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The haze of sleep drains from Steve's body as he registers a change in scenery. Instead of peacefully curled up in his bed, his face lays in the moist dirt laden with moss and dead grass. These morbid, near realistic dreams were frequent for him, he'd also refused to talk about them, no one would understand the preternatural fear that coursed through him as he failed to save random faces from myriad fates. Stabbed, impaled by spider legs, disemboweled, bleeding out, dismembered, Steve remembered every death as if it were his fault alone. No use in dwelling, Steve thinks, hauling himself to his feet. Tonight he donned his old scoops uniform, knees and face caked in blood. A chest with a rusty lock stood a few feet to his left, Steve trying to decide if trying to get the item would make any difference in who dies or not. They rarely fucking did, the monsters who'd hunt Steve and his sea of fallen 'teammates' were brutal and efficient, making it near impossible to help someone caught by the assailant.
A scream rings out through the fog-filled place. Steve always rushed to help whoever's in trouble, but his legs carried him faster this time, brain barely letting Steve register that he knows that scream. He'd heard it an unfortunate amount of times he spent with his kids, and he hoped it was just a trick from the brutal killer lurking around the area. All Steve could hear was his heartbeat and the thoughts screaming for it to be a trick. Unfortunately for both of them, El sat sobbing with her leg stuck in a bear trap, which she was desperately trying to claw apart. Her sobs shake through Steve as he approaches, helping her release herself. Once free, she launches herself at him, bawling into him as the dots connect.
"El, are your powers-" he starts, soothing the poor girl. She was dressed in the outfit from Starcourt, something Steve was sure she'd gotten rid of in the move. Sniffling, El looks up and shakes her head, crying with snot running down her chin. "It's okay, it's okay. I've got you."
As he coos to El, he's hyper-aware of foot-steps approaching. They were slow, cautious, intentional. He couldn't tell if it was another sacrifice-to-be or if him and El were really fucked. She couldn't run even if she wanted to, her right calf looked torn to shreds. Bracing himself for the worst, he hugs El tighter and squeezes his eyes shut.
"Harrington?" a voice asks meekly, causing Steve to pop his eyes wide open. Before him stands Eddie Munson, whose eyes dart from Steve to his left, where a very shocked Dustin stands, eyes welling up. He rushes Steve and El, being careful to not irritate her leg.
"Henderson," Steve breathes, stunned as Dustin and El bury into him. "How are you guys here?"
"No idea. I'd just crashed after a jam and dropped Dustin to his mom," Eddie explains, eyes train on the kids cradled in Steve's arms. Steve's hands rake through the kids' hair, their cries slowly quieting. "You seem calm."
"Steve is always calm when danger happens," Eleven says, hands still balled in Steve's outfit. Dustin scrutinizes Steve, Steve avoiding eye contact.
"Have you...Have you done this before?" Dustin asks, Steve swallowing hard, which gives him away. All three of them stare holes into him, begging for answers silently.
"Well, maybe I have, but that doesn't matter. I have to get you guys out of here. If you see a chest, open it, take what's inside," Steve instructs, Eddie helping Dustin up as Steve carries El. "There's generators, we need to fix a couple to leave. And most importantly, if your heart starts racing when you're alone and not doing anything, it's whatever's hunting us closing in on you."
"How do we fix El's leg?" Dustin asks, Eddie nodding behind him. Steve closes his eyes, sorting through his brain for everything he's found over the weeks of nightmares.
"Med kit, should be in a chest somewhere, nothing looks familiar," he admits, feeling like he's going to let them down and get them all- no. He wouldn't let that happen. "There's always one when there's a basement area, but it's not always here and it moves and there's one way in, one way out. It's basically a damn death trap."
"You seem pretty familiar with all this," Eddie points out, sounding impressed. Steve would appreciate it if they weren't in constant immediate danger. They'd only be 'safe' for so long.
"Yeah-uh, we gotta move. They know someone set off the trap and probably heard El scream. It not being here already means it's messing with us," Steve rambles, heading in a direction, the others following close behind. Listening carefully, his heartbeat thrums in his ears, still too loud for his comfort. He curses silently and surveys the area, trying to find any bit of the place that could be a haven for a moment. His arms were starting to ache, and he didn't feel he could hand her off.
