Chapter Text
There was a time where Steve Harrington thought he was content with his life.
He has a job. He loves his job. He loves coaching the kids, winning the games, being their emotional anchor through the tough times, overall it feels good to be a role model people can look up to. However recently something has changed or maybe it changed a while ago and Steve refused to acknowledge it until now.
A sigh escapes him as he grabs a beer, pops it up and takes a big swig. Another sigh follows as he plops down on the armchair and switches on the TV barely paying any attention to it as he continues to drink.
While Steve enjoyed his work life, his life outside of work is a different matter altogether.
Some nights he would bring a woman home from the bar, sleep with her and she leaves the next morning with no strings attached and other days he would sit right here with only booze and takeout as his company.
It wasn't always like this. Years ago after the kids graduated Steve, Robin, Nancy and Jonathan all made a pact to meet up together every month. At first they did just that, they all took turns hosting but eventually excuses came along life got in the way and soon every month became every few months then three times a year, then two and it kept going until they stopped seeing each other. He still spoke to Robin on the phone sometimes but Robin is settled with a partner of her own now and Steve didn't want to keep bothering her; he didn't want to come across as needy and desperate.
Then there's Dustin.
On weekends and holidays Steve drove to Dustin's university and they went on trips together. It wasn't anything exciting just trips to the beach, picnics, fishing etc but to them it meant a lot. These outings made up for time they lost in their childhood.
Steve always looked forward to their trips. He would sit and listen to Henderson's rundown of the week and whatever scientific discovery he has made this time. While Steve had no idea what Henderson spoke about half of the time, what Steve loved the most was seeing how animated the kid was. Arms waving, eyes bright, big wide grin and Steve always watched him with a smile of his own.
Soon those trips started to decrease as well. Dustin got his degrees and got accepted into one of the most popular companies. Steve wasn't surprised the kid is bright and he will only get better as he gets older. Steve is happy for him Hell he is proud of him Steve always knew Dustin would go far in life but that didn't erase the bitterness that came with it. The loneliness, a feeling that has been a part of Steve's life growing up and in the recent months it has only festered and become stronger by the day. It was at the point now where it was suffocating him.
He glances over at the group photo he kept on the coffee table. All of them together, smiling.
Their company wasn't the only thing he missed.
He also misses the action, the thrill of the hunt, the fight, going out there and making a difference, saving the world and most of all having a purpose and feeling valued.
Now Steve does have a purpose with his job; he is making a difference to the next generation but sometimes Steve wondered if that was enough to him. As the years went on the mundane life Steve yearned for has started to become dull in comparison to the life he had before. The life that involved fighting monsters from another universe.
He thought it would be so easy to leave it all behind.
Maybe that is why he decided to stay in Hawkins. Maybe deep down he wasn't ready to move on like the others.
His eyes shift on to the baseball bat propped against the wall with the nails sticking out of it. Jonathan made him a new one after losing the other one.
"Something to remember us by." The older Byers smirked as he handed it to him.
Steve's fingers twitch. A sudden urge to pick it up. Back in the day he had the bat next to his bed and always kept it close just in case. He still had the odd nightmare now and then but he has learned to deal with it. Meditation, breathing techniques…Robin's idea and no he will never admit to anyone he does it. Life was shit back then but at least it had meaning at least it was exciting and most of all he wasn't alone.
Steve leans back, staring at the TV. Once this beer is gone another one will follow he will drink until the numbness takes over.
Until the darkness pulls him under.
The kids are talking.
That's nothing unusual, the kids talk so much Steve ends up with a headache but today something is different. There is a nervous energy in the air. The changing room is tense. The kids are huddled together over something whispering to each other.
Steve already didn't like the look of this.
So he walks over and clears his throat to get their attention.
That makes them jump and quickly break away from each other.
"Morning Coach." One boy squeaks.
Steve's eyes narrow.
Then his eyes go on the newspaper the kids were looking at.
Steve picks it up.
The headline in bold letters said.
MAN KILLED IN ANIMAL ATTACK!
Steve's eyes widened with surprise.
He reads on.
Heart ripped out? He frowns.
"They think it was a bear." One kid Cody whispers. Steve had no idea why the kid was whispering; it's not like the so-called bear is going to hear them and come out of the lockers to attack them.
"Yeah and it will be coming for you next shorty." Peter smirks.
Cody's face screws up.
"No."
"Oh yes it will be you and your family. One by one."
"Shut up!"
