#Joyce going through everything to protect her one son while ending it sacrifices her other son is something

[rowdywarrior85]

STRANGER THINGS PRESENTS: 8/11, PART 3 (ISSUE 3)

LET IT OUT!!!

(El screams so powerful, it shatters the glass around her. She finally gets it out and sends it flying across the floor. Her Flayed piece tries to escape, but is stopped by being stomped on by a foot. That foot belongs to Jim Hopper, who shows up with Joyce Byers and Murray Bauman. Kali looks to Hopper in the middle.)

KALI: Let me guess. The policeman.

EL: Yes. Hopper.

(The Party informs the adults about the events that are being set in motion. Murray jumps in and gives them the layout of the underground base, provided by his new late friend Alexei. Erica chimes in, then the rest formulate a plan. Steve and Robin take Dustin and Erica in a liberated Cadillac to Weathertop to guide Hopper and his team through the Russian base via his handcrafted radio tower. Nancy and Jonathan would take El and the other kids to Murray’s HQ in Chicago. The adults give their “good lucks” to the kids.)

JOYCE: Listen to me, I need to end this, but I’ll be back before you know it, okay?

WILL: I don’t know, Mom.

JOYCE: No, listen. You’re gonna be safe there. It’s… It’s far away from this. You just stick close to your brother and… and do whatever he says. No matter what, okay?

WILL: I’m not worried about me, Mom, I’m worried about you.

JOYCE: Oh, honey, I’m gonna be fine.

KALI: And you will be…

(Mother and son turn to Kali.)

…because I’m going down there with them.

WILL: Kali…

KALI: They’ll need help getting to this key without being seen. I can help them with that, I can keep them protected.

WILL: No, I can’t ask that of you, you have to come with me to Murray’s. I can’t let you throw yourself in danger! What if I never see you…

(Kali throws a passionate kiss at Will, letting him know that it’s gonna be alright. Joyce and Hopper are left with their mouths gaping open.)

…again.

KALI: Now who’s being possessive?

(Will smiles.)

Believe that I’ll come back to you. If you do love me, believe I’ll come back for you.

HOPPER: (clears throat) Hey, uh. Can I have a word with you.

(Kali goes to Hopper. Joyce looks to Will with pride.)

JOYCE: You finally fell in love. Oh, I’m so proud of you.

WILL: Mom, please. It’s not that major.

(He looks to Kali.)

But then, she’s not that bad to look at.

(Kali approaches Hopper with no idea what to expect from him.)

HOPPER: So… Kali, huh? The mysterious sister to my El.

KALI: Before you utter another word, constable, I don’t know what Jane told you of me. Just so you know, everything I’ve done was for her benefit, and I will not apologize for any of it…

HOPPER: Thank you.

KALI: Pardon?

HOPPER: Thanks for being there for El when I couldn’t, for being there for her friends when I couldn’t.

KALI: You’re welcome, constable.

(She and Hopper shake hands.)

Her mates are interesting at best, especially that Michael, he was most challenging.

(Hopper chuckles)

How are you feeling, Jane?

EL: My battery’s low, but… it will recharge.

HOPPER: I know it will, kid. I know.

EL: I can fight.

HOPPER: Better than any of us. But right now, I need you safe. This thing is after you, it’s not after me. Do you understand? Hey… I need you to understand.

(El nods in affirmation).

MIKE: Hey.

(Hopper and the sisters turn to Mike.)

We should probably go.

(El shares an embracing hug with Hopper. El then looks to Kali, and share a powerful hug.)

EL: Don’t let anything happen to them.

KALI: Jane, you have my word there.

(The sisters touch foreheads, caressing each other cheek with their left hands.)

I’ll come back for you, too.

(Mike and Max escort El to the Station Wagon.)

HOPPER: Mike.

(Mike turns to Hopper.)

Be careful.

(Joyce joins with Kali and Hopper.)

KALI: Right. Let’s rock and roll.

(Hopper, Joyce, Murray and Kali make for the elevator. As they go down, they go over their plan. Also…)

JOYCE: Before we go through with this, Kali, I just wanna say…

KALI: Don’t.

JOYCE: …What you done for the kids, especially for Will…

KALI: (turns to Joyce) I said don’t. I’m here to help you save your town and your children, no more no less.

JOYCE: Regardless,…

(Kneels before Kali.)

