Chapter Text
Hawkins National Laboratory
U.S. Department of Energy
A man runs through the laboratory, out of breath, sweating, terrified. He rushes towards the elevator, frantically pressing the call button as if that will make the elevator arrive faster. The steel hallway reflects flickering fluorescent lights as a low growling pierces the silence, coming from just above the man's head. The doors shut as the man is pulled up towards the ceiling of the elevator, his screams echoing into the night.
Nov. 6th, 1983
Hawkins, Indiana
"Something is coming. Something hungry for blood. A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness." Mike Wheeler describes, voice dramatic and sharp, providing an eerie air to the scene unfolding in the D&D session he and his friends are holding in his basement. "It... is almost here."
"What is it?" Exclaims Will Byers, Mike's best friend.
"What if it's the Demogorgon?" Adds Dustin Henderson, voice heavy with anticipation. "Oh, Jesus, we are so screwed if it's the Demogorgon."
"It's not the Demogorgon!" Interjects Lucas Sinclair, confident in his deductive capabilities.
Mike can feel their excitement, and is excited to bring the coming battle to life, especially since he's been planning it for weeks.
"An army of troglodytes charge into the chamber!" Mike yells, the figures he slams onto the table in front of his Dungeon Master screen making a loud bang.
"Troglodytes?" Dustin is smiling now, relieved that (he thinks) they won't have to face the Demogorgon (Mike knows better, his mind already calculating how to spook them best with it)
"Told you." Lucas chuckles in misplaced pride.
As everyone snorts in laughter, Mike breaks through the silence with an ominous whisper.
"Wait a minute. Did you hear that?" He's brought silence to the table as he glances around his basement. "That...that sound? Boom...boom...boom!" He yells the last word as he slams the table. "That didn't come from the troglodytes. No, that...that came from something else." The party glances at each other, nervous now for what Mike has planned. "The Demogorgon!" Everyone groans as Mike smashes the mini-figure onto the table next to the troglodytes.
"We're in deep shit." Dustin says in defeat.
"Will, your action!" Mike is really getting into the dramatics now, his favorite part of being the DM.
"I don't know!"
"Fireball him!" Lucas shouts.
"I'd have to roll a thirteen or higher!"
"Too risky. Cast a protection spell!" Dustin urges.
"Don't be a pussy. Fireball him!"
"Cast protection!"
"The Demogorgon is tired of your silly human bickering!" Mike pounds his fists on the table. "It stomps towards you. Boom!"
"Fireball him!"
"Another stomp. Boom!"
"Cast protection!"
"He roars in anger!"
Everyone is yelling now, desperate in their pleading for Will to make a decision.
"And--"
"Fireball!" Dice clatter to the table as Will delivers his decision, scattering off the table with the force.
"Oh, shit!"
"Where'd it go?"
"Where is it?"
"Is it a thirteen?"
"I don't know!"
"Where is it?"
"Oh, my god! Oh, my god!" Dustin is fully panicking now.
"Mike." Mike's mom's voice goes unheard in the chaos.
"Can you find it yet?"
"Mike!" She opens the door to the basement, shouting down the stairs.
"I can't find it!"
"Mike!"
"Oh, my god! Oh, my god!"
"Mom, we're in the middle of the campaign!" Mike complains, eager to get back to the battle.
"You mean the end? Fifteen after."
"Oh my god! Freaking idiot!"
"Why do we have to go?"
"Mom, wait, just twenty more minutes." Mike clamors up the stairs to the kitchen, desperate to finish the campaign he's worked so hard on.
"It's a school night, Michael. I just put Holly to bed. You can finish next weekend."
"But that'll ruin the flow!"
"Michael--"
"I'm serious, Mom. The campaign took two weeks to plan. How was I supposed to know it would take ten hours?"
"You've been playing for ten hours?"
"Dad, don't you think that twenty more--"
"I think you should listen to your mother." His dad responds absently, smacking the TV that's crackling with static. "Dang dumb piece of junk." Mike frowns, heading to clean up the stuff then leaving to go outside to say goodbye to his friends.
"There's something wrong with your sister." Dustin complains while getting his bike.
"She's got a stick up her butt."
"Yeah. It's because she's been dating that douchebag, Steve Harrington."
"She's always been a real jerk." Adds Mike.
"Nuh-uh, she used to be cool. Like that time she dressed up as an elf for our Eldertree campaign!"
"Four years ago!" Protests Mike.
"Just sayin'!"
"Later." Lucas says as him and Dustin bike away.
"It was a seven."
"Huh?"