"Hey, Stevie, let me hold her, you look and sound freaked," Eddie offers, an earnest smile. Steve shakes his head, still surveying the area. Dustin and Eddie share a look, Steve electing to ignore their concern. He could, no, hat to get them all out. He'd been here before, remembered every consistent detail of his earlier trials, the items other people had, their brutal deaths when Steve was just a little too slow, cut it too close, played it too fast and loose. He couldn't let that happen to any of these guys, he didn't want to wake up to one of them having 'passed peacefully' in their sleep or some bullshit the media spewed. "Stevie."
The firm tone and hand on his shoulder pulls Steve from his thoughts and forces him to look at the man calling after him.
"Give me the girl, I lug amps and unruly drunks every Tuesday to Saturday after 6," Eddie reasons, hooking his arms around EL right next to Steve's arms. Begrudgingly, Steve drops his arms from El, giving her shoulder a little jostle. She smiles softly, looping her arms around Eddie's neck.
"Steve, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I haven't seen any generators. Or chests. Anywhere," Dustin grumbles, hands busying themselves in his outer button-up shirt. Steve puts a hand on Dustin's back, giving him a tired smile. Dustin returns the smile, hugging Steve tightly.
"We'll get out of here, I've got you," He soothes, smoothing his hand over Dustin's curls. Dustin nods against Steve, who looks up to see an awestruck Eddie, holding a sleepy-looking El. Alarm bells hit Steve like a slap. No one ever felt tired here, only looked tired after extensive blood loss. "El, you feeling alright?"
She shakes her head, arms sagging from Eddie's neck. Struck with unease, Steve surveys the area, and realizes he's near where he woke up.
"Follow me," he directs, wandering back to the chest he first saw. He baseball slides to it, the others following quickly. The chest creaks open, revealing a med kit, the only tool that was going to keep El up. "Okay, set her down."
Eddie gingerly lowers El to the ground as Steve pops open the kit, finding everything he needs along with powder supplements. He assesses El's leg, thanking whatever's watching over them that her leg wasn't broke, the skin and muscle just torn to shit. He packs the wounds with gauze and wraps it, keeping it loose so it doesn't act as a tourniquet. He then takes a packet of supplements and pours it into her mouth, making sure she doesn't inhale and choke on any of it.
"You planning on being an EMT Harrington?" Eddie asks cautiously, Steve concentrating on El, but allowing himself to think about it. Danger, high stress, the chance to help people, it sounded like a profession made for him. But Steve just shakes hie head a bit, face screwed into a confused but serious face. Eddie just makes a noise of recognition as Steve finishes helping El.
"You alright? I really hope you don't wake up with your leg like this, Hopper'd rampage," Steve jokes, getting El to smile a bit. The joke even gets Dustin to snort, Eddie looking between them, confused.
"Like, like Jim Hopper? Chief of police Hopper? This is his little girl?" Eddie asks, looking wildly between them all. El giggles softly, nodding.
"Not bio-log-ic-ally," she sounds out, beaming that she said it correctly, which sends a jolt of pride through Steve. "But Hopper is my dad, regardless of bio...blood."
Eddie nods, taking in the information. Dustin helps El up and takes half of her weight.
"Can," Steve starts, feeling guilty. "Can you two find somewhere to hide while Eds and I get an exit open?"
El and Dustin exchange a glance but not. Steve feels some of the guilt lift off his chest.
"Oh!" Dustin adds, pulling a flashlight out. "We can use this to tell you where we are and if we're in trouble."
Steve stares at the flashlight, Dustin still holding it proudly as El and Eddie just kinda look between them.
"Where did you even get that?" Steve asks, Dustin looking between the flashlight and Steven.
"I dunno, felt around in my pocket and it was there," Dustin shrugs, causing Steve to sigh and rub his temples.
"Doesn't matter, that's a good idea, off both of you go," Steve says, Dustin and El hobbling off for a hiding space. He felt awful dragging Eddie with him, but he'd need help for this. Not even 'Mother Harrington' could make this happen alone.
"So," Eddie coughs, hitting his chest. "You really care about them."
"Don't act so shocked," Steve sighs, rubbing grime into his face on accident. "I've been looking at them for fucking ever."
"You really let that sailor mouth fly when the kids leave. Suits the outfit," Eddie teases, hands in his front pockets as Steve leads the way around. Annoyed, Steve's neck prickles.
"Yeah, well, my mouth does a lot when the kids aren't around," he spits, Eddie letting out a choked noise. "Quiet, Munson. It could be anywhere at this point."
They both advance to an underground area where they find the only generator from everywhere they looked. Steve grumbles and looks over to the generator, Eddie taking a bit to look over the wires.
