[ Location: Starcourt Mall - Food Court ][ Date: June 8th, 1985 - Night (9:50 PM) ]
The giant monster roared and it sounded like wet mud and angry metal grinding together.
It was hurt.
I could feel its panic and since I closed the Gate, the Mind Flayer in the Abyss had been cut off. The avatar in front of us was brain-dead—just a massive pile of biological instinct and rage running on momentum.
It lunged at El.
"Not today!" I shouted.
I stepped in front of her.
I used my Chakra Sword.
I pushed my energy into the blade.
'Aether Mode.'
The grey metal turned bright white. It hummed, shedding particles of light that looked like sparks from a welder.
"Hold on!" I told the group.
'Telekinesis: Flight.'
[ Ability Active. ]
I launched myself into the air and flew straight at the monster's face.
The monster tried to bite me.
I dodged a tooth the size of a banana, smelling the rot on its breath.
I raised my sword.
'Gravity Well + Slash.'
I swung the sword down with everything I had.
My Strength (45) combined with the Aether made the blade sing.
SHING.
A line of white light cut through the dark mall, blindingly bright.
I landed on the floor behind the monster.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then... SQUELCH.
The monster split right down the middle and fell apart into two piles of red goo.
It dissolved into sludge on the floor, steaming as the animating energy evaporated.
"Gross," Dustin whispered, peeking out from behind a counter. "But that was awesome."
"Cleanup on Aisle 5," I said, wiping slime off my jacket.
[ System Alert: Boss Defeated! ][ Reward: +1000 Points. ]
[ Loot Drop: Mind Flayer Essence (Crafting Material). ]
'Nice. I can make something creepy with that later.'
El ran to me and hugged me so hard I almost fell over.
"You did it," she whispered. "You closed it."
"We did it," I said, hugging her back.
The rest of the party—Mike, Max, Lucas, Will and others—crowded around us. We were dirty, tired, and smelly, but we were alive.
"Is it over?" Mike asked, looking at the pile of goo.
"The Brain is locked out," I said. "The Body is dead so yeah it's over."
[ Location: Mall Entrance - Parking Lot ][ Time: 10:15 PM ]
We walked out of the mall.
Sirens were wailing in the distance. Helicopters swarmed the sky like angry bees.
'Late as usual.'
I stopped at the entrance pillar.
Billy Hargrove was still there. The metal bike rack I bent around him was holding him up.
He was awake.
He wasn't black-eyed anymore. His eyes were blue. He looked tired and confused, sweat matting his hair, but he was Billy.
Max ran to him. "Billy!"
I used my mind to bend the metal bars open.
Creak.
Billy fell forward but max caught him.
"Max?" Billy croaked, coughing. "I... I was away. For a long time. It was... cold."
"You're back now," Max cried, hugging him.
In the original story, Billy died saving El and he died apologizing in a pool of his own blood.
Here? He was just exhausted. He had a headache and a bruised ego, but he was breathing.
I watched from a distance.
'I saved him because of Max. That's a win.'
Billy looked up and saw me.
He nodded, just once.
A silent acknowledgment.
I nodded back.
'System. Unequip Gear.'
I quickly stored the Chakra Sword and Glock back into my Inventory. As I couldn't explain a glowing sword to the US Army.
[ Location: The Parking Lot - Arrival ][ Time: 10:30 PM ]
Army trucks screeched into the lot. Soldiers jumped out, weapons raised. Dr. Owens stepped out of a black car, looking grim.
Joyce ran toward us from the edge of the woods, looking frantic. "Will! El!"
"Mom!" Will ran to her.
Joyce hugged him, then looked around wildly. "Everyone is safe? Where is Jim?"
She looked at the smoking Mall.
"Hey, Joyce!"
A police blazer skidded into the lot, drifting sideways. The door kicked open.
Chief Hopper stepped out.
He was covered in dust from the Cabin fight with demodogs, his uniform torn, but he was in one piece.
"El!" Hopper yelled.
"Dad!" El screamed. She let go of me and ran to him.
Hopper caught her, lifting her up. "I got you, kid. I got you. I'm here."
Joyce stared at him. She started crying and laughing at the same time. She ran over and hugged them both.
I leaned against a police car, watching them.
I thought, feeling the tension leave my shoulders. 'No Russian prison for you, Jim and no grieving El.'
Dr. Owens walked up to me and looked at the mall.
He looked at me.
"Kid," Owens said. "You have a lot of explaining to do."
"I was at the movies," I lied smoothly. "I didn't see anything. Ask the Russians."
[ Time Skip: Three Months Later - October 1985 ][ Location: Vivan's Bedroom ]
The news was playing on my TV.
"Tragedy at Starcourt Mall," the reporter said. "A massive fire claimed the structure... corrupt Mayor Kline arrested for scandal involving Russian investors..."
The town bought the story. Everyone was safe. The Russians were gone. Billy was claiming "smoke inhalation" causing memory loss to explain his missing week.
I sat on my bed, looking at my Inventory.
'System. Status.'
[ User: Vivan Frostwell ][ Points: 6,182 ][ Status: King of Hawkins 40%]
I was rich and powerful and I had a girlfriend who could flip a van with her mind.
Life was good.
Ding!
[ World Quest Complete. ][ Downtime Initiated: Peace until Next #%#. ]
I relaxed, closing my eyes.
"Giggle."
A faint sound in the back of my head.
"That was fun," Pennywise whispered. "Can we eat the Russians next? They taste like cold soup."
I smirked.
"Maybe later, Bozo," I thought back. "Maybe later."
I looked out the window and leaves were turning orange.
Season 3 was done.
"Bring on the future," I said.
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