"The roll, it was a seven. The Demogorgon got me." Will explains as he gets on his bike. "See you tomorrow!" Will calls as he leaves, the lights above the door flickering. Mike frowns, looking over. For some reason, there's this sense of dread setting into his bones, the lights cementing it. He must just be tired. He flicks the lights off before heading inside, assuming the feeling he has that something is coming, like in their campaign, is just meaningless worry.
The next morning, Mike is pouring syrup onto his pancakes as his older sister, Nancy, chastises him for putting too much syrup. As they trade insults, the phone rings.
"Hello?" Mike's mom walks over with their baby sister Holly in her arms, answering the phone. "Oh, Joyce, hi."
"What the hell, Mike?" Nancy protests as Mike puts extra syrup on her pancakes as revenge for teasing him about his. Revenge is sweet, fitting the crime.
"Quiet!" His mom yells over her shoulder.
"Hey, language." Their father reprimands.
"Are you kidding?" Nancy groans.
"Will? No, no, no, it's just Mike." His mom responds to Ms. Byers. Mike perks up at the mention of Will, but is quickly distracted by Nancy and their dad.
"No...He left here a little after eight. Why, is he not home yet? Okay, bye." Will's not home? Is he okay? It must be fine, right? Mike thinks, suddenly worried for his best friend.
Mike, Lucas, and Dustin bike into school, putting their bikes in the bike rack as the bell rings.
Put off by Will not being there, Mike brings up his absence.
"That's weird. I don't see him."
"I'm telling you, his mom's right. He probably just went to class early again." Lucas responds.
"Yeah, he's always paranoid Gursky is gonna give him another pop quiz." Adds Dustin. Mike's still worried, but before he can ruminate any longer, they're interrupted by the middle school's local asshole, Troy, and his friend.
"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen. Step right up and get your tickets to the freak show." He announces to his friend. "Who do you think would make more money in a freakshow? Midnight-" He punches Lucas in the chest at that, "Frogface-" punching Mike next, "or Toothless?" he finishes with punching Dustin. Mike can feel his face heating at the insults, angry for his friends and embarrassed at his own moniker.
"Hmmm... I'd go with toofless." He says, mocking Dustin's lisp. Mike curls his lip, resisting the urge to fully sneer at him at risk of riling them up.
"I told you a million times, my teeth are coming in. It's called cleidocranial dysplasia."
"I thold you a million thimes." Troys friend mocks him again, leaning in close to Dustin.
"Do the arm thing." Troy demands.
"Do it, freak!"
Dustin removes his jacket, joints cracking as he brings his elbows together to touch.
"Ugh!" Troy and his friend mock gag in disgust.
"God, it gets me every time." Troy says, punching Dustin's arm as he and his friend push through the party, heading into the school.
"Assholes." Snaps Lucas once they're out of earshot.
"I think it's kinda cool. It's like you have superpowers or something!" Mike adds, trying to cheer Dustin up. "Like Mr. Fantastic!"
"Yeah, except I can't fight evil with it." Dustin grumbles bitterly. Mike wishes he knew what to say, wishes Will were here. He always knows what to do. He's good at helping people.
"Remember, finish chapter twelve and answer twelve point two on the difference between an experiment and other forms of scientific investigation. This will be on the test, which will cover chapters ten through twelve. It will be a multiple choice with an essay section..." Mr. Clarke trails of as most of the class leaves before he finishes speaking, most had left as soon as the bell rang.
"So, did it come?" Mike asks eagerly, him, Dustin, and Lucas the only students left in the class. He's sad Will won't be here for this, but he'll get to show him tomorrow.
"Sorry boys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news...It came!" Mike was scared for a second there, that it really hadn't come.
"Yes!"
"The Heathkit ham shack." Mr. Clarke says as they examine it.
"Whoa." Mike whispers, very much wishing Will was here 'cause it's even cooler than he thought it'd be. He can't wait to show him, he'll love it.
"Ain't she a beaut?"
"I bet you can talk to New York on this thing!" Exclaims Dustin.
"Think bigger." Mr. Clarke says as he motions how with the space between his hands.
"California?" Asks Lucas.
"Bigger."
"Australia?" Mike already can't believe it can reach farther than California, but it can't possibly be farther than Australia. He's proven right as Mr. Clarke nods in affirmation. He reaches for the headphones and sits down next to the mic, astounded.
"Oh man!" Blurts Lucas, "When Will sees this, he's totally gonna blow his shit!"
"Lucas!" Mr. Clarke's voice is stern, but he's smiling as he reprimands Lucas.
"Sorry."
Everyone giggles with excitement as they adjust the mic, eager to try it out.
"Hello, this is Mike Wheeler, President of Hawkins Middle AV Club." Mike imitates an Australian accent as he speaks into the mic, he thinks it sounds pretty good. Dustin snatches the headphones and leans into the mic to say his own piece.
