No way," Mike said. "You were my first ever crush. Well, you were my only crush. Technically, you’re the love of my life."

Will couldn't believe it. He never thought that Mike Wheeler could have a crush on him. Mike, who Will never thought would see him as more than a friend, considered Will the one love of his life.
And, yet, thanks to Troy, James, and the Demogorgon, they'll never get to act on those feelings.

Mike wiped away Will's tears. Will hadn't even realized he had started crying. Neither of them said anything for a while. The only noise in the room came from Will's cries. Will mourned the life they could've had.

"Do you ever think about what could've happened if life was more fair?" Will finally asked.

"Every single fucking day," Mike answered. "But, Will, please don't waste your life thinking about what ifs. I want you to go on and have the most fulfilling life possible. Promise me you'll do that."

"Okay," Will muttered.

"Don't hurry back, okay?" Mike requested. "I don't want to see you again until you're an old man."

"You won't," Will said, with a small chuckle. As Will felt himself fade, Mike pressed a kiss onto Will's cheek.

When Will came to, his body was in pain.

"Will?"

Will heard his mother's voice. For the first time in Will didn't know how long he heard his mother's voice.

"I'm going to get a doctor."

That was Jonathan. Will couldn't help but smile. He had missed them so much.

Then, the smile faded. The world Will was in was now gone.

Mike was now gone.

Chapter Text

"Welcome back, Mr. Byers."

As he promised, Jonathan went and got a doctor. Will vaguely recognized the doctor. He had worked on Max's case too. "You gave us quite a scare there, but it's great to see you awake," the doctor continued. "Can you tell me on a scale from one to ten how much pain you're in?"

"I'd say like an eight," Will said. His voice was weak. This was his first time speaking since he woke up.

"I'll get you some pain medication," the doctor promised. What was next was a series of tests and questions. Will didn't like all of the questions, but at the end, at least he was given the pain medication he was promised.

"I'll leave you be," the doctor said. "If you need me, here's a button you can press. I'll be back to run more tests and check on you later."

With that, the doctor left the room. Will turned to his mother and older brother. "Hey, baby," Joyce whispered. "I'm glad to see you're awake."

"Glad to be awake," Will said. He still felt the phantom of the kiss Mike planted on his cheek. Will moved his hand. He was no longer holding the watch. His one thing that could bring Mike justice was gone.

Will tried to push that sad thought out of his head. He could try and refind that watch when he's out of the hospital. He just hoped that nature hadn't completely obliterated it.

Will heard a familiar tune. He allowed a smile to creep onto his face. "Is that The Clash?"

"Yeah," Jonathan said. "I've been playing it on repeat for you. Dustin was the one to uncover that it was the song that protected you from Vecna."

Will thought back to his attack. He remembered hearing Dustin sing 'Should I Stay or Should I Go?' If it wasn't for Dustin, Will would be dead. That just reminded Will how much he wanted to see Dustin.

"Has there been any more attacks?" Will asked.

"Not that we know of," Joyce said. "El has been hunting him while you've been out."

Will nodded. "Shouldn't you guys be playing your own songs? I appreciate this, but you need to stay safe too."

"We still haven't figured out what our songs are," Joyce admitted. "We haven't been attacked yet. We are searching for it."

"Lucas has been on our asses about finding our songs," Jonathan said in a half joking manner.

"Is Lucas here?" Will asked. "Or the others? I want to talk to them."

Will didn't think he should try and explain the purgatory to them. The only person who could possibly understand was Max. "You can talk to them tomorrow," Joyce said. "Right now, you should rest."

So, Will went back to sleep.

As Will's mother promised, Will was visited by the party, minus El, in the morning. Max, who was discharged while Will was comatose, explained that Hopper finally found her and dragged her home for some much needed rest.

Once everyone was settled, Will started explaining things, "I was in purgatory while I slept."

Everyone in the room stared at Will. No one said a word, then Lucas let out a very confused and shocked, "what?"

"When I fell into a coma, I woke up in a different version of the hospital," Will said. "It wasn't like the Upside Down. It was a lot brighter than the Upside Down, and there were no monsters. I saw Mike first, but he was a lot different. He looked older."

