This is an exploration of Eleven's battle with the Mind Flayer in season two of the show and of the aftermath. It might also explore that month break between the Mind Flayer battle and the snowball scene. I have been toying with this idea for over a year and the release of season three has jumped my writing batteries and given me inspiration. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things. All rights belong to the Duffer Brothers, etc.

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Eleven

The car rumbled to a lurching stop, parked haphazardly in the middle of the Hawkins Lab parking lot. A feeling of numbness began seeping in my chest. Hopper got out of the car and immediately walked to the trunk. I stepped outside into the dark, chilly air. The lab towered above us. Through the windows I could see the the emergency lights pulsating. I could hear even from outside the eerie ring of the emergency bells.

"Let me take the lead kid. Save your strength for what really matters," said the gruff policeman walking up behind me. He was holding a large black gun in his hands. Another was strapped across his back as well as the small silver one he always keeps in his holster.

I have him a small nod in return, my heart nearly beating out of my chest. After I escaped Hawkins Lab, I vowed never to return. Memories of cruel hands, dark bruises, white cats, and suffocating rooms sped through my mind. I felt my breath verging on hyperventilation when a warm hand rested on my shoulder.

I flinched instinctively before looking up into kind, reassuring eyes. Jim Hopper really was a nice man, even when he didn't always show it. Taking a deep breath, I gave another nod indicating I was ready to go inside. Slowly, we made our way to the entrance of the lab. It felt really strange entering a place I'd only ever ran away from.

The doors opened with a harsh squeak and we both tensed up immediately. I felt my heart in my throat. Would the sound send those demodogs right after us, killing us before we had even tried to end this nightmare? It stayed silent though. Hopper motioned me to come forward, deeming it safe for now. I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. As I followed after him, the stench of death, blood, and something far more putrid permeated my nose. The uncanny throbbing of the alarms did no help to my growing fear. My stomach clenched at every turn Hopper led me down. Soon, we made it to a long staircase. Halfway down, I noticed that the railing, the floors, and the walls were coated in blood. Fresh blood.

"Hopper?"

"Yeah. I see it," he said quietly, "stay here and I will see what's down there. Okay?"

I didn't want him to leave me alone, but fear held me firmly in place. "Yes," I whispered softly.

He gave my shoulder a quick squeeze. He began to creep down the crimson stairwell. My breath hitches as he turned, slowly going down the next level of stairs. I couldn't see him now. The next few minutes played out in agonizing silence. I hated not knowing what was happening. Was he hurt? Did he find one of the demodogs? Worse, was he dead?

"Eleven, you can come down now," his deep voice pronounced.

I closed my eyes and took a few breaths of relief, quieting my restless mind. He was okay. For now at least. Almost stumbling into a pool of blood, I bolted down the stairs. Two more levels down I saw him. On the far corner of the landing was an old man in a filthy lab coat. There was a large gash on his right leg bleeding profusely. I didn't recognize the man but Hopper seemed to know him.

"Dr. Owens?" Recognition bloomed on Hopper's face. "Looks like you found me chief," the man mumbled. Dr. Owens tried to sit up straighter. Hopper bent down to take a closer look at his leg.

"How bad is it?"

"You'll live," replies Hopper as he ripped a long piece of fabric from Dr. Owens' lab coat. He wrapped right before the start of the wound.

"1...2...3!" Hopper ties the bandage forcefully.

The man let out a cry of pain; he desperately looked around for a distraction. His wandering eyes landed on me. A confused expression crossed his features. I took a tentative step backwards. Noticing

Dr. Owens' gaze, Hopper took a quick glance behind him.

"Oh, that's El. She's the one who can put an end to all of this," Hopper answered to the unasked question. A look of realization dawned on his tired face. He knew who I was or at least had heard of me. A sudden coal of anger formed in my stomach. Was he also responsible for my experimentation? His badge pictures five, empty, white stars. The only other person I had seen where a badge like that was Papa. Dr. Owens must've taken over after Papa disappeared.

"After all of this you are going to help her lead a normal life. One she deserves," says Hopper.

Dr. Owens gave a nod of agreement, his eyes never leaving my face. Hopper reached for his holster and pulled out the small gun that rested there. Handing the doctor the gun, he stands up. With a curt nod to the injured man Hopper motioned for me to continue following him. Dr. Owens continued to watch as I stepped pass him down the stairs. I heard a rustling from behind; for a moment I thought he had the gun pointed at me. But when I glanced back, he had the gun firmly trained towards the top staircase. I realized he didn't have any resentment towards my previous escape from the lab. He would rather keep watch for us. Maybe he was a good man too.

I steadily followed Hopper down the stairs until we were met with a door that had a black skull and crossbones over a neon yellow circle. I don't know exactly what the sign means, but I know that no good could come from opening that door. We both froze though at the gurgling of demodogs beyond the door. I looked to Hopper, fear and worry etched on my face. He moved his gun to a suitable shooting position. He indicated for me to stay, and as silently as possible, he opens the door. My eyes closed, not wanting to see those flower-faced dogs rip him to shreds. My heart was beating so hard I felt sick. He was going to die. I was going to die.

Everything was going in slow motion. I remember his words of letting him take the lead. I wanted nothing more than to run away. But I couldn't let him die. I stumbled through the doorway, but as soon as I entered the room the demodogs fled. They ran down the hole which led to the Gate. Reaching out with my mind I could sense heat. Something is burning. The Shadow Monster's tunnels were on fire.

