Chapter Text
It’s dark.
Panic overtakes him as water fills his lungs, and he’s being drowned, and God, he’s going to die, and the last thing Will thought about him was that he was a murderer.
He reaches up weakly, until something crashes down in the water above him, reaching down to him, an arm, and despite himself, Mike takes it, feeling it pull him up harshly, and he’s pretty sure his arm is it of socket as he cries out in pain, eyes meeting Karen’s, of all people as she gives a wicked smile, twisted, not hers, Mike knows.
But he’s in his house, now, and none of it makes sense, but he’s there, and she’s looking at him with her normal worried expression when she says, “Are you alright? You don’t look too good.”
He furrows his brows slightly, watching as his eyes alter, losing their color, and he stumbles backwards, hitting the wall, Holly coming up behind his mother. Holly, who he hadn’t seen in months.
“He’s never here. I don’t think he likes us very much.”
Tears sting Mike’s eyes, Karen shaking her head disapprovingly. She grabs Holly’s hand, leading her back towards the dining table as though none of that had ever happened at all.
Karen sits down, Holly beside her, Ted across (when did he get here?) as Mike walks slowly up to them, reeling back in horror at the sight that none of them have eyes, only bloody, empty sockets where they used to be.
“Life would be much better if Mike wasn’t here,” Holly says, Mike’s eyes widening at her tone, “he’s always so mean.”
Karen only smiles. “He’s such a disappointment, too. Not like Nancy was. He should have sacrificed himself, instead. He’s selfish, though. He always has been.”
He’s selfish.
Always has been .
“He should have jumped.”
Lightning flashes outside and he’s not there anymore, he’s at the quarry, and God, he’s started to hate this place, watching from behind the ambulance, and he’s twelve again, watching his best friend’s body being dragged backwards carelessly, that stupid red jacket he always wore, the one Mike saw every time he closed his eyes, coated in mud and muck and it’s old and he hates it and he’s stuck, he can’t move, he can only watch as Will’s body is lifted out of the water, El’s hand reaching out distantly, and he pushes her away, just like he did then, and just like he will now, with venom, with anger, as she flinches and pulls away.
And then he’s yelling at her, words contorted with his fear and his grief and his sadness because Will can’t be gone, he’s been here for over half of Mike’s life, and now he’s being handled carelessly by people who don’t even know him, people that pretend to care, just for their status.
“C’mon, Mike, don’t do this.”
Don’t do what?
Be sad?
What does that even mean?
Will is gone, and clearly, Mike is the only one that cares.
He turns from Lucas, grabbing his bike on autopilot, wiping the tears from his eyes again, and he’s not a kid anymore, he’s him, sobbing, broken, like he always seemed to be, and he’s trying to think of a good memory, just like Max told him to do, but he can’t, because Will is right there, and he’s dead.
But he tries.
If we’re both going crazy, we’ll just go crazy together, right?
Yeah. Crazy together.
Mike’s in his basement.
The basement he hadn’t seen in months.
He looks around, and everything seems fine, but that could mean a handful of things, such as he’s being played with, again, or that maybe, he actually did it.
Mike glances around, eyes catching on the binder on the floor, Will’s drawings, that he carefully picks up, opening to the first page gingerly, and he waits.
He waits for the monster to get him.
***
Will hears footsteps.
Which, should automatically be a red flag, but he just waits for something to happen- which, he’ll admit, isn’t the smartest thing he could do.
It’s only then he hears the radio go off, Erica’s strangled, breaking out voice, “He’s here.”
Or, at least, that’s what Will heard.
He’s really not sure what was spoken, but from what he could make out, that’s what she was trying to say.
And it’s only then he hears the click of a gun behind him as he freezes, eyes wide beside Mike, who sits silently on the floor as he turns, meeting Jason’s crazed eyes.
Jason looks at him, hands shaking where he grips the gun, down at Mike, before back up again.
“What did you do to him?”
It’s not a question, really, it’s more of a statement- a statement he did something bad and won’t undo it.
Will shakes his head. “You don’t understand. It’s not-“
Jason comes around to see Mike’s face, gun unwavering from Will’s position. “What? Did you do your cult shit? Undo it .”
Will can’t help but scoff. “I’m not even part of the Hellfire club.”