"Peter." Steve interrupts with a glare. "Knock it off." He then turns to the shaken Cody and his voice drops to a softer tone. "It's okay Cody, no one is gonna hurt you."
"How do you know that?" Jackson speaks up with a shake of his head. "Apparently this isn't even the first time. There's rumors someone got killed the other night. The same thing happened: heart ripped straight out. I mean what kind of bear does that?"
"Maybe it's a serial killer."
"Or a wolf."
"Or a werewolf I mean it was a full moon."
"Werewolves. Don't be stupid Andy."
The kids argue, voices rise over each other. Steve tries to get their attention but his voice is drowned out so he ends up smacking the clipboard against the locker which causes a long bang to go through the room.
"Enough!"
The voices stop.
The kids look at him.
Steve raises the newspaper in the air.
"Now this…not another word."
"But…"
"No, finished, end of story, done." Steve's hand goes straight up to silence Peter causing the kid to close his mouth like a cod fish and sink into the bench.
"Now get changed all of you and meet me out on the field in ten. If you are one minute…one sec over you will all be doing cross-country for the rest of the lesson. Got it?"
The kids stare at him. Stunned.
"I said got it?"
"Yes Coach."
Steve sighs. He rarely raised his voice to them. He is the cool teacher of Hawkins who gives out easy grades and treats the kids to candy so moments like this when Steve does become stern the kids listen because they know their teacher means business.
"Alright let's go." He claps and the kids immediately grab their bags to get changed.
Steve walks out with a clipboard in one hand and a newspaper in the other. He peeks at it again skimming through the words.
He bites his lip and dread rises in his gut.
The kids are right about one thing this ain't no animal attack.
After practice Steve decided to ask around. The staff room is the perfect place. The teachers gossip about everyone, parents, students and their colleagues. They thrive on rumors. Any story no matter how significant is a big deal to them, fills the void in their sad boring lives. There was a time Steve would have laughed at that but looking at his life recently it's fair to say he has become exactly like them.
Sad and miserable.
Steve might not be King Steve anymore but he still had the charm he easily got the teachers to spill especially the ladies. They have been infatuated with him since day one. Hawkins' hottest teacher, a gift from God. That's the furthest it goes because Steve swore to himself he will not cross professional boundaries he needed this job to stick. No scandals. However when Steve needed something he would happily draw out the good old Steve Harrington charm, his ultimate weapon alongside the bat.
"Did you hear about what happened? That guy got attacked by some animal. Awful right?" Steve said eyes wide as possible, hands up followed by a big dramatic gasp.
The teachers nod aggressively and immediately dive into the conversation.
"I believe the victim was Bob Elkins." One said with a shake of her head "Poor Martha can't imagine what she must be going through."
"Those poor kids losing their Father like that." Another said with a frown. "So sad."
Steve's throat tightened. The mention of children always hit him hard.
Steve asked the questions, probing for information. The previous victim is said to be Sandra Anderson.
"It wasn't a big deal at first but when the bodies start piling up authorities can't keep it quiet forever people start asking questions, fearing for their safety."
"So what are they doing about it?" Steve asks his colleague.
"I believe the Sheriff's department is looking into it, they have blocked the area off where the killings have taken place although I wouldn't be surprised if some idiots go in there, looking for the damm thing."
"Oh that will definitely be Dexter Rollins." One teacher speaks up with an eye roll. "That kid never stays out of trouble."
"Argh yeah him and Olly Lowell. Troublemakers the both of them."
"You should have seen what happened in math the other day those two little assholes they…"
Steve tunes them out as the teachers fall back into their usual ranting and raving of the kids.
He then decided after work to head over to the middle school to see Mr Clarke.
Scott. He reminds himself.
Even to this day it is still weird for Steve to call teachers by their first name. It took him a while to eventually call his colleagues by their names.
Scott Clarke was packing up when Steve walked in. They greet each other the usual how are you? How was your day? But Steve soon jumps into his line of questioning.
"You heard about the attacks?" Steve asks.
Scott's grimace said it all.
"They think it was a bear." Steve replies slowly.
"It's not." Scott's response is quick and sharp.
Steve waits for him to elaborate.
"That's not in their nature." Scott explains. "I mean sure they do eat organs. The heart, liver and kidneys their main targets but eating just the heart that's not going to be enough for them. The same could be said about wolves. A wolf can eat up to 20 pounds of meat in one go and that weighs much more than the average human heart." He then sighs and his eyebrows furrow. "The killings…the style, the precision it's…extraordinary I have never seen or heard of an animal exhibiting that kind of behavior."
