Chapter Nineteen: Reconnaissance And Conspiracy

(The Flayed)

***

Alistair picked at the skin around his index finger, sharp stings ricocheting through his finger as blood stained the edge of his fingernail, but he didn't care. It was better to focus on that pain, no matter the reproaching glares from Hugin or the smacks Cami and Mike gave him.

Better to focus on that than on the fact the Mind Flayer was back, and Billy was definitely possessed by it.

They'd returned to Mike's basement and never left, where Alistair alternated between comforting Max as best he could and assuring they'll free Billy and stop the Mind Flayer, making sure Will was okay and holding his trembling hand because even though the Mind Flayer had its host both of them were fucking terrified it could still go for Will again, and trying to contact the ghosts and ask them what they'd seen of the Mind Flayer returning. To no surprise at all, they only give Alistair more cryptic riddles laced with their static-buzzed panic, and grave warnings to not go there and that he shouldn't have come back and it was only getting worse. Which, really helpful. Even Allie was hesitant to tell him. And of course, Alistair hardly slept all night, mind plagued with nightmares of Billy succeeding in choking El or Will being possessed again or the falling-frozen pain nightmare.

Safe to say, Alistair had been a figurative zombie when he woke up, and in desperate need of coffee.

The minute he could, he went upstairs and helped himself to a cup of coffee and came back to the basement, where everyone else had woken up. He'd drank his coffee, feeling more awake with every sip while letting it distract him from what happened last night, and when it was gone, he substituted for picking at the skin around his nails.

Especially now, as they all crowded around El, who had a blindfold around her eyes and the walkie crackling static as she tried to find Hopper with her mind-walking abilities. Earlier, Alistair had tried to ring his sister, aunt, Dustin and then Steve, but nobody picked up. He'd reasoned they were busy, but the Mind Flayer returning had a knot of fear constrict around his heart. It didn't help his skin-picking habit at all.

Minutes seemed to pass as El tried to find her dad. Alistair moved onto his middle finger, stripping the skin red and bloody. Unwittingly, he looked at El, at the red ring around her throat. Alistair swallowed, at the reminder of how close El had come to dying. If she had, if neither he or Mike had jumped in...

A hand was placed on his shoulder, jolting Alistair. He looked to see Will responsible, holding his shoulder, comforting him. Alistair sent a smile of appreciation as Will let go and he looked back at El, as she said, "I found him."

"Where is he?" Max asked, as Alistair paused in picking at his nails, waiting anxiously for the answer.

"Woods," El answered.

"Woods?" Lucas repeated, frowning.

"Why's the chief in the woods?" Cami questioned to no one, but Alistair responded with a shrug, jostling Hugin on his right shoulder, who gave an annoyed croak.

"He's with... Will's mom. And Al's aunt," El revealed.

Shock slammed into Alistair as he stared at El while Will questioned, "My... my mom?"

"When did my aunt get the chance to hang out with Hopper and Joyce?" Alistair queried to himself, with Cami shrugging—a reverse of earlier.

"What are they doing?" Max questioned.

"Ill...annoy. They're going to Ill-annoy," El answered.

Alistair's brows dipped together and he and Cami shared a confused look, before a knock came and Mrs. Wheeler yelled, "Mike! Breakfast!"

"Not now, Mom!" Mike hollered back, loud enough that it startled Hugin and had Alistair blink in shock.

"Geez, and I thought Dustin was loud," he grumbled, Cami nodding and quipping, "Yeah, I think he broke the sound barrier just then."

Alistair and Cami grinned, but it dropped as Mike turned back to El and grilled, "Illinois? Illinois, like the state? The state of Illinois."

El, who'd pulled the blindfold down and had blood trickling from her nose, only shrugged and said again, "Ill-annoy."

Alistair, Cami, Will, Mike, Lucas and Max shared a look. The reconnaissance had only told them that the adults were together and probably far away, and with Dustin, Rowan and Steve not answering and Nancy and Jonathan who knows where, that left them on their own to deal with the Mind Flayer.

Which was really, really great!

Alistair needed another cup of coffee.

Getting up, he noticed El do the same, a hand ghosting her throat as Max and Cami congregated around her, obviously to take her to the bathroom to wipe the blood away. Alistair moved to her, asking softly, "Hey, how's your throat, Jean Grey?"

"Hurts... when I talk," El answered, her voice croaky, just as bruised as her throat.

Alistair looked at El, and said, "Okay. Rest up, now, okay? Just focus on feeling and getting better."

"I will," El promised.

Alistair smiled, as Cami said, "I'll make you some tea for your throat," before she and Alistair left and exited the basement, Hugin staying in the basement next to Will. They sent smiles to Mrs. Wheeler, who smiled back, as they made their way into the kitchen, Alistair to get another coffee while Cami made a tea Alistair knew she drank to help her throat when it was sore from singing.

"Don't know how much this will work for you throat when it's been choked, but have to try, right?" Cami muttered, flashing Alistair a smile.

When both beverages were done, they headed back into the basement, just as Mike said, "Something's not right."

