Will caught his breath from laughter before  asking, “Where’s Mike and El anyway?”

“They went home early instead of coming back.” Max tied the arms of her overalls around her waist and rolled up the sleeves of her t-shirt. “Something about a “big date” or whatever.”

Things had happened fast between Mike and El. There had been an instant connection and within a couple months, they had got an apartment together. They were sickeningly in love, always staring at each other, stealing glances. So much so that Mike had earned the nickname “Heart eyes Wheeler” which they all loved to tease him with. Even El got a laugh out of it.

But Mike didn’t care. He was happy. Happier than he’d been in a long time. He’d feared working together and living together would mean they’d get sick of each other, but it was the complete opposite. They had become so used to each other’s company that it hurt to be apart, it felt like something was missing.

It was scary how fast they’d fallen for each other, but neither would have it any other way.

“Ten bucks says he proposes tonight.” Lucas collapsed on the chair next to Max, kicking his feet up on the table.

“You’re on.” Max shook his hand. “Also, winner buys a round of drinks when we next go out.”

“Deal.”

Mike nervously played with the small box in his jacket pocket as they walked along central park. He was planning on asking at the restaurant, but the moment wasn’t right. He wanted it to be perfect.

El linked her arm with his, leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked. It was a quiet night, but the air was unseasonably cold. She shivered and Mike stopped walking.

“Are you cold?”

“A little. I should’ve brought a jacket.” She rubbed her arms, trying to create heat.

Without hesitating, Mike took off his own jacket, draping it over her shoulders. She slipped her arms through the sleeves but they fell down almost to her knees so she rolled them up. But Mike always loved it whenever she wore his jackets or sweaters. She was always stealing them but he couldn’t help think they looked better on her.

“Can you believe it’s been a year since we met?” Her voice pulled him out of his daze.

“Is that…bad?” He was scared she thought things were moving too fast.

“No!” She quickly said, her hand automatically cupping his cheek in a reassuring gesture. “No, never. Sometimes I just think about, about how great everything is. A year ago I wouldn’t have imagined my life would be like this.”

Mike smiled and ran a hand through his hair. “You never imagined meeting a handsome Ghostbuster?” He smirked and she lightly nudged him.

“You idiot.” She pulled him back, smiling into the kiss as her hands moved from his shoulders to the back of his neck.

His hand was on her waist but she pulled back when she felt a small object press against her hip.

“What…” she reached into the pocket and Mike’s heart stopped.

He forgot about the ring.

“It’s nothing…” he began to say but she’d already pulled out the small box.

“Mike…?” her eyes were glued to the box, but she could feel her heart in her throat.

“I was planning on asking at the restaurant but the time wasn’t right.” He gently took the box from her hand. “But now is a good a time as any.”

Her eyes frantically roamed his face as he slowly knelt down.

“I know we’ve only known each other for a short amount of time,” he nervously laughed, taking one of her hands. “But I can’t explain how you make me feel. It’s like we had some instant connection, like it was always meant to be. Like…like it was fate.”

“Mike…” she felt tears in her eyes but she smiled.

“El Hopper, will you-”

“Yes!” She knelt down, throwing her arms around his neck and they fell backwards.

Mike sat up, El still had her arms around him.

“Can I at least ask?” Both had tears in their eyes as they laughed, but she nodded.

“El Hopper, will you marry me?”

Max closed her eyes and aimed randomly at the man, not sure where to hit, just as long as it made some kind of mark. El joined her, causing the marshmallow man to stagger back a few feet.

The boys stopped bickering, watching in awed silence.

“Glad you've stopped arguing. But a little help?” Max said over her shoulder.

Mike nodded and quickly ran to El's side, glancing at her as a smile appearing on both their lips.

Lucas and Dustin scrambled over each other to be the one next to Max, but Lucas had elbowed Dustin out the way.

From the streets below, shouts could be heard, car alarms had gone off, even police sirens in the distance. But the marshmallow man kept approaching.

He slammed one large, sticky hand on to the roof, barely missing Mike. In his shock, the boy tripped back over his feet. El helped him up again, hand lingering on his arm a moment longer than needed.

“Ha! Beat that!” Dustin's voice broke them out their moment.

Apparently he, Lucas and Max had turned in to a game. They had decided on a point system, a blast to the face was worth 5 points and a body shot worth 2. Dustin was winning and he was very humble about it.

“Oh you're on Henderson!” Lucas fired a strong blast at the face, the Marshmallow man staggering and falling against the nearby building. Thankfully his soft exterior meant all that was left behind was a sticky marshmallow residue.

They had weakened the approaching monster considerably and a few shots more would have it exploding in a foamy mess.

It was El who fired the fatal shot, marshmallow pieces covering them.

“Ok, that was awesome!” Dustin said, looking at the sticky marshmallow on his clothes and face. “But oh my god it smells so good!”

The air smelled like roasted marshmallows, reminding them of summers spent in the woods with their make shift campfire. Mike felt an odd longing for Hawkins, wanting to show El the sleepy town. If he doesn't die tonight, then he'll make a plan to take her there.

“Ha!” Max tried to remove the marshmallow from her hair, pointing at Will. “Is that all you got?”

At that moment, the gate behind Will began to spark, flashing lights behind him and the shadow getting darker.

“We need to close that gate.” El said, wiping the marshmallow from her face, her clothes were still covered.

“What if it hurts Will?” Dustin said. “We don't know what might happen.”

“We can't leave it open. What if more of those lizard things come back?” Max tied her hair up with an elastic band. It'd take forever to wash that marshmallow out.

“Demodogs.” Dustin clarified.

“Gesundheit.” Max raised her eyebrows, not really paying attention.

“I think we just have to go for it.” Mike finally said, stepping forward. “We can't risk not to do it.”

“Ok but don't aim at Will.” Lucas looked at Dustin. They had been friends with the boy for years and the thought of him being hurt was unbearable. But Mike understood, he'd known Will the longest so if he was ok with it, then they had to at least try.

They all looked at eachother, coming to the silent agreement.

“Ok, but we need to distract him if we have any hope of getting close enough to the gate.” Lucas whispered.

“Good idea. You should do it.” Max nodded, patting him on the shoulder.

Lucas shook his head. “Me? No way! Did you see what he did to Dustin?!”

“Please?” Max sang, smiling at him.

Lucas blushed and laughed like some kid with a childhood crush. Dustin rolled his eyes.

“Ok…” he agreed.

Max gave him a kiss on the cheek, but as she pulled away a bit of marshmallow from Lucas’ cheek came along with her.

“Gross!” Dustin made a fake gagging sound.

Lucas glared at him. “Shut up.”

The boy took a step towards Will, glancing back at the others.

“Hey...hey Will! Can we discuss this whole world domination thing? Because I think maybe you're on to something here.” Lucas began, the others sneaking off behind him towards the gate.

As they approached the gate, the sound of Lucas’ voice was drowned out by the strange wind and low rumbling noise. There was static and a metallic taste in the air.

“We're going to have to do this at the same time.” Dustin shouted above the noise.

Everyone agreed, holding up their blasters. After Dustin counted to three, they sent a short blast at the same time, but Will's cries made them hold back.

