Work Text:
After losing her best friend, Barb, to some unknown entity a month before graduating high school, Nancy devoted her life to the strange and unusual and finding out what killed her best friend.
After graduation she drove to the cemetery with the car her parents had given her to say goodbye to Barb at the cemetery. Driving home she saw a guy run in front of her car. She slammed on the breaks and it took a second for her to realize she knew who it was. He had been a grade ahead of her and she knew him in passing.
She rolled down the window. "Steve?!"
The guy stopped running and turned around, eyes wide. "Nancy?!"
"I almost hit you! Are you ok?" She asked.
"Nothing. I'm fine." He said with a hiss of pain, his teeth clenched. He fell to the ground on one knee.
"You don't seem fine."
When he looked up his eyes were yellow and his teeth monstrous.
That was how Nancy discovered Steve was a werewolf.
She found him the next morning in the woods he has run off into. She brought coffee and water and found the clothes he had thrown off the night previously and laid them down next to his prone form.
When he finally woke up Nancy handed him his clothes before turning around.
“Thanks.” He said gratefully.
“So you’re a werewolf.” She stated as he continued getting dressed.
“Yeah.” He said as he finished getting dressed and began explaining what had happened.
He had been bitten a month previously. After graduation he stuck around town working at his dads company. Driving home from work late one night he was attacked after having stopped at a stop sign. The creature taking the door off its hinges and dragging Steve into the woods. He woke up in the hospital with a large gash across his stomach, some teenagers hanging out had found him and called 911.
“I’m trying to find out what killed Barb.” Nancy said.
Nancy told him her theory about Barb. She knew she saw something that night drag her into the woods that night they were hanging out.
Steve believed her.
“I could help you.” Steve said.
“Okay. Thank you.”
They had started on research and found out a lot of people had gone missing over the years in their small town of Hawkins.
Taking a break from monster research and learning how to use the gun Nancy had gotten at the beginning of the summer, they were walking home from a movie one night when they heard a scream coming from the woods.
They ran in the direction of the scream to see a man attacking a woman. Or what they thought was a man. He looked up when they arrived, his eyes were red and two fangs were protruding from his mouth.
"Vampire." Nancy stated.
"Oh shit.” Steve swore.
The man let go of the woman and she fell to the ground in a heap. He started walking towards them.
Nancy started to go for her gun when the guy lunged. Steve went to go in front of her but the guy knocked him away with one arm. She got her gun out and fired at his neck. The man briefly stopped looking down in amusement before he continued walking. Steve was in the process of standing back up. Nancy went to fire her gun again when the man was pushed aside.
Standing in front of Nancy there was now a teenager who looked to be about her and Steve's age with shaggy light brown hair. He glanced over at her, his eyes were red and he had fangs too.
He turned back in the direction he had shoved the other man when said man pushed him away at lightning speed.
Steve got back up and ran over to Nancy. "Hey are you ok?" He asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine." She stated as they both watched the two vampires fight one another.
"Hey!" She yelled lifting her gun and pointing it in their direction. Both stopped and looked at her. She fired the gun at the first vampire, who grinned, but it was just enough for the second vampire to pick up a stick and quickly shove it through his heart. The vampire dropped to the ground.
The second vampire glanced at Nancy and Steve. "Thanks." He said, quietly.
"Uh, thank you." Steve said, glancing at Nancy. "And you. I’m a werewolf. So are we like, mortal enemies?” Steve asked.
The guy smiled slightly, "I know. You don't smell human. And usually."
“Who are you? Are you a good vampire? You killed your own kind.” Nancy asked.
He hesitated. "I’m Jonathan. I haven’t killed a human since I was turned.” He said, walking over to her.
“I’m Nancy, this is Steve.”
Jonathan glanced at Nancy. "What are you?" He asked.
She blinked. "What? Human."
He sniffed. "You don't smell human. Not completely."
"Well what do I smell like?" She asked.
He contemplated for a few seconds. "If I had to guess. Witch."
"A witch?"
"Maybe. I haven't met many." Jonathan said.
"Do all supernatural creatures smell differently?" Nancy asked.
Jonathan nodded.
"What do I smell like?" Steve asked.
Jonathan looked at him. "Pine. Earth. Ginger."
"What about me?" Nancy asked.
He turned to Nancy. "Air. Citrus. Cinnamon."
"Steve can you tell what Jonathan smells like?" Nancy asked.
Steve walked over to Jonathan. "Umm. Dead leaves. Fire. Smoke."
"Hey Nance, try moving something. Witches can move things right?" Steve said.
She looked at him. "Telekinesis." She stated.
Steve picked up a stick as Nancy rolled her eyes. He threw it up in the air she put her hands out and the stick continued to fall to the ground.
"Try with more emotion." Jonathan said.
They repeated the process, Nancy closed her eyes mustering up all the sadness and anger she felt towards Barb dying and her being unable to do anything as her best friend was dragged away into the darkness.
When she opened them the stick was floating.
"Whoa." Steve said, eyes wide.
"I'm a witch." Nancy said, in slight disbelief. “So how old were you when -“ Nancy started to ask.
“Eighteen.”
“So... When were you turned ?” Steve asked.
“Nineteen Eighty Three.”
“Dude, you’re like 50!” Steve exclaimed.
Jonathan looked solemn.
“Oh, sorry man, that was rude. You probably don’t like being reminded of everything that’s past and what you lost and the people-” Steve said before being elbowed by Nancy.
“It’s fine.” Jonathan said quietly.
“We’re looking for something that killed my best friend. I need to find out what killed her. We could really use any information you have. And any information you have on witches." Nancy pleaded.
“And werewolves.” Steve said.
"You want revenge?" Jonathan asked.
Nancy nodded. "And I'm getting it with or without either of your help." She said, determined, looking between Steve and Jonathan.
"Okay." Jonathan said. "I'll help. I don’t have much information on witches but I’ll tell you what I know about them and werewolves. And whatever killed your friend."
“Thank you.” Nancy said.
“That thing’s not gonna know what hit it.” Steve said, determined.