"Could it be human? A serial killer making the murders look like animal attacks?"
"To rip a heart out." Scott laughs "No human can do that. That requires immense strength. Strength that is beyond human." Scott's face becomes concerned. "You…You don't think it's…"
He didn't need to say it. Steve knows who he is referring to. The monsters from the Upside Down. It amazed Steve how Scott Clarke took the news well, how he immediately helped and never once freaked out. However this time Clarke did look scared. Steve will admit the thought has crossed his mind the possibility that the bastards are back. The monsters should be dead Vecna and the Mind Frayer were killed and the Upside Down was destroyed but you never know life can surprise you there might still be the odd demodog or demogordon out there causing havoc, a few stubborn strays but last time Steve checked they didn't eat hearts.
Maybe they have changed. He thought.
Not wanting to scare the other teacher, Steve shakes his head and forces a reassuring smile.
"No. The Bridge is gone, they are not coming back."
Scott didn't look convinced.
"They are definitely not coming back." Steve's voice lacked conviction. Scott saw through it he wasn't stupid.
"I'm sure there's an explanation for this." Steve quickly adds. He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince Scott or himself.
"I hope you are right." Scott replies, his attention going back to his briefcase.
This conversation is over. So Steve bids him farewell and leaves.
Shit!
He saw this coming. He knows deep down something about all this screamed wrong yet hearing the confirmation from Scott suddenly made all this too real.
Too damm real.
Great.
He gets into his car, his mind made up on what to do next.
The teachers said earlier there are bound to be idiots who will go into the woods wanting to find this predator.
Steve scoffs.
Guess that makes me the idiot.
"Can't believe I'm doing this."
Steve walks through the woods. Flashlight on scanning his surroundings. His bat on his back ready to grab when he needed it and a gun in his pocket.
It is dark, cold and wet and Steve hated the sound of his boots sinking into the mud with every step. The squelching, the snap of twigs fueled his fear of the risk of being heard and increasing his likelihood of being dog food.
A fucked up dog's food.
He could have let the Sheriff's Department deal with this but honestly Steve has lost faith and trust in them since Hopper left. Hopper and Mrs Byers…no Mrs Hopper moved away. So now a new Sheriff is in charge and let's just say the police would move quicker for donuts than they would for an actual crime.
He could have also called the others, asked for back up because going out here alone is reckless and stupid but while Steve's rational side of his brain argued that another side of him didn't want to bother them. His friends moved out of Hawkins to get away from the past, the pain and suffering if he called them, told them about what happened and what this could mean it would only result in bringing all that trauma back up again. If this all turned out to be an exaggeration if it wasn't Upside Down related then Steve would be making them go through all that for nothing.
They don't deserve that.
He thinks of the peace and content on Nancy's face as they all sat on the roof that day. The weight lifted off her shoulders, the small real smile on her lips, and her eyes bright with hope. A beautiful expression Steve never thought he would see on her again.
Steve couldn't bring himself to destroy that.
No he is fine he will be fine! He's got this. He has dealt with these assholes before and come out of it alive.
He has the scars to prove it.
There are going to be no more victims on Steve's watch. No more children at the risk of becoming orphans. The Upside Down has already taken so much.
Eleven's face flashes in his mind making him clench his jaw.
Poor girl never got to live her life.
He increases his grip on the flashlight.
"Where are you asshole?" He mutters.
A snap makes him spin round. He aims his flashlight in the direction where the noise came from.
Here goes nothing.
He is about to go into position but stops when he sees the silhouette.
He squints.
In the distance in the shadows stood a woman small, petite.
Steve blinks.
Guess he wasn't the only idiot to come out here.
Steve raises his hand and waves awkwardly.
"Uh hey…you okay?"
What Steve didn't expect next is the woman to growl at him actually growl at him.
Okay in the bedroom this would not be unusual but here in the woods where two people have died sounds well weird.
"Uh…"
Or maybe he has walked into one of those strange sexual kinks people getting it off on a murder site.
Eww
Before he can think of a response the woman steps out of the shadows. The light from the flashlight illuminates her whole face.
The sight freezes Steve in his tracks.
The woman's eyes are glowing yellow, her clothes are torn and shredded and protruding from her mouth are fangs.
Yes fangs.
Steve's eyes go wide.
The fuck?
Another growl comes from her and as she raises her hands Steve notices claws forming from them.
He swallows.