They turned to see Lucas crouched over the smaller boy, his eyes wide with fear.

“It's hurting him!” Lucas shouted.

“What are we supposed to do?” Mike could feel his heart in his throat. He couldn't lose one of his best friends.

“Maybe...maybe it's not hurting him but rather hurting whatever is inside him?” Everyone turned to look at El. “I know we can't know for sure but...but we can't leave this.”

Mike closed his eyes and sighed. “She's right.”

“Mike…” Dustin whispered, glancing to where Will was lying on the roof floor. “We can't…”

“What choice do we have?” He spoke quietly, scared if he raised his voice, it would crack like he was 12 again. “And maybe this might kill whatever is in there. I don't want to hurt Will, but maybe this is the only way to save him.”

El wrapped her arms around Mike, trying to reassure him that this was the right decision. “We have to continue this.”

Ignoring the shouts of Will, they continued firing blasts at the gate. Lucas sat with Will, but he couldn't watch his friend in pain.

The gate slowly began to close, the corners turning from a dark red to a black, decreasing in size. But the shadow began fighting back.

“It's not working!” Max shouted. “It's still there!”

“Cross the streams!” Lucas shouted.

“You told us never to do that!” Mike shouted over his shoulder. “You said we could die!”

“Trust me Mike.” Lucas was pleading with him. “I don't know what will happen, but I know it'll be stronger.”

“Are we seriously going to do this?” Max hesitated. “Are we going to potentially die?”

“Hasn't stopped us before.” Dustin laughed, but she could see the fear in his eyes.

“Mike…” El closed her eyes and took a breath. He immediately turned to her, raising his eyebrows curiously. “Maybe... maybe this is the fear of death talking...but….meeting you was probably the best thing that's ever happened.”

“El...I...I…” Mike was trying to process it all. Was she saying what he thought she was. Did that mean she felt the same as him?

“I know it's too soon, but…” she laughed nervously, “maybe I'll never get a chance to say it.. Mike, I-”

“I love you.” Mike blurted it out, the threat of death giving him the confidence.

It was like an unspoken agreement as they both dropped their blasters, El standing on her tip toes to wrap her hands behind Mike's neck as she pulled him closer. She smiled, almost laughing at how his lips tasted like marshmallows.

“Now is really not the time!” Dustin shouted, still shooting his blaster.

When they pulled away, Mike picked up their blasters again. Holding it in one hand, the other intertwined with each other, they held them up to the gate.

“We're gonna cross the streams.” Dustin looked for confirmation from everyone.

They all moved so they were facing each other as their streams of light joined to one large blast. The force was too strong, Mike and El letting go to hold their blasters with both hands again.

The shadow began to reel back under the force of the blast. Another dark shadow began to leave Will's body, the shadow monster retreating back to the gate.

“I can't hold it!” Dustin shouted.

“It's closing, Dustin!” Max shouted back. “Just hold it a little longer!”

“Aaaaaah” he shouted, struggling under the force.

With one final blast, they were all fired back across the roof. Sparks flying as the gate slowly closed, disappearing from view.

All that remained was a cloud of smoke from the blasts and crumbled bits of wall.

“Guys…?” Will slowly sat up, his voice weak. “What...what happened?”

Lucas looked up and almost tackled the boy in a hug before he pulled back, realising how weak he was. “Will…”

Max coughed, pushing Dustin off her. He rolled over and covered his eyes. El opened her eyes from where she had fallen against Mike's side. She looked at the now gate free roof and laughed in disbelief. Mike sat up, El following him.

“Mike!” She threw her arms around his neck and he fell backwards again. “We did it…” she whispered.

Mike pulled her tighter, burying his head against her shoulder.

“Will!” Dustin shouted, running over to the boy, attacking him in a bear hug like Lucas had done.

El helped Mike up and he squeezed her hand before running up to Will. He pushed Dustin aside and wrapped his arms around Will.

“Hey buddy.” He smiled and Will hugged him back.

Dustin piled on, wrapping his arms around both boys and Lucas sighed before Dustin grabbed his arm to join the group hug.

Max and El kept their distance, allowing the boys to have their moment.

“Thank you.” They heard Will mumble from under the mass of bodies.

They pulled back and Lucas and Dustin supported both his arms as they helped Will stand up.

He looked at El and Max. “Thank you. I know we haven't really been introduced. But...but thank you.”

“Any time.” Max waved a hand as if she'd just done him a simple favour and not saved him from an interdimensional monster.

He smiled at El and she wrapped her arms around him. The boy was taken aback slightly by her show of affection, but within a few minutes, everyone had piled on again.

Half an hour later, a knock came at El's apartment door.

3 young men - more like boys - stood in grey overalls. Her eyes roamed over their faces, lingering on the final one, the tallest. His mouth hung open ever so slightly when their eyes meet. She read the name tag: Wheeler.

“Are you the exterminators?” she asked and their smiles dropped.

“Ghost busters. ” The one who's tag read Henderson shook his head. She showed them into her apartment and watched as they got their equipment out. Her eyes kept meeting the taller one, and he smiled faintly at her.

“Mike, focus!”

Mike...El blushed as she looked away, a small smile creeping on her own lips. The one called Sinclair started waving a machine around, little beeps filling the empty sound of the apartment.

“What is that?” She pointed to the machine in his hand. He looked up as if surprised she was talking to him. El supposed that people probably didn't ask questions, just left them to it.

“I'm testing the frequency.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “Dustin’s the one who comes up with all this stuff. Mike and I are more... the muscle.” He laughed. “Well, I'm the muscle. Mike's more... the backup.” He tensed his bicep and El rolled her eyes.

Mike looked up from where he was setting up some kind of recording. His hair falling into his eyes. “Ha ha, Lucas.” he said sarcastically. His eyes met El's, she was laughing, eyes bright, and he felt that weird jolt he'd felt when she'd opened the door. He needed to pull himself together.

There was a sudden sound of white noise filling the apartment and El instinctively held her hands over her ears. “What is that?”

“Spirit box.” Dustin came in, the so called “spirit box” in his hand. It was a radio he had modified, to change frequency quickly. “It allows us to communicate with the ghosts.” He began explaining it and behind him El could see Mike rolling his eyes. He was kind of cute she decided.

“See, it changes between channels at such a high frequency that the ghost has to manipulate them and then-”

“Dustin, she doesn't need to know all that science shit.” Lucas cut in.

El smiled at Dustin and Mike felt an odd pang of jealousy. He really needed to get a grip of himself.

“I think it's interesting.”

“See, Lucas!”

It took another 20 minutes before they were set up. El made them all coffee while they waited, but Mike was too eager when she handed it too him and he burnt his tongue.

“So,” Dustin got out a notepad and began making notes. “Can you describe the ghost? Any paranormal activity you've experienced?”

“I thought I was going crazy,” El laughed lightly, but Mike could see the fear behind her eyes. He felt a strange urge to just reach out, let her know everything would be ok. But he knew he couldn't.

“I saw... a shape. Like, a shadow at the end of the hallway.” She pointed to the hall. “My roommate Max wasn't here. I was alone.”

Mike felt his heart drop. Of course she had a boyfriend.