…you are the best thing to come into my son’s life, and he’s the same thing for you, too. Whether you realize it or not.

(The elevator reaches ground floor.)

KALI: Shall we?

(Team Kali run into a few guards, Hopper shoots them down and grabs uniforms for the team, except Kali. Meanwhile, Billy traps Team El in the mall by stealing the ignition cable from the Wagon, allowing the B.M.F. to find them. Once inside, Murray and Kali use the vents whilst being guided by Dustin. Steve and Robin see the B.M.F. at Starcourt, so they head down in the Cadillac for transport support, while Dustin and Erica stay at Weathertop to provide instructions. The B.M.F. has Team El pinned down to hunt down and destroy El. Lucas provides a distraction for El, Max and Mike so they can escape through the tunnels. Murray and Kali make it to the fuse box, he pulls the fuses to provide a distraction for Hopper and Joyce to get to keys in the vault. The code used by Murray doesn’t work, Murray informs them that the code is Palnck’s Constant, which he doesn’t know. Fortunately, Dustin knew who might know it, his long-distance girlfriend, Suzie. The gang are saved when Steve T-bones Billy with the Cadillac, PAYBACK’S A BITCH. After getting the ignition cable installed, Nancy and Jonathan take Lucas, Will, Steve and Robin and lure B.M.F. away from Mike, El and Max. Dustin makes contact with Suzie to get the code for Team Hopper, but first she wanted to sing the theme song to THE NEVERENDING STORY with him, which they do for the Party to hear. Suzie then gives them the code, allowing Team Hopper to get the keys. Billy recovers from the wreck and goes after Mike, El and Max, forcing the B.M.F. to go back to Starcourt. Hopper and Joyce make it to portal generator, they’re about to turn the keys to shut it down, but Grigori The Enforcer stops them, and the two men go at it for the fate of humanity. Meanwhile, Billy disables both Mike and Max and takes a weakened El to the B.M.F., only to be bombarded by the fireworks provided by the Party, hurting Billy in the process. As Hopper and Grigori go at it by the generator, Joyce radios for help. Kali hears this, and opts to go after them.)

KALI: Murray, you stay here out of sight. I’ll help the others.

MURRAY: And how exactly how are you going to find them in a place this big.

(Kali opens the door.)

KALI: I’ll use my head.

(The door closes behind her.)

MURRAY: I had to ask.

(Kali uses her abilities to make herself invisible to Russian soldiers, killing them on her way down to her allies. Joyce tries to turn the keys by herself with a belt to turn the other key. A pair of Russian soldiers spot her.)

RUSSIAN SOLDIER #1: (Russian) Get away from the controls!

RUSSIAN SOLDIER #2: (Russian) Surrender or die!!

(Next thing you know…)

BOB: Uh, excuse me.

(The soldiers turn to see happy-go-lucky Bob Newby standing by the left window, much to Joyce’s amazement.)

Can you guys point me the way to BURGER KING?

(The soldiers look to each other.)

RUSSIAN SOLDIER #1: (Russian) FIRE!!!

(Soldiers fire their AKs at Bob Newby, but the bullets hit nothing but the windows. Joyce and the soldiers look in puzzlement.)

RUSSIAN SOLDIER #2: (Russian) Who, what the hell are you?

BOB: Oh, my bad. I’m Bob Newby, Superhero.

(Bob looks to Joyce.)

And this awesome woman is Joyce Byers, SuperMom.

(Bob winks at her, then Kali comes in with a jumping spin, lopping their heads off. She sheathes her sword, as she walked to Joyce.)

KALI: Thanks a bunch, Bobby.

BOB: Anytime.

(Bob smiles at Joyce as he vanishes before her. Joyce smiles to Kali in gratitude.)

KALI: Your welcome. Hopper doesn’t look good there. Looks like he can use a push.

(Kali makes Hopper see his deceased daughter, Sarah, in her prime, standing by the generator, urging him to fight on. Hopper knocks Grigori away with the moving parts of the generator, giving Hopper the chance to toss Grigori’s commie ass into the generator, causing an electric barrier to form between him and his team. Hopper looks to Joyce and Kali with a sadness and assurance that everything is going to be OK. Kali looked to Hopper, knowing was he was saying without a word.)

I will.

(She turns to Joyce.)

Turn the keys.

JOYCE: What?

KALI: He wants us to shut it down.

