Mike still had nightmares about that night, about the night that started all of this madness, about the night that Will went missing.

The Body that was found in the river, everyone seemed to accept it, but he never did. Joyce, Will's mother, also never did....but then days passed, then weeks, months, years...he had to accept his best friend was dead...and Mike never got the chance to confess his feelings...

Will was gone! he had to accept it!

But then he remembered El showing him Will singing on the radio when they met, and he just never was able to let go of that dumb, desperate,s tupid hope

It had been 5 years since Will went missing, and everyone had to go on with their lives, especially when they were always at risk with the mind flayers, Vecna, Demogorgon, and the crazy crap that kept happening in Hawkins.

Somehow, most of them kept surviving, closing the gate, just for it to reopen.

It's now 1987, Holly, Mike's younger sister, was taken by Vecna, along with 11 other children from Hawkins High, and after a series of events, Hopper, Nancy, Steve, Eleven, and Mike ended up in the Upside Down, after getting past some military men and trying to find clues to find Holly and reuniting the party. Steve and Nancy ended up getting separated from Hop, Mike and eleven, who are now close the the Byers house in upside down. Hopper had his guard up, he could swear he kept seeing a figure in the shadows.