Jason shakes his head, frantic, pointing the gun at Will’s face as he immediately shuts up, “I said undo it.”
Will is pretty sure he’s lost it.
“I can’t undo anything, I didn’t do anything, you don’t understand, but this needs to happen-“
Horror crosses his face. “ Undo it .”
He shoots the gun directly by Will’s face, causing him to flinch as the bullet hits the wall behind him, wood creaking slightly.
“Let me explain-“
“Explain what? You’re going to kill him, just like you killed Chrissy, is that it? I have a fucking gun pointed at your face, and so I’m telling you, one more time, undo it.”
***
Mike is bored.
Really, he shouldn’t be bored, considering he’s in a hell dimension, but he is.
Nothing has happened, not since earlier, while he sits on the couch, hoping that they’re almost done so he can go-
Something falls.
He turns, seeing one of his posters on the ground, glancing up and reeling back in horror when he sees the blood dripping from the walls, leaking from the ceiling with small drips, pattering as they hit the floor.
Mike gets off the couch, heading the clock’s chime, and then his voice, again, “You can’t run.”
Mike whips around, eyes widening as objects start to explode, blood splattering the ground, Vecna walking slowly towards Mike, claws outstretched.
Well.
Mike runs up the stairs, fumbling with the door, calling out as panic seizes his chest, the door locked, shut out with wooden planks.
A vine reaches around his ankle, pulling him back down the stairs, as his face hits the ground, yanking him back, back-
The vine stops, Vecna calling out in rage as Mike turns, feeling the vibe retreat, El standing, arm outreached, Vecna shaking his head slowly.
“Eleven. I was wondering when you would show up.”
Mike rises to his feet shakily as El meets his gaze. “I am stronger now. I remember. Everything.”
Vecna doesn't falter, only throws out an arm, El being pushed back slightly as blood runs from her nose, Vecna flying back into the wall.
She runs to Mike, wrapping him in a hug that takes him by surprise.
He pulls away. “Is this- are you-”
She nods. “I piggybacked from a pizza dough freezer.”
Mike narrows his eyes in confusion but looks back as Vecna starts to rise, Mike stumbling back as the scene around them starts to fade into the upside down.
El turns back, head set with determination. “You will not win.”
Vecna looks unimpressed. “You are not strong enough for this fight.”
El takes a breath, repeating, slowly, “You will not win.”
***
Will is really starting to hate his life, if he's being honest.
“You expect me to believe that?” Jason’s voice shakes slightly, hands trembling where he holds the gun. “Is that part of your cult shit?”
Will sighs, desperate. “ No, there is no cult, this needs to happen, you don't understand- ”
And that's when Mike starts to float.
Jason turns in horror, stumbling back into the wall, Will watching, holding his breath, because this wasn't supposed to happen.
“Shit-”
Will goes to walk over, calling out his name in fear, but there's still a gun pointed at his head, and Jason is shaking now as he manages to spit out, “ Drop him right now. ”
Will watches as Jason steps back, onto Mike’s walkman, and Will barely resists crying out as it shatters on the floor, Jason shaking his head.
“You're a freak.”
Will didn't have a choice.
Jason threw the first punch.
Will had never been in a fight before, and he would have much enjoyed to keep it that way as it stung his face, something he’d felt before but he’d never tried to fight back, like he did now, subconsciously, throwing out another, hitting Jason square in the nose, as the gun dropped from his hands, hitting the floor with a pang, Will barely biting back a yelp as another hits him on the side of his face, back and forth again, the two of them going back and forth, Will being thrown back against the pillar, a shock running through him as he feels the blood run down his face, wet, his eyes catching in fear on Mike, who’s eyes have gone back farther, and Will can see his left arm starting to bend sideways, like a compass being dragged magnetically, turning upwards slightly.
It hurt.
It stung.
But he took a moment, the blue light casting on Mike’s features, illuminating his face as Will take in a shuddery breath, closing his eyes as he throws another right at Jason’s face, and he can't stop , he can't, because it hurts, and Mike is dying, and it's falling apart and it's only when Jason hits the floor Will thinks maybe he’s gone too far, but he couldn't care less as he limps over to Mike, looking up, breathing hard.
“ MIKE-”
His arm snaps.