This is either a super cool costume or…
…or this is real and he is about to get his heart ripped out.
His mind screams at him to run but his body refuses to move. His breath quickens and panic rises inside him.
This can't be happening this can't be happening!
She rolls her shoulders back and snarls. Then she moves as fast as lightning charging in his direction.
It's fucking happening.
Steve didn't think.
He moved.
He jumps to the side, his body slamming into the ground causing him to groan. He then rolls on to his feet and whips his bat out.
The woman…thing…creature is already on to him. Claws out ready to attack.
Steve dodges the upcoming swings with surprising ease. His body on autopilot, his mind switching to survival mode. When she turns Steve swings the bat right into her side. He follows it up with a hit to her shoulder.
She shrugs it off like it's nothing.
After ducking another swing Steve gets his gun out and shoots.
She doesn't even flinch.
He shoots again and again all aimed at the chest.
She growls and smacks the gun out of his hand. The sharp movement causes him to stumble back.
She stands there.
Completely unharmed.
Not even a scratch.
That terrifies him.
He quickly goes down and swipes the dirt, sending it in her eyes.
It stuns her, barely but enough for him to escape.
He moves. He runs.
He never stops to think because that gets you killed.
She is on to him. Chasing him through the woods. Her howls echoing through the night.
Heart pounding.
Breaths shallow.
He still moves. Refuses to stop.
Then within seconds something hits him hard. It sends him to the ground face planted straight in the mud.
He lifts his head up. His face and hair both dripping with mud.
Then he feels fingers wrap around his ankles. The sudden pull makes him gasp. He tries to fight it off but the force is too strong.
The creature throws him on his back. The impact takes his breath away.
She goes on top of him pinning him in place. For a small woman she is certainly stronger than she looks.
His eyes dart in all directions until he spots his bat lying on the side a good distance away.
He clenches his jaw and starts to stretch his hand out.
He couldn't reach.
"Come on come on." He grits his teeth.
She moves in and sniffs him. Her hot breath sends a shiver down his spine.
"You are not having…my heart."
He stretches as far as he can.
Unfortunately his fingers stop inches away from the bat.
"Shit!" He curses out loud.
She laughs. The bitch actually freaking laughs. To rub it in his face she grabs the bat and throws it into the bushes.
His jaw goes slack and when he turns back to her he catches his reflection in those two yellow pools of light. He is helpless, vulnerable and completely at her mercy.
He once joked women would be the death of him but this is not what he had in mind.
He squeezes his eyes shut.
He is going to die out here. Alone. The alone part is what scares him the most.
I'm sorry.
He is sorry he failed. Sorry to the victims of the past and the ones yet to come and most of all he is sorry to his friends.
Dustin's tear stained face comes to mind.
I screwed up big time.
He hears her snarl again. Steve keeps his eyes shut. He doesn't want those sharp, razor claws to be the last thing he sees.
He then sobs a shameful tear sliding down his cheek. The Harringtons don't cry motto drilled into him from a young age rises to the surface, mocking him in his last few moments on earth.
He sighs and braces himself.
The next few moments happen in slow motion.
The sound of a gun going off, a blood curdling scream, and a loud thud by his side.
Steve gasps and his eyes fly open. He looks to his left and sees her. Motionless with blood pouring from her chest forming a puddle on the ground.
Steve quickly scrambles away, desperately trying to catch his breath.
Fuck fuck FUCK!
He then stands on shaky legs. When he looks up he sees a gun in his direction.
He is seconds away from screaming until the owner of the gun stops him.
"Hey…HEY! I'm not gonna hurt ya." The voice is male and gruff. Steve blinks a few times and his racing heart slows down.
He focuses on the voice.
The new arrival lowers his gun and raises one hand to show he means no harm.
Steve's chest heaves as he takes in the man. He is much older than him. His beard and hair are already on the verge of turning grey. He had a rifle clutched in his hand.
What struck Steve is how calm the other man looked. He didn't look at all fazed by the creature. Steve watches as the man walks over and gives the body a swift kick. Then he nods satisfied and turns his attention to Steve.
"You hurt?" He asks.
Steve speechless shakes his head.
"Did it bite you?" The man pressed.
Steve swallows.
"Bite?"
"Yeah."
"I…I don't think so…"
"You don't think so?"
"No. She didn't." Steve replies more confident this time.
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
The man narrows his eyes. Steve holds his breath. They stare at each other for several moments until the man breaks the silence.
"What the Hell are you doing out here kid?"
Steve bristles at that. He is in his twenties for crying out loud.