JOYCE: No, we can’t! There has to be another way…

KALI: JOYCE!!! THERE’S NO OTHER WAY! Let his sacrifice be one of honor.

(Upstairs, El manages to break the B.M.F.’s hold over Billy with the memory of his mother, urging him to see there is still good in him. He makes his stand against the B.M.F., but slowly dies trying. Downstairs, Joyce and Hopper take one last tearful look to each before ending the battle.)

KALI: RIGHT! TURN ON MY MARK!

(Camera turns to Hopper…)

THREE!

(…to Joyce…)

TWO!

(…then to Kali.)

ONE! MARK!!!

(Kali and Joyce turn the keys, causing the generator to explode sealing the portal. The girls duck in cover. Back upstairs, the B.M.F. starts to convulse, and finally die. In the aftermath, Hopper appears to have vanished, Billy makes peace with Max before dying a hero’s death, the U.S. Army arrive with Dr. Owens. Ambulances cover the front of the Starcourt, the gang are being tended to by paramedics. Will spots her mom and Kali walking to the front, and starts running to her mom in a powerful hug. Will looks to Kali.)

WILL: Thank you.

KALI: Told ya.

(Kali looks to El, looking for Hopper. El sees Kali walking towards her with a sad look upon her face. El immediately knew that Hopper was never coming back. She starts to sob as Kali approaches her.)

(voice breaking) His last thought was of you. He wanted me to look after you.

(Both sisters cry as they hug each other. Max then sees paramedics wheel a body bag carrying Billy’s corpse to an ambulance, her parents call to her as she runs to the ambulance. She stops the paramedics to peer into the body bag to get one last look at his redeemed stepbrother as she touches his cheek and kisses his forehead. Behind her, Lucas goes to her, followed by Neil and Susan. Susan holds her hand over her mouth, eyes tearing up. While Neil looks at his son’s corpse with a cold, emotionless stare, not even giving a fuck altogether.)

PARAMEDIC: Young lady, we need to move him. Come on, we gotta move him.

(Paramedics zip up the bag, wheel it in the ambulance and drive away. Lucas stands by her for comfort, while Neil steps up behind her, kneeling to her level.)

NEIL: (deep breath) Look at it this way, Maxine,…

(He puts his right hand on her left shoulder, trying to sympathize.)

…it’s for the best.

(Max turns to her left, looking mortified at Neil’s cold look. Then an angry look comes over her face, she clenches her right fist, and sends it flying at Neil’s chin, knocking him down to the ground. Susan looks surprised, as Lucas tries to hold back an enraged Max.)

LUCAS: Whoa! Easy, Max!

MAX: FOR THE BEST!?! YEAH, FOR YOU, YA BASTARD! YOU SADISTIC SON OF A BITCH!!

NEIL: (wiping the blood off his lip) Jesus Christ, Maxine. What the Hell do want me to say?

MAX: Fuck you.

LUCAS: Be cool, Max.

MAX: Fuck you! FUCK YOU!!!

SUSAN: Maxine.

MAX: You are every bit as responsible as the thing that took Billy from us.

NEIL: (reaches for Max) Just calm down.

MAX: Don’t you fuckin’ touch me, Neil, I fuckin’ hate you. You might as well stick him in that goddamn body bag yourself. Or better yet, it should’ve been you in there instead of him, at least he’d get a kick out of that shit. I’ll be at Lucas’.

NEIL: Maxine, you get back here…

LUCAS: Back the fuck up, Pops. You’ve done enough.

(Neil is shocked by the retaliation blasted at him. A week later, at the Hawkins Cemetery, the air is filled by Robin playing the middle solo of Mr. Mister’s BROKEN WINGS with her Casio Keyboard. The deputies, Powell and Callahan, watch over the ceremony. The residents of Hawkins are in attendance for Billy’s funeral. To Robin’s right, Dustin is singing the jam with the soul it deserves, with Steve right behind him. To Dustin’s right, Max is clutched by Lucas, followed by El and Mike, and Will at the end with Nancy, Jonathan and Joyce behind them. Each of them recall a memory of Billy, mostly the bad ones along with the good.)

MIKE: (whispers) I’m surprised Kali isn’t here.

WILL: (whispers) Trust me, she’s here. Somewhere.

(As Dustin’s hits the chorus, on the feet end of the casket, a slew of teenage girls and mothers, led by Karen Wheeler and the Mom Squad, shed their share of tears. Karen remembers her moments with Billy, brief though they may have been. Across from the Party, Susan mourns her stepson properly, while Neil stares at the casket with a cold satisfaction, hoping the singing ends, which it does.)

