Chapter Text
We were frantically searching Eddie's trailer for any cassetes that Nancy would like. i was looking through some drawers at the other end of the room as i heard a heated discussion between Robin and Eddie.
'What is it ? what are we looking for ?' Eddie questioned.
'Madonna,Blondie, Bowie, Beatles ? music we need music !' Robin said rushed.
'This is music !' Eddie yelled holding an Iron Maiden cassette
i don't know what happened but apparently Nancy woke up without the help of any music and she was now climbing the rope. she dropped about as unflattering as all of us did and after her came Steve.
After we were all settled we crashed at Max's for the night. i couldn't really sleep through the night tho it felt like every hour i would wake up and then need ages to fall back asleep. having Eddie next to me helped tho. he would kiss my head and tell me that it's fine and we are safe and that would make me go back to sleep quickly.
after a rough night we were all in Max's living room looking at Nancy with worry as she recounted what Vecna had shown her.
'he showed me things that haven't happened yet, the most awful thing.' she sounded hoarse.
'There was a Dark cloud spreading over Hawkins, Downtown on fire, dead soldiers and this giant creature and there were monsters so many monsters. They were coming into Hawkins and-' she shut her mouth after that.
Steve piped up 'he's just trying to scare us right ? it's not real it's just a vision.'
'there was more.' she continued on 'four gates spreading across hawkins.' she swallowed 'they looked like the one at Eddies trailer but they didn't stop growing and this wasn't the upside down Hawkins this was our Hawkins.' she trembled as she finished.
'four chimes' Max looked up 'Vecna's clock it almost chimes exactly four times.'
we all looked at her.
'he's been telling us his plan this whole time.' she muttered barely above a whisper.
'Four kills, four gates.' Luces looked at Max 'then end of the world.'
'if thats true then he is only one kill away.' Dustin's eyes widened as he spoke hesitantly.
'Jesus Christ.' i muttered, Eddie rubbed his hands over his face.
Steve pressed Max to ring the Byers again, the family moved last year and apparently took the superpower girl with them. Mike was there for springbreak which i could tell made Nancy happy. for once that little shit wasn't diving headfirst into danger.
'theres no way it's been busy for three days, that's not Joyce.' Max slammed the phone obviously frustrated.
'she's right it can't be a coincidence.' Nancy was pacing the room while muttering to herself. 'whatever is happening in Lenora is connected to all of this, i'm sure.'
'but Vecna can't possibly hurt them right ?' i asked
'not if he's dead.' Nancy's gaze hardened as she said this.
'we have to go back there, to the upside down.' she said firmly.
immediatly me and Eddie started protesting along with the rest of the group.
'woah, woah, woah, let's think this through.' Steve tried to calm Nancy.
'what's there to think through ?' Nancy questioned harshly. i couldn't help but look at Eddie theres no way he would go back right ? Maybe it was time to go back into hiding and let the others handle this ?
'we barely made it out of there last time-' Steve objected gesturing towards his wounds but she cut him off.
'yeah cause we werent prepared. but this time, we will be ! we get weapons and protection. we'll go through the gate and kill him.'
'or he'll kill us you almost died Nancy.'
'yeah well i didn't did i, Steve ?' she snapped 'Vecna let me go.'
'only because he wanted to, if he wanted to kill you he would have.' Max chimed in.
'he's not scared of us-' Steve continued.
'and for good reason !' Robin perked up 'we were wrong about Vecna/Henry/One. he's a number ! like eleven, only a sick,evil,male,child murdering version of her with bad skin !'
i chuckled a little at that last part.
'My point is, he's super powerful, it's not a fair fight.' Robin emphasized.
'Then why fight fair ?' Dustin stood up 'you're right, he is like Eleven and that gives us the upper hand. we know El's strenghts and weaknesses.'
'weaknesses ?' Erica arched an eyebrow
'when El remote travels she goes into this trance like state.' Dustin explained 'i bet the same is true for Vecna !'