"Hello, this is Dustin, and this is the secretary and treasurer of Hawkins Middle AV Club. Do you eat kangaroo's for breakfast?" Dustin does an Australian accent of his own before handing the headphones to Lucas, who's about to put them one when the Principal walks in with a policeman behind him. Mike thinks that's the chief, Hopper, actually.
"Sorry to interrupt, but may I borrow Michael, Lucas, and Dustin?" Everyone stares at the Principal in confusion, a little worried now. What if it's about Will? Is something really wrong, like Mike was worried?
On their way to the Principal's office, the Chief tells them that Will is missing, and no one has seen him since he left the Wheeler's last night. This sends Mike's thoughts into a worried frenzy. He was right. Something is wrong. And he wasn't there to help. He could have been. He's sure. He could have offered for Will to stay, could have gone with him to make sure he got home, could have at least called to make sure. His dread from last night was right and his worry from this morning was right. It's dizzying, the feeling of your best friend disappearing just after telling you he'd see you tomorrow. But Mike doesn't speak his worries aloud. He gives as much information as he can, while Dustin and Lucas attempt to do the same, resulting in them all talking over each other.
"Okay, okay, okay, one at a time." The Chief rubs his temples as he gestures to Mike. "You said he takes what?"
"Mirkwood." Mike answers, anxious to help in any way he can.
"Mirkwood?" Chief Hopper asks, raising an eyebrow at Mike.
"Yeah."
"Have you heard of Mirkwood?" He asks the officer he'd brought with him.
"I have not. That sounds made up to me."
"No, it's from Lord of the Rings." Says Lucas.
"Well, the Hobbit." Corrects Dustin.
"It doesn't matter!"
"He asked!"
"'He asked!'" Lucas mocks.
"Shut up guys!" Protests Mike, irritated by the change of topic.
"Hey, hey, hey! What'd I just say?" The Chief snaps. "One at a damn time. You."
"Mirkwood. It's a real road. It's just the name that's made up. It's where Cornwallis and Kerly meet." Mike explains, eager to give any information he can to help find Will.
"Yeah, all right, I think I know that--"
"We can show you if you want!" Mike interrupts the Chief, not having heard him and desperate to do something.
"I said I know it!"
"We can help look." Mike can't possibly just sit here and do nothing while Will's in danger, they have to let them help.
"Yeah." Says Dustin.
"No."
They all protest to this, upset at being denied an opportunity to help.
"No. After school you are all to go home. Immediately. That means no biking around looking for you friend, no investigation, no nonsense. This isn't some Lord of the Rings book."
"The Hobbit." Dustin adds quietly.
"Shut up!" Lucas smacks Dustin, reaching across Mike to do so. Mike just stares into space, wishing he'd done something last night, anything. Wishing he could do something now. Fuck Hopper and his orders, he needs to find Will. He can't just do nothing again.
"Stop it!" He scolds his friends, upset with their bickering.
"Do I make myself clear?" Hopper asks, voice low and icy. "Do I make myself...clear?"
Mike nods as the party all respond in unison, "Yes, sir."
"Yeah." Lucas adds after.
Mike has no plans of listening to Hopper, even if he understands. He can't.
When Mike gets home, all he think about is Will. He's probably so scared, all alone. If Mike was with him, he'd be able to at least keep him company. He'd be able to help. He could protect him. He keeps thinking about last night, about the D&D campaign, about the lights, the demogorgon, about Will biking home all alone. About something happening to him. He snaps out of his stupor long enough to pass his sister the salt, deciding to try convincing his parents to let him help once more.
"We should be out there right now. We should be helping look for him."
"Mike, we've been over this. The Chief says--"
"I don't care what the Chief said!" He just wants to join the search party, why is that so wrong?
"Michael!"
"We have to do something. Will could be in danger!"
"More reason to stay put."
"Mom!"
"End of discussion."
Why can't she just listen to him? Mike just wants to find his friend. What if something happened to him, something came for him, like in their D&D campaign?
"So..." Nancy drawls, "Me and Barbara are going to study at her house tonight. That's cool, right?"
"No, not cool."
"What? Why not?"
"Why do you think? Am I speaking Chinese in this house? Until we know Will is okay, no one leaves."
"This is such bullshit." Mike can't believe Nancy is saying that. Mike's best friend is missing, and that's bullshit? All she cares about is her stupid asshole boyfriend, she probably wasn't even going to Barbara's. He does agree with her that not being able to leave is bullshit. He needs to find Will!
"Language."
"So we're under house arrest? Just because Mike's friend got lost on the way home from--"
"Wait, you're saying this is Will's fault?!" Anger surges through Mike at Nancy's dismissal of Will's disappearance. How could she blame him?