NEIL: Thank God.

KAREN: (whispers) My God, your son has the voice of angel.

MRS. HENDERSON: (whispers) I know, breath-taking, isn’t it?

MINISTER: Thank you, Mr. Henderson, for that poetic song on this sorrowful occasion. Now, I believe the step-sister of the deceased has something she wishes to say.

MAX: Thank you. That was beautiful, Dustin.

(Dustin hugs Max.)

DUSTIN: Thanks.

STEVE: You killed it, dude.

(Dustin, Steve and Robin moved alongside the rest of the Party. Max stands by the head of the casket to make her farewell speech.)

MAX: (deep sigh) There’s a lot of things I can say about the person that we gather around here today, I don’t know if any of it matters anymore. I guess what matters is what he stood for, who and what he lived for, and who and what he died for.

(Steve, Robin, Nancy and Jonathan look to the casket.)

It was always your way or no way, when it came to you. There were times I wished I understood why you did half the things you did, none of us understood why. Now, we understand…

(voice breaking) …I understand. At least now, we knew where you stood in the end.

(Karen and Susan look to the casket. Max looks to his cold stepfather, then something in her snap.)

(sniffles) To the ladies here, I know my stepbrother was seen as something out of a dream, somebody strong to look up to.

(Karen and the ladies nod in agreement. Tommy H. is seen crying uncontrollably next to Carol, much to her dismay.)

But deep down, he was just like the rest of us. Frail, broken, afraid. He spent most of his life in fear, hiding behind a mask of anger and strength. Any of you wanna where he got it from,…

NEIL: Okay, Maxine.

MAX: (points her hand at Neil) …you need only to look to this asshole of a father.

NEIL: Jesus.

(Crowd gasps.)

MAX: Congratulations, Neil. You’re the last man standing. I hope if was worth it, you motherfucker.

(Max walks off with Lucas behind her. Neil is so infuriated, he storms off after them, then blocks their path.)

NEIL: HEY!! Just who the fuck do you think you are?

MAX: A justified sister standing up for her brother.

NEIL: Oh, are you now?

(Max shows off Billy’s spike earring on her left ear.)

MAX: What the fuck do you think?

NEIL: I thought I told you throw that away with the rest of his shit.

MAX: So I can forget about him like you want to, like you want to forget about his real mom back in California? No, Neil, I don’t share your sense of grief. So, how about getting the fuck out of my face.

(Max continues to walk, but Neil grabs her by the arm.)

NEIL: DON’T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU!! NOW, YOU SHOW ME SOME FUCKING RESPECT!!

(While Neil has his eye on Max, Lucas grabs something out of his left jacket pocket. Then, he pulls back his right sleeve, revealing his wrist rocket, which was specially compacted in case of an emergency.)

MAX: Respect!?! Where the fuck was that respect when Billy needed it most? If only you saw him at the end. He saved my friend’s life and the lives of others back at the mall. If any, you’re partly the fuckin’ reason he’s dead, asshole!

(Neil raises his hand, ready to strike her.)

LUCAS: HEY!!

(Neil turns to Lucas, who readies to unload something from his wrist rocket at him.)

Unless you want a crater between your eyes to add to your collection of scars on your face, I suggest you let my boo go and back the fuck up right now!

NEIL: You think that’s smart, Sinclair? You think aiming a rock at my face is gonna scare me?

LUCAS: Naw, not a rock. But a cherry bomb that’ll explode on impact? And yeah, I ain’t afraid to use it on your ignorant ass.

NEIL: You know this is all your girlfriend’s fault.

(Will and Mike come up between Lucas.)

Yeah, I wanted to give my family a fresh start here. But she didn’t want any part of it. So, she tried running away to Frisco to live with his loser, PIECE OF SHIT DADDY!!!

SUSAN: That is enough!

NEIL: Susan, just stay out of this.

(Max runs to her mom.)

SUSAN: NO!! I’ve had it, Neil. I have had it. I’ve watched you do this to Billy, I not going to stand by anymore and watch you do this to my daughter.

NEIL: “Our” daughter.

SUSAN: She was never your daughter, Neil. You never were the father I’d hoped you’d be for her.