"Just looks turned off, maybe a few out wires or turned valves," Eddie rambles, Steve crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. Eddie's face lights up slightly, turning to talk to Steve. Eddie's face falls, mouth forming words that don't have the chance to hit Steve's ears when a searing pain tears through Steve's shoulder. Registering that he's their current hunter's target, a guttural scream rips through him.
"Run, Eddie!" Steve shouts as the cleaver is dislodged from Steve. Stumbling hard, he manages to barely dodge the next few swings, the masked horror's eyes looking unfeeling. Eddie had already run off, but Steve felt the need to distract the behemoth. It kept swinging, small nicks hitting Steve as he flees, followed by the steady thump, thump, thump of heavy boots. In the midst of the chase, Steve nearly steps in a bear trap, trying to pivot anywhere but into his demise. Unfortunately, blood loss and adrenaline sent him careening to the side, where he landed on his side that a knife just cleaved through. Pain bloomed through him, mind just clear enough to realize he'd failed. Dustin, El, and Eddie were doomed because he let his guard down.
Trying to come to terms with fate, the world stills. Thick, white fog fills his field of view, Steve hoping this was a savior from watching his own demise. Instead of being brutalized, Steve is pulled to his feet, eyes barely making out the shape of curls stuck to his savior's face. Eddie's mouth moves, but no sound hits Steve's ears. Relief washes through him as he's off his feet in an instant. Still in excruciating pain, Steve loops an arm around Eddie's neck and mumbles a 'thank you'. The metalhead was mumbling the same thing over and over again, Steve only able to tell by the repetitive lip motions. His heartbeat dies off in his ears, Eddie's voice coming in.
"Oh fuck, oh fuck, please be alive Harrington. I swear to the fucking God Wayne believes in," Eddie mutters, causing Steve to laugh. The reaction eases Eddie's panic.
"What did you," Steve trails off, unable to tell if he finished the thought out loud or in his head. Eddie just shakes his head with a smile.
"Some jar thing, I smashed it and boom. Mood lighting," Eddie jokes, setting Steve down and taking the med kit Steve tied onto his apron. "That looks fucking bad, dude. What should I do?"
Steve, delirious, hisses at Eddie's hands near the wound. Eddie pulls his hands back, Steve blinking hard as stars dance through his vision.
"Pack the wound," he groans, blinking harder to clear his vision of swimming lines. "Wrap it tight, get something to keep it still, and a sling if you can manage."
Eddie nods and quickly does as instructed while Steve tries to bite back screams of pain. He'd never actually been attacked like this before, he'd been more alert. People he knows being here was affecting his ability to pay attention. He was so concerned with keeping them safe, he was putting himself in more danger. The most chilling part of it was he didn't care. If saving them meant Steve dying here, he wouldn't try to save himself.
"Hey, Steve-o, where's your head at?" Eddie asks, pulling Steve's attention back to the problem at hand. He looks at the job Eddie did on his shoulder, silently praising his skills. "We gotta get that generator running and haul ass out of here."
"Yeah, yeah. Hey, are there adrenaline shots in there?" Steve slurs, eyes unfocused on where he thinks Eddie's face is.
"Uh, yeah, there's like four or so, but are you really sure-" Eddie tries to say before the dull thud of shoes sound near them. Quickly, Eddie hugs Steve to his chest and presses them both into a corner, breath being held in hopes of being left alone. Steve dips in and out of awareness, Eddie holding him still.
"I swear I heard Steve scream," Dustin says softly, flashlight sweeping near their hiding place.
"Henderson," Steve rasps, the kids quietly zeroing on their hiding spot. "I thought I told you two to hide until we came out."
"Well I'm glad I didn't!" Dustin hisses, sitting near the huddled pair, El following suit. "You look like shit."
"He feels bad enough to be asking for me to shoot him up with adrenaline," Eddie explains, absent-mindedly rubbing circles into Steve's un-harmed arm. The kids nod, El putting a hand on Steve's arms.
"You should give it to him," she says, looking to Eddie. "I will stay with him while you do what you need to."
Steve shakes his head, words dying in his parched throat. He needed to be the one to get them out, he couldn't be dead weight and make Dustin help Eddie with the generator. Steve didn't know when he zoned out, but when snaps bring him to reality, Eddie is holding his wadded up bandana.