“And I could hear things falling in the night.”

Dustin slammed his notebook shut. “Classic level 1 poltergeist. We'll have that sorted in no time.”

The boys began trying to summon the poltergeist, using the spirit box to try getting it to talk. Dustin began using heat sensors to track its movement.

After about 5 minutes, Mike shouted. “I think I've got it!”

Lucas and Dustin ran to join Mike who had opened the closet at the end of the hall to reveal a glowing light.

“ That was in our closet?” El came up behind them and Lucas pushed her back.

“Stand back!” He shouted and they all grabbed their proton packs.

Dustin and Lucas opened fire on the poltergeist, streams of light and electricity leaving their blasters and wrapping around the spirit.

“Mike, open the trap!” Dustin yelled.

Mike fumbled with his pack and pulled out a small trap that he opened, holding it up towards the poltergeist. Lucas and Dustin's blasters pulled the poltergeist towards the trap and Mike closed it quickly.

Wiping the sweat from their foreheads, the boys high fived for a job well done.

“Thank you. You're all so brave.” El smiled, but her gaze lingered on Mike's the longest but be looked away.

“What do I owe you?” She blinked and then ran to try and find her purse. Dustin went with her to sort out payment while Mike and Lucas cleaned up.

“Dude, just ask her out.”

“Huh?” Mike looked up from where he was reorganising the closet after being disrupted by the blasters.

“You've been staring at her this whole time.” Lucas laughed. “You're so obvious.”

“I don't even know her name.” Mike shrugged. “Besides, she probably has a boyfriend.” He tried to act casual about it, but it hurt more than he wanted it to.

“Suit yourself.” Lucas rolled his eyes and went to join Dustin.

Mike was quiet on the ride home, zoning out and looking through the window. He'd never gotten the chance to ask that girl's name. Not that it mattered.

He didn't normally get involved with the clients, hardly ever remembered them. But something about her stood out, as if a little bell went of in his head that told him she's the person he's been missing this whole time.

Mike never used to believe in fate. Thought it was all bullshit made up by Hollywood, but he guessed he couldn't be one to judge about believing because just look at what he does for a living. Especially when he'd laid eyes on her. He couldn't help feel like in some other life, they'd known each other. But it was stupid. He was probably just tired, it'd been a long week and his brain was probably just telling him that he saw someone attractive and that's it. His brain is just getting confused between a crush - if you could call it that - and falling in love. Yeah...that was it.

It wasn't like he was even going to see her again so why did it matter? But he couldn't let it go, couldn't get the image of her smile, the sound of her laugh out of his head.

“El! I'm back from California.” Max slammed the door shut of the apartment, kicking her shoes off and leaving her suitcase in the hall.

“Hey Max!” El gave her hug. They'd been friends for years, only having each other. Two girls trying to make it big in New York City. So far it hadn't been going too well.

“How was it?” They collapsed on the couch together watching cheesy soaps that El had gotten Max to enjoy over the years (but if anyone asked Max would insist she hates them)

“Just glad to be back here.” Max's eyes drifted to the crumpled up flyer on the coffee table. “What the-?”

El's eyes grew wide and she tried to snatch it away. “It's nothing.”

“Ghostbusters?” Max laughed. “Did we have a g-g-g-ghost?”

“I knew you wouldn't believe me.” El sighed. “But there really was something. And they were really nice.”  She began blushing thinking back to Mike. His freckles and messy hair…

“Was there a cute boy?”

“Max!”

“You're blushing and I know it's not because of the “ghost” we had.”

“It doesn't matter anyway.” El shrugged. “He was just doing his job and I'll probably never see him so what's the point in discussing this?”

They walked in silence most of the way, Will trying to make conversation with Mike but he was unusually quiet.

“Did something happen at one of the houses?” Will looked up at Mike. He only came up to the taller boy's shoulders.

“It's stupid…” Mike almost laughed. He knew he was being stupid. “But...but there was this girl.” At the mention of this girl, he began smiling, more than he had all day. Will liked his smile, his eyes would crinkle and his freckled cheeks would dimple ever so slightly.

“Oh?” Will smirked, wrapping his jacket tighter around him as the wind picked up.

Mike blushed and when he spoke, he smiled even wider, if that was possible. “She was actually interested in what we were doing. Every time we go to a call they just point to the ghost and leave, but, but she was asking questions and her laugh.” Mike remembered how her laugh sent a knot in his stomach, her laugh was something else, like notes on a piano that would never be played in the same order again.

“I've just, never met someone who actually really understood all...this.” he gestured widely. It was true, no one really wanted to know what they were doing, just in and out. But suddenly here was this girl who wanted to know, she wanted to understand.

“What's her name?” Will's voice pulled Mike back to reality and his heart dropped.

“I don't...I didn't get it…” he mumbled.

“Is that why you've been moping this whole time? Mike, I have to write the names of the clients. You idiot. You could have just asked me.” Will laughed and nudged his shoulder against Mike.

“I don't even know what I'd say if I saw her again. But isn't it weird? The random guy that cleared your house of a ghost just calls you?” Mike wrinkled his nose as if the idea even smelled bad.

“Stranger things have happened.”

Max looked up from her table in the coffee shop and saw El walking in, weighed down by a heavy backpack. Max didn't have time to even say hello before El began ranting.

“I'm done with college.” She sighed and let her bag fall to the floor. “I don't know what to do with my life but I know this isn't it.” El was studying psychology at NYU, but she hated it.

“I want to do science but not this type of science. I don't understand people.” She thought of those Ghostbusters she'd met. How they were doing what they loved, science but interesting science. She envied them.

“This hasn't got anything to do with a certain ghost boy does it?” Max took a sip from her coffee and raised her eyebrows.

“What?” El could feel her cheeks warming. She hadn't been able to get that tallest ghostbuster out her head. His freckles, his smile, how there had just been this connection. But she knew how stupid it was. She'd literally met him for maybe an hour at most and he probably didn't even remember her because they probably deal with hundreds of people. But still... she couldn't explain the feeling she got whenever she thought of him.

“You've been acting weird since I got back and all I can think is this whole ghost business.”

El looked down and took a sip of the coffee Max had ordered for her. “It doesn't matter. It's not like I'm going to see him again. Unless…” El thought about it. Maybe she should call again claiming there's still a ghost? And then he'd have to show up and then she can-

“El? No. No way. You're not calling for a fake ghost invasion.” Max knew what she was thinking.

“It's crazy and stupid.”

El felt her heart drop. “Yeah...I guess…”

The coffee shop was busier than usual, Will using Mike as a human shield to get through the crowd of people.

While Will began ordering coffees for the whole crew, Mike thought he heard something. A laugh.

He could've sworn it was her. He turned around but there were so many people he couldn't pick her out. His heart was pounding and he frantically moved his head, trying to find her. Trying to catch a glimpse.

The coffee shop was filled with voices of muffled conversations, but her laugh had been clear as day. Maybe he was hallucinating?

“Mike?”

He jumped but it was just Will wanting to know what drink he wanted.

Mike began scanning the room again. This time his heart stopped. His eyes landed on the girl he'd been thinking about all week. She was there, laughing with her friend.