"Are you sure that it wasn't just a dream?" Lucas asked.

"It was too real," Will said. "They knew things that I didn't know."

Will's eyes drifted to Dustin, and for a brief moment, the two of them made eye contact. Dustin immediately tensed, knowing what Will was talking about. He looked away from Will, probably in shame.

Will looked to Max. "Mike said he saw you there too. Do you remember anything?"

"Yeah, but I thought that was a dream," Max answered. "I also interacted with Mike, but I mostly did so with Chrissy and Eddie."

"I talked with Eddie too," Will responded. "Though, I never saw Chrissy. I only ever saw Mike, Eddie, and Bob."

"I can't believe that was real," Max muttered. "I thought it was all a dream. It felt very real, but I thought there was no chance."

"So, what kind of things did you talk about with them?" Lucas asked. Will thought that they were taking the confirmation of purgatory surprisingly well, but after the last few years, Will guessed nothing could really surprise them anymore.

"A lot of things," Will said. "Actually, can I talk to Dustin in private? I'll tell the rest of you later."

Lucas and Max exited the room. Dustin was avoiding making eye contact with Will, opting instead to stare out the window. "So, I'm guessing Mike told you about what happened?"

Will nodded. "He wanted me to tell you that doesn't blame you, and neither do I."

"You should," Dustin said.

"Dustin, you had a knife to your mouth," Will stated. "You were probably scared shitless."

"But then I barely did anything to get his killers caught," Dustin said, allowing the tears to fall from his eyes. "James and Troy are still out there, and it's probably too late. All evidence is certainly consistent by now."

"But you did try, right?" Will questioned. "That day you showed up to my hospital room with a black eye. You tried to go to the police, but they beat you up before you could. Is that correct?"

Dustin paused for a moment before nodding in response. "It's not your fault," Will said. "No one in their right mind blames you, certainly not Mike."

Dustin released a sob. "Thank you."

Will wanted to hug Dustin, but he couldn't. Both of his arms were still encased in casts, and he couldn't move to lean on him either, his legs were in the exact same spot. So, Will gave Dustin a comforting smile. "No problem," Will whispered.

"Can I hug you?" Dustin asked.

"You may," Will said. Dustin leaned over, taking Will into a gentle embrace. They held each other for a while.

More days passed, and Will had a lot of visitors. Even El poked her head, with the good news that she managed to defeat Vecna. Will almost didn't believe her when she broke that news, but everyone else was able to confirm it. Will felt sorry that he was unable to help out in the final battle, especially when he learned how close all of his friends were to dying, but they assured him that it was okay. What mattered the most was that they were alive and Vecna was gone now. Now, they can rebuild their lives.

Will was laid in his bed, reading an X-Men comic when he heard the door open. Will looked over, expecting to see one of his friends, family members, or a nurse or doctor. That wasn't who he saw.

He saw Nancy Wheeler.

Will had seen Nancy a lot over the last few years. However, Will wouldn't say they were close. It made sense that they weren't close. Will was honestly surprised that Nancy didn't immediately leave when she saw Jonathan wasn't there.

"Hey," Will said.

"Hello," Nancy said. "Jonathan told me that you saw Mike."

Will's purgatory adventure had made its rounds. They made sure to only tell trusted people. "I did," Will confirmed. Nancy pulled up a chair to Will's bed, sitting on the seat.

"Was he happy?" Nancy asked.

"As happy as he could be," Will explained.

"I always blamed myself for what happened to him," Nancy said. "I barely paid him any attention. I should've made more of an effort to comfort him after we thought you were dead. Maybe I could've stopped him-"

"Mike was forced to jump," Will interrupted, knowing Nancy deserved to know the truth.

"What?" Nancy asked.

"Some boys from our school were threatening Dustin with a knife," Will explained. "They threatened Dustin into keeping his mouth shut. We're building a case against them."

Nancy relaxed into her seat, tears building up behind her eyes. "All of this time, I wondered if there was anything I could've done differently."