"Little Hopper said this is gonna hurt like a bitch, open up," Eddie explains, Steve blindly following orders. The surprisingly soft fabric hits Steve's tongue, tasting of stale soda, cigarette smoke, and motor oil, really making Steve wonder what exactly Eddie does in his free time. He registers words being said, but can't discern the content or who actually says them, just the weight of a hand on his leg. In quick succession, the weight of the hand becomes tighter and a stinging pain hits him near the pressure. Blinding pain rips through his nerves, choking a scream around the bandana in his mouth. His vision is spotty, like he's stuck in a room with strobing lights and the heating turned up to nearly 100 degrees. A cool hand soothes his forehead, feeling like ice, calming him down from his adrenaline caused fever.
"Steve, you have to calm down," El says evenly, smoothing her hand over his burning forehead. Steve wants to laugh and cry at the amount of times the kids have had to take care of him when he's supposed to be the babysitter. "You are making too much noise."
Steve tries to nod, nerves still alight with the sudden rush of adrenaline that he'd admittedly asked for. His vision slowly returns, the dull world he'd been transported to comes into focus behind Eleven, a soft smile adorning her face.
"You are safe here," she coos, making Steve feel better about this little girl taking care of him. He calms after a couple of minutes, sitting himself up and pulling the bandana out of his mouth. He stuffs it into his pocket, rubbing the numbness from his eyes. "We will be okay."
"Mhm," he acknowledges, pushing himself to his feet and catching himself hard on a wall, El flinching at the impact. "I'm good, El. Promise."
She nods, unconvinced by his words. cautiously wrapping Steve's injured arm around her shoulders to help stabilize him. He's grateful for her support, but feels awful he needs it at all. What kind of savior could he be if he needed their help? Not a very good one, that's for sure. He stumbles with her to the edge of where they'd hidden, trying to see if their assailant or Dustin and Eddie completed their task. As if on cue, a large horn blares across the arena, some lights alerting them to the locations of their escape. Followed by the noise, Eddie and Dustin come into view, making Steve smile until he realizes they're running, frantic.
"We gotta go!" Henderson shouts, El and Steve sharing a look. Steve wasn't going to get far on his own.
"Gimme the King," Eddie mumbles, nearly slipping on the dirt. He quickly scoops Steve into his arms and tears off, kids in quick pursuit. He almost wants to tell Eddie to have him and save the kids, but he's been in that situation before and understood the mental strain a sacrifice would have. The kids and Eddie were now running in sync, Steve looking over Eddie's shoulder to see the hunter standing still, watching them run to the exit, and unease curls in his gut.
"Hey guys," Steve calls, throat drying up. "It isn't running after us!"
"Isn't that a great thing?!" Eddie asks, looking to the kids. They respond by shaking their heads with wide eyes.
"It usually means it knows something we don't," Dustin says, shooting a worried glance to Steve. "Maybe there's a field of bear traps?"
"Worse," El states, staring ahead of them. A familiar gate looms, the switch usually used to open it flipped, lights blaring, but the gate stayed mostly shut. They'd have to squeeze through one at a time.
"Henderson, El, you get your asses through that gap now," Steve commands, both nodding and squeezing through, waiting with baited breath for the older boys. "You next, Munson."
"Fuck no," he hisses, staring straight into Steve's eyes. "You're injured."
"Exactly, I'll need you to catch me on the other side," Steve reasons, Eddie giving in and setting Steve against the wall on his good arm. With an indignant glare, Eddie squeezes through. Steve surveys the area before trying to push himself through the gap. As he's halfway to freedom, he's yanked back by his injured arm, causing him to scream bloody murder. He 'hears' shouts from his friends as he's forced onto his stomach. Lightheaded from his head hitting the packed ground and searing pain on the right side of his body, Steve manages to roll onto his back to see his murderer wind up an attack, sure to be the end of him. The down-swing is interrupted by a metal box hitting the killer's arm, knocking loose the machete, which embeds itself into the ground near Steve's head. he roughly sees Eddie throw Dustin's flashlight at the assailants head, hauling Steve up by his injured arm accompanied by 'sorries'. They both make it to the gap, Eddie keeping a hand around Steve's wrist, pulling him along. As they make their escape, dull footfalls follow them quickly. As Steve crosses the threshold, the machete buries itself into the left side of Steve's neck before being ripped free, severing his jugular veins and causing him to fall limp in Eddie's arms, light and sound fading out as he goes numb, leaving him to the mercy of nothingness.