His heart stopped. Before he knew what he was doing, his feet were carrying him over to her table.

“Uh, El... do you know that guy?” Max nodded in the direction of the tall boy walking towards them, eyes locked on El.

She looked up and her mouth opened slightly when her eyes met his. Mike.

“I can't believe it.” She laughed incredulously, lowering her cup but Max wasn't sure who she was talking to. Max looked between El and the boy, a grin slowly appearing.

“Hey…” the boy smiled but then stopped as if he hadn't really thought it through. Which he hadn't. He awkwardly tucked his hand into his jacket pocket.

“Hey…” El smiled back at him, for a moment forgetting Max was there. She was too focused on how different he looked when not in his Ghostbuster uniform; focused on the way his hat couldn't quite contain his messy curls and how his freckled cheeks were slightly pink from the wind.

“I uh…” he blinked, wishing he'd actually had a plan before just walking over. He felt like an idiot. Why would she remember him? It's not like she's been thinking about him just as much as he's been thinking about her.

“It was Mike, right?” El asked (she knew).

“Yeah.” Mike smiled, surprised she knew his name, but remembered his uniform literally had his name on it and she probably heard Lucas shouting his name.

His eyes suddenly went wide. “Shit, I'm such a mouthbreather,” El tilted her head, confused at his expression. “I don't even know your name and I'm here and-” he began mumbling.

“El.” her voice was quiet. He stopped mumbling and looked up at her. “My name is El.”

El... Mike smiled, trying the name out in his head. It was unusual, he'd never heard a name like it. But then again, he'd never met a girl like her.

They stared at each other for a moment before Max coughed and Mike jumped a little, suddenly registering the other person.

“Oh, this is my roommate Max.” El gestured and Max stuck out her hand for Mike to shake.

So this was Max. Mike could've laughed at himself for being so stupid and jumping to conclusions.

“You uh...bust ghosts?” Max smirked and El gave her a glare that said “don't ruin this for me”.

Mike shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah...I know it sounds kind of weird.”

“A little.” Max laughed. “You want to join us?”

“Max…” El whispered. Mike awkwardly shuffled on his feet, unsure whether to accept but he slowly sat down in the chair opposite El.

“Mike!” Will walked up to him holding a carrier of coffees. He stopped when he noticed Mike was talking to people he didn't know. “Oh...uh...hi.” he nodded, hands full of coffee.

“This is El and Max.” Mike didn't take his eyes off El's. “We helped clear their apartment the other day.”

“Oh is this the-”

“Hey! Thanks for getting my coffee!” Mike shouted to interrupt Will, grabbing the coffee from Will's hand. He would die if El knew he'd been thinking about her all week like some kind of creep.

“Hey El, I have to get back to work.” Max stood up and grabbed her bag. “Those tables aren't going to wait themselves.” She sighed. “I'll see you later?”

El could have sworn Max wasn't working today and thought she saw the redhead wink. She stopped just behind Mike and mouthed “get his number” behind his back while El tried not to laugh.

“Mike, I can take the coffees back to HQ if you want to stay here for a while?” Will could sense the tension between the two in front of him.

Mike finally pulled his eyes away from El and turned to Will.

“I can't just leave work…”

“Mike. It's a few hours, we can handle ourselves. You have your supercom right if it's an emergency? Besides,” Will titled his head in the direction of El who was pretending like she wasn't listening. “when are you going to get another chance like this?”

With a quick glance back to El he sighed. “You sure this is ok?”

No. It wasn't ok, Will would be lying if he said he hadn't ever felt something for Mike, especially when they were kids. But he knew Mike didn't feel that way and over time he'd gotten over the childhood crush. But sometimes that jealousy would sneak back and Will had to remind himself that he deserved better than to hurt himself with an unrequited crush. He wanted Mike to be happy, and if that meant letting him go, then that's what Will would do.

“If it'll make you happy then of course it's ok.” Will smiled, ignoring that ache in his chest.

“Thank you Will. I'll make it up to you guys later. I promise.”

He knew how much promises meant to Mike, so of course he would make up for it. Will walked back to the others, alone. Arms full of coffee.

“So...Mr Exterminator.” El leaned on her arm, looking up at Mike.

“Ghostbuster actually…” he laughed and nervously ran a hand through his hair.

“How did you even get into that business?” She genuinely seemed interested and Mike perked up. People never really seemed to care about their story, only wanted them to do some science shit and get out.

Despite their success, people still mocked the Ghostbusters. Most people thought they were crazy, doubted whether they actually did get rid of ghosts or just fixed bad wiring under the pretence they were “ghostbusting”.

But El wanted to know. She actually wanted to know all the science and how it all worked and why they did it.

He told her all about that night when they were kids. How they caught their first ghost using a badly built electromagnet. How Hawkins was small but New York was famous for paranormal activity. (“Really?”, “Oh yeah, all the big cities are a hotspot for ghosts”) so they decided when they graduated high school to pursue careers as Ghostbusters.

“It doesn't pay much, but you know...it's enough to cover the bills.” Mike shrugged. “Will shares an apartment with his brother Jonathan, sometimes he helps us with photographs. He's cool. But Lucas, Dustin and I share an apartment so it's not like we live in luxury.”

They lost track of time, talking about everything and anything. It felt so natural, like they'd known each other for years.

“Shit…” El looked at the time. “I have to go. My paper is due tomorrow….”

Mike wasn't ready for her to leave. “Maybe...maybe I could walk you home?”

“It's alright, I don't want to make you go out of your way.” El didn't want to inconvenience him, but she didn't want him to leave just yet.

“No really…” Mike smiled. El really liked his smile. “I want to.”

She nodded and before she could say anything he had picked up her backpack for her. She tried not to laugh at his expression when he realised how heavy it was. It was cute, the way his eyebrows furrowed and his nose crinkled.

“Shit…” he whispered under his breath. “What's in this thing?”

“Books.” El laughed lightly. “You don't have to carry it for me.”

“I need to work out. Gotta be able to fight those ghosts.” He pretended to karate chop the air and El knew in that moment she was going to miss him when they parted ways again .

El took Mike the long way to her apartment, choosing to walk through a park. It was starting to get dark and the streetlights had come on, illuminating the trees. It was a cloudless night, but the lights prevented them from seeing the stars. But it didn't stop El from looking up, trying to see.

Mike saw her gazing at the sky and brushed against her shoulder as they walked. “That's the thing I miss about Hawkins.”

She stopped looking at the sky and faced him. “Sorry?” She tilted her head.

“The stars.” He explained. “I miss being able to look up and see them, there's too much light pollution here.”

El closed her eyes trying to picture it. “That sounds nice. I would've liked that…I grew up just outside New York, but there were still too many lights to ever really see anything.”

“I miss it sometimes...the small town.” They stopped walking and El turned to face him, she was close and Mike could feel his heart beating crazily fast in his chest. His eyes accidentally slipped to her lips. “But there are other things that make the city worth while…”

“Oh yeah?” El felt her cheeks heat up as he began to lean forward. She began to lean closer too, standing on her tiptoes. Their noses brushed and a smile tugged at her lips.