Steve didn't answer, instead his eyes went on the corpse.
"What is that?" He asks, doing everything he can to stop his voice from trembling.
The man grunts "Lycanthrope."
Steve frowns.
"Werewolf." The man clarifies.
Steve laughs.
"You're joking."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Steve shakes his head with disbelief.
"Werewolves are not real."
"And yet there's your proof." The man replies, gesturing to the body.
Steve stares at it. The eyes, the claws, the fangs, it's all there, it's all real there's no denying it.
Werewolf.
He almost got killed by a werewolf.
Steve laughs again. The man is staring at him like he has grown a second head.
"Werewolves are real." He throws his hands up. "Werewolves are real." He repeats. He laughs a hysterical laugh. "Wow…just wow." Steve gestures widely at it. "Kinda expected it to have more hair, you know? Like that Michael J. Fox movie." He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Shit."
He is spiraling. He is freaking out. This ain't his usual gig, this is something else entirely. Needing to distract himself he goes and searches for his bat. He eventually finds it and picks it up. Having it back in his possession calms him down a bit. He grips it tight like a lifeline.
One of the kids Andy from practice did suggest a werewolf and was immediately shut down by his teammates.
Oh Andy if only you knew how right you were.
The old man snorts.
"That's your weapon."
"Well I did have a gun." Steve replies offended by the tone. Then a thought suddenly occurs to him. "How come it worked for you?"
Steve's eyes go on the rifle then at the body. He raises a questioning brow.
His savior immediately catches on what he is referring to.
"Silver bullets." He waves his weapon. "Silver kills it. If you run out..." He turns and gestures to the machete sticking out of his backpack. "...then your next best option is decapitation. Quick, clean does the job."
"Silver and chopping the head off. Got it." Steve nods. Before Steve could ask more questions the man cuts him off.
"Stay close." He orders. "There's still another one out there."
Steve froze at those words.
"Another one?"
"There's two of em. Me and my partner were tracking them until we got separated."
Tracking, sliver.
Who the Hell is this guy?
Judging from the guy's face and the urgency of the situation Steve wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon.
The man is already moving ahead barking at Steve to follow.
Steve hesitates. Despite the fact the man just saved his life Steve didn't trust him but at this point Steve had no choice but to follow because whether he liked it or not this man is his only shot at surviving this.
So he grips his bat (Very useless in this situation but Steve needs some type of defence right?) and follows.
He makes a mental list of all things made of silver that he plans to buy if he survives the night. He is definitely going to get silver bullets as well.
He is sure Murray can get it for him.
The walk feels like hours but likely only several minutes. Steve's eyes dart in all directions searching for any threats. His companion remains silent walking ahead. The silence is making him agitated, nervous he needs to fill the space with something, anything.
"What's your name?" Steve suddenly blurts out.
The man slows down and looks deep in thought pondering on whether to share that information or not. Several moments later he answers.
"Bobby."
"Bobby well umm I'm…Steve and uh thanks by the way for umm back there."
"You don't need to thank me." He replies with a huff "Just doing my job."
"What job is that?" Steve asks curiously probing for information.
Bobby glances at him. His jaw clenched.
"I'm a hunter."
Steve raises an eyebrow.
"A hunter?"
Bobby looks away and carries on walking.
"All the scary stories your parents told ya growing up. Monsters under your bed, things that go bump in the night, it's all real. They are all out there and it's my job to kill em."
Steve's eyes narrow.
"When you mean they are all out there…"
"Vampires, ghosts, demons, witches, you name it they're real."
What what whaaaaat
Steve stops abruptly.
His world tilts.
Real?
He studies Bobby's face. There's not one trace of humor on his face.
He is telling the truth.
Steve snaps his mouth shut. He is not going to laugh again. This is serious.
This is insane!
God he can already picture Dustin's face. That kid would be buzzing.
"And they are nothing like the damm movies." Bobby adds.
Steve bites his lip and looks down.
He then sighs heavily.
"You know it's funny. I was out here hunting a monster just not the one I had in mind."
Bobby frowns.
"So you were trying to play hero and get yourself killed."
Steve glares but it quickly dissolves into another sigh.
"It's…complicated." He wonders if Bobby knows about the monsters from the Upside Down. Still hesitant to share too much, Steve decides to keep it vague. He adds "Let's just say I've had my fair share of monsters growing up. It's…always been a job for me too. Hunting them, saving lives. That's what I was trying to do tonight."