Mike.

The demodogs would be after him now. All my friends were with him too. Worry pinched my gut and tears spring to my eyes. I felt like I could vomit. There wasn't anything I could do for them. I was too far away. Please make it out safely. I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath. I could help them by closing the gate. I had a job to do.

I looked around the dimly lit room. White particles floated through the air. They looked like snowflakes. This was the same room where I opened the Gate. Papa had taken me from my cold, bare bedroom and led me to the bath. Dustin had called it an isolation tank. There were more people than usual surrounding the bath, each one with cold, uncaring features.

"Today we make history. Today we make contact," Papa had told me. Horrible memories of entering the void, of seeing the monster flashed through my mind. The monster with its wet, slimy, decaying flesh, humanoid figure, grotesquely ripping flesh from its prey was all I could see. Terror had coiled around my spine, but Papa said I had to touch the beast. I didn't want to go back to the dark closet for disobeying. My trembling hand had reached out: inches away. The sounds coming from the monster were foul. Before I could touch the thing it's head snapped around. An ear-splitting shriek had erupted from its razor-lined mouth. It began to slash at me, ripping me from limb to limb. Even being in the void, the pain felt so real. This monster wanted released and I had screamed. I screamed and I cried, pounding on the glass. I screamed so much my throat blazed with pain. My fear was a physical being: lashing out. The glass of the bath had shattered. The water rushed out and I with it. Three days later Papa had told me I opened a Gate: a Gate to hell.

The crackle of Hopper's radio brought me back to the present. I could hear a muffled voice, Jonathan's I think, say, "Close it."

It was time. My chest tightened and my heart started to pound faster and faster. Fear gripped my stomach.

"Okay, so we are going to get in this elevator and go down to where you can close the Gate," Hopper explained.

"Elevator?"

Hopper straightened his hat, edging nearer to the pit. "Oh yeah. Well an elevator is a machine," he turned grabbing my hand, "that lifts people up or down."

I gave a nod of understanding while he helped me onto the platform. It wobbled slightly under our weight. Below us was a seemingly endless chasm of pulsating dim, red light webbed in dark, slimy vines. Deep, rumbling sounds echoed from the pit as well. It sounded like the breathing of a huge, dying animal. And down we went, lower into the belly of the beast. The white particles grew in size as they hovered in the noxious air. The chains of the elevator clicked and grinded as we continued to descend. I moved to the edge of the platform and gripped the railing with white knuckles. The vines thinned until there was a large space where a membrane was visible. And then I felt him.

"Stop."

The elevator ceased its descent. The pit still continued downward, but we were far enough down that I couldn't see the top clearly. He was here though. I could feel it. A sickening sense of evil pervaded the air.

A hulking, black figure appeared behind the red, flowing membrane. It's dagger shaped head filled the space behind the membrane almost entirely. The Mind Flayer knew I was coming for him. I gasped as I felt icy tendrils grasp at my brain.

No.

I grabbed back at the vines surrounding the membrane. I raised my right hand focusing my powers at urging the vines to move. Ever so slowly, the Gate began to close. The vines inched along heavily. Another jolt of freezing pain webbed across the top of my skull, taking my breath away.

The Mind Flayer moved from behind his heaving film. I heard gunshots and felt the elevator sway. I lost my balance and stumbled forward. The web of pain grew stronger. It now branched down my spine, across my shoulders, and nestled horribly in my chest and head. The rapid beating of my heart made me feel sick.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

My hand trembled and I felt an oozing warmth come from my nose and ears. I can't let this monster win. I pushed back harder against the dark force penetrating my mind. It only shoved back with new fury. My breath came out in short, labored gasps.

I was going to lose...

No.

An image of Papa appeared before my eyes. I was sitting in Kali's room, in her big swivel chair. I heard a voice from behind me. I had froze. It was Papa. He kept telling me about a wound I had. A festering wound. He said it was growing. He had said it was going to kill me. Kali's words about focusing my anger came back to me.

I reached inward and found all the fear and pain I had felt in that moment. From behind the gate, I could sense the monster's short blip of doubt.

I thought about all the times I was dragged away screaming into that closet. All the slaps across my face and the rough, painfully tight grips I faced after not completing an experiment. All the times I was forced into the bath, shrieking to be released. The loneliness and sadness I felt while being isolated in my tiny room for days on end. All of these terrifying memories filed my rage. That hellish lab took everything from me. My childhood. My innocence.

My everything.

They stole everything.

My wrath grew and grew. I felt myself lift off the platform. I was weightless. The Gate was now rapidly closing, the vines burning red-hot at the edges. I could feel the Shadow Monster's growing rage as well. I was screaming now, both from the the excruciating pain and the anger burning through my veins.

From the Gate sprung a swirling mass of black dust. The force coming from the spiral resonated like a terrible windstorm. The dust pulsed and quivered in time with the Gate. It was alive.

The dust sped forward, but I was faster. An invisible shield stopped it; the dust spread around it like water poured over the bottom of a bowl. I screamed louder: inhumanly possible. Both of my hands were raised. Blood streamed from my nose and ears. I pushed back harder than ever before. I am going to kill you. You are going to die.

You are gone.

The Gate close with a snap that echoed through the pit. I took a gasping breath, a breath which felt like the first one in ages. I felt myself falling. Then all was black.