It's terrible- quick and loud, and it echoes through the house, a sharp snap, ringing in Will’s ears as tears run down his face, like a slap to the face, and he can only watch in horror as he loses another arm, a leg, blood running out of his eyes, dripping down his face, crimson red, cast slightly blue from the lantern-
He falls.
It's almost comical how fast Will is there, reaching out as Mike hits the ground, eyes unseeing, milky white, a chill runs down his spine.
Mike barely manages to whisper a shaky, “Will?”
Will feels tears trailing down his face now, but he doesn't try and stop them- he lets them come, and he's angry.
Because Mike is dying.
And it's his fault.
Despite himself, Will nods, knowing full well Mike can't see him, choking out a “Yeah. Yeah, it's me.”
Mike’s lips turn up slightly as he shudders, and he's cold. He's cold, and he's dying , and Will can't do anything about it.
His best friend since childhood, soulmate- Will doesn't think that's going too far, is dying in front of him, and he can't do anything except watch.
“I- I don't feel great.”
Will sniffs. “Yeah?”
Mike nods. “I'm tired.”
Will wipes at his eyes. “I-I know you are. But- you- you're going to make it. You- you still owe me a campaign, remember?”
Mike smiles a little. “Yeah.” He pauses. “I love you.”
Will nods, whispering a choked, “I know.”
He grabs Will’s hand, grip weak, but Will holds on like it's a lifeline.
Tears start running down Mike's face, the one he'd loved since he was- since forever, the one he knew since he was five, and Mike was always a pretty crier, even if he didn't do it often.
Mike swallowed. “You- you’re pretty. Did you know that?”
Will nods, laughing a little despite himself. “You- you can't see me.”
A tear rolls down Mike’s face. “I don't need to.”
He pauses, before another follows, “I can't see anything, Will, I can't move , I- It hurts-”
Will shakes his head, frantic. “No, no, you're going to be okay, it's going to be alright, Mike, you-”
Mike’s eyes glaze over, training on the ceiling, dried blood on his face. “ I don't want to die, Will, I don't want to go, I'm not ready, I don't want to die, I don't want to leave-”
Will’s shoulders start to shake. “You're not going to die, you-”
Silence.
Will stops breathing, a moment, as Mike does, tears rushing down his face.
“Mike? Mike? Mike, you can't leave, you can’t leave, you-“
Somewhere, Will thinks he hears a clock chime, right at Hell opens itself in front of him.
His eyes widen as a clock starts chiming frantically, or maybe it’s all in his head as he moves backwards, holding Mike’s contorted body close to him as the world starts to split in half, fiery, red gate ripping through the earth in front of him, tears still streaming down his face as he watches Jason’s body being ripped in half, his scream barely visible over the noise, until it all stops- the ground stops shaking, the gaping hole stops widening, and Will is left with Mike, Mike, who breathes again.
***
The hospital is quiet.
Will never liked hospitals- it reminded him of when he came back from the upside down, or when he took over- the sickly smell and how bright everything was, wrapped together in a package that never should have existed.
But he doesn’t dare to leave.
He lifts his eyes up from his paper, hand trembling slightly, watching Mike breathe, in, out, slowly, eyes still closed, arms and legs wrapped in a cacoon of bandages, hair still curly, a mess, nonetheless, but it was there- his freckles, the ones that normally spread across his nose, weren’t there, faded with the lack of sunlight.
The door opens.
Will’s head shoots up, El walking in slowly, Max and Dustin and Lucas behind her, sad looks on their faces the second they step foot through the door, and as El walks over to Mike, grabbing one of his hands in hers, before seeing Will sitting across from him, her whole face lighting up as she goes to him, engulfing him in a hug, whispering I missed you ’s and I’m sorry , though Will isn’t sure as to what she’s sorry for.
He pulls away as she wipes at her eyes, restraining herself from looking over at Mike as Will mumbles, “They said they- they don’t know if she’s going to wake up.”
El signs sadly, tears in her eyes. She turns back to Will, tracing a hand along his swollen face, before whispering, “Who?”
Will shakes his head. “He’s gone now.”
She holds his gaze, but then nods, walking over to Mike, a moment, two, her eyes fluttering closed, blood running from her nose as she searches, and Will can’t be sure what’s happening until she comes back, breathing hard, shaking her head, a tear running down her cheek as she whispers, “He is gone.”