They were just about to meet when a loud crash was heard from around the corner.

They pulled apart and both faced where the sound had come from.

“Was that…?” El cautiously looked at Mike.

“I don't know….stay here.” He slowly began to walk towards the source of the noise and El grabbed his hand.

“No, I want... I want to come with you.”

Mike looked at the building the noise had come from and then back at El. She was determined and stubborn and he thinks he might just be falling in love a little bit.

“Ok.” He nodded and pulled out his supercom. “Guys...we have a code red. I repeat we have a code red!”

El looked at him, trying to hide the worry on her face. “Code red?”

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. His brow furrowed, a serious expression on his usually calm face.

But then it had happened. The wind had picked up as they were walking along Mirkwood. Strange, but they hadn’t really thought much of it. There then came a rummaging sound from the bins at one of the houses, but it was probably just a cat or something right?

Dustin went to investigate, but as he approached the bin, there came an odd green glow. He stopped and looked back at the others who shook their heads, urging Dustin to just leave it and get out of here.

But he didn’t listen and opened the lid, dropping it and screaming when a green blob jumped out.

The green glow was coming from the blob, it was opaque and floating. Dustin ran, the others not far behind.

The blob chased after them, lights on the streets flickering and the wind speeding up.

It disappeared as they left Mirkwood and approached the Wheeler’s house.

“But, I think it was a ghost!” Dustin still gestured to outside. “A ghost! In Hawkins!”

“We were probably just seeing things.” Will mumbled.

“A green ghost? Yeah I imagined that.” Dustin said, a tone of sarcasm in his voice.

“Whatever it was,” Mike stood up, his breathing relatively normal again. “We can’t tell anyone about it.”

“What are we supposed to do?” Will asked and they all looked at Mike, he had somehow become the leader of their party.

He bit his lip nervously, looking in the direction of the door as if the ghost were right there. “We catch it.”

“How?” Lucas folded his arms. “With…” he looked around, seeing the snacks spilling out of Dustin’s rucksack laying discarded on the floor. “With nougat? Get real Mike!”

“No! This could actually work!” Dustin grinned. “Not the nougat thing. But trying to catch it.”

“He’s lost his mind.”

“Hear me out.” Dustin grabbed a scrap piece of paper and began scribbling something down. “What if we could somehow over power it? Ghosts are mostly energy right?”

“Yeah?” Lucas leant over his shoulder to see what Dustin was drawing.

“So maybe some kind of electromagnet?” Will nodded at Dustin.

“Exactly.” He looked up and showed them some kind of box he’d drawn.

“There’s no way we could build one of those.” Lucas grabbed the paper, studying it.

“Mr Clarke can.”

“Dustin, what is this even for?” Mr Clarke furrowed his eyebrows.

“Fun.” Dustin had stayed behind after class the next day, writing down notes on how to make an electromagnet.

“Thanks Mr Clarke!” Dustin shut his notebook and grabbed his rucksack, running quickly out the classroom to the AV room.

They had spent two days building their electromagnet, but they were ready to try again.

“Ok, it’s only a small ghost, so an electromagnet this size should be able to capture it.” Dustin examined the object, looking proud at his handy work.

“Wait, where are we even putting it?” Mike held out his hand as if the magnet was going to explode.

“I didn’t think of that…” Dustin looked around. The AV room didn’t exactly have much in terms of ghost containment.

“Here…” Lucas pulled out a small safe from his bag. “I thought if you were going to try and catch it you’d need somewhere. So I emptied out my safe. I figured it’s not very big but ghosts can squish right?”

Dustin took the safe and smiled. “I thought you were against this whole thing?”

“I saw how hard you worked and how serious you were about this so…I thought I could try and help.”

“Thanks Lucas.” Dustin patted his shoulder. “Right, let’s go catch ourselves a ghost.”

They snuck out the Wheeler’s basement again under the pretence of a sleepover.

Dustin carried the power pack and electromagnet in his hands, shaking from either excitement or nerves.

The others followed a few steps behind. Mike had wrapped his hoodie hood around his messy hair to keep him warm, Lucas had tied his bandana and held a tight grip on his slingshot (“what’s a slingshot supposed to do to a ghost?”, “It’s a precaution Dustin.”) and Will didn’t know what to do with himself and awkwardly shoved his hands in his coat pocket.

“What if he’s gone?” Will asked when they’d been walking around Mirkwood for a while.

Dustin shrugged, “Where would he go?” he was confident they’d catch it.

They ventured into the woods and heard that same rustling of the leaves. There was a strange metallic taste in the air charged with electricity.

They saw the outline of the ghost hovering between the trees, it looked like it had been rummaging through people’s trash again and had a large pile of food waste accumulated.

“It’s like it doesn’t know where here?” Dustin turned to them incredulously. “We need to get closer for this thing to work.”

Dustin edged closer, it was almost comical and Mike had to hold back a laugh. If you’d asked him what he planned to be doing tonight, the answer wouldn’t have been this. (Although he’d probably just be planning a DnD game and that didn’t seem any better)

Will held the power pack the electromagnet was attached to, edging closer behind Dustin and casting a nervous look over his shoulder at Mike.

“Hey!” Dustin shouted at the ghost, but it didn’t even notice them. He coughed loudly but still nothing.

Lucas sighed and held up his slingshot, picking a pebble up off the ground. “Hey, ugly!” He let go of the pebble at it passed straight through the ghost.

“Nice one.” Mike laughed, but his laughter ceased when the ghost turned around.

“Ha!” Lucas raised an eyebrow triumphantly at Mike. “Oh wait-”

“Shit!” Dustin screamed, the ghost getting closer, almost…laughing? “Abort! Abort!”

Will closed his eyes and turned the power on, Dustin nervously holding the electromagnet up to the ghost, hiding behind his hands.

“Aaaaaah!” They were all shouting, the wind picking up and sparks from electrical fields being messed up, lit up their faces.

The ghost got caught in the magnetic pull, Dustin dragged it to the open safe that lay on the floor.

“Get in there you little bastard!” Dustin closed the safe and the boys collapsed on the floor in relief.

“We did it?” Mike looked up from where he’d buried his head in his hands.

“Yeah, no thanks to you, princess.” Dustin triumphantly held up the safe. “I can’t believe it! We have scientific proof of ghosts’ existence!”

“What do we do now?” Will dusted himself off.

Dustin turned to the group, a huge smile on his face. “I have an idea….”

New York, 1992

Will looked up from his desk when Mike, Lucas and Dustin burst through the door.

“Another success?”

“You bet.” Dustin slammed the proton pack on the table, ectoplasm dripping off it.

“Can you please not get that shit on my desk?” Will poked it with a pen, pushing it away.

Mike dumped his now higher tech proton blaster on the floor and unzipped his overalls, tying the sleeves around his waist, dusting off his t-shirt.

“How does it still go through the suits?”

Lucas laughed and dumped his own pack on the table and kicked his feet up on the couch.

“That makes…” Will rummaged through the papers on his desk. “12 ghosts this month.”

“Who knew New York would have so much paranormal activity? So much more than Hawkins ever did.” Lucas leaned back. “I mean, we did kind of clean the town out.”