'that would explain what he was doing in the attic !' Lucas snapped his fingers while looking at Dustin.
'Exactly.' Dustin grinned, and if the situation wasn't so fucked i would enjoy seeing them exchange theories and strategies like in the days were we all played DnD together. but the situation was fucked. ' when he attacks his next victim i bet he'll be back in the attic, physical body defenseless.'
'defenseless ?' Eddie asked.
'what about that army of bats ?' i asked gesturing towards Steve.
'we'll have to find a way past them, distracts them somehow.' Dustin said already deep in thought.
'and how do you suggest we do that ?' i asked nervous.
'i have no idea.' Dustin said matter of factly. 'but once they're gone, he doesn't stand a chance. it'll be like Dracula sleeping in his coffin.'
'that all sounds good in theory but theres no pattern to Vecna's killings, we don't know where or who he's gonna get next.' Robin exclaimed.
'yes we do.' Max coughed 'i can still feel him, i'm still marked..cursed.' she said quietly 'i ditch Kate Bush draw his focus back to me.' she started again.
'Max no. he'll kill you !' Lucas exclaimed
'i survived before, i can survive again. i'll just keep him busy long enough for you guys to get into the attic.' she said very determined.
'the you can chop his head off, stab him in the heart, use whatever explosive Dustin comes up with.' she rambled on.
and she spoke the heavy reality set in. not all of us are gonna make it.
Eddie slammed a newspaper on the table pointing at an AD for a store 'check this out ! the warzone.'
'been there once with my Dad.' i gulped at the mention of him but quickly coughed to hide it 'it's HUGE got everything for..well killing things basically.'
'you think fake Rambo has enough guns there ? is that a grenade ?' Robin exclaimed pointing at the picture of the grenade 'how is that legal !?'
Eddie shook his head while smirking 'well lucky for us it is, so- this place is just far enough outside of Hawkins.' he looked between us 'if we steer clear of the main roads, we oughta be able to avoid the cops and angry hicks.'
'if we're trying to avoid angry hicks we probably shouldn't go to a place called The War Zone.' said Erica and i nodded.
'but we need the weapons so it's probably worth the risk.' i said
'but is it worth the time ?' asked Dustin. 'it'd take all day to bike there and back, we don't have enough for all of us.'
'who said anything about bikes ?' Eddie had a wicked smirk on his face.
'what you got some secret car we don't know about ?' Steve questioned.
'i wouldn't exactly call it a car, and it's not mine but it'll do.'
and not even five minutes later we were sprinting across the trailer park behind Eddie and stealing a camper.
i followed Eddie to the front of the Camper Steve was already looking at Eddie fiddling with the wires.
'where'd you learn to do this ?' Steve wondered as Eddie sparked the wires.
'Well, when others Dad's were teaching them how to fish-' Eddie's tongue shot out in concentration. 'my old man was teaching me how to hotwire.'
'uh Eddie, i love you but i'm not sure i like the idea of you driving.' i said.
'Oh, i'm just starting this sucker, Harrington's got her.' he spun around looking at Steve teasingly 'don't ya big boy ?'
The couple outside finally noticed us and started screaming and banging on the camper as it came to live. Steve jumped into the drivers seat and screamed 'everybody hang onto something !'
i grabbed the nearest wall and with my other hand Eddie's hand.
'Drive, Steve Drive !' Dustin yelled from the back.
Lucas looked out of the window 'shit they look pissed !'
Eddie grabbed me to steady me while Steve hit an extra rough turn. when we finally made it onto the pavement of an actual road i went to sit in the back with Eddie. he pulled me onto his lap and i started fiddling with the buttons of my Jacket. i was nervous, i really didn't wanna go back into the upside down i had a really bad feeling that me or Eddie werent gonna make it. I mean for heavens sake i am not a fighter i am a cheerleader ! all i wanted to do this year was be in the Cheersquad with my best friend, graduate and then go to college ! now i am fighting interdimensional monsters with a bunch of children !