Bobby's eyebrows furrow while studying the young man in front of him. That's when Steve sees it. In the old man's eyes. Grief, pain and loss. A haunted expression Steve sees every time he looks in the mirror. He doesn't know this man but he can tell when someone has been through some deep shit.
Bobby's eyes flicker with intrigue. Steve can tell the old hunter had many questions.
The eye contact then breaks and Bobby clears his throat.
"We better get going otherwise Rufus is gonna have a damm fit."
He continues on only looking back once to ensure Steve is behind him. Steve catches up walking alongside him. He is relieved he wasn't pushed for answers.
They soon hear a gun shot followed by a strangled cry.
The two men didn't hesitate.
They run.
They head towards where the sound came from.
Bobby stops first. He takes a shuddering breath. Steve panting slows down. His eyes then widen when he follows Bobby's line of sight.
On the ground is a man probably in his early thirties Steve couldn't really tell. The man's eyes are open and lifeless as he stares up at the night sky. His mouth slack blood pouring out of it mixing in with the wound on his chest.
It's the claws that give away that this man is far from human.
"The other werewolf." Steve says out loud still reeling from the shock of it all.
He is staring at the body for so long he at first didn't notice Bobby walking over and talking to someone. The sudden snort has Steve turning his head.
"I'm fine by the way, thanks for asking."
This must be hunting partner Bobby mentioned. Rufus.
Rufus had a big scowl on his face as Bobby crouched down to examine the body.
"I can assure you the son of bitch is dead." Rufus says with a firm nod.
"Just making sure." Bobby replies.
"Questioning my ability now, Singer?"
"No."
"Good." Rufus finally notices Steve. "Who's the kid?"
Steve had to quickly bite back the retort that threatened to come out.
Bobby stands up and slings his rifle over his shoulder.
"This is Steve."
Steve raises a hand "Hi."
Rufus raises a brow but doesn't introduce himself. He then turns back to Bobby.
Rude Steve thought.
"And where did he come from?" Rufus asks.
"Found him after I tracked the other one."
Now the other eyebrow shoots up.
"Found him? So that little shit was here in the damm woods?" Rufus huffs a disbelief laugh "Fucking kids these days I swear."
Steve finally had to say it.
"I'm not a kid."
Rufus answers with another sharp laugh.
"Well you are definitely a God damm moron."
Steve glares at him.
"And what is that?" Rufus gestures to the bat. "You came out here to play baseball or something."
Steve's cheeks flush with fury and embarrassment. The son of a bitch had no idea. No freaking idea.
"If Bobby didn't save your ass you would have ended up battered." Rufus laughs. "Battered, get it?" He laughs like it's the most hilarious joke in the world.
Bobby rolls his eyes while Steve grits his teeth.
"Why don't you shut the fuck up asshole."
Rufus's eyes go wide as saucers at that response.
"Mouthy little shit huh. Well let me tell you this. I…"
"Rufus." Bobby interrupts. "Enough."
"But he…"
"No."
"He called me…"
"You were an asshole to him first, you deserved it." Bobby turns to Steve and his face softens slightly. "You wanna give me a hand?"
Rufus gives Bobby a look but Steve nods surprised by the offer.
"Sure."
As Bobby leads him away he leans towards him and says "Ignore him he's a miserable bastard."
Understatement of the century. He would give Hop a run for his money.
"But he's a good hunter." Bobby admits with a sigh. "Don't tell him I told you that though I won't hear the end of it."
Steve just smiles.
So they get going on sweeping the area, collecting the bodies and burning them. Bobby at one point gave Steve a look as the young man happily managed to move and burn the bodies with ease.
"Its not my first rodeo." Steve said with a forced smile.
Once the evidence of the night is gone and dawn starts appearing on the horizon the two old hunters get ready to leave. Rufus goes into the pickup truck no goodbye not even a thank you while Bobby leans against the door his arms folded, his focus solely on Steve.
"You look like crap."
"Gee thanks." Steve replies. Although he had to admit he does stink.
Bobby clears his throat.
"Uh listen so umm what you said back there about the monsters, the hunting." He sighs. "What were you hunting? What was the monster you had in mind?"
Steve sighs heavily.
"Because what I don't understand." Bobby adds slowly "Is that you freaked out when I gave you the talk you didn't believe me yet you said you hunt monsters? and you just burned the bodies like it was just another damm Tuesday for you."
Steve blinks.
"It's complicated." He repeats his words from earlier.
Bobby huffs with annoyance.