"Nancy, take that back."
"No!"
"You're just pissed off 'cause you wanna hang out with Steve." Nancy gives him a pointed look, but he just glares back, refusing to cover for her. Steve is hardly a big deal when Will could be hurt.
"Steve?" His dad asks over a mouthful of food.
"Who is Steve?"
"Her new boyfriend."
"You are such a douchebag, Mike!"
"Language!" Nancy groans at that, and leaves the table in anger.
"Nancy, come back. Come back! It's okay. It's okay, Holly. Here, have some juice." His mom soothes his little sister.
"You see Michael?"
"See what?"
"You see what happens?"
That makes Mike furious. Why is everyone blaming Will? How could his dad even suggest that!
"You see what happens when what? I'm the only one acting normal here! I'm the only one who cares about Will!"
"That is really unfair, son. We care." He says that, but his voice is monotone, not even trying to hide his real feelings.
Mike slams the table at that, storming away. Why can't anyone understand? Why don't they care? Will is missing and all they care about is Nancy's stupid boyfriend and blaming Will for his own disappearance! Why is Mike the only one who cares?
"Mike!" His mom yells after him, but Mike spares her no mind, not even looking back.
"Let him go."
Mike heads to the basement. He stares at the campaign still laid out on the table, remembering Will's words from last night. It was a seven. The demogorgon, it got me. Mike picks up his walkie to talk to Lucas.
"Lucas, do you copy? This is Mike. Lucas?"
"Hey, it's Lucas." Lucas's voice comes through the walkie, cutting through the silence that had fallen over the cold basement.
"I know it's you. And say over when you're done talking so that I know you're done. Over."
"I'm done. Over."
"I'm worried about Will. Over."
"Yeah. this is crazy. Over." Mike can hear Lucas sigh through the walkie before he stops talking.
"I was thinking...Will could have cast protection last night, but he didn't." Maybe comparing Will going missing to D&D won't work out, but it feels right. "He cast fireball. Over."
"What's your point? Over."
"My point is... he could have played it safe, but he didn't. He put himself in danger to help the party. Over."
"Meet me in ten. Over and out."
Mike rushes to where he tossed his backpack when he'd come home, shoving his walkie and a flashlight in it before pulling up his hood and leaving to meet Lucas.
As he bikes out to meet Lucas, he sees Steve trying to sneak into Nancy's room through her window. Mike rolls his eyes and continues biking as Steve waves awkwardly, kinda wanting to tell his parents to get back at Nancy, but that would compromise his mission. Him, Lucas, and Dustin met up and biked down Will's route home from Mike's house, stopping once they reached the safety guard that marks where Will's bike was found on Mirkwood.
"Ah, man. This is it." Lucas says as they stop by the guard, getting off his bike.
"Hey, guys. You feel that?" Dustin asks, looking up at the stormy sky. "I think that maybe we should go back."
"No." Mike insists, irritated at Dustin for even suggesting it. "We're not going back. Just stay close. Come on." Mike brings his bike around and crosses off the road. "Just stay on channel six. Don't do anything stupid." He leaves his bike, going into the forest, not looking back to see if his friends follow but hearing Lucas do the same as Dustin hesitates before following.
"Hey, guys, wait up. Wait up!" He looks back as Dustin rushes to catch up with him and Lucas. They plow forward through the rain, into the dark woods.
They stumble through the forest, frantically calling Will's name. Mike's voice is getting hoarse, but it doesn't matter so long as Will can hear it.
"Will! Will!"
"Byers!" Lucas's voice sounds worn too.
"I've got your X-Men 134!" Yells Dustin. "Guys, I really think we should turn back."
"Seriously, Dustin?" Lucas yells, "You wanna be a baby, then go home already!" Mike agrees with him. If Dustin doesn't want to keep searching, fine by him. It would suck not having his friend by his side but he'd still have Lucas and it's better than stopping all together.
"I'm just being realistic, Lucas!"
"No, you're just being a big sissy!"
"Do you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad?" Dustin's voice is smaller now, "And we're going to the exact same spot he was last seen? With no weapons or anything?"
"Dustin, shut up." In any other situation Dustin might have a point. But this is Will. Mike can't just give up.
"I'm just saying, does this seem smart to you?"
"Shut up. Shut up." Mike hears something rustling. "Did you guys hear that?" More rustling. His breath catches in his throat, hope warming his chest at the idea that Will might be there. Unfortunately, his hopes are dashed as a figure appears, not Will but similar looking, with the same frame and hair color. But this person has a shaved head, and is wearing a huge yellow shirt. They're soaking wet, and look scared, like they're running from something.