Eddie noticed my nervous fumbling and took my hand into his squeezing it. 'what's wrong princess ?' i looked up at him.
'i don't have a good feeling about this at all. i don't think we're gonna make it if we go back there Ed's let's just go back into hiding somewhere outside of Hawkins.'
he brushed some hair out of my face and smiled 'we'll be okay, and after i'll take you on that date okay ?'
i smiled and kissed him softly 'pick me up at eight.'
he just nodded and then kissed my head. we stayed cuddled up for the rest of the drive.
when Steve finally pulled into the parking lot everyone pilled out of the Camper exept for me and Eddie since we were both still being searched for. i didn't really mind tho. we sat cuddling and silently conversing just between us.
'Eddie ?' i asked softly.
he just let a soft 'mh ?' come out of his mouth begging me to continue.
'i'm sorry. for not being convincing enough. if i had just been more persistend we wouldn't have to go on this suicide mission and they'd all see you are innocent.' i brushed some hair out of his face.
'woah slow down there princess. there is nothing you could've done to convince these people that it wasn't me. i was immediatly guilty the moment they saw how i looked or what i was interested in.' he kissed my cheek. 'thank you for trying tho.'
i nodded defeated 'this town never deserved you. none of them do.' i fiddled with his rings as i held his hand.
we got startled by banging on the door, before the door slammed open and everyone flooded back inside shouting, dropping their bags of supplies onto the empty seats.
'we need to go Lucas' old friends are here !' as Steve jumped into the drivers seat, Erica just rolled her eyes.
'fucking Jason.' i groaned.
'Drive Steve !' Lucas shouted. and with that Steve drove us to an empty meadow to craft our weapons and get ready for our big fight.
Dustin and Eddie were tasked with making shields, The sinclair siblings Spears, Robin and Steve soaked bottles for fuel and i stayed with Max and Nancy prepping the guns since i had some experience.
'so how experienced are you with guns ?' Nancy asked me.
'well my dad was a total survival fanatic he'd take me camping and hunting on weekends so .. a little ?' i made it sound more like a question than anything but Nancy nodded seemingly happy with my answer.
While Nancy shortened the muzzle of her shotgun me and Max were tasked with filling up all the guns that were bought. i saw Max having some trouble due to her hands shaking like crazy. i softly took her hands and pulled the gun out of them 'hey, let's take a second to breathe okay ?' she nodded.
i sat back a little and so did she as we watched Nancy and past her Dustin and Eddie play fighting on the field. it was a strangely domestic and calm scene i couldn't help but smile seeing Eddie and Dustin interact. It made me wish i could introduce Eddie to my brother Matt would've loved him.
'you had a brother too right ?' Max asked quietly. i just nodded i knew Billy since he was on the basketball team i thought he was a total ass but you aren't supposed to talk bad about the dead.
'yeah the boys told me a little about him when i first "joined" their party.' i smiled.
'i hope only good things..' she just nodded.
'i-' she started but quickly had to take a breath 'do you ever feel guilty ?'
my breath hitched as i looked at her. 'everday.' she looked a little shocked and then quickly looked away.
'listen, Max grief is weird and my brother was an angel but if Billy was anything at home like he was at school then your grief must be even more confusing. i feel guilty about Matt's death i wish i could swap places with him but i can't and it's hard to accept that but after a while you will be able to accept it and all the weird, confusing feelings that come with it and you'll live. You will think about it sometimes but it will get better.' i grabbed her hands and looked at her with a soft gaze. i really hoped that my little speech helped but really while we both lost our brothers our situations were so different i was unsure if it did anything.
Max smiled a little and then went back to loading guns, her hands stopped shaking. so i did the same.
the meadow was slowly beeing consumed by orange light as the sun slowly set and we were content doing our little tasks and enjoying the company of each other.
i wish it could stay like this forever.