"No offense but I don't know you." Steve says. "And I don't feel comfortable going into all that."
"You some sort of vigilante?"
"No!"
"So you don't go around killing people?"
Steve gapes at that.
"No!"
Bobby stares at him.
"You opened my mind last night." Steve says. "It was…a lot to take in. I have already seen a lot of fucked up shit in my life. I thought I have already seen everything but seeing that shook me up okay?" He turns away and plants his hands on his hips. He then gazes at the sky. "I thought it was over. I thought we were finally free from them but no…they exist here too." He shakes his head. The discovery finally hits him. Monsters roam the Earth and no bomb can stop it this time.
He grits his teeth.
"Great...Just great."
He is spiraling again. The old man must think he is crazy. Steve should just come out and say it, tell him everything but something held him back. Trust. He doesn't think Bobby is a bad guy but growing up Steve has seen the worst in people. He has been beaten up and tortured. He has also seen how quickly people switch up on you when you don't fit their image anymore. So as a result Steve struggles to determine who is genuine and who is not. When Steve thinks about it he hasn't really connected with anyone outside of the group. Kids are different; he has always easily connected with them because they are pure and innocent. They have no ulterior motive. Adults however are a different story. They always want something.
So right now his walls stay up, wary of letting this stranger in.
"Great." He repeats for the third time. His voice strained.
The old hunter continues to stare at him. Then he puts his hand in his breast pocket and draws out a card.
"Here." He says. "My card."
Steve gives him a questioning look.
"Anything strange pops up, just give me a call. I don't want ya to run into anymore fights. You leave this stuff to the professionals. You understand?"
Steve immediately feels that familiar anger from earlier. The clear dismissal.
"I believe you." Bobby says, noticing the other man's tense shoulders. "But I just don't want you or anyone else to get hurt okay?"
"Yeah well that's the story of my life." Steve replies more sharply than he intended. Steve knows he is being an ass. He knows it's partly his fault on why Bobby is viewing him this way but Steve can't help himself.
He then looks at the card and after several moments he decides to take it. He quickly folds arms tight and defensive.
Bobby nods.
"Take care of yourself Steve."
Steve doesn't reply.
He just nods.
Rufus beeps the horn expressing his impatience.
"I'm coming." Bobby yells over his shoulder.
Rufus responds with another loud slap on the horn. Being a petty bastard now. Bobby swears under his breath as he goes into the driver's seat.
Steve watches them go.
He still stands in the same position after they are gone.
He soon snaps out of it.
"Shower." He sighs "I need a fucking shower."
So he moves.
It's been a week since the incident in the woods and Steve unsurprisingly has barely slept. The werewolf has decided to join his ever growing collection of nightmares and his apartment now stinks of sage due to him cleansing it every night. Steve is sure his apartment is not haunted but better to be safe than sorry.
Deep breaths Harrington deep breaths.
He's just finished up a class and is heading to the staff room desperate for coffee.
Sex-Ed was the usual shit. The birds and the bees, telling the boys to keep it in their pants and suggesting to the girls to carry around packets of condoms because boys have a habit of 'forgetting' or using expired condoms. He also gets the kids asking the same questions "What's the best place for me and my girlfriend to spend some 'alone time'" the kids know the answer but Steve's reputation has become a running joke in that department. He didn't mind at first boasting about how he gave Skull Rock a name on the map, made it the hot spot for hook ups but it's now getting tiresome the jokes are becoming real old. Steve wanted to be the cool teacher who everyone loved and adored but sometimes he wonders if he is subconsciously slipping back into his old High School days desperate to be liked and seen. Pretending to be someone he isn't.
After making the coffee he collapses on to the sofa and takes a big gulp not caring if it burns his throat.
Steve had the room to himself and he is glad he couldn't be bothered to talk to anyone.
He grabs the cookies from the bowl and shoves that into his mouth. He swallows and sighs heavily.
He hasn't stopped thinking about that night. It has weighed heavily on his mind.
He hasn't told the others yet. He doesn't know how to. What can he say "Oh hey guys by the way I almost got killed by a werewolf the other night and guess what vampires, ghosts they are all fucking real."
He is pretty sure Robin will think he is having a screw loss.
Steve has also been hesitant because his knowledge on it all is limited. He has borrowed some books from the library and spent the evenings reading through them (His English teacher would have a heart attack right now if she found out Steve was finally reading a damm book) and so far he hasn't got much. He didn't want to dump all this on the others until he had a clearer understanding of what he is dealing with here.