~♕~
Banging on the door stirs Steve from his fitful sleep. He forces himself up, rubbing his eyes. He pulls on a shirt and a pair of pants, one of the pockets stuffed with some cloth Steve can't tell if he's seen before. He pulls out the bandana and tosses it on his bed before heading to the front door. He steals a glance at a clock, seeing that it's nearly 4 pm, well past the start and end of his shift. Robin was definitely going to tear him a new one.
"Hey Rob, sorry for sleeping through-" he starts as he opens the door, rubbing the back of his neck before he's abruptly cut off by two sets of arms around his middle. He continues to blink away sleep, looking down to see Dustin and El. "What's going on?"
Both of the kids turn up their tear-stained faces, worrying Steve more. He looks past them to see Eddie leaning against his van, hair twisting between his fingers and a lit cigarette hanging from his lips as he stares daggers into Steve.
"We watched you die!" Dustin blubbers, twisting his hands into Steve's shirt as well as letting his tears soak it through. Confused as hell, Steve smooths a hand over both of the kid's heads.
"You gonna explain further?" Steve asks, earning incredulous looks from the kids clinging to him.
"You don't remember? Last night, us four being hunted by the crazy guy with the bear traps??" Dustin half-explains, sparking older memories. "You told us you'd been through nightmares like that before!"
Stunned silent and still, Steve processes what Dustin has said. Eleven and Eddie give nods to corroborate the story, causing Steve's throat to dry up instantly.
"We thought you'd be fine, but Robin called Dustin asking about you," Eddie croaks out, voice raw and scratchy, making Steve wonder if he was like that because of his band, the cigarettes, or the nightmare they shared.
"Wanna come in and jog my memory?" Steve offers them with a half-smile. He also offers soda for the kids and a beer for Eddie.
~♕~
"Holy shit," Steve breathes as the kids finish the story. He runs a hand through his own hair, fingers catching knots. "I just thought I'd slept funny."
The kids shake their heads, faces considerably dryer than roughly an hour ago. Dustin and El took on the brunt of the storytelling, Eddie resigned himself to the far corner, avoiding eye contact with Steve. He really hoped the kids wouldn't have those nightmares again, but after the horrors they'd witnessed over the years, he knew they all would.
"Well, uh," Dustin says, wiping at his face as he sips the rest of his soda. "El and I have to get to Mike's to play some D&D."
Steve nods, Eddie finally looking over to the group.
"Keep Wheeler in check," he says, a small smile to Dustin and El, eyes twinged with hurt as Steve tries to meet his eyes. The cold shoulder was really bothering Steve now, he could ignore it for the kids, but the door shuts on their exit. Eddie finally decides to make eye contact. "What?"
"What?!" Steve repeats, emotions boiling beneath his skin. He couldn't do this, not when he's processing all of this. "Don't you fucking 'what' me, Munson. You're coming at me with the third degree."
Taken aback, Eddie covers his face with a huff, leaving Steve to keep wondering what happened between them in the nightmare to cause the icing out.
"I'm, uh, not the best at this, cause, well, you're Steve fucking Harrington. How am I supposed to say 'I'm pissed because I care' and explain what I mean?" Eddie says, eyes staring directly at Steve. "You can't understand how it felt watching those kids cry over your corpse."
Steve softens and laughs, light tears accompanying the short burst of somber humor. He sees the confusion on Eddie's face and decides to explain.
"You ever heard of a guy called Billy Hargrove?" Steve asks, Eddie nodding with slightly pink cheeks. Steve'll ask later. "Back in the 'freak fire' at Starcourt-"
"That was really a monster fight," Eddie interjects.
"-Billy sacrificed himself to save El and the other kids, and Max cried over his lifeless body and nearly tried to take it with us," Steve explains, Eddie's eyes going wide. "When you were trying to keep your head down, she went to his grave and read a note to it. Nearly cost her her life."
"Steve, I-" Eddie starts, hands fidgeting with his rings, looking ashamed by his earlier outburst.
"You couldn't have known, I won't hold it against you," Steve laughs, wiping his face of tears. "Shit man, I probably would've done the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot."
Eddie nods but still looks like a kicked dog, Steve deciding to offer another beer.
"For a rich kid," Eddie says, taking it and opening it with the counter's edge. "You've got the cheapest bullshit known to Hawkins."
"Minimum wage, my friend. No access to my trust fund," Steve sighs, settling against the counter.
"Fucking bummer," Eddie laughs, both settling into a comfortable silence.