“This wasn’t how I expected my life to go.” Mike ran a hand through his hair, it had gotten messed up from the encounter with the ghost. “I thought I would go to college, get some boring computer job or something then back to Hawkins.”

“And now look at us.” Dustin looked proud, placing his hands on his hips. “Official Ghostbusters.”

They all laughed. It was so ridiculous, but it was their life. Their families didn’t really understand, the boys choosing to just say they were scientists instead of trying to explain what they really did.

The phone rang and Will answered. He decided he wanted to take more of an admin side to the business. Dustin was the brains, coming up with new technology and improving on the original electromagnet they had used as kids, now using a highly sophisticated proton blaster. Mike and Lucas helped him on the job, Lucas coming up with the tactics and Mike keeping things under control, still taking a leadership role like they had as kids. It was a small business, but surprisingly a lot of people called them to get rid of the ghosts.

“Guys, it’s another job.” Will called.

“I just sat down!” Lucas threw his hands in the air.

Dustin jumped up, grabbing the equipment after disposing of the previous ghost.

Mike readjusted his grey overalls and grabbed his pack.

Lucas sighed and grabbed the car keys. “Let’s go bust some ghost butt.”

“Good luck! Don’t get scared.” Will laughed and Lucas playfully flipped him off over his shoulder.

“Stop it! Both of you!” Dustin shouted, separating the two. “You both acting like shitheads. Mike, you can't let this girl distract you again. And Lucas, we have to trust Mike means it when he says he's sorry.”

The two boys looked down.

“Now shake hands.”

They mumbled and Mike stretched out his hand first, Lucas shaking it.

“You both stay here.” Dustin grabbed the keys. “I'll go check on Will. If anything happens call me.”

Lucas took his pack to his desk and began modifying it, trying to make the blaster more efficient, but that was more Dustin's strength than his.

Mike was pacing, unsure whether to call El or not. Was she going to call him? Or was she expecting him to call her? He began tapping his hand against his leg.

“Would you stop pacing?” Lucas looked up. “It's kinda annoying.”

“I'm just…” he couldn't tell Lucas he was worried about El. “Worried about Will…” it wasn't a complete lie, he was worried about his friend. But Will was tough, tougher than people thought. He'd be ok. But El...Mike was scared she'd changed her mind.

The phone rang and Mike lunged for it, Lucas once again looking up from his pack and blaster. “Eager for a mission?” He laughed. Things seemed almost back to normal again at least.

“Yeah…” Mike nervously laughed and held the phone up to his ear. “You’ve reached the Ghostbusters.”

“Mike?”

El. Mike looked around but Lucas was back being absorbed in his own work. “El! Hi!” He recoiled from himself. Why did he sounded so eager? She probably thought he was a creep now. Play it cool Wheeler, he thought.

“I mean...hey... what's, what's up?” Mike leaned against the desk but remembered she wouldn't be able to see him anyway.

He thought he could hear her laughing, but it wasn't mean, it was endearing.

“I was wondering if you weren't too busy with... ghostbusting?”

Mike stood up straight. “No! I mean, yeah I'm free.”

“Right now?”

“Yeah!” He nodded. But he remembered Lucas and how he couldn't exactly leave him alone without Dustin or Will. “Wait...no not right now.”

“It's ok... don't worry about it.” She sounded disappointed. Mike didn't want her to think he wasn't interested. Because he was. Really interested.

“It's only me and Lucas today. So I can't leave. Not that I wouldn't love to see you.”

Love to see you? Love to see you? That's too far! Mike began panicking that love was too strong a word. He didn't know why but around El he just lost the ability to function normally.

“I have a lunch break in a few hours though?” Mike tried. He really wanted to see her today. “Or maybe you could come by the HQ?”

“Wouldn't Lucas be upset if I was there? I didn't exactly help last night.”

“What?” Mike's voice raised a few octaves. “He likes you…”

“Mike.”

“Fine. Maybe...maybe he isn't your biggest fan.” That's me. “But give him time and he's bound to warm up to you.”

“I don't know…”

“Please?”

El couldn't resist the softness of his voice. “Ok.”

Mike tried to act casual, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face. “Cool. I'll see you soon then?”

“Definitely.”

Mike hung up the phone. When he turned around, he almost hit into Lucas who was stood practically on top of him.

“What the hell dude?!” Mike stepped back.

“You invited her here?” Lucas accused. “Mike, this is our job. We can't afford distractions!”

“She's not a distraction. Plus, she saw what happened last night. At the moment, I hate to say it, but she's more help than Dustin.”

Lucas stepped back. “I guess that's true... Dustin wasn't actually there.”

“And if those Demodogs come back, we need her help.”

“Demodogs?” he raised an eyebrow at Mike's use of Dustin's name.

“It has a nice ring to it.” Mike shrugged and Lucas playfully shoved him.

“You better actually do work. I'm not paying you to sit around.”

“You're not paying me at all. We share equally remember?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Dustin knocked on Will and Jonathan's apartment door, but there was no answer. Jonathan was probably out at work but Will should still be home.

“Will?” Dustin called but couldn't hear anything. He knew they kept a spare key under the doormat (not very inventive) so he opened the door.

“Will, it's Dustin. Are you ok?” The windows in the apartment were open, allowing the cold air in.

“Shit, it's freezing in here.”

Will stumbled out the bathroom, his hair stuck to his forehead from sweat. He didn't look well.

“Will? You don't look so good.” Dustin went over to close the window. “It's freezing.”

“No.” Will said abruptly and Dustin froze. “Leave it open…”

“Are you ok?” Dustin's brows furrowed and he walked over to Will.

Will shook his head, his voice wavered and sounded weak. “I don't...I don't know...I just know that...that it likes it cold.”

“Likes it cold? What? What does? Will you're freaking me out.”

“I'm freaking myself out Dustin!” Will tugged at his hair. “I don't know what's happening to me. It's like...like something is telling me things. But I don't know how. I just know them all of a sudden.”

Dustin wrapped an arm around Will and lead him to the couch. “What kind of things?”

“I can't explain.” The smaller boy looked at the floor. “Since last night, I've been having these...I don't know... visions? I thought it was a dream at first. But it kept happening even when I was awake.”

“Does Jonathan know?”

“He'd only worry. Or tell my mom. And I don't want to scare her.”

Dustin rubbed his temples. “Will,” he sighed. “You can't keep stuff like this to yourself.”

Will nodded but still didn't make eye contact with Dustin.  “What kind of visions?” he pressed.

“Dark. Like, a shadow. Consuming everything.” Will spoke slowly, his throat tightening. “And I felt scared. But...but it wanted to kill.”

“Kill?” Dustin leaned back. “Wanted to kill what? Kill you?”

Mike clutched the supercom tightly in his hand, El following behind him.

“Where is everybody?” Mike whispered, looking around. “I don't have any of my equipment.” His leg started shaking anxiously.

“Look,” El pointed and saw the flashing lights of their Ghostbusters’ van, the tyres screeching on the tarmac.

The HQ was only a few minutes walk away so it shouldn't have taken them that long to come to Mike's aid.

The boys piled out the car, even Will was there, carrying extra equipment for Mike. When he saw El he raised an eyebrow at Mike.

