Chapter 27: Summer Plans
POV: Adam
June brings the last day of school and the promise of endless summer days that Adam knows will be anything but carefree, the kind of deceptive peace that settles over battlefields between wars. He sits in Mike's basement surrounded by the Party, watching his friends make plans that feel both precious and doomed—children scheduling joy while monsters gather strength in dimensions they can't imagine.
Three months. I have three months to prepare for everything that's coming.
"Okay, so we're thinking daily bike rides, obviously," Mike says with the serious attention of a general planning campaigns. "D&D twice a week, arcade visits, maybe some swimming at the quarry when it gets really hot."
Dustin bounces in his seat with characteristic enthusiasm. "And I'm going to science camp for three weeks! Camp Know Where—they have actual laboratories and guest lecturers and everything!"
Science camp. Where he'll learn just enough to think he understands biology before finding a baby Demogorgon in his trash.
Lucas stretches out on the couch, already looking forward to the kind of relaxation that only exists in the space between seventh and eighth grade. "Basketball practice starts in July. Coach says I might make JV next year if I keep improving."
Basketball. Normal, human concerns. If only you knew what's really coming.
Will speaks quietly from his position curled in the corner, still too thin despite months of Joyce's determined cooking. "I just want normal. Normal summer, normal fun, normal everything."
Normal. The one thing I can't give you, little brother.
Adam forces enthusiasm into his voice while his mind catalogs threats and timelines. "Sounds great. I'm really looking forward to having more time to hang out with everyone."
I'm looking forward to building an army capable of surviving what's coming. I'm looking forward to three months of intensive preparation for dimensional warfare.
Mike's expression grows distant, that particular combination of hope and heartbreak that's defined him since Eleven's disappearance. "I'm going to keep trying to reach El. Every night. She's out there somewhere."
She's twenty minutes away, learning to read and argue with Hopper about television programs. But I can't tell you that without exposing everything.
"Maybe this summer she'll hear you," Adam says carefully, offering support without false hope.
Maybe by October she'll be ready to come back. Maybe she'll be strong enough for what's coming.
After the Party disperses to their respective summer plans, Adam begins implementing his own agenda with military precision. Every morning before dawn, he slips into the woods that border Hawkins like a green ocean, establishing training routines that push his abilities beyond anything he's attempted before.
Through Scout's enhanced senses, he maps every dimensional weak point within a ten-mile radius, cataloging locations where reality grows thin and creatures might slip through undetected. His system tracks each discovery with clinical precision, building a comprehensive database of potential threats and strategic assets.
[DIMENSIONAL MAPPING: 78% COMPLETE]
[WEAK POINTS IDENTIFIED: 23]
[STRATEGIC LOCATIONS SECURED: 15]
[CREATURE NETWORK EXPANSION: ACTIVE]
The woods become his laboratory, each morning spent pushing the boundaries of split consciousness and remote control. By mid-June, he commands four Demodogs—including the two "Freed" variants resistant to Mind Flayer influence—and six Vine Crawlers whose plant-based intelligence makes them perfect for long-term surveillance.
Every creature is a sensor, every bond a lifeline. When October comes, I'll know about threats before they fully manifest.
His Demodogs patrol in coordinated patterns, their loyalty climbing steadily toward the kind of absolute devotion that transcends species boundaries. Scout remains his primary lieutenant, the original bond strengthened by months of shared danger and mutual protection.
Ninety percent loyalty. Scout would die for me without hesitation, and I'd do the same for him.
But power development is only half the equation. Adam needs resources—money, equipment, supplies that can't be acquired through creature raids or strategic theft. That's where Bob's unwitting assistance becomes invaluable.
"You know, Adam," Bob says one evening while they organize RadioShack inventory, "you've got a real head for this stuff. Ever think about working in electronics when you grow up?"
I'm thinking about modifying your equipment to track interdimensional creatures and coordinate monster armies. But sure, let's talk career planning.
"Maybe," Adam says instead, meaning it more than Bob realizes. "It's interesting work."
Bob beams with the satisfaction of someone who's found a kindred spirit. "Tell you what—I could use someone reliable for inventory twice a week this summer. Minimum wage, but it's honest work."
Honest work. And access to components I can modify for purposes you'll never suspect.
"I'd like that," Adam says, genuinely grateful despite the deception underlying his motives.
The job provides more than money—it offers legitimacy, purpose that satisfies Joyce's maternal need to see him developing responsibility and work ethic. Will teases him about becoming a "working man" while Adam carefully saves every penny, knowing that when October arrives, resources could mean the difference between victory and catastrophe.
Every dollar is ammunition. Every component is a weapon. Every day of preparation is another chance to change the outcome.
But underneath the strategic planning lies something more complex—genuine affection for the man who's become mentor, father figure, and unwitting ally in his war against fate. Bob's enthusiastic explanations of circuit logic and programming fundamentals provide education that Adam finds genuinely fascinating, even as he plans how to use those skills for purposes Bob could never imagine.
I'm using him. Learning from him, caring about him, and planning to save his life whether he wants it or not.
The contradiction sits heavy in Adam's conscience, but not heavy enough to stop him from maximizing every advantage Bob unknowingly provides.
[LEVEL 22 ACHIEVED]
[CREATURE ARMY REBUILT: 4 DEMODOGS, 6 VINE CRAWLERS]
[ALL LOYALTY RATINGS: 70%+]
[NEW SKILL: RESOURCE MANAGEMENT]
[STRATEGIC PREPARATION: OPTIMAL]
[SCOUT LOYALTY: 90% (PERMANENT BOND)]
July 4th arrives with fireworks that paint the night sky in colors that remind Adam of dimensional rifts and psychic energy discharges. The Party sprawls on blankets at the park, sharing snacks and stories while explosions bloom overhead like violent flowers.
Mike lies on his back, staring at the sky with the desperate hope of someone who believes hard enough in miracles to make them manifest through sheer force of will.
He thinks she might fall from the stars. If only he knew she's learning to make Eggo waffles and argue about television channels.
Will curls against Adam's side, still seeking physical comfort when crowds or loud noises trigger memories of a place where sound meant danger and isolation meant survival. Adam wraps an arm around his brother, offering warmth that has nothing to do with summer heat.
Three more months, little brother. Then everything changes again.
Lucas and Dustin debate the aerodynamics of firework trajectories with the serious intensity of twelve-year-old boys who believe understanding something makes it less mysterious. Their voices blend with the sounds of families celebrating independence and freedom, concepts that feel both precious and fragile when viewed through the lens of foreknowledge.
They don't know how lucky they are. This peace, this normal—it's all about to end.
Through the bond, Scout sends images from his position in the woods—creatures moving restlessly through shadows, dimensional energy fluctuating like a heartbeat growing faster. The Mind Flayer's influence is strengthening, preparing for the autumn offensive that will test everything Adam has built.
But not yet. Tonight, we're just a family watching fireworks. Tonight, we're just kids dreaming about summer adventures.
Three more months. Then everything changes again.
But tonight is ours.
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