[ Location: Hawkins Middle School - AV Room ]
"Stop pushing!" Mike hissed.
"I'm not pushing, I'm crowding!" Lucas argued.
We were huddled around the AV Club table like a cult summoning a demon. In the center, sitting on a bed of moss inside a Ghostbusters trap, was... it.
The slug. The pollywog. Dart.
"His name is d'Artagnan," Dustin announced proudly, looking at the slimy creature like a proud father. "Dart for short."
"And he likes nougat," I added, leaning against a stack of VCRs. "Because of course he does. Even monsters have a sweet tooth."
"He's not a monster!" Dustin defended. "He's a... well, I checked the encyclopedia. He's an undiscovered species!"
"Undiscovered?" Mike looked skeptical. "Or from the... other place?"
I looked at Dart. The creature screeched—a high-pitched, chittering sound that made my teeth ache.
'System. Analysis.'
[ Entity: Demodog (Stage 2: Molting). ][ Danger Level: Low (Currently). High (When hungry). ]
I opened the Chat interface.
[ Open Chat Group Video Mode ]
Vivan Frostwell: Behold. The majestic wildlife of Hawkins.
Esdeath: It is... squishy. Does it have combat potential? It looks like something I would step on.
Lloyd Frontera (Admin): Is it edible? Rare pets sell for millions! Vivan, put it in the inventory! We'll call it a "Galaxy Slug."
Optimus Prime: It appears to be a parasitic lifeform. Its biological signature is... hostile.
Shikamaru Nara: It looks troublesome. Kill it before it grows. Standard ninja protocol.
Vivan Frostwell: Can't. It's the bard's pet. Plot armor protects it for now.
"Can I hold him?" Max's voice came from the door.
We all jumped. Max was trying to peer through the window on the door, but the glass was frosted.
"No!" Mike shouted. "Occupied!"
"Open the door!" Max yelled, pounding on it.
"Don't let her in," Mike warned. "She'll tell."
"Tell who?" I asked. "The government? She thinks we're nerds, Mike, not spies."
I looked at the door lock.
'Telekinesis.'
Click.
The door swung open. Max stumbled in, looking annoyed.
"Thanks," she muttered, brushing past me. She looked at the table. "Oh. Cool. A lizard."
"It's not a lizard," Dustin beamed. "It's a pollywog."
Dart screeched again. His skin rippled.
Squelch.
"Whoa," Lucas backed up.
Dart's back legs popped out. He grew an inch in front of our eyes.
"It's molting," I noted, grabbing a ruler to poke it (gently). "Rapid cellular regeneration. He's hungry."
"Hungry for what?" Max asked, leaning closer to me to get a better look. She smelled like vanilla and skate wax.
"Cats," I whispered.
"What?"
"Nothing," I smiled innocently. "Probably nougat."
Suddenly, the bell rang.
"We have to hide him," Dustin panicked. "Mr. Clarke will freak."
"Put him in your hat," I suggested.
"My hat?!"
"He likes your hair. It's a nest."
Dustin shoved the slimy creature into his hat and jammed it on his head. "Act natural."
We walked out. Max walked beside me.
"So," she said, matching my stride. "You're the only one who doesn't act like I have the plague."
"The boys are just scared," I said. "They've been through some... trauma. They have trust issues."
"And you?" She looked up at me, her blue eyes sharp. "You don't have trauma?"
I laughed. A dry, humorless sound.
"Max," I said, leaning down slightly so we were eye-level. "My life is a series of traumatic events held together by sarcasm and hair gel. I just hide it better."
She blinked, surprised by the honesty. A faint blush dusted her cheeks.
"Right," she muttered, looking away. "Well. Thanks. For opening the door."
"Anytime, Madmax."
[ System Notice: Relationship with Max Mayfield upgraded to "Curious/Crush (Low)". ]
'Easy points.'
[ Location: The Soccer Field ][ Time: 2:00 PM ]
Will was standing in the middle of the field. Staring at the sky.
Again.
'Not good. This is the big one.'
I was on the bleachers, supposedly watching the game, but actually grinding my Remote Viewing.
'Remote Viewing. Target Will Byers.'
[ Ability Active. ]
The world shifted. The blue sky turned into a roiling, red thunderstorm.
The Mind Flayer—a massive, swirling shadow spider—was looming over the school. It wasn't just watching anymore. It was descending.
Will was screaming. "GO AWAY!"
The shadow swirled. It looked like a tornado made of smoke. It rushed toward him.
"GO AWAY!"
'He's trying to fight it. But he's weak.'
I stood up on the bleachers.
'I have to help. Maybe... maybe I can shield him again?'
I focused. I didn't target an object. I targeted the space around Will.
'Mental Barrier! ERECT!'
[ Ability Active: Telekinesis (Psychic Shielding). ]
I pushed my mind out, trying to create a bubble around Will.
I felt it connect. A wall of force.
The smoke hit my shield.
BOOM.
It wasn't a physical sound. It was a psychic scream that tore through my brain.
It felt like trying to stop a tsunami with a paper umbrella.
[ Warning: Psionic Overload! Opponent Power Level: COSMIC. ]
My nose burst. Not a trickle. A gush of blood. My vision went white.
The shield shattered instantly.
The smoke poured into Will. It went into his eyes, his nose, his mouth. It filled him.
I collapsed onto the metal bleachers, gasping, clutching my head.
"Vivan?" A voice called out. Max. She was climbing the bleachers. "Whoa, are you okay? You're bleeding!"
I looked down at the field. Joyce was running toward Will, shaking him.
"I tried," I wheezed, wiping the blood onto my sleeve. "Too strong."
"What?" Max asked, terrified. "Who's too strong?"
"The weather," I lied, my head spinning. "Just a migraine. I need... I need sugar."
Max looked at me like I was crazy, but she dug into her pocket and pulled out a half-eaten pack of M&Ms.
"Here," she said, her hands shaking slightly.
I took them. "Thanks."
I looked at Will. He was awake now. But he looked different. The fear was gone. Replaced by something cold.
'He's possessed. The Spy is active.'
I stood up, swaying. Max grabbed my arm to steady me.
"You're burning up," she said.
"I'm fine," I said, looking at the field where they were carrying Will away. "Just... growing pains."
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