“What's going on?” Lucas slammed the driver’s door shut. “We've not had a code red in months!”

“The abandoned building is no longer abandoned.” Mike shrugged. “El and I were just…” he thought about their almost kiss but decided not to mention that, “talking...and the lights started flickering and we heard a loud crash coming from this place.”

“El?” Dustin squinted his eyes. “Oh, didn't we clean out your apartment last week?” He laughed. “Man, Mike would not stop talking about you on the way back he-”

“Dustin!” Mike waved a hand across his neck and shook his head signalling Dustin to quit it.

He just laughed and held out his hand, “I'm Dustin.”

Will handed Mike his proton pack and helped him  get ready while Lucas and Dustin were introducing themselves to El.

“Nice backpack.” Lucas grinned when he saw Mike taking off the bright pink backpack he was carrying and shoving into the van.

“It's mine.” El laughed. “I was going to carry it but he was sweet and offered to carry it for me.”

“Awww, Mikey boy.” Dustin mockingly clutched a hand to his chest.

“Shut up.” Mike mumbled, but his eyes caught El's and a small smile formed.

“You wait out here, Miss.” Lucas gestured to El. “Leave this to the Ghostbusters.”

“No, I'm coming with you.” She folded her arms. “I can handle it.”

“She can hold the trap, you guys always have trouble trying to proton blast it and catch it.” Will suggested.

“And we need as much back up as we can get.” Mike pointed out, tightening his pack.

Lucas sighed. “Fine…but if she gets hurt, our insurance isn't gonna pay.”

“Oh who cares about insurance?” Dustin sighed. “You sound like an old man.”

“You mean a responsible adult? Which is what you're supposed to be.” Lucas began bickering with Dustin.

“El, before we go I just...we have rules.” Mike lightly touched her arm and pulled her to the side, Dustin and Lucas’ bickering fading into the background.

“Rules to keep everyone safe.”

She nodded, looking up expectantly at him. His soft features were now serious and she knew he wasn't joking.

“First rule, we don't split up. We're a team and if we separate were always at least in a team of two, but never alone.”

El looked over her shoulder, the boys were now laughing with each other as if they hadn't just been arguing and she could tell they were close. That they all cared for each other.

“Second rule and one of the most important,” Mike said, “is that if a member requires assistance, it is our duty to provide it. No matter what. We always help a team member in need. No man left behind and all that. And last but not least, friends don't lie.”

El raised an eyebrow. She didn't really know what that last one had to do with ghostbusting.

“Why is that a rule?”

“Because if you see something, or anything happens, you can't lie about it. We need to know because it's dangerous. But also, it's what keeps us all together. We may argue a lot, but we never lie. It might not seem like an important rule but it's kept our sorry asses alive for 21 years so it must do some good.”

El nodded and reached out her hand to squeeze Mike's arm reassuringly. “I understand.” She smiled.

“Ok,” Mike nodded to Will and the others. “Let's go bust a ghost.”

El held back a giggle (a giggle? Really? Pull yourself together!) and followed closely behind Mike as they entered the abandoned building.

The building was dark, with shadows casting shapes along the walls. In the distance, a strange thud and the odd crash could be heard.

El's heart began to race but she looked up at Mike who seemed strangely calm, it was enough to bring her heart rate down.

Dustin was in front holding a torch in one hand and some kind of electrical field or frequency reader in the other. Lucas followed closely behind, proton blaster raised at the ready. Will was next, not usually one to go on missions but because this was a code red,he knew he couldn't sit back. Still, his feet wobbled every step he took and his knuckles were almost white by how tightly he gripped his proton blaster, but he managed to keep a calm exterior on his face.

El carried a torch and the trap, eyes darting at every movement. She was thankful for Mike's presence behind her, the occasional reassuring light touch on her back from his hand. But it was all exciting, the danger, the darkness. Terrifying, but exciting.

“Shit.” Dustin’s quiet whisper could be heard from the front. He had approached the end of the hall but then it split into two. “We’re gonna have to split up and search both ways. We don't know where this son of a bitch is yet.”

“Mike, you, Will and...El? You guys go together, Dustin and I will search this end.” Lucas gestured to the opposite direction.

As the two boys walked into the darkness, El heard Dustin mumble to Lucas, “Split up? If we get murdered I’m going to have a hard time forgiving you for that.”

The floorboards creaked every step they took. This ghost was a lot harder to find than they'd thought.

El suddenly shouted “Shit!” and Mike stopped, holding up his proton blaster, Will jumped.

“What? Did you see something? Are you ok?”

“No I just remembered I was supposed to finish my paper…”

Mike and Will exchanged a glance before all three of them burst out laughing.

“I’m gonna fail this class.”

“Look on the brightside, if we get killed then at least you won’t have to worry about failing.” Mike laughed and she playfully shoved him. Will smiled watching them, they just had such a natural relationship even though they’d barely met. He envied how easily they were able to talk to each other.

Mike and El were still laughing with each other when Will noticed a strange glow from the underside of a door. He slowly approached it, blaster raised.

“Uh...guys?” He looked back but Mike and El had disappeared down the hall.

Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly opening the door.

“I don't understand, the frequency reader is telling me it's here. But I can't find the bastard.” Dustin waved his reader around and Lucas shoved his hand away.

“Watch where you point that thing.”

Dustin rolled his eyes and grabbed his supercom. “Mike? Mike are you there? Over.”

They waited a second before he answered. “Yeah?”

“You guys found anything yet? We can't see it.” Dustin kept turning his head, just in case something happened.

“Nothing so far. Wait…” Mike's voice dropped off. “Will's missing.”

“Mike!” Dustin shouted and Lucas grabbed his own supercom.

“You broke the most important rule! To stick together! All because you're trying to show off to that girl!”

“Hey! That girl is El. And we weren't doing anything!” Mike said defensively and Lucas just knew the taller boy had his fist clenched. He had an awful temper.

“Then why can't you find Will?”

“Guys!” Dustin shouted. “We need to remain calm. I'm sure Will is ok. But we need to find him before the ghost does.”

“We never should have let her in our group. She's jeopardising the mission.” Lucas raised his hands.

“Shut up Lucas!” Mike shouted into his supercom.

“No, you shut up Mike. You're blind because you like that a girl's not grossed out by you.”

“Mike,” she squeezed his hand. “I know you just want me to be safe, but I promised I'd help and I never break my promises. But we'll protect each other.’

“Promise?” He was trying to read her face, unaware of how he was leaning down, closer to her.

“Promise.” El said, her voice firm as she found herself leaning closer as well.

“Mike! El!” Dustin shouted, pulling them out of their trance. “We don't have time for this.”

Mike shrugged, looking back at El. “I don't know...we have a little time.”

But she folded her arms and shook her head, lightly pushing Mike into the building. There would be plenty of time to continue where they left off. They just needed to save Will first.

They climbed the stairwell, blasters held tightly in their hands. The only sound was their footsteps against the cold steps (and Mike's heavy breathing, he didn't know why he was so out of shape even after all these years).

“The roof….” Lucas gestured to the open fire escape leading to the roof.