NEIL: Please. If you hadn’t married me, your weak ass would be drowning in debt,…

(The boys watch him in digust.)

...and your bitch daughter would be slumming with her loser father like all the sluts out there. Billy, too.

(Karen’s has had enough of this bullshit, and walks up near Susan.)

KAREN: You godless asshole.

NEIL: Oh, ho. Speak of the devil herself.

KAREN: How could you say that shit?

NEIL: Hey, sometimes the truth hurts.

KAREN: For Christ’s sake, that’s your son in there!

NEIL: SON!?! I wish I had a son I could be proud of. Billy was a faggot.

MIKE: (under his breath) Piece of shit.

NEIL: He lived a faggot, and he died a faggot.

WILL: And who’s goddamn fault was that?

NEIL: Kid, you stay out of this.

WILL: The Hell I will, you son of a bitch!

MIKE: Will, don’t…

WILL: No, Mike. I not going to shut up about this.

(Joyce tells El to stay with Dustin and Erica, as she sees his youngest about to get into a bind.)

Did it ever occur to you that Billy never wanted to come here to Hawkins in the first place? He was obviously much happier in California. You could’ve left his ass to his own devices, and he would’ve been happier. But no, you forced that choice on him, and he suffered for it. He still be alive and a lot better off, if you weren’t such a goddamn…

NEIL: (raises his fist) Say one more word, you little faggot, and I’ll drop you like a bad habit.

(Will retracts, Lucas pulls way back on that wrist rocket.)

JOYCE: HEY!!!

(Joyce storms up to Neil like the mama bear she is.)

You touch my boy, and I will fuck you up.

NEIL: Hey, Byers. Don’t make this worse than it already is.

KAREN: You should take her word for it, Hargrove. There’s nothing Joyce won’t do for her kids. Besides, you don’t want to get embarrassed again, RIGHT?

(Neil looks at the situation he’s amassed.)

NEIL: (deep breath) You know what, none of you are worth my time.

(Looks to Karen) Even if the rumors were true, you and my boy really deserve each other.

KAREN: Oh, fuck you.

NEIL: Not likely.

JOYCE: Come on, kids.

(Just as Joyce turns her back…)

NEIL: I gotta say, Byers, I was wrong about you. I had you pegged as just another loser, but really you’re just another whore that just can’t seem to keep a man.

(Neil shoves her. Steve and Jonathan know exactly where this is going, especially in Joyce’s case.)

STEVE: Does this seem familiar to you, Jonathan?

JONATHAN: Yup.

NEIL: Oh, yeah. I learned about your whole goddamn resume’, honey. First, your husband ditches you on account of your two faggot sons.

(Neil shoves her a second time.)

STEVE: Uh, sir.

NEIL: Then, of course, your Radio Shack nerd boyfriend. He gets butchered by wild animals.

(Neil then grabs her left shoulder.)

JONATHAN: Mr. Hargrove, I really wouldn’t.

(Neil then goes up to her left ear.)

NEIL: What can I say, Joyce Byers. YOU’RE JUST A BORN FUCKIN’ LOSER!!!

(Joyce’s face lights up in livid anger. She swats his right hand with her left arm, then follows with a right hand chop to Neil’s throat, forcing him to choke.)

KAREN & SUSAN: DAMN!!

(Joyce then delivers a swift kick in his nuts.)

WILL: Wow!

LUCAS: I felt that.

(Joyce then lands a hell of a right cross.)

NANCY, JONATHAN, STEVE, & ERICA: WHOA!!!

ROBIN: Ooh!!

DUSTIN: HOLY SHIT!

(Neil is disoriented by Joyce’s assault, but Joyce wasn’t done yet. She lets out a deafening primal scream, and tackles him on the path and unleashes a barrage of haymakers, spewing every curse word under the sun at him. As she goes to town on Neil, she thinks of all the trauma she went through; from Lonnie leaving her and her boys, to losing Bob to the Demo-Dogs, to recently losing Hopper in the explosion of the portal generator.)

STEVE: Now, I know how you felt when you kicked my ass.

JONATHAN: You said it.

KAREN: Look, Joyce, I’m proud of you! But it’s not worth it!

JOYCE: (Looks back at Karen with anger in her eyes) YES, IT FUCKIN’ IS!!!

(Joyce continues her onslaught.)

STEVE: I think you should…

JONATHAN: I’m on it.

(Jonathan runs to stop her mom, Karen steps in to help.)