Alistair and Cami gave each other a look before they split up—Cami for the bathroom, Alistair to head to Mike, Lucas and Will. Lucas was eating cereal and Will was patting a blissed-out Hugin, smiling at Alistair that the brunette readily returned, while Mike continued on, "I can't get Hopper off my back all summer, now all of a sudden he's hiking with Will's mom and Al's aunt to Illinois? And Dustin and Rowan are MIA, too?"

"Don't forget Steve, Nancy and Jonathan," Alistair piped in as he drank his coffee, satisfaction filling him as he felt the caffeine rush through his bloodstream.

Mike nodded, gesturing to Alistair. "Right, exactly! I mean, this can't be a coincidence."

"What does it matter?" Lucas questioned, halting in munching on cereal as he looked at Mike quizzically. "The bottom line is, they're not here. It's up to us."

The thought struck Alistair cold. Ever since this began, the Party—the original Party—had been together, and even then, his sister and aunt had always been there, along with Jonathan, Joyce, Nancy, Hopper and even Steve. To have them not here, especially Dustin and Rowan and Aunt Aco..

It unmoored something in Alistair.

He sat next to Will, trying to hide his anxiety by holding the coffee cup with his shaking hands firmly. Will sensed it though, as he placed a hand on Alistair's trembling knee, and the contact made Alistair relax only fractionally, as Mike questioned, "Up to us to do what, exactly?"

"Find Billy and stop him," Lucas said determinedly.

"Okay, yeah, that's a really nice sentiment, but even if El could find him again—and that's a pretty big if—then what?" Mike argued.

"We burn the shit out of him, and make sure he doesn't escape this time," Lucas responded easily, shrugging.

"That, or I can exorcise him," Alistair pitched in, Lucas nodding and agreeing, "Yeah, or Al can exorcise him."

"Okay, then what?" Mike pressed.

"Then we win," Lucas said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, see, that's the problem. We don't. We don't win," Mike shot down. "We got the Mind Flayer out of Will before and he just came right back. We don't just have to stop Billy, we have to stop the Mind Flayer."

"How in the hell do we do that?" Lucas queried.

"Yeah, we can't exactly call Ghostbusters or a professional exorcist here, Mike," Alistair said dryly as he crossed his arms.

"I don't know," Mike admitted.

"Maybe El does," Will suggested, before he looked at Alistair and added, "Or Al."

Mike and Lucas turned to him, and Alistair said, "I can't."

"Why? You helped do it to Will and almost did it to Billy," Lucas reminded, genuinely curious.

"I know. But... that was different," Alistair said. "With Will, we were also burning the Mind Flayer out of him. And what happened last night, we were also using the sauna and... I don't know. I wasn't strong enough. And if I wasn't strong enough to exorcise the Mind Flayer out of Billy or Will without help, then I probably can't exorcise the Mind Flayer out of here on my own. I mean, I can try, but it probably won't work. And if I can try... I'll definitely need either my sister or El to help."

Lucas blinked, taken aback, while Mike frowned as he turned to the bathroom and complained, "What are they still doing in there?"

"I don't know. Girls just like hanging out in bathrooms," Lucas responded with a shrug as he stood up, Alistair and Will joining them. He offered his cereal to Mike.

"Why?" Mike pressed, pushing away the cereal.

"I mean, I don't know," Lucas replied with another shrug as he munched on cereal.

Alistair fought back the urge to roll his eyes, as one reason came to mind, one that happened every month with his sister.

"They're conspiring against me," Mike muttered.

Alistair's eyes flew open as Will hissed, "That's what you're concerned about now?!"

"It's not my main concern. It's just a sub-concern," Mike defended.

"I don't think it should be a concern at all when we have a much bigger problem in the form of body-snatching, world-destroying inter-dimensional monsters, Mike!" Alistair hissed.

"Yes, exactly! I thought it was already over," Will concurred.

"It's not over, okay? We're just taking a break," Mike argued.

"She said she dumped your ass. That doesn't sound like a break," Will countered, Alistair nodding.

"Yeah, it was very clear you two were over when she said it," Alistair agreed.

"It wasn't!" Max shouted from the bathroom, making the boys jump and look at it as she went on, "You guys do realise we can still hear everything you're saying, right?"

Then three giggles came, as Mike shook his head, and insisted, "Conspiring. I told you. They're conspiring."

Alistair rolled his eyes as a bang on the door came.

"Not now, Mom!" Mike yelled as Alistair wrenched his spirt back into his body, Will and Lucas looking at him with concern.

However, it wasn't Mrs. Wheeler who answered.

"Mike, open the door."

The four boys shared a look before Mike ran up the stairs, opening the door.

And revealing Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers on the other side, a look on there faces telling Alistair, Will, Mike and Lucas all they needed to know.

They knew the Mind Flayer was back as well.

But how?

***

Heheheheheh, it's all coming together...

This was really fun to write! And yeah, Alistair's pretty anxious right now and it's not helping him break his habit At All (doesn't stop Hugin, Cami and Mike to get him to stop)

This scene was also fun to write! And yeah, Alistair "I live with women" Nathanial Graveswood would know what would be one reason as to why women hang out in bathrooms (because we don't conspire ALL the time, Mike)

And now Nancy and Jonathan are here! Fun times :)

Next chapter will be soon!

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!