The killings have stopped thank God but what made Steve uneasy is if those hunters didn't come along he would have died. Before he thought he knew everything but turns out he only just scratched the surface. That is both terrifying and exciting.
While he was close to death's door that night and was out of his mind with panic, some small part of him also felt so alive. The hunting, the action, the adrenaline, he missed it so much. It felt so good to break away from the daily routine.
Yeah…I'm crazy.
He's got to be. No sane person would act like this. No sane person would enjoy this. Part of him fears that maybe he stayed in Hawkins hoping to get dragged back into the fight.
He runs a hand down his face.
Maybe he does have a screw loss. The amount of times he's been beaten up probably has done something to his head.
What if something like this happens again?
That question has played non-stop in his head. What if it does happen again? What if next time it's a vampire or a ghoul Steve would be helpless against it.
Bobby suggested for Steve to call him but Steve couldn't rely on others to come to the rescue. Worse case scenario they could arrive when it's too late. No, he needs to be prepared. He needs to be able to stand up for those who can't defend themselves. Steve saves lives and he is damm good at it. It is part of who he is. So he has to do something. Make the first step.
He is not going to get the answer from the books.
So later when he arrived home Steve grabbed the card Bobby gave him and dialed his number. When they handled the bodies he remembered Bobby telling him there is a network of hunters out of there, all over the US.
He still couldn't believe it that people did this as a full time job.
Then he remembered the haunted look in Bobby's eyes.
It made Steve realize something.
This isn't a job people choose willingly. They get pulled out into it just like Steve did and once you are exposed to the horrors of the world you can't turn your back on it no matter how hard you try.
Maybe that's why life hasn't been good for Steve Harrington recently. No matter what he does, the mundane life he created for himself simply does not stick, he can't embrace it when he already knows way too much. He can't go on pretending everything is fine when it's not.
He simply can't walk away from the life that made him who he is today.
His hand grips so tight around the phone his knuckles turn white. He takes several breaths to calm himself down. To pull himself out of the tornado of thoughts that swirl around in his head.
Don't get ahead of yourself. He tells himself. One step at a time. One step at a time.
The phone rings.
He waits with baited breath.
Then.
"Singer Salvage Yard." The familiar gruff voice answers.
Steve exhales heavily.
"Bobby?"
"Speaking."
"It's umm…It's Steve…Steve from Hawkins."
It is silent for several beats.
"Steve." Steve swears the old man didn't sound surprised to hear from them. "Is everything okay?"
"Uh yeah everything is fine it's just…well I was wondering…if we could talk…face to face."
Another minute of silence.
"Why?"
"I just want to ask you some questions. About your job, the supernatural…I…I want you to tell me everything."
He hears a sigh come from the line.
"Kid."
"If you don't tell me I will find someone else. You said there are more of you right? I'll look for them, I'll get them to tell me everything."
"You don't wanna do that." Bobby's tone shifts to a warning. "Not all hunters are friendly folks."
"Then tell me." Steve tries to keep his voice calm. "Tell me what I need to know. You said you didn't want me or anyone else to get hurt then this is your chance to do that."
Bobby hesitates. Steve closes his eyes and bites his lip.
"How about this?" He then says. "You give me something and I'll give you something."
No objections from the other end.
"I'll answer your questions." Steve continues. "And I will be honest, I won't lie. I'll tell you what I know and you tell me what you know. Deal?"
Bobby ponders the offer thinking it through while Steve hopes he will accept. Steve saw the look in the old hunter's eyes that night. He was intrigued and wanted to know more about Steve. Steve is now giving that to him on a plate.
"Alright." Bobby eventually replies. "We'll talk."
Steve grins and does a fist pump.
"Get a pen and paper and write this down. Now I am only telling you this once if you fail to listen then tough. I ain't repeating myself."
Steve grabs the notepad and pencil.
"Okay."
"You ready?"
"Yeah." Steve nods although Bobby can't see him nodding. "I'm ready."
Bobby begins speaking and Steve listens and jolts down the address. Once done Steve reads it back to him.
"Don't make me regret this." Bobby says.
"You won't."
Bobby hangs up. Steve puts the phone back and slides down against the wall until his ass hits the ground.
He takes a deep breath.
"I'm doing this, I'm actually doing this."
He has taken the official first step.
He had no idea what was on the other side. He doesn't know if this meeting will go well but for once the thought of going into the unknown excites him.
"You got this Harrington."
His grin goes wide.
"You got this."