"Mike doesn't blame you," Will said. "He just wanted me to tell you that he loved you."

"Thank you, Will," Nancy said.

"Of course," Will whispered.

Will was in the hospital for about three more weeks. Those were the longest three weeks of his life. He was incredibly bored when he didn't have a visitor, always either reading a comic or watching whatever crappy show was on TV.

Will nearly leapt with joy when the nurse entered with the wheelchair. Jonathan helped him into the chair, and Joyce stood at Will's side, holding his hand. Jonathan was the one to push him out of the hospital, Will's hospital bag sat in his lap.

Will got a tour of Hawkins on his way home. Construction crews had finally arrived, taking care of destroyed buildings and homes. So much of the town was still without power, but it was slowly coming back. Dustin had gleefully informed him a handful of days ago that he finally had power back, and water was expected to be back any day now.

When the family arrived back at the Byers-Hopper residence, Dustin, Lucas, Max, and El were already waiting for them. Will was barely into his chair when Dustin took the handles. "I'll be taking that," Dustin said.

"What are you doing?" Joyce asked.

"We're stealing your son," Lucas said. "We'll bring him back soon."

With that, the group took off into the moods. It wasn't a very pleasant journey. The ride there was very bumpy, and Will felt like he was about to throw up when they were halfway there. They had to take several stops.

After what felt like a few days' journey, they arrived at their location. Will stared at the quarry. There were so many negative memories tied to this one spot. The entire area carried a sad atmosphere.

Will couldn't focus on that. Will scanned the area, and pointed to where he had found the watch in the Upside Down. Dustin rushed him over there. Instantly, everyone but Max and Dustin started digging.

They kept digging. They dug for a long time, their fingernails hurting for sure. Then, Dustin found the prized item. It was clearly broken, but everyone cheered when they saw it.

A watch belonging to one Troy Walsh.

Chapter Text

"So, what now?" Lucas asked. The group had made their way back to the Byers-Hopper residence. They were all exhausted, and they had crashed onto the couch. Dustin was still clutching the watch like a lifeline.

"We have to go to the police," Will said.

"How do we know that they're going to believe us?" El asked.

"Hopper will be on our side," Will said. "Besides, we'll also have Dustin's testimony of that day."

"You saw what happened last time," Lucas said. "I'm sure if Dustin tries again, they'll do worse than just give him a black eye."

"Not if he has backup," Will said. He then turned to El. "El, are you filling up to go with Dustin to the police station?"

"Yes," El said.

"Okay, if they get near him, do your thing," Will said.

"El, you really don't have to," Dustin said.

"I want to," El said. "Mike's killers are still out there. He saved me from the woods. I owe it to him to bring his killer's to justice. Besides, I don't want you to get hurt."

"How do we know this will work?" Max asked. "I mean, a watch and one testimony might not be enough."

"We don't," Will admitted honestly. "But we have to at least try."

Mike wouldn't give up on bringing Will's killer to justice, and Will won't give up on doing the same for Mike.

That same day, Dustin gave his testimony to Hopper.

The following morning, James Dante and Troy Walsh were brought to the police station for questioning. Predictably, they weren't very happy about that, yelling at the officers, their parents swearing to lawyer up, despite neither of them being under arrest at the time.

Will was pretty sure there was going to be a trial. As the police investigated the two boys, they realized they didn't have an Alibi for that day other than each other. The watch, plus the boy's past with Mike and his friends, was enough for an arrest. Though, Troy and James were both let out on bail less than twenty-four hours later.

Time passed. Life moved on. Will started to recover from his injuries. He started physical therapy, going from being stuck in his chair, to just needing crutches, to finally being able to walk alone. Will quickly became known as the boy who cheated death twice.

On a cold autumn day, Will was sitting at his desk, working on some homework. School was back in succession, Will and Jane joining the others at Hawkins High. He had forgotten about the Dungeons and Dragons dice on his desk, meters away from his homework.

Will bumped into his desk as he reached into his backpack to get some notebook paper. When he looked up, he noticed the dice and smiled.

It had landed on a seven.