Slowly they climbed the stairs, afraid of what awaited them. Dustin opened the creaky door and poked his head around the side. He spotted Will; he was in front of a larger version of the gate they'd seen in the closet. It was dark, lightning flashing occasionally from inside the shadows.

“There's Will.” Dustin whispered. “But... I don't know if it's really “him”, you know?”

“We have to go out there.” El whispered back.

“What if he has lightning powers?”

“Like the Emperor in Return of the Jedi?” Mike rolled his eyes. “Really Dustin?”

“Hey, it could happen.”

“You're being ridiculous.”

“Oh really Mike.”

They began bickering between each other in hushed whispers. But El could have sworn she heard footsteps. Her eyes met with Lucas’, the same confused expression on his face.

“Guys…” Lucas whispered. “Guys!”

“What?” They stopped and looked at Lucas.

“Can you hear that?”

They sat in silence for a few moments, the sound of footsteps getting louder.

“Maybe it's just Max?” Dustin shrugged.

“No.” El said, shaking her head. “Our apartment is up many flights of stairs so I've gotten used to how her footsteps sound. Those are too heavy. Like...like there's more than two legs…”

They all watched El, Dustin hesitantly casting his gaze down the hall.

A low grumble came from the same direction.

“That's not Max…” El slowly turned around to where Dustin was looking. They raised their blasters.

A moment of stillness passed, before a loud roar knocked them back. A strange creature leaping out at them. It was the same as before, the Demodogs.

Lucas screamed but quickly shot the creature with his blaster, cautiously poking it with his foot to check it was dead.

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit!” Dustin began pacing.

“Dustin shut up!” Lucas hushed him, listening out for more footsteps that began to follow.

Two more Demodogs appeared, creeping forward towards them like a lion stalking it's prey. Slowly, they began to move backwards, toppling out on to the roof top in a heap on the floor.

Quickly, they scrambled to stand up, but when they had, Mike made eye contact with Will. His eyes were not their usual light shade but rather dark, almost black. He looked paler than normal. It was then that Mike's eyes drifted downwards to see the swarm of Demodogs that had corned them. They were surrounded.

Lucas and Dustin raised their blasters, sending a shot at the Demodogs. Mike was left bewildered, blaster raised but eyes darting around wildly. Next to him, El had shot at a Demodog, bringing him back to his senses.

He began shooting his own blaster at the Demodogs, but it wasn't enough.

“There's too many of them!” Mike shouted, he was back to back with El, shooting in opposite directions. Dustin and Lucas were back to back, keeping an eye on Will, who seemed to just be watching them.

“We can't hold them off!” Lucas shouted, the panic rising in his voice.

“Guys...if this is the end, I just wanna say, you're the best friends I ever had!” Dustin wasn't sure if he was entirely joking.

“Pull yourself together man!” Lucas nudged him in the back, but the sentiment was returned.

Mike scrunched up his nose and took a deep breath. “El...I...I…” he didn't know what to say. He'd not known her long, and it's not like they were dating but...but he knew he'd never had a connection like this before. And if he was about to die he needed to tell her. “I think I…”

But before he could finish, the fire escape door burst open. Max appeared looking slightly disheveled, brandishing her blaster and taking out a couple Demodogs. Lucas almost dropped his own blaster, mouth agape slightly.

“Max!” Lucas ran to her. “I can't believe you're here!”

“I said I'd help and I mean it.” She smiled, but her eyes locked on a demodog behind him and she shot the blaster over his shoulder, causing him to duck.

The Demodogs began falling faster now that Max had joined the fight, but after a few minutes they suddenly began to retreat back in to the gate.

Silence fell among them, all watching Will. He had been observing them while they fought the Demodogs.

Everyone looked at Dustin and he slowly edged closer to Will.

“Uh...Will? Buddy? Are...are you there?”

Will's voice was strained, deeper than usual. It wasn't him. He stood in front of the flashing gate, his small frame a silhouette against the light.

“Are you a god?”

“Uh…” Dustin looked back to Mike, El, Lucas and Max. They all looked confused, unsure of what was happening. “No…?”

“Then die.” Will said, he screamed and held out his hand, lightning shooting out and knocking them all to the floor.

“And you said he wouldn't have lightning powers…” Dustin mumbled to Mike, not really helping the situation.

“Dustin.” Lucas sat up, and whispered under his breath. “When someone asks if you're a god, you say yes!”

“Ok, ok…I’ll try again.”

“No, let Mike try.” El spoke, everyone turned to face her. Mike shook his head.

“Me? Why me?”

“Because you're his best friend, right? In the coffee shop, I saw how he looked at you. I think...if anyone can get through to him...it's you.”

Mike awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. He supposed he was Will's best friend, but so were Dustin and Lucas. Who said you couldn't have more than one?

“Mike, please?” Mike couldn't say no to her. The way she looked up at him hopefully, her wide eyes staring back at his. He felt his heart doing that weird pulsing thing, and he knew he was in deep already. That was a lie. He was gone the moment he saw her.

“Ok…”

Mike looked back at the others, but they were huddled together, Lucas had his arm around Max, Dustin and El urging Mike on.

“Will? It's...it's me. It's Mike.” He hesitated as Will stopped and looked at him. But there was no recognition on his face. “I'm so sorry this happened to you.”

Mike held out a hand as he edged forward.

“Mike! You're not taming a horse!” Dustin whispered but Mike ignored him, laying his blaster to the side.

“We're worried about you Will. If you're in there, please, just fight whatever this is. We know you can.”

Will shook his head, but Mike could see the internal conflict. “No….” Came Will's strangled reply.

“You must die….”

“Will, please! It's us! Your best friends!” Mike pleaded.

“I'll offer you a deal.” The coldness in his voice was still unnerving. It wasn't Will, but the noise certainly came from his mouth. “You may choose the mode of your destruction.”

“Uh? Come again?” Dustin gingerly raised his hand. “What do you mean exactly, Mr demon Will?”

Lucas nudged Dustin in the rib to shut him up.

“Whatever you decide Will be your destruction.”

Mike turned to them, eyes wide. “Shit! Nobody think of anything. Whatever we think of will somejo destroy us. So just clear your mind!”

Everyone closed their eyes, trying not to think of anything. But Dustin began pacing, his leg shaking.

“The choice has been made.” Will said.

“What?!” Mike looked back at him.

“Hey!” Lucas shouted. “We didn't choose anything. You didn't didn't you?” he looked at Max.

“No, I'm not stupid.” she crossed her arms. “El?”

“My mind is completely blank.”

“Well it wasn't me!” Mike said defensively. All eyes suddenly landed on Dustin who had shrunk back.

“I can't help it...it just popped in there…”

Lucas and Mike both stepped towards Dustin. “ What just “popped” in there?” Lucas said through gritted teeth.

“I tried to empty my mind...but then I remembered how hungry I was...and then it just appeared. Something I thought would be harmless….”

“Shit…” Max was pointing to something down the street, loud thuds approaching.

“What?” Mike pressed him.

“Aaaaaah!” Lucas locked eyes on what Max was pointing at.

A large white face, with a fixed wide smile appeared, with a